seeing red!

I know! I know! I'm super, duper slack. I've got to get better with this posting thing! I just get so busy, I honestly forget about it...just bear with me :).

Today was a day for posting for sure. I went Goodwilling and hit the motherload! Motherload as in I was looking for chairs for my porch and wahla - there they were! Just calling my name as I walked in.

A whole $5 each and DYING for a making over! So, I hoisted those boogers into my buggy and away we went! You can't tell from this picture, but they are actually wicker and aluminum and they are surprisingly sturdy! In addition to these fabulous finds, I also found a Cuisinart coffee maker, some summer placemats and some super cute burlap-y/linen fabric.

Anywho, after proudly purchasing these "in need" porch sitters, I drove on over to Lowes to agonize over which color would look best for their new look. I contemplated greens and blues, taupes and ivory, I even looked at just repainting them white again and accenting them with a cushion. I decided on a very pretty blue color and went inspiration searching all over the store. But, blue wasn't striking my fancy so back to the spray paint department I went.

I finally decided that I'd stood there long enough and decided to use a lifeline - "I'd like to call a friend, Meredith." - I called my Mama. The entire conversation took all of about 5 minutes and before I knew it I was walking out with.............RED! Now, most of my home is decorated in soothing colors like greens and blues. Red is not a color I use often, so I was a little hesitant of what they might look like when I was finished with them.

Once I'd decided on the color, I had to go looking for a pillow or cushion to match (once I get going - forget it...) Ever heard of Southeastern Salvage or Ollies? If you haven't, google them IMMEDIATELY and run to your nearest location. Both are wonderful stores with lots of great stuff at not too expensive prices. Although, I left mostly empty handed from SS, I scored 2 outdoor pillows at Ollies for $6.99/each! I couldn't beat that.

To the house I went to begin my makeover and about 4 hours later the end product made me pleasantly surprised.

Meet my porch apples :). So cheery! Thanks to my mama for convincing me to try a little red in my life! I couldn't imagine them in the blue color I originally walked around with for 10 minutes. The red adds a whole other dimension to my porch! One I didn't imagine was possible!

The Plan? Red, Aqua and Yellow. Like this:

{pintrest}

I have a table that I sprayed yellow several months back that I'll use and once the once the weather decides to stay warm, for longer than a week, I'll plant some geraniums and marigolds to brighten up the space even more. What fun! This is the goal:

There is a lot more of my porch to decorate so hopefully it will all work out. I'm looking forward to fun and color spring/summer!! Keep an eye out, I'll be posting more soon (hopefully, sooner than later).

Night!!

Puss in Boots, And Not the Winter Kind

What a beautiful day it was in SC. 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. You honesty couldn't ask for a better day, although it has been a little strange to have such balmy weather in the middle of the winter. But, nonetheless, I'm not complaining. I'd rather see and feel the sun on my face over any dreary, cloudy, cold day. It just puts me in a bad mood.

Speaking of bad moods, have you met my lovable kitty? I'm sure you have, but of you haven't, no worries - your not really missing out on anything. He is permanently in a grumpy mood. I can't exactly pinpoint where he acquired his less than pleasant attitude, but I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I thought he was girl at first.

The story goes... After the purchase of a cute pink collar and a fun princess bed, it was time to take the trip to lose her womanhood - so it was off to the vet we go. It was there that we learned that Graci was a boy and he then became Gracin. But alas he was mine and to my surprise has been one of the most loyal companions anyone could ask for. Sure he has his moments, but hey? Don't we all? In fact, we probably get along better than most roommates because we just leave each other alone when we are in bad moods. :)

Bad mood or good mood, he's my guy and we are in it for long haul - move after move after move.

And have I mentioned how handsome he is? He may be a pill, but man is he a looker of a cat. I just had to take some shots to prove my point. See exhibits 1 - 4 below. Just darling if I may say so myself.

Well, enough about my fur baby and onto a resolution check up. Here is a brief overview of the things I thought I would stick to this year...

1. Save at least $100 a month - Month 1 is complete. Let's see how long that lasts before I want another shopping spree :)

2. Exercise more - Haven't done so good on the drinking more water thing, but I'm working on the running part. Just have to make it more of a routine. Anyone have any good motivation :)?

3. Get more craft happy - Ehhh, we are slow to start on this one. I've done one project halfway, but I hope to finish in the next week or two. I still look for inspiration on my fab website, Pinterest, but these let work hours (and the new bf) take up more time than planned. Here's a sneak peek of the one and only craft project that has taken place in 2012...

4. Blog-o-Rama - Clearly not a winning resolution, but then again I haven't really done anything interesting enough to blog about. There is nothing worse than reading an uninteresting blog post (probably very similar to this one). I have no upcoming wedding or baby to announce. It's just me and my kitty. Guess we are going to have to become a more adventurous couple!

Ok! I think that about sums up the month of January. Hope everyone's new year has started out wonderfully. I look forward to the next 11 months!