Eureka! Perfect Pillows Were Found!

If you remember yesterday's foyer Do-Over, I moved the Duck Egg blue into the living room and I was less than happy with the sofa pillows I found. They looked ok in the store, but once they were situated on the sofa...they were so very terrible! See below! I didn't want to over do the blue, but I needed some touches and everyone knows pillows are the quickest way to add a little pow. But not this kind of pow....ugh.

I began the search anew this morning. First stop, Hancock's. I found wonderful fabric, but when I got home, it was too light. It will find a new life on a small antique child's chair I have by the fireplace. On to HobLob, Ross's, TJ Maxx and finally...Pier One....And Eureka! After much ado, I unearthed the perfect pillows for the couch! I should have started at Pier One, their color selection is much more in keeping with what I needed. See below...every color I needed...rust, red, gold, cream and Duck Egg blue!

Below is the before...(before the new blue hombre stripe..what was I thinking?)

Too heavy for summer...or any time really. After is below.

Just enough of the blue to highlight the foyer...I added a few other touches and I am satisfied. (Except for the blue throw I need and the rug at the front door and...well, ok, maybe I'm not quite finished.)

I wanted to add one other little tip...#1 Grandson and I love our morning coffee...we've been coffee buddies for years and I enjoy making it and doctoring it up a little. But that means we have coffee supplies all over the kitchen. About a month ago, I said, "Enough"...and brought my painted breadbox out of hiding. My friend, Bonnie, painted it years ago and I stored it when I did some rearranging in my kitchen. Out it came...

...and up on the counter, filled with our coffee stuff!

Now, it's much more pleasurable to make coffee every morning...everything's right at arm's reach!

Do You Ever Have a Hankerin'?

Ok, so I open Blogger and it's been completely revised....grrrrr....

In the south, we often say that "we have a hankerin" to do something...a hankerin' for fried catfish, to take a walk, to work in the yard...well, this morning I got one...a hankerin'...a hankerin' to repaint my foyer.

Yes, I know...it's tiny...like really, really tiny. But that's the great thing about it! It doesn't take much paint or much time and before you know it...you have a different look! It's been painted red, rust, light green, dark green, aqua, cream and now Duck Egg Blue! Above is before...mossy green. Below is After!

This picture isn't the true color...too much light coming through the front door.

Below is the before of the wall you see when you enter the front door.

This is a Betty McCool print. I love the colors and the print itself, but I had another place to put her and I wanted to change it up a little and hang a new painting by Brandon artist, Cherry Roundtree. Mrs. McCool is probably my all time favorite Mississippi artist. I have a number of her prints and would never move them out of my house...this is just a little departure and shakin' up the place was part of my hankerin'.

I moved the pineapple container I had this arrangement in and put the arrangement in my McCarty cotton row vase. The color of the wall appears to be two colors, one lighter on the top, but that's just the sunlight coming through the door. It's all one color. BTW: I lightly painted the berries in the arrangement...what color? DE blue, of course. I've gone DE nuts.

On to the living room. The couch (as much as I like it) is "heavy" in the summer months. I need to lighten it up. Using another Betty McCool print as my inspiration, I set out to bring Duck Egg into the living room by using small touches of the color here and there. Found some pillows, but they aren't doing it for me. 

If you will look carefully in the upper right hand corner of the above pic, you will see the print. It has all the colors of the couch and in addition to those, the little boy has on duck egg stockings and cuffs and collar. Now, I know I missed on the blue pillows. Tomorrow is another day and I will do better, I promise. But I photographed them on the couch to see the effect. YIKES! Looks like some type of  road kill.

Do I dare paint this little old table? It's been in my mother in law's home for ever...do I or don't I?

Why, heck yeah, I paint it! It's just enough and I Annie Sloan-ed it. (Secret revealed...I couldn't afford to Annie my foyer...so I matched the paint at Wal Mart and it's a VERY good match!) But the table has the real deal.

One other little tip...I Annie-ed the old book below, too. Painted and waxed it. What fun!

Tomorrow will be a treasure hunt for two pillows and any other little touches of the DE I can rummage up. Last thing my sister said to me this morning was, "Now don't overdo it".  Me?   Please.

If you are ever "blue", I hope it's Duck Egg,

Angela

Help Our American Idol!!

Hello, everyone! Hope you are having a good week! I've come to ask your help! As you know (or maybe you don't!) my home state of Mississippi is extremely proud to have a top 7 performer in the present American Idol competition.

Now, this isn't just any ole performer...Skylar Laine Harden graduated last year from the high school in which I teach and her father is one of my all time favorite assistant principals! So our town of Brandon, Mississippi's honor is at stake here!!

Not only is Skylar a superior performer, she is a musician and a song writer...you will see a whole lot of her in the years to come. She TRULY IS the Whole Enchilada!!!

I am asking a favor of all my friends in blogland...WOULD YOU PLEASE VOTE FOR SKYLAR TOMORROW NIGHT (WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18) AFTER THE AMERICAN IDOL SHOW? You can vote as many times as you wish and you can vote online or by text message.

Skylar is up against some stiff competition, but she is up to the challenge. Our state is solidly behind her, but we need a little help from our friends! So if you don't have a relative in the competition...would you cast your vote for our hometown gal?

Be sure and tune into Fox 40 Wednesday night,

Annie Sloan Make Overs

I have been scoping out everything in sight to Annie Sloan chalkpaint.
As I was leaving the shop the other day, I spotted this old chair back.
Ready for the burn pile? I think not!

Old chair back....needs some tender loving care.
I cleaned it well.
Painted with Annie Sloan "Old White"... one part paint to one part water.
Waxed with clear and then dark wax. Buffed.

Maybe it could be used in the kitchen to hold dish towels or....

Hand towel holder?

Swedish embroidered hand towels paired with old damask napkins that I embroidered.
I use vintage napkins to repurpose as hand towels.

Magazine rack, anyone?

Project II:
Brown carved bowl from India. Pretty, but could be better.
Let's see what AS paint can do.
PLEASE, don't look at this mess...when I get in the middle of a project everything stays out until it's finished!
Drives the Coach around the bend.... :(
So I say..."Build me a studio!" Fat chance.

First coat of A Sloan Old White paint.
Covered that dark wood in one coat!!

Just before the final waxing. (Click pic to see closeup.)
Mine takes a while to seep in and dry thoroughly.
Left overnight.
Steps: Old White paint; clear wax; distress with fine sandpaper; dark wax; clear wax, buff.
See final look below.

Project III:
Sometimes I almost have to stand on my head to paint.
This is what happens when you forget to do a "before" picture. I would have just flipped the pic and hoped you wouldn't notice the paint can suspended in mid air...haha.)
The finish on this chair was very shiny and thick.
With the Annie Sloan, I don't have to prime or sand...it is wonderful!
Covered well with one coat and some touch ups here and there.
No distressing here.

This fabric leaves a lot to be desired.
Not to be insulting, BUT...what were they thinking?
Just sayin'

Finished chair.
Steps: Old White paint, clear wax, dark wax, buff.
Used some of my Easter "tablecloth" to recover the seat....click on picture to see closeup.

Four candle holders, chair back holder and a chair...finished!!
These projects took about 4 hours.

I am linking up to Metamorphosis Monday

I need to be on Annie Sloan's payroll,

Hippity Hoppity, Easter's On Its Way!

Happy "After" Easter, my sweet followers! Hope you had a peaceful day! It was beautiful outside and we had a quiet, but happy day. My dad and his vivacious, lovely friend, Marianne, visited for lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent resting and then toward sundown, I got the "Annie Sloan" fever. (Next post.)
I was late getting out my Easter decorations this year. Traipsing up the ladder to the attic was too much to face, but the hubster made it easier by traipsing for me.

I post these pictures for several reasons...NOT TO BRAG or to "have SWAG"! I post them as a reminder for myself of the decorations used each year. And I hope you might see some little something that you can use in your own decorating. I love seeing what others do with their homes, hope you do,too! Below are some candid shots of the table, etc.



China: Lenox Brookdale Silver: Gorham Buttercup Crystal: Elyse by Tiffin
Still love my selections after all these years!

Setting: B&B plate; dinner plate; ecru crochet place mats and coasters; vintage linen napkin.

I've had these bunnies for quite a few years.
They are centered on a Shelia Clark ruffled pottery platter.

Mercury glass candle holders with birchbark candles.

BTW: the tablecloth isn't a tablecloth at all, but some beautiful fabric!

I scattered my vintage Easter cards all over the place!!

Marianne's "favors" to take home.


Bits and pieces of the centerpiece.

Buffet with pottery raccoons and moss mushrooms.

Lefton bunny was an Easter gift from a dear friend.
More vintage Easter cards..."more is more" when it comes to cards.

China hutch with all my favorite OLD bunnies.

Robin's nest on my tiny kitchen work table.

The velveteen rabbits!

Close up of the china hutch.

Snow bunnies. I love them AND their cousins, Snow babies!

I painted these bunnies for my mother years ago. She kept them on her bedroom dresser year round. Even though they match nothing in my house, I display them in remembrance of her. I especially miss her on holidays like Easter. She loved "fixing" up her house with her decorations.

Even the backdoor bench got a dose of bunniness!

Hope you had a peaceful Easter,