All Things EARTH... part 2

[laurspag]

Melody, I don't think we will get leather.  We are good with that for the ottoman in the family room,,but we don't have air conditioning in the living room so it gets pretty sticky. We are thinking of leather for a chair in the family room though.  We have a big sectional already in there, and a portable air-conditioning unit.

[awhfy]

13 hours ago, laurspag said:

Melody, I don't think we will get leather.  We are good with that for the ottoman in the family room,,but we don't have air conditioning in the living room so it gets pretty sticky. We are thinking of leather for a chair in the family room though.  We have a big sectional already in there, and a portable air-conditioning unit.

Real leather breathes. Microfiber is so darn hot (cozy comfy in winter). 

[Anita Latte]

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend. We had a very slow, don't do too much kind of holiday weekend. We joined our local Y last week...and we headed out to the tennis courts for a bit. The courts are fabulous clay courts...so much nicer on the joints to play on compared to hard courts! We just bapped the ball around...just to be out and seeing how it was to be on court again. I'm not a big tennis player...but DH is. His knee/ankle situation has made tennis playing painful and so he hasn't been playing but it's a goal of his to play again. We did well...and it was just nice to have somewhere to go and something to do.

 

It's debatable what else I will do with the Y membership. The club is open and it is a smaller club...they have yoga classes going on right now. You have to make a reservation and there are limited class sizes. I don't even want to dine indoors so I can't imagine going to a class right now... But there is a pool. And I could see using that. Mainly...the membership was to get to use the tennis courts.

 

Sally...I don't want two dining tables! LOL. I still have my Grandmother's table...but it is SO FORMAL...and the rectangle shape doesn't work in my home. Right now, we have a bistro table on the screened porch...and otherwise we don't have a dining table at all. Not set up. DH went fishing on Friday with a friend from work...first time for that...but they have talked about it for a long time. While he was gone, I finally figured out the furniture arrangement with our current furniture in the gathering room. A large 52" dining table wouldn't fit in the current arrangement...so something would have to give...or I'd have to figure out a different sized table.

 

I understand the concept and the thought of getting new furniture for a new house...but that don't suit my personality as much. I'm more of a use it until it breaks or you literally don't need it anymore kind of person. I still have the stereo components that I was given for Christmas and birthday when I was still in high school. That is still my house stereo...but the speakers have been upgraded since then...but even those are "hand-me-downs" from my parents from when they decided to do built in wall and ceiling speakers in their homes. I think that my things are one way that I have kept myself a bit grounded through all the moves and all the different places...and so I don't easily part with it. Plus...I seriously have issues with the idea of just getting rid of something because I'd like something different for the sake of having something different. I have no issue with getting something better suited and purchased with a particular functionality in mind though...BUT...I need to live with the rooms for a while with my current furniture to analyze what would be a better fit. And usually...I don't live somewhere long enough to truly go through that process. LOL.

 

I don't know if I mentioned that I finally cut my hair? Here's my before...

 

 

Here's my after...

 

 

The ends are pretty blunt. I didn't do such a great job with the whole point cutting. There was just so much length to take off...it was a challenge. But I left myself some room to have a go at it again sooner not later. I'm thinking to get some of those thinning shears and do some clean up work. It took me long enough to work my way through my mass of hair...my arms were getting tired LOL!! And the other thing that is happening is that with all the excess weight on my hair removed...and all the humidity...my natural wave is coming back...so my attempt at layers looks like the don't in the Youtube videos because they look choppy as the stick out at the different points of the wave...even though my layers are slightly better than that appearance...my hair isn't cooperating with my skills...hence the new angle for the after photo.

 

My hair looks healthier though and that's good. It also looks very dark and that's not lovely. Ah well.

 

Laurie...glad you have been inspired for your house projects! I think the enthusiasm comes in waves and you have to ride them out when you have it. I've been getting focused on organizing and cleaning and sorting and dealing with stuff a bit more than actual home improvement. I think I'm just about to the point where I can comfortably start up on the yoga room. I don't want to get so bogged down in the home improvement work that the normal household functions suffer. That usually happens but I don't want it too...

 

So today is laundry day. I need to go grocery shopping and do some things in the kitchen. 

 

DH brought home a flounder from his fishing! That was very exciting and we learned something new. Flounder are weird fish...their biological makeup is atypical but we figured it out. We still need to get a proper filet knife...so we ended up grilling the fish whole. It was amazing. There's nothing like fresh fish. 

[MJC]

Our first couch was leather because we thought it would be easier to clean because of having a cat. That was true, but it also showed scratches from her jumping up and down. I don't know if that's an issue with dogs?  Microfiber was better with regard to the cat, but DH never liked the feel of it. Now we just go with fabric and vacuum it often, and make sure to trim miss kitty's claws.

 

Laurie, we saw your dining room, but have you posted a pic of your living room? Is it the same color scheme as the family room? What changes are you making there that will impact the dining room?

 

I can see why you like that blue pattern, it is really lovely. Elegant without being stuffy. But it seems just so different from the other things you have. IMO if you decide on blue it has to be a dark enough blue to hold up to the red in the other areas of your house or it will get lost. Does that make sense? Knowing how you choose your outfits and how harmonious everything is makes me wonder if in the long run you would be happy with that particular blue.

 

I do like the red trees fabric a lot. From a technical standpoint you'd want to consider the placement of the design on each chair. Would you want them to match with the same tree centered on the seat? Center a different tree on each seat? Are you concerned about price/fabric loss with the cutting of a large pattern like that for a specific look? Just some things to consider. I have only recovered seats with a smaller pattern that is uniform where placement was super easy.

 

I placed orders for a few things more than a week ago that are just now trickling in. Something that is hard to find in stores are zippered tablecloths for outside that aren't round. Wayfair has a bunch if you are looking. I was able to find aqua and green ones that I like.

 

[Anita Latte]

So...for your dining room...is that the dining room right off the kitchen? Margaret wrote what I was thinking...I'm not sure that introducing blue into there would really work. I look at the window covering and that blue fabric doesn't seem like it would go at all really. The other fabric would but IDK...the background seems very light to me for a dining chair. I always imagine spills and ills on dining chairs and that light colored background would do nothing to help camouflage what I think of as an inevitable happening. Now if that other fabric were to have the proper colors...that design would be lovely.

 

Is Calico Corners still in business? They had the best home dec fabric selection. I wonder...

 

I just spent some time looking for photos of your living room... House tours are fun. I like seeing houses. It's interesting to me to see how people's personalities are or aren't reflected in their homes.

 

We also had a leather couch and chair once. We had two cats at the time and they didn't grip on the surfaces but they would run around and use their nails to grip for traction and the leather was punctured. We didn't move that furniture at some point...

 

The nice thing about leather is that is maintains the temperature of the room. So if your room is cooled with ac, then the leather is cool. So it can be quite nice to sit on when the weather is warmer...because it is generally cooler. But the same holds for winter weather. And then it isn't quite as nice. My parents have leather all over their house and the thing is...the leather will stretch (like in good shoes) and you will eventually see the seat prints if you happen to have a favorite place where you always sit. Leather also seems to be more susceptible to sun fade...I don't know if there is something to put on it to help it...like lotion or something? I mean...it's skin...so maybe there's a sunscreen for leather? IDK...I don't think leather is cat friendly so I don't invest in leather.

 

It sounds like you are having a bit of tone on tone coloring going on? Taking about gold walls...a golden colored couch...that kind of tannish gold chairs. I think that is a very soothing kind of style for a room and the way to make it interesting is to have a lot of different textures on those color tones. I wouldn't mind seeing more pictures!! 

 

Margaret...a zippered table cloth? Like to accommodate a table umbrella?

[MJC]

Anita, yes for an umbrella table.

 

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwiGsNiR8dnrAhWBn7MKHfQnAaAYABAJGgJxbg&ae=1&sig=AOD64_2ahMf6qYq1km9hMvoi558RC48VXQ&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwj6u8-R8dnrAhVKhHIEHRn2Ap8Qwg96BAgVEDI&adurl=https://www.wayfair.com/Highland-Dunes--Hadrian-Summer-Outdoor-Zipper-Umbrella-Tablecloth-CJ260699-L1228-K~VJE4848.html%3Frefid%3DGX440494408754-VJE4848%26device%3Dm%26ptid%3D563127045051%26network%3Dg%26targetid%3Dpla-563127045051%26channel%3DGooglePLA%26ireid%3D57423144%26fdid%3D1817%26PiID%5B%5D%3D31575806%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMIhrDYkfHZ6wIVgZ-zCh30JwGgEAQYAyABEgKrM_D_BwE

[Sailor_Sally]

I feel decorating is a personal thing so what one person likes another would hate .My style is more cottage meets comfort . Living in Florida the sun fades your furniture so I tend toward light colors .In fact the couch in my living room is white sumbrella fabric . I  had red furniture which faded to an awful color . When I am finished with my furniture I donate it to Habitat . Sometimes it just goes to one of Gary's sons houses especially when they were starting out.

Anita , You did a great job with the haircut .Our Y is doing some fitness classes outside .Something you could check on.

 

[awhfy]

I’m back to my aqua classes (except tomorrow, snow!). I feel so much better when I work out after so many months of being isolated then the 3 months recovering from my surgery. 

[awhfy]

Never having had cats, never thought what they’d do to leather 😳. Anita, hair looks great. When mine was knee length (late teens) I’d bend at the waist, flip the hair over & trim the edges. Laurie, I agree with folks on the chairs. A pattern like the red would take a ton of material, it’d be lovely, but cost a lot more than a solid or easier pattern. I also prefer a slightly darker material for spills (usually it’s me that spills). Scotch guarding is a must

 

we got 7-8” of heavy, heavy wet snow last night (still snowing lightly). This was from about 9 last night. We’re spending the morning shaking snow from the trees in the hopes we can save the limbs. Should be back to 70s on Saturday. Melody 

[awhfy]

[awhfy]

Well. I’ve been looking at this for a couple of months, finally hit my price point for a “fluff” piece. Never had anything with flamingos on it... Great price

[laurspag]

Melody, I used to have cats and I can definitely say they can make a mess of all sorts of fabrics, and they scratch up leather pretty bad.  I don't have any cats at the moment, but my dogs love being on the furniture with us.  I think it would get beat up pretty fast. 

 

I did consider leather in that room, but my husband wasn't a fan of the idea, and I got to thinking it might not work well with the dogs.  We will not have microsuede either, as my husband hates it, lol.  We are good at compromising, but we do avoid things that the other person really dislikes a lot.  I like the durability but from a looks perspective, I could take it or leave it.

 

We both tend to like fabrics with a lot of texture. I think we are going to like that this room will be a bit lighter and fresher, yet still tie in.   I may see about going back to the furniture store so that I can take a few fabric photos.  Most fabrics can be purchased online so once I have the specifics, I can also look them up as well.  

 

It is certainly an option to use the same fabric from the chairs or couch for the dining room chairs, but that is too matchy matchy for me.    I agree that the blue print is not going to work out.  It is beautiful, but it isn't bringing the house together so I know I would be disappointed.  

 

The tree print is still on the table.  I need to go back to the link to get the repeat measurement.   I have 4 dining room chairs, and the fabric is on sale for $11.00 a yard, so ordering a bit extra to make sure the print is where I want it is not a big deal.  However, if the trees are super big, then it won't have to look I want either.

 

One thing that is fun is that I was looking at fabrics on my phone, and came across the exact fabric of the family room curtains.  I love the curtains as much today as on the day I bought them.  Once again though, I don't want to be overly matched.  I may pull a color out the print for the kitchen chairs.  I like the idea of an orange-red color a lot.  

 

It turns out that the kitchen to dining room doorway places the tables in view of one another.  They are both mission tables.  I think it is important that the chairs coordinate.  

 

When you walk in my front door, there is a small hall.  This is the view straight ahead.  This isn't the best picture, but you can see how there is one long room with the dining room on the left and the living room on the right.

 

 

Here is the dining room.  I don't know how many of you have a dining room, but I make it a point to use mine every Sunday, even if I make hot dogs on the grill.  It is a beautiful room, and before I moved here, I never lived in a house with a dining room and I always said I wanted one someday.  So I cherish it, as silly as that sounds.  There are two chairs near the china cabinet.  They're filler, lol.  The chairs underneath the covers don't match, and are broken.  They haven't been used in years.   I plan to get rid of them this weekend.

 

 

 

 

Then here is m living room.  The large daisy painting was done by my husband's mom.  You can see too why I was having trouble finding a coffee table initially.  Everything looked weird with the older tables but I think the one I picked out will work.  An area rug is on my wish list too, but not until I get all the fabrics decided upon.

 

 

This here isn't a great picture, as I took it at a funny angle but these are the doors I have been painting forever, lol.

Edited September 11, 2020 by laurspag

[awhfy]

Doors look great Laurie. The space you’ll gain when you eliminate those two side chairs will give you a feeling of openness 

[Sailor_Sally]

Laurie , Are those the living room chairs you are keeping ?I remember you mentioned getting chairs reupholstered . What fabric will they be ? You are doing a great job decorating and your doors look great . What a nice house you have !

[laurspag]

The new chairs are currently at the upholstery shop.  They were in the basement, unusable for years.  I always loved them, and wanted them to be redone for the living room.  They are smaller scale and don't have the oversized look of the ones you currently see in the living room.  I have made it a point to wander around the basement quite a bit, lol.  I am surprised the things that have shuffled around.

 

The basement isn't a good place for furniture you want to keep, unless you have a finished basement.  We do not.

 

The current furniture set is approximately 12 years old.  The couch needs replacing or reupholstering, but it isn't awful.  We would like to replace it because it has the same overstuffed look the chairs have (they are a set) and there are two cushions on it. We find that when you are sitting on it, you tend to dip to the center. The chairs  and ottoman are in good shape, so we either sell them or give them to someone.

 

One of the things I was thinking is that I would like to continue to work on things in the house this fall and winter that I am able to do a little at a time, that aren't big ticket items.  So I went ahead and got the paint for the bathroom, and I hope to do that in the next few weeks.  I would really, really like to get the fabric choices situated for the dining room and kitchen chairs, and the new kitchen curtains.

 

While it sounds like I'm running to change everything, there are reasons for it.  For example, the cushions on the kitchen chairs need replacing.  You can feel the wood right through the fabric, especially on the edge and it is uncomfortable.   The kitchen curtains are bad....I never adjust them, but I couldn't if I wanted to.  The plastic rings are disintegrating and the fabric is badly faded on the edges.

 

Overall, I am just taking care of things that need attention. I'm a little nervous about making the kitchen curtains.  Plain ones are easy.  What I want to do in here will require a bit of paying attention, and I want to line them.

 

On the plus side, I was getting overwhelmed with ideas.  While I liked the fabric I was showing you, I knew they weren't going to work and crate the harmony I want.  I don't think the entire house has to match, but I do need to create cohesiveness.    So I set about fresh and discovered that this website has a design wall.  It's nothing fancy, but it puts the swatches side by side so I can see how they go together.  From the design wall, it actually lets me copy the picture, which I love because the design wall can't be saved.  I did save the fabrics to a cart to make is easy to go back later though.  

 

First, here are the family room curtains.  I do not feel like I have to match.  I contemplated reusing the fabric elsewhere, but whenever I get to matched up, I end up very unhappy.  I wanted to give you a picture though, for the purpose of seeing how rooms go from one to the next.

 

I'm hoping to find an easy way to do this.  As I move into the kitchen, here is what I want to put on the chairs.  It is durable and will fit the kitchen very well.   The chairs are a distance from the family room windows, but it works nicely.

Dining room chairs.   I wanted a print.  I found this, and it is seriously tugging at my heart strings.  I really think this is a definite yes.  You can see the kitchen and dining room chairs because the kitchen eating area is directly across from the dining room doorway, and the dining room table is right there.

 

 I am debating between two things for the kitchen windows.  Both will work well.   You can see the kitchen windows from the dining room, and I am not bothered in the least seeing a plaid with the kitchen chairs being a floral.

   

 

My husband keeps telling me that since I like this so much, he is certain this is my "calling".  I know it makes me really happy, but I don't always make he best choices, and I don't know how to run a business.

 

Anyway, you may all be rolling your eyes and saying my husband needs some serious help, lol.   Either way, I am extremely happy with these choices.  I want my home to have a warm and inviting feel to it.  I want rooms to create harmony, yet still have their own personality.

 

So the family room is a tad brighter, more fun.  The kitchen is great.  It's a casual space, and if you look back at the pictures, you will see the cashew wall color, and glass mosaic tile backsplash.   The seat covers and curtains will create a great look and freshen it up.

 

Moving into the dining room/living room, I wanted a tad more elegance and lightness, but I didn't want it stuffy.   By the way, I was telling my husband that we could go with a soft gold or light olive on the couch, and even use the dining room chair fabric for a few pillows.  (jury's still out on that, but it is one big room, so any print in the pillows would be something like a plaid or stripe using the same colors)

 

Sprinkled throughout my house are older things, and I think the mood of them matches the room. But it creates a little bit of consistency.

 

I really haven't talked about how the den fits in with all of this, but I think it is important to note that I don't consider that a public room, so to speak.  I have always called it the office.  I still plan to go with the white batten boards two thirds the way up, with navy at the top.  It is off the hall, and not visable to the other rooms.  Plus, I have seriously considered putting a door on it, a 6 lite French door.   We have literally talked about that for ages.  When we are all done with this room, it will consist of a chair, office chair and desk, bookcase, small table and a table for the printer, which will likely be that Singer table I found.   It isn't a room where people will go in and sit together because there isn't enough chairs.

 

There is a big price difference between the two curtain fabrics I am debating on, but the cost to do three windows and eight chairs will be about the cost of having a professional do three of the chairs, so I am excited about that.   These are longer term investments.  I was just thinking that the kitchen curtains are 13 years old...

 

Anyway, I've been actively saving for a while, and things got goofed up with the car deal.  It worked out okay, because I had money left over, and I've been continuing to save as I was prior.  It is nice to be getting things done.

 

 

[awhfy]

Laurier I love the olive for the curtains & what you chose for chairs. On your sofa, until you’re ready to replace the sofa get a 3/4” piece of plywood that’ll fit the entire sofa. It’ll make it stiffer, but you won’t slide to the center. We’ve done that twice when we ‘forgot’ & bought a sofa with 2 cushions. 

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...I think the new coffee table will blend very well with the other two side tables. Something about the way the legs are will be harmonious! 

 

Your doors are lovely...and especially all the molding around the doors. Did you add the moldings and the built ins? Or were those original to the house? When was your house built?

 

The hardwood floors are gorgeous...and I LOVE that window in your living room. I would also have a rug on my wish list for that room. I think the words lighter and fresh will apply so much when you get the other chairs into the room and lose the oversized seating.

 

If your dining room and breakfast room (that's what I generally call the informal eating room) are open to each other then I totally agree that there would need to be some coordination. Were you thinking of getting parson chairs? Have you ever seen when such a chair is upholstered in two fabrics? One fabric is on the back and the other on the front. Since you have so many fabrics that you like...I wonder if that would be another way to incorporate the different designs. Personally, I love a mix and match of pattern...I just like it. The colors need to be similar in order for it to work...and I think yours all work really well together...it's just a matter of what you think will work best...and sometimes that can be dependent on the fabric itself, the fiber content of one may be better than another for an application.

 

I don't have a dining room. Not even an informal dining room. In NC, in the loft, our kitchen/living/dining space was one big room. I set aside a rather odd space to be used for our dining table and hung two of those IKEA cord lights (the kind that are basically a light bulb and a lamp shade at the end of what is like an extension cord) over the dining table. Those lights were used in other places in our GA house.

 

This house is the same story. While technically there is a dedicated dining room...that room is really a great flex room and we are designating it as the yoga room. A place for PT, yoga, Zumba...mat work of all kinds and really just open floor space and the mirrors along the one wall. I'm going to replace the chandelier in there with something else, though I haven't decided what. Our gathering room (I'm calling it) with the fireplace...the one living space...is really large...I think it's 20'x20'? That or 22...Anyway...it's huge and the sellers had used the flex space for a TV room and had a round dining table kind of floating in the gathering space kind of in the manner of the LA house in The Holiday. I want to do the same thing with a dining table.

 

Which is why I'm on the look out for a dining table. And am considering getting a huge one, because tables are really handy places and I would use it for more than dining. And if it were big enough...for instance...I could keep a puzzle or game going on one side...and DH and I could still eat at it without having to put it all away. 

 

My fridge came this weekend!! Such a surprise. I was scheduled for Sept 22...I've been rescheduled and delayed multiple times...but I got the robocall on Friday to confirm my delivery on Saturday...and woot woot!! Now we have an awesome new fridge. DH and I are in amazement at how fantastic this fridge is. I'm so happy...we did make a good choice. The only thing is that the fridge is right next to a wall...and while the fridge has clearance in the space, that wall interferes with the opening of the left side, so we need to take the wall back a bit. But first...the yoga room.

 

We've moved on from the main bedroom. It all began with me taking down the brackets from the previous window treatments...and that's when...after discovering the brackets had been screwed up into the metal corner bead...and seeing the crack in the paint all along the edge of the corner bead...and peeling away the paint and the joint compound...come to discover that the corner bead is completely rusted and the only way to stop rust is to replace. Now we finally take off the rusted corner bead and discover that the drywall under is a disaster...so we need to rip out and replace the dry wall. So we take out 7" above the window and the little edge inside the window opening. The wood under looks good...solid and dry and we think we can see the issue that lead to the rust. DH got the dry wall up yesterday and now I get to work some magic with joint compound. Then we'll get the new vinyl corner bead on (the pros say vinyl is best for damp prone areas) and then, after more mud, I'll finally get to retexture the walls and then FINALLY, I'll get to PAINT. OMG.

 

Meanwhile...I'll continue to organize and deal with the house inside and make plans for the yard outside. We had some trees removed last week...now I can see the shade pattern in the yard and make some plans. I have several copies of the survey...going to trace those out and mark the shade at different times during the day and go from there. The yard is basically a blank slate...there's some mature trees, a shed, but no hardscaping or real landscaping...just a weed infested lawn. I'm not a big lawn fan. I like the look enough but I do prefer to see plants...they are so much more interesting than a field of grass. Right now the weeds are attracting all kinds of butterflies in the backyard...I love seeing them...they come because there is more than just grass growing LOL. 

 

I discovered that my local library has a seed bank. Each library card gets to take out 3 packets of seeds (most are heirloom) each month. The idea is that you plant them and maybe you can collect some seed to give back to the bank. It's not a requirement but that's the idea. Since I finally made it to the library just last week, I have a bit to plan which seeds I really want. They had a lot to choose from. 

 

I realized that if I were to follow the cosmetic guidelines, I need to go throw away a lot of cosmetics. I don't regularly wear them...so it's a bit painful to have to throw away product that is still so full. That's mental though...it's not like I'll really miss anything until that very rare time at some unknown time in the future when I want to make myself up. The problem now though...is that I was looking at one particular photo from the cruise DH and I took in February...I can see my eye makeup and I think it looks awful. So now I'm wondering what to do about that...I've always thought that I looked quite clown like in makeup...I'm so low contrast...putting anything on my face really stands out in a not so good way...I thought I could do the dramatic eye to help my eyes at least stand out...BUT...I think I need to rethink my makeup strategy. Sigh. BUT...if I do...perhaps I would actually be more comfortable with makeup and wear some more often. As it is...I never wear anything unless it's a special occasion. So...maybe 7 days out of the year? Not much incentive to buy or keep makeup there.

Edited September 14, 2020 by Anita Latte
Change the saved text from a previous day to reflect new info!

[awhfy]

Anita, you’re so busy!  Yay on getting the new fridge!!  On makeup I’ve gone to getting only travel size because all I really wear is tinted moisturizer & eye liner, mascara & eyebrow pencil. With masks I don’t wear lipstick anymore 

[Sailor_Sally]

I buy area rugs all the time usually at Wayfair.com or rugs .com . As for make up I wear a  light foundation  when I go leave the house mainly because it has sunscreen built in . I also wear mascara and lipstick and usually blush . I rarely wear eye make up . 

Annita & Laurie , You both are so busy it actually motivated me to do some things . I have been in a covid funk for awhile where my house is concerned . 

[Sailor_Sally]

Laurie , When you recover your chairs are you going to add padding ? When mine were done the woman added the padding and it made a huge difference .

Melody , I like the jacket ! Very vacation !

[Anita Latte]

LOL...I sound busy! I'm doing on okay job of getting things done but not spending too much time on projects...if I get too focused then things like laundry, cooking, and other household chores don't happen. I definitely have plans and am trying to work a bit each day.

 

One thing our home lacks is a good pantry. We have a pantry...but it's a single door reach in with a tall section and then shelves. The door is huge, like 36"...and then's there the big empty wall. We're going to expand the pantry into a corner pantry...semi-walk-in. Might be more like stand in the one stop LOL.

 

Here's the big domino effect in the house...The sellers used the coat closet as a second pantry and the office closet as the coat closet. I've been consolidating all pantry items into the coat closet so we can begin demo on the pantry soon. 

 

I think that I've figured out my backsplash situation. I know I shared the one tile...Melody, it was like the tile that you ultimately didn't get...btw...when does your backsplash happen again? Anyway...the big problem for me with tile is...grout. Like I HATE grout and cleaning grout. I've found a venetian plaster product that is made for wet areas. The finish coat is water/oil proof! So...I'm pretty sure that I'm going to put it up for a kitchen backsplash. I saw it first on a blog post and I think it looks and sounds great. All my research is pointing to the fact that this is the solution that I've been looking for. Easy cleaning! Inexpensive (especially compared to most tile). And something that I can DEFINITELY DIY. Woot woot. Currently, the "wall" between the bar height countertop and the sink is the same Corian. There is no other backsplash EXCEPT for the aluminum foil I have taped with painters tape behind the stove LOL. The dilemma is finding a local distributor. So far, the only one I can find is in IL. Here's a photo of the look...this is a slate color plaster, not the color I would want...I don't know what I would want yet:

 

 

It's looks textured but it is really smooth. That is just the look. Also, the sheen is called Pearl. It isn't really shiny or matte...somewhere in the middle.

 

I've installed tile before and the hardest thing about it was dealing with the electrical boxes. You have to get extenders and it's just a pain. The plaster will be no different than paint/joint compound in terms of thickness so really easy.

 

Sally...glad you are getting inspired! 

 

I think I would like to do some wood working. I'm going to do my first project this weekend. Sounds funny, but I want some yoga blocks for a very specific exercise. It's knee related. I need three 2" tall blocks that I can sit on. I've found a wonderful looking hardwood store with all sorts of beautiful furniture making wood. They have specific hours and so we're going up there this Friday. It's a simple project but I'll cut a length of wood to size and the rout all the edges. We actually have a router! Then I'll do either a stain and clear coat or just a clear coat. Should be a good first project. 

 

I haven't spent any time playing with makeup yet. That's a good point about lips with all the masks. I wonder how long this is going to go on?

[awhfy]

Anita the backsplash I wanted & had ordered was on long back order. It’s now been cancelled, no longer available. My two other choices are no longer available. I’m not doing anything at the moment. I’m bummed, I was really looking forward to tile backsplash
 

FYI we are on Masks mandated by governor for another 30 days

Edited September 16, 2020 by awhfy

[Anita Latte]

Aw Melody...with all the extra time that everyone is spending at home, all things related to home and home improvement are running ragged. Backorders everywhere and booked service people with appointments available only months away. 

 

I just found out about this thing called Magical Dining Month in Orlando. A whole slew of restaurants have a 3-course menu available for $35 pp. Nice restaurants too. Restaurants where that is a decent price. I'm just not sure about eating at any right now. It isn't a thing related to COVID...this is the 15th year for this event. I'm debating. One of the restaurants is one that DS and his friend ate at in downtown Disney...oops, sorry Disney Springs. It's the Wolfgang Puck Cafe. DS said that it was all very safe feeling...plus I happen to know that it's one of those super high ceiling restaurants...so big air space. I'm debating what I want to do. It sure would be a nice outing....

 

And it could be a fun celebratory dinner for DH and I. He is finally on contract. DH was only brought on board a year ago December, so 21 months...but this has been a 3+ year effort. It's very exciting and everyone is talking about how to have social distanced celebrations.

[Sailor_Sally]

Anita , I have dined in a few restaurants . They have been very good at distancing . You have to wear a mask until seated . I would go and enjoy the restaurant . That is a great price . 

 

[Lois R]

Hi Anita and Sally, I have eaten out many, many times in the past couple of months and have felt quite safe.