Matthew Mead...the perfect man to inspire imperfect women... like me.

I don't think Matthew Mead ever sleeps. I have read that Martha Stewart operates on 4-5 hrs of sleep a night, and I think my poor friend Matthew is only getting the other 3-4 hrs that she is skipping! Let's see - by the end of this year alone, Matthew Mead will have produced an upcoming Halloween magazine (sigh), had two books published, styled and produced numerous features and photo shoots for Country Home magazine, fulfilled his obligations as decor columnist for i-village, and totally revamped his website! Of course, there are other professional accomplishments too numerous to mention; and he still has to function as a friend, mentor, boss, family man, you name it!

For those who frequent my blog, it is no secret that I am a huge fan of Matthew Mead's work. In the years that have followed since first noticing his incredible talent, I have gained much respect and admiration for all that he does. He obviously has surrounded himself with a great team, and his level of success is literally bursting at the seams! It is safe to say that you are going to be hearing much more about him, and it won't just be here at my blog. Which has me thinking: is Matthew Mead inching out Martha??

I simply ask the questions. Have we tired of overly complicated (albeit lovely) projects that intimidate us? Are we getting tired of supporting the Martha Stewart brand, knowing that her team is so large that it is getting exceedingly difficult to give her the credit for many of the great ideas cranked out of this "Martha Machine"? Are we ready for a new face to lead us in our creative endeavours? Do we want to support someone who has paid his dues, and is reaching more and more people in a fresh, unassuming way? Are we tired of not feeling like we will ever measure up, and is Matthew Mead the man to make us feel better about ourselves and empowered to "keep at it"...reaffirming the notion that it doesn't have to be complicated?

Matthew Mead and his ideas do not intimidate me. In fact, they inspire me and make me feel that I can pick and choose that which seems do-able to me. I don't need to shear a sheep to get a sweater, and I don't have to go picking chanterelles or fiddle heads from the forest floor. Heck, I don't even have to name my house, make my own marshmallows, or stuff my own pillows with free-range chicken feathers! Nope, I'm sticking with Matthew Mead and even letting the weeds grow in my lawn. Like Matthew, I can embrace the imperfection in life, and tweak it just enough to see the beauty amidst the dandelions.

Check out Matthew Mead's new website, where you can access his archives, enjoy his new blog, and find out more about his upcoming book and magazine. There is also a subscriber's option to his website. For less than the cost of a magazine subscription, you can have unlimited access to the website, and the scores of wonderful ideas and projects Matthew has to offer.

In Matthew's words: "What is really thrilling is my upcoming book on entertaining. I’ve been working on this project for the last two years. ENTERTAINING SIMPLE is the easiest and most fun way to gather friends and family at your home … with fresh and simple ideas and tips for everything from beautiful place settings to delicious homemade foods."

This is a preview of the cover of Matthew's upcoming Halloween magazine, on news stands September 8, 2008. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on his Holiday issue (Christmas 2006), then you know just what a treasure trove of ideas this will be!!

(all photos: Matthew Mead Style)

The quest for imperfection...

(a photo of my mum's garden shed...taken by my talented sister-in-law)

I'm starting a new style movement! I figure it should be called imperfect style. That doesn't mean it is ugly, or cheap looking, but it does mean it is unexpected, and not designed with perfection in mind. It will work for those of us on a real decorating budget, and it will be affordable, pretty and definitely not plucked from the pages of a design mag or catalogue. You see, there are a lot of things in my home that could be done better. Flooring could be higher-end, furniture more purposely gathered, more "architectural interest", blah, blah, blah...Couldn't we all have chosen something better than what we have? Of course we could, but (ding dong), two things often get in the way of the perfect choices: money and accessibility. Without oodles of both, you had better hop onto my side of the fence and revel in all that is as good as it can be at the moment!!

photo: Country Home
Luckily for me, I don't want perfection. When you have perfection, you have nothing left to aspire to. You don't get that little thrill in your belly when you stumble upon a great accessory at a yard sale or in a thrift shop. Not that you have to get everything from a discounted source, mind you. But, I do roll my eyes when I read articles in decorating mags where the homeowners proudly reveal that they got this or that in "a big box store". Hooray for them...and welcome!! They eschewed the fancier, more exclusive shops to actually save a couple of hundred dollars on a light that is (virtually or actually) identical in a home building store. I sometimes wonder how the rich get rich in the first place, when they overlook great deals unnecessarily!!??

Another downside to perfection is that it often leaves out the creativity living inside our souls. I get a thrill when I see a really great style makeover of a room or piece of furniture, done on a budget. I love seeing creative solutions to a style dilemma; one that is solved because we are forced to think outside of the box. I also am inspired when I enter a home and see elements of whimsy living amidst the necessary. I applaud those who display their own art, handcrafts, children's paintings...I want to see fabrics that coordinate, not match perfectly.

My own sister is a perfect example of decorating that is perfectly imperfect.

She came up with this ingenious way to make her "unloved garage windows" prettier by hanging older wooden window frames in front of them!

She displays artwork of friends, lesser known artists, and even the beautiful watercolour paintings of her own, talented children. She loves taking you on a tour through her home, pointing out all the incredible finds she got at a yard sale, and she decorates with ease, flair, and in her own words,"lipstick."

I am joking, of course, about my starting a new style movement.I could never achieve that on my own; but I do, however, want to further the movement here in blog land. I figure we should designate this week "Perfectly Imperfect Week", and show off our imperfection for all to see. I want to see your furniture makeovers that took them from plain, old shabby (0r ugly) to unveiling the beauty within. I want to hear about your favourite yard sale/thrift shop find, and/or I want to see your artwork or artistic creations that you proudly display in your home. We all want to see it. It makes us feel better to see real decorating...decorating that we can all achieve if we are willing to put in the effort or do the legwork (literally)!

Here are the details: To participate, just post your "imperfect" make-over, artwork, decorating tip, you name it. Make sure you include a link back to this post so I know which post of yours is to be mentioned in my list. Then, leave a comment here with a link to your post. I will post the list of links as soon as I have a good (large) sampling of imperfection!