What Color is Your Front Door?

Spring is just around the corner. Before long, we will all be ready to throw open the windows and let in those fresh, warm breezes. Come on all you folks out there with snow up to your chins, and more on its way...work with me here! ;-) Spring is coming, I promise!

Spring is also a time when many of us give our homes a fresh new coat of paint...a new dress, so to speak. If you're planning a new look for your home this spring, have you picked out your color scheme, yet? What about the color you plan to paint your front door? Is it stained, all glass or is it a painted door, like mine?

When I was walking the halls of Houzz recently, I came across the most beautiful, snow-covered, blue door...it literally made me gasp! I was so inspired by that stunning door, I decided to create an Ideabook all about front doors. Did you know the color you choose for your front door will often set the mood for those who enter you home? Some colors can even be symbolic and full of meaning for those who visit.



I did a little research and learned all about that bold, bright color I chose for my front door. Little did I know when I was painting it red...that red held so much meaning when applied to front doors. :-)

Hope you enjoy this Ideabook and it gives you lots of ideas for your next front door! (Just click on the Ideabook to open it up for the full post.)

What Does Your Front Door Say?

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Welcome to the 56th Metamorphosis Monday!

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It's a few weeks before Christmas, a nice afternoon and you are out running a few errands...just doing a little shopping. On the way home, you decide to take a little peek in the window of a local thrift shop. Oh, what's this...a sweatshirt with a wonderful hand made, cross-stitched design. And it's only $4...way too cute to leave behind!

Ummm, now what will you do with it? Wear it at Christmastime, right?


Not if you're my clever and talented friend, Linda...who, from the moment she saw it, knew it would be just perfect on a darling, little footstool she had waiting at home. :-)


Here's how it looked beside her tree this past Christmas. I didn't get a chance to share this with you at Christmastime, but I knew you could use this idea any time of the year. What a great use for an article of clothing you might no longer wear.

Linda, thanks so much for sharing this awesome idea for Metamorphosis Monday! I know I'll be looking twice at those old sweaters and shirts now before I decide to toss them out.


Looking forward to seeing all your "Before and Afters."

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Fabulous "Before and Afters" await your visit:

Let's Pretend it's Summertime Again and We'll Go for a Walk Around Town

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Late last summer, a friend and I went for a nice walk in some of the historic areas of town...one of my fav things to do on a sunny day. You may recognize a couple of these homes from the candlelight Christmas tour I took you on a few weeks ago...now you'll get to see those by daylight, along with lots of new homes I've never shared before. Hope you enjoy this little "walkabout!" :-) (Click on any pic to enlarge it.)

This house was renovated a few years ago and I've been to several Christmas parties here. The sun room you see on the right side is my favorite room in this home. You can just see on the left side of the pic that the porch ceiling is painted blue? We call that "haint blue" here in the south. Folklore has it, if you paint the ceiling of your front porch haint blue, it will keep any evil spirits or haints from entering into your home. Also, it's supposed to help keep annoying insects away. Why? Because they will think it's the sky and not land on it, silly. ;-)


Don't you just love the south with it's quirky superstitions. I found some interesting information about the haint blue tradition HERE at Squidoo.com. I've copied and pasted a bit from their site below, but there's a lot more about it at Squidoo, if you want to know more.

What exactly IS Haint Blue?
I discovered that Haint Blue is a spiritual and cultural based color especially in the southern United States. Back in the day, Haint Blue was mixed as milk paint formulas using lime and whatever local pigments were available. The color was mixed in pits dug on the properties where the painters were working. Hand-crafted Haint Blue translates into a range of colors, not any one specific color.

What does Haint Blue do?
Haint Blue is meant to look like water and keep the Haints out of your house making you safe from their influence. Speculation has it that the tints, tones, and shades from the blue-green to blue-violet part of the visible spectrum fools the Haints. Haints can not cross water. Using Haint Blue on doors, shutters, window trim, ceilings, the whole darn structure, can fool Haints and discourage them from "crossing" into your house.

It's believed that Haint Blue can fake out insects and birds as well. Using Haint Blue on exteriors supposedly looks like endless sky to the little critters and deters them from making themselves at home. No one can say for sure, but personally I think the key ingredient of lime in the milk paint formulas is what deterred the insects and birds, not the color itself. Modern paint formulas do not contain lime, so I'm not so sure painting your porch ceiling blue is going to help shoo the bugs and birds, but it certainly can be an attractive exterior color treatment.

This home looks well maintained. I just see the edge of a Magnolia tree...so many of the historic homes have magnolias in their front yards. I love that! The leaves are so awesome to use for decorating at Christmas time.


I used to drive by this home and wish someone would buy it and fix it up. The paint was badly peeling and it looked very neglected.


Well, apparently a business bought it and now it's a shining star! It sits facing directly into the back of another home which I always thought was a little odd. This makes me think that it once sat on a multi-acre plantation...just guessing.


Darling cottage...is there anything more wonderful than a picket fence? I've often thought of putting one around my front yard. Do you see the roses planted just in front? :-)


Back around Halloween, I went on a ghost tour and this home was one of the stops on the tour. They showed us a neat old photo of the family who lived here...it was taken back around the turn of the century, as I recall...very old photo. Anyway, the large family gathering (must have been a reunion or something) was taken out on the side porch area and you could see the silhouette of a man inside the home looking out one of the windows. The guide told us he was thought to be a family member who had passed away, and he was looking out and watching the photo taking event.


I've always admired this home...would love to see the inside. I bet the round room upstairs is awesome! I adore the porch!


I'm pretty sure this home is a Bed and Breakfast...can't really tell if the porch ceiling is painted "haint blue." If it isn't, it should be! ;-)


In the garden...awwww...


Another wonderful cottage...


Check out this awesome double porch! It must have been around Memorial Day when we did our little tour from the way this home is dressed.


Cute! Cute! Cute! Check out the garden in the next pic!


:-)


Yep, must have been around Memorial Day...almost all the homes in this post have their flags out. Takes me long enough to share pics with you guys, huh? These homes all look so "All American and Apple Pie" with their flags proudly displayed. If I lived here, I'd leave mine out year 'round! :-)


I was in awe of this wonderful, old tree. After I took this pic, I walked further away and took another pic so you could see how big it is...


Isn't is magnificent?!


This little scene was on another tree on a different street. Look closely...notice the plant blooming beneath...do you see what it is? It's a big ole corn stalk. And just above is a feeder designed to hold the corn. Do you see him...the fellow enjoying the corn? Scroll down to the next pic...I enlarged it for you.


Do you see him now? Sorry this came out a bit dark. I thought this was so clever. Grow the corn right beneath the spot where you will be feeding it to the squirrels. This was in the front yard of this home and I thought it was fabulous! I already know if I met the folks who live here, I would like them...what a wonderfully, whimsical idea!


A wonderful fountain in the yard of another home...


I love how all the homes are so different...no cookie cutter neighborhood here!


Love the blue door! It makes this home feel "fairytale-like" to me.


Is this what they call a four-square? I think I've been in this home on another tour. If it's the one I toured, the area you see protruding out on the right is a wonderful entry/mudroom.


I never noticed it until just now, but the front porch of this house is similar to the one I added onto my home a few years ago. Look at those beautiful planter boxes out front.


How do you like the fancy paint job on this Victorian? Love all the flags! I count 4...one is hidden a little by the tree.


Another fabulous porch...


Just look at alllllll those windows down the side!!! That's one of my favorite, favorite features of historic homes...all those wonderful windows!


This house just says "home" to me. Doesn't it remind you a little of the home in Father of the Bride? It needs a white picket fence, though...to complete the "Father of the Bride" look. :-) That might be tricky to add with the wide brick walkway.


Another darling cottage! This one was on this past year's Christmas tour. Do you remember the swing that you can just barely see in this pic...it was decked out in Christmas lights for the tour.


I used to drool over this yellow Victorian every time I drove by. Then, one year, it was on the Christmas home tour. Yipee! I was finally able to see the interior and it was beautiful! It's been fully renovated...has a fabulous kitchen. I remember the bedrooms upstairs were delightful!


A view from the other side...don't you LOVE the wrap around porch?!


How did we ever get away from having porches across the front of our homes. Ok...I know we have air conditioning now...but just look...this is what we lost! I say, bring back the front porches!


Another one of the homes on this past year's Christmas tour...


Another wonderful front porch...


Another white picket fence...this one's a bit taller for more privacy.


Love the red door!


I love the roof line of this house...sooooo interesting. I bet the rooms upstairs are loaded with charm with the dormer windows. Note the symmetry...one window is hidden by the tree.


Let's end the tour with a beautiful Greek Revival...


Gorgeous Corinthian columns! Thanks for coming along for the tour...see you Sunday night for Metamorphosis Monday!

Welcome to the 76th Tablescape Thursday!

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Pssst, come over here a sec. Shhh, have to whisper, so your Valentine Sweetheart doesn't hear. Guess what I just found out?! It's the neatest thing! If you put all your Valentines in a big envelope and send them to the Postmaster in the tiny town of Valentine, Texas, she will stamp them all with a big RED stamp that says: VALENTINE, TEXAS! Imagine your Valentine's face when they see that special postmark...I just HEART this idea. :-)

Okay...here's how it works. Put all your fully addressed and stamped Valentine's Day cards in one big envelope and send them to:

Valentine Post Office,
Valentine, Texas 79854-5400

You will probably want to mail the large envelope with all the valentines in it from your local post office so you will know that you've used the correct postage. The Valentine Post Office does this every year and they don't charge anything extra for the more than 10,000 Valentine's Day cards they postmark each year. Their postmaster, Ann Carrasco, calls their post office the "Love Station of Texas." :-) This is an especially neat thing to do if you're sending valentines overseas to love ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.


To make sure the red Valentine, Texas postmark shows up, it's best to NOT send your valentines in red envelopes. The post office recommends mailing your valentine in a pink, white, or lavender envelope. If you'd like more information, you may call: (432) 467-2912.

Click HERE to see the postmarks and addresses for several other post offices that also have special postmarks for Valentine's Day cards.

Tablescape Thursday:
How about a beautiful Valentine's Day tablescape to get you in the mood for this upcoming holiday. Bonnie sent me some wonderful pics of her Valentine's tablescape and I'm thrilled to share them with you this evening for Tablescape Thursday.



She used a gorgeous dove bowl with floating candles as her centerpiece for this romantic tablescape. Unfortunately, the store where Bonnie found this beautiful bowl is no longer in business. If anyone spots it somewhere for sale, let me know and I'll add it to this post.


Salad plates are by Fitz & Floyd, pattern is "Cherubini"


The putti plates are so sweet...perfect for a Valentine's Day dinner. You may read all about the origin of the putti figure and its use in art since ancient times, HERE.


Rose napkin rings and darling dove votives...


Dinner plates are Mikasa...pattern is "Antique Lace"...


Beautiful crystal stemware is "Galia" by Rogaska...


Chargers are from TJ Maxx...love these!


Candlesticks are Lenox...pattern is "Butler's Pantry." These would really work well in many different types of tablescapes. I'm guessing Bonnie added the gorgeous crystals...lovely touch for Valentine's Day.


Soooo romantic ~~~sigh~~~


I always love to see how Bonnie will dress her sideboard for each holiday or season. :-)


Bonnie, thanks so much for sharing this wonderful Valentine's Day tablescape! I know it's going to inspire a lot of tablescapes for this Valentine's Day! :-)

Dinner plates - Mikasa "Antique Lace"
Salad plates - Fitz & Floyd "Cherubini" (eBay purchase)
Flatware - Ross
Chargers - TJ Maxx
Crystal - "Galia" by Rogaska
Linens - TJ Maxx
Candlesticks - "Butler's Pantry" ~ Lenox
Dove Votives - ? found online
Dove Bowl - Casa Casa (now closed)

Looking forward to seeing your beautiful tablescapes!

If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. If you aren't sure how to obtain your permalink or have any questions about using Mr. Linky for this post, just click HERE for detailed instructions.

Please copy and paste the Tablescape Thursday logo button to your computer. Then you can upload it to your side bar and use it in your tablescape post so your visitors will know you are participating.

Please link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch. This is important because it helps those who are visiting your blog, find the other wonderful tablescapes posted for this Tablescape Thursday.

Please do not add your link below, until your tablescape post is actually published to your blog.

The following blogs have beautiful tablescapes awaiting your visit: