A Hint of Spring

I found a set of three prints at the antique store where Denise and I have a booth and I immediately fell in love with them.  They looked so bright and cheery to me and the frames are very worn looking.  It's hard to tell from the pictures, but the matting is actually a bright green chenille fabric!  Love that!!

Two of them flank the china cabinet in the dining room.

And the third one hangs over the secretary in the living room.

The botanicals remind me of Spring.

I also switched out the centerpiece on my dining room table.

Hubby got this for me at Clover Market last year.  Isn't he just the sweetest!  I added the shells because I've got Summer on the brain.

Lighter pillows.

Hydrangeas make me smile.

An old basket bought at the flea two weeks ago and a Spring sign made for me by my sweet friend Christina.

That's my life happening in the background.

With all of the warm temps this year, everything has been blooming early.  I haven't started on the outside yet, but I can't wait to get to my flower beds and start planting.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulicious day!
xoxo,
Kim

linking to:
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Family Room Tour and a Winner!

I've been slowly redecorating the family room since the beginning of the year.  It started with a paint job, then new carpets and finally new window treatments.  The last piece of the puzzle is new furniture, but that is going to have to wait until I have time to shop around.

To some this may sound totally bass-ackwards.  It makes sense to buy the furniture first and have that be the jumping off point for the rest of the room.  But in the scary crazy place that is my mind, it makes sense to do that last.  Now picking out fabric will be a lost less time-consuming and stressful than if I was starting with a blank slate.  I'll stick with a neutral fabric and switch out the pillows when I get bored.

I did however have a heck of a time deciding on the paint color.  I actually had a totally different color in mind, and it wasn't until the day I was ready to paint that I changed my mind altogether and went with yellow.  My first choice was a dark olive, which I still think I would have liked, but I was afraid that I would get tired of it quicker than a lighter color.

Yellow is my favorite wall color and it goes with almost anything, so it just made sense.  I also noticed while blog-hopping that most of my favorite homes have yellow walls.  That's kind of what sealed the deal for me.

Before the room was dark and heavy and now it seems so light and airy.

This chair was given to me by a close friend.  It was sitting in her basement and I asked her why such a think of beauty was hidden in a basement (I'm nervy like that).  She told me to take it and I did!  I would love to have it reupholstered in a buffalo check, but that's not in the budget right now.

Do you see that gate in the corner?  That's Cole's man-cave.

This loveseat is going to be replaced by two chairs.

Big Daddy trimmed out the windows and I added bamboo roman shades, which I'm totally diggin'.

The window panels were also a last-minute switcheroo.  I was going to go with a totally different patter, but changed my mind at the last minute.  These leopard panels are from Penney's.  They aren't in-your-face animal print, but rather unexpected and fun, while still being traditional and neutral at the same time.  I don't regret this choice one bit.

My cigar humidor table is now next to the fireplace.

Everything to the left of the entertainment center has been taken over by toys, that's why I'm not showing this part of the room.

Our entertainment center came from Sam's Club.  The pictures on top are Southern Living At Home.

Here is what the room looked like before.

The walls were brown.

The windows were dark and heavy.

And now.  Much brighter don't ya think?

The other side of the room will be a different post.  I'd show it now, but I'd have to remove a thousand toys first.  There's no coffee table, no area rug - just toys.  Ha!  And I love it that way.

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway.  The lucky winner is Kathy from Creative Home Expressions!

And a special thanks to Christina for offering one of her sweet dresses.  Be sure to visit her Etsy store to see more of her sweet creations.  Christina has generously offered to give a 15% discount to the non-winners.  Just use the code Lilypad15 at checkout.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulicious week!
xoxo,
Kim

Linking to:
Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Are You As Hungry As I Am??

When eldest asked me to read this book, my first thought was, what's a book?  Seriously, who has time for this reading thing?  And if I DO have time, I prefer to spend it more productively, like brushing my teeth or shaving the bottom half of my legs (don't judge - that's all I have time for, and capris cover the top anyway).

But she kept persisting until I pretended to read it just to shut her up please her.  And guess what?  It's freakin' unbelievably good.  I'm almost done and my appetite for The Hunger Games movie is insatiable.  Are you as hungry as I am?

Finding Signs and Giveaway Reminder

Since Denise and I decided to start a business together, we are always reminding each other to look for a sign when we are about to make a big decision.  A sign from God that we are doing the right thing.  Like when we got together a couple months ago to discuss opening up a booth in a local antique store and the very next day that same store was on the cover of the newspaper with an article about what a great store it is.  And the following week when we were in that very same store trying to decide on a booth space and right where we were standing the owner came up and said, "Excuse me, I need to take this, someone just bought it - strange too, because it has been here for so long!".  We just laugh now, because God is so blatant.  He used to have to hit us over the head, but not anymore.

Well last week while driving home from the booth, Denise spotted a sign on the side of the road.  Not a sign really, but an old, wooden, chippy piece of wood with lots of ornate detail.  Probably the back to an old bench or something.

I begged her to let me keep it and had the perfect spot for it too.

I hung it over my sliders in the kitchen.

It looks perfect here and it now serves as a constant reminder, a sign, of my bond, friendship and sisterhood with my lifelong buddy.  Thank you sweet friend.  I love you!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't already.  It ends tomorrow.  Just click the link on my sidebar for details!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulicious day.
xoxo,
Kim

What A Beauty!!

A fellow vendor at the antique store where Denise and I have a booth asked us if we would paint a dresser for her.  No problemo, I said.  Then she showed it to us.  Hmmmmmmmmmm...
Not only was it one of the most gorgeous pieces of furniture I'd ever laid eyes on, but it was also perfect in it's current state.  I have no qualms about painting furniture, but some pieces are just better off left alone.  I thought this was one of those pieces.
 
Then when she said she wanted us to paint it purple and black I felt a piece of my heart break off and fall to the ground.  How in the heck were we supposed to achieve this without totally ruining the integrity of this Athenian goddess?

Denise and I held our breath, crossed our fingers and painted away.  Not wanting to take ANY chances, we stuck with what we know works - Annie Sloan.

One coat of Emile and two coats of Graphite later, this was looking promising.  But in my garage paint studio it looked gray.  So we added some dark wax and the results were pure perfection.  I can't tell you how absolutely relieved and thrilled we were.  Painting furniture for own use is one thing, but painting for someone else adds a lot more pressure and brings out the perfectionist in me.

Here's Athena now.  Sorry no befores - in my panic I forgot.

And thank goodness the owner was elated with the results too.

Just look at all of the amazing detail.  Never seen anything like it.

Holysweetgoodness look at this hardware!

Some rub n' buff in antique gold brought it right back to life.  And now it shines against the black.

Next up, a bedroom design job for a new client and lots and lots of preparation for our Spring show at Clover Market in mid-April.

Thanks for visiting and have a fabulicious day!
xoxo,
Kim

Find Finds

Yardsale season is in full swing helped along by unseasonably warm weather.  We hit a few this morning and then stopped at the flea market on the way home where we scored big.

Most of our finds are going with us to Clover Market next month, like this pair of old wooden tool boxes.

In the fun and whimsical category are this antique leather and brass telescope.

An old pair of binoculars for just $5 and an old leather German hymnal for $1 sit on top of this awesome black lidded wooden basket.  Believe it or not, I got that basket at Marshalls.  It looks totally antique and I can't even believe that I got it for $12.  It's pure fabulosity.

This combo sits on top of my entertainment center in the family room.

I'm kinda liking how this vignette is coming together.  It has a very eclectic look to it, don'tya think??

Also at the flea market I scored this cute basket for two bucks.  Of course I see baskets all the time at yard sales, but I'm always looking for one that speaks to me.  This one said, "buy me, I look old, but I'm not telling you how old I am".

I also added another bamboo cane to my collection.

And this demijohn had me at hello.  Been looking for one like.for.ever but I'm not willing to pay the Pottery Barn-like prices.

Do you see the price?? SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!!  Would you believe I had the peanuts to ask if he could do better?  He sold it to me for $15!  Woo to the Hoo!!

I will confess that I did splurge on a little something from PB this week.  I've had my eye on this salt cellar since I received my new Spring catalog, and the price wasn't too outrageous.

I love how it looks on the wall next to my hutch in the kitchen.

I found more goodies for the hutch at a mid-week church rummage sale, including a pair of ironstone candlesticks for $2.

And this S&P for $1.

As well as this sweet little silver bowl.

I love how my hutch looks now.

The white platters above I picked up on my trip to Marshall's as well as this fun glass jug.

Doesn't it look so Pottery Barn?  Guess what?  It was only $7!!!  I wasn't coming home without it.
It sits on top of my library table in the family room.

This room is coming along nicely.  But I'll wait to give you a tour until it's totally done.

It's a very different look than what I'm used to, but I absolutely love it.  Much more casual.

Just waiting for the windows to be done.  Mr. Wonderful is adding trim around them today, and I'm still waiting for the bamboo shades to be delivered.

All in all I found some great stuff at amazing prices this week.  SO glad it's yardsale season.  Let the fun begin!!!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a handmade children's dress.  Just click the button on my sidebar to enter.  Giveaway ends next Friday, March 23rd.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulicious weekend.
xoxo,
Kim