Bird Brained in the Living Room

I mentioned the little beadboard cupboard above in my last post.  I found it on a trash pile outside an old church.  Judging from what I found inside, it was from a juvenile Sunday School classroom.  I think it has good karma!   I found the smaller box at Goodwill last week.  I couldn't find any reasonably-priced bluebirds to put inside, so I spray painted some Dollar Store birds instead.  Not very Elle Decor, but it works for me.

My livingroom used to be decorated in shades of cranberry and cream, as you can see in the memorial post to my Little Bit.  My living room is dark, because I have a porch across the front of my house.  The colors just contributed to the darkness, so little by little, I changed over to a blue, yellow, and white cottage-y look.  Finding the mirror for the fireplace helped brighten things via reflection.  The mirror looks fabulous with the glow of reflected candles in it when I put a candlestand down in front.   The whole area looks so much brighter.    Thank you Goodwill for $5.25.

I have to thank Daisy Cottage Kim for the bold use of color.  What a living doll that girl is.  My palette isn't the same, but she taught me how to make a room look like me.  I also learned that all the colors don't have to be "matchy matchy."  I wouldn't have picked up those shutters if I hadn't read her blog. 

My next three jobs are to paint the floor lamp white, paint the flagstones around the fireplace off white, and actually sew the chair cushion covers.  Don't tell anyone, but all I did was tuck the vintage sheets around the two old cushions.  I have to fix that before my friend Elaine, the professional decorator, comes for Bible study.  She is QUITE Elle Decor.  O! the horror if she fiddled around with that cushion!

The Front Porch

We have been spending a lot of time on the front porch in the evening, lighting the candles, and listening to classical music.  We had it painted in the Autumn during a trip to New York.  We've been enjoying it this spring more than ever before.  You may notice that the porch ceiling is a light robins-egg blue, which might seem an odd choice.  Back in the day, porch ceilings were painted this hue to mimic the sky.  It was thought that wasps, bees, and other nesting insects would consider that the blue was the sky and keep moving on.

The rockers are from Walmart and the other furnishings are all from Goodwill down the street.  I was amazed to find the wonderful Singer sewing machine table, plant stands, and the vintage oil painting there.  The picture frame was a yucky maple finish, so I spray painted it black to match the rockers.   I really broke the bank with it, $2.25 plus the black spray paint.  I may write an ode to spray paint some time.

An oil painting hanging outside is so Kim McCole from Daisy Cottage, isn't it?  Only Kim would have painted the frame bright red or bright yellow!  The painting would be right at home at her house, though.  I think that's why I bought it!  http://deardaisycottage.typepad.com/

I've been spending my quiet time with God here in the early morning, reading the Word, rocking, praying for my stepfather's health, and waiting to hear what God has to say to me.  There's something about a rocking chair that puts you in a better stance to listen somehow.  Trust me, I need to have some kind of aid in order to be "slow to speak and quick to hear."