A Red Letter Day

Yesterday, in my pursuit of blue plates, I went to one of my favorite local shops - B on Main.

I have NEVER entered B on Main without leaving with a brown bag in my hand.

I saw plenty of things to buy, but I held my purchases to a minimum since I am still looking for blue plates.

I love to stroll through the store and look at all the themes.

BEACH

The beach theme is always a favorite of mine to look at, but I rarely buy any beach items.

Most of my 'beach' decor is shells which I pick up free on our morning walks.

I love the rustic wood bench, but I have 4 benches already.

LETTERS & NUMBERS

I ALWAYS leave the shop with at least one number or letter item.

Yesterday was literally a RED LETTER day because I bought a red O for my Expedit.

I love the rusty letters,

I think I might go back a buy the 11 - I was born in November.

The numbered hand will fit into either my hand and my number collection, but it was more than I wanted to spend.

I have one of these number napkin rings in yellow and thought about buying another, but I couldn't remember which numbers I still need for my collection.

When I got home I realized that I need a 1.

STRIPES

I love the blue and white striped duvet cover, but it was the wrong size.

I am thinking about calling to see if they can special order it for me.

I special ordered a duvet and pillows from them years ago.

The yellow polka dot quilt on my bed is fading and I like the idea of replacing it with stripes.

I couldn't decide which of the primary color stripe towels I should buy.

I settled on the thick stripes.

Now that I look at the photo I think I need to go back and buy the thin stripes.

ART SUPPLIES

I bought the larger of the little chalk boards.

I'm not sure what I will do with it, but tonight I have set aside time to actually do some art projects.

I couldn't pass up the little black wooden tags.

Again, not sure how I will use them, but I am sure I can find a use.

I just have to stop at the hardware store for some heavy magnets today so I can copy this idea.

The display was a cake plate with utensil magnets.

I have the forks sitting in a bucket in my workspace just waiting for a creative idea.

So, I need to get busy, make the magnets, create some cards and

stop thinking about blue plates.

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

Success & Failure

The goal was blue plates.

I failed to meet my goal.

But, I had success in finding things I wasn't looking for!

We use place mats and cloth napkins nightly.

I found place mats at TJ Maxx and napkins at Pier 1.

I have lots of red place mats and yellow napkins so this is a good switch -

yellow place mats and red napkins.

I love the attention to detail on the edge of the napkins and in the quilting on the place mats.

I went to American Home and Garden knowing full well that I wouldn't find blue plates, but I needed my AHG fix.

Kathee, of Chateau et Jardin, wrote a post recently about her expanded booth and I wanted to check it out.

I found this column (just the right height) and have it on my wish list.

I don't think I can wait too long because it is priced to sell and it might be gone when I go back.

I have no idea where I would put it and I will have to paint it, but I have wanted a column for a long time.

And, I saw something else I have been looking for way too long.

This is the first time I have seen a ladder in a shop.

I see them all the time in great houses on blogs and on Pinterest, but I never saw one that I could actually purchase.

It is a little more than I want to spend right now and I am bummed because after moving things around in the house, I actually have a place where a ladder would look great.

I hope it is still there after I finish thinking about it!

I found a cute American Flag to display for Fourth of July.

I couldn't wait for Fourth so I moved a book from the entryway shelf and put up the flag.

Just changing one element in a vignette freshens up things.

I saw this wonderful kite in the AWE catalogue the other day, but I don't really have a place for it and therefore can't justify spending the money.

Well, I found this wooden kite in one of the booths and the price was unbelievably low.

I had to buy it.

I hung it on the fence on the side of the house.

I will look at the kite each morning when I get my clothes from my closet.

I have been looking for an antique clock face to no avail.

Last week I saw a vintage scale on someone's blog and realized that it didn't have to be a clock face - I wanted something round.

I can't believe I found this vintage scale (very reasonably priced) to meet my needs.

I moved a few things around to create a new vignette on my sewing machine table.

I may have failed at my original goal yesterday, but I feel successful in making some fun additions to my decor.

And, with school out in 3 days, I have all summer to find blue plates.

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I am linked up at

My 1929 Charmer
Sundays' Best

and

My Romantic Home
Show and Tell Fridays

and

Elizabeth & Co.