I feel like I need to come clean with you all.

Hopefully you’ll see the irony.

Because ….

well …

even though this blog is about my home, I’m not feeling the love for it anymore.

The home, that is. Not the blog.

And I haven’t been feeling the love for awhile now.

In fact, my falling out of love is what prompted all the DIY’ing. Somehow that freed me up to experiment and explore with nail guns and paint sprayers.

The underlying issue is not so much the decor. But the structure.

And if I had the means, I would tear this house down in a heartbeat and build new.

It would solve so many issues with this 100+ year-old foundation.

The new space would look more like the family room addition. Because (within some constraints) we were able to create a clean slate when we created this space ourselves.

I would include lots of windows to flood the new home design with light.

And if budget was of no concern, the walls would be planked.

I think.

Since we’re not in any rush (remember the lack of means) I would  probably wait and see if that plank wall thing will last. Or if it’s a passing trend.

Remember when panel walls were all the rage in the 70’s?

Though, I am toying with adding some planks behind the armoire.

Until then, I’ll just enjoy this space …

… all dressed up in blue brown fall decor …

… while I dream my dream house dreams.

A girl can dream, right?

And when that windfall of cash lands in my lap, you’ll be the first to know.

And I’ll take you along for the ride!

You might also like:

Navy & Brown Fall Living Room (click here)

Fall Homemade Air Freshener (click here)

Fall in the Entry (click here)

Fall in the Dining Room (click here)

Want to keep up with my projects?

It’s easy. Get it all started with paint delivered to your email inbox:

How To Buy LED Light Bulbs – A Five Step Guide. 

I’ve been avoiding the LED bulb ‘thing,’ hoping it would go the way of the metric system.

Remember when the U.S. was going to adopt metric? And the population revolted. And it never came to be.

Yeah, I figured the same would happen with LED.  Especially when the first bulbs didn’t look like bulbs at all. That’s when I planned to hoard icandescents …

but I never followed through. Mostly because I have no space to store the hoards.

Then there was the expense thing. At first they seemed crazy expensive. And while the LED movement was telling us they would last for decades, the skeptic in me turned a deaf ear.

Which, by the way, the skeptic in me is 100% wrong: LEDs can last 22 years or 25,000 hours!

But when Ace Hardware asked me to relight a room in my home with LEDs, I could no longer keep my head stuck in the sand.

It was time to woman up and take the LED plunge.

I chose the family room. Mostly because we love the subtle lighting in there every since we added my new (and favorite) lamps. Those overheads are never turned on anymore.

I also turned to my neighborhood Ace Hardware for advice. Because this LED-avoiding-head-in-the-sand- homeowner had no idea how to shop for them. I had questions like, is there a 3-way LED bulb for my lamps?

To which Ace Hardware answered, why yes Linda, there is …

These Feit 3-way bulbs that I found at my local Ace. (And if you don’t see them on the shelves, just ask your Ace staff; they can always get them for you from another store).

I also asked Ace Hardware for some tips on how to choose the right LEDs. So they shared with me their 5 Step Guide on how to buy LED light bulbs:

How To Buy LED Light Bulbs

Step 1: Pick the Fixtures

The folks at Ace recommend bringing your old bulbs with you to the store to match up the base size. And to reap maximum energy — and energy bill — savings right away, they suggest replacing your most used light fixtures first.

Step 2: Choose the Brightness

LEDs shine bright on a far lower wattage than incandescent bulbs. This brightness is referred to as “lumens.” And while 800 luments is about 60 watts, you won’t need to memorize and conversion chart. The LED packaging includes a watt replacement number for ease of use.

Step 3: Consider the Color

There is “soft white” which Ace describes as warm, cozy and amber tinted. They’re closest in color to incandescent light. Ace suggests using them in rooms where you relax and entertain. The “daylight” bulbs are cooler toned and make whites brighter. Ace suggests using them in spaces where you need to see details clearly.

Step 4: Decide on the Direction

Ace tells me that the collar around the base of some LEDs can block light from shining in some directions. If you need light all-around, they suggest choosing “omni-directional” bulbs. The non omni-directional bulbs work best in utility room lights or where you want a spotlight effect.

Step 5: Determine if it’s Dimmable

You’ll need dimmable bulbs in fixtures controlled by a dimmer switch and 3-way bulbs for lamps that have 3 controls.

Now that I’m an LED convert, I’m looking forward to 80% in energy savings (which can mean up to $138 a year). I’m also looking forward to NOT having to change the bulbs every few weeks!

 For a closer look at the family room – in daylight – click here:

Family Room Remodel (click here)

Industrial Look Lamps (click here)

Fall Decor in the Family Room (click here)

Today’s post was written as part of my role as an Ace Hardware Blogger. I was compensated by Ace for this post and for the products used, but all opinions about the products used, tips on how to buy LED light bulbs, and about Ace Hardware are my own.

This fall, our morning routine has undergone a major overhaul.

Mike and Sam no longer race to get into the shower first. Sure we have two bathrooms, but there was always the fight for water pressure. Now Mike has all the pressure, and Sam gets to use the communal bathroom at college.

And then there’s Molly’s new morning agenda. An earlier start time. A determination to make her own lunch. And a new route to walk and a bus to ride.

Ernie and I have taken to escorting her to the bus stop. We don’t linger and wait for the bus to arrive. We’ve been instructed to move on. Especially when there are other teens waiting …

But on the first day of school (and her first solo bus ride), Ernie and I loitered a bit after we turned the corner, listening for the unmistakable hiss of the air brakes as the bus pulled up, followed by the electronic voice announcing the stop.

Once we felt comfortable that our precious cargo was en route to her destination, we cut down the alley on the way back home. A path that led us behind the Catholic school. And a path that led us past the school’s gym.

And as we passed, a familiar smell wafted through a door that was propped ajar with a stick. And it wasn’t the smell of dirty gym socks …

… at least I didn’t think so …

because it was a smell from my youth.

And as the smells from my youth wafted from that Catholic school gym, memories of elementary school came flooding back. My favorite teachers. The school office. The school gym where we had indoor recess.

The nurse’s office where I made a daily trip. Or at least it felt that way. I was a budding hypochondriac in elementary school.

Isn’t it funny how a smell can transport us back to bygone times? How it can conjure these crystal clear memories of things that happened so long ago in our lives? Memories repressed … and almost forgotten … by years and years of new memories.

So now my changed-up morning routine includes a journey back in time. Because cutting through the alley behind the Catholic school gym has become a new, cherished part of my morning adventure …

🙂

P.S. As I was going through the pictures of my fall dining room decor, I couldn’t help but notice all the orange wood.  Granted, it is Vermont cherry so the red tones should be expected. Even anticipated. But that was 20 years ago. Today, I can’t help but think a change may be in order. Not right away. But I do have ideas of a farmhouse table and industrial chairs and perhaps a cubby bookcase in place of the china cabinet …

You Might Also Like:

Fall in the Living Room

Paper Pumpkins

Fall in the Family Room

Fall in the Entry

I read somewhere that making the bed each morning will make you more productive. The single act of accomplishing a task that, for many (myself included), is less than desirable can get your day off on the right foot. The productive foot.

Which I think may be the right one. 🙂

For the past month-and-a-half or so — I don’t recall the exact date on which I started this exercise in increasing productivity — I’ve been making the bed each morning. After I get dressed. After I brush my teeth. After I put in my contacts so I can see what I’m doing. But before I head downstairs. Before I pass go and collect my 200 dollars.

Unfortunately, this experiment is a complete and utter failure. For me. In fact, it seems to have the opposite effect. Somehow, performing the early morning bed-making task justifies time wasted. Doing things like taking yet another Harry Potter Buzzfeed quiz.

I would be sorted into Griffindor. And Cedric Diggory is the wizard I should “get with.” 

Or surfing my Facebook newsfeed. Clicking through to Slate and Mashable stories. Or enticing “before and after” transformations teased by Hometalk.

The other downside of making the bed: I spend more time in the bedroom with my eyes open. And contacts in. Which has me thinking about mixing things up.

Yeah, yeah. Get your head out of the gutter.

I was talking design wise. Perhaps I should paint the bed frame? You know, give the space a lighter, more beachy vibe with white chalk paint.

To compliment (okay, match) my IKEA Tarva dresser makeover.

I’m just not sure what Mike would think about all white furniture.

Then there’s the wall behind the bed.

The leopard stencil is fun. And I do like it, but ….

I can’t help thinking about a faux whitewashed brick wall? Or planked? Or bead board wallpaper?

The one thing I won’t be changing is the wall color. Mostly because I don’t want to paint the vaulted ceiling again.

Ever.

I’ll leave that to the professionals.

I’ll leave you with my final conundrum: Should I continue to make the bed each morning?

If I do, clearly it gives me an excuse to goof off.

If I don’t, I’ll feel supremely lazy. And slug-like … which will lead to more goofing off.

Sigh.

Sharing: | Inspiration Monday |

This is how my living room has looked for the past few months.

Okay, not exactly like this …

That look is unrealistically neat and organized for everyday life here at Paint.

Sure, there are green accents to celebrate Spring, like these polka dot pillow covers.

And flowers from the grocery store adding in a bit more green.

{The boys wanted to know if I had some chia experiment going on with this one.}

But the major thing missing from this picture is a lanky, long-legged, blonde-haired-blue-eyed teenage girl sprawled across the couch …

typically with phone in hand and wrapped in a fleece blanket.

And let’s not forget the mail that seems to accumulate everywhere. On the ottoman and the radiator cover.

And my laptop and laptop table is missing. I’m typically parked at the chair by the window where I work on this blog. And maybe waste some time taking Buzzfeed quizzes …

😉

But today’s post isn’t about decorating for Spring. I’m ready to close the door on the chartreuse green chapter and look ahead to Summer.

My initial plan was yellow. Sunny and bright and a fun contrast with the navy. But then I walked into Crate & Barrel. And World Market. And Pottery Barn. And did you know what I saw? Can you guess?

Not yellow, my friends.

Everything was blue. And coastal. Sea shells and jute and sailboats. Cooling colors of the sea.

And now I’m reconsidering the yellow. And thinking coastal blues …

So, what do you think? Should I go with the flow and follow the whole coastal blue and sea shell trend this summer? Or should I buck the trends and stick with yellow?

Weigh in in the comments thread. That is, if it’s working!

Arrrgh!

Technology will be the end of me. Okay, not me. But it’s definitely taking its toll on the blog …

🙂

Sharing: | Inspiration Monday | Savvy Southern Style | Between Naps on the Porch |

Remember my entry and how I told you it held dirty little secrets? And you all were all like, yeah, right, Linda. It looks just fine to me.

You pointed out how the closet door and storage bench could close fully. And how papers weren’t spilling forth from my mail sort bins. And, fair enough, what I showed you looked perfectly fine. Clean, even.

An acceptable entry to greet guests with my head held high.

On the surface, that is.

But do you know what I see when I look behind closed doors and closed storage benches in inside of storage bins in the entry? I see this …

Ack!

Well, that’s what I saw before tackling my 7-day deep clean last week. My view has changed considerably since then …

changed for the better, that is.

For the much, much better.

I’m going to share some cleaning and organizing ideas for small spaces here. With a caveat. I am in no way the most organized of the organized. Nor am I the cleanest of the clean. I fall short on both counts. All I can do is share what worked for me.

1. Start with a surface clean. I find it much easier to clear out the space first. And run the vacuum. This leaves you with plenty of room to spread out. And a clean surface to put your items.

2. Don’t try to do it all in one day. You’ll just set yourself up for failure. Disappointment. And burnout. Instead, break it out into tasks and tackle one or two each day. You’ll end each day with a serious feeling of accomplishment … and motivation … to dig in again on day two. And three. And four. And more …

I made a checklist to keep me on track. And I created a clean template PDF file for you to you too. To download for free, click here …

3. Set a start and end time. And stick to it. As best you can. Admittedly, I fudged on this one. I wanted to start each day at 9:00 AM. But it seemed I couldn’t get my act in gear until 9:30 Or 9:45. Or 10:00. And some days I spent more time than others.

Like the day I underestimated the time it would take to go through he mail sort bins.

Each piece of mail needed to be opened. And examined. And for the “keep” bin I needed to set up a filing system.

4. Tackle the worst first.

The closet, by far, was the worst area in the space. But it was the best to purge. I was brutal when sorting through the junk and filled two garbage bags full. A few coats were donated to Salvation Army. And a handful of items made their way into my “yard sale bin” in the basement.

3. Don’t purchase storage bins and other organizational pieces until after you clean the space.

Otherwise, you’ll may end up purchasing items that don’t work it the space. And wasting money.

It wasn’t until I had my “keep” pile that I could figure out how it could all fit back into the closet. Neat and tidy.

The cute gray and white chevron fabric bins from Pottery Barn (here) were a perfect top of the closet solution. They hold my flags and winter gloves and mittens and scarves and hats.

This Closetmaid stackable cube storage (here) was the perfect size to hold my shoes, while still leaving room for the mini vac.

And this over the door organizer rack (here) offers easy access to umbrellas and bags.

4. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

This was a lesson learned. I veered from the original plan and decided to paint the interior of the closet. And the back of the closet door. And add much-needed baseboards. Sure, you can’t see it, but it makes me happy!

It feels so great to have a handle on this space. I  know exactly what’s in here. And even have extra space (like in the storage bench) for even more stuff! 🙂

I’ll just take care not to over-stuff …

😉

Linda

One dirty little secret down, nine more to go. Or is that ten? I’m not sure. What I do know is this week I’m moving on to the living room …

Be sure to check back next week for the sordid behind-closed-doors befores & afters!

Sharing: * Between Naps on the Porch * The DIY Showoff * Inspiration Monday *

Purple and I go way back …

way, way back to the One-Eyed, One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater.

That song brings me way, way back to memories of my sister Janet. And in my memory, Janet played the role of the Purple People Eater. And I the one asking not to be eaten.

And while purple was my go-to color in grammar school, somehow I never had a purple room. Pink and green – with an alternating combo of pink walls followed by green walls – when I shared a room with my sister Carol. That room-sharing situation lasted from birth through high school.

When I graduated from high school and graduated to a room of my own, I painted it (all by myself) a hue of Tiffany blue.

And that is when my love affair with paint rollers and paint brushes and drop cloths began.

At that time, purple was never a room color option. Seems I outgrew that grammar school color fascination …

or so I thought.

Turns out my daughter has outgrown purple too.

Though, to perfectly honest, her purple room was my idea. She was still little when I graduated her from nursery to big girl room. Turns out, I channeled my inner purple-people-eater-loving-grammar-school-girl when I created this room for her.

I had also embraced the flower. Stenciled on the walls. And furniture.

When I first created this space (a space that has been “well worn” over the years) I had draped a sheer white piece of fabric over those hooks. Trying to give it a romantic look …

and create a faux headboard in this tiny little space.

The balloon shade I had made used to have a pretty, sparkly hanging bead edge. But somewhere over the years, the beads have disappeared …

picked away.

I changed out the hardware on the Crate & Barrel armoire with knobs from Restoration Hardware. But I didn’t get enough. Miscounted. So we ended up with a bad mix-and-match mix-up of hardware on the dresser over the years.

As an aside, the armoire will be getting a coat or two of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White. And proper, matching hardware.

I also plan to count – and count again (to confirm) — before buying the hardware this time around.

I thought I was so clever when I made this artwork. You know, to match the stencil.

A stencil I made myself. Because my daughter loved Monsters Inc.  At one point, I stenciled her bedroom door with Boo’s flowers. It was a a stay-at-home mommy’s burst-of-creative-energy-after-pre-school surprise.

And then I had the  genius idea to add rhinestones to the flowers. You know, as seeds. I’m pretty sure I glued them on with Super Glue …

… because prying them off the wall this past weekend was not fun. Or easy.

😉

Yesterday I gave my daughter a very important life lesson. A life lesson in how to paint a room …

and together, with paint brushes and paint rollers in hand, we bid a fond farewell to her One-Eyed, One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater room.

Linda

Sharing: * Between Naps on the Porch *