Summer Lovin' 2015

Summer.  That wonderful time I remember from my childhood.  Carefree days running barefoot through the yard, riding bikes around the neighborhood, laying in the grass and listening to the birds chirping from above, chasing fireflies at dusk, my dad churning home made ice cream by hand.

I've never been one to decorate specifically for summer, other then maybe a bouquet of flowers from the yard, but this year I decided I wanted to do a bit more. So I took inspiration from some of those magical memories from my childhood summers, and made them a part of my home.

 In the living room, I went with my memories of bike riding for my main inspiration.  I started with the mantle, adorned with a cute, colorful bike sign hand painted by White Hen.  I love the fresh, pop of color it brings into the room.

 

I found this adorable pillow at a cute clothing boutique called Altar'd State.  I thought it was a great addition to the space.

Another theme I used throughout the living room and dining room was the sweet sound of birds chirping.  Growing up in Indiana, the birds returning for the spring and summer was always a welcome sight after the long winter.

 Bird seed and porcelain birds continue the theme in the sun room.

  In the dining room I used those same birds and birdseed in apothecary jars on the dining room table.

The chalkboard really doesn't have anything to do with summer memories, but I thought it was sweet childhood memory, non the less.

In the kitchen, I accented my normal decor with more birds with these cute salt and pepper shakers I brought out for the season, and a nod to memories of fireflies with the chalkboard motif.
                                                                                                                                                                 

Are pears a summer fruit?  I'm not sure, but I like the pop of green they bring to the space.

                                                                                                                                                                 

OK, so there aren't fireflies in the jar.  But this song is also a childhood memory and I thought the chalkboard was cute.  It kind of reminded me of those evenings we would catch fireflies and put them in a jar to watch.

What ever your summer memories, you can let them inspire you in your summer decor, and help you bring a bit of your childhood to your home like I did.

Enjoy your summer everyone!!

Small changes Part 3: The Kitchen

This is the third part in my three part series of small changes I have been working on in my home this winter.  I have a previous blog about my kitchen called "My Mini Kitchen Makeover".  This is a few small changes I have made to the kitchen since that mini makeover I did last year.  

In the previous blog about the kitchen, I told how I painted my upper cabinets with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  Since then, I painted the lower cabinets as well.  I originally thought I would like the two tone cabinets.  And while I do like that look, I think for my small kitchen, the cabinets needed to be the same color.

We also added a tile back splash that continues to lighten up the space.  I went with a tumbled marble subway tile.  I chose the tumbled marble because of the veining of golds, tans, and grays in the marble.  I felt it complemented the granite which has gold and tan flecks in it.   I chose the subway tile because of it's classic style.

Lastly, we installed a light fixture in the center of the room.  Oddly, there had not been a fixture there before.   The added light was definitely needed in this kitchen.  Having it centered above the island helps in food prep.  While we were at it, we went ahead and upgraded the pot lights to LED lights. They cast a much softer, white light in the kitchen.

One of my favorite small changes I made was the addition of this drying rack I ordered from The Magnolia Market.  I use it to hang and store our every day drinking glasses.  So it's not only decorative, but functional storage as well.

This fun little project was another functional piece I added.  I made it using 3 cake pans and two wooden candlesticks.  I use it to create a mini coffee bar area on the counter.  It allows all the coffee items to be right at your finger tips.

Again, pretty small changes, but they do make a big impact in lightening up this small kitchen. Thanks for taking a look at these projects with me.  Maybe they will inspire you to make a few small changes of your own.