Maybe it's Maybelline

Well, here it is.  The PRE-after pictures of the wall we put up between the kitchen and dining room.  I'm in love and can't stop staring, even though I have no decor up, crown moulding or a whole bunch of other stuff.  I'm chomping at the bit, though, to get it done.  It's seems to be taking forever!  This is just one wall too, so I may go completely insane before it's over.

Drywall dust and all.

The casing used around the french doors was NOT what I had in mind, but it will work (for now) I was forced to get something at the moment and refused to travel out of town to a Lowe's or Home Depot.   I was in my car all day that day as it was.

So, where did the title of this blog come from?  Ha!  Well, let me explain a bit.  

I had the WORST time picking out beige paint.  That's been going on for over a year and a half now.  EVERYTHING looked green in my house.  EVERYTHING!  The green undertones of the different beige I was choosing would dominate once it was on the walls.  So, this time around, I had the same problem, but actually took the time to bring home paint swatches instead of gallons of paint at a time.  I compared it to white, I compared it in light, I did it all.  Only a few weren't green, but instead, yellow.  Too yellow.  There was one that I stuck up on the wall on a whim, and even though I felt it was too tan, (with orangy undertones) I decided I'd try that if anything.  It was the only thing working and it was really darker than I had planned.  I decided to take that swatch in and try to find something a little lighter.  Still a little unsure, I found a color and went with it.  The entire time I was slapping it on, I had that makeup jingle in my head because it looked like I was painting with foundation.  Of course, I began to hate it just because of the thought of it looking like makeup, but kept on trucking.  Turns out, I love it.  Such relief!

As far as decor, I have a small writing desk I'm putting in on the right side of the doors and I plan to do something like this on the left:

I will put something like that somewhere in my dining room.  I love it too much.

So, there you have it....for now.

We have had family in and out for the past couple weeks and after things slow down a bit, then maybe I can catch up on all that needs to be done.

Can't wait to see what the FINISHED product will look like!  Wait..is there a such thing as finished?

The Hunt for a Table

I found what I thought would be the perfect table for our kitchen banquette for only $25 on Craigslist. Just before I made plans to pick it up I realized it wouldn't work. Why? Because it had four legs and I knew the only way it would fit with the benches would be to have it scooted all the way up...in other words no room for human legs. That just wasn't going to work.

Clayton said he could build a pedestal but it would be more squared off than I would like, so I put my thinking cap on to try to figure out a different approach.

These ideas may not work in the real world but in my mind they work out perfectly.

What about using a concrete birdbath?












Or maybe even a large heavy urn?








Why not?

Stolen Pictures From Morgan's First Single Recording

Eye Opener

Don't you just LOVE trips to the emergency room?..especially those late at night when you are tired beyond measure?

Last night, Allison was walking around the yard talking on her phone and she grabbed some leaves and berries off a Chinese Tallow tree.  She played around with them in her hand while she talked, smashing and all that jazz. (you know, the things we do like doodling when we aren't realizing it)  She then rubbed her eye and it started burning.  Like terribly.

So, after looking at it, flushing it out, running to the store to get some Visine, etc.  Nothing helped.  Three hours later it was still burning so badly she couldn't stop complaining nor could she sleep.  I decided to look up to see if this tree is toxic.  Sure enough, it is.  Be warned.  Some people (actually everyone I know) calls these trees Chinaberry trees, even though they are called Chinese Tallow.

Of course, after finding out they were, in fact, toxic, I started reading everywhere how if gotten into the eye, it can cause serious damage.  So, off to the ER we go.  I knew if anything, they'd at least give it a good flushing....

...and flushing they did.  

It made me weak in the knees.  Eyeballs are just not my thing.

If you have never seen a Morgan lens, this is what they look like.  That contact lens type end goes into the eye and rests on it.  Eww.

It was disgusting enough for me just to see the tube coming from her eye.  These are the moments when Clayton is the preferred parent because I'm sorry at comforting when I'm grossed out.

About an hour after we got home, she was still hurting but finally fell asleep.  She's a lot better today, but her eye is still so irritated.  Thankfully, though, it's not hurting.

I got very little sleep after we finally got home and Morgan has to be in Dallas today.  Bud is taking her for me, though.  YAY!

Bragging Rights

Cameron joined a small acting class and really enjoyed it.  He's quite the character actually and we have known from the start that he's going to be in show business one day.  He is constantly writing scripts and has since he was very young.  The class is over now, and he won an award (looked like an Academy Award) for Best Stunt Fall.  I'm so glad he's getting a chance to do this.  It really is his element.

Morgan goes to Dallas in a few days to record her first single.  How cool is that?  She won't even tell me what the song is about, what it sounds like, what it's called, nothing.  She said I'm just going to have to wait and see like everyone else.  Huh?  Where's the mom's rights anyway?

Bud went to church camp in New Mexico last week and received a major blessing from God.  He told us all about it and has decided to become a pastor instead of a coach.  Very, very awesome.  I'm so proud of him for heading in the direction and following what he believes is what God wants him to do.

So anyway, on with the regular blogging :)

I am loving my new wall so much, but I'm not finished with it yet.  I've got about one more float job to do on it and I'll be finished for now.  We still have a few more pieces (narrow) of drywall to hang, but for the most part, it's finished.  It has surprisingly and thankfully been raining the last few days, so we have held off on getting anything and chancing it getting wet.

The doors aren't in yet either, and I still have to buy paint.  We are just taking our time and going with the flow of things.  I do feel like I'm in a different house, though.  Feels so so homey.  Just what I was shooting for!

Clayton took all the kids to the movies the other night and I spent my time alone to do some window shopping for the new appliances we will have in the new kitchen. I saw a couple refrigerators a few days ago that I really loved, but when I looked deeper I do believe I found THE one for us. I read consumer reports on this brand and to my surprise there were a lot of perfect reviews on it. So, that's great news!

Pictures online rarely do justice for anything so if you are ever in a place where LG appliances are sold be sure to check out these items:

The LED lights are a very nice touch.

Gotta have my gas range!!

While I was out, I had to give Home Depot a visit, of course. I toured the ever so coveted kitchens. I found the cabinets I want. Clayton and I have repeatedly changed our minds about whether he's going to build them or if we are going to order them. We just aren't totally positive yet on it all. It's such a big decision! We always seem to know exactly what we want until we are ready to do it. You know, that doubt starts setting in on things. So, since the wall being built has left my current refrigerator homeless, Clayton leaving for work too soon, and our fickle minds, I've decided to work with what I have forth time being. The kitchen I saw today fits perfectly into that plan. The cabinets were a very subtle sage greenish gray. I just fell in love with that color on cabinets! Truth be known though, I don't want to buy a new kitchen like that because that color to me would be just a fad. A kitchen is too large an investment for something that's just an in and back out color.

The plan:

The kitchen now has a space too wide for the current range.  My range is gas and there's not line running to the kitchen, so I've had to be without it and cooking electric all this time we have been here.  (I long to have my gas stove back!).  With Clayton off to work soon, and not deciding just what to do about the new kitchen right now, we are going to just scoot the end cabinet toward the range and make room for the refrigerator to go basically where it was before the wall was up (just a few inches over a bit).

 

With all this going on, I'm also changing my decor.  I'm surprised I've gone this long with what I have now.  It's been over a year now.  Very, very odd for me.  I'm excited for the changes and knowing the choice in design I've made can be done on  the inexpensive side suits me just fine!  I can also use a lot of what I already have.  When Clayton comes back from work next time, I'm sure he'll roll his eyes at the fact that the very recent refinished armoire in the dining room will once again be a different color.  Gotta love wood, right? It's almost impossible to ruin. 

I'm satisified with whatever and whenever we decide to do the total makeover of the kitchen.  The ONLY problem I have with more quick fixes in the kitchen is the countertops.  I know it doesn't cost much to lay a sheet of laminate down, even over what's already in there, so I may go that route so I can have my cool looking paint job on the old cabinets.  I just can't have both.  Then again, I could just wait until Clayton gets back home and take things from there.

Or can I?

Probably not.

Another Peek

Ok, took a few more pics this morning, so thought I'd share.  We have a long way to go, but the biggest job is over.  I'm in no rush to tape and float and will do that as I get time.  We also still have a couple pieces of drywall to put up, but that's nothing.  Doors still aren't in, but as soon as they are, I know this space will really be transformed into a beauty!

This is where my kitchen banquette will go! :)  

A Job Well Done

My new wall is up, outlets and light switches installed, and I am one happy camper! I put up the drywall but am not finished just yet so no pictures until that part is done. I'd do this all night until it's finished but the pieces I have left to put up require cutting around the outlets.  I found out tonight I'm not good at that at all. Clayton is worn out from yesterday so he's making me wait until tomorrow. :(.

It's looking so much better than I even imagined. I also have room for my kitchen banquette!!!!

Ok, ok I'll give you a tiny sneak peek.  Can't tell much, but that's the point ;)

Keeping it Real

Well, I really hate that the last pictures were the only ones I could find of how open this space in my kitchen and dining area.  Even though, that's not what I've been living with as far as the cabinets not painted and the island not in the middle of the kitchen floor, they look worse than what it really looks here.  At least I think so.  The darkness and grain of the pictures didn't help a bit either.  Oh well.

The guys decided when they were going to start building my wall before I could tell them when.  So, they start today!!!!

(happy dance time)


Only problem:  I don't have the doors yet!  I feel rushed in a way now, but I'm too excited to care and don't at all want to let anything keep them from doing their job.  So, it's off to wherever in a bit to look for my doors while they prepare the building of the wall.

Clayton's been working hard around here getting everything set up for building the kitchen cabinets.  He has to have EVERYTHING in order before he can begin a project.  I should be more like him in that area.  We still don't have a storage building, so he will be working under the carport.  The carport was so full of his tools just thrown around and still packed.  It was such an eyesore.  It's looking a lot better now and after he did a little work getting his things in order, I checked it out.

Look what I saw:

Wow, Babe, amazing what you find when you organize.

5, yes, 5 hammers.  Sadly, I know he has more than that and will find them when he finishes organizing his things.

I can't say too much though.  I know I own at least 2 other hammers myself and I have nearly an infinite supply of scissors.

I say we put the hammers to good use and hand one to each of the kids today, right?  Sounds like a plan to me!

For some reason, the girls (especially Morgan) had a great deal of working energy in them last night.  When we first moved in, the kitchen and dining room did have a small dividing wall (more on that in the real before pictures)  With the previous owners using the dining room as a living room, they had carpet put down.  So, after we took that hideous little wall down, that left us with putting the refrigerator in it's original rightful place which meant having to put the refrigerator on carpet.  (This will be easier to understand when you see the before pictures.)  Last night, the girls and I had to get the carpet out of the way for the wall to go up today.  Morgan did the majority of it, I think.

(wonderful camera phone pic again)

Awesome bunch of kids, I have!

Lovely, yes?  Ha!

And now, for the way my kitchen has looked for a long while now.

Well, minus the decor I put away for construction later.

Can't believe how terrible it looks without the decor hiding the yuck.  Check out those lovely green counter tops and back splash that yell 1970s.  How about those beautiful outlet covers?  Um, yeah.

As far as the paint job on the walls to the sides, let me explain a bit.

We have so little lighting in this house.  Notice the window above the sink?  That along with a set of patio doors in the dining room is the ONLY natural lighting we have in this large area.  The only other source of lighting is the light above the sink, the one you see in the kitchen and just one more above the table in the dining room that isn't visible in this picture.  So, with that being said, no paint I can find looks the true color.  I have a cream color on the walls to the sides when I went to repaint.  It still turned out blue.  It's more visible off screen.  I got tired of spending money on paint that would never work, so decided just to wait until my drywall was up and the paneling came down and all the remodeling starts. That, my friend, is why the paint isn't finished.  

I'm so excited to get these rooms divided up and have my kitchen closed off the way I want it.  I'm very much hoping I have enough room for a kitchen banquette.

Oh how I want one!

There you have it.  

I can't believe I actually put these pictures up on a public blog, but hey, just keeping it real.

Pictures of a Kitchen Long Ago

Ok,  here are some pictures of what was once my kitchen here in this house.  These are the only ones I have, so I apologize for you having to strain your eyes to see.  I'm not putting them here as a before picture, but merely to see what open space I'm talking about that I just can't come to grips with.  They were taken at night, so they are uber dark and this is long before I painted anything the way it is now.  I think this is right after I did start painting everything over a year ago.  Will take more of the way it is now when I can get all the girls' things back in their rooms where they belong.  I also have an island in my kitchen now which doesn't help with that open feel much at all. (just gives me something to have to sweep and mop around)

AGAIN THIS IS NOT MY KITCHEN RIGHT NOW!!!

get it? got it? good! :)

Don't you just LOOOVE 1.3 megapixal cameras?

Even though these are terrible pictures and the kitchen should win an award for Ugliest Kitchen, it was worse when we first moved in.  WAY WORSE!!!  I'll post those as my before pictures.

The men are waiting on me to say when before they start building my wall.  I am hoping to get the french doors installed the same day, but we shall see.

There is still a lot of room on this side of the camera from the dining room table.  These are roughly the dimensions of everything here:

Now:

Kitchen and dining room combo - 25ft x 18ft

After wall will be up:

Kitchen - 14ft x 18ft

See, still PLENTY big enough.

Oh, also wanted to add that Clayton decided to build the kitchen cabinets.  He does remarkable work and built our kitchen once before in another home.  I trust his work with everything in me.  BUT, at first I told him no because I wanted a certain finish on my cabinets that I knew he wasn't capable of doing.  I'm the painter around here, he's the stainer.  I wasn't even sure I could pull it off and really didn't feel like doing it myself.  Then, I thought about it more and knowing how much cheaper it would be for him to build them and researching the quality of some of those I looked at at Lowe's and Home Depot, I'm going to let him dig into this project.  Sooo, I may have a new kitchen before I realize!!!  :)  

I will TRY to post pictures of the "now" kitchen in the next few days.  

Kitchen Wall?

We have been so busy this week.  Not productive, but definitely busy.

Our wall dividing the kitchen and dining room is about to go up.  Only problem?  I think I've changed my mind again on what I want exactly.  

These are the choices I've made:

1.  Solid wall with french doors in the middle.

2.  A wall on each side of room, leaving an opening in the middle and with the walls not going all the way up to the ceiling.

3.  Solid wall with two single french doors, about 3 to 4 ft between them.

Would a picture of my kitchen and dining room help you help me decide?

(I dislike before pictures without the after)

Dos and Don'ts

Aging is showing it's ugly face quite frequently lately.  I have to be in bed by 9pm or I'm a walking zombie the next day.  Today the girls and I spent some time together in Beaumont and the mall was too much for me.  I think the girls could have lasted another few hours there, but not me.  Not this day.

I was worn out before the girls even got started, so I decided to get a new "do".  Mistake, I think.  I can't figure out why hairdressers can look at a picture of a haircut you want, say things like "oh, yes", and "sure, that's simple", or even suggest a picture themselves and you are all for it.  Yet in the end, they can't pull it off or even anything remotely resembling anything in the picture.  Of course, my favorite is this:  "I don't want chunky highlights."  "So you want them to blend in and look more natural?"  "Yes, very thin and blending."  "Sure, no problem."  So, you put your faith and trust in this one hairdresser you think finally has it all figured out.  They finish your hair with the ever so famous words, "Oh, you are gonna love it!" while they spin you around to look in the mirror they've hidden you from the entire time.  Only to find highlights and lowlights in the most chunky form and your hair even chunkier cut.  Hmph!

Oh well, at least I had a chance to sit and relax while someone washed my hair for me.  It's as close to a spa I'm going to get until our next trip to Dallas.

I'm too tired to even want to play with my hair.

The flooring is waiting to be installed.  I'm letting it acclimate one more day or so before I begin.  I want to do at least one more good cleaning of the concrete too, so it may be a few more days.  We shall see.  I'm so looking forward to it, but even too tired to think about even that right now.

Hope everyone has a safe and blessed weekend. :)