The winner of the nest painting is Debbie Thompson, who said she would decorate her entire master bedroom around it (that’s what I did with mine!)  Enjoy the gorgeous painting.  Thanks so much to Laura for offering it up as a giveaway.  If you’d like to purchase a painting from Laura, you can contact her through her Etsy shop.

After my whirlwind trip to New York City, there is so much I want to share.  I started writing a post to share it all, but it just wasn’t coming out.  I think I’m still processing everything, but I will say that it was a defining couple of days for me.  It truly was a time to get away from my house and the projects and celebrate.  It was a time to soak in the unexpected blessings of the road God has led me down.  This trip wasn’t about the magazines or HTGV.com or the book or Lucketts or any of those other surreal things going on in my life, but at the same time, it was.  It felt like a punctuation and a beginning.  It was amazing and I’ll tell you all about it when I’m ready and able.

How’s that for being cryptic?  So mean.

Anyway, since I’m not ready to post what I really want to talk about, I’ll share a DIY tidbit with you.

I’ve mentioned in a few recent posts how I use paints at 25%, 50% or 75% strength and this has become one of my favorite “tricks.”  I’ve grown to love soft, subtle colors on the wall, but I’m not quite ready to go all white.  I grew up in military housing where all white was the only option, so I want some color.  I also love the way bright white trim pops off a soft color.

So, I find a color I like and then ask the guys/girls behind the paint counter to mix the paint for me at 25%, 50% or 75% strength, depending on how light I want to go.  I painted my office with Halo by Benjamin Moore at 50% strength…

…and my office is Polar Ice mixed at 25% strength.

It’s a great way to take a color you like and soften it up a bit, so you have neutral background for your furniture, accessories and fabrics.  And, in case you’re wondering, it’s not the same as going one or two steps down on the paint deck.  Sometimes paint chips right next to each other have totally different formulas, so having the color custom mixed is a better option.

I will be posting a FFF party shortly and I have a couple of great giveaways coming up Friday and Saturday, including a ticket to the Haven conference!