Moving On

 Let's head into the dining room today. I changed up a few things in here this year so let's see if we're liking it better now.

I still have yet to find a runner that I like more than this one I found a few years ago at Hobby Lobby. It has the look of the water color designs that Pottery Barn used to do and I have always loved that. The sap bucket here on the table and the one on the sideboard are both from one of my favorite designer boutiques in Dade City that is no longer there. They must have painted them but I love that they are still rusty and dented. I really miss that shop. So many of my favorite haunts closed during Covid and have just never come back. It makes me sad.

So here I am again in these shelves that I just can't seem to decorate to my liking. Last year this area was horrible. I don't know what I was thinking-maybe it looked better in person but I don't remember. I just knew that I wasn't going there again...but, I also had no idea where I was going.

I guess I just took the easy way out this year but I can't ever seem to find just the right formula for this space.

I changed the things on the sideboard as well and I think I like it. Notice that I left the window frame off center as designer daughter #3 suggested. Lol I've got to admit that I like it better now!

I still like this picture I made last year. It captures the real meaning of Easter and is needed to counteract the many, many bunnies I have in my decor.

The console is a little different as well since we made the lamp changes. I'm not crazy about all of the heavy flowers on the same side but, if I can't move the lamp it is where it has to be because of the way the bunny would be facing if I swapped the things on the bottom shelf.

So that is the dining room for this year. The only thing that might change is the addition of a live Easter lily which I hope to find in my visit to the nursery today so we shall see. I will be out of town Easter weekend but I still have plenty of time to enjoy that beautiful fragrance before then so, fingers crossed. Stay safe and stay tuned and I'll be back again soon.

Spring, Spring, Beautiful Spring

I hit the ground running yesterday! My initial goal was to get the fountains up and running after being off since Christmas when I usually turn them off. I turn them off then because with the door to the pool blocked by the Christmas tree and so many other things happening I often forget to go out the other ways to check on the water level and don't want to burn out my motors. They are supposed to stop when the water gets too low but I have had that NOT happen before so....

My other goal was to repaint the old Adirondack chairs that have been down on the other side of the property ever since we put in the swing set about 28 years ago. The swings are no longer there but the chairs have remained because we might use that area for a game of badminton, catch, etc. while others sit and watch. But, those things aren't happening as much these days and I needed to replace some worn out wicker chairs that just don't wear well against our brutal Florida weather and these are an inexpensive temporary fix. I bought three cans of paint months ago when I first thought of this project so I was good to go.

I scrubbed the faded chairs with bleach and then gave them a decent coat of paint. I am not the best spray paint user. I thought my hand was going to fall of by the time I finished both chairs. I have one of those handles sprayers but it is so old I guess it was designed for when the cans had the smaller push button-not the very large, very hard to push ones they have now. Lol

 As I waited for those to dry I realized that my sky vine had already sprouted new shoots there were growing into all of the dead vines from our freezes so I knew I could put that chore off no longer! The entire top of the pergola was covered in dead vines and leaves...

...and so I started and once I got going it was like a game of Jenga. You had to figure out which vine to cut and pull all the while hoping that it will release others in the correct way. It really was a bit of a chore but the more I cut at it, the more fun I had...

...until I finally had it all cleared. I was actually a little sad to be done but then I realized how many other chores awaited and got on with it!. Lol

On Tuesday morning while working outside cutting back more dead growth-and I will apologize right now for any of the pictures that still have piles of things needing to be picked up. At this point of my "springtime OCD", I tend to move from one thing to the next and then I will come back at the very end to pick everything up...but, I digress Lol-and waiting for the handyman, I bumped into my pool guy and asked him about something I have been thinking of for awhile-how hard would it be to remove my pool slide? I know my grandchildren are going to complain but they don't get into my pool very often these days and the Florida sun has wreaked havoc on that old slide. I continue to bleach the mold that is constantly appearing all rainy season but all that does is make the finish more porous and inclined to mold even faster. I could have it refinished but, it is also getting a bit shaky and they are such an accident waiting to happen that they can no longer be repaired. 

The answer I got was about what I had expected...and I said go for it! The actual slide came down in less than five minutes but the water source is another subject. They would need to tear out a portion of pool decking to cap it correctly where I wouldn't lose water to the other spigots on that side of the yard. And, as we all know, just getting a plumber into your driveway costs a fortune so, I decided to jerry rig-as I usually do-and paint the piping the same as the deck and then put a chair over it so no one trips. Problem solved.

I ended up putting the newly painted Adirondacks there even though that was not their intended home and then I painted the pipes. My plan is to take off the hose but I am going to need a bit more muscle because that connection is not budging for me!

Excuse the slide still there waiting to be picked up by my pool guy once he gets a helping hand and the broken lattice on the fence that the handyman will soon be fixing as well as the mold on the fence and bricks that I will soon be pressure cleaning. Boy it's a good thing I enjoy being out in the yard. Spring, spring, beautiful spring! Lol

Once I got this far I was questioning whether I should have painted the chairs a lighter color but I realized that all of my other furniture is hammered bronze with tan cushions so I grabbed some inside pillows to see...

...and I think I am now in the market for some outdoor pillows. That seems to solve the issue for me.

I am going to spend the rest of the day doing some things granddaughter #3 asked me for and catching up inside but then I will get back out there and tackle the rest. I have to hit the grocery store tomorrow and I'm hoping to get to the nursery as well. I think once I fill a few pots with some color and get rid of weeds that seem to continue to grow even when nothing else does, I will be a lot happier.

Next time I visit we will continue our tour because Easter is right around the corner-it actually snuck up on me as I thought it was one week farther away so I am playing a bit of catch up on those preparations as well. Stay safe and stay tuned..

Surprise!

 I will bet you are as surprised to see me here as I am to be here! When last we spoke I told you I was planning on spending today in the yard. And, that was my plan...until it wasn't. After I left you yesterday, I ended up in my garage cleaning out a bit and going up and down the ladder to get some other things out of sight-and, out of my way. I decided that after four pretty full and heavy lifting days that I deserved a bit of a break so I am staying inside today-the fact that it is 84 degrees out there doesn't help-and I will try outside again tomorrow.

Before I head to grab some lunch and maybe watch a movie, I thought I would use the day to take you through the next room-the kitchen. The kitchen has a number of changes and it might just be the room I am the happiest with.

I always love my "Ocala" towels.

I have decided that I like having the art in the kitchen and the plan had been to bring back the floral prints that I used for Valentine's Day. But, when I brought them out they just didn't feel like Easter so I found some coordinating bunny images that I had in my Pinterest file, printed them out, did a quick swap and, here we are. I love them. Never fear-the other pictures will probably return with my spring decor.

Between this candle lamp and the Yankee candles I have burning, my house smells like I am encased in lilac bushes!

I still really love the cross picture that I did a year or two ago. As I'm looking at this I'm thinking maybe one of my mom's or Nana's doilies under the white pot would help with some interest? It looks kind of bare there. Lol

So that is it for the kitchen this year but, if you know me, you know that the coffee table in the living room would not stop bothering me until I found a balance. I searched my house over and tried a few little pink perfume bottles but that didn't do it so I brought in my Bethany Lowe Easter egg. I really didn't want to introduce an egg to the mix but, it IS pink and it DOES have a bit of a presence and I DO love Bethany Lowe vintage decor so here it is and I think I am OK with the color balance now.

I almost ditched the green books but I like the height they bring and it keeps the green color from the candle ring and leaves of the tulips in play. So, at least for now, this is how it shall remain...until it doesn't. LOL

That's it for now. I am heading to the kitchen to grab some lunch and then enjoy my "day off" but I'll be back. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Hoppy Easter

I am back and all of my Easter is out and almost everything is put away-need to finish the garage this afternoon. Those of you who are regular followers know that I always seem to have trouble with my Easter decor. I think it is because so much of it is in pastels and, admittedly, pastels are not a favorite. I have also tried to stick to my "editing" again. I left some of my Easter stuff in their Rubbermaids but I also left some of my St. Patrick's "green" out. I know I can't do a totally neutral Easter decor-which it seems like I am leaning towards-because I really can't afford to buy all new things but, I think the addition of the earth tones has helped a bit.

I will say that it is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day out there but that means that the sun is SHINING brightly which means that picture taking was even worse than usual. Apologies are coming your way before we even start.

I left the shamrocks on the porch because they bloom with lavender flowers so I am OK with that and the other pot is starting to fill in so it may soon find its way to the porch as well.

 I left the wreath off of the mirror in an effort to "declutter" but I am having trouble with how sparse this entrance looks now. There might be a tweak coming soon because as hard as I try, I am just not a "less is more" kind of gal! You can see the nail over the mirror just crying out for "something" hanging there.

I just realized that I'm only a few feet inside the front door and it might already be obvious that I am leaning even more strongly this year to just lavender with a slight touch of pink and trying as hard as I can to weed out the yellows and blues.

I'm thinking a tweak might be in order here as well. As much as I love forsythia and jonquils, I think I might need to edit the yellows.

I left this the same as last year because, honestly, I just didn't have anything else to put there but, the lack of height difference is bothering me already so....???? Lol

I brought the rabbit I bought last year in here from the family room. I like him here but haven't settled on what should be in his basket. I am going with the flowers for now as several attempts with different eggs didn't work but, we shall see.

We interrupt this blog to bring you an update. As soon as I started to look at the coffee table in that picture, I knew something with the colors was bothering me. I tried just bringing over the purple to the bunny by putting some different flowers in his basket but then the pink and white tulips were bothering me as well so I pulled out the white ones and found some other purple flowers to add.

 I can't believe I am saying this but I think the round tray is crying out for something pink so that may be the next tweak. Lol

So that is the living room-until it isn't. Lol I will be back with more but, if tomorrow is as beautiful as today I will be outside with the first order of business seeing me painting two of my Adirondack chairs to move over to the extra patio near the pool. It seems as if the wicker chairs I have had there for some time are finally nearing their end. Since I already have the Adirondacks I figured I would see how they look with an update before buying new ones. And, I'm guessing once I'm out there I will see lots more to do so I will stay busy. Stay safe and stay tuned.