Lilacs in the Bedroom

It's lilac time in Virginia. Lilacs have such a sweet fragrance; each inhale makes spring come alive.  I planted one in the one corner of my yard that gets sustained sunlight and I really love it.  In order to enjoy the beauty and scent even more, I bring the blooms inside.  Lilacs don't last long as cut flowers, but a fleeting beauty is all the more sweet, no?

Bringing a julep cup of lilacs into the bedroom snowballed into a room cleaning and re-style.  Whenever these moods strike me, I go with it if I can.  If I am motivated I am going to enjoy it and do a better job.  So I had a fun hour or two getting the master bedroom fluffed up.  And some serious decluttering was accomplished.

This is the hubs' side of the bed.  Will it stay like this? A girl can dream.

  I love sleeping under a duvet, but prefer the crisp look of a coverlet. 

I made the bedskirt.  It took a long time but it is hard to find a nice ready made skirt with such a large drop. 

Now that I am always in thrift stores my costume jewelry collection is extensive.  I have to stop.  But I keep finding great stuff for $1.50. Then I find stylish ways to organize and display it.  It's a vicious cycle.

My side of the bed.  I always have a stack of books.  And I keep this old cedar scented Yankee Candle.  I love cedar scents,  they are so clean smelling.

Ahh!  Coming into a neat and clean bedroom in the evening is a kind of luxury.
I am so glad those lilacs motivated me to declutter and make the room pretty, even if it's a fleeting pleasure.

The Garden Right Now

This might just be the best time in the garden. 

Yesterday there was only bare ground (well, and some weeds) and now there's this:

Phlox

 Azaleas

Dicentra

Hosta shoots

This little guy fussed at me the entire time I was in the back yard.  Maybe he/she has a nest nearby?

Yay Spring!  So much to look forward to.

Chipping Away at the Family Room

Have you ever noticed that when you make improvements in one area of a room that other areas start to look worn and old?  An argument could be made for keeping a room shabby just because of consistency.  Ha!

I recently changed my gallery wall around the TV.  This look is more updated, has a little more personality and certainly more color.

As I mentioned in my last post, I found a better coffee table for this space.

It came painted in this beautiful matte green color.  I love the Asian look of it and the size is perfect.  I just happened upon it in a neighborhood consignment shop for $99. The old one was just slightly too big.

That narrow space between the chair and the table was a problem if more than 2 people were in the room.

I moved the pillows around a bit.  They will never stay in those chairs though.  Mr. Bee is not a lover of pillows.

This is an odd spot by the TV console.  It's too small for a chair but too big to leave empty.  I'm still deciding if this basket (from TJ Maxx) works.  I like how the throw echoes some of the colors in the art and the room.

The floor lamp is a thrift store find and I am thinking it might be time for him to go back.  Maybe something a little less stodgy there?  Since we both read a lot good functional lighting is a must.  This floor lamp does put out a lot of light, so I have to think about whether to replace it.  Maybe a new shade would do the trick?

There are times when we could use more seating in this room.  Sometimes our children are here with their spouses and if there is a sporting event, the TV is on. I would like to find a couple of poufs at a good price. 

But I don't want to clutter the space.  It's narrow and already there is a lot going on.
More to ponder-