New Mexico Roadtrip

Just came back from a great trip out to New Mexico!  It has been awhile since I've been out there to visit my sister and her family.  Amazing how fast the kids have grown (they are driving cars and at university!  how did that happen?!)  Anyway, autumn is my favorite time to visit New Mexico...partly due to weather and partly because of chili harvest!

The colors out in the southwest just seem so much more intense.  Even when the skies were overcast. 

Loads of both color and pattern inspiration all around!  Like these windows in the old railyard building in Albuquerque where they hold an art and farmers market on Sundays.

Or these tiled stars leading to a restaurant in Santa Fe.

and these tiles...hexies below the watchful dog and colorful tiles on the walls!

Visited a wonderful quilt shop in Corralles called "Quilt Ole."  Great selection of fabrics, notions, patterns, and staffed by some really nice folks.  (and if you go there make sure you stop at Hannah's for lunch and get their cranberry bread pudding for dessert!  amazing!)

Chip It

So I'm trapped indoors for yet another day...I may never trust the weatherman again!  He promised the heat wave was going to break today...now he says tomorrow...ya, and tomorrow I'll wake up and fit in a size 6 again....

I did find something very fun to play with on the computer.  Graphicsfairy.blogspot.com is using a new program by Sherwin Williams called "Chip It!" to select paint colors for her diningroom.  This program is so fun.  Basically you upload a photo and it selects paint colors from the photo.  I used a couple of photos from my favorite lighthouse and got the color palette that I already have in my livingroom!

  So I then used one of my favorite garden photos from England and got a great palette that I could use in my kitchen!  Glisten yellow...

I know many of you are already thinking...I could use this to develop a palette for my next quilt!  You could also upload you quilt photo and find a paint color for the room....

I tried it with a couple quilts and was happy to see it doesn't match the colors exactly but gives paint colors that works with the entire quilt...all an all good fun and a good tool for the next DIY project!