Another Floor Project

There is another floor project going on at Miss Janice's house. Somehow I neglected to take a picture of the carpet pulled back in the room before we hauled it out...but here it is on the front porch. She bought the house in 2000 and the carpet was laid in 1985 (last time it was updated) so needless the say it was time.

She set up an appointment with a "floor" company to come out and give an estimate on new carpet vs. new wood floors. My husband was very opposed to new carpet. His thought was to keep the original feel of the house (meaning pine flooring.) After a $3,000 quote for "pretty wood floors"...my husband won out and the pine flooring was delivered and placed on the front porch on Friday.

Saturday began early with a trip to Home Depot to purchase the vapor barrier, stain and sealer for the floor. We had a "time table" and we were going to finish the initial process on Saturday!

First the barrier went down. Originally this room was a porch, then during WWII it was turned into part of an apartment to house families that traveled to McKinney to be near their men being treated in the local hospital. It's been a library since Miss Janice moved in...and she really wants it to have a western feel when we're all done. I'm busy recovering some cushions to go on a bench in the room once completed...but first the floor.

There were a few issues (the doors) but it will all work out in the end.

Cuts were made and the wood began to go down.

By dinner time they had the full floor laid and Mike and I began sanding. We wiped vacuumed and wiped down the floor...then the stain went down. By 9:50 we had completed stage 1 and 2. Another coat of stain was put on the floor on Sunday...then Monday morning and Tuesday morning a coat of varnish went down.

I was hoping to have more pictures, but I have "misplaced" my camera...so for now this will have to do. I will take Peter's "good" camera over this weekend and take the after pictures.

I did put down two coats of varnish - but the floor soaked it up and more varnish is needed...but Miss Janice is hosting a Bridal Shower this weekend and the room HAD to be put back into some semblance of order (the furniture was all in the hallway!!!)

Ashley and I spent all day on Thursday putting the furniture back in, hanging pictures and getting the room ready for the Bridal Shower this Saturday. I'll post the finished room and pictures from the shower!

Till then...debi

Sunday Thoughts

"You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.

Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!

Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.

As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!

I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!"

Psalm 119:4-8 (New Living Translation)

I pray that my steps would stay the course, remain steady and sure footed...staying on the course You have set for me!

Anniversary

Our anniversary is a time to look back at the good times and a time to look ahead to live our dreams together." Catherine Pulsiferf

34 years...where has the time gone?

March 29th is the actual date...but Saturday was "the day!" It's still hard to believe that so many years have passed!

Who is that couple? Young...so very young! Who could know the things that would touch our lives...happiness and loss. The joy our children would bring to us...and the added joy of grandchildren. The blessings of friends and family. So many years built on the firm foundation of faith. Faith in the Lord and in each other.

The pleasure of spending every day with my best friend...a man who's patient, kind, and loving. A loyal friend, encourager...a man of integrity. I am truly blessed!

"To love someone deeply give you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage." Lao Tzu

I looked up what this anniversary would be - the 34th is Opal. I got my opal many years ago...but in looking forward I notice that the 41st is Land - this is the one I'm waiting for! Oh Happy Day!

Happy Anniversary, Peter! I love you....

Garage Sale - no...

My daughters are having a garage sale today. It's a little overcast and sprinkling - but still the people are coming. She's sold a lot of the big stuff, so she's happy.

She wanted me to find some stuff to sell, but I just ran out of time. I did take a quick look around...but nothing jumped out at me and said "Sell me!" I love these old books and my little chackware girl holding them up...no sale here.

Hmm...I don't really do shorthand anymore, but it's fun to look through them and remember when I took typing and shorthand in high school. Oh well...no sale here!

These cute little towels...I might find some other purpose for them...again no sale!

This little clothespin bag has seen better days, but it's just too cute and I like to keep some of my smaller art supplies in it...again, sorry Emily, no sale.

I have this really old pictures hanging over my desk. It looks like a group of church ladies all decked out in their aprons and hats. I couldn't sell this! I think of this as my "cloud of witnesses". Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

So many have gone before me proclaiming the good news, volunteering, attempting to make their little piece of the world better...I need to persevere and finish the race that's laid out before me. So...I guess, again, it's a no sale!

Isn't she lovely. I just found her last weekend at an antique mall in downtown McKinney. She is just perfect for showing off my aprons after I create them, or working on a project.

I love the bottom cage and her rolling ability. She called my name as soon as I entered the store - and she was negotiable!

Well, I guess nothing for this sale! Maybe next time. I just need more time to get things ready and this one snuck up on me.

I have several shower and party invitations on my bulletin board and the rest of my time seems to be consumed with making over two couches and a chair for Emily to move into her new Carriage house apartment.

I've been attempting some more painted plates...but I'm finding the paint doesn't go on as smooth as I would like, so I either need to practice more, or buy better paint. At this rate, I'm going to have to buy some more $1 plates at Trade Days!

Well, I guess just my presence at the garage sale makes the girls happy...so I'm blogging, watching the rain and enjoying my day!

Till next time.

debi

Sunday Thoughts

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”- Jeremiah 17:7-8

Spring...

In the past we would be spending spring break at the farm. When the girls were small they would each invite a friend to spend the week with them, then we'd head out to the wilds of Henrietta, TX and spend the whole week in the country. The small house has no running water and no indoor plumbing - but no one seemed to notice. We would drive to the state park to shower and Peter built an outhouse for us to use while we were up there.

The girls would spend the week exploring the property, riding bikes, building, digging, fishing, riding horses, working at Nelson's farm (earning favor to borrow the horses.) They had complete freedom to roam the property and loved every minute of it. I think we all have fond memories of those times.

These two little girls are now 23 and 21~

Nothing a Texas girl loves more than spending time in the wide open spaces....

Meanwhile...out back in our yard, I have been busy working in the garden all week. This guy sat above my head this morning fussing at me because all the bird feeders were empty. He was not deterred when I went to get the camera and catch his act. He chirped away at me and never moved.

Back in the garden I have a lot of things coming up and it feels and looks like spring around here (no matter what the calendar says.)

The best is all the blue bonnets coming up. I don't think we'll have the crop we had last year. The neighbors all love that my yard is full of blue bonnets...they all arrive to have their pictures taken sitting in the yard. I know when I have to let them go to seed the look of the yard starts to wear thin, but it's usually worth it in the spring when the yard is full. I think our lack of rain over the winter has thinned our crop.

There are more in the back yard, so I'll past more pictures when the rest of them start to bloom! It's wonderful!

Last weekend we shopped the Red Barn Antique Sale just a few blocks off the main square of downtown McKinney. There were a lot of goodies. I purchased a basket full of vintage lace. The guy had to call his wife to get a price. She gave him one and I said yes. I think once he started putting them in the bag for me he had "seller's remorse". He kept telling me what a great deal I got and he was just SURE his wife didn't know what all she sold at that price. Oh well...I was happy.

Here is the mess as I dumped it out of the sack....

But, I soon had it organized and in rolls so I can see what I have. Many ideas are floating in my head already!

I saw a posting from Ask Kari & Kijsa of a plate Kijsa painted. I love working with Silhouettes and my husband has created many from wood. These three were a surprise Christmas gift in 1982. I still love to look at all the intricate work and know the hours he put in working only with a coping saw (which means all by hand...no power tools.)

He leaned his skill from his Uncle Hans who has created many wonderful silhouettes through out the years.

I also made a small hanging from one of Uncle Han's silhouettes. I love the detail he puts into his cutouts.

Looking at Kijsa's creation I thought it would be fun to try my hand at painting a plate...so here is my first attempt. My black was all dried up so I had to use dark blue...but I think I know just the person that would want a blue one!

Well...have to finish making my gumbo for dinner...till tomorrow!

Kitchen Curtains

I've had the same kitchen curtains since we moved in the house 10 years ago. I made all my curtains for the house while we were in the building process, which meant once we got our keys and took possession of the house we hung curtains that very first night!

The hardest window in the entire house was this one over the kitchen sink with its curved top. My husband rigged a rod that clipped into some small clips and I worked on just getting the curtain to hang straight. It worked out, but not my favorite treatment.

For the other two kitchen windows I made a simple rod pocket curtain with a slight curve along the bottom. No pattern, just a quick fix until I really decided what I wanted.

As with all things...life, children, obligations, and many other things got in the way and this stayed on the back burner for a long time. Just recently, I put it back on my radar to make new curtains for the kitchen.

I bought this pattern several months ago, when they were on sale, and knew I wanted them to have this look and feel, but wasn't thrilled with the idea of a straight curtain rod. (And, of course, the window over the sink needed a curve effect.)

With that thought in mind...I began my "quest" for just the right hardware to hang my curtains. My thoughts were to have something I could hang each individual tab on so I could determine the shape of how the curtains would hang.

On a recent trip to Trade Days in McKinney I found these hooks. They were very inexpensive, considering I needed 15 of them. That still didn't solve how I was going to affix the tabs onto the hardware.

I kept one next to the sewing machine while I made the curtains trying to decide how they would hang....and eventually settled on making two button holes in each tab to hold the curtains.

The first one we mounted was the one over the kitchen sink...deciding on just the right spacing.

With the "curve" of the sink window in mind, I wanted the two straight windows to emulate the same shape. We hung these two windows with the same arch design. That meant taking down the plate and the plate rack above the two windows, but easy decision.

I like the feel it gives the room. Makes the ceiling feel higher, lets in more light and it also follows the lines of the lace curtains that peek out like a petticoat from underneath.

I swapped out the mismatch plates along each side and filled them with my chicken plates my sister gave me for my birthday. I'm pleased with the finish project and like the change it gives my kitchen.

Only a few more projects to go before family shows up for the wedding!

Off to work....

Happy Spring!

I've been so busy with various projects...I haven't had time to show off my Canton finds. Of course, they have not really been presentable until now. I shopped for vintage linens and was not disappointed this time. There were some new vendors (one which sold the linens by the pound) and another vendor had hers just piled high on a table with a $1 sign. You had to dig, dig, and dig some more, but I came away with some wonderful finds. However, they were not all in wonderful shape! Some had more holes than good spots, but the holes were in the white areas...so I can use those for smaller projects. Some were pretty badly stained. Not a problem. They come home and go straight into the washer with OxiClean...once I have washed them once they come upstairs to my "soaking tub". (Since the girls are all gone I have the upstairs tub available 24/7 for soaking all my linens...unless company is comin'!) Once they reach the upstairs tub they may soak for up to two weeks. I change the water and add more soaking mixture when I see the water getting cloudy from the dirt and years of neglect.

I check them often, and when I can no longer see the old grease stains (or other marks) I take them outside.

According to my mother...laying them on the grass and squirting lemon juice on the stain usually takes out the last of any marks left on the linens. I lay them face down on the grass (I have to wait to a bright, sunny day) and cover the stains I can still see with lemon juice. They are left there to dry.

Once they are dry I bring them back inside and wash them one last time with OxiClean in cold water. I don't put them in the dryer. They go back outside to dry in the sun...then they're folded and stored on my rack...ready for sewing up into whatever!

Today's whatever was a cover for my electric pot and my toaster. I recently found new (vintage looking) canisters and wanted to make the covers with a similar feel.

I used two different pieces for the toaster. The piece across the top was left over from another project (no...I can hardly throw away any scrap of vintage fabrics!) I also used a left over bit to cover an old jar my grandmother gave me. (I store crocheted pot holders and scrubbers in there.)

The tea cozy is the same fabric and trim. Just needed a little something to cover the kettle when not in use. It's not to keep the pot warm...I just have to plug it back in to heat the water again.

I'm working on some give away items for my blog anniversary and will be promoting two young women who are choosing to stay home with their children and have started a their own businesses to help make that happen...so check back often!

Spring has been upon us for a couple of weeks...but today winter is trying to make a comeback! We've been in the 70's to 80's for the past couple of weeks...but back in the 40's today! We need the rain, but I could do without the cold.

HOWEVER...the first of my bluebonnets are up. With this needed rain my yard will be full soon!!

Happy Spring!!!!

Pillow Parade!

Kari and Kijsa are hosting a wonderful Pillow Parade. Pillows can add so much to a room and are a fun (easy) project you can complete in such a short time! They can easily add color, texture and whimsy to any room. These two pillows I made and make a comfy chair in my art room a great place to relax.

This sweet pillow my daughter made for me for Christmas, with Lauren's help!

These pillows I made for Lauren's bed in her cowgirl room. She loves to prop them up behind her and read!

I recently made a duvet cover for a small feather filled lap quilt. I also created several pillows from old feather pillows that go with the cover.

These pillows sit on m bed. I love finding old needlepoint and making new pillows from them. Again I used old feather pillows (cut down) to create the needlepoint pillows. They're great when your trying to read in bed to prop your head just at that perfect angle.

This cowgirl pillow and the next two needlepoint pillows make my "friend" chairs in my office a comfortable to visit with me while I'm working.

And...finally, this is where I sit to do my work! I made the little back pillow and cushion from my great stash of fabric Mr. Jon supplies me. Thank you Jon.

Thank you to Kari & Kijsa for allowing all of us to show off the comfy pillows that make up our homes. Be sure to check out the links on their blog today!