Tag: home

August 26, 2013

On Moving

For those of us who love decorating, moving homes can be exciting. A new space to transform. The challenge of arranging what you have in new ways. I’m trying to remember that excitement. It has been a tough few weeks. Without going into details, my current landlord has caused me a lot of unnecessary stress. Enough to make me want to leave the vintage gem of an apartment I found two years ago when I first came to Kansas City. I love this slightly rough-around-the-edges duplex with its old school radiators, teeny rooms and brick fireplace. You’ve seen this apartment all over my blog from the beginning, but it’s time to get moving. And, I’m moving to a house! In a few days, I’ll be telling you all about my new place. Get excited to move with me. Keep Up With Red Leaf Style! Follow Red Leaf Style author Kirsten Hudson on Twitter @kirsten_hudson, Google+ and Pinterest....

On Moving

For those of us who love decorating, moving homes can be exciting. A new space to transform. The challenge of arranging what you have in new ways. I’m trying to remember that excitement. It has been a tough few weeks. Without going into details, my current landlord has caused me a lot of unnecessary stress. Enough to make me want to leave the vintage gem of an apartment I found two years ago when I first came to Kansas City. I love this slightly rough-around-the-edges duplex with its old school radiators, teeny rooms and brick fireplace. You’ve seen this apartment all over my blog from the beginning, but it’s time to get moving. And, I’m moving to a house! In a few days, I’ll be telling you all about my new place. Get excited to move with me. Keep Up With Red Leaf Style! Follow Red Leaf Style author Kirsten Hudson on Twitter @kirsten_hudson, Google+ and Pinterest....

August 10, 2013

Rainy Days

I have a thing for dreary days. Give me gray skies, a steady storm, that cold scent of rain, and I’m happy. The unseasonably wet late summer we’ve had here in Kansas City has been my perfect weather. A happy do over for the always too short spring rains. There has been a lot of drinking coffee on the porch and lazy afternoons going on around here. This is what the view from my porch has looked like lately… No, that gorgeous brick number isn’t my house. But I get to look at it every day, so that’s something, right? Of course today, the day I’m writing, it’s all blinding sunshine and high temps outside. But the day I took these pictures, the rain poured for hours, and then… …that magical soft light that only comes out after a hard rain appeared. That fellow is my sweet boyfriend who recently injured his knee. Hence all of the porch sitting and lazy afternoons we’ve had lately. I thought that I should finally show some pictures of my neighborhood because there might be some changes coming for me soon, hint, hint. The skinny houses, Virgin Mary statues and red, white and...

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June 21, 2013

Vintage Dresser Display

The slightly quirky display above my dresser evolved slowly. It started with just the mirror. I wanted to a hang a mirror above my dresser to make the area somewhat resemble a vanity. I imagined a pretty place to get ready in the morning. From there, I added the plate, miniature mannequin and white compote dish to hold my jewelry. I like using unexpected items to hold jewelry and all of these also fit the simple, pretty feel I wanted. The lamp base I picked up at a thrift store and repainted white. It was brass. I was excited when I found it because I had been looking for a tall lamp base to fit that gigantic lamp shade I already owned. My favorite part of this display is the jewelry hanger made from a tree branch. (You can read all about it here.) I love the whimsical look of my necklaces draped across the branches and my metal owl hanging beside it. And, you can’t beat something made for free. I’m all about bargains. Here’s a breakdown of where I found each item on my dresser: Tree branch: Outside (Free) Metal owl: Antique mall ($30 for two) Mirror:...

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June 19, 2013

Weekend Finds: Bargains and Freebies

This past weekend was one bargain-finding weekend. My favorite kind! I spent the weekend just outside Meta, Missouri (population: 230) visiting my boyfriend’s parents. Mixed in with the tiny towns, cows and rolling hills, the drive there also featured loads of antique malls and flea markets. I was itching to stop at every single one, but we didn’t stop at any. Not even one. Not to worry though, the best finds were later. While my boyfriend and his dad split wood (you read that right) and dug up gravel, his mom and I visited her booth at Old Towne Antiques, an antique mall in Doolittle, Missouri. The antique mall is where we found these goodies: This metal stovetop ring cost $1.50. Here I  used it to frame a mason jar filled with flowers, but it could also be used as a picture frame….or…or…ideas anyone? I picked the flowers on the side of the road during a pit stop on the drive home. (They might be weeds, but I don’t know the difference.) This ladybug necklace, which I’m only using for the chain, cost $0.25. I’ve been looking for a longer necklace chain for a while. I think I’ll use...

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June 11, 2013

15 Ways to Clean With Baking Soda

Do you have a box of baking soda in your cupboard? Lucky you. You won’t ever need to spend money on chemical-filled cleaning products again. That humble little box holds the ingredient to clean, refresh and deodorize your entire home—and it’s completely natural. Conventional cleaning products on the market today expose us to a lot of scary ingredients, including toxins linked to asthma, allergies, cancer and a slew of other health issues. For a healthier home, use baking soda to clean, well, pretty much everything. Here are just fifteen uses. 1. Scrub stainless steel Once I discovered this easy method to clean my stainless steel sink, I’ve never used anything else. All I do is shake a layer of baking soda onto the bottom of the sink. Then, I turn on the faucet for about one second, or just long enough to make the baking soda slightly damp. The water and baking soda mix together to form a paste, which I scrub into the sink using a rag. Every time I do this, I’m amazed by the shiny transformation pulled off by just a little baking soda and water. You have to try it! 2. Absorb odors Plain ol’...

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May 15, 2013

Spring Love

Sorry for my absence. I’ve been outside enjoying the weather and doing lots of spring activities…planting a garden, hunting for morel mushrooms, walking my doggie, planting more plants. Well, see for yourself… When I spotted this chocolate mint plant at the farmer’s market (top photo), I knew I had to have it. I’m already dreaming about baking scrumptious desserts and sipping on chocolate mint mojitos. I didn’t realize I was going to make a chocolate-themed garden, but that’s kind of what happened. The second photo is a sweet potato vine surrounded by cocoa shell mulch. Yes, cocoa shells! I found the mulch at my local gardening store. This is what my garden looked like before. This plot of dirt covered in weeds sits in the back area of my rental apartment, which is a converted old house. The plot was clearly once a garden because it’s the only strip of dirt in a large area of concrete pavement. Plus, it’s lined with, now crumbling, bricks. It’s an extremely odd setup, which is fitting for the area I live in. It’s not really a patio; it’s not really a backyard; it’s just a random plot of dirt surrounded by concrete....

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