Dining Room

Here is our dining room right now.  It used to be my school room.  I'm still hoping to disguise a bit of school room by using the bookshelves for some educational stuff, maybe in baskets to hide the ugly.

This can serve as my more recent before picture.

Today I raised the bookshelves on 2x4 frames and put base trim around the bottom that matches the room.  Now they look more built in--no pictures yet.

But I'm also throwing around an idea.  Can you guess what it might be?  It's like a puzzle really.  I think it would be rather unique--a conversation piece as long as it's not too DIY junk shop in the end.  I hate to chop this baby up only to have it backfire on me, but it is a piece of furniture that we're not using--don't even have a double mattress.  I'm going to build something for that space anyway and this would be a cost effective, hopefully attractive option.

A bench from a bed.  Hmmm.

A Room for Living

Our previous living room was a play room--nothing else, just a place to play.  It was painted an obnoxious yellow in preparation for the circus tent theme that I was going to do but never got to.  I had babies.

But now we're heading toward putting the house on the market and I think that the circus tent room just isn't going say "home" to anyone who walks in my front door and looks to the right.  So, over the last couple of months we've made some adjustments.  If you've seen the before, here is the dramatically different after, complete with new carpet that was installed Tuesday.

This picture captures the truest representation of the paint color--Rice Grain by Sherwin Williams.  Nice soft neutral with brown and yellow undertones, but not too fleshy.

I love the big pillow on the chair.  It pulls the coral lamps and the bits of orange around the room together.  I never would have imagined that I would go for orange as my pop of color choice, but it's really nice.  Also, that frame above the chair is actually two frames that happened to fit perfectly inside one another.  Couldn't have planned it better.  I always thought that the boy with the broom looked like a girl.  Sorry, Rembrandt.

Love the lamps and pillows that I picked up at TJ Maxx.
The matching lamp is on the desk.
I had a stockpile of gold framed art in the attic, so I went with that and I think it works.
It's a bit more formal than I care for, but it was the right price: free.

Great rug, compliments of Jon's parents when they moved from their Georgia house.

Probably need to pull the couch forward a little more.  I love that it floats in the room--no pushing everything up against a wall.

Well, that's the grand tour of that room.  Next up on the project list is the dining room and the girls' room.  Farther down the road is the boys' room.

All this and a baby on the horizon.  Went to the Dr. on Wednesday and had an ultrasound--everything looks great.  Still a girl.  She's about 5lb. 15oz. right now.  Two weeks, 3 days to due date.

Ready for Thanksgiving and Six Kids

I just never knew that Craigslist could be so kind to me.  Here's our new (old) kitchen table.  It's in great condition.   Our old table served us well, but only seated 6 with both leaves in.  That didn't bode well for a family with number 6 on the way.  So, I've been on the lookout.  

Last week we saw a post for a beautiful 12 seater.  They were asking $1,200 but it was too formal.  I felt that I would be putting a tablecloth over it all the time to avoid kid scratches.  So when I saw this rounded corner, solid wood trestle table I immediately called.  It was posted yesterday morning, today it's  in our kitchen.

So here she is.  Six chairs included.  This is without leaves in--seats 6.

The Lovely Gem will now demonstrate how to add the leaves.  Simply separate table, swivel leaf upward...

One side down.  Now unfold...

Lay flat...

Same for second leaf.

Now it seats 10, comfortably.

Here's the kicker: $325!  

Thanksgiving dinner, anyone?

Granite in the Kitchen

The day after mom and dad left, we ripped out our counters. The granite guys came the next morning to make a template. So, for an entire week (while they fabricated) we went without counter tops or a kitchen sink. We ran the dishwasher sparingly and drained it into a 5 gal. bucket and had to empty it between rinse cycles. We used plenty of paper plates and plastic forks and ordered take out more than twice.

Then came the granite. They stayed all afternoon and made the entire house stink with that stuff that they use to fill the seams. It looked gorgeous, but still no sink--well, no plumbing under it. The next day I undertook my first real plumbing job. Surprisingly, it wasn't difficult. I had to glue one joint, but other than that, it was just slip nuts and washers and a little bit of cutting PVC. Then came the test--water! NO LEAKS!!! I did a happy dance.





Now I can enjoy the new counter tops. Ahhhh. That's been on the home improvement list for a long time. Can you see me kicking up my feet and sipping homemade lemonade? Yeah, neither can I. Now I'm on to the school room.

Timber

This morning Jon and I were getting ready in our bathroom when we heard a crash, scrape and thud right outside our window. We both immediately thought that the window air conditioner unit (temporary--until we replace the AC for our upstairs) had fallen out of the window, skidded down the roof and crashed to the ground. Jon opened up the door and there was the unit, secure and blowing cold air.

"Was it that screen that you propped out there?" I asked. Couldn't have been. That was too much noise.

So, Jon looked out the window. The tree.







The flowering pears are known as 20 year trees. Ours made it 19. They're beautiful in the spring and grow very quickly. I think that is why the housing development planted them. But over the last few years neighbors have had chunks of their trees splitting off. Oh well. So long front yard tree. We'll have to plant something that doesn't fall apart after 20 years.

I'm just glad that only the gutters were hurt.

Good First Impressions

My house has never looked "like me". But I was 8 months pregnant when we moved in and I never got a breath between babies and school...until now. Earlier in the year we re-did the master bath. But as summer approached and school drew to an end, I let my mind indulge in thinking about my house--bigger projects in my house. Where to start? Walk-in closets, garage organization, play room ceiling, school room?

I decided that the thing I wanted to change first is the first impression that I get when I walk in my front door. When we moved in I liked the gray walls and thought that framed black and whites would look sophisticated. I never put up the black and whites, and gray is just dark. Also, nothing but yellow, mauve and rust go with it. Bleh!

But I didn't start with the walls. I started by ripping the disgusting carpet off the stairs. That's right, just ripped it right off and hauled it to the trash can. I pulled out the staples and tack strips and filled in the nail holes. Paint, here I come.


Before.

But looking at those naked stairs surrounded by all that drab, dark, gray paint made me move in a different direction. Paint? Yes, still paint, but not on the stairs. Walls.


Protesters. They didn't want me to ruin their sliding fun--footie pajamas and carpeted stairs. Sorry, guys!


After

So I went to Home Depot and bought MDF and had the guy there cut two sheets into 2 in. strips and one sheet into 4 in. strips. Then I bought a nail gun combo that comes with a compressor and finish, brad and staple guns. (BIG SMILE) Then I measured and cut and painted and nailed.


Off we go.


All three colors on the wall.

And now I have an entryway that is white on white board and batten (pictures soon to come). So much more inviting than pencil lead gray. I just have to fill nail holes and touch up.

Next, the 18' stairwell,the board and batten up the stairs, then the stairs.

Maybe I'll get to the garage and the closet and the kitchen by the end of the summer. It just feels good to have the time to focus on this house and finally make it mine.

Clean Sweep

Today I am cleaning. I'm not teaching a stitch of school; we're done with that for the year. Often, I can't keep up with my house. It moves too much. It wiggles and skips and rolls down hills. When it does this all the things inside my house, especially toys, fly all over the place. I even find things like Legos in underwear drawers.

So, today I grounded my house--just nailed it down to its foundation, and I'm cleaning from top to bottom. I'm making nice neat piles of Legos, cars, game pieces, Go Fish cards, stray socks, and board books. They are all finding their homes today.

Tomorrow I will untether my house and maybe it will feel like it's all dressed up in Sunday's best and behave itself while I get some other things done.

I don't think that any child let loose for Christmas break could be any happier than I am that break has arrived. Maybe I'll wiggle, skip and roll down hills--nah, 'cause I would have to get the grass stains out.

Busy as Bees

It's spring! We're busy. Let's see, we:

1. Are painting our kitchen cabinets white
2. Are half way through ceramic tiling the master bath
3. Finished putting up beadboard and trim in the master bath yesterday
4. Went strawberry picking (20 lbs.)
5. I'm going to the state homeschool conference to work at the Classical Conversations booth at the book fair today (required for directors). Jon is watching the kids.
6. Summer projects at the college are in full swing for Jon.
7. Shakespeare has a permanent tooth coming in behind a baby tooth--have to get dentist apt.
8. I still haven't unpacked completely from vacation.
9. Dad built me a bookshelf for Gem's room and I have to sand and paint it.
10. It took me an entire day to get all the stuff back in the kitchen cabinets yesterday.

That's why we hired four guys to remodel our bathroom and paint the kitchen cabinets. Whew!!! And you thought that I'd lost my mind.

Pictures to come later--when I have time to download and post them. I'm going to love my kitchen.

Around the Pear Tree

We've been desiring to contain the spread of mulch into the yard for years, but until now, have done nothing about it. Then Jon tore up our overgrown slate walkway from the back yard and had a stroke of brilliance. First we made a rock wall for the begonia bed. But yesterday, he did this:

Here they are hard at work. The kids, especially Shakespeare, worked hard. They pulled up the stones and wheeled them to the front yard for Jon to stack.



Putting in the final touches.



Lovely...and no more mulch in the grass.

Compare

The old roof is on the left above the garage. The new roof is on the main part of the house. I took this picture after the first day of work.



Yesterday (2nd day) it rained most of the work day. They only got about half of the garage finished and had to leave a giant tarp over the rest. This morning, bright and early, they were hammering away again and done by 10:30. Those guys work so hard.

Stripped Naked

Our roof is bare. All I hear is Spanish and banging and scraping. This is a good thing. Our house has needed a new roof for a while. The hail storm two months ago did it in.



Between watching the workers and the trash man, Sinatra has been glued to the front door all morning.

New Stuff

Jon's parents are trying to squeeze into a smaller home and we get to be the recipients of the overflow. We got two beautiful large rugs out of the deal and countless throw rugs. Also, I claimed a few crocks and the collection of rolling pins for the top of my refrigerator. Yea!!! New stuff.


When we put the rug under the table it was too long to put perpendicular to the room (like we had it before). Turning it opened up the space and made it look better. Thanks Mom and Dad Varnell!

This arrangement keeps me from allowing junk to collect on top.

Deck Done

The deck is finally done. We hosted a church cook-out on Saturday evening so that was my deadline. I worked on the stair rails all day on Friday and finished that night. Jon's parents and I cleaned it up Saturday morning. It felt so odd to entertain on it that evening.



Jon's dad hard at work.

Almost There

As you can see, the porch has come a long way. Here is where it was in April. Yesterday, I finished the railing, except the stairs. I wonder how long I will look at it and see fatigue and flaws. I hope that I will just be able to sit back and relax and not think about the one corner post that is slightly out of plumb, or the bottom rail that is slightly bowed because we stored it on uneven ground, or the one section that had to have supports every two balusters rather than every three.

We're having a party at our house Saturday and my mother and father-in-law are coming on Friday. We also have the swim lessons every evening and I have to kick this house into order (at least downstairs). I could name 100 other things, but will spare you my to-do's. I'm just relieved that I don't have to do school this week!!!

Porch Progress

The back porch is coming along nicely. We have all the posts up around the paremeter of the deck. We have yet to install the posts at the bottom of the stairs. Next step is the railing. (deep breath) We're almost there.

How about a close-up of that cutie.

A New Top Hat

Our house is dressed fairly nicely: new paint, new deck, new "spot", green grass, but the thing that crowns the lovely picture is a glaring gray and black streaked roof. When you turn down our street our house is the one you see because it is at the base of the cul-du-sac. You come over the hill, and there, framed in your sights is our roof--not our house. The house is an add-on: the roof is what you see. It would help if we were at the top of a hill, but no. We're at the base.

If you look closely at this picture from March, O5, you can see streaks. They are worse now.

But, La!!! No more complaining about the streaked, 17 year old eyesore. Back in May when we went camping at the beach a nice hail storm came through and finished her off. The claims adjuster came out and pronounced the roof done--also some gutters and all the screens in my house but two (under the front porch). I was expecting a little help in replacing the roof, but was shocked when the adjuster told me, "Well, it looks like you will be getting a new roof for the price of your deductible." Shock. Awe. Thank you, Lord! I guess we did get the replacement value insurance. Just waiting for the insurance company to contact me with the settlement details.

A New Power Tool

Last week I bought a sawsall from Home Depot. Why? Does there really have to be a reason? Okay, so there does . . . to tackle finishing the deck. We've been without railing for months now. I guess building the tree house with Dad has emboldened me. I could either sink my money into hiring it done, or use it to buy the tool to make it happen. Since I view Home Depot the same way that my kids view Toys R' Us, the debate didn't take long to settle: take the option that gives you a tool in the end.



I had Gem snap a few pictures of me in action. The first is me sawing out the holes for the posts. Notice the very femininely disguised steel toe safety boots (Forgive me, Dad. I was carried away in the moment). The second is a picture of me hefting my big power tool. Never mind that my teeth rattle in my head and my wrist contorts every time I start that baby up: I look like Cool Hand Luke with a smoking gun--what's not to love about that? I'm glad that I didn't buy the big one, but I am glad that I bought this one. "There's nothing like the right tool for the job," right Dad?!

After this is done, I'll have to find a project that requires a hand held jigsaw and a router and maybe a few quick clamps.

The Spot

There is a spot to the left of our front door that has been an eyesore since the first spring that we lived in this house. The alcove originally had a lovely crepe myrtle in it, but it had grossly outgrown the space so we chopped it to the ground. When we went back to remove the stump we feared that it was wrapped around the waste water drainage pipe, so we didn't rip it out that day.



Fast forward one year: the stump sprouted new shoots that looked ridiculous. I trimmed them throughout the summer and thought about what might look nice there.

Three years: this is getting downright embarrassing. The scrubby spot greets visitors with a friendly, "Hey, neighbor, would you like to add a rusty washer or a car on blocks to complete the look?" Jon pulls out the other shrubs that are growing in our front bed, but resists the urge to yank the myrtle stump because we don't want thousands of dollars in drainage repairs.

Four years: Jon took a shovel and ax and ripped the thing out. The drainage pipe clean out is there, but thank God that the pipe is buried far below Jon's circumference of destruction.

Now we have a beautiful pencil holly that will grow 8'tall and 3'wide--perfect for the spot. Now perhaps people won't look at my front entry and fear seeing the rest of the house.



Pretend that the hose reel isn't broken. That happened the day that we put in the holly. The spot must have been grieving it's Kentucky back woods feel and decided to rebel.

Four with Gatorade

My kids love to drink Gatorade. Here are all my happy kids, sitting on my half completed stairs, drinking Gatorade. It's so seldom that all four are together and happy for a picture.



Side note: I finally figured out how to attach the posts for the deck, but it involves moving the stairs about four inches to the right. That's a happy/ugh realization. Also, we had to special order 3, 12 foot boards to complete the stairs. They have to be shipped, so for the next week or so we have to live with this glorified ladder.

Spring Blooms

Our neighborhood is full of flowering pear trees--no pears, just flowers. Every spring we enjoy the new type of "snow" that falls on our lawns, the petals of these flowers. I caught this picture last Tuesday, before our rainy weekend. Now the show is over and green is beginning to dominate the landscape.