Seeing red...

No silly, I am not mad. I am delighted to have found a great red paint. You know how is goes you find an article in a homey mag that shows you what's hot in the paint world. So you keep the layout for months and sometimes years, waiting for the day you get to pull it out and hunt down the proper paint. 

I love the new color! It's brighter and has a lot more orange to it. The room will go from cranberry to tomato. The paint color is Poinsettia from Behr. The best thing about this is that I don't have to paint!! This is where the stupid tree goes to I am so glad that tree fell down.

Holiday Cheer!

This is the first time we've ever made gingerbread houses. My very cute boy insisted that we start this tradition. Every day for about two weeks he's been asking when I was going to go and buy the kits. Friday was Maddie's birthday and she desided that would be a fun way to spend the day. I couldn't agree more!!

 YummO!

 Kits and Candy

 Momma to the rescue. Aidan's frosting just wasn't setting up.

Christmas in a construction zone!

 Aidan's house was a joint effort. That perfectionism kinda gets in a boys way.

 Maddie's! Made with love and then forgot since it was her 14th B-day and she wanted to go shopping!!! Those gift cards from the grandparents were burning a hole in pocketbook!!

Do like my new punch bowl set? I have a terrific hubby!

Reno Update: Color Mood Board

 The color story for my home! I am so excited, I can't wait to start seeing color go up!! It'll make the fuss and mess worth while.

 Kitchen stays red.

Dining Room gets a nice yellow honey color with accents of red.

The cabinets between the two rooms is TBD. Sea Glass? Citron? 

Living room teal with a new orange print slip covers.

Hallway a bright lime green.

My bedroom with stay the prettiest shade of blue. 

New bedding in yellow, citron and red. 

New white shelves for vintage purse collect.

 

Bathroom walls TBD 

Maybe soft shade of grey for the wainscoting with a stencil pattern above in citron and white.

Splashes of orange for sure!!! 

Merry Christmas

Since the house has been a total mess we really couldn't decorate for Christmas like we normally do. Our living room has been a storage room for weeks and weeks. Half of our dining room furniture is still in the living room. 

But we had to have a tree, we had to have a little holiday cheer!! On Monday, the 19th, we put up our silver tree and decorated it with lots of lovely vintage, handmade and family ornaments. The kids and I had a blast putting it all together.

Now, don't think we didn't have a terrific Christmas. It's been the most few amazing days, calm and super causal. We've eat our way through lots of (store bought) sweets, played lots of games and enjoyed a Dr. Who marathon. It's been just us, no one wants to come to our dusty abode this year. Good! With 2-6 contractors with us day after day, we are more than happy to be to ourselves.

Even though we couldn't decorate every room, entertain, bake or cook a fancy meal, we had the best Christmas ever!! I think that's amazing. Just us,  just us giving and loving each other. 

Merry Christmas!!!

Reno Update: Week Seven

 Do you like my cottage cheese ceiling? After dark it's very Dr. Who! The stupid tree landed right on top of the kitchen roof, the ceiling really took a beating from all the rain and impact. It was a nice excuse to check and see if the bathroom plumbing was intact.

Since repairs where necessary and a new dry wall ceiling was going to be put up I figured that a few pot lights just had to be added. I can't wait for my new pot lights to be in place!! I just love the new ones in the studio. It'll be so bright and modern, and worth every extra penny!!

 We eat out all week, and now we are broke!

We'll be having oatmeal and roman till the next pay day.

 Dry wall, plaster dust and plastic, oh, my! 

It was 5 days with plastic on the every door and no overhead lights. It was pretty annoying, but worth it in the end. (I'm repeating this over and over and over again!)

 The new dining room ceiling is up. Yahoo, no more water stained crumbling mess to worry about.

 I got dry walled ceilings with tape and mud for Christmas. While out getting lunch one day, I noticed that my handbag smelled like joint compound. I know your jealous!

 We considered sticking with this dilapidated Tuscan look that 

only a decaying plaster wall can capture. 

I love this photo, the mud on the wall isn't even dry and I am as ready for Christmas as I am going to be.

While Sander, chief contractor dude, coated the walls and ceilings with another coat of joint compound, his helpers, Steve and Irving, cleared the room of ladders, drills and other unnecessary equipment. They've been so great about making sure we have as nice of a holiday as possible.

The guys left my house early Wednesday afternoon and I went on a cleaning spree. I dusted, vacuumed, and mopped twice! Then I took down the plastic that separated the living room from the kitchen and dining room and pulled out one of my favorite vintage tablecloths and topped it with the one holiday decoration that Don pulled out of the attic. 

The Studio got a new cutting table top!!! I love how big it is. They guys took a 4' by 6' sheet of melamine board and some 2" by 4" and snuggled it around Target cube shelves and an old dresser. I'll finish up the paint and raw edges next week. 

Please don't judge me, the stuff on the shelves are just put there to be out of the way. I'll properly merchandise the room soon. All I've done for weeks is more crap from one place to another just to keep it safe. In retrospect, I see that I really should have just packed more of my stuff away. I guess I know what to do when the guys go upstairs in January. Oh yes, there's a whole other floor that needs to be repaired.

As a added treat, Sanders insisted that our upgraded electrical box be properly housed. I swear I don't know how to work in a studio that is an actual room and not a DIY dungeon.

The best part of this weeks update is the lack of updates. Four days without the guys in my house has been dreamy!! I grown to love them but break has been very nice. The timing is great, Aidan is sick and Maddie turned 14 on Thursday.

Reno Update: Week Six

Last Minute Sale

Modern June and Oilcloth Addict Are still open for holiday gift giving!! Order now and save 15%! Coupon Code: LMS15

Last Minute Sale

New Laminated Cottons Oilcloth Addict: We've have several new laminated cottons in stock and ready to ship. The new Amy Bulter, Riley Blake, and Erin McMorris prints are great for your winter projects. View More Sewing with Oilcloth Personalized copy of Sewing with Oilcloth? Holiday price, $14.99 All orders will ships via Priority Mail! Order by 12-19-12 for holiday delivery. View More Christmas Tree Skirts We have several red dot and red lace tree skirts finished and ready for your Christmas Tree! Also, check out our fall clearance aprons for great last minute deals. View More Last day for Laminated Cotton Tablecloths Last day for holiday Laminated Cotton Tablecloths  is TODAY at midnight!We'll be taking orders for the new year starting tomorrow!!! Don't forget the party banners! View More

All Holiday Orders will ship by the 20th!!!  Happy Holidays to you and yours!!

Reno Update: Week Five

The back half of the house is looking good! The roofs are all done and totally water tight. I can't say the same for the brown door that you see on the balcony. We had a rainstorm that blew rain into the house. Let's just say we had a bit of a waterfall wall in the dining room below. Mother Nature also gave us a light show to with the water works. Oh, she's so clever. Enough. Already.

All they guys worked very hard to paint and trim out the back of the house. Of course, I catch Tacho sitting down for the first time in 3 months. love him, he sings all day long and always has a smile for me. I know that he thinks that I am a loco chica, and you know what, I am okay with that.

The window's looking fine! Just a little touch up left to do.

RIP Bliss Kitty! In the middle of all this chaos we've been trying to make the final days of our aging cat peaceful. I miss my furry friend of 16 years more than I ever thought possible. So, in a yard filled with mud is a pretty little plant for our pretty and extra big cat.

A mad dash of paint touch up before a they guys left for a well deserved weekend! 

 Framed and painted up all pretty like!

Home Sweet Home! I enjoyed doing some paperwork and cutting in the room on Saturday. 

I miss my pretty little workroom.

I am finishing up a round of Sewing with Oilcloth (now holiday priced) baby bibs for this weekends Handmade Holiday show hosted by the Richmond's Craft Mafia. How darn cute are they in the new laminated cottons from Riley Blake? When the boy mama's see the blue and cream bibs, they are going to lllooovvveee me!


Weather your a buy-it-ready-made or a DIY kind of gal, I'll have you covered this Sunday. I'll have a stack of books and a small amount of laminated cotton cuts for you at the show. See you Plant Zero!!