Stripes, Sweat, and Sheers

When it's over 100 degrees outside for several days in a row (going on 10 I think), there is no way that I'm going to get outside to do anything other than water my wilting garden, and maybe splash around in the pool with Addison. As much as I'd like to keep the landscaping and planting going while I have some inspiration, the temperatures are quite forceful in their quest to keep me indoors.

So, back to the house projects I run.

Now I've heard many people say that if you're redecorating or renovating your house, you should do your bedroom first. That way you have a relaxing sanctuary to escape to, whatever renovation projects lay partially done in the rest of the house. Well, we didn't quite follow that mantra. Addison's nursery was my first priority, and that appears to be the only finished (almost) room of the house. But in an attempt to follow the spirit of the saying, I pushed that we tackle our bedroom next.

When we moved in, I thought that I liked the pale green that was on all the walls of every room. Unfortunately I soon discovered how dirty and old the paint was, which turned pale green into beige-meets-avocado; not a very pleasant color after all.

BEFORE

AFTER

And this color was in our bedroom as well as the master bathroom, dining room, living room, foyer, and hallway. Yuck. Oh, and did I mention that the exterior of our house is the same color? At least beige-meets-avocado isn't so terrible looking outdoors.

So bit by bit I plan to rid the entire inside of the house from this awful tired color. And I couldn't wait to paint our bedroom. I only can find one "before" picture, which was taken right after moving in, so please ignore the mess. But you get the idea that the room lacked character and personality, and looked... tired. As our bedroom is a good size and has 3 windows that let in a lot of light, we decided to go with a bold and somewhat darker color. The green that we chose is called Manchester, and is a little more blue than Kelly green, but not by much. It's certainly a statement (and we may have to paint over it before we move), but I love it.

AFTER

To give a little personality to the walls, Derek designed a stripe pattern for one wall that reminds me of a pinstripe jacket, alternating the Manchester green with a darker green as you can see in the photo. Paired with some white and black sheer drapes that I made, the room now has a modern flare and really feels like ours.

Now I just have to find some artwork for the walls...

Since in this hot weather, there's nothing like a cool crisp salad with fresh basil, here is my favorite Caprese salad. The measurements are approximate, so season as you like it. This is a hit at any potluck, picnic, or dinner. And for a twist, dice the cheese & tomatoes instead of cubing them, and serve with toasted french bread pieces as a do-it-yourself Bruschetta. Yum!!

Caprese Salad

1/4 cup fresh Basil (chiffonade)

1 cup fresh mozzarella (cubed)

1 cup tomatoes (cubed)

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic (minced/pressed)

salt & pepper

1. Once you have cubed the cheese and tomatoes, mix in the basil and garlic. Toss to combine

2. Drizzle with EVOO and balsamic vinegar to your taste. For me this is usually 1/4 cup EVOO and 1/8-1/4 cup vinegar. Season with salt & pepper. Enjoy!