Hmmmm

When last we "talked", I told you I was going to do some thinking about my next project. I thought maybe I should start thinking about the 4th of July since that would be the next holiday that will require decorations. I headed to my Pinterest folder and came up with a few good ideas.

I was somehow totally drawn to this white box with flowers and flags. I have a white wood box a bit smaller and I also have the very long stained wood box that I made. I might try to do this on the dining room table with a box I already have or I might just make one this size in white-think of all of the holidays where it could be used.

Then, still in the "I already have almost everything I will need" category, this tin, flag and flower display also spoke to me. I think I might do something similar on the sun room table-which is where this tin tray already sits most of the year any way.

I always try to make at least one craft. I think I "pinned" this one thinking maybe the kids could make it but we don't really do our weekend at Nana & Papa's for the 4th any more. Between the kids staying busy with summer camps and their 2 weeks at their other grandparents' ranch in Arkansas, the whole month of June and the first part of July are usually busy. But, I thought I might like to give this a try myself-we shall see.

And then, as always seems to happen, these things started creeping onto my screen!

This is the time of year that I immediately start thinking of autumn...or, at least, August when the sunflowers go out and back-to-school is everywhere. Summer is just not my thing. I'm OK if I don't have to leave home and can walk into the pool every time I think I might implode. But, to actually get on presentable clothes and even a smattering of make-up is torturous just thinking about. Not sure why I ended up in Florida but it's too late now so I will just turn down the thermostat and stay inside and craft. Stay tuned.

Whew!!!

I bet you thought I forgot that I promised to post the "after" pictures of the window frame-out project! Nope...it just took me until a few minutes ago to get it all done. Just like with the construction, I sooo under-estimated the time it would take for the finishing work. Lots of taping, painting, touch up where the paint bled under the tape, drips on the wood and slate floors, etc., etc. Yikes! But now that it is all done, I love it!

My plan for the living room is to add wooden roman shades...but, this window is 105" so custom blinds are super expensive. I love the openness of the window during the day but at night, when we have lights on inside, I am just not comfortable with so much "open-ness" so I am keeping my eyes open for a good sale. Until then, the drapes are going back up-hence, the reason you still see the hardware. The drapes don't close but for some reason, they just cover enough to make me more comfortable...of course, they will also hide the prettiest part of what we just did!

This window will stay open since there is only a wall at the opposite end of the room so not much to see from the outside in!

The other reason this project may have taken so long is that we have had a super busy week. Lots of fun goings on but none so fun as helping grand daughter #3 celebrate her 18th birthday in Gainesville. We had a wonderful dinner out and then home to this delicious cake!

And no, she isn't 135. Her mom only had these 3 number candles so she thought she would take some "mathematical license" - 3 + 5 =  8-lol

So that ends another project. Don't have a lot up my sleeve for this next week so I will have to get thinking. I'm sure I will come up with something. Stay tuned.

You May Have to Take Me For My Word

Wow! I had so many titles for this post that I was going to use but when I went to download my pictures I realized that I would not be able to get any good shots of this project and you might just have to believe me!

I had a wonderful Mother's Day. I think I told you the celebration started last week with daughter #2 and her girls. Then, this Saturday my brother and sister-in-law arrived to continue the fun. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I LOVE a project! I keep a running list so that any time anyone asks if I have something I would like some help with, I am ready to hit the ground running! I have had this project on my list for a very long time-so long in fact that when I recently cleaned out some old papers, I found it at the very top of a list from years ago!

I wanted some of my windows trimmed out-but, I didn't want to use very expensive moldings or use miter cuts. I have a miter saw and I could do the cuts if my life depended on it but why stress that much over a project that was supposed to be fun.

I went on Pinterest and found a number of pins that I had of "simple" window frame outs. These projects all used just straight cuts. I TRULY thought this would be a several hour project at most! Of course, maybe in an ideal world that could have been the case but factor in "advancing" age, bad eyes and a house that is 44 years old and things are not always as expected. Everywhere something was supposed to lay flat, it didn't. Plus, whoever put in our long sill in our living room-and it was someone I hired years ago to replace the ugly marble ones but I don't remember who-put them in to last through a tornado. We discovered that they were screwed into concrete block! Not the best picture but here we are with the header built and waiting and no sill! We also framed the small window by the door but no matter what I try, I can't get a picture of that for you. I love it because the old "granny" valance can now be gone!!

We did the same thing around the entry into the sun room but this one was super easy because we didn't need a bottom piece or sill.

As soon as we got to this point (which was now on Sunday ), daughter #3 and her family arrived bearing all the food necessary for a fabulous cook-out. It was delicious and since the weather was so nice, the rest of the day was pretty much spent in and around the pool.

After everyone left, I kind of planned out our week and I really thought I might put off the finishing of this project until next weekend-yeah, right. As soon as the caffeine hit this morning, I had the ladder in and I was on it! I spent all of today sinking nails, caulking, wood filling holes and sanding-yikes, the sanding. No where near as much dust as when we did the bathroom demo, but more than enough to write some good notes on about every piece of furniture within A/C distance!

I thought I would even get the front room painted today but, alas, when I went out to the garage to get my favorite trim paint, I discovered that I must have used it all when finishing the bathroom reno. And, as much as I wanted to do this, I wanted LESS to get presentable and drive to the paint store.

And so, I did something I NEVER do. I got everything prepped for painting tomorrow. I have it all wiped down and taped off and I cleaned up as much as I could. I am feeling pretty good about myself right now. Guess this is how the rest of the world who does their correct prep work must feel all of the time. Maybe I'll remember this the next time I start to touch up paint right over the dust-or maybe not. Hopefully I will have a reveal to show you soon. Stay tuned.

What Happened to This Year's April Showers?

I'm not the world's biggest fan of rain now that my eyes are giving me so many issues. I have trouble driving in rain so a rainy day usually means a day at home-which isn't a bad thing except that we have so many appointments these days that I usually have to get up and out at least once a day! But, our complete LACK of rain this year has me doing a rain dance, pleading to the rain gods or anything else that I think might work. We need rain!

That being said, for some reason I have managed to keep most of our flowers blooming without exceeding our water restrictions. The yard is full of color but, with the increasing temperatures, if we don't get some relief soon, I think the beautiful bloom's days may be numbered. Maybe that is why we are trying to spend as much time out in the yard as we can.

I love getting out here early in the morning before the heat gets to things. I've been cutting a lot of pretty bouquets and enjoying my coffee with the birds and squirrels. I noticed this week that the "much trimmed" crepe myrtles are coming back as is the climbing rose that I cut all the way back to the ground so we could paint the trellis. It is almost back up to the top and has had several blooms already and lots of buds getting ready to burst. And, the hydrangea has already had a few blooms as well...I am a happy-if parched-camper!

We have a fun weekend in store. My brother and sister-in-law are due down tomorrow and made the mistake of telling me to come up with a project...well. I have one I've been wanting to do for a really long time but it needs a few more hands as it involves long lengths of wood. And, it originally involved lots of miter cuts. Even with a miter saw, those cuts can get the best of me! But, thanks to Pinterest, I have found a "reasonable facsimile" so we are going to try it. I will share soon-success or failure-you will be the first to know. And then Mother's Day holds some fun times as well. I'm sure there will be pictures to share. Stay tuned.

Smelling the Roses...

and the jasmine and the dianthus and... I must say I am really enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having and the gardens in bloom. But, it has been a bit more challenging with our severe lack of rain. While we hear of states not too far away where floods are occurring, we are truly in drought mode around here! Everyone's grass feels like straw-and that is even with irrigation (which is now restricted to two days a week and may go down even less soon). I do have a lot of pictures to share but thought I should get my spring decor posts wrapped up first. There isn't much left to show you.

The dining room is really pretty straight forward. It is a cross between spring and Mediterranean. Sometimes when I am not in the total throes of a holiday, I actually forget what I have for year-round. I put out what I remember but then find myself walking past a shelf or closet and suddenly remember some other treasure that I have forgotten all about. Hmmm, maybe it is time to simplify-lol!

Talk about simple! The sun room is super simple because we spend MUCH of our time here these days. With all of the feeders along the sun room windows, there is always a show of nature going on outside. We eat in here, play Yahtzee here, read here, etc. so I don't need lots of things to move every time we want to sit down. But, sometimes there are so many goings on that it is hard to concentrate on why you're there and we find ourselves just giving in to nature. We have some beautiful birds and I think they know we will keep them fed and watered if they hang around enough! With the lack of water these days, I am seeing them bathing and drinking from our fountains or frolicking in the tree sprinkler when I have it on! So much enjoyment for free!

I think I have finally gotten to the end of spring. I don't decorate for 4th of July until the first week in June, so I will have to come up with some other fun things to share with you so we can keep in touch.

We did have a super fun weekend. On Saturday, daughter #2 and our two grand daughters came down and we had an early Mother's Day celebration. We went to lunch at one of our favorites and then home to flowers, a delicious raspberry cake and beautiful sentiments in the prettiest card. It was so nice to have a day with this busy group!

Then, on Sunday, my brother and sister-in-law were here. They brought down a delicious lunch and then we enjoyed visiting and catching up out by the pool the rest of the afternoon-although the pool is still too cold for us "mature" folk. I think it is because our nights are still going down pretty low and our pool is large-it takes a lot of 90 degree days and nights to get comfortable for older bones-although my grandchildren have actually been swimming for over a month already-oh to be young again-lol.

Next visit I'll take you with me out to the garden-stay tuned.