My mother always said her grandmother loved to whitewash everything. I guess giving things that fresh look made the decor brighter, adding some novelty to the mix. Whether I am channeling my great grandmother or just in need of a little something different myself, I love how things look new when spruced up with a bit of paint!

 From older, darker and dated...

Method one... On the left is the original gold I spray painted on this antique frame about 16 years ago. On the right, I simply layered it with one thorough spray of ivory satin-finish spray paint, allowing the nooks and crannies to remain defined with the original gold underneath.

Method four... I painted the surface with an even coat of paint. For these, I used the latex eggshell in cafe-creme again. After it dried completely, the raised relief pattern was rubbed with fine steel wool. Using both light and dark wax, first I dabbed dark wax onto select areas of the surface to give an aged, worn appearance. After letting them dry for a bit, using a clean cloth dabbed in clear wax, some of the dark wax was rubbed away, leaving enough in the crevices to create that worn look. These tiny frames have the most surface interest with both hints of gold from the original finish and depth from the waxing.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, what's the fairest one of all? xoxo-Sonya

Sure is hot out there... 

Even with the awning cranked open covering the deck, the sun is mighty strong and you can feel heat underneath permeate from the seat cushion. Kit loves the deck especially with the shade, but on a day like today, our cat is sheltered under barberry bushes across the yard lounging on the cool earth.

Meals have to be quick and easy, fresh and light. We love flatbread pizza. It's crispy, savory and satisfying, fast to prep and done in about fifteen minutes from oven to table. With ready made lavash bread from Trader Joe's, the crust is all ready to go to make this in a jiffy.