Office progress....

It was a slow but progressive weekend. 

 

 A coat of primer went up to cover the old color first...

The sun danced in and out and as you can see it's still very wintery around here...

 

I chose "White Chocolate" by Benjamin Moore...

 

No sun today, it's a gray day today, 

but this is how it looks now!

The room feels fresh and more vibrant!

Six years ago we took the plunge and 

started adding color all over the house.  

I had lived with the "beige" thing for 

years, and it was very challenging to take 

the step into the "color" world!  Our son 

referred to it as we finally got color 

courage!  Going back to an off white was a

 big step but in this case I think it's going 

to be the best choice!

I have a ton of ideas in my head for

how I'm finishing it off.  

The curtains I've selected are going

to work out great and I picked

up the picture from Pier 1 and

lucked out as it was on sale!

I'm so ready for this! 

 I hope it meets my own

expectations!  

I am joining My Little Home and Garden
for Sunlit Sundays

Perennial Optimism

"To create a garden is to search for a better world. In our effort to improve on nature, we are guided by a vision of paradise. Whether the result is a horticultural masterpiece or only a modest vegetable patch, it is based on the expectation of a glorious future. 

This hope for the future is at 

the heart of all gardening. "

- Marina Schinz

The last line sums it all up for me!  

There is really nothing quite like witnessing 

the season of Spring-

Plants start crawling out of the ground, 

sprouts of life start to emerge,

Lots of green and color emerge...

2011

I find it quite magical and it renews my faith in life!

2011

Everyone feels it, even if they don't care

about gardening.  There is a smell in the air,

a real sense of change in the atmosphere, it's

everywhere!  

2011

I'm ready to work and play in my garden....

Perhaps since we've had such a mild winter 

we will be having an early spring???  

I did use the word "optimism" didn't I??

Now if it would all just hurry up!!

(Oh yes, patience is not my best virtue!!)

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

New office!

I've decided to move my desk out of the living room and put it in a small bedroom that I'm converting to an office. 

This is the small bedroom I'm adopting (previously my daughters room).  I redid it a few years ago with this new bedding ensemble from Kohls.  It was a Spanish inspired print (the blue print looks like Spanish tiles up close) and the terracotta quilt and pillows inspired me to paint the room this color which is called "Soft Marigold" by Benjamin Moore.  My daughter is the only one who has used it when she comes home for a visit, but now a days that's only a few times a year.  Hence the reason I'm taking it over!

This is my kidney shaped desk and chair I got a year ago.  I took this picture moments after it arrived!

The chair is kind of a cranberry red and that's not going to be changed. I love it dearly and it's real comfortable!

The two lampshades will be in the room and I've been examining different whites to use for the room.  I'm very wishy washy about it.

For instance I saw these pictures with Benjamin Moore's Davenport Tan. 

 I love the drama of the color and I know it would be rich with my red chair and the desk. It's such a small room I'm debating whether it's wise to go with such a deep color.

This picture represents another color I'm looking at called Linen White, but it has a hint of yellow and I'm not so sure I want to do that.

This one is called Moonlight White and when I put the sample of it near the new white lamp it really has the right tone in it.

 This wall color is called White Chocolate and I really like it too, it's on the same card as the one above and they both could work.  

My new lamps inspired me to go for a little lighter modern look so this light wall color has been my focus, but the drama queen in me also likes that dark color I showed above!

I took this picture with no natural light and with two lamps on and it made the room look orange!  We took a large piece of cardboard and laid it on top of the desk, traced it and cut it out so I could set it in the room and get a feel for it.  

 The 4th color down on the card is the Davenport Tan color but I am pretty sure my hubby will look at me quite cross eyed if I show him that one!

I bought the curtains on the left at Pier 1 and then I went into Bed Bath & Beyond and found the other pair which I think is going to be the winner now!  

I found this at T.J. Maxx yesterday and snatched it up.   I love the picture but I don't think it's got the right vibe!

These are both from Pier 1 and I'm seriously considering one or the other.

 This one has a truer red and I do like the 
colors in it.

This one has a muted red almost rust but I really liked the painting the best.  In person it has hints of gold that catch the eye with reflection.

We have a ways to go on the prepping and painting and the new carpet will be in next week.  Once that's done things will move along quickly!

So that's my project for now and I'm pretty wrapped up in it!

As always, Thanks for stopping by!

Liz

Blue Skies, Sun and Garden Dreaming!

It's a beautiful Morning!

 I'm so pleased the sun is out and it's 

another beautiful day! 

To my dismay it's still winter but

I do enjoy the blue skies and sun!

The sun was streaming in through
the kitchen/dining area and I
loved how it looks on the terrarium.

I added more plants to my terrarium. 

 I found some more potted

silk plants from Pottery Barn.

I was delighted to see the

flowers of tulips, daffodils and

hydrangeas!

I've been thinking of naming my Angel so

I did a little internet searching.  I googled 

"Angels of Gardens" and came up with

Cathetel- Angel of the Garden

I know it's not a real garden, but I like

to pretend it is and I love her

 sweet face.  

Perhaps I could call her "Cathe" 

for short 

The sun is impatient and

minutes later it is quickly moving away.

I can hardly wait for spring so I can get

out and breathe fresh air daily and

watch the gifts of the earth unfurl!

I leave you with this poetry....

God's Garden

THE Lord God planted a garden
In the first white days of the world,
And He set there an angel warden
In a garment of light enfurled.

So near to the peace of Heaven,
That the hawk might nest with the wren,
For there in the cool of the even
God walked with the first of men.

And I dream that these garden-closes
With their shade and their sun-flecked sod
And their lilies and bowers of roses,
Were laid by the hand of God.

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,--
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.

For He broke it for us in a garden
Under the olive-trees
Where the angel of strength was the warden
And the soul of the world found ease. 

Dorothy Frances Gurney 

Thanks for visiting!

Good Sunday Morning!

Good Sunday Morning!

I'm so pleased the sun is out and it's 
another beautiful day! 

To my dismay it's still winter but

I do enjoy the blue skies and sun!

I added more plants to my terrarium. 

 I found some more potted

silk plants from Pottery Barn.

I was delighted to see the

flowers of tulips, daffodils and

hydrangeas! They made me happy!

I've been thinking of naming my Angel so

I did a little internet searching.  I googled 

"Angels of Gardens" and came up with

Cathetel- Angel of the Garden

I know it's not a real garden, but I like

to pretend it is and I love her

 sweet face.  

Perhaps I could call her "Cathe" 

for short 

The sun is impatient and

minutes later it is quickly moving away.

I can hardly wait for spring so I can get

out and breathe fresh air daily and

watch the gifts of the earth unfurl!

I leave you with this poetry....

God's Garden

THE Lord God planted a garden
In the first white days of the world,
And He set there an angel warden
In a garment of light enfurled.

So near to the peace of Heaven,
That the hawk might nest with the wren,
For there in the cool of the even
God walked with the first of men.

And I dream that these garden-closes
With their shade and their sun-flecked sod
And their lilies and bowers of roses,
Were laid by the hand of God.

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,--
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.

For He broke it for us in a garden
Under the olive-trees
Where the angel of strength was the warden
And the soul of the world found ease. 

Dorothy Frances Gurney 

Thanks for visiting and I hope your

Sunday is blessed with beauty too! 
Please join me at
The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays
and
My Little Home and Garden for
 Sunlit Sundays  
and A Stroll Thru Life for
Tablescape Tuesdays 

Trays and Decorating

Marty over at a Stroll Thru Life

blogged about an idea that inspired 

her to copycat another blogger.

  Marty was inspired by a silver tray 

cleverly mounted above a stove in a 

kitchen at  the blog Jennifer Rizzo 

 That inspired me to show my trays I 

have displayed in my kitchen.  

 I have this large rattan woven one with 

handles from Pottery Barn  

(from a group called Farmwire) and my metal tray I 

got from Wendell August stacked together 

along with a plate set in front.

The PB tray is deep enough to support the

2nd tray and the plate

 I secured it with a plastic zip

tie wrap and made a loop that

I hung on a nail to keep the tray

from sliding down

 I rarely show my kitchen because

it's so tiny! It's only 8 ft. wide

The wire basket was also from

Pottery Barn and the picture is

a print I selected on line from one

of those poster Co's.  I used a frame

I found at T.J. Maxx for it

 A friend of mine gave me these lovely

canisters from J.C. Penney and I recently

got the salt and pepper shakers

The tiered tray is another piece

from PB from the same group

 they had a couple of years ago

(I actually cut the top tier off because it was too tall to fit)

 My little "Louigi" as I nicknamed him

from Kirkland's 

(I featured him on my dish blog)

 So that's a quick mini tour of 

part of my kitchen and my

featured trays!

Sugar Hearts

I got the information from my daughter 

for the sugar hearts she made for the 

cupcakes I recently posted about.

Here is a link to the page with complete

instructions

Sugar Hearts recipe 

Valentines Day Cupcakes

Happy Valentines Day!

 I visited with my daughter this weekend 

for her 25th Birthday and her roommate

Lauren had made these 

Neapolitan Cupcakes for her birthday.  

They insisted we take some home, so

who were we to refuse!!  :-)

They also worked together on making 

these sugar hearts.  

 I understand the recipe for the 

Neapolitan Cupcakes came from 

someones pin on Pinterest.

  Basically they consist of a brownie mix

that are poured into the bottom first, then 

a layer of Strawberry Cake is added.  The 

frosting is a white Cream Cheese frosting 

so you get the three colors.  

 I looked up recipes on Pinterest and there 

are a variety of ways of making them.  

 These are tasty and not too hard to make. 

 My roses are still doing good from last 

weeks post on my dish blog

We were gone a few days and I

figured I'd come home to dead

roses so I was pleased they were

still in good shape.  The tulips are

just about done but they lasted a

lot longer than I expected.

 I hope your Valentine's Day 

will be sweet!

  Roses we gave her for her
birthday and Valentine's Day

I'm joining 

A Stroll Thru Life for

Tabletop Tuesday