I have a crystal chandelier in my bedroom for the same reason! The rest of the home has much more sedate, appropriate light fixtures.

I'm planning on several crystal items in the downstairs bath.

No one has made any negative comments on my choices, but I haven't done anything really out of the ordinary, either. I'm hoping on this next set of days off I get a chance to finish the floor in the furnace room. The weekend is out because of a hockey tournament but Thursday is looking good for it so far.

Most of my family thinks I'm a bit barmy for moving out of the 'safety' of city life and building a house out in the middle of nowhere! I get strange questions, too. My brother, who could buy and sell me 10 times over, actually asked me why we park our car in the garage. I thought he was kidding and laughed, but he was serious! I'm not exactly sure what he thinks a garage is for (his is piled high with crap), but my wife loves having a relatively warm car with a clear windshield when she heads out to work every day.

Work on the house has pretty much stopped for the rest of the year. I was working on baseboards, but now the Christmas tree and faux fireplace are in the way. I'm trying to organize the barn instead. We don't have loft stairs yet; just a ladder, and it's 13 feet up to the loft, so I'm not comfortable carrying heavy boxes up (and down). I'm going to build a small freight elevator/dumb waiter so I can continue to move stuff up and out of the way.

This is always such a busy time of year anyway. I have two different performances Saturday with the textile mill reenactment band I play in, 3 different events at church on Sunday, plus all of the various rehearsals these events require. We did manage to get the tree up and decorated yesterday, though.

I love that you're going to put a crystal chandelier in your pantry! It's your house, you should have what makes you happy, and I know you'll enjoy it forever! When we remodeled, we chose mostly calm colors-cool blues, pale cream and yellow, and lots of wood. We have a small powder room that we've always envisioned in a deep club red. So when we remodeled we stuck with that vision despite the fact that everyone thought we were crazy . Our powder room is deep red with black tile and counters. It doesn't go with the rest of the house at all but we don't care. We love it!

My father didn't understand my need (yes, visceral, all-encompassing, need ) for a vented hood, rather than the recirculating hoods that he uses in his builds and remodels.

I think some, including him, thought my 33" SS apron front sink was a bit over the top for my smaller kitchen, but they all love it, and so do I after four years of use.

Oh, yeah, the marble topped island (marble? In a kitchen that was previously laminate tops?), but now my sister has one, too. My mother always uses a pastry slab, so my pastry slab is a bit bigger. ;)

Enjoy your chandelier--when progress seems slow, or things are crazy, go in there, turn in on, and bask in the glow.

I love that you're doing a pantry chandy! Can't wait for pictures.

Mushcreek, "textile mill reenactment band"?? Sounds like a good story. Do tell.

We've had a lot of progress this week. Just not on the kitchen. :( The new clean-up sink is in the peninsula but not hooked up to plumbing. It looks so pretty. Can't wait to use it. We had to wait as we are having the Thermopane picture window next to the peninsula replaced as the seal broke so the entire peninsula, which was really only all the cabinets lined up together, not hooked together or attached to the floor, had to be moved to give the window installers access without the peninsula in the way. That will be done Monday and then maybe that beautiful sink will finally be installed. Yay!

We're also getting new windows in the bedrooms, replacing the picture windows with windows that actually open. I always figured that, as adults, we could break the windows, if needed, in a fire to escape but now that one of the bedrooms is occupied by a 5 year old, that's not such a good plan. So this is a good thing.

I spent hours going through all of our camping stuff and better organizing it. We now have a section for just the backpacking gear, then the "toys" like snowshoes and such, and then another area with the types of things we use for car camping. It will be a lot easier to grab and go. I donated a bunch of the duplicate stuff and other things we never really use to the local homeless camp. Hopefully, they will get good use of them.

I also spent some time going through all the Christmas decorations. I have too many things that aren't really to my taste anymore. I have a pile of no longer loved Christmas items in my entry. DD picked out a few things she wants and is having some friends over later today who might be interested in some of the rest. Whatever is left, is going to the Goodwill. I'll still have plenty and it feels good to pare down. The shelving that's now empty in the "Xmas closet" will be a better place to store my pressure canner and dehydrator and a few other canning items.

I finally got my living room company ready. All the stuff needed for the kitchen remodel has been taken out of there as the pile is now small enough to stack in our wide hallway. And my new loveseat is here so I was able to arrange the furniture the way I have been envisioning. And we hung all the prints and paintings up on my art wall (back wall of living room). Oh, joy, joy, happy dance! It finally feels more like a real home.

So, yeah, it's been a productive couple of weeks. And I now have a nice looking living room to put the tree up in. Decorating this week. So excited! Of course, Christmas is more exciting with a kid in the house again. :)

Okay- Today's history lesson. The Greenville SC area used to be the epicenter for the world's textile production. 100 years ago, the entire community revolved around the mill. Each mill had it's own sports teams and bands. The band would play outdoor concerts of the typical marches and rags of the day. Our director decided to revive this tradition, and formed the Greenville Textile Heritage Society Band. There are about 20 of us, playing mostly vintage instruments. I play an alto horn, a now rarely seen horn in between a euphonium and a cornet. They are still used today in British brass bands and The Salvation Army. They have been replaced by the french horn in modern bands and orchestras. We play at various events and historical society programs in the area. Here I am with my beloved 1921 Boston alto horn. If not for the modern cars in the background, this picture could be from 100 years ago!

Everything? There are many items that are not necessary in my in-process kitchen, but there was one item that was likely truly not needed, but we are getting it anyway!

The hot / cold filtered water faucet and equipment from Franke. My husband said our new fancy induction stove will boil water so quickly and we did not need the faucet. But I decided I wanted the luxury of making tea by turning the handle of my faucet!

I put in sparkly lighting that throws a bit fun into an otherwise tailored looking kitchen. Reveal will be awhile yet - counters yesterday (so purdy) and flooring going on as we speak!

Awesome instrument and a great pic Mushcreek!! Thanks for the history lesson, I too was curious what a textile band was!!

Mushcreek! I'd photoshop those cars right outta there. That's a very good picture of you. :)

I am almost done with another raised garden bed. I'm actually reworking one we built in 2003. I realized it'd become a holding bed for my potted Japanese maples and weeds. So... I'm working on that

I made the decision 2-3 weeks ago to start looking for another job. That's going well, other than the fact that tomorrow I have to make a video interview and I HATE looking at pictures of myself. I bet no one else you know could be married for 18 years and have NO PICTURES! At least I didn't have a bunch to burn. LOL! Keep me in your good wishes.

I'm finishing the kitchen floor tomorrow. Just one board and then sanding. Ick.

I'm also cutting my peninsula off. I want a rolling island. Not because I like islands that much, but I do want to build one.

I'm in the throes of a battle with mice. 5 cats and they can't catch a single one. I also think that mouse poison is actually vitamins. Perhaps fertility drugs. Either way, they laugh and me, poop and run.

Winter. I feel like I'm getting so much done, although I really haven't accomplished as much as my imagination can see finished. OHOHOH! I made $870 on Craig's List last week. French doors, lumber, even some weathered and useless 2x4s for a girl making a Pottery Barn knock-off sign. I cut them for her.

You guys know anything about soy milk? How long before it spoils? Does it go sour? What happens to it that I should watch out for?

Someday soon 'll give my X-mas ornament collection to my nieces. I haven't gotten ornaments out since 2004. 2005=fire, 2006=temporary housing without our stuff, 2007=DH's xtra curricular activities were forced out of him, 2008 to present=on my own, so why? There you have it. A decade of my pretty things in boxes. I think the kids would enjoy some of them.

On that note, there's a glass of wine with my name on it.

No Reese's cups since Sunday after Thanksgiving. No espresso since a week that. Cutting out salt and no withdrawal symptoms. Eating a lot of apples for sweet. Could be worse!

OK. 'nuff. I'm ready for winter just because winter's coming. What'cha gonna do, anyway?

I love reading your preparations. I want a chady in my mudroom. If you can have one in a pantry, T_G, I can have one in my mudroom.

Christine- I forgot to ask last week, how was your Thanksgiving with your old yoga student? Good luck on your interview!

CEFreeman= Google 'bucket mouse trap'. I use them in my barn as they are self-tending to a degree, and non-toxic. WARNING- There are lots of graphic pictures of drowned mice if you google this!

Thanks for the mouse trap idea Mushcreek.

Thankfully mine aren't in the house itself, but they love to taunt me in the garage, ignoring the labyrinth of traps I've set for them as they scurry across the garage in front of me!!

T_G, it was quite fun.
I'm always at a loss in big groups, (unless I'm teaching) so this was nice that so many people were so social. Turkey dinner is hard for vegetarians to cook. I helped a lot with that, being a died in the wood carnivore.

Funny how so many people have their world rocked when the learn their yoga teacher eats meat, wears fur and high heels, drinks wine and (used to) like(s) sex. Blows them outta the water -- but it blows me out of the water to see how many assumptions and behaviors people assign to someone simply because of their position. No pun intended. I watch them blow purple smoke out of their heads like the TV Commercial and completely reorder their image when I dismember a turkey. Ok, that said, I had a nice time and am glad I went.

a2gemini, what a sweet, snuggly baby. That's how all dogs and kitties should be wrapped up warm.

Mushcreek, I can't look at the pictures. Is this available at HD or Lowe's? And, what do you do with the bucket when you know it's full?

A friend once left 1/2 a can of beer sitting on my garden bed. I didn't notice until a bit later. When I picked it up it was surprisingly heavy. Then I remembered slugs were born alcoholics. I simply held it at arms length and threw it out....

gemini, that is the cutest picture. I want to put my had through the screen and pet him!!

Very cool picture, Mushcreek! I am also a band geek (clarinet)...I really miss having a band to play in.

Donna

What a cool type of band to play in, Mushcreek. Love the photo and info about your instrument.

Fellow clarinetist here, msmeow. Also played alto sax in a jazz band. Fun times. Would love to still be playing in some kind of band.

We have had numerous cats over the years. Only one was a good mouse-hunter. She also would leap in mid-air and catch hummingbirds, which was upsetting. Fast cat.

Now my mouser is my dog, Lucy. Who is generally laying around like Gatsby. Lucy also likes to burrow under blankets and use pillows and pretend she's a person. We feel lucky she lets us share the bed with her. :)

I'm going to put his chandelier in my little 'nook' off the kitchen.

Since the dining room is right next to it, the function of the room keep changing....but that chandelier is going to look perfect with my Peter Rabbit fabric for pillows. That's right, bunnies! :)

Funky, I also occasionally play alto sax, but I'm much better on clarinet! I got to play both last weekend in our church's annual Christmas concerts.

Lavender lass, that chandelier is the perfect shape for your PR fabric!

Donna

CEF- The bucket trap is a homemade gizmo. You need a 5 gallon plastic bucket, a soda can, a bit of wire, and a board to use as a ramp. You drill or poke a hole through the ends of a soda can and thread the wire through it so it spins like a roller. Likewise, you make holes in the sides of the bucket and thread the wire through and tighten it up. Now you have a roller thingie suspended over a bucket. Put a few inches of water in the bucket, and use the board as a ramp. Smear peanut butter on the soda can. Mousie goes up the ramp and tries to leap onto the can, but it spins and he falls into the water. Clean it often, as it gets GROSS after a while!

We have 4 clarinets, plus an Eb clarinet in our band. Eb clarinet is a fairly rare bird these days, too.

Mushcreek - that is a great picture.

CEF - good wishes coming your way. Gosh, you get A LOT of stuff done. You make me feel like a slug.

Texas - love the chandy in the pantry.

Mushcreek said: " The Greenville SC area used to be the epicenter for the world's textile production."

And don't I know it. I used to be a textile designer and would have to go to the mills to approve color combinations. The mills back in the late 70's before they all moved overseas would run the printing machines 24/5 printing fabrics.

Great picture btw.

Love the pic of the dog sleeping. Ours sleeps like that too.

Contracts for our house are back at the builder and hoping to sign them the end of this week or beginning of next week if the builder doesn't object to our minor changes.

Mushcreek, I just read your 5 gallon bucket mousetrap idea to hubby. We are willing to try anything at this point out on our lanai. So far, inside the house is under control. But Christine, I totally get it! Mousies, are what I consider cute at this point. Gross, but still cute, compared to Rats! They are a whole nuther issue....

I was seriously awoken every hour or twice an hour all last night! I had a busy day today, but only got like 2 hours sleep due to my two jack russells flying out of the bed, tearing out the doggie door leading out to lanai. They were not going after a cute mouse, it was a huge RAT! The critter was trying to get into my BBQ, even though I leave it on high to burn off everything afterwards. Ugh! I am up to any means to get some sleep at this point. This has happened several nights now. I will let you know if it is successful, but will spare you the photo evidence.

Oh, GAWD. Rats. I live in the country, so unless you have animal feed around, there are seldom rats. Thank GAWD. I laugh at the reno TV shows who scream, "RATS" at a little (lot) of mouse poop.

I moved my DW out yesterday and my floor-laying-friend and I plugged up more holes from the garage to the kitchen. I have GOT to get that garage mouse proofed. I think a problem is that when ex-POC-DH built the den, the outside plywood of the walls isn't sealed where it comes to the ground. They can get in under there and pretty much cruise wherever they want. I have hopes, though, that I'm crazy.

mush creek, the only thing I don't have is the pop cans. I don't drink it, but might start because I want to make a passive solar heater for my FREE.EE.EEzing master bath.

Bucket? CHECK
String? Check
Peanut Butter? Check
Ramp? Check
Windows for solar thing? Check
Black paint for solar thing? Check.

I got it for 2 projects at once. :)

I have to decide if I'm up to a bunch of liquefied dead mice.
"Dead" being the incentive.

All this talk of rodents reminds me of a story about my mom who was normally a prim and proper lady. Until she was in the yard with her clippers and spied a rat that had somehow jumped up to one of the bird feeders and was hanging on it to get to the food. She snuck up behind it and snipped his tail off. They never saw that rat again.

Mushcreek, I played Eb clarinet in high school - I loved it! I'm pretty short, so it was perfect size for me. LOL I played it at solo & ensemble contests one year and the judge just LOVED that someone was playing the Eb clarinet.

Donna

The alto horn gets a lot of questions because it looks like a euphonium, but too small. I just tell people it's a piccolo tuba!

I like different instruments. I used to play piccolo trumpet, and now mostly play cornet, as I play in church, and it's quieter. I also have an Aida trumpet, a 5 foot long peashooter of a thing with one valve. It's the polar opposite of quiet, being much louder than even a herald trumpet. I played a fanfare on Easter one year, and I could swear I saw the little old ladies turning down their hearing aids.

Hey Everyone!

Just got in from mowing the grass!!!! Its 76???? last year we had snow at this time. Finally getting decorations and trees up. DH is building a face frame for the pull out cabinets that Conestoga and The Cabinet Joint couldn't do (too narrow)- 2 in various stages of completion (installed with drawers no fronts) and 2 left. Starting Buckeyes next...4 batches of 20 dozen. Greatly reduced from a couple years ago, empty nest so down 16 teachers and 2 principals ;^)

As chandeliers go, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend! Why not a house? Full confession: Chandelier in dining room, master bedroom (medium wedding cake- love the reflection on the ceiling) and upstairs bathroom. 3 Victorian Library Lights with extra crystals (including one in the kitchen over the sink) and 2 crystal sconces and a small wedding cake in the downstairs bathroom.....if I had a pantry it would definitely have one or maybe 2 depending on the length of the room!

Have a great day! Heather