Make Over Monday & Move On!

OK, so I brought you all into the entry way - which everyone agrees should have minimal stuff so there's minimal clutter and my husband and I and our two boys and two dogs can all LOVE each other and maintain that we are good, kind people upon entering and leaving. I can not thank you enough for your suggestions.  I was so giddy reading them.  I get giddy easily.   Here are some of your suggestions (well, all of them):

FRONT DOOR

• Paint the front door a soft gray

I was over the moon with this idea!  Our roof is soft gray and charcoal!  The mortar in between the bricks is gray.  Oh my!  I wish it was spring already so I could get started on that one!!  Thank you!  Just brilliant!  See how much I need all of you!

CLOSET DOORS

• paint the closet doors white
• remove the closet doors and do this  or this 
• remove slats and put bead board on doors

                                                 The completed closet is from The Shabby Nest here - I absolutely love this idea)  So does EC.  He told me to make a list.  He did, girls. He said that.  "Make a list", he said. I'm ferclempted right now. (and the funny thing is I don't really know what he meant.  I just know he's never said that before - I'll let you all know as soon as I do!)

THE COLOR

Light and airy blue.  We still LOVE it.  So we are going to freshen it up a bit!


THIS EMPTY WALL (door bell above)

• shop my house for something was the suggestion made by someone who was all kindness about not "smelling the fish frying" upon entering

Ok, "shop my house"?  I've never done this. If I did, I certainly was unaware.  So I did. And this is what I found:

I purchased this 8 years ago for $1 and have been thinking of painting something different on it ever since.  It's been in the basement crawl space.  I never brought it up because I didn't have a space for it & I hadn't painted it yet.  SEE, how much I REALLY need you all!!!

Now, the Move On part:

After you walk into the entry way you are immediately in the kitchen, just by swaying your head to the left.  There's no getting around it.  There you are.  Right next to the sink, the potato peels, the hot ovens.  Yep.  Just great.

But did I mention how grateful I am to have a home?

I am.

Meet, The Kitchen

NEW Ceramic Tile Floor

OLD Solid Oak Cabinets- dark brown

NEW Black Granite Counter Tops

When I was in my slamming cupboards mode I would dream of crisp white cupboards. Opening up our little galley kitchen made my heart sing.  EC had been told by the Wood Nazi's that you NEVER paint wood. That was in the 70's.  He got over it recently. I thought I had gone to heaven.  Now, you all may be saying, "well, my husband would never tell me I couldn't paint wood!"  I know.  I so wanted to be Helen Reddy with this one (I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR) but EC is really a great man and I am really a great woman and I wanted to like him in spite of the fact that he had heard from those Nazi's.  So I expressed myself by slamming the doors instead.  

OK, back to story:

When I was given the go-ahead to paint anything and everything my heart desired I stood in the galley kitchen and almost puked at the thought of it being white.  I started to smell whiffs of formaldehyde.  It seemed like it was going to be lab-esque.  I couldn't do it.  And I LOVE all of your white kitchens.  I swoon over them.  So I took the wood out of the middle of the doors and replaced it with glass, changed the hardware and fell in LOVE.  Do you think they need to be painted?    And what about that wood curvy over-head thing above the windows?? Your thoughts matter.  I wouldn't be here otherwise!

Here's the glass (don't you love seeing the Mylanta in the upper cupboard?  Class!) and the new hardware

Counter tops

Old Ceramic Sink

(putting in stainless steel SOON)

Odd Little Stove Top

(new one going in SOON)

Weird little electronic intercom thingy that has been disabled.  Cover it up?

Remove it and fill in the space with spackle?  Can you do that?

Pantry.  My favorite NOT doors - painted a version of white with aqua tones

(I was going to open them and then decided that I won't today)
Remove them?  Put in another counter top in that space?  What?

Lots of wall space above the fridge.  Should I hang something there?

Double Oven. 
We left the wood in these cupboards because I had to have some kind of hiding space.

Above the double oven.  
Should anything go up here?  I don't like lots of stuff all around because then I have to remove cobwebs and such.  What do you think?

Back to the entry way. It's a quick trip.
You should see what it's like on the nights we have band practice and all the guys are hanging out in HERE.  
The galley kitchen.


Any thoughts on this here tiny space?  Be radical.  I ain't afraid!


Next Monday it's on to the adjoining breakfast room!


Have a nice night,

Kolein

rats! I tossed my signature again!

Meet Louisa at the Party!

I met and bought, Louisa, the other day.

Drove in a near white out

with my friend, Ginger,

to go "look" at this find on CL

Oh by the by, I like to name inanimate objects.

Sorry.

And look who came with her?

Penelope, the ottowoman.

(I can't help myself sometimes)

She's a petite slipper chair.

Now I normally don't go for petite anything.

I'm not.

Almost 6 feet tall, remember?

However, I fit on her.  Rather nicely.

I'm in love with the legs.  The nail beads. Even her colors.

I will change her UP a bit, though.

If you follow Miss Mustard Seed

you might start to like pieces like this.

It happened to me.

So, I'm joining her party today!

Can't wait to see what everyone's bringing!

"Th" Thursday

Huh?

"Th" Thursday?

See I was thinking about what to call today for my blog here.

Thriftin' Thursday?

Thankful Thursday?

Thistle Thursday?

This & That Thursday?

Thinkin' Thursday?

I'm kind of different. I need some kind of schedule for my inspiration.

It's weird, I know. But there are others like me.

We use both sides of our brain.

Not only the left, which I believe is the creative side.

We also analyze and coordinate and use rulers really well.  We may have excelled in Math.  Yikes.  Sorry.  But we may have.

So.

Mondays became, unofficially The Mother of all Makeovers Monday

(redoing my entire house?  DONNA!!)

Tuesday is now Tassel Tuesday

Wednesday is Whimsical

Did you leave? Are you there?

COME BAAAAACK!

You there? Good.

So for now....I'm "Th"inkin' for this Thursday.

I'm thinking about my house, which was my husband's house when we got married.  Never occurred to me to move.  Never.  Until one day.  It dawned on me.  Why didn't we move?  Get a house that we both picked out?  Then I spiraled into the most horrible place for years.  (It may have been postpartum.  Maybe.)  I would cry about it.  I would slam cupboard doors shouting, "This is YOUR house, not mine!"  I'm a real idiot some times.  For years I told friends, grocery store clerks, old ladies, anyone who would listen, "It's not my house, you know?  It was my husband's."  People were curious, why didn't we move?  Part of it, (well all of it), was my husband's job.  He needed to be available 24/7.  And in case of an emergency he had to be able to get to work in minutes.  He managed the city and area's water system.  Not a tiny job.  But I still felt resentful.  What was I resenting?  I wondered. I felt terrible that I felt terrible.

Fast forward to today.  We still live in this house. Haven't moved.  Yet we have transformed this place from a gold, GOLD 1970's abode with brown indoor/outdoor carpeting to the sweetest, freshest, little 1000 square foot dwelling.  Nearly everyone who enters comments on how calm and serene the place is.  They love the colors.  They love the way the furniture is placed.  We needed more room.  Did we move?  No.  (I'm so perplexed at this right now.  Amazing what typing it out does.  Really makes you look like the stupid fool that you are.  Not you. Me.)

So we decided we were going to have another baby. We NEEDED more room.  What did we do?  The obvious thing.  We converted the two car garage into a GREAT room.  500 square feet added on, just like that.  Now realize my husband was still in charge of the water here in town.  So, we couldn't realistically move away.  And consider that we want some land.  If you want land here you move out, and away.

OK, back to the story.

Now, I've decided to change the interior....again.  Not move.  Oh, and my husband retired in Jan 2009.  What ARE we doing?

I don't know.

Maybe we are not supposed to move?  Well, that's obvious.  But why aren't we pursuing moving?  I am pondering and thinking and dwelling upon this question.

There you have it.  "Th"inkin' Thursday!

Whimsical Wednesdays

I'm calling Wednesday's Whimsical!

I needed to post something whimsy!

Nothing is more whimsy than being picked as

a Beautiful Blogger

I was chosen by

Vee at Everyday Kings

Thank you dear heart!

She is the sweetest gal!

Beautiful Blogger Award?

First off, you all should know I don't win things.  Mostly because I don't try to.  But mostly because I NEVER get picked.

It brings back horrible memories of grammar school.

(you know I'm old when I say "grammar")

Standing in line for basketball, volleyball, soccer, battle ball, softball, knitting class and waiting.  Sweating.  Waiting to hear my name.  Then, me and the girl with the Coke bottle glasses gently smile at each other knowing full well we are in the same category and accepting our demise.  We stand up a bit taller, take a deep breath as her name and mine are called in unison from the opposing captains.  We run towards our team mates as if we were the first ones called.  Do you think I need therapy?

So being that I'm dubbing Wednesdays WHIMSICAL

it is totally appropriate that TODAY I would be chosen for such an honor.

I got choked up when I read Vee's note to me.

I'm a sap, through and through.

I get teary eyed in the card store.

I can't breath when one of my sons tells me I am the most beautiful woman in the whole universe and he wants to marry someone just like me.  

Ok, tears are forming right now.

I can't see.

Hold on.

OK.

So here's the other fun part of the award - besides it's my first, and I NEVER get picked for anything:

This is what I have to do:

(and I don't mind at all because I NEVER get picked for anything)

1. Thank and then link to the person that gave you the award

2. Pass this award on to 15 bloggers you've recently discovered

     & whom you think are fantastic

3. Contact said Blogs to let them know they've won

4. State 7 Things about yourself!

In no particular order.....

Seven things:

I'm a songwriter

I'm a late bloomer in every single area of life

Was 35 with my first son & almost 40 with my second (see!)

I pee when I laugh too hard or bend over too quickly

I lived in NYC for many years

 Learned to drive a 5 speed in Manhattan

Artichoke leaves are my favorite veggies

What are some of your whimsies??

Tassel Tuesday and a Tutorial!

Each Tuesday

I will be introducing you to cozy decorative TASSELS

Hang all over the place, TASSELS!

Wait until you see where you can add

these sweet embellishments.

Not the norm, here.

You probably realized that already,

if you've visited a few times.

TASSELS you can make.

Oh so easy.

Oh so inexpensive!

Here's how:

Buy some yarn & cut some different sizes of cardboard

Fold the cardboard in half

Small cardboard will make small tassels

Larger, will make bigger tassels

Wrap the yarn around the cardboard.

I like to go around 100 times!

Makes the tassel full!

Cut the yarn on one end

Through the center of the tuft of yarn, tightly

tie together

This is what you will get

Now gather the tuft to make a head

Tie another piece of yarn around the neck

Begin trimming

I like making the ends completely flat and smooth,

all the same length

but

you can leave them all different lengths if you want

Here she is.

But she's naked.

Don't stare too long.  She likes modesty.

Now, this is my favorite part.

Go dig for some buttons and tie one on

Isn't she starting to look a bit more elegant?

This is a napkin ring that I had

and never used

Look!  She's a Queen!

Here she is in full regalia!

Adding a royal touch to the lamp

that I found at the curb

Have a lovely evening!

Joining the gals over at Finesse Your Nest