Help a Sister Out! {Choosing Exterior Paint!}

I am in a major time crunch to pick the color our house will be painted tomorrow! Please, dear friends and readers, lend an indecisive lady your eyes and insight, won't you please?!

Everything has been pulled away from the house and it has been pressure-washed as of this morning!

I'll try to keep this short and sweet.  For various reasons, I've decided I want to paint our house a dark color.  Partly because I just want the chance to experiment with something different (and when you know you aren't going to live there forever, risky decisions seem a little less, well…risky.); partly because I think a dark, dramatic look may help our place stand out a bit.  In the absence of much architectural interest or charm (I honestly do not even know what style/era our house is?), I feel like a dark gray could add a little weight and gravitas to our humble abode.  I'm so excited to have it painted--once that's done, I've got big plans to spruce up the landscaping (if it will ever rain?!)

This discussion is for another post, but let these pictures serve as evidence that the struggle is real out here in Cali…we are in a drought, hence my sad "yard" where everything is dying.

I've basically narrowed it down to three options.

Option A is Benjamin Moore's Sharkskin, a grayish green.  When I look at the swatch on my house, in certain light, it reads pretty green, and I'm not sure if it's maybe too green?  But when I saw it painted on this house, I loved it and just had to find out the color.

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Maybe a gray that has a little color to it (in this case, green) wouldn't be such a bad thing?!

Option B is Benjamin Moore's Kendall Charcoal, a darker gray with brown undertones.  Here are some examples of houses that have been painted Kendall Charcoal (at least according to Pinterest--hope the captions are accurate!).

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source: Pinterest

Option C is Benjamin Moore's Amherst Gray, which feels the most like a true gray to me, with less undertones in it.  I was leaning toward going this route, and I think it's a pretty safe choice, but maybe safe is not always better?!

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A couple things to consider--most everything will be painted whatever color we choose…there will be a little bit of white at the windows and around the garage (not pictured), but I've decided I want the trim at the roofline painted the same as the body of the house.  To me, a flat-roofed house doesn't do itself any favors by having the trim stand out.  I was thinking of having that little block of brick painted, but at least for now, we may leave that as is…

So, what do you think?!  Time is running out!!

Patio Plans {Part 1}

Now that Spring has finally arrived in southwest Illinois, we are spending lots more time outside.  I know all my mama friends feel me when I say that nothing quite compares to kid-friendly entertainment like time spent outdoors.

We have a small backyard with which we have already reacquainted ourselves after the winter-that-would-never-end.

Wade and Holland have been enthusiastically spending lots of time in their sandbox that we got as a gift from Philip's parents shortly after we moved into this house late last summer.  I think this sandbox is about my favorite part of our backyard, both functionally and aesthetically come to think of it :)  It provides a great place for the kids to play and how much do I love that blue and white striped canopy top?!  The answer is a lot.  (Philip actually found it on Walmart's website last summer I think, for those who may be interested.)

As for the rest of the space in our backyard, well, let's just say it leaves a bit to be desired.

You don't have an inverted, broken table on your patio?!  

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad space, and it has a lot of potential, but we have a couple constraints to consider.

Lovely dead flowers that should have been removed months ago...

First, to my knowledge, we aren't allowed to truly landscape the area.  It seems obvious to me that flower beds and shrubs would go a long way in softening up all the hard edges around the square patio and the rectangular fence, but no one's asked me :)  Secondly, we are moving in early August, so we probably wouldn't do extensive landscaping even if we could.

However, moving in four months does not mean we can't make this place a lot prettier and more enjoyable for the time we do plan to spend out here.  After all, our life does not begin once we get to California, now does it?  Life is right now, so I say why not make it pretty and functional?!  Who's with me???

The front of our house could use some love too.  I planted pansies in pots back in the fall and did a terrible job of keeping them alive.

Just so we all leave with a good taste in our mouths, here are some beautiful outdoor images that are inspiring me right now.

Source: foxontherun.tumblr.com via Anne on Pinterest

Source: brynalexandra.blogspot.com via Anne on Pinterest

Source: onekingslane.com via Anne on Pinterest

Source: blueprintbliss.blogspot.com via Anne on Pinterest

Source: ballhort.com via Anne on Pinterest

Source: greengardenblog.com via Anne on Pinterest

I think the thing I appreciate about all of these images is the use of pots and containers to bring in flowers and greenery. It can really have a big impact when you do it well.  We won't be planting shrubs in the ground at this house, but planting things in pots is definitely doable.  Hey, we could even take them with us if we so choose (even if in theory only :)

Boxwoods are such a timeless choice, and I love the dose of fresh green they bring.

Source: gardenworldimages.com via Anne on Pinterest

The other situation that needs attention is our patio table and chair set (obvi).  We inherited this one from my grandparents, and while I'm fine with the style, it's not currently in usable condition.  Unless we can find a welder who can fix it (the base is bent and won't properly secure to the table top anymore) for a reasonable price, we may need to replace it all together.  Which begs the question--do I stalk Craigslist for a set or break down and buy a new set?  I kind of feel like if I do go the CL route, I should give myself a time limit--say two weeks max to find one?  I certainly don't want to waste the bulk of the mild spring days without a table!

Though my kids don't seem to miss having one (as evidenced by our recent impromptu picnic).  Who needs a table when you have a Mickey towel?

Perhaps I'll do some searching and let you know what I come up with!