UP-DATED: Not to blow the budget!

It's March!!  And this month I'm working on: how not to blow the budget!!  No different than any other month but I'm excited to get things done and February extended the things to do list!

As you know I have recently had my patio screened in.  The idea is to be able to use it 360 days out the 365 days of the year.  I am figuring on about 5 days of too cold here during the winter, or maybe too hot during the day but comfortable enough at night to enjoy.

The most expense was the actually enclosing of the patio but someone locally, a neighbor, has done so many here, he did mine. So after that, putting it all together will be the next expense and can't break the budget.

Right now, I have been using resin furniture because it's been exposed to the elements, but I want to go more comfortable... and more living, den feeling, without losing the tropics.

The first expense, of decorating, was the curtains. They are shear and light enough to blow in the breeze BUT enough to give some privacy inside and out.  It makes a big difference not feeling like I am sitting in the middle of the (main) road!  Two shipments under $75.00!!

I will start with 2 free sample quarts, I got from ACE Hardware during a promotion, on the shed.  It will give me an idea of how the two colors will match.  After seeing the colors together, I will decide if they are the colors I want the "room" to be as well as the whole trailer.

Two beachy aquas and white trim... I'm liking how it looks!  I couldn't stand anymore because I had started cleaning out the shed.  It will be easy enough to start with paint and get it done.

UPDATE:  Shed front finished painting with two coats!  DONE!!

I have an area rug (indoor/outdoor) there for my seating area but I want to do wall-to-wall indoor/outdoor carpet as a base.  I wind up with 230 sq. ft. and looking at 3 different types of indoor/outdoor carpet I come up with  $180, $203, and $250 to cover the floor.  My biggest decision is color!  How crazy is that.

Found these at the dumpster and they are in great shape.  I think I decided on a sand color carpet!  FREE is great but the color and traditional style will last and work out well.

Next I will be checking out thrift stores again.  I want a futon or twin day bed (that I may be able to put together myself) and comfy chairs for lounging out there and something to use as a buffet for those things that I wouldn't have to go in and out for.

I'm going to make a railing looking like pilings with rope around it.  In my head, it seems easy enough.  And will take done my aluminum screen door and eventually replace with a wood screen door.

Of course, the list goes on, but this is where I start a new month.  I may not accomplish it all but that's my start.

Wishing you the best for a new month to do what makes you feel good and gets you closer to where you want to be.

Hello Fall!

 Hello Fall!  kinda  The cold front that the rest of the country is starting to enjoy or experience is stuck just to the north by a Bermuda high... LOL  which simply means, it is still getting hot and humid here.  We are still have sea breeze storms in the afternoon and evening.  It isn't too bad but the air conditioner still runs because of the humidity.

So, the best I could do was put out a few decorations in hopes I can open the windows soon...that's what I'm looking forward too!

I filled the back of my wagon with coconut fiber, pine cones, gourds and scare crows...there's garlands of berries, colorful maple leaves and mums.

palm trees and fall

I think I'll do a little tweaking but I got this done just before the lightning started!  The clouds were coming and the rumbles got closer:

Have a great day!!

A day with a change of plans...

I have wanted to do this forever!  and I love the way it looks!  

It's hard to live in Florida and not love the beach. But I have always loved the ocean.  I have always loved the water: the river, the bay, the sound, the gulf BUT there is nothing like the Ocean.  

Whenever I stand on the edge of "my" world and gaze out as far as I can see, I can feel so small on God's earth but so at peace.  On a nice day it is truly peaceful and calming, feeling the current tug.  Tug at your feet, tug at your soul, rejuvenating your mind, body and soul.  But on a day with a storm on the waters, the fury and anger that churns rising and falling is a magical message that "this too shall pass".  My life, just as the ocean, has ups and downs.  It has good days and not so good days.  It goes back and forth, and sometimes it's in a spin...but always, after the storm comes a peaceful day and a sign of the better days ahead.  The Ocean is a friend of mine and helps me find myself, ground myself, be myself, refresh and remind myself that everything is a circle...

Chill Out to the sights and music of The Ocean

 I have always lived a short distance from the beach here in Florida as well as on Long Island, New York.  As I have shared with you numerous times, the beach is very much the soul of me as well as my decor.  It has been running through my veins for my whole life.  So far most of my decorating has been inside...I finally got to the front.

Gramma and I at Jones Beach, NY.

I can't thank ACE Hardware in Titusville, FL enough!  I asked, they listened!!  I can only handle a few bags at a time so they made it so much easier for me.  It works out for me physically and financially.

I have more plans for more coquina shells too, but this is it for this month.  In the meantime, there are little things to add and tweak around the front and another bed to get ready for shells. 

Meanwhile:

While my Heron was drying in the kitchen for a second time around,  more to be on the safe side, I gave his eyes a little make-up.

Then I packed some things up in my basket and went outside, planning on some outside crafting for a change.

I went out front and grabbed my sandcastle and gave it a quick coat of the sand paint...

remember this?

It may need a little bit more.

My faux coral really needed some love!  I was going to spray it red but it was originally a coral color so I stuck to that, and I had coral spray paint.

 It did have a shiny black base that I hit too with the sand textured paint.  I may hit it again and may or may not glue shells to the top around the coral.

I went inside for something, I'm not even sure what anymore, and it started to thunder!  I am not a happy camper at this point.  I decide to take the dog out before it gets closer and gave the other side of the coral a good spray of paint.

Heidi barking at the thunder!
Then she mumbles like it hears her; maybe it does.

So, since I couldn't do much outside, I thought I would share some of the things I picked up and wanted to work on BUT DIDN'T!

While at ACE Hardware, I picked up 4 coleus plants and 2 others that I haven't figured out yet.  They were only 50 cents a piece and the red coleus grabbed my attention for color.   I have some empty pots to plant these in to add color around the patio.

I thought this was cute and may be a good idea.  It was $4.99 at ACE.  It is a solar light and I am thinking of hanging it from the patio over-hang.  I'm going to see how this goes, because I might want to hang a couple in the side bed.
 

And this:

I have been eye-balling this for months at ACE and finally said "to heck with it" and bought it.  It's a table top fire pit, that says: LIVE LOVE LAUGH.  They were out of fire pit gel so I am going to use this Sterno a very little at a time for the ambiance!  There is nothing like a glass of wine and a little fire to chill out and enjoy the work I've been doing!

 I picked up a pail and these sandcastle molds were at Dollar Tree for the front.  I think if I use caulking, I can some how work them together with shells...maybe near my "sandcastle".

Need to figure out what to hang out front too.

Let's see how the week-end weather goes.... maybe I will get something done....Meanwhile, enjoy your journey!

My Happy Place!

I just can't get over how hot and still it is.  I did allot of nothing yesterday and just a little bit today ~ although I have been putting together some ideas.  

• I want to do something to each of my interior doors.
• I want to paint the ceiling and outside wall of the hall yellow.  It will continue my lighthouse beam...
• on the left side (the inside wall) I want to make bookshelves cut in between the beams...but I am not sure what color paint yet.
• when I get to the washer and dryer, I want to cut out above them for shelves for those things needed.
• There is the door to the extra (dump) room, the bathroom door, my bed room door, and a door to outside.




• my bedroom door - I'm thinking a door mirror with maybe lattice work and shells...it's at the end of the hall and I'm hoping it will open it up and add something!
• the bathroom door painted a white-washed drift wood and a hand painted 'powder room' beach sign.
• the outside door, I'm thinking of having a poster printed of a path on the beach or the picture of the dock over looking the VAB...
• I haven't come up with an idea for the extra room but maybe a white washed barn door.
•  
•  

•  or

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I managed to work a little on my window.  It's totally different than the other and I am thinking about more changes.  This is the way it looks now:

 
I still have to add the slat to the bottom of the window but I didn't want to add it until I finished and  decided what I was doing with the net at the bottom.  Whatever I do, the window needs to be able to open and close.

Right now, this is the 2 different windows:

 But, what I am thinking, is moving some things from one window to the other.  The palm tree outside makes a great back drop for this window, but 4 flowers and the valance just lacks something.

Move things over...

Also, the boat shelf and another row boat shelf I have should be over by the 'shit's creek survivor' sign.  I'll have to move them too.

Just in case you're interested:

• From the Dollar Tree:  2 natural colored nets and 1 green one were $1 each.  The flowers were $1 a pair to clip on flip flops.  The glasses $1.  The valance $1.
• From Dollar General:  The palm tree and I have a sun with glasses were $1 each at Christmas time as ornaments.  I just glued shells I had to cover the gifts. 

Another late post but trying to keep you up-to-date!

Hope you kept cool today and had a happy day!!! 

OK.... so what do you think??

Some days I just do a quick run through and other days I actually look one after the other on Home Talk.  Today I got stuck there and came across just what I was thinking about for the bedroom but also an idea that may work for the hall.

Take a look:

Anita Roll Murals (Alpharetta, GA)

Atlanta designer Angela Hogan had raw wood applied to the bed wall and then I used a three step aging process to get a weathered look that also incorporated the dominant colors in the bedding. The builder was worried at first but loved it after all the painting and decor was in place. Beazer Homes/ Houston, TX

You can see some of the raw wood just to the left of the lamp.

Luckily, Anita shared her DIY...... link on HomeTalk

Okay here goes... Sand the wood if necessary before applying to the 

wall. My first step was brushing on a wash of grey paint which I mixed up into a bucket. I had rags ready to catch drips and actually rub into the wood to cover the raw wood but allow the natural grain and imperfection to show through. Next I lightly drybrushed a cream color over the grey wash using a wide brush (old worn out brushes work best) and allowing the grey to show through. It should be streaky looking. Next and most importantly I brushed the burnt orange color onto a sanding block and very lightly skipped it along the wood. The paint should not be too thick on the block or it will add to much at once on the wood. Start by very lightly touching the sanding block to the wood and run it along the edges of the planks and in the middle of the wood here and there. Experiment on extra planks to get the feel of it. Sanding blocks can be found at any hardware store.

The possibilities are endless...I'm thinking the ceiling too!!  I could go crazy and have a "beach shack" look everywhere!  LOL

One more thing.  If you want to get those crazy creative juices flowing, check out her website too

here and on Houzz here.

...it's part of the journey.

Need some advice?

I wrote another piece about Ocean Styles Beach Decor, What is your Ocean Style?, in case you missed it.  It has some wonderful inspiration and products from them that I hope you will check out.

Who couldn't use some advice?!  Especially when it is coming from the OCEAN and/or the SUN!!

I love these pillows!  Besides the fact that they would go so nicely in my living room (my forever project, it seems!), whatever way I go with my bedroom they would go nicely there too!  They combine my love for the beach with positive reinforcement.

I saw this post the other day and went back again today and thought, "I have to share these with you...":

Ocean Styles Beach Decor

Tuesday

We have two brand new pillows just listed today - Advice From The Sun and Advice From The Ocean. I love their charming word play "advice" printed on the reverse side. Find them here:

http://www.oceanstyles.com/throw-pillows/advice-from-the-ocean-pillow-p-2348
http://www.oceanstyles.com/throw-pillows/advice-from-the-sun-pillow-p-2347

I love these pillows!  They would be great for a gift too!  We all know someone who could use a little advice or two!

Who couldn't use advice from the SUN?

Look on the Bright Side! 

Rise to the occasion.

Keep it light.  Set your sights high.
Renew your energy. 
Keep a sunny disposition
Be Brilliant!!

Or advice from the OCEAN?

Take Time to Relax and Coast

Be sure of yourself.
Come out of your shell.
Avoid pier pressure.
Sea life's beauty.
Don't get tide down.
Make waves!

And that, my explorers, is my advice for this stage of the journey...

Explore further...

Usually I notice exterior doors more than interior doors.  That could simply be that walking or driving by, that's what you see and either it invites you in or not.  I like older doors.  I understand that doors are now made of different materials to withstand the different elements of weather but I don't find that they now have the charm of older doors.  I don't know why they can't design them to look that way.  If you look at doors, especially from a time gone by, there is such charm...the wood, the patina, the hardware!  Some hardware is so ornate but when you actually look at it and it's detail, you have to admire the craftsmanship.

My front and back doors seem to be heavy-ish but hollow with a plastic kind of board over the inside and outside, with a rough surface.  They each have a little widow but you can't see through the yellow plastic rectangle on the front door!  I also have a storm door on the front that has probably been here since 1972!   I love wood screened doors too and would love to find one that fits.  I one I have has been screwed and stripped so I can't get the screws out to replace the screen!  It bugs me so (pun intended) that besides not keeping bugs out, it is no longer serving it's purpose, that I keep thinking about just taking it down.

These days, I am totally attracted to yellow painted wood screen doors with the cottage trim and barn doors, with fabulous black heavy hardware.  I saw a wonderful castle looking door that I'd love for my kitchen but the closest door, the front door, is in the living room. I did think of a barn style slider but that's out of the question right now. Anything extra, is on hold, if it's not a quick, cheap, DIY!  This is the part of the budget where I try to work with what I have.


These are just an example of what is tickling my fancy!

Bath room door from a NH sheep barn.

I love barn doors and I was thinking I could put those thin pieces of wood over the actual door and add hardware to it... more like the white one below.

 A great pocket door but no real reference to its original source.

I just love the pocket door above and all pocket doors.

I like this one for my bedroom room, which is at the end of the hall.  I don't kno what color I'm painting the hall yet but I'd paint this to match.  I think the mirror will bounce more light and hopefully make the hallway wider.

And the screen door that makes me drool can be found here:



Until next time...