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Thursday, September 11, 2008

Keeping Busy

No longer working full time has created some "angst" for me. TIME! I'm certainly not tied to my computer all day...making sure I'm answering all incoming emails, keeping up with daily website updates and changes, instantly addressing all problems! Suddenly...I have hours on end to fill to my own liking. It's really quite lovely. But, I'm so used to being busy and being on some other person's time table that I feel I need fill all those lovely hours with activity...and so I have!

During all the moves I accomplished upstairs I "inherited" a small green cupboard that's been around forever. I'm sorry I didn't take a front shot of this before I started working on changing the color.
My husband painted that lovely green sand treatment in the early 1990's. Prior to that, when it lived in my grandmother's boat house at Possum Kingdom Lake, my younger brother painted it cream. John P. also signed his work. (I think he was about 12 - which would have been about 1976.) I also believe my grandmother paid him to paint it this cupboard...something to do on summer vacation at the lake! (Busy work!) This has been hiding in the girl's room - used as a TV stand. It was pretty beat up by the time I took custody of it.Of course, those of you who know me...I chose red for the color! Seems there are not many other color choices on my color wheel.
I decided not to strip it - I just left that sand treatment under my red coat. I wanted it to look old (like it wasn't already really old?) Hmmm. I also had an old lyre backed shelf I picked up at a junk store and decided it also needed to be red (I know your surprised!) If you go back to look at the first picture you'll see the legs of the traditional coffee table - yep, red. The edge of the couch I recovered, red. The edge of my metal table - yep, red again!
Once the doors were finished I painted roosters on them and antiqued them with a dark wax to make them look older. Then I painted the edges of the piece with black paint to give it an even more aged look. I walk by it all the time and am currently trying to decide if I want to paint a black design on the top. Plenty of time to decide...then I'll wax the whole piece to seal it.Here it is in it's new home at the top of the stairs. It makes me smile to come up the stairs. It's the first thing I see. It always reminds me of the happy hours I spent fishing in the boat house. It also reminded me that my grandfather used to keep his tackle box in this little cupboard.My grandmother gave my husband many of my grandfather's lures. He took the lures and made a display for them out of a "junk" piece we found in yet another junk shop. I love the way you can see them and enjoy them. I can remember my grandfather using them when I would go fishing with him at Lemon Lake (he called it babysitting.) The rules of the boat were ..."No talking! No peeing! So many happy memories.Next project: Don't you just hate those little "can" lights that are put in your ceiling - and your builder thinks it looks good? What are they thinking? (CHEAP!) Well...I had 4 in my kitchen...I'm now down to 3! Peter took the can out and put a "converter" in the hole.What a lovely idea! I love the new light fixture, but especially love how bright it makes my task area around the sink! It changes the feel of that side of the kitchen. I can't seem to settle on the right bulb, but through trial and error, I'll find just the right bulb for the light!Most importantly...I love that my husband can translate my wants and wishes into an action plan. He always says, If I can draw it out - he can do it. This didn't even need a drawing! He's the best!

The rest of this week I've spent my time sewing like a mad woman...getting ready for the McKinney Cowgirls Market next event, "Round up on the Range." The Round Up website stated there were over 4,000 visitors last year. YIKES!! I hope I have enough stuff sewed up! Here's a start on purses...and of course, I still have a month! LOL!

AND...if he visits often I'll be highly motivated!

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