upward and onward

The kitchen backsplash is up and grouted.

Sealing and then caulking are up next.

I am amazed at how the simple tile changes this space into a kitchen.

Steve has begun to put up the trim.

Once it is all up I can paint it a bright white.

Finally, I now have a bulletin board for the kitchen.

I found these little wooden tacks which match part of our cabinets.

We do need to find the lamps I purchased that are from an old Burger King.

We think they may be in our neighbor's house.

No, they didn't steal them.

It is a long story, but I have casually mentioned to Steve that it is now time to find those things and get them hung.

The list is getting shorter:

finish and hang cabinet doors

clean all cabinet interiors (open concept cabinetry is not for me!)

unpack any kitchenware still in boxes and organize the inside of the cabinets

make archway from living room to kitchen (Steve's idea, not mine)

move Hoosier cabinet to the basement

move Grandma Bessie's 1950's stove to the garage

build wall and opening from the kitchen to the mudroom

move fridge

move the coffee cabinet into the house, then add counter and tile

paint the rest of the kitchen walls and the ceiling

lay flooring

finish all trimwork

finish painting the windows

Hmmm...

the list looks long, but we are slowly but surely getting there!

Denise

Next step...

We are now in the process of installing kitchen tile.

After focusing on a dozen possibilities,

and changing my mind a few hundred times,

I came back to simple white subway tile.

The task is not a large one, but it is,

of course, filled with some complications.

And, since the kitchen is not quite usable

right now, we must get this project completed

within the next couple of days.

Seeing the time it is taking to complete the kitchen,

getting this finished asap is a good thing.

I am downright happy right now.

Denise

finding a little time

Like everyone else I know, life is a little busy right now.

I have been slowly cleaning out and organizing my closet in the basement, 

making room to do my yoga.

Organized also equals being able to find things.

Everything I didn't put back into the closet

was either packed up,

sent to Goodwill,

or is piled in the craft room.

This morning I had a bit of time

so I cleaned and reorganized half of the craft room.

Bringing in the metal cart I found at a garage sale a couple summers ago

gives me the extra storage space I need!

Michelle usually designs the board.  

Until she is home again, this works just fine.

Yes, I have the other half of the room to clean up,

but it sure feels good to get something accomplished!

Denise

A slight bump in the road

I seem to have hit a slump.

Is this because I miss working in my yard because of the worst case of allergy season

I have ever had?

Do I miss my pretty pre-heat and pre-drought flowers? 

Do I miss having the opportunity of having August wake up during the week

and ask Mama if he can have his breakfast at Golly's house?

Do I miss getting to see this little guy whenever I want to?

Do I dislike the beginning of school even more than in the past

(even though I like my class?)

I think the answer to all of those questions would be "YES!"

This week I need to get a grip and get out of my slump!

Here is to a happy, easy-breathing, less tired, August visiting week!

Denise

thoughts for today

Thankful thoughts for today...

1. I am thankful that I woke to gray clouds - is there any chance they will bring rain today?

2.  I am thankful for some crafting goodness yesterday with Sarah. Time spent crafting always gets my creative juices flowing. Plus, Mrs. Late 1960's Sewing Machine received a new hat! (Well, actually, her hat is not quite complete...)

3.  I am thankful I have begun to check off some of my mental list of summer projects.  Funny how school looming in the near future helps me get in gear.

4.  Doctor says I am overdue for a tetnus shot.  This, my friends, can be put off until next week as I have no plans to be around rusty nails this weekend. I am so thankful.

5.  I am thankful my sunflowers are smiling so happily, even in 102 degrees. (Yes, they are the only things smiling in this Will It Ever End Heat!)

6. I am thankful that even though our air conditioner has decided to work only 14 out of 24 hours each day, it humors us by working during our sleeping time.

7.  I am thankful that I now have a phone number of a nice young man that might be able to coax said air conditioner into working for a full 24 hour day.

8.  Even though my marigolds did not make it through the heat yesterday, I am thankful that the other flowers in my windowboxs are still hanging on for dear life.

8.  Lastly, I am happy that Michelle has been able to spend time with her sweet friends this week before heading off to IU on Saturday. Blurry picture (surprisingly I didn't take) but good memories.

Keep cool today,
Denise

Ramblings on critters

Lately, we have had this stray (?) cat roaming our yard, hissing and surprising us.
I like cats, but not this one.

Yesterday, Steve found the tiniest bunnies on our driveway.
Sadly, one bunny had already gone to bunny heaven.
The other one was still alive.

Of course, Mr. Stray Cat was sitting there hissing at Steve.
Luckily, Steve was bigger than Mr. S. C. and he sent the mean thing on its way.

Taking Little Bunny to church, all wrapped up in a towel and tucked into a small bed (box), friends at church spent the morning trying to feed poor Little Bunny.
All afternoon Steve sat on the couch and held it, but Little Bunny was just too young to be so far away from her mommy.
Little Bunny was buried in her bed.

Late last night, as Michelle was getting out of her car, Mr. S. C. surprised her in the dark, hissing.
Michelle was not happy.

In the back corner of the garage, Steve has a very obvious hoarders corner.  (Stick with me here.) By this I mean he stacks things, tucks things, and buries things here.  Shopping one day, we were lucky enough to find four old barn lights (this is really another story for another day) for our kitchen.  Unfortunately, for some odd reason, he tucked those lamps into this very scary corner, even though they need to be cleaned and painted.  Thinking today was the perfect day to pull those lamps out and give them a good scrub, I plopped on my brave hat ready to do battle.

Now, I will tell you that seeing the mouse run behind my compost bin a few times didn't send me running. Outside (where mice are supposed to be) I can live with them as long as they don't run up my arm while I am harvesting lettuce for my salad.
That being said, I absolutely HATE mice indoors.  I know those are strong words, but it is just unnatural for mice to be in my indoor habitat.  Mostly the garage is Steve's habitat, but I do store my garden supplies and car in there. Still, this no place for a mouse.  But, you guessed it, big as you please, there sat Bold Mouse on Steve's workbench this morning, chewing on something and just looking at me. Once I finally took a breath and blinked, Bold Mouse hopped off the bench and ran home to hoarder's corner.

I ran inside, grabbed the keys, and pulled out my car.  I am not having Bold Mouse surprise me as I drive merrily down the highway, like Bold Mouse's cousin did to my sister-in-law years ago.
Now, why oh why, isn't Mr. Stray Cat taking care of Bold Mouse?

So for now, the dirty lamps continue to be hidden.
Mr. Stray Cat continues on his bullying ways.
And Henry continues to enjoy his summertime naps, oblivious to what is going on around him.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings!
Denise

Project time

It has almost been a month since my last post.

With a busy family life, I needed some time off.

Packing up my classroom to move to another room next school year, 

Michelle's graduation, open house, friends' open houses, orientation at IU...

well, plenty kept me busy.

I am now enjoying some down time and am 

completing projects that have been on my list for quite awhile.

I made a chair slipcover out of an old tablecloth I have had. 

Sometimes, I make things then am not sure if I even like what I made.

Time will tell on this  slipcover.

Take care,

Denise

pillows

We need pillowcases that can come off quickly and be washed extensively.

None of those designer pillows for us.

This is because she loves to lay on pillows and leave the gift of fur.

This is also because he places every body part on a pillow (oh, how he loves our pillows!)

So, I quickly whipped up some easy going pillowcases this past vacation.

These guys are worth whatever decorating modifications I need to make!

Take care, 

Denise