Traveled to Morocco with a gorgeous and talented group of Peacock Painter Ladies…and stayed at the ever so beautiful Peacock Pavilions.

and this little LULU helped Melanie Royals and the other Peacock Painters complete this masterpiece, one teeny tiny embroidered “ish” stencil at a time…

This little LULU also slept in the following sweetly stenciled Peacock Pavilions room. 

Lastly, this little LULU fell in love… with the colors, patterns, people, and places that danced through Marrakesh by her side, in front of her, and above! Oh did they ever inspire her so…

but more on these joyous folks some other day…(Maryam and her tales…oh this and oh that…makes me gush just thinking about her)

Yellow, Black, White, PINK

An unforgettable image from Lost in Translation.  Visually descriptive, enough so that every time I see a photo of this place I get excited in anticipation to hopefully meet these walls someday.  Reminds me of moments I’ve shared with a dear old pal of mine back in Ellsworth, Maine.

As a 90% visual person I can appreciate the loud silence against such a crisp backdrop far better than any dialogue that could have been embedded this scene.

A treasure indeed!

Stripes add some fun to a teenagers wall

Here are the colors I used!

• Whitall Brown HC-69
• Damsel SW 7576
• Reflecting Pool SW 6486
• Plummy SW 6558
• Gypsy Pink 2077-20
• Bronze Tone 2166-30
• 2087-60
• Henderson Buff BM

Here is a photo of the cute little design I did in her other daughters room.  Inspired by a painting that she bought for her daughter off Etsy.

By gawly we sure have fun coming up with things!  Everyday painting at Steph’s house is a blast!  Thanks for the inspiration and please let me know once the room is all decorated and cute!

I haven’t made my way to the legs of the table yet…but…I thought I would share this article with all of you for inspiration on how to jazz things up a bit on a console table!

Console Table Project

Kitchen Table with Cloth

LIVING ETC.

Here is the DIY instructions as copied from the article in Living Etc.

Turn an old dining table from staid to stunning with these DIY ideas

How to do it

Step 1) Paint a neutral base coat over the whole table.

Step 2) Once dry, mask out different-width stripes before filling them in with your chosen colour palette. Darker colours will need three or four coats.

Tip: to prevent colours from bleeding when the masking tape is removed, use a very fine brush to paint along the edges of the tape with the base colour.

Step 3) Make sure you paint part on the tape and part on the table for a neat seal. Carefully peel off the masking tape, then use a clear matt varnish to strengthen the finish.

Tip: why not use up old sample pots of paint for your stripes?

What you need

Stripes painted in Famille Rose, City Grey, Lagoon, Lichen, Black and Mushroom acrylic eggshell, Zoffany.

Here’s a photo of my table!

my little project!

ready made wine bottle

I saw this idea in Ready Made Magazine over the Holidays… What a fun idea in general for dinner parties, gifts, or I guess just the heck of it.  The article suggested you do this with Trader Joe’s 2 buck chuck…  I suppose that’s crafty and all but I can’t really handle that stuff.  I guess if its for the purpose of drinkable art, I could gladly make an exception!

Here are some other fresh painted bottles…

sweet!

and…

Van G

Want to know how to do this Van Gogh bottle?

Go the Crafty Nesty Goodies site for step by step instructions!

enjoy ya’ll!  <3 lulu

Okay so its not so much a party as it is a celebration of fine finishing including Kelly King of Modern Masters, Rose Wilde from Wood Icing, and many many more!  I’ll be there with the NTA girls and also showing off my latest creations for my upcoming FOILS class. Come have a glass of wine and mingle with other finishers and learn a couple of new tricks along the way!

Colors include:

• Cobalt Blue
• Terra Cotta
• Merlot
• Crimson Red
• Charred Olive
• Weathered Bronze.

Be sure to get in there fast or call to reserve yours immediately…They are going FAST at only $10 a gallon, How on earth can you beat that?

The Plaster Center is located at:

Contact the Plaster Center to order:

By phone: (612) 374-0221
By email: plastercenter@comcast.net
For more information: Visit their website

enjoy!!!  lulu

Handsome Finishes in MPLS

Details of the Class are as follows!

A class designed around using different forms of embellishment , pattern and design to take already profitable finishes to the next level. Learn how the little details and the use of panel design with the ability to create from inspiration can up sell your projects and set you apart from your competition. This class is obviously about creating samples, but more than that it is about learning how to think out of the box and not just recreate what you have been taught. We will delve into using the elements already  in the room as inspiration and learn the advantages of using visual breaks such as creating panels, banding, inlayed designs, and pattern to sell not a finish, but an original design concept specific and appropriate to your clients space.  This class is non product specific and will cover many different lines. Knowledge of  basic decorative finishing techniques is recommended as a prerequisite

“It’s all in the details”

Sounds to me that Anthony is really going to be bringing some gorgeous finishes to teach to us Minnesotans!  I’m hoping to make it myself but haven’t scheduled anything yet…busy busy busy!

wishing you beautifully painted walls and other surfaces… lulu

Oh no…this post will not be about the fabulous Fats Domino tune…although it would be quite worthy if it were. Love that Jam!!! Instead this post is going to be about a beautiful color….one that penetrates taste buds this time of year…BLUEberry!

Is there a color deck out there with all foodie goodness  colors?  If not there absolutely should be.  I find myself enamored with discovering the precise colors of delicious and exquisite fruits and vegetables, or of bold and beautiful flowers blooming in my neighborhood.

Blue is the color of the ocean and of the sky.  It represents a vastness associated  with stability, strength, guidance, and peace.  Its a color that can be beneficial to both the human mind and the human body by actually slowing down one’s metabolism with its calming wax and wane effects.

The color Blueberry makes me so happy…It reminds me of a piece that was done on actress Zoey Deschanel in Domino Magazine (tear) before they passed.  She had these brave blues in her living space…very cozy, very delicious, very country rockabilly retro mama’s cooking in the kitchen cute!  Or as I like to think of them a very ripe and yummy blueberry… what do you think of her blue?

A rich blue like summertime blueberries is representative of both power and knowledge… It is a serious color, that can be paired down with  pastels to create a more playful nature.  It can also be very masculine.  I personally love a rich blue with crisp whites or cucumber or cantaloupe  shades.

I asked local Designer Erica Copper of YOUR STYLE REDESIGNED what she thought about a shade like BLUEBERRIES and she had  some wonderful insights into this color!

“A rich deep blue like that reminds me of a deep ocean… strong, yet calming at the same time. I love to combine an intense blue similar to Blueberries with very natural colors… this both relax the color and gives it a certain presence.   I also enjoy a dark blue with  natural shades of linen, creamy whites, and some spicy brown accents to prevent it from getting too boring.”

I also believe that rich colors need textured contrasts to enhance it even more, so I make sure to add some wonderful texture to the room…such as some natural woven shades on the windows, some rustic wood benches or tables, and some hearty baskets for storage. I also add a bit of soft texture to balance all of the rough… with a few cashmere blankets, airy linen sheers on the windows, or soft linen pillows.   I believe that the perfect room blends both wonderful color and texture.” -Erica Cooper

Now that we are all jazzed up about all things BLUEberry let us enjoy some blueberry flavored walls and rooms shall we?

Yummy Color with clean accents

Ooooh I just love clean whites with a rich color like BLUEberry!

Blue & White

What a statement for a dining room…A great way to set the mood for some intellectual dining conversations or colorful meals!

Yummy Blue Dining Rooms from a fellow Alicia's Blog

Here is a beautiful punch of a strong blue with RED accents!  OH JOY!!!!

Blue and RED

Want to try some Blues berries out as a color for your own walls?  Here are some fun suggestions from my color book for you!!!

Try:

Benjamin Moore Patriot Blue 2064-20

Pratt & Lambert Blueberry Myrtille 1208-3

or

Benjamin Moore California Blue 2060-20

Have some Rich Blues you would love to share?  PLEASE DO!!!!!  I love hearing about the colors you are just smitten with at the moment!

Happy Blueberry Painting Folks!

lulu