tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32631818106566383022024-03-05T10:47:56.960-08:00a place of our ownsharing all the decorations and renovations we're imposing on our very own, very first houseM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-27939415788260759422011-06-30T16:26:00.000-07:002011-06-30T16:28:54.113-07:00New Window Treatments AT LAST<div style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately, this is really the only true BEFORE I have of the original, dirty, broken blinds that were in the master suite. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzhPF6e4M0lOHTcVq2tZkkjouPKQOkWbly2bifIVuvFJ4o8aT88gRPsME1BhTBB5fELUozs8SvogQeD3ORBV-Bt4t35cf8vdOmFq-UQg6NGmmCYlI4j4Y1o5xA_eE08x0r7UaCOLrbuc/s1600/IMG_0758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzhPF6e4M0lOHTcVq2tZkkjouPKQOkWbly2bifIVuvFJ4o8aT88gRPsME1BhTBB5fELUozs8SvogQeD3ORBV-Bt4t35cf8vdOmFq-UQg6NGmmCYlI4j4Y1o5xA_eE08x0r7UaCOLrbuc/s400/IMG_0758.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lovely, right? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A little over a year ago, I got this great idea to make faux roman shades based on <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2009/02/make-shades-out-of-mini-blinds.html">this tutorial</a> at <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/">the Little Green Notebook</a> (aka Pearl Street Interiors) and bought this material: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKpxFmtPRU0bWksTYpAU_Fsc0jsKSTXzWnY_fV-bmEs64-m0MEUgYCMCVYSkzHeb7jwphLfJHyEmm7v6WFQhsoBSKpTIjLydC0hUFxF19IPXf-iwVYSVKdQPQZ8ZHgG4GbhfkutNz2mQ/s1600/IMG_5949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKpxFmtPRU0bWksTYpAU_Fsc0jsKSTXzWnY_fV-bmEs64-m0MEUgYCMCVYSkzHeb7jwphLfJHyEmm7v6WFQhsoBSKpTIjLydC0hUFxF19IPXf-iwVYSVKdQPQZ8ZHgG4GbhfkutNz2mQ/s400/IMG_5949.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and then I let that sit around for another year... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">In the meantime, this past February, we decided to finally replace the gross blinds we'd been living with and bought some inexpensive light-filtering mini blinds from Home Depot. Quick and easy to install, and SO much better looking than what we'd been living with, we couldn't figure out why we hadn't done it a year earlier. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQjddLqH4f3dgZhIf9vfqE6ZbWMjt8oLCJxCP3Qs1lELEAg9i5AnlN7TMHA3kvxrWn5UTcG4bCwXoOk4Eo6det6W0W0p0KJq6h4zBe8mj3sFZx1YAGs11v2iRY-zw4uoVX3g_lZW54uY/s1600/IMG_5947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQjddLqH4f3dgZhIf9vfqE6ZbWMjt8oLCJxCP3Qs1lELEAg9i5AnlN7TMHA3kvxrWn5UTcG4bCwXoOk4Eo6det6W0W0p0KJq6h4zBe8mj3sFZx1YAGs11v2iRY-zw4uoVX3g_lZW54uY/s400/IMG_5947.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">At that same time, my dad came down to visit and help with a few projects -- biggest of all being the painting of our bedroom. Valspar Premium in Pale Cowslip 1. I love it. LOVE it. My husband is okay with it. The color makes me feel happy and sunny and warm, although you can't really see the color whatsoever in that last picture... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, jumping ahead to the month of June -- I finally <strike>found</strike> made the time to complete the actual window treatment I'd been intending to make all along. I like my room to be VERY dark when I sleep, so I knew I wanted to incorporate a lining into the shades (which was not included in the tutorial, so I hemmed and hawed over how to do it. In the end, I created a sort of slip cover and actually left all the mini blind veins intact. I used a button hole for the cord to come through and did all the sewing on my machine except for the closure at the bottom, which I sewed by hand. </div><div style="text-align: center;">(you can see the new paint MUCH better in these pictures: L-O-V-E, right?)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB8p-11lMwO1mme4X2StzMd3qy34ccPSXRzre4loZbhCCcIx7JKMOQk0Wpb203CIM9x_Fr9rk6C0H5fLunwwPROoUsnNwFOEvKahdle4v7hapqmHnj1zDgCeZ3iKmV4v0mMBKkl-eoRw/s1600/IMG_6304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB8p-11lMwO1mme4X2StzMd3qy34ccPSXRzre4loZbhCCcIx7JKMOQk0Wpb203CIM9x_Fr9rk6C0H5fLunwwPROoUsnNwFOEvKahdle4v7hapqmHnj1zDgCeZ3iKmV4v0mMBKkl-eoRw/s400/IMG_6304.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Dgo-rTbsjEzNEJh0lu-DRxmm9mZePFvhMmUn6oaS3pmhQZ7gIv-9qEy-wbgK3CkcSlECInq66Z3nlWct2ChpjZNOGqZdkSct5MFlMVycqv4tRTGlD2YkSYmm4DSlPsEpbNh0lkFLd-I/s1600/IMG_6305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Dgo-rTbsjEzNEJh0lu-DRxmm9mZePFvhMmUn6oaS3pmhQZ7gIv-9qEy-wbgK3CkcSlECInq66Z3nlWct2ChpjZNOGqZdkSct5MFlMVycqv4tRTGlD2YkSYmm4DSlPsEpbNh0lkFLd-I/s400/IMG_6305.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">And for anyone wondering, they do open higher than I show in the picture. I just didn't. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">All in all, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. There are a few things I could have taken a little more time on and done a little better... maybe if I wasn't 9 months pregnant I would have. Haha</div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-84620521537011838402011-05-13T11:39:00.000-07:002011-05-13T11:39:16.936-07:00To Prune or Not to Prune<div style="text-align: center;">I'm pretty sure my husband would preferred had I NOT pruned the Japanese maples out front, but the combination of overgrown shrubbery and pregnancy hormones were more than I could resist. It took a few weeks, three passes at it -- each more aggressive than the last, but they're finally a reasonable height. Come this next dormant season, and I'll be hacking away at them again... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The initial "before"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1HNWJWMY4WvyqTLJVsOgnrHJkCWpanLV4G62ul8XfsGuuy4bfDiNLDaT00R86rYCNqj0_EH0vLsyHMowz2QnSWSTS6h6cw_gItys7wErf7bOmbrenhSw-VC5vFtS1-8yyjPWpqKcFdg/s1600/IMG_6017+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1HNWJWMY4WvyqTLJVsOgnrHJkCWpanLV4G62ul8XfsGuuy4bfDiNLDaT00R86rYCNqj0_EH0vLsyHMowz2QnSWSTS6h6cw_gItys7wErf7bOmbrenhSw-VC5vFtS1-8yyjPWpqKcFdg/s400/IMG_6017+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> artistic "at work" shot taken by my son</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilM0g-rOGfwhxTtQk-6TFxsrBs0ITxEEM1JB8pTwHx6AeXdslIPQg38N74_ENiFPODs3_hDvbyh2ebonNEWEg7oY6Aqe3fLMfH-YIrbqBhwE3LdC8JnjRuaLi73-GMvz8TOOoobZpvozg/s1600/IMG_6020+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilM0g-rOGfwhxTtQk-6TFxsrBs0ITxEEM1JB8pTwHx6AeXdslIPQg38N74_ENiFPODs3_hDvbyh2ebonNEWEg7oY6Aqe3fLMfH-YIrbqBhwE3LdC8JnjRuaLi73-GMvz8TOOoobZpvozg/s400/IMG_6020+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> After the initial round of cuts, where I focused mostly on removing dead branches and branches that were rubbing on each other: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H0L-69Rk50ec0WFWAAYaLTVMtqMscqAr9FZWaWtjlDlNKzn_FIPR-qC1juMEzoLC8-Tijo1kz_TdbQrbPVwIdAed7NuCFRKJPvxNq8_uXteMwBRA1Yq6oJv94cfvygVR8IZqaA1y53k/s1600/IMG_6027+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H0L-69Rk50ec0WFWAAYaLTVMtqMscqAr9FZWaWtjlDlNKzn_FIPR-qC1juMEzoLC8-Tijo1kz_TdbQrbPVwIdAed7NuCFRKJPvxNq8_uXteMwBRA1Yq6oJv94cfvygVR8IZqaA1y53k/s400/IMG_6027+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> And here is the pile of debris I began with... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPKVpsrtHxG0Fi2rpSEFwUbmz_lDV54JUPiWSXuf3s38nzpb5uInHaIOqtDZJyaSfY1KlDzx03hhTSp-UQzACmAwC4JiXPYFnEamStHPo9GNRu56VQbc0r4L3MuDh79ZvMihQyjyf6Yo/s1600/IMG_6028+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPKVpsrtHxG0Fi2rpSEFwUbmz_lDV54JUPiWSXuf3s38nzpb5uInHaIOqtDZJyaSfY1KlDzx03hhTSp-UQzACmAwC4JiXPYFnEamStHPo9GNRu56VQbc0r4L3MuDh79ZvMihQyjyf6Yo/s400/IMG_6028+copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Round 2, I spent a little more energy on branches crossing over into other "layers" if that makes sense. It did to me at the time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGf3oIvyiZoKy_39sIepkwnpgz8LJoDwiiSuFoCiGEDzhksIRtekp1azggYILgi24eudmPoeuCcnCFWWTXV6Ahd10n3MCu4BcEsn3td4-HNcyAygQHUQ7hZgh8SU0YeLmkKe0Fe8SIZQ/s1600/IMG_6031+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGf3oIvyiZoKy_39sIepkwnpgz8LJoDwiiSuFoCiGEDzhksIRtekp1azggYILgi24eudmPoeuCcnCFWWTXV6Ahd10n3MCu4BcEsn3td4-HNcyAygQHUQ7hZgh8SU0YeLmkKe0Fe8SIZQ/s400/IMG_6031+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> and my growing pile of debris to be hauled off... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgig9VIairhue5tEOeiA5i_TXZd9IXIOcPYHDUsEu9x5bqe8hGQRRaCjdzjrqtf7sXCUPDXUD1R_tPLTTVAG3QkUeesuhxCkTDFscbYBPqq7MVHn3-i-dfm-dn0sGi9xc5x3Z9nFvgeQ3Y/s1600/IMG_6032+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgig9VIairhue5tEOeiA5i_TXZd9IXIOcPYHDUsEu9x5bqe8hGQRRaCjdzjrqtf7sXCUPDXUD1R_tPLTTVAG3QkUeesuhxCkTDFscbYBPqq7MVHn3-i-dfm-dn0sGi9xc5x3Z9nFvgeQ3Y/s400/IMG_6032+copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">After a week or so, we made a trip to a nursery nearby to look for some new plants for the backyard. At that time, I took the opportunity to ask for a little pruning advice. Basically, she told me it would have been better had I started a little earlier, but she said to cut away, fertilize, and be prepared for the trees to look "a little funny" for a while. But she said to think of it this way -- there is an entire growing season for the trees to fill back in. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">At this point, my husband may feel I became a little "overzealous." All the clippings in the next picture are only from the third round of pruning... and there probably would have been more had he not come home early. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYKoN41TRz0NBmLVF8A9uL2iOJy-Q8lL2WcLdXTwleVtNsaVDHUH-AWSQXDyN9DizGLuKgsjJN6efAIckrA6B4IIH4ZSZKm5_Q5QTsWliSGZid0ZaEhKceQZt2Gpj1nfOjzHxWjPTHpk/s1600/IMG_6078+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYKoN41TRz0NBmLVF8A9uL2iOJy-Q8lL2WcLdXTwleVtNsaVDHUH-AWSQXDyN9DizGLuKgsjJN6efAIckrA6B4IIH4ZSZKm5_Q5QTsWliSGZid0ZaEhKceQZt2Gpj1nfOjzHxWjPTHpk/s400/IMG_6078+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and here is the final product of that day's work: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_jflzmY3tNfgtxjQZoXevrZYkMf_HXU63_xDm9ULpIoDzbNa2O8UnuwgFI72TyTtwjOuLE1BOHu5STM_GPMfvPM4esTBvC2eFjoeq3_vRY8j85UndFUfXjb9OkbPEGovCYlygHH7xPc/s1600/IMG_6080+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_jflzmY3tNfgtxjQZoXevrZYkMf_HXU63_xDm9ULpIoDzbNa2O8UnuwgFI72TyTtwjOuLE1BOHu5STM_GPMfvPM4esTBvC2eFjoeq3_vRY8j85UndFUfXjb9OkbPEGovCYlygHH7xPc/s400/IMG_6080+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Pretty, right? But at least you can see the roof again... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here it is now after a few weeks of new growth filling in: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uKahmozg5j2zUPZ3NgqLPdQrWLKjNlMCqQi9yiL-gd9rpgS3afLPkW3Lkk0rGJfOOkJVl0P5xzwk0TF7aw6B3MckjTqLV7O0SwaoPa4nZ56YZnWMR4ujsMTuUaCdsNZ7HK9JQSBXodg/s1600/IMG_6188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uKahmozg5j2zUPZ3NgqLPdQrWLKjNlMCqQi9yiL-gd9rpgS3afLPkW3Lkk0rGJfOOkJVl0P5xzwk0TF7aw6B3MckjTqLV7O0SwaoPa4nZ56YZnWMR4ujsMTuUaCdsNZ7HK9JQSBXodg/s400/IMG_6188.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> and now a really dramatic before and after side by side: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87P4tWNP1e7CxTn1xmdCPf2TfxpZhysMSqcfkpxOMtfv9cpTnHyTbOeGMv9UisZXJCIlPnInopsDsOgtlZajZSynyhGPSdlVjy9NqfRXyGvVyDVIkenxGbcg1y25CHS9AM8J59sUuU-M/s1600/side+by+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87P4tWNP1e7CxTn1xmdCPf2TfxpZhysMSqcfkpxOMtfv9cpTnHyTbOeGMv9UisZXJCIlPnInopsDsOgtlZajZSynyhGPSdlVjy9NqfRXyGvVyDVIkenxGbcg1y25CHS9AM8J59sUuU-M/s640/side+by+side.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So... the shaping still needs some work (like I said, I'm waiting for the next dormant season) and we need some fresh mulch, but I'm happy with it overall. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A good article I wish I would have read about pruning Japanese Maples A YEAR AGO: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thepruningschool.com/Articles/maples.htm">http://www.thepruningschool.com/Articles/maples.htm</a></div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-1305458261545110612011-04-18T08:00:00.000-07:002011-04-18T08:00:07.170-07:00Our Window to the World<div style="text-align: center;">aka the Living Room Window Finally Got Some New Blinds</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I really had to dig to find some "before" pictures of our blinds because I got overly excited when the blinds arrived and didn't bother to take any pictures... so these are the best I could come up with... you can see in the first picture that there's a gap at the bottom because THEY COULD NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuRbzcHcDQETPsilMR7NrNuaL7OpX_qcOd_IpTO8xKOe235Qfeg0IvbQjPm0QAk-t8jgsNkguGUrXINvecP8Z6Xd6PbinN6aS1te5nvZrWEPXoS2Aqqu9GGT9XGjH89FAQSRdp3ZFrDY/s1600/IMG_0971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuRbzcHcDQETPsilMR7NrNuaL7OpX_qcOd_IpTO8xKOe235Qfeg0IvbQjPm0QAk-t8jgsNkguGUrXINvecP8Z6Xd6PbinN6aS1te5nvZrWEPXoS2Aqqu9GGT9XGjH89FAQSRdp3ZFrDY/s400/IMG_0971.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxT7_R6C3ihchkWET6by7DlH5UiVzuZQP1V5pgGnLQd3-dlpClfFm0MwT0eqrZdqjnQhPGRVwWlYvdZRXYi42UEe8ndYCVzxpC9DDeU4-71RtHy0gQqWzwrpZGPFOIwXjI9gCD_LRDo8/s1600/IMG_1449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxT7_R6C3ihchkWET6by7DlH5UiVzuZQP1V5pgGnLQd3-dlpClfFm0MwT0eqrZdqjnQhPGRVwWlYvdZRXYi42UEe8ndYCVzxpC9DDeU4-71RtHy0gQqWzwrpZGPFOIwXjI9gCD_LRDo8/s400/IMG_1449.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After Christmas, I started shopping around a little more seriously for new blinds and we ended up with the 2" premium wood blinds in deep mahogany from <a href="http://www.blindsgalore.com/?track=AFC-PERF">Blinds Galore</a>, which is the same company I had ordered the blinds from for my <a href="http://frostedgingerbread.blogspot.com/2010/06/me-power-tools-better-nights-sleep.html">son's room</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I took the opportunity to repaint the trim around the window... and the more dirty, white trim I paint in this house, the more I realize the white isn't paint. Someone went to the trouble of priming a lot of the woodwork around the house and left it at that. Needless to say, it looks a LOT better now. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN3wPtVZAwuTvjAH4XcVL9chlcvpuK9KMPvWKr2JOwmeKnAwry8XZ3mY7SeyyVlygB60jNkDgbNsyIasG6Ql-PVyKKaw-4TOMN_hjgQswlo6aX74hhAPLwiApWZ2DZ32JHBVO1qCYZzw/s1600/IMG_5944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN3wPtVZAwuTvjAH4XcVL9chlcvpuK9KMPvWKr2JOwmeKnAwry8XZ3mY7SeyyVlygB60jNkDgbNsyIasG6Ql-PVyKKaw-4TOMN_hjgQswlo6aX74hhAPLwiApWZ2DZ32JHBVO1qCYZzw/s400/IMG_5944.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> out with the old, in with the new!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ_bB9FIHPuaMMSZVNBEMrll4-7xNH67l0plxeHmxPwsm3Yrnm7RBNNuUjnL1aPW6DKMEyuNAtg8Ix1BV2pPOLk9Ln8ATqlm_1cCC-PByXZeZ7dy6AfjwzaRElh-Io1PMQi-_FUy6tXo/s1600/IMG_5945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ_bB9FIHPuaMMSZVNBEMrll4-7xNH67l0plxeHmxPwsm3Yrnm7RBNNuUjnL1aPW6DKMEyuNAtg8Ix1BV2pPOLk9Ln8ATqlm_1cCC-PByXZeZ7dy6AfjwzaRElh-Io1PMQi-_FUy6tXo/s400/IMG_5945.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> and the finished product!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNCBfxT-u4EvfthUpQUllAlwQ5vAabAAn1nBIzgczsp-k3paEQ15boye8WeLvpjIzyjMYdkgOKpA1nu_UfL2bxyKXyq2DSVh3vN-l9Fe7y7G2gfKfMzQkRWMQ-hjqad5LqIa8OLDZYE0/s1600/IMG_5952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNCBfxT-u4EvfthUpQUllAlwQ5vAabAAn1nBIzgczsp-k3paEQ15boye8WeLvpjIzyjMYdkgOKpA1nu_UfL2bxyKXyq2DSVh3vN-l9Fe7y7G2gfKfMzQkRWMQ-hjqad5LqIa8OLDZYE0/s400/IMG_5952.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> my goofy husband demonstrating the relative ease with which we can now open and completely close our new blinds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrD9bNV4b3Oxt82PRK1Yyxto8N3QxRTREHuWafQeiLV0hUp0B4oVac8Fjh-uuFymsZ8p3_0o4nM7loF8hLMxRJ9MhTgp73W66HixGf0o_0GwHC3AOFfLIiodi8II0lkNVu3I-q2xWcANc/s1600/IMG_5953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrD9bNV4b3Oxt82PRK1Yyxto8N3QxRTREHuWafQeiLV0hUp0B4oVac8Fjh-uuFymsZ8p3_0o4nM7loF8hLMxRJ9MhTgp73W66HixGf0o_0GwHC3AOFfLIiodi8II0lkNVu3I-q2xWcANc/s400/IMG_5953.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I love them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVFgvG5HPC56SmKMHniIKy1Bo0CazgqG9YCdsuho5_MET63CV28J5QG_FcFVqwL2QZ0t2eKl9_yv8GNvbQ6dev-KHDSA0NwJ7ZLpwhkx8hfEg4t-iBSS-UweJh6hQMFvsrF-306ao2R4/s1600/IMG_6006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVFgvG5HPC56SmKMHniIKy1Bo0CazgqG9YCdsuho5_MET63CV28J5QG_FcFVqwL2QZ0t2eKl9_yv8GNvbQ6dev-KHDSA0NwJ7ZLpwhkx8hfEg4t-iBSS-UweJh6hQMFvsrF-306ao2R4/s400/IMG_6006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7xKbySpzv3614XjepPdxRde_nN3wZa7TREjRpiVr-vbpMsU8ovTGBo67GTNvNV-yCRyz4Vb0pghkeRFhJId9a9nSTfOgfHdZLDqFx0zkCDVJZHa3duWBhTglbJ66bNQKRwdfffa25fY/s1600/IMG_6007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7xKbySpzv3614XjepPdxRde_nN3wZa7TREjRpiVr-vbpMsU8ovTGBo67GTNvNV-yCRyz4Vb0pghkeRFhJId9a9nSTfOgfHdZLDqFx0zkCDVJZHa3duWBhTglbJ66bNQKRwdfffa25fY/s400/IMG_6007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-50086195490426414122011-04-15T08:00:00.000-07:002011-04-15T08:00:13.215-07:00Master Bathroom Towels<div style="text-align: center;">When we first moved in, the towel rack in the master bath was half falling out of the wall and refused to hold my towel. After a certain point, it was completely out of the wall and I had long since given up trying to keep my towel there. We had already installed a robe hook on the other side of the shower door which my husband was using for his towel, and we JUST replaced the towel bar. Originally, I was wanting all brushed nickel in our bathroom, but after using the <a href="http://frostedgingerbread.blogspot.com/2010/09/another-master-bath-update.html">oil rubbed bronze hardware</a> on the cabinets, we decided it might be better just to head that direction completely. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So here are the new robe hook (the old-new one will go in the hall bathroom eventually), and the new towel bar: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HV7KSBD1QyEHp5Mta56sDTsd_DAkq2mtTjdCujU5lxoeFZsW4hzvmekwA6SjplPBeaxGonJEkWUpUgHpEMl2siNvUxxneHlWNG9hc_2PSHVzVQjxZy8lUJM4P2iWrukZ5v8xjFPQgx8/s1600/IMG_5992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HV7KSBD1QyEHp5Mta56sDTsd_DAkq2mtTjdCujU5lxoeFZsW4hzvmekwA6SjplPBeaxGonJEkWUpUgHpEMl2siNvUxxneHlWNG9hc_2PSHVzVQjxZy8lUJM4P2iWrukZ5v8xjFPQgx8/s400/IMG_5992.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabvLz7iXdOgPJdQJWCIV6pjccMhItj9Jy0xPRujKoxpfSsJB8EkwEfpquISO55-nUUWbBmJFpzHTARenjDiMFUOPAYBzRbNB8nxUdU8_xtQ4cDflmJIVV4GdQamBxAXbwtr5IPFpX0nQ/s1600/IMG_5993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabvLz7iXdOgPJdQJWCIV6pjccMhItj9Jy0xPRujKoxpfSsJB8EkwEfpquISO55-nUUWbBmJFpzHTARenjDiMFUOPAYBzRbNB8nxUdU8_xtQ4cDflmJIVV4GdQamBxAXbwtr5IPFpX0nQ/s400/IMG_5993.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> and thanks in no small part to a generous birthday gift card to Macy's... we FINALLY have an all new set of luxuriously soft new bath towels. Trust me, these were a long time coming and worth the wait. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeqi0y7tR5vFSuEoA2yE0PeFO2AKwudepQvTkNfxH0cV6oog4rwee2YYSs9LxS8lmD4ZvXChhl8TPzwf_ke4C4rXhA6d3s5OVsc0xVgLpr7CvCkp8K394v489ahXeC4ahFBrwPL2o_-s/s1600/IMG_6002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeqi0y7tR5vFSuEoA2yE0PeFO2AKwudepQvTkNfxH0cV6oog4rwee2YYSs9LxS8lmD4ZvXChhl8TPzwf_ke4C4rXhA6d3s5OVsc0xVgLpr7CvCkp8K394v489ahXeC4ahFBrwPL2o_-s/s400/IMG_6002.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-13595627191170503962011-04-12T08:00:00.000-07:002011-04-12T08:00:01.467-07:00A New Pillow, or Four<div style="text-align: center;">The covers we've had on our throw pillows in the living room have been in our house since we were married, almost five years ago. I thought it was time for a change. Using the green fabric leftover from <a href="http://frostedgingerbread.blogspot.com/2011/04/shower-curtain-for-my-monkey.html">this project</a>, along with some other coordinating fabrics I "happened" to pick up, combined with some inspiration photos from online, I have four new pillows on our couches. Well... they look brand new, at least. I can't ever get myself to buy new pillow forms while I still have perfectly good ones on the couch. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This first picture is from <a href="http://treyandlucy.blogspot.com/2010/12/flora-pillow-number-2.html">my sister-in-law's blog</a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9tZJDDh08T_GUtN2fUmXGUIURmCTJMnLJYI7vZsaoz6149_PB6watjt2ccp9neA2am_c4-YiRhf16fVnGsVojIOkNTehfgErUur8fb5-1H2mGIbKMHnBEXCmDHxJgYZMrccvQJLCd4A/s1600/pillow+1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9tZJDDh08T_GUtN2fUmXGUIURmCTJMnLJYI7vZsaoz6149_PB6watjt2ccp9neA2am_c4-YiRhf16fVnGsVojIOkNTehfgErUur8fb5-1H2mGIbKMHnBEXCmDHxJgYZMrccvQJLCd4A/s400/pillow+1a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and here is my version: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOy8d6m41LpOQw8dtUNrvZ8OrDxwbr45zHoBIVTblR3ynCQ0bR_fDllfqmZbqWzhCLY3viqZsvQSQeB-wQDGP1SraVi0muzIWR7dgRHnLl6ogIKkVWLlBHnsz5WtRF2g77QlR75OY-wA/s1600/pillow+1b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOy8d6m41LpOQw8dtUNrvZ8OrDxwbr45zHoBIVTblR3ynCQ0bR_fDllfqmZbqWzhCLY3viqZsvQSQeB-wQDGP1SraVi0muzIWR7dgRHnLl6ogIKkVWLlBHnsz5WtRF2g77QlR75OY-wA/s400/pillow+1b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The last three inspiration pillows are all from <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/category.jsp?id=HOME-PILLOWS&pushId=HOME-PILLOWS&popId=HOME&navAction=top&navCount=6&startValue=1&itemCount=-1&displayNumber=8&viewAllOnOnePage=yes&_DARGS=/anthro/catalog/common/highlited_itemcount.jsp_A&_DAV=true&_dynSessConf=390617014192550982">Anthropologie</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiz0S2MH81FnlWRNBqRG2iHlrhGAuBD5DcuGruSwg-P14FNP8GIP3-dBOPUYNsT0TGVrGHQzmhlqkQp-INRvzDZx7OYWPUeqiDfR4liIdNiDLXopIXqIaegDeXQ7DAVyJom0SQe-YwvY8/s1600/pillow+2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiz0S2MH81FnlWRNBqRG2iHlrhGAuBD5DcuGruSwg-P14FNP8GIP3-dBOPUYNsT0TGVrGHQzmhlqkQp-INRvzDZx7OYWPUeqiDfR4liIdNiDLXopIXqIaegDeXQ7DAVyJom0SQe-YwvY8/s320/pillow+2a.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLkuHE1v6rYmIcpOmR5WgP1bmgb5Q5VC3dQVUq0DWH0XBhYjfaKgx0G3kM_D2mrTyJbPsVdKWRnRjs9G3eQe23QvHNAOv5yw_o-w0-tfKPHE86oRopANG8zzqLWWAXFl-sOca_Dq5Ppo/s1600/pillow+2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLkuHE1v6rYmIcpOmR5WgP1bmgb5Q5VC3dQVUq0DWH0XBhYjfaKgx0G3kM_D2mrTyJbPsVdKWRnRjs9G3eQe23QvHNAOv5yw_o-w0-tfKPHE86oRopANG8zzqLWWAXFl-sOca_Dq5Ppo/s320/pillow+2b.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvM03_x17ApNIKtlKLN6clBeDgicfreUeLlutyAWyL8k3-VQwf8lIRKcAAtrv4SYCRyecs5xHVvFn4wIbIykUc6w0IVXVNkpf55AV_ivC5cOvHQk1gbNPC6wNt2gAbs_A7y7jvkWkZ1w4/s1600/pillow+2c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvM03_x17ApNIKtlKLN6clBeDgicfreUeLlutyAWyL8k3-VQwf8lIRKcAAtrv4SYCRyecs5xHVvFn4wIbIykUc6w0IVXVNkpf55AV_ivC5cOvHQk1gbNPC6wNt2gAbs_A7y7jvkWkZ1w4/s400/pillow+2c.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94fnfGaawC7CkdFXpZYD8RHaESP7FgwK7DFKp45lryRC9nGlnYvAMQhdqsN0q15Z2qBDXIEmtPLG7tUtaCI0bhG_r7_YaTYWumpxs9I3ymkOrp93FJ10HiGReoR709niGcFnwQ2sZZew/s1600/pillow+2d.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94fnfGaawC7CkdFXpZYD8RHaESP7FgwK7DFKp45lryRC9nGlnYvAMQhdqsN0q15Z2qBDXIEmtPLG7tUtaCI0bhG_r7_YaTYWumpxs9I3ymkOrp93FJ10HiGReoR709niGcFnwQ2sZZew/s400/pillow+2d.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nflNaOTLjzFDOP0Irs3UzG_t-kKE-zkBxf5Pf_SSrtuU9lTaoJADgvYVjQWbsZ_lhBR8ahzkwRQE2l1KsvSP_Gb30nweMwfEWq8cnIzv3OEyL-9CHd-sT3w5W4UWuaQXHHxUTlSCPpA/s1600/pillow+3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nflNaOTLjzFDOP0Irs3UzG_t-kKE-zkBxf5Pf_SSrtuU9lTaoJADgvYVjQWbsZ_lhBR8ahzkwRQE2l1KsvSP_Gb30nweMwfEWq8cnIzv3OEyL-9CHd-sT3w5W4UWuaQXHHxUTlSCPpA/s400/pillow+3a.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> We like things a little off-center in our house... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52f0e-tfgipKS1_hDYgsvYF1CZi5i1Maf5PaefNnMeYEwTQhS0d4Oi7n0i25DVEWrbDnaqyBjOaluB_SgKQ1JzA3rDPv-m5zZ4cDmS2OZupQUdsODjCcWMcBRo4HjdqIj8vaq4MWHn-I/s1600/pillow+3b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52f0e-tfgipKS1_hDYgsvYF1CZi5i1Maf5PaefNnMeYEwTQhS0d4Oi7n0i25DVEWrbDnaqyBjOaluB_SgKQ1JzA3rDPv-m5zZ4cDmS2OZupQUdsODjCcWMcBRo4HjdqIj8vaq4MWHn-I/s400/pillow+3b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> and a close-up of the cummerbund pleats that took me WAY longer than they should have:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8STold9uYdw7ILAW0RgkF8VRay4p39cBMXwczQk9b2sgJCBLx8_0k3HWe0KqdP60gzMBaJzAud02R84STKP5fgdr6bh4afo8imZmRne0EMZybwC9BBHpcoq8_MiwDT-J-MHocOu4P4I/s1600/pillow+3c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8STold9uYdw7ILAW0RgkF8VRay4p39cBMXwczQk9b2sgJCBLx8_0k3HWe0KqdP60gzMBaJzAud02R84STKP5fgdr6bh4afo8imZmRne0EMZybwC9BBHpcoq8_MiwDT-J-MHocOu4P4I/s400/pillow+3c.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">They all have envelope closures so they're 1. easier to clean and 2. easier to replace the covers when I get bored of them. I think they bring a little color and whimsy to the room, if that's not too cliche to say. Aren't we all ready for spring to really be here, though? </div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-79323632706380654092011-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:002011-04-08T08:00:08.911-07:00A Shower Curtain for My Monkey<div style="text-align: center;">About a year ago, I wrote <a href="http://frostedgingerbread.blogspot.com/2010/02/hall-bathroom.html">here</a> that I replaced the brown and blue shower curtain in the hall bath (my son's bathroom) with a plain white curtain... with the intention of adding some Curious George type embellishments. In the middle of February, I FINALLY did it. Instead of Curious George, though, I used the Monkeys from the shower curtain hooks I got from Target that hadn't been working out. I also used some green upholstery fabric to trim the edges of the curtain and add a little more color to the room. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">One afternoon, while my son was napping, I laid the curtain out on my living room floor, tossed all 12 monkeys in place and sewed them on (you can see the thread where their arms and legs meet their little bodies)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnByZv1xDRfSH_N2SabmH5SIUskO2SyBZ8f8kKvCPo03H-08b5TpDDpsr8496gHgvuitsYqZ_El1EerwiRFhtjrCGKpJqiuirZ6UwpVtRwlQqT6BWoNCN9sPP9uU1L1_6YZ8S7SBhXdJ4/s1600/IMG_5997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnByZv1xDRfSH_N2SabmH5SIUskO2SyBZ8f8kKvCPo03H-08b5TpDDpsr8496gHgvuitsYqZ_El1EerwiRFhtjrCGKpJqiuirZ6UwpVtRwlQqT6BWoNCN9sPP9uU1L1_6YZ8S7SBhXdJ4/s400/IMG_5997.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8p_9m-tF3Mzp_JcYNt0MNaZ1xlmamICCT2lLVchDRQxemZNXembMQerF0aPcPBZ8AxU6kF9U9Hty_RwPoV1jwKNjlOP86evA2NRntw0K78DJftFpaLjU4n0Du6lwKGeCw35u1xfCZN4/s1600/IMG_6000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8p_9m-tF3Mzp_JcYNt0MNaZ1xlmamICCT2lLVchDRQxemZNXembMQerF0aPcPBZ8AxU6kF9U9Hty_RwPoV1jwKNjlOP86evA2NRntw0K78DJftFpaLjU4n0Du6lwKGeCw35u1xfCZN4/s400/IMG_6000.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> And even though I think the brown on the walls is far less bleh with the addition of some color to the room, I think I'm pretty well decided on painting the lower portion Weathered Glass. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrBNRnQB2kgilbe7Sct-GQNasd2nBYI8fSJyPh3iirsosmC6BhyIK0nBNAkD2ihFXQ5JLwnrpGI3h35EiJNjbgC6-BHGNtBkRgkjLUwGNd2893yzH1XTnETAIvpVcFn0xlhze2KlJpoI/s1600/IMG_6001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrBNRnQB2kgilbe7Sct-GQNasd2nBYI8fSJyPh3iirsosmC6BhyIK0nBNAkD2ihFXQ5JLwnrpGI3h35EiJNjbgC6-BHGNtBkRgkjLUwGNd2893yzH1XTnETAIvpVcFn0xlhze2KlJpoI/s320/IMG_6001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I also need to repaint all the white above the chair rail (we never did that because I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do for paint in the room), and change out some of the fixtures, including a new fan. I also want a little more storage and I have a picture to hang, but then we'll finally be done with one of our rooms. I hope. </div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-89634177014207319362011-04-05T08:00:00.000-07:002011-04-05T08:00:08.453-07:00Just a Hutch<div style="text-align: justify;">Pretty much from the time we got this house, I have been wanting a buffet with hutch and a sideboard for the dining room. It turns out, they don't generally appear on your doorstep for free. Back in November, my husband found this set on craigslist for under $100 and we jumped on it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVnQuJlgJAvgG6-UEnxEkPTJTayXxGPdDKkm8m4Z6R46gFjDY-__QNgZdZQMbe2_HnWG59g5_oEFST8n9lnDUJBmO91JaCce8kkv-ibRYeyRpt3EigdOVGFItnlTK2zIlcKRs9_G5IsQ/s1600/3ka3m73o35O05W35S1abbec34417a12731c9f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVnQuJlgJAvgG6-UEnxEkPTJTayXxGPdDKkm8m4Z6R46gFjDY-__QNgZdZQMbe2_HnWG59g5_oEFST8n9lnDUJBmO91JaCce8kkv-ibRYeyRpt3EigdOVGFItnlTK2zIlcKRs9_G5IsQ/s400/3ka3m73o35O05W35S1abbec34417a12731c9f.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31kXETB_iXKTQ4UjFy43YNpbQE1x5FxPIwCYvMoEpGWPNkITJohgAUBO6GUv0WKzrnkfD-fAmt3PCOJnPba8KyVuv3DeopxGLVXmW4tTQPYKalpkczgu1QK1rb6HM9Y3BGbjBWYtmRfA/s1600/3na3mc3l45O45T35U2abbafaa9b6ad1061f02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31kXETB_iXKTQ4UjFy43YNpbQE1x5FxPIwCYvMoEpGWPNkITJohgAUBO6GUv0WKzrnkfD-fAmt3PCOJnPba8KyVuv3DeopxGLVXmW4tTQPYKalpkczgu1QK1rb6HM9Y3BGbjBWYtmRfA/s400/3na3mc3l45O45T35U2abbafaa9b6ad1061f02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kYsBM2JK2khZi-Xm0lkxO0IAnN4KTRoSYV6gbKcFqtOzoA5W2YiC_YDXa_WH72RGG-9pf8-OxhrTkCSeObChP3_eTzPUQI2tToj5gaL7fH5iKvF-bDVm0Gnn85X-WVvU855FSds4VPo/s1600/3nf3k33o05Y25W25R0abb43f5e5a479ff126f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kYsBM2JK2khZi-Xm0lkxO0IAnN4KTRoSYV6gbKcFqtOzoA5W2YiC_YDXa_WH72RGG-9pf8-OxhrTkCSeObChP3_eTzPUQI2tToj5gaL7fH5iKvF-bDVm0Gnn85X-WVvU855FSds4VPo/s400/3nf3k33o05Y25W25R0abb43f5e5a479ff126f.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> It pretty much sat in our dining room like this until the middle of February... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIBIIAA8fVYSnOVzz0v6KRhUu1hA037sS2Q38aCJDlC8XGbTytGEqi24dNqK5HLIUsgiuI4pGI0js2vIkwT6w28et01cynX5q6if74sMpVt2F4imRrwwF7YY5wrxDJvgzspqSWfX-uSc/s1600/IMG_5743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIBIIAA8fVYSnOVzz0v6KRhUu1hA037sS2Q38aCJDlC8XGbTytGEqi24dNqK5HLIUsgiuI4pGI0js2vIkwT6w28et01cynX5q6if74sMpVt2F4imRrwwF7YY5wrxDJvgzspqSWfX-uSc/s400/IMG_5743.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> We took off all the hardware and I primed with 2 coats of kilz oil based primer</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrooOOX7ss_c6yfCW4tzKI13lZqCq2zbsczNBd4qBa1iXygiCg3HDfalFYmyo3NRCWfIsD1Auxt2BRm6GU5E0YHO6XO6ooYa0UrJtNW0bwT16AJVXA3KVdb_sGpLSovDrSRkqPCiKLA1Q/s1600/IMG_5744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrooOOX7ss_c6yfCW4tzKI13lZqCq2zbsczNBd4qBa1iXygiCg3HDfalFYmyo3NRCWfIsD1Auxt2BRm6GU5E0YHO6XO6ooYa0UrJtNW0bwT16AJVXA3KVdb_sGpLSovDrSRkqPCiKLA1Q/s400/IMG_5744.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Then painted three thin coats of Olympic Premium no-voc paint in Ultra White</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWHeTeCYSHOj03_bgM6TOXxaeOGp4yy_PpRV07R2jJp8_qT0ndwJAVVpW_vwhd7JaOac8VojAILWR9OQ8byJQuABr_zbLlO6ehHZVlrWYjpZ3AXbv-mY4yQygaXi832yY5LhPSES7mGs/s1600/IMG_5746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWHeTeCYSHOj03_bgM6TOXxaeOGp4yy_PpRV07R2jJp8_qT0ndwJAVVpW_vwhd7JaOac8VojAILWR9OQ8byJQuABr_zbLlO6ehHZVlrWYjpZ3AXbv-mY4yQygaXi832yY5LhPSES7mGs/s400/IMG_5746.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lastly, I coated the back of the hutch with black contact paper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJjqFgmCtKpMpakZ0-ALANf1QaPUciytkie7AGbPbZ3RcmGUOMQshUZlAHgjDLGYKWD2qeUlXNJb_1Rzkdh9IXMU16hekoQ27Q-GdE2vshSe1iu8RHy3cx5L3Zu2az3bcBgAwzVLrswk/s1600/IMG_5801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJjqFgmCtKpMpakZ0-ALANf1QaPUciytkie7AGbPbZ3RcmGUOMQshUZlAHgjDLGYKWD2qeUlXNJb_1Rzkdh9IXMU16hekoQ27Q-GdE2vshSe1iu8RHy3cx5L3Zu2az3bcBgAwzVLrswk/s400/IMG_5801.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I reattached all the original hardware, which I actually think looks updated against the fresh white paint.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMYCn_8Nt7k72WB2N3DJp4X9emOQm6Q5m4qJAU9Jwi9N5aifIBhAhf8CG6U0J6CNbyQ_XF1E-eSYa1oFkeWZPNkkLsx3ewpa1NHXbUd2_71xGmXUjhy7P3MyPtTWIt_xrjyfNv0-Vm1M/s1600/IMG_5803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMYCn_8Nt7k72WB2N3DJp4X9emOQm6Q5m4qJAU9Jwi9N5aifIBhAhf8CG6U0J6CNbyQ_XF1E-eSYa1oFkeWZPNkkLsx3ewpa1NHXbUd2_71xGmXUjhy7P3MyPtTWIt_xrjyfNv0-Vm1M/s400/IMG_5803.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBypojLTWshg3rCLNN87tVy6JP3AWrLpRyDytPPzS9I13av7xXdB3Ja-p4ZKCRJVECgnzbl222YLcCED-UZyAEJHFln6JbdNjy90g_pO_gFfTwdX88B2HqOmnGyuuBoMwjEmy-SVSHynI/s1600/IMG_5805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBypojLTWshg3rCLNN87tVy6JP3AWrLpRyDytPPzS9I13av7xXdB3Ja-p4ZKCRJVECgnzbl222YLcCED-UZyAEJHFln6JbdNjy90g_pO_gFfTwdX88B2HqOmnGyuuBoMwjEmy-SVSHynI/s400/IMG_5805.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzPGVACxZgAEccDKhiIK5F44TxBp7R8M_AKJFuOZB1JH6AxaIm2ZkSd-LMOlxeTubqtsarZ1_zMfKa_i4J0tIjXyZN25YOdrXh3BhBKfIA1UH2qbBsSzBN9nSaVij17cdcPXyuk0f-qs/s1600/IMG_5807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzPGVACxZgAEccDKhiIK5F44TxBp7R8M_AKJFuOZB1JH6AxaIm2ZkSd-LMOlxeTubqtsarZ1_zMfKa_i4J0tIjXyZN25YOdrXh3BhBKfIA1UH2qbBsSzBN9nSaVij17cdcPXyuk0f-qs/s400/IMG_5807.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Now I just need to figure out what to fill it up with!</div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-58359475028166108372011-03-31T08:00:00.000-07:002011-03-31T08:00:05.878-07:00TV Bench<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After almost a year of our living room looking like this: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPqOfx7KLM-IsX1iaCmroHXXz64OYNl8tn8gBWOPEWcwIM_78HRQ-AoeZOm2uDkbTuQkPNp3kvT3tDOo4Gh-9enhpQ7CDREjYvaUiFX7WnvdUtcG2xwj5-2DbBUUeamPCW4DUPZLCJXg/s1600/IMG_5382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPqOfx7KLM-IsX1iaCmroHXXz64OYNl8tn8gBWOPEWcwIM_78HRQ-AoeZOm2uDkbTuQkPNp3kvT3tDOo4Gh-9enhpQ7CDREjYvaUiFX7WnvdUtcG2xwj5-2DbBUUeamPCW4DUPZLCJXg/s400/IMG_5382.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> we finally picked up a tv bench from Ikea, transforming out living room to this: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9IyLp4oKfMAnm7ELAk2piGoJRS7Eat7posT3oa6pfinndtk9MfW06WepKN-5D8XqR16X0UF1aZ4F0MEH2Rurc86claRbrZIMDSgYTdgOHAW7v1TjnGKStwl19f1ElpK_BJHUmTwqUp4/s1600/IMG_5391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9IyLp4oKfMAnm7ELAk2piGoJRS7Eat7posT3oa6pfinndtk9MfW06WepKN-5D8XqR16X0UF1aZ4F0MEH2Rurc86claRbrZIMDSgYTdgOHAW7v1TjnGKStwl19f1ElpK_BJHUmTwqUp4/s400/IMG_5391.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">We also got some bookcases to go on either side, but they still need anchored and then I'll rearrange all the things we have packed in them and post pictures. </div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-28961603844040923312011-03-28T10:42:00.000-07:002011-03-28T10:42:07.410-07:00New Take on a Gallery Wall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So, it's been a REALLY long time since I've posted anything about what we've been doing with the house, but I'll try to get caught up over the next couple weeks. We have a ton of things done and planned... mainly because we're working towards converting the guest room into a nursery! Unfortunately, it's not as simple as it sounds... We've had to work on organizing the shed, to organize the bonus/music/game room, to empty out the office, to move my crafts/sewing supplies. A lot of work. So anyway, back to the post at hand: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For Christmas, my son got <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Umbra-3-5-Inch---3-5-Inch-Frame-White/dp/B002JESPIE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301333921&sr=8-1">these</a> picture frames for his room: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHTIdk0vWJPqHIWRyX8tnHJg-pmH4YN-WKTdWaFtKrBhANrAtVE59NVYY2mrD1WoX-LxhOXwxTg8rGWMy44LHU0JMOfhgBrvaYqvUBWT3w-2AiivMBPvnTyhtefAZh1kF7JZ6I8GrpLw/s1600/IMG_5581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHTIdk0vWJPqHIWRyX8tnHJg-pmH4YN-WKTdWaFtKrBhANrAtVE59NVYY2mrD1WoX-LxhOXwxTg8rGWMy44LHU0JMOfhgBrvaYqvUBWT3w-2AiivMBPvnTyhtefAZh1kF7JZ6I8GrpLw/s400/IMG_5581.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> We put pictures of friends and family and threw them up on the wall like taped up polaroids. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkL-A3k5sRhXwyDefm93snkhoculTU15VtIFOFxPNVVt9QI0Pp3XrGedZWTxkoZzSCXH7OEOdrNh3DfInM5-ixJQyto0vv_IX1IXpIAsi0fiFBQSPJsDjYvx7kjuv6UWVeL1eCTyOdW_A/s1600/IMG_5583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkL-A3k5sRhXwyDefm93snkhoculTU15VtIFOFxPNVVt9QI0Pp3XrGedZWTxkoZzSCXH7OEOdrNh3DfInM5-ixJQyto0vv_IX1IXpIAsi0fiFBQSPJsDjYvx7kjuv6UWVeL1eCTyOdW_A/s400/IMG_5583.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> They come with these tacks you nail into the wall... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkOj2MftWsRoGInpRR7n7I2NHvZ05og2Q2LNBjzeGvY_p1GGQ8v2OXSn9FzSSeUwXYkoXIJ1OVTh02YNxDeMtGErZpn4rUCcdcFxpppzrD7q2QQKYnZHKRBvATFS-1oO5UsrIMQmDHwg/s1600/IMG_5585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkOj2MftWsRoGInpRR7n7I2NHvZ05og2Q2LNBjzeGvY_p1GGQ8v2OXSn9FzSSeUwXYkoXIJ1OVTh02YNxDeMtGErZpn4rUCcdcFxpppzrD7q2QQKYnZHKRBvATFS-1oO5UsrIMQmDHwg/s400/IMG_5585.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> and the frames snap right in place. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvt_aG8PQT7WzgDI66YQAtCNJKbBA7mEmK3nDNGv5fU3NV2l3AC3UWeMD2Q7addvRAlOVaxbpiooG8eGvB2ooKL14loicdOznjpxv_QwHStdycjQvXGDpF0HAi62NR2bWpczjWD5QogQ/s1600/IMG_5586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvt_aG8PQT7WzgDI66YQAtCNJKbBA7mEmK3nDNGv5fU3NV2l3AC3UWeMD2Q7addvRAlOVaxbpiooG8eGvB2ooKL14loicdOznjpxv_QwHStdycjQvXGDpF0HAi62NR2bWpczjWD5QogQ/s400/IMG_5586.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">It was a fun little project to add a little more personality to his room. </div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-40590263134347134602010-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:002010-12-25T07:00:03.263-08:00Merry Christmas!<div style="text-align: center;">For our first Christmas in our new house, we really wanted to make things special -- particularly with the sad state of affairs we were in last Christmas (three words: one bedroom apartment). We went out the Monday after Thanksgiving to get our tree and the decorating continued from there. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We decorated the mantle and hung our stockings with care</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJv_8MrAnFpPZSRUyJMXRyn34Z6KNW6PO-LvrxNfLnQr1FCzrL7K44SCpI9GKNcmOrgjZx4xCZSp4EgPFE6Rs2ByvvEuxinVZc8WEBmONuScT-dRfwoWZWijnrO6J0j6j3NzwEG5ht7o/s1600/IMG_5494.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJv_8MrAnFpPZSRUyJMXRyn34Z6KNW6PO-LvrxNfLnQr1FCzrL7K44SCpI9GKNcmOrgjZx4xCZSp4EgPFE6Rs2ByvvEuxinVZc8WEBmONuScT-dRfwoWZWijnrO6J0j6j3NzwEG5ht7o/s400/IMG_5494.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">switched out the <a href="http://frostedgingerbread.blogspot.com/2010/11/from-halloween-to-thanksgiving.html">fall decor</a> in the entryway for Christmas decorations </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuUzARQDhZKFRftjH2DUauU_D5UptR9ITdM1oMvXlYNSlivBwXnCV5vqhJsGk71ZqC-U-GvShofxQJl1WBa8SxTYflYBHClq9WJZBGNHvhefdNObSh8fbk3YTc2exyXxyXT3Zu7D_eGw/s1600/IMG_5495.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuUzARQDhZKFRftjH2DUauU_D5UptR9ITdM1oMvXlYNSlivBwXnCV5vqhJsGk71ZqC-U-GvShofxQJl1WBa8SxTYflYBHClq9WJZBGNHvhefdNObSh8fbk3YTc2exyXxyXT3Zu7D_eGw/s400/IMG_5495.JPG" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">including our new advent calendar which Santa has been putting Hershey kisses in each night </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflkIO0Qg66VaUg8oy3KileQxIrdN5EsmnziOQ_ukk3iHLXUGyL0DQ9M1ow4Q6dMTJ-up9-0dI3-Ahlc80g_piFe9_g6wzOq4vWfCUprKosYKk_ke3zM3tvldg9JhuzYwEVTiaGPHGlQk/s1600/IMG_5497.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflkIO0Qg66VaUg8oy3KileQxIrdN5EsmnziOQ_ukk3iHLXUGyL0DQ9M1ow4Q6dMTJ-up9-0dI3-Ahlc80g_piFe9_g6wzOq4vWfCUprKosYKk_ke3zM3tvldg9JhuzYwEVTiaGPHGlQk/s400/IMG_5497.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">a little craft project I did involving a wood plaque, scrapbook paper, and a lot of decoupage glue & sealer</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H2DAZrEVBfHVyzyIEhxPWIuHBgp7bRQHGaVr6OZuTx3zSGAf0G1swx9YGXoD_ovd5RdqADowIi-vBSt-LubIFBTTDmw8dQSILUytpY0Ymi5YShrVVSwYcehI4xBbFXCS2j1orIYCEKs/s1600/IMG_5501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H2DAZrEVBfHVyzyIEhxPWIuHBgp7bRQHGaVr6OZuTx3zSGAf0G1swx9YGXoD_ovd5RdqADowIi-vBSt-LubIFBTTDmw8dQSILUytpY0Ymi5YShrVVSwYcehI4xBbFXCS2j1orIYCEKs/s400/IMG_5501.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">a snow globe I gave my husband the first Christmas we were together</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPeu35xjr0TPgrH8fajoMw1ks3iI0XV9vn6K8eeeMIwSekOK0Wu41V6WVcqkgSG7xBcYXnyMkv9QqhSyzLL0SCe6M5O-fKwkhL6Re055ZzIGJQgqEHcTCh-ymIJqFcvgJ2DJnGObbbgw/s1600/IMG_5502.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPeu35xjr0TPgrH8fajoMw1ks3iI0XV9vn6K8eeeMIwSekOK0Wu41V6WVcqkgSG7xBcYXnyMkv9QqhSyzLL0SCe6M5O-fKwkhL6Re055ZzIGJQgqEHcTCh-ymIJqFcvgJ2DJnGObbbgw/s400/IMG_5502.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">our giant tree that my camera fails to do justice for</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKgHEWfcGASJEyt1l0DsZYIlYzscayAlHvR0c3Gb2fbsT0sw60-zxymAgV6NbJRSWHbAUtxYiKx-4L3gerx0cjidS8hpONHYInWROA_0w_Q4BvHtUa9Uvdv62dCVz2JIOUXZiF_2l80Q/s1600/IMG_5500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKgHEWfcGASJEyt1l0DsZYIlYzscayAlHvR0c3Gb2fbsT0sw60-zxymAgV6NbJRSWHbAUtxYiKx-4L3gerx0cjidS8hpONHYInWROA_0w_Q4BvHtUa9Uvdv62dCVz2JIOUXZiF_2l80Q/s400/IMG_5500.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and some of our favorite ornaments: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8W3ynnbThaZ1NrjtUxmce1APw36X-J5KlEeh4RWwQWUdCiX9yg854pLDtsKMKNBGNWC4VzBoRllA0cFO0khaSe0moRBAF8QbbriFOX3dzUna3OeH9ahyq4lgIrBozIb6kE0HX94SYfU8/s1600/IMG_5504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8W3ynnbThaZ1NrjtUxmce1APw36X-J5KlEeh4RWwQWUdCiX9yg854pLDtsKMKNBGNWC4VzBoRllA0cFO0khaSe0moRBAF8QbbriFOX3dzUna3OeH9ahyq4lgIrBozIb6kE0HX94SYfU8/s400/IMG_5504.JPG" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">a picture from our wedding </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR971MqDymcb64UK8CeM9r8CMIhW7qgcgEb67J-h8Ox2lYd7vkUjC2OQrG90sCpMRnC5DsEmqjSG1JBm77r1G_nyBj-NEmoY2K-hup1dpzFnxsBlSckd5xYnEuE4rJgVtUJMudfcj3ans/s1600/IMG_5503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR971MqDymcb64UK8CeM9r8CMIhW7qgcgEb67J-h8Ox2lYd7vkUjC2OQrG90sCpMRnC5DsEmqjSG1JBm77r1G_nyBj-NEmoY2K-hup1dpzFnxsBlSckd5xYnEuE4rJgVtUJMudfcj3ans/s400/IMG_5503.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> a new ornament from Shore Acres (one of our favorite places to visit on the coast)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAbPnY6a8WSL7m_q_LhiG6Yd2YcJBPjLVV5JLzrwOO7M1HysxmSe6FtB2NoEw0CdjuXYhK2rcI4U7O7WgIL8HYGU_SG0q9VhSeeULouzmUryRvoCZvjnhOTCR0bQzErC704YqMAFyir0/s1600/IMG_5507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAbPnY6a8WSL7m_q_LhiG6Yd2YcJBPjLVV5JLzrwOO7M1HysxmSe6FtB2NoEw0CdjuXYhK2rcI4U7O7WgIL8HYGU_SG0q9VhSeeULouzmUryRvoCZvjnhOTCR0bQzErC704YqMAFyir0/s400/IMG_5507.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> some random pictures my son and I thought were fun to stick in the tree</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NHla6941idCsPl1389Ub7NpPbDtxZ2tElFXCEQwWjrqhIlvgUhb_jlwHpIVJRJFXftS3y9zDAdy8EB3NK-u1FNhl_db7ZUSllTSOjid0YBe3OnOpgM3fKpTJPjC21LWGIAycW-KP6qw/s1600/IMG_5511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NHla6941idCsPl1389Ub7NpPbDtxZ2tElFXCEQwWjrqhIlvgUhb_jlwHpIVJRJFXftS3y9zDAdy8EB3NK-u1FNhl_db7ZUSllTSOjid0YBe3OnOpgM3fKpTJPjC21LWGIAycW-KP6qw/s400/IMG_5511.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and of course -- Santa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and this is the tree we put up in our son's room </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1SGvALsWyRWkPf9v6YrCc4uwE756GLZx9Lposhg60iGo_4lT22CesbUYzh8lBeRQaswoj3qXCezfcx7kGZIvunkxx4OmxBxCrZup3Inz_JLE4U7pW20Yg-hgAQ9cf8OgyJ3i-tB9H9M/s1600/IMG_5512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1SGvALsWyRWkPf9v6YrCc4uwE756GLZx9Lposhg60iGo_4lT22CesbUYzh8lBeRQaswoj3qXCezfcx7kGZIvunkxx4OmxBxCrZup3Inz_JLE4U7pW20Yg-hgAQ9cf8OgyJ3i-tB9H9M/s400/IMG_5512.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> He started asking to have his own tree before Thanksgiving. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How could we say no? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Merry Christmas!</div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-81679535937601837392010-12-21T08:00:00.000-08:002010-12-21T08:00:04.243-08:00The New Dining Set<div style="text-align: justify;">You may or may not remember <a href="http://frostedgingerbread.blogspot.com/2010/08/lukes-dining-set.html">this post</a> about reupholstering the old dining set shortly before giving it away. Well, it wasn't too long before I got to work on the new dining set. We found a nice table at Fred Meyer -- a size and style we both like. And then my husband found a dining set (aka set of chairs and a table that's now still sitting out on the back patio) at a garage sale. $35. Not bad. So here's a little play by play on who I got it all to match. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The before... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEgMysXF0_owiWVg5aVatrugMz-7huQtUUSfkwkasMbc6kUx5wgGhLVGVL_ZzvKf2FOSl5fA6Xd9hUFEDfJN70Jtnxx4_xCEcDxIKX1bSkqVkcet64PYw-8QCAnXDZEizuMVXxuqelAA/s1600/IMG_4789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEgMysXF0_owiWVg5aVatrugMz-7huQtUUSfkwkasMbc6kUx5wgGhLVGVL_ZzvKf2FOSl5fA6Xd9hUFEDfJN70Jtnxx4_xCEcDxIKX1bSkqVkcet64PYw-8QCAnXDZEizuMVXxuqelAA/s400/IMG_4789.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> ahhh... back when the weather was nice enough to paint on the back patio instead of my dining room</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvi8Wv1xQutk9fjANgj4UJjNd1Xa0d8w1ddlQOaiHFdRd593ihlbaVU3yh3udPkvJBgCMhuWqnexZ1YQEsOKCk-H3DgvrgUtnrNJS1GEbtyhDQExjHq4v_rRyvRnmtepDPo4OcwyFzrBM/s1600/IMG_5022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvi8Wv1xQutk9fjANgj4UJjNd1Xa0d8w1ddlQOaiHFdRd593ihlbaVU3yh3udPkvJBgCMhuWqnexZ1YQEsOKCk-H3DgvrgUtnrNJS1GEbtyhDQExjHq4v_rRyvRnmtepDPo4OcwyFzrBM/s400/IMG_5022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_9jEs-xHKFUXmb07RaiFzZ51UpTFyXMD28mx0QvSye6O9wthXSTZQnBFDJSyReHnCnW9CJ_tgrJJSuW8Y8f5m8Qt6OgJiE4seFy26d4wHjVEm-XxuTRFdvJkMHw9DF-QPxnjNo6Dmak/s1600/IMG_5023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_9jEs-xHKFUXmb07RaiFzZ51UpTFyXMD28mx0QvSye6O9wthXSTZQnBFDJSyReHnCnW9CJ_tgrJJSuW8Y8f5m8Qt6OgJiE4seFy26d4wHjVEm-XxuTRFdvJkMHw9DF-QPxnjNo6Dmak/s400/IMG_5023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I used a high gloss black spray paint by Krylon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTrbtLV0xRxmLMCNc3De7p6TSigINRtNrLSpKgLjcnO5TwIauCCiFlxBRuAn0e69KDRDBEc-LJ93mA-Otx7yMs3oVdGe1pH93UktzGBP1siqs37yoou_YW6KTv9u0e1iObAnAxwuOJ00/s1600/IMG_5024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTrbtLV0xRxmLMCNc3De7p6TSigINRtNrLSpKgLjcnO5TwIauCCiFlxBRuAn0e69KDRDBEc-LJ93mA-Otx7yMs3oVdGe1pH93UktzGBP1siqs37yoou_YW6KTv9u0e1iObAnAxwuOJ00/s400/IMG_5024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Because the original cushions felt NON-EXISTENT, I bought some high density foam at Joann's, which unfortunately weren't quite the right size (but when is anything I ever use for reupholstering the right size?)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR71Tt4t-59astBFytc3oppk9hgMezAtVsjsOnPaTx6p1X8uzt2QN9L3jaILzUiot4PLBuiBgBkDFP6hIMQWUUD-sUnZUnOL_97hjRxv8-YEsoxOxriLsOAnSd6n-Tt34im7ugkTywhys/s1600/IMG_5034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR71Tt4t-59astBFytc3oppk9hgMezAtVsjsOnPaTx6p1X8uzt2QN9L3jaILzUiot4PLBuiBgBkDFP6hIMQWUUD-sUnZUnOL_97hjRxv8-YEsoxOxriLsOAnSd6n-Tt34im7ugkTywhys/s400/IMG_5034.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> a little cut-to-fit and some spray adhesive...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gPoJsFzRPLKgUFu-CG4T0ORHExEa0BzTqlvcLXH_Mbtjf4ms1fFCq5dBJydfCTfOnDsXfCs_uhO1wILbg8MBbcR7F_GpAr2AJgSxI_Z_fvpnElliXl6ZaX_oVimt9QzHrTJn42ICjnQ/s1600/IMG_5036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gPoJsFzRPLKgUFu-CG4T0ORHExEa0BzTqlvcLXH_Mbtjf4ms1fFCq5dBJydfCTfOnDsXfCs_uhO1wILbg8MBbcR7F_GpAr2AJgSxI_Z_fvpnElliXl6ZaX_oVimt9QzHrTJn42ICjnQ/s400/IMG_5036.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> then I followed the same steps as last time (staple opposite sides, pulling very tight, then stapling remaining sides, folding the corners like a present)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu84jBhnKFSYGL5tEAX4jg9ouBfekX8AZuHJ_paV429m3f7Np-yTJxSjH9YE22I-nBHY6l0NLpGXmPASylNXeDCLTBYNs3OWQJfqrM5iq9xKkD0jUZM8LPiJZd3enjtif22UklIixx-mE/s1600/IMG_5038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu84jBhnKFSYGL5tEAX4jg9ouBfekX8AZuHJ_paV429m3f7Np-yTJxSjH9YE22I-nBHY6l0NLpGXmPASylNXeDCLTBYNs3OWQJfqrM5iq9xKkD0jUZM8LPiJZd3enjtif22UklIixx-mE/s400/IMG_5038.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> a close up of the upholstery fabric I got for 50% off at Joann's</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWI0fN6ao36p4Dej_9yAHTkKLaScI64wPBOtb-32y0uxTtoBIuEpgZbQlRCcK7OiFavIftTaNqJ6V6dH8mU2zPfFq73wPgCY-wRcjfgVJGV1pEsu1R7ujPJaf5T1AA9mOS6OqX81xMQo/s1600/IMG_5040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWI0fN6ao36p4Dej_9yAHTkKLaScI64wPBOtb-32y0uxTtoBIuEpgZbQlRCcK7OiFavIftTaNqJ6V6dH8mU2zPfFq73wPgCY-wRcjfgVJGV1pEsu1R7ujPJaf5T1AA9mOS6OqX81xMQo/s400/IMG_5040.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> a few of the chairs have seen better days, so before even painting them, I flipped them over and pounded the joints back together -- but not before applying a little wood glue to keep it all together</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcueYswmutLHayvOXTtne_FTJJlnOaFJrrInOyCvTwCK8YeCa7I1stswCU_TmE-DY7YxCSbh3MWwyoZuUkKr8ic1H2YxDW2-laucFgOa65JE2-x_PHjn3HU_C0qXG0Ny5m5GxlPkU5C0/s1600/IMG_5044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcueYswmutLHayvOXTtne_FTJJlnOaFJrrInOyCvTwCK8YeCa7I1stswCU_TmE-DY7YxCSbh3MWwyoZuUkKr8ic1H2YxDW2-laucFgOa65JE2-x_PHjn3HU_C0qXG0Ny5m5GxlPkU5C0/s400/IMG_5044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Unfortunately, some chairs were a little worse off than the others... this one is still sitting off to the side of the dining room waiting to be fixed... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LaSRIWYHLleW7oXsz_j2DRYww4dnqMmqlcuTihyphenhyphenJFUzXZXo2n4V26RgNLp3gth5hlyvW7xKViOI7I_m_UtjtrHzcub5HyDQXqBHv3aSxL-VsgIrQBd_FL1RdqNbRA5BfcleVrVTDN00/s1600/IMG_5042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LaSRIWYHLleW7oXsz_j2DRYww4dnqMmqlcuTihyphenhyphenJFUzXZXo2n4V26RgNLp3gth5hlyvW7xKViOI7I_m_UtjtrHzcub5HyDQXqBHv3aSxL-VsgIrQBd_FL1RdqNbRA5BfcleVrVTDN00/s400/IMG_5042.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> the new replacement dowel is sitting in the dining room as we speak... just like it has been for the past month... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzY2ga_ayupU0n_F5eT1dnIldMMLMB23bBNnwOMZOGrw27PlmyFFy9wF1kMYZTW5IbxgUPPaf9NJvYRpKZo4qZJB47HPu4uB3Q_k7dCwIkTw6N7QkWfdOR5Z79MsdhhQYZrO9PT7OELv0/s1600/IMG_5045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzY2ga_ayupU0n_F5eT1dnIldMMLMB23bBNnwOMZOGrw27PlmyFFy9wF1kMYZTW5IbxgUPPaf9NJvYRpKZo4qZJB47HPu4uB3Q_k7dCwIkTw6N7QkWfdOR5Z79MsdhhQYZrO9PT7OELv0/s400/IMG_5045.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> and a quick side-by-side comparison of the old and new cushions:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3HYAPwWz3hOb2QHeVPSUEsaRLyYoU9UTNSW7a5GrMSSYub1ABAwORjEzG0I9Kl2GHQRdmmkje9uPNdTL34V-imt1ANg-g3F1cM0ay3IFVbkNTfrT6xLZCTGS6x8jYgA2MnA5isF41Sc/s1600/IMG_5047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3HYAPwWz3hOb2QHeVPSUEsaRLyYoU9UTNSW7a5GrMSSYub1ABAwORjEzG0I9Kl2GHQRdmmkje9uPNdTL34V-imt1ANg-g3F1cM0ay3IFVbkNTfrT6xLZCTGS6x8jYgA2MnA5isF41Sc/s400/IMG_5047.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Of course, before reassembling the chairs, I made sure to do two nice, even coats of scotch guard on the chairs... because we're normal people and eat food while sitting on them and sometimes food spills. Especially for the two year old among us. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9qut4Xql7D9-vml944xh7d5BKk5nS2iwfLk3qGAeEsUhNml-9bIX6dW_W9pzsUXtpq6DfbFaWRqmeLq_vUXKgiQ9aFMTFI0X68X_qRe_EUBd4ILXFr-wxJBNcDofHLHooPQEkIJeS7g/s1600/IMG_5050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9qut4Xql7D9-vml944xh7d5BKk5nS2iwfLk3qGAeEsUhNml-9bIX6dW_W9pzsUXtpq6DfbFaWRqmeLq_vUXKgiQ9aFMTFI0X68X_qRe_EUBd4ILXFr-wxJBNcDofHLHooPQEkIJeS7g/s400/IMG_5050.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Voila! The finished product at last! Sort of.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ux_Y8fSHUZaHlcvqzw3Pb4UKuyuU2C34-KtncRq3evhOxBLceI2CoJKyco1kGY9hFfmbUmqbdMgqIfdoViyvX3ZDoYy01O6UZxIoqy7j__jgS8wixSiwKxBZM9Rsqo_f564Bu23RXR4/s1600/IMG_5346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ux_Y8fSHUZaHlcvqzw3Pb4UKuyuU2C34-KtncRq3evhOxBLceI2CoJKyco1kGY9hFfmbUmqbdMgqIfdoViyvX3ZDoYy01O6UZxIoqy7j__jgS8wixSiwKxBZM9Rsqo_f564Bu23RXR4/s400/IMG_5346.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjve7cdCDSr72QgjB6YMJOpY_gWYzTZ3O34jAoQRCjZjt8y8IJ57v3oAAy5m4QP9LEdVYG1CpCm1luTwiPYK9FI4IygSf8qpJGmx2hcX9uC6N0Zlk7c_1pF-ac9AG8OKygiIvozTwOegOs/s1600/IMG_5348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjve7cdCDSr72QgjB6YMJOpY_gWYzTZ3O34jAoQRCjZjt8y8IJ57v3oAAy5m4QP9LEdVYG1CpCm1luTwiPYK9FI4IygSf8qpJGmx2hcX9uC6N0Zlk7c_1pF-ac9AG8OKygiIvozTwOegOs/s400/IMG_5348.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Like I said, there's still one chair that still needs repaired, and then there's this great upholstered bench we have our eyes on at a shop downtown... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-37988343191562375302010-12-16T10:57:00.000-08:002010-12-16T10:57:29.470-08:00Bonus Room Update<div style="text-align: center;">The wall repair was actually finished quite a few weeks ago, but I've been keeping so busy I haven't been able to post about anything, so here's a little update: </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxib8HtWGPlm4EgZlZkIJjS5RQjZheUqFfYXDoUIuFCPYkQPbwe7gs62PzM8ZWa04RHN2ND-m4QkNAFMO6v2DSE5x1cPs5est4YlSr5rkgne5JGpxmYxfNbDXVIPlFJuqCELBPjEPZxg/s1600/IMG_5138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxib8HtWGPlm4EgZlZkIJjS5RQjZheUqFfYXDoUIuFCPYkQPbwe7gs62PzM8ZWa04RHN2ND-m4QkNAFMO6v2DSE5x1cPs5est4YlSr5rkgne5JGpxmYxfNbDXVIPlFJuqCELBPjEPZxg/s400/IMG_5138.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBx0yjvbvGR5MNobcufxZ16DsL1NM8mz0h5g25z_l53Ha6_PSiYUvVmvOe-1zfUf8DpiGtAiCo4OfNe5Ck9bRaVGq6ggtKpG1z-KlOWkFLzB4zjFylkHmARYAiQNqfRCKY2UHK09ndLo/s1600/IMG_5139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBx0yjvbvGR5MNobcufxZ16DsL1NM8mz0h5g25z_l53Ha6_PSiYUvVmvOe-1zfUf8DpiGtAiCo4OfNe5Ck9bRaVGq6ggtKpG1z-KlOWkFLzB4zjFylkHmARYAiQNqfRCKY2UHK09ndLo/s400/IMG_5139.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DdWOpynj24yKCBz4b_mbwifUsKfWYfG8RSLDIa1C1AuC6GycXWC-d1IxutVv7azOCsSCaLEYeZYck3juxPqT1QwVcYq8LpMlJ3C_w_OLMrqCoHS8fGzDyHmmlPnOY-uHdZ6A8_cp3sY/s1600/IMG_5143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DdWOpynj24yKCBz4b_mbwifUsKfWYfG8RSLDIa1C1AuC6GycXWC-d1IxutVv7azOCsSCaLEYeZYck3juxPqT1QwVcYq8LpMlJ3C_w_OLMrqCoHS8fGzDyHmmlPnOY-uHdZ6A8_cp3sY/s400/IMG_5143.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjog9i8izp4dVYeRvSjPv5Nn7V-i6IUoX5SfSHo2DIXcSbw4qwCuMGREqX6n6vhQas5YTgRDPYYj2Yeb37vcqfAzkKbnmHGcgJ0q30lYpEq-0eGaI3Po95k1eRxcN-hPAYxpNb2NuPoK6Q/s1600/IMG_5145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjog9i8izp4dVYeRvSjPv5Nn7V-i6IUoX5SfSHo2DIXcSbw4qwCuMGREqX6n6vhQas5YTgRDPYYj2Yeb37vcqfAzkKbnmHGcgJ0q30lYpEq-0eGaI3Po95k1eRxcN-hPAYxpNb2NuPoK6Q/s400/IMG_5145.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> We (and by "we" I mean my husband) even finished repainting the entire room recently. I'll put up some pictures when he has it set up the way he'd like, but in the meantime, here's our inspiration photo: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7USw4mfsYXyxmjxLTvilxuzJKbqCumDrCqpsrWkTwRoAzVbQH8mDeOjDN_b3WUtRoSNZT9_Bbm1_4GHPiKes_pbVfLWDEMlbKD8XZJoYP7gx6V8q7whPFohG-Jy3Q6vZ60BIoRHIyPE/s1600/IMG_5146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7USw4mfsYXyxmjxLTvilxuzJKbqCumDrCqpsrWkTwRoAzVbQH8mDeOjDN_b3WUtRoSNZT9_Bbm1_4GHPiKes_pbVfLWDEMlbKD8XZJoYP7gx6V8q7whPFohG-Jy3Q6vZ60BIoRHIyPE/s400/IMG_5146.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> and a picture of the swatches I didn't bother to color correct to actually look anything like the actual colors: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-68CZiYAM6X4-7IDMHHA2qaxvaI_YtXdwGqtBw00oj1T_AoDkhi1ji0CQ1ywsa5QUDD-RlrBH2UFXpx5ao_Ujj_0RMjFR8KTAN-Zj4OGw7X985v8eXw2o-jOxnZcxGC2Zm0MZNDJDWrk/s1600/IMG_5150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-68CZiYAM6X4-7IDMHHA2qaxvaI_YtXdwGqtBw00oj1T_AoDkhi1ji0CQ1ywsa5QUDD-RlrBH2UFXpx5ao_Ujj_0RMjFR8KTAN-Zj4OGw7X985v8eXw2o-jOxnZcxGC2Zm0MZNDJDWrk/s400/IMG_5150.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We used the new VOC-free paint by Olympic, color matched to these three colors by Behr. Almost Famous is the main color in the room, Fretwire is the ceiling and accent wall color, and Back Stage is what we used for all the trim and woodwork. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">and a little video of my son helping out </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dza0KPD1XePXR-LM_ERW4rblg_UZhLMajtTopmrO9-ttZ6-_FoXsH80ei92ydmYqbMvInH367OOgO2aCtZdtQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-30970393957422529922010-11-12T08:00:00.000-08:002010-11-12T08:00:00.197-08:00From Halloween to Thanksgiving<div style="text-align: justify;">You might remember <a href="http://frostedgingerbread.blogspot.com/2010/10/hillside-thanksgiving-wreath.html">this post</a> a few weeks ago where I shared about my little Halloween vignette in the living room.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSaloes_QVtwu1ZlqypBl4sAZXeWsNgTqbBgJ7vs7KyTSLqCyymQwQmBfdU1r2AizGMeqlJ4KvrxTX0cti5VfCdIRZvwoYnAYVZDvPpj-VOks38HGyNl64WJr54MikP5A_hYtCK-NP78/s1600/IMG_5133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSaloes_QVtwu1ZlqypBl4sAZXeWsNgTqbBgJ7vs7KyTSLqCyymQwQmBfdU1r2AizGMeqlJ4KvrxTX0cti5VfCdIRZvwoYnAYVZDvPpj-VOks38HGyNl64WJr54MikP5A_hYtCK-NP78/s400/IMG_5133.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The day after Halloween, it was time to transition to some simple fall decorations. </div><div style="text-align: center;">We went to Wal-Mart where we spent $5 on these two sets of flowers and leaves. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqah2kW59iYj4s2EDpGMi2sSrt4EFbtjVF5MqDbecNxq1dqBmj0dVSl272Yte7dcMW6-L8O3N3F8byadf8i3vMm480Z9S-xL_teZFPE-yDg794Pc_bAcePzT1IHkW9YBdxtfd0BHL3YbI/s1600/IMG_5233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqah2kW59iYj4s2EDpGMi2sSrt4EFbtjVF5MqDbecNxq1dqBmj0dVSl272Yte7dcMW6-L8O3N3F8byadf8i3vMm480Z9S-xL_teZFPE-yDg794Pc_bAcePzT1IHkW9YBdxtfd0BHL3YbI/s400/IMG_5233.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Add to that same vase I had out for Halloween a little cord and fabric that I've had for about 10 years... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUVZ2SDWi2Fq-ID9JpuRSH2fMIUICJYfF6nrUKKDGxml40OeKk35oZN8uGBUIjbIuUhHf_21R0AIAmMru1Sz9CxR3zOs-ZFt2gDTs73wDVRU6F09ep9buG1rH__4NLZTkiXwPEAxKwvw/s1600/IMG_5239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUVZ2SDWi2Fq-ID9JpuRSH2fMIUICJYfF6nrUKKDGxml40OeKk35oZN8uGBUIjbIuUhHf_21R0AIAmMru1Sz9CxR3zOs-ZFt2gDTs73wDVRU6F09ep9buG1rH__4NLZTkiXwPEAxKwvw/s400/IMG_5239.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIQXKHxymdR3tVMJG7-nXZLwq6Vtn1TJ7DUKU9ZWEw_aWqHgeYpq8k-T2mNSxxp3laqe9LNRYam3m3HBShbuC9KKszh375zopHhyphenhyphenrWbvNCizPJWrubIVH_r08I8tF3MJnuxyMXSvbUj0/s1600/IMG_5240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIQXKHxymdR3tVMJG7-nXZLwq6Vtn1TJ7DUKU9ZWEw_aWqHgeYpq8k-T2mNSxxp3laqe9LNRYam3m3HBShbuC9KKszh375zopHhyphenhyphenrWbvNCizPJWrubIVH_r08I8tF3MJnuxyMXSvbUj0/s400/IMG_5240.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Then I stripped all the remaining leaves and hot glued them to some more cord to wrap around some white Christmas lights. And voila! My Halloween vignette is now my Thanksgiving vignette. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkw3wULXjk6W5CjckNbpWWSwAeOntiy0NKBjLqxPInWAl8hfIEckjxQ4wzNYgwR8OqcR1_u4Qwu1zK7COP9vKEg9lKA5DymWDJc3slixaPITwYVF_V7M8wgBwLLe6g9twG3LEUOjQrw4/s1600/IMG_5235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkw3wULXjk6W5CjckNbpWWSwAeOntiy0NKBjLqxPInWAl8hfIEckjxQ4wzNYgwR8OqcR1_u4Qwu1zK7COP9vKEg9lKA5DymWDJc3slixaPITwYVF_V7M8wgBwLLe6g9twG3LEUOjQrw4/s400/IMG_5235.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQDACw80Z_j4kmOPaBaSK6PYDlFUp_drv1VJUsS32a68v0q8LWYzUAFPuBfOp25yW7A3198lA2Gdjwt3DUU9rJTwejOuDy6Qm7GbVWaFFXZpmg5TjgzihwCG7ur1sh6Yg6lCtD0txyKA/s1600/IMG_5238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQDACw80Z_j4kmOPaBaSK6PYDlFUp_drv1VJUsS32a68v0q8LWYzUAFPuBfOp25yW7A3198lA2Gdjwt3DUU9rJTwejOuDy6Qm7GbVWaFFXZpmg5TjgzihwCG7ur1sh6Yg6lCtD0txyKA/s400/IMG_5238.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> It's the small things that keep me going... :o)</div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-29903433716140495852010-11-05T08:00:00.000-07:002010-11-05T13:56:04.346-07:00The Storage Shed, at last<div style="text-align: center;">We've always known we would need to create more storage for this house. For a long time, we planned on converting our carport into a garage. After much thought and deliberation, we realized it would be a lot of work for not enough storage space. So we moved on to plan B. A storage shed. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">With an existing cement pad in the backyard, we already had an ideal place for the shed... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2KJ3LuZSQjYzwrCBi_RD1Os6Rom0QXyS9aDLLQcu2avomeBirYbuvVgmuK0_eoa4NzTS7Qj302GxvF_jZT47-o9fXtjSs74DogBCHPcfVs4h3wJ4hLq9qrqXRpC9aHH3Sv67HmULKp4/s1600/concrete-pad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2KJ3LuZSQjYzwrCBi_RD1Os6Rom0QXyS9aDLLQcu2avomeBirYbuvVgmuK0_eoa4NzTS7Qj302GxvF_jZT47-o9fXtjSs74DogBCHPcfVs4h3wJ4hLq9qrqXRpC9aHH3Sv67HmULKp4/s400/concrete-pad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Peter drew up a rough sketch... but then after talking to my dad and his, we realized that a shed as nice as we were wanting to build was a little out of our budget. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjXGFBvkgobJ9szJARfFu639whjI5RW2Qed1ajPtFEv0wqZMRd0CWwPT5Ed5fP5URq9eIih7WN9YJsUP7kW4QgjK6e6svZCU9ygs442YVYZD9y8W-tqMWgcwqagCf24IKGlPICMgP1zw/s1600/design_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjXGFBvkgobJ9szJARfFu639whjI5RW2Qed1ajPtFEv0wqZMRd0CWwPT5Ed5fP5URq9eIih7WN9YJsUP7kW4QgjK6e6svZCU9ygs442YVYZD9y8W-tqMWgcwqagCf24IKGlPICMgP1zw/s400/design_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">So instead, we opted for a large metal shed that comes in this little box. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdTnVg19qnsEujOMMGeFgXr91mAwLlyisH6xptGXkUy5Y4b6MaYaSmgh5jaNDV0Wm-mSOOFWmS2a7E5jvrA8nn-n0tveE2teZ9g8BmZISH4AUM0N_iEPwXbTJ7De4SHAXBmE_uQifL9I/s1600/IMG_5026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdTnVg19qnsEujOMMGeFgXr91mAwLlyisH6xptGXkUy5Y4b6MaYaSmgh5jaNDV0Wm-mSOOFWmS2a7E5jvrA8nn-n0tveE2teZ9g8BmZISH4AUM0N_iEPwXbTJ7De4SHAXBmE_uQifL9I/s400/IMG_5026.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fortunately, we'd already started putting the shed together by the time the whole plumbing fiasco happened out in the bonus room. Dealing with this huge mess definitely motivated us to get finished with the shed a little quicker, though. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2Dv-xWKyjOUefihlmSk3fR73NUu9Hun4lYIGdHTBhbIEaQQStQDw0J4S4J79LFPcWu6jtlqFvUKDrUvkZH7WVpcd6A_9pyIqffbG48aIEolo4r20Eev6O5DiD_LYi_2QKzq8F01UhhI/s1600/IMG_5070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2Dv-xWKyjOUefihlmSk3fR73NUu9Hun4lYIGdHTBhbIEaQQStQDw0J4S4J79LFPcWu6jtlqFvUKDrUvkZH7WVpcd6A_9pyIqffbG48aIEolo4r20Eev6O5DiD_LYi_2QKzq8F01UhhI/s400/IMG_5070.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> the men, prepping the ground for the shed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUc7dC8tvWhApUuJ1E01di23T2pZIQC7rDrgMYPRdHyJ-CPIN2LRU7dydBYP00GLmoNc8EZrHj9o9qhva9SJuS2-kdSJOkxAf1lhXnCM-V9PrMBo_DY5MJsBezruxFw5mZNJ6EwouTHE/s1600/IMG_5029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUc7dC8tvWhApUuJ1E01di23T2pZIQC7rDrgMYPRdHyJ-CPIN2LRU7dydBYP00GLmoNc8EZrHj9o9qhva9SJuS2-kdSJOkxAf1lhXnCM-V9PrMBo_DY5MJsBezruxFw5mZNJ6EwouTHE/s400/IMG_5029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VeuAckOdNzzyQPsLmqONrcUh-TXWIzbRoy53qlxtvhmRCNgnmdn2rHU4wMHXnZNmKSAzWZF4aLGrS6g6wEGG5n1pBe-VL3wqsGX740GWGxtvzfVI-LymgGfZxVPsVRmyyPKBEsURfIs/s1600/IMG_5033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VeuAckOdNzzyQPsLmqONrcUh-TXWIzbRoy53qlxtvhmRCNgnmdn2rHU4wMHXnZNmKSAzWZF4aLGrS6g6wEGG5n1pBe-VL3wqsGX740GWGxtvzfVI-LymgGfZxVPsVRmyyPKBEsURfIs/s400/IMG_5033.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> Once the shed was built, it was time to measure and cut the plywood for the floor. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzjc0sEYAnXhX8KP5GP1hOzwxUTboWhyphenhyphenDfLdBiW5_mzAaDEW4nk0HC5lBVZAPEiGQi9Yo5hG2YiS-q87z5cakTs8LOEMzyB55_K-fsn9B0jqJW71s6bjuteouAvLtt96NlEHXp7Yz6gI/s1600/IMG_5111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzjc0sEYAnXhX8KP5GP1hOzwxUTboWhyphenhyphenDfLdBiW5_mzAaDEW4nk0HC5lBVZAPEiGQi9Yo5hG2YiS-q87z5cakTs8LOEMzyB55_K-fsn9B0jqJW71s6bjuteouAvLtt96NlEHXp7Yz6gI/s400/IMG_5111.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Once again, we were fortunate to have a very experienced foremen heading up the project.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qMs_FVSRufKLR0Aoxu6QiFmoDn0_fRWSXWJd3d1uCY8NSvSf_NriPGsvvUz4u1zF2fB7ALlzLzwPHyIaLPDuXzPY9T4PESWAcLqt3MHCyKD6nBBarvspfhQDbsI_f9zTjQSKAebk7T4/s1600/IMG_5115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qMs_FVSRufKLR0Aoxu6QiFmoDn0_fRWSXWJd3d1uCY8NSvSf_NriPGsvvUz4u1zF2fB7ALlzLzwPHyIaLPDuXzPY9T4PESWAcLqt3MHCyKD6nBBarvspfhQDbsI_f9zTjQSKAebk7T4/s400/IMG_5115.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhoRZxG8x83-IkTc22J1dSD3Lau3SzJSEtqfC9T36hY8t3KqTKKXEo8hWmsD36YoEGJgH7HWoukrAylgkPQ67baTR8uROPZln9hcm0VVIs3JPEWURobMcF6cfD8jzq_qzlY9hloTRuxWE/s1600/IMG_5119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhoRZxG8x83-IkTc22J1dSD3Lau3SzJSEtqfC9T36hY8t3KqTKKXEo8hWmsD36YoEGJgH7HWoukrAylgkPQ67baTR8uROPZln9hcm0VVIs3JPEWURobMcF6cfD8jzq_qzlY9hloTRuxWE/s400/IMG_5119.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">And with everything all said and done, we now have a very nice sized storage shed that fits all the things that were crowding our bonus room and back patio. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3TsSDfcgSAn40T0ksS77hJkED05jf4H48ybOSuVr5twGojL3WGEew3hPlQFWWO95fqemW3I-e78kGNucZCUZ0WLaBc37Yqq66KZjLr9IAB-_LL9prfZcNXsNpDyFlnPF0NnVMIUb6CA/s1600/IMG_5124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3TsSDfcgSAn40T0ksS77hJkED05jf4H48ybOSuVr5twGojL3WGEew3hPlQFWWO95fqemW3I-e78kGNucZCUZ0WLaBc37Yqq66KZjLr9IAB-_LL9prfZcNXsNpDyFlnPF0NnVMIUb6CA/s400/IMG_5124.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1aBOu5n-w0FsjSINjTk6rifqwAkqPbjevw_R8iNJ1B2kRpaXfTPO7fvZ7ZvV-LWNFHRzDMgauzMPMxM378FvUNREAgorolxY9ZlB09W1DOQuNTcYIXOWtadHvnyh_3IKlzTFjqvbo30/s1600/IMG_5125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1aBOu5n-w0FsjSINjTk6rifqwAkqPbjevw_R8iNJ1B2kRpaXfTPO7fvZ7ZvV-LWNFHRzDMgauzMPMxM378FvUNREAgorolxY9ZlB09W1DOQuNTcYIXOWtadHvnyh_3IKlzTFjqvbo30/s400/IMG_5125.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-29458689730842399262010-10-15T08:00:00.000-07:002010-10-15T08:26:34.914-07:00Why My Allergies Wouldn't Quit<div style="text-align: justify;">I used to suffer from pretty serious seasonal allergies about twice a year (sometimes more often). All that miraculously stopped once I became pregnant with my son about 3 years ago. And then a few weeks ago, I started getting sick. I thought it was allergies, but I felt so bad I figured it had to be something else. And then I threw out some old, apparently moldy cushions from the dining chairs I've been working on (more on those later) and I started to feel better. But my allergies were definitely still acting up. And then one night while my husband and son were outside mowing the lawn, I walked through the bonus room barefoot and felt... wet carpet. Suddenly it dawned on me why our bonus room had started smelling the way it did before we bought the place aka before we ripped out and replaced the old carpet and padding. The main plumbing for our master bathroom shares an interior wall with the bonus room. That's right -- there was a leaking pipe. We set up fans and opened the doors to 1. air the room out and 2. dry out the carpet. My husband also cut into the wall to check for mold. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The section of drywall that was effected was so wet it pretty much just crumbled in his hands as he was cutting it out. And then, to add insult to injury, when he got that section of drywall out, he found siding. And not just any siding... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrpQDxDrqD1-ATgnSpbSAYQ-Nen7H76KSztUxZxzH8Hwwnt6rFrplV5KanrzEaQAVaENiSUi-oymnzklJCNs7iempgKUul-fNeywh0L3y9E6kwj1ogw7tUx3ixUENt9nWkqrg_X8qAeo/s1600/IMG_5066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrpQDxDrqD1-ATgnSpbSAYQ-Nen7H76KSztUxZxzH8Hwwnt6rFrplV5KanrzEaQAVaENiSUi-oymnzklJCNs7iempgKUul-fNeywh0L3y9E6kwj1ogw7tUx3ixUENt9nWkqrg_X8qAeo/s320/IMG_5066.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> gross, wet, moldy siding.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqDJiF42DFyShOtdv-gnyJO2HYPVmEvrPytkarQzXtFZxpgMECe3-ncqPJ6QgACelHyL4T2ydot_Q2eE3ZP0kS2q2dOV9GXfY_2LBzNW_IaibdvhuHlGpoCvxsn77Xaw9-f2-YfCvKNU/s1600/IMG_5068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqDJiF42DFyShOtdv-gnyJO2HYPVmEvrPytkarQzXtFZxpgMECe3-ncqPJ6QgACelHyL4T2ydot_Q2eE3ZP0kS2q2dOV9GXfY_2LBzNW_IaibdvhuHlGpoCvxsn77Xaw9-f2-YfCvKNU/s320/IMG_5068.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> We've been using this room for storage, but fortunately had just finished putting together our shed (again, something I'll talk more about later), so we had room to start moving everything out. At least enough to actually work on the problem at hand. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PYJgBd3czFF8tl8CdB3zl0Uy4vXyjPCSEGa-pdiJPqHDuC_8XiEAegeixA9mDy2HWm7l3iGGGkUOydM639w42U1UcWJ7-e6quoeUxePjKS1akwfBHtlBzx5EJuA18-25BjYMzKpFJrE/s320/IMG_5069.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">how the bonus room looked the first night after we discovered the leak</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PYJgBd3czFF8tl8CdB3zl0Uy4vXyjPCSEGa-pdiJPqHDuC_8XiEAegeixA9mDy2HWm7l3iGGGkUOydM639w42U1UcWJ7-e6quoeUxePjKS1akwfBHtlBzx5EJuA18-25BjYMzKpFJrE/s1600/IMG_5069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> My poor husband had to crawl under the house about 7 times by himself... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qsYQOytEB-sE7NreOOcMvrDfRf6AhkGztGdmida73UV0gxW5D6c48gYDWVN5GxKMtRwOzQpbMKcSvKDlNnbS51KkAC37tGSHrJ-QcJZ70IbEuLsmGKRQM7Ag5ZBr9RaKX6LGA75qZqs/s1600/IMG_5072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qsYQOytEB-sE7NreOOcMvrDfRf6AhkGztGdmida73UV0gxW5D6c48gYDWVN5GxKMtRwOzQpbMKcSvKDlNnbS51KkAC37tGSHrJ-QcJZ70IbEuLsmGKRQM7Ag5ZBr9RaKX6LGA75qZqs/s320/IMG_5072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The first time he wasn't actually alone... while I was taking these pictures, I noticed the little feet scampering through... </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__-tV4uZwJUQYB6s0T0v71OWBuPi0mgRYR-RMXcqlFZ9iiVQL6-mM_0EmdL29rOLaxQ7OH5un1LcNsJbhNp1zZ64mudp-Q3RjdDKu61RQqCt6SfUEKlg6XBiTIwhYUnF6GD5-rHo53D4/s320/IMG_5073.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiger, exploring the crawl space while he has the opportunity</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__-tV4uZwJUQYB6s0T0v71OWBuPi0mgRYR-RMXcqlFZ9iiVQL6-mM_0EmdL29rOLaxQ7OH5un1LcNsJbhNp1zZ64mudp-Q3RjdDKu61RQqCt6SfUEKlg6XBiTIwhYUnF6GD5-rHo53D4/s1600/IMG_5073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>It took a LOT of coaxing to get that little guy to come back out. I have no idea what he thought was so great about being down there.<br />
<br />
The good news was that the leaking pipe happened to be near a vent out to the carport. So even though Peter would have to crawl from the office all the way to the pipe every time, I could sit outside in the carport ready to hand him whatever tools or towels he needed. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMHflmd_SLk_nAY5ShEbww769gdmIh3P4guSIq9jKhsqwnr6p-7fyb4qiEmiZkJ7pQRRygdnNZHZGMuTOoB87LM4jqNURhjsTr-SW9iQkGRPDKg34gfxuaJxXj9R7sjQt-ZMvlk4SBQw/s320/IMG_5074.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the vent I pried open to access Peter in the crawlspace</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMHflmd_SLk_nAY5ShEbww769gdmIh3P4guSIq9jKhsqwnr6p-7fyb4qiEmiZkJ7pQRRygdnNZHZGMuTOoB87LM4jqNURhjsTr-SW9iQkGRPDKg34gfxuaJxXj9R7sjQt-ZMvlk4SBQw/s1600/IMG_5074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxESC638YxKNcmsCKDmuVpSGBrZPWNltEZ0ZIdv-6gv99jaf6Tpm_H_EDz74sYvXVa33F322icRR8GsZ_0RKXDZTVr6Z4fsiE4k95368SHKhzHzpG9W6k_gF5dxCEs8_pSx36hQfUkFOM/s320/IMG_5077.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter lying on his side, working on the pipe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-OMkD85J3y87cb9Hz8kZTrthITsbNuCGL9QwRuSwZdZfRhiLn_iXbCH0ADcNBku_5aWKY-HFJynRr6FyszW5uZ1vkgRj1t9qapDAG_ytXasxfknA2oJLr9M0r0tud40tzAQ55R1wkXI/s320/IMG_5082.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">prime photo op</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-OMkD85J3y87cb9Hz8kZTrthITsbNuCGL9QwRuSwZdZfRhiLn_iXbCH0ADcNBku_5aWKY-HFJynRr6FyszW5uZ1vkgRj1t9qapDAG_ytXasxfknA2oJLr9M0r0tud40tzAQ55R1wkXI/s1600/IMG_5082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NrCjnM0bRykDrny5OWT8pYmj08mhM7MsoXMRyN17U5NawNwHaSk9YOO6YgF_1zXC1SebuoNEZQ6em5oRuov20nA45fgKirgHmUasm133olojzYNPDFBvwLxmmsp-Z_cEGBqCEvysOSA/s320/IMG_5101.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our little guy passing tools to Peter through the vent</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NrCjnM0bRykDrny5OWT8pYmj08mhM7MsoXMRyN17U5NawNwHaSk9YOO6YgF_1zXC1SebuoNEZQ6em5oRuov20nA45fgKirgHmUasm133olojzYNPDFBvwLxmmsp-Z_cEGBqCEvysOSA/s1600/IMG_5101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In total, we made two trips to Home Depot and had the water shut off for almost a day, but the leak is repaired and we have some new tools (literally and figuratively) for solving leaking pipes in the future. Repairing the wall in the bonus room is still a work in progress and I'll do an update on that when we get to that point. It's a good thing we were already planning on painting that room after we get all our things moved into the shed. </div><br />
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</div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-77426407824797608092010-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:002010-10-12T15:13:35.836-07:00The Hillside Thanksgiving Wreath<div style="text-align: center;">Anyone who's been to our house has probably noticed the lack of decorations in every room except my son's room. And then I entered and won a giveaway at <a href="http://thehillsidehome.blogspot.com/">the Hillside Home</a>. I was super excited to hang it on our front door... and then I did and realized just how ugly our front door is. So I set it on the table in our front entryway, added some little pumpkins Peter picked up at the store a while back. </div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9vJfJCxeBawigMj6BhKX3PVNuGuYQK3SqxdEnCebDZYLRr9AHPVVUSfMTEbXgH5sf9iKTRit43oUe-jMR0J-CYr-tirvw-L5dktVu2XvKfRJAXb_Hvgg7jPybX9sl6TfgKj1LH12KCI/s320/IMG_5091.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used my son's trick-or-treat bag to take up a little negative space while I figured things out</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"> I eventually needed to hang the wreath (which, in reality, looks better anyway) because my cats kept getting on the table and chewing on it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMe_d_NdW466B_IdS6OkMM9rs7F4-Y9M4uCtujxxHVgH6FVN-u9P6CgBnS_Psx_0MP_jXuzuKD9aoWa-fVxkMOeW0S3zi_1Tp2m6tuWPzVnhXCNb-lkfkwHR8CRFvTBHWeLEN5Yq0OsXM/s1600/IMG_5132b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMe_d_NdW466B_IdS6OkMM9rs7F4-Y9M4uCtujxxHVgH6FVN-u9P6CgBnS_Psx_0MP_jXuzuKD9aoWa-fVxkMOeW0S3zi_1Tp2m6tuWPzVnhXCNb-lkfkwHR8CRFvTBHWeLEN5Yq0OsXM/s320/IMG_5132b.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I found a bag of dried... plants? at the dollar store and threw them in a square vase I already owned. Then I added some more dried fruit and another vase which I'll eventually put some fall-ish flowers into. We found this string of Halloween lights while cleaning out the bonus room, so I draped them over the table to turn the whole fall theme into a Halloween theme. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJkq_QhhbcZ99q76Ga0QQrnfnQuF339CR6FFwy-ygj_G6lekm9L7qcYziv_wM0-KHk_BEc4dKMbnvPJJGLDD8PZVY4VALPtibGjOtOQJOaVNZLY1fmMVqJFgKxyguS2qH7BKQRHe_DcU/s1600/IMG_5106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSaloes_QVtwu1ZlqypBl4sAZXeWsNgTqbBgJ7vs7KyTSLqCyymQwQmBfdU1r2AizGMeqlJ4KvrxTX0cti5VfCdIRZvwoYnAYVZDvPpj-VOks38HGyNl64WJr54MikP5A_hYtCK-NP78/s1600/IMG_5133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSaloes_QVtwu1ZlqypBl4sAZXeWsNgTqbBgJ7vs7KyTSLqCyymQwQmBfdU1r2AizGMeqlJ4KvrxTX0cti5VfCdIRZvwoYnAYVZDvPpj-VOks38HGyNl64WJr54MikP5A_hYtCK-NP78/s320/IMG_5133.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEX3sAt5XNOWYK1WQqmzGI9egbaTrgd_lBs85Kcny3RRV_aFN8kF59imwU5X4MyIxzCWH4-Zr8oqqYfpgN5pqMfzztPVzrV_5tcBsSjwf8iw4b352V4Oi5ig_Hthc4lKbWObK1k7yZgg8/s1600/IMG_5131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEX3sAt5XNOWYK1WQqmzGI9egbaTrgd_lBs85Kcny3RRV_aFN8kF59imwU5X4MyIxzCWH4-Zr8oqqYfpgN5pqMfzztPVzrV_5tcBsSjwf8iw4b352V4Oi5ig_Hthc4lKbWObK1k7yZgg8/s320/IMG_5131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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For better pictures of what the actual wreath looks like, you can follow <a href="http://thehillsidehome.blogspot.com/2010/09/grapevine-wreath-for-fall.html">this link</a> which comes complete with how-to instructions.M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-35659915673120589292010-10-08T08:00:00.000-07:002010-10-08T08:00:01.629-07:00Master Bathroom Painted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Painting our bathroom turned out to be a lot more work than I was thinking (and I really don't know what I was thinking.), but I'm pretty sure it was worth it. I love how the green and yellow compliment each other, and how the green plays off the colors in the slate tiles. Seeing how the yellow turned out also gets me excited for painting our bedroom, which will be that same color. Unfortunately, since there is absolutely no natural light in the bathroom, these pictures only give you an general idea of how the colors turned out. </div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXdqoNxRKbVEPoib2y8faxruPKjAqzLFfeHzbCGZOsM9j2Pza4voqYNR70tGU-0PiNcCoKr3C1-nsIdaKefstLUx4glPoyNsGM10Y0KRA5jKPL6d1hYwFvLXBjhK3Ot2HejeLjsyNnAE/s1600/IMG_5059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXdqoNxRKbVEPoib2y8faxruPKjAqzLFfeHzbCGZOsM9j2Pza4voqYNR70tGU-0PiNcCoKr3C1-nsIdaKefstLUx4glPoyNsGM10Y0KRA5jKPL6d1hYwFvLXBjhK3Ot2HejeLjsyNnAE/s400/IMG_5059.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6KSNZDYQxAjh2x9X2XZKNEXM-vXfGiGmpglDMk3iuafP_0mawG26deSdrje-sE8yD5bHbicIQrxIjVqdAAXVkJwIW5yCbCjFsf4dy5zSfihyphenhyphenTltbUCiyigmB9wcF82-17J_7KvPy_kk/s1600/IMG_5065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6KSNZDYQxAjh2x9X2XZKNEXM-vXfGiGmpglDMk3iuafP_0mawG26deSdrje-sE8yD5bHbicIQrxIjVqdAAXVkJwIW5yCbCjFsf4dy5zSfihyphenhyphenTltbUCiyigmB9wcF82-17J_7KvPy_kk/s400/IMG_5065.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBbNuj2_kkhPDTqqQ83rhss8q9VpkE5lpcF7Xf72v0BAi28t3TZg-1o9LnvK1xDzrHXCp2V0fZ0-qXqb9t65cuSlvb8hz7B8lIUrHA8Ur2Yjw89OD8ygKqiTuZNDOtCw6eOn8T1vMTsk/s1600/IMG_5061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBbNuj2_kkhPDTqqQ83rhss8q9VpkE5lpcF7Xf72v0BAi28t3TZg-1o9LnvK1xDzrHXCp2V0fZ0-qXqb9t65cuSlvb8hz7B8lIUrHA8Ur2Yjw89OD8ygKqiTuZNDOtCw6eOn8T1vMTsk/s400/IMG_5061.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-2oXxkgKGRZZ6l54FyTssPW-SnCMsrYgcjvEgZdciM2QPYbXzPKD9nx_ilKnjRvC_hj0mYz-6oempKfYbp0wh09IkN5yunBM-xbvlYt_wRYH43QJF-f0TSS8jrLdTk7OtpG1fx48NyY/s1600/IMG_5062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-2oXxkgKGRZZ6l54FyTssPW-SnCMsrYgcjvEgZdciM2QPYbXzPKD9nx_ilKnjRvC_hj0mYz-6oempKfYbp0wh09IkN5yunBM-xbvlYt_wRYH43QJF-f0TSS8jrLdTk7OtpG1fx48NyY/s400/IMG_5062.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkUnwEli-ky4WuhNfNTBOK8z1RXyCFY0C-nR93g2ijYaQTUxHsZro6kRw8x2q2dsBfmXnj4eDIvsBrUhR5BCh2GRD3zmo6lRLv-NKs43ASIQUdkeqrfZVVG1_WPdzZGym_bhOPjnbep4/s1600/IMG_5063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkUnwEli-ky4WuhNfNTBOK8z1RXyCFY0C-nR93g2ijYaQTUxHsZro6kRw8x2q2dsBfmXnj4eDIvsBrUhR5BCh2GRD3zmo6lRLv-NKs43ASIQUdkeqrfZVVG1_WPdzZGym_bhOPjnbep4/s400/IMG_5063.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4nSoSSOvEIWE7ZYSAe4djmyYMVb74NUMmae2uRp3hhRhnHqCoB2yS1RbxKjpGo_T1Nyd1RyqjkM63stJG8bhW5oBnNRnACrbUzR8N-appaBcF2THHh2VRZjEQro2d_PWqIr9_kxwqZw/s1600/IMG_5064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4nSoSSOvEIWE7ZYSAe4djmyYMVb74NUMmae2uRp3hhRhnHqCoB2yS1RbxKjpGo_T1Nyd1RyqjkM63stJG8bhW5oBnNRnACrbUzR8N-appaBcF2THHh2VRZjEQro2d_PWqIr9_kxwqZw/s400/IMG_5064.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHF-7JddBNRXwqSxh_ka_0FYkuCkJ_kdtWlgDCD8NWDVJbLNViSWd9X6tNwpBARKs75I-3Z9xuEKUFbyyAm4MH0Lsx9RIzv2fsGzAKlESl8AIGzQKaAiINPa-pOafQV8gP3woEdxoMFAg/s1600/IMG_4885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHF-7JddBNRXwqSxh_ka_0FYkuCkJ_kdtWlgDCD8NWDVJbLNViSWd9X6tNwpBARKs75I-3Z9xuEKUFbyyAm4MH0Lsx9RIzv2fsGzAKlESl8AIGzQKaAiINPa-pOafQV8gP3woEdxoMFAg/s320/IMG_4885.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>We still have a lot of little projects left like a new vanity light, new towel bars, and a light above the shower. Overall, I think it's already been a HUGE improvement from where we started. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-2022672420632922352010-10-06T08:00:00.000-07:002011-04-13T22:01:01.514-07:00Using the Breakfast Bar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We've taken a slight detour from our master bath these last two weeks. First, I was sick AND preparing for my first 10k. Then, Luke finally moved into his apartment and we had to part with our 4 only fully functioning (read, safe) dining chairs. So our meals were temporarily moved to the breakfast bar while I painted, picked out fabric, and reupholstered our "new" chairs. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">As you may or may not be able to tell, my son is enjoying being able to see the television while he eats his meals... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsSLjRQ08hye_J3cLIR_6wMgUISzLVx9kfitRgx3U719pgjlQqw3B1ySJ7Z3XEHZB00wxFc4ZmaS-hWK0iTYObnA-TKbAX714QgmcFhqVvAbij8nAZLCZylfWP1pctaM5GDFu5b5LqNk/s1600/IMG_4513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsSLjRQ08hye_J3cLIR_6wMgUISzLVx9kfitRgx3U719pgjlQqw3B1ySJ7Z3XEHZB00wxFc4ZmaS-hWK0iTYObnA-TKbAX714QgmcFhqVvAbij8nAZLCZylfWP1pctaM5GDFu5b5LqNk/s320/IMG_4513.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWxntdRlGES5oP0VG8eJx8R03IZHEqjlgjl2bjaWFVjTJZnx78_plCQ0QHwudLVM6LjZinpVSIuRLtbquhlbosbOvnRvwPPWMqiYxULTpqp3ERrM1E7JbUMGQm24WJ216wS9ZKV0TL4g/s1600/IMG_4516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWxntdRlGES5oP0VG8eJx8R03IZHEqjlgjl2bjaWFVjTJZnx78_plCQ0QHwudLVM6LjZinpVSIuRLtbquhlbosbOvnRvwPPWMqiYxULTpqp3ERrM1E7JbUMGQm24WJ216wS9ZKV0TL4g/s320/IMG_4516.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgYdIq7e8fvrCIxAFue9oYiVpHRW9BvnFSSVsHc5Mj0CypRo2KcvCcCwzY1rTU5ZErnmpe0eYO5OvOolYxMdFcslGcEdDp1QdLnsfMWkk1LoK_G1ETZ4jh2liRL6xlFINqllOAem9NlE/s1600/IMG_4517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgYdIq7e8fvrCIxAFue9oYiVpHRW9BvnFSSVsHc5Mj0CypRo2KcvCcCwzY1rTU5ZErnmpe0eYO5OvOolYxMdFcslGcEdDp1QdLnsfMWkk1LoK_G1ETZ4jh2liRL6xlFINqllOAem9NlE/s320/IMG_4517.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, we were fortunate enough to have picked up these bar-stools from my father-in-law earlier this summer, so we had a real place to sit. They're still waiting on some new paint of their own and maybe some custom cushions/covers if I'm feeling really industrious. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDniBKgjxQkB5N3o7H5CAgY3wEiNGsfPzGcC8ptzSA1gt2iEH3vNUiye9b5aO5LfBQLkgCITCJCP-fo_uxqr4fXhpA2oTkwjRPY53ZiqtziLxitL2qjnMEcYiVXGtPhA6wEBriXIAoqcw/s1600/IMG_4511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDniBKgjxQkB5N3o7H5CAgY3wEiNGsfPzGcC8ptzSA1gt2iEH3vNUiye9b5aO5LfBQLkgCITCJCP-fo_uxqr4fXhpA2oTkwjRPY53ZiqtziLxitL2qjnMEcYiVXGtPhA6wEBriXIAoqcw/s320/IMG_4511.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-6910105399075604212010-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:002010-09-17T08:00:05.688-07:00Another Master Bath Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just a little update on the work we've been doing on the bathroom: </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXtqN__TuWyC7Gb_buCFU6CoDNhIp_uNV_S4okSIeFYs-4Tzfq_qRnH2K-8uBU2LZ_t9b7bu3OD57CeO-4w4bAdpu0BRtAGdbKUv2GAMUff3oLMQmGWYHiKplTnVcE2eKBMZRo4nmQjY/s1600/IMG_4836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXtqN__TuWyC7Gb_buCFU6CoDNhIp_uNV_S4okSIeFYs-4Tzfq_qRnH2K-8uBU2LZ_t9b7bu3OD57CeO-4w4bAdpu0BRtAGdbKUv2GAMUff3oLMQmGWYHiKplTnVcE2eKBMZRo4nmQjY/s400/IMG_4836.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my dining room converted to a workspace while I prep and paint the cabinet doors</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> I've been getting a lot of painting done -- the ceiling and all the woodwork. Right now, I'm just finishing up some touch up work and the remaining cabinet doors. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oObvSsacGuqfZuNUDCdWqIDb4RyHgaJkthBw5FQ3hdJ9YWcxXNVSJBF7_jSOygtKLCgj-ZSs-_hrG5ZfRQ0eah522udDlG8PqGRQjbw-juGRbnDp2yvfAGBKSNdYbu2AaXI7YUs5Fqs/s1600/IMG_4880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oObvSsacGuqfZuNUDCdWqIDb4RyHgaJkthBw5FQ3hdJ9YWcxXNVSJBF7_jSOygtKLCgj-ZSs-_hrG5ZfRQ0eah522udDlG8PqGRQjbw-juGRbnDp2yvfAGBKSNdYbu2AaXI7YUs5Fqs/s400/IMG_4880.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">new handles for cabinets</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And we even installed a dual flush converter.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWkDHxp9_GpAf7hArjbd0oDjxYAUZQswLBs4SARJs2wbdk-RqiXbrBoUbqSDLe_94sIct-vgkzXh_VfntkBHO8roGLnKJ7R3e_lwaERcH7IQ7JxJRlI_UNZMKPK94ly0EcZyqUm_80OE/s1600/IMG_4909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWkDHxp9_GpAf7hArjbd0oDjxYAUZQswLBs4SARJs2wbdk-RqiXbrBoUbqSDLe_94sIct-vgkzXh_VfntkBHO8roGLnKJ7R3e_lwaERcH7IQ7JxJRlI_UNZMKPK94ly0EcZyqUm_80OE/s400/IMG_4909.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9gghpN6qRE8q5yya49_8LurwItVHmZJeWtT9oOtuk4jbBc42OCmdS_v3O6yW8mDkT2SnIpp6Z_Oqa6dD_xDZcXRPFS8aVkOLv8f-ViBhg2tKueSWrnUad3Bd8KoL8Yb-u2RbYsGCIfg/s1600/IMG_4914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9gghpN6qRE8q5yya49_8LurwItVHmZJeWtT9oOtuk4jbBc42OCmdS_v3O6yW8mDkT2SnIpp6Z_Oqa6dD_xDZcXRPFS8aVkOLv8f-ViBhg2tKueSWrnUad3Bd8KoL8Yb-u2RbYsGCIfg/s400/IMG_4914.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From the time we first moved into this house, we both noticed the EXTREME amount of water the toilet in our master bathroom uses when you flush. We kept talking about different things we could do to solve the problem, and then I read <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/05/easy-upgrade-super-toilet/">this post</a> at Young House Love a while back and we had our answer. We ordered our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/MJSI-HYR270-HydroRight-Drop-Converter/dp/B002NKRR7Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1284434604&sr=8-1">dual flush conversion kit</a> off Amazon for less than $20 and anxiously awaited its arrival (or pushed it to the backs of our minds and then remembered we ordered it when I opened the front door the other day and saw it sitting on the doorstep). My husband installed it one day while I was finishing up dinner, it was that easy. So far, we haven't had any problems and it's saving us a LOT of water. Hooray for all the eco-friendly/DIY-friendly/easy-on-your-wallet-friendly gadgets people are coming up with these days. </div><br />
I'm getting very close to done with this bathroom and then on to our next project: a shed in the backyard! Having a place to store things like yard tools, Christmas decorations, camping equipment and the like is going to free up SO much space in the house... we can hardly wait.M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-37820739897337017432010-09-14T08:00:00.000-07:002010-09-14T08:00:04.283-07:00Good Luck, Chuck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">I mean, good luck trying to get ready in this mess of a bathroom... </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJlV7PE8vsbIg0TjvafL5dpqpFQ8gQnNaO2OE9joEsU53vdfY-7l4r5BvzfxiNRv2dn4QIzIEPo1Wc6KtDxe1wGkMPkUcDYAMpYxZ-uvpoBnJqk_9uFxGnw4_B3C6-eZn06RNgwb7JDQ/s1600/IMG_4822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJlV7PE8vsbIg0TjvafL5dpqpFQ8gQnNaO2OE9joEsU53vdfY-7l4r5BvzfxiNRv2dn4QIzIEPo1Wc6KtDxe1wGkMPkUcDYAMpYxZ-uvpoBnJqk_9uFxGnw4_B3C6-eZn06RNgwb7JDQ/s400/IMG_4822.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03I5mnBh1tvh66WAVlpJ5KIaSD71qtD5XKzdoRxLSDF_DsEViP_C2AJ3GJqRIDEPU8ryWRmQVE14pexBfjnS78HrsRQmfBBaqL07t9ahSlJFOdTSqLSbsvY65TaAitKGZS-W-_rqGSKs/s1600/IMG_4819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03I5mnBh1tvh66WAVlpJ5KIaSD71qtD5XKzdoRxLSDF_DsEViP_C2AJ3GJqRIDEPU8ryWRmQVE14pexBfjnS78HrsRQmfBBaqL07t9ahSlJFOdTSqLSbsvY65TaAitKGZS-W-_rqGSKs/s400/IMG_4819.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We've had a slight change of plans and have decided to finish up the bathroom before heading back into the bedroom... for obvious reasons. </div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-32248251993221264622010-09-10T08:00:00.000-07:002010-09-10T08:00:04.167-07:00The Trouble with Morning Sand<div style="text-align: justify;">Not long ago, I painted the WC the same color I used on the lower half of my dining room. Valspar Morning Sand in satin. I loved it. So I went ahead and painted the rest of the master bath with that color, with the intention of painting the ceilings to match the master bedroom. With the extreme difference in lighting, Morning Sand looked more like Pea Soup in our bathroom, and not in a good way. (Could that <span style="font-style: italic;">be </span>in a good way?) After letting it soak in for a few days, I've decided I don't hate the color. With the combination of the great shower door, the woodwork, the pink tile, and the hardware on the cabinets, it just sort of lends itself to a... dated look. It's not really in our budget (time or financial) to redo all the pink tile the previous owners apparently thought would be timeless. I do, however, already have new hardware for the cabinets. I also have white paint in a semi-gloss finish...<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">our newly green bathroom:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ydz9k3sumxbYXb7ZiTkEGP6YSeuZm3sYxIE9eAfu89qYYiboh84NOOqwLGMnNZHkdiVxU_Nu74rvMYRmWJe3VWfPudpJK2zNd_J1C0DPJEPEupGvyJ1RTYJNZO6toEkFNFPTu-mJ90w/s1600/IMG_4792.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511334708858610386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ydz9k3sumxbYXb7ZiTkEGP6YSeuZm3sYxIE9eAfu89qYYiboh84NOOqwLGMnNZHkdiVxU_Nu74rvMYRmWJe3VWfPudpJK2zNd_J1C0DPJEPEupGvyJ1RTYJNZO6toEkFNFPTu-mJ90w/s400/IMG_4792.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>the fantastically awful contrast of pink tile and Morning Sand</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZp54maURzcB03Id9paQj7nUOd4CTslBQWwPW5cLCad9qMJPrpgGEop0TM6uJch82CBNzH-rrj2BSYn4QsIk7wQI7vAG3w5Dkp3URcVBdxqNr11kltm4CHd9f9kkiF7TjVh-pwwr4xa4/s1600/IMG_4794.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511334543963698226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZp54maURzcB03Id9paQj7nUOd4CTslBQWwPW5cLCad9qMJPrpgGEop0TM6uJch82CBNzH-rrj2BSYn4QsIk7wQI7vAG3w5Dkp3URcVBdxqNr11kltm4CHd9f9kkiF7TjVh-pwwr4xa4/s400/IMG_4794.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>natural woodwork (which really didn't look bad before I painted...)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFwZdL6OCfPnBycrjFyzm8WUcFyTkH9KpH6xu1w2QVFCIcMbfB9t3F-A47meFFmg8LJRYbFXSTHq6XGLPepPyf5m69CSsorUJtovoOMTyHaiSh5K7phQmXf0Gst5zxMBYVlbWp5Uj7Dc/s1600/IMG_4793.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511334333726978706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFwZdL6OCfPnBycrjFyzm8WUcFyTkH9KpH6xu1w2QVFCIcMbfB9t3F-A47meFFmg8LJRYbFXSTHq6XGLPepPyf5m69CSsorUJtovoOMTyHaiSh5K7phQmXf0Gst5zxMBYVlbWp5Uj7Dc/s400/IMG_4793.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>a cheesy (or AWESOME) photo-shopped "after" to give us all a sigh of relief that things really <span style="font-style: italic;">will </span>look better once I paint those cabinets...</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje76IoVs214AG9kgnYNnjFpJASu8dEx-yauPItQDvDQYmeb1X662l-HkyA-EoopvmAG86dK9MnzaujAfgYiAv5ZkHONtnWSSWFgaS6brMlohxuAQby-CUHnV8ctD6bTiB5_UzLxlTxYxE/s1600/IMG_4793b.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511334118595083538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje76IoVs214AG9kgnYNnjFpJASu8dEx-yauPItQDvDQYmeb1X662l-HkyA-EoopvmAG86dK9MnzaujAfgYiAv5ZkHONtnWSSWFgaS6brMlohxuAQby-CUHnV8ctD6bTiB5_UzLxlTxYxE/s400/IMG_4793b.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>Now I just need to finish with the 10 projects I have left in the actual bedroom before I finish up in the bathroom... Anyone free this weekend?<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-42137631984233413882010-09-03T08:00:00.000-07:002010-09-03T08:00:06.172-07:00Lights!<div style="text-align: justify;">Almost a month ago, my son and I went out of town for my family reunion. While we were gone, my husband worked around the yard and in our bedroom. You may or may not remember this lovely light fixture:<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2v0n8v9VK0xbpYd-0ElKdIJzmlZY2CnbpnfKlpihp-Izz21OAB554oVCAZR6rBgjp3hJUNQg7uK4NQzUXUZk2ree83Y9J-IMsgNaFrQ6i3Frwz56-GuPa2fwwISnzW8kmWoAC1Dl7j6k/s1600/IMG_0758.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2v0n8v9VK0xbpYd-0ElKdIJzmlZY2CnbpnfKlpihp-Izz21OAB554oVCAZR6rBgjp3hJUNQg7uK4NQzUXUZk2ree83Y9J-IMsgNaFrQ6i3Frwz56-GuPa2fwwISnzW8kmWoAC1Dl7j6k/s400/IMG_0758.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511324589381316978" border="0" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>The thing hung down so far that I, in all my 5 feet and 4 inches, would hit it while getting dressed. So he pulled it out and started hacking away at the ceiling -- taking out huge chunks of fire-rated drywall and laying the groundwork for some recessed lighting.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41dvPMwxks_TkVh73NC_nFQ0a0JETOcN1qAsNk8JRRlYqpAUGFW4gcaI-qMOjZef0RJ49Bsxpva3VGljP9wIByGQ3yPTdFnOFudRPKKnZNJfpUsNGAJu-65qZ8B9Y602vHbUCad-8hRg/s1600/IMG_4483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41dvPMwxks_TkVh73NC_nFQ0a0JETOcN1qAsNk8JRRlYqpAUGFW4gcaI-qMOjZef0RJ49Bsxpva3VGljP9wIByGQ3yPTdFnOFudRPKKnZNJfpUsNGAJu-65qZ8B9Y602vHbUCad-8hRg/s400/IMG_4483.JPG" width="400" border="0" height="300" /></a><br />Because we decided not to fork over the money for the specific bit to quickly and efficiently cut out the circles we needed, here is our initial technique: drilling holes, and then sawing away with a drywall saw.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqoWgoZKmCbdbauNHiw892FqQrHDrbTp02Q2fAgwjkYT7k8-GjkgglAyJoq-aRK3zO4DXMf32ICVPBBuansaCCJ8EhJtsQYi6qyNRUG0_Ur9ZMQ4ENbWmwF7hxKK7SwlkHG2YA6fIFu0/s1600/IMG_4507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqoWgoZKmCbdbauNHiw892FqQrHDrbTp02Q2fAgwjkYT7k8-GjkgglAyJoq-aRK3zO4DXMf32ICVPBBuansaCCJ8EhJtsQYi6qyNRUG0_Ur9ZMQ4ENbWmwF7hxKK7SwlkHG2YA6fIFu0/s400/IMG_4507.JPG" width="400" border="0" height="300" /></a><br />When I got home, I was drafted into holding the vacuum up to the work area to try and minimize the mess...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyW3K_fKzLXhGUYyCzXXUDlgiYvqv_7kzXmMBCGsM0SdhI1f2WXBc_dDyHDvz5SPw-F61KEOq6zRD31nxI1iZ2wqeMPHb8fbD5g-JZFU5UpzjNmrzr7g_Z6It_zrX06pWJ6aiYJ9GkBmU/s1600/IMG_4508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyW3K_fKzLXhGUYyCzXXUDlgiYvqv_7kzXmMBCGsM0SdhI1f2WXBc_dDyHDvz5SPw-F61KEOq6zRD31nxI1iZ2wqeMPHb8fbD5g-JZFU5UpzjNmrzr7g_Z6It_zrX06pWJ6aiYJ9GkBmU/s400/IMG_4508.JPG" width="400" border="0" height="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksxxPP-uQMb2aGPng1HkyrnE8pWqeyZ0IXeK9mUS_EP66DcM5fT-XV6LM9HBqKbdD_qZnYNS4fetc_CN7rgix5Cf_ocmkF081SYDTM3wt5GtWllMi2OmFUqm5slo8PLyC5kmJxeBeuAs/s1600/IMG_4509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksxxPP-uQMb2aGPng1HkyrnE8pWqeyZ0IXeK9mUS_EP66DcM5fT-XV6LM9HBqKbdD_qZnYNS4fetc_CN7rgix5Cf_ocmkF081SYDTM3wt5GtWllMi2OmFUqm5slo8PLyC5kmJxeBeuAs/s320/IMG_4509.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Later on, my husband took the idea to saw from above, and this proved to be a much easier and quicker method.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf1retS8CcfIWkvp_bA6I3LFIRDCuKkJpZ6DROpFaYh92Y_NpiDXtiCPetykj4067QuywX4suXBVrGjKX_bUUuD18Yz5nyI6-NN_YNrkjmm1Gqap8fGd7lNA7wKuVuLswBlw6eznHok8/s1600/IMG_4717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf1retS8CcfIWkvp_bA6I3LFIRDCuKkJpZ6DROpFaYh92Y_NpiDXtiCPetykj4067QuywX4suXBVrGjKX_bUUuD18Yz5nyI6-NN_YNrkjmm1Gqap8fGd7lNA7wKuVuLswBlw6eznHok8/s400/IMG_4717.JPG" width="400" border="0" height="300" /></a><br />holes in the ceiling<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxoorCs1F_Fur3AGMvXO-G-3CQQBgPtzse1K2oSHxcPUpTE2igCGIvOld0UKf5EXyJrRlh3irbTToxwGwfSun0wBuaa5NWEy_8CMGQhfEIP_szuA0H8Loy2BYIb3pq-au8OhWp93VOXI/s1600/IMG_4476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxoorCs1F_Fur3AGMvXO-G-3CQQBgPtzse1K2oSHxcPUpTE2igCGIvOld0UKf5EXyJrRlh3irbTToxwGwfSun0wBuaa5NWEy_8CMGQhfEIP_szuA0H8Loy2BYIb3pq-au8OhWp93VOXI/s400/IMG_4476.JPG" width="400" border="0" height="300" /></a><br />To go along with the new lighting scheme, we also decide to install a dimmer, which apparently is a pretty easy fix.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOOdhi1GrjbgaB8o-Lcg0nk_x1JNg_vcgYiRG9TWluQXVc_NgrQYPjBDXED2KNpm_Hm244YL9YVbr1nfpvy78ylG0SSO2-IOsdBoWDMePOpul834TY14UQPSOnMfZUAl4-yW1GVzCox0/s1600/IMG_4730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOOdhi1GrjbgaB8o-Lcg0nk_x1JNg_vcgYiRG9TWluQXVc_NgrQYPjBDXED2KNpm_Hm244YL9YVbr1nfpvy78ylG0SSO2-IOsdBoWDMePOpul834TY14UQPSOnMfZUAl4-yW1GVzCox0/s400/IMG_4730.JPG" width="300" border="0" height="400" /></a><br />even though it looks here like it was the greatest challenge of all time to ever overcome...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfsMOwIcacR4XiUYnpz3rf0rL2RpY7jWrhmDbY-ALMZcVreTxdWjY92bPpBSN1KsnubDyCrQ3S0jtgu0pyvpCWZrIkSPclcjUo16tkQtrp_bHkBAAxZ0hKT-92XxjQKlXPm09kJrJ0tM/s1600/IMG_4732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfsMOwIcacR4XiUYnpz3rf0rL2RpY7jWrhmDbY-ALMZcVreTxdWjY92bPpBSN1KsnubDyCrQ3S0jtgu0pyvpCWZrIkSPclcjUo16tkQtrp_bHkBAAxZ0hKT-92XxjQKlXPm09kJrJ0tM/s400/IMG_4732.JPG" width="400" border="0" height="300" /></a><br />We bought the UtiliTech brand cans made for remodels (they have clips that hold them in place, so you don't have to worry about attaching to joists) and we used 6" white baffle trim.<br />light fixture without trim or bulb<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2WJibDgrE-vkdcedwWzzlWKFSu5OTuPRISkFSVrOFC8RDDZvB3qJaqzN3_zwjCsmzi0_WBo2cGBbSIqdJyobbEo-I5BW8aU7Y2hhY1mPu7jh_Vj71XXWdPItQma8bbTvzXZMWYX5kCQ/s1600/IMG_4510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2WJibDgrE-vkdcedwWzzlWKFSu5OTuPRISkFSVrOFC8RDDZvB3qJaqzN3_zwjCsmzi0_WBo2cGBbSIqdJyobbEo-I5BW8aU7Y2hhY1mPu7jh_Vj71XXWdPItQma8bbTvzXZMWYX5kCQ/s400/IMG_4510.JPG" width="300" border="0" height="400" /></a><br />with trim and bulb<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoHYEFNvWlorUDkXnBduG4dnZltSG64-YTNiJBuA-M6yA3cwJ-EauccRyN84QOZC6l0KGkuLtzAPFs_IMHUk5Q7xcFJ7OV3fuGulz4_jueOKEXoF40-pKlt2slvKZ4mcZvh9u1NnJjas/s1600/IMG_4754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoHYEFNvWlorUDkXnBduG4dnZltSG64-YTNiJBuA-M6yA3cwJ-EauccRyN84QOZC6l0KGkuLtzAPFs_IMHUk5Q7xcFJ7OV3fuGulz4_jueOKEXoF40-pKlt2slvKZ4mcZvh9u1NnJjas/s400/IMG_4754.JPG" width="400" border="0" height="300" /></a><br />Hooray for having lights in our bedroom again! And it only took three weeks...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCcq6YiHCbuzngWQy1Vv-NranSLfUpOo5N80MXdNNk4txOatGLfTtkHyqqQKcxjkm8SgN45a4UHgkNwBuYjAWV2vLX1bi-uhndsS1gC3HM-nmZcrJYAAHP1Fo32K9li8WrlG6pqHRXyY/s1600/IMG_4795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCcq6YiHCbuzngWQy1Vv-NranSLfUpOo5N80MXdNNk4txOatGLfTtkHyqqQKcxjkm8SgN45a4UHgkNwBuYjAWV2vLX1bi-uhndsS1gC3HM-nmZcrJYAAHP1Fo32K9li8WrlG6pqHRXyY/s400/IMG_4795.JPG" width="400" border="0" height="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcrgPp44BK2wkt8eor9T5jtQwDq3RhmEGAfBnDtkd8U-9MyThQfgGVzPCdTavTRNzrhxCADGzVS5edwxb7IfJ0htLHRJfjEfgTX0j7avrh7Lqd5qAXyWyixBhJZ7uuG2PXBq3H8mFtf0/s1600/IMG_4796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcrgPp44BK2wkt8eor9T5jtQwDq3RhmEGAfBnDtkd8U-9MyThQfgGVzPCdTavTRNzrhxCADGzVS5edwxb7IfJ0htLHRJfjEfgTX0j7avrh7Lqd5qAXyWyixBhJZ7uuG2PXBq3H8mFtf0/s400/IMG_4796.JPG" width="400" border="0" height="300" /></a><br />The new lights really make the room feel a lot more warm and inviting. The hole in the center (covered with blue tape) is where the original light fixture was, and we're still playing around with the idea of putting in a new ceiling fan... otherwise we'll probably just patch it up. The next project for this room will be paint... good thing Valspar has a rebate going on this week!<br /></div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-9072778619180408372010-08-27T08:00:00.000-07:002010-08-30T22:45:41.621-07:00One Thing at a Time<div style="text-align: center;">This summer, we really haven't gotten much done in the house, what with people visiting and us traveling, and just enjoying the nice weather in general. We decided if we're going to get anything done, we need a better plan then me deciding on a project I like, heading out to the store, buying materials, thinking of another project, heading out to the store, buying materials, repeat, and then finally start working on one random project. Instead, now we've decided to focus on one room at a time, one project at a time. I came up with a <a href="http://frostedgingerbread.blogspot.com/p/work-list.html">work list</a>, and we're starting in the master bedroom and working our way out through the house.<br />
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For the last week, my husband has been devoting his free time to installing new lighting in our bedroom (he's finishing up as I type). While I'm waiting to paint the bedroom, I started painting our bathroom. I've got the first coat on in the WC and I've got the blue walls (as opposed to the white walls) primed. I'm hoping to have the bathroom completely painted by the end of the weekend. I'm doing the walls Valspar's Morning Sand in satin (I had over half a gallon leftover from doing the lower half of the dining room). Then, I'll paint the ceiling Valspar's Pale Cowslip 1, which will be the paint in the bedroom when I get to that.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's a little peak at what I've gotten done so far...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYYWdPgqjveO2CYlVENMleMjRd8j6QbRZC62i3x9IeWqxlZcFc64_9IIwzXFr_IHWcozwNnv6_pgIg9LeFEfXDk17XnVoPBnDIx9spBYYspOgHcqX7LEi19gRnLgKy2N3WyfhXiJ0xPM/s1600/IMG_4722.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509960855438503090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYYWdPgqjveO2CYlVENMleMjRd8j6QbRZC62i3x9IeWqxlZcFc64_9IIwzXFr_IHWcozwNnv6_pgIg9LeFEfXDk17XnVoPBnDIx9spBYYspOgHcqX7LEi19gRnLgKy2N3WyfhXiJ0xPM/s400/IMG_4722.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YzxOykrVFU-nHum4jJ6oLULS0XqWfH0m55VoRTLXjFUxRtHLCWKOaALqj_yxf3pC83I5Yuy9C-dl21aEi7Gfsjghza8DfK8d_nbuLst2TAmok_-QAmaJV99YJxSvovI4ZxeVG_dSUk4/s1600/IMG_4725.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509960549515623426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YzxOykrVFU-nHum4jJ6oLULS0XqWfH0m55VoRTLXjFUxRtHLCWKOaALqj_yxf3pC83I5Yuy9C-dl21aEi7Gfsjghza8DfK8d_nbuLst2TAmok_-QAmaJV99YJxSvovI4ZxeVG_dSUk4/s400/IMG_4725.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>I really feel like the darker color warms up the space quite a bit. It plays off the colors in the slate really well, too. It makes me excited for how the main part of the bathroom is going to look once that gets painted.</div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-59758367753087043162010-08-20T08:00:00.000-07:002010-12-16T14:06:50.968-08:00Luke's Dining Set<div style="text-align: center;">My dad bought me this dining set about 8 years ago from Wal-Mart. It's served its purpose pretty well to this point, but now we're in need of something a little bigger... something that can accommodate more than just the people in our little family.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboUiZagMyc5zziWsIWlxEoZob3QVFDVPFn4QSxlzCzjnBVfDESQe5ZLKH9HSDHpZPXMgbImKASdjgsS_4Sna_ImxGwj6AkiiPWrv_Y8tTTxBG6Sx-rdwCb_0LTTaFAlQ4Zwbonc8mTfM/s1600/IMG_4291.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507639268567035538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboUiZagMyc5zziWsIWlxEoZob3QVFDVPFn4QSxlzCzjnBVfDESQe5ZLKH9HSDHpZPXMgbImKASdjgsS_4Sna_ImxGwj6AkiiPWrv_Y8tTTxBG6Sx-rdwCb_0LTTaFAlQ4Zwbonc8mTfM/s400/IMG_4291.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Before buying our new dining set (which I'll post pictures of later, because that is still a work in progress), I decided it would probably be a good idea to re-upholster the chairs... the fabric is a little worn and stained (especially since a certain member of this family started eating at the table and not in his booster seat). We were originally planning on selling our old set on craigslist once we replaced it, but then a friend of ours (Luke) decided to get his first apartment and we thought we could donate the set to him instead. Since I had already bought the fabric, my husband and I both agreed that he would appreciate the gift more if I went ahead with recovering the seats instead of giving him the stained chairs as-is. (The picture above shows them to be deceptively white... trust me, they're filthy.)<br />
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Mistake #41 I did not take apart the chair FIRST to measure the size of the fabric I would need to cover the seats... I made an estimate and bought the fabric... and then took a chair apart, and found out the fabric wasn't quite large enough. I underestimated the depth of the cushion...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_x9mnh1vHqIQhOfYKVFU7661X9F07QdMYnMYFDSkdt0GLrW3tvX0OkKIgFHdiVue7YUk1cvL_A-8BrpBrQK2wcEXYycNlIADydUTkz_blg47Y36YeZgKCNCPcwWPlKGEjaIaw_ke7bkA/s1600/IMG_4158.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507639095262958242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_x9mnh1vHqIQhOfYKVFU7661X9F07QdMYnMYFDSkdt0GLrW3tvX0OkKIgFHdiVue7YUk1cvL_A-8BrpBrQK2wcEXYycNlIADydUTkz_blg47Y36YeZgKCNCPcwWPlKGEjaIaw_ke7bkA/s400/IMG_4158.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>With a little creative cutting and sewing, I made it stretch and the chairs with patch work mirror each other, so I think it worked out okay.<br />
The fabric is indoor/outdoor upholstery fabric, and I found it for 50% off! Thanks to Kathryn for chasing my little guy around the store so I could treasure hunt.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDC0Ma12Ltxolg3a7Zte8aZd9pHeMGpfNZ7TSoqqzdt-pPD-UuvIYBqwgx5MfbXrpcXO6voG37Q2XyOE4QUWokwZm0hNWnSyqnEIlDs6GfQWZUzHCbmDNk7GIoKSKT_7tdhlaWJqQZRU/s1600/IMG_4543.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507639080044710930" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDC0Ma12Ltxolg3a7Zte8aZd9pHeMGpfNZ7TSoqqzdt-pPD-UuvIYBqwgx5MfbXrpcXO6voG37Q2XyOE4QUWokwZm0hNWnSyqnEIlDs6GfQWZUzHCbmDNk7GIoKSKT_7tdhlaWJqQZRU/s400/IMG_4543.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
My tools:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTp3MSFlu7cqIGAHAXB6JNn2GWfyzg1BjaZ1aWGiQZUy1l22odMO87SC1EwYHi8wyvazXqEAfCy4BAGH6v_ESxcfMsyGPRP5YTPGXOE8vnJO02K5WnX7u_1Tsin8gW0VGHv2D_S9PwVE/s1600/IMG_4555.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507638308934315778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTp3MSFlu7cqIGAHAXB6JNn2GWfyzg1BjaZ1aWGiQZUy1l22odMO87SC1EwYHi8wyvazXqEAfCy4BAGH6v_ESxcfMsyGPRP5YTPGXOE8vnJO02K5WnX7u_1Tsin8gW0VGHv2D_S9PwVE/s400/IMG_4555.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>My $11 staple gun from Michael's... which says "heavy duty" and yet couldn't push the staples all the way through even at the highest tension. It was a pretty easy fix, though. I just gently tapped down all the staples with a hammer (they were almost all the way in) once I finished stapling each seat all the way around.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WV71fBzjkGxNQ3-pnctpS-q_TB6GGrWSkyjUHLC1EZwxj86oEH-dMcCjXXNtz063d9BBcSkyZhEEiApb6VQEMfB2MXktUK7OiMH3lNvEPaEzaGBfjMZYBFiqFzy8MJUZNhZEUl5OL_8/s1600/IMG_4546.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507638778197326290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4WV71fBzjkGxNQ3-pnctpS-q_TB6GGrWSkyjUHLC1EZwxj86oEH-dMcCjXXNtz063d9BBcSkyZhEEiApb6VQEMfB2MXktUK7OiMH3lNvEPaEzaGBfjMZYBFiqFzy8MJUZNhZEUl5OL_8/s400/IMG_4546.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>(for actually fully dismantling the "pattern" chair, I used a screwdriver to pull up the staples and then pliers to yank them out completely)<br />
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Here, I've centered the seat over top of the fabric and I'm getting ready to staple it down. Because I'm not having to replace the actual cushions, I left the other seats intact which made it a LOT easier to get the new fabric on.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CfSLKaQn52pxJig1OMgvDCQJWiozmq9jrEEeV-OBlgbGZ2KsG5T6paHPYEO85wwstEpOs8Y45Oldg6GfTUNBtfgPyhFYDVjJkeKfVaLUwTvyhAJzDQkEMCiJGmnBS5XGnrSbA-O0bmg/s1600/IMG_4547.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507638762316205458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CfSLKaQn52pxJig1OMgvDCQJWiozmq9jrEEeV-OBlgbGZ2KsG5T6paHPYEO85wwstEpOs8Y45Oldg6GfTUNBtfgPyhFYDVjJkeKfVaLUwTvyhAJzDQkEMCiJGmnBS5XGnrSbA-O0bmg/s400/IMG_4547.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Staple opposite sides first, then tuck the corners in like a present, reattach to the chair frame and voila!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRFYo9UWycrgHFoaJxT-i3P2A9fOlSgwHw2yc7VdwFIN2KJ2ViZQWTazALygBkK-GtyjANfX8BMTPnOrF0cCxQdC5Qup3znRr2iPono9Rw08M_HbXHXHQ2mOCof8v3VajWNM2q2a4_04/s1600/IMG_4562.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507637905755837762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRFYo9UWycrgHFoaJxT-i3P2A9fOlSgwHw2yc7VdwFIN2KJ2ViZQWTazALygBkK-GtyjANfX8BMTPnOrF0cCxQdC5Qup3znRr2iPono9Rw08M_HbXHXHQ2mOCof8v3VajWNM2q2a4_04/s400/IMG_4562.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>and you can barely tell where the seams from my patch job are (in my opinion)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Vuzc7qDJlgSPww0rA0zM4TwyNQdtdLsbLYFOMuhU7VxEjV1qPVtoYFO6kUt6sWoq4M5vIpPkXBCs7Rx_m5eUJa0gEcG0H5WLSL-mXPPjUHoZtRjG5E4ltn0tB80d8Fu7xG99InYCrNw/s1600/IMG_4567.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507637890888508882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Vuzc7qDJlgSPww0rA0zM4TwyNQdtdLsbLYFOMuhU7VxEjV1qPVtoYFO6kUt6sWoq4M5vIpPkXBCs7Rx_m5eUJa0gEcG0H5WLSL-mXPPjUHoZtRjG5E4ltn0tB80d8Fu7xG99InYCrNw/s400/IMG_4567.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Hopefully, Luke likes it as much as I do. Either way, it was good practice for reupholstering the new dining set... which I haven't even come close to starting yet. Note to self: buy <span style="font-style: italic;">at least</span> half a yard of extra fabric for the next project...<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263181810656638302.post-33942232628530967872010-08-13T08:00:00.000-07:002010-08-13T08:00:01.217-07:00Simple Storage Solution<div style="text-align: center;">When there's something I've been needing and I find it for under $5, I am all about buying it and bringing it home. For months, now, I've been meaning to find some kind of storage for all the random rolls of wrapping paper scattered throughout the house. While at Ross today, I came across this metal waste bin:<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnBy5yBkWg40CosMRrCnsY-8IZpMDJcmPnlKq4QfiLsBkDg1zh4CrmG88QaAoamTv91zkkYCtqBRGZ3W6gmLq20xijTfvS_Nld0SSfTrbYBNyYVc0f7WKkgkuPSEUmd4pDTyXN2nzXLk/s1600/IMG_4138.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnBy5yBkWg40CosMRrCnsY-8IZpMDJcmPnlKq4QfiLsBkDg1zh4CrmG88QaAoamTv91zkkYCtqBRGZ3W6gmLq20xijTfvS_Nld0SSfTrbYBNyYVc0f7WKkgkuPSEUmd4pDTyXN2nzXLk/s400/IMG_4138.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501301681691693986" border="0" /></a>with this price tag:<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuye8KaAVuzkjMRkpjcWyqSNm3T2tVTgZ68bEyzaX2NBu4zix2FjI8B005Pr4qU9BhdOsIH454p6hzyeas0P0h0r77SuHs3sr-oAsezoMH5N82-axcEos_5cTpuV69CWQX8vpj1XB1deo/s1600/IMG_4136.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuye8KaAVuzkjMRkpjcWyqSNm3T2tVTgZ68bEyzaX2NBu4zix2FjI8B005Pr4qU9BhdOsIH454p6hzyeas0P0h0r77SuHs3sr-oAsezoMH5N82-axcEos_5cTpuV69CWQX8vpj1XB1deo/s400/IMG_4136.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501301922844792098" border="0" /></a>and now begins my wrapping paper round up...<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiH69PKD6RzIW5HRlq7pVOzozYF_FK0SSnKlbPBNbHH-I_f-GiQF3OKWf0UjOWeSFqCYmcMsje8VodaT_RyvwCQogmGCA6ASBdk4kltGkiaO3d2s4EdHJsO070rzipUWbpD1DL3kqobto/s1600/IMG_4140.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiH69PKD6RzIW5HRlq7pVOzozYF_FK0SSnKlbPBNbHH-I_f-GiQF3OKWf0UjOWeSFqCYmcMsje8VodaT_RyvwCQogmGCA6ASBdk4kltGkiaO3d2s4EdHJsO070rzipUWbpD1DL3kqobto/s400/IMG_4140.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501301673119920738" border="0" /></a>(This will eventually find its home in my guest/craft room, along with the tape and ribbons.)<br /></div>M Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01513131373436507916noreply@blogger.com0