#164 I done Do'd It!!!

Imagine you hear a drumroll...

Behold:

 The books are in place and I looooooooove the way they look!

I think my Zebra does, too:

I've still got more work to do in the studio before I do a complete reveal, but suffice it to say it is coming together even better than I had hoped! May take another week or so since I have to head to Syracuse this week to pick up some things for Megan since she's packing up her apt. the end of May in preparation for her move to France. I've actually made room for her things! (Well, I think I've made enough room...)

#163 Laaah-deee-daaah!

I promise pics soon!

I've been a busy lady - going through Stacks O' Crap as I ready things for their return to the studio (which is looking WONDERFUL if I do say so myself!) I've needed to clear two spaces so windows can be reached and replaced in the next few months, and I've needed to move landscaping and rearrange paths in the garden since work on the deck/porch will begin mid May! Yahooo!

I've also been: 1. escorting the appraiser through our home as we trek through the Home Equity Loan process 2. putting in our application for a Certificate of Appropriateness with the Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB) since we live in the Historic District and need that to replace our windows (we go before them 3 May - keep your fingers crossed!) 3. applying for the work permit for the porch (got it!) and celebrating that it can't be seen from the street and, therefore, doesn't need approval by HARB (whew!) 4. getting info on the Elm Street project that might provide part of the funds to have our facade repainted (any free moolah is welcome!) 5. determining who I'll get bids from for said painting project that will also include the rear section of our home 5. making the final decision on window colors and paint colors and window hardware, etc. 6. getting my drivers license renewed 7. getting things together for an overnight trip up to Syracuse to bring back stuff from Megan - I'll head up next Tuesday.

I think that about covers it.

Makes me tired just writing about it! Think I'll head up to bed now...I'm tired. But HaPpY!


Cheers!

#162 Happiness...

I found this at an antiques store in Elliottsburg PA when Mom and Dad were visiting. At a mere $4.95, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to add it to my collection of cross stitched samplers:

Isn't it charming???

#161 Having fun...

I've been off galavanting and having a ball!

Mom and Dad came up for a visit this Monday and stayed 'till yesterday. It's so wonderful to have them here and I missed them the moment they left!

Fortunately I had a wonderful event to take my mind off their departure; I drove to West Chester PA and met an old friend for the first time in 25 years. We had a 5 hour lunch/talkfest and it was such a blast. I'm so glad she's back in my life again.

 The Karens (Chu and Glick)

During this week of visiting, my studio floor has been quietly curing. Now, a couple of days past the required drying time, it's ready and I can start getting everything back in and put away. I'll spend most of the day putting bookcases together - yahooo!!!

I'm so excited I think I'll burst if I don't end here and get started!

See ya' later alligator!

#160 Karma

Yesterday I was presented with a test.

As I approached my car in the parking lot at Lowes, I noticed a rather large roll of paper money on the ground behind a van that was just pulling out from the spot next to my car.

I picked it up and ran after the van, trying to get the attention of the driver.

He finally stopped when he heard me yelling after him.

"Is this yours, Sir? Did you drop it?" I asked.

He looked a bit confused and then reached for the money, mumbling something about how it must have fallen. He never said thank you, just looked at me like I was crazy.

Maybe I am. But I don't think so. I know I did the right thing to try and find the owner of the money. If he was the owner then all is as it should be. If he wasn't, well, I wonder how he feels having taken it. I wonder how he'd explain that to his kids if he has any.

I'm very aware that I live a charmed life. But a big part of that is due, I think, to passing the tests that are so often presented to me in so many situations. I'm not about to risk what I've been blessed with by cheating, looking the other way, or doing what I know in my heart is wrong.

I believe in karma.

I believe in doing good. It's so much easier, and it makes me really, really happy.

I can go to bed with a happy heart and sleep peacefully at night.

I wonder  how the man driving the van slept last night.

#159 The Lightness of White...

The studio is almost finished! Today I put the first coat of high gloss white enamel on the floor (thank you, Sherwin Williams!) and tomorrow the second will go down. Then its a matter of waiting 7 days (at least) for the paint to cure before I can start putting everything in place. But, truth to tell, I would love to leave it empty. The lightness of the space speaks to my soul.

Here are a few pictures I took this morning:

So pristine!

The fireplace was plain, but I added these pieces of trim I scored at an antique shop. Not sure if they were meant to go together since they don't fit next to each other exactly, but I like the bit of  "grace note" they add!

The teensy corbel pieces were in the group of pieces I got at the antique store. I turned them into wee shelf holders so I can prop up artwork as I might need/want to.

The window with the trim I cut and installed all by myself. I made a butt joint with bit of the top board extending a bit. Saw them done this way in an historic home in a magazine.

The FUN way to re-point a brick wall! Finally made use of the huge bag of corks Dean and I saved in the first years of our marriage. The benefit of using cork is that I can tack things up on them if I want to!

So that's it for today. Once I get the second coat on the floor I'm going to make the final decision on paint for the living room and music room and head to Lowe's to get it while they still have the $5 off per gallon. I love the Valspar Premium paint in Eggshell - covers so well and gives a nice finish. I'm pretty sure I'll go with the same pale creamy shade I used in the dining room.

Who would ever have thought I'd crave the look of pale walls? But, heck, everyone else is finally doing the intense shades I've had for years - so I know it's time to make some changes. I just can't figure out if I'm ahead of or behind the trends!

And hey! I may actually realize my May goal!!!

#158 Green is good!

My attempt to rescue my IKEA coffee table with duct tape didn't work out as well as I thought it would. The table looked bright and happy, but it just didn't wear well. The edges of the tape would scootch up when we propped our feet on the table (the real reason to have a coffee table, right?) and then Jake's hair (that wasn't attached to his body any longer) would get stuck to the sticky exposed edges. Alas...another great idea deemed Not So Great.

What to do?

Rearrange and redo!!!

I put the coffee table that had been in the music room in the living room. It's a wonderful old pine farm table that my mom and dad cut down to the perfect height. It's smaller than the IKEA table was, so it fits the space better.

Then I lugged up a beautiful old coffee table that had been stashed in the basement and had a go at painting and glazing it. It was the table Mom and Dad had in their  first home before I was born and has traveled 'round the country (and world) through the years. At some point my niece Mary attempted to strip it and refinish it but stopped. And somewhere along the line it incurred a lot of dark water rings on its surface. Here's the before:

Refinishing it promised to be bigger task than I wanted to take on, so I decided to paint and glaze it. The April 2010 issue had a detailed photo (page 92) of a beautiful green Chinese table that inspired me. I loved the shade of green and the dark shading of the glaze. Here's the table now:

This photo shows the green more accurately:

I'm really pleased with the way it turned out and that I'm finally able to use this table again. I've always loved it and even had it in my first apartment. It triggers lots of good memories. I'm letting it cure for a week or so before I pile on all the books and magazine that normally cover the coffee table in this room; you can see them stacked up behind the loveseat.

So it looks like for now my coffee table troubles are over. I'd still like to try my hand at building one like I saw in a magazine, but that will have to wait. There are too many other projects I have to tackle first.

Like finishing my studio. (Okay, okay - but I've got to paint the hall radiator cover first!)