A Better Life by Design

In design school, I was never taught to have a conversation with a mom whose daughter just passed away from cancer and wanted to make a quilt out of old blue jeans. 


I was never told that I'd be going thru boxes of old memories after a divorce and re-labeling them with a new name...


and I certainly was not taught about how to advise over the pain of what to do with 'granmama's' precious rocker when your new husband doesn't want to keep in your new Victorian Tudor. Guess it depends on WHO your granmama was!

Our belongings truly belong to our souls and express it without the need of words. Objects either have a strong emotional connection or they don't....just ask someone what they did with their first child's crib. It may be stored in the attic or they may have donated it to someone in need. Which, I always like to wonder which is really getting more 'life'? 


Good designers should teach you how to design a better life. How to make sense of life when...life doesn't always make sense!


Enter dilemma.


These emotional conversations are so tightly woven into every interior element where conversations, arguments, dreams, concerns and laughing all co-mingle on a daily basis. The furniture upon which we sit, jump, make love on happens to be a backdrop canvas to what matters most in the end....the simple pleasure of sharing yourself with another.... and it matters. 

In my house, I have a 'talking room'. It originally was the old dining room, but instead, I transformed it into a quaint, cozy place to read, where I pull a book off the shelf within reach and lower my feet onto a cushioned ottoman. It's where I have the best conversations with my daughters about the future, boys and next summer. 


I created this space and never recognize it as the actual dining room....neither does anyone else. I love it. I gave a farewell to what I was taught you 'can't do' in school and gave in to what you 'can do' in life. 


Since freeing myself, it seems it has allowed others to 'think out of box' and find their own 'can do' too. 


A few weeks ago, I was involved in a wish child makeover. After purchasing a large white frame for over the desk, I was puzzled at what I'd actually place within this 'frame' and instead simply waited until something came to me...knowing it would when the time was right....(designers do this sort of 'you can't rush me' exercise often).

So the wish child was surprised, we all celebrated and I decided to simply place some colorful paper below the glass since I still had NOT figured out the 'perfect' idea to feature here. 


When suddenly, someone arrived with a premie diaper from when Kayla (our wish child) was born. She was 1 1/2 lbs and I had NEVER seen such a freakin' tiny diaper.....I didn't even know they came THAT small. But wouldn't ya know, I opened up the diaper to see how wide it would span with the tabs outward, and low n behold, that diaper fit perfectly within that frame. 

To say this felt like a magical moment is an understatement, it was truly worth the wait and patience. It was a 'moor alive' moment where the miracle of her life was clearly on display.


So now, when I walk into a clients house, I allow their life to hit me in the face, emotions and all, good or bad, happy or sad and I wait. 


I know it will come to me what to do next, how to improve this room and in return improve a life story....I listen, I process, I speak truth.....and I always surprise myself...in a very good way.


www.mooraliveinteriors.com
'Improving life one room at a time'

Designer or Matchmaker?

Improving your life, one room at a time!(If you don't believe me...hey--> lean in for a minute.....(whispering) 'just ask a few of my clients'. I don't list matchmaker on my list of talents, but... I'm pretty good at creating romance in homes. It starts with having an open convo.

A few years ago, I created this bedroom for a beautiful young woman...and when I say beautiful, I mean, mesmerizing. But, she had no mojo at all..why? because she experienced a very sudden break-up and a personal trauma all in the same month (life sucks sometimes). She only came home to pull the covers over her head. 

She was 'stuck' so bad in her life that I had to convince her to let me help..I had to overlook and overcome (I'm really good at being Tuwandaaa). She needed inspiration + motivation, but most importantly, I hoped she'd get back up in the saddle of life. 


I'm super happy to share that today she is an urban cowgirl.So....here's a quote dedicated to her:
"Someone helped put a mirror up in front of my face and I didn't like what I saw one bit, and you know what I did? I changed."-- Tuwanda in Fried Green Tomatoes 
                

When we say moor alive, we mean it. Improving your life, one room at a time!
Kitchen + Bath Makeovers, Paint Consultation, One Day Makeovers, Space Planning, Generating a Home Sale To-Do List, Design Community Workshops, Wish Child Makeover, Life Transitions/Move + Inspiration + Motivation
               www.mooraliveinteriors.com
Coming Soon Jan 2012--> Special Design Perk on:

A Thanks and Giving Home

Talking about homes, the warm and fuzzy ones and the ones that people loose (and are left to wonder where they will go next), all concern me. The good, the bad and the ugly: I take it all in.

Growing up, and what I know now, is our homes create an 'expectation' for what we did or did not experience in our childhood. For example, my sister and I love to eat at big tables where family sits around and passes dishes while talking away the evening...but in our childhood, we rarely ate at a dining table because we didn't eat in the dining room.

Our dining room was used more for doing craft projects or paperwork, if the truth be told. That might sound strange to some, but I wasn't aware of any other way of life. I mean, I see the lovely thanksgiving dinner table depictions on TV commercial land like everyone else, but I rarely sat and contemplated who actually did (or didn't) do that. Well, of course, now I know that you create this experience and many times it is a tradition passed down by our elders (that in my opinion needs to continue).

With families so spread out, travel and food expensive, many new traditions are born out of practicality. Last year, I attended the wedding of my dearest friend in Tallahassee and sat under a white tent outdoors after witnessing sacred vows that brought me to tears and made my heart smile....it was by far the most lovely and meaningful Thanksgiving dinner I have consumed.

I'd love to have Thanksgiving Dinner at my home someday, but to be honest, being a single mom without family nearby and a tight budget who cooks every night, I may go out to dinner with friends, since eating out is a special occasion for us. No clean up, no left overs to tempt me, just a moment, a memory. As long as I'm with my daughters, it will be wonderful, no matter what we do. Later, I could snuggle up and watch a movie together being thankful for the roof over my head and give of my time to listen to what they have to share about life.

We might even go into the dining room and work on crafts and do a little paper art. Kinda like I used to do growing up! No matter what, I will spend the day being thankful and giving and I guess we all get to define what that means for each of us. I don't think we can ask anything else from ourselves. Happy Thanksgiving 2011 everyone, I lift a glass of eggnog to you and yours!

Carolyn Moor
Moor Alive Interiors
'Grow Where You are Planted'

Home Sweet Home!

A smile.

That's what I look for when someone opens their door to let me in. A physical expression that is contagious and almost impossible not to reciprocate. I like smiles, they are like free happiness.

In a world where we have 1000+ facebook friends, its nice to see a warm body respond. Nothing replaces facial expressions, fidgeting in your seat over a topic of wonder. It got me to thinking, when was the last time I met a new 'friend' and invited them over to hang on my back porch for awhile?

Then I had a novel idea.....

Do that!

What I realized was this: I'd have to hide my clutter, rearrange some art, vacuum, hide legal papers not in the file they are supposed to be in, organize all the shoes by the door and take one of those lint brushes to the sofa. Whew. I'm just getting started.....

....or I could learn to keep up the pace of my life and learn to 'pick up' every night so the tasks like above didn't build up over time. I think if I did this, I'd be more open to inviting a friend or neighbor over for a spur of the moment beer or glass of wine. Bad habits die hard.

Over time, I learned to do this. Partly, because I have daughters I'm trying to train, but also my cleaning lady rarely comes anymore due to my bottom line budget. So I had to learn to do something inconceivable- I had to actually learn to manage and maintain what I have MYSELF. You know where I'm going with this, right? Yea, more stuff, more to manage...

For those of you out there who have been there done that, long ago- crossed this bridge, gone ahead and reduced your belongings (aka: invisible weight on your shoulders) can attest to the freedom that in indescribable when you have just want you need (and maybe a bit more), I'm not talking to you!! You can go back to Facebooking your 1001+ friends. Who I'm talking to is anyone who has quite a bit more over what they can manage......and maybe, maybe wished that 'Bewitched' lady would come over and twinkle her nose and make your place arrange itself. Well, I hate to burst your bubble...

Instead, I'll offer you a quick, easy idea you can do in the next 5 minutes. We are going to extract information from your brain onto a piece of paper and you will see what you need. Ready?

Pen + Paper + You = Finding out what you really need!

Ok- here we go  ---------> ----------->
1. Pen and Paper in hand, go to ONE room in your home.
2. Look around that room.
3. On top of the paper, write down your most precious item that is in this room. It can be anything!! Art, books, grandma's photo, a vase you bought on vacay, letters from someone important...you get the picture.
4. List the second most precious item.
5. List the third most precious item.
6. You're getting the picture, right? (please, say YES)
7. When you get tired of writing, you have before you the items that mean the most to you. Keep those items.
8. Decide what you will do with the other items that are just fluff, filler. They are the metaphoric heavy sack you are carrying around everyday whether you realize it or not.
9. Be patient and loving to yourself, it took you a long time to acquire these items, it will take awhile to release them.
10. Choose just ONE thing to donate or gift and let someone else love it. You have everything you need to love.

You're one step closer to inviting that neighbor over and who knows, you might just like it! I think that's something worth smiling about.

Moor Alive Interiors offers a workshop that's way fun and helps you do little exercises like this and make a few new friends. It's called 'Creating Shalom in the Home'. I'll be there to greet you with a smile and a hug. 

Happy trails my friend,
Carolyn Moor