Sunday Rest

O Lord, you have searched me

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

You are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue,

you know it completely, O Lord.

You hem me in - behind and before;

you have laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me

too lofty for me to attain.

Psalm 139:1-6

More Decorating with the Everyday

A few weeks ago we talked about using the everyday to decorate.  Just because we are in an economic downward spiral, doesn't mean you can't go shopping!  Shop the house!

Coffee mugs and water pitchers are perfect accessories

I love the detail on this

(World Market, if you were wondering)

My manly mad decided he would add a little decorating of his own... at least he used a cute container!
I found this little 3-legged tray at a thrift market.  I just spray painted it back to life.

It now sits next to my stove top and holds some necessities.
This (awkward angled) picture is from the steps in our garage.  Bug spray and suntan lotion are within reach and oh-so-cute in this wire basket.  The mirror was my manly-man's idea (isn't he adorable to join me in my crazy thrill over accessorizing?!)  The wreath just adds a little flavor of 'welcome' as we pass by it everyday.

What are your favorite ways to decorate with the 'everyday'?

Egg-celent!!!

I love changing out the 'fillers' for my apothecary jars for the seasons.  This large one requires a lot of stuff because of its size.  I started collecting the extra eggs I had around the house and realized that I only had enough for about 1/4 of the jar.  
The brown and speckled ones were what I already had, but I needed some color.  I didn't want to just use the bright (neon) plastic eggs.  I wanted a soft look.

I happened upon these light blue beauties at our locally owned dollar store.  I am not sure what their original purpose was supposed to be on those sticks, but I just pulled them off (I'm brutal, like that).
Aren't they cute?  So for just a little $$ I was able to 'bring a little spring!'

Sunday Rest

He who loves a pure heart

and whose speech is gracious

will have the king for his friend.

Proverbs 22:11

The Wonder of Paint: Part 4

IT'S A PAINT PARTY!

Please excuse me, as I was late to my own party.  Issues, I tell you.  Major issues that I can't even discuss without choking up.  Issues that have something to do with blogger's ability to accept my pictures and my ability to reacquaint myself with the wonderfulness of Mr. Linky (see below)

PAINTING FURNITURE:

About 10 years ago this chair was headed to the dump, but my neighbor offered it to me and said, 'maybe you can do some thing with it.'  It was UGLY.  Lightly stained with harvest gold damask fabric.  I tossed some paint on it and recovered the seat for my daughter's bedroom.

It served its purpose for several years.

I decided it was time for the chair to graduate from little girl room status to momma's favorite new chair.  A few coats of black paint (thanks, hubby) and some new fabric was all it took.
When painting furniture, the garage is a nice option; but sometimes a girl just needs to do it in the comfort of her own home.  But then the whole drop cloth thing became annoying.  

Enter: my new favorite painting tool:
A cheap, disposable drop cloth.  Don't worry, I'm not destroying the earth.  I use it several times before throwing it away.  BUT, it is much more convenient than the heavy canvas drop cloth.
See how nicely I can use it in the mudroom to paint this little table.
Repainting furniture is not as time consuming as I first thought.  There are just a few steps to follow.

1. CLEAN the piece with a cloth and some water.

2. SAND any rough spots.  Also sand the piece if it currently has shiny paint.

3. PRIME sometimes.  Not every piece needs it.  If you want it to last a long time or it is going to be in a high traffic area, I suggest priming.

4. PAINT.  Spray or brush, whatever your fancy.  They both have great results.
Kimba has all the answers for giving this chair new life (here).  Actually, she is the go-to person for painting furniture.  She reinvented spray paint.

The Nester has some great suggestions for specific neutral wall colors here.

Okay, she has some amazing suggestions for just about anything having to do with feathering your nest.  

Rhoda at Southern Hospitality shows us how to go from ho-hum to a fabuloso bookcase!  She is one classy lady ... and from the south!  Love her.

NOW it's time for a little Mr. Linky party!!!

If you are new to this, it is very easy.  1.Simply go back to your blog, choose a post to share (about paint, of course) and click on the post title. 2. Go up to to the box where you usually type www. etc and copy the link for that specific post. 3. Come back here and enter your post into the box that says 'URL'.  Give your name in the other box and you are done.

PLEASE LINK BACK to me so others can find the party easily

Thank you for joining the fun ... and being patient as I was late to my own party!

I'm really much more cool in real life.  =)

The Wonder of Paint: Part 2

***Don't forget our Mr. Linky party on Friday... join the fun and share a picture of something you've changed with the power of paint****

Neutrals Can Be Exciting!

Neutral doesn't have to equal boring.  Sometimes a room can be a little too lively when it comes to color.  Take for instance this beautiful sun-filled room.  Because the windows are in abundance, the room was already naturally bright.  But since it is their main living room, they wanted to soften the color.

With the new neutral wall color, the space feels more warm and inviting.  She still has the pop of color in her rug and couch, which will draw the eye rather than fighting with the strong yellow color previously on the walls.

The new wall color really shows off the hardwood floor, too! 

When deciding on a paint color (especially in a large space) it is worth 2 or 3 trips to the paint store:

1. Select a few paint chips to take home, to see in the light of that room.  

*Make sure you look at the colors in daylight and in the evening with the lamps that will be in the room.

2. Buy a $3 sample size and try it out. (See our patch of beige in the photo above?)

3. Make the final purchase.

It is better to be sure, and have great results like above, than to have regrets. 

The worst feeling in the world is to know you've chosen the wrong color of paint, after the job is completed.  

"How do I know how dark of a color to choose?"

Most paint strips have 6 shades of a color on them: 2 light, 2 medium, and 2 dark.  Unless you are wanting just a hint of color, go for the 2 middle shades.  If you can't decide between those two, choose the darkest of the two because it will look lighter once it covers an entire wall.  Save the last 2 shades for rooms that you really want the color to stand out (like here and here).

The paint color used in this post is: Sherwin Williams' "Sands of Time"

Next time: The Bold and the Beautiful

Sunday Rest

Who is a God like you,

who pardons sin and forgives the 

transgressions of the remnant of his inheritance?

You do not stay angry forever

but delight to show mercy!

Micah 7:18