Toys in my Kitchen.

There's something about the end of January

that makes me need color.

I do so admire the white walls and decor I see so often

on Pinterest and other blogs,

but I have found,
I NEED color.

 

Bold colors make me feel happy
especially in winter,
when I'm stuck inside so much of the time.

They sing to me...

of spring time's fresh red strawberries...

and cheerful walks in a country meadow.

The contents of my refrigerator even welcome me with colorful faces.

(If only those left-overs tasted as cheerful as their containers looked.)

My mother gave me some vintage canisters for Christmas
that I spied
and longed for

at the antique center in town.

(Aren't mothers grand?!)

My husband gave me a Christmas gift that compared in delighting me:

a nice little bit of spending money
and a morning baby-sitting while I wandered into the same antique center

ALONE.

I think if I had been offered a diamond ring

or the gift he gave,

I'd take his gift without thinking twice.

I have a running list of things I'd love to replace with vintage:

usable items

that can withstand the onslaught of little hands

and a farmer's big ones.

This time,

I was on the hunt for a new sugar bowl.

I had a nice reproduction set:

but I wanted something that would match my new canister set.


I lingered and looked for over an hour,
and finally,

I found exactly what I was looking for.

I headed home with a happy heart
as well as a few other vintage treasures from the morning

like these sweet little dishes that were 50% off




and this much needed

ORANGE

enamel pot

that was 20% off

as well as a few wooden things I can paint for the craft sale next winter.


Having over half my gift money left,
I couldn't have been more happy to return to my little people
and my weary Farmer.

(What a great man!)

I scrubbed up the new sugar bowl

and set it right to work,

and as I examined it...


I discovered it's original purpose:


my sugar bowl had actually been part of a little girl's kitchen set.


"Funny bit of irony," I thought.


Not wanting to waste my old canisters,
I decided to break out the can of Annie Sloane's Antibes green chalk paint
and then waxed them with rugger brown when they had thoroughly dried.




Cheater vintage, but at least the color is better suited.

While I was painting my old canisters,
I grabbed the silver lid to the spaghetti jar
I'd used upside-down for my Christmas table decoration:



I applied the same to it,

and now that sits with my sugar bowl

in front of my tole-painted platter I found at the second hand store
for $1.

I am loving the way my kitchen is coming together.

I feel like it takes a lot of looking and waiting to find the exact pieces to love,
and do the job that's needed,

but I think when I do,

the look and the price is definitely worth it.

How about you?

Do you find that happy colors,

especially in the middle of winter,

make your day look brighter?

Linking up to:

Nominimalisthere.blogspot
Abowlfulloflemons
Notjustahousewife: Show-me-what-ya-got
Astrollthrulife: Table-top-Tuesday
Funkyjunkinteriors: SNS
Gnowfglins.com 

Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays
We Are That Family

Little Daisy May: What I'm Loving Wednesday

Raising Homemakers: Homemaking-link-up

Beyond the Picket Fence

From My Front Porch To Yours - Treasure Hunt Thursday

*Transformation Thursday - The Shabby Chic Cottage
Fish Tail Cottage: Cottage-flora-Thursdays

*Strut Your Stuff Thursday - Somewhat Simple
*Between Naps on the Porch
Saved by Love Creations: Thrifty Thursday
Somewhat Simple
 The*The CSI Project (8am)

No Minimalist Here

Fireflies & Jellybeans