Monday, November 23, 2009

Monday, Monday...

First off: may I present our new hallway?!? I managed to get it painted (along with the accent wall in our living room) with the help of a friend while my hubby was gone last week. He was definitely surprised! Amazing how a bit of paint can totally transform the feeling of a space. It's much more calming, plus it frames out the fireplace/brickwork really nicely in the other room (I know, I still need to post pics... someday, someday!) My only issue now is that the 2 colors are too similar in depth of tone... but I will happily live with that for awhile :)

My parents arrive in approximately six hours, and I still have a number of things to finish up. Oh, and did I mention I can't talk? Yep, I've been fighting off a cold and now am being awfully quiet. My daughter thinks it's pretty funny, but I'm annoyed. I just want to feel better quickly so I can get on with my life. Getting sick just never happens at a convenient time, does it?!

Well, I'm off again, even if it is in slo-mo. I probably won't be posting much in the next couple weeks, and I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving surrounded by those you love.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Friday Funny and Random Thoughts

Is there anything better than post-Halloween sales? I thought not. And check out the boy's grin - he's lost 3 teeth in the past few weeks, and a 4th is getting mighty loose. So doggone adorable!

Random bits floating around in my head:
  • I absolutely cannot believe that Thanksgiving is just days away. This warm weather is definitely taking some getting used to - I miss the changing seasons!
  • I've gotten *so* much done these past couple days. It feels good. Still a lot more I want to tackle, but I need to pace myself. And sleep.
  • Hubby comes back tomorrow - HOORAY!
  • Parents arrive Monday night. Our first overnight guests in this house!
  • There is a down side to the warm temps: bugs. Namely, mosquitoes that are gnawing on me and roaches that sneak through open drains - and take advantage of the open door that our children frequently offer when they head outside to play. Shudder.
  • The exterminator was here today. The aforementioned roaches will be dying. Quickly. I feel no remorse for my delight in this fact.
  • The new Behr paint (with the built-in primer) rocks. Pricey, but one coat covers beautifully.
  • I ran errands today, and saw the craziest thing when I was leaving the Wal-Mart lot. I pulled up next to a little Ford ranger and noticed how crowded it seemed with 3 adults in there. And then I saw 2 little heads pop up. Yep, there were 2 kids crammed in there, too, apparently sitting on the floor - and the lady in the passenger seat kept pushing them down like she was resetting a jack-in-the-box. Who cares about those pesky seat belts and child safety laws? And while I'm making a joke, it really did bother me as that particular stretch of road is quite busy and I couldn't help but think what would happen if they were involved in an accident... Your children are precious, people, so guard them fiercely and protect them any way you can!!

Brain sufficiently emptied. Must find mattress now. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Catching Up

I admit the blog has been pretty quiet the past two weeks - just so much going on. We did get the laundry hallway done, but let's just say things weren't quite smooth sailing. When we moved the washer and dryer, the first discovery was that there was a shower in there at some point - and well, the drain that is now under our dryer was never closed off properly... that may explain where some of the crawly creatures have been coming in! And when we pulled the vinyl off the wall back there, we found mold. Ugh. Anyway, the short version is that the whole project took more time and $$ than we had anticipated - but hey, isn't that how it always goes with home improvement?! All that remains now is a final coat of white paint on the trim and wainscoting, and then I'll share pics.

Have also been spending a lot of time with our son - he struggled a bit with school last year, but I mostly chalked it up to being a full-day kindergarten when he'd never had any sort of formal class environment. Well, let's just say that those issues did not magically disappear, and quite honestly it's gotten even worse in the past week or so. We'd really appreciate your prayers on this - his teacher is really good and we're talking a *LOT* but it's still frustrating. It's not major stuff, but it's a constant issue. He's such a loving, smart kid and we just need to get his energy directed appropriately. Playing around with his schedule, diet, etc - please pray that I can be consistent and loving through the process, because quite frankly I'm not feeling that way right now.

And I'm off and running again...

Show me how you work, God;
School me in your ways.
Take me by the hand;
Lead me down the path of truth...
(Psalm 25:4-5 The Message)

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Updating the Abode


My husband is such a funny guy. Apparently he recalls a conversation we had along the lines of "We're not going to do anything to this house for a year." I truly don't recall saying that (I think it was something more like, "We won't start any major renovations for at least a year") but he loves me and puts up with me! So the first picture is of my laundry hallway - complete with the color sample and the pale blue vinyl paneling ripped down. I'm planning to paint this week, and then we'll put up beadboard on the lower half of the wall on Friday (he has the day off). I cannot wait to see this completed, and it's possible that it might even make me enjoy doing the laundry just a bit :)

The second pic is of our entryway. You'll note the dreaded orangey half is still present - I'm hoping to tackle that in 2 weeks, but we'll see. In the meantime, I'm much happier with the feeling it conveys. This picture is taken from the meant-to-be-a-formal-dining-room, and the front door is to the left of the bench. It's a strange area - too wide to be left plain, but too narrow to handle much furniture. I found this teak bench online for a song, and it works for now (plus will be fabulous on the back patio if I ever find something better). I purchased the hook/shelf/picture frame thing from Hobby Lobby, but unfortunately they only had it in black. A can of spray paint later (plus some B&W prints from Wal-Mart) and the hall actually has some personality.

Anyway, my parents are coming down here for Thanksgiving and I really want to get a least a few of these minor make-overs down before that. And hey, I might even put them to work while they're here :)