New House

Laundry Room Cabinet: FINISHED!

July 15, 2017 By Jo 12 Comments

Do you remember not long ago Hubby and I went to an estate sale and got the truck load of goodies for $11? Well things are happening with one of the pieces…this one.

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I originally told Hubby that I thought we should get it and he looked at me weird. He couldn’t figure out why I’d want it. Well it was him who started it all. He had wanted to build a cabinet to replace this shelf in the laundry room. We both thought the open shelving we had was too messy. I told him I thought he could remake this shelf into an upper cabinet. Then he was on board.

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Within a week of owning it, he had it cut down and was building doors.

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and shortly after that, he had me chalk painting…and then helping to hang it in the laundry room. Here it is….. [Read more...]

When the Cat is Away….My Cabinet

May 15, 2017 By Jo 6 Comments

Well the Cat (Hubby) is away. We are full into spring planting which means I move to unending alone time status…so I’m playing…and I’m playing in HIS space.

Remember that cabinet we bought when we were out junking…this one.

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I know it looks rough and crappy but someday it’s going to be in my kitchen and serve as the microwave stand. I am super excited about it. As is, It’s hard to see how it could ever happen but it will and I started the process.

I thought that being Hubby is away I’m free to roam the garage without getting in his space. Not that he doesn’t share…he does but it’s easier with one working out there. I also thought it would be nice for him to come back to something that won’t take long to finish. If I do most of the stripping, it won’t take him long at all to get the rest of the work done that it needs.

With the help of a heat gun I was able to quickly get the paint stripped and the drawers sanded.

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Right now they are only rough sanded but that’s okay. The hardest step is getting the old paint off…See how good they look? [Read more...]

Filed Under: New House 6 Comments

Window for Plants

April 4, 2017 By Jo 13 Comments

I’ve longed for more places to put plants. I think plants make a house more cozy and homey feeling. I’ve always love my brother Jule’s house…he has lots of plants and has worked his kitchen window to be a happy home for them.

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See how he put glass on the sills to extend them out so plants can sit in the sills? I love it. I also like how, in a way, the plants almost make things a little more private without having to have a lot of curtains.

I don’t like curtains. I really don’t like them at all beyond a little lace valance. I guess I’m a little different that way. I don’t like blinds…I don’t like window coverings. I don’t care if someone looks in my window and sees me sitting in my chair watching television. I don’t walk around my house naked so…it’s not a problem to me. The way our house is situated helps matters too. To the south is the neighbor’s garage, north a grape orchard, east the street and not even super close to my house and the west the alley.

For me, no curtains…no problem. Less decisions to make, less money to spend and mostly, they won’t hide my woodwork. I LOVE my woodwork.

I am so bad with curtains that people have actually come to our house and told us that they have curtains we could have until I get chance to buy some…um. Nope. It is a conscious decision for me…I have CHOSEN not to put curtains up. I can afford them. I have been choosing not to in the hopes that someday, somehow something will click that I like and the windows will have some type of treatment.

Well I think that’s finally happened…an idea clicked.

This is my kitchen window….the same one several people had told me not to have that I completely love and adore. When people criticized the idea, I almost thought of going with their idea. I am so thankful that I didn’t. Here it is in all of it’s glory with no curtain-just like it is every day. [Read more...]

Filed Under: African Violets, New House 13 Comments

House Improvements

March 11, 2017 By Jo 11 Comments

You might remember yesterday I told you we had a finish carpenter in over the weekend. The guy happens to be one of my childcare dads and he is perfectly fine with working on the weekends. We really need that as it would be impossible to do childcare when he’s here.

I told you that Hubby had been busy in the garage working on woodwork for the house. Well Saturday was the day to install it.

You might remember when we moved in, all the work on the house wasn’t finished. We are easily able to live here but there are things that need to be tweaked in order for us to be completely happy with the house. Here’s what it looked like Saturday morning.

Pardon the house, it needs a cleaning but I didn’t bother as the carpenter would make a big mess. No trim on the opening into the kitchen. To the right corner…no cabinet.

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