More Pretty Things

I have some more pictures to add to the growing list of house remodel goals that are being accomplished:

Design on master bathroom mirror frame.

Master bath mirror. View of 'T' picture in mirror.

2 towel hangers in master bath. We've never had any in this house before.

My pretty never-used bath towels.

Door stops.

New kitchen sink faucet and soap dispenser.

The same tile is in all 3 bathrooms and the laundry room.



Beach sign and view of  'T' shower curtain in kids' bathroom.

Kids' toilet area with new t.p. holder.

2 new towel hooks that will get hung up soon.

Towel hook already on wall in kids' bathroom.

New lower bar tht Peyton can reach in his closet.

New lower bar that Chase can reach in his closet.

Each bedroom upstairs got 2 black/beadboard bookshelves.

Master bath vanity.



Master vanity with mirror, towels, light, and fixtures.



Bottom of dining room chandelier.



Chandelier in front of new french doors.

Fireplace mantel.

Leather couch we bought last year which helped sell the AL house.

Kids' bathroom vanity.

Espresso bamboo flooring. (Is lighter here than true color.) Installed in LR/kitchen and  hallway.

Shag carpet put into all 3 bedrooms and upstairs landing.

Soon I will post some projects that still need to be done as well as the before pics of the house on the day we took back possession. (after the renters vacated)

Little Happinesses.

We have been doing a lot of work to get this house on par with where it should be had we lived here the entire 7 years we have owned the house. However, while we lived in Alabama the house was rented out, and soon you will see just why we have had to do so much remodeling. It is frustrating to even think about it, but I am faced with problems the renters created on a daily basis, however that frustration is lessening to a degree, even though we are spending a ton of money which is frustrating in itself, but I am getting more and more pleased with each improvement that we do. We have been back in the house since around Peyton's birthday the end of July and now it is March, so it is definitely a work in progress. Here are some photos to keep you abreast of the good things that are happening here:

Kids bathroom light fixture.

Master bath light fixture.

Towel hooks in the master.



New table, chairs, bamboo flooring, and old french doors.



Half-bath light fixture.

All toilets got new seats, lids, and flushers.

Kids shower head. Matching elbow joint is on order.

Kids towel ring.

Master faucets. New mirror is behind, not up yet.

Half-bath faucet.

Foyer table.

New closet pull-knobs.

New french doors. No longer rednecky.

Mirror in living room.

Hinges replaced on every door.

Top half of dining hutch.

Ginger jar night light in kitchen.

Sideboard in living room.

Toilet paper ring.

When we bought the house, everything in it was builders grade. The faucets were all nickel, the hinges and knobs were all gold, and the light fixtures were all bronze. We are replacing all fixtures to oil-rubbed bronze. I had the walls painted a softened green in the living room, laundry room, and hallways, and light blue in the bathrooms and bedrooms.They were originally a strange yellow color. Every door and all the moulding was re-painted white. The oak floors were pulled up and replaced with espresso bamboo, and the cheap carpet was replaced with shag. There are multiple projects that are still waiting to be done, and soon you will see the befores and the afters.

Please keep in mind that this house was ABSOLUTELY UNLIVABLE when we took it back over. So much so, that Craig was considering burning it down and building a new house. What we are doing is a labor of love, but borne of necessity and money constraints. Fixing this house up is a double edged sword. The better it looks, the happier I get, but that means we spend more money, which in turn stresses me out.

Finally Furniture!

Our long-waited bedroom suite furniture has arrived. We ordered it on  Dec. 29th, and it arrived within 2 weeks, the only problem was the weather was so crazy that we never could get to Alabama to pick it up. Finally there was supposed to be a break in the weather, so we headed out on a rainy day, and it was rainy! I had my doubts that it would clear up enough to transport the furniture back home in a dry condition, but the next day dawned and stayed nice and dry and sunny to boot.

After we arrived home and had opened all the boxes and took everything inside, we noticed that the headboard didn't look quite like it did online. So I went back to the website and saw that we had a different headboard in our possession; one that I had never seen before on any website. (See 'Tired' of Sleeping on the Floor.) I started looking around online and discovered that the salesman had forgotten to type in one tiny letter in the order code, and he mistakenly ordered us the Youth version of the Ocean Isle set. I had no idea that a Youth version even existed. Since the footboard we ended up with was so much nicer than the Adult version, and we did like the Youth version anyway, we decided to keep it. We also found out that we were charged the Youth price which was $300 cheaper than the Adult version, so you can't beat that with a stick!

Stinky Sweater Story

I am wearing my favorite lemon-green sweater. Craig keeps telling me I need to throw it away and here's why:

It's a few months ago and I am wearing my favorite pink-striped pj bottoms, t-shirt and green sweater. For some reason I decide that I need something in the cupboard above my fridge, so I rearrange some items, including this pot of used frying oil that is sitting on top of the fridge. Why is it there you ask? Because Craig likes to make home-made french fries and then he leaves the oil in the pot for FOREVER. I got tired of it and moved it to its present location.

So, I retrieve my wanted item, but not before moving the Fry Daddy to the very front of the fridge area and forget to move it back to the back where it was. Then I think I need something in the freezer, so I open the door, and lo and behold, the entire pot of used, nasty, stinky vat of oil comes raining down on my head. I scream. Oil is everywhere! I am drenched in it, it is sooo gross!

My first thought is about my new hardwood floors, and so I get a few thousand towels and start soaking up the grease. When that chore is done, I must mop, so I go searching for the mop. Well, Craig had removed the mop head and I can't find it, so I find the old mop, it is gangly to be sure. I decide that a quick way to get the mop head wet, is to reach over the bar with it, and then I can turn on the sink without having to walk over the smeared oily floor, great plan? NO!

Instead, the mop knocks my glass fruit off of the bar which then smashes down onto said hardwood floor and 2 of them break into a million pieces. So now I am covered in oil, barefoot, and have shards of glass all over my living room. Needless to say, I am not a happy mama.

Well, I finally get both messes cleaned up, got myself cleaned up, and get the clothes in the washer. But, does the smell come out? NO! Let me tell you that used french fry cooking oil is so stinky, it will cling to every fiber of your favorite sweater and refuse to come out. I have since washed the sweater like umpteen thousand times, and it still reeks.

I read online that if you freeze stinky items and wash them, that the bad smells will go away, NOT TRUE! I froze my sweater two different times for days at a time, and still they reek! Actually the smell has improved, but not enough for Craig's olfactory senses, he kicks me out of bed if I have the sweater on and I wear my sweater all the time. Maybe that is why he got me a new sweater for Christmas?

Snow Wonder

I was raised in a snow state, yet I do not enjoy the snow. I am not a skier, having only gone 3 times ever, I don't like sledding, I don't love driving in blizzards, on black ice, on frozen slush, you name it. I also do not like to be cold.  I remember as a kid walking to school atop 4 foot snowdrifts, and it would be so cold that the snot in our noses would freeze. I even learned how to drive a stick-shift on hard packed ice with snow on top. But alas, I have no plans to move to Florida or anything like that. I adore N. GA. I think I have adopted the Southerners mentality when it comes to snow and ice; I stay home.

Around midnight on January 9/10th, it started snowing.  At 11pm there was nothing and an hour later, the snow was coming down like crazy. North GA received 8 inches just like that. Now the South is not equipped to handle snowstorms like this, as we usually only get one snow a year, mainly in Feb. and it melts before the day is thru. Outside it looks like the winters of my youth. My kids are loving it though; can't get enough of it. I just wish we had a real snow shovel and that the kids had a proper sled.

My house is the cape cod at the top of the blog. I love my house. Stay tuned for reno pics. We have redone the house from top to bottom. This is mine and Craig's first home together. We bought it in Feb. 2004. We also purchased a home in Alabaster, AL in 2007 and lived there for 3.5 years until we sold it and moved back to N. GA. It was twice the size and twice the price, but this house has my heart. (See previous posts-Downsizing and Sleeping Beauties.)

Redneck Solution

These are pics of our french doors in the dining room. 2 weeks ago Craig removed them to put in a new set of doors that he found at Lowe's. The doors were special ordered but never picked up, so we bought them for a deal. Unfortunately, they did not fit our space properly, so Craig hastily put back the old ones sans moulding, insulation, and rubber seals. Then the storm came; we had snow coming in thru the cracks and it was miserably cold to sit anywhere near them, so my hubby came up with the idea to nail up a tarp on the outside of the doors. It may look rednecky, but it definitely helps keep us warmer. Craig did order new doors and hopefully they will arrive soon.

CHIPS

I just love this picture of the boys. We were in Naples, FL in August visiting Craig's mom. The kids were having a ball. Grammie gave them some chips for a snack and then they both ran out to the water to enjoy them. I couldn't resist snapping their photo. This pic is my wallpaper on my computer.

'Tired' of Sleeping on the Floor

Here are pics of the furniture Craig and I ordered for our bedroom from our favorite furniture store of all-time, Alabama Furniture Market in Calera, AL. They have the most beautiful furniture at the most amazing prices. Our house is a Cape Cod, so this furniture does it complete justice. We are doing all of our new furniture in either bisque or black. We also purchased a new dining room table and 6 chairs and a hutch/sideboard for the dining room last summer that are also in the cottage theme. The company that produces the bedroom furniture is Liberty and the style is called Ocean Isle. It should all be here by Feb. I can't wait!

Good High

I finally started back to Curves on Monday the 3rd and I was able to work out yesterday as well. The owner took my measurements but the only information I got was my weight which was an astounding 176. Not pleasant, but not unexpected either. The only thing I am sure about is that that number will go down, it must!

It felt really great getting back into the swing of exercising. I am motivated to do more exercise throughout the day. I am thinking about training to run a 5K. Everyone I know runs in some kind of race or other, and I think I would like to try it myself. First, I need a good pair of running shoes.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year's! We shot off fireworks last night with some friends. Peyton slept thru the whole show.

We enjoyed a white Christmas. Sunday we had snowball fights with the neighbors.

The Bain of a Woman's Existence

I am very sorry to say that after working so hard from Sep., 08 to Mar, 09, in which I lost a total of 21 lbs, I ended up gaining it all back plus a bonus 10 lbs to boot. For some reason, after all my hard work, I just quit doing everything right and started doing it all wrong, hence the re-weight gain. However, this Christmas my beloved has purchased for me a new year's membership at Curves and I absolutely can not wait to use it. This time I intend to lose the weight for good and then keep it off. Nothing felt so good as it did when I hit my lowest weight last year. I could wear anything and look good doing it.

Now I am relegated to wearing only exercise pants with stretchy waists and only one pair of jeans that I own fit me. After I gained the weight back, I was forced to run to Wal-Mart and buy stretchy jeans. STRETCHY JEANS! If I have a choice, this type of pants are not on my list of must-haves. Of the three I purchased, one stunk to high heavens. I think it is the dye they use on it, they are black, and it makes them smell like petroleum. Washing them numerous times has not helped either. But, alas, they do not fit me anymore either. Of the other two pair, just one fits me, but barely. I guess the good part about this is that each pair of jeans was only 5 bucks, so beggars can't be choosers.

Now that I am blogging, I intend to hold myself accountable, whether anyone else reads this or not, I plan to write my progress here on my blog. When I start I will post my measurements and from time to time I will check in about how the weight loss is going. Wish me luck!

Cookies

Every Christmas I bake my special chocolate chip cookie recipe for Craig. They are so yummy! I made 16 dozen this year. Anybody want some?

Sentimental Value



 This is a picture of my dresser. I have had this dresser since I was a kid. My parents bought it and one more for my older sister at a thrift store in Utah. The dressers came from a hotel in Las Vegas that was remodeling. They had been spray painted orange and a mustard yellow veneer was placed on top. As kids, Genise and I used to put stickers all over our dressers, Million dollar man, Bionic Man, Wonder Woman, etc. Back in 1999 I decided to strip mine down and refurbish it back to original. I started in my dad's garage and got some done. Then I moved to West Jordan and didn't have access to a sander for a long time. When I sold my house in 2002 to move to GA; I was moving out and had furniture on the lawn in preparation to load it into a truck. The agent who sold my home was there and she came over and offered me $100 bucks for my half -sanded orange dresser. Needless to say, I declined her offer. After all, this was MY childhood dresser and had too much sentimental value to ever sell it. Well, fast forward 4 years.

There is a stamp branded on the inside one of the drawers that says Heywood-Wakefield on it. Curiosity finally got the best of me and I googled it. Low and behold the dresser was worth about $1800 if refinished back to original. The dresser was made between the years of 1949 and 1951. It even has a name: Kohinoor Mr. and Mrs.dresser. It is an all wood piece made of Birch. It is mid-century modern and very retro. No wonder I have always loved it. There is also an entire bedroom suite that matches it perfectly.

My beloved dresser had been relegated to the basement and garage by Craig, imagine that? It's also been moved around a lot! I finally got sick and tired of not being able to use it. I had sanded a lot more of it down when we lived in Alabama, but not completely. So last month I pulled out the sander and got all the rest of the spray paint off. Then my hubby sealed it for me and my kids are able to use it in their bedroom. I am so pleased with the results. Now, I can't say what the monetary value of my personal dresser is now, but I think of it as a MasterCard commercial; PRICELESS.

Reupholstery

I am so excited. I bought a chair at a thrift shore in Ogden, UT 13 years ago for about 25$. It looked like a chair that was made in the 30s or 40s. It had good bones, and a bad upholstery job. The orange flowery retro look just didn't do it for me. Well, finally I was able to get it reupholstered by a friend in Alabama. I had her come look at it back in April 2009, finally dropped it off at her house in May 2010, she finished it a few months later and I was able to pick it up last week. I love it!

The chair was at one time my only piece of living room furniture. It has followed me around Utah and then to GA, AL, and back to GA again. It is so comfortable. Unfortunately, Craig thought it too ugly when it was orange and banished it to the basement. I just found out that his friend Ray wanted it last year for his friend's ugly chair contest at one time. I told him it would have been a 'no go.'

My grandmother had taken an old ladder back chair and removed the back part of it. She then took the seat part and upholstered it herself to make an ottoman for a Queen Anne chair that she also reupholstered. She gave me the ottoman, so I also had it upholstered to match the chair. You would never know that they weren't a match from the beginning. The material I chose is a brown denim/jean material and I think it suites. Now I need to find a small rectangular blue pillow to go across the back and it will be perfect. I will put it in my bedroom as a reading chair.