December 2013

December is almost over - as is 2013. Life has been busy this past month and a half. Getting "ready" for Christmas was not high on my list. Too many changes. Grandma was in the hospital and family called as her condition was fragile, but she rallied and came to our Christmas Eve family celebration. However, Grandpa spent the day in the emergency room and has been in the hospital since then. They are 90 and 91 and are the beloved parents of my late husband.

This post is all over the place and just as random as my brain is right now. I usually like to create a variety of things in December, but about all I did was paint a tarnished trivet and sprinkle glitter on it. I stuck it up on the mantle that never got decorated. I also went to the Dollar store and brought home some of the ugly little ceramic houses, sprayed them white, and glittered them. They do look so much better and will be fine for January and some of February with the snowflake and candles that were already there.

 

Christmas balls were discovered in a box of ornaments and I asked my daughter if I could put them outside. The box was hers and hadn't been put away from moving here with me earlier in the month.

One morning I was looking out my kitchen window and saw an eagle flying back and forth over the dairy. A while later it was sitting on top of the power pole that is about 100 yards from my back door. It's a horrible picture, but I want to remember this later. Wildlife in my backyard makes me happy.

Work on my bathroom also happened the week before Christmas. Tonight I primed the base boards that were removed so I can put the first coat of paint on tomorrow. It's not a fancy re-do, but I like it already with the flooring, new vanity, and new "throne". All this should have been completed a while ago, but when you need to wait for the floor everything else stops.

 Thank you for stopping for visits during the past year! I appreciate each of you and treasure the comments that you leave. May you be richly blessed in the new year!

♥♫

Cookbook Bookcase

I've had the inside of my kitchen bookcase painted for a week or so and was waiting for the paint to cure as I didn't want to put my cookbooks back on the shelves and have them stick to the paint. This is one of those inexpensive particle board bookcases and it fits (very important!) at the end of my kitchen counter. I did some cleaning and traded a 2 shelf for the 3 shelf version  that is a bit higher than the counter now. The backside was UGLY, and that little part that would show HAD to be pretty.

I gathered my supplies:

glue

  a sponge brush, and

a new brayer.

My old one is somewhere downstairs and the rubber is most likely brittle so I used a coupon at Michael's and now own a new one.

 

I sorted through my cookbooks, gave away only 6, and still have a heavy box that is going OUT the door. Soon, very soon! I found one that I liked (but not enough to keep) and tore out the pages I used.

I spread glue on the bookcase top and back and put the pages down on the glue. Rolled over them with the brayer and wiped excess glue away with a damp cloth.

I did wrap a bit around the one side where the next step is to glue on some beadboard wallpaper and paint it.

Little projects seem to take the most time in this house because I work rather slowly and tend to be a perfectionist. I guess that comes from being a teacher and retirement cannot change that part of my being. So I'm hoping those wrinkles disappear as the paper dries. At least I remember that's what happened years ago when I did real decoupage with the layers of varnish and sanding to get the flawless finish. When the paper dries I am planning on ONE coat of poly! It better be good.

As you work on projects, small or large, may the imperfections become unimportant so you can enjoy the satisfaction of having done your best. Progress is bliss!!

♥♫

More Bliss

Discovering new neighborhood shops among housing developments is something that comes with a change of address. This set of wind sculptures was across the street when the three of us were out looking for breakfast one weekend recently. And look at the mountains in the background! They seem to be my happy place and I look forward to getting to see them either on the way to my mom's or heading to the big city to see Alex and Sarah.

Back at home the only mountain I can see out my kitchen window is the pile of ensilage for the neighbor's dairy. But, that could be difficult if these five wild animals are blocking the view! They had been watching my every move until I was ready to take a picture.

Painting continues with things like a new vanity, furniture, and now the bathroom and eventually my bedroom. My new flooring was not available in Denver and so the expected overnight delivery will have to wait until December 9th. 

Because of that issue I had some time to work outside and "plant" this tree with lights near the door. It's my solution to my entry light  needing a bit of rescue in that I broke the old bulb, tried to replace it and got the new one only halfway in. Can't remove it and can't get it in straight now. Stuck!! Now the whole fixture will have to be taken apart to replace the bulb.

I'm trying to get things out to decorate for Christmas, but the painted pieces are not in their final places yet and are in the way of everything! I am waiting for it all to be put together because of the flooring delay which has given me time to take it easy after having an odd skin growth removed and the uncomfortable stitches that closed the wound. Maybe in a few more days, I'll be able to get around a bit easier!

Hope your time before Thanksgiving will be spent thinking about the many blessings you have. 

♥♫