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Simply Stated 29

Hello Sunshine!

That’s how it felt this morning around here after a few days with gray skies and some rain thanks to Elsa.

Have you felt the effects of Elsa where you live too?

The wind and rain made things especially interesting at my house (this is Anne by the way!)…

Why you may ask?

Well, after 15 years in my house, this is the week we’re getting the exterior painted!

I love the look of our Hardie Plank siding, but, it requires a little extra maintenance.

Like fresh paint every 12-15 years.

We didn’t make any big changes over here with the color, but the gray is a little bit darker than the original gray.

It’s amazing what a difference fresh paint makes!

Across the street, AnnMarie’s house is on our painter’s schedule for next week.

Wait until you see the big changes she’s making! It’s gonna look so good!

We can’t wait to share before and after pictures with you, plus tips for picking the right paint color for your home’s exterior.

After all, that’s one selection you don’t want to get wrong because it’s not easy (or cheap!) to repaint it if you do.

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A few random thoughts for you on this beautiful morning.

1. My girls are away this weekend with friends, so Kevin and I are having a taste of the empty nest that will become our normal life next month. I’m so glad that we’ve taken time throughout our marriage to stay connected! Because while I’m going to miss having my kids living at home, I still love spending time with him. Turns out I made the right choice 29 years ago.

2. Have you ever tried packing cubes when you’re going on a trip? I absolutely love this set of cubes that my sister turned me on to! Not only does it keep me organized, the cubes compress your clothes so you can either fit more stuff into your suitcase, or you can get away with using a smaller suitcase. Score! They come in different colors so you can get a set for each person in your family and easily share a suitcase too.

3. Is there anything better than climbing into bed with freshly washed sheets? I just threw mine in the wash this morning and I’m already looking forward to bedtime! LOL Give yourself that same fantastic feeling and put your sheets in the wash when you’re done reading!

4. Speaking of fresh sheets, AnnMarie has an amazing idea to keep your bathroom towels fresh and free from bacteria.

tools including level, power driver/drill, tape measure, hammer and awl laying on ceramic tile floor in bathroom

5. Even though summer gets hot and humid here in the Carolinas, I’ve found some solutions that will help you enjoy more time outside… Comfortably!

Rattan and wire tray with 4 mason jar glasses and a pale blue glass pitcher filled with water

So much inspiration!

We’ve joined a group of bloggers that share ideas and inspiration from around the blogosphere every Wednesday!

The Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop includes links to nearly 200 ideas that you can easily browse from our site.

You’ll find everything from decorating ideas, delicious recipes, health and fitness tips, crafts and DIY projects, and so much more!

Here are a few of our favorites from this week:

This delicious dinner idea.

I’m definitely making this low carb snack recipe.

I can’t wait to try this dessert cocktail idea.

This beautiful coastal-inspired fireplace.

A roundup of summer Trim Healthy Mama drinks and shakes.

This fresh idea that could be great for lunch or a snack.

I need to try this easy DIY project!

Be sure to check out the entire Wonder Wednesday hop and let us know which idea you like best!

That’s it for this week.

We’re busy doing laundry, packing, and getting everything done before we leave for Atlanta on Monday.

We’ll be sharing all kinds of ideas and inspiration from The Atlanta Market on Tuesday and Wednesday on our Instagram stories, we’d love for you to follow along!

Have a beautiful weekend!

Signature for AnnMarie and Anne with headshot photo