I have been using Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan since 2013 and admittedly, was late to the party of admirers. I immediately fell in love with the ease with which the Chalk Paint® spread, the richness of the colors,  and the flexibility of being able to mix or thin as needed. I have since painted my kitchen cabinets, both of my upstairs bath vanities, my kitchen table and chairs as well as a dozen other furniture pieces in an array of colors.  One of my favorite things about this paint is there is no need to prep your surface. You do not need to sand or prime and the paint can be used indoors or out on literally any surface. I have used Chalk Paint® in Emperor’s Silk on a bath vanity, Chalk Paint® in Provence on my kitchen island and Chalk Paint® in Greek Blue on the antique dresser that sits in our foyer. These painted pieces are some of my favorite things that I own and I owe it to Chalk Paint®!

Last month Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan reached out and asked if I would be interested in testing her new limited edition color, “Lem Lem” inspired by a recent journey to Ethiopia with Oxfam. I couldn’t say YES fast enough!

As you may know, we adopted our youngest two children from Ethiopia nearly eight years ago. To read more about our travels in Ethiopia read here and to learn more about our adoption journey read here. While Annie traveled through a rural area in Ethiopia, she was inspired by the green field of Allium. The bulb and tips were the same muted green as the “Lem Lem” color she later created. “Lem Lem” means the lush green of fresh growth in Amharic, the main language spoken in Ethiopia. These plants are typically grown by women farmers supported by Oxfam. A partnership was born between Annie Sloan and Oxfam to release a Chalk Paint® color specific to Ethiopia where proceeds of every tin sold would support Oxfam.

I painted a small pot in the new “Lem Lem” color, applied wax with a cloth and then planted a few Allium seeds in it. Hopefully we will see some sprouts on our kitchen windowsill soon.

Ethiopia is absolutely beautiful. My husband and I spent 10 days there back in 2010 and I think about returning every single week. I miss it. The four photos below are from Annie’s visit to Ethiopia this past February and show her inspiration for the color “Lem Lem”…

The goal of Oxfam is to eradicate poverty worldwide. Knowing that proceeds from each tin of “Lem Lem” Chalk Paint® go towards this goal makes it all the sweeter to purchase. Annie’s goal is to raise £250,000 over three years for Oxfam. Consider this as a gift that literally gives back; if you want the very best decorative paint AND care about wiping out poverty, buy a tin of Chalk Paint® in “Lem Lem” and you can be part of the solution.

There are many “chalk paint” imposter companies out there, but Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan is the original and the BEST. To learn more about how this special color was created and the journey to Ethiopia watch here!

*This post was sponsored by Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan; all opinions and photos unless indicated are my own. I adore Chalk Paint® and can’t recommend it highly enough!