Seeing Red

February Greetings Farmgirls! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I’m feeling a tad bit guilty that I haven’t come up with just the right gift for my sweet yankee for * love day * yet. Instead, my heart is all a flutter over my newfound love interest *PINTEREST* and my passion for the color RED!  I promise by the end of this post you’ll be ” FIRED UP ” for the color RED too!

WARNING… Readers BEWARE! You might end up a ” pinner ” too!

Do you Pin? Shery J. ( our Ranch FG blogger ) got me going on it a couple weeks ago and MaryJane pins too! I’ll admit, I resisted it for a while because I feared it would just suck up more of my precious time and I was right! It’s and endless universe of charming ideas for the home, garden and beyond. It’s pure heaven I tell ya! Once you’ve signed up all YOU have to do is SEARCH it, FIND it and PIN it!

I pinned this pair of red Wellies on the spot!

It’s amazing how many reds there are. There’s convertable car red, retro red, rural and rustic red, romantic red, regal red, chinese red, beet red, tomato red, barn red, lipstick red, cherry red, and Christmas red and this is just the tip of the RED iceburg. I’d like to add one more RED to the list. How about Farmgirl Red? It wouldn’t be too brown or blue, it would have just the right amount of pink in it to make it feminine and a tinge of orange to warm it up to an almost coral red but not quite.

My love affair with red began in my teen years with my first car. I’d always wanted a horse of my own and I guess I sort of got one when my parents helped me find and purchase my first set of wheels. It was a 1966 RED Ford Mustang with black leather interior, wing windows and plenty of giddy up and go horse power! It was love at first sight!

The message you send by driving a vehicle that is Vibrant Red: Sexy, speedy,

high-energy, and dynamic.

On our wedding day in 1991 we had a daytime wedding in the small town of Genoa, NV. Our ride to the church was a horse and carriage with red wheels and red velvet interior! Good boy Ace delivered us to the church in true Victorian style on our special day.

The center of my bridal bouquet was stuffed with none other than RED ROSES!

In Chinese culture Red is the color for good luck.

Red, corresponding with fire, symbolizes good fortune and joy. ( I LIKE THAT ) Red is found everywhere during Chinese New Year and other holidays and family gatherings. A red envelope ( Pictured above ) is a monetary gift which is given in Chinese society during holiday or special occasions. The red color of the packet symbolizes good luck. Red is strictly forbidden at funerals as it is a traditionally symbolic color of happiness.

The above image is one I took on Cape Cod. Do you suppose the owners of # 13 are superstitious and that’s why they went with this bold chinese red on their front door?

These gothic beauties are from over the pond in England. Can you stand those iron door straps? Another one of my favorite combinations is black and red as seen on the doors here.

I simply adore red in the garden! I love the energy pops of red bring to the landscape in all seasons wether it be something planted in the garden or garden goodies.

Red’s complimentary color in the garden is green.  Red is the exact opposite of green on the color wheel. When placed next to eachother they create a pleasing juxtaposition. In otherwords, they were made for eachother!

Love this red chicken coop placed in the midst of a large grassy area.

This Cherry red wheelbarrow brimming with all the colors of summer is PURE joy! If I could give summer a color it would be Red because it reminds me of picnics  with red and white checked tablecloths resting on cool green grass under the dappled shade of a big cottonwood tree.

If you’re a farmgirl with a hankering for a trip to the countryside you can hitch up your red airstreem and head out on the open road in true farmgirl fashion.

Photo credit: The Fancy Farmgirl blog.

Is this not the perfect dress to wear on such a day? Just kick off those boots and tights, paint your toenails farmgirl red so you can wiggle them dry in the warm summer air and you’ve got yourself one heck of a farmgirl picnic!

When you are a true lover of red you never have to worry what pull out of your closet! Wear red when you feel blue! You’ll feel happier instantly!

Have you ever wondered why old barns are mostly red in color? I was excited to learn in Farmer’s Almanac Trivia that many years ago the choices for paint, sealers and other building materials either didn’t exist or were in short supply. Farmers had to be resourceful in finding ways to protect their barns. Hundreds of years ago in England farmers would seal their barns with linseed oil, which is an orange-colored oil derived from the seeds of the flax plant. They would then add the additional ingredients of milk and lime, and also ferrous oxide or rust. Rust was plentiful on farms and it killed fungi and mosses that might grow on barns so it was a very effective sealant and it turned the mixture red in color. Today, many people choose red for their barns in honor of tradition or because they wish to create a nostalgic feeling around their farm or homestead.

The rural and rustic reds of America hold a very special place in my patirotic heart. I don’t know about you, but when ever I see a big ole’ Red Barn my heart skips a beat or two!

I shared the image below from my backyard farmyard on my facebook and MaryJanes last week!

The Little Red Hen House in winter.

Red and weathered floats my boat too!

And retro red makes my heart sing! If you think your tractor is sexy, just look at this RED reproduction Singer Sewing Machine!

Imagine the kinds of aprons you might whip up on this * classic * beauty! I think some Buddy Holly or Elvis playing in the background while you’re reving up the foot petal would be perfect, don’t you?

It’s the floor that did me in in this image! I’ve seen plenty of black and white checked floors over the years but very few RED and white ones. LOVE!!! But wait…

What farmgirl wouldn’t LOVE to have a RED stove? This one makes me “week in the knees “! Did you know they sell red stove paint? Uh huh… they sure do.! You can bet I’ve been giving my almond colored stove ” the eye” after finding that out.

I think every home needs a little red. Why not add a snazzy RED light fixture just for fun? Did you see MaryJanes’ collander pendent lights in the last issue?

A DOR A BLE!!!!!

I’ve started a floral arrangement pinboard too! I fell for this blossoming truckbed immediately! I believe they were centerpieces for a wedding. Another GREAT idea!

 This planter used to be a brown magazine rack until I spray painted it apple red and added some pretty plants to it last spring.

In todays modern America, Red symbolizes excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate and just plain FUN!

My passion for red is burning hot and I don’t see things ” cooling off ” in the near future, if ever! If you’re hearts not pitter patterin’ away after seeing all this red you best get yourself to the nearest Dr. for a look- see at your ticker!

Well sisters, I guess that’s enough gabbing and gushing about my LOVE of RED for one day.

You know about MaryJanes new site right? It’s called girlgab.com. The Place Where Girlfriends Gather to gabble, gush and gadabout! You’ll find all of MaryJanes Gabbers and Gushers there ( us farmgirl bloggers) plus, you can sign up for daily email alerts, add your name to the farmgirl blog roster and you may even be featured someday! Go check it out! You’ll love it!

Oh, one more thing before you go. I HAVE to know… do you

“fall” for RED too?

Until our next shoreline visit~

BEACH BLESSINGS  & Happy Valentine’s Day!

I’m wishing you and yours a RED LETTER DAY!

Love,

Deb

 * Many images in this post are ” pins ” from my Pinterest account and the others are from my home photo library. It’s easy and fun to pin! Simply go to Pinterest.com , log in with your facebook information and start pinning away!

P.S. It’s Farmgirl Friday at Dandelion House! Come by, link up and enjoy!

  1. Debbie K says:

    Red…yes, red! My barn isn’t red, but it’s roof is. It’s become a landmark for giving directions to people. Love it!

    How fun! We have  " The little red School House " as a landmark for directions to our house too! Thanks for reading! xo Deb

  2. Laura says:

    I am right there with you !! I love red too, and have fond memories of my red car (a sporty T1000) back in the day !!!!
    Also, I have had a longstanding love affair with red barns…thanks, that was a great visual, a vibrant creation of LOVE !

    Hi Laura, Honestly, there isn’t enough  space in the world to share how much I love the color RED! I wonder, is there a book devoted just to the color red? Must be? Hmmmm??? Thanks for reading and for your note! xo Deb

  3. John'aLee says:

    Love….love your red post today girlie!! Oh happy day!

    Happy Day to you too Johnalee! Thanks for stopping by!  xo Deb

  4. Jan says:

    Wow, Deb! First of all I have to say that you were one gorgeous bride. LOVE the red and absolutely LOVE Pinterest. My front door is also a maroon red. Used to be more of a barn red and I changed it when I had the house painted. I do often think that it should be a bit brighter, perhaps!
    I still have a pair of my mom’s red lace-up cowboy boots, size 7M. They are too small for me or I would be wearing them! I just want them to go to someone that appreciates the history…
    I really enjoyed your blog today and it brightened my day!

    Awe, thanks Jan!! Our front door is red too! Dust those red boots off and set them out on a bookshelf… My mom has a  RED pair that are too small for her now too, but she had some boot skootin’ fun times in them. We came across them when we re-did her room and found a place out in the open for her to enjoy them! Thanks for reading! xo Deb

  5. Joan says:

    Thanks for the nudge, I had never put my – OH yeah!!! RED is my go to color fetish – into this context but as a matter of fact I am preparing to make embroidered RED stitching pillow cases – Good Morning – Good Night – just for a POP on my bed or guest bed. RED, doesn’t it just feel good? I hope you have a happy RED day everyday.

    Hi Joan!  A DOSE OF RED everyday, is sure to  KEEP THE BLUES AWAY ! I love red embroidery!

    Thanks for reading! xo Deb

  6. Laura says:

    Deb, I think you started that book devoted to the color of RED right here!! You planted the seed, let it grow !! xo

     GREAT MINDS! I was thinking the same thing! Thanks for the encouragment! XO

  7. Maria says:

    I too was sucked into the Pinterest vortex. So much fun, but the hours do pass quickly if you’re not careful. Red is my absolute favorite color…even have a board dedicated to it.
    I live in CA, far from any farms; but finding all of you at MaryJane’s has confirmed that I’m not crazy!! I’m a farmgirl at heart, plain and simple. My goal now is to get out of the "big city" and experience some wide open spaces.
    Thanks for the encouragement!

    Hi Maria,  Yes, I have to be careful about too much " Pin time " myself !MaryJanesFarm is just the best place in the world for encouraging farmgirl dreams! Glad you are here and thanks for reading! xo Deb

  8. Deborah says:

    I want to repin every one of those!!

    I know… aren’t they great? Thanks for reading! xo Deb

  9. Catherine says:

    Love your fiery RED post … so many beautiful things you’ve pinned! Pinterest is fun and a great source of inspiration.
    Blessings,
    Catherine 🙂

    Hi Catherine! Well, thanks… it wasn’t too hard to get " swept away " pinning all that lovely red! I do find it inspiring too! Thanks for reading! xo Deb

  10. OH, I LOVE the color red. It is my favorite color…really truly. There’s a photo of me when I’m not even 2 years old yet, walking with my father, wearing a red jacket 🙂 🙂 Plus, I love Pinterest, too…so much beauty and vintage cuteness to find there 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂

    Hi Heather! What else is a girl to do when its’ too cold to walk the beach? Pin of course! Thanks so much for your note! xo Deb

  11. Lisa Renee says:

    I seldom wear red, because I have this notion that it would clash with my red(ish)hair. But I’d definitely wear the boots!
    I love the barns and coops in red, too.

    Hi Lisa,  Those red boots rock don’t they? Thanks so much for your note! xo Deb

  12. Nancy says:

    Red is such a happy color! I’d never thought to use a screen door as a garden gate, but I love it! And, of course, it must be red. Thank you!

    Hi Nancy! I think so too! Thanks for reading 🙂 xo Deb

  13. Diane Stallings says:

    I love red, too! I find myself including it more and more in my house and it is always a smart focal point. Really enjoyed your article 🙂

    Hi Diane! I agree… Something about red just cheers a space up whether  you’re are going for a little country charm or all out modern drama! Thanks for reading 🙂  xo Deb

  14. Marji says:

    What a great affirmation of color. I have been a red geek for years. Red brocade drapes I made from two throws, red shutters with green cutout trees in the middle, dark red front door, maroon car, red pickup, red oriental carpets and even red flannel sheets. Living in the far north with many months of darkness red is the best color to live with to cheer you up on a snowy -40 day. Thank you for the great read. I so agree with you! :)) Marji

    Hi Marji,  I couldn’t agree more. You know, it wasn’t until our move to the northeast that I began using more red indoors… Out west we had so much more natural bright light that we craved soothing color indoors. Afterall, we had vibrant western sunsets to rely on for our color fix. After moving to the northeast I needed to replace the color I was missing and before I knew it I had a house full of RED! Thanks so much for reading! xo Deb

  15. Maria-Socorro Villarreal says:

    Red is vibrant, passionate, bold, love. It is such a lovely color to use in fashion as well as interior design. I liked your pics.

    Hi Maria, yes, RED is ALL THAT in my book! Thanks for reading! xo Deb

  16. OMG! I love red too. And I’m soooo excited over that red screen door in the arbor way of the white picket fence. I have an almost identical spot where I am going to Habitat for Humanity today and find me a door and paint you guessed it RED and put there. How exciting. Also my kitchen has RED ceramic tile counter tops and people kind of do a step back when they first walk in. But they end up loving it. Oh my cabinets are sort of lime green with black hardward. And my walls are soft yellow. I call it my fun place in the house. I have those painted ceramic chickens all around the top shelves. Now I would like to paint my stove red but that might clash with the other red, so I was thinking turquoise. I love color period. HA can you tell? My family does say I am a bit gaudy… I get it from my grandmother she too loved color and especially red. Also I cant wait to turn my old magazine rack into a flower planter as well. Red will make this winter dissappear quickly I think. Thanks for sharing all those beautiful pics. And you were a beautiful bride, and had on almost the same hat and dress as I wore. Made me go get my pics out and take a look again. HA

    Hi Vivian! Oh I’m so glad I could help fan the flame for your love of color a little more! I love color too! I don’t think God intended us all to live with nothing but beige or HE wouldn’t have made the world so colorful! I had fun going through our wedding album too… Happy Day  and wonderful memories. Thanks so much for the note! xo Deb

     

  17. Shery says:

    Amen, sister! You’re preaching to the choir :o) I’ a long-time RED fiend. However, only recently di I surrender to my alter ego and go with more BOLD redness for our home. It is in renewal mode (inside & out) as I write this. After 18 years, it is now in need of major and minor fixes. Lots of red is the gameplan. The outside was pianted red to match the barn. Inside, I have red kitchen furniture and I just order new ‘red dominant’ window dressings…buffalo check for our bedroom and Waverly ‘vintage rose’ for the living room.

    LOVED the collection of photos in this article…and ESpecially the one of you as a BeeYooTiFul bride. You are so right too, the red sewing machine IS sexy. I had no idea such things existed. I bought a lovely old Singer Featherweight in basic black awhile back.

    My mama dressed me in red a lot because it was her favorite color. I had to rebel, natch, but I came back to it years later. Red is POP. Oddly, I don’t wear it much for clothing — but love red accessories.

    Thanks for a fun article…and I hope you have a happy RED loveydovey day. shery j ~ the ranch farmgirl blogger

    Hi Shery! There you are! My partner in " RED " crime! I knew you would love this big dose of RED smack dab in the middle of a colorless winter! Like you I am getting more adventurous in my use of Red indoors too… I’ve got an upcycled project coming up for my kitchen involving RED! I had no idea about the sewing machines either.. Amazing isn’t it? Oh, I also love  the buffalo check idea and the Waverly vintage rose pattern is  one of my favorites! You go girl! Loved the visit! xo Deb

     

     

  18. Hi Debbie
    I love the picture of the blossoming red truck bed. I am planning a surprise birthday party for April 2017. Can you please tell me where I may find the truck or something?
    Thank you
    Donna

    • Nicole diakogiannakis says:

      Yes, I would love to know where you got the red truck too! Planning my baby shower and would love these for the centerpieces, thanks so much!

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