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 ;)