New Blog!

Hi All!

I hope this message finds you all well. Well, I'm back, and I'm blogging again. This time, with a brand new blog! Check it out and follow along, if you feel so inclined!

http://www.edwardupward.blogspot.com/

Cheers,
Edward

Bright Idea.

Hey Simply Cville Readers!

If you find yourself in town or are up for a roadtrip to my favorite small, Southern city, please head over to The Shade Shop & Lighting Gallery for their Annual July 30% Off Sale!

The Shade Shop carries a wide variety of beautiful lamps, shades, and lighting fixtures/accessories, ranging from the modest of modern to classic and traditional!

All in-stock merchandise is 30% Off--ALL MONTH! You can't beat it.

So hop over to The Shade Shop & Lighting Gallery in the Ivy Square Shopping Center (next to Foods of All Nations) in Charlottesville! Some of the prettiest lamps in town from some of the nicest folks in town! What more could you ask for?

http://www.theshadeshop.com/

Follow their Blog!

http://www.theshadeshop.com/blog/

Cheers,

Ed

Head Bored.

I had been searching for a simple Headboard solution for the bed in the front guest room of the bungalow. Guests have always said the bed is super comfortable, but the room has always looked unfinished with the metal bed frame, mattress, and box springs just pushed against the wall.

I wanted something that felt light, airy, and matched the "beachy"/coastal feel of the guest room. I love for a guest room to be cohesive, yet eclectic. I think you have a lot of wiggle room when decorating a guest room, because you can play off the fact that your guests are coming to you from near and far, traveling, and leaving small pieces of themselves in the space. I like to think of a guest room as a collection of the people who have stayed there. So, I loved the idea of using a found/re-purposed object for the headboard to finish off the space.

I found my solution at The Covesville Store, located 15 miles South of Charlottesville on Route 29 toward Lynchburg. The Covesville Store is a treasure trove of antiques, vintage furniture, old fireplace mantels/surrounds, glassware, and really just anything you could imagine. They also keep their website and facebook up-to-date with their new arrivals!

http://covesvillestoreantiques.com/

Shopping with my friend Richard, we spent over an hour combing the different levels of the old general store building, not looking for anything in particular. After purchasing an old silver Hunt Club derby trophy (I love old trophies, they also make great centerpieces/vases for flowers) and a Diet Coke (my drug of choice), we set out to hit our next destination in Cville. As we were walking out, there it was, propped up against the side of the building. An old, black, metal screen panel. I swear the light was shining down on it like it does in a movie, like some beacon of hope, or like when the cute boy walks into the cafeteria in a movie and the rest of time stands still.

Like many former boyfriends, he was chipped, dirty, rusty, and not much to look at it,but I didn't care. I saw some major potential, and I knew he had to go home with me.

The best part? $25.00.

So, a little spray down, a scrub brush, 2 cans of Krylon Rustoleum white spray enamel later (1 can of spray primer, one can of spray paint), I had a new headboard in one afternoon. The panel, being a part of a screen or larger piece, already had holes along the side for easy hanging. Using 4 anchored screws, I threw that bad boy on its side and attached it to the wall. It reminds me a lot of the headboards from companies like West Elm, with the overlapping squares and grid patterns (which I love). So, I'm pretty thrilled with it.

For under $40.00, I was able to go from simply bored, to simply head board. And I can't wait for my next guest.

As always, keep it simple,

C-VILLE.

Cheers,

Ed

and P.S., don't judge the crappy cell phone pics. We don't judge in this house.

Simply, Back.

I feel like I'm in one of those scenes in a movie where a guy has been kicked out of his apartment in a huge fight by his girlfriend. The one where he's standing outside in the rain with his suitcase and a wilted bouquet of a dozen long-stem roses, asking for forgiveness and to come back home.

Well, here I am folks. I'm back! After much deliberation and much coaxing, aka a full-court press from my friend and amazing Cville Blogger, Jeanine over at Small & Chic in Cville, I'm giving in (Thanks, J.) Will you have me back? I hope so. I've missed you all. I really have. For those of you who might stumble upon this little blog randomly, I'll catch you up to speed. I shut her down back after the holidays or as my friend Jeanine likes to say "I was simply taking a break." I wanted to focus on a few other things, and I had quickly realized coming up with a new project or post every night was quite cumbersome and unnecessary. You don't want to reach that point in your life that you just start tearing up perfectly good stuff just for the sake of having a blog post. It's an ugly place.

I had hoped to start writing more professionally about home design and DIY projects for the boy or girl next door, and well, it happened. Shortly after I closed up shop at Simply Cville I was hired as a columnist for C-VILLE Abode, our monthly leisure magazine/newspaper dedicated to home design and better living in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties. When the March issue of Abode hit the shelves, I was introduced as C-VILLE's new Do-It Yourself Guy and the author of "Rental Rescue," a column helping renters complete DIY projects to improve their spaces without breaking the bank or breaking down walls. I have to say, it's been a blast working with my editor at C-VILLE Abode and I'm super psyched about the column for the upcoming year. There's also something really humbling about standing in line for bagels and the girl in front of you is looking at your kitchen on page 27. Crazy stuff.

You can check out some of my columns here:
http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=11801401090567142&ShowArticle_ID=11802705103371924

http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=11801401090567142&ShowArticle_ID=11803004103676547

http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=1990205074270051&ShowArticle_ID=11800204104172687

http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=1990205074270051&ShowArticle_ID=11802602104171323

The July column will be out in 2 weeks!

Otherwise, life has been pretty par for the course. Upon returning from vacation in Nantucket, a brief "burst" of an intense storm hit Charlottesville on a Thursday afternoon sending an 86 year old tree onto my small house. Flash forward to interior shots of tree limbs poking in to the attic, brown, water stained ceilings, cracks that look like the Mason Dixon, no gutters, and learning what it looks like when it rains in a living room. Hooray for great insurance all around. The other lesson learned? Kartell Ghost Chairs do Windex really well when they are covered in brown water spots. Perhaps I should invest in all Lucite/acrylic furniture.

So, I can't promise that there will be posts every night, actually, I I can assure you there won't be. However, I'd like to come back if you'll have me. I can also promise you it won't be super fancy. It will just be, Simply Cville.

So, that being said. I hope you'll have me back. After all, I've missed you and it's raining out here. I'd like to come inside, even if it's raining in the living room, too.

Cheers,
Ed

Shoppers Tip: Richmond West Elm Closing

Howdy All,

Just a quick shoppers tip. The Short Pump Mall location of West Elm is closing its doors. I stopped in on Saturday while I was in the area, only to see all of the clearance/we're closing our doors signs. The place has already been somewhat picked over, but there's still a good bit of merchandise, furniture, etc. Everything is on sale, plus an additional 20% off for now.

I walked away with the following chair in white for $60.00. Retails $229.00


So, if you're in the area, like West Elm, and need to stock up on a few things for your place, definitely worth a look.

Cheers and Happy Shopping,
Ed

http://www.westelm.com/
Photo Credits: http://www.westelm.com/

Out of the Envelope and Into the (spit)Fire.

Happy Almost-New Year, all!

While the bulk of the Holiday entertaining is coming to an end, I don't think it's ever too early to start thinking about next year or your next Shin-Dig. You know me, I'm always looking for alternatives to the alternative, and new ideas that break the vanilla mold. Here's a fun, unique alternative to your next invitation, Evite, or Save the Date.

Spitfire Girl (www.spitfiregirl.com) does a great line of gift box invitations for pretty much any occasion. The invitations arrive as a jewelry box size gift filled with a little scene and small trinkets to reflect the appropriate holiday or occasion you're celebrating. These could be really fun for a New Year's Eve party, holiday gathering, birthday party, or if you're a very non-traditional bride and groom, even for a wedding. The boxes have a very, vintage, 1950's feel. The decorations remind me a lot of vintage cupcake/cake toppers, ballerinas from old music boxes, and Christmas ornaments. You simply fill in the important details for your shin dig, and mail them off to your guests. How fun is that? It's like getting a little gift that keeps on giving in the mail. Your guests are sure to never forget your party, even before they get there. You can even send them as an alternative to cards, instead of as an invitation. So, if you have the room in the budget next time, skip the fill-in invites from Hallmark, and think outside the box. Or in this case, inside the box,

Cheers,

Ed

Image Credits: www.spitfiregirl.com

Happy Holidays From Simply Cville.

Peace, Love, Joy, Laughter, Hope.

May All Things that mean "Happy Holidays" be Yours.

Wishing you all the Happiest of Holidays and all the best in a Simple 2010.

Cheers,

Ed (and Bodie)