getting the guest room put back together

I managed to sneak in a photo of the guest room just starting to be painted while the painters went outside for a break. Here you can see they had already painted the window trim white and were starting on the yellow walls.

 When the painters were done and had left, I vacuumed and mopped the floors. We had to leave the windows open even though it was hot because they used Zinsser primer on the window frames which smells really bad. Running the AC made things worse because it carried the odor throughout the entire house.

At first I thought maybe the painters only put on one coat of paint, because the walls still looked light yellow to me. Also, I had a few people ask me about the flooring. It's Bruce engineered hardwood from Home Depot. We have it throughout the entire first floor (kitchen, living room, hallway and three bedrooms) of our house. We had the kitchen done first, about 20 years ago. And it still looks great. The only downside to these floors is that they do dent and scratch easily. So I would imagine if you had dogs, this flooring wouldn't be a good choice because of their nails.

 The next day when the paint had settled down a bit and the light wasn't shining directly on the walls, I could see that they were indeed a cream color. This color of paint does have some yellow undertones, but we knew that before we bought it. It's the same color we have in our kitchen and Brian's office.

We spent all day moving furniture back into the room, hanging a few pictures on the walls, washing blinds and getting those hung up. 

I wanted to arrange the furniture differently in the room this time, and we tried about five different arrangements and none of them worked. So back to the way it was. I'm really liking the cream colored walls instead of yellow ones. And what a difference white window trim makes instead of brown! The whole room looks so much cleaner. I washed the curtains for the windows and ordered some curtain clips from Amazon to keep them cinched in the middle. Those just came in the mail today, so I'll be hanging the curtains tomorrow.

I'm still deciding what to put on the walls in this area. I had Phil's memory shelf above the bookcase before. Now I'm thinking of hanging a large mirror (that used to be in the living room) above the bookcase instead and making the top of the bookcase the memorial area. I'd like to get some new prints of Phil made and then find some beautiful frames.

 Lest you think I'm organized and have everything in place...take a look at the closet! It's mostly my scrapbooking and art journal stuff, as well as boxes of photos and my bulletin board. I need to find some pretty Contact paper for the shelf and paint the closet rod. I didn't want to put everything back into place until that was done.

We've been having weather in the 90's with heat indexes of 100, so indoor projects are a good thing to get done right now.

Have a good week!

💗

getting closer

Hello friends, and happy Friday. We've had a couple of beautiful "teaser" days here in northern Illinois where the sun is shining and it's warm enough to open the windows. It actually got up to 63 degrees yesterday. I had every window open in the house and the cats went crazy, not knowing what to do. They didn't nap the entire morning - they were too busy running from window to window, sniffing the fresh air and lunging at the birds and squirrels. Good thing we have new, strong screens! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to not only feel the fresh air in the house again, but to hear birdsong all day long. The extended forecast shows much cooler weather and lots of rain, maybe even a little s*** mixed in, so I'm enjoying every moment of this beautiful weather while I can.

And my lilac bush is starting to bloom! Another sure sign of good things to come.

Back at the Big Box Store again - this time looking for a large houseplant to go in a corner (I didn't find what I was looking for). I was so excited to see the pansies are here! Granted, they're inside for now because our weather is still too iffy, but next time I'm in that area, I think I'll get a pot of flowers for my porch and then put them in the garage at night.

The painting of Tim's room and the hall bath is done. You can see what a small bedroom this is. We're making this room into an office (for Brian)/guest bedroom/lounging spot. I wanted a day bed for this room but discovered they are bigger than I thought. So now I'm looking for either a love seat that pulls out into a bed or more of a twin platform bed: Something that doesn't have a headboard. It will go on that wall to the left, towards the window. Which also needs curtains.

This is the only spot that worked for this big desk. I wanted the desk in front of the window, but it blocked the vent. And if I moved the desk over to the right where the vent would be under the opening in the desk, it was too close to the closet door. Why do builders put vents right underneath windows?! I could never figure that one out. We also need to find a desk chair that "goes" with this desk. I've been looking on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp almost every day. I know eventually it will come to us!

Here's the other side of the room between the closet and the door.

The bathroom color isn't much different than the previous color, though this gray is pretty much a true gray and a little darker. The previous color had slight blue undertones. We also had the painter paint the wood trim at the ceiling white. All I need to do in this room now is decide on shelving for above the toilet and then on the wall to the left, decide whether we want to re-hang the towel bar or find a decorative board with two hooks. I might even look for a new shower curtain.

Bathroom After:

Bathroom Before:

Speaking of painting, I'm working on chalk painting the old window that I've had on my buffet for years. It was getting way too worn and chippy.

See the worn part? That's how it was all over. I didn't sand the window - I was kind of afraid to since it's most likely lead paint. The chalk paint has worked just fine going over all the chipped parts anyway.

An update on my back issues: the x-ray showed I had height loss in L4-5 which basically means disc degenerative disease and then arthritis in L5-S1 (lumbo sacral area). Like I said in my last post, one really needs a MRI to see what's truly going on. When I questioned the nurse who called with the results, she said insurance dictates that you do x-rays first, then physical therapy, then have a MRI if needed. Ah yes, the good old health insurance protocols in the US. In the meantime, a friend of mine gave me a recommendation for a good physical therapist. I called to set up the appointments but can't get in with her until April 23rd. In the meantime, it's all about self-care and doing what I have to do to keep the pain at bay. I can't sit too long and I've also discovered that our living room couch is mostly off-limits for me. It's too soft and doesn't give any support. If I sit on it for longer than just a few minutes or dare to lie down on it to read, my back yells at me when I get up. So I'm staying active, taking walks either around the neighborhood or walking on the treadmill, doing yoga stretches twice a day, using a heating pad first thing in the morning when my back is especially stiff, spraying Bio-Freeze on my back several times a day, and taking CBD oil to take the edge off the pain.

Hope you have a great weekend with some fun plans!

how to combat cabin fever

Hello, February! We're one month closer to spring. If you live in a cold climate like me, where you're already tired of bitter cold temps, days on end of cloudy skies, perhaps lots of snow, then you know how cabin fever sets in once the holidays are over. Going to and from work or running errands just doesn't cut it for "getting out of the house". 

So, when the weekends roll around, I'm always looking for something to do ~ antique shopping, museums, a new restaurant ~ something, anything to keep the feeling of the four walls closing in around me.

A couple of weekends ago, me, Brian and my aunt went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the day. We love going to the Public Market - an indoor venue with different fresh food vendors, artisan markets, a couple of restaurants, and a wine bar. We had lunch there at a place called The Green Market. I had the most incredible salad of mixed greens and just about every kind of veggie you can think of - except for mushrooms and beets. Those are the only two veggies I can't tolerate. What's really cool is that it's build-your-own. You can pick and choose from 50 different vegetables and toppings! 

Across the street was a West Elm store. I was familiar with West Elm online, but I've never been in one of their on-site stores. It was ultra-modern with really loud music, so not my taste, but was fun to look around.

At least Brian found a comfortable chair to relax in!

On from West Elm, we took a walk around the neighborhood and all of a sudden, the fog rolled in from Lake Michigan. Was really cool to be walking around in the fog, but glad we weren't driving in it.

Loved the architecture of these buildings.

Our walk brought us to an Anthropologie store, so we just had to go in and look around. (Poor Brian. He's such a good sport.) I rarely buy anything from Anthro - overpriced and most things made in China - but the eye candy is fun. And they certainly have a knack for creating beautiful displays.

Later in the day, we stopped at our favorite Milwaukee coffee shop to relax and have a warm drink.

The inside is hip and painted in vibrant colors with local art, lots of plants, homemade treats, and wonderful coffee.

Speaking of art, last weekend a friend invited me to one of those painting classes that are so popular now. What was the first thing I noticed when we walked in? The decor, of course! We had time to linger before the actual start time, so I walked around and took some photos. Love this green sofa!

The little kitchen had an interesting backsplash - squares of wood.

This industrial style mirror was in the bathroom.

All set up and ready to go. We were painting coffee mugs with creamy coffee and a heart design in the middle. It was harder than it looked!

Here we are, all done. I'm standing by the window in the beige sweater. Don't look too closely at my masterpiece. ;-) I really messed up on the hearts and couldn't fix it. And I think my cup handle looks more like a bunny ear. 

Not sure what we're going to do this weekend, but I'm sure we'll find somewhere to go or something to do. We do have some home projects to work on, but we have to throw in a little fun, too, right? 

What fun things have you been doing lately on the weekends?

hello monday

 Hello to sunny skies with poofy clouds and the rolling farmland of Wisconsin...

Hello to the little Swiss village of New Glarus, Wisconsin...

and beautiful window boxes full of flowers on the fronts of restaurants.

 

Hello to the cool copper kettles at the New Glarus brewery...

 

Hello dragonfly with its stick body, lacy wings and bulbous head...

 Hello to juicy red tomatoes from the garden...

 

 

Hello sleepy kitty lying on the newspaper...

Hello to a clean, organized desk drawer...

and hello to painting projects...

 

 What are you saying hello to today?

 

patio time, pasta salad, and painting

Oh, how I love these late spring days before the heat and humidity set in and we're plagued by mosquitoes. These are the days where we can actually sit out on the patio without being eaten alive. Yes, we've tried everything natural to protect ourselves against mosquitoes. Nothing has worked. It's that bad. We are surrounded by trees, creeks, and a lake. And our little village doesn't spray for mosquitoes. Which, in one way is a good thing, as that means the air, trees and grass aren't laden with chemicals.

This time of year is also perfect for lighter meals. One of our favorites is to make a hearty and healthy pasta salad. I made this one for our lunch on the patio today. Bow-tie pasta; two grilled chicken breasts, cut into chunks; an assortment of fresh veggies that you have on-hand (I used red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sugar snap peas and olives); and fresh herbs. From my garden, I picked dill, cilantro and chives. For the dressing, I used extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh garlic, salt and pepper. That's it! Easy-peasy to make and delicious. Brian said he had to stop himself from eating the entire bowl. ;-)

 

While the weather's been so nice, I've also been finishing up with painting the three drawers that will be going in this chalk-painted nightstand. I'm going for an ombre look with the drawers. Stay tuned...I hope it will look nice!

girl's day out, painting patio furniture and catching up on other stuff

 My friend, Sue and I headed up to Delavan, Wisconsin yesterday to check out a place called Everything Homespun. We were greeted by an older gentleman who came out of the barn and asked if it were our first time there. We chatted a bit as he explained about the store in his lovely southern accent. We found out he's originally from South Carolina but has lived in Wisconsin for 12 years. He then left us to explore and shop.

There were old ladders...

 

and galvanized buckets...

 

and even an old, rusty bed outdoors. Hmm, I wonder what someone would do with this. Perhaps use the headboard and footboard as garden trellises? I suppose one could get really creative and artsy with those bed springs.

 

The interior of the barn was filled with mostly primitive decor, which I don't really care for, but there were some antiques, too. I really liked this vintage table runner, but the green wouldn't go in my kitchen and it was also priced a bit too high for my liking.

 

A collection of pretty glassware...

Loved this old baby cradle. I would love to have one of these in my home for when I have a grandbaby (hopefully someday!). It would be so pretty when sanded and painted. Once the baby is too old for this type of cradle, it could be used as a doll and stuffed animal cradle for a child to play with.

 

I was also drawn to this vintage painting (much prettier in person - phone camera doesn't do it much justice), but again, too pricey for me.

 

 There's another small building on the property which has old gates, windows, doors, wagon wheels, fence panels, old rakes and shovels...even sections wrought-iron cemetery fences.

Plenty of old windows inside...

 

Some of the old doors were huge!

 

 I would love to use an old door hung horizontally as a headboard. But they are extremely heavy. I'd be worried the weight would rip our wall out! I wonder how in the world you'd even hang something like this to use as a headboard? I'm sure I could find out about it through a Google search. I just might look out of curiosity.

After shopping, we went out to lunch, then took the scenic route home and stopped for iced coffee. All in all, a wonderful day with a good friend.

On the homefront, we have a to-do list a mile long. We have so much to do indoors and out! We're getting little things done but a couple of the big projects are painting our bedroom and also our little front porch/deck and front door. I've also been chalk-painting a nightstand and spray-painting plant pots and patio furniture. In a previous post at the beginning of May, I was deliberating on what color to paint that ottoman. I wasn't sure about painting furniture to match the pillows because I'd probably be replacing them in a year or two anyway. But after reading Connie from Crafty Home Cottage's comment, I decided to go for it and paint that ottoman blue! Here's what Connie had to say:

"If I were going to paint the ottoman I would paint it the blue that is in the pillows. Then in a couple of years if you change your pillows, just buy a couple more cans of spray paint and do it again :) That is the nice thing about spray paint . . . fast and easy:)"

Connie was right - I love the blue ottoman!

 Since the colors on the patio are yellow, orange and blue, I decided to go with yellow and orange marigolds and some other like-colored annuals to place in the patio area. They're all sitting on my front porch, waiting to be put into pots and set around the patio. It's either been too cold, too rainy, I've ran out of potting soil, or...I've been dealing with some pain. I woke up with some neck pain on Monday morning and fought a bad headache all day, so thought it was related. But I've had this neck pain (in the back of my neck, more on the right side) all week now, and sometimes it is very intense and painful. It's not meningitis - I'm not sick. In fact, I feel fantastic except for this neck pain. I talked to my lymphedema therapist the other day when I went for my six-month checkup and she thought it was a pulled muscle. I had tried everything this week...gentle stretches, curcumin supplements (supposed to help with inflammation), moist heat, dry heat (heating pad), ibuprofen so I could sleep (I hate taking that stuff unless absolutely needed since it's bad for your stomach and liver), self-massage, and using Bio-Freeze to numb the area. (Inserting pretty picture of my chive blossoms as a paragraph break...)

Earlier today, I saw my next-door neighbor outside and remembering he was a massage therapist, I went outside to talk to him about my neck pain. He said he'd be glad to work on my neck for about 25 minutes to try and help me. What a nice guy! He has one of his spare bedrooms set up as a massage room, because he does have clients come to his house. He started working on my neck and shoulders as was laying face down on the table and he couldn't believe all the tight spots I had. He said, "You're a train wreck!" He explained everything he was doing and about the different muscles, then did some other techniques and stretches as I flipped over and laid on my back. It is now six hours later and I feel so much better, though not totally pain-free. I am incredibly grateful to have this pain relief though. I just finished making a Greek pasta salad and a batch of homemade granola, so I will be gifting my neighbor with some food tomorrow in gratitude for his help. 

For my friends who live here in the US - happy Memorial Day weekend!