Long Time No Blog

I'm still busy dragging out all our belongings! What a process! We painted our master bedroom and recarpeted. Boy, does it look better! We also hung 2" blinds in the windows and trashed the old ones (the old ones were 16 years old). We are hoping to sell our home soon so this is only the beginning. We still have to tile 2 bathrooms, paint them, and maybe replace a tub.

Per Doctor's orders, DH is having to stick to a no sugar, bread, rice or potatoes diet. You would be amazed at the food that has sugar. It has been quite an education to learn what he can eat. In 2 weeks, he lost 8 lbs! I told him I would follow the same diet which can't hurt (especially if the result is losing a few lbs.!) We shall see....

Decluttering is a good thing!

I've begun the overwhelming process of decluttering our home. Spring cleaning is next. It's amazing what can accumulate over the years! DS/10 has begun going through his things, also. I haven't missed one item that we've donated to charity. I love having more space, less clutter.

DH replaced our worn-out bathroom sink and counter in the master bath. It looks so much better!

I have stitched a bit on Gathering Honey since my last progress pic. I'll share a new one soon. I really need to finish it. I'm anxious to start a new "big" project.

Thanks to all who read my blog and comment. I enjoy reading each and every one!

Slowly Progressing

I finally took a photo of the progress I've made on Gathering Honey. I have finished the backstitching in the top right corner. I am over halfway finished with the backstitching on the grey stones. I'll backstitch the beehive next. My DS/19 saw it and asked if it was a bell! I think some "detailing" is in order!

In other news, we've almost completed the makeover on the kitchen. I'll share some photos of that if I can find any good before photos.

DS/8 needs eyeglasses, so we'll be picking those out today. Both, my DH and I, along with all 3 children are nearsighted. When I'm stitching, I wear contacts and reading glasses, plus, I use a magnifying light. I'm blind as a bat!

Bad News & Good News Day

Yesterday... what an emotional day!
We wake up to find we had been "misled" about an issue near and dear to us. Bummer! Bad News.

Bought necessities to stock some kits for refugees of Katrina. Dropped them off at our church that's housing 300 refugees.

By noon, I get a call to tell me that my Grandmother, who was like a mother to me, has died. (She was ill with Alzheimer's Disease for 8 years.) Sad News.

By afternoon, my 19 year old son calls me to tell me he's finally gotten a job! Great pay, too! Job doesn't start, though, for 3 more weeks! Overall, good news.

What a roller-coaster of a day!

Today, we are still working on the kitchen renovation. Painting, patching, and nail pulling. Yuck. It's slowly coming together. The area is actually 2 rooms, the kitchen and the dining area, separated by the cabinets and stove.

No stitching time...what a drag!

Productive Day

DH and I had a productive day working on our kitchen renovation. We were able to get several panels of beadboard up, so we can get a better idea what it will look like when finished. The cabinets are finished (repaired, repainted, and new hardware). The walls are partially primed. We are making progress. Hopefully, tomorrow following church, we can get back to painting. I still haven't taken pics because my camera isn't working. I hope it is repairable.

I haven't stitched one stitch. DD is busy planning her wedding and the house is a mess due to kitchen redo. Thanks to all who commented about my DD's engagement. You are all so sweet. Once my turn at Bunco is behind me, I'll go through all my charts on hand to see what I have as far as wedding design\

Hot And Humid

It was 105 today (including the heat index)! It was so humid and muggy. I'll be glad to see fall.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! You are all so thoughtful!

I'm still painting cabinets, so no stitching time...yet....

The Kitchen Is A Wreck

We (DH and I) are renovating our kitchen. Since we plan to sale our home next spring, we are using the most neutral colors we can find (not the colors I'd prefer if we weren't moving soon). We bought "linen white" paint for the cabinets, trim, and lower walls. The upper walls will be a very light tan. zzzzzzz.... Boring, but great for attracting buyers later.

Before we could prep our kitchen cabinets to paint them, I had to remove every single item from my kitchen cabinets and stack them on the countertops, dining table, floor, etc. What a mess! Next, we had to sand all the cabinet doors, fill spots that were damaged, and re-sand, and sand some more.

We bought new hardware at Lowe's. The knobs and handles are a brushed nickle finish (less than $2 each!) For $60, we bought 13 knobs, 5 handles, and 18 hinges. We bought a tub of wood filler for repairing the cabinet doors for $5 (instead of replacing 13 doors at a cost of $$$$). We purchased beadboard paneling to go on the lower half of the walls, which we hope will give the whole room an updated look. Our camera isn't working, so I can't take photos of the "makeover". Maybe I can get my DD to take some with her camera. I'll give that a shot.

Happy Birthday to Me (Whoopee)

Today, I turned 44 years old. I don't feel "old", but I do feel "older". My DH gave me a bike (at my request), so I can ride with my DS/8. It was a little tough to keep up with him on his bike and me walking. Now, we can ride together. My daughter's 24th birthday was yesterday. She gave me an exercise ball/video set (I have been wanting one). You can read about my DD/24 here (Aug. 13th post) and read her blog. DH is taking me out to dinner tonight, also.

DS/8 starts 3rd grade tomorrow and we are busy getting organized for school. He's looking forward to it.

DH and I bought some more supplies to get back to our kitchen renovating. We bought beadboard panels for the lower part of the walls and paint. We will need to repair the cabinet doors, paint the cabinets and all the walls. There is lots of work ahead. We would like to finish it before my turn at Bunco, which is September 12th.

I still hope to get in some stitching time. We will see.

Bummer!

I haven't crossed many stitches since returning from Chattanooga. I was backstitching Fish Medley and a section of my needlework stand cracked! The stand is the original Gazelle and is about 12 years old. I'm sick about it. The piece that cracked is the one that holds everything, including the scroll, and bookholder. Feel free to leave a comment and tell me about what stand you use and the reason you chose it. I may have to replace mine since it's useless if I can't get a replacement part.

I did have a non-stitching HD this week. DH and I finished the ceramic tile in our kitchen! Yay! Now, we have to do the laundry closet and we are officially finished tiling floors (that's after tiling the den, livingroom, and kitchen).

Punch List

DH and I have made a loooong punch list of repairs and partially finished projects to finish around the house. This has to be done before we can sell by next spring. Boy, what a lot of work. Shame on us for letting it pile up.

We visited the school we hope to send DS/8 to when we move. Our meeting and tour was very informative. The school is small, only 1 classroom per grade, so the students get a lot of one-on-one attention. We are pleased with what we saw. The challenge, now, is to find some property to build on, or home that will suit our needs.

In stitching news, it's pretty boring. I'm still stitching the coral on Fish Medley. I'll post a photo as soon as I complete it. All that's left, after the coral, is one more fish and the backstitching. I'm anxious to complete it because I have some other kitted projects I'm itching to do, along with a few WIPs.

Beginning Moorish Idol

Fish Medley has 5 fish in the design. I will begin stitching the Moorish Idol next. It's the largest of the three remaining fish, so if I get this huge one out of the way, the last two will go quicker. Once all the fish are stitched, I'll add the coral and backstitch everything. Cross stitching may go slowly this week due to other projects that are more urgent.

Today, I've been stripping wallpaper off the guest/children's bathroom. This project consists of stripping, mudding, and painting. Hopefully, it will be complete before next Friday.

Also, I am planning DS/7's birthday party for this weekend. He is into Pokemon, so I found a coloring page and reduced it and made invitations. Cost = $0!!! I just love my computer. I haven't bought the first gift or done any of the planning yet, however. I've got to get busy. Oh yes, I failed to mention, I'm also attempting to finish the I Spy quilt before his birthday. I may be dreaming, but we'll see.

Sewing Room Organization

My DH has been on vacation this week so we've been getting some things done around the house. He hung 2 shelves in the sewing/guest room.

Sewing Room Shelves
I used an large, old frame and some pegboard to create an organizer for the wall. After I painted the frame and the pegboard, DH assembled it and hung it over my sewing machine. It is so cool! (The purple and pink bins hold my sewing patterns.)

Sewing Station
Next, he hung my "printer's drawer" that holds some of my thread and a thimble collection, on another wall. A few years ago, he made me the spool rack that is on the table beneath the "printer's drawer".

Thread Storage
The white table was a hand-me-down from my aunt. It was brown and stained. I painted it and I'll be adding a fabric skirt to it once I find the right fabric. The color on the walls is actually a bright lime, not mint green.

DH also replaced a faucet and the light fixture in our kid's/guest bath. I'm in the process of removing all the wallpaper in the bath so I can paint it. I won't ever wall paper again. I change my mind to often so I need to stick to painting instead of papering. Wallpaper and I do not get along. It was soooo crooked, it was embarrassing. Never again.