ART INSPIRATION: A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND AN EMPTY WALL

IT'S SUNDAY AND THIS DAY HAS BEEN PERFECT!! IT'S SUNNY AND 80 SOMETHING....SKY IS BLUE AND PEOPLE ARE OUT ON THE WATER!
MY  CLAN OF 4  HAD A PICNIC LUNCH ON THE BOAT-FIRST ONE OF THE SEASON-MY FAVORITE THING TO DO ON BEAUTIFUL WARM DAYS!!
AND THEN THE EMPTY WALL ON THE STAIRWAY LANDING KEPT BUGGING ME-I NEED A MASSIVE PAINTING. TIME TO GET INSPIRED AND GET BUSY!
AS USUAL, I GO TO MY "ART THAT I LOVE" BOARD ON PINTEREST....
FOR INSPIRATION-MOSTLY COLOR INSPIRATION. I LOVE GREENS, BLUES, PERIWINKLES.......WANT THAT IN MY NEXT PAINTING!!
I BOUGHT A 40" X 60" CANVAS...MY LARGEST YET...I CANT WAIT TO GET STARTED. I REALLY WANT SOME BLUE LIKE MY MADELINE WEINRIB RUG IN THE PAINTING. I THINK THIS WILL BE A NICE TRANSITION OFF THE WET BAR SPACE......
SO HERE IS THE EARLY EARLY STAGES OF MY NEW PAINTING THAT I CANT WAIT TO SEE EVOLVE.






COLOR INSPIRATION
http://madelineweinrib.com/

HUGE EMPTY WALL


KITCHEN IDEAS:REMODELING ON THE BRAIN!

I'VE HAD SEVERAL KITCHEN INQUIRIES LATELY SO I HAVE BEEN OBSESSING ABOUT THE LATEST AND GREATEST DESIGNS OUT THERE!
ONE KITCHEN REDO IN PARTICULAR IS FROM A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE IN NORFOLK BUILT IN 1926...STILL HAS SOME OF THE ORIGIONAL CABINETRY AND EVEN A BUILT-IN IRONING BOARD.....LOADS OF CHARACTER BUT THE HOMEOWNER NEEDS IT FRESHENED UP. THE CEILINGS ARE 10 FT AND I REALLY THINK CABINETS UP TO THE CEILING WOULD MAXIMIZE STORAGE SPACE AND BE BEAUTIFUL.....
THESE FANTASTIC KITCHENS HAVE REALLY INSPIRED ME!

PHOTO COURTESY OF http://www.houzz.com/


PHOTO COURTESY OF http://paloma81.blogspot.com/

PHOTO COURTESY OF http://www.guehnemade.com/

PHOTO COURTESY OF http://greigedesign.blogspot.com/

PHOTO COURTESY OF http://www.houzz.com/
 
PHOTO COURTESY OF http://www.housebeautiful.com/

PHOTO COURTESY OF http://theinspiredroom.net/
 

PORCH SPACE: FINE TUNING FOR SPRING ENTERTAINING!


AFTER MONTHS AND MONTHS OF DELIBERATING THE BEST BACK PORCH FURNITURE SCENERIO (I AM SO SO SO INDECISIVE WHEN IT COMES TO MY OWN DECOR-UGH!), I AM REALLY HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME. I COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT I WANTED AT THE FAR END OF THE PORCH.....PORCH SWING? 2 CHAISE LOUNGERS? 4 CHAIRS? WHAT DO I DO?????.....FINALLY SETTLED WITH 2 ALL WEATHER WICKER CHAIRS AND AN OTTOMAN-SOOOO COMFORTABLE!!!......WAS THINKING ABOUT A PULL DOWN SHADE BUT THIS PALM PLANT IS AN EXCELLENT SUN BLOCK IN THE LATER AFTERNOON!

 AND I TOOK MY BALLARD DESIGNS TERRIFIC TRIO SKIRTED TABLE OUT OF MY OFFICE BECAUSE WE NEEDED ANOTHER TABLE TOP FOR OUR EASTER EGG HUNT PARTY....WORKED OUT GREAT-MAY LEAVE IT??

BEFORE AND AFTER: EXTERIOR FACELIFT

THIS IS MY HOUSE.....THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT IT-DID I LIKE HOW IT LOOKED? HELL NO!!! UGLY UGLY UGLY!!! BUT, I KNEW IT HAD FANTASTIC POTENTIAL...AND I LOVE A PROJECT....AND WE ONLY WERE IN TOWN FOR 24 HOURS AND WERE PREPARED TO PUT ANYTHING UNDER CONTRACT!!! 
FIRST, WE REPLACED THE WINDOWS AND TOOK OFF THAT YUCKY ALUMINUM STORM DOOR! WE REPLACED THE FRONT DOOR WITH A LARGE GLASS PANEL DOOR BECAUSE WE NEEDED ANOTHER "WINDOW" IN THE ENTRY.
NEXT, WE PUT ON A NEW ROOF AND NEW GUTTERS...HATED GETTING RID OF THE COPPER ONES BUT THEY WERE IN HORRIBLE CONDITION.
EVENTUALLY WE PAINTED THE BRICK AND GOT A PRETTY NEW LANTERN. I ALSO TOOK A WEEK OFF TO DIG EVERY SINGLE BUSH IN THE FRONT YARD (IM INSANE BUT IT WAS A GREAT WORKOUT AND I LOVE TO REARRANGE PLANTS AS MUCH AS I DO FURNITURE!) I REPLACED THE OLD WITH SOME NEW STUFF THAT I AM ESPECIALLY FOND OF...IE:ENGLISH AND AMERICAN BOXWOODS-LOVE THEM!
IN ADDITION TO A KITCHEN AND FULL BATH REMODEL, JUST RECENTLY ADDED ON A FAMILY ROOM, MASTER SUITE, AND BACK PORCH SPACE....AND I LOVE IT! ....ALTHOUGH THE HOUSE IS MUCH LARGER, IT STILL MAINTAINS THE CUTE COTTAGE FEEL AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY HERE!!

PS-SORRY FOR THE WORDS ON TOP OF THE PICS-NOT A GOOD BLOGGER!!!