A hint of Spring

I've been playing on the sunporch again.

Hope you guys don't go

"oh no...not again."

Sort of like Meryl Streep at the Oscars.

Gosh, I love that woman...she is so down to earth.

I know why I like piddle-ing out here.

It's because it's sort of like playing "dress-up".

I get to pick out a new dress and accessories for my wicker pieces...

change up my little coffee table my Daddy made for me...

and now dream of Spring, that feels right around the corner.

Someday when I'm brave I'll show you where I keep all my pillows and quilts.

I'm a hoarder.

I love changing out the color schemes with each new season.

I'm lovin' a little bit of pink...

uh-huh...you see a rabbit...

can Easter be far behind?

hey...what's that?

someone's pretty lazy,

and lovin' the warmer weather!

If you haven't come by for the new weekly party,

scroll down to the next post. 

It will be up all week for your browsing pleasure...

(I'm afraid my pocket book is going to take a hit!)

And Nancy's Give Away of a  $50 Gift Certificate

is still on until Saturday at Midnight.

Joining in with these great parties:

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll thru Life

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Tuesday's Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Knick of Time Tuesday at Knick of Time

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Primp Your Stuff at Primp

Share the Love Wednesday at Very Merry Vintage Style

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Thriftin' on a Thursday at Savvy City Farmer

Show and Tell at My Romantic Home

Air You Laundry at Freckled Laundry

Redoux

Countdown to Spring at Domestically Speaking

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Hope you're having a great week!

Give Away Winner and a New Paint Project

You'll have to look closely at these top two photos, otherwise you might just think a small tornado has blown through my living room. OK, can you see what I'm up to? I felt it coming last week, and even mentioned it in my last blogpost about my Hall Bath Makeover.

Last summer when I painted most of my furniture in the Living Room and Entry white, I noticed that the walls all of the sudden didn't "feel" right anymore. They are a cappuccino tan that I loved about 8 years ago. With the darker furniture it gave a nice backdrop. Now that the furniture is lighter my drapes and sofas have "disappeared" into the walls.

I've been seeing this coming, but once I found the Sandstone Cove color for my Hall Bath, it was inevitable!

So this is what I'm up to. I'll try to keep you posted. As you can see, as of this morning, I have just done a "test" area with one coat. But already I know I'm going to love it. The subtle gray undertone surprisingly takes down the rest of the khaki a bit. What can I say, I like to change things up, and this will lighten up the house even more.

My husband looks at me and shakes his head, but he knows that I won't change my mind so he rolls with it. I can do most of it, but he's going to have to do the peak points of the "cathedral". He seems to be OK with that, but I'll have to wait for the weekend for it all to be finished. This is where I learn to practice the concept of "pacing myself" and not wearing myself out...or driving my husband crazy...we'll see.

AND, the winner of my Follower's Give Away is 

Pam from White Ironstone Cottage.

Hey Pam, send over your address and I'll get your necklace in the mail!

Thanks to all of you sweet followers,

wish I could send each one of you a gift!

Thank you for always being there with a word of encouragement.

love you guys sooooooo much!!

group hugs,

xoxo,

Like watching paint dry...

 I had an idea for a little something different in the Hall Bath. You know, one of those ideas that you can "see", but takes a little more effort to actually bring it all together... Well, yesterday I spent the better part of the day fiddling with this little project. I thought it might be done, but then it started nagging me 'cause it just wasn't "right". Do you know what I mean? I had everything cleaned up and put away, but I kept going back to it and I wasn't satisfied.

So while I'm waiting for the spackling to dry...

so I can repaint all the little nail holes I've made...

(grrrr...)

I'll just share these "teaser" images with you.

I'm lovin' how it's turning out, just what I wanted.

But let's just say, that I need to get this finished.

Hope you'll come back tomorrow for 

Vintage Inspiration Friday

maybe I'll have this put together...

or maybe not.

linking to:

No Minimalist Here for Open House Party

xoxo,

Hall Bath Project

I know, that's a blah title for a blogpost.

If you read my post on Sunday then you knew that I had my hand forced on a bathroom re-paint. This is a bath next to my studio, that isn't used much, except by me. I had some spots on the wall that needed to be touched up, (I do my own haircolor) but the paint had been a homemade color concoction by yours truly.

(Note to self...NEVER Never, do that AGAIN!!) 

So when I tried to get the color matched, it DIDN"T match. I can't blame it on the paint people, the sample was old and small, yada yada yada. 

When I painted a bigger section it was a gray-green, not a bad color...the problem is this bathroom is dark. No natural light but a skylight. So painting it a darker color wasn't going to work. I figured if I was going to have to re-paint, it would have to be "light and bright". I went to Home Depot and bought my fave paint, the two in one primer and paint Behr Premium Plus 2 in 1, and got to work.

It's a really pretty neutral paint color; a shade of linen that I love. I went to look for the paint sample sheet,  but it's nowhere to be found. My hallway is a disaster with all the stuff that was previously in the bathroom, now being on the hallway floor.

This little metal table and the oval antique mirror are the only things I've moved back in. Everything else is pending...I want to do something different. Uh huh, pending all over the hallway floor...

The 80's have called and they want

 my tan and white cultured marble vanities back.

It's impossible to get good shots in here,

especially with me NOT in the mirror.

Here's the paint color "before", a green that was similar to my Dining Room.

You can see I tried out some gray, 

but with the tan tub surround, it just wasn't happening.

So now I'm going to have to shop the house and garage for some decor,

and I have to repaint some frames for prints...

but at least I'm able to cross this off the "need to do" list.

I'll keep ya posted...

xoxo,

Romancing the Mantel

The weather here in southern Missouri is pretty changeable. Cold, mild, cold again. But we have had enough warmer days that some of our shrubs and bushes became a little confused and thought Spring was on it's way.

So that gave me the itch to change up my mantel. I still had my faux Amaryllis in my Wolff Pottery from Christmas, so it was time for them to go and bring in some budding branches. (faux budding branches, that it)

And while I was at it, I thought my little Country French Couple

might feel at home there too.

I love their sweet rosebud confection, pastel attire.

If you look closely you can see they are missing a few fingers between them,

but I love them anyway.

They are a large pair, over a foot tall, and that's good size for these.

So between a few budding branches and my little French couple

my mantle is taking on hints of early Spring and just a little romance.

It's only January, so I'm sure we have some nasty weather ahead,

but what's the harm of dreaming of an early Spring...?

Joining in for 

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp 

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Share the Love Wednesday at Very Merry Vintage Style

What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants

Good Life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage

Knick of Time Tuesdays at Knick of Time Interiors

House Party at No Minimalist Here

Farmhouse Friday at LaurieAnnas

xoxo,

The Gray Day

Each day for the last four years when I have walked into the house from the garage, I have passed these amazing gray shutters leaning against a stack of plastic bins.  I'd glance at them and think, "what will I do with you?" and each day they would say to me, "don't sell us, we can be something you'd love".

So the day finally came when I decided to act on that conversation.

I have been having that want-to-do-something-different 

feeling since New Years,

and I thought I'd try them in the Entry above my white console.

You see, I've had this issue with gray and tan.

I wasn't sure that they would work together,

 but I thought I'd give it a shot.

I think I like them together...

The white helps balance them out.

I moved my round white mirror to the other wall.

I'll see how long this stays like this,

but for now...it's satisfied my urge to make a change.

What kind of changes have you made since New Years?

joining in on these great parties! 

Coastal Charm

A Stroll Thru Life

Savvy Southern Style

Very Merry Vintage Style

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Primp

Knick of Time Interiors

Faded Charm

Ivy and Elephants

No Minimalist Here

LaurieAnnas

Miss Mustard Seed

Funky Junk Interiors

Refresh your Room at Jennifer Rizzo

Funky Junk Interiors

xoxo,