If you are anything like me, lover of all things pretty,
charming and quirky, then maybe you can relate today. I, being a
twenty-something lass, sometimes struggle with, how-do-you-say, coming into my
own. By this point in my life, I know a lot about who I am and what I want and
I know little about how to make it happen or pull myself together.
Let me try to break this down: when I was in college I could
get by with certain things. I was still capable of having a room full of the
quirkiest trinkets because I was young, creative and having fun. Let’s not get
carried away, I’m still plenty young (cough) but what I WANT out of my living
environment, the one place I get to have to my own and feel completely
comfortable, isn’t necessarily a museum of knick-knacks, because, let’s be
honest, it’s not so cute if you’re the old lady with a million cat figurines
lining every inch of your (creepy) house.
The point of this post is to help give some direction in
honing your whimsical nature. It’s more than okay to love the fun, cute, and
quirky things in life, but if you have a desire to also mature in your taste,
maybe these tips might help…
1.
Have you seen Portlandia’s “Put a Bird On It?”
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Here’s a story for you. When I was a little girl
my great- grandmother gave me her earring rack: it was a cute small, silver,
owl stand whose bodice had many holes for my earrings. Adorable, right? Well
over the years I enjoyed collecting some owls. I don’t mean this in the hipster
sense, but THEN owls were LITERALLY everywhere! THEN my family knew that I
loved owls and started pointing them out to me and buying them for me and I’d
be lying if I said I didn’t love it… until
recently. Growing up is a weird animal. You long for the innocence of your
childhood while craving to be an admired, sophisticated lady. My solution for
this is: accessorize. Like an outfit, a home can be OVERadorned with the things
you love. Imagine walking into a home that has bird appliques EVERYWHERE. Not
so charming anymore, right? This is why sneaking in your whimsical nature and accessorizing
sparingly comes off so beautifully.
2.
Color!
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Trendy colors are a wonderful thing! My
suggestion: be mindful of how you use them. I wouldn’t recommend painting all
of the walls of a room in that one trendy color. And if you thought about it,
just because Dijon mustard yellow looks great with your brunette hair in the
fall does not mean it belongs anywhere BUT the occasionally placed throw pillow
in your home. That being said, there is really nothing better than appropriately
placed, current colors. Not only will this liven up your home, but it also sends
the message that you are super stylish and super sophisticated.
3.
A collection.
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If you insist on having your artifacts in one
place, displayed for the world to see, then I say gather them together and call
it art! As a beautiful painting hangs in your living room for all to admire, so
can your collection of whimsy.. It’s okay to dedicate a corner to your quirk.
It’s not completely fashionable to dedicate your entire house to it!
