Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

Dear vintage Vitamix,

Oh, how I have adored you. It was a tremendously difficult decision to let you go. I love your look, your all metal construction, the hard work you've done for me over the years, but alas, I must move on, I was seduced by another. More muscular, stronger, faster. I couldn't help myself, I went to see it perform and I was smitten, (plus, it came with an extra pitcher for free and an extra year of warranty)...I could not pass it by. I was going to keep you on the side, as you are far better looking, but I cannot be a mistress of two, I am not capable of such disloyalty.

It breaks my heart, but you must go, another will find you and you will be loved again.

Ahhhh, my new love...

You have proven yourself to me time and time again, even though I've known you for such a short while. You are the best Christmas gift. Your swiftness and abilities have swept me off my feet, and I am better for it. I am glowing from the nectar of your cup. I was not being satisfied fully by 'the other' and you have filled me completely.

I think we will have a long, beautiful life together.

Happy Living Room Walls

Hey Cindi!! you silly girl, it's late, but they are here...

I went around once completely painting the design, brush washing the background and inside the leaves after drawing out the lines. It wasn't bright enough, so some more mixing of colors was done to change them a bit and around I went again. Oh, it took about 40 hours total and that doesn't include the base coat as I started with the blue that was there. I only did three walls, the fourth wall has a bookcase on it and I wasn't in the mood to take all the books off to move it out of the way. Eventually, when I create a new bookshelf system, that wall will be painted with the color wash background and the dots. Not much of the wall will really show, as it is a dividing wall the intention is for a bookcase to take up most of it.

I painted the board that's the back of the wood rack to match the walls.

The walls were this blue.... 

(this picture is from a few years back when the room was transitioning)

Then the outlines....

The top photo shows the correct color combination. It was hard getting some good color in the pictures.

I freshened up all the trim with a nice white I found I like from Sherwinn Williams. My front window sills show signs of dogs excited to see what's outside. Instead of trying to smooth out the scratches I decided to look at them as the signatures of those that had taken temporary residence with me. 

Now, onto window treatments and hanging things on the walls. I'm still contemplating the whole sofa thing. ugh. 

Coffee Table-Scape

This set up changed every once in awhile when new colors were being mixed for the walls, but essentially, this is what it has looked like for about a month and a half. What I thought would be a 'quick weekend' of work, wasn't so, and I wasn't about to pick all this up each day (there's more you don't even see.) It was a few hours here, a few hours there, and a lot of hours in between that had to be put toward life and couldn't be put toward art on the walls.

I am happy to say that the coffee table now looks like it's supposed to, the wood pile is where it's supposed to be against the wall and not against the bookshelves, the sofa is pushed back to where it belongs. Other miscellaneous 'stuff' that has gathered has been picked up and my mind is remarkably clearer. The walls are done!! I'll show you tomorrow when I can get in some good pictures.

Sofa Disappointments and Cute Poodles

After all that hemming and hawing over which sofa would I think I prefer, not one of the owners got back to me. Craigslist is a funny thing. Now, I ask, are there really that many people in my area looking for a vintage sofa that most likely has to be recovered? Did someone grab them to put in their Rec Room? Does anyone still call it a Rec Room?? Oh my, dating myself? They were between $100 -$250 dollars so they weren't really a 'hey let's get it and if it doesn't last we'll throw it out' kind of thing, or maybe they were. I knew the MCM would probably get scooped up pretty quickly because everyone is looking for that style now and the town it's in is a little more hip and chic and we also get searchers from NY. So, once again, I'm on the hunt.

Onto other delights....

This cute set was given to me by a friend, along with a couple other sets of salt and peppers. She was delighted to know that I had a person in mind for these.

Said person has a little white poodle named Misty. My friend and SPR's secretary/treasurer, Angela. She probably wasn't looking for any little tchotchkes but tough crap, she got them anyway. It was a surprise package and she was very delighted and found a perfect spot for them.

The Search Continues

I've been searching for another vintage sofa for months. I love the one I have but it's not comfortable and I've decided to not spend the money on reupholstering it, as I feel it might remain uncomfortable. I like to be able to curl up on the couch with a book, legs tucked under, with dogs used as blankets. I will probably cry when I release this sofa from my grip but I am generally a function before fashion king of girl. It would look so HOT in the cheetah print I bought, but...

Today I took some time to peruse Craigslist to see if something was there. I found 4 different styles. I don't want to recover any right now, but when seen up close, it may have to be done. I don't mind any of the fabrics, except that they aren't really dog proof.

Mid Century Modern Coolness... (would look great in the cheetah print)

Lime Green Girlie...

Long and Lush Rustiness...

And, I Think This Would Work But I Have To See More Of It... (or a better picture)

I've inquired about each. I'll have to go visit each one and try them out to see if they are curlupable, napable, and dog snugglable. Cross fingers.

Which one do you like?

Orange Makes Me Happy

Were you able to accomplish something this week that you've been putting off? 

Pam over at RetroRenovation is having a weekly 'stop procrastinating party.' Well, she doesn't call it that but that's how I feel about it. Celebrations of chores done that have been put off in the house. Trim not all up on that re-do? Room not painted yet and it's been 3 years of planning? Details in kitchen cabinetry not complete? Just plain clutter that needs to be organized? Get inspired and tell us about it. It's really a great way to get your butt kicked and get going -- it is for me anyway. 

This week I painted my front door and storm door. Last week it was the 'getting out' of the sewing machine. The door was white and boring and banged up, I'd been planning a repaint since moving in 7 years ago and finally took the bull by the horns, mixed an orange color that was in my head and put brush to door. I figured with the weather now getting cooler my chances of getting it done would be limited and I'd have to put it off until Spring. I was inspired by Kate painting her door last week and said to myself, "Just Do It" and do it I did. With family in from Wisconsin for the latter half of the week to attend a wake and funeral, this is about all I accomplished. But the list is long and I'm hoping to be able to get more done next week. I'm good with deadlines so this is working for me and besides, it's more fun knowing you're in the company of others also wanting to cross things off the list. 

Let There Be Light

Thank goodness for the barter system. The electrician that's been coming in to do a couple of simple things has had to rewire and fix what the last electrician I hired did. Idiot. And that guy told me the electrician before him had hooked my hot tub up wrong, so another $300 and I had him do it. Now I'm going to have Gary check that because of the other things that he's had to fix.

But, I now have a light over my kitchen sink, which hasn't been there for about 2 years since this simple renovation started. I had found an antique light cover and was trying to figure out how to make it into a hanging lamp and was about to bring it to a local lighting place that I know would be able to do it. THEN I was at the dump the other day and someone was throwing out 3 antique/vintage hanging lamps. 2 matched in a creamy color of slag glass and then there was a red slag glass one.

I don't really have red in my house but I thought it would look nice over the sink...

It's grey and rainy, not the best day for pictures, but it's mimicking dusk. Here it is with the light on...a nice glow...

Because this reno has taken so long, a client that I now call a friend, who's husband died and had an extension of elephant decorative items, gave me the plaque you see in the picture...it reads:

"Getting anything done around here is like mating elephants. It's done on a high level. It's accomplished with a great deal of roaring and screaming. And it takes two years to get results."

Sums up my kitchen renovation! 

It looks better in person and certainly creates an ambience that wasn't there before...

So, that's what I'm up to today. Along with trying to find a rescue that will take the Rat Terrier we have not been able to adopt out, oh yeah, and figuring out where we are going to put two new foster dogs, oh yeah, and trying to figure out how we are going to fund Lucy's surgery since the very generous donations we were told we would get -- we haven't gotten. Her surgery is on Monday. 

But, I am very excited that she will be able to see.