WELCOME BACK RALPH LAUREN PAINT to HOME DEPOT!!

Have you heard the news? Lifestyle and American Design icon, Ralph Lauren has relaunched his paint line at the Home Depot! (yes - cue the angels!) I had first learned about the paint line return back in June when I noticed Ralph Lauren Home had a collaborative board with the Home Depot on Pinterest. I thought it was odd since I remember blogging in 2010 about when Home Depot had dropped Ralph Lauren (to make way for Martha Stewart Paint - you can read my post here). When I clicked on a pinned  image, it was linked to the Home Depot website. Afterwards, I called my local Home Depot to ask if the paint was coming back into store or only online and they said it would be brought back into stores in August. And thankfully YES! The Ralph Lauren Paint line will be available both online and in all stores this month! Although the set up isn't front and center or quite as large as it was when it was first launched (many moons ago!) it's just enough. Now we can all once again have a touch of Ralph Lauren in our homes. I know when we move and relocate to buy our next place, I will definitely be heading to Home Depot to purchase some of my favorite RL greys and whites!

Here are a few of the beautiful Ralph Lauren Home designs with RL paint and techniques, featured at the Ralph Lauren Home - Paint board on Pinterest...

 "I design for the home the way I design for a man or a woman, with the same attention to detail and the same eye for what is beautiful and unique." - Ralph Lauren

 Experiment with a vibrant, bold red paint from Ralph Lauren's Iconic Brights palette.

 

 

Coastal decor is welcoming and modern with Ralph Lauren Paint Brilliant White

 

 

My all time favorite RL Paint Collection - Urban Loft. Many of the shades of grey featured in this collection we had used in our Florida townhome. 

 

Ralph Lauren Paint's luxurious Suede finish in Desert Broom.

 

 

  

Alternate stripes of Ralph Lauren Paint's Brilliant White and Summer Regatta to create a unique design for your walls.

 

 Using the finest materials and some of the most innovative technologies in the industry, Ralph Lauren Paint is engineered to perform best in class, from the can to the wall.

Welcome Back Ralph Lauren Paints to Home Depot!

Many consumers were saddened by this product line being dropped at Home Depot back in 2010 - so now you can rejoice on its return! If you're planning on doing some painting this weekend, or if you're planning on refreshing your home with a new palette for the upcoming holiday season - be sure to visit your local Home Depot and dive into the delicious Ralph Lauren paint palette!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 Note: Although I did inquire, this is NOT a sponsored post.

Essentials for a Summertime Picnic in the Park

Over the weekend, it was Jeff's birthday. Last year, we spent the day at his new favorite spot here in AZ - the golf course. However due to a lower back injury he's been experiencing, I planned something a little more relaxing to celebrate his birthday and for us to relax and enjoy together: A Summer Sunday Park Picnic. Back in the Fall, we had a park picnic at a spot we came across in Scottsdale, but I wanted to try a different and new to use place. During July 4th weekend, I came across a local park, just 40 mins north of us in a place called Fountain Hills. Since it's a little higher elevation than us here in the valley, it was a little cooler, not to mention the huge lake the park is surrounded by has a huge fountain in its center. When the fountain is gushing, and a wind blows, it creates a mist to help cool down people walking the park or just lounging under the trees - which is where we picked our spot for our picnic.

Different from the picnic we planned in the Fall (read: Enjoying A Fall Picnic In The Park), passing by a gourmet market to pick-up a mix of salads and wrap sandwiches, I prepared the picnic feast at home, with the summer fruits and foods I had on hand. I made us Jeff's fave potato salad the evening before, and I did pick up some better deli meats & cheeses for our lunch. Reusable containers came in handy for packing the potato salad plus fresh cut strawberries, watermelon, and a mix of feta with red grapes. Recycled juice containers came in handy for our beverages I also made: Limeade for me and fresh brewed tea for Jeff. A pretty blue glass wine bottle I also recycled came in handy for a small vase of three Gerber daises from the bunch I picked up during my weekly grocery trip. A burlap tote I had gotten from the Winter Market came in handy to carry the sheet, fabric, napkins, melamine plates, cups, the wine bottle vase, utensils and a cutting board. Tip: Bringing along a cutting board helps to give one flat surface when you're doing a ground picnic. And although the "basket" for a picnic is a must, it may not keep the foods as well chilled as need be (especially mayo based salads & sandwich meats) so we did also bring a small rolling cooler for the drinks and extra ice - plus the handle helped to hold two tie-on covered pillows I brought to help make the ground more comfortable for Jeff... Needless to say he not only ebjoyed the food but the water view too - which is a rarity to be near (in comparison to FL living) here in Arizona...

 

Although I made the potato Salad the night before, I made hoagie sandwiches in the morning with a splurge (for us) on some special deli meats and cheese. To hold these stacked sandwiches in place for transport, I cut them in half, and wrapped them in parchment paper, before wrapping in a Ziplock baggie.

 

 

Jeff was happy - Food + Water view!

Picnic Attire:

Dress in lightweight cottons and linens to help keep you cool...

Making hubs happy makes me happy...

Picnic Tip:

Put that extra flat sheet from your sheet set to use: Bring it along for a park picnic... along with a few throw pillows for added comfort while lying on the ground...

 

 I know Jeff would have loved to have gone and played golf (like we did last year for his birthday) but that just can't be this year. But we were still able to get outside and actually enjoy the outdoors - more relaxing - and left the park as two happy campers! --or is that picnic-ers? :)

Earlier last week, when I wrote my blog contribution to the Hadley Court blog, I wrote a post about organizing a summer picnic, which included a list of essentials, a link to recipes, and several picnic ideas to inspire you from backyard picnics, to parks, to even a mention of beach picnics. If you missed my post, you can read at: The Essentials for Organizing an Easy Summer Picnic...

 

 

 Pulling together your own picnic, for a park or the yard really doesn't take much, it's not expensive, plus it's way to get out and peacefully enjoy summertime outdoors...

 

Sandwiches cut in half and wrapped in parchment paper before wrapping in a ziplock baggie helped hold these beasts together for transport. I repurposed Jeff's everyday lunch meat containers for sides (such as potato salad and fruits). Cooler packed with ice plus Limeade, Ice tea and water. (Non-alcohol & no soda picnic) -- an important essential to a picnic here in AZ: stay hydrated!

 

Having a list on the fridge helped keep more organized for Jeff's B-Day... but I don't have any idea what "came" is... lol (hate when that happens!!) I either meant cooler, cutting board or card... Jeff got upset because he tried to bring speakers for his iPod but the batteries were dead - But in all honesty - we didn't need the music... it was such a nice break to listen to a warm breeze wrestle in the trees, birds chirping, ducks quacking and the WATER chopping against the sides of the pond... not to mention the misting cooldown we got when the fountain shot up! (105 temp must have dropped 10 degrees!)

 

Pulling together most picnic essentials the night before helped me get ready quicker Sunday morning - even-though I did edit (not take all in above pic) most everything fit perfectly in the burlap tote...

 

 

What does it cost to have a picnic (for two)?

Groceries - Let's say $30 (or less)

and below is a list of using what i already had, but for some items, in new ways -

Picnic Basket - Gift from Jeff's mom (2009)

Stripe Sheet (RL queen) + Stripe Melamine sq. Plates + Cutting boards - HomeGoods (2011-2014)

 Ikat Blue Melamine Plates + Blue cups - Target (2010)

Polka-Dot Tea Towels - Pottery Barn (2014)

Natural Linen Euro pillows (covers) - Ikea (2012)

 Buffalo Check Napkins + Plaid fabric + Denim pillow - Goodwill Thrift Finds (2013)

and my plaid strapless dress was also a thrift find - $5 at Goodwill during 50% day.

Find an ideal location to suit you and your mate or your family and enjoy!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Note: This post is sponsored by HomeGoods and shared on the Happy By Design Pinterest project. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

With Gratitude and Many Thanks!

Although life doesn't always turn out the way you had planned, you can't let those disappointments get the best of you. You also can't let the disappointments blind you from the good that does happen in, let's say, your career life. Case in point, recently I've hit a few milestones in building my social media presence (such as acquired 2000 likes on my Facebook page and 5000 followers on Twitter!) along with being featured by a few other bloggers - from home styling to Pinterest features - plus being invited to be a blog ambassador for up and coming new Design Network and hired to create graphics for two website redesigns! I never would have guessed when I left the brick-and-mortar world of visual merchandising in retail (almost four years ago now!), that those experiences plus my design style eye would lead to a whole different world of opportunities ... and for that, I am humbled, honored and grateful...

Many Thank You's to...

 I am grateful to be selected and listed on Designer Carla Aston's Directory of "Must Follow Interior Design Pinners On Pinterest" !!! Check it out! There may be some NEW to YOU pinners to follow as well. Thank you Carla! I'm truly honored!

 FLOORED! Thank you FlooringHunt.com for featuring me as one of your Top 12 Decorators and Designers to follow on Pinterest! In some great company along with Emily Henderson, Holly Becker, and Paloma Contreras to name a few! -- See ALL here: 12 Decorators and Designers to follow on Pinterest! 

-- and Join me on Pinterest here: Lynda | Focal Point Styling

 Ralph Lauren Home - Joined Pinterest this June and is following me! Thank you! I'm honored!

  5000+ Followers on Twitter! Woot!! Thank you!

2000+ Likes on Facebook!

 

I was happy to be invited to participate in a Focus Group panel, and thrilled that it lead to being invited to become a Brand Ambassador for the Design Network! Look for my post coming up in July! You can start to watch + join + share by clicking: the Design Network.

 

 Thanks for featuring one of my coffee table styles in your post how to Style A Coffee Table at Beneath My Heart - during the "How to Decorate 5 Day Series" hosted by Beth Crabtree Hunter of Home Stories A to Z - You can read at How to Style A Coffee Table

Grateful to have been invited to be one of three Happy By Design pinners for HomeGoods to Host a Pinterest Party - coming up in August!

Thank you Lucky magazine for featuring my Jewelry Organizing With Teacups as part of your 75 Creative Ways To Organize Your Jewelry 

Thank you Mitzi & Leslie! Here is one of seven new graphics I created for the redesigned website of MitziBeach.com. Read and see more on her site!

Happy to be part of the Hadley Court Blog Team as a Content Contributor - Noted as Top 25 Home Design Blogs To Follow For 2014!

 

Especially thrilled to be attending the upcoming Design camp as a Guest of Lori & Kelli's - during Summer Market in Las Vegas, happening at the end of this month!

 Also grateful for a few other invites in the works -

Blog for HomeGoods and Fall HPMKT, as well as local invites to write for local magazine, East Valley Magazine plus may be doing a little special merchandise presentation locally at Sweet Salvage! So stay tuned and THANK YOU for keeping up with me and Focal Point Styling!

Always look at the bright side!

Thanks for stopping by!