New Paint for Bedroom & Bathroom

I finally painted the master bathroom & bedroom! It only took me over a YEAR to choose a color. I thought, at first, of using a neutral color scheme....taupe, beige, bone, etc....

The room was painted a golden color ("Spool" by Martha Stewart) and I was so tired of it. In looking at paint swatches, I decided to move completely away from the beige and 'yellow' tones.

After months of staring at the beige paint swatches~~~taped to the walls~~~I moved onto 'greens'. Those color swatches stayed taped to the wall for a couple of months before I grew tired of them.

I then experimented with gray tones. I love that gray is the 'new' neutral. My guest bathroom is done is gray and red. I was afraid that the gray would be too dark in our small bedroom and bathroom, so those tones were also put aside.

I then started leaning towards the blue/gray family of colors. After months of indecision, I had finally whittled the swatches down to two colors. At this point, I desperately needed help choosing, so----I called in the hubby!!

His favorite ended up being "Tradewinds"~~~a paint from Lowe's. So---before I changed my mind, to Lowe's I went!!! Here are some photos of the end result....I haven't hung any artwork yet.....ugh.

More decisions....what to hang and where to hang it!!! :)

We did hang the mirror and the wallmount LED fireplace.....that's it for now!

Yes, the kitty is already snuggled up on the bed!!

This is the quilt colors.

I love how the mirror reflects the window!

I removed the big ol' mirror and like this smaller, white mirror much better! I also took the wicker baskets that I use for 'everyday' items and spray painted them with a nickel spray paint!

So, it's now onto hanging pictures and deciding what to edit. *Whew*.....so glad the hard part is over with!!!

One of many BLUNDERS!!!

So.....

I am working on the master bathroom. I have painted the sink cabinet/vanity white to cover the ugly "contractor special" medium oak.

The wall paint has FINALLY been chosen, and the big mirror (just a huge 'slab' of mirror) has been taken off the wall.

I have ordered (and received) the new mirror, some new shelving and also ordered some beautiful depression glass knobs and pulls for the cabinet.

The cabinet never had any knobs or pulls on it, and I have always wanted to add them. I gave up on the hubby ever installing them and bought my own drill and 'cheater' template to install them myself.

{this is where the fun begins}

I drilled 8 holes and properly and put the new hardware on. See below.....

I had just said to myself...."Hey! I can handle this!" *Ahem* Famous last words, right???

So, on the LAST cabinet door, I drilled the top hole----no problem. As I was drilling the bottom hole-----------------

YEP!!! The daggum thing split!!!!! Must've hit a long grain in the wood. I cursed myself by thinking I was just cruising right along.

I promptly threw the drill down and walked out of the room. I guess today, the door will have to come off and use some wood glue and clamps to put the door back together again!!

Oh well.....just another day in DIY'ing!!!! How do you deal with blunders & mistakes????

Autumn in the Air

Are you feeling the cooler (or colder) nights? In our area, we are still in the mid '70's during the day....but much cooler at night!

Our leaves are just beginning to shed the greens of summer. They are starting to become tinged with reds and golds. By the end of the month, they will be in their full fall glory!

Do you change your home's decor to match the season? My kitchen is already awash with greens, golds, oranges and yellows.....so not much changes in there. The biggest things I change are my entryway and the outdoor decorations.

My hall table changes many times over the year.

I decorate it for spring, summer, fall, Christmas and then the longer {seeming} months of winter.

Are there spots in your home that change with weather or seasons?

What are those areas? Are you one [like my over-ambitious friends] that change out bed linens, bathroom towels and kitchen linens or accessories?

If so, kudos to you!!! My door wreaths, outside *signage* and hall table are the only things that I have the gumption to change out!!

Happy Fall, y'all!!!!

My Ever-Changing Foyer Table!

I don't know about y'all....but the console table in my foyer is an ever-evolving display area! Do you often change the decor or arrangements like I do??

Here is a picture of it in late winter.....

I had added clear lights to the tall vessel and some different colored ceramic balls. It was a bright and festive area.

Since then, I have had vases of spring flowers, such as peonies {soooo fragrant}, I've added store-bought floral arrangements, and then my own sunflowers.

NOW-----once again-----it was time for an overhaul!! I'm really liking the simplicity of it, the vintage feel and the ~friendliness~ of this 'greeting'!!

As you can tell, I am a big fan [and newbie] collector of the glass insulators. I have LOVED milk glass for years!

I found these candlestick holders on ebay......ordered TWO sets of them, actually, from different sellers. Milk glass pieces go with just about any decor {I loooooove them} and can be used in any room!!

The white, oval tray I purchased from OneKingsLane.com. There are some REAL finds at this site and I believe it was a steal at $20!! The blue, oval vase was a find from yesterday's clearance search at AC Moore! It was marked down to $3!! WhoooHoooo!!!! I then added some silk flowers to it and.....*tada*......I'm in love!!

So, what do you think? Do you like it? Does it inspire you? What are your favorite collectibles and how do you display them??

Pool Plans.....Outdoor Kitchens!

The pool has been ordered! And now, the fun begins!! We ended up with a rectangle shape vs. a kidney shape....you get more pool for your money!! :) So, aesthetics vs. the almighty dollar!! We decided that the dollar would have to win this fight!


The pool will be a 16'x36' rectangle with 4' of brushed concrete around the entire perimeter. We will then continue the concrete around 3 sides of the pool to about 8'. That additional 4' will be stamped and dyed. On the 4th side of the pool (the one that faces the house and yard), the concrete will extend out to about a total of 12'....we haven't quite decided on how far out that will come out. It will also be stamped and dyed.


The pool will be solar heated....(to be explained in a bit) and will have a salt-water system. No chlorine for this redhead!! My 'sensitive' skin (heehee) can't take the harshness of chlorine.


Our hard work will come into play for the "pavillion" we want to build. It will house the outdoor 'kitchen', fireplace and seating area. The roof of this building will provide the space needed for the solar panels.


So, folks, now the design phase begins! Any suggestions or ideas? Here are some favs that I've found....






























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Childhood Memories.......

I had a visit from one of my 'best' childhood friends yesterday. She and her husband were in the area playing 'tourists' and we met for lunch. What a fun day.....catching up on our adult lives.....reminiscing about our childhood.....and disbelieving our current ages!! We had "lost" each other, only to find ourselves on facebook....searching. Thirty-years is so much history to cover! But, we'll spend the next thirty-years being present in each others lives and 'catching up'!!

What do you remember about your childhood homes? Do you remember colors? Fabrics? Furniture style? Are there colors that invoke warmth, comfort, and good memories, therefore---you use them in your own home? Or do you avoid hues that color your memories? I think of shimmering royal blues and olive greens and see a childhood living room....drapery fabric billowing from the breeze and open windows.

What were your favorite colors when you were a child? Were you allowed to surround yourself in 'your' color? Did you have your own 'space'? I see the 'hot pink' walls of my childhood bedroom and remember how much fun it was to be allowed to choose my own paint color! Do you foster that creativity in your own children?

Just some things to think about today......how does color influence your life? Or better yet....does it influence each day?