Spring 2017 ORC "Half The Time" Project ~ Week 6

"Running the last man home..."

That should be the title of my reveal! I'm last.

 My daughter ran Cross Country in high school. When a teammate was late coming in because he/she was injured or sick or had fallen and lost their spot in the pack the first one or two teammates who had crossed the finish line early would run back and run in beside the struggling runner offering encouragement the whole time. The first time I saw this I almost cried. Not every team did this. They were doing this after a hard, fast 5K they had already run. It was so kind and they were teenagers in that stage that so many older people label as thoughtless and self absorbed. Mollie's team won most of their meets and championships so these were runners who had just set records going back to run the last guy home.

So I hope you will come to the back of the ORC pack (so many great rooms already posted) and hang with me in last place :)

I'm happy to have this room completed and I thank Linda of Calling It Home blog

for sponsoring this motivating experience. 

Whenever I cross the Finish Line!

Now enough sports metaphors - let's look/talk decor!

This was my "Half the Time" ORC. 

I was in and out of town during this challenge and busy working on a #secretproject as well.

(Please be sure to read about my #secretproject!!)

Let's see how I did!

Here is my Olio Board from the beginning of the process.

You can see the "befores" of the room here and here.

I think I stayed pretty true to the vision with a few fun additions 

that I squeezed in after I finally got the ball rolling around here!

The bamboo chair and its wine colored cushion was behind the color shift in this room.

The other motivator was to put the finishing layers and touches on this room that was improved greatly in the first ORC I ever did but I never went back 
and really pulled it all together.

So, no more chit chat. 

Here is where we ended up with a couple of weeks work time 

Before:

And, come on in... 

(Hey, look, it's my reveal photo and I forgot to go back and put on the outlet cover !!)

Small disclaimer: I finally finished but it was pouring rain. Not a good photo shoot day.

These are all iphone pics. You gotta do what you gotta do!

more from my iphone...

If you need us for the next two weeks...

We have our feet propped up, fans blowing straight at us 

( It's been over 95 waaaay too often), 

appetizers made and the Olympics on the porch TV!!
(and, yes, the cords are unattractive but necessary to get Rio on our porch!)

This IG account has the most colorful, fun, eye candy posts!!

#porchgoals

Trying to stay out of politics and controversial world events 

but maybe if we all practiced this quote everyday then things would be better. 

And I might add, if you don't think you see something beautiful to mention about a person then keep quiet!

Went to a cool burger place the other night with these three beauties. 

Girl talk and catching up.

Moxie Burger, if you are in Roswell or Marietta, is delicious!!

And they have GF buns and a turkey burger!!

Major props on that.

(And can I just say that the young lady on the left is wrapping up an internship at the CDC and the young lady on the right is on scholarship to College of Charleston? And they both took a week off from studies and summer jobs, etc. to do a week of mission work.)

And Mollie graduated a year ago in July. Wow!! Time flies.

The reminder showed up on FB's Time Hop last week. 

We celebrated with a Low Country Boil. 

We are gearing up for another one when it cools off a bit because I bought shrimp when I was in Charleston a few weeks ago!!

And the Boules Court got lights this past week so things are looking up in our backyard.

 I blogged about the early stages and it wasn't this pretty!

We've already had a ton of fun on it - our Honduras Mission Team had a reunion Saturday night and the court got plenty of play and the porch was full of fun people and good food. And it was hot ( like Honduras hot!!)

(Isn't the ladder an attractive touch? We have a little  somewhat large roof/storm damage issue going on.

 UGG! Two steps forward, one step back!)

I finally got my pelican print framed. I've had it for ages... I like big shore bird pictures. 

What can I say?

It has ended up in the Black is Back Library - for now.

 I intended it for another spot but we are liking where it's perched for now.

And I found a fabulous bamboo dresser for a steal on a thrifting app on my iphone. 

 It got a little cleaning and a glossy coat of paint last week. 

And last but not least...

A copper flamingo punch bowl!!! 

WHAT????

Talk about coveting something frivolous!!!

I can't stand how awesome that is.

Oh, the frozen punches I could serve out of that!!!

#excusetopartyeveryweekend

Hola! I've Been In Honduras!

If you follow me on Instagram

then you know I have been on my yearly trip to a remote village in Honduras.

This was our 3rd year in a row to go to the same area.

It is one of my favorite weeks of the year.

Mollie and I go together.

Our team does VBS and work projects that are designed to improve the living conditions and overall health of the children who reside in the remote villages.

Mollie and I oversee "Biblia" - Bible School.

Kimberly was a fave!!

Yes, we checked Mollie's bags for small children before we left the country!!

Her bags did not conceal small children (luckily)

 but we did by some wares from the local basket makers.

They are works of art.

They charge so little for something that takes such time and is perfectly crafted.

We can't bring ourselves to bargain.

I'll be showing you some more pictures from our trip and you may notice the casts

 so this is my disclaimer:

These two came pre-injured. This did not happen in Honduras!

Texture

Our family room walls are white. 

Glossy, regular old Sherwin Williams "white."

(They've been burgundy, tan, greige and
 an unfortunate gray blue that looked like baby boy nursery blue in our light in that room.
 That was repainted in a flash!)

 Nothing fancy.
( But the glossy part is important to me. )

I just love white.

This picture was taken with my iphone on a rainy afternoon. Sorry it's not better :)

My parents gave me a 1 time deep house cleaning as a gift back in July  (right before Mollie's college graduation party) and a team of 4 ladies spent about 6 hours at my house.
 They cleaned everything. It was a.maz.ing!!

 Even though the pic is grainy everything is spotless at the same time!!! #trueluxury

And right there smack dab in the middle is the scary fan!

It has been replaced with a ceiling hugging bamboo fan without a light fixture.

 #muchbetter

There's a lot of white in that room but there is also a lot of texture.

Shiny tortoiseshell bamboo and sandpaper rough coral.

Natural elements like turtle shell, glossy green leaves, small sea shells.

Green glass, blue and white pottery.

(The turtle shell is a musical instrument from Honduras and was a gift. They eat the turtle meat and repurpose the shell.

And I just noticed a Sharpie on the wicker tray. I'm never far from a Sharpie!)

Wicker and rattan and more bamboo.

And lots of textiles. 

Quilted and woven. Ikat and Velvet.

(The blue and white blanket was woven in Honduras and brought home on our previous trip.)

More coral, pewter, shiny book jackets and painted wood.

And glossy white walls, shiny black lamps, textured oil painting, carved wooden boxes and shiny, shiny conch shells from a Bahamas trip with rough brick below 

(and, oh, how I want to paint that brick white!)

The trim is glossy white, too.

 I love light reflecting off of glossy surfaces and it helps in a room that doesn't get much light.

More bamboo  and wood and mixed metals. 

Texture is a game changer and a best friend to white walls!