Updates

I know this post will probably shock you. I've done a little decorating and it's not in red. I know, who am I?

Truth be told I'm ready for a change. We are doing some big changes and  updates at the cottage, and of course I'll show you when everything is done, but we are really just chipping away at it a bit at a time so it's a fairly slow road we are traveling.

My day off was yesterday and I spent the day whipping up these curtains. I had some darling wood valances  that Earl had made over these windows but I was ready for a change.  I may use the valances elsewhere but I felt the room needed a little more color and pattern.

 At any rate, I haven't done a lot of fluffing and staging, we're friends right? This is the real deal, it's how the room looks right now, right down to the dying primroses waiting in the corner for the weather to be warm enough to plant them outside. I thought I would like some more blue in the house and the inspiration for these is Miss Mustard Seed's dining room.  Do you read her blog?  I love her style and seeing her curtains gave me some idea what a blue print would look like with my creamy white walls. Now clearly I don't have the same awe inspiring antiques to work with, but I have my grandmothers farm table and I love it because it reminds me of her. So many times I sat at that table at the farm and ate with my grandparents as a child. I was thrilled to get it. I haven't hemmed the curtains yet, in fact I can see I pinned them a bit crooked, but they need to hang a few days before I hem them anyways. I love the color. The little light oak cabinet in the corner is one Earl built for me many years ago. It's been all over the house and is a handy place to store so many things.

We were also in need of some "new" chairs.  I'll admit, with my penchant for dragging things out to the yard for a quick coat of my wild hare idea of whatever color I crave at the moment, I don't like to pay a lot for chairs. They are usually crazy expensive and I have a bit of a chair fetish at garage sales anyway, so if they are comfy and cheap and look good I'm all over them.  I found this set on craigslist for $50!  All four chairs cost less than half of what I would pay for the cheapest chair in a discount store. They are sturdy, comfortable and freshly painted by the lady who sold them. I think they look good in the dining room and for that price I can do what I want with them without regret.
This room still has some items on the to-do list, refinish the floors, repaint the walls and trim,  but right now I'm just loving the way a few simple changes can transform the place. Now that spring is here (kinda), we are going over the fix-up list with renewed fervor. It's long, oh so long, but  I think we'll  get most of it done.
I hope you all have a great weekend! What's on your spring and summer fix it list?