WOW! Time flies.

It's been a year. Over one maybe? We've been busy. Busy with a new business, busy with our home- we built a new bathroom/laundry room- busy with our kid....who is now 12 and doing all the things that a 12 year old boy does....sports, guitar lessons, after school activities etc..... I have to get back into writing things down..... not for anyone other than myself really. SO, I guess what I'm saying is that I am back. I have a new attitude, a new aesthetic.... a new lease on life.  After all, I officially got old this year.... I have to grow up sometime. 

One of my many new projects....shiplap! 

Is there a name for pre BEFORE pictures? It's time for a bedroom project!

My bedroom has been a source of anger and anoyment  for me since we moved in 10 years ago. At first we lived in the basement (long story....but it had to do with the heating system in this house) then we moved upstairs when we had the baby. ALL the rooms in this house are TINY. TINY. Wait, let me say that again...TINY. We have two 8x10 bedrooms, and ours is 10x11 (ish). Basically, they are bedsized bedrooms.

One of the small rooms is my sons, the other is a catch all room that changes all the time...a library? a playroom? an office? That little thing has never been right..... and I also plan on working on that this winter....but I can't get ahead of myself. This is about MY bedroom, and my hatred of it.

Hate is a strong word. I don't hate it all. I do hate some of it though.

Here are my "now" pictures.
(they are actually like my room is...I just threw the duvet on the bed and snapped...no "staging" or "cleaning" it is what it is....  This first picture is the view from the door..... oh wait, did I also mention that this room has two doors, two windows and one wall is the closet? Yes, all in less than 120 sq. ft. Throw the fact in that I have the WORLDS UGLIEST CARPET.... well..... now you get the picture.

The view from the bathroom door. Behind that acid trip fabric headboard is a window.  The tall dresser is mine, and I would love to find something similar but shorter. 

This is the view from the far corner looking out toward the hallway. The white curtains hide the Mr's closet. He keeps his clothes in here, mine are in the hallway closet. It was my idea, so calm down. He works outside the home for a living and has to dress nice for the job. He needs more room than I do. 

This is the view from the closet. The door in the corner goes to the 1/2 bathroom that is connected to this bedroom. There are two pieces of art on that wall. The black used to be up, the painting hanging is a test. 

Below is the view from the door when you first come in and shows the dressers. I would love to find a second smaller dresser to match this one...or even one that is similar so that both sides would have a smaller dresser/bedside table to use. .....  

I want to keep the dressers, the bed (queen is the largest we can have and still move around this room)  the lamp on the dresser  and the layout.......and that's about it. I prefer white bedding, but I might change my mind if I find something I like. The floor, the wall color, all the accessories are all up for grabs. 

This is my quest. I want to re do this room. I want to keep it very eclectic, but I do want to pare some of the stuff down. Think I can do it? 

I sure hope so. 

Because I just don't have enough projects......

I am considering painting the brick wall in my living room.

Pros-

1. it's fake. The wall AND the brick.
2. There is a non working fireplace behind that sofa.
3. We are going to remove that wall and redo all the walls, the ceiling and the flooring. Just not this year. Or maybe not even next.
4. I have hated it since we moved here......almost 9 years ago.

Cons.
1. It really is fine the way it is.
2. It's a lot of work to paint brick...even if it is just brick facing.
3. I would have to paint that door the same color I think.
4. I am lazy.

Ideas?  And yes, that mantle is too high. BUT, to lower it, or remove it would muck up the wall and again, that wall is not being removed and/or fixed this year. It must stay.  But, I could paint it the color of the bricks (if I painted) to try to make it blend into the wall more....

Drip, Drip, Drip.....

I was sick. So sick that I slept for 42 out of 48 straight hours. Now, I just have a leaky nose .  On top of that I had to go see the eye doctor today because I'm nearly blind and he dilated my eyes. 4 hours later and I can sort of see again.
Even though I was going through all that- I still managed to get something done today!

The Mr. brought these home for me last night-

What are they? Two matching bookcases that originally came from the University of Michigan. Made in Holland Michigan. Rough, as you can tell. But they were cheap- 15 bucks each. We can ALWAYS use bookshelves. They are rough, but sturdy little buggers. Plus, the Mr. knows that I have skills.

Today they look like this....

How? Well, I washed them. That helped a lot. And then I used Howard Restor-A- Finish in neutral. Works like a champ. I tested a sample spot last night before going to bed....and when I saw the results this morning I finished them before my appointment.

I can't wait for the Mr. to see them tonight!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

The next big project I know nothing about.....

I have to re wire a chandelier. Or I need to find someone to pay to rewire this chandelier....

I am totally aware this is an awful picture. Unworthy of being on the Internet even...but I can't go and get the thing right now, and if I don't write about it now, I might not do it for a while. Live with the picture.

The Mr. bought me this lamp at a garage sale this past fall. It was in a box, in pieces. I didn't think it was all there at first...

I was wrong. It's got exposed exterior wiring. Not that I was EVER considering using it's vintage wiring mind you, but this wiring just looks like a fire waiting to happen.

It's bronze colored, but it has spots of white on it- probably from ceiling paint. I have to decide what to do with it's finish, how to re wire it and then get our electrician to run electric into the dining room (no, we don't have it already) and then hang this thing.

I plan on hanging it where the large drum shade is in the dining room

I would really like it to look as good as this

                                                  when I get done with it...

                                                 I hope it's in my skill set.

Airstreams as offices and other prototypes....

I usually hate prototypes. It's like the entire flying car fiasco of the 50's and 60's. I think they just get your hopes up and when they don't come to fruition (and let's face it- they rarely ever do) you end up frustrated and upset. That said... if this baby EVER comes to market I will be first in line for it.

I would go camping in this for sure.

Since I know this won't happen in my lifetime (or my sons for that matter) I am forced to think about the other options- and that is a vintage airstream trailer. I so want one-just to park in my rock garden and use as an art studio. The view would be fantastic and I would have a project to work on for YEARS I'm sure....



from here



I could really use one of these....

The outside summer projects for the daughters house....

I have to do a few things this summer.... some inside and some outside. There is painting, planting and general renovation of a back deck area.... plus, there is a project chair I need to do. Over the next few days will be some after shots.... here are some before shots now...

these are the front areas I need to work on, the house paint needs to be fixed in places and the hostas and lilies need to be thinned out and replanted in other areas.

 The big job is the back deck and planting area. This is what it looks like now (hanging my head in shame)

the closest I get to many cows now is back here...

my picnic table- 6 bucks total... this has good bones and I want to expand on this...

I like this chair, I need to figure out how to integrate this into my new design. The deck also needs a few new boards as you can see....

what the beck deck overlooks. This is the top of my hillside with my bottle "bush" instead of tree. This needs to be thinned out badly..and some colorful flowers planted in it.

So these are my outside projects this summer. I figure I need new chairs for the back deck, some flowers and some time to thin out the plants and to replant in new locations.

Did I mention it needs to be done in 4 weeks?