More remodel - Living and library alcove!

I have to say I've been sick again so have not been active here, I apologize. Kind of messes with my mind. I did finish my painting and the last entry of it was pretty much done except for my signature. Feels great I must say.

Well, on to more remodel pictures. Again we gutted this house before we moved in and did the remodel. Today I will show the living room, library, and fireplace.

Before

Before - We widened the doorway and fixed up the fireplace. New floors, vaulted ceiling, new beams, paint, walls...etc.

Before - This small door led into the kitchen. We totally opened it up and punched the bookcase through to the "music" room sometimes called the formal living. I didn't like that name and changed it to music room where the piano is and a game table. Notice the doors going into the kitchen. There were doors everywhere, even going down the hallway to the bedrooms.

This is where we punched through to make a library alcove. This is my favorite part of the remodel.

Again, we widened the doorway into this room

Vaulted ceiling, beams and of course lighting. The Hubby is an electrical contractor extraordinaire. Notice the opening into the kitchen. No more doors!

Kitchen, bar, pantry, laundry remodel...

The next few entries will be a series of pictures of our house. We bought it in 2005 and began the remodel. It had not been updated since about the late 60's or early 70's. There was orange sherbert carpet, foil wall paper with silver...all kind of nasty. There were doors over nearly every opening in the house and the doorways were all very narrow. We opened up the kitchen to the great room and that will be the next installment. Enjoy.

Yucky Pantry Old lady desk area
Bar that spewed water when turned on
Dark and enclosed

I refused to cook on the stove. The tiles were literally glued to the top of the formica top and the microwave was cut into the wall with a shelf in the garage it sat on. YUCK!


New bar!

Laundry and 1/2 bath off the kitchen

This is where the yuck microwave and tiles were

Nice new pantry...it has a door I just forgot to close it. It has frosted glass on it.

All new and light. The wood is knotty alder, waxed and very smooth. The toe-kicks are extra drawers for storage. Excellent idea. We had an awesome architect but I got to choose the tiles and colors throughout the house. I had a great time. This picture the refrigerator is head on. It is covered in the knotty alder. The cabinet tops are soapstone. We used the same around the fireplace (later).

Next will be the great room and library.

Blast from the Past

Today I ventured out in the drenching rain to run errands. I do not know what is wrong with that but I did. I decided to go and see my brother at his work for the first time. He is a machinist like our father and our grandfather. We three siblings all worked at one time or another for Daddy at the machine shop but Bro is the one who followed it as a career and he loves it. I did my time running a punch press, lathe and even a drill press and spent a lot of time putting gear boxes together. I also transitioned back and forth to working in the office for Daddy, hence my history being self-employed. As I was driving the old highway 51 which was once a two lane road to Coweta I spied a car lot called Rocket Motors. Wow, I was 16 years old again. That is where I went with my other grandfather to get the used car he purchased for me. It was a tank and couldn't tell you what it was but I bet Bro could. We all three shared that car in turn as we turned 16.

I decided that I would take a picture on my way back home after my visit. I continued to his work and again was taken back by the smell and sounds as I walked in the door. The machine grease smell is just embedded in my memory. I asked to take pictures so here they are:

Stay tuned for pictures of our house that we remodeled 3 years ago. I thought I had them posted but didn't.

What to do first.

I am at a loss today for words which may coincide with my loss at finding a starting point. I decided last week, after a prompting from a phone call, to clean out the infamous closet. It was partially started by the carpenter when we were in the bathroom remodel mode of which The Hubby decided that we needed to replace all the doors in the house. To get anywhere near the closet door the carpenter had to pull stuff out of the closet, I told him to not put it back. Then the phone call last week made me decide to finish, but, as you will see I am a procrastinator extraordinaire. To finish a project is a really big deal for me as I have a hard time doing it. That is why I like baby blankets because they are small and I don't get bored. I'm also a collector of books in hopes of one day reading them all. (Just some of the many.)More books and lots more mess.

It's really scary isn't it.
I buy containers and fill them and yet I have containers that are quite empty, just taking up more space.
It's a sickness, I'm telling you. I do love that this is MY room and if I want it to stay this way I can but it is beginning to eat on me as it will, contrary to popular The Hubby belief. I do have a clean gene in me, it's just recessive and likes to hide.

Today I'm staying home, at least this AM. I have a painting class today and next week is the last till June. I HAVE to get this room clean so I can set up my paints so I can continue. It is the only room I can do it in and well there is just no room at this moment. I really need to go to the office and do a little invoicing but you know what, I won't today. I'll spend time here trying to get caught up, maybe. Oh gosh I'm so wishy-washy. It is just a little overwhelming. I have to wrap my head around what I really want to do. Maybe I'll have clean up pics to show, soon!

Renee Award

It is one of the most meaningful awards in blog world because it honors someone who is incredibly inspirational in her intelligent and witty writing.

By doing so, this award celebrates women's smart, strong and inspirational spirit! It honors women who spread joy and love like an Acorn......a small package growing into a tall and sturdy oak tree which gives more acorns..............

Wow, I am so very, very honored to be given this award from fellow blogger A Brit in Tennessee. Thank you so very much. I'm absolutely blushing.

I will pass this on to:

Kay at Musings

Char at Ramblins

Kelly at Kellyology

Sarah at Brit' Gal in the USA

Becky at My Life as it Should Be

I picked five but really all of the blogs I read on a regular basis deserve this award. We are awesome out there writing and giving to everyone. Thank you everyone for enriching my life.

Thriller?

This is a blast from the past. You have to get past the girl (Jane Curtain) screaming first. Joe Piscopo from Saturday Night Live.

Mom's Night Out

Attending Oklahoma Mom's Night Out. Interested follow the link. It is May 7. RSVP by May 1. Should be a great time.

Formal info

Yesterday I posted a picture of the crocheted formal that my mother made for my prom. I was at the cabin so did not have access to the magazine to show the actual magazine she got it out of so here it is. Oh, and by the way, no I did not marry my high school sweetheart. Actually, I really didn't have a sweetheart until I met The Hubby a year out of high school. The guy in the pic was just a guy I dated some, and was "in love" with as are most teenage girls. The cute guy was just a guy. Did you notice the date, 1971!



Excuse me a minute..............My stupid mouse is not working..........I dropped it last night on a hardwood floor and the roller thingy...is...just...not...working...awww, I found a tiny screwdriver and I have it apart....and...Yipee, I fixed it. Okay, now on to stuff.

This afternoon I attended yet another baby shower for a friends daughter. I've only met the girl a few times but she is a doll and her mother is probably the NICEST person I have ever, ever met in my entire life. I just had to make a blanket for her. I crocheted a cute little sea foam green one that was just perfect. She's having a boy so I'm almost through my stack of blue for boys. I need to have some girls to be born as that stack has not been touched lately. Everybody seems to be having boys.

This weekend we spent time with friends at the cabin and what a nice weekend it was. It was rather low key with a lot of wine, good food and down time with friends. When we drove up the first thing I noticed were my clematises that were blooming. Just beautiful. We have stone ring right off the front porch where once stood a great water oak tree. The tree did not like all the construction we had to do when relocating the nasty septic system and so he died. The Hubby had the top lopped off but left a 7-8' stump sticking out of the stone ring. I got the bright idea last year to fill it further with compost and soil and plant clematis. It gets full sun which are perfect for them. As my Granny used to say, "Heads in the sun, feet in the shade." So I planted and mulched and this year they are spectacular. Last year I planted giant zinnia's around and so when the clematis were through I had flowers all summer long. I will do that again this year but not so giant as they took over but they were stunning.

In the other flowerbed the hostas are up and the tulips are dying back.
My Italian Arum has started to die back. It came from my mother's garden which in turn came from my great grandmother's garden so it is a very old plant. It comes up and is a beautiful dark green with the cream marks about October or November and will stay green all winter until about May then you won't see it again.

Then The Hubby got busy and pulled a stump in another corner flowerbed that died last year. It was very diseased and just couldn't make it. I'm going to work the bed up and plant a Japanese Kerria Shrub there. It has beautiful yellow button flowers that bloom late spring and I've seem them bloom again during the summer. They have a wonderful green stem that stays green all winter long. If you get one BE SURE to get the double. The single is just not as pretty. I like to plant a flowering almond with it as they are smaller but have the same button flowers that are beautiful pink.

A Quiet Week

I have been pretty quiet this week. I've had a lot on my mind but it is not ANYTHING I can share right now. I can't stand that as I'm a pretty open person but my "lips" are tied. I guess I'll just blog about junk stuff.

Bowling this week: I kicked ASS! My average is 140 but this week I bowled 169, 159 and 134. I even had a turkey in the first game (3 strikes in a row). Our team is in first place this trimester and will probably will be in the roll off for 1st Place for the season! Woot, Woot! I love to bowl.

Of course I had the painting class which, as I have written before feeds my absolute soul. I can hardly wait to go to class each and every week. It's a time I look forward to each and every week but is sad that I can only do it once a week. I am attempting to create a space at home to set up my painting stuff to LEAVE out. This week I started to clean out my closet in MY room. It looks like my closet has thrown-up all over the place. I found my mother's sewing box. It was an old cigar box filled with brittle thread, buttons, needles and yellowed lace. I had to put it back up on the shelf because it made me sad and I was not in the mood to be sad. I had to continue on digging through stuff. I found old crochet yarn, knitting needles and old patterns that Granny and Momma used to use. In fact, I found the magazine of crochet that my mother used to make my prom dress.

My main objective is to sort through all the family history stuff and pictures and my girls stuff. I found their school papers, grade cards and school pictures. I'm just hugely nostalgic this week. It is going to take me weeks to get this all together but will so worth it.

Painting update

Didn't quite finish it yesterday but will definitely be done next week.

Inches lost

I had my usual workout this morning but Wade decided to do evaluation today. YUCK. I have not lost any weight, in fact I have been the same for months. What happened to the weight I lost last year. Well, it's sitting on my backside, that's where it has gone. The weight may be the same but luckily the inches are coming off a little. Today I bench pressed 75 pounds with 10 reps. That was pretty cool. If I can maintain while my health is compromised for a bit that is okay with me. I think now my body has hit antibiotic overload and that ain't good.

Today I will, hopefully finish my painting and get to sign it. That is so very exciting. Then I will begin another one. I will finish a book I've been reading, a little laundry and go through some family history stuff. Last week my Dad's cousin (mine too) called to get some of the family history I might have for her to get into the DAR. Of course she informed me that once she had this together that it would be easy for me to get in it. I'm not really sure I want to do that. What is the DAR exactly. Guess I'll read up on it but not so sure. This means I need to go digging. Well, crap. I didn't want to do that but you know what, it might finally get me off my backside, that has spread, to finally clean up "my" room. I am the keeper of all that is family history so I have boxes and boxes of the stuff. How did that happen? What I really want to do is paint but if I get "my" room cleaned up then I will have a nice place to paint. To set up my stuff and not have to move it from place to place. Hmmmm, that might be my next plan of action.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I'm rambling but that is how my mind works and I'm just writing free flow what is stirring around in the brain. Oh well, on to the day. Toodles all!

At a loss

I'm at a loss for words lately. I've opened this "create a post" area and just stare at it for nearly a week. The past week has been very odd and has kept my mind introverted as of late. We have some stuff going on, business stuff, and it is stuff I can't talk about for awhile. It is making me pretty crazy but I just can't. I will share when it is appropriate and you all will be shocked, I am telling you.

Tomorrow is painting class and I might be through with my painting, I hope. I may get to sign it and be totally done. I've never signed a painting before. That will be a biggie. Tomorrow will be a day of painting and laundry. I'm just totally out of socks so I MUST do my laundry. I don't do The Hubby's, he's on his own there. I'm an independent woman here!

Think I'll finish reading my book so I can start Tender Graces by Kathryn Magendie! I have a stack to read lately. Also have to read the one for the Tulsa Book Smart book club. Read, read, read. Later all....

Shooting

Okay, now don't judge me but The Hubby took me to the gun range to practice shooting. I'm not afraid of guns at all. I was raised with them all my life. They were never, ever locked up but we were taught to respect them and how to use them responsibly. I even own my own gun. We have several guns and The Hubby is a hunter so they are in our house but they are kept safely under lock and key. Anyway, back to the subject of this post. Today The Hubby took me to the gun range to practice shooting. We do it every once in awhile to remind me how to shoot and how to do it all safely. Loading, unloading, safety's, etc., it is all about knowledge. The Hubby used to shoot competition many years ago so he is very good, as am I. Several years ago he took me skeet shooting, which I have never done, ever. The first shot I totally missed. The second shot I left dust wafting through the air. I've always been a pretty good shot even though I use my left eye to sight which he can not understand. What can I say. Well, here are some pics we took today and check out my bullseye with his new one called The Judge! This was my Granddaddy's 38 Special.


The Judge


On a little side note, there was a dead snake there that I found very curious. It was pretty and really looked like it was plastic but after picking it up I found out it was indeed real, dead, but real. I didn't have a problem picking it up but when a spider ran across the table I like to have jumped out of my skin, HATE spiders! Found out this is a Western Worm Snake

Painting update

Painting today...almost finished.

I Been Hit!

I been hit by a spammer guy. I checked my email about 5:30 this morning when I got up and there were 8 messages. I went to workout and now it is a little after 8 am. When I clicked my email account what should I find but 23 messages. Excuse me. That just doesn't happen unless I'm off for a few days. Uh oh...they were all comments on my blog entries from someone named ED and they were all in Japanese. I put the language into a translator and it was a Japanese/Chinese or something porn sight. What the hell! So I have gone in to every one and deleted and in the process found another one from the Philippines, only one though. And I have comment moderation on my blog. Not good. Stop it!

And the winner is...

The winner of the crocheted baby blanket is...drum roll please...

Heather M is the winner of my handmade baby blanket. Thanks to all who participated in the giveaway. I had great fun watching all the entrys come in.