What a Week!

 So, where do I start? Let's just say that this has been a week so far! But first, let me catch you up on my weekend. It was wonderful and I blame that for part of what has happened this week. Lol I simple could not re-enter after the holiday. It actually started last Thursday when I was sure it was Friday all that day...more about this later.

My brother and sister-in-law came on Friday afternoon and we spent some time catching up and then they wanted to know what was on "my list". I truly did not expect them to do any work this weekend but, they're not used to sitting still and I think truly love lending a hand. We kind of made a little list before enjoying the start of our 4th of July picnic and watching some TV.

Early the next morning, they were off for a holiday race that my brother not only ran in but won for his age category! Once they were home, we started on the list and really got a lot accomplished before calling it a day, having more of our holiday feast and nestling in to watch the firework display from NYC. After so many years of fireworks, I guess we're at the age where we no longer have to be on the front lines. Lol And, again, because we have done this for so long, none of us took any pictures until my sister-in-law got one of my grand dog to send over to daughter #1 and granddaughter #4 as they are in Italy.

We kept tackling the list until they left on Sunday afternoon and almost everything was off of it at that point-except some repairs on the privacy fence that required more than what we normally have to do. We had it figured out but just couldn't get some VERY LONG screws to go into the wood. I was blaming my power drill battery. No matter how hard we tried, those screws would not move. We finally called it a day with almost everything else up and running in my house again. And, honestly, I would have been OK with leaving it the way we jerry-rigged it but since grandson #2 had volunteered his help for anything I needed before he heads to UF in August, I sent him a message and when he got off work the next day, he arrived with an "impact drill"-which I had never heard of and literally in less than 30 seconds those screws were all the way in and then he grabbed another box of screws and hit all of any other slats that he could see that were loose at all! I would say it was his strength or youth but, honestly, in the case it was his knowledge of the correct tool to use! Lol 

Now for my week. I think I told you I would be starting my 4th swap out on Monday-which was still the plan until early Monday morning when I flipped my calendar and saw a hair appointment for Tuesday. Of course you know that that changed all of my plans because I need to go great guns with NO interruptions. And so, I found other little things to do and figured I would now have to wait until Wednesday.

And so, I get up on Tuesday morning and head out and get to my hair appointment and my hairdresser looks at me like I'm crazy and says "I don't have you on the books for today-I think it's tomorrow"! And, yep, she was right. I go back to last week being off by a day and I guess after the holiday I was still on "Dorine time". I used my time wisely since I had gone to all the trouble to actually get dressed in "real" clothes and put on make-up and made a quick trip to Lowe's for a drop cloth. I'll fill you in on that another day.

And so now here I was with no swap out happening, almost nothing left on my "to-do" list and time on my hands. Luckily, I had just had some grout pens delivered from Lowe's and I decided to give them a try.

Many, many years ago when I was re-doing my kitchen cabinets and getting rid of everything avocado in the room including the avocado Formica countertops, I had white tile counters and back splash added. What was I thinking? It was pretty but so hard to keep clean and I found myself using straight bleach and constantly scrubbing the grout lines. And, I'm sure because of that, the grout wore down and I could not get them clean any more.

That is when I did the second hardest DIY of my life. I used a grout saw to remove every bit of remaining grout and then re-grouted the entire kitchen. I had never done anything like this before so I relied heavily on my friendly Lowe's guy in the tile department. I had read enough to know that I wanted pre-mixed grout and that I wanted the one that wouldn't stain without needing to be sealed. By the time I had gotten to the grouting stage, I was not going to add yet another step unless I had to. I was assured that what he sold me would do the trick-and, it did. For a little while. But then the grout starting staining and no matter what I did I could no longer get it back to white. I think I was just browsing somewhere when I saw mention of these pens. They look just like a paint pen and work exactly the same way...and, they are miracle workers!

They not only come with reversible nibs but also an extra with each pen which is really necessary because my grout is "sanded" so it can wear out a nib rather quickly. Just look at the difference.

I only bought 4 pens so far because they don't give you any idea of how much coverage you get so I am starting with the countertops and will get back to the backsplash at another time because, obviously, they are nowhere near as stained because there isn't anything happening on them. 

Since I am just trying these, I have no idea how long the coverage will last but I can tell you, even the places where my coffee maker sends out drips every morning is covering as easily as everywhere else and I am having fun doing it. It is kind of like coloring in a coloring book-just follow the lines!

With that being said, I probably won't get it all done before tomorrow so I will push this to the side and get on with my swap-unless there's something else I'm forgetting or remembering incorrectly. Fingers crossed I will be back soon to show you the start of my late summer decor. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Quiet Days

 This week is looking like it is going to be pretty quiet so I thought I would go ahead and get this tour finished up before things start changing. I think all we have left to see are the two bathrooms and, not much has changed in either.

The guest bath provides a bit more opportunity for decor but, since I will be having some company here over the holiday, it needs to be kept where real life people can actually function in here. lol It seems as if I am leaving the $Tree lantern here all of the time now. I actually like the bit of glow the battery candle gives this room at night.

Since blue is not a favorite color of mine, I don't have many decor items in that color and this would be the only time of the year that I would use it so I am not prone to buy much in those color ways. But, when I needed something a few years ago, I realized that there were a number of bottles being recycled in my house that would give me the color that I needed. I think this large bottle is from a Riesling wine and I actually love the way it looks here. It gives the feel of a more expensive Italian glass for none of the cost. Lol

I did have this sign left over from somewhere else so I propped it here in the corner where it is out of the way-I hope-but brings a bit of a pop.

This shelf turned out to be an ode to the American flag with various interpretations.

And just a hint of the holiday in the primary.

This poor paint stir stick star also lost its previous home and, honestly, it was easier to put it on the window sill than to pack it away somewhere so here it sits. Lol

As promised, not many changes so not much to "talk" about but, I still enjoy having a bit of each holiday/season in all of the rooms that I go into the most. The guest rooms are the only ones usually left untouched except for major holidays when they will see lots of action.

I think that wraps up this year's tour and no decor changes will be happening until after the 4th so I'm not sure what will keep me busy until then. I will be grand dog sitting once again-and, I just realized, decorating with my next theme while he is still here because he will be with me through July 12! Of all of my grand dogs, he is the one least likely to follow me every time I move so I should be good to go even with him here. If it had been my Vel-Cro dog, Hazel, I might have had to wait because she is under foot at all times but I don't mind because I love her so much!

I will be back to share as soon as I have something for you. Until then, stay safe and stay tuned.

Quick Pop-In

 As we are nearing the end of our 2026 4th of July decor tour I remembered that we never caught the front porch. I was waiting to see if Lowes ever got in their red, white and "blue" pots-and they did-so I grabbed one and with the "blue" petunias with white accents left over from spring and Easter, the "red" geranium and the blue daze-which isn't blooming much at the moment- I have enough out there now to set the scene so let's go.

I will say that keeping the potted plants happy these days is difficult. If they don't get watered at least once a day, they begin to quickly show their stress.

I grow my herbs in pots also. I keep them outside the side door towards the pool and even though this area is a bit shaded, the herbs need to be babied as well. So, whenever they start getting big and beginning to flower, I go into my "Mother Nature" mode and cut them back, bring them into the kitchen and come up with something-and, with the basil, it is almost always a pesto if I'm not just ripping them onto a pizza or pasta.

I have been making pesto for many years and when I started, I made it the traditional way using pine nuts. But, over the years, the price of those things has gone crazy high so I explored other options and I found that making it with either pistachios or pecans was just as good for my taste.

This is really the simplest recipe. Using a food processor makes easy work of it. Basically, it is 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup pistachios, 4 cups fresh basil leaves, one clove of garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Make sure that you use freshly grated cheese-NOT the stuff from the cardboard box! I always have a hunk of cheese in my fridge because I like to grate it over all kinds of things-even my roasted veggies!

And then the small tarragon plant I bought at the Master Gardener's Show back in March got huge as well. I love the smell and look of tarragon but except for tuna salad and, again, as a seasoning on my roasted veggies, I don't cook with it a lot unless I'm making a special dish for guests. But, the plant needed to be cut back so I trimmed off a lot and bundled it up and hung it over my kitchen window until it had dried. Then, I pulled it down, peeled off the leaves and chipped them very finely. I made a tuna salad and really only needed about a teaspoon so I have the rest in an air tight container for when I roast my next large batch of vegetables tomorrow night. I wish you could smell my kitchen! It is just beautiful and it makes me feel like an earth mother. Lol Imagine how good I would feel if I could actually grow ANYTHING real! LOL

That's all I have for today. I think the only things we actually have left to catch are the two bathrooms and this year's tour will be over. I will get back with that soon but until then, stay safe and stay tuned.

Almost Done

My car is now at the service center and I got a lovely surprise as neither my daughter nor my son-in-law-who are the usual suspects-picked me up to bring me home this morning. It was sweet granddaughter #5. It still takes me aback a bit to realize that she is now, too, driving. She is having a pretty quiet summer although she did fill me in on her "float" down the Rainbow River yesterday. She said the place was packed which, with our temperatures these days, does not surprise me! In any case, after a nice catch-up chit chat, I am home and thinking we will head into the family room today.

I'm still kind of proud of myself for the "knockoff" Statue of Liberty watercolor that I did a few years ago. I love watercolor but, quite frankly, have never been able to master it so, when I saw this print on sale somewhere, I came close to buying it. Then, upon closer examination, I thought I could probably figure out a way to get a close copy with no expense.

I ended up finding a die-cut image and cutting it out of Con-Tact paper that I carefully adhered onto a sheet of watercolor paper. Then, I simply wet the surrounding areas, dropped on watercolor paint and "smeared" it in for the background and then splattered water to make the spots. When it was fully dry I peeled off the Con-Tact paper "mask" and had just what I wanted.

I usually use the white round tray here but, because I am still pulling in some antique gold in this room, I left the gold tray in place. Those "My Texas House" hydrangreas are just too pretty to put away just yet so I put them in my large PB urn and added a few red geraniums and an old blue hydrangea. 

This is the first year in many that the mantle does not have lights. Both sets of star lights blew out and the last few years I have strung the twinkle lights through another red, white and blue pip berry garland that I had but, every year it got harder and harder to hang and get right so, this year I just gave up. I put a simple pip berry garland on top of the mantle and called it a day. Then, I took the old garland and cut it up and twisted it into circles to use as candle rings that you will see in other spots around this room-waste not, want not. Lol

Those who know me or have been visiting my blog for awhile know that I am not a fan of dolls. But, for some reason, last year everywhere you looked people, were featuring the Uncle Sam doll. I had bought a set of the round boxes to make my drum that is in the dining room and I had the largest box left over. Again, not wanting to waste it I thought it would look cute as a riser for something so I decided to give the Uncle Sam a try. I did not have a pattern so there was much hit-or-miss and he is nowhere near perfect but, that is the point and probably the only reason I gave him a try. Being he is supposed to look primitive, you almost can't go wrong. He may not last as decor forever but he did make the cut again this year. Lol

This wreath is one of my most viewed and copied images on my blog. Daughter #3 made it for me many years ago when her children were much smaller than they are now. The only thing I did after receiving it was to remove each little handprint and laminate them so they would stand the test of time...and they have!

I still like this pillow cover I made from a very inexpensive cover from HL and acrylic paint. Again, I did the Con-Tact paper masking and just painted over the stars and removed the mask at the end. 

For whatever reason, I never remember to get a picture after it is fully dark outside but, you can see what it looks like as the candles all start coming on-albeit without me getting up to turn on the small chargeable lights. This is my view every evening and it takes a LOT to get me up once I am cozied in. Lol

Not much more to go and then, I will have to admit, one of my favorite decor themes is next. Because I dislike summer so much, when I bring out the "sun"flowers for summer along with the citrus and Mediterranean decor, even though it is 150 degrees in the shade outside, my brain seems to remind me that "this too shall end" and autumn WILL come again! I seriously ask myself why I am still living in Florida. Lol

Still haven't heard anything about my car-the longer it takes usually the more it costs so fingers crossed the phone rings soon. Lol Stay safe and stay tuned.

Feelin' GOOD!

 I am feeling pretty good about myself right now. I have almost completed everything on my "TO-DO" list-both inside AND out. I still have one more garden to weed but I am hoping to get it done this afternoon when there is a bit more shade on that side of the yard. Of course, right about the time I finish it all, it will be time to start over since our summer rains have caused the weeds to GROW in double time but that is for another day! Lol

I am feeling extra good about myself because I had one more visit from Towanda. The older I get, the less it seems she comes to help out. It is a long story and, again, one best left for another day but, suffice it to say that after MANY unsuccessful attempts, I was FINALLY able to get all of the pieces of one of my concrete fountains back together and the new pump installed. I have been moving this thing around ever since the day I first brought it home but, somehow, ,magically, it seems to have taken on MUCH more weight. Lol In any case, it is now back where it belongs and running beautifully. There is just something about water sounds in the yard that make my heart happy and my blood pressure to go down.

So, with all of that being said, let's get on to the reason I am here...the sunroom ready for the 4th. And, you know what I am going to say...things are once again at a minimum so that we can utilize this area quickly. It seems to be a favorite hangout when anyone comes over.

I still love this guy so much. He was super easy-even my youngest grandchildren were able to make one-and he's just cute.

The console holds the lantern and a photograph sent by granddaughter #3 to my husband one Father's Day when she couldn't be with us because she was on a school field trip to D.C. and they were at the Planting of the Flag at Iwo Jima statue in Arlington National Cemetery. She made a sign to send her greetings and, next to having her here, it was the next best thing!

Granddaughter #5 cringes every time she comes over and sees this but I love it. She made it for me after returning from a weekend here at my house with one of her brothers where they painted "interpretations" of the American flag. She got inspired to do this all on her own. I wish I had had her sign and date it but it was awhile ago and even though her talents have come far since then, I just love the honesty in this painting-and the fact that she made it for me because she knew I would like it. 

Memories from 2018...sigh!

I kind of chuckle every time I see a picture from this time. Grandson #2 LOVED his hair like that-and, he didn't really get any resistance from me because I have lived through many, many hair fads and, in my opinion, if it makes the person feel better about themselves, who cares-it is just hair. But, now that he is a handsome young man of almost 19, he questions why any of us ever let him do this. Lol You're damned if you do and damned if you don't! HA-HA!

Not sure where I am headed right now since there is "nothing" left for me to do around here-LOL-but, I know I will be back and we will get this tour wrapped up. Tomorrow I am heading to a book launch.

One of daughter #3's childhood friends has had a children's' book published and it is being launched locally tomorrow and we have been invited. The other fun part is that the illustrator is also an old friend-she was one of my girl's favorite teachers from middle school and she is now a locally recognized artist. We love them both so much and will be wishing them nothing but success on this new journey. And, it is being held at one of our favorite downtown spots for lunch that is, sadly, leaving their downtown location and moving quite a bit farther away. We will, I am sure, visit them at their new location but there is nothing quite like the downtown vibe when we are looking for a place to eat and visit-everyone you know seems to walk into or by this place while you are there and it is sad to see it go!

Until we meet again-stay safe and stay tuned.