I've Been Scheming

Hi everyone!

One of my upcoming summer projects is to repaint most of our first floor.  I really wanted to do it last summer, but I had some health issues that prevented me from doing so.  I am actually quite happy that I did not get around to painting, as my choices in colors have changed dramatically.

As any of you know who have visited my blog, I love dark, rich colors.  I always have and I am pretty sure I always will.  I have strayed from them from time to time and was never pleased with the outcome. With that being said, although I do not want to change my dark color scheme, I am ready to lighten my wall colors.  My current upholstered pieces have a "crisper" color palette making the wall colors look very drab and frankly, depressing. I look forward to freshening things up with a new color scheme!

I have had a paint deck for awhile now and it has been a fun thing to play around with. It was under $10 and well worth the money.  Shown against the backdrop of two of our upholstered chairs, these are the colors I have chosen:

The warm white (with a very slight hint of yellow) is called Heavy Cream and will be the main wall color in the living and entry areas.  The green color, Pickling Spice, is my choice for the kitchen and eating area, and Indian Paintbrush, the red, is for a small sliver of wall in our entry as well as our fireplace wall.

Below is a picture of our other furniture fabrics within this space.  The paint colors in the first picture are a much more accurate idea of the colors I've selected.  The Purina feedsack is a recent Ebay find that I will be incorporating into my kitchen.

I am so ready to tackle this project. It is going to be an undertaking, but it will be so worth it. Our kitchen is currently painted a very deep burgandy and the living room is gold, with a butterscotch antique accent wall. Add in the wood floor and dark tile, things are much too dreary! This lighter color scheme is going to make such a difference - at least I think so! As I said, I am still loving my rich colors, but it's time to lighten up the background.

I am just "scheming" about this paint project right now, but come June it will be full speed ahead.

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane

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Closer to Home

Hi everyone!

As you know from previous posts, Mr. Bluebird and I went to Branson, Missouri for a Spring getaway. While there, we enjoyed a day of antiquing. 

I didn't come home with much, but I DID come home with the determination to find some of the things I liked in Branson at a cheaper price! 

This green hurricane lamp won my heart, but the price was a deal breaker.

Same thing with these old bowls. Pricey, pricey and pricey!

What's a girl to do?

 Well, we got home from vacation on a Sunday,  but I still had Monday off....so, I headed out Monday morning to my favorite local antique mall.

I was on the hunt for a hurricane lamp and for $12.00,  this one came home with me.

Loving it in my spring vignette. The color just makes my heart beat a little faster!

I also found an old green bowl for $22.00 - far less than the $50 plus bowls I saw on vacation. For now, it has a prideful place in my China cabinet. (Let's also take a momentary pause and admire my super cute cow cutting board........the little metal numbers are vintage livestock tags I found at a flea market last summer.)

I also brought home this amazing crated water bottle for $40! A total steal.

Although I was hoping to come home with "vacation" finds from Missouri, I am pretty delighted with my "closer to home" finds.

Have you found any "near by" treasures lately?

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane

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More Branson & A Very Brady Picture

Hi Everyone!

As I've been sharing with you, Mr. Bluebird and I went to Branson, Missouri for a little spring getaway.  Today I wanted to share pictures of some of the memorable places we went to.

We had heard from a local that Billy Gail's Cafe was THE place to go for breakfast and he was spot on!  First of all, even if the food had not been delicious, I would still love this little place.  It was once an old gas station near Silver Dollar City. Isn't it sweet?

Loved this old, red coal scuttle filled with geraniums.

The place was filled with lots of old treasures and had such charm.  Look at those red lockers - swoon!

Here's another pic of the outside - so stinkin' cute.  I can't wait to go back!

Mr. Bluebird is an avid golfer and we had heard about the Top of the Rock Golf Course at  Big Cedar Lodge.  Oh my gosh, what a beautiful place!  The little chapel in the distance can be rented out for weddings and other events.  The foreground of this picture is of the PRACTICE area - just breathtaking.

This is another view of the practice area from Arnie's Barn Bar & Restaurant.  We stopped in for a drink and being from Wisconsin, we wanted to sit outside (even if it was 65!.)  Since their main patio was not open, they let us and the couple we were traveling with use their private balcony and sitting area.

Check it out!  What a massive fireplace.  There are fireplaces all over this restaurant - each one more gorgeous than the next.

This is the indoor private dining area that adjoins the balcony.  I fell madly in love with these chairs!

The restaurant was built with a barn that was on famed golfer, Arnold Palmer's property.  It was taken and down and reconstructed by Amish craftsman. Adore the grainsack fabric used for the chairbacks.

Inside Arnie's Barn Gift Shop, there were tons of lovely home decor items.

I can't get enough of Pendelton blankets.

My favorite, most crushed on item were these incredible trays made out of wood slabs.  Oh.yes.please!   I may just pick one up next time.  The salesperson said it was their top selling item.

Being a kid from the 70's, I couldn't resist a photo op with Barry Williams aka Greg Brady.  Not sure I would say his show is "Branson's Hippest," but it was fun when we saw it in 2014. Once was enough for us, so we chose other shows this time. This picture was taken this year while we were picking up tickets.  Cheesy but fun!

That's a little more of our Branson adventure - such a fun place to go. Do you have a getaway spot you go to again and again?

My little Bluebird would love it if you stopped by her blog, Bows for Justine.  She has a fun coffee post up.

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane

Linking with:
Inspire Me Tuesday

Antiquing in the Ozarks

Hi everyone!

Spring has finally arrived in my little corner of Wisconsin and we have enjoyed a warm and sunny week. Mr. Bluebird even mowed the lawn for the first time this season and I was able to hang our bedding out on the clothesline we put up last year. Simple pleasures! 

Mr. Bluebird and I made our annual trek to Branson, MO for Spring Break and really enjoyed the warmer temps. We also enjoyed a morning of antiquing thanks to the advice from Pat at Back Porch Musings. She was sweet enough to tell me about some great shops in near by Ozark, MO.  We also stopped at the Branson Pickers in downtown Branson.

Loved this old laundry basket.

The green hurricane lamp caught my eye, but was very pricey.

Isn't this old child's typewriter sweet? It still works! I regret not buying this soooo  much. I am now on the lookout for one here at home.

This booth had some very creative lighting. My picture does not do it justice - it was gorgeous for a farmhouse island.

This booth was in an antique mall that had a very masculine vibe...even Mr. Bluebird noticed.

I am an old bowl hound, and the middle yellow one had my heart. But yikes! This bowl was $55.00! I had to leave this one behind - the same bowl can be found close to my home for far less. Boo! I liked that bowl.

This jumble of old license plates made me smile!

Another child's typewriter!

I also liked these cute bookends and regret leaving them too!

Cute tins all stacked up.

This berry basket was pretty nifty.

I saw lots of olive baskets - a rare sighting in Wisconsin, but apparently commonplace in Missouri. I already have a few, so I didn't bring one home.

I left pretty empty handed...there were a few larger  items that would have been in my car, but we were traveling with friends and space was limited. I did Empty handed or not, it's always fun to poke around an antique mall. I did pick up a little burlap sack that I plan on using as a planter eventually.

It still was a fun morning, capped off by a yummy lunch at Lambert' s Cafe. We had heard about this place for years and finally stopped in. It is a real hoot and totally worth going in. Mr.Bluebird and I have put it on our "must go again" list.

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane



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If You Like It, Then You Better Put A Rug Pad Under It!

Hi Everyone!

Are you asking yourself, "why is she using a bad Beyonce pun for a post title? (Or are you just asking, "Who is Beyonce?" Well, way back in March, I was approached by Rug Pad Corner to do a product review on their rug pads.  This was very serendipitous for me, as I had been searching for several rug pads for my living room.  I have always purchased the cheap, plastic waffle weave pads available at any big box store.  While inexpensive, I was never satisfied with their performance - my rugs slipped and slided all over the place and I was forever adjusting them.  Our dog would slide and move the rug whenever he ran by!  Dangerous and not pretty!

The kind folks at Rug Pad Corner let me choose two of their eco-friendly pads for me to try out and share my thoughts with you all on their performance and value. I chose the rug by the fireplace because a slipping rug by a stone hearth is a bit dangerous and also, the large rug in our seating area in the same room. After looking through their website, it was determined their Ultra Performance pad was the right choice for our hard flooring.  Their pads are green-rated and made without glue or adhesives.  They are a luxurious 1/3" thick.

While not glamorous to look at, let me tell you - these pads are the bomb!!!  My rugs lay better and feel fabulous underfoot. Even Mr. Bluebird, who more often than not will say "it doesn't matter to me," is madly in love with these pads.  I have to honestly say I never felt a rug pad would make much difference in the way I felt about my rugs, but I was wrong.  Wrong, wrong, wrong!

There is an old saying, "the difference is in the details." and in this case, I whole-heartedly agree.  My rugs now stay in place, lay better and feel wonderful underfoot.  Although you cannot see them, their presence can be seen in how our rugs look and feel.They have been in use at our house now for almost two months and I am sold on this company's product!  No more cheapy big box pads for me.

Now, here is the part I am excited to share with you all:  Rug Pad Corner is offering my readers a 15% discount on any rug pad order.  Use the code REVIEW15 to claim your discount. I think you will find their pricing very affordable and worth every penny!

 If you have any questions about my experience with Rug Pad Corner, please let me know and I will do my best to answer your questions.

*Although I was compensated with merchandise for this review, the opinions are my own.

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane

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Packing for a Spring Getaway

Hi everyone!

This year as I thought about packing for a spring break getaway with Mr. Bluebird, I decided to limit my wardrobe to three basic colors. I was hoping to get the most out of my suitcase space, along with giving me alot of options once we reached our destination. I chose navy, coral and white.

Now, I am no fashion expert (nor do I play one on tv, lol!), but I thought I would share with you what I took along. It was a fairly casual vacation, so for bottoms I chose denim jeans, white jeans, navy chinos and a pair of khakis. I packed 16 tops/jackets and came up with at least 26 variations! Add a few pieces of jewelry, several belts, scarf and three handbags and I was on my way!

Navy and white cap sleeve top with an eyelet & denim vest.

Navy and white top on its own.

Same top with a denim jacket. Who doesn't love a classic  jeans jacket?

A jeans shirt and a coral leopard jeans jacket.

Coral and navy plaid shirt, navy tee and white denim jacket.

Same shirt and tee, paired up with the blue denim jacket.

Plaid shirt and tee - this time paired with the white denim vest.

Throw on an infinity scarf and there's another look!

Navy tie dye top and white tee.

Same top paired with the white vest.

Mini print zip up and white tee - looks cute with the nautical inspired bucket bag.

Cute with a skinny navy belt.

Or a floral print crossbody.

Simple coral Henley.

White and navy tee shirt cardigan over navy blue tee.

Same cardigan tied in a knot over the coral Henley.

Coral Henley with the white denim vest and infinity scarf.

Instead of a scarf, just a simple necklace.

Navy blue tunic with southwest inspired jewelry.

A little more southwest style with an oversized leather belt.

Same tunic and belt under the leopard jacket.

Tunic topped with the classic jeans jacket.

Topped with the eyelet vest and a fun scarf necklace.

Navy print tee layered over the white tee - belted.

The two tees under the denim shirt.

And with the white denim vest...

And with the denim jacket.

Six pairs of shoes (probably a few too many, but since we weren't flying there was space to bring them along - so why not?!).  My pants for the trip...two dark wash jeans, navy chinos, white jeans and khakis.
I

I took three bags - a small crossbody to use in the evening, a floral shopper to use during the day (good for shopping - hence the name) and the striped bucket bag because it's so cute!

While I still packed quite a bit, sticking with a limited color palette allowed me alot of flexibility during our trip and I had the right outfit no matter what the weather or activity. I will definitely use this method again and especially for those trips where I can only take a carry on.
 Hope you found some packing inspiration for your next getaway!

I will be sharing more about our spring break trip soon.

Thanks for stopping by,
Jane


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