Sunday, June 07, 2009

Some inspiration from Decor8.

Since the demise of my favorite shelter magazine, DOMINO, Decor8 has helped ease the pain.

Recently I read this post. Holly Becker and her husband are moving to Germany. The stores she linked to do deliver. Good thing I'm broke or that white console table would be on it's way to Italy.

I know what she means about moving overseas. It was a pain but it also forced me to be ruthless when figuring out what to bring, donate or sell.

I don't know why I didn't do the same when I moved from New York City to Los Angeles. Maybe because I was able to bring furniture and it was only cross country (therefore cheaper) then sending a crate overseas?

While I hate clutter, I still had a lot of files. They were just stored well. It took me forever to shred documents and throw out the things I didn't need.

Holly's blog is fantastic. I've tried to stop looking at home design shows, blogs, magazines etc. but I can't help it. I know I'm going to buy a house one day. It might be a cottage and it might be years from now but I will. And I will finally have a garden of my own.

In the meantime let me figure out how the heck I'm going to pay my rent later this year.

12 comments:

Jen said...

I love those magazines, blogs, etc., too, even though I don't spend money on my home in that way. And I don't have time to do the DIY stuff, either. I keep thinking some day, though. What I'd really like is to run a B&B. But that will be a while into the future.

erin said...

i <3 decor8 too...plus http://www.designspongeonline.com/ keeps me quite occupied too...especially with house ideas with this new bathroom renovation we're doing :) Almost done, thank goodness.

Blogging Masterclass said...

This is so sweet, thank you for reading decor8 and for this nice post and your kind words. It means a lot to me to know I've inspired someone. :)

xo
Holly

yvonne said...

Girl, I hear you. I'm trying how to figure out how to pay my rent for July, and I'm stressed beyond belief.

But at the same time, I, like you, am also planning for my future--which includes a small, paid-off house and a garden. I'm planning on building a tiny house first, then leasing a vacant lot on a good block and living in the tiny house while I slowly build a small mortgage-free home.

My family would faint if they knew of my plan, but at age 39, it's become increasingly clear to me that I simply can't afford a $300,000 home and the inflated mortgage that goes with it.

And my body and mind--and the screenplays I'm trying to write, the trips I long to take--just aren't compatible with a 50 to 60 hour corporate work week. I tried. I was great at it. And it sapped my will to live, ya know?

Keep dreaming and planning! And a little home decor drooling never huts. Though the substitution of Lucky magazine for my beloved Domino subscription does! ;->

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

jen - I used to do a little DIY before and I miss it.

erin - good luck with the bathroom renovation. Look forward to seeing photos.

holly - You are so welcome. Thank you for having such a great site.

yvonne - A corporate job is out for me as well. I don't want to move back and I have been out of that world for a while. However, I need to find a job. Positive feedback does not pay bills.

Like you I don't want a huge mortgage. One, in Italy you have to put down a lot more than what's required in the U.S. Two, what we do is so unstable. I'd rather wait and put down a large down payment.

Good luck with getting your rent together for next month. I know the feeling.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU!!! I love this site!

Anonymous said...

i too can't help myself and read/watch way too many design blogs and HGTV home decorating shows.

besides designsponge...also check out:

http://decorology.blogspot.com/

http://jeanieandjewell.blogspot.com/

thanks for decor8, i didn't know about htat one!

glamah16 said...

Sometimes I would love to have a fresh start with furniture. Everything I like is always to expensive.

Texas Espresso said...

thanks for the link. I miss domino a lot! its a great blog and i look forward to reading more =)

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

sm - you're welcome!

eryn - thanks for the links. I have to check them out.

glamah - same here. I have champagne tastes and ginger ale money. ha

texas - prego. I'm excited to see what stores she uncovers in Europe. Holly has a great eye.

Kataroma said...

I don't really watch those home renovation shows. If I had the money and time to do all that stuff I guess I would but we don't have time to babyproof let alone worry about our duvet cover matching the curtains!

Jen - my husband runs 2 B&Bs here in Rome and having the skills to unblock drains (you wouldn't believe what people put down there!), fix broken locks, fix broken shower boxes etc etc is really essential. Something always breaks - often at a very inconvenient moment (Sunday at 2 am etc.) If you're really handy (unfortunately neither of us are more than moderately handy) then running a B&B is a great job for you. It's a TON of work though.
:(

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

kataroma - I need to stop watching them, especially the ones where people from the UK fix up Tuscan farmhouses. ha.

Running a B&B must be exhausting. You're "on" 24/7.