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"20 Little Things"
 This bird thought he'd join his friends in the birdbath....
  With the hardwood floors almost completed, it's just about time to paint the walls. The color is one I have never gravitated towards before however we are looking for something that will enhance the richness of the wood cabinets and hardwood floors. Currently the walls are white. We are looking for a golden shade with a hint of Tuscany flavor, not too bright, not too yellow, not too orange-muted, yet rich in tone. Ok, so what's left you say? Here are two color swatches. We tried the Laura Ashley Gold 3 but against these colors and the walls it actually looked like it fell more into the tan family. Our kitchen and dining area are small and both colors look suitable, even in a smaller area. The cabinets and flooring are golden oak in color. The other color we thought of was a pale blue shade with a hint of turquoise (enhances the rich golden oak) however it might clash with our great room which is in a midtone muted evergreen shade. What do you think? Your suggestions would be most helpful! Melissa from The Inspired Room posted a list of "20 Little Things" that inspired her in Autumn. Since autumn is my favorite time of year, hear are my list of 20 little things: 1. Painting the kitchen and renovating (always autum projects) 2. Family gatherings 3. Crock pots of bubbly beef stew and fresh baked loaves of bread 4. Riding in an open topped convertible through Breads Hills, Michigan 5. Thick and cozy handmade sweaters 6. Teracott pots over flowing with Chrysanthemums 7. Paint chipped chairs and furniture 8. Hot Pumpkin pie 9. Candles scents of cinammon and berries 10. Thick warm blankets on a cold night 11. Gourds, squash and pumpkins 12. Fall festivals 13. A hot latte with a warm berry Stella 14. Flannel jackets and duck boots 15. Early morning mist 16. Apple cider 17. Bike rides around the lake, through the leaves 18. Knee high boots and skirts 19. Fresh fruit scones with marmalade 20. Fresh breezes through open windows! Labels: "20 Little Things", "door wreath" fall, "gold color swatches", "gold", autumn, decorating, kitchen, paint
Hope and Thanksgiving
 Every day is a day to give thanks. A little over a week ago I heard about Christian and Stephanie Nielson, a young couple who survived a tragic private plane crash in Eastern Arizona on August 16, 2008. A third person, Doug Kinneard, the flight instructor, was also on board, and later passed away at the hospital. Christian suffered burns over 35% of his body and Stephanie's burns cover over 83% of her body. They are both receiving treatment at the Maricopa Burn Unit in Arizona. As a young wife and mother of 4 small children, Stephanie shared her positive attitude and perspective about her family life through her blog, Nie Nie Dialogues. Sister Courtney, is continuing to blog for Stephanie and Christian, throughout their long road to recovery on her own blog, C Jane Run.As a mother, my heart immediately went out to them, wanting to take action, anything that would help them to survive, anything that would help lessen their suffering and bring them back to their once joyful lives with their children and families. What could I do??? I felt so moved to pray for them. I've been praying for them daily, finding myself praying for them several times a day. I believe God will answer all of our prayers for them. Every moring and evening I check C Jane to look for posts of their progress and find hope. Today Courtney wrote the most beautiful love story and one of thanksgiving. You must read it for yourself here on her September 18th, 2008 post "I Could Never Do It Justice." Courtney has a delightful gift of writing and her posts are warm and full of love, hope, and encouragement. She is a new mum to her firstborn son "Chief." She writes about motherhood, hubby Chup and her newly grown family of 3 of her sister's 4 children. Sister Lucy is caring for the smallest child. Christian's sister Alice posts her brother's progress on her own blog. Stephanie is still in very critical and both she and Christian need our continued prayers and support. If you would like to help you can do so here. Labels: "Christian and Stephanie Nielson", "Nie Nie Dialogues"
Fall Nesting Part 2
  More fall nestings. While not the latest project I hinted about, this was a wreath I made for our door a few years back. I would do things differently now, like white wash the bird house but I like the rich rust color and just plan to leave it the way it is. Several parts I collected from trips through the park nearby. The birdhouse I purchase from Michaels I think. It came on a stand and I pulled the flat bottom part off and secured it into the vine and applied hot glue. More fall nestings at The Inspired Room. Labels: "door wreath" fall, "fall nesting", craft
Hall Monitors
     For those who asked for updates on our flooring project throughout the kitchen, dining area and hall, here are a few peeks. We're about 1/2 finished and they're is still so much to be done. For previous posts, see here and here. Notice the "Hall Monitors" (remember them in school?) at the end of the hall. They're actually a pair of puppets on stands (I think from India), but please correct me if I am wrong. I love them and K and walk past them and pose them sometimes...hilarious. Above them an antique plate from Portugal that was my great aunt's, mother's, sister's, who was a nun. I know, stay with me now. Kat, this post is for you, thanks for your patience and all your help and I will post before and after's when we are done. I have to say it's really coming along beautifully! Labels: "hardwood floor", kitchen, projects, wood
Fall at Starbucks
 This morning K and I headed to Starbucks. The air was cool and crisp and a heavy fog had settled in. Starbucks was packed with customers looking for a piping hot cup of coffee and a good newspaper to read or a friendly chat with a neighbor. Our favorite mugs were back on display and we quickly scooped up the last two and purchased them. They carry the signature Starbucks mermaid design in warm bronze and brown tones, my absolute favorite of all the Starbucks designs. Don't you just love them? We have the taller version of this design which is great for a latte or mocha, but the shorter, more full bodied mugs are just the right size for a hot cup of chocolate. A warm respite after a busy afternoon of working on a mixture of projects. We're making headway on the floors and are about 1/3 of the way done, yeah! Of course with any project, one leads to another and now we want to paint the kitchen. I think we'll need to take a life line and ask the audience for help with the color. I'll post photos at a later date and maybe you can help. Right now it is white and while I know this is a popular color, we need a change, even if it is a minute one. Please stay tuned! Labels: coffee, fall, hot chocolate, mermaids, mugs, Starbucks
It Get's Prettier
 Click on the photo above for a closer view.... Husband K worked all day prepping the floor and tonight was ready to cut the carpet out of the hallway...Yikes! Not that I doubt his talents for a moment, but once you cut the carpet in two, you are committed. We had several funny conversations revolving around me picking out the boards tonight, so I could choose the colors I wanted next to each other, and he remarking that if I waited too long it would all be planked by the time I returned home from work tomorrow.  The kitchen floor, not pretty, but soon it will have a shiny new surface! Labels: "hardwood floor", kitchen, projects, wood
"Gourdulicious" Fall Nesting
   This week the crisp smell of fall is in the air! The weather is in the 70's and it's one of my most favorite times of year. Unfortunately, with my "nest" under construction, all of my fall decorations are packed away and cannot be reached. Not to be deterred, I collected some beautiful goodies to create a fall piece that I will post here soon. When we lived in California I was introduce to gourd art. Gourds were in abundant supply, especially during the fall months. I became interested in them and my husband K soon followed. The two of us set off to find the most unique and interesting gourds we could find and still have about 50 in storage. We found this to be an intriguing three-dimensional art medium with endless possibilities. This piece sits above our fireplace. K and I love elk and I created this piece as a tribute to this magnificent animal. To create this design, I used a burning tool, stains and paint. Over at The Inspired Room, Melissa has kicked off Fall Nesting Week, so if you are looking for inspirational ideas for fall projects, you'll find a list of fellow bloggers who have posted links to their ideas. Another fall posting here. Labels: "fall nesting", "gourd art", "Maggie Summers", "Margaret Summers", 3-dimensional, elk, fall, gourds, nest, wildlife
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