A Lighter Look

I will always be a color girl (never a cover girl), but I have been slowly moving to a lighter look throughout  house.

The entry is now predominantly white 

as is the kitchen

and the guest room.

The dining room was actually the first room we changed from yellow to white walls.

circa 2012

Looking back, I was surprised to see how bright our house was when I began blogging in 2012.

summer 2014

This version shows a change of window seat cushion and the new table top Steve built, but the walls were still yellow.

September 2014

The dining room hasn't changed much since 2014 - until yesterday.

In this pic, it looks like the dining room is predominantly white too, 

but that red cover remained on the window seat

and I wanted something lighter, but not solid white.

The best part is that the change in the dining room didn't cost a cent.

I had a blue & white quilt in the attic (the catchall place for things I'm not ready to part with) and I simply cut up the quilt to fit the window seat.

The striped and toile pillows were part of the matched set and I just needed to make them a bit smaller because they were sized for bed pillows.

There is still plenty of color in the dining room - I have no plans to paint those red chairs white.

But now, the color is provided by

colorful dishes,

flowers

and art on the walls.

Actually, Steve's art was the original impetus for us to paint the walls white.

Steve's work didn't show to its best with the yellow background, but they pop against the white.

Coming next is the living room - I can't wait until those walls are white.

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Please join me at

Poofing the Pillows for Thoughts of Home

and don't forget the Garden Party on Monday.

I take pictures . . .

If anyone asks me what I do now that I am retired, 

I simply say, " I take pictures".

Thursday an old high school friend (we're having our 50th reunion in a few months) dropped in for lunch - she is staying nearby for a few weeks.

I set the table in the garden and then I grabbed my camera.

I took photos standing by my garden house looking toward the back of the house.

I stood behind the table looking at the garden house.

I stood by the back fence and looked back at the house.

I stood by the chaises and looked back at the fence.

I know, way too many photos, but it's fun to try different angles.

On Friday we headed north to San Luis Obispo to see our daughter, KC, who was down this way for a wedding.

We were invited to join in on the Welcome Wine Tasting event and I was so excited when we pulled up to Sextant Wines in the Edna Valley.

I was the designated driver and while everyone else was indoors tasting wine,

I was walking around with my iPhone.

It didn't matter which direction I was looking,

everywhere I looked there was something

for me to photograph.

I had a great time

doing what I love -

taking pictures.

And now, it's time for our walk and I will be sure to bring along my phone because I never know when I will see something worth photographing.

. . . . . . . . . .

You need to be taking photos too because it's time for another Garden Party and we hope you join in.

Join me today at

Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday

Stone Gable for The Scoop

A Whole Lot of Color

I have been a busy bee lately doing random things, but the common thread seems to be color.

I spent way too much time changing things in the entry

only to change things right back to the way they were.

I might have gone a little overboard at the nursery.

An old high school friend is in town and is dropping by for lunch today

so I have been working in the garden.

Baskets filled with flowers brighten things up

and later this week they will get planted.

Last week I brought an old ottoman down from the attic and made a cover for it to match the slipcovers.

Steve and I can both sit on the sofa with our feet up when we're watching movies now.

The ottoman triggered a series of changes in the living room, but I'm only ready to share the ladder

which is all decked out with my bucket collection.

Actually every flat surface in the living room received a fresh look, but I only managed photos of the ladder.

I'll photograph the rest of the living room updates after I find a place to hang the harpoon Steve gave me for Mother's Day.

I've been taking a lot of photos and the tulips my son and his wife sent me were a perfect prop.

Someone else thinks she's a prop too.

Now I need to get busy and start looking for ideas on how to set the table

and what to serve for lunch - I do know that we'll be eating outside in the garden.

I titled my post "A Whole Lot of Color", but I think I could also have easily swapped the word "flowers" for color.