One . . . Two . . . Three . . .

On February 5, I wrote a post titled "February . . .  a month of paint"  

and I challenged myself to get 4 pieces of furniture painted by the end of the month.

Each piece of furniture was calling out for help in a different way

and I am pleased with myself that 3 of the pieces are finished.

Four generations of my family, beginning with my grandpa Archie, have used this little wooden chair which needed a new rocker in addition to a coat of paint.

Happily, "Archie" is sitting in a corner of my creative space joined by bunnies (Easter can't be too far off)  I found in the attic.

I love primary colors , but this tall skinny cabinet next to the sofa was too much color for me so I toned down the color with a coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White.

I used the same knobs on the piece, but

the vignettes on the shelves were freshened up.

A vintage hook we used for keys when the cabinet was in the entry way, now holds a buoy we use as a doorstop.

Painting the cabinet put me at half of my painting jobs complete, but I threw in another project before I tackled another piece of furniture.

I painted an old cabinet door Greek Blue and added a garland to spiff up my potting bench for spring.

 Sunday, I painted the drawers of this dresser red and hoped to leave the cream colored base, but the entire piece looked washed out.

So, the base of the dresser got a coat of ASCP in Old White and

new drawer pulls give the piece a fresh look.

For the last painting project, I am trying out Miss Mustard Seed paint because I love the color, Eulalie's Sky.

I have not found drawer pulls that I like within my price range, so when I paint the piece, the old pulls will be back in business temporarily.

Tomorrow's dilemma - do I tackle the dresser, work in the garden or visit the Wednesday Flea Market?

Decisions . . . decisions . . . decisions!

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Join me while I party at 

Southern Savvy Style - Wow Us Wednesdays

Green Willow Pond - What We Accomplished Wednesday

Lavender Garden Cottage - Cottage Style Party

What I love about retirement . . .

One of the things I love the very most about retirement is having time each day to set a table worthy of Steve's wonderful meals.

I love the feel and look of this table runner, a $10 TJ Maxx find last Saturday.

Originally my plan was to use a favorite yellow dish for the center piece, 

but in the hunt through cupboards for things to fill the yellow dish, I came across wooden dice and a tic tac toe board.

The dice and board led to a completely different table setting.

Linen napkins I stenciled last summer almost match the table runner.

Favorite red square plates have a black edge which pairs nicely with my new black flatware.

I had planned to use my mercury glass candlesticks, but the color of the starfish candlesticks works better with the table runner.

When I worked full time, I always used cloth napkins and candlesticks, but unless we were having guests for dinner, I didn't usually take the time for a centerpiece.

Now I have the leisure to try different table settings every night.

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Coastal Charm - Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

A Stroll Thru Life - Inspire Me Tuesday

Cozy Little House - Tweak It Tuesday

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Tuesday's Treasures

Kathe With An E - You're Gonna Love It

Adding new colors to the house . . .

When I set the table for a dinner party last week, I thought aqua was a new color for me, but looking around the house, I noticed that aqua has always been in the house.

Shopping this week I looked beyond my primary color palette to add some new colors to the house.

A new chair,  some new pieces for table settings and a red sphere ( not a new color, but I love the shape) ended up in the house this week.

The metal chair from Tuesday Morning found its home in the entry.

The look is still my primary color palette of red and yellow, but a softer blue than my usual dark blue.

Daisies from the garden, a blue Ball jar and a few favorite linen pieces fill the red basket.

The red sphere, a TJ Maxx find that I passed on buying once before, ended up in the living room on a side table.

I wear a lot of black, but I don't use it much in decorating so buying black flatware was a first for me.

Black flatware led to finding black and white dish towels to use as place mats, new white plates and yellow fabric for napkins.

 Black stitching along the edges gives some interest to simple square napkins.

 I only had one black candle ( from Halloween ) so I created a center piece in an old platter using various sized candles and greenery from the garden.

Yellow isn't new for me, but yellow paired with black and white is a first.

I thought I had created a nice table setting , but sunlight on the centerpiece was the perfect addition.

I love my new chair and the black flatware.

I love the red basket against the aqua chair.

And then this afternoon I spotted the sweet little orange Iceland poppy in the garden - another new color?

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I am partying at

From My Front Porch to Yours - Treasure Hunt Thursday

Green Willow Pond - What We Accomplished Wednesday

Rooted in Thyme - Simple & Sweet Fridays

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson - Share Your Cup Thursday

I've Got Your Number

I may not have your number, but I have numbers - all over the house.

I have always loved numbers -

perhaps it's the teacher in me.

I didn't realize how many numbers I have and how much they show up in my decorating until I decided to put numbers on the mantel yesterday.

One of my Pinterest boards is titled "i've got your number

and all of the items on the mantel were first pinned onto the number board and then purchased or made.

With the mantel finished, I went around the house snapping pictures of numbers ~

on the porch . . . 

in the entry . . .

in the bedroom . . .

in my creative space . . .

and even the bathroom.

Earlier this month I realized that I have a "heart" problem

and clearly I have a number problem too.

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Join me at

Little Red House - Mosaic Monday

Boogieboard Cottage - Masterpiece Monday

The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday

Dwellings ~ The Heart of Your Home - Amaze Me Monday