Decorating with Wendy

My Painted Kitchen

As the cooler weather arrives and we gravitate inside, I hear my friends talking about baking and cooking.  And, that is one use for kitchens, of course.  Don't get me wrong - I'm all for good food and fun - but, I have to say, it's the thrill of painting that lures me.  You will often find me alone in the kitchen with a paint brush and a can of paint.

My kitchen is not very large.  This is unfortunate, as I have lost perhaps a quarter of the square footage due to the many layers of paint on it!  But, even so, and despite the fact that I am not prone to baking and cooking, it still seems to draw people in.  I attribute this to the fact that it is painted with warm and inviting colors.  What I lack in culinary skills, I try to make up for in my wall color.  It seems to be working - people love to be in my kitchen!

As far as the colors I've painted my kitchen, it would be interesting to go back and remember them all. However, my memory isn't that long!  I do have a couple favorites, though, that I can remember.  My most recent favorite is a Benjamin Moore color called Audubon Russet (HC-51).  This is a beautiful deep plaster pink.  I've also used BM Chestertown Buff (HC-9), which I would describe as a gold/buff color - one of my favorites for any room.   I have also mixed many of my own colors, with some rather good results. 

I have also had some not-so-good results.  Color is the basis for all of my inspiration in decorating, so if it is not just right, I must persevere until it is.  This type of painting is not for the faint of heart.  I've had to, on more than several occasions, paint the same room twice or more in the same day. This is an arduous process, as you can imagine, especially with a husband and 2 children to take care of.  And this kind of painting requires a bit of perseverance.  And, and a very patient husband!  But, take heart - these both come with time and necessity! 

In the end, though, after all is painted and done, I have a kitchen I enjoy being in.  And, the nice thing about paint, is that "it's only  paint". If you don't like it, you can change it! So, if you are anything like me, you can experiment with some paint and a brush, and give your kitchen a whole new look in less than a day. And, if our walls could talk, who knows - they may even thank us.

The Changing Leaves of Fall

Fall has arrived here in the midwest.  You can feel it in the air and see it in the leaves as they change color.  Each season brings with it a new sense of beauty, and change - but Autumn captures something else.  It brings a sense of joy and a sense of sadness - joy for it's vivid beauty, and sadness for it's brevity.

We want to capture it's loveliness for the time we have it.  We collect leaves and save them to look at later.  We take long walks in the woods, and drives in the country. We wake up earlier in the fall, because the days are getting shorter, and we want to savor each moment.  After the long, carefree days of summer, fall seems to be a season more centered on family, friends, and home.  There is a sense of reflection, and also a sense of renewal.

Perhaps at times, we follow nature in our inclinations.  We pause with the season.  We are allowed a brief time of reflection at the beauty God has given us on earth.  But, even as there is a certain stillness, it is not stagnant.  There is change everywhere.  And, it is this change that inspires our love for Autumn. It has always been a wonder to me that right before a tree loses its leaves, it is at the height of its grandeur.

Perhaps there is a message in this season for us to make note of.  I was just thinking about how change is painful, but it is necessary.  It also produces something very beautiful.  If the leaves did not have to fall, they would not die and produce their vibrant collage of color.  All of this makes room for the new.  We can begin to "leave" behind some of the old, to make room for the new.  And, in the process, just like the tree that loses its leaves, something beautiful will happen.   

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Welcome

Welcome to Decorating with Wendy. This going to be fun!