Yes huh I did

Ok...time is short, but I have the most fun post if you are into taking something used, a little dirty and flufflessly weak and turning it into something beautius. I bought a sofa that I thought had potential. Winter white it was when I spotted it and made an offer and hurriedly paid for it before I actually uncovered it from all the bedding, draperies, misc shower curtains etc... usually found at a garage sale. I was so excited to find something that might actually look like exactly what I want that I forgot to figure in the "been used" in someone's else's place and probably has some wear and tear. Anyway I bought it anyway...yes huh I did.

Dot has definately found the ultimate in cleaning solutions for carpet and upholstery...Amonia...with water and amazing. So I set about on the spots, which after it dried is so much cleaner than the rest, that I will have to go back and equally clean all surfaces so that the color is uniform. Thankfully just before and not just after, Mooch found some fun mud in the back yard and this particular blend of wet dirt must also be the main ingrediant in the drink, Rock Star. He was so crazy with excitement that he ran into the house, all through the house, up on the new old sofa, around on the off -white carpet, through the tile kitchen etc...Yes huh he did.

So after the cleaning, I ripped open the cushions and added stuffing from throw pillows I have been storing in case I ever put that comforter I am also storing from 1987 back on a bed and need just the right throw pillows to compliment it. Don't be silly, of course I felt a rush using those old pillows for something and wanted to tell my "throw everything away" husband...see I knew I would use them again!

Then I pulled out all the fabrics that I bought 1 and 2 yards of because I just couldn't decide which was my favorite and started covering the smaller pillows. I was taken over by some sort of pillow spirit that just kept me crankin' and I am so dang happy with how it turned out.

Pillow #1...I embroidered these guys on the front and back because I have that fancy embroidery machine, yes huh I did.

Pillow #2...I removed the original fringe from the pillow and used it inside out...or bottom side up or something...because I love the loops...but enough fringe already. yes huh I did.

Pillow #3...plain old regular square pillow in pretty green fabric.

Pillow #4...yes that is contrast piping I made myself, using fabric that matches another of the pillows, yes huh I did. Vwaaaa Laaaaa...PB it's not, but how fun was that!

Swear there should be one...

I told D tonight there should be a fire dept blog after he told me about last shift.

D: "we got a call last night"

Me: um hm

D: "subject not breathing at Reardon's funeral home"

????

Me: "well then, all is right with the world."

D: Um hm

Me: K

And we painted the kitchen, BLUE, sorry green lovers. D had an opinion and he has so few when it comes to decorating until after its done and then brags about how amazing I am, which says much more about his amazing talent of keeping the paint brush out of his hand, than his decorating sense.
Plus the newlywed was all for the blue and Dot came by and helped me tame it to a managable cottage level and its still darker than she advised, but the quart of white we dumped into the custom mixed gallon was gone and I was so primed to just get it painted and we were on a roll, I refused to drive to the store for the 4th time today and yes I know the color wheel was supposed to prevent that.
I am having 80's flashbacks and have prohibited all things "country" from my cottage, but if shoulder pads and big bangs come back...I'm in!

Here's to Breaking Free!

Having done a Bible Study called "Breaking Free" and another one called "Me, Myself & Lies" and there was the "Truth Project" I have become keenly aware of the importance of truth and how easily we hear something or read something or draw some conclusion that down the road we live by as the TRUTH. Now don't be tricked into thinking this post is going deep, 'cause the pursuit of truth can really make you think about everything you believe and the source of it. Like wood furniture...

You either go for the painted furniture or you spent the bigger dollars for something that was real wood. There was the Granada Oak period, natural knotty pine era, and for the wealthy among us...the ever expensive cherry furniture. Somewhere along the way, someone called "they" said that you should appreciate real wood and stain it or maybe just put a clear finish on it or if you were really edgy, you might actually put a glaze with just a little color, as long as the grain was visible to appreciate.

Then I started reading blogs and magazines and I discovered that there is a whole 'nother generation of "theys" and a bunch of wood painting rebels at that. They have challenged the law of visible wood grain (VWG). And they had done it on the internet with some pretty convincing pictures and success stories.

Alas, all my truth study has proven successful. I actually feel ok about challenging the law of VWG...and found it to be an opinion not a law or truth which totally freed me up to grab a paint brush and head to Dunne Edwards.

I fought it for so long, but I have to say, with all due respect "the truth has set me free" and as promised here are the pictures to prove it.

Before:


After:

Now, I don't know if there are some trees out there whose feelings are hurt. I mean, we know there are groups intouch with such things, and "they" would be able to confirm that lives were given to provide the wood grain and I have very possibly upset an entire political lobby, but in my own defense, I think I might very well qualify for a prestigious position on some sort of "Green Committee". My kitchen has a makeover and my cabinets did not end up in a landfill somewhere, clearly my friends will be impressed with my environmental impact. I'm just sayin'...

So for both of you that have followed the kitchen makeover, short of wall paint, we're nearly done. One gallon of primer and 2 quarts of paint and some lovely fabric Dots found for me.

Mooch wanted to make sure he was in this one, since he helped that day with the painting and all.

Just have to say..

It's 8:50pm according to Dell and I just sat down for the first time since 6am this morning, unless you count the ride in D's truck the 2 miles to HD and back where we picked out a new faucet, because the old one couldn't be reinstalled...something about rust and corosion. Dang, it was working fine and I really liked how it looked and I do remember when D installed it. I think we have some hyper active hard water and this one cost about a double dang's worth of hard earned money. But I did get to sit down on the ride there and back, so maybe we can say the new faucet has delayed my knee replacement surgery for a while anyway.

Without pictures I just had to say "I LOVE MY KITCHEN!" Short of a $150,000 remodel, I never thought I'd actually want to snuggle my cabinets and lay my cheek on the cool counters, but people, it has happened. I am in love with my kitchen and if there was a way to prop up my feet in that room I'd be there right at this moment, Dell on my lap.

I promise tomorrow will come with photos of Paulino's fabulous counters and all the cabinet doors up and Dot's fabrics from our late night excursion to Joann's...yes huh, 6-9pm is a late night excursion.

On a different note Jeopardy style-
Category: How do you know you are aging?

ANSWER: When your first thought is DEPENDS...

QUESTION:Retrieving a sample product from the mail box that says "Security all night long"?

Quote of the week: "We are so in love right now...it makes me glad I let him live through last year" Beth Moore on marriage.

Oh, please of the week: "My only offense is lying (on tape) about sexual encounters I did not have"

From a member of the the state senate & Ethics committee.
I love all the ideas of how you explain this to your children down the road.
It's never good to lie...well only if it's about whether you were untruthful about being unfaithful to your wife. Or maybe if you are bragging to a co-ethics committee buddy, who clearly is totally qualified to be on the committee and hold you accountable, or not.

Anyway...D will read this and say bloggers beware. BUT, I just have to say
"I am so glad I let him live through last year & I LOVE MY KITCHEN!"

Kitchen makeover update

Lesson learned...Because I wanted a less than shiney cabinet look, I used eggshell paint and then thought better of the scrubability factor and decided to add a layer of wipe-on acrylic finish to the black. It added a little bit of the shine I was avoiding, but also an extra layer of protection for a kitchen. I finished painting the top doors and frames and applied the same acrylic finish to the lighter doors. The next morning it looked like the cabinet doors had been "egged". Where the excess pooled in the corners of the molding, it dried with a yellow tone. Yuck! I tried everything I knew to sand the yellow areas without damaging the rest of the finish, but it either dug too deeply next to the yellow or didn't break through the acrylic at all. So...I decided to sand down all the upper doors and start over. Thank goodness only the exterior side, but still, we seemed so close to having the tempting chocolate chips covered up again.

D called Paulino, our favorite all-things granite guy and he is quickly turning our counter tops into a work of art. Dot escorted me into some decision making at Home Goods last week. I'm still not sure I know my way around color, but she is a great cheerleader and suggester of all things beautiful.

Random Monday

Its late, well when your in your late 40's, 9:14pm is late and I have random musings this evening. So here you go, in no particular order.
1) I hate unresolved conflict. Unresolved conflict between others is pretty much worse for me than my own. I can do some reconciling when its me, but when its between two people I care about, I hate it. Told D this morning I want to be a mediator in my next life, except I doubt heaven will have any call for that. Frustrating thing is, you can't just boss people into sitting down together, you have to be invited to get involved. So my suffering continues! Dang!

2) I bought myself a gift this morning. Gift of the year! A
color wheel from Dunne Edwards. Do you know how many trips and how much time this will save? Not to mention all the tiny little sample cans of "not quite right" paint!
















3) Cabinet doors up on the bottom set of cabinets and first coat of color on the top. Love the bottom, still undecided about the top color.

4) Crown moulding and bottom trim moulding makes all the difference! Well when D installs it that is. There isn't enough caulking to let me use the cutting thing, plus he looks so manly doing it.

5) Micah helped me make cookies for the Pitcher the other day. We sent them with him to Oklahoma, the "child stealing state." State bird is probably a vulture! State bird in California recently changed to a fly. Flies have taken over. Look close at the picture and see the fly ready to land on the Deeds' right cheek/chin, followed by falling into my coffee. A fly on my tongue is not at all like cookie dough from the beater, double dang!

6) Passive-aggressive customer posing a dilemma. Lesson learned: Shirt tossing game futile and really what other tactics are there? Photo withheld to protect the passive-accuser. I just followed your instructions "TO THE LETTER", with email to prove it. Oh, I was supposed to read your mind? Well, I charge extra for that, but good try. No discount, but good try.

Like I said, random Monday!

Kitchen makeover update

Ok, painting cabinet doors takes some time! Removing them, sanding both sides, painting primer on one side, second coat side one, dry for a day, first and second coat on second side. Paint 2 coats on side one, then two coats on side two and then just when I thought I was done, I went against my instincts and started sanding off the edges to make a worn look. Now, I like that look, but it takes some cuts to start sanding on freshly painted wood. Only it was late at night and I was getting kind of weary and not paying it my best attention so I think I've sanded too much. !"

So now I am trying to decide how best to fix that. Some of the doors and drawers are ok and I will start with the protective rub on finish clear coat and a day or so of drying. I am dang tired of all the drawer stuff on the counters, so I am anxious to get it done. Perhaps I should begin the seperation process with Dell and get on it. Please note that painting in your living room over the whitish carpet using black paint is never a good idea. I somehow got away with it this time, but looking at the pictures I just have to say what is surely plain to the rest of the world..."not the sharpest tool in the shed!"

Awe...such a big helper !!

Paaaalease...I got up this morning poured a cup of "hot and bold" and made sure the Pitcher had directions, boarding passes, ID and a big hug as he drove off into the sunrise heading for Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plane. Checking out Oklahoma Baptist University. He keeps telling me how nice the coach is on the phone. Oklahoma is a long way away I remind him and besides everything sounds nice with an Oklahoma accent! The scholarship he's been offered is great, but please is it really a savings with all the counseling bills that will follow for D and me? Ok, forgetting about the state of Oklahoma, back to the state of denial!

I refilled the mug and picked up the paint brush. We were here...

Progressed to here...

and now here...

and not without the help of the Mooch! Note to self, when is a 5 year old's (dog years) energy at its peak on any given day...apparently 7-9am. Notice the wire fence meant to keep the Mooch on the outside and yes, I'm painting in my pjs, and based on the angle of this shot, so glad Shick has both of those blades!

So, coat of paint #1 done, #2 later today I think and then on to the doors.

Interactive Thursday

I was a little panicked this morning realizing that tomorrow is Thursday and last week's "I T" was such a success I ... Oh wait Oprah has Carrie Underwood on and she is THE most darling thing-seriously! Beautiful and why won't my hair do that? And I love when she closes her eyes to sing and they do a closeup on her face and I try to memorize her eye makeup, except that my 48 year old lids are not quite gonna show it off the same way, unless I close my eyes quite a bit when I talk, slow blink or something. But I think people would be so distracted by how wierd that looks that they wouldn't actually appreciate the creative layers of colored pressed powder. I guess it really only makes sense if you are singing or praying, but walking up to a friend and falling quickly into "Our Father" or something is kind of bizaar and then they close their eyes because of the reverance and all, thus defeating the purpose...so I guess I should call for voice lessons, well, after Interactive Thursday anyway.

Ok, so I'm making headway on the painting and have the fence up to keep the Mooch at a safe distance and my cell phone is in the basket on the counter for financial reasons. My challenge will be the patience to let the paint dry REALLY well before I put the doors back on. You know, I will be all impatient about seeing the whole look and then the doors will stick to the frames and though beautiful, it kind of cuts back on the storagability when you can't actually open the kitchen cabinets, which would totally save on the grocery bill, but D and the pitcher that visits regularly and thinks this is a filling station for his 6'5" self, would be all fussy about the lack of food I guess. So, I am going to wait 3 days before hanging the doors and another 2 days before closing them, or less.
OK, remember "interactive Thursday" means reader participation and I already know 2/3rds of my followers are in Colorado so feel free to leave several comments and opinions, there will be room for sure. I found these fabric samples of www.fabric.com and need some feedback, because left to me, I would just order 3 yards of each and decide later. Kind of defeats the whole spending freeze makeover goal, so I should limit my selections to the best ones.

That's where you come in...so interact friend. Just call them 1 through 10, top to bottom or describe them, like swirly blue or stripes etc...I am planning on a slipcover for the sofa, window coverings, table runner, throw pillows etc... Anything less than 12 choices is a savings from my perspective!

And the lamps...I am thinking about this...But the question is, what do you think? Remember D had that ONE opinion about not liking the white, so I will have to consult him as well, since he is apparently, and no one is more surprised than me, a lamp person. After 28 years, he still has me on the edge of my seat.