Autumn Update

A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen!

Uncluttered counters leave room for food prep!

I took the white chair rail off the walls and like the look better. Eventually I'll remove all the wallpaper and paint the walls my favorite pale pink.

TopDad surprised me with a bouquet of gorgeous flowers!

Our first snowfall on October 14.

It began to look a lot like Christmas! And I'm not ready.

The cold, gloomy weather called for a pot of "Cowgirl Stew".

This image of the dining room ceiling is proof of why I can't just quickly paint. There is tons of prep work to do and I'm not sure of how solid the plaster underneath is. In other places the plaster is actually falling down!

The painted over wallpaper is cracking and separating from the wall. I had hoped to paint over it, but in the spots where I tested paint, it looks terrible so it must come off.

More cracks and separation in the dining room.

The living room is even worse!

No way I'm going to paint over this mess. It has to be removed.

More of the living room.

The walls are over nine feet tall, and the middle of the ceiling is almost eleven feet tall. It makes me tired just to look at it! I'm a slow worker so I'm not eager to tear into it and live in a mess for a year or two. I have to "gird up my loins, fresh courage take" and proceed! Anyone want to come over and help?

I love the space of this home. It is what I wanted for our family. Just have to get rid of the soul-sucking decor and paint it the colors that enliven my soul, put up my artwork and pretty plates, and then it will be as close to perfect as I'll get in this life.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

It's been a busy couple of weeks around here. I finally got some painting done, although it wasn't the walls yet.

My bedroom has suffered from a bad case of piles for as long as I can remember. My goal for the past year has been getting all the piles off the floor. I want to be able to sweep easily.

Earlier in the summer I asked my hero, TopDad to build me a bookcase to fit between the two closet doors. He finished it before school started, last month, but it took me awhile to get around to painting it.

After three coats it was ready to install!

Including a special shelf of all my Korean goodies.

I've painted the new front door also, but it's not installed yet. When it's done I'll post the before and after pictures.

Now for the ugly:

I took the trash and recycling out to the alley and as I walked back my left ankle rolled under and I came down on my right shin on the edge of the cement. Just call me Grace.

We had a visitor on Friday, for the high school homecoming:

Yes, that's Dandylion, the college student.

And finally, an early morning moon heading for the western horizon:

Inch by painful inch, I'm making progress on my home. Each little step fills me with joy and gratitude as I get my house in order and make it beautiful.

What's Happening Now

Well, Dandylion, our youngest graduated from high school in May, turned 18 in June and left for college in August. He's in a pre-nursing program as well as the Marching Band. So far he is enjoying himself. But he'd better get a job quick, and apply for some more scholarships or he'll be able to enjoy only one semester of this adventure.

I recently had a delicious vegetarian meal: fresh beets and beet greens, brown rice and Ratatouille, or as we called it Eggplant Stew. We never knew we were eating a French dish, but come to find out that's (about) what it is. I don't use any zucchini in it because I don't like the bitter taste of zucchini. This batch has eggplant (or aubergine), fresh and canned tomatoes, celery, onion, and bell peppers, I think I used red, orange and yellow. It tasted so, so good to me.

Next up for redecorating is the bedroom that Dandylion vacated.

View from hallway door into the room

Windows to the southeast

Double closets (notice the not matching doorknobs)

Inside wall - with leftover desk, the one I got at Salvation Army for $1.95

Detail of old, ugly heater vent cover and dirt, also the weird electrical outlet with (missing) night light

Gorgeous hardwood floors

And the only plain wall in the room.

The color, a pale robin's egg blue, isn't bad, just faded and very dirty. I've chosen a lovely warm tan for the wall as a neutral so I can put up all of TopDad's plaques and artwork from his time in the Marines. So this is my next big project, beginning in September.

Ta Da!! The (almost) Complete Living Room

My living room is (almost) completely redecorated. All that remains is hanging a few things on the walls, and bringing over from the other house four bookcases and the books. I am so happy with the colors, the remade drapes, the matching lamps, the clean floor! I am of the "Use what you have" school of Interior Decorating so I reused almost everything and retrieved from storage other things. I was blessed to find some really good deals for the new (to us) pieces.

This is the corner where the color changes. Note the new recliner for TopDad, purchased at a yard sale for $50. Also a new lamp, one of a pair purchased through Craig's list for $25 for both.

Before

After

Before

I took the existing drapes, unpicked all the pleats and reused them with rings (clips) for a more casual, cottage look. The ceramic piece on the table was made by Dandylion in his art class. Don't the matching lamps look great!! Our three adult children are on top of the piano awaiting a portrait of Mr. Movie.

After

Before

I am so pleased with the way it all turned out. I love color, none of that neutral stuff for me. This room glows with glorious light.

After

The entry way, waiting for installation of the new steel door, and new light switches and cover plate. Just a few little details. 

Entry way

Beauty and a Sneak Peak

Peonies from my garden.

Up close and lovely

The promised sneak peak at the colors of my living room:

I absolutely LOVE the colors; the sun seems to be shining all the time! I feel happy just looking at it.

I am painting the floor a color called Gentle Fawn, a lovely light brown color, as a temporary measure until we save up for new carpet (or hardwood if we decide to stay here). As you can see, the floor had already been painted a dark brown on one side and a bird's egg blue color on the other (I think someone was just using up paint). Pulling up the carpet aggravated my asthma, but after a week I'm doing fine. So annoying! And one of the reasons I HATE carpet--it harbors all sorts of beasties and their excrement.

Painting Progress Report

The entry hall painting is done; the carpet will be removed when I finish all the painting. We have a new front door to install too. I'm happy with the color.

I ran out of paint Monday before I even finished the first coat on the next wall. That evening, in spite of tiredness I drove to Council Bluffs to pick up some more paint. Tuesday I finished the first coat in the morning and the second coat late afternoon.

This is the chaos I'm living with right now. Have I mentioned how much I dislike painting? Fortunately TopDad got me the scaffolding to make it less painful.

Here's the finished wall. When noticing any flaws I remind myself over and over what my father taught me: A blind man would enjoy seeing this! The color is called Creamy Buttermilk and this morning it looked so pretty to me! Even though I dislike painting, I sure enjoy the finished product. Having a room painted in "my" colors lifts my spirits!

We Interrupt This Travelogue . . .

To bring you the latest news on the redecorating front.

Currently at work on the living room, PFCMom is ready to begin painting the entry hall, which is more like a cubbie hole than a hall, but let's not be picky.

Everything is patched, primed, and ready to paint.

The ceiling will be a semi-gloss pure white which helps the ceiling reflect light, making the room seem brighter. The walls will be Glidden GLY13 Creamy Buttermilk.

This painting job needs to be done, including removing the old carpet and painting the floor, and all the furniture replaced, plus bookshelves brought over from our other house and books put up, by May 15, which is the evening of Mr. Movie's graduation party. Wish me luck!

Pictures, as promised

See the old color here.

See my pretty pink room, with a sparkling white ceiling!

The view from the window; such gorgeous pink walls!

Later this evening, with the help of Topdad and PW, we'll pull up the yucky carpet, scrape off the pad, (which has fused to the wood floor) wash the floor and voila! All finished. More pictures tomorrow.

By the way, I was very blessed to have just enough paint to put on two coats with no leftovers. I prayed mightily for that tender mercy and was granted my request. Thank you Heavenly Father.