This past weekend, with nothing to do and very little money to spend, dh and I decided to hit some garage/estate sales. We live in a very small area, and we normally don't even need a newspaper to find garage sales. But this particular day we couldn't even find one. Eventually we headed to one Estate Sale dh remembered seeing a sign for earlier in the week.
We followed the signs to the sale, parked, and walked up the road to the house, discussing the beautiful area the house was located in. And then as the house came into view our jaws dropped and we just sort of stopped and stared. It was huge. And we were there early.
The house was sort of a german-inspired chalet. A cool look, really.
Well, there were lots of goodies, in all of the rooms. Rooms, by the way, which were many and varied. We sort of got lost, a little.
In the end, we ended up with a few little treasures. DH got some Chicago Bears glasses, and some stuff from the tool room. I found an entire box of vintage linens with our last initial embroidered on them! A half - round mahogony table for our entry way completed the haul.
Lots of fun, and I like to think that the people who owned the house would be happy to know that someone is enjoying their taste, and their stuff is living on in a new home, well loved.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The House, Again!
It's a semi-warm spring Sunday afternoon, and dh and I are sitting in the living room discussing our future plans for The House. Sounds like a harmless pastime, but the truth is that she's whispering to us while we talk. (The House, I mean-she does that, you know. She whispers. A lot.) We think we own her, but the truth is, she owns us.
Proof positive of this, is that after a few minutes of silence, dh wanders over to a spot on the wall, under the stairs, that has peeling wallpaper, and casually, without saying a word or discussing it, begins to peel off the ugly 80's small print wallpaper. It comes off in a sheet, not in bits and pieces like you see on home improvement shows, but in one huge gigantic sheet of ugly pre-pasted monstrosity. And while dh peels, and The House sheds, the original plaster from the plaster and lathe construction begins to show, we all hold our breath. And when he's gotten a whole sheet off, and we can see actual wall, we let out a breath together, us and The House, as if she can finally breathe again, without that wallpaper there.
Some wives might get mad at the spontenaity of it all, but I know this means the beginning of a project we've discussed numerous times, and that dh knows what I want, and that we are mostly in agreement about what needs to be done, We, and The House.
The House, you see, whispers to me all the time. She has the final say, I'm afraid. Whenever I'm in the bookstore and I find myself drawn to the home improvement section, or I'm channel surfing and find myself on HGTV or PBS, or whenever I'm on the internet without business to conduct, she whispers, and I usually find whatever it is she's trying to tell me.
So while dh and I peel sheet after sheet of ugly wallpaper, and we find the sad shadowy remnants of the original crown molding that some previous idiotic owner removed for no discernable reason, we discuss paint colors, and we listen to what The House is trying to tell us.
Because, like an aged beauty queen who still wears her tiara to the county fair every year to show off to her friends, we don't really care if she's past the bloom of her youth. That very fact is what makes her so special to us.
Proof positive of this, is that after a few minutes of silence, dh wanders over to a spot on the wall, under the stairs, that has peeling wallpaper, and casually, without saying a word or discussing it, begins to peel off the ugly 80's small print wallpaper. It comes off in a sheet, not in bits and pieces like you see on home improvement shows, but in one huge gigantic sheet of ugly pre-pasted monstrosity. And while dh peels, and The House sheds, the original plaster from the plaster and lathe construction begins to show, we all hold our breath. And when he's gotten a whole sheet off, and we can see actual wall, we let out a breath together, us and The House, as if she can finally breathe again, without that wallpaper there.
Some wives might get mad at the spontenaity of it all, but I know this means the beginning of a project we've discussed numerous times, and that dh knows what I want, and that we are mostly in agreement about what needs to be done, We, and The House.
The House, you see, whispers to me all the time. She has the final say, I'm afraid. Whenever I'm in the bookstore and I find myself drawn to the home improvement section, or I'm channel surfing and find myself on HGTV or PBS, or whenever I'm on the internet without business to conduct, she whispers, and I usually find whatever it is she's trying to tell me.
So while dh and I peel sheet after sheet of ugly wallpaper, and we find the sad shadowy remnants of the original crown molding that some previous idiotic owner removed for no discernable reason, we discuss paint colors, and we listen to what The House is trying to tell us.
Because, like an aged beauty queen who still wears her tiara to the county fair every year to show off to her friends, we don't really care if she's past the bloom of her youth. That very fact is what makes her so special to us.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
I am ALIVE!! Or, What I'm currently loving.
So, I just realized that it's been something like 2 and a half months since my last post, and I realize that the title is a little melodramatic, but, hey, I'm a writer, right? So, I'm allowed. In the interval since my last post, we've had Christmas, and New year's, and a new (yeah!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) president was inaugurated. And that's why it's time for a new post!
Without further ado, here is what I'm currently obsessed with, or what I'm currently loving:
1. It should go without saying, that I'm seriously loving my dear husband. The man is too too terrific, and all other women should be jealous of me. Go ahead. Be jealous. I'll wait.
2. I'm also loving my dear children, who are pretty terrific in their own right. I could go into the reasons, but then I'd just be bragging, and you wouldn't want to listen.
3. Beyond the family is the more ephemeral stuff. So for number 3, I'm going to list my house, which I spend way too much time dreaming about how I'll remodel into the perfect craftsman style house, when I finally get the money.
4. I love all the blogs I'm finding lately, about remodeling houses. I've been on some of the most wonderful blogoshpere vacations lately, if you know what I mean. The net is like a total vacation, in which I can go anywhere I can think of, instantly, even during naptime for the daycare kids, which never, ever, lasts long enough.
5. I'm loving one specific one of my daycare kids. A child of a single mom, she totally reminds me of one of my own kids at that age. I spend a lot of time doling out advice to her mom, like," Just be patient and hang in there! Around five years old she'll suddenly get all of this!"
6. I love being a daycare provider, period. It's like being a mom, except I can go out at night if I want. (As a side benefit, my own kids are old enough to babysit for other, smaller kids, at night, and earn money if they want!)
7. I love being old enough to not feel I have to apologize for everything I say or feel or want. Deal with it!
8. I love being confident enough to feel like I don't have to be a super-worker, -mom, -anything else. If I want to spend my day crocheting and cooking beef stew, I can. I like it, and I don't care what any feminist wannabe thinks about it. It's my house, and I'll clean it, thank you, without waiting for someone else to do it the way I think they should.
9. I love old things. Old quilts, old dishes, my old house, my old china cabinet with my old family china- I love it all, it gives me such a sense of connection with the past, with people I knew and people I didn't. I love stopping at antique stores and finding old things, and wondering who loved them once, and who thought they were ready for the thrift store, and who will one day say something like, "MOM! You sold what?!?"
10. Last and first again, I'm loving family. My mother in law, who has turned out to be the world's best mil. I am sooo blessed, to have such a wonderful woman in my life, when everyone around me hates their mother in laws. I can't even imagine life without her, she's so great. My grandfather in law, who has always called me honey, and who now only remembers family sporadically because of a stroke, but who still has the world's most wonderful disposition anyway, and who has totally taken the place of my own long gone grandparents. My parents, who I miss every day and wish I were nearer to. My siblings, even the ones who taught me what crazy means. The pastor who baptized me.
May God bless them all, because I'm loving them and I'm grateful for them. I hope they know it.
Without further ado, here is what I'm currently obsessed with, or what I'm currently loving:
1. It should go without saying, that I'm seriously loving my dear husband. The man is too too terrific, and all other women should be jealous of me. Go ahead. Be jealous. I'll wait.
2. I'm also loving my dear children, who are pretty terrific in their own right. I could go into the reasons, but then I'd just be bragging, and you wouldn't want to listen.
3. Beyond the family is the more ephemeral stuff. So for number 3, I'm going to list my house, which I spend way too much time dreaming about how I'll remodel into the perfect craftsman style house, when I finally get the money.
4. I love all the blogs I'm finding lately, about remodeling houses. I've been on some of the most wonderful blogoshpere vacations lately, if you know what I mean. The net is like a total vacation, in which I can go anywhere I can think of, instantly, even during naptime for the daycare kids, which never, ever, lasts long enough.
5. I'm loving one specific one of my daycare kids. A child of a single mom, she totally reminds me of one of my own kids at that age. I spend a lot of time doling out advice to her mom, like," Just be patient and hang in there! Around five years old she'll suddenly get all of this!"
6. I love being a daycare provider, period. It's like being a mom, except I can go out at night if I want. (As a side benefit, my own kids are old enough to babysit for other, smaller kids, at night, and earn money if they want!)
7. I love being old enough to not feel I have to apologize for everything I say or feel or want. Deal with it!
8. I love being confident enough to feel like I don't have to be a super-worker, -mom, -anything else. If I want to spend my day crocheting and cooking beef stew, I can. I like it, and I don't care what any feminist wannabe thinks about it. It's my house, and I'll clean it, thank you, without waiting for someone else to do it the way I think they should.
9. I love old things. Old quilts, old dishes, my old house, my old china cabinet with my old family china- I love it all, it gives me such a sense of connection with the past, with people I knew and people I didn't. I love stopping at antique stores and finding old things, and wondering who loved them once, and who thought they were ready for the thrift store, and who will one day say something like, "MOM! You sold what?!?"
10. Last and first again, I'm loving family. My mother in law, who has turned out to be the world's best mil. I am sooo blessed, to have such a wonderful woman in my life, when everyone around me hates their mother in laws. I can't even imagine life without her, she's so great. My grandfather in law, who has always called me honey, and who now only remembers family sporadically because of a stroke, but who still has the world's most wonderful disposition anyway, and who has totally taken the place of my own long gone grandparents. My parents, who I miss every day and wish I were nearer to. My siblings, even the ones who taught me what crazy means. The pastor who baptized me.
May God bless them all, because I'm loving them and I'm grateful for them. I hope they know it.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Fall Cleanup
The fence is finally installed! After much waiting around, for the grant money to arrive, for the fence people to arrive, for the weather to clear up so the fence people could arrive, the fence is finally, finally done! It looks great, just like I had pictured in my head.
The day after they were done, dh and I moved the steps on the back porch, from the front of the porch to the side of the porch-a necessary project, since with the fence installed, the steps where they were simply sort of dead-ended at the fence. I say we did it, but of course it was mostly dh's doing-I was there to hand him tools and screws, help hold up the heavy things, and call 911 if he were to make a large uh-oh, which of course he did not, being handily skilled in all things remodel-ly.
The weather has taken a definate winter-like turn this past week, and while we worked outside, it began to snow. Not the delicate crystalline flakes you dream of in August when it's 98 degrees in the shade, but hard, angry round chunks of snow, which stuck to Stitch's fur while he sat and sniffed the wind, and enjoyed the cold, grey day we were having. Now that the entire back yard is enclosed with a fence, he can play outside for hours if he chooses to do so. Our lab, Buddy, stayed out for a bit, but would occasionally make it clear to us, that he needed to go in NOW, and warm up.
After the steps were done, I raked leaves while dh mowed over them to make a sort of mulch for the lawn. Then we put away the patio table and chairs, moved bikes and outdoor toys under the porch for the winter, and basically cleaned up.
Today, being a Sunday, we're taking it a little easier: Watching football, making apple crisp and pot roast for dinner, and basically recharging for the week ahead. I can definately use some recharging!
The day after they were done, dh and I moved the steps on the back porch, from the front of the porch to the side of the porch-a necessary project, since with the fence installed, the steps where they were simply sort of dead-ended at the fence. I say we did it, but of course it was mostly dh's doing-I was there to hand him tools and screws, help hold up the heavy things, and call 911 if he were to make a large uh-oh, which of course he did not, being handily skilled in all things remodel-ly.
The weather has taken a definate winter-like turn this past week, and while we worked outside, it began to snow. Not the delicate crystalline flakes you dream of in August when it's 98 degrees in the shade, but hard, angry round chunks of snow, which stuck to Stitch's fur while he sat and sniffed the wind, and enjoyed the cold, grey day we were having. Now that the entire back yard is enclosed with a fence, he can play outside for hours if he chooses to do so. Our lab, Buddy, stayed out for a bit, but would occasionally make it clear to us, that he needed to go in NOW, and warm up.
After the steps were done, I raked leaves while dh mowed over them to make a sort of mulch for the lawn. Then we put away the patio table and chairs, moved bikes and outdoor toys under the porch for the winter, and basically cleaned up.
Today, being a Sunday, we're taking it a little easier: Watching football, making apple crisp and pot roast for dinner, and basically recharging for the week ahead. I can definately use some recharging!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
We Got The Grant!
I know I haven't posted about this before, but I am soooo psyched about it, I just have to share!
A few months ago, I received in the mail a form from the state about a grant that was available to day care providers, for "facility improvements". Now, this grant is open to family child care providers, day care centers, anyone at all who isn't run by the state itself.
My thought at the time was something along the lines of, "Well, since I've never even so much as broken even on a scratch off lottery ticket, the chances of my winning a grant are probably slim to none. But, what the hey, right? What do I have to lose?" So, I read the directions, and , using my best skills at writing, wrote what I thought was a fantastic grant narrative. I sent it, in triplicate, to the state, return receipt requested, and sort of forgot about it. I've always thought that not winning anything like that meant that God was trying to tell me to depend only on him. I've always figured, if God wants me to win the lotto, I only have to spend the dollar to buy one ticket, and He can make it work, right?
So, in the words of my fav ever pastor RR, I put feet on my prayers and sent the grant app in, then left it up to God.
When the deadline for award letters passed without a word from the state, I took it as a symbol of God's provision in His own way, in His own time, and left it at that. What I didn't take into account, however, was the fact that the budget in our state is truly screwed up, and currently in limbo. Also, there were a LOT of applications for the relatively small amount of money available for this grant.
The deadline for award letters passed, and almost three weeks later, I received a letter from the state. Now, understand, as a daycare provider, I receive a lot of letters from the state. I almost put this one directly into the garbage without opening it, as it bulk seemed to indicate an ad of some kind. But I opened it, seeing as how it was nap time and all.
And then! Well, then, I proceeded to call first, my dh, who was inconveniently in a meeting, and my dmil, who knew of the whole grant app process, and who kindly let me scream in her ear about how thrilled I was.
The upshot of this all is, in a few weeks, I should have a brand new, non-rotting, six foot, cedar privacy fence around my back yard, complete with a locking gate to keep out random animals and predators of all kinds, courtesy of the state, thank you very much!
While I am waiting, I will try to squash completely the conspiracy theorist in me, who is currently whispering that all gifts from the government come with asterisks attached. And the nerd in me, who is shouting,"AHA!", while pushing my glasses up on my nose, is also being slowly silenced by current elation. Since I believe that all things work together for good for those who love God, I will lock both the conspiracy theorist and the nerd in the basement together, where they will stay until I can get the new X-Files movie from Netflix- or at least until the fence is installed!
A few months ago, I received in the mail a form from the state about a grant that was available to day care providers, for "facility improvements". Now, this grant is open to family child care providers, day care centers, anyone at all who isn't run by the state itself.
My thought at the time was something along the lines of, "Well, since I've never even so much as broken even on a scratch off lottery ticket, the chances of my winning a grant are probably slim to none. But, what the hey, right? What do I have to lose?" So, I read the directions, and , using my best skills at writing, wrote what I thought was a fantastic grant narrative. I sent it, in triplicate, to the state, return receipt requested, and sort of forgot about it. I've always thought that not winning anything like that meant that God was trying to tell me to depend only on him. I've always figured, if God wants me to win the lotto, I only have to spend the dollar to buy one ticket, and He can make it work, right?
So, in the words of my fav ever pastor RR, I put feet on my prayers and sent the grant app in, then left it up to God.
When the deadline for award letters passed without a word from the state, I took it as a symbol of God's provision in His own way, in His own time, and left it at that. What I didn't take into account, however, was the fact that the budget in our state is truly screwed up, and currently in limbo. Also, there were a LOT of applications for the relatively small amount of money available for this grant.
The deadline for award letters passed, and almost three weeks later, I received a letter from the state. Now, understand, as a daycare provider, I receive a lot of letters from the state. I almost put this one directly into the garbage without opening it, as it bulk seemed to indicate an ad of some kind. But I opened it, seeing as how it was nap time and all.
And then! Well, then, I proceeded to call first, my dh, who was inconveniently in a meeting, and my dmil, who knew of the whole grant app process, and who kindly let me scream in her ear about how thrilled I was.
The upshot of this all is, in a few weeks, I should have a brand new, non-rotting, six foot, cedar privacy fence around my back yard, complete with a locking gate to keep out random animals and predators of all kinds, courtesy of the state, thank you very much!
While I am waiting, I will try to squash completely the conspiracy theorist in me, who is currently whispering that all gifts from the government come with asterisks attached. And the nerd in me, who is shouting,"AHA!", while pushing my glasses up on my nose, is also being slowly silenced by current elation. Since I believe that all things work together for good for those who love God, I will lock both the conspiracy theorist and the nerd in the basement together, where they will stay until I can get the new X-Files movie from Netflix- or at least until the fence is installed!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Bathroom Remodal is done!
Well, the bathroom remodal is done. Has been for a couple of weeks, really, but I'm just now getting around to posting about it. DH did great work, and I love, love, love, the paint color. The whole bathroom looks like it came out of a bed and breakfast somewhere, which is exactly the feeling I was aiming for. And the price we did it for was unreal, just way low. We shopped around and got some great deals, like Oak molding and trim in a bundle, enough for the whole bathroom, for under $20. And DH added some great details, like you would expect in a craftsman home. Like the rosettes in this pic:
And although this pic is way too dark, this corner in the bathroom is not dark. We picked up the dresser at a flea market for $20. Well, my dfil saw it and asked us if we wanted it, and of course we said yes, and it fits this corner perfectly! And it's great for storing towels , etc. I picked up the lamp at a garage sale for exactly one dollar. It was a lovely rococco gold with a pleated shade when I bought it, and now with a little matte spray paint and a glue gun and some fabric, it fits the bathroom perfectly:
Here you can see the tile-DH did a great job, the rows are straight and even, and the tile adds a great base to the room. The last pic is a shot of the sink side of the room. The sink looks soooo much better than the old cabinet that was there before. I love this bathroom now, and it gives me great ideas for the rest of the downstairs! 
And although this pic is way too dark, this corner in the bathroom is not dark. We picked up the dresser at a flea market for $20. Well, my dfil saw it and asked us if we wanted it, and of course we said yes, and it fits this corner perfectly! And it's great for storing towels , etc. I picked up the lamp at a garage sale for exactly one dollar. It was a lovely rococco gold with a pleated shade when I bought it, and now with a little matte spray paint and a glue gun and some fabric, it fits the bathroom perfectly:
Here you can see the tile-DH did a great job, the rows are straight and even, and the tile adds a great base to the room. The last pic is a shot of the sink side of the room. The sink looks soooo much better than the old cabinet that was there before. I love this bathroom now, and it gives me great ideas for the rest of the downstairs! 
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Old House Remodel
Well, the old house remodel has officially begun, sort of. As is the way with most of these things, it started simply. Smaller Dog likes to play with his water, splashing his paws through it as he drinks, which results in a gigantic puddle around his water dish. We tried to solve this problem by putting the water dish on a boot tray, but that wasn't wide or deep enough to contain the mess he likes to make when he drinks. As a result of this constant mess on the bathroom floor, the self-stick tiles which make up the bathroom floor began to come up. So we decided that we simply had to re-tile the bathroom floor.
Re-tiling was always the plan, I just planned to wait until I actually had the money to do so.When the tiles started coming up, however, the situation got urgent. Here are some pictures, of the bathroom currently, the bathroom at it's worst, and the bathroom pre-remodel.
As you can see, things have gone beyond a tile job. After my dh got the tile up, we discovered that the lovely fake tile on the walls was nothing more than glorified cardboard. And since we hated it anyway, we decided to put up drywall and paint. And then of course we needed a new sink to go with it... Shades of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" , anyone?
In the middle of all this, we all got a lovely case of intestinal flu. So our two-day tile job is now at a week and counting.
When it's done, however, it will put the rest of downstairs to shame, and I can't wait for it to be done, so I can take pictures and share!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)