3.31.2010

# Home and Garden # How to Live Well

How to Live Well- Room by Room


As you know, we are getting ready for baby chez moi. This has caused us (mainly me) to organize, declutter, rearrange, fluff and generally reevaluate our living situation. I’m having good fun doing this- and all of this housework has caused me to ponder thoughts on how to live well, domestically.

That is, after all, what this blog is all about- living well. It is my lifelong, ongoing quest to live well. And as I’ve said before- living well has absolutely nothing to do with money… it’s what you do with what you have.

For example, we live in a beautiful Santa Monica town house for which I am extremely grateful. Because we live in this beautiful town house (that comes with a not so beautiful mortgage) we do not have what I would call ‘ideal furniture’. It is a mish mash of items from our past- some of it cohesive, some of it not. But I have learned to make do with what we have and 'make it work' (as Tim Gunn would say).

I constantly remind myself that it is the American in me that wants an entire house full of brand new furniture… it is my French alter ego that reins my greediness in and tells me my furniture is just fine the way it is (but that is another post).

So I’ve decided, as I comb through my house getting ready for baby, that I am going to share a series of posts with you where I explore how to live well room by room. Your feedback and tips will, as always, be much appreciated… And perhaps by writing it down and discussing it, living well domestically will become like second nature…

I’m looking forward to our journey!

Pictured above is the orchid in my kitchen, which has, until recently, been dormant for a year…

13 comments:

BonjourRomance said...

Bonjour Jennifer,
This sounds like a marvelous series. How exciting it must be as you prepare for your sweet baby.
A bientô^t,
Mimi

Rebecca said...

Great idea! The orchid is beautiful. What's your secret to getting it to bloom again?

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I'll look forward to this new series and how exciting that a baby is on the way!
It will be a wonderful journey and by everything that I have read on your blog you will be living in grace and harmony.

Fiona said...

I love this post Jennifer and look forward to the series also. It is very French what you are doing - buying pieces of furniture as you can rather than doing the whole house at once, and your home will look the better for it.

M.Lane said...

If I may be so bold, as the father of a 12 year old Future Rock Star, I will venture the opinion that you will be a SUPERB and Epic mom.

This is one of life's true Rubicons and once across to the opposite shore, you will realize [as we do] that it is so much HARDER and so much COOLER than you ever imagined...

It is THE BEST.

Whatever the room.

ML
mlanesepic.blogspot.com

Uxille said...

Interesting series. I can't wait to read them all. Buying furniture piece by piece instead of the whole set can be fun. It takes skills to mix them up and create a very personalized room. I think it can give your house a warm "home" feeling instead of a done up fully furnished place.

I remember shopping for a bed, small tables and lambs. I got each piece from different store. The colors are not exactly the same since they didn't come in set, but they do look very personal and I quite like it.

Kristi said...

It sounds like a great series. I can't wait to read it! I also love hearing about you preparing for a baby to enter your life. Such a blessing!
Kristi

BigLittleWolf said...

And might you meander room by room in great footwear?

:)

And the orchid is, indeed, lovely.

Josephine Tale Peddler said...

Hee, hee. Make the most of this time Jennifer for once that enfant arrives, all your lovely organized home and style is going to be pushed into outer space! I speak as one who has spent all day tidying our tiny cottage to watch my five year old daughter come behind me pulling everything to pieces. I look forward to your posts on this topic! xx

The Daily Connoisseur said...

Thank you everyone for your enthusiasm and encouragement- I'm looking forward to this series as well because as I write and publish the posts I will be more inspired to keep it up!

Rebecca- when my orchids stop blooming I never get rid of them. I still water them (weekly) as if they were still blooming and keep them out of direct sunlight... then usually six months to a year later they bloom again- beautiful!

M. Lane- thank you sooo much. I want to be the best mom I can be. Everyone's support has really been fabulous.

Thank you again!

xx

Duchess of Tea said...

Darling popped in to wish you and your family a joyous and blessed Easter.

Love & Hugs
Duchess

Clarity said...

I have just had a splurge reading up on your 4 past posts (sorry, can barely read blogs on my phone, let alone comment).

I adore the idea of what you intend to share over the coming weeks. Also really liked your insight into Madame Sportif and most of all Chic, considering facials now as you said you have problem skin when it is clear you have a Grace Kelly-like glow, so enough modesty :) Marvelous read, merci, x

Paris Poodle said...

What exciting news - congratulations :)! Great idea for a series of posts - will be checking in to declutter my life! My entryway is spacious with a coffee table that collects all post, keys and clutter - could definately do with a basket or two to get organised! X