style matters.

"To combat overstimulation, overconsumption, and overwhelment, you have to be ruthlessly committed to who you really are. Unwaveringly devoted. Loyally, royally you." 

Last year, a friend told me about a book she had received called Style Statement: Live By Your Own Design, by Carrie McCarthy & Danielle LaPorte. I was intrigued so I bought my own copy.  This pretty-to-look-at workbook guides the reader through a series of exercises in self-discovery which (hopefully) will enable the us to define our personal style in two words. It applies both to how we dress ourselves and how we choose to fashion our homes. They describe their "80/20 Style Statement Principle" like this: "If we find ourselves or our desires in conflict or off-kilter, the 80/20 SSP can help create balance and integration. This is the magic formula that makes your Style Statement a truly useful tool. The first word of your Style Statement reflects your inner foundation, your 80%. The second word is your creative edge, your 20%. This combination of energy, ideals and aesthetics is a powerful equation for creating ease and results in life."

What is MY style? Modern whimsy. I like lots of crisp, clean lines and not a lot of clutter. I love to feel organized and "in control" of my surroundings, so to speak (but that's another discussion for another time, perhaps in the presence of a therapist). Modern is sexy and sophisticated but, taken to the extreme, it leaves me feeling a little cold. So I love to display the things that remind me I am not just in ANY pretty home but I am in MY home. I love colors, words and shapes that inspire me. Objects that remind me of special times, perhaps something that was purchased on a trip I took with my husband. Or a piece of art for a special birthday. Or maybe even a favorite object from our childhood. Or a thoughtful gift from a friend. Some are quirky, and quirky makes me smile. As I look around my house, I realize that many (if not most) of the items we possess come with a story.

So as I begin this journey, I remember to let these two words be my guide and my inspiration. The vast array of choices can be downright dizzying. Focus, Kathi. Focus. 

Modern. Clean, bright and functional.

Whimsy. Some of my friends find this lithograph by artist Joe Sorren kind of creepy. Not me. He's a bully, but he's a lovable bully.

Modern. The simple curves of the Eero Sarineen tulip table are simple and simply irresistible.

Whimsy. On the wall: A collage by me. A collage made for me by my husband before he was my husband. Two original works by artist and friend, Charlotte Foust. On the mantle: Original sculpture gift from a Colombian co-worker of my husband. Two handmade, original vases from Orient & Flume Art Glass Co. in Chico, CA (my husband's hometown), given to us by his mother. And a favorite silver vase, a flea market find many years ago, filled with dried Japanese lanterns. And then there's that crazy vintage 60's brass floor lamp. Jonathan Adler would be proud.

Whimsy. When my husband was a boy, his Sunday night ritual was to dump "all the money" from this clown bank on to the floor in front of the TV and count it. The total rarely changed, but it was important for him to KNOW. And so it is today.....:-)