the beauty of blue and white (and a before and after…)

 

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Maybe it’s because it’s summer… but right now I’m completely smitten by blue and white color combinations.

In fact, the other day I looked outside at my dark wicker patio set with the blue cushions and I thought, hmmm…

Boring brown. Drab feeling.

why not?

Before

So I went out, bought some white spray paint, and voila..

 

After

Instant blue and white in my patio and the white wicker change made me so darn happy.

Isn’t it fascinating how color affects our mood?

 

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Today I thought I would keep this cheery feeling going, so I’m sharing some of my favorite blue and white photos with you. Here’s one of my favorite designers. I love Holly’s rooms and these bold drapes are calling my name. Well actually, I love everything about this photo.

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Someone asked me about my fabric for my white chairs…well here it is… blue and white ticking. It’s simple and classic. Only right now my chair seats are one of my unfinished projects. I bought some foam for the new seats that was too thick and have you ever tried cutting foam with scissors? It’s not pretty.

But I promise to share my outdoor table and chairs when I’m done.

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Isn’t Miss Mustard Seed’s room fresh and airy looking?

If you notice a calming effect when you’re around a lot of blue  apparently you’re not imagining it; blue has actually been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rate.

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This is another one of my quirky loves…stripes!  Only in this photo I don’t know what I’m loving more, the lively chest, the red exterior woodwork or that adorable pooch.

 

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Because blue represents the ocean and the sky it’s considered to have expansive properties, which means that when you paint a room blue it often makes the room feel larger.

This is one of my favorite bedrooms….

 

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People who love blue tend to dislike confrontations and are often the diplomats in disagreements. Does this describe you?

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Sky Blue promotes fantasy and imagination…

(my friend Lori posted this.. for lots more prettiness visit her HERE)

This is the color I painted my buffet that sits in my dining room. It’s still one of my favorite DIY projects.

 

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Azure Blue  is the favorite color of people who are content with life, those who have the attitude that “the journey is better than the destination.”

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When you look at the things you collect, the color of the pillows you keep buying or the clothes that you feel good in…

which colors are you consistently drawn to…?

xoxo

Leslie

* for more pretty pictures you can check out my Pinterest boards. And click HERE to read the article on color preferences I used for this post.

I’m partying with these friends:

• http://www.stonegableblog.com/2013/07/tutorials-tips-and-tidbits-57.html
• http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2013/07/feathered-nest-friday_18.html?
• http://www.commonground-do.com/2013/07/be-inspired-shes-got-style.html?
• http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2013/07/wow-us-wednesdays-127.html
• http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/2013/07/be-inspired-features-and-link-party-78.html

 

 

Technorati Tags: decorating,blue and white color combinations,color and personality

the color of happiness

It’s a simple fact.

Some days Life is downright stressful. You look around and see a whole lot of things to worry about and not a lot of immediate answers and suddenly those little eyesores around the house seem even bigger.

And they bug you. Like that dark, scruffy ottoman with the one leg that was chewed on by your puppy. Suddenly it’s looking absolutely dreary and so brown.

But it’s amazing how the littlest things can change your mood. Sometimes all it takes is  some leftover masking tape…

  a can of primer left over from HERE… 

and a can of spray paint.

And before you know it, you’re so jazzed by all this cheery looking white paint that you pull out the sewing machine you barely know how to use, because you suddenly remember a tutorial you always wanted to try. With burlap.

Because you can always depend on a sturdy piece of burlap to turn to for ideas…

because Mr. Burlap is so dependable under pressure. Even when you can’t sew a straight stitch for very long, Mr. Burlap understands. And he waits patiently for the next big idea called, The Cover-Up.

Hmm.. how about this solution?  Mr. Burlap with Miss Chic-Black- Grosgrain Ribbon. Looks like it’s a match made in heaven.

All it really takes is a little old glue gun and a piece of white fabric hidden underneath… that no one needs to know about. After all, every couple has a few juicy secrets.

And before you know it, things are looking a lot brighter.

 

The sun is shining and you’re feeling so darn happy…

because you tackled something you hadn’t done before and it worked. Although it’s still not some expensive, perfect looking ottoman. But that’s not the point.

Now it has a sassy, new attitude.

And the best part?

You’ve got one less eyesore in your view and one more cute-little-thing to appreciate.

Honestly, sometimes it’s the simple, little things that make us happy.

Don’t you agree?

xoxo

Leslie

 

Technorati Tags: spray paint transformation,ottoman re-do,DIY,decorating with burlap,happiness

 

I’m linking this post up here:

• http://www.thistlewoodfarms.com/fall-in-love-with-spray-paint-2
• http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2012/10/wow-us-wednesday-88.html
• http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/2012/10/treasure-hunt-thursday-78-highlights.html

Opps! I tried and failed…

via mixandchic.com

Oh my goodness.

I guess it had to happen. Eventually. And to think, we started out so well, that little brown chest and I, ….I truly thought it would work out. After all, I had such brilliant plans for this entryway piece, who would’ve suspected a rebellion? A flat-out rejection that put me in my place with a clear message, “No way lady, it ain’t happening. Not with me.”

Tsk. Tsk. After all the time I put into it too. Oh well. In the spirit of keeping it real, I’m here today to share a failed project. You can offer your advice too, feel free. But first, a little history. Do you remember my recent post on My foyer?

I decided I needed a jolt of color to liven things up at my door, and I was in the process of looking for the right rug with a geometric pattern.

I loved this entryway that I’d pinned from MixandChic.com some time ago, especially the touches of red everywhere. Only I haven’t been able to find a rug. And because I’m the type to buy paint first, and ask questions later, I decided what the heck.

I’d transform my plain-Jane chest into a rich, exotic-looking Chinese version. Then I’d have instant red in my entry, without waiting for the rug. Here’s the (slightly crooked) photo of my entry piece. I planned on painting the sides red.

And I already had a bold red color that I liked. But I decided to make the homemade chalk paint recipe from Elizabeth & Co., because she does such wonderful projects over there, don’t you think? Only my first mistake was when I decided to skip the light sanding step.

The paint wasn’t adhering properly, so after another thick coat delivered on both sides of the chest, (I’m hard-headed) I sanded it all off. That’s right. I removed my first coats of paint and returned to step one. Sanding.

OK. Time to lug it outside, because this was going to be messier than I thought.

The paint went on better after the sanding, so I painted both sides and moved on to the next step. I would still need to finish the painting, but my plan was to decoupage my front inserts with a Chinese-looking paper I’d found at Cost Plus. After I toned down the gold with an antiquing glaze and distressed the red paint, I thought I’d have my elegant look.

Are you beginning to see my vision? I cut the paper to fit the insert panels.

But there was this ONE itty bitty worry I had. Can you see it? The panels aren’t flat, there are carved risings in the wood which made me wonder how the paper would adhere. See how I fly-by the-seat of my pants? Maybe you might have tested this out before, but I like to wing it. Usually it works. 

Because the paper was so stiff, I thought dipping it in water would help, prior to slathering Mod Podge on it. Not a good idea, because the color leaked right away.

Then I became concerned I’d tear the paper, so I applied the Mod Podge directly on the wood. Everyone having fun yet?

This is a close-up of the paper on the carved wood. Definitely not a keeper… dear me, only one thing to do. Tear it all off.

Time to regroup.

And here I am. Back to the drawing board without a real plan. I didn’t want to do an entire piece in red. But I’m not sure painting panels in a contrasting color would look as elegant as I’d hoped. Right now I’m undecided.

Should I do all red?

Should I add touches of gold?

via  Yby5.com

Should I go more country? I do like this contrasting grey top.

via countryliving.com

Should I play it safe and paint it all black? Then I’d definitely need a rug with some color.

Hmmm…

Drop me a line…I’d love to hear your views…

Leslie

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linking up at

• http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/2012/07/be-inspired-features-and-link-party-30.html
• http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2012/07/wow-us-wednesdays-77.html
• http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/2012/08/open-house-party.html
• http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2012/08/01/hookin-up-with-hoh-110/

 

Technorati Tags: entryway,decorating,DIY paint project,chinese chest