Molly & Pyle do Panels.

Let's have an open and honest chat today, shall we? I have something I just need to get off my chest. I've been thinking obsessing about this for a while now, and I just need to talk about it. I am very jealous. Very, very jealous. I'm not usually a jealous person. I'm not. But sometimes, something just hits me the wrong way, and that baby green monster comes out just a little. Okay, maybe a lot.

I have a friend. Let's call her... Molly(een)*. Molly is getting married in 4 weeks. She just bought a house. Her and her husband-to-be, Pyle*, have been working very hard to make their new house a home. They've been painting, cleaning, decorating, etc. And posting pictures of their progress on Facebook. And like the good house stalking friend I am, I have been checking out the new pictures five minutes after as soon as she posts them.

Now comes Mr. Green Monster. I realized after looking at one of her pictures, that Molly & Pyle have an amazing wood paneled ceiling in their living room. Yes. They do.

When I inquired about the ceiling to Molly, she simply said "Oh, I thought you knew we had that!"

Oh, she thought I knew. She thought I knew and that I was okay with it. But no, I did not know, and no I was not okay with it. Her living room soars to astronomical heights. And like the cherry on the sundae, she has a breathtaking, show stopping, jealousy inducing ceiling.

Little did she know, I have a small stock pile of ceilings just like hers saved on my hard drive. And just to prove it...

Photo courtesy of Desire to Inspire.

Photo courtesy of Desire to Inspire/Laurel Walter.

Photo courtesy of Desire to Inspire/Michael Robinson.

Photo courtesy of Style Me Pretty/Aaron Delesie.

Photo courtesy of WhisperWood Cottage.

So now you can see why I am so jealous. Wait...

Now you can see why I am so jealous (yes, that is my ceiling). The following words are for Molly:

I will still come celebrate your wedding with you. I will be so happy and I might even cry. I will wear my dress and carry my flowers like a good bridesmaid. But when you take me to tour your house, I will pay more attention to your ceiling than to you.

Are you jealous of my friends Molly & Pyle? It's okay to admit. Or perhaps you have a beautiful, jealousy-inducing ceiling. If so, I don't think I can handle seeing it. Just keep it to yourself. I do not want to see it... Okay, who am I kidding, show 'em to me.


*Names have been changed to protect the innocent (from acts of severe jealousy).

Hot Pink.

We interrupt your normal fall viewing for this brief announcement:

Yes, fall is here. Yes, we're beyond excited. Maybe I did a little happy dance Sunday when I woke up and it was 60 degrees outside.

But yes, I'm a sucker for bright pink flowers too.

I know we are celebrating fall, transitioning into autumn, leaving summer behind, but when I saw these beauties growing on the rose bush we have in our front garden, I had to bring a few inside.

So sue me.

Autumn, Autumn, Autumn!

As summer fades into fall, we Recor's get a little more excited. I have a theory that every person's favorite season is the season in which they were born. J is fall, and I am winter. So you can imagine the excitement this morning when we saw the sky was nice and gray and we could smell the rain in the air.

I'm still not sure what to expect with Oklahoma falls, but I am still excited about bringing out the boots, sweaters, and jeans. About going to the corn maze. About carving pumpkins. About the leaves changing (even if it is only to brown). And then... about winter being that much closer.

You'll remember my quandary on when to change to fall decor. Well after much discussion, I decided to wait until the first day of fall. And since that just so happens to be today, I thought a quick table switch was necessary. From summer to fall. Early fall. Because once we get pumpkins, it's changing again!

Summer...

To early fall! Do apples signify fall to anyone else, or is that just me?

Are you ready for fall? As excited as we are? Is my theory correct? Think about it... what is your favorite season, and does that match your birthday?? Has anyone else started Autumn-izing their house??

M v. J

Over here at the Recor House, we have a little tradition this time of year. No, we don't celebrate fall with a trip to the apple orchard. No, we don't do "fall cleaning" (although... that's an idea...). We do picks.

Football picks, that is. Every week, we choose which teams are going to win that week. And then we watch football all Sunday. (Yes, we have NFL Sunday Ticket, so we get to see our Lions). This year, we added soup to the mix. A new soup, every Sunday.

Now, football picks would be rather boring if the winner didn't get something. So, we make it interesting. Loser has to make the bed for the whole week. All by himself. It doesn't matter who is making the bed this week, what does matter is that I was not making it last week. Or pretty much all last season.

Seriously, I spanked J last year (in a completely G rated way). I destroyed him in picks, which frustrates him just a little as he does research and research before his picks, while I pick the team I like better. Whether I like them because of their colors (Eagles), their Quarterback is hilarious (Colts), I like their mascot (49ers), or they just sound like Voldemort (Ravens - say Baltimore 4 times fast. You'll hear it), I have no rhyme to my reason.

But I win. So we're off to a new season, and so far, we have both made the bed for a week. Anyone else have a friendly wager on a football game? Or maybe you play Fantasy Football? I don't really understand how that works. I'll just stick to my picks.

Gimme Yo Money!

That is what I woke up to the other day. Amazing. And it has nothing to do with today's post, but you are about to read a lot. So just thought I'd add a little eye candy to begin with.

I know I left y'all with quite the cliffhanger last week, but I wanted to work my new job for a few days and get a feel for what it really entails before I put my foot blog in my mouth. But I think it is time...

I got a job! We've been in Oklahoma for almost two months now (!! Can you believe it??), and I have been looking and looking and waiting and waiting for a job to show up. It's pretty slim pickin's here in good ol' Enid, and what is available, is usually off base. But patience pays off every once in a while.

As you may remember from our biker gang post, we are a one car family. Which worked out so well when Jon was walking to work and I was staying home. And we really wanted to keep that system, so I was pretty set on finding a job on base.

And I did! Finally! It's about a 4 minute walk to work for me, which I can't really complain about. And so far, I love it.

Basically, I am the accountant/cashier for the Vance Club (the combined Officers/Enlisted Club on base). I know some of you smarty pants with elephant memories are remembering that I was once an accounting major... and then switched because it was boring "just wasn't for me." Yes, yes, I know.

And I'm not saying this job is flying spaceships and wrestling bears. But it's busy, fast paced, and interesting. And I can handle that. Especially with the selection available in Enid, America. Aaaand, it's great experience. I basically work in a reception hall. So basically I am a wedding planner. Basically.

I get to take care of all the money. Anything coming in, anything going out. Checks, cash, credit, coupons. It's all me. I make the deposits, I do payroll. So far, so good.

I am not the lunch/dinner cashier (much to my relief). That is what I was worried about when I took the "cashier" job, but it's so much more than a cashier. I have my own office (with a window! and a key, that only my boss has. I don't even have one yet) and I have quite a bit of responsibility, but it's nice.

3 days in, I still like it. A lot. We'll see how I like it when I'm done training. :-)

And since I hate these long boring posts with no pictures, here is a picture Calvin was just dying for me to share on the blog.

Getting This High Would be Illigal in Most States.

Speedy post this morning. Faster than Superman. Faster than a space ship. Faster than... well faster than two minutes, because that's all I've got.

Busy, exciting week here in Oklahoma. J got a little high in an altitude chamber and dropped from a pretend parachute. I got a job. Calvin has started waking us up at 3am to tell us he loves us, and I'm pretty sure Duke tried out our couch while we were gone.





Bye!

A Place to Dine: Part III

Remember our table? And more importantly, remember those ugly chairs?





They appear to be handmade. Nice, sturdy wood, a few small flaws in the craftsmanship, and no labels anywhere. We bought them from a garage sale for $25 (or was it $20?) and they threw in our table for free. The seats of the chair were looking a little rough, and the rest of the chair was no Georgia peach.

So we fixed them. Sort of.





And then we roughed them up a bit. Because, lets face it. We don't live in a perfect world. We have a cat who will use these chairs to propel himself toward the squirrel outside, scraping them with his sharp nails. And we move, a lot. And I'm not saying they don't care, but sometimes the movers don't really pay too close attention to what they are doing...

(Yes, that door stopper was knocked off by a couch.)

But anyway, we distressed the chairs a bit to add a little texture, dimension, and interest.



It's not quite done, I still need to make a few seat cushions, and if we're going down that road, I still need to find a rug for under the table to make this area a bit more of a dining room, but at least we have chairs again! And they match! And they're pretty! And they match!

So? How are you feeling about the dark table/white chair situation? Have you ever considered refurbishing a dining room set? It takes time, but so far, I think it was worth it. What do you think?

Oh so Tired.

Well, we're getting into the long runs for the marathon training. Whoever (me) thought the marathon was going to be the hard part, was wrong. These long runs are taking up quite a bit of time... not just to run, but then to recharge (all day) after the run.

And since I'm still recharging from this mornings run, I'll give you a little sneak peak at what's coming tomorrow:



Can't wait, can you?

Too Early for Santa...

But is it too early for fall? We've got a high of 87 today, 96 tomorrow, but yesterday it was nice and cool, rainy and Halloween-y. So my question is this: When can I get away with decorating for fall?

Pottery Barn

{Cowboy} Phraseology

Martha Stewart

Pottery Barn

Hometown Girl

First Day of School.

The grueling 54 weeks have begun. J left at 6:55 this morning for his first day of Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT). It will be a long 54 weeks, full of studying into the wee hours of the morning, lots and lots of time spent in flight simulators, and not a lot of sleep, but on the flip side, it will include hours and hours in the T6 Texan (followed by -hopefully- the T1 or T38), learning to be a real live pilot.

A lot of people have questions about this process, so I'll try to explain what I can. J has six weeks of book work -two feet of book work- to get through before he will actually fly the plane. After that, he spends about 6 months in the T6, learning to fly it. When he is in the plane, he is the one flying. He will have an instructor, but he will be the one flying the plane. Pretty cool, huh?

After the T6, he will "track" his next trainer plane. As of right now, we're hoping for either the T1 or the T38, so we can stay here in Oklahoma. But I'll let you in on that process later.

At the end of UPT, right around week 53, J will find out what plane he will be flying at the beginning of his career, and very possibly, throughout his entire flying career. So, no, we do not know where we will be going after this, nor do we have any idea. And no, we do not know what kind of plane J will be flying after training, nor will we have any idea for 53 weeks.

Hopefully that clears some of this crazy Air Force training up for you! Leave a comment with any other questions you have about this big confusing process!

Classic, Clean and Comfortable.

First of all, I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend. Jon and I went down to Oklahoma City with a couple of friends on Saturday, and then have been working on an upcoming reveal for the rest of the weekend... Lets just say I have paint in my hair, on my face, and all over my arms. But that's for another day.

It is no secret that in a military life, we move a lot. So that means a lot of decorating. A lot of starting over with my spaces. A lot of blank canvases. A lot of "What the heck do I do with this space??"

So I blog stalk.

[blog stalk (blɒg stawk)

v - to frequently view the online journals of other unknown/known people.

She would often blog stalk home decor and DIY blogs as inspiration for her own home.]

I find some pretty awesome houses, ideas, and design. I've fallen for Katie Bower's crisp, fun style; The Youngster's clean, cool house; and I have found inspiration that has left me desiring.

In order to create a cohesive, pulled together look, I have worked hard to come up with an answer to the question: what is my design style? Nautical? Feminine? Eclectic? Traditional? In order to do this, I started bookmarking rooms that I loved. Only the rooms that I really LOVED and wanted to live in, because I, like many people, like pretty things. And just because I find a room pretty & interesting, doesn't mean it is "my style."

Desire to Inspire

Desire to Inspire

Desire to Inspire

Now, looking through these inspiration rooms, I find a few similarities.

- I'm drawn to muted, natural colors. Think neutrals; whites, beiges, greys, blues (especially navy), blacks.
- I love wood paneling. I know, weird (I do like them with a nice whitewash on them).
- I love all sorts of natural woods. Deep, dark woods; light, airy woods; perfect woods; and imperfect woods. Love them all.
- I love when a house feels like I can walk outside and be on the water. Whether it's a cold, gray beach in the Pacific Northwest, a colorful harbor on the East Coast, or a romantic sunset on Lake Michigan. I am a water baby.

So what do these all have in common? The three C's: Classic, Clean, and Comfortable.

Desire to Inspire

I like design that is classic. I don't want to have to change my decor every year, because the look just doesn't work for this year. I like pieces that are going to be here for a while. Nice clean lines, warm neutral colors, and a look that can transform with age.

Desire to Inspire

I like design that is clean. I don't like clutter. While I do find many home accessories to tickle my fancy, I do not indulge on these things often. The less "stuff" I have, the cleaner, simpler, and nicer my house feels. I don't like to have shelves full of things. I'd rather have a few pieces that mean something to me.

Desire to Inspire

I like design that is comfortable. Lived in. Cozy. I want people to come into my house and feel like they can sit down on my couch with tea or hot chocolate and talk. Take off their shoes and stay a while. I want my house to be warm and welcoming. I want my house to hug me.

Desire to Inspire

That being said, there are many other styles that speak to me. I love a soft, feminine office with lots of pink and gold, curvy furniture, and a Parisian feel to it. I love a cool, beachy living room with shades of sea glass and shells everywhere. I even love a dark room, with very masculine lines and leather furniture.

But because I know my style, I know what pieces will fit into my house without a problem. I know when I'm thirfting, that wood Ralph lamp will fit seamlessly into my living room, while that cool, low, mid-century dresser might look better in my neighbor's house. Being on such a tight budget, its nice when I know if a piece will work with our house or not before I bring it home.

Pottery Barn

Desire to Inspire

Desire to Inspire

All that being said, I have two disclaimers to add. First off, I never feel as though I cannot love a piece that is not defined in "my style." There are always exceptions. You might have a very feminine style, but fall in love with a big leather couch. Thats okay! I've found that as long as you love it, it will find a place it belongs amongst the other things you love.

Secondly, I discuss at length "my style" in the post. "My" is defined as J & Mallory's style, as defined by Mallory.

So, you knew it was coming... what's your style? Soft and feminine? Loud and vibrant? Eclectic and bold? Not quite sure yet? Take my advice, start a design folder. Save the pictures you love. Then look for a pattern. And then share! :-)

All photos courtesy of Desire to Inspire or Pottery Barn.

The Ralph Lamp.

As I was working and socializing with spouses yesterday, I deprived you of a post. I know you were hurt, lost, and upset. I apologize. Some days, I am just too tired to blog. Or I just don't have time. It's not you... it's me.

But to make up for our lapse yesterday, today is a two post day. Yes, I know, it's madness. Break out the champagne. Blow the horns. Stop the traffic going down your street today: R. SIMPLE LIFE is having a two post day.

Please make sure you scroll down to see the first post of the day, because we're having a mirror issue.

The second post of today will be centered around this little nautical baby:



I found this beautifully masculine lamp at goodwill for $7 including the shade. So, I ask you, how could I have passed that up? The answer is obvious: I could not.

Here's your part. What to do, what to do with my little nautitical beaut. I don't know if you feel it or not, but it's got a coastal/oceany/Ralph feel (as in Lauren) to it. I believe it's all that wood. But I will be honest. It needs work. Ralph's not sporting the best shade. That will come in time. But on top of that -or rather, below- That brass is aging poor Ralph.

So here is my question to you: What should we do with Ralph to give him a little facelift? I know some of you might not love the wood, but I really do. It adds a little texture to the room, and of course, the nautical feel I get from it plays nicely with the lighthouses in my gallery wall. So my thoughts include something more on the line of switching out the shade to a nice, crisp white and painting the brass a beautiful white/blue/red/black color.



So what do you think?

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall.

Thanks so much for all the comments and ideas about our "Boys' Wall." We're still not sure exactly what we are going to do, but we know what we're leaning towards, and that is thanks to you. One great comment I got was that our TV stand is too small. We agree. Now, onto today's question.

I'm not so sure if these mirrors really are the finest of all in this spot.

Let me start from the beginning. I have a living room/dining room space. It's big, white and open. I'm still working on rugs for each "room" to preform the separation surgery, but as we all know, I am as cheap, cheap, cheap as a little birdy, and rugs are not. So the rugs are on the back burner for a while, and I am focusing on the walls.

You've all seen my gallery wall. It's busy, its bold, its beautiful, and its in my "dining room." I still love it. You've also seen the "Boys' Wall," which still has a few issues.



But let me paint a picture for you. You're in my kitchen, standing at the counter. You look out to the big room in front of you and realize the dining room is on the right, and the gallery wall is on that right wall. Directly in front of you (and the wall touching the gallery wall) is an even bigger wall, half windows, half entertainment area (i.e. TV). And now, we have officially entered the living room. The problem area, or at least problem wall.

You see, this couch can only go this way. There is no other way for this monster of a couch to go. Unless I want to block off a huge corner of this room, and we don't like closed spaces! We want the rooms to look as big as they can, right? Right.



But the issue lies in that wall above the short end of the couch. Directly across from this wall is the gallery wall. Touching this wall is the TV/window/animal wall. So, even though the wall feels empty, I don't want to do anything to busy to it, because the rest of the wall space in this big room is pretty crazy and attention hogging (Lindsay Lohan-esque, shall we say).

So I figured, mirrors! Mirrors are good. They blend into the background, but add light and space. So yes, mirrors were the way to go.



But now I'm thinking they are too much. And that is where you come in. They are obviously not white [yes, I used Paint again] but I was planning on painting them soon. If they don't work here, I can use them in the dark, dim guest room.

What are we thinking about mirrors? Too much? Should I put something else on the wall up there? Or maybe just be on the lookout for another side table for that side of the couch? Put a nice big lamp on it? I can't wait to here what you have to say!