OMGany chance we can get a recipe with amnts?? i am no good at eyeing anything, i need amounts or i screw it up!!!

terri, if you have the time that would be awesome!!!

TIA

Have a great week everyone!!!

re Poison Ivy - I second or third, or whatever using Dawn on your skin; I spray ORTHO Poison Ivy and Tough Brush Killer and, yes, according to the directions, it will kill many trees, along with the poison ivy.

I try to get fairly close to the portion of the plant near to the ground and 'attempt' to only spray the poison ivy (and I am allergic also, just not as badly as Christine).

Recipe Disclosure:
I fly by the seat of my ingredients...however, most anything can be redone..quite similar.

Brown Butter Brownies
Melt 2 and 1/2 sticks of butter until golden brown
Let cool about 10 min..
In the mixer add 2 1/2 c sugar, 2 t vanilla(1T), 1/2 t salt and 1 T water (coffee). Mix together. Pour in butter, mix well, add 4 eggs and mix well. Fold in 1 c flour and 1 c chocolate chips. (and a cup of nuts if you like)

Bake in a 9x13 greased pan for about 20 min at 350. Or until center is set. (If you like fudgey.)

Cream Cheese Filling: 6-8 oz soft cream cheese, 1/4 c sugar blended well, 1 t vanilla and 1 egg. Mix well.

Cherry Topping: I used frozen dark cherries, sugar to taste and a bit of water and arrowroot to thicken. (Use canned cherry filling.)

Brownies in the picture:
No nuts or chips added. Dropped big dollops of cream cheese mixture then small dollops of cherry and swirled the top layer..not all the way through.

Took about 25-28 minutes for the center to be "barely" set.

CEFreeman - we pay someone to go under our house and change the filter twice a year. Bad, huh?

Mrsmortormixer, are you really supposed to wax the floors AFTER you move into your house? Rats, I must have missed that memo.

Like Deedles I also put away my laundry so I can say I did something!

While packing for our weekend away, I also proved that sometimes you can fit six pounds of dog in a ten pound bag...or did I get that wrong? She really wanted to go with us!

Terri - yum-my!

I didn't get much done today, however the cab ppl finished up and they look great! Confirmed tomorrow's ETA for soapstone install; excited, nervous, I really want to *love* this so I'm hoping for a great install. Confirmed rest of the week's activities. Lazy day, but that's ok.

ok, girl you need to stop these posts!

I'm exhausted reading about all this activity!!!!

DH found some awesome pendants on Saturday night online. I worked my second job most of Sunday, so I couldn't go look with him. He thought they were amazing, BUT two of them were on hold until Monday morning. I wasn't sure when I'd get a chance to go look (finals week - teach HS math) so went and looked at them just before closing yesterday. Happy ending, the other person didn't take them, so we bought them over the phone today.

Just before I left to see the pendants, the painter from the neighbor's house stopped by and I got a quote on the exterior paint and the room that got new flooring Saturday. Not sure about the guy. Will get more estimates.

Work today, then took vinyl samples back to the flooring place and checked out their porcelain tile (not as nice as what we found Friday). Also set up appt for Wednesday for the measuring of the rooms we've added for the LVT.

ETA: You folks with the PI, sending good thoughts. Must be horrible to deal with. We have black locust trees that pop up everywhere and overnight will be a six foot bush, and soon a big tree if you don't get on them. They have big thorns, but that PI...yikes!

Here is a link that might be useful: pendant on either end and the white/blue one in middle

This post was edited by cal_quail on Mon, Jun 2, 14 at 22:41

Those are pretty nifty..can't wait to see the rest of your space if you picked that cool lighting..

Cal_Quail, I have choke cherries that do the same thing. I have to cut some down in a neglected garden bed that are probably 4 years old? maybe 10" in diameter? Good thing I'm not shy with my sawsall! :)

I also think those pendants are very nice. Your kitchen is going to be great.

1929Spanish, she is adorable. My cats with either snuggle in a suitcase or pee in it because I'm going away. Either way, I remind myself that they love me LOL.

Something I've been thinking about, while we thought we were doing nothing, was that frequently we've given ourselves time to shop a little more, make alternative decisions, and generally go in a direction we might have missed.

I've kinda dealt with that in a way. When ex-POC-GC-DH was here and we got the 1st insurance check after the fire we had, he wanted me to decide right now about windows, flooring, layout, all kinds of things. Then, he lost his mind, had midlife crisis, and just showed is cowardly colors in the face of diversity (How's that for trying to explain a low-life?) and work just stopped. I was glad we bought almost all the materials, 'cause I couldn't have afforded them. But I've traded off and sold many of the things I was pushed to choose. The major item remains the windows. I will change them someday!

Is anyone having weird email post delivery? I went about a week and a half without them being sent to me (again). Then I got a mailbox dump and tons of back posts showed up. The email started arriving normally again, but this morning I got a huge dump of old posts again. I reread 1929Spanish's post about sewing again and thought, Huh? Then realized what was happening.

Yesterday: Can't say I did anything other than go to work. Nothing stands out.
Actually, I did 3 loads of blankets. (Ok, I didn't fold them.)

Edited to add: Edited to add:
Oh - I forgot, though. I did manage to mow 1/3 of the front yard. Had to wait for the grass to dry and get it in before the heat. That is a biggie. The other 2/3rds are just waving their little grassy arms at me. So there you have it.

This morning I watered.
I sprayed the side yard for ants. Easy to see. Some of the ant hills are 3-4" tall, with surrounding clusters. Kind of like tiny Mayan villages. I can also find them with my feet in the grass. Very soft ground. ICK.

I am going to buy primer for my MBR in a few minutes.
Then [drum roll] I'm going to take a shower and go to work. Again.

Oh - PI and serrated leaves. I've noticed that often they're jagged like that, particularly when newly leafing out. Often they don't change, but some in my gardens become the rounded leaves. I wonder if it's mutant PI that will take over the world? Or if it's just another gender or variety. Don't care.
"DEATH TO THE PI," she screamed, waving her sprayer wand wildly!

Have great, productive days, all!
Be gentle with desert_steph. She's exhausted from choosing to read about all this activity. That is also an accomplishment. :)

This post was edited by CEFreeman on Wed, Jun 4, 14 at 10:09

Productivity has been ramped back up.

It rained here a few days ago so I edged and cut the grass to keep it from going crazy. Riding lawn mowers are awesome.

The flooring finisher just called and will be here Thursday!!!! That means I need to get everything out of the kitchen/family room/living room. We'll be the only people around with a Blue Star in their bedroom so that'll be loads of fun to try and walk around. That also means I need to get my act together and finish anything that might spread drywall dust around.

Big changes though over the next two weeks. Our place won't be anywhere near reveal-worthy but it'll be functional for the first time in ages.

terri_pacnw- 2 1/2 sticks of butter?! More recipes should start this way!

1929Spanish- I wouldn't ever wax floors if we didn't have a shellac (sort of) finish upstairs. These will eventually be replaced, we just haven't made it that far in renovations. They are actually kind of pretty in their time-worn state, but maintenance and cleaning is a nightmare.

CEFreeman- I feel for you on the poison ivy. Between PI and poison hemlock, we've got our hands full here. You'd think with all of the Round-up that gets sprayed on fields around here, it would be easier to control.

I fixed breakfast, and I'm getting ready to start lunch. I'm half-tempted to wash bedding today, because today is the lowest chance of rain for the week, but I know as soon as I hang everything on the line, it will start raining. I really don't want to run the dryer until November or December.

Argh! I almost forgot something big. I bought pendants for over the island in the wee hours of the morning. I'm either going to love them, or hate them, but they should be here in the next couple of days. Making the decision to buy something is a huge accomplishment for me. Of course, I've had no less than 20 different lights come through the door, and none have stayed, so we'll see.

This post was edited by mrsmortarmixer on Tue, Jun 3, 14 at 12:23

terri_pacnw - TDF brownies, wowzer those look delicious!

Mags438 - I can't wait to see your soapstone!

schicksal - functional is a crazy luxury, I can attest to that!

CEFreeman - yes, very bizarre email delivery.

I've been thinking about my current kitchen island. I plan on painting it to match the other new cabinets (side note - Sherwin Williams did an *awesome* job with color matching the cabinets!) and putting walnut butcher block on it. I think I might reconfigure it a little bit ... it is currently made from 4 base cabinets - 2 face the stove, one faces the sink/dishwasher, and one faces my outside window (the arrows below show the basic directions).

^>

I'm thinking I want to turn the one facing the sink so each side has 2 pointing the same direction:

(I hope my silly arrows make sense)

Then the side facing the sink will be a blank side wall that I'd like to add hooks for hanging - sort of like in the link below. The other blank side faces my living room (and has lots of space available), and I want to add open shelves to it for my cookbooks and such. I've been 'auditioning' a bookshelf there and really like it.

I've realizing one of the great things about putting in my own cabinets is that the mystery of how they work is solved. So I can take the counter top off of my island and try out the turned cabinet before committing to it. It sucks that I'm taking a long time to finish, but getting what I want (at a price I can pay, lol) will be worth it in the end

On the PI front - I've purchased chemicals, gloves, and ordered disposable Tyvek suits. The suits only cost about $6.00. I walked the property last night and the stuff is cropping up all over the place. There is less where the horses are fenced - I've read that they eat it and like it. I'm going to focus on the stuff nearest the house and work outwards away as best I can. The current plan is treat it with chemicals to stop the growth as much as possible, then work at pulling it out (while dressed in the hazmat suit, lol) I will be very careful of brush burning in the future - and make sure none of this nasty stuff gets in that pile!

Happy Tuesday to all!

Here is a link that might be useful: Hooks on island

My favorite kind of progress ... handed the contractor a list of projects!

My vanity counter got templated, Kerdi board going up in the tub alcove. Heard "Love Hurts" in Spanish. Very nice.

Worked out my terribly out-of-shape body this morning. Stopped at the grocery store for dinner things, making chicken stock, planed some of my pine for a countertop but need new blades, so I didn't get to finish. Washing new towels and will make an Italian sausage, shrimp, scallop dish for dinner - recipe to be determined.

You know, this makes me feel good! Sometimes I feel like I'm going nowhere, fast. Listing what I've done instead of what I haven't, and reading others' lists, is much better motivation!

Worked at the old house today, trying... trying... to get it done and on the market. Pulled creeping charlie out of the rose bushes and cut back all the dead canes. Sorted a load of (probably) crap using the mental game of "the garage is on fire and I can grab one thing...". Somehow that turned into a car load.

The remainder is up for grabs to kids and then to charity. Seems to be NO END to moving. But. DH and friend finished up the laundry room walls and ceiling and built new stairs to boot. My years of doing laundry in that crappy unfinished room have ended and the new buyers can have a nicely finished laundry room now.

This is the second house that I've had that's been finished only to sell. I told DH (whilst sitting on the new laundry room steps that I'll never enjoy) we are finishing our 'new' house or I'll strangle him.

In other accomplishing type news: made banana nut muffins this am and a pot of crock-type pork something for supper. Also managed to open a bottle of wine and drink some. Poke me, I think I'm done.

Keep going fellow a-complishers!!

psbjmp - Your arrows make sense and you've given me an awesome idea! I've been trying to figure out where we'll hang a towel anywhere near the sink. Behind the sink will be the end of the island that has a 15" overhang (30x80 overall, the 15 included in the 80 part). I should be able to put a hook on the end of the cabinet and it'll be 'hidden' under the overhang. :) I think that'll work.

I came up with an idea for an extra stool. The kitchen will only have the 30" x 15" seating area on the island, so only room for one stool. I was looking on at the Gardener's Supply Company website at plant stands, it it struck me how much some of them look like barstools. So I'll get one stool with a very flat seat that I can sit a plant on in the corner of the dining room. And if there's an extra percher, they can put the plant on the floor and bring in the extra stool/plant stand.

Other than that, I'm not holding out for getting much done today. Left computer at job #1 (hardly ever bring it). Had to cancel first class at job #2...hard to teach online without a computer. Had to drive back to job #1 to get it. Ugh. Will teach second class, and hope to tidy up some so the floor measurer doesn't choke on large wafts of australian shepherd fur.

And yes, very odd stuff with the emails.

Terri PacNW- I assume the cream cheese cherry stuff goes on after and does not get cooked? Or does it? It seems like it might be a topping. I know my 12yo would LOVE this!

Alex 9179 recipe, please!!

I'm exhausted trying to remember the names and comments I wanted to make! I almost need to open a word doc and respond as I'm reading then paste it in the message box!

I've never experienced PI (though I've probably jinxed myself now) and I hope those of you dealing with it get it all resolved soon.

Was it CaliQuail, with the pendants? Very nice! A million years ago an ex boyfriend of mines Mom had blue heathware with a brown edge. I loved those dishes!

Well, I took today off so I could go watch my 12yo at the local all school track meet. He was in Long Jump, 300m, 800m and 4x100m relay. Last night he was jumping on the trampoline and somehow hurt his chest. It was quite painful. This morning we were off to the clinic to see if it was maybe a cracked rib or something. Nope, just muscular, really badly pulled muscles. The bad news for him was no track meet. He was SO upset, even though he knew he was in no shape to go. To add insult to injury I made him go to school. His brain wasn't hurt and it didn't hurt to sit down! LOL

I managed to make some returns, mow the front lawn, install some cross braces on my sagging gate, clean out and vacuum my van and call my Mom.

Tomorrow, I'm expecting to receive a settlement cheque at a 1pm appointment and immediately after that, assuming I get the cheque, I'm going to the bank to pay off my LOC and then go to Costco to buy the boys and I a 3 seater swing as a treat. Then when I'm goofing off as a reward for working 20 minutes, I can relax on that!

I really need to get a move on making the roman shades for the kitchen. I'm doing the no sew glue ones, so it should be very easy. Maybe I'll do that Thursday or Friday and then next week my friend is coming to help me install my backsplash. I'm so excited for that! I also need to kind of map out the pieces for that.

Everyone is making progress even if it doesn't seem like it!!

deedles, when are you gonna show us your new kitchen? Or did I completely miss your reveal?

As to the brownies..

Psbjmb, Yes I agree...that much butter makes it better..and browned..a whole upper level of goodness! I make chocolate chip cookies with brown butter too.

MG, in this case after you put the brownie batter in the pan, you add the mixed up cream cheese part, then the cherries, swirl and bake.
Can also use a fav jam.

schicksal - I can relate! I'm on the same path/timetable.

Psbjmb, installed today and it came out great I think. I made an oops or two at template time but hopefully no one but the experts will notice. Moving on. Pic attached.

MGmom - I'm exhausted trying to remember the names and comments I wanted to make! I almost need to open a word doc and respond as I'm reading then paste it in the message box! - LOL I'm with you there!

CEFreeman - are you using an ipad?

Alex, yes this is a positive motivator but sadly I have to say, I feel like I've been goofing off this week, and feel bad when I read all the activity of many. But....I did get my soapstone installed!! Countertops installed: check!

Oooo, that soapstone is beautiful! Counters are a good step forward, aren't they?

Linelle: I haven't had the reveal up yet. We've been so darn busy trying to get the other house finished up that it seems I never have time. Plus I have to paint one.more.door. and then my kitchen would be reveal worthy. Really hoping that we can get the old house finished up this coming weekend and then the reveal should be posted after that. In June I will post my reveal. There, it's been declared. Thanks for asking.

I am doing a quick post so haven't taken the time to read everyone else's posts yet, sorry!

We have had company, my mom and her fiance. They wanted to do productive things yesterday so we got a ton of things done! All mowing and trimming (again! Gah! ), I pulled all the weeds out of the "flower beds" and pruned down the dead rose branches. Mom finished painting my ls doors and trim pieces, rearranged the kitchen and hung pictures! It was an awesome day!

Oh yeah, and earlier in the week mom and I took fabric swatchea fro,my new couch and picked paint for the living room. Might not seem like much but a HUGE help for me! Also discovered I already had the pwrfectcurtains for living room and perfect fabric to recover the ottoman. I am wicked excited to move on to the living room, now!

psbjmb,
I would resist the urge to touch the stuff, even with a space suit. Really, there is no need.
Just give the leaves a good, healthy squirt. Remind yourself it's a vine, which also grows along the ground. If you can find a 2nd set of leaves in the grass or so, you know the direction the vine is growing and can squirt it. It puts out leaves everywhere its stem puts down roots. I got PI from the dirt that spattered on me from pulling out the vine.

Around here (the DC area) there's a fellow who leases his goats to the national parks service and others. They'll clear out an area like Rock Creek of English Ivy, PI, Virginia Creeper, etc in no time flat. Terrains where machinery couldn't get in, or would decimate the landscape are perfect for goats. Since they eat trash, too, it's a bonus. We need goats. Except for those garden beds I'd like to keep!

And love the island idea! I think I'm rubbing off. I don't think moving or rearranging cabinets is as big a deal as people make it seem. If this bozo DIYer here can do it, absolutely anyone can. It's really empowering to be able to change your mind, isn't it!?!

All these recipes sound fantastic.
I might have to have my 6-month cooking binge, where I make humongous amounts of food to freeze. I live off it for months. I'm down to some beef stroganoff, jambalaya, a grain dish I made up and love, and some mystery stuff I didn't label. Since I made it, I know it's good. Just gotta wait until I'm ready for a surprise to thaw it out for a meal. LOL

MGMum, there's something conventional medical science seems to ignore than can be pretty painful. We deal with it occasionally in yoga, particularly when someone comes to the therapeutic classes I/we teach. You can dislocate a rib from your sternum. This happens usually with a frontal blow to the side of the sternum, or from landing hard on your side. The latter is usually one or two ribs. Breathing is almost impossible without screaming, which requires breathing, which causes screaming, so it's a vicious circle. There are some breathing (yeah, I know) and propped up reclining positions that can ease a rib back into place without chiro-type jerking and cracking. The ribs want to be where they're supposed to be, so them moving on their own is possible. Ironically, a chiro or osteopath is more likely to recognize a dislocated rib than a PT or orthopod.

You should have wrapped an ace bandage around his neck so he didn't have to keep explaining an injury people can't see, as to why he's not competing. That's hard sometimes. Hope he feels better quickly!

Cal_Quail, that's a very innovative idea! Keep obesity in America in mind and get a heavy duty plant stand. Wrought iron or something. Can you imagine someone slowly squashing a plant stand straight down? Sorry, my mind is vivid and I'm laughing at this in slow motion.

Mags438, no, I'm on an old fashioned laptop :) Why?
And.... I moaned and big ooooohhhoohhh over your soapstone and beaded inset cabinets So beautiful.

Deedles, that's a great idea. When we did have a fire in 2005, at one point my DH said, "Get whatever you need/ We have to get out of here." I did a mental check:
Cats and dogs in the car,
Laptop,
mom's jewelry (simply because it was next to me)
husband's outside,
and thought, "There's nothing I need here." And turned my back on generations of antiques and artwork, so-believed "treasures" you name it, and walked out.

I have no trouble giving things away. I purge frequently. (That didn't come out right.) But I do have a tendency to replace things with newer, cooler finds.

Great job for you!

Today, Wednesday, is my Friday. My main goal today, like yesterday, is to just get myself to work. Heck, sometimes just getting out of bed is an accomplishment, let alone dressing, scraping my fangs, hosing down, and facing the day!

And all, have a great day! You're tremendous! Have you considered what your families would do if it weren't for these things done each day? Ha!

The italian sausage seafood dish was tasty! I just browned the sausage, removed, deglazed with the shrimp until they were pink, removed, and added the bay scallops until just opaque then removed. Cooked some chopped onion, garlic, and thinly sliced sweet red pepper. Added shrimp stock (I had some in the freezer) and reduced quite a bit. Added everything and a cup of cream back into the pan, seasoned with some Emeril essence blend I had and let the seafood cook through. Served over pasta (I just ate it as is) with shredded parmesan. I don't think the cream is a necessity, though. It didn't really need a sauce. A variety of veggies could be used, too.

Not sure what I'll accomplish today. So far, got the kids to school and drank coffee, lol!

Spent the morning moving things that might blow away and locked up all the outbuildings and animals. Severe storms rolling through late afternoon. It's been pretty quiet so far this year weather-wise, so I'm expecting a doozy. Probably going to be lazy the rest of the day.

Just changed into paint splattered clothes..need to finish up a few spots on the bedroom wall.

Hubby wants to go to HD, to plan "his" next project.
I asked for one thing...and I've created a monster..lol..

He's made 4 bar stools, almost finished with his bench/storage seat. (Top) needs to be "upohlstered".
Not sure if it's the bar or the farm table that is "next" on the list.
I will be picking more paint cards up. :)

Mags438, holy crap, that is a beautiful piece of soapstone! I assume it's unoiled, in all its virgin glory. Now that is incredibly beautiful.

Deedles, looking forward to it. You're due, girl.

I now have a niche in my shower/tub alcove. The guy really worked hard at it, no pop-in, ready-made forms. Loving how the tile is turning out.

Mags, your soapstone is GORGEOUS!!

CEF he had Xrays, and they appeared to look all right according to the experts. Yes, I should have put some bandages on him. I think it was apparent to all who saw him that he was sore. And the poor kid, it was his second year not going and he's SO athletic and competitive. I shudder to think what will happen next year if he doesn't get to go! I laughed so hard at your comment to Cali_Quail!

Alex, your shrimp/sausage dish sounds great!

MsMM I hope the weather doesn't get too crazy!

Today I didn't do too much. A bit of tidying, made a roman shade for the window over the sink, visited a friend to see the cosmetic updates she's done to sell her house, picked up my settlement cheque, went to the bank and now I'm debt free except my mortgage, so Yay Me!! Then I went to buy the boys and I a 3 seater swing as a nice treat. I'll set it up near our outdoor patio table facing the back yard. Hopefully it's not rainy tomorrow so I can get a good start on it. I'll finish the other roman shade tomorrow too.

Wednesday, still.
Got out of work early.

I did something today, which was long overdue. I cleaned out my fridge. Threw away 2-3 year old, unopened mayonnaise and a bunch of other condiments. That's really all I have in my fridge. Ok, margarita mix. Peanut butter and butter. But you guys inspired me.

The funny thing was, my elbow hit something and the light went out. Doesn't seem to be the lightbulb. At work I had a freak out moment. What if my fridge died and I didn't realize it.

I have a back-up plan. I have a full-sized freezer in the mudroom.
I have a dorm-sized fridge on the back porch, DH converted into a kegerator. I'd must rather get the kegerator working, but in a pinch, I could put my condiments in that! My thought is, until I save enough for a counter depth fridge.

I, ladies and gentlemen, have a plan. Ok, crazy plan, but a plan nonetheless!
Have a great night!

I spent this afternoon and
evening moving everything from all the rooms the flooring will be finished in. The work starts tomorrow and I can hardly wait!

Formal living room

View from the end of the entry hall

Kitchen facing the pantry

Family room facing the kitchen

So many accomplishments everyone! Nicely done!

Mags - what a lovely piece of soapstone!

Past two days have had modest accomplishments here, one important one was getting to the doctor and then scheduling a mammogram...I go for that next week. I'd also like to take this moment to remind everyone, if you have been a little lax on checking "the girls", please be sure to take a few minutes to do so.

Planted my tomato plants in containers on our patio area. And overnight, something ate the tops of the plants off. Now I have stems with no leaves. We'll see if they can recover. :( The herbs were left alone so far. As was the butternut squash, peppers, and zucchini. Fingers crossed that they continue to leave everything else alone. (must put on my list to create a fenced in garden area soon)

Trying to still get everything together for my mom's 70th birthday party on Saturday. It's coming together. Slowly.

Got our microwave ordered and we should have it here at the house by the end of the week.

Sorry to hear about your tomatoes andreak100. I have tomato plants, but something ate all the leaves off my peppers. Par for the course.

CEFreeman, our fridge is okay, but I shudder to think of what I'll find in the freezer drawers when the time comes. Good that you have a plan.

Soapstone and floors are beautiful respective folks. And nothing looks better to me than a kitchen without cabinets (because I'm SO dying to rip mine out...but it's about a month too soon for that).

I picked up some paint samples for my dressing/sewing room and slapped up a couple patches. The blue is too light, will have it tinted some more tomorrow or so. The trim color that I'm hoping to use throughout the house is a bit whiter than I'd thought. I'll sleep on that.

Had the floor guy come measure the couple more rooms we're going to add to the LVT list. Will find out tomorrow how long it'll take to order and get it scheduled in a week or two, I hope. And found out that they'll lay my floor and backsplash tile, even if I don't buy from them. I'm happy that'll give me a second quote (and someone I trust more than the granite guy...mostly because I was referred to the granite guy from the floor company).

Survived the last day of school with students. Whew!

ETA: Thinking of a "plant stand"/stool like the one below

Here is a link that might be useful: metal stool

This post was edited by cal_quail on Wed, Jun 4, 14 at 23:52

It thundered for about 3 minutes, got a bit breezy/cloudy, and then the sunshine peaked out for a few hours before the clouds came back and the temps dropped dramatically. I should actually be able to sleep tonight, 50's feel so nice! Spent a good portion of the afternoon staring at paint samples for the breakfast cabinet I built. Navy, sage-y green, one of the cabinet colors, turquoise, lime green...okay, definitely not lime green.

My pendants came in today. I like them, but they look huge compared to the dangling light bulbs, so I'm having a hard time picturing them up. I was going to hang them for a trial run, but noticed the area around the ceiling lights were kind of gross. I tried to wipe them down, and it just kind of smudged, so I decided to repaint the entire kitchen ceiling since it cooled off so much. Pretty sure 800 bugs found there way in and landed in the paint just to annoy me :/

I am doing a quick post so haven't taken the time to read everyone else's posts yet, sorry!

We have had company, my mom and her fiance. They wanted to do productive things yesterday so we got a ton of things done! All mowing and trimming (again! Gah! ), I pulled all the weeds out of the "flower beds" and pruned down the dead rose branches. Mom finished painting my ls doors and trim pieces, rearranged the kitchen and hung pictures! It was an awesome day!

Oh yeah, and earlier in the week mom and I took fabric swatchea fro,my new couch and picked paint for the living room. Might not seem like much but a HUGE help for me! Also discovered I already had the pwrfectcurtains for living room and perfect fabric to recover the ottoman. I am wicked excited to move on to the living room, now!

I feel I've had the most productive day of the week. I'm off Thursdays and Fridays, so I fit a lot in.
Today I went to Lowe's and bought an appliance light bulb, along with a few light switches. There are 2 places I'm changing dimmers to regular switches. I don't use them. Another benefit of being able to change your mind.
I went to Safeway and bought steaks and milk for my espresso.
Went to the bank and cashed my tenants check to pay that and my mortgage. Yeah!
Actually mailed the cashier's checks, rather than carrying them around for another week and sweating them.
Went to Wal-Mart to load my prepaid debit card with tips, so I could pay other bills. Because of my (stupid) divorce, I can't use a checking account. I have a judgment against me that froze my BOA accounts. I don't know what I'd do without Wal-Mart. Plus, they sell cookie dough and Peanut Butter Lover's Giant Reese's Cups.
Went to the wine store and ... bought wine.
While I was out wining (whining?) I
went to the little place by my house and had a glass of wine. I don't get out much, so this was quite an adventure in eye ... fascination. Love my little redneck, toothless bar. OMG.

Now I'm home. I'm going to burn a steak and have another glass of wine in the comfort of my very own construction site.

ahhhhh. The satisfaction of accomplishing something! :)

I am so proud of all the working women of the 21st century and all that they, or we, accomplish on a daily basis. Everyone should give themselves a pat on the back and raise our glasses on high for our abilities and stick to itness?!!!!!

I put up the roman shade I made yesterday, built my swing and then I laid in it reading a book all afternoon! I almost fell asleep until work called asking if I wanted to come in. Uh, no, I was almost sleeping on my new swing in perfect low humidity weather!

lazygardens - how lovely to hand off to the contractor, I admit to being just a bit jealous ;-)

cal_quail - glad my silly arrows made sense to someone beyond me, lol. One of my goals was to have a bigger flat surface (side of the cabinets) to put dish towel hooks on

MGMum - I love reading everyone's comments and progress, and want to offer at least a few individual comments. I broke down and wrote this in Notepad while reading tonight :-) I hope that check came through! I hope to make some roman shades soon, too. Can you post pictures of yours (I'm such a nosy Nellie, lol)

Mags438 - beautiful soapstone too! I love all soapstone but have a special fondness for lots of veining

CEFreeman - I admit that I did suit up and pull down lots of the big long vines last night. It has so many (unripe yet) berries all hanging right over my yard, I decided to take the chance. For the little stuff, I have been spraying the heck out of every little bit I see. I do live in goat country, so I may see if I can borrow some. And steak? Woohoo! Sounds like a nice treat ;-) Your redneck bar reminded me - my sister and I are going to a real old Texas dance hall (Twin Sisters) this Saturday night. An awesome rockabilly band is playing (Two Tons of Steel, link below) and we plan to do quite a bit of chair dancing!

alex9179 - that sausage/seafood dish sounds delicious! I just learned about shrimp stock last year. I had no idea how wonderful it was, and how rich it makes soups taste!

schicksal - beautiful floors! I love real wood floors ... they warm up a room!

deeebert - cheers (as I raise my wine cooler!)

I didn't accomplish much tonight - a little sewing for our family reunion silent auction, and dinner with my son.

I may not be online much this weekend - so good luck to all getting lots accomplished!

Patty

Here is a link that might be useful: Two Tons of Steel

I chose grout colors.

I chose grout colors.

I am in bed trying to unwind..
I just finished baking 3 dozen vanilla cupcakes with Blue Raspberry frosting..well it's blue with a bit of raspberry candy flavoring...so why not Blue Raspberry..it's for a little friends soon to be 6 birthday party tomorrow.
I also copied, printed, cut out and glued toothpicks onto several dozen Blastoise (his favorite Pokemon) ...for cupcake decorations.

All this started at 10 pm, because we were out of town for an almost 3 hr baseball game!

I think I have picked my sitting room paint!

I too love the veining in soapstone..Does anyone have it paired with darker wood cabs? Seems it's always with painted white cabs...I am really leaning towards a cherry cab with a dark stain. But I don't want light counters.

People came by to sand the flooring yesterday. There are no transition pieces, baseboards, door frames, or cabinets so they were able to work fast. In the afternoon I got a call asking if it was ok to put in the finish the same day. I was like...

They weren't finished when I got home but already I couldn't recognize it. The front living room had finish that looked more orange than anything else and that was probably the biggest change. With that stuff off you can finally see the actual wood and its grain.

The next step is to get some quartz samples already, order the sink and faucet tomorrow, and get the garbage disposal and instant hot components squared away. Anyway, here are the pics...

This is the formal living room. The wood is from 1959 and it's amazing to me how much better it looks now!

Lovely floor!

Yesterday, more paint samples for my dressing/sewing room. I had been told I could have the sample tinted to the next one down on the card if I didn't like the original. I took it back to do that and it didn't turn out right. The guy in charge said it wasn't good to do that. Sigh. He said he tells people to get quarts because they're better able to calibrate the colors. Say WHAT? I've spent $60 on samples lately and now you're telling me they might not represent the colors I've been using them to pick? He gave me a quart in the new color and didn't charge me.

This has been at Dunn Edwards (where almost every professional painter has pointed me). I read everyone here using BM (not around here) and SW (around here, but not terribly convenient). But I'm seriously thinking of switching. Other than all the cash I'm out, there's nothing I'm in love with yet, interior or exterior. And I picked up a SW coupon for 30% off for the next 10 days.

The new sample is WAY darker than the previous one. It does represent the card well. Every other sample has turned out whiter than the card. My thought yesterday was to say 50% color 1 and 50% color 2. But I'm liking this 'switch brands' thing better this morning.

Also worked both jobs.

This post was edited by cal_quail on Fri, Jun 6, 14 at 8:54

cal_quail there's something this guy isn't getting. A chip or two down farther on the card is not the same color. People think it's just darker or lighter, but it's NOT NOT NOT. It's a different color with the same hue!

I know, if I wanted that chip a few down, I probably wouldn't be looking at the one above it that I've sweated over.

If you're looking for a color cut 50% or something, it was explained to me to look a few cards forward or back, at the same chip. i.e. the 2nd chip on this card, would be a lighter color for you.

shicksal, oh how lovely. Thank goodness the sign of luxe after the 50s was carpet, because it sure preserved some gorgeous floors for us!

Terri_pacnw, I'll eventually be doing soapstone with reclaimed, weathered oak cabinets. The top stain is Mineax Provençal, so it makes for a darker cabinet. I love the look!

psbjmp, that's some seriously mature PI with its berries. Get rid of it, yes, because the birds love it and poop the seeds out everywhere. I think that's the major way it spreads, to tell you the truth. Bird poop.

Guys, I can't write one of my novels, because I'm getting ready to go to Odenton (MD) to do the huge, cat furry king bedding at the coolest, giantest Laundromat in the world.

I have a lot planned, I hope to fit in. Mowing the lawn tonight, after the sun sets. Assembling 2 cabinets. Putting the face frame on a BIG one I built and getting it back on the wall. If I can do this last thing, I can hang all the cabinets on that entire, 14' wall and start working on finishing my BB countertop. It's only been 4(?) years since I built it.

OK. Gotta go.. Productive days, ladies and gentlemen!
(Linelle -- what color did you pick!?)

Christine, Smoke Gray for the tub/shower surround (white subways) and Delorean Gray for the cloudy gray floor. I wish I could have done a custom mix, but no dice.

Nice floor! That's really beautiful.

I ended up going with SW after globs of BM paint chips and samples. Not sure which color you are looking for but I chose Creamy for the kitchen, white but undertones of creamy yellow. Really a gorgeous color.

So glad there is no p.i. here. Got me hands full with creeping bellflower, thanks very much. At least it isn't poisonous. Good luck.

Thanks. I love the flooring!

Got some time outdoors to enjoy our beautiful day. I mulched our small front landscaped yard. Had help, but my body is killing me! Esp legs and knees

Thanks for the kind words about the floor! Wish I could join the landscaping club but it is HOT here already.

I also have to start working on ducting the cooktop vent soon so that means quality time up in the attic. The gameplan is, I'll run the first piece of ducting that connects to the cooktop vent on a rainy day when temperatures are less lethal up there and measure how much farther up the roof is + however many elbows will be needed. Then do the roof part and make the connection in the attic super early some morning before it's too hot to be up there. I have a while to figure this out because it's more or less impossible to have the cooktop installed in June anyway.

I had fun looking at quartz yesterday afternoon. No samples though, but I now know what color sink to get. Today's gameplan is to buy the sink, faucet, soap and hot water dispensers, garbage disposal and air switch. All of that should arrive by the time the countertops go in so there won't be an annoying delay where we're held up for something to come in the mail.

So to finish out my week, I did the king-sized, 4-years of furred bedding at that Laundromat I mentioned. I don't sleep in the MBR, having lived in it without heat, air conditioning, plumbing, extension cords strung through the walls to the fuse box, with 7 cats & their littler boxes for almost 5 years. It's been the cattery, where they lounge on their king bed, as all cats should.

Did you know that at the Laundromat, (and if you did, why didn't you tell me?) you can put 3 loads' worth of laundry in one, giant machine? Or two, extremely furry heavy king comforters/quilts in one!!?? Talk about a time saver.

I did 7 loads of furry bedding (and some clothes) including some pillows in less than 20 minutes. OMG, pinch me. The GIANT dryers were fantastic!! I could put all the bleached stuff in one huge dryer, so those 7 loads were handled by 3 machines. You could stuff a few bodies in those dryers and no one would be the wiser. Until later, of course.

It cost me about $30.00 in coins. In time? Lunch I had with a friend? In excitement about these cool machines? I feel like it all came out about free. YEAH for Laundromats!

Came home, (ohhh stuff is still in the back of the truck at 1:00 on Saturday afternoon) took and took a well-deserved nap. I slaved, you know.

THEN I mowed the other 2/3rds of my lawn. That's just under 2 hours.

Watched a taped Game of Thrones. Can you believe Oberon's head was squished? I'd forgotten from the books. Gives a whole 'nother meaning to "If I want any crap out of you, I'll squeeze your head." Oh, how incredibly tasteless of me! GD&R!

Actually put sheets on the daybed I've been sleeping on, with one of my cats I sequester. She pees and poops everywhere, so her room is gated with sheet linoleum down on the hard wood. That's a day late and many dollars short, because that floor is probably ruined, anyway. She's so social, though, that even though she's roaming free in the daytime, she lets me know she wants company to sleep. Loudly and incessantly.

I bought some twin microfiber sheets online. I was using king sheets folded in half. Uncomfortable. We'll see about this microfiber thing, though. They're very soft, but I can't tell if they breathe at all. Can't wake myself up gasping at night. It's bad enough snoring wakes me up and there's no one there to blame. Go figure.

All in all, I had a less than (standardly) productive week, but I'm pretty happy with it! (How is it I always write a novel!?)
You guys, too!?