Home Sweet Home

When we arrived in Shanghai I was over the moon with excitement.  Immediately, I started going out to lunches and shopping trips.  Aaah, the life of a tai-tai (housewife) is a sweet one here and one I quickly grabbed a hold of the concept and went with it.  Then, IT hit just like they said it would.  About 2.5 months into our new journey I got the Shang-lows and lucky for Corley they hit right when the pregnancy/delivery hormones set in.  Talk about postpartum!  Thankfully, I expected them since I had heard so much about them, so I was able to deal fairly easy.  I let myself ride it out.  If you happened to talk with me during that time you will remember how I really felt about my new home.  Sadly, I was not very nice about my new surroundings, but I can happily report that I've come out the other side with a new set of eyes and a fresh new outlook.

When we said YES to this new job and way of life we left all our belongings in storage.  We packed up a few toys, books, pictures, the crib, and my glider and just decided to wing it.  After all, we are only here maybe 1-2 years.  What could we possibly, absolutely NEED in order to survive?  There was no way I was shipping my beautiful furniture in a container to China only to most likely be destroyed on the trip over.  Let's be honest, most of it already endured its trip to the US from China.  I'm sure it didn't want to return :)

Well, I have found that rental furniture just doesn't do the trick when trying to make a home feel homey.  Lolly's room with the little furniture we did bring feels the most warm and inviting.  Corley tells me we will be here for at least 2 years so I decided it's time to fix up for the rest of us.

There are a ton of places to find fun pieces to 'feather the nest' and one of my favorites has been Chapin House.  Truly, a decorator's dream warehouse!!  Chip and Heather Hassan own this grand place where I've been lucky enough to find beautiful lamps and fun put-arounds. Many expats come here to find comfy sofas, dining tables, and lovely Chinese inspired armoires and consoles.  I especially like their selection of garden stools to use as side tables.   I'm in search for some occasional chairs and rugs, so a weekend trip to Chapin House with Corley is on the books.  I was there yesterday picking up some new pieces and took a few pics.  If you are here in Shanghai I say RUN to see the new shipment of furniture that has arrived.  Enjoy!

http://chapinhouse.com

I want this yet I have no place to put it.  Beautiful!

Great chair.  Hoping to find the perfect place in my house for it.