Kitchen painting

When my family was here over Labor Day we talked a bit about me painting my kitchen.  I have a great, updated kitchen....but, still wasn't loving it.  I think because it just felt bland.  Nice stainless appliances and black granite - but the beige-ish walls, floor and light wood cabinets all blended together.  

See what I mean?  B.o.r.i.n.g.

Several months ago, I received a free quart sample of Glidden paint in the mail.  I had to choose a color before they would send it. So, I branched out and chose New Grass Green figuring I could always find something to paint with it.


Talking with my family, we decided that maybe green would work for my kitchen.  So the next weekend, I took a deep breath and committed to painting my kitchen by painting some stripes to test it out.  The lighting in my kitchen makes it very very hard to get good photos, but here's what the test looked like:

I had never in my life painted a room before. I've done a little furniture painting, but never a whole room. I was a little overwhelmed, but at this point, I'm committed since I don't have the original kitchen paint to just cover up my green splotches!


I discovered that taping and cutting in around the taped areas is the hardest - and I should have taped more than I did.  There are a few cabinet door edges that now have green streaks.  Not quite sure how I can get it off now without taking off the finish of the cabinet.  Oh well.

So that first night, I got everything taped off, cut in and one full coat of color on the walls.  Here is the color finished after the second evening.

See those lovely window frames? Bare, raw wood. Never were painted, stained, filled in....nothin.  Lovely.  So, evening 3 included all window frames and trim, as well as fixing spots on the ceiling trim and painting the door into my garage that had been industrial grey since installation when I moved in 4 years ago.  And then one more coat on windowframes/sills and the door and I was finally finished!!


Final pics taken this morning.  It is cloudy and rainy here today, so the pics aren't the best. I'll have to take some more for posterity on a sunny day, but I wanted to show this project off. Flash photos do change the color - but the are better pics. So, I'll show you both versions.


With flash:

without flash:

Either way you look at it, I think it is a definite improvement!! And I can check that off my project list.  Next time, though, I think I'll hire it done.

Why You Say It - book review

 

Why You Say It - The Fascinating Stories Behind over 600 Everyday Words and Phrases

Webb Garrison

(provided by Thomas Nelson Publishers as a part of BookSneeze)

I'm always interested in word and phrase origins - kinda reminds me of the old Paul Harvey radio bit "The Rest of the Story." This book lives up to its title by giving background information on many common words and phrases. Knowing the back story makes it more fun to pull out unusual words and phrases - and helps in completing cross-word puzzles! Anyone who is a trivia buff, enjoys the ability to make off-beat, inane or obscure references would love this book. Organized in groups like "Names and Games," "Why Don't Folk Say Precisely What They Mean" and "Action is the Name of the Game" there are definitely a wide range of definitions. 

Like any other encyclopedic book, the reader can't necessarily validate the information, but what is presented is at least interesting and somewhat plausible. Unless you are trying to get to sleep, it is probably not something that you will sit down and read cover-to-cover. But definitely a fun book to keep on the bookshelf and be able to pull out from time to time.
 

Vacation

The last week of July, the whole family loaded up and left the unrelenting heat of Texas for the cool of the New Mexico mountains.  We went to Ruidoso this year - an easy one-day drive from Abilene. 

Our first day was Sunday.  We enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast at Cornerstone Bakery before heading to church. Definitely would recommend anyone visiting the Ruidoso area to stop off here for breakfast. Huge, yummy cinnamon rolls, unique french toast, large portions.  Since we had a big breakfast a bit later than usual, we weren't quite hungry yet after church. So, we shopped!  There were several large antique stores all together and we explored for a bit and found a few treasures to adorn the walls of Bogie's.  Then it was time to find lunch.....

......Disco Taco is one of those places that you might be a bit hesitant to try from the outside. But Phillip is pretty fearless and helps the rest of us along. So, we dove off the cliff.....caught the breeze and flew! It was a very tasty lunch - tortas, chicken burrito, and Disco Taco plate were all very very yummy.

Monday we decided to shop along the "drag."  Lots of fun stores, more treasures for the walls of Bogie's, stops to pose on a carousel horse and look at the water in a fountain.

Tuesday, we drove up to Inn of the Mountain Gods.  Phillip and I both played a little blackjack - and both of us walked out with less money than we walked in.  But it was fun - and my first time to gamble in a casino!  Of course, Emily wasn't allowed in the casino, so she and Grandpa/Pearlie wandered around the hotel while we were playing. 

Another fun fountain, but Emily was not interested in posing for a picture.  We drove over to Cloudcroft, found a park to eat lunch and play for a bit. 

after our fun at the park, we shopped in town before driving back to the cabin.  Tuesday night we headed out of town to the Flying J Ranch for a chuckwagon supper and show. It was fun - Emily was a little punch drunk because it was past her bedtime, so it was really fun to watch her enjoy the music and dance/head-bang!


Wednesday we went to Seeping Springs trout farm - the easy way to fish! Daddy and Phillip caught 5 fish (one had to go back in) and we enjoyed rainbow trout for lunch!

Wednesday evening we got a treat .... a huge group of deer wandered and lingered right around our cabin grazing along.

Thursday we drove up to Monjeau Lookout. Unfortunately it was cloudy and rainy, so we didn't spend as much time as we might have otherwise.  Still a phenomenal view - even on a cloudy day.

Thursday night we had another treat of watching deer feed around our cabin.  We took lots of pictures -- but it is really more of the same, so I won't bore you with them.

Friday we went to the horse track....but we were too early for any races, so we just moved on.  Spent some time at another playground (some of these pics are actually from earlier in the week, but they are good) and then it was time to start packing up to come home.

On Saturday we loaded up and headed back to Texas. 53 degrees when we left. 100 degrees when we got back to my parent's house.  Ugh.

Is it time for vacation again, yet?

Friendship

The past two weeks, I've been blessed to be able to spend time with a few of my sweet friends. As Sarah left today, she left a card for me that really expresses why the quality of these friendships are so special to me.  Thankfully, I'm very blessed to have also several more friends than just those pictured above to whom the following applies.

the ebb and flow of friendship

there are times
in our lives
when we are so busy
we don't have a chance
to connect,
but there's a rhythm
to our friendship
that's as deep
and as sure
as the sea.


A rhythm
of listening
and sharing,
of knowing
and belonging,
of reaching out,
and reconnecting.


I love being able to pick up
right where we left off.
I love the natural rhythm
of our friendship.

Such sweet friends. So nice to just be able to pick up where we left off - no matter the length of time.  Love you girls....you all know who you are.

Thrift store find

On my way back to work today from an appointment, I detoured for a moment into the Central Dallas Ministries Thrift Store. I've seen it several times on my way to and from donating blood, but it was never at a time that they were open or I had time to stop. I wasn't really looking for anything or expecting to find anything, but it never hurts to look.

Well, of course, I did find a treasure. Look at this fun cabinet!! It was a steal and is nice solid wood. It does need a little cleaning up - and will probably get a coat of paint at some point. At the moment it is living in my kitchen and will provide overflow storage for large canisters, pitchers, etc......we'll see if it stays there.

Spring Reading Thing 2010 Wrapup

Being the first day of summer, it is time now for the Spring Reading Thing wrap-up. My original post (here) outlines the few books I had on my list.

I made it through most all my books and then a few more. I'm still working on Why You Say It by Webb Garrison (one of my Book Sneeze reviews). I am still a big fan of Sandra Brown - good thing she is a prolific writer!

The most meaningful book I read this season was the Five Love Languages for Singles by Gary Chapman. I had heard of the original Five Love Languages book, but hadn't ever read it. This had the same determination quiz, but the stories and recommendations were geared towards singles. Taking the quiz reiterated what I've known for a while about what my love languages are and my parents both took the quiz while I had the book at my house. That enabled us to have a good conversation about how our family operates. More communication is always a good thing!

Catching up

So, last weekend I was home for Emily's birthday party. Heather did a great wrap-up post with lots of fun pictures. Rather than duplicate her post, I'll just send you over there.

Heather, Phillip & Emily are moving to Abilene this week. So, after the fun birthday weekend, I headed back to their house to help pack. What I actually did was play with and distract Emily while Heather packed in the mornings and then we packed together while Emily napped in the afternoons. It was fairly exhausting, but I'm so glad that I was able to take the time and do it. I know Heather is feeling much calmer about these last couple of days because she isn't frantically trying to get it all thrown in boxes! Their stuff will be in storage for most of the summer while they stay with my parents before their house is available, so I also brought some stuff back to store temporarily at my house.

Nothing else too exciting going on here.....it's a busy work week coming up.

Memorial Day

I enjoyed a full house over Memorial Day weekend.....we shopped and played all weekend long. Here are some snaps:


E's birthday is coming up this week, so when we went to Toys R Us for some present shopping, she got her crown and "buhv" (balloon).

























Lots of throwing balls and climbing up and down the deck in the back yard. She had so much fun!!























































Grandpa and Emily share a floor picnic snack!

Saturday project

Built a cedar planter today. Still need to get dirt and flowers.

Sunday project #2

Yummmmmy ice cream!

Sunday project #1

Part two.....

Sunday project #1

Part one...

Emily's news

Which means I'm gonna be an aunt again!!! So excited....