One of the goals of my blog is to keep track of how I make my home more personal and aesthetically beautiful at the same time.  So, here’s a project I did today.  My fiance and I took a trip to Ecuador in December of 2009.  Since one of our passions is travel, I thought it would be a great idea to pick 5 favorite pictures from each trip and put them in a frame.  So I went to Ikea, picked out this frame, and put our pictures in.  I have to say, I wasn’t totally thrilled with the results.

I felt the light wood frame blended into the wall color, and while the pictures are  special to us, they just looked like random pictures to any guests we might have in our house.

So first, to make this photo project more personal, I took decorative paper and labeled the pictures, so it was obvious where each picture was from.  Then, I made one big label that says:  Ecuador December 2009, Ryan and Jeannie.

To remedy the light frame color situation, I took the frame down, and painted it.  Here’s a tip for my fun and thrifty friends.  Buy OOPS paint at Lowe’s!  OOPS paint is paint that they mix at Lowe’s and it doesn’t come out an exact match to the swatch.  If that happens, they slap a sticker on it – usually about $5.00 for a quart and $10 for a gallon and they sell it at some random shelf in the paint section.  I got a quart of OOPS paint for $5 and it came in handy for this project.

I painted the frame with dark reddish brown semi-gloss OOPS paint, sprayed it with a clear gloss to seal the paint.  Now the frame matches the table, pops on the  orange wall, and explains where we were and when!  Love it!

The Downward Facing Blog:  Transforming your home into a sanctuary, one post at a time.

Welcome.  I’m so happy that you’ve found my blog!

Why did I start this blog?  I want my home to feel cozy, harmonious, organic, natural,clean, clear, and restful.  I started this blog because I know I’m not alone!

With this blog, my loving intention is to:

1. provide tips, inspiration, and products for creating a living space that feels like a sanctuary.
2. regular how-to projects that you can do in your own home.
3. video blogs from my yoga retreat vacations for super inspiration.

My inspiration is yoga retreats.  I love yoga and meditation, and the most inspiring living spaces I’ve experienced have been at yoga retreats.   For over 5 years now, I’ve been choosing yoga retreats as my vacations.  I love the daily yoga practice, the food tends to be healthy and fresh, and two of the retreats I frequent are in Hawaii and Mexico where the weather isn’t so bad   What I love most though, are the living spaces they create.  The bedrooms that are full of soul and free of clutter.  The bathrooms that feel like spas.  The yoga rooms with their open, light-filled spaces.  Now, wouldn’t it be nice if you could describe your home in that way?

This blog will focus on creating a home that feels like a personal sanctuary.

Since I was a little girl, I have loved interior design and decoration.  At 5 years old, I played by rearranging my bedroom!  At 8, I had a collection of ceramic kittens from the local five and dime store.  I remember the excitement I would get by removing all of the kittens, and carefully placing them back, one by one, in order to create the most beautiful arrangement.

Now, I’m 33 and have fully renovated 2 homes, and every day I still play around with designing my space.  The elements that are most important to me are:

• visual beauty
• good “flow”
• a space that feels warm and welcoming to visitors
• creating open feeling spaces in my small home
• clutter free without feeling sterile
• organic elements such as plants and natural materials
• highly organized in a way that suits my lifestyle
• Mixing modern items with beloved items with history

If this resonates with you, please subscribe to my blog!