As we prepare to move into home number five (which, incidentally, should be our last move for quite some time - we hope!), I have to admit that the excitement of being back in a house in my own bed has made these last few nights a bit sleepless for me.
I don't know what it is - maybe I'm worried about the transition for the girls especially since Sweet Pea has taken to sleeping in the "family bed" rather than on her cot (can you blame her) or with her sister. Or maybe I'm just trying to catch up on all of my Bravo reality shows while the girls are asleep. After 4-5 hours of sleep, however, I find myself awake and my dreams of decorating each room in our home become an obsession that makes me grab the computer to see what other "finds" or ideas may be lurking out here in cyberspace.
So in honor of my insomnia (and since I'm up again at 5:00am surfing the web in the bathroom so I don't wake anyone else) I thought I'd share some great sites with you.
If you haven't already tried this first one, it's a great place to see how real people decorate their homes. You can give feedback by commenting on the rooms and even have a "conversation" with the homeowner/designer. Let's say your room would be perfect if it only had the same curtains to set off your space - just ask in your comment where you could find that item and the "designer" will typically answer in another comment. It even lets post photos of your own room in order to seek decorating advice. The website is Rate My Space. It has enabled me to spend many of my sleepless hours gathering ideas for furniture placement when the movers finally arrive next week!
More great places for home decor ideas are the many, many, many decor and design blogs. Here are a few to get you started. So many of them link to others that I'm sure you'll soon find your "Decor" bookmark filled in no time!
I liked this one so much I'm sending permanent linky love to Melissa on my sidebar so you can follow her long after this post. She blogs at The Inspired Room This is one Style Coach/Designer you don't want to miss! Especially since she has a new list of "20 Little Things to Treasure in Autumn" - I love the herringbone. You can read more about Melissa and her design philosophy: "Authentic Living" on her blog. She is a designer that actually inspires us to see the beautiful life that we have, and reflect that "real life" in our surroundings - wow!
Another great blog actually led me to Melissa. It is Things that Inspire. This is a great place to find compilations of beautifully designed rooms. In fact the latest post has tons of incredible herringbone fireplaces. Wait... do I sense a theme for fall or am I just going back to more traditional roots after my "mid-century Eichler" period?
Finally, decor8 satisfies my quirky, modern, mid-century itch with an international flair. At the same time I get the latest "dish" about the most current "Top Design" episode and updates on new Etsy designers and stores. True one-stop shopping when you've only got a few minutes to surf before the kids wake-up. Oops - I spoke too soon! BFN!