Turquoise Paint

It feels like eons since I've written a post.

There are so many reasons why I've been absent.

Some of the more complicated ones are discussed here.

Others are less complicated. 

And a whole lot more fun.

Like painting.

We've been painting things turquoise.

The weather has been so beautiful lately that we spend as much time as we can outside.

We do a lot of our school work outside on a blanket under the avocado tree.

Spending so much time in the backyard has me itching to do all sorts of projects out there.

One of the things we've tackled is the playhouse.

Take a look at this floor.

It was crying for a makeover.
So we gave it one.

James did the cutting in.
He has a steadier hand than I do.
And he loves being better at things than I am.
It's any kid's dream, right?

William and Lilly did the rest of the floor.

There are a few places with extra paint.
But I'd rather they get to paint their own playhouse and make a few mistakes, than I do it all myself and make a few less mistakes.
Because really, only James would have done it perfectly anyway.

We've done a bit more on the playhouse.
Maybe I'll get around to doing a little tour of it soon.


After painting the playhouse floor, I got out the turquoise paint again.

And I gave our picnic table it's annual, summer coat.

It looks so good in turquoise.
Practically everything does.


There have been lots of other projects, big (sorting and organizing hundreds of books) and small (spray painting light switch plates).
I hope to share them with you.
Sooner or later.
If you've stuck around despite my sporadic posting, I appreciate it.
I do like being here when I get the chance.


Love from,
Greta

Easter Colors

Easter has the best colors.

And oh how I love color!

Sometimes I don't realize how color saturated our house is until I am in another home, like this one.

And then I come home and I look around and I think, "wow.  Our house is bright."

We have a turquoise front door.

We have a red kitchen floor.

And turquoise counter tops.

Our living room has a bright green wall and orange chairs.

There are turquoise frames on the walls.

We have a bright yellow lamp.

And an orange one.

We love color.

Our house probably makes some people nervous.

But I wouldn't have it any other way

Because all the color in my home makes me happy.

It energizes me.

It inspires me.

I suppose it could also feel chaotic and overwhelming.

Perhaps that is why I am so careful about clutter.

I balance the bright colors in our home by keeping clutter to a minimum.

I think without that balance I would not find my home a place that felt relaxing.

But it is.
I love walking in the door and feeling that sense of calm wash over me.
I'm home.
If every surface is covered in clutter, then I don't feel that way.
And I don't just mean that pile of junk mail that needs sorting. (I actually sort it the moment it comes in the house and chuck it right away.  Cause I'm serious about clutter like that)
That kind of clutter makes anyone nervous.
I'm talking about visual clutter.
I edit down the items atop my shelves and dressers often.
Too many things, even the things you love best, can be too much.

Besides controlling the visual clutter, another way we've used color in a controlled way is with our wall color.
Most of the walls in the house are paler versions of the bright colors we use as accents everywhere else.
We used a very pale green in the public rooms and hallways.
In the bedrooms we used a slightly brighter turquoise.
Those 2 colors are used often in the rest of the house.
So the backdrop of those same colors, in a less bright version, makes sense.
I know every design article says you should have white walls and just add shots of color with your accessories.
But I'm here to tell you that you can have color on your walls and color on your things.
You just have to be smart about it.

All these bright Easter pictures got me thinking about color.
These are some of my favorite pictures from the myriad I took at Easter
You can see the rest and read all the stories on my other blog, Lilly and the Brothers.
My kids got an insane amount of candy.
And they organized it all.
They are so my kids.

So, what colors are your favorites?
Do you find color to be overwhelming or invigorating?
And speaking of color, this is one of my favorite color blogs.
Mr. Bazaar really understands the power of color.
He always inspires me.
I know it's a bit late, but Happy Easter!
Love from,
Greta
PS. I just redid my Facebook page for this blog.  I'd love it if you head over there and give it a like.
Also, if you want to see all the colors in our house, take our house tour.  You can find it here.
Thanks!