My love affair... with turquoise.

I have so many neutrals in my house that I feel like I should have to go to a meeting:

"Hi, my name is Lynlee and I am addicted to brown..."

 However, there is one other color that I have always been addicted to - turquoise.  I have always had different shades of it in my wardrobe, especially with jewelry.

I love the way that the color is fresh and bright, but still moody and deep.  I know - contradictory crazy talk... But, it's true.

So, I started thinking, if turquoise makes me so happy in jewelry and clothes, why in the world would I not surround myself with it in my home.  It lends itself so well to the western/rustic/shabby chic/country type thingy that we are working toward.  So, I started out with my front door... A cheery and beautiful way to greet visitors and guests.

So, then I walked around the house, just searching for more places to implement this color that makes me so happy.  Everyone knows that anything that stands still in my house is in extreme high danger of getting covered in a coat of paint - if this obsession with blue isn't over by October, my children will definitely be smurfs for Halloween.

So in my ravenous scavenge for something to paint, I found a cabinet that I bought a few months ago from a friend.  At the time, I had no idea how I was going to use it, but it was so cheap that I took it anyway.  I will never be accused of being a girl that passes up a good deal.

I originally H-A-T-E-D the finish, but her legs were beautiful and the hardware was to die for...

So, I got out my handy-dandy paint brush and did something about it.  I used a color called Plumage by Martha Stewart from The Home Depot.  Fabulous.

The results might be a little too rustic for some people but I am in love.

I wiped the whole piece with a stripper (not the high heel wearing kind...) to take the varnish off and then dry brushed with plumage.  Then, I sanded to remove some of the paint and waxed with a tinted wax to finish.  Finally, I replaced the original hardware that I loved so much.

And check out those legs.  This cabinet turned out to be one attractive lady...

Hmmmm... what next?!?!?

Beautiful things...

My family has the most amazing tradition.  With a family the size of mine - 2 grandparents, 6 parents, and 8 grandkids that range from the uber responsible & intelligent 16 year-old to the ornery & mischevious 4 year-old - you have to get creative to keep everyone together.

So, a few years ago, we started the official "birthday bash" where we gather the whole loud, rowdy clan together twice a year to celebrate the family's birthdays.  Half are celebrated in the fall, half in the spring.  The locations and activities always vary, but some things remain the same - it is fun, loud, memorable... Oh, I could go on.

..........

 This time, we went to stay at a hunting lodge outside Seymour, Texas, and the result was an onslaught of beautiful things.

The sunrise out of a ground hunting blind was breathtaking.

 

The native Texas surroundings were inspiring far away...

and up close.

The house was Jaw Dropping (like I am still drooling from all the high end finishes and custom details)

The inside was just as stunning as the outside with super rustic furniture which was so UP-MY-ALLEY!

And details that were perfect for a hunting lodge (just a little sneaky peeky into my personality - I would so rock this light in my house - hunting lodge or not!)

There was an abundance of opportunities for pretty pictures of my oh-so-pretty babies.

And then, there was the most beautiful thing of all.  My heel wearing, bling-rocking, big-city-living sister doing this...

just beautiful...