Tufted Ottoman

Perfection!

 My new ottoman came the other day and I'm thrilled to have it in my home.

Perhaps it looks familiar.

Last year about this time I got this ottoman from Pier 1.

At the time I liked it but knew I wished it came in a plain fabric.

But it only came in prints and this french fabric.

I ordered it anyway thinking I'd slipcover it or something.

Back in November a new furniture catalog came to the store picturing new items we'd soon be getting.

This ottoman was one of them.

It was just what I'd wanted to begin with.

It comes in all these colors...

I ordered it in parchment and sold my other one right after Christmas 

knowing my new one was on its way to me.

 Yesterday I did a little Goodwill stop and found a nice big conch shell.

Which is why I styled this with shells.

Not exactly right for January but I just wanted some pretty pictures and didn't want to spend time

searching for something more season appropriate.

Besides I was excited to find a nice big shell for a couple of dollars.

 Here is a close up of the fabric. 

This color...parchment is a creamy off white with just a few darker flecks in it. 

The flax color is very similar just a little darker.

To be honest I would have probably been very happy with the flax color but parchment is perfect in my home.

I have to say I really love this line carried at Pier 1.

 They've carried the Colette love seat for about a year.

Now they've added the Colette chair and

also...a Colette sofa! 

Just thought I'd give everyone a heads up if anyone reading is looking for this sort of thing.

Back to me....

 I may be painting the legs on my ottoman in the near future.

I think I want them a greige-ish wood look. 

A little faux painting will do the trick.

A beauty shot of the shell. 

I had the best day yesterday...

First, my friend Jill announced at the first of the year that her word of the year was 

"word".

Picking a word for the year is an easier way to change your life and the year ahead instead of making 

a long list of resolutions that no one can live up to.

So Jill's word is "word".

Meaning she would use her words to live the life she wanted...positive words...positive life.

I think I manage that pretty well or at least I try to so I decided my word for 2014

would be 

"action"

I do well with ideas and I do take action but sometimes I put off things that

if I'd just take action would make my life so much better.

So that is what I'm working on this year and living by - action and it worked for me yesterday.

So, yesterday I had the day off and started it with an early lunch with my friend, KC.

Time with KC is always upbeat and positive so it's always good to see her.

After that...I put my word for 2014 to work...meaning I took "action".

Remember last week when I was trying to figure out what to do about 

marble for the top of my kitchen island?

Many of you had very good ideas including just getting an 18x18 tile.

Unfortunately...you usually can't buy one tile...you have to order a box.

I had a big free piece of marble but it was going to cost me $150 to get it cut down to the 18x18 that I needed.

So after lunch, I decided to go to a marble and granite slab place and ask if they had a piece 18x18 that I could buy.

The very nice woman there said..."No, but go over to this tile place and give them my card and 

tell they you need an 18x18 carrara marble tile".

"Oh...thanks", I said.

in the past I might have thought...oh...I'll do another day or why would they be able to help me out...

but yesterday I just lived by my word - action.

So I went straight to the place and showed the card and said what I needed.

The nice girl there said, 

"Well, I don't have any samples of that here. We'll have to order that."

I said, "I just need once piece".

She says, "That's fine...we'll order you a sample."

"Oh...great", I say

"How much will this be?"

She says, "Oh, nothing...it's a sample. You can let us know if its the color you want

and if it looks like you want it to look."

What?

So on Friday I should be getting a 18x18 piece of carrara marble for my little kitchen island.

Just cause I asked!

I took "action".

See how my word is working for me?

Then I went to a new store in town and I'll be going back and taking photos but here are a few from their facebook page.

The Garden Gnome Bonsai!

Crazy name. It's just up the street from me and I'd noticed it a few weeks ago.

Yesterday was my day to go in and see what it was all about.

I walked in and discovered that the girl that owns it I knew from the place where I buy dog food.

I had not been there in almost a year ever since I discovered Violet can't eat dry food.

So Tiffany says hi and that she's very glad to see me.

She just opened the store a couple of months ago.

This place is just the cutest.

It's like Pinterest come to life!

I'll take my camera next time and show you lots of photos...but here are a few I took from their facebook page.

Several rooms of cute plant things...terrariums...succulents, gnomes of course, fairy garden stuff.

Lots of things that Tiffany makes herself.

See the light bulb looking things in the corner? Those are little terrariums. I bought one.

Didn't think to take a photo before it got dark but I'll show soon.

 Her husband is the creator of the bonsais.

They are so incredible!

A whole room of bonsais!

Here is their facebook page.

located at 4141 N. Western in OKC.

I'll go back and take some photos very soon.

So after that...I met up with my friend Jill and we hit a few stores and then 

went to see

August: Osage County

Meryl Streep was Amazing!

She was so good she made me not like her.

I didn't think that was possible. She really was a monster in this movie.

And she looked awful.

She made Elizabeth Taylor in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" look like Mother Theresa.

Anyway...it's a good movie but definitely not a feel good movie.

It's a feel bad movie.

After the movie Jill, I and my friend Deidra went for a couple of drinks.

This may sound rather dull to you but I don't have enough days like this.

Days where I am just living and enjoying.

I need more of this...I will have more of this.

Not that living is not hanging out at the house doing projects with the dogs...oh it is.

And I do love that and work is good...but this day reminded me that I just need 

to have some easy days of fun once in awhile.

Yesterday was all about "Action".

Today, I worked on stuff at the house.

Do you have a word for 2014?

This really works well...cause you just have to say the word to yourself to keep yourself on track.

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