The Monday Chair #2

Hello housegarden friends - today is Monday & I just wanted to share my "Monday Chair" with you.  There is nothing better than sitting in your favorite chair, with your favorite drink and taking that "ahh" moment, 15 minutes, an hour or however long you have to say I can tackle, plan & accomplish anything I set my mind to do this week.  Even if it is just one thing - mission accomplished.  Toodles!

This is a set of two mugs my sister gave me - I love their generous size!

~Karen

The Monday Chair #1

Today I started a new post titled ,The Monday Chair.  Some of us have looked at Mondays as "oh no" it back to work, instead of looking at it as a start to another great week.  I know I was there.  I now look to my Monday Chair (MC) as a place I can sit (even if it's for 5 minutes) and thank God I'm blessed with another week, another day.  Life is hectic and if you take time for yourself to create that special MC to just sit and say "ahh", you will have made it past go. I encourage you to carve out a space for YOU, whether it's a chair or bench, soft or hard (I have a hard Windsor I love), big or little, inside or out.  So take a seat in your MC, close your eyes and breath ; before you blink your eyes it will be Friday - Ahh!

PS - Send me your photo of your chair & why it's special.  Each month I will choose and feature your Monday Chair.           Toodles

~ A little inspiration

~ My mom's little chair (one on them)

~ Karen

Start Small

........ Want to try your hand at painting a piece.  Then as Nike say's "just do it" and start small.  The fun is to find a vintage castoff that is screaming - make me pretty again. There are so many places to find them; start at a local thrift store.  There are great deals there and I have it down pat that on certain day's these pieces are discounted even further.  These two end tables had the potential with a little paint to end up being those "French Style" classics.

Before

In Process

After

You can't go wrong with Annie Sloan's "Paris Grey".  This is such a classic chic color and you can paint over any surface without priming.  Love the paint!  I painted the hardware too and did a little distressing.  So start small - if you don't like it you can always paint over it!

So open that can of paint and just do it! Toodles

~Karen 

Spring is in the Air!

With Spring comes new life - change of season's.  Here in Southern California we have had summer year round it seams (I'm not complaining) & very little rain this past year.  The last few days it has been in the low 90's. So with that we may have to be more conscience than ever of our water resources here. Two years ago I planted a drought tolerant plant called Pride of Madeira (Echium Candicans - I only know that because Fats (my husband) owns a landscape co) which I thought would stay small.  No way, it is taller than me! Guess I have my mother & grandmother's green thumb.

Great for butterflies & bee's

Hello whitehousebluegarden

Hello world - this is a first for whitehousebluegarden. I thought I didn't not need to enter the blogging world, it was painting vintage furniture that I wanted to do not the other techy stuff. But I soon found out I needed to share the journey I embarked upon with other's to let them know "anything is possible".   I had someone ask why would I take a vintage piece of furniture and ruin it with paint. To which I replied - why are these pieces being sold on Craigslist or garage sales, sent to thrift stores  or dumped on the sidewalks for trash pickup. I just love to see a piece redressed.  So come along as I show you the day in the life of whitehousebluegarden. How since December I have scoured Craigslist, garage sales & thrift stores for those ugly ducklings that were transformed into beautiful swans.  PS - the name whitehousebluegarden comes from my favorite little white house's with blue gardens (they are probably more lavender than blue, I know check out mine below). Toodles!

                                      
                                         My blue garden

I purchased the 3 pieces above for $50.00 on Craigslist. Refreshed & redressed them with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Paris Grey & Graphite. Hardware is original - they went to loving home in Orange County. THANKS Alex & Lillian!

                                                  ~Karen