Details

Tweet

Knobs & Pulls

I can now open all my cupboards and drawers! They all got put on on Friday. Tomorrow, (Monday), hopefully the crown molding and maybe the flooring Tuesday??

My Gigantic Silverware Holder!

Now, this may not seem like a big deal to you but for the last 14 years I have not had a big enough drawer for a silverware holder! My everyday knives, forks and spoons had to be just thrown into a small drawer all mixed up together.

Well, look at this baby! It's huge and expandable! You can even put your utensils in there so everything is in the same place.

I know, you're not really that excited!

Well, I'm just showing you. I have to take it back out now because I can't put anything in the lower cabinets till after the countertops are installed!

Patience Shirley! Right now you just have to be thankful using your cardboard countertop!

Have a nice Monday everyone : ))

Kitchen Progress - Painting

Tweet

I'm a little late putting this on but it's still Friday morning after all! I wanted to join in with Cindy at "My Romantic Home" for "Show and Tell Friday". This is for all of you keeping up on my kitchen renovation! You must visit Cindy's blog and see the list of participants at: http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Blindingly White!

This is after all the WHITE was painted!

My "virgin" kitchen!!

Finally COLOR!!!!!!

Later today the crown mouldings go up and a bunch of little things that need done and Monday the flooring goes in : )).

I finally got some photos of the soapstone and it's the right one, so that will be ordered. Usually the contractor hates to wait for things like that but in this case since he's going on to do my dining room too, it's no big thing.

Shirley

Siding Repair

Tweet

Remember my siding disaster?

The garbage truck had pulled a telephone wire down and the wire that came to my house was under the siding, so it ripped the siding off.

YIKES!

Well, the company I got the estimate from came and repaired it yesterday. Looks good. Of course the new is slightly cleaner but it'll blend in real soon!

The problem is that the Allied Waste Management Company is refusing to pay!!!!!!! So I will have to fight that. What a PAIN!

Life in the country.

Shirley

Vintage Doll Baby

Tweet

I'm joining "Coloradolady" this week for "Vintage Thingies Thursday". Please visit her blog to see all the other participants too. http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/

Doll Baby needs a new home!!

It's terrible, I know, but I honestly don't remember if this was my doll or I bought it at a sale to have in my antique shop!!! Remember, I was the tom boy who loved horses not dolls! They still kind of freak me out!

This baby doll is dressed all in old real baby clothes so I'm thinkin' it was bought for my shop.

Her hair is kind of a mess and she has no makers name on the back of her neck. (I checked!) She's dressed all the way down to her underwear and booties.

She has a long little slip on.

And a real baby's vintage dress.

Here's a good look at her bonnet and sweater.

Yes, Baby Doll needs a new home.

Maybe I'll put her on eBay!

Oh dear, I think she gave me a look!!!!!!!!!

Shirley

Clinton's Blue Shirt!

Tweet

I'm joining in on Blue Monday and Mosaic Monday this week.

See all the blues at: http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

And all the mosaics at: http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

Only some horse people will know who this is. He's a well know clinician in natural horsemanship. He's one of my favorites. His TV program on RFD TV and his tapes and books have helped me train Echo. In 2008, my daughter and I went to "Equine Affaire" in Columbus, OH. He was there giving demonstrations everyday. It was great to see him in person.

He's pretty cute too and has an Australian accent!!

Shirley

Thank you!

Tweet

I have reached a goal and I didn't even notice till tonight!

I have 100 followers : ))

Here is a Spring bouquet for you all!

Thank you.

Shirley

Kitchen Update, Appliances!

Tweet

Appliances were delivered this morning. Here comes my stove! That's one of the tin ceiling tiles in the foreground.

My microwave and stove. Aren't they sparkly!!! You can also see my farm sink there and the bead board backsplash. Love it! What shall I put back in that corner!!

Refrigerator is not ready for prime time yet. Doors will stay off till they connect it and move it back into position.

My dishwasher will stay wrapped till they get all the plumbing and electric hooked up behind there. It's stainless too.

This is the pattern on my tin ceiling tiles. They are 24 inches square. I think they are going up on Monday. Ray has to figure out some problems. You know, old house, nothing's square!

The wainscoting is up around the kitchen with it's little ledge. Of course, nothing has been painted yet. My walls above the white bead board, will be a sage green.

The stone guys were here Wednesday making the template for my countertops. I'm hoping for soapstone but it's very hard to find in this area and has to be shipped in which may make the price just too high. If I can't have soapstone : (( I will have black granite.

This is the HUGE drawer under the window seat.

Maybe I'll make a soft cushion out of an old quilt for the seat.

I'm going to LOVE this window seat! Squeaker, my cat, has already spotted it.

That's it for now. Next showing will be after the floor and ceiling are in!! : ))

Shirley

My Funky Little Dishcloth!

Tweet

What has possessed me to try to learn to crochet?? Well, I do know, it's Suzanne's blog: http://suzannemcminn.com/ It's called "Chicken's In The Road" and I read it everyday! She's like a very educated, wonderful writer, pioneer woman! Anyway, she's very, very INSPIRING. I'm going to bake real bread (with yeast and everything), make candles, make soap, learn to can, build a chicken coop and have chickens, make custard pie with all the eggs I'll have, raise goats, make cheese, raise sheep, learn to spin and oh yes, learn to crochet! (I already know how to knit.)

Well, I am starting with the learn to crochet part! It's not going as well as I thought. Everyone says it's easier to crochet than knit but I'm not finding this to be true! I don't understand the instructions even having gotten a "how to crochet" book for beginners. (with pictures) I finally went on YouTube and that helped a little. I'm a visual person! My first project is this little 9 inch square (supposedly) dishcloth with cotton yarn. Now, I cast on 40 stitches but after that first row I had no idea how many I had! (With knitting it's much easier to count. They are staring at you right on the needle!)

As you can see here, my little dishcloth looks like it got pregnant about a third of the way up the left side. Or maybe it's a goiter!!! I was up to at least 50 stitches, or whatever you call them. I fooled around till they started to decrease and go back to the normal size.

There's other funky stitches in there too. However, I hate to rip-out so there they are. After all it's for myself and it's a DISHRAG!!!!

I think this is the wrong side, if there is such a thing, but I learned to do this little ruffle on YouTube and it made it look a little better. (Why doesn't that row on the right match the others???)

Ruffles hide a lot I guess! I'm glad I learned that stitch!

Shirley

Summertime Limoges

Tweet

My mosaic this week is looking back on this summer when I did a tablescape with my antique Limoges china. Thanks to Mary at "Little Red House", we get to play with our photos and be artistic!! : )) Visit all the participant's of Mosaic Monday. There's a list on Mary's blog.

http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

This china was my great grandmother's. The sad thing about it is that I have no children that appreciate or want it passed down to them. I'm hoping as they get older they will start to appreciate things like this more!!

Shirley

Photography

Tweet

Photographer, Michele Zezulak

Attention Ohio Equine and Pet Owners

My daughter Michele is a professional photographer. She has been building her business for almost 3 years now. She never stops amazing me with her photographs. She works with all venues but her favorite is equine and pet photography. Her clients vary from young to old and come from all over the NE Ohio area.

Visit her website at:

http://www.mzezulakphotography.com/

or

http://www.mzphotography.net

Shirley

Cabinets! Take a Peek

Tweet

Cabinets Are Here!

Today was the most exciting day yet! The walls got primed. They are satin smooth. The ONLY smooth walls in my whole house!! AND my cabinets were delivered!!!

I was at the barn when the cabinets came or I'd have pictures of them unloading! It's probably a good thing I wasn't here because the sink base is so big they had to go way around to the front door, (deep snow they had to shovel first!). That's the back of it below covered in plastic.

This is part of the base of the island. Love the color! Drawers are all soft close and will have satin nickel knobs and pulls. All maple, inside and out.

Ray hung one cabinet for me before the end of day eight. He said they will all be hung by the end of Monday. The other cabinets you see are uppers. (They are sitting upside down.)

It's coming right along. This has been much easier than I thought it would be. I'm never going to want to leave my kitchen!!

Shirley

Day 6 of Kitchen Renovation

Tweet

I'm pretty amazed at all that's been done in 6 days!! Today all the drywall is up and they taped

and finished putting that "mud" on the seams. They are about half done with putting the plywood on the ceiling that is necessary to put the tin ceiling in.

They moved the wiring for the center of my island. Now I have just one lone bulb hanging in the kitchen!

This is the door toward the dining room. That's a very small door but I was wondering why it was looking so much smaller. Then I realized that it's because it doesn't have it's wide woodwork up around it yet!!

Here is the coffee area for me and the workers. Have to have that!!

And this is where I can eat and where My microwave is. I have breakfast here but usually eat dinner in by the TV for now. The most exciting news today is that I'm almost for sure going to be able to get soapstone countertops!!! YIPEE!!!!!!!!!!!

My cabinets are being delivered on Friday . . . did I already tell you that! : ))

Shirley