{Here's the short version:}
Hi! I am Aimee.
wife to (1) beautiful husband;
mom to (2) beautiful girls;
caretaker to (3) adorable cats.
I love to be creative.
{Here's the long version:} :o)
I have always loved design and decor. I remember as a small child making furniture for my doll house, and even making miniature plants from floral tape and setting them in small toothpaste-lid pots. I loved making a house a home then, and I still do.
For me it is not simply decorating for the sake of decorating alone.
There is a reasonance that I am searching for.
You just know it when you "feel" it.
...Just the right mirror over a mantle, or just the right table and chair to round out a room.
Its a feeling that comes from a space that feels balanced, cozy and warm and reflects the people that fill it.
I love beauty with age and so, for me, if it is old and a little dented or chipped all the better.
I love collections....items that reflect years of treasure hunting...each with their own story to tell.
I love the beauty of creating things out of what you already have.
Repurposing, refreshing and renewing have been new definitions for processes that were always a part of my young life growing up.
My mom was always the best at decorating our base home everytime the military had a new assignment for my dad. She had pieces that she would always make work no matter what home we were assigned to. She repurposed fish nets as wall decor and an old chest as an end table, and shells as art. Interesting objects from the sea always graced our home in different ways.
My mom is the one I credit with giving me the gift of experiencing that exhilariting "feeling" of a decorated space. I first experienced that exhilaration when I was about 9 years old. When I came home from school and she had repurposed two utility shelves back to back to divide my brother's and my bedroom so we each had our own private "space" in our shared room. My side was backed with a pink floral sheet and all my "favorite" things were beautifully displayed on each shelf with loving care. My twin bed fit snuggly next to the wall with a beautiful flowered bedspread. Recreating this feeling of awe and specialness in a space is what I strive for in decorating and repurposing in my own home today.
I love being inspired! I find great joy in inspiration...It is what motivates all my creative endeavors.
I feel the day is not complete without the creative process occuring...and often it can be at a rapid pace....because once inspiration hits...you have to act. {right?}
This blog has been a vehicle for my inspiration as I dabble in different areas of DIY projects, decor, photography, and sharing life. I made my first post back in 2010 as we set off to move across the country from Louisiana to California. However, our life made several unexpected detours over the next 3 years and I wasn't really able to blog regularly until the Spring of 2013.
Our family has settled into a quaint northern California community outside of Sacramento. And, I am happy to say that we are entering a time of "settling" {I hope!}.
We were blessed with a wonderful home that had seen better days. My husband and are are working on "updating" the various areas of our home on our own as much as possible. I look forward to sharing these adventures in inspiration with you.
As long as I can remember, I have been described as a collector of many things:
Of interesting objects....
{usually all very heavy...according to my husband who has had to move them more than 7 times in 18 years!}
Of friends....
we have lived all over the country and our lives have been touched by so many. I love to send out Christmas cards each year and have tried to limit my list to under 100.
Experiences
My experiences range from representing the US as a decorated swimmer, to speaker, to swimwear designer,model, interior decorator, instructor, writer, publisher, and most importantly, devoted wife and mom.
Memories
I love to collect memories...scraps of events...photos...special notes and momentos of the places we've lived and experiences we have had.
Dreams
I have always been a dreamer and often am accused of marching to my own drummer and not being "realistic". Dreaming allows the barriers of our mind to be broken down...dreaming makes the intangible a reality...even if they take years to formulate. Dream big.
Ideas
I have ideas. Always ideas are brewing in my head. Creative ideas. Notions of things needing to be done. Books, businesses, places to see... Lists of things to do...there never seems to be a shortage.
And Inspirations
There is so much to be inspired by. Inspiration is a lifeforce energy. I love being tapped into it. Anything from a sunrise to a falling leaf can provide inspiration. I love seeing inspiration in others and where their minds go with an inspired idea. The process is as fascinating as the result. Collecting inspirations can be as simple as a journal, an album, a bulletin board. Harnessing the process of tapping into inspiration is an discipline I am still learning to exercise.
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