I live across the street from an historical cemetery that captivates me especially during the fall season. I love how the fall foliage frames the green space with color. Later, when the leaves start to fall, the mighty maples and oaks stand proud, making a statement against the sky.
I don’t think of the cemetery as creepy or scary. It’s a comforting place filled with stories to be told about local history. I finally checked off my bucket list item when I “featured” the cemetery at a small gathering. I’ve been talking about hosting an autumn dinner party that would somehow include “something” with the cemetery for about 20 years (yes, really!).
For many years of discontent, when I’ve broached the idea for an interior paint refresh, my husband and I would always talk ourselves out of it. There was always next year. To be fair, though, I can only blame myself for not pursuing it; because if I insisted, it would have happened. The truth is, the thought of doing a full interior color reboot it left me feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.
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I’m long overdue for another room reveal and I’ve been saving the last room on my main floor for the holiday season. I love how festive it is especially when the room is filled with family and friends to celebrate happy occasions. When we did our full interior paint refresh, this was one room that remained in the same color family. It got a new fresh coat of color in a slightly different shade using Benjamin Moore’s Caliente. The color is described as “a charismatic, classic shade of red that is radiant and full of energy.” Sounds just about right for an engaging dining experience, right?!
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An easy, affordable and fun kids’ activity that will keep them engaged is planning a cupcake-decorating project. It’s great for a kids’ party or even family time. So, when the temps soared into the 90s at a family party we hosted, I knew the little ones would welcome a project and air conditioning break. My grandkids and I are no strangers to decorating cupcakes with me. I started making kits during the early days of the pandemic when socializing was limited to our family bubble. Our first one was an Independence Day theme; I still cherish those memories and photos.
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Turquoise, cobalt, sky, mint, chartreuse, flamingo, coral, peach, amethyst, goldenrod, candy apple, terra cotta … These are vibrant colors that bring me back to the Caribbean and especially my favorite island: St. Maarten/St. Martin. The beautiful colors of the island’s dwellings, structures and architecture stick in my mind long after I’m home. Which is why I paid homage to island color in one of the smallest spaces in my house.
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I’m still adjusting to Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter. In a good way. After almost 20 years with wheat-colored walls dominating the kitchen, I still catch myself in moments of awe over the newness of the wall color. Even months later. When these fleeting moments of wonderment occur, I find myself smiling to myself. I love how clean, neat and crisp this color is with showcasing artwork, décor and furnishings. In this post, I’ll share how Revere Pewter looks in the kitchen and hallway areas to follow up on the living room reveal post, part one of the open-concept area of our main floor.
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As promised in a recent post, I’m sharing room tours of of my home’s newly painted interior now that it’s put back together. Of course, this also gives me the shopportunity to pick of some new things to complete the refresh! The first step in this update is having the perfect neutral to go with my living room focal point and main floor open-concept space. The focal point of my cozy living room is a painting by friend and artist Robin Reynolds called Jill’s Garden III. An admirer of her work for many years, I indulged myself to celebrate a special occasion by purchasing one of her vibrant floral abstract pieces. A decision I have not once regretted.
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