You may recall that I’ve mentioned painting my breakfast nook a pale, spring green.  Once I got that completed, snafu and all, it promptly became too dark and gloomy to take any good photos of the results.  But now that spring has seemed to arrive, I can finally show you.  I really love the soft color and the nook has turned into my special little room where I can escape the computer and getting a little sewing done.

My friend Susan remembered that I had admired these spooky dead/dying flower prints at the art gallery in Disneyland and got them for me for my birthday.  I guess they are part of the Haunted Mansion decor although I have yet to locate them inside the ride on my visits there.  Anyway I’ve had them for ages and finally had them framed.

Here’s where my antique dress form lives.  The glass globe hanging from the hook was made by my friend Debbie, a super talented artist.

The built-in.  Don’t you just love it?  I get so excited when I see built-in cabinets in old homes like this.

I’ve cleared the counter top of the cookbooks and MS Living magazines and added some more interesting elements like creepy nature postcards in jars (which are, coincidentally, inspired by the magazines that are now tucked away in the kitchen).  In a month or so I’ll probably put African violets in these.

This is a peak inside the cupboard.  The succulents in brown Terra Cotta pots are new.  Perhaps it’s because I’ve lived in L.A. on and off for so long, I’ve come to appreciate desert-y landscaping that I see around the city - something I thought would never happen!  I used to consider myself strictly an English garden kind of girl - and succulents are so low maintenance.

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my freshened up little space.  It’s time for tea!

I knew I was going to check out the Liberty of London stuff at Target this past Sunday.  I also knew I was not going to wake up at 6am (ON A SUNDAY) to get there before the store opened, especially with the time change (side note: Yahoooo!!!).  I wanted to avoid the mad rush and figured if there was nothing left for me when I got there at 11, then it wasn’t meant to be.

When I arrived, I first headed to the women’s section.  Not unexpectedly it was a bit of a mess and I could tell my size was virtually sold out.  There was one dress left and while it fit, I put it back because it was polyester.  I’m not a fabric snob but I was hoping for cotton.

Then I went to the girls’ section: score!  Cute and cotton dresses aplenty and this was one of those times that I was glad to be petite.  The smock dress above is my favorite.  The color is not something I would normally pick out for myself but it goes well with my skin tone and the length is just right.

I also snagged these darling gardening gloves (the ones on the right).  I actually needed a pair:

OK, here’s where the decision-making comes in.  I don’t know if I should keep the following:

I love the sweet pea print of this top, but is it too juvenile for me?

Same question goes for this sundress (called a cover up on the tag; I guess it supposed to go with the swimsuits).  I love the almost psychedelic print.  I don’t normally wear such loose styles and do I really need these?  But wouldn’t these be great for late summer when the weather is really warm?  Could these transition into mommy-to-be wear?  (I’m not a mommy-to-be, by the way!)

I don’t know, any thoughts?  Did you pick up anything Liberty at Target?

Poppytalk is doing Spring Color Week and while I missed the first 2 days I thought it would be fun to jump in (especially since today is Yellow! Yay!) and post this photo of things I’m looking forward to wearing once the weather is more consistently warm.

• Ruffle copped cardigan wit after market vintage mother of pearl buttons: F21
• Vintage 1970s ’30s-style flocked dress: local antique market
• Vintage 1920s dress: Clever Nettle

Is anyone else here participating?

Sometimes I’m posting every couple days.  Sometimes every couple weeks!   Oh, to be consistent.

Let’s see, what has been happening around here lately…I changed up my blog header (Dear RSS feed readers, have a look!).  I acquired 2 lovely pieces of vintage rayon that I’m in the middle of de-stinking.  I also mistakenly painted the breakfast nook a pale lime sherbet rather than the pale sage I intended.

If you’ve painted a room before, you know the paint looks lighter on the wall than on the chip.  That’s what I kept telling myself as I painted in the afternoon Sunday.  Then I woke up the next day to find a huge container of lime green sherbet had barfed all over my breakfast nook.  As it turns out, the lady at the store mixed the wrong color (off by 1 digit).  When I went back to get a replacement she told me I gave her 2 chips, remember?  Yea, lady, I remember.  I remember giving you 1 paint chip.  (Why would I give someone 2 paint chips if I wanted 1 can of paint?)  Never fear, I did get my paint - in the intended color - and now I just have to get motivated again.

New blog header, new wall color and new swimsuit!  I guess I’m looking for change, maybe some spring weather.  Gosh, the weather in L.A. is tricky in the winter.  It may look warm and sunny outside but then you dash off to a meeting without the proper layers and you are freezing!  (Ok, not really freezing.  Freezing in SoCal is code for 58 degrees.)

Anyway, back the swimsuit, the reason for this post.  (I’m rambling a bit, I know, it’s late!)  I’ve been looking high and low for a one piece.  I’ve always liked the “old lady” ones with the skirts (like the one my Grandma used to wear) but they never come in my size.  I found the one pictured at Target.  It’s not really a one piece: it’s a tankini that’s really long and ruched with a wee little ruffle at the hem.   So you have to wear a bikini bottom with it.  (I guess you don’t HAVE to, but I’d highly recommend it.)  It comes with a removable strap too.  It’s so cute and actually fits me!