Return to the art of homemaking with a home decor change in mind

Goodwill San Antonio finds on over 50 Feeling 40

 

Happy Wednesday, everyone!  It is amazing how being at home the past few months has opened my eyes to the neglect I allowed to seep in as I worked my life away!  Since the day I married, I have enjoyed becoming a homemaker, but going from wife, to mother, to working mom, to career woman took away the fun of the art. I didn’t realize just how much until I began to look around my house only to see the unorganized mess.

Recommended Reading on over 50 Feeling 40

In her book, Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic: Lessons in Everyday Elegance, Jennifer L. Scott writes these key points:

 

“An ordered home makes room for poise.  Chaos, disorder, and clutter stress us out. They are the symptoms of mayhem and pandemonium.  Remember, our home life, our life behind closed doors, is where we practice cultivating poise.

 

Committing to bringing your home to order is an exercise in self- discipline.

 

Much as with our clothes, we can tend to hold on to belongings in our home that are past their prime, that don’t fit in with other belongings, or that we just don’t even love.

 

Make sure everything you keep is in top shape. Go through each room and be honest about what needs to go. Clutter, order and poise are all related to one another.

 

If your family room is cluttered and disordered, it is easy to dress accordingly.”

 

It makes so much sense that a consistently cluttered home would make it easier to be a frumpy dresser.   I don’t want to be that type of dresser nor have that type of home.  So, just as I dove into organizing my wardrobe and making changes to my personal style, I am also organizing and changing up the décor of my home. (I guess I am a glutton for punishment!)

 

FROM CUTESY TO ELEGANT

Changing home decor on Over 50 Feeling 40

 

I have described my home in the past as a farmhouse/Bed & Breakfast style home…and I have loved the cozy, warm feeling.  The best way to describe what I am doing now is to look at these two bowls.

The one on the left is a Williams and Sonoma bowl that represents my old traditional farmhouse style.  The bowl on the left represents the refined French Country style I am going for.  I still want cozy just more refined with a different color palette.  Another example…I saw this adorable bird bath the other day at Home Goods, and in the past I would have wanted to have it in my backyard in a heart beat.  But, I love my new birdbath from Walmart (the green one below) and it is simple and refined….also, my turtle is another treasure discovered at Goodwill San Antonio ( it is hard to squelch my whimsical side completely!).

Birdbath at Home Goods on over 50 feeling 40

Walmart bird bath on over 50 feeling 40

 

Remodeling our kitchen has really resulted with me rethinking colors and style.  The remodel has not completely begun so I have no finished photos to show yet…but will hopefully by the end of October.   I thought perhaps the bowls and the birdbaths would show you how I am changing. 

 

I am sharing all of this hoping to turn your creative light on and inspire some of you in the areas of your own home décor.  If you desire to change, it is not too late.  In fact, never too late to create the home you desire.   Thrift shopping at Goodwill has helped me.  As I have donated some of the cutesy farmhouse to Goodwill, I have also found some amazing pieces to replace them.  This bowl is one of those pieces.  I paid $3.99 for it at Goodwill San Antonio, and online you can find the discontinued piece for $52!  Score!

The earthenware vase in the first picture is a vintage Goodwill treasure.  I know it is old, but I really love it.  Finding ways to combine vintage and new is really what I enjoy doing most.

I am gradually weeding out and re-organizing.  Who knows when it will be complete…but I am loving returning to my homemaker role…and not the rushed version that has been around for years.  True confessions, I cleaned out my spice cabinet recently and tossed out many spices marked…DO NOT USE AFTER 2002! At least, I am back in the game!  Is anyone else currently changing up your home’s style and decor?  If so, how are you going about it. 

A NOTE ABOUT POSTS THE REST OF THE WEEK

While many of you are reading this post, I will be experiencing the joys of Sinus Sinuplasty Surgery! I do not have any idea how intense, or not, my recovery from this procedure will be this week.  But, I have a new post for you every day.  If for some reason, I am not responding to comments, or a new post does not pop up, it may mean I am taking a little longer to go through the process. 

I do hope you will be here for the next two days…Thursday will feature a POP UP Would You Wear It (Just for Fun); and Friday, I have another fabulous, elegant woman to introduce to you.  Remember the links below allow you to make purchases at those stores and show support for this blog at the same time. A huge thank you to everyone who does this.  I do not know how much I will be smiling today, but make sure all of you

KEEP SMILING FOR ME!!

The Home Depot

Lowe’s

Pottery Barn

Williams & Sonoma

Bed, Bath & Beyond

Walmart

Target

Chicos

Talbots

Soft Surroundings

Nordstrom

Nordstrom Rack

Macys

Lands End

Kohl’s

 

JUST A NOTE:

Taking Juice Plus+ for seven years on Over 50 Feeling 40

There are several ways that I generate income through this blog in order to cover business expenses and give myself much needed income.  Purchases through the slideshow links is one way, ads on the page is one way and a new way is through ordering or re-ordering Juice Plus+ whole food capsules.  Please read my story and information HERE.

 

 

ADD SOME APPLE CIDER!

Pamela Lutrell and Goli

Another way is through ordering or re-ordering the GOLI Apple Cider Vinegar gummies through me with my GOLI LINK HERE.  Again, if you are not familiar with the benefits of apple cider vinegar, you should speak with your personal physician.  My husband and I are sold on the benefits and I am proud to represent this product.  I am going to leave this at the bottom of my posts so that when you, friends or family would like to order you can use my link.  Thanks for the support.  This is a great product; as well as, the ones below!

 

 

MY COMPLEXION LOVES CHAMONIX…KEEPING ME YOUTHFUL!

Chamonix on Over 50 Feeling 40

All natural, plant-cell technology skincare

 

 

By Pamela Lutrell

Disclaimer:  I am provided compensation to shop Goodwill San Antonio, but the words are my own.

 

24 Comments

  1. Wow. First good luck with your surgery. I am sure everything will be fine!
    I am also reviewing my home, first getting rid of clutter. Where did all this come from? I am considering September the beginning of a new year. School starts, weather changes and getting used to our new normal life, I do think home and personal fashion are connected, so I appreciate your photos, It helped to explain how I am feeling,

  2. I had many comments in my head this morning until I read the last. Best wishes are with you for a speedy and full recovery. This does not sound like a fun week for you. A big hug to you for when you get home. By the way, I love the new direction of French country. I am re=reading my Jennifer Scott books, and am almost done the poise one again. I enjoy looking at the French Country magazines for inspiration, however with two different personalities in the house, some things are still taking time. Good luck to you today and take your time getting back on your feet.

  3. Best wishes and prayers for your surgery. Hopefully you will recover quickly.
    I can really relate to the comments from the book. I can’t live peacefully in clutter and chaos. Being home opens your eyes to things you had no time to deal with prior. Goodwill has been a recipient of things I was hanging onto for no good reason. I have most recently had a coastal style in my landlocked home, because I crave nearness to water. I still like it and will probably have some version of it when I move. It’s light and airy and I need that at my current stage of life. Your French country style is going to be so uplifting! It’s fun to go through a process of change, I think. It really stretches us and gives us a fun project. It’s interesting how our homes and our fashion decisions can be related. It does make sense though that if we live in clutter and chaos, our closets are probably not in the best shape, making getting pulled together more difficult. One thing relates to another. So interesting!

  4. Like the green bird bath. If only I had a place for one in back yard. Have finally gotten rid of t he painters!> They have been repainting(Same colors-took me long enough to figure those out) But had not been redone in a verrrry long time! I a looking forward? to a basil cell procedure on the 16th-Fla sun and all that! stay safe!

  5. I loved this post because I think it was just about me. Some of my happiest years were raising my three boys and like you I was also a professional woman. I have been home since March and have had plenty of time to look around and see the disorganization around my house. 😕. We started with the kitchen and moved on to the dining room. I painted them a more neutral color and replaced most of my cutesy farmhouse things with pieces that are more elegant. I will be returning to work soon but will retire in December. Wait until my husband sees what I plan to do upstairs!

  6. My new condo living style is gray, navy blue and a bit of a very pale aqua. Going from almost half the square footage I had to really declutter everything we owned. In my new kitchen I’m sticking with white serving pieces and wood accents. We painted the entire condo a sherwin Williams gray called Repose (it’s one Joanna Gaines uses). The plus side of decluttering is less upkeep and cleaning. Good luck with your surgery!

  7. My teaching partner had that sinus surgery and it was game changing for her. I hope it is for you as well, and that you recover quickly.

  8. First of all, with wishes that the procedure goes well and you have a speedy recovery. (You are very fortunate, as in the Province I live in (Canada) unless it is a dire emergency everything medically related has been put on hold and consultations on the most part are by phone.)

    Though Interior Design has always been a passion of my mine, I have to admit when it comes to my home I’ve let it slip however have lost count on the number of others that I’ve helped when I should have been concentrating on my own. The last major project was fully upgrading three of our bathrooms using the services of a General Contractor and that was five years ago but since that date have guided my son on the building of his new summer home and within the past few months assisted my daughter in choosing fixed elements etc. for the installation of a new kitchen that is now in its final stage of completion. With all said; hopefully come this winter I will get myself back on track and ‘take the bull by horns’ as right now I prefer to enjoy the outdoors BUT with lesson learned from the experience I had with the bathrooms; (attitude and workmanship of some of the subs); definitely will only be hiring individual trades persons of ‘my choice’ to do the jobs required, since I’m the one stroking the cheques …. ☺. To conclude: as ‘french country’ IMHO exudes charm, refinement and warmth, I feel it will reflect your personality as well Pamela.
    -Brenda-
    Footnote: Re your birdbath (a good fortune element) and little turtle (success element) in your garden. You might want to delve into Feng Shui as to what their positive/auspicious placements are.

  9. Oh does this blog speak to me. I have always said I feel the best when my life [house] is in order, when I feel good about the way I look. People often say to me, “You are always so put together.” I’m still trying to figure out if that’s a compliment LOL. I get a “high” after I purge out a closet and there is order and space when I’m finished. I read some reviews on the book on Amazon. Most were excellent as you can imagine. I like to read the 1 star reviews and someone referred to Kate Middleton as dressing frumpy. I burst out laughing. How I would love to have her wardrobe. I think she epitomizes grace and poise.

  10. Like many others, being home since March has inspired me to make some changes to my decor. In fact, we have cabinet painters here today transforming a huge, wall length entertainment center (two bookcases, two media cabinets, and a large TV cabinet) in our great room. We’ve had the pieces for over 20 years and they’re lovely – solid cherry and beautifully designed. But they’re dark in color, and I want to lighten everything up in our great room. So they’re being painted white which should brighten the room immensely. We also ordered a new couch in a light camel fabric to replace our dark brown leather one. Once that comes in, I’m calling in an upholstery company to reupholster one of our chairs and make new, lighter window treatments for the windows. It’ll be a whole new room and I can’t wait!

    Good luck with your sinus surgery and recovery, Pam!

  11. best of luck on the surgery. I had it and recovery was tough and it was also worth it.
    I am on the fence when I saw the bowls. Both are lovely. To me, the one that is yellow and blue is elegant and is something that I would consider. I guess its all a matter of perspective. The earthenware is more basic, While I see it as a lovely, functional piece, I don’t see it as elegant.

  12. Oh! That doesn’t sound like a pleasant procedure but I hope your surgery goes well and you recover quickly without much discomfort.

    I’m always in the “thin it out and get rid of it” mode and my husband is a “keeper” — what fun! We lived on a sailboat for five years and oh! how freeing it was to get rid of “stuff”. Then we bought a house and have now moved again and “stuff” keeps creeping back in. I remind myself that I survived just fine without a huge kitchen and pantry or multiple closets but it’s still hard now to get rid of things I no longer use or even want.

    We had a couple of shelves collapse in our huge pantry this week so my dining room table is covered with pans, pans and more pans. I used to entertain a lot and needed them but realize now that’s not going to be happening and I’m determined that less is going back into the pantry than that that fell out! Wish me luck. 🙂

  13. Yes, with our recent move back into our cottage I have been enjoying the reimagining process as we have had new paint throughout, put in new carpet where hardwoods are not, and have fully remodeled and enlarged one bathroom, with the other yet to go and finally my kitchen. We moved back with minimal furniture since most went with our ranch aesthetic, so will be slowly choosing new sofas and dining set following the remodel process. I loved how we lived in our house the first 13 years, but am also enjoying a new vibe – calmer and fewer colors, but still lovely and showcasing the 1940 architectural features and millwork. My baby grand has long been a fixture around which the living room was designed, and while I think the room was gorgeous before, this time around I am going for a more relaxed version, a room that invites more casual lounging. To that end out went the formal red draperies, fancy wool rug and leather sofa. IN will be natural linen drapes, a sisal rug, and sink-in comfortable seating. My curio cabinet has been emptied of precious things and now contains my stacks of sorted sheet music! This makes it a much more useful piece, and feels therefore more utilitarian/casual. So yes, I am definitely rethinking our home decor and function. I have always kept a tidy home, and do think it contributes to being well organized and ready to fully enjoy your life.
    Wishing you a very speedy recovery from the procedure, Pam. Rest, hydrate, heal!

  14. First, prayers for a successful surgery & rapid recovery. Now, a huge YES to the rest of your post. As a person who thrives on simplicity & order, chaos & clutter depress me. I have never been a big bric-a-brac person. While I have had to make some compromises with my husband, as he comes from a long line of collectors of stuff, I have donated so much over the past few years. I even decluttered my books, & they are my Achilles heel. As I have decluttered, my vision for my home has become so much clearer. As with all of life, it is a work in progress.

  15. Hi Pam,

    I’ve never loved cute things. Clothing, accessories, furnishings etc. I just never wanted it around me and I would cringe when I saw others doing it.
    I grew up in old houses around antiques and we were a middle class family, nothing special about us.
    I guess that classics always worked for me.

  16. Good luck with your surgery!
    I just this morning started to go through my many years of cookbooks and sending most of them to goodwill. I have been working on my house four many months as I have a large farmhouse with 8 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. Three floors of 4400 square feet sitting on 8 acres in the countryside of Oregon. I feel like a slave to the kitchen as we (my husband helps) process apples, blackberries, green beans, squash, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. I could go on. Good thing we are both retired. I have my two grandchildren here today to help pick. They only live two miles from us.
    Just like to mentioned I have also worked on my wardrobe as I do believe it is related to our homes. I have so many closets to just pack the stuff away that sometimes I buy a top only to find it in the closet.

  17. We trust your surgery goes well and your recovery is quick!
    I have been challenged to work on our closets and cupboards. Knowing others are removing and/or donating some items keeps me working on the projects.

  18. I am sending you prayers for an easy recovery. Take your time and don’t push yourself.

  19. Sending hugs and well wishes for a speedy recovery! I know from experience that sinus problems can be a real downer. Love your new French country style!

  20. When I read your first sentence I laughed.
    My first year of retirement; I couldn’t believe how much I just took care of the basics lol
    Have fun now..

    Love your blog!

  21. I hope your recovery is a gentle one.. You’ll be so glad you had the procedure!
    I laughed when I read today’s post…I’ve been concentrating on clarifying my style and not being too swayed by the daily barrage of fashion advice. But this morning I looked at my living room and realized my French country chairs are begging for reupholstery and my Persian rug is too small!
    I love your French country esthetic. It’s sophisticated but comfy. It also blends nicely with other styles. But beware! There are so many pretty elements ( think all the pretty linens and animal motif tchotchkes) that can clutter up your vision. I made that mistake and bought too much at once, not realizing that when It was all put together, it looked more like a store than a home! I now curate my belongings and request no decor or clothing as presents. (We exchange things to do, not to own. It really works for all of us and I don’t have to live with more than my current pared-down self can handle.)
    Again, prayers going your way for an easy recovery.

  22. One of the joys of thrift shopping is that you can switch things up without spending an arm and a leg!
    Myself I have found all kinds of things in my house over the past few months and I have made at least one important decision: I AM NOT BUYING ANY MORE PUMPKINS.

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