Instagram, Mostly

Hi everybody!  /hihi

I talked about satiating an instagram lust here, and often post instagrammy type pictures, such as here.

Well, recently I got on instagram using our Kindle.  It's really quite exciting for me.  I love this resource for tracking memories, and I can just imagine at the end of the year, it will be a wonderful way to look back on the year, and ooh and ahh, and "Oh, I almost forgot about that..." at all the pictures.  Here are a few of the pictures taken over the past several weeks, in case you're interested.  (And if you're not interested, I recommend Ashley Ann for something interesting.)

This is a little bit of the work that's being done on the craft room. 

This guy is a robot I made for my nephew some time back.  He's been loved  enough that he needs some stitches.  I get to play doctor.

Installed a doggy door this week.  It started out very "girl power", ended...well, DUST...just, DUST.  But hey, it's in, and it is gloriously helpful.

The weather is nice here!  The girls and I started putting the old trampoline together.  Looking back, I see now that I probably should have put the camera down and disciplined the gladiators (or at least acquired some popcorn or something....)

I can take pictures, too, mom.

That's probably just about the best ones. If you would like to follow me I am...you guessed it, figmilkshakes.

All the Cool Kids Got the Katie Daisy Art

So, I wrote this post yesterday:

I have long watched television shows about home renovations.  I remember one show in particular where a homeowner took on a little more than she bargained for. The renovation was long and arduous for her - with so much of her blood, sweat, and tears having gone into years of this renewal.  At the end of it all, she really did have this beautiful, unique home that she took comfort in.

I remember very clearly - to sum up her experience, the tv show host asked, "Was it worth it?"
I'll never forget the homeowner said, "Yes.....but just."

364 days out of the year, you could ask me about our home, and I would absolutely call it a labor of love, - worth every creak in the floor, and every ancient cockroach carcass hiding behind the appliances...but today is that off day.

I feel if I get one more splinter from our *gorgeous* 100 year old original hardwood floors....or try to plug one more three pronged electrical cord into a two pronged electrical socket, I just might cry out of the left side of my face.  /omg

*le sigh*

...and that was all, but then I hesitated to publish it. (I guess I didn't want my friends and family that read the blog to be concerned.  I knew I must lay my burdens down at the throne...)

But then, today, I met a most wonderful man who came to work on the framing in our attic.

As he was walking out the door, he turned and said, "Hey, let me show you something."  He pulled out a picture of an old home he had renovated in South Dakota (a vacation home to him and his family now).  He explained it was 108 years old, and he talked about hunting in the neighbor's rubble for siding and other home renovation parts.  He said most days he felt like a rat scavenging for parts, and we both understood that it was much fun.

"We share a love of fixing up old houses."  I said, "Yes, 364 days out of the year I will tell you it's a labor of love, but there is just about one day out of the year that I think I will cry if I try to plug in one more three pronged outlet..."

And then he joined me, and we said, in unison,

"INTO A TWO PRONGED SOCKET!"
"INTO A TWO PRONGED SOCKET!"

And we laughed at how we both understood.

There's something about knowing you're not TOO crazy, not SO stupid (just the healthy amount of crazy and stupid).  There was something about how he saw fit to store that photograph in his wallet next to the photos of his family that I found encouraging...

I knew we would be just fine.

And so today, I am resting into the larger part of the pie chart - the 364 days I feel grateful.  It certainly helps that I received this in the mail today:

If you're not already familiar with this artist, this is Katie Daisy.

It was hard to pick one I liked the most.  There are those that say, "You Shall See Wonders", and "Be Filled with Joy" - which I wrestled over because I feel those sayings speak to me more - but in the end, this won out because it matches the bathroom. 

Happy Valentine's Day to meeeeee!  (And to youuuuuu!)

A Walk Around the Block

Let me tell you, I could take you on a walk about three blocks from our home that would make you feel like you weren't in the desert anymore.  You would see houses with Southern style wrap-around porches, evergreen trees as though they had traveled from the forest, and even stone cottages with brightly painted doors reminiscent of England. (And then there are some things that remind you exactly of the desert...and I love that the best.)

On days when I feel my identity is the "to do" list, and I lament the feel of wetness around my belly from the dishes splashing up on it -  I get out for a walk, and look at much of this beauty.  There's something about this neighborhood that inspires me, there's something about the quiet walk that reminds me to count the ways I love thee - and after these walks, I find it is not only easier, but I am grateful and happy to get that bless-ed list back in hand. 

And sometimes I take a camera.... 

The picket fence.  A "dream home" staple, but also good to be readily available for killing vampires.

And guess what?  Somebody was throwing these out, and I grabbed them up.  Not sure what to do with them just yet, but hey...free..........................oh, and sodium.

Before and After Pictures

Hi everybody!

Well, my computer isn't currently uploading pictures.  I had a great craft "how to", but it looks like it will have to wait until I can figure out what this computer wants from me!

For now, I thought I'd share some before and after pictures of certain parts of the house.


Boy, I wish I had snapped more pictures when we first bought this old house!  If you just bought a project home and can't wait to get around to renovating it - listen to your good friend, Amy, and take the time to take lots of pictures before you get out the paint!  I just couldn't wait to start working, and now I totally regret not getting more "before" photographs.

Here is what I can give you with the photos that I already have stored.

BEFORE (pic below):  I think the walls were meant to be white, but years of the previous owners smoking inside the house turned them an unpleasant grayish.  The lighting was outdated, and the trim was dark red.  Really sort of an unfriendly color.   I think it is in part due to this color combination that people would take two steps in the house and immediately get the feeling it was haunted.  :)

 

 AFTER (pic above):  After many half slept nights, we came to the look you see above.  The color is BEHR's "Pale Honey" - I remember because we joked that it reminded me of my husband (who is also my pale honey - yuk yuk).  The color in the back room is "Pumpkin Patch" - a name we have also come to call the room itself .  The orange was sort of a risky color, but we loved it instantly and it grew on anyone who didn't like it at first.  As you can see, we upgraded the light.  The hardwood floors remain untouched, (we find them beautiful the way they are with their 100+ year old character - scratches and discoloration and all...).  Now, it took about four coats of white paint (a color called, "Pillar White"), and a lot of painters tape - but we finally painted that trim (that was previously red) white.  Not an easy feat with all those panels of windows, but well worth it. 


So that's the living room area, here is the dining room.

BEFORE (pic below):  The biggest challenge in this particular area were these crazy shelves you saw just as you walk in the door.  They had a mirrored back...and triangular shaped shelves that came out.  It sort of reminded me of an outdated old lady curio cabinet.  Not the classy kind, but the kind with snow globes from the gas station around the corner and dust piling up in it for the last 4 years.  I had no idea what this could be used for, so it had to go.

 

AFTER (pic above):  I "Hulked" out the whole thing.  Amy smash.  Where there once was awkwardly placed mirror, I stenciled a cheerful but classy (if I do say so myself...) damask patterned back.  Now it serves as a sort of plant stand. You have to imagine a great plant there since I am pictureally challenged right now.  I do have a picture of the plant on my  Becky's Chalkboard post. It's one of my favorite redos of the home so far.

And here's one more picture of the area after it was painted, and the light fixture had been replaced.

I must admit, it doesn't look quite as clean right now.  Time to stop blogging and go care for this home I am ridiculously blessed to live in.

Ciao, dah-lings!  (See, that's what happens when you live in a beautiful house.  You get a big head and start talkin' fancy.)