What Do YOU Really Love?

I think all of us creative types love to look at pretty images. I know with the internet and blogging we are inundated with an abundance of beautiful rooms.

Sometimes I think it might confuse us to what we really love, because we see so many images of different styles, and different colors that we really love, but we would not put them “ALL” in our rooms.

Most of us are probably pretty eclectic in our style. We gravitate towards more than just one style. I know for myself it would be hard to pin-point just one style or word to describe what my home reflects.

I think that is what makes a home interesting. If it has a nice mix it will have the homeowners personality. If it is one style or a copied vignette from a showroom, it will lack soul or personality.

In my years of consulting with clients I developed an exercise that would help me analyze what direction or style to take them towards in making their house a home that they would love.

One of the exercises I would have them do was to clip images from design magazines that they loved. I just wanted them to go with their first impression, and what they  were drawn too by the picture. After they had several images I would go over each image with them ,and begin analyzing what it was in each image that drew them in.

Each picture would evoke some kind of feeling or emotion. I would keep track of what they said and when we were done with that exercise I would have a very good idea of what this homeowner needed in their home to give their home it’s own personal style.

We have all heard of Pinterest!! It is a  very good way of clipping and saving images that speak to us in one way or the other.

I have several boards that I have pinned images on. I have one board in particular where I put what I call my, “All time Favorites!”

This is very much like what I  had my clients do for years with images from magazines.

I thought it might be fun for me, and hopefully for you to go through some of my all time favorites to see what design elements speak to me………

 I am showing you this image first! Why? Because I really love this, in fact I have pinned it three different times here and once in my own picture files. There is nothing here that I don’t love. Here is the list of words I would write down if my client showed me this image:

• Black and white (high contrast)
• Lots of light
• Natural elements with plants or florals
• Textures with baskets
• Simplicity
• Lantern hanging fixtures
• Stripes in flooring and roman shade

Remember I am keeping track so I can analyze what my client will require in her home in order for her to love it.

 

• Clean
• Crisp
• white
• order
• reflective surfaces
• charm
• vintage
• lantern type hanging fixture
• plant for touch of life and greenery

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This is another image that I have saved several times in my own personal photo files.

• Warmth with wood
• black and white contrast
• real flowers and foliage for life and the color green
• lots of light
• vintage pieces
• blue
• symmetry
• cottage charm
• checks

• black and white contrast
• natural elements with flowers adding pops of green
• warmth with wood
• lots of light
• charm
• simple, clean, uncluttered

• contrast of black and white
• texture with baskets
• vintage pieces
• live plants to add life and pops of green
• charm
• lanterns
• stripes

 

• crisp white open and airy
• live florals to bring in green
• lots of light
• lantern type light fixture
• warmth with wood
• vintage and antique pieces

t

• contrast with white
• symmetry
• green with plants
• lantern type fixtures
• stripes

 

• Contrast with white
• painted green cabinet
• green in florals
• warmth with wood
• texture with baskets
• stripes in rug
• checks

• contrast with white
• Green in cabinet and tile
• live plants
• crisp,clean, airy
• stripes in tile work and towels

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• Lots of light
• black and white contrast
• green with fruit and outside views
• vintage charm

This is just a sampling of the images I have saved as my favorites. You can see that there is a consistency in what I have chosen.
Shall we go through the list of words that describe the feel and requirements I will need to have in my home in order to make it my own personal taste?

• Lots of light
• crisp, clean, airy
• contrast with white
• black and white
• live plants/flowers for life
• Reflective surfaces for light
• colors: black and white, green and blues
• texture with baskets
• warmth with some wood
• lighting vintage and lanterns
• symmetry and order
• checks and stripes
• mix of vintage,antiques and new

This is the list of what I require in my home in a nutshell. See how easy it is when you line-up images and you analyze what elements you love in the image.

A consistent list will occur right before your eyes.
I hope this little exercise will help you in your own journey of discovering what you need in your own home to make it your own personal style.

Design is an ever evolving process that can take years. Our taste will also evolve, but  and I do mean, BUT, always stay true to who you are and try not to fall into the pit of  trend-land. If you maintain a look that you love you will be able to evolve over the years by simply tweaking and adding a few  new pieces now and then. Remember what I always say.......

...............“Enjoy the Process” Of:

Discovering your own personal style!

Kathysue

Being Authentic To Who YOU Are!!

Being authentic!!! Wow that is a hard one to pin down sometimes. I like to think at the age that I am I know how to be my authentic self as a person. I am talking about being authentic in a particular area of your life.  I am talking about being authentic on our blogs.

You know, what we write about, and how we write about it. When I posed the question, “Would you continue writing your blog if you never got any comments?” I got so many comments and opinions. One comment that came towards the end really struck a cord with me. My reader wrote this:

You posed a very interesting question about blogging and one that I often ask myself. I would continue blogging without comments as I started the blog to document my journey as a designer. I then got some mentions from other blogs which generated more readers which (perhaps weirdly) made me feel a lot of pressure to tailor my posts more to the people who were now visiting my blog, which felt inauthentic and however hard I tried my readership didn't increase which was disheartening. I now write for me, document my designs and the things that really inspire me and think less about what people may want and try to have a more authentic voice. Having said that I really enjoy comments that I do get and value each and every one.
Great post to make us think!

Here is a blogger that  was briefly caught in the trap of trying to figure out what her readers wanted. As she wrote more of what she thought they would like to read, she got further away from her authentic self. I was glad to hear that she went back to being a designer on a journey, and she is sharing her journey with her readers on her terms.

How many of us have been caught in the trappings of wanting more readership, and we try to tailor our blog post to what we think the readers out there want, or at least what we think they want. You know how uneasy you feel when you do that. That is because You and I are not being our authentic self.

We happen to read a blog post, and we see a great response so we think, maybe I should write a post like this? We try to write a post like the popular post and it falls flat. We don’t enjoy writing, or researching for it, and to our dismay there is very little response from our readers in the form of comments.

When I thought about writing this very post, I thought to myself, that this is probably not a post that my readers will enjoy, and yet I find myself writing it anyhow.

You see I am being my authentic self here. I love design! I love talking about design and reading about design. I also love fashion as you have read in my last couple of posts. I also love to know what makes people tick, including myself. So from time to time I will be writing a piece like this that will make me think, and hopefully will make, you, my reader think also.

After reading the comment that my reader left me. I had to be honest with myself, and realize that I am not always my authentic self when it comes to writing my blog. Sometimes I will put a post up that I feel is a bit lack luster and less inspiring than I would like it to be.

There have been other times I write about a subject that I think might be a bit controversial or that my readers might not accept. I have done this many times and I have hesitated, and when I finally write it  the response has always been a positive one.

I realize we as blog authors can not always write an inspiring post, but we must always be our authentic selves, even if it is just a few words describing something that inspired us.

Life is a gift and we each have our very own life to live and no one else can do that for us. Why would we rob ourselves of our own personal experience of this great life by being inauthentic or not genuine.

There was a lesson for me in this comment and I had to share it with you all. Whether I am writing a blog post or a comment on another blogger, I am going to try my hardest to be my authentic self.

I pose this question to myself and to you all:

Is my blog representing who I am. Am I using my own voice in what I am writing? Has my blog evolved into the blog that I hoped it would be?

Hard questions to answer, but I feel these are very important questions we should ask ourselves as we continue to spend the time and energy that it takes to write a blog.

Blogging has been a wonderful and sometimes mysterious journey for me, but I am always learning, and I am inspired by all of you. I am inspired by your creativity, your writing and your comments. I hope I can continue to be my authentic self, and you will allow me to be a part of your day by reading my blog.

Thank you for making this a wonderful journey 

Kathysue Is:

“Enjoying the Process of Blogging, very much!”

Seeing Fashion Through Different Eyes!!

When you are young and thin it is so much easier to find clothing that fits, and looks good on you, than when you get my age and my size, ugh!!!

The other day I was looking at some fun fashion blogs and I found myself saying., "If I were thinner, If I were younger, If I were taller." You know those messages that play over and over in our heads, and either they paralyze us from moving forward or they stop us from even trying anymore.

Well, I don’t like being in that frame of mind so I made myself look at some cute young thing dressed in some very stylish outfits and I said to my self. “Self you should not wear a mini skirt, but what else could you substitute in its place?” I started looking at these darling fashions with optimism instead of a woe is me attitude. 

It was amazing how my attitude changed and how inspired I became.
I am going to show you a few of the images, and then I will tell you what I would change that would be more appropriate, and frankly just more, “ME!”


In fact over on my Pinterest boards I have a whole board for these types of looks that I call….. “Looks to make my way.”

Source: atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

I think it is probably pretty obvious I won’t be wearing a pair of white mini shorts!!!  However I will wear a pair of white walking shorts or a pair of white jeans. I love everything on the top half of this outfit. The flower is way to much for my taste, but the rest I could totally wear. I would have to go for a pair of  neutral flats instead of heels, but that is totally doable.

By looking at this outfit from a different perspective I can study it and see what can work for me.

I am hear to tell you that on another day with another mood I would have totally skipped over this because of the mini shorts and the heels alone.

That really goes to show me that perspective and attitude is key in my success to having fun with my wardrobe at my age.

Let’s look at some more……..

Source: popcultureafternoon.blogspot.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

I think anyone could wear this outfit. What I liked about this outfit was the color combination. Since I am not tall I think I would probably have to wear  a more fitted open weave sweater, but other than that I think I could totally pull this off.

One of the outstanding elements in this outfit is the purse and the necklace. Love the strands of jumbled pearls and the bright clutch. I have plenty of pearls to work with. I now need to find a bright oversized clutch. I also love the large chain bracelet. Hmmmm? I wonder if I could wear turquoise nail polish? Maybe on my toes!!! See how this attitude works? I am on a roll.

Source: popcultureafternoon.blogspot.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

When I look at this outfit with my new found attitude and perspective. I see that  I really love the brights with the neutral of the animal print. I also notice that she ties it together with a neutral bag. 

I could do this easily. I probably won’t be wearing tight skinny jeans, but I am sure I can wear a pair of colored jeans and a bright t-shirt with a touch of an animal print sweater with neutral shoes and purse. Why not?!!!

Shall we try one more outfit on for size and style??……

Source: atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

That is my JCrew navy checked shirt!!!! No red mini skirt in my future, but check out the cute trench-vest and red belt!! I would wear this with my white jeans or blue jeans in a heartbeat!!! In fact I can, because I ordered this trench vest from Urban outfitters. If I had looked at this with my old grumpy attitude I would have totally missed out on a fun and cute new piece to add to my wardrobe. Here are a couple of other looks with the same trench-vest.(Just found out this vest is on sale now!!! Was $79, I paid $59 now it is on sale for $39.99 HERE!!)

Source: popcultureafternoon.blogspot.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

Switch it up and wear it with creams and neutrals. I have a leather belt! I can do this with a cream top and bottom. I could wear my leopard flats instead of the leopard clutch. I can totally get the same look with a touches of , “ME” in there.

Source: atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

There is a lot going on in this outfit. Let’s see which ones can I use.

A neutral striped tank with a denim blouse and a cute scarf that picks up the colors. I can totally do that. Darker khaki walking shorts, sure why not?!! Brown leather belt, I have one!! Stacked gold bracelets, I have plenty of those. I need that large bronze chain. I need to add that to my shopping list.

See how it all works?!!

Source: lookbook.nu via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

Other than the heels in this image I can wear it all!!! It looks as if my new trench vest is going to be a fun new piece for me to wear.

One thing I am noticing in all of the above images is the great use of accessories. It is just like building a well designed room. Get a good base going and then add to it with accessories in varying shapes and textures.
I need to look for a few things to add to my wardrobe. Who knows maybe if I look in my existing jewelry box I might already have it!!!


Now I am totally inspired!! I am now on the hunt for:

• brightly colored over sized clutch
• large chain necklace and bracelet
• medium width red belt.
• blue denim shirt
• neutral flats

These are just a few of the looks that inspired me when I started looking at fashion through more positive and creative eyes.


How about you all, do you find yourself discouraged by what you see out there in the market place? Try this little exercise and pick out an image of an outfit that you are attracted too and tweak it to fit your needs like I did.

“Enjoy the Process” Of:

Looking at clothing with a whole new mindset of being positive and creative. Tweak it to fit your needs and body type.

Kathysue

BTW: If you would like to see the other outfits that I am trying to make my way you can visit my Pinterest board HERE!

Nautical attire for the Beach!!

Yesterday I got to go  to my favorite spot. Carmel by the sea. We had a wonderful day sitting on the beach listening to the waves. It was a really nice day, just cool enough for a light weight sweater or jacket.

I just got the cutest light weight cotton jacket from Urban Outfitters with a nautical vibe to it. It was the perfect jacket to take with me to the beach.

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

I love the rope and wooden toggle closure. Just a fun casual piece to wear to the beach.  Of course I did not wear it with these shorts. However I did wear it with some cute white cotton pants. I also had a navy tank with my navy and white checked shirt with a pop of a light weight yellow citron sweater. I was comfortable all day in this outfit.

Now I think I need to get a cute pair of navy Toms.

Source: toms.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

If you need a fun, really causal little cover up jacket this is darling on. I am really glad I purchased it. I see myself wearing this a lot.

It is fun to get little pieces like this to freshen up your wardrobe. I am in the midst of cleaning and purging my closet. I am taking out the winter clothes now that summer has finalllllly arrived and putting all my summer things into the closet.

More on that later. I will take you through my process…..

Have you purchased any cute pieces to pump up your summer wardrobe lately?

“Enjoy the Process!” Of:

Finding fun new pieces for your Summer Wardrobe!!

Kathysue

Keeping Cool With Backyard Blues!!!

Since the weather is changing to a nice summery warmth my mind is going to my backyard.  I truly love my backyard, but as with any area in one’s home it can always use a little sprucing up.

I keep a file of backyard inspiration images that attracted my attention for various reasons. As I have told you before the back of my home is painted a different color than the front. The front of my home is soft yellow, white with small amounts of black. In the backyard I used cool greens and blue. I wanted a cooling down effect with our hot summer temperatures. 

Let me show you some of the images that are inspiring me right now.


So cool and crisp looking. Notice the boxed pillow frame in the stripe.  I am going to remember this as a fun look for pillows inside or outside.



White wicker looks so crisp with the addition of the cobalt blue stripe.




I like how this long narrow space was divided into two sitting areas. If this had cobalt blue pillows I think it would have such a lush cool affect.

Candlelight always makes everything look inviting to me.  If you add stripes to the mix it becomes perfection. In all of these pictures I am visualizing my blues and greens in place of the colors that are pictured.

Love,love,love this door. I am going to try and figure out how to incorporate it on my fence gate in the backyard. Maybe cobalt blue and white stripes. How fun would that be?

I know, I know this is not an outside area, but their is so much inspiration for me in this picture. I love the large  almost monogram looking print on the back of the chairs. 

The black legs of the chairs and the black table reminded me of all the old black wrought iron gates in my backyard leaning against the cool green walls. You see there are lots of places to get inspiration for the outdoor spaces in your home.



This is perfection to me. I just purchased some cobalt/navy cushions with off white cord welting for my white wicker. The addition of ferns and flowers in all blue and white give a wonderfully cool look for the hot summer days.

The two lamps on the console table are amazing. Oh how I would love a lamp out back, I am working on that idea. I am also going to add a couple of blue and white porcelain pieces with my cobalt and green pots. I love it when an idea starts to come together after being in my brain for so long.



I loved this image for the use of boxwoods and water features. I have to have water features in my yard. I do have a pool so that is a feature in of itself. 

We have connected a fountain to the pool that floats in the middle and adds a nice ambiance when there is no swimming going on. 

A couple of other elements in this image that I love is the lantern and the overhang on the door. I also like the outdoor shutters. I have shutters that my honey made for me to go with the window box.

Source: georgicapond.blogspot.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

I think this image sums up the look I love for my own backyard. Crisp white wicker with sharp tailored cobalt blue cushions trimmed in white.
The blue and white garden stool makes a great side table. I would prefer a white canvas Market umbrella. For some reason I like the basic natural canvas umbrellas more than color.

Source: stylist.co.uk via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

I am in love with this!! The sound of the water going into the pool would be so relaxing. I love the texture the wood brings to the area. Don’t you just want to jump into this pool?!

Source: sarahrichardsondesign.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

A couple of things that I really like in this picture beside the amazing view. Notice the band of color and pattern at the base of the chaise? Fun idea with a beach towel, You could change the atmosphere by what towel you used.  I also like the towels on pegs by the door and a large wicker basket to hold the towels right by the door. Since I have a pool this would work nicely for me.

Source: room-galleries.myhomeideas.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

This looks like a perfect setup to me. I love everything about this space. The canvas market umbrella mixed with the cobalt cushions on all the furniture is just what I love. In this image the addition of the black metal lanterns is a nice touch. I have some black wrought iron pieces in my backyard also and I really love the look they add.

I don’t know about you all, but I feel much cooler after looking at all these images of beautiful outdoor areas with touches of blue.
If it is hot where you are living I hope you can enjoy the weather and keep cool.

“Enjoy the Process” Of:

Making your summer environment feel cooler with the use of color.

Kathysue

A Blogger’s Point of View!

In a post this  last week I posed the question:

“Would You Continuing blogging if nobody ever left a comment?” It seemed to hit a cord with quite a few people and I received quite a few comments (76), creating a great dialogue.( If you missed this post you can read it HERE!)

I read over the comments several times to get a pulse on what was being said by my readers. If you would like to know what your fellow blogger's point of views are, this post is for YOU!! What you are about to read is what I discovered ……….

The Yes’s Vs. The No’s:

There were quite a few bloggers that said they would continue blogging if they did not get comments.  The No’s had about a half dozen more votes saying they would NOT continue blogging if they did not get any comments.

The Relationships in blogging:

One of the themes in many of the comments was the  relationships that are formed because of blogging, and commenting. This has turned out to be a very pleasant surprise in my own blogging life. I can not tell you how many wonderful readers I now consider, as one of my friends. One commenter reminded me that if she had not commented on my blog that she and I would have never become friends. I can say that about so many. So if you are not commenting or responding to your comments You are really missing out on one of the highlights of blogging.

One reader wrote:

my blog is a bit of a chat with my like minded friends

Many loved the fact that blogging has allowed them to be in touch with like-minded people that never seem to get tired of talking about design and decorating. I know I can seem to talk about design for hours, but not all of my friends share my exuberance on the subject. In blog land that is exactly what we spend our time talking and writing about…. Design!!

Competition:
Along with some relationships there involves competition. This seemed to bother quite a few of the commenter's. To many, it felt like back in the day of our high school years. One blogger that is new to the blogging world wrote this:

It seems that overwhelmingly blogging is a positive experience so far, and I have met some wonderful girls through it. But I do hear the other side of blogging, ie the nasty side, which saddens me that it exists, but I guess in a competitive world it would be naive of me to think it doesn't. I just know that I love beautiful things, whether it be interiors, decorating, a recipe, a flower, a special moment in a life, my children's laughter, a funny moment. All the things that make our life a little less ordinary and a bit more special. There is so much beauty and talent in the world and I think there are more than enough people out there to embrace and share it. I hope we can all try to be generous, be kind spirited, be heartfelt, be genuine, be bigger than you are and be yourself. Hopefully that keeps us on the path of positivity, of embracing the good in people and what they are trying to achieve.
I think she has very good insight for being new to the blogging world, and I totally agree with what she has said.


Blog For YOU!!!:
 There were so many bloggers that left comments stating that they blog for themselves as a creative outlet and also as a journal to keep records of the projects and adventures they experience. I even had one commenter that said ………..

I started my blog because I didn't have anyone to talk to about what I loved (design). So for a long time, and I mean LONG TIME, I didn't have any readers or comments. But at the time I didn't think about that much since I didn't know what blogging really was anyway.
Now that people do know me and I do get comments, I kind of feel pressured to update my blog. If I don't will my readers still be there? If I say this will they like it? Will I offend someone? Those are some of the questions I feel now when it comes to blogging. When I really think about it, I felt better when there was no pressure to blogging. I'm probably the only one who feels this "pressure", but at any rate it's there and I feel a little weighed down by it.
So to answer your question, would I continue to blog if I didn't have comments? Yes, and frankly I think I'll be a lot better at it!

Blog etiquette:
 The overwhelming consensus on blog etiquette was…… If someone comments on your blog, try to reply back. At least make a visit to their blog. 
One person wrote…….
I do take the time to comment always, especially when a post speaks to me and I think we should all do that. When we don't it's like going to someone's home and leaving without saying thank you or good bye

After reading this I felt it was a very good point, and a good way to look at the issue of commenting.
It was also mentioned in the comments that you have to give comments in order to receive comments. Sounds very much like… Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!!!


Time Commitment:
Among many bloggers time commitment came up as an issue. Many said they did not have the time to comment back to all that leave comments on their blogs. I can totally understand that for the larger blogs that have a large amount  of daily comments it would be virtually impossible to keep up with responding to each comment.

 
Followers Vs. Commenters:
I was a bit surprised at how many bloggers said they are more interested in seeing followers added than the comments. I personally love a good comment. It is the one and only way I, as a blog author, can know if I am reaching my readers. 

Getting Followers with Giveaways: 
The majority of commenter's said they did not like to gain followers by offering giveaways. I was a bit surprised by this since this  seems to be a common practice in blog land. One reader wrote this:

I've been blogging for 20 months and have designed my blog to be beautiful and inspiring to me as I look back at it (I truly enjoy browsing my own blog; why put stuff out there if you wouldn't even go back to look at it?); but I also hope it inspires others or I wouldn't make all of my photos and thoughts public. If someone is inspired, a comment is very much enjoyed, but I don't blog for comments, followers or stats. I don't track any of that because it would make me a slave to my blog. And I've never loved the concept of attaching giveaways to "become a follower." Why not just give?  


 The Quality of Comments Vs. The Quantity:
Most blog authors seemed to want genuine heartfelt comments vs. large quantities of comments that say very little. Here is what one reader said very simply and to the point….
It is a good question Kathysue. And my answer is probably not. I do love that I've documented my shopping insanity *winks* But that said, I'd much rather have 4 or 5 "conversation" comments with real kindreds than 100 "oh that's so cute"

To the point and simply put, and I think we all know exactly what she is talking about. Here is what another blogger had to say:

I will say I'd rather one genuine comment than dozens of impersonal, obligatory ones. And I also realize I can't leave dozens of genuine comments a day, so I focus on blogs where a realtionship has developed. Comments have been very relational in my experience. I've made a few really neat friends through them. An unexpected blessing of blogging for sure!


Reader Statistics VS. Comments:
Many blog authors said they were fine with fewer comments as long as they knew people were reading their blog. They said they could tell people were reading according to their stats. I have noticed that approximately 5% or less of the people that are actually reading will comment on the average. 

I would like to finish off this post with a comment from a non-blogger, but an avid reader of blogs. I remember seeing her around blog land before I ever ventured into writing my own blog. I always enjoyed reading her feed back on other’s blog post, and I actually assumed she was a blog author, but she is not.

This particular lady is the type of reader that keeps me writing!!! This is what she had to say:
** HI. MY NAME IS LINDA, AND I AM NON-BLOGGER...
... BUUUT, may I make a comment "ANYWAY"???...
IMHO, blogger or not, leaving a comment is the only way to THANK YOU (all) for taking the time to do what you do so generously, and so well... I enjoy soooo many now tho, that I have cut down to leaving a comment just occasionally, OR, when I really L*O*V*E one/it truly "hits home" with me...
I rather believe it's like HAND-WRITING a THANK YOU NOTE~~~ someone did something nice for me, & I should thank them. "It's the right thing to do" my Mom would say...
A FEW times I've actually RECEIVED lovely notes from BLOGGERS, and I must be honest and admit, I was flattered~~~ their schedules must be hectic, & I know you all keep up with one another, so yes, I was honestly touched... and YES, I have some VERY SPECIAL "FRIENDSHIPS" with just a few bloggers, & they mean alot to me!!!
Again, as one who "can't" write a blog (altho I studied Journalism for 3 years mannnnny years ago, I can BARELY do "THIS" on a COMPUTER, let alone do ANYTHING with that fancy "iPhone 4" my husband "surprised me with, just to TRY to get me to "catch up"!), may I say:
*** THANK YOU ALL!!! ***
Warmest blessings to you, & your families who don't "mind" your being "gone" a few hours a day!!! It I*S APPRECIATED!!!

Although she is not a blog author, she gets it!! Don’t you think?

I for one am going to continue……..

“Enjoying the Process” Of: 

Writing blog post for my readers!

I can only hope you will continue to enjoy reading my blog.

Sincerely,

Kathysue

MY DAD

My Dad! I can hardly think of him without getting big tears in my eyes. He is no longer with us and he died at a very young age (47). The tears I shed are sometimes for sadness but other times for joy.

He was a man among men as far as I was concerned. We were raised to pretty much think he could walk on water. I actually thought I was going to marry him until I turned 10yrs old and I found out that was not done. On my actual wedding day after he walked me down the aisle he sat down and took out his hanky and boo-hooed, my Mom had to console him.

 

I wish the pictures were in color, he had the most amazing sparkly blue eyes.

I remember how hard my Dad worked and what a wonderful provider he was for his family. What I remember above all was how much he loved his family. Daddy spoke with his eyes, they could laugh without making a sound. I would love to watch my Dad look at my Mom and her looking at him. Not a word was spoken but you knew without a doubt how much they loved each other that gives a child so much security to see how their parents love each other and boy did mine love each other.

My Dad made me feel loved and protected. I knew Daddy would fix it if anything would go wrong. I knew I was beautiful in his eyes.

 

He put a penny in my shoe and helped me with my garter.

I remember when my oldest son had his daughter (who is the most precious little girl alive) I watched as he leaned over the isolette and he bowed his head. I asked him later was he praying and he told me , “I am a blessed man, I was thanking God!" I knew that he was going to love his little girl just like my Dad loved me.

I told my son that day, You know you will be her first mirror. She will see herself through your eyes. Now how did I know that? Because I saw myself through my Dads eyes. I knew I was worth loving because he showed me. So when it came time to choose a husband I knew without a doubt that I had I met the right one. We have been married over forty years now. I fell in love with him when I was only sixteen yrs old so I have loved him for 43 years.

So you see because my Dad loved me like no one else could and took such wonderful care of me. I have learned to expect the best and in my opinion I got the best in the man that I have been married to for 40 years.

I guess in my heart I will always be Daddy’s little girl, I kind of like that even though he is no longer here to give me hugs he is with me in spirit and his love will be with me forever. That is what I call a wonderful example of a Dad!!

 "Enjoy the Process" Of:

Telling the Dad's in your life know how special they are to YOU!!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's in My Life!!

Kathysue

Is Show and Tell Okay With YOU????

Are we getting tired of the show and tell blog post?

I am not sure that we are. I belong to Pinterest and I find myself pinning away and all that is on this particular website are beautiful images of just about anything and everything you could possibly want to look at.

I find myself looking and pinning, and then I realize I have been looking and pinning for quite awhile. I will actually think, “Okay just one more pin, and then I am going to bed!” Sound familiar? Kind of like when we eat potato chips or peanuts, “ Okay just one more and then I am quitting!”

I will say this, I do enjoy a well written post that produces thought provoking thoughts or a great dialogue I love the written word.  I am also  a lover of beauty. I will always enjoy seeing an image of a beautiful fabric, a beautifully crafted piece of furniture, or a beautifully appointed room.

On my Pinterest boards I have one board that I call,  "Just Pretty." These are images that caught my eye for no other reason than they were, “Just Pretty!” I thought I would share a few  of them with you.

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Do you see a connection in all the above images? I find all of the above images so relaxing and soothing. Do YOU?

So how do you feel about a show and tell post? Do you enjoy these types of post or do you prefer a post with more writing and explanations of the images?

If you would like to see more of what I think is just pretty you can visit my. "Just Pretty board," on Pinterest, Here!!

“Enjoy the Process” Of:

Looking at beautiful images!!

Kathysue

BTW: Since Pinterest is by invitation only, If you would like an invitation to join Pinterest just email me your email address and I will send you an email invite through Pinterest. Check your spam just in case the invitation goes there.

Send your email address to me at:
Goodlifeofdesign@yahoo.com

If Nobody Left A Comment Would YOU Continue To Blog!!??

Would you continue to write your blog if you did not get any comments?

I had to stop, and ask myself this question! I love to read my reader's comments, and I will have to admit I am not sure if I would. So does that mean I am blogging for all the wrong reasons? I really had to ponder on this for awhile.

The reason that this question came to  my mind was…… while perusing blog land ever once in awhile I will come upon a blog while blog hopping that is so well written, and they seem to have way more followers than my little blog, and yet no one is ever commenting on their blog. There are also some new blogs that have a few followers and very few comments, that actually makes more logical sense to me than the other scenario.

I have to give them kudos for continuing to put out such wonderful post without getting any feedback.

I am not sure if I could do that. I have always been amazed at how some well written post will get a few comments, and then other blogs will put up one picture and say something like, “I love this!” and they will get multiple comments. Seriously!??

It truly does not make any logical sense to me, so I have just about concluded that it will always be a mystery.

Now back to the question at hand……   “Would you still continue writing if no one ever commented?”

I guess I might keep trying to put out more  post in hopes that maybe someone would happen upon my blog, and like it enough to let me know, but I must admit after awhile I am not sure if I would continue. I wonder how many really good blogs have disappeared because no one ever took the time to notice how good they were and bothered to leave a comment to let them know how much they enjoyed what they just read.

I for one am going to try and be more generous with my comments and let people know that I really like what they are writing.  I think if I can take the time to read it I should be able to take the time to comment. How about you all, how do you feel about this? I know it should not be about the numbers game, but we all have to admit it is a little bit like getting a grade, don't you think?

  Now for the technical issues with commenting:

I know blogger, or Google, or both have had some major issues this past month. I have received a few emails of wonderful readers that did take the time to let me know they could no longer comment on my blog due to the glitches.

One very generous blogger, Erika of Tiptoe Butterfly let me know that she could not comment without a great deal of effort on her part. I so appreciated her perseverance in still leaving me comments. She also let me know if I changed how my comment form came up that she would be able to post with the browser she uses, Internet Explorer.

She told me how to do it, and now Erika can post comments. I hope this will help others. Here is the link to her post on what to do. 

One more little item: While you are changing the comment setting you might also want to turn off word verification. I am not sure that it is really necessary and it can sometimes prevent readers from leaving a comment because they don't want to take the time so I would suggest turning it off. 

Your comment settings should look like this:


Show word verification for comments?

Yes No This will require people leaving comments on your blog to complete a word verification step, which will help reduce comment spam. Learn more

Blog authors will not see word verification for comments.


This is where you will want to change your comment settings so everyone can leave a comment:

Comment Form Placement

Full page
Pop-up window

Embedded below post

The embedded comment form can not be used if you have Post Pages disabled.

Erika suggest the pop-up window or full page. I used the pop up window and now some bloggers that were not able to leave comments can do so!! Yay!!

Now I am off to read more blogs, if it is well written and it is obvious that they took a great deal of time to research, and to find images to explain what they are writing about, I feel as a fellow blogger that I should let them know!!! If you would like to read a couple of new blogs that I absolutely love go and visit:


Georgia Pond written by Melinda from Australia. I love her design aesthetic and I think you will too!!

AND

Mix and Chic written by darling Jessie, who has a great eye for design, and her post are a fun read.

And one more:

Conspicuous Style written by the talented Stacy. She has a wonderful design aesthetic and I have found that she and I have many like's in common. Especially our love for Sarah Richardson's designs.

Enjoying The Process Of :

Reading blogs and leaving comments!!

Kathysue

KISS- Keep It Super Simple!!!

Keep It Super Simple is a good motto when it comes to planting flowers in your yard.

Have you ever noticed when you go to places like Disneyland how spectacular the plantings are? One thing I have noticed that  makes them seem so spectacular is they do plantings in mass. All of one color or a tight color scheme using only two to three colors. K-I-S-S, keeping it super simple.

This weekend I planted some flowers in the  three pots on the front porch. I have one plant that is permanent that I work around. It is a dwarf lime cypress. I love the bright lime color of this plant and it looks great with so many colors.

I look around at nature, home design and even wardrobes for color inspiration. If you look there is inspiration everywhere.

This time I chose to pair my lime cypress with purple. I love the way lime and purple contrast with each other.

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Even Nature likes this pairing.

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A beautiful brides bouquet in shades of lime and purples.

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Notice how simple and tight I kept the color scheme?

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This pot has two types of potato vines. One in lime and the other is a very dark purple.

I love fresh produce in bowls on my counter. The dark purple of the blueberries makes a nice contrast with the lime green stripes in my wallpaper, and the stripes in the pitcher.

This black cast iron planter hangs on the right side of my door. I planted it with the same plantings that are in the the other planter on the left side of the door. You can see by Keeping- It- Super- Simple each plant is highlighted and yet it all pairs nicely together.


Next time you go to the nursery for some new plants. Look around at your surroundings for some color inspiration.  Remember KISS!!! and you can’t go wrong.

“Enjoy the Process” Of:

Planting Fresh and Fun Color schemes in your yard.

Kathysue