If I had a Hammer...

And you had a nail..... I would be sooooo happy! For years I've been at a loss on a good storage place for the cutting mats and rulers. Duh! look at what one scrawny little nail accomplished!

The newly painted end on the sewing table seems like it was just made for this.

The drawers all got a coat of paint too. I had reconciled myself to keeping the old hardware, but after breaking a handle trying to remove them for painting, I ended up replacing them after all.

I really like these we picked up at Ikea last Saturday.

Things are progressing in the craft studio. One half of the floor is done, including the polyurethane topcoat. I was forced to do it this way, due to the formidable size of the sewing table. It was just too cumbersome to move out of the room. Now it's moved to the finished end of the room so that I can finally complete the rest of the floor. I am sooo ready for this project to be over. It's going to be wonderful when it's done, and everything is organized, at least that's what I keep telling myself. There's just so many other things I want to be doing outside right now. Our weather has been so pretty lately. It has helped aid in the floor drying though!

"New" old floor

The craft studio has the most uber ugly linoleum ever. It's from the 60's, a smooth vinyl with beige and grey chips and gold glitter. There are a bunch of holes that have been patched at some time with wood putty. I didn't want to cover it with carpet, it needs to be easy to clean and not a venus fly trap for sewing pins and needles. I wanted a light colored wood or laminate plank in there, but the budget for that was nil right now. It called for looking at the floor as a smooth blank canvas, and checking out our existing product stash.
We already had sandpaper, deglosser, primer, some paints to mix together, pecan polyshades, and satin polyurethane.

So..... here are the results ..... Sore rear, sore knees, sore back, this picture was at the end of day 2. Day 3 was yesterday, so it's further now, but there is still a ways to go. (I took a break from it today) It's slow going, but I'm pretty happy with it so far. Tori keeps coming in and encouraging me while I'm working..."WOW!" "It really looks like wood now!" I guess she feels like she needs to smooth my wimpy hurt feelings and ruffled feathers....Her first reaction when I was only a few rows into painting the faux wood strips onto the base, and asked her if it looked like wood or not, had been..."No, it looks like you slapped paint down on a clean floor." Out of the mouths of babes. The projected week I had allotted for this project is waaaaaayyy past. And to think I have the nerve to scoff at the people on "Renovation Realities" and their unrealistic deadlines! This one is kicking my rear. I just keep reminding myself how great everything will be when it's all done. Other bits and pieces for the craft studio are coming together a little at a time. I picked up a curtain rod, and found a brand new little IKEA peg rack at a garage sale today. It will be worth it....won't it?

Wild Dogwood Blossom

This past fall , we went through all of our paints. I had put tape labels on them, writing with marker, what future needed project they might be used for. Tuesday, I started painting the craft studio. On the phone with Dot at the time, she asked if I was "painting up and over?" Nope....the ceiling was going to be white, and the walls were going to be "baked honey" again. Her idea sounded like a good one, so the ceiling paint and wall paint got mixed together for a new color that reminds me of wild dogwood blossoms. There was a "do-over" where i had already painted, this time.... up and over, and I luuuuuuuve it. Hugs, Dot!

Wha' Happen?

I blocked out a week on the calendar to work on the craft studio. Monday's schedule was to clear out everything. (This is part of the stuff moved into the guest room) That night as a reward; we were supposed to have a date night, with a picnic and concert. The weather was "blech", and I was beat, so we stayed home and had pizza and a movie. Each day I seem to be getting further behind on this project. Yesterday, I took some time out to clean up the rest of the house, because the maid was on holiday, and it was driving me cuhhraaazy!
Anna called me Monday night and asked me what happened over here...what kind of sweat shop was I running?...... It seems as though the little farmgirl was having a bad evening, acting out and falling apart. She got disciplined, and when she calmed down, they were talking about her behavior... She cried "I had a hard day at work!" Anna asked her, "What did you do?" She replied with a dramatic, shaky, voice; "I had to pick up buttons!" (It was a cup or less, of her own volition...which I'm sure is not going to find me in too much violation of the child labor laws.)
In the meantime, perhaps the reason I'm getting behind is from having to limbo under the crime scene tape, pending investigation.......

Welcome Home!

This next one cracks me up!

"My what long legs you have, Violet!"

Buster was quite taken back by the whole thing...

and got kinda freaked when one of the babies would cry.

I had warned everybody at the house to put on their crash helmets,

knee pads, and elbows pads, they might just get knocked over...

because I was the only one who hadn't gotten to hold the babies at the hospital!

Ready and Waiting

Kate's nursery is ready, and waiting for the wee ones. There is a white soft shag rug on the hardwood floors, for little chubby knees to crawl on. Soft gray walls create a calm neutral background to add vintage touches and spots of colored art against.
Kate's old dresser, painted white, is doing double duty as a changing table. The tall white and pine cabinet that used to house art supplies, now houses toiletries and baby clothes. A little dark charcoal sofa was pulled from the former playroom, to accomodate feedings and bedtime stories. The Jenny Lind crib is outfitted with the white, dahlia quilted bumper pad. (There's a second crib in mama and Daddy's room.) My FAVE thing in the room is the DANDELION puff light fixture!!! There are still more colorful touches being worked on, but the bases are covered, and we're ALL so excited to see this little room come alive with little gurgles and coos.

Trivet Pursuit

When Mom had gotten home from the hospital from her surgery, we had gone over for a few days. She had mentioned she wasn't happy with their guest bathroom....it needed repainted, she wanted to ditch the lace valance and get something different, etc. So this trip over, I went armed with a small ladder, paint cans, sewing machine, fabric.... I decided a bathroom makeover would be our Mother's Day gift to her.

I found this fabric, and it reminded me of her. Maybe because it is reminiscent of her dishes in the 70's, I'm not sure. But I thought it would go well with the counter tops Dad had built in there.

He had torn out the old vanity and custom built this one. (He's meticulous, and does an awesome job with wood....my grandpa would be so proud of him)

They weren't happy with the yellow walls and almond trim in there. Yellow is Sooooo hard to find a nice shade in...can be too bold....too acid... etc. So I painted the walls a Ralph Lauren "Sailcloth", and the trim Behr's ultra white for baths and kitchens.

Mom wanted to de-clutter, so we kept the countertop, and wall decor very simple. She had a small antique, picture of boats and fisherman, that was really cool. The old bright yellow Nana and Opa bath plaques have been retired....YAY! (I can say that because I had made them...a zillion years ago.) (Mama's very sweet & sentimental)

She also had this really cool wood carving in the living room, that I wanted to put in here....but come to find out it was very special, carved for her by a friend. (Should've taken a picture of it...simply amazing) It was real dark wood, and had carved flowers. Anyway, it got me thinking about those trivets from India. We were going garage sale-ing (Dad and Jim's fave pastime) so I was on the prowl.....

Found one at a Re-sale store, and another at a charity thrift. I stained them to match each other better, but they weren't dry when we left, so didn't get them hung above the towel ring. I think we need one more there anyway. I love these little jewels...and can picture them painted .....all sorts of cool colors, yeh, gotta find some more of these babies.....definitely.

Chippin' Away

(AOL DIY)

aol DIY has some ideas for those of us who have more collections of paint chips than Benjamin and Sherwin put together. (You know who we are!) I see rooms and rooms of Elvis and Marilyn in our future, Dot and Kate! "It's not really mossy green....more like a granny smith....well maybe more like an osage orange/hedge apple......"

My Type

What's this Nanni??? Huh? What's this?!!! Wow, it never occurred to me that the kiddos wouldn't know what a typewriter was!! Hmmmm, uh ......it's like a keyboard......you can write letters on it, like emails.....except you put them in a envelope and mail them in the mail box. Yikes....sign of the times!

Speaking of letters, got this at the library yesterday. I had gotten it some time ago, but had returned it, because I had too many other books to read at the time. After Kate mentioned Sunday night, she was reading it , and enjoying it, and then Monday morning, Dot said there was a book she thought I would like...... I decided to read it this time!

Have you read it? It's a fictional compilation of letters. Who knows, maybe even typed ones!

(Thanks for the typewriter, Mom and Dad, I love it!)

Spring!

Jim brought me home pansies from town the other day to:

*note to Martha*

Chin up! That abominable snowman has got to take a siesta soon!

Ski Trip

We could see the snow on the higher hills out our kitchen window. But none here, in the foothills.
We decided to go skiing anyway. With the Wii Ski. Donning wool hats and knit scarves. If it were for reals, I would be heading down the hill on a stretcher wielded by a rescue team. The 4 year old, very sweetly offered to show me how. She's dynamite at it! After quite a workout, we headed to "the lodge" to roast marshmallows by the fire. (The fruity swirl marshmallows are yucky by the way.) We don't do a real fire in the fireplace, because it has never drawn properly.

Then we made some yummy hot chocolate, and warmed our weary bones!

Christmas Morning

After sleeping late on Christmas morning, Jim and I had a brunch of coffee, and waffles with cranberry-orange-pecan- butter. We have a tradition, when it's just the two of us on Christmas morning, we pull out my vintage phonograph and '78' records, and listen to old Christmas songs while we open our gifts, and sip our coffee. The turntable is clackety loud and the records scratchy, but it has a nostalgic warmth that we both enjoy.

Merry Christmas!

A scrapbooking design by Smilebox

Wednesday, Waffles, & Washing

I spent today hooking up our new washer and catching up on laundry. Yay!!!!!! Our old one finally completely died. I just didn't feel like sinking anymore money or days into fixing it this time. The people we were buying a new one from, needed it 2 more weeks, until they moved overseas. (They have a 2 year old....need I say more?) So for the past couple of weeks, I've been schlepping a basket of dirty clothes over to Anna's, in the mornings that we have the girls.
Our dryer is still fine, so I brought them back home to dry. It was a blessing to be able to do that, but I got backed up anywho. I can't believe how quiet this new washer is! I keep going in to see if it's still running! :<)



We had waffles for supper. We used this mix, which reminded me of our trip last year.

When we were there we saw pictures in the depot of their special Christmas Santa Train. It looked so pretty and festive, with snow and Christmas lights. I see where they are all sold out already for this year. Are you in the mood for Christmas? I am. Now just have to get gifts done...yikes...

Misty Morning

It's a misty morning today. The pasture is lost in a fog. I can relate.

The leaves are turning....

And falling. As usual, they are getting wet and losing their lofty crunch, before there were enough for the kids to play hide and seek in.

It's the sort of day that woos you to the sofa, to sip a steamy cup of chai, and crochet another stripe on your stripey afghan that you've put on the back burner.

The sort of day that brings with it the longing for the aroma of something yummy in the crockpot and something spicey and fallish in the oven. Maybe some pumpkin cheesecake bars...

Sitting around is not on the agenda today, but it sounded fun huh?