Apartment Therapy's January Cure :: 2014

Last year I participated in Apartment Therapy's January Cure.  It's a month-long project where you focus on improving and tidying up your home spaces.  Lots of purging, rearranging and donating unused items found in the home.  As a rule, I'm super motivated to get the holiday stuff out of my home…like the day after Xmas.  That's just how we did it growing up and by the time the day after Xmas hits, well, I'm more than ready.

Living Room Accent Wall Project - BEFORE

This year I inventoried my home, as they suggested, and ended up with a three page list that didn't even include my son's bedroom (which looks like a mini-version of Joseph Cornell's studio with childhood detritus topping all surfaces).

My goal project for this year's January Cure was to remove all art from our home walls, patch, paint and re-hang only the art pieces that truly meant something to us (and not just another framed piece of art that goes or matches the room that it's in).

In tackling this goal project, we found out we ran out of our living room paint and that it had been discontinued.  So, the job of finding a new color was next on the list.  We settled on Valspar's Milk Chocolate 2007-9B and my husband taped off the wall and applied two coats in one evening.

Living Room Accent Wall Project - AFTER
January Cure To-Do List 2014
My vintage chair with new upholstery!

When we put the room back together and finally hung a few pieces of meaningful art, it felt really good in that space.

I also had a vintage chair reupholstered in some leftover fabric that my employer had from one of the hotel lobby design jobs we worked on a few years ago.  A Sunbrella Sunflower pattern in Chocolate Kiss that feels perfect in our little space.

Kitchen (aka - Command Central)

I did a lot of work on the kitchen last year for the January Cure and so I wasn't as gung-ho this year.  I did ask my husband to sand and oil our butcher block countertops and it makes the space feel so clean and fresh.  He also oiled my wood cutting boards and wooden utensils.  He is a good, good man.

Art Wall in Living Room

Here's the other art wall in the living room nearest the bar.

Top left - Grady's self-proclaimed "best painting I've ever done" entitled Forest, 2013.

Middle left - Distorted photo by Larry Grace entitled Magical Kingdom, 2009.

Lower left - Distorted photo by friend-neighbor-photographer, Scott Van Cleemput entitled Rust-ic, 2013.

Upper right - Portrait of Steve, 2012 by resident artist Grady Salas Hecht.

Lower right - Portrait of Grady, age nine months, 2004.  This photo used to make me sad, but now it makes me smile.  This was taken after his first taste of cereal.  The boy did not like it…at all.

Our accent wall would showcase some of our most favorite pieces of art.

On the coffee table - Grady's first finger painting Untitled, 17 months, 2004.

Top:  Tree drawing on recycled grocery bag by Hannah Day, Untitled, 2013.

Middle left:  Undress by the oh-so talented, local artist (and friend!), Clare Elsaesser.

Bottom left:  Family photo by photographer, Noella Vigeant.

Bottom right:  Portrait of Grady, 2011 by Kai Samuels-Davis.

I didn't do anything in Grady's room this time around, as that would require a month-long assignment on its own.  I did walk in the other day and catch this scene going on at the end of his bed.  A messy stack of Calvin &  Hobbes books, his tattered and worn baby blanket and the stuffed bear my mom sent him years ago.  It made me smile.

The last corner of my living room is still in need of some artwork fine-tuning, but for now this is how it looks.  I'm hunting for a mid-century modern desk and have plans to reconfigure some of our art on the left wall.

It's a work in progress.

Kind of like me.

I heart Valentine's Day

There is so much to love about Valentine's Day when you have a little one.  This holiday resonates with me because it's all about correspondence and a little something sweet.  I know there is a lot of Valentine's Day angst if you're single, but I really love making cards with Grady and sending some snail mail to our closest friends and loved ones.

Spring fever has arrived a little early in G's fifth grade classroom.  Cootie catchers, folded up (and unsigned!) love notes stashed at the bottom of his backpack and reports of girls chasing him and throwing erasers at him during class.  Also, his hair gel/hairspray/blowdryer morning ritual has been sweet to witness.  Someone wants to look nice for…someone?

Grady has definitely cared more about his appearance the last few months.  Hair, clothing, shoes, accessories and the ever-present, but rotating, hat choices.  He has an ever-evolving style and this year has definitely been about the shoes and the color purple.

I think he has a little crush on a pretty little 4th grader, but he's been tight-lipped about all things that involve girls.  Mom, they're just my FRIENDS and they happen to be GIRLS.  That's it.

I'm still enjoying the time we share together at home making art, reading books, as well as visiting museums and libraries.

We've been heading over to Middle Road after school and I'll walk/jog about two miles and he'll ride his bike alongside me.  He really opens up to me during this time and it frees us both from the confines of our after school routines.  Homework and dinner prep is put on hold for just 45 minutes while we work out the day and release some stress.  We both come home invigorated and ready to dig into our chores.  I'm love, love, loving this new routine and the one-on-one time with my boy.

And while I don't require a dozen red roses or a box of chocolates on Valentine's Day, there is nothing that makes me happier than a homemade Valentine and a few handwritten words.  Always.

This year's Valentine inspiration was an origami heart.  I found a short tutorial on pinterest and showed it to Grady.  He had it mastered in a few minutes and set about using every single piece of small origami paper he had in his studio.  He particularly loved the new patterned paper that my friend's girls sent him for xmas and spent hours in his studio listening to Harry Potter CD's and folding.

Class parties for Grady + some love notes.

Underwood for lunch with my man and my first ever Negroni.

Iron Horse Winery for sparkling wine in their outdoor tasting room.  We just became members!

A leisurely drive over to Bodega Bay for fresh crab for Steve's delicious crab cakes tonight.

A game of Chinese Checkers with the boy.

The Big Lebowski DVD + white russians on the couch with my Valentine.

I love this sweet day.