life is a journey.

Published on by Quandie

I’ve got one last post today from my recent trip out west.  Be sure to read all the way to the end, because we’ve finally gotten to the giveaway!

When I was out at my mom’s place the first time this year, back in February, one of the things she wanted me to do was paint her front door.  Well, that is a project that is right up my alley!  And so much more fun than washing windows or doing her taxes, which are the typical sort of things she wants my help with.

So we popped out to her local Lowes to pick out paint for her door.  She wanted either a navy blue or a dark green.  We picked a lovely color from the sample chips and went up to the paint mixing counter to have it whipped up.  And you know what?  They couldn’t do it.  They did not have the appropriate dark base paint to mix up a dark color!  I have to admit, I was flabbergasted.  I mean, I’d been hearing that people were having some trouble getting paint these days but I guess I just didn’t expect Lowes to tell me that all they had available were pale shades.

Since I knew I was going back to visit again in a few weeks, I told my mom that I would bring some Dixie Belle paint with me for her door.  She ended up deciding that she wanted dark green rather than navy, so I chose Midnight Green from Dixie Belle’s new Desert Collection.  After all, a color from the Desert Collection seems appropriate for a door in the Mojave desert, right?

The beauty of the Silk All-in-One paint is that it has a built in primer and top coat.  So I only needed to pack the one 16 oz. jar in my suitcase.  I wrapped it in bubble wrap, and then enclosed it in a zip lock bag as an extra precaution.  I have to admit, I was a little nervous that the jar would explode in my suitcase and I’d be wearing paint splattered clothing for my entire visit (not as though wearing paint splattered clothing would be anything new).  But it survived the journey just fine.

To prep the door, I cleaned it with some spray cleaner that my mom had on hand and then I sanded it with a 180 grit sanding block that I did find at her Lowes.  Then I gave it two coats of Midnight Green.

Her door went from boring brown …

to a vibrant green.

One thing I hadn’t considered was how incredibly fast paint dries in a desert environment.  It was a gorgeous day, somewhere around 70 degrees, so not hot.  But the air out there is really dry.  I struggled to maintain a wet edge in order to avoid brush strokes on the large surface of a door.

But my mom loved how it turned out, so that’s the important thing, right?

Have you seen all of the colors in the Desert Collection?

There is the Midnight Green on the lower right.

I used the Mojave on the inside of a washstand I painted earlier this year.

I wasn’t sure what I thought of this color at first, but it really grew on me after using it on this piece.

It pairs beautifully with Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth.

Since I happened to be out in the desert, I decided to see if I could find some of the paint colors from the Desert Collection at the Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden.

Cactus was easy.

It’s a cactus garden after all.

I was really hoping that Prickly Pear would be easy too, but this vibrant pink is the color of the flower.  Apparently Prickly Pear cactus blooms in May through July, so there were no blooms to be found.

I think you can get a hint of Mojave in the spines on these cacti.

They don’t really have an oasis at the cactus garden, but I thought maybe Oak Creek from Sedona would count.  The color is certainly right.

I also found a bit of the Morning Sunrise color during one of our sunrise hikes in Sedona.

There are 5 more colors in the Desert Collection, but I’ve chosen these five to include in today’s giveaway!

But before we get to that, I had to share this funny coincidence.  When we popped inside the Ethel M Factory after checking out the cactus garden, there were signs announcing their revamped packaging that pays homage to the color palette of the Mojave Desert.

There is Fiery Sky, Midnight Green and Morning Sunrise.

And here is some Mojave.

And here is Umber.

OK, of course these colors are not based on the Dixie Belle colors, or exactly the same, but I just had to share the fact that two entirely different products (paint and chocolates) on two opposite sides of the country (Florida and Nevada) were thinking the same thing at the same time.

That brings me to my giveaway!

It will include five colors from the Desert Collection; Morning Sunrise, Cactus, Oasis, Mojave and Prickly Pear.  Plus some Prickly Pear taffy that I picked up in Sedona, as well as this bracelet, also from Sedona …

I purchased one of these bracelets for myself, and then thought it would be fun to include one in the giveaway as well.  Life is a journey, not a destination.  Although, as destinations go, Sedona was a pretty good one 😉

The rules:  Simply leave a comment on this blog post to be eligible to win.

Your comment must be left on this blog post, not on Facebook or Instagram.  You are not required to follow my blog, although it would be awesome if you did!

I will randomly draw the name of a winner for today’s prize from all of the comments left on this post by Friday, April 15, 2022 at the stroke of midnight (U.S. Central time).

The fine print: no purchase necessary, you must be 18 years of age or older to win, void where prohibited by law, the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning, approximate retail value of prize is $160, if the prize is not claimed by Friday, April 22, 2022 another name will be drawn at random to win, blah, blah, blah.

Thank you to Dixie Belle Paint Co for providing the paint I’m giving away today.

108 thoughts on “life is a journey.”

  1. Even if I don’t win, I think the Mojave is perfect for a bookcase for my bedroom I want to try. I did my not-so-curly French bedroom furniture (which I’ve had since I was 14 – 48 years ago) in an ivory a few years ago, but did this bookcase in a blue that just doesn’t work. I think the Mojave would be perfect! Thanks for this!

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  5. The paint colors, along with the state of Arizona, seem like they belong to another world! We live in such a diverse country. Thanks for sharing your travels once again.

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  9. Your pictures of Arizona are so beautiful. I would love to visit Sedona. The new Silk line colors are also very pretty. I would love for you to try the red one. Thank you so much for even a chance of winning this. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Your Mother’s door is so colorful and bright. I love it.

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  10. I read every post you write! I’m originally from MN and now live in TN. I like the weather updates and references to places I know. Plus, I love your style!

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  12. The Midnight Green is striking!I live a good chocolate color ,but this made the door so refreshes. Your photos are just beautiful. Hope your had a great time with your Mom. Have a Blessed day

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  13. I live on the East Coast and I have now put Sedona on my travel bucket list, thanks to your posts!! Love your photos and writing style. Thank you for having this giveaway.

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  14. The new Desert Collection colors are beautiful. I love how you compared them to your travel pictures (along with the coincidence of the revamped packaging at the Ethel M Factory). A color feast for the eyes this morning!

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  15. I love Dixie Belle paint, so I am sure the new colors are fantastic. You are so lucky to still have your mom! I love your blog also.

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  18. The front door is so much better! I know your mom smiles every time she sees it. There’s something soothing about green. It should have a fun wreath on it to add a little interest, too. I really like the desert colors, I’m glad they didn’t recreate the 80’s mauve and blue southwest colors! The most important thing is that you go visit your mom and help her out with these projects. That’s such a blessing to her.

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    1. I think I’d blocked all memories of the 80’s desert look, and now you’ve brought it back complete with wallpaper borders and those horrible faux clay pots. Yikes!

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  19. I live in Tucson so I totally understand how fast paint dries! 🙂 The door turned out beautiful! I’m sure your mom will smile and think of you every time she opens the door!

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  20. We were in Sedona about 6 years ago…beautiful colors in the desert! The Dixie Belle collection captures them perfectly! I enjoyed your post and the pictures!

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  21. Dixie Bell’s Desert Collection perfectly fits the boho look in home decor and fashion. Great post to go along with this awesome selection of paints!

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  23. Sometimes I think paint colors look like pretty candy, I guess that is a marketing tool for Ethel M chocolates, packaging is everything 😊

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  26. What lovely warm colors! I love a green front door. Brings the garden right to the house. Well maybe not in a desert landscape. 🙂 Nice to be able to get away, visit your Mom and fix stuff for her.

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  28. Love the green door! I am also blessed to have a mom that likes my help with projects. Thank you for the give away, it’s so thoughtful of you to share.

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  31. I love those brighter colors after all the neutrals. The door is gorgeous! But then everything you do is gorgeous! Since retiring, your pics have reached a whole new level!

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  33. I’ve been wanting to paint some baskets, these paints would be perfect. The door looks so much better, can’t imagine how difficult it was to paint in such a dry environment.

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  34. LOVE the green door—that’s definitely my favorite color of the collection!!! So awesome that you get to visit your mom more and help her out-I’m sure she appreciates it! Can’t wait to hear about your upcoming trip to Charleston!!!! I love it there!🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

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  35. It just goes with saying your talent can go anywhere 😉. Love the green door! I’m trying to decide what color to paint mine. This is a good option! I really enjoy your blog! So glad you retired as I’m sure you are too!
    Smiles, alice

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  37. The green door is a nice upgrade! I am glad that you are able to travel and enjoy your retirement and your mother – more good memories made! You picked the colors I liked best in the desert collection and I would love to win them. Love the bracelet too. I’ll keep my fingers crossed!

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  39. I love that quote about life being a journey, not a destination. In fact I’m going to make a sign for our new RV, I think that’s fitting, don’t you?

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  40. Beautiful colors; beautiful gardens. I don’t live in the desert but I’ve camped there all my life. There’s so much beauty in the desert; you just have to look a little closer.

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  41. This is a beautiful combination of colors. I have been wanting to explore a different pallet, so maybe this will be my chance to try something new.

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  42. I just love the Desert colors and how you showed how they all tied into the desert landscape.
    I lived in Arizona years ago and remember all the cactus! I have a trip planned to New Mexico!
    Thank you for the opportunity to bring some desert to my home.

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  43. I have yet to use any of the Dixie Belle silk paint. I didnt even know about these desert colors. I’ve been stuck in a rut of neutral 😐
    They look like fun colors to try!

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  45. There may be different kinds of prickly pear cactus, but my dad had several in his cactus garden in Southern California, and I think I remember the blossoms as being yellow, so I’m reasonably certain that the paint color name refers to the fruits the cactus produces, called “tuna.” They are a vivid pink, with some random stickers, hence prickly pear.

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    1. I don’t have any inside info as to how Dixie Belle came up with the name, or the color, but there is a Prickly Pear, opuntia basilaris, that has a bright, hot pink flower. There’s a good photo of it on Wikipedia. However, you’re right about the Mojave Prickly Pear, which is the one I saw at the cactus garden. It will have yellow flowers when it blooms. So even if I’d been there at the right time of year I wouldn’t have gotten a photo of those hot pink flowers 😉

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  47. I was lucky enough to visit Sedona last year in June, and can attest to seeing just about all of the colors in this paint collection you are featuring. It was super nice of you to spend part of your time painting your mom’s door, and to help make it into a nice, welcoming entrance.

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  48. Thanks for sharing Linda ! These Dixie Belle colors really do capture the desert colors of the Southwest and Sedona ! Makes me miss that part of the country all that much more, i need to get back there for a visit !! I would love to be included in this give away !!

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  49. Well Miss Quandie, Debbie Downer visiting here today! I’m not a huge fan of the desert colors though the light pink is kind of pretty. But I AM a big fan of seeing how you use them! Also, you’ve put together a very thoughtful and generous give-away! 😀

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