Paint is an easy way to refresh any space but how do you get the right paint color inside your home? I’ve got the answer along with flattering and stylish Target beachwear, a worthwhile charity to support newborns in Ukraine, and more.
Happy Easter! It’s Five Faves time with Annie and Cindy!
1. The Stylish Inexpensive Target Beachwear That I Bought
With this move to Florida, I only packed a week’s worth of clothing. Now our shipment has been delayed again for another week.
Sooo, I needed a bathing suit for the beach here ASAP. I picked up this cute, comfortable beachwear at Target.
The black one-piece ($40) covers my “ample” rear and the mesh is a little sexy (I got a medium). The straw hat l ($22 on sale) looks great on and it fits my head…I like the string in case of wind. I bought two of the beach towels ($20). These slides ($17) are so comfortable, I could wear them as slippers. My new beach tote ($32 on sale) is large enough to carry everything I need the few short blocks to the beach.
Note: This tie-dyed suit was cute too and a good fit if you want more color.
2. Mercedes’ Technique For Spaghetti With Clams
I’ve shown you Howard’s Spaghetti Vongolé recipe. Mercedes’ is similar except she takes all the clams out of the shells for her guests…so you know they are all cooked.
Plus, how easy to eat (the few shells are just garnished)!
3. Portable Incubators for New Borns In Ukraine
I donated to this worthwhile fundraiser and hope you will consider it. This is a letter from my cousin, Ana, (she was at our brunch recently)…
“Jane Chen is both a dear friend and the co-founder of Embrace Global. My relationship with Jane and Embrace goes back over a decade as I used to work with them in the US and in India when they first launched. The Embrace portable incubator has already saved over 350,000 babies worldwide over the past decade.
Over 1,000 women are giving birth in Ukraine every day. Many of these births are taking place in bomb shelters, where there is no access to life-saving medical equipment. Since the war started, the premature birth rate has more than doubled in major cities across the country.
We are now urgently trying to get these incubators to Ukraine. Embrace already has 200 incubators on their way to UNICEF and is raising funds to ship 3,000 portable incubators to Ukraine, which will be donated to UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and other nonprofits working on the ground.
In a GoFundMe campaign, we hope to achieve our stretch goal of $600,000, which will save the lives of thousands of babies. I kindly ask that you contribute to this initiative and that you share it amongst your network.”
You guys are “my network” 🙂
4. Samplize: No more paint color mistakes!
I don’t like to admit this…but I have made a couple of paint color mistakes in the past. So, I ALWAYS test in the room and check during different times of the day. Now Samplize makes it easy to get the right paint color.
I love Benjamin Moore White Dove, and have used it in our last two homes. But this home is shrouded in trees…nice to keep the street cool in summer. But it changes the paint color inside.
With Samplize, “the samples have the same effect as paint on a wall surface because they are produced with genuine manufacturer paint. They provide the kind of accuracy and texture that was only before achieved through purchasing sample paint and doing all the work in-house.”
You peel and stick them to your wall. And they are reusable. Plus, the samples got here over night for $5.
You can move the stick-on samples around the room. They carry Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, PPG and Farrow and Ball.
So hang in here for all the paint colors that we are selecting for the house (like in the dining room above). If you buy samples from Samplize, use this link so I will get credit. Thanks and you won’t be disappointed.
You may also like Great Reasons For Painting Walls And Trim The Same Color.
5. Inexpensive Good Sonoma Chard
I thought this was better than Sonoma Cutrer. Although lately, I have been liking a less oaky, crisper chardonnay like this French white Burgundy. But you can’t beat the price of this one at Costco…
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If you are new here, each Sunday I share my top five favorite things along with my friends, Cindy and Annie. It’s like our weekly “catch-up” phone call. If you would like to receive this series every week, please sign up HERE.
Let’s see what Annie and Cindy’s Five Faves are this week:
Love your Target finds. Especially the basket tote. I guess these fun beach-ready finds will your year round wardrobe now. How wonderful! What a great idea for sampling paints. I’ve painted more than my share of poster board over the years. This is so much better. They look perfect size to try out paint colors for the back of our hutch … that I’ve been threatening to paint for two years. Heartbreaking what’s happening in Ukraine. Can you imagine giving birth under these circumstances. What a lovely effort by your cousin to support them.xo
I really love white dove but it can look a little dingy in reduced natural lighting conditions
Great minds think alike…I just blogged about what’s going in my bag for an upcoming beach trip. I’ll send you the link to the best bathing suit I found! I’m going to look at your finds and see if I have time to order!
thanks for reminding me about Samplize! Could you please share the 2 colors on the right of the 4 colors of green and blue you are sampling on your headboard wall?
Thanks!
I’m thrilled that you are making this fun move! This CA girl (now living in KS) will so miss your SF posts….but can’t wait to follow along on your new adventure and as you show us your new home! Exciting new stuff! Also I’ll bet that Chief will be a lover of the Florida sunshine! I frequently dog sit our friends Boston Terrier and one of her favorite things to do is lay in the direct sunshine on the warm/hot concrete driveway!
Hope your moving truck arrives on time!
I know you’ll be happy to have your stuff.
Can’t wait to see your new home!!
You are so right, Linda, Chief will love the sun. He gets here Thursday night!
Mary Ann,
Thank goodness Target stores are everywhere. You can rely on them to have items of fashion and homewares that are not only stylish but pretty, all at a good price. I love the beach selections you made for your beach fun. I hope your truck arrives with all your belongings this week!
Is that image from your new neighborhood? Such a pretty tree-lined street.
xo,
Karen
YES…those trees are on our street. I sure hope that truck gets here too!
Samplize is a life saver! (Or certainly a dollar saver.) We didn’t peel our samples off the backing, just stuck them to the walls with painters tape so they would last longer. Now I’m able to take them with me if I need the paint color while shopping.
Your street is lovely. Can’t wait to see how you put your home together!
Yes, Samplize is the best. I have a drawer full of color samples to use for my next project. However, I’m still one of those types that becomes so overwhelmed in picking a color that I think I’m probably one of Samplize’s major benefactors.
I know…still hard to make a decision.
I used your advice last fall and ordered the samples and chose White Dove for our condo walls. We have floor to ceiling windows and the natural light is bright all day. The white is perfect, the painters have taken note for future use. Thanks.
Such a great color with lots of natural light, Gayle.
We have the same white Burgundy chilling for today’s Easter dinner! Happy Easter to you, dear Mary Ann.
It’s good, isn’t it? And Publix carries it.
I will look for you in our local target.I think you are getting lots of sand in your shoes!
We only had City Targets in SF so this is really fun for me, Susan.
Oh, Mary Ann! Your street is so beautiful and exactly as you described it! I can just see you and Chief going for a walk! Can’t wait to see it all this week as your moving van arrives!!
Thanks, Annie!
cannot wait to see your new home and what your talents create!
Debra
Thanks, Debra!!! I love your style.
Just a thought, I love Simply White paint color, but my yard is filled with trees too! Simply White will look good in any room you get bright light, but not in a room that has partial light. The shading, even if slight, will bring out the yellow undertones which I sit looking at right this moment. I am planning to use Chantilly Lace by BM in repainting because there are no undertones. Of course, you may be planning a different color this time around, but even for trim, you will get a clearer definition with Chantilly Lace, in my experience.
Well, Simply White is looking really good so far throughout the day, Linda. Thanks for commenting!
Your tree lined street is so gorgeous. It’s great that you’re able to visit with your long time friends so easily now. I hope you’re enjoying your new area.
We’ve been looking in Florida and would be interested to know how you chose your community.
Thanks.
We have great friends here. And the beach and friendly people. There’s more more on this in my previous Ballard post.
Donna, I lived in Atlantic Beach for years, it is a lovely place, close to all sorts of things, shops, great restaurants, the ocean and more and there is no state tax. Another wonderful area is Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island.
Yes!! They took me out in there boat with them yesterday!
Come back!!!