Good morning everyone, I trust you had a lovely weekend....at least I hope so. Won't you join me in a cuppa and a muffin while we chat.
I thought I'd share some of the things I've been doing in my kitchen, I only wish the light had been better. I could have played around with it to make it better but frankly I don't have time. I think you'll get the idea though.
It's pretty clear I like COLOR!
This is one end of the kitchen as I stand in the middle. The trim around the window is what BohoMan recently installed and then we painted it, the inside of the window and the sill all the aqua blue. It truly contrasts wonderfully with the citrus green walls. I brought in the blue shelf from my studio to put teacups on and the white dresser under it came from the studio as well.... it now holds tea towels and other sundry things. You can see my cabinets are oak stained.....boy do I NOT like them. When we remodeled back in 1990 I wanted white painted cabinets but was talked out of it (by the stainers)because to do them right and the paint last would have been 3x what it cost to just have them stained. I WILL have white cabinets some day if I have to paint them myself. Oh I could go on with what I'd change in there now............
But that's not the point right now.
I recently finished a painting for the wall (left side). It's very random but I wanted lots of color and so I just let it flow. It has no title or definitive theme or story but it works nicely with all the other color I've been adding.
oh and P.S. the 2 things hanging to the right of the window are actually wooden placemats from Target! I loved the colors and it was instant art for a narrow area!
I love hanging things in the window, a curtain valance just doesn't work in there because it blocks too much light. I have stained glass stars that were a gift a few years ago, birds, crystal with a face, glass balls, and a colored mirrored mobile that when it moves as the light hits it drives dots ALL over the kitchen.(the cats go crazy). I have two more stained glass pieces coming from an Etsy seller that I can't wait to hang in the window as well. (a fairy and a blue bird).
I also love having Gerbera daisies in cylinder vases on the sill. I need to go get some more as these are starting to wilt a bit. You can see my clothesline through the window and my giant windchimes that when the window is open on a breezy day fills the house with its sounds. I am on the hunt for more windchimes....I am very picky about the sound....it has to be melodious. The ones on our front porch have taken a beating and are falling apart so they really need to be replaced. This big one isn't the only one so....I like the sounds to literally surround the house.
We bought these moroccon looking metal lanterns over the weekend but they only had the orange, white and green..........the fourth one although hard to even tell in this photo....was white that we spray painted a lovely deep purple. When I find the color I am seeking the white one in this photo will become a lovely fuschia.
COLOR COLOR!!!
This is part of the light fixture above the kitchen table........the shades were a an ok blue but I felt they needed changing. I used colorwash spray to mottle them a sort of lime and sea blue, I like when you look up the insides look almost tie dyed or batiked. I think the brown of the fixture itself needs changing but I haven't made up my mind about that yet. COLOR COLOR COLOR!
I was using the kitchen table for a project so I didn't take a pic of the whole room yet.......I will another day, especially after I make a new tablecloth.
So that's what I've been working on lately......it's just so nice to get up in the morning and go in there to see all that color welcoming the day. I am still searcing for my collection of 50's cotton tablecloths...I want to display them on a shelf or ladder in another part of the kitchen. They are packed away in garagapalooza...........so you know what that means.
Are you a person who likes to be surrounded by color? The wonderful thing about that is paint is an easy fix as well as accessories like various glass and things hanging that reflect the sunlight. If you have all white walls you can accentuate with colorful accessories to truly bring a room alive!
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Yesterday I had the priviledge of meeting up with 3 fellow bloggers (for the first time) for coffee at Peets on 4th Street in Berkeley. Zorana, Sharon of All Norah's Art(who was here visiting Zorana from Texas to attend some art workshops) and Darla from Bayside to Mountainside whose birthday it just happened to be. It was a glorious couple of hours getting to know all three of these lovely ladies, I was thrilled to be sitting with them sipping coffee and chatting and laughing and getting to know one another! Sharon shared some of her art which was a rare treat to get to see it in person, I am a big fan of her!. We were also able to see some of Zorana's journal art as well. Such talent!!! The extraordinary thing was how easy it all was...........no pretense, no awkwardness, no fumbling for something to say.........it was relaxed and genuine and went by way too fast! That's how it should be!
No one likes their photo taken (I know I don't) so we promised not to show any pictures BUT I found a way around it..........I hope this is ok girls. :) Thank you for a lovely time, it was such a pleasure to finally meet you all!!
Sharon I hope you had a good flight home today!
After we said goodbye BohoMan (who was doing his own thing in the area) and I met up for brunch.
We sat partially under a bright yellow umbrella
Next to planters filled all around us with rosemary
We had a lovely time, great food, yummy drinks and the weather was perfection.
We walked a while afterwards holding hands, popping in and out of the shops, enjoying the perfect weather......... a beautiful day out!
It was a splendid weekend all the way around!
Now it's back to some projects that need to be completed and mailed out. Sue if you're reading this, that includes you.....you'll have it in plenty of time!!!
Life is good!
Love,
Lisa
XOXOXO
