Gwen Moss

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

the last one

Just breathe.

Be in the moment.

Lower expectations.

This morning when I woke up and tossed my legs over the side of the bed the first thought I had was, “This is our last week together. As a family.” My eyes were barely open and this is the first thought that came to mind.

I do this a lot lately. I talk to myself. I give myself little pep talks. I grab at Buddhist concepts that represent something comforting to me about accepting change. And simply being. And not trying to hang on to every little sentimental moment with clutching fingernails.

Because I’m really trying. I’m trying to grow into the kind of person that welcomes monstrous, clunky changes that involve reorganizing my entire world. I’m trying to be a sturdy Yoda when inside I feel like a fluttering Anne Hall.

I’m trying to inhale without the shaky breath in my chest and the wetness in my eyes whenever it hits me that in only a matter of days my youngest child will no longer live under our roof. And life will be forever different. Period.

Because that’s the truth and I can’t sugar-coat it. In a week Michael will live 422 miles away from me. And that fact makes this mother’s heart of mine ache.

Yes, of course I’m overflowing with excitement for him. I’m thrilled for him, he needs to go. But at the same time I’m gathering my emotional soldiers in place and preparing for the final realities. The first morning when I walk by his empty bedroom and see a neatly made bed. The-end-of-the-night when there is no more whisper of “Night Mom,” with a kiss planted on my head. No more loud door slams accompanied by “Mooooom I’m starving… what’s to eat…?” bellowing through the house.

This is change. This is life. And you know what? It’s hard.

So this is the way I pace myself; this is the way I get ready for the hugs and the good-byes and the approaching sound of quietness that will be the new guest in our home because both boys will now be gone. I allow these millions of random thoughts to drift through my mind while I shop for towels and kitchen supplies and smile and plan and busily work on transforming the thrift store table into a college desk.

I acknowledge the truth to myself. I realize that this time around the college-drop off feels very, very different.

Because this is my last one. This is my baby.

xoxo

Leslie

p.s anyone else getting ready for the college drop-off?

Technorati Tags: mothering,letting go,college drop-off,women's issues

Saturday, August 10, 2013

7 tips… for setting a fun & festive birthday table

This past week Patrick turned twenty-one years old. Yep, my first born is already twenty one years old and I don’t think it’s hit me yet. After all, twenty-one sounds so …well, adult. And it just seems like yesterday when….well, you know what I mean.

Lately everyone’s been coming and going in different directions but we finally managed to sit down for a family dinner before Patrick headed to San Francisco for a concert. I had to pull this table together at the last minute and it ended up being so darn festive looking I thought I’d share a few of my tips.

I think the very best thing about this table is how inexpensive it was to put together. Do you have a birthday coming up for someone special?

Well here’s what I did for Patrick’s birthday dinner. My seven tips for a fun table.

Tip 1: Balloons provide instant impact

I wish you could see how these look in person. So pretty!

I simply tied these to the chairs…

Tip 2: Decorate your Chandelier!

I used crepe paper tied on a string and made like THIS

It’s so easy and cheap and it creates such a festive party atmosphere!

Tip 3: Don’t limit yourself to tablecloths

This is important. Invest in white tablecloths and you’ll always have flexibility with your tablescapes.

I found my fabric at Ikea. …when I was shopping with Michael for some college room bedding.

Tip 4: Accentuate your theme colors by using spray paint (the best way to paint in a hurry)

I made these:

White spray painted mason jars

Gold painted champagne glasses

Tip 5: Use mason jars for inexpensive vases

Tip 6: Shop the Dollar Store for Creative Place Cards. Here’s mine:

Isn’t this perfect for a 21st birthday dinner?

I love how these turned out!!!

7. Emphasize your color scheme by using card stock place mats

This is a perfect way to add color to your table.

The black “place mats” are simply two pieces of black card stock

laid side by side. How easy it that?

And I used one piece of glitter paper for $1.99

Each place card is sitting on a piece of glitter paper

so it can “pop” out from the white plate.

Look how pretty the glitter looks in the evening sun….

I laid my striped fabric down at an angle for visual interest. I didn’t even cut it.

And I love the bold black and white stripes, don’t you?

Gray, white and yellow balloons

the gold stem champagne glasses for toasting our twenty-one year old

(not bad for spray paint huh?)

Stuffed mushrooms with mustaches (I threw this in because the stashes’ are so cute)

two yards of fabric from Ikea: $7.00 per yard
yellow and white crepe paper: $2.00 from Dollar store
plastic animals: 2 for $1.00 dollar store
champagne glasses 99 cents each from thrift store
spray paint: white and gold
place mats: 29 cents for each paper
mason jars, dinnerware, water goblets: mine
black and white cloth napkins: not shown (mine from CostPlus)
2 dozen helium balloons: $9.99 per dozen
game of beer pong afterwards: free

Which tip did you like the best?

Leslie

I’m sharing this post with these friends:

Technorati Tags: 7 tips for festive birthday table,birthday for guy,black,yellow and white tablescape,elegant dinner party,twenty-first birthday decor ideas,black and white stripes

Monday, August 5, 2013

goodbye chocolate monster sectional …hello new Belgian linen couch

grieigedesign.blogspot

Couches are a big thing in our house.

Which is actually funny since I live with guys--two sons and a hubby—who don’t typically have decorating opinions. In fact, the mere mention of paint colors and fabric swatches is enough to elicit a glazed, hypnotic stare from each of them. Followed by an agreeable thumbs-up sign which I’ve come to love and expect because hey, I get to decorate the way I like.

Except for this. When it comes to getting rid of our family room sectional…whoa..what’s this? Suddenly everyone’s got an opinion.

the beloved BCM

Over the years the men in my life have become downright clingy and territorial about this oversized mass of cushions that I not-so-fondly refer to as the Big Chocolate Monster.

Did I mention it was huge? And way too big for our room —(although who follows rules when it comes to the family room?)-- but it got us through the grade school years and the high school years…and it’s been the center of some pretty amazing memories.

Ok. I admit. I do have very fond feelings for it.

Stella taking a nap

I think couches are like dogs in a way. They take us through certain stages of our life. And they represent whole chunks of time and memories that can make it so hard to say good-bye.

This brown sectional was the perfect place for our special “family nights” over the years. And the fact that it was the size of a small island meant everyone had their special spot. Me on the chaise, Patrick in the corner and Michael and Jim somewhere in-between amid the blankets, pillows, books, and laptops. And of course all our dogs have loved it too.

What did I hate about it? Cushions everywhere.

What never bothered anyone else? Cushions everywhere.

Although the best part about the BCM was that it became our private family cocoon.

It was also famous for its magical, dirt-hiding shade of brown and its ability to fit multiple high school bodies on it, when they occasionally used it as a Crash Pad. No exaggeration… but I once woke in the morning and counted five huge high school boys sleeping on it after a party with arms and legs popping out everywhere…

So here’s my question. What is it about testosterone and giant sectionals? Anyone out there know the answer?

Me neither.

But here’s the latest in my couch saga. (Are you enjoying all these photos of lovely linen couches-hint-hint?) Because a few posts ago I casually mentioned that I’d received my best birthday present ever.

And well……. guess what?!

I finally got my new couch.

Yep, after all these years it finally happened…

sniff sniff

and it’s time to say good-bye to the Big Chocolate Monster.

Sorry guys.

I’m no longer listening to your complaints that you’ll move out if the Big Chocolate Monster goes. Because guess what?

You already are….moving out.

In the end this was the deciding factor. With Michael --our youngest-- heading to college in a few weeks Mr. Moss finally gave in to the idea of replacing the family’s beloved sectional. Only don’t be sad, because this Crate and Barrel piece still has some life left; it’s now being divided up between the boys who are taking parts of it to their college apartments.

How’s that for a happy ending?

In the meantime I’m blissfully entering into an exciting decorating phase around here.

I’ve decided it’s time to lighten things up and re-do our family room as part of this new phase of our life. And there’s nothing that screams fresh-new-beginning-more than a change in couches.

Don’t you agree?

Come on guys. There are other pieces of furniture that are just as comfy as the BCM.

Although I did promise I wouldn’t choose anything that could be mistaken for formal or stiff.

And I planned on staying with something big and comfy, a couch long enough for six-foot-plus guys to sprawl out on--because gosh forbid--none of this sitting upright with a proper posture in our house.

So this was our plan.

With size and comfort in mind, Mr. Moss and I headed out to the Restoration Hardware Outlet in Vacaville, California with the idea of ‘just looking.”

After all this time waiting for my couch I wanted to relish the experience. Take my time and visit all the cool stores I had on my list. I wanted to go to the San Francisco Design Center and gaze at designer fabrics and get floor plan ideas…

Are you with me?

Except I happened to forget one thing. I was shopping with a dude. A guy’s guy. A man who prefers to make decisions when he likes something. Who quickly summarizes the details and then says, ‘What are we waiting for?’ when I admit that I really like something. Gulp.

And did I mention how he loves a great deal? Just like me. So when we walked in and discovered all the RH couches were 40% off plus an additional $100.00 for every five hundred. And when we found the couch we liked but realized it had one broken foot which meant even more money off…

Well, you guessed it. Looks like it would be a Restoration Hardware English roll arm linen couch with down cushions for our family room.