summer living?





What happened to Spring?  We barely had Winter this year and now this?  I guess it's gonna be a long hot Summer around here.




This picture was taken yesterday just after dawn as the sun was pouring its heat into the house.  I think it was already 87 degrees outside.



In the ongoing paring down saga, I ditched the ironstone plates on the sides of the mirror and moved these antique sconces there and I'm not hating it.

In some other exciting news my bedroom was featured in Making It Simple, a free online magazine. You can see it right here.  Thank you Gen, what an incredible honor!




Does wearing this hat classify me as a hipster now?  I think that's one of the best parts of getting older. Who the hell cares?


100 comments

  1. You look so cute in that hat Janet!
    And congratulations on having your bedroom featured in Making it Simple.
    I'm working towards having a peaceful haven like yours.

    I'm in No. San Diego county and the heat and smoke from fires just about did us in.

    Stay cool,
    Caroline

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    1. caroline, my heart goes out to everyone in san diego county. how frightening - glad you survived. x

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    2. Thank you Janet. All is well and today is beautiful - only in the high 70's. :-)

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  2. Wow, the heat! And over on this side of the country (Michigan), it's cold and rainy. Can't do any planting...the ground is like a sponge. 36 degrees this morning. Love the hat!

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    1. kathy it is so hot here, my spring garden is totally fried! that normally doesn't happen until late july/august.
      hard to imagine saying this but stay warm. :)

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  3. Yeah, not so nice here either; damp and dreary.

    S
    xo

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  4. Add "Senior Citizens Discount" to one of the best parts about getting older! I chuckle when I get asked. Love you in that hat! And actually, Janet, since I have never commented before but have been a reader for a couple of years, may I just say I love your blog. It is a visual delight (French vacation and your garden roses among many things) plus I have learned a lot from you and your other readers comments. Thanks Janet for the time you put into your blog!

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    1. thank you and i too learn so much from the readers. that's what is so great about the comment section! thanks for saying hi. x

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  5. Warm/hot here in the UK too (not set to last though). You rock the hipster look xo

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  6. Love that hat Janet! And congratulations on your feature - how exciting. I think the sconces look lovely paired with the mirror. We had a super long and cold winter here in upstate NY, and we finally started get a little taste of spring. Lilacs finally started to bloom. Hope you're enjoying your weekend. ox

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    1. thanks yuko. the scale is prob wrong on the sconces but i don't care, i like them there!

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    2. You liking them there is all what matters! :)

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  7. I too am in N. San Diego county and just went through 3 days of HELL. We lost our home in the 2007 fire and I had a grief "relapse" reliving that horrendous experience. Our home was spared this time - I am relieved now but my heart bleeds for all the poor souls who lost everything. The fear, the uncertainty and PAIN of having your family history wiped out is unimaginable.

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    1. Oh this must be Shell. I've been wondering about the effect these fires were having on you. Glad you are safe.

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    2. So glad your home was spared, A, but yes, many families are suffering the loss of their homes. I remember 2007. We were under evacuation, but thankfully, the fires did not hit our neighborhood. It is scary though to see smoke in the sky so near - it makes me think what is most important.

      Caroline

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  8. Hey there! It's good to see you again....you must be enjoying your break. :) It's hot down here too in my new home state. Everyone told me that the heat is different here than in the Midwest, and they are right. I guess I'll have to get used to the wavy sweaty hair look.

    anyways, congrats on the magazine article! Someone there obviously has good taste. xo

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    1. there is only one thing worse than hot dry weather and that's hot humid weather. for me at least. :)
      is your hair long enough to do a pony tail. i'd have to live in one.

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  9. Congrats on the magazine feature! Janet, I just love that hat on you, you look FabO!

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    1. hi Mona and thanks. The mag article is so cool and well-done don't you think?

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  10. You look very snazzy in that hat. Am I dating myself with the snazzy comment? Love your bedroom, so nice and well deserved being featured like that. I do have TV in my bedroom and frankly fall asleep to it every night! I prefer not to have a TV in the living room and do like to get in bed at night and watch "my shows" which I've recorded. I don't feel it's affecting my sleep, but maybe it is!

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    1. thanks jeannine and you know i could probably fall asleep to tv every night too since i usually do it on the sofa anyway. lol

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  11. I love that about getting older. I'm not quite where you're at...but I'm getting there. You look fab! I bought my first straw fedora last month and love it!! Congrats on the mention...I'm heading up to read it now. xoxo

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    1. thanks jennifer and i remember seeing your fab hat collection and your new addition. i only have a couple but i do love hats.

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  12. Love the hat! You are definitely a hipster. Hope you caught Jack White on The Tonight Show. : )

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    1. thanks rebecca. you know i caught jw. i pretty much stalk him. :)

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  13. you're place is beautiful. I love hats and yours looks really good on you.:-)

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  14. I adore that long blue willow pillow on your couch. It matches my dishes! Did you make it? It's lovely and so is your house. Donna from alovelyinconsequence.blogspot

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    1. hi donna! no i didn't make it. i had it made by Marianne of...
      http://whiteandgolddesign.blogspot.com/

      it was very reasonable. i love that thing to death.

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  15. Hey, that's cool. Your bedroom looks beautiful in that spread!

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  16. love the attitude. you look terrific and happy and satisfied. nothing better : )

    love your blog. thanks for the time in posting : )

    ann

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  17. Oh! my first thought was, you look like Leonard (my fantasy boyfriend) Cohen's lovely baby sister. You are a good hat wearer, and that's a good hat...

    Kathleen

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    1. kathleen i love leonard cohen but i didn't know about his baby sis. i'll have to google that. thanks

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    2. I don't think Leonard has a baby sis, but if he did, he would choose you. He has a hat just like yours,
      so you could be related.

      Kathleen

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  18. It's funny when people label fashion styles. You are not a "hipster," you are simply wearing a hat. And you're right, who cares? The hat looks great on you!

    It has been like an oven out here in Burbank. The temperature topped off a couple days ago at 101*... and it isn't even summer yet. We desperately need a good and thorough Winter here in So. Cal (meaning rain).

    The antique sconces look gorgeous there next to the mirror.

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    1. i hear the valley and even beaches were a bit hotter than we were which of course is the reverse of normal. i think the way it came out of nowhere is what stunned us all. my garden is wasted!

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  19. Congratulations on getting your beautiful home in print! You totally rock that hat! x

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  20. Yes, it is HOT!! Congrats on the magazine spot....how cool they put Jack White's quote on there too.
    blessings, jill

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  21. What a lovely magazine article!

    I love a fedora, but they do not look good on me - I am meant to either wear a large floppy sunhat or a cloche - nothing in between - must all be face shape, eh?

    I have been seeing the news of your weather - that is crazy-hot? Do you have air conditioning or do you sweat it out?

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    1. thanks wendy, you are sweet. i would think a fedora would look really good on you. i like all hats too and am not really sure which ones suit me best - i should prob think about that. :)

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  22. Hello Janet,

    The wall sconces look very good next to the looking glass. They complement each other in style and add a classic look to an otherwise very modern, minimalist space. Lovely!

    Cold and wet here so we would appreciate a little of the sunshine which you are enjoying. Although, it does seem to be very hot for so early in the season. We should be very sad to see Spring, our favourite time of the year, disappear so rapidly.

    The Panama looks totally fabulous. Such a perfect companion on sunny days or indeed not so sunny days. Stylish yet absolutely practical and you wear it so well.

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    1. thanks jane and lance. i don't think i've ever heard my decor labeled as modern and minimal. wow, i love that label!
      sending some warmth your way....right now. x

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  23. A 100k student loan in anthropology + that hat + terrible home brewed beer= hipster. I don't like hats at all, but I think it looks great on you. My disliking hats might come from the personal pain that my head is at least double the size of the average person. I'm not sure what takes so much space up there. At least I can make my hair really big and it still looks in proportion.
    How annoying about your weather. Perhaps you should follow your dream of leaving California and moving to Ohio. Climate change is suiting us well this spring. The winter was brutal though.

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    1. dear stephen andrew. i know i speak for a lot of people around here...i love your comments. does it take you long to think of them or are these off the top? i struggle to write comprehensive ones let alone witty.

      oh don't kid - you/ohio are on my bucket list.

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    2. I always get excited to see Stephen's comments on my blog and I think of them for days afterwards!

      Do not be sad about a big head- Jackie Kennedy had a huge noggin and was considered a Great Star. xxx

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    3. Stephen Andrew the blog world needs you! Your comments are always laugh out loud but thoughtful! How about another post?

      Better to have the supersized noggin rather than the pinhead (remember Beetlejuice, I think that was the movie!)x

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    4. Haha be careful, we can't let my head get even bigger! Thank you so much. Janet, since I do my blog reading between clients, I often read once and then read again later and comment. I pretty much just write whatever I'm thinking and assume some people will think it's bizarre and some people will think it's funny. I guess blog commenting is an upside to the neurotic!
      FF-thank you. In my waking life, I've taken to saying that I luff it and "I do as I'm told"
      Anon-thank you! I will post again. Eventually :)

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  24. What a nice feature on your pretty bedroom!

    About the living room mirror, have you considered hanging it horizontally instead of vertically? With the mirror the other way, you might not even need anything to fill out the space (but if you did still need something extra, the scones would be more in proportion).

    Luisa in Dallas

    And, I agree with the others that you really do look great in that hat!

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    1. Dear Luisa, you are not the first one to suggest hanging the mirror horizontally. we tried it and it looked so bad. you know i'm fine with the extra space around it. when i took the plates down and hung the sconces it was like a breath of fresh air to me. that's when i know it's right - for me. i'm guessing a pro would say fill in the space though! thanks for your comment. x

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  25. Oh, how exciting to have your bedroom featured! :) Sorry the heat showed up early.
    I guess one good thing about Summer, generally allergies are less than in Spring.
    At least I am hoping that is true for you.

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    1. thank you naina. and you are right, my allergies have totally simmered down which is good b/c it was pretty awful.

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  26. I'm jealous. You have warm weather AND a great hat!

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  27. Love the paired down look. Hats are great- let your freak flag fly, sister;.)
    Where did you get it? I am looking for hats- they are great for keeping the sun off your face.

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    1. thanks meg. mine came from nordstrom. there is a link up there.

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  28. As usual, both the room and you are beautiful

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  29. I was wondering if you ever heard of face yoga?

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    1. i have! i've been doing it for my lips and eye area for years now. my neck is a wreck though. :)

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  30. Your bedroom looks wonderful and that online magazine is cute! Congrats on the feature and thanks for sharing it with us. I live in the Southeast and our weather has been weird. Usually at this time of year, cool weather is a thing of the past, but this weekend we had morning lows in the upper 40s and daytime highs of just around 70. Almost feels cold compared to the mid-80s we had recently. The ups and downs are confusing, but this recent cool snap has felt good. Soon enough it will be HOT. I feel awful for those who are affected by the fires in CA. So horrible. I'll keep them in my prayers.
    Claudia

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    1. thanks claudia. the weather has been so strange everywhere i guess. nice that you are cooling off.

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  31. I like the sconces and you look so pretty xxx

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    1. thanks k. can you believe it is just a couple of days since we met in london a year ago!

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  32. Janet, you are so funny and so real. "not hating it" "who the hell cares". You look great and your house is so charming and cozy. I'm going to check out the online mag now too. Cheers!

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  33. I'm curious about the decision to remove the ironstone plates. Were you sick of the look or did it look too cluttery for you? Will you get rid of the plates or store them? I'm asking because I'm interested in paring down/minimalism and how it all works with people. Your house is very simple, yet beautiful. I like that look!

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    1. thanks anon. both really, i never really liked the way they looked and i felt it was too cluttery. they are old ironstone so they got washed and were put right into use in the kitchen. i knew the sconces were right for me b/c the moment i hung them i just sighed a big sigh of relief. i know that sounds weird but that's how it goes for me. thanks for asking! x

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  34. Congrats on having your bedroom featured in the magazine, and on the cover no less! Love the wall scones too.

    Yes the weather has been down right annoying...I'm worried about summer being bad too. Our yard usually looks it's best in May, but it looks more like it's the end of August. My Alstroemeria got fried because they are planted in the sun and everything else bloomed early. I don't even want to know how bad it will look in a couple months.

    Great hat!

    Linda
    xo

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    1. yep linda, same here. it looks like the end of august not the middle of may. and may is when my garden looks the best too. i may have to resort to a couple of flats of annuals to perk things up!

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    2. Ha Ha I bought some flats right before the last hot spell but it was too hot to go outside to plant them. It's on my list for today. :)

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    3. Oh and one more bad thing about this heat...an army of ants in my house in May! (they were attracted to a little sap that was on my Fiddle Leaf) Usually I don't have to worry about them until mid-summer. I finally had to put ant baits out.

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    4. oh linda i'm dreading the ants. have my fingers crossed that they won't be too bad.

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  35. Love the sconces with the mirror…so much so, I've pinned the photo on Pinterest, as I did previously with your beautiful bedroom, which inspired me to do my own bedroom picture wall….and great article!

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    1. ahhh, thank you miss lumen drops, what a compliment!

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  36. Your sconces look so nice, now I'm rethinking taking mine down over my couch. I'm always trying to minimalize.have less and .
    You look great in your hat!
    Betty

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    1. ha betty! maybe next year i'll get rid of them even. it's ongoing isn't it?

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  37. Oh, how I wish I were a hat person I try them on all the time, trying to make myself into an instant hipster. So NOT happening.
    I love that photo of you. It looks slightly black and white but just the hint of lip color is perfect.
    Nice pics in the online mag too. So great they used your own photos. I've often wondered if a team was sent to 'style' a space for a photo shoot. I was happy to see they (and me) thought your room was perfect as is.
    Now I'm off to try to become a hipster with no hat!
    ~diane

    ps -Stephen cracks me up.

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  38. Hello Janet,

    You look great! Cute hat. What happened to the other straw hat you purchased from Target?

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    1. i still have it. my grandaughter wears it when she helps me in the garden. :)

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  39. Does your head go all the way to the top of that hat? Completely wrong style for you.

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  40. Janet it was a pleasure featuring you and your beautiful home in the magazine thank you for the shout out :) The hat looks marvelous on you. I'm all about minimizing right now, we are moving and I thought I had downsized the last time we moved but I still have a lot of junk LOL

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    1. Gen it was such an honor. Your magazine is so nice and I can't imagine the work that goes into it. Thank You.

      ps - thanks for including the jack white quote. as one of the readers pointed out...it was my favorite thing!

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  41. Enjoy the heat. We just went through our worst winter in 50 years - the trees are still not in full leaf yet. Everything is about a month late.The heat is still on in the house. The Christmas ice storm has done so much damage. The local golf course lost 200 trees and we lost one tree out of four. It snowed in 'cottage' country (about 2-3 three hours north) this last weekend. And I live in the warmest part of Canada (not including the west coast). I'll stop complaining now : ) So enjoy the heat. I like the hat.

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    1. darlene it seems as if the weather is wreaking havoc everywhere!

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  42. Janet,
    You look stunning in that hat! As you always do!
    xo
    annie

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  43. I love this pic of you, Janet! The hat really suits you.

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  44. In case you thought that you had no affect on people... I've been saving this post on my desktop since you wrote it. I recently had surgery and with that a great loss of hair. It is devastating. Then I realized that your hat might be the perfect solution. Simply plop on a hat till hopefully my hair returns. I'm in Southern California also. So it might get pretty warm with a hat but...It would be great fun to meet up with you and have lunch some day. I'm also a blogger.

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    1. sandra so sorry to hear about your surgery and hair loss. i think our hair is so much a part of us that must have been hard. i bet the hat would be perfect! it would be fun to meet over lunch one day! take care.

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kindness is never out of style.

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