Color Swatch App

I came across this app the other day and thought I would share. 

It can really be helpful if you are trying to find colors to use in a room. 

It's a Sherwin Williams app called Color Snap.

It works on my iPad and iPhone but I think it will work with any smart phone.

You can take a picture using the app or you can use a photo you already have.

Then you hold your finger over an area to find a color.

And keep adding colors that you want to include in your palette.

When you save them it comes up with paint samples. 

These are the 3 colors I picked. But Im not liking the last one too well.

No problem, I can adjust any of the colors by lightness, hue or saturation!

You can scroll left of right for more colors. 

There, a little less peachy!

Isn't that cool?

I'm still fiddling with it but I think I can be really usefull.

Let me now if you try it out. 

Oh, and it's free!

Now to get on track with that kitchen!

FOLK Giveaway Winner

Sorry for the wait! I did not forget about the FOLK magazine subscription giveaway.

I’ve just been up to my ears in white paint this weekend and have had no time.

The kitchen is coming along nicely. I’ll be glad when it is finished!

Here’s a peak. Just the primer.

 

It’s already looking lighter in there though. And as you can see, the toe kick went white.

Thank you to all who took the time to enter. I had asked you guys to let me know some simple ideas that you do around your home. Here a few ideas that were mentioned.

Bringing the outdoors in with branches, flowers and bits of nature. That’s a no cost winner. 

Cooking extra to have items ready for quick meals. Especially great in the summer. 

Lots of you love adding flowers to mason jars and spreading them around the house. One of my favs. Keeping things simple and uncluttered. Something I’m always trying to achieve.

So many great ideas!

Okay, now for the winner.

Linda @ Coastal Charm!

she said: Simple ideas at my home are...working in the yard as a family and decorating our home with thrifty items. Thanks for the giveaway...sounds like a wonderful magazine.

and it is!

Congrats Linda!

Back to painting. :)

I still need to pick a wall color.

Giveaway Reminder and Toe Kick Advice

Don’t forget about the FOLK magazine giveaway I have going on.

You have until Friday night to enter!

LOOK!

I went outside this morning to check on my garden and was surprised to see these little guys.

My first sugar peas!

and this…

Zucchini blossoms!

The garden is coming along nicely. I'm really looking forward to the green beans and tomatoes. 

My carrot seeds even seem to be coming up. I'll be shocked if I get actual carrots!

The rest of the day was not so much fun.

I’ve scrubbing down cabinets and taking off hardware. So my kitchen looks like this now.

(Whoa, that is a little blurry! These were all taken with my iphone. 

I think I was just too tired to hold it still for that last shot!)

It was disgusting just how dirty they were. I know some people don’t like white cabinets because they will show the dirt more. Well, I think I’d rather see the dirt right away so I can wipe it down then for it to hide and build up like it did. 

ICK!

Both pairs of my rubber gloves were ripped so I spent all day with may hands in bucket after bucket of water. They now feel like paper.

I am off to fill some holes so I can add new hardware later.

Hope to start the priming tomorrow.

Oh hey, see that toe kick down there below the cabinets? I'm thinking they should be white too.

What say you? There is something in a vinyl I could put down there. Anyone have that?

Okay, everyone go look at their toe kicks and get back to me.

I'll be waiting.

FOLK magazine: a Review and a Giveaway

 I have mentioned FOLK magazine before.

It’s a wonderful, relatively new magazine that is focused on living a simple life.

Folk has really taken off and it is now going national this May.

They are about to release issue V and I had the opportunity to review it!

Yes, I got to flip through all of the gorgeous pages a little early.
You too can see a little preview yourself. Just go HERE.

Here is a little description from the folks at FOLK themselves:

FOLK MAGAZINE IS....

Devoted to presenting a fresh and youthful interpretation of simple country lifestyles. We focus on the stories that make America our collective home sweet home. FOLK reaches across the many representations of American Country style to celebrate personal expression in our homes, businesses, and lives.

Folk has some contributors that you might recognize.

    

Donna, Michael and soon to be, Anne.

FOLK brings me back in time a bit.
Reminds me to enjoy the simple things and not to sweat the small stuff.
Life is too short. Enjoy it now!

Some of the simple things that I love:
jars with fresh flowers, swinging on the hammock, key lime pie, working in my garden,
walks along the beach, time spent with family

And the best part is, FOLK would like to give away a subscription!

But of course if you can’t wait you can go HERE to buy a subscription or a single issue for yourself.
Also, Issue V will be on news stands in the middle of May.

If you would like to enter to win a subscription to FOLK here's what I’d like you to do.

1. Leave me a comment and tell me what simple ideas you love around your home.

for a second try,

              2. Like FOLK on facebook and tell them Hi for me. Then let me know that you did.

Feel free to spread the word!

We'll wrap it up at the end of the week. I'll randomly pick a winner late Friday night.

I think you will love the magazine as much as I do.

ps. Some of you just might recognize a few photos in Issue V.
I am soooo excited!
:)

GOOD LUCK!!

Spring Mantel

I’m working on prepping the kitchen today. Such a tedious job.

Taking downing and cleaning all the cabinets. I just have to have the vision of a brighter kitchen in my mind to get through all the boring prep stuff.

But I did take a few minutes to change up the mantel in the living room

And I do mean just a few minutes.

The mirrors were there already.

 

A friend of mine works at Tuesday Morning and she picked up this wire pot holder.

Isn’t it cute? I know there are not any fleurs in them but I like the green for spring.

I cut a couple of branches from the philodendron that is out by the pool give it some height.

I filled the vase with some shells to hold them in place.

And that is about it.

Spring has sprung on my mantel.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

linking up with:

Funky Junk Interiors SNS #127

Oh, still planning a giveaway.

 Figured I'd wait until next week since everyone is busy with the holiday weekend. 

 Happy Easter!

I’m Dreaming of a White….

no, not Christmas.

Kitchen!

Maybe something like this….

source

Love the blue island. I don’t have an island but if I did, I’d want it to be a color.

source

I love how neutral it all is except for the pop of orange. Oh and those pendants!

source

Blue bead board ceiling! Genius. I could paint my ceiling. 

Since it’s one of the few that don’t have popcorn in this house.

I don’t have the original source for this one. But I love the blue backs to the cabinets.

That, I will be doing.

source

And glass cabinets. I need to put in some glass panels on a few doors to open up the space.

I know I have mentioned painting my kitchen before. They have been bugging me since the day we moved in almost 3 years ago. They are dark and they suck the light out of a room that already doesn’t get a lot of natural light. So they must go.

I even bought a paint sprayer.

I just need to figure out how to use it. But it seems pretty easy.

I’m going to work on priming the bases. It’s been raining so no spraying right now.

Which is why I don’t have the before shots yet either.

 I keep forgetting to take them when the sun pops out. But I will.

And one more thing....

How about a GIVEAWAY? 

All of you magazine obsessed people will love this one!

(I know there are a lot of you)

So be sure to check back and see what I have for you.

See you soon!

Cucumber Trellis

Finally got around to making a trellis for the cucumbers. 

I wanted something bigger then last year but I didn’t want to spend a lot.

I had the chicken wire, which I found for .99 at Goodwill last year. Then I when I was at Lowes getting the 4x4 for the mailbox I picked up these 1x2’s. They were only a dollar each for 8’. 

Not bad at all.

We (okay, he) just made a simple frame and screwed them together.

Then we (I did help with this) stapled on the wire. The wire was only 2’ wide and we made the frame about 5 tall. So we ran two strips of chicken wire across the frame and then wired the two panels of chicken wire together. Like a whip stitch with wire. The bottom 1 foot is open. I can run a string across if I have to but I think the cucumbers will be a foot tall before they start to grab on anyway. It’s hard to see but the chicken wire does hang down below the bottom bar.

These guys were watching us just outside the garage. It was raining on and off all day.

We just leaned them together and tied the tops with more wire. 

The legs are resting up against the garden box.

Nothing fancy but it’s pretty sturdy and should hold the cucumbers well. 

It will also provide shade for the lettuce that is underneath it.

  

I guess I can take that back hoop off now. 

My plan is to cover the whole thing with mesh if I see any critters munching away. 

But so far so good. 

And why do all the oak trees have to shed now? What a mess they make.

I have my first pepper!

Have you started gardening yet?