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Style Scouting: Travels

ByDiane Henkler Updated:

I feel a little guilty not posting and doing any projects the last two weeks, but I have to say I am enjoying living in the slow lane. 

Even though it has been a little quiet I have been doing a few things that I thought I would share with you.

living-room-designed by Andrew Howard Interior Design

Andrew Howard Interior Design

I have been out furniture store hopping to find seating for my living room. I love this room, the rug and fabric on the chairs.

I found and liked these hybrid recliners with classic blue and white houndstooth fabric at a local furniture store, but they are not very comfortable. The backs do not recline, only the foot rest goes up… hence the wording… hybrid recliner.

Blue-and-white-houndstooth-upholstery-fabric

I like the fabric though and wish I could have it made on two really comfy recliners that…

leather recliner

…Ed likes that we saw in the same store and made by the same company. We were told we could not get the fabric I liked on the comfy recliners.  :-(

I wish furniture manufacturers would allow you to use any upholstery fabric on super comfy recliners.  I want to find out why they only offer overdone trendy print fabric or leather for recliners. I want to change “furniture manufacturer fabric option mentality” in this regard!!! Why not allow feminine fabric styles on super comfy recliners?  Comfort + Style = Win/Win for all and no one, as in couples… have to compromise.

I will keep searching and furniture store hopping until I find or get made what I envision… I know I could get it custom made at a high-end designer showroom, but I need affordable.

When I haven’t been out looking at furniture I have been doing a lot of reading.

Kindle Paperwhite

I bought a Kindle Paperwhite right before we went to Mexico and I am loving it. I use my local library, Overdrive and Amazon to get my books for free. If you don’t know about Overdrive, here it is in a nutshell:

If you have a library card, you can have access to a huge amount of audiobooks and e-books that your library carries, all completely FREE.  You have to check them out online just as you would a normal library book and return them online when you’re done, but all free and EASY to do right on Amazon. Yes… the libraries use Amazon Kindle to check out and return books… again all for FREE!   To see if your local library offers it:  Click here to visit Overdrive.com 

I just finished reading this series for a second time. It is what I would like to do when I retire, minus stumbling upon murders.

Currently reading this.  I am not sure what to read next… Any suggestions? What are you reading now?

pink-double-ruffle-sleeve-top-from-J-Crew-Factory

I bought this double ruffle sleeve shirt.  I hope it fits.  Perfect for wearing out and about in the southern autumn. It also comes in white, green, and black.

Fonts-from-Kevin-and-Amanda

Source: Kevin and Amanda

FUN FACT:  Ever wonder why font typefaces are displayed like this…?  The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog.

Answer: It is because the sentence is a pangram that contains all the letters of the alphabet. Important when you are trying to see what every letter looks like in a certain font when you are considering it to use.

Another pangram:  Back in my quaint garden jaunty zinnias vie with flaunting phlox.   Do you know any others?

Extra-large-personalized-door-mat

Now that my front doors look the way I like, I want to personalize the doormat in front of them with something fun… or maybe just a monogram.

it-Cosmetics-cc+-full-coverage-cream

My new fave on the makeup front…  When we went to Mexico I got a trial size of It Cosmetics – CC+ Color Correcting Full Cover.

Diane From In My Own Style and husband

A few readers asked me what I used on my face after seeing this photo and this is what I was using. This week I bought a full-size tube of it.  It has the best of everything in it… it’s lightweight, anti-aging, UVA and UVB protection and my skin still looks fresh at the end of the day. :-)

So what have you been up to lately?

Next week I will be posting something new I added to the hallway of darkness…so stay tuned for that and more. XO

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39 Comments

  1. Hi Diane
    I have been following your blog for a few years but never commented before. I absolutely love your style and projects, you have inspired me a lot, sadly for me a lot of the products you use are difficult to find in Western Australia . If you like the Maxie and Stretch books, you may like Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone series, often called the alphabet series. I love these books, Kinsey is a fiesty, witty independant woman who used to be a cop and is now a private detective. I have to say I much prefer the earlier books up until about N or O but they are still a great read. The only problem for me with these books is once I start reading I have to keep going they are so good, and then all my chores fall by the wayside! The bonus for new readers is they have a whole 24 books to get through. I am eagerly awaiting the next one which is due around 30th August, I’ll be flying to Europe on that day so I know what I’ll be reading on the plane ?

    Reply

  2. Diane, I also had a hard time finding recliners that were not the “pub” overstuffed style. That style needs a lot of room, does not suit my decor, and is too difficult for me to get out of due to a knee problem. I went to a store that sold decor and upholstery fabric and also made chairs and couches. We ordered two chairs
    – I chose not to get recliners but am very happy with the chairs, as is my husband. Just a suggestion to see if there are any custom furniture makers in your area. These chairs did not cost any more than regular retail and I chose the fabric and style. We live in southern Ontario and I know there are many more shopping options in the States. Good luck!

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Irene – Thank you for the suggestion. I would love to design chairs exactly how I envision them and will see if I can find a custom furniture maker. I do know that we do want recliners, so it may be harder. I don’t live far from North Carolina where quite a bit of furniture is made. I may take a trip up there to see what I can find.

      Reply

  3. Thanks for you articles and I really enjoyed it. I like the solw lane life and I want to be there also. I tatally agree with you that common recliners’ design is so boring and i really hope it could have feminine fabric styles. I wan to introduce you an article about bedroom decoration whcih room darken drapes are so perfect, i hope you also enjoyed it.

    Reply
  4. Gail Vernali says:

    Hi Diane – suggested reads: The Wild Water Walking Club by Claire Cook; The Shack by William Paul Young; The Orphan Train & The Way Life Should Be by Christina Baker Kline; The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom; Small Great Things by Jodi Piccoult; The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman.
    Thanks for the makeup suggestions, I’m always looking to try and stay one step ahead of Mother Nature! P.S. I love that room in the photo! But really when are you moving out so I can snag your house as my own? Your and Ed have a lovely home and deserve ANY down time.

    Reply
    1. Gail Vernali says:

      *you and Ed not Your

      Reply

  5. Hi Diane,

    I’m not shopping for chairs, but always love a good book recommendation. Thanks. I’ve ordered the first one in the series from my library. I’m currently reading “The Dry” a novel by Jane Harper, which takes place in Australia. It’s an interesting story, investigating some deaths. Unfortunately it has some language in it I’d rather not read, but it’s getting harder to find the good clean ones.

    Reply

  6. Hey Diane, I hear you on recliners not being available in feminine fabrics….try recliners by Sam Moore…they’re a lot more streamlined in shape than some of the really cushy recliners, but they are super comfortable & available in more fabrics…you can even do COM (customers own material). I’ve had one for years & it’s my favorite seat in the house!

    Reply

  7. We have a 20+ year old Lazy Boy leather recliner and it could stand to be replaced but I am hard pressed to do so for several reasons: Even Lazy Boy is not what it used to be, and I think it is just a name with a higher price tag. The comfort of my 20 year old flattened padding on the seat is still better than the new versions. Ours is a nice streamline recliner rocker with some wood exposed on the arms. Most now are big puffy padded boxes and simply put, are UGLY. Ugh! I even tried to find an upholsterer to re do the leather (with fabric would be fine) and replace the foam cushioning in the seat) but can’t find any one interested to do it. More than one has told me “it’s not worth it- just get something new”. Everything out there now is- simply put- crap- pardon my bluntness. But we have done this to ourselves: most people today don’t want to keep what they have for any length of time. They want the new flash in the pan look and are not willing to spend money on quality because they don’t plan on keeping it anyway. Manufacturers have figured out how to make an incredibley cheap product for less money and one of the aways is not matching patterns. Who ever heard of such sloppiness! Our mothers and grandmothers would be turing in their graves! The quality is poor at best but that doesn’t matter because they know most of us will throw things out before they fall apart. So what are we supposed to do? We have done this to ourselves.

    Reply

  8. Dear Diane,
    We have purchased our last three recliners from Southern Motion. Their furniture is made in the USA and very comfortable. We had a piece break on one of the recliners and Southern Motion sent a replacement piece. The store we bought the recliner from was willing to send someone out to fix it but hubby was able to fix it himself. If you are looking to buy leather make sure you do not get “Composite” leather. Composite leather is made by an industrial process using leftover leather shavings and dust as binder and PU as the filler. It is coated with an acrylic layer and then heat embossed with a fake pattern to give it an appearance of real leather markings. This stuff will start shedding within a years time – it is awful. Southern Motion used to use composite leather but I don’t believe they do anymore. You will need to find a local retailer to purchase Southern Motion as they do not have stores or ship their products to individuals. I also have info on a place to get a really great sofa but I don’t want to ramble on here. Send me an e-mail if you would like more info. I’m off to check out the CC+ products. You looked like a 20 year old in that photo from Mexico. Vikki in VA

    Reply

  9. Check out Amazon Classics for free reading. A couple summers ago, I read the entire two volumes of Don Quixote. 500-year-old lawyer jokes don’t get old! If you like time travel, the Outlander series is available through Overdrive (and it’s now a TV show, too). Ditto for Game of Thrones. I’m on the train a couple hours most days of the week, so I’ve burned through War and Peace, Les Miserables, The Three Musketeers, a biography of Gandhi, A Tale of Two Cities, Twelve Years a Slave, and a bunch of smaller novels.

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Jan – Thanks for the recommendations. I always forget about reading a classic from time to time. I bet you get through a whole lot of books on your daily commute. I have read the Outlander series and watched the series on Starz. It starts back up again in Sept. I am looking forward to that.

      Reply

  10. Two awesome books we are doing for our church summer book reading – The Turquoise Table by Kristen Schell and At Home in this Life by Jersulem Jackson Greer.

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Carol – Thanks for the recommendations. I will add them to my list and one more that I found when I did a search for these…It is another one by Jersulem Jackson Greer called A Homemade Year. Have you read it? It sounds like something I will enjoy. All on my list now.

      Reply

  11. What to read? I always recommend “The Various Flavors of Coffee” by Anthony Capella. Food writer, so his descriptions of flavors are astonishing. His plots do tend to go off the rails a bit, but he seems to be reining that tendency in the more he publishes. It’s definitely not a mystery, so if that is what you prefer, this would not fit the bill.

    I say, go for it!

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Laura – Thank you for the book recommendation. I just added it to my list…first in line. Enjoy your weekend.

      Reply
  12. Linda Schombert says:

    HI Diane, please don’t change a thing…some of the other bloggers I’ve been reading for years are transitioning into this “business model” requiring frequent posts and it’s not an improvement in my mind…they are filled with stuff that are not the reason I loved their blog before…and a few of them are showing $3000+ chandeliers and $500 baby mobiles for over the crib…I love your ability to make lemonade out of lemons, in an economical manner…THX!

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Linda – No worries, I will be keeping my blog the same. When I go to blog conferences we are always told we need to do certain things like the business model or to create a product with a marketing funnel for readers to buy stuff. Both are not my style and turn me off. I just enjoy blogging the way I do things. I love creating, the process and being able to put my stamp on something and say… I did that and then sharing it. I will continue to do this. Since I moved I haven’t found a really good thrift store like the handful I had when I lived in PA. I am still searching though, as I love to transform old stuff and make it new. Thanks for reading all these years. XO

      Reply
      1. Linda Schombert says:

        PA does have a wealth of thrift and consignment stores, probably due to the age of the communities…I did a quick search and YELP had listings for consignment/thrift stores around Lake Murry and Lexington, good luck!

        Reply
        1. Diane Henkler says:

          Hi Linda- You are so sweet to look on Yelp in my area. I have been to about 5 around the area, but they are not quite the same as the ones I went to weekly when I lived in PA. They have more clothes and no furniture :-( I am going to have to become a Craig’s List buyer.

          Reply

  13. All the woman in my family wear IT CC cream!
    Winner for my over 50 skin!

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Gina – Winner for sure!! I have tried and used many of the products. I love the Ombre Radiance blush in Je Ne Sais Quoi and Brow Power that I use as an eye liner, too. All have become my can’t live without products. I have tried the Confidence Cream line, but wasn’t wowed. Not bad, but not amazing. The Confidence foundation compact that you apply with a brush was way too heavy, but the CC+ is truly the best. I like the Bye Bye Lines serum, too… but that is hard to find and I have only been able to get it online.

      Reply

      1. I just wanted to let you know that I was so impressed by your photo wearing the IT Cosmetics CC cream that I finally broke down and bought it. I’ve been using a Bobbi Brown BB cream and this is a much better match and looks all but invisible on! Thanks for the recommendation!

        Reply

  14. ‘ Nothing wrong with being in the slow lane, Diane. It’s “Summertime, & the living is easy!”
    I sure love that room you pictured, the furniture & the fireplace, too! Everything about the room is just perfect, I think! I, too, have been looking for just the right chairs for my L.R., for over a year now. I have two chairs I’d like to replace, but can’t find just the right fit! I’m only 5’1″ & find that most chairs now a days are made for tall people. The seats on most are too deep for me, so either my feet don’t touch the floor, or they are very uncomfortable with a huge pillow behind….. also, I don’t like the new style with no arms! I, too, think maybe a recliner might be the way to go, but like you said, trying to find them in a fabric you really like is like looking for a needle in a haystack. If you have any success, I’d like to know where.
    I have a kindle also, along with a Nook I’ve had for about 5 or 6 years now. I am definitely a book worm and read as many as 200 + books a year. Since I don’t sleep well, I can easily wipe out a book a night! And don’t you just love Overdrive? However, sometimes I just want to hold a book in my hands to read, so I still enjoy going to the library every once in awhile.
    I haven’t done anything much inside lately, but did get my deck stained! For an old woman like me, that was an accomplishment between all the rain we’ve been having, & also the heat. It took me 3 days to do a 15′ x 23′ deck with railings and all, but it sure looks nice now. Other than that, I have been busy with my little gr-grandson painting rocks. Have you heard about the “rock out” which has hit the nation? Painting rocks and leaving them in parks or wherever for people to find….. just to put a smile on their faces? We’ve done spiderman rocks, minions, superman, flip flops, minecraft and a million & one other paintings which children will enjoy. Everytime I take Connor to the playground, or to Mc D’s for breakfast, we leave a rock behind. He’s found many himself, and it’s been a lot of fun. I made some templates so that he could do some of the more difficult designs himself. He’s had a lot of fun with it & that has taken up a lot of our rainy day time out on the deck, painting. On the sunny days, we go place the rocks & look for some for him. It sure brings a smile to that 8 yr. old face when he finds a nice rock! I’ll be back to my redecorating and remodeling projects once he’s back to school in a few weeks. In the meantime, we are taking the slow lane too, just enjoying one another as I watch him 8 hours a day 3 or 4 days a week.
    Have you given any tho’t to exchanging some summertime recipes amongst your followers, or maybe some book recommendations for reading? Or maybe even some yard project ideas like making a little birdhouse, or some flower garden decor? It would be fun to exchange ideas amongst your readers to help give you a little break thru’ the rest of the summer. I especially find it fun to get recipes from other areas of the country as each area seems to have it’s own special foods.
    Don’t worry about us leaving you while you’re enjoying a little summertime. As you can see from the comments, you are one of the most favorite bloggers online. We love your ideas & the projects you and Ed are always doing!

    Reply
  15. Aretha DeSpain says:

    I too have been looking at chairs. Be sure and ask about pattern matching. Unfortunately it seems quality workmanship can not be guaranteed. Lazyboy specifically states on fabric they do not pattern match.

    One company had a floor model with very inconsistent welting. The attitude was that is just the chance you take dependit upon which worker produced product. Not with our hard earned money.

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Aretha – I agree and think that is the number one reason why furniture manufacturers only offer a few options that they know they can match up. The last sofa I bought was over 22 years ago. I wanted a certain fabric that was not on the list for the piece. I asked to still have it made and they said OK as long as I signed a waiver saying that if the pattern didn’t match I could not return it. The sofa looked great and I was happy that I took the leap, but it was a gamble. :-)

      Reply

  16. I love those chairs, but would have to have them recline.

    Your blog is so much fun and so informative. I have learned a lot from you. Love your home on the lake.

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Thanks Dee – I still have those chairs in my mind, if only the backs reclined. If they did, they would be in my house right now. :-) Gotta keep on searching.

      Reply
  17. Tina Fuller says:

    Dianne, I love your blog! I have had my eye on a large red hound’s tooth print at La-Z-Boy. They have so many recliner possibilities! Take a look!

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Tina – I will have to go back with Ed to La-Z-Boy so he can try a few chairs. I did visit the showroom early last week and they did seem to have a lot of options. I hope I can find what I envision.

      Reply

  18. Anything by Jane Austen

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Karen – I think I have read them all, but they are worthy of a second reading and beyond. :-)

      Reply

      1. I highly recommend ” Lilac Girls”. It is historical fiction set in Poland during WWII. Warning: there are some hard parts ( emotional) to get through, but ending is good.

        I have been tempted to try It cosmetics, but haven’t bought yet. Still trying to find perfect skincare line.

        Absolutely love your kitchen ❤️

        Reply

  19. I love the coffee table! Where’d it come from? My den is situated the same way and I need a big, wide coffee table between the 2 sofas.

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Stephanie – I am not sure where the coffee table is from. If you click on the link under the photo that says Andrew Howard Interior Design, you may be able to find out on his site.

      Reply
  20. Jeane Gallo says:

    Take a trip to Asheville and visit Davis furniture. We went to their store in Waynesville, and bought a bunch of decor items and a large console. They got it delivered to us in Summerville for $185. They had some great deals.
    I use the same makeup and love it as well. I found a wonderful mascara on Amazon, by a small company called Elizabeth Mott. I wear contacts and am usually plagued by flakes getting in my eyes. Or mascara rubbing off under my eyes because I have oily skin. Or having to scrub my eyes raw trying to remove the darned stuff. Anyway, as far as I’m concerned, this is the holy grail of mascara. She has two versions, both are excellent. One is to make lashes thicker and the other makes lashes longer. I prefer the latter, but both are wonderful.

    Reply

  21. Shop for recliners at La-Z-Boy. They have loads of fabric to choose from and many recliner styles, too.

    Reply
    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Ann – Thanks for the tip. I did go there last week and they do have a lot of styles to choose from. I will have to get Ed there now so he can try on a few for size.

      Reply

    2. Yes! Lazy boy has so many recliner options and fabric choices! I recently purchased one for my husband in a mushroom/taupe plain fabric. I also ordered an extra yard of fabric to make covers for the arms and his headrest. Check them out! Our chair came in sooner than expected also.

      Reply