Chinoiserie Watering Can

April Showers Bring May Flowers...

and if not, then I'll just water my flowers using my newly painted Chinioiserie watering can.

I was inspired by a post from Ashley Brooke's Instagram

where she posted a picture of her gorgeous porch. The picture sparked a flurry of questions about her blue and white floral watering can.

It made me wonder... I had a beat up old watering can I could do a "test run" with.

Pretty cute, huh?

I washed my beat up old can off and started to spray paint it. I was so into the project that I didn't even take a "right side up" before picture!

It has a couple of holes on the side where the top handle came off years ago but it looks great glossy and white and this is a "test" anyway.

I grabbed two shades of blue and started freehand painting my design.

A few painted embellishments and a coat of clear spray paint 

and watering has just become a lot more fun!

I'm supposed to be hard at work on my One Room Challenge but I'm a bit bogged down so I am doing what I usually do during the ORC process... I'm off doing unrelated projects. :)

I do it every. single. time.

What If My Kitchen Wasn't (All) White? - The One Room Challenge Week 3

Can I just share that waiting for fabric to be delivered is worse than watching paint dry??

Also, after painting swatches on my white kitchen cabinets, receiving messages from designers saying they are OVER white kitchens, and looking at tons of images online to see which ones I have an automatic positive reaction to it might be possible that I am not going to paint my cabinets - a different color, that is.
 They still need repainting but I think it might be white for the win.
 I'm just a bucket of white paint girl, I guess.
 I could drink the stuff I love it so much. 

So the color will be coming in strong in other places I guess!!
You KNOW there will be bamboo, plants, the color coral, animal print and blue and white!

I know it's Week 3 and this isn't much of a report...
but, well, I don't have much to report at this point!!

Be sure to follow along on the ORC blog here.

What If My Kitchen Wasn't (All) White? - The One Room Challenge Week 2

Week 2 Update.

I was out of town for most of Week 1 but there has been some progress!

 The biggest change this week has been the green faux bamboo server that I found while out thrifting a couple of weeks ago has been cleaned up and given 

a fresh coat of a delicious coral color Sherwin Williams Lei Flower.
(Thank you Pantone for choosing one of my favorites as Color of the Year!)

 A progress shot. 

It's been so rainy in Georgia that we have set up an impromptu paint booth

 on the screened porch :)

You may have seen where these chairs got a coat of paint out here last week!

The coral cabinet is replacing the green dresser that was in the kitchen previously. 

I liked it a lot but loved the faux bamboo one when I saw it 

so I gave the green one away and in moves the coral one!

The server is in place and I've pulled some swatches

 that I would like to use as another textile in the room.

I still have a long to-do list but I'm trying to time projects around Easter company 

and another out of town trip since it's the kitchen and we cook every night!

Here are some of the major bullet points:

1.Paint thrifted vintage bamboo sideboard - check!

2. Curtains - Fabric ordered. Waiting. Decide on curtain rod. Scored great curtain rings on major clearance. Sew curtains.

3. Build/reconfigure shelf to move microwave location.

4. Fix brackets and trim around window opening over sink - very dated. Hello 80's kitchen.

5. Decide on cabinet paint color. 

6. Paint cabinets. There are quite a few to paint!

7. Move globes from Kitchen to Library - check!

8. Use a floor restore/cleaner product on hardwoods that are not being refinished. (Puppy is too young to do a major floor job right now!)

9. Think about a sea grass rug under kitchen table?

10. Accessorize.

11. Bamboo blinds?? Not a necessity - purely aesthetic. Worth the expense at this time?

Follow my progress (fingers crossed) on my Instagram.

Be sure to follow along and see all of the other "One Room Challeng-ers" and their amazing rooms, ideas and progress.

What If My Kitchen Wasn't (All) White? - The One Room Challenge

I've been having these thoughts.

Late at night. While sitting in traffic. When I'm supposed to be doing other things.

I think to myself: "What if my kitchen wasn't all white??"

I know, right?

I love love white kitchens. 

I fought long and hard for my white kitchen. 

(Painting wood cabinets appalled my hubby. 

He's finally come around and I've painted all the trim, cabinets, etc.)

I'm not knocking wood cabinets and trim -  if you have them and love them

 then that's all good. 

I just wanted it ALL painted. And white. Definitely white. ALL white.

And now I'm having these thoughts. 

After thinking these thoughts for a while I finally said it out loud.

And then to the surprise of some who know me well and my love for buckets of glossy white paint, I started looking at my paint fan deck.

I even bought a sample pot one Saturday.

I started looking for inspiration pics. 

There are tons of fabulous looking non-white kitchens out there!

I knew this and many years ago (previous home) I painted my kitchen cabinets glossy black. 

This is not my first non-white kitchen rodeo, y'all. 

Then I started a Pinterest Board of non-white kitchens. 

(That's when you know it's serious!)

(Look at this DeVol kitchen!! It's what kitchen dreams are made of.  If I had these ceilings and this light I'd definitely go for black cabinets again. But I do not.)

So, I'm going for it!

This One Room Challenge (Number 8 , for me) 

is going to be the:

What If My Kitchen Wasn't (ALL) White ORC!

I'm going to add some color to my cabinets and freshen up a few things.

(Another DeVol Kitchen. This is more the type of color I'm going for. In the same range as fingerprints, dirt and dust!! But classy looking! )

 This is NOT a kitchen reno by any means.

 NO new appliances, countertops, moving of cabinets or anything major or expensive.

 It's just a subtle color change and some small projects here and there. 

 I do think a freshen up can be just what you need to make a space a little better, more exciting, when it's been the same a looooong time!

It wasn't awful before. But it's time to repaint the cabinets 

and I'm tired of a few things so now is the time to make some changes. 

(It's only paint. I can always go white again!)

This recently thrifted cabinet is getting a paint job and headed for the kitchen.

And the bamboo kitchen table and chairs that I talked about here are staying.

These coral cheetah fabrics and this SW  paint are on my ORC radar, too.

Follow along here on the blog each week and on my Instagram account for little snippets of (hopefully) progress along the way.
See what everyone is up to on the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE website.

If you want to check out my previous One Room Challenges:

1.My Guest Room - when I took a deep breath and gave ORC a try!
2. My "Black is Back" Library (formerly our Dining Room)
See last week's Library Refresh here. The rug story is pretty amazing!
3.My Master Bathroom (Still love it!)
4. "Half the Time Project" - My Guest Room 2nd go 'round! (Confusing, I know)
5. My Entryway
6. ORC Fail :(
7. My Screened In Porch - Lucky No. 7

Library Refresh!

 I'm supposed to be gearing up for my EIGHTH One Room Challenge 

but I took a little time to refresh a previous ORC over the weekend. 

The Black Is Back Library got a shot of color 

and an amazing (in more than one way) new rug.

More on that in a minute - you're going to want to hear this one!

I posted these two pics on my Instagram last week saying that I was realllly thinking about painting the two comfy wicker chairs in the room. 

I chose a soft turquoise blue, Watery by Sherwin Williams, and we all love it!

Cooper approved!

  (I guess it's pretty obvious that I need to find one more globe on one of my thrifting outings!)

This large cabinet is on the wall opposite the chairs. 

I just moved it from our family room and got rid of two open bookshelves 

and a bench in front of them. You can see that library layout here.

We found the cabinet in a thrift store almost 25 years ago.

 It came from an old school library. 

It still has library information pasted on the inside of the shelves.

Now for the rug. 

I love the look of a zebra rug (faux, always faux!)

I found this Ethan Allen Rug brand new in it's original packaging at a thrift store. 

I had already bought quite a few items and was headed out of the store when I saw the stack of Ethan Allen bags and a sign that said "new Zebra Rugs $50.00."

I was hesitating... One had been partially pulled out of its wrapper. 

It looked nice but did I need a rug that was predominately white (I know us!)

 even for $50.00?

And then the salesgirl said. "It's 50% off!!" 

Sold. I'm willing to risk it for $25.00.

Then when I walked over to pay she told me a store going out of business had donated a truckload of items and brought a price sheet to help them price items if they wanted. 

She told me the rug originally retailed for $2000.00.

Seriously?? I was doubtful but guess what??

I looked it up and it was originally OVER $2000.00!! $2529.00!

It is no longer available but there are quite  few listings for it on resale sights!!

I think this may be my greatest thrifting deal so far!

(They were folded so the wrinkle is still relaxing a bit)

Be sure to follow along for the next few weeks here and on my Instagram

 as I work on my 8th One Room Challenge.