Summer Updates

Aloha!!

It has been exceptionally hot for this time of year. We have hit record highs- the news even reported that last weeks highs at night were higher than the typical hottest nights in the summer. I am talking upper 90's during the day- AC running all day and night hot. Huge electricity bills hot.. Pool floating days hott.  Getting in the pool already hot- which is the earliest we have ever swam.

Typically I would still be wearing pants to work and leaving up the Spring decor after Easter.. but with all this hot weather and pool floating happening it feels more like Summer. I am sporting skirts, flip flops and wedges with sun dresses already. What happened to Spring? Umm I live in Houston-it's Summer already!!

I had an extra long weekend with Friday off and Monday. So after our relaxing Easter Sunday in the pool with family and friends, I took down all the springy decor! Away went our big E for Embley or Easter and out came the ALOHA door decor! I love it!

After I took down the E- I worked on the fireplace.. when I removed the Spring Blocks and moss bunnies it started to look a little bare. So I shopped the house and this is what it looks like:

I left the hydrangeas up because they remind me of Northwestern beaches.. and I love our branches in them from our wedding reception last year. I also added our seashells from the wedding, our Hawaii Souvenior plate and two wedding pics plus the aqua candle just for fun and height! I want stuff on the fireplace I just don't want it crowded and I would love to put laterns up with seaglass but the width of the shelf is too narrow.

Notice the dog toy on the floor-he he.

I also added new summerery pillows. My favorite color is aqua (hence our wedding colors were aqua and pink) and it looks so good with tan and brown. I found these awesome Sonoma Pillows at Kohls for 50% off and used my Kohls cash (which means they are almost free). I wasn't sure about the large size of the aqua pillows because I am used to a more traditional smaller size but I love love them. I also think the lumbar pillows with the white, tan and brown fit the color scheme perfect.  The colors really lighten the color scheme of the living room.  I removed the heavy chocolate faux fur blanket and just moved the aqua one to Nate's Chair. I think the living room looks stellar now and everytime I walk by I smile. The aqua pillows and throw pick up the other accents in the living room of aqua such as the cross, the embley stich work, the aqua pedestal and the hydrangeas on the fireplace and in the TV shelf. PERFECT if I must say.

 Check out my newest book.. OLD LEGENDS OF HAWAII.. such great stories.

 Here is our Health & Happiness Tiki.

Lastly, I updated the entryway chalkboard. I just wrote ALOHA in blue and added my book page wreath with a star fish glued to the center. Starfish were the symbol of our wedding! I really like things that represent us in the house and make us feel comfortable. The hawaiian pics sure fit summer well now! I also added a new candle with shells encrusted in it (much like PB's but much cheaper at Kohls).

I also finally recieved the vinyl to cover over the new seat cushions. I know that many people hate the idea- my own husband says they are grandma-ie. But we have so many friends with kids and I didn't want the fabric ruined. I also didn't want the colors to smear when wet pool butts sat on them. Which I know I can't be that person when people come over and I am like oh please don't sit down because I love my seat covers that much. So to solve that problem I covered them with vinyl..kid and pool friendly now. Here is how they look:

I know shiny right. I love shiny and even though it is vinyl I really like that the seats stay cool and that the material looks brighter with the clear over it. But Ms. Bella cat is throughly pissed at me. She slept in the second chair over from this pic every day in the sunlight.. the chair cushion had to be vaccumed from her siamese hair. Now that the seats are cool rather than warm from her heat she has moved on to the dining room chairs. Poor kitty..but my seat covers will live longer. Sorry Bella here are my sympathies.. didn't last long.

On top of all that I also completed my last 12 page paper needed for my Masters course. I am now out of school till May 10th. May 10th I will start a new course that will run for 6 weeks and I will be off the month of July for my summer break!! I graduate Feb 2012.. it is sooner than you think!