Edgar has arrived!

We picked up Edger Tuesday, and he is making himself right at home. Stella is still trying to figure out why he is here, she has been the top dog since Nick died this summer, so she has been a little bit ornery on occasion, but they seem to be adjusting well. Edgar is a mixed breed with some spaniel and retriever. He seems to be very loving and gentle. He has been a little homesick but hopefully he will come to know this as home.

How could  you resist this face?

In other news the kitchen is coming along, still slowly. I painted the first coat of paint on the outside of the cabinets and it will take a little longer to dry. It has been a topsy turvy mess here, and I am ready for things to be in order once again. I have been reading this and I am ready for some simplicity around here.

 Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider is worth reading. Her approach to simple living is realistic for everyone. After cleaning out my kitchen for the work that needed to be done, it became very obvious to me that it was time for a little simplicity. We had the huge yard sale about two months ago, but it is time to go a little deeper. She addresses the energy and time that it take to care for all of the accumulated stuff, and determining whether or not it is worth it. I encourage you to get a copy, especially if you are sensing the need for more simple living.

This will probably be my last post until after Christmas, so here's wishing everyone a blessed Christmas!

Oops! Tendinitis and Edgar

Here are some totally random updates for the day. First is the BIG Oops! Yesterday, while waiting on the inside of the cabinets to dry before the second coat, I decided to trim out the breakfast area. My sweet guy hates to trim, but doesn't mind the painting. I am the opposite, so this works great for us. I am not sure what I was thinking when I let the lady at the Benjamin Moore store talk me into this one. My very first reaction was, OH NO!

It is VERY dark! Actually it is even darker than what it looks like here, and especially at night. I am trying to soften things up a bit, and Wilmington Tan is not going to do it. I am looking for a soft neutral to go with the white cabinets and black granite looking counter tops. Any suggestions for the perfect color? I have a Sherwin Williams color deck, but may make a trip back to the Ben Moore store to see if they can do something with the gallon that I already have, but would love any of your suggestions.

While in the  process of painting, (a lot of painting) I have developed what my Mom thinks is most likely tendinitis in my left hand. So not only has this been a lengthy process, but a little bit painful too.

I told you this would be some random rambling. So by now you are wondering who is Edgar? Edgar would be the dog that my son would like to bring home for Christmas. Edgar's family doesn't like him very much. He is one of about two or three other pets, so they have decided that Edgar must go. My son has taken a liking to Edgar, and thinks we could give him the perfect home. I have no idea what kind of dog Edgar is, other than my son says he looks like a larger version of Stella. Stella has been pretty lonesome since Nick died this summer, and Chloe went home at Thanksgiving, so perhaps there will be an update on Edgar soon.

Remember girls, I need some suggestions on that perfect paint color. I pray everyone is having a blessed Christmas season.

Snow?????

It snowed today, here in my little bit of the South!

The snowflakes were swirling, and for just a moment we had our own little winter wonderland.

It's cold outside and just right for this.

Both of these are earlier this year.

Pardon my excitement, but just remember how rare it is that we see snow here. It just occurred to me that we have had it twice this year! That is unusual!

Have a blessed evening.

The Way We Were

Here we were just a few short days ago.

And here is a little comparison of where we are today.

Here is what I have discovered in this process.

• Progress seems slow, but we are getting there.
•  It is hard being a perfectionist and remodeling.
• When you have a huge project going on, a little more seems to be added to the pile. We have a car that died, my son called to say his heat is not working correctly (in the 20's here in the deep south).
•  I have Dr. appt. tomorrow
•  My nephew graduates Friday 
•  For the first time in a long time I am longing for a few Christmas decorations, and there won't be any this year. (another story for another time)

This is what I have to brighten the kitchen right now.

I would love to think we could have this pulled together for Christmas, but my sweet husband is on night shift for the next couple of days. He has already painted the ceiling, so today I hope to trim out the remainder with primer,and trim the walls so he will be ready to prime over the red, and then paint. I then have to actually paint the cabinets. The counter tops should be here next week some time so I need to keep rolling.

Oh, and I forgot to add that even though we are keeping it very simple this year, I have purchased only ONE gift!

Bet you can't guess who that is for. Hopefully I will be able to remedy that tomorrow. After Dr appts. I hope to do a little shopping!

Any more project advice for me? I am needing to purchase a new fixture for the kitchen are and over the sink. We have removed the long florescent light. I would like some sort of pendant light over the sink, and the ceiling fan is coming down (over the table) I am open for ideas if you all have any suggestions. Have a great day, and hope you are staying warm!

Snuggling

Just couldn't resist showing you this picture of the little Snuggle Bug that was at my house during Thanksgiving.

It's beginning to look a lot like....

............Not Christmas!

This is what my kitchen looks like at the moment, and since you see empty cabinets, that leaves you to imagine where everything is. My dining room holds most of it, and I am wondering how I have accumulated so much stuff! After we finally got everything moved out of here, I told my husband that I am feeling the urge to purge a lot of things again. As a matter of fact, I started another yard sale box today. I am looking forward to the opportunity to think through what will stay, and what will go.

Here is a little peek at how the laundry room is shaping up.

I am liking this bead board wallpaper that my husband hung behind the washer and dryer! This is my roll that I got for 1 cent at Home Depot this summer. Yes, you read that right 1 cent!

I know this is a terrible picture, but I am excited about my new light fixture! And, yes, I realize that my ceilings are not what is hot right now, but there are just some things that I can live with, and this is one of them. My preference would be nice smooth ceilings, but I am afraid that would send my sweet husband over the edge.

Now a question for all of you that have hung bead board wallpaper.

I am planning to paint it. Is there anything special that I should know before putting the paint on? I sure do not want it falling off the walls when I apply the paint. My husband hung it with glue because that is the only way he hangs it. Do I prime before painting? Let me hear all of your advice.

I know I probably sound like scrooge, but I will probably be doing very little Christmas decorating this year. We will be going to my daughter's house for Christmas, so she said we could come enjoy her decorations. Right now, we are just trying to maintain some sense of order here. It just worked out to where now is when we have  the most time to concentrate on getting this done. New countertops have been ordered, doors are ready to be sprayed by the cabinet man, so I have to get all of the boxings painted to be ready for the doors. Let me tell you one thing I have learned. It is hard being a perfectionist and remodeling at the same time.

Here's my question for you. Any large projects in the near future, and what advice would you have for me as we work at updating and changing a few things around here?

Blessing to all of you!