And the Winner Is . . .

No, I'm not announcing the winner of some super giveaway because, well, my blog's just not that popular yet (however, see below if you're interested in a giveaway). 

I'm actually announcing something much more exciting (well, to me anyway) - the paint color that will go in most of my house. Okay, so it was never really a competition, but it kind of felt that way. 

So, without further ado . . . the color will be: 


Wheeling Neutral by Benjamin Moore.

Sorry, this photo is not great. I tried to download a swatch off the Benjamin Moore website but it didn't work. So, this is the sample I painted on poster board. 

Special thanks to Marianne of Haven and Home for suggesting the color!

Honestly, after a while all the paint started to look alike . . .

And, after 11 samples, I was a bit bleary-eyed . . .

But, after all was said and done (and painted), Wheeling Neutral emerged as the favorite for its lack of pink or yellow undertones. If anything, it might have a hint of green but overall it's a clean, crisp neutral that I believe I can live with for years to come.

Armando (my favorite painter) is booked for Monday, and I can't wait. Don't you just love saying "Armando"? It makes me think of some hunky guy from a Telemundo soap opera. Trust me, he's not.

In other news (that I hinted at above), there are a couple of great giveaways I've run across on other blogs in the past couple of days.

Julie over at Monkey Grass Hill is offering a fabulous jewelry giveaway. The best part - she makes this jewelry herself, and it is beautiful! Very vintage-inspired and unique. I love it. 

Plus, while you're over there, check out her blog as she shares before and afters from her home and muses over whether or not she has too much zebra stuff (something we all can relate to). She's very unpretentious and down-to-earth - my kind of girl.

And the second giveaway is a great Gold Sunburst Mirror (who wouldn't love one of these?) from From the Right Bank.

Ally of From the Right Bank has clocked some serious travel time (she seems to be almost as well-traveled as my father), and has recently hosted a spate of guest bloggers as she has been in India - poor dear. Her blog is very entertaining, check it out here.

That's all for now. I'll keep you updated on how Armando's doing next week!