Happy Holidays From Our Home to Yours!

Happy Holidays from our (new home) in San Diego, CA to yours! I hope you'll take the elevator up to my cozy cottage style apartment and celebrate the holidays with me and my hubby Steve!

The palm trees are all lit up so you can easily find your way to my front door! (Who says you need snow to celebrate Christmas?! :)

Come on in!

Would you like some hot chocolate, eggnog, hot cider? Whatever will make you feel at home!

We can sit around our dining table and tell Christmas stories if you like... (You know me; as a writer, I'm a story kind of gal!)

Or we can sing Christmas carols under the candlelight...

I'd love to tell you about our collected nativity sets. Since we're Christian, "Happy Holidays" to us means celebrating Jesus' birth.

Away in a manger...

No crib for his bed.

I love candlelight, don't you? It keeps things cozy and romantic.

Hubby Steve's Santa collection spans nearly 30 years and he has 53 of them now. Most have been gifts from me and friends and relatives. He has an Irish Santa (because Steve's Irish), a surfing Santa, a cat Santa, and you name it! Which one do you like best?

More candlelight and good conversation...

A few festive red balls along with the Christmas music playing in the background...

And this year we have a topiary instead of a tree...

We can dim the lights for a little more glow...

Or how about spending a little time out on our terrace....

for some merry laughter....

Or a peek at the stars!

I'd love to know how YOU celebrate your year-end holidays. However you do it, I hope they're filled with laughter, loved ones, and memories to last a lifetime!

Merry Merry!
Kathryn :)
www.KathrynBechenInk.com

My New Decorating & Organizing Seminar

My NEW! in-person organizing and decorating seminar:

How To Turn Your Small Space Into an Organized and Beautiful Home!

will be held in beautiful San Diego, CA (where I live) on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. I'll be giving oodles of practical tips, tricks, and resources! And the best part is, I'll teach you how to do it on a dollarwise budget!

Pre-registration and pre-payment required by January 8, 2010. For more info. and to pre-register go here.

Hope to see you!
:) Kathryn
www.KathrynBechenInk.com

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS around our new home. How about yours? Do you have favorite Christmas decorations and traditions? My hubby Steve has been collecting Santa figurines for nearly 30 years. Here are a few of them....

Happy Holidays!

Kathryn :)
www.KathrynBechenInk.com

Turkey Day Fun

I hope you all had a fun Thanksgiving Day today! I made turkey for two and all the trimmings...
and Steve and I went to our church in La Jolla, CA where the sun was so bright....

that my photo of the ocean and palm trees barely turned out!

I hope you had a sunny day wherever you live too!

'Til Next Time!
Kathryn :)
www.KathrynBechenInk.com

Happy Thanksgiving Week

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving week!

Kathryn :)
www.KathrynBechenInk.com

My Home Sweet Green Home

I'd like to share with you how my hubby Steve and I "live green" at home. As someone who has lived with allergies and chemical sensitivities for over 25 years, I was living "green before green was glam" so to speak!

My Green-at-Home Strategies:

1. Small Space Style. The largest home we have ever bought was 1650 square feet and most often we've lived in spaces around 1000 square feet. This conserves space on the planet, as well as fuel and electricity, plus we need fewer furnishings and home goods.

2. Organic Lawn Care. We either use organic lawn care products or live in apartments where there is very little lawn space.

3. Purposely Repurpose. As anyone who knows me well or reads my writing knows, I like beautiful homes and home goods. But I try to be careful about how much I buy and we often buy used furnishings/antiques. We also keep our furnishings for many years and repurpose them by rearranging, reupholstering etc. I just don't feel right contributing a sofa to the landfill every five years, for instance.

4. Donate Freely. When we do get rid of furnishings or home goods from our home, we donate them to charity or somehow recycle/let others repurpose them. Favorite charities are an animal shelter, Goodwill, and Disabled Vets. When our kitties passed away it made us happy to donate all of their goods to our vet for the other animals.

5. Religiously Recycle. All glass and plastic bottles, paper etc. are recycled.

6. Non-Toxic Paints and Stains. When available, our antique furniture is refinished with non-toxic stains and our walls are painted with no VOC paint.

7. Clean Freak. I'm a clean freak, admittedly, and I use all non-toxic cleaners to do my housekeeping. Seventh Generation is my favorite for counters, floors, and tubs. I clean my windows and mirrors with half vinegar/half water which is cheap too.

8. Lovely Laundry. I wash my bedding (and clothes) in unscented Seventh Generation laundry detergent and I use no dryer sheets. Scented products, even natural ones, can be highly toxic to allergy sufferers as can the chemicals on new bed linens. I buy organic bed linens when possible or I soak new commercial bed linens in water/vinegar/baking soda for 24-48 hours before sleeping on them which helps remove formaldehyde and other "no-ironing needed" chemicals.

9. Faux Floor. In one home we lived in, my hubby removed the old carpet and painted our entire concrete floor in a charming faux-brick pattern using non-toxic paint as an alternative to expensive hardwood floors. When we do have carpet, we steam clean it monthly to remove chemicals and dust.

10. Purified Air. We have two IQ Air air purifiers running on high at all times in our home.

These are a few of the things we do to "live green" at home. It helps our health and we live more lightly on the planet at the same time. I hope you'll do the same!

'Til Next Time!

Kathryn

http://www.kathrynbechenink.com/

In Memory Of Our Vets

Loving gratitude for all our heroes who gave their lives for our freedom.

Champagne Anyone?!

You're "virtually invited" to join me at a party in my new home! This weekend I shopped for and set up a beverage bar so I'll be easily "party ready" at any time. I've always liked that sophisticated "stocked bar" look in chic urban Manhattan and San Francisco apartments shown in decorating magazines, so I thought I'd see if I could come up with something without spending much money, and with just a tiny space, in my new living room. What do you think??!! Just left click on any photo to enlarge it and see exactly what I did...

I found the little table/stand at Ross for $39.99 and it fit my space perfectly! I plan to get a piece of glass cut for the top to prevent water rings on the wooden top.

I stocked my new "bar" both with a few new things I bought inexpensively at Ross and with things I already had on hand like zebra printed wine glasses I found for $3.99 each years ago at Marshalls.

The $8.99 basket is from Ross, and the leopard print planter in it is also from Ross and was $16.99. It stores our wine and champagne bottles for now, and when I have a party, I'll put ice in it around the bottles and use it as a wine chiller. The leopard print on the planter complemented my chair fabric which is why I chose it. So many people have given us wine and champagne over the years as gifts that I had a ready-made collection on hand when I decided to set my little bar up!


This pretty botanical-motif jar was on clearance at Ross for $3.99 and goes with our home's garden theme. I stored my wine corkscrew, bottle opener, and wine bottle stoppers in it so they are handy.

I stocked my bar with a wide variety of beverages including Izzie fizzy drink, Fuji water, apple juice, sparkling lemonade, Martinelli's faux champagne (my favorite!), and Perrier. What's your favorite?!

A stemmed goblet from my kitchen cabinets holds mixed nuts which are scooped out with a coffee scoop. Tall champagne glasses hold long wafer cookies and colorful party straws. The zebra glasses I bought years ago at Marshalls for $3.99 each because I thought they were fun and funky and I knew someday I would use them for something fun. Someday is here! :)

And last but not least, when you're at my party, I'll put a glowing lime green palm tree swizzle stick in your drink so you'll light up with laughter!

So glad you came to my party and hope you had fun!

'Til Next Time!

Kathryn :)

http://www.kathrynbechenink.com/

Welcome To Our New Home!

Welcome to our new "urban cottage" home! Hubby Steve and I have moved to a San Diego high-rise recently and I'd like to share my new home and my dollarwise decorating and organizing ideas since I live what I write about professionally. So come on...let's check out the view! Just click on any photo to enlarge. (And yes, it's really possible to create a "cozy cottage in the city!")

I love the view of the clouds from our new building; looks pretty heavenly, don't you think?

And the sunsets are simply divine too!

After sunset, the city-lights come into full view...

As do the lit-up palm trees.

How about a little splash in the fountain?!...

Or a walk in our little park...

Where we can sit on the bench and have a chat, kind of like New York's Central Park in San Diego...
And then we'll walk just around the corner to the shops....like this great bookstore, complete with fabulous (what else?!!) home decorating books...

And let's have breakfast together or a spot of tea by the flora and fountain!

And we can buy a bloom or two at the little flower shop nearby and bring them home...

Speaking of home and flowers, here we are at my front door. WELCOME! Come on in!

My client and friend, Erin Houghton of The Painted Garden, gave me this "Welcome" painting as a gift when I was at her home last year. I love it as we like our home to have a year-round "garden-y" feeling. Erin sells these and other paintings on her website. Click on the link above.

My dollarwise decorating ideas start at my front door! The welcome mat is from Wal-Mart and the kitty statues are from Target. They remind us of our kitties who passed away this year, Beau & Monique. The pink flowered plant is from Michaels.


In seven days, hubby Steve and I organized, decorated, and "handy-manned" this approx. 1200 SF white apartment into our "urban cottage" home. We re-purposed, re-positioned, re-vamped, re-cycled, and "re-passioned" every thing we owned!


The white high-boy is from one of my favorite stores in La Jolla, CA, Girard Avenue Collection. I spied it and at half-price, it was a steal! It stores my entertaining supplies--including napkins, tablecloths, candles, placemats, and more.


The rose-motif stand holds keys and flashlights. The pictures on the walls have been collected during all our travels.

The picture above was created by an innocent person who was wrongly imprisoned. It has beautiful detail and my favorite Bible verse, John 3:16 is written in calligraphy. We purchased it in a boutique in Idyllwild, CA years ago. The cross was purchased at our church's gift shop several years ago and has moved along with us, every time.

This little rose-motif hall table was purchased at Ross for $79. It holds our keys and flashlights.

This covered basket from Home Goods hides our shoes we just kicked off upon entering our home. It prevents "shoe clutter" by the front door.

My dining table is from Girard Avenue Collection in La Jolla, CA. It was designed by tennis star Andre Agassi's sister, according to the owner of the store. Hubby Steve recovered our antique dining room chairs a year or so ago with a textured fabric I loved; it was a white bed quilt!

Here's a "before" shot of our living room, looking into the dining room.


Here's the dining room "after."

I love the way tulips open up for you! Don't you?! They are such happy flowers!


We removed the standard apartment light fixture and replaced it with this candle chandelier I purchased awhile ago at Girard Avenue Collection in La Jolla, CA. I love to light the candles when we entertain. It creates a festive glow! And for Christmas, I put colored balls in the basket.

Here's our little kitchen "before." I like my granite floor and countertops but I did not like the standard silver kitchen cabinet knobs, so...

We replaced the cabinet knobs with "faux crystal" knobs which we brought from our former apartment when we hired Bon Bon Home & Garden to help us tweak our former place. Even with my decorating training and writing-about-decorating-for-home-and-garden-magazines, sometimes it helps to bring in a fresh eye.

Here's what I did to brighten up my little white "California Cottage" kitchen.

A few colorful paintings...

A metal basket from Target holds my everyday placemats and cloth napkins. (I'm not a "paper napkin" person!) Hubby Steve hung our wine glasses using a rack from The Container Store. You can see the "faux crystal" cabinet knobs in this photo.

Antique silver trays hold my salt and pepper shakers and butter dish. A floral tray provides more "art."

Floral mugs further contribute to my indoor garden cottage home.

A basket holds napkin rings, which are stored in clear zip-lock bags so you can see them, and so they stay together by set.

Here's a "before" shot of our long living room, looking out onto our tiny urban terrace. Pretty white and boring, huh?

This wrought iron bench is from Home Goods for just $129. It looks like an expensive antique when you see it up close and I love it! The cottage style quilted pillows are from Marshalls and were two for $24.99.

Presto! Here's our "after" living room, filled with our collected-over-the-years antiques. The old arched piece of iron over the sofa I found at Etceteras in La Jolla, CA for $95 as I like to add a little architectural interest to a standard white living room.

As a writer, I love my books, as you'll notice by my library wall. The iron grate over the TV is a fireplace grate I bought at Girard Avenue Collection in La Jolla, CA years ago for just $125. It formerly hung on my beach cottage patio gate outside, with a floral vine growing over it. I re-purposed it here into "wall art."

Here's another shot.

And another. The coffee table design further adds to the lattice/garden effect.

The old weathered french door was in the junk pile in the back of a friend's boutique and I stood it up here for a little more architectural interest. I like old things with an "Old World" look.

These lighted flowers are from Gaia Day Spa in La Jolla, CA. I love them!

The white weathered corner screen hides an air purifier and was from Rustic Rooster Interiors. The little white chair was $50 from Armstrong Garden clearance center and the faux zebra pillow is from Marshalls.

The round garden ornament is from Target and the boxes from Marshalls hide our remote controls. I like using things from outside inside, and vice-versa.

The architectural piece on the wall is from Home Expo.

The white iron wall piece is from Bon Bon Home & Garden as is the leopard lamp.

Here's a "before" of our little urban terrace before we transformed it into our happy "sunroom."

Ah, it feels like a breath of fresh air now, don't you think? Hubby Steve spray painted all the furniture this past summer so it was all uniform and fresh. Cheap to do, too.

We like to have breakfast out there. Table from Bon Bon Home & Garden. The white privacy screen is from Burlington and was a painting project hubby Steve did for me in our former place. It took 11 cans of spray paint!

Here's the "before" photo of the other side of the terrace, complete with these ugly electrical cords and AC unit. Ugh!

Presto! Silk trees and plants, along with a wicker chair found at a second-hand store, and softened with pillows from Marshalls, transformed the ugliness into a garden! It's a great spot to enjoy the afternoon sun and read a book.

Okay, now we're at our home office and here's the empty "before" room.

And here's the "after."

I set my work area up exactly as it was in our former home. The decorators from Bon Bon Home & Garden came up with placing the bookcases on either side of my desk as the work layout and I liked it so much I re-created it with this new move. The pink boxes store office supplies of all kinds neatly and are from Michael's craft store.

I keep my desk organized by using pretty collected containers to hold my office supplies and keep them at my fingertips. It avoids that "office supply store" container look.

Hubby Steve's work corner is on the opposite wall and end of my work area, which gives us plenty of room since we share our home office. An armoire hides his paperwork. The baskets are from Home Goods.

We created a sea motif in hubby Steve's bathroom, using shells given to us by a 90+ year old friend collected during her world travels. The lemonade jar is from Marshalls.

Now it's time to step into our cozy cottage master bedroom suite. The "B" is from Marshalls and the paintings belonged to my favorite author, interior designer, and lifestyle expert, Alexandra Stoddard. The white French stand is from Girard Avenue Collection, La Jolla, CA and was $135.

I purchased the paintings from Alexandra at her home in CT when we visited there in 2006. The one of the dining table reminds me of the happy time we spent at their own table where they signed books for us.

We collect crosses when we attend yearly marriage retreats at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, CA. Steve found the picture of Jesus in an antique store. Jesus is our friend, life coach, redeemer, and God, and he's willing to be that for anyone who accepts that invitation. I hung all of these crosses and his pix inside an empty frame from Aaron Brothers frame store.

This painting once belonged to a former organizing client of mine. I love it because the lady is hopefully "looking up."

My "happy wall" across from our bed. NEST letters are from Girard Avenue Collection, La Jolla, CA.

The mercury glass vase is from Marshalls. We like our bedroom to feel like a bed and breakfast inn, since we have stayed in over 60 inns across the U.S. I have a blog called Bed & Breakfast Bliss which is about our B&B travels. I hope you enjoy it!

I write from my bed using a pink laptop. The bookcase is a collected antique and the corner table was a gift from hubby Steve to me last Christmas. It's new, but looks antique.

Our master walk-in closet "before."

And "after."

Plastic bins with lids hold quilts and linens.

I found this old garden-motif bench for $18 at a thrift store years ago and I love it! I've moved it with us every time we've moved.

We used a king-sized sheet for a quick dollarwise window treatment. The pink "valance" is a twin-sized sheet that formerly was used as a tablecloth now and then. I like to re-purpose!

Our cozy bed sports a quilt from Marshalls on sale for just $39 and embellished pillows from Target. The "canopy" over the bed is just a curtain rod, curtains, and tie-backs. The entire "canopy" was about $100. The rocker was hubby Steve's great-grandfather's and the shabby chic nightstands once belonged to an organizing client of mine. The cottage style painting of a porch with wicker furniture and flowers I found at a hospital thrift store for $100 and it's in mint condition and so pretty!

Is there anything more comfy than your own cozy bed? Sweet dreams!

Here's a "before shot" of our master bathroom.

And the "after" photo.

Hubby Steve assembled and hung this white cabinet for me. I hung a king-sized sheet as a shower curtain. I like to use that size as it goes all the way to a 9' ceiling.

Steve also assembled and installed this cabinet over the toilet. The rose motif painting is by my client and friend, Ruth Welter of Artful Creations.

I'm enjoying my granite countertop in my new master bathroom. I've never had granite before.

I like to have some "pampering pretties" at the ready! A girl's gotta primp a little, right? Right! The sparkly butterfly pin was a gift to me from my favorite author Alexandra Stoddard and her husband Peter at a time when I was very ill. I treasure it as it reminds me to fly my wings!

This upside-down basket hides my toilet plunger! The art of camouflage!

I hope you've enjoyed the tour of my new "urban cottage home!" I'm off duty now as I"m going to take a bubblebath in my new soaking tub and enjoy a "Calgon Take Me Away" moment as my friend Mary would say. And then I"m off to pick up take-out for dinner at a restaurant right out my front door, buy a pretty flower for our dinner table, and welcome my hubby home from work.

Remember, as Le Corbusier once said, "Home should be the treasure chest of living."

Kathryn :)

http://www.kathrynbechenink.com/