Friday, August 26, 2011

A Room of Her Own...

Chris Casson Madden wrote a book a few years back, "A Room of Her Own."
This book was the inspiration behind my choice of carving out some "personal " space.

When the children were at home it was a small corner of my bedroom that had an assortment of chocolate treats, some scented lotions, a candle, a pretty teacup and some richly illustrated books on home decor and a large collection of magazines that calmed me as I leafed through them in a dream like fashion.

(Chocolate and caffeine were never far from my side back then and now I rarely have either)

Dressed in a cozy nightgown sitting in bed with the pillows plumped and the door slightly ajar taking some "Me" time before turning in for the night. Morning came very early in those days and sleep was a luxury to behold.

A room of my own had to wait.

Bittersweet in it's own way...
because when it came into being was when my son left home.

It is his childhood room that I now use for my hobbies and healthy pursuits of Yoga and the occasional session of weight training. It has become a place where I can go and sit and peruse magazines, read books, listen to music and ponder and more recently to paint.


Steiff teddy sitting in the linen slip covered armchair
a cozy nest to curl up in.


I opted for soft neutrals to invite serenity and peace.


I put down an old rug from upstairs to add warmth
the floor is painted concrete and is chilly in the winter.


Here is where I play...
Pepper loves it when I am down stairs 
she runs around like a super charged energizer bunny.



She has climbed the easel and tried to bite the paint brush,
"steady on Pepper."

  The recent knitting project is going rather slower than I hoped as I need to be "on guard" 
for she likes to stalk the yarn and then pounce with all claws bared before the attack.
Picking up slipped stitches are not my forte and so they take forever to fix.


Pepper does have cat naps throughout the day
I think that is her secret...
I should adopt a napping habit 
but there is always so much I want to do.


Like knitting....
I have used up 2 skeins of the Alpaca yarn so far...
slow and steady.


Image from a birthday card
which my sister bought because it reminds her of Pepper.


Vintage keys
a tarnished tray
weathered weary cabinet
glass dome
and a pair of silver candelabras
all things that I like because of their quirks.

Do you have a place or a space of your own?
I'd be interested to see some images of where you find peace and inspiration.
Is it inside or out of doors?

You might be like my friend LM who meditates deeply
in a quiet place wherever she happens to be...
she always has that zone 
so very close
whether she is in Hawaii, 
France
 or the UK.

Be true to yourself this weekend
and try and soak in some loveliness
after all it's free.

20 comments:

Susan Tiner said...

The flying kitty shot made me laugh!

Pepper is so adorable.

I will try to take your advice and soak up some loveliness this weekend.

As for a room of inspiration? No I don't have one, not right now anyway.

Anonymous said...

What great nook, I love all of the little still lifes you have created.

The whole house is really my space, hubs has one little bookcase that's his to dump whatever he wants in and I rule the rest!

sparrowsandsparkles said...

It comforts me that you also required your chocolate and coffee during these days! Right now we are working on a room for my husband - making our downstairs french-doored office more comfy and cozy... but I have just such a corner in our bedroom like you had that is going unused... I must get on stashing some chocolates and magazines, thank you! Your space is beautiful.

LPC said...

Hostess, I am so happy to see you are painting like this. Private time turns into creative time.

the gardener's cottage said...

lesie, thank you so much for changing the size of your font. it is SO much easier to read now.

hmmm, i have lots of places i call my own but none are very private. my side of the bed, my side of the sofa. but i do have my garden and that pretty much is all mine.

xo

Maggie said...

Lovely, and lovelier with the presence of your kitty, Pepper.

Judith said...

Such a delightful special place you have made for yourself.Ida

materfamilias said...

Looks like a lovely space -- have you ever read Virgina Woolf's (long) essay "A Room of One's Own." I haven't read Madden's book, but I suspect she would have been inspired or influenced by that earlier essay. It's worth reading -- in your perfect space. . .

Jan_diva said...

I couldn't believe it when I saw the reference to the Chris Masson Book! It's been in my library for many years. I have a room of my own -also complete with books and cats( my two ginger beauties), my music (I sing in a choir). I don't paint, but I do cross-stitch. Your's is one of my favourite blogs - I too am a school librarian - in a small Catholic boys high school in Sydney.

Annie ~ Red Roses and Crystal said...

Hostess you never fail to transport me to your cosy world. What a wonderful use of space for painting, yoga and reading.
In my house darling daughter uses the spare/guest room for her creative pursuits (if our son returned home it would throw this arrangement into chaos). My husband has his man-cave (workshop in the garage) and I inhabit the formal pretty living area to sit and ponder.
Enjoy the weekend.
xx

Debbi@SheAccessorizesWell said...

What a lovely room. I especially like your painting area. I have a room, but it is mostly a disaster. Your home looks like a little piece of paradise.

Pondside said...

Lovely to have a room for one's own pursuits. Books, fabric and thread, a comfy chair and ottoman, the right light - all essential ingredients to me.

Mummaducka said...

Your room looks like a really special place for you to achieve things in. Well done!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

materfamilias- Yes I have read Virginia Wolf's A Room of One's Own but it was many years ago. I read most of her books in succession and it might be time to reread a few as they are penned so well.

La Vie Quotidienne said...

What a nice, cozy room and such a wonderful easel! It looks like a great space to enjoy.

I have a workroom, where I blog, sew, paint, etc, but I rarely relax there. I like to read at the kitchen table or better yet, in bed.(-:

Your knitting is lovely, beautiful yarn!

Anonymous said...

I love your Pepper anecdotes; these stories remind me of my adventures with my kitty Cossytte (we called her Cosy Cat). Cosy liked to sit on the newspapers we would leave on the ground. If the newspaper was open (because I'd be laying on the carpet reading it), she would stalk it, then attack! She loved, loved, loved to shred newspapers.

mette said...

Since I have had the chance to decorate nearly every room in our house as I wish, I feel no need to have a special room of my own.
But definitely, my bed is mine. It is the place I where I dive into the blog world, mostly in the mornings and in the evenings.
I agree, that it is important to have privacy, maybe in the form of a room of one´s own.

Semi Expat said...

A wonderful idea and I love your little hideaway... You are so talented and the knitting is coming along very quickly it seems. Pepper is gorgeous even though maybe a bit too boisterous for your hobbies at times! Love the card! XX

Sunday Taylor said...

I love this post! I also have the Chris Maddon book that I bought many years ago. We need to take care of ourselves and nurture our creativity and the best way to do it is to carve out some time for just us and ideally in a room of one's own, as Virginia Woolf so beautifully wrote. I have a study -- the walls are yellow and the bookcases are a deeper yellow. The couch is a yellow toile and I have the bookcases packed with all my favorite books. Needlepoint projects are tucked to the side of the couch, and my desk has photos of my family. It is a cozy haven for me to daydream, write, and read.

Connie in Hartwood said...

What a timely post! I am working on the finishing touches in what is being called my Sewing Room ... it's much more than that. It is a room where I can sew, or read, or create, and close the door on the mess if I choose.

Your Pepper looks a lot like my Dorothy. Dorothy doesn't pounce, though ... that's her sister Alice's job.