Taking a Walk on the Web Side.

I've got the flu.  Ugh.  This happens so infrequently to me, thankfully, but it sure knocked me down.  I spent about thirty six hours straight in bed and I don't think I have done that before ever in my life.

Oy, and not being able to focus on productive things?!  Forgedda’bout it, write me off.

But I’m fine, I’m fine, I am totally fine.  I’m on the mend and all is well!

In the meantime, I've left you hangin’ here high and dry with nothing fun to read, no cool projects, no nothin' and I'm a flu-riddled slacker for it.

That changes today!

Yeah, it's a web trip day, I hope that's ok but I spent the energy to edit photos and do all the fancy things I normally do for you guys over on Flaky Bakers.  Sorry.  Go read that too!

But web trips are fun, I very much enjoy them.  It's fun to see new stuff, read interesting things, take a break from the madness, ya know.  Right?

So cozy up nice and toasty your hopefully flu-free selves, relax, and dang it, let’s have some fun!

I’ve long abhorred our laundry room, you guys know this.  I mean yeah, I’m very thankful to have a laundry room but it’s an efficiency train wreck.  Everywhere I turn is another nope, this is in the way, that can’t move, this can’t….

Hometalk had a contest in January for laundry room makeovers and weirdly that was the impetus I needed to create a plan.  Which hit me like a ton of bricks, I saw the complete room in my head.  Unfortunately I missed the deadline but it is mid-progress.

Seeing things like How Eddie Ross Designed a Laundry Room You’ll Actually Want to Spend Time In from House Beautiful, while not my particular style, it did get me charged up to do something bold, fun, happy, and bright.

Inspiration can come from anywhere, see, even if your design ends up not looking at all like the inspiration.

I ran across this clever idea, How to Make a Pull-out Sweater Drying Rack from Sawdust Girl but sadly since our laundry room is not even five and a half feet wide, these won’t work for us.  Maybe they’ll work for you though.

Sleepy dog 1.

This Pro Organizer Has the Secrets for Making Small Spaces Work for Two from Apartment Therapy, while a little click-baity with the title, it did have a tip or two.  It was the luscious dark hue and creative paint job that lured me in.

What to Do When Your Client Wants Knockoff Furniture from Architectural Digest.  Sigh.  Ok, AD.  Sure, I get it a thousand percent, originals are worth it but if you don’t have five g’s for a chair…

To me, design is for the people, it’s universal, everyone should have access to good design even on a tight budget because good design improves lives.  It should not be exclusionary.  Just because I can’t swing a “Luigi Caccia Dominioni ‘Pipistrello’ desk...a Porsche 356A for your study” doesn’t mean I should live in design hell.  And neither should you.  Bleh, I wouldn’t want that desk anyway.

Sure, a knockoff will likely fall apart quicker, your guests might know it’s a knockoff, and there are some ethical issues involved, but if that makes someone happy, I can’t take that joy away.  Who cares what other people think.  Don’t be so dreadfully snobby, AD.

Sleepy dog 2.

Ok!  What else…

Our household has a good distance to travel here but tips to start:  25 Ways You Can Help Your Family be Zero Waste from HGTV.

Not too far off that topic of discussion, The Life-Changing Magic of Making Do from The Globe and Mail.

Sleepy dog 3.

You know I can't not mention black paint in one of our web trips together.  From The Kitchn:  I Painted my Kitchen Black.  Here’s What I Think About it Four Months Later.  See?  See?

I am not sorry for a single second that I painted our cabinets black.  And here Mike thought I'd have changed the color already.  Heh.

How about:  Would You Try the Black Bathroom Trend?  5 Ways to Bring it Home from My San Antonio.  Oooohhh.  Yes.  Yes please.

I was a little surprised to see Martha Stewart take a walk into the wild side with Statement Wall Murals are One of the Biggest Decor Trends of 2019.  Go Martha!

I had no idea I was being so trendy, both with painted ones and a paper one.  I am trend-averse, as we know.

Sleepy dog 4.

If anxiety has you in its grips, or even not, Easing Anxiety through Creativity from Verily has many excellent reasons to do something creative.

Oh, hahaha, ha, ok, heh, when I was planning the master shower I came across this, pardon the language, it’s not mine:   F**k Half Shower Doors from The Awl.  Hahaha.

I. Want. This. Wallpaper.  Need.  You Don’t Have to be a Pet Person to Love this Wallpaper.  Oh so cute, I can’t even.  Right?!  So fun.

Sleepy puppy 5.

And lastly, this is going to seem opposite of everything this whole blog is about but Are Home Renovations Necessary by Curbed.  I share it because it makes a very good point, that most likely your home is fine and by extension, you shouldn't compare your home to others.

I don't ever want folks to feel, after reading this blog, guilty, that they're insufficient or lacking.  Our house was horrifying when we moved in, redoing it was absolutely necessary for my sanity and for resale; ours is a special case.

So relax, don't ever feel bad, please.  But, if you do want to spiff things up, I am absolutely gonna be behind you one trillion percent.

Today's photo theme?  Finn, of course.  Lately he's been cuddling with me, or rather on me, every night at bedtime which I love love love.  He never cuddles me, ever; he's usually snuggling with Mike.  Lucky me!

Ok, be back soon, or that's my plan!