A rustic blue trunk on my back porch needed repainting with an exterior paint to protect it from further damage from the weather. New paint refreshed the looks of the box we use as a coffee table / serving table. 

The new paint color is a little lighter than the previous paint, and I may add a darker coat of blue to the box later. The most important thing is getting the box painted with an exterior paint before Fall and Winter rains set in. 

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Summer Fades Into Fall

capture the last memories of summer 

Fall arrives September 23 in the northern hemisphere this year, but once school starts back from summer vacation and Labor Day weekend occurs, summer begins to fade into fall regardless of the date or temperature. 

Looking for ideas of how to capture the lingering summer before it slips totally into fall or for ways to introduce fall decor gently?  

Amber at Follow the Yellow Brick Home is hosting Transitioning from Summer to Fall Blog Hop, and I am joining her with over 20 bloggers sharing ideas for bringing a little fall into your home during these last few days of summer. 

If you are already reading through all the great posts, and you are coming from Cindy at County Road 407, welcome! Cindy's posts are always packed with great ideas served up with wit and humor. Love her and her style! She not only lifts your mood, she also lifts your spirits with her gracious support of others. A side benefit for me is she lives in the same area of Texas as I do, and we get to visit when the area bloggers get together. 

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Labor Day Patriotic Tablesetting

Set a table to celebrate Labor Day with patriotic red, white, and blue. Red Fostoria glasses, blue Fitz and Floyd china, and white French Country scroll flatware reflect the colors of Old Glory and companion flags used in a centerpiece. 

No easier way to create a patriotic centerpiece than to use flags and a white and gold ceramic star. 

Paris Prints in Floating Frame | Vacation Memories

Framed Paris prints recall a memorable vacation

A Paper Series Post 

Paper post cards and small prints in vacation spots all over the world make beautiful souvenirs. Wherever you travel, you can find breathtaking images of the sights in gift shops, in museum shops, and on street corner stands. 

But, what do you do with those lovely souvenirs of your summer vacation? Do what I did with a set of small watercolor-style Paris bookmark prints found in a Paris tourist office. 

Display them in a floating glass frame 

to add a touch of French Country decor. 

France is the country I love to visit, but you can do the same thing with images from the country you love to visit. Spain, Italy, Greece, Japan, China, Peru... wherever you love can come home with you as small postcards to help create that culture and style in your own home. 

Toile Pantry Update | Key Hooks

Updating an uninspiring pantry painted pink began with white paint and a beautiful toile wallpaper. Adding new black iron double hooks to hold spare keys was the next step. A tip for simplifying where to drill the holes for the screws is based on a brilliant tip for an easy way to hang a print or mirror on a wall.  

While the pantry is small, the size of a closet, updating it with all my plans is more like updating a large room over several weeks. Not because of the size of the pantry, but because each new change sparked an idea for yet another change. 

Take a look at how the pantry looked BEFORE updates began earlier this summer.