30 Days of Pinterest

Usually, the day after school is out, I begin working on my summer project list.

This year is different because I am not on summer vacation.

I am on vacation for life, so to speak.

So, now is the time to do all those things I said I would do when I had the time.

After reading the post A Simple Pinterest Project by Judy at 20 North Ora.

I went to my Pinterest boards and chose 30 projects.

There are things to make, things to buy, bits and pieces to gather and vignettes to mimic.

The goal - complete the 30 projects in 30 days -

June 8 to July 8.

Embroidered pennants 

Alphabet table cloth 

Bicycle rim

Crocheted bags

 Alphabet sign 

Polka dot container

Film reels
    
Eyelet napkins

  Colorful quilt

 Green Bench

  Metal chair

  Stenciled bucket

 Old door

 Fun Scrabble tiles

Felt Letters

Metal labels

Heart Tags

Crate 

Wash tub

Linen napkins

Numbered containers

Sweet yellow vignette

Galvanized tins

Floral plates

Windowseat cushion

Sweet heart

Colorful utensils

Steps to the Beach sign

altered globe

garden dresser

The shop teacher cut out the wooden sign for me to paint and the linen table cloth to stencil arrived yesterday.

The countdown begins.

Wish me luck!

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Between projects, I'll be partying at

My Romantic Home - Show and Tell Friday

Visit Cozy Little House

I'm not here today.

A few months ago I commented to Brenda at Cozy Little House we "color" girls needed to stick together.

She followed that comment with an invitation for me to be a contributor to her site.

And so, today, I am over at Brenda's sharing How We Live With the Things We Love. 

Check out some of my "hidden" secrets about living comfortably in a little tiny cottage by the sea.

A Couple of Hours and a Little Paint

I bought a few things at the school's silent auction the other night.

I really didn't want the items, but I bid on them to get the bidding going.

 As it turns out, no one else bid on them so they were mine.

Naturally, I didn't win the things I really wanted.

I knew that with a little paint, I could make them "mine".

As long as the paint was out, I grabbed an old checkerboard from my Americana days and a little pedestal from TJ Maxx.

I bought the pedestal yesterday not realizing it was chipped and hoped a coat of paint might disguise the imperfection.

"Hanalei Bay" is one of Steve's recent pieces 

I went with red on the candlesticks because red fits with most holidays.

When I put the blue and white striped candle on one of the candlesticks Steve asked me what I was doing.

I explained that I wanted to see what it would look like for a 4th of July display.

Now I just have to start searching for more striped candles - maybe green or yellow in addition to blue.

The checkerboard is refreshed from the faded blue.

This photograph doesn't show the nice distressing on the edges.

I know I need to redo the checker board, but this week I have to prepare for our upcoming party.

The pedestal is sitting on my favorite little green table in the dining room.

I can picture the pedestal in a lot of different vignettes so it was worth the money even if it is chipped.

Next up was the little basket.

I removed the decorative stones and thought about putting something else in their place, but I decided to leave it as is and let the basket rust naturally.

 In April, I moved the green bench outside, but never came up with a display that made me happy.

Now, the basket, flowers, and vintage watering look right at home on the bench.

All it took was couple of hours and a little paint to achieve 4 new looks.

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You can find me partying at

Cozy Little House - Tweak It Tuesday

Boogieboard Cottage - Masterpiece Monday

Twigg Studios - Sunday Showcase Party

Little Red House - Mosaic Monday

Just Paint It White

Sometimes I just need a TJ's fix so last week I stopped in and picked up a few things I didn't need.

I love the three tiered wire shelf - it's perfect for my creative space.

Lucky me - I've been looking for some galvanized tin to hold flowers at my upcoming retirement party.

 Pink caddy - hate the color, love the design, and, oh, the possibilities for the chalkboard.

I decided to follow the advice of Fiona whose blog is  - Just Paint It White.

A little color change was all that was needed to work with my color scheme.

When I saw the caddy at TJ's, my first thought was "great container for utensils and napkins for the party

 Where should the caddy go until the party?

It ended up on the dining room table holding flowers.

And why the one?

School is over in exactly one week!

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I am partying at

Rooted in Thyme - Simple and Sweet Fridays

Common Ground - Be Inspired

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

My Romantic Home - Show and Tell Friday

Secret Garden

For a long time, I have wanted to show you the gardens of a friend's house.

Our homes were built in the late 1920s and very possibly by the same builder.

I have mentioned in other posts about the fact that our original front yard was on a sidewalk and the present front was the back alley.

Come with me to view the beautiful gardens at Linda's house  - remember that you are entering what would originally have been the back of the house.

Linda wanted to remove her tricycle, but I thought it epitomized life at the beach.

The day was perfect and the French doors were thrown open to the sun.

Now let's head to the back garden - originally the front yard when sidewalks ran down to the beach.

I can't tell if that is Loki or Tucker ready to take you on a tour of the "Secret Garden".

To the right is a feast for the eyes - clever garden statuary, an abundance of colorful flowers and brick pathways leading every which way.

A little birdhouse hangs from a spectacularly gnarled tree.

A deck with a wall of mirrors beckons you to sit awhile so you will notice the birdbath guarded by an oversized frog or the vintage watering can along the fence.

Straight ahead, you realize the gold ball in front of you is really the gold ball next to you being reflected back through a mirror hidden in the wall of greenery.

Eye candy abounds - frogs sing to one another in the flowers, a chipmunk scampers up the roof, a goose hides in a corner, mama duck leads her little ones along the deck and a little bunny guards a cast iron table.

Standing at the back, you see the view if the sidewalks still led down to the beach.

Can you just picture waking up each morning and looking out your bedoom window to the spectacular garden?

It's time to leave so we will head back into the house, but first we must stop to read a little garden poem painted onto a piece of slate.

Linda's garden definitely qualifies as a "heavenly paradise".

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I'll be showing of Linda's garden at

Lavender Garden Cottage - Cottage Style Party

Elizabeth & Co. - May Garden Party

Little Red House - Mosaic Monday

Sunny Simple Life - Sunny Simple Mondays

Boogieboard Cottage - Masterpiece Monday

It's Memorial Day in America

Every year on Memorial Day, Steve wakes the family up by playing James McMurtry's song "Memorial Day" on the stereo.

It's Memorial Day in America

Everybody's on the road

Let's remember our fallen heroes

Y'all be sure and drive slow.

Memorial Day is one of my favorite days because it signals the beginning of summer.

 Empty towers have been out for several weeks, but today lifeguards are on duty to watch over the hoards of people escaping the inland heat.

Cyclists, walkers and runners are greeted by flags along the promenade to remind us why this day is special.

Families enjoy time together playing on the beach, building sand castles and splashing in the waves.

Surfers are out in droves searching for the perfect wave at The Point.

Sailors take to the sparkling sea heading to the islands

which are just barely visible from the estuary.

A friend snapped a picture on her iPhone while we were out on our morning walk.

We took a leisurely bike ride along the promenade.

And now we will somewhat follow James McMurtry's advice - we're headed to the beach and we will walk slow.

Happy Memorial Day

How did you spend your day?

Cottages By The Sea

Short and sweet.

The definition - "make your point"

And, that is exactly what these little cottages do.

What's their point?

Simply, to provide a comfortable place to relax after a day on the beach.

Walk with me through my neighborhood to see a few of my favorite little cottages.

This little storybook cottage sits just 7 houses from the ocean

and is packed full of sweet details -

 mullioned windows

keyhole archway at the front door

romantic turret 

Don't you just love the three long rectangular windows and the tiny window at the top?

I picture overstuffed chairs and a window seat inside.

Right next door is a classic gray and white beach cottage.

Old friends live here and daily their home is filled with the chatter of their two precious grandsons while their mother is at work teaching with me.

Over twenty years ago, I made the lace curtains on all the windows.

 A bougainvillea covered fence hides the patio of the shingled house sporting a red mailbox and a bell to alert the owners that guests are at the gate.

What's a beach house without a dolphin weather vane and a classic blue and white paint job?

A little gray cottage sitting at the entrance to our lane is a short term rental with guests from all over the world coming to enjoy sun and sand.

And, my favorite little cottage by the sea - 

short on space, but sweet in character.

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I am partying at

My Romantic Home - Show and Tell Friday 

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