Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Wishing you all a Happy Saint Patrick's Day.  I am cleaning today. The tile people and plumber left my house at 9:00 p.m. last night.  My back splash is up. The tile on the stair landing is grouted.  After three days I have water in my kitchen. All the pipes are hooked up and working. Now to clean so I can put everything back in the cupboards, put the drawers in the cabinets. It looks fabulous. Once I clean up a bit I will take some photographs to share. I am tired already. [Still have to seal the grout, paint the French doors, stain the corbels, put the door handles on the doors, but the hard stuff is finished.]

Digital Photograph...Bradford Pear Blossoms

Beautiful Bradford Pear trees are in bloom everywhere. It is a sight to see.

The air is full of the fragrance of flowers.

I get to enjoy the sight of all of these

trees when I make my daily pilgramage

or two to the building supply store.

I am on a first name basis with everyone there,

even a few of the contractors have

started to say hi or stop and talk.

I love how the warm weather sort of makes everyone a little more friendly, puts a little oomf in their step and loosens their tongues.

Quote #10...You

French Freebies

This week I thought I would share some of these French Postcard girls. Aren't they beautiful?  It is so beautiful here. The weather is sunny and warm. Everything has that crispness to it. The birds are singing, everything is in bloom. The days are getting longer. Hope everything is right in your world.

Digital Collage...Bird

Bird taken at my son's farm

Four Letter Words...Bird

Bird Freebie

My very favorite bird

He is so handsome. She is elegant.

I love to watch them fly along the water at the beach

These little ones are so darling.

These birds look like they would be so awkward, but are instead full of grace.

I love to watch them. Quite impressive skills. I would have a major headache if I pounded on a tree the way they do.

This week I thought I would share some bird freebies with you. I love birds. I also collect bird prints. They make me happy. I wake up every morning to the sound of the birds. I have had several flocks of Robins visit the past couple of weeks. Spring is definitely on its way. Hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather.

All Work No Play...

The Broad River

It has not been all work. When the grout and sealer were drying for a couple of days I took one of my sons to renew his driver's license. We decided to go to the DMV out in the country to renew it. That way I could take pictures along the way.  We also decided to go to one of the many parks along the way and take a nice long walk.  It has been beautiful out almost every day. I spotted this view coming down the mountain along the river. I hope you enjoy it.

Painting...ceilings and such

Primer and first coat are put on in the dining room.

We used a grey primer. Apparently if you are going to use a dark color on a wall or ceiling you should prime with a grey primer. It will keep your color true and will take less coats of paint.

I decided to paint my dining room ceiling a deep eggplant purple. I have this lovely rug with purple accents that are barely noticeable. With the deep rich cherry of my furniture and the lovely walls I needed something that would give the room an intimate feeling. I want it to be all sparkly, shiny with mirrors, silver and glass, elegant. I would like a romantic dinner with someone special, and a special dinner with friends and family in there. I am hoping we only need two good coats to get the effect I am looking for. 

While the guys are painting the dining room ceiling I am having them sand, Spackle and repaint the family room ceiling off the kitchen.  The original track lights were on this ceiling. We/my light guy took them down and put something a little more contemporary up. The lines from the old track lights were there. It looked very sad. That small closet you see in the photo - the narrow one - was once a broom closet. I had them put shelves in it, paint it, paint the door in chalk board paint, and I am using it to store those appliances you have to have but do not use every day. I also have things like my punch bowl and egg plates, etc. in there. This has been a real mission.

Whew... it has been a long week

Here is the tile all grouted and sealed. They have not finished the moldings and trim in this picture.  That big blue blob is my washer and dryer. It has been nine days without them. Ugh.

Here is another shot of the tile. It is going to look so nice when everything is finished. Saturday they came and put down the moldings and trim. They moved my washer and dryer. Hooked them up. I am still missing doors and thresholds. I am told Tuesday or Wednesday.

Another view from the kitchen. If you turn left the dining room. Straight is a small appliance pantry.  That blank wall will hold my beautiful oak cupboard full of Ironstone. I am still dreaming of when it is all finished.

Last week started off very busy and ended very busy. It looks like this week is going to be the same. I spent a lot of time last week at Lowe's Home Improvement store. I am starting to know each and everyone of the associates. It is truly scary. However, they have some very cool products to decorate your home with.

This week I am trying to get my ceilings painted in a couple of rooms, the doors on, thresholds finished, a couple of light fixtures hung, my chalkboard door painted, and the steps refinished. Ahhhh

keep your fingers crossed. Oh, and did I mention the counter tops and sink replaced and the new cook top installed. It is a list.

Quote #9...to invent

A Digital Photograph...Daffodill

My First Daffodill

This is my first Daffodill at my new house. Isn't she a beauty? I have no idea what kind of flowers I will have here. I am going to wait till everything comes up before I decide to do any major yard work. I figure by fall I will be ready.

Digital Photograph...the green building



When I first turned the corner and found this building I hit the brakes. Put my

car in reverse and backed up to get a

better look. I grabbed my camera and began to click off a few shots.  When I look

through my camera I sometimes see things

I might miss with just the sweep of my eyes.  I almost always envision what the buildings were used for, when

they were built, who might have

used them, how they were made. 

Little stories pop up

in my head.

I think this building was someones workshop. Their private space. 

Put together with found materials.

A door from here, a window from

somewhere else, an extra roll or two

of tar paper.  Electricity added.

The double doors on the side to get materials in and out,

and on nice days the doors were

probably opened to cool it off. 

This building has stories to tell.

Digital Collage...Angel

Finished Angel ! I used textured background from Jerry Jones - Thanks Jerry!!

First attempt of Angel. I used several textures, erased a few things, etc...

Original photograph of Angel.  I found her in a little church cemetery perched on top of a mountain outside of town. Please feel free to use this photograph if you would like in your art work.

This week I have decided to Make.  To Make some home made comfort food, to make a dent in my ever growing list of things that need to be done, to make a giant effort in turning my downstairs into a studio. To make some plans to visit my mother on her birthday, to make some plans to go to the beach to visit my friends who I miss like crazy, to make somebody in my life feel really special, to make some time for someone else even when I feel to busy, to make my bed a bed instead of a depository for books, magazines, clothes,etc. to make time to enjoy the little miracles in every day. Aww...that is enough for right now.  What will you make this week?

Quote #8...Make a Life

Four Letter Word...Make

The Problem with Remodeling...

The problem with remodeling, particularly the kitchen, is how to eat. We hit day five today and I woke up hungry.  I never wake up hungry.  It usually takes several hours for me to even remotely want to think about food.  Today was different.

Tomorrow, Monday, they start to grout all the tile. Then they seal the grout. I am so excited. I can not wait till everything is done. There is still the issue of putting all the doors back in, making sure they open and close properly, the stairs need to be finished and the bottom landing tiled. Then of course the paint needs to be touched up in a few places, and then the rugs can go down and the furniture finally put in place. The back deck needs to be scrubbed off where they cut the tile and mixed the mortar. Ooh it is a journey.

I have to remind myself that the counter tops have to be removed and replaced the following week. So maybe do not put the rugs down yet. Also, the cook top is to be replaced.  That means only oven cooking and no water for maybe two days in the kitchen. Ugh! I will think about that next week.

Meanwhile,I still have to eat this week.  Here are a few of the out to eat meals I
have had to suffer through last week and
this weekend.  I have been trying out the restaurants that are small and local. 
The food has been delicious!

Grilled Grouper Sandwich

A Gyros Sandwich

Fresh Grilled Trout

Sometimes I just feel like a big lunch and try to do peanut butter and jelly or cereal for dinner. I must say the fresh trout was delicious.  I am anxious to try it again.  I am thinking of investing in a good fishing rod and trying to catch my own.  Maybe this summer when the house is unpacked and I need a lazy day.

Digital Photograph...Locked up Tight

Banana Bread...Comfort Food

I am longing for Banana Bread.  Maybe it is the fact I can not get into the kitchen to make anything that is fueling this desire.  Or, maybe it is that I am just sick of bananas in my cereal and they are turning brown sitting in a bowl on my counter. It could be that for the past few days the only thing my house smells of is glue, mortar, and tile dust. Something warm and yummy would be nice to smell.

This is my favorite recipe for Banana Bread I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do. I use pecans instead of walnuts - just because. Enjoy!

Banana Bread

1/2 cup of Wesson oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs well beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup buttermilk/or sour cream

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil two loaf pans.

Cream oil and sugar; add the eggs and salt. Mix well.

Add flour and soda combined with buttermilk/sourcream.

Add bananas. Fold in the nuts.

Pour mixture into 2 loaf pans.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes.

When bread leaves sides of pan and toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done.

This recipe easily doubles.

I eat one loaf and usually give one away.

Sometimes I slice and freeze the second loaf. 

A Little Royalty for You...

Princess Beatrice 1868

Princess Mary Victoria of Teck

Princess Victoria Eugenie

Princess Alice

Princess Marie Friedericke 1898

Kaserina

This week I thought I would give you some royalty. Many of them look like overdressed, normal people of their time.  Others seem quite regal to me. I have been watching Downton Abbey lately. [Thanks Mom for DVR-ing the show to share with me.] Both season 1 and 2 are being repeated. It is a bit like Upstairs Downstairs. The acting in it is suberb. The costumes are great. The house is so elegant. It is the best show I have seen in a long time. I am always blown away that an hour and a half have gone by so quickly. If you have a chance to catch it - go for it. Hope you enjoy this weeks freebies.

A Barn...Digital Photograph

Tearing up the house...

We have finally started.  They begin to tear up the carpet and find hardwood floors where I was told there were none. Surprise. I am afraid there are more to come. Hopefully they will be good surprises. In the background is Rick the tile guy. He is standing in part of my kitchen.

Here is the stairway off the family room/kitchen that leads downstairs to my Studio, the workroom and workshop, bathroom, large closet/storage room and garage. I am having them tile the bottom of the stair and pull off all this carpet. We kept out fingers crossed and Yes! there are beautiful hardwoods under the carpet. I can not wait to get rid of all of this carpet. It is so disgusting. Dirty, old, and attracts all sorts of grime. I have vowed not to have any carpet in my new house. Today it all goes!

Here is where the old kitchen met the family room. Sometime in the early 80's they tore that kitchen out, added a laundry area and built a new kitchen. Rather than deal with the floor they carpeted over everything and added some linoleum to the new kitchen. It is a hodgepodge of materials. It is time to create one space with one type of flooring.

Here is the fireplace in what was the family room soon to be part of my kitchen. I am going to put my table there in front of the fireplace. I want to have wonderful meals with friends and family in front of the fire.

The new sub flooring is in. This morning they started on the tile.  It should tie these two room into just one large space. When they finish with the tile floor the new counter tops, sink, cook top, lights, and bar stool area should be ready to be installed. I love the huge floor to ceiling window in my kitchen. My plants will go there on a lovely table.I have several bird feeders in storage that will look lovely out that window.

Thought I would share what I have been preparing for the past few weeks. I have been looking at flooring,lights, counter tops, cook tops, window blinds, upholstery material, the list goes on and on. Until the kitchen flooring is installed I have been at a wall. I cannot set up any of my rooms till I get all the extra furniture, boxes, etc. out of the way. My kitchen table is in my living room, etc... The furniture is being reupholstered while the floor is being laid. Soon, I can really set up house and get everything out of storage. It is a long journey. The great news is the weather has been fantastic. So warm. It feels like spring. I have bulbs coming up. I have no idea what they are going to be, but they are mine and I am happy. What is everyone else up to? 

Digital Photograph...Not all who wander...

Quote #7 - Home