Making Necessary Changes

I have been trying to come up with a solution for the living room after two actions left the room bare.

First, I moved this cabinet from the living room to the entry.

Second, the truck painting sold and left the wall bare.

Yesterday I went looking for something along the lines of this table I saw on The Virginia House.

I found three possibilities (sorry for the iPhone pics).

All three have the right measurements and a little extra storage would be nice, but I didn't leave the shop with any of them.

Last night my dreams had bits and pieces from the house flying around my head trying to come up with a solution for the living room.

We moved another large painting, this one of my garden, to the empty wall.

Since I couldn't find a table, I decided to use what I have.

This is sort of a family altar because my mother's cedar chest is topped with an old box of my father's.

The green stripe on the box is actually the original color - I left the stripe when I painted the box with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Old White.

The bottles were gathered from a vignette in the hall.

The spoons were discovered in a cupboard when I was looking for something else.

You can't see it clearly, but the top spoon is engraved with Bates - my maiden name.

The bottom spoon is engraved with Carl so I assume it belonged to my Uncle Carl - close enough to Carol.

The mantel got an update for Thanksgiving with a quote about LIFE in the cast iron urn.

GIVE THANKS is spelled out with some of my favorite blocks, dried flowers team up with candlesticks to give the mantel slight symmetry.

A colorful cabinet that came from the entry had its shelves updated with books, clocks and hands.

I was planning to paint the cabinet in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Old White this morning, but time got away from me.

I also planned to paint this old oar a neighbor found on the beach.

The oar has hung over the window for 15 years so I guess it can wait a few more days for a paint job.

With the white cabinet gone, this wall was bare so Steve added a few paintings for a gallery wall look.

The green table was moved from another wall and a little white cabinet came down from the attic to hold some of my hand collection.

The tweaking took me all morning and even a little of the afternoon, but I feel a little bit like a car mechanic.

I am finished with the living room, but what do I do with all these left over parts?

I will end with a photo to keep me honest.

I always wondered how people kept their white sofas clean.  

I have to keep a quilt on the white sofa at all times because of this little one.

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