House Update.... Whaaaat

THIS! is the first house update of 2016.

Our last update was about 9 months ago, when we painted our kitchen (post here).  Those that have been following this blog for awhile might remember renovating our home was the main reason for starting this blogging journey.  It has morphed into more than that but I am probably the most excited still to blog about house updates.


<Spoiler alert> This is not a major renovation, we just hung a few curtains.  (Sorry if that is a let down.)  BUT, it is progress and I like journaling all progress.

New windows were installed last fall if you remember. (post here)  I have had curtain decision issues since we moved in 5 years ago. (post on that here)  Settling on simple white linen was the decision.  Why was that so hard for me I am not sure.

Anyway, in my true blogging fashion I put the before and after. :)


When we moved in-

Progress, with 2 curtains.  Yeah, I see that third window.... and yeah, we will put a curtain on it too once I can get to the store again.

Simple linen curtains from Target.

I also think I need to hang larger picture or something with a more pronounced picture frame between those windows.

Table is never usually clean.  It is a high traffic table, used daily for this girl's art obsession.

And I know white decor and young kids is not the most practical combination.... but alas I am doing it anyway.

Onto the living room.

Living room 'TV wall' when we moved in-

 Progress, with curtains-

If you are wondering, that is a real 5 point deer antler from my parent's farm.  It was found a long, long time ago so local TN hunting friends don't think about sneaking in their woods.

Speaking of TN, we were there last week and went 'picking' in the local antique stores.  We found this 'model' tobacco basket.

This is a small version of the real thing, hence 'model'.  Tobacco baskets were used to transport and display tobacco leaves at market for selling (correct me, friends, if there is more).  Though my family did not grow tobacco when I was growing up we helped friends harvest and work their tobacco crops.  Cutting tobacco is one the hardest, most physical jobs I have ever done.  I would say even tougher than loading and stacking square bales of hay.  This was a major income to most families in our area and the biggest crop in our county for many years.  Not anymore though, that is another story.

Picture of tobacco in a Greene County warehouse waiting for auction.

Source here

All for now friends. :)

Dining Room Blinds Version 4.OhMyHead

One kid ago I set out to make dining room curtains.  I was motivated to make them myself instead of buy them because:

• I could choose whatever fabric I wanted
• I could choose the style curtain/blind I wanted
• I thought it might save some money (fabric coupons go a long way)
• I don't remember the other thoughts because when I started it was awhile ago

Initial post beginning this ridiculous and unnecessary curtain journey:  Ladies and Gentlemen A Curtain

Here are the curtain versions if interested in:

1.0

Lesson learned- this tie up curtain was cute but wanted something I could raise and lower in seconds.  It was lowered every evening to keep sun out of eyes while at the dinner table.  Plus the fabric needed some help not looking bunched and messy when quickly tied up (probably my somewhat heavy fabric choice to blame).  Would maybe be better in a room where it did not need to be raised and lowered so much.  I also decided I wanted cleaner looking lines.

2.0

Lesson learned- you can't just put loops and strings on the back of any fabric square and it will look good when raised and lowered.  This design when raised would just bunch up into a mess at the top.  I had to create the folds by hand to make it look somewhat normal when in the raised position.  Again, not what I wanted in a curtain I was raising and lowering daily.

3.0

Don't have a picture because it was ugly.

4.0

The current shade (roman shade).  Still not perfect when quickly raised.  Fabric still will  fold backwards when raised (instead of forward creating the nice over lap folds in the front).  I am happy enough.... for now.  

Just for reference this is what the back looks like.  Tube tape, dowels to keep things from bunching and string threaded through.  If it worked great I would share more tips, but I am still in need of some tips myself.  Like I said, for now it is good enough.

Overall lessons learned- lots learned.... so I consider the overall process a gain for the brain, but was not the way I preferred to spend my 'free' time.

Saturday progress on the basement, ceiling is up.  Thankful for friends help.

This weekend hubby and I plan to put up some walls.  Don't worry, not figuratively speaking.

More details in another post on the over all construction/progress of this basement that used to flood every rain storm.

Another Project Done!!

I am one step closer to becoming Americas Top.... oops, let me switch to the reality part of my brain.....
I am one step closer to having the dining room complete.  Big deal my friends, BIG. DEAL.

The latest completion- walkthrough painted and I made a growth chart ruler!

I set myself to completing something since I needed a bit of a mood lift.  This was Monday-

We got about another 10".  Don't get me wrong, I like snow.  I like to play in the snow.  It just limits outdoor activities somewhat, we try to be creative though.

So completing something on my to do list always lifts my spirits.  The kids like the ruler too-

Notice in the, background baby girl unloading the colored pencils, the illusion of my clean home is ruined (not that I mind, otherwise I would not have pointed it out)-

Kids love marking and seeing their growth.  Also, another good thing about the ruler is we can take it with us if we ever move.

Here was the before; old woodwork is stained pine.

We learned that you have to paint a 'seal' over the knots otherwise this will happen (this is our living room cabinets)-

The Kilz we had on hand didn't do the job, we used B-I-N Shallac Base Primer and it seems to have worked.
You see here, the stain that wasn't fully sanded away is seeping through our primer coat (before we used B-I-N)-

Ugh, so much prep just to get something painted correctly.  Remember how much I hate painting, my last whine about it HERE.
Also note, that I slightly cringe at painting wood white.  I like the clean look of white but DO prefer the natural look of wood more, just not pine.  We are trying to keep as much natural wood as makes sense.

The natural wood ruler does add some nice texture here-.

Also, it was easy to make.

• Bought thin boards (I think red oak) for a low profile and easy to tack flush to the wall
• Applied a few layers of Satin Finish
• Marked lines with a black sharpie
• Pause for a motorcycle race

• Used Century font as a template to trace the number (or could stencil them), again used a sharpie

To end, here is a detail in the Dining Room I could use input.  We had to rip out all our old trim, if you remember.  Jonathan replaced it and now we are left with a gap and exposed raw edge at the top-

Cutting a piece of trim at an angle (to form a wedge to finish the end) will not work because of the angle of the trim.  The wedge piece would angle downward instead of perpendicular into the wall.  Too big for a filler like caulk..... 

Any ideas please!!!!

Basement electrical and lights should be installed (by hubby and a friend) next weekend so we can get back to work on the new playroom.  I am SUPER pumped about that.  We also budgeted out our other updates for the year.  I am very excited to share them with you as we get to them. :)

Ladies and Gentlemen.... A Curtain!

That's right my friends, step right up and BEHOLD this curtain.
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Why so special you ask?  Because this curtain was 100,000 million years in the brainstorming phase.
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If it was normal to talk to a curtain I would say this, "Hey curtain, you must be tired because you have been running circles through my mind for like 100,000 million years".
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(Note that I don't think the world has been in existence that long, for those that were concerned.)

In all seriousness though the brainstorming process of this curtain did feel that long.  I mean.... I stink at decision making (apparently) and home decorating.
OK, I think the long intro has built up too much excitement, so take a moment to lower your expectations for a very normal curtain.
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Maybe I should start over just to be safe.
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Hi everyone,
I finally have made my first curtain.  This is the first version of the curtain and I plan to make a few minor adjustments to the next ones..... but for now.... ta-da here is it:

Making the curtain was not that difficult and maybe I will share those details after I make the planned alterations.  For now though it is just a cut square with the edges sewn under and a curtain rod pocket.  It typically would not take long at all to actually make..... typically is the key word here..... my 'helpers' maybe slowed the process somewhat-

 

Then little man got a hold of the camera-

Yep-

Back to the curtain.
For now it is tied up with some twine (which is just thrown across the curtain rod).  I am not planning on using twine in the end, it looks a little too primitive for me.
For now its just a basic tie up curtain.

Fabric is gathering nicely when tied up.  Was going for a french linen look and I think this Joann Fabric knock off is doing fine.

'Real life' pictures of the prototype curtain-

Tied up even higher-

I hope to have the others up soon.

Dining Room Windows Painted!!

It only took us 2 months (initial post here), but we finally finished painting our dining room windows.  Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike painting.  If I had to make a list of dislikes it would go something like this (in order from somewhat dislike to really dislike):

• general housework
• pulling chewing gum out of hair
• listening to KeSha on the radio
• cleaning dog poo out of shoe bottoms, with tiny crevices (third and forth are close)
• painting
• cleaning up puke

So you see, painting is at the bottom with cleaning up puke.  Sorry to be so gross but wanted to get my point across.

The results make painting worth it I guess.  It has really lightened up the room and even makes it look larger and more crisp.  It also makes our old windows look fresh.

Throwback.... here is the dining room when we bought the house:

And now:

I also finally bought the fabric to make the curtains.  Going for clean, french country-ish style here (not so much Americana or Primitive country, though there is nothing wrong with those).

Burlap mixed with classic, mixed with vintage items is what we like-

I chose a fabric that favors french linen (but I believe this is a poly blend).

Remember, Jonathan cut and put up the trim himself so we don't want to completely cover up his work with curtains.

Thinking a side gather will keep more trim visible than two side panels.  I like relaxed roman shades but the style didn't quite work in here unfortunately.  Going to use a black curtain rod to hang them.

Dining rooms are important.  Alot of important family things happen here.  Hoping it stays that way.