By jove! I think I've got it . . .

Yesterday we headed Santa Barbara in search of fabric.

I hate to say this with many people around the country still deep in snow, but it was an absolutely perfect day.

Even if I didn't find fabric it was wonderful to be zipping along the coast with the top down and the sun shining upon us.

I decided we should first go to Lewis and Clark to look for a tablecloth.

Steve hates shops like this, but he shows his art in a gallery in the arcade by Lewis and Clark so he had something to do while I shopped.

He snapped some photos of the great sculptures adorning the arcade.

I didn't find a tablecloth that I wanted to use for pillows, but I did pick up some cute things.

I have no idea what I will do with the little fork and spoon clips, but they are so cute.

I have been having fun playing with felt lately so I bought the heart and flower for ideas.

The hand towels just might end up as pillows on my window seat.

I didn't find anything in Santa Barbara, but back in Ventura I went to the fabric store and found some possibilities.

My plan was to use the blue and yellow for pillows and the red polka dot for napkins.

I love the red polka dot, but I thought the background was too beige for the white sofa.

I tucked the blue and yellow over the pillows and wasn't sure about my choice.

Then I tucked the polka dot over a pillow - LOVE it.

I headed back to the fabric store today and bought more fabric.

This week's plan - 2 sofa pillows and 1 chair pillow in red polka dot and 2 sofa pillows in  yellow.

The nice thing about my entire house being the same color palette is that I can switch things from room to room.

The original blue background bought for pillows will become a tablecloth for my patio table.

The blue/cherry fabric - I couldn't pass it up - a new dining room tablecloth.

It is a good thing that spring break starts in 4 days because I am going to be busy.

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You can find me partying at 

Boogieboard Cottage

Life on Lakeshore Drive

Under the Table and Dreaming

A New Meaning To Home Shopping

I got up this morning at 5:45 - my normal rising time.

What is wrong with that?

 Today is my first actual day of summer vacation and I wanted to sleep in.

Old habits die hard!

My first goal of the morning was to go up to the attic.

While watering the garden yesterday, I noticed the pillows on the patio chairs were looking really faded.

My mission was to find some fabric to make pillow covers for two pillows.

Once upstairs, I found red checked fabric and red floral, but I also found these pillows.

It was like I was shopping in my own home.

I brought the pillows down and placed them in the copper tub we keep on the front porch.

My dad paid $2 for the tub at a yard sale years ago.

In the winter Steve stores our fire wood in it.

The reason the old pillows are so faded is that I never remember to put them away when I go inside.

Keeping the pillows in the tub should prolong their life when not in use.

Putting the pillows on the porch triggered a quickie "porch redo".

This is our front door.

This is our back door.

A painting Steve did of our house

I wrote here about why our front door is in the back yard and why our back door is the front.

I swept the porch and added a little striped rug.

We added stone to the back porch 

and I would like to do the same with the front porch.

Should I add it to the summer project list?

I love the arched cut out in the porch.

My reproduction pie safe has graced various spots in the house, but now it lives on the porch and holds linens for outdoor dining and some of my garden tools.

I used to have birdhouses sitting on top, but I moved them several months ago when I was sprucing up a baker's rack.

First I had a red pitcher, but polka dots on everything was overkill.

I found the white pitchers in another cupboard - more home shopping.

I just got the flag yesterday - mail order.  

It is one of a set of three flags.

I will put them all out soon for my Fourth of July display, but today it is for Flag Day and my mother's birthday.

The checkerboard is from my Americana decorating days when my color palette was navy and maroon.

My little project was completed before 8:00 a.m.

With a sense of accomplishment, we headed for the beach.

I love summer vacation!

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I am linked up at

Lavender Garden Cottage

Thrifty Decorating

Embracing Change

Primp Your Stuff Wednesdays

My Romantic Home

Beach Cottage ABCs

Several years ago I cut out a Cottage ABCs article from a magazine.

I came across the article recently and thought about my own ABCs...

A if for Adirondacks

A neighbor's front door

B is for baskets filled with books

Little handmade books

C is for checks

 My buffalo check chair

D is for dishes in red and yellow

Favorite red & yellow pieces

E is for Expedit from Ikea

An ever changing display

F is for fresh flowers

Petit fleurs

G is for glass

Glass jar full of ceramic letters

H is for hearts and hands

Hands from my collection

I is for inspiring quotes

I'm still working on creating myself!

J is for jars 

Jars filled with supplies 

K is for kayaks

Kayaks are perfect beach house accessories

L is for living simply

Live well with less!

M is for mixing fabrics

My window seat 

N is for numbers

Numbered magnets

O is for an open door policy

Open door...please drop in!

P is for polka dots

F

Favorite utensils

Q is for quilts

Favorite quilts

R is for reading books on decorating

Actually more looking than reading

S is for seashells

 Little shells tucked into vignettes.

T is for treasured keepsakes

My father's tobacco canister

U is for using things in ways they weren't designed

Little red ladder holding books

V is for vintage

Favorite vintage table cloths.

W is for windows

lovely mullioned windows

XYZ are for letters of the alphabet

Letters all over the house

A Few of My Favorite Things

Every year, I have my students make a book.

It is a favorite project because they are writing about themselves.

One entry is simply a list of things they like - sports, food, tangible items, colors, etc.

It is somewhat difficult for my students because they are second language learners and don't

always know the words to use.

I made my sample on wordle and created my page for them to visualize.

100 Things I like

So what do I like?

BASKETS

wicker baskets...wire baskets....metal baskets...canvas baskets

too many to count!

baskets, quilts & baskets filled with quilts

Baskets filled with books

RED...YELLOW...RED & YELLOW TOGETHER

I painted the red & yellow pitcher on vacation in Santa Fe

Our entryway 

HANDS

There are hands in every room in the house.

One of my students told me that she thought it was a weird thing to collect.

I told her I couldn't be the only person who collected hands because I find hands in so many shops.

I once met an artist who also collected hands and her collection did not contain a single hand that I own.

Baskets, books and hands all together

THE LETTER C

Having the initials CC drew me to collecting the letter C.

Actually, I love all the letters of the alphabet.


STRIPES...POLKA DOTS...CHECKS

I love red and white stripes.

I love checkerboards.

I love polka dots.

And of course always in red and yellow.

Our beloved Dorje was helping me take photos

Just a few of my favorite things.

Don't get me started on all the different art supplies I collect!