Dreaming of Summer with Pottery Barn

I could hardly wait for it to cool off last fall.

It was so darn hot.

I live in Texas so when I say it was hot, I am SO serious.

Blue eyes and I were moving to our new home last August in this Texas heat.

It was brutal.

Lipton Tea and I are good friends, but during that move we were inseparable. 

Needless to say, I got what I asked for and the cold set in.

The view out my front door.

Yep, that's snow...

...and our loungers were NOT calling out my name.

Now the snow has melted,

the moving boxes are mostly unpacked,

and our new yard is starting to whisper... 

Come out...play in my soil...design me...make me your own.

My mind is starting to plan.

When shopping retail,  I love to shop Home Goods, Tuesday Morning,

Ballard Designs, Williams Sonoma, Pierre Deux and Pottery Barn.

Pottery Barn always has some great ideas.

If the prices are prohibitive, as they frequently are,

you can always build your own furniture with Ana White plans and

find most of the other goodies, or something similar, at area flea markets.

                                                                                            

These pots are a great look...but...

substitute with a low cost Mexican pottery...

apply a white wash... same look at a fraction of the cost.

I just love these individual pieces that can be moved around as your needs change.

Ana White has the plans and you can sew the cushions yourself.

Ana-white.com

Another shot but the same idea

An old sofa table from a garage sale or craigslist would work just as well in this application

Paint it the color you like...and chip it up to age it...and gel stain

It's not iced tea but it sure looks refreshing.

Plastic ware and trays like this can found at Big Lots for a song...

and a few dollars.

Love this idea.

Blue Eyes and I have an old galvanized wash tub on legs that we use for this.

Might have to get a few smaller buckets for plants this year.

Trip to Calloways coming...

Hmmmm...wonder what the Antique Rose Emporium has....

Calling all Carpenters and Do-It-Yourself-ers

Any one heard of Ana White? Love, love, love her...and you will too! Interested yet?

Well...how do you feel about these major retailers...Pottery Barn? Land of Nod? Crate and Barrel? Magic Moon? We could go on and on. Sounding better right?

Ana White breaks these companies popular home designs down in to do-able home projects. You can own what you love for a fraction of what it would cost you retail. The best part is that all of the designs, pics, plans, and tutorials are free...yep, you read that right...FREE. Now are you interested?

Need a place for eveyone in the family to drop their coats, bags, school work, etc? GOT IT!

How about a one of a kind bed for that special little guy in your life? GOT IT!

...and don't forget that special little girl! Yep...that's right...GOT IT! Did I say free? Yep, free.

Needing a new headboard/footboard for one of your bedrooms? GOT IT again!

Laundry Room Clutter making you nuts? She has a solution for you...GOT IT...and it's free too.

Are you getting excited yet? Are your fingers twitching to get out the power tools? Do you have the DIY bug? Keep looking....

Still want more? She's got it. Keep going...

Can you believe how wonderful she is...with hundreds of designs just waiting for you?

Go check her out for yourself at http://www.ana-white.com/. You won't be disappointed.

For the Love of All Things Red

Red is a bright, warm color that brings out strong feelings in us.

Red can create excitement and intensity of emotion.

It says love, warmth, and comfort.

                                     

These words are synonymous with red or represent various shades of the color red: 

blood red, blush, brick, burgundy, carmine, China red, cinnabar , crimson, fire engine red, flame, Indian red, madder, maroon, rose, rouge, ruby, russet, rust, scarlet, tomato, Venetian red, and vermillion. Wow! We have lots of choices in this color.

                                                   

Consider the ways we use the word red in language...redneck...red hot passion...painting the town red...seeing red...red carpet treatment...taking the red eye...in the red...or red flag. 

cookies by Julia Usher

Red is hot.

It's a strong color that conjures up a range of seemingly conflicting emotions

from passionate love to violence and warfare.

Red is Cupid and the Devil.

via Gumps

The use of red in decorating increases hunger and encourages conversation. 

It asks you to come in and stay awhile.

Red has guts .... deep, strong, dramatic. A geranium red.

A Goya red ... to be used like gold for furnishing a house ...

for clothes, it is strong, like black or white.

- Valentino

Use the color red to grab attention and to get people to take action

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Use red when you don't want to sink into the background.

Pottery Barn

Use red to suggest speed combined with confidence and perhaps even a dash of danger.

Use red to say  "I love you...with all my heart."

Happy Valentine Day to all of you!

I wish you love.

Thank you to The Graphics Fairy for the vintage valentine images.