Just Getting Started

Most of us are just getting started at something.  Some are just getting started in married life, some are just starting their families, and some others of us, like me, have only just been introduced to the real world and can’t wait to get going!  I am working at my first real job in Washington, DC and living in beautiful Alexandria, VA.  I live in a historic neighborhood in an adorable brick house with my cat, Daphne, and two other roommates: one human and one dog.

I’m so excited to share my very first blog post and I thought a good place to start would be with some of my absolute favorite photos and why I love them.

A Country Farmhouse

Trina, of A Country Farmhouse, posted this photograph of the summer version of her kitchen and I love everything about it.  I love the shining butcher block counter top, the fresh, open shelving with assorted tarnishing silver thrown in with gleaming white dishes, the old photographs (especially the owl) and the small, low bunches of roses fresh from her garden.  I want to have this exact same kitchen in my house -  I wouldn't change a thing!

absolutely beautiful things

Little Green Notebook

These two photos look like they could be from the same house to me.  I love a lot of colors on walls but my absolute favorite rooms are always fresh white with plenty of bright light coming in from big windows.  You do have to worry about making sure the white seems fresh rather than stark, though, and both of these rooms accomplish this by carrying the white into other elements of the room (the furniture and lamp in the top room, and the dishes in the bottom) with the addition of a bright spot of cheerful color and sophisticated fabrics.

The Decorista

Are you detecting a theme yet with the bright white walls?  I love white paired with beautiful wood, the collection of mismatched frames and plenty of bright light.  This photo has a lot in common with the first photo of the kitchen with its white shelving and walls, wooden butcher block counter and assortment of silver, dishes and frames.  Both photos also add just a touch of light pink, with the roses in the kitchen and some of the art on the wall here.

Domino: the Book of Decorating

There are a few things I love about this photo.  I love the restful color pallet of the greens and blues, the delicate sophistication of the chinoiserie wallpaper, and the pairing of the simple wooden table with the more exaggerated silver and blue velvet bench.  This combination of wood and silver was the inspiration for the desk and chair in my bedroom, which I will share with you soon.

House Beautiful via Little Green Notebook

Another chinoiserie wallpaper that I love.  I'm not sure that I could actually sleep in this room, but I love to look at its photo!  I also like this photo because I think the choices of fabric (a masculine look on the main bed, and a traditional quilt on the trundle) are so daring paired with the wallpaper.  Neither the wallpaper nor the bedspreads are at all retiring or apologetic but somehow they live in harmony in this bedroom.

Little Green Notebook

I absolutely love a shiny black door, and will probably do a post about them in the very near future.  I especially love them when they are paired with this warm almost-brown grey wall, a masculine black leather chair with rows of neat gold studs, and wide, white crown molding and baseboards.  I love the contrast of the casual gallery wall with the stateliness of these elements.  The only thing I don't like about this room is the overly ornate mirror which I think looks a tiny bit comical in this otherwise elegant space.


Looking at these favorite photos has already given me so many ideas for future posts that I have had to start writing them down in a notebook!  Until next time...