Ta da...diningroom after many hours, many cans of paint....

I won't even bother to put in details about each picture until tomorrow as it takes long enough to just upload the photos....if you want to see what my diningroom looked like before, check here.

I love this vase...purchased at a yard sale!

This dining set was mahogany...i cringe even saying that...but it was in bad shape and I do love the white!

my $20 vintage china cabinet...see the before here.


my beautiful, most favourite abstract painting by David Hayward .

my $1 fabric...it did all eight chairs.

This was the table I set for special company I was having!






Just threw these in. This dresser is in m kitchen. I have had it since I was a kid!

Another memo to me...

finished painting the dining table today
finished painting the first four chairs
framed the most beautiful abstract painting by the talented David Hayward.
got a second coat of paint on two of the next four chairs...ran out of paint...for umpteenth time!
found a temporary fabric for my dining chairs today...for a dollar!!! Yep a dollar!!!
found a tres cool funky fabric I love, but can't afford yet!
finished covering the seats...and it is now after 1am and I hate my electric stapler...junk!
painted the front steps
painted the mudroom steps
plus general housework, homeschooling, kids & meals...not bad for one day!

Memo to self

Since we went camping the second week of August, we have all been sick. Four out of six came down with pneumonia and ella my youngest is now miserable with a bad cold, fever, chest infection.

However, within all that I still managed to get a lot done on my todo list. I should also add, my husband has done his fair share too!

Stacked six cords of wood
split cedar for kindling (on going)
painted front door
painted mudroom door
painted trim
painted garage door
painted china cabinet (on going)
painted dining table & eight chairs (on going)
harvested my little garlic patch...big disappointment
cleaned and decluttered house
cleaned and decluttered garage
weeded garden
started decorating for fall
started homeschooling three kids grades 5, 8, 10


Still to do....

Paint steps into house
remove shingles by garage
paint trim above garage & fix rain gutter
take more stuff to value village
fix lights along flower beds going to my mums
finish kids homeschooling schedule

to be continued!

Recycling Woes

http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/

I have been a faithful recycler for much of my adult life. If I can reuse something I will, I feel good when things find a new and useful purpose. Ten years ago, when our town finally got three very limited recycling bins, I used them...it would be another five years before there was a recycling plan for this area that still falls behind other communities. Our community is not lucky enough to have curbside pick up for recyclables, only compostable waste. Those that do have curbside pick up have no idea how lucky you are!


There is a lot of extra work that comes with recycling. Washing the containers, storing the mountain of plastic, paper, metal and bottles, then transporting them to the local recycling bins.

Then separating it all to the proper containers equals a lot of time and energy!
However, I couldn't imagine not doing it! No more than I could imagine not composting.

My dilemma is the storing of recyclables. I am tired of storing the whole mess, then separating the stuff...hauling it to the van to then sort into the appropriate containers...which are lined up to add on extra time and distance for each container, plus the opening are so small...grrr! I wish there was an easier way. I do have it as streamlined as I can for the space I give it... I just wish I could figure out a neat, easy system for dealing with the clutter.

For a family of six, under the counter bins aren't practical...we use a closet for our recyclables which we try to empty once a week...though that can certainly stretch out. When you see the mountain of stuff that is recyclable and or compostable it really makes you realize how wasteful our society has become. I love the idea of the containers above...I might even be able to find a cheap alternative that will work just as well...

So, though I grumble I couldn't imagine just tossing it all away...I do care about what the future holds for my children when it comes to the environment...we aren't doing much compared to others more dedicated, but we are doing our small part...so anyone with good organizing ideas on how to handle the storage issues...I'd love to hear about them.

Painting Furniture

I've been going a bit nuts around here since the first whiff of fall hit the air....the fear of missing out on painting outside to avoid fumes has spurred me on. I am almost finished the china cabinet which in turn has pushed me to start painting my diningroom set. After that, I hope to paint my kitchen table and chairs. I have always wanted to paint each chair a different colour and I plan to do it before fall gets any colder!

Here are some photos of some beautiful painted furniture.

This is what I am doing for my diningroom...painting it all white!

I have this colour for my kitchen set..I just am not sure if I still want to do a yellow table.

I plan on painting a beautiful cupboard my brother in-law made me this colour....apple green!

This is my inspiration photo for my kitchen table and chairs!

Ella's 1st Day...

Ella started pre-school today...she has been telling me for a long time now that she didn't want to go...then when we went to the open house on Saturday she decided she liked it afterall. So, hoping I was in the clear we prepared to attend our first day! Since she is going to the afternoon classes, she had to much time to think and changed her mind and informed me that she hated it and didn't want to go!

We went anyways...and yes, I was the last mother to leave but I was out of there within 15 minutes. Some kids screamed and cried which kinda freaked ella out. But, my luck changed when a little girl ella invited over to play was named Heidi! Naturally, I played that one up since my best friend is named Heidi and ella loves Heidi! So when I asked Heidi if she would play with ella, suddenly I was allowed to leave to wait outside in the van! Yes, I told her I would sit outside in the van and relax, drink coffee, read magazines and nap while she played inside! Whatever works! (no, i didn't wait outside!)

When I came to pick her up...I arrived 45 minutes early since I never read the parent handbook and had to wait in the van afterall! It turns out, she really enjoyed herself...we both survived being apart and I am really proud of her!

Ella with her princess lunch box

at the sand table

playing dollhouse

dress up corner in the back



ella's birthday


painting

heading into school

1970's Vintage China Cabinet

I would never have imagined that I would be loving many of the same things I talked my mother into getting rid of! Recently I found this china cupboard on isj and remembered how we had one similar to it...not super great quality but a staple of most households in the 70's!

The lady was selling it for $20, mainly because no one bit at her original price of $40, then it dropped to $30 and when it hit $20, I snapped it up. My husband primed it for me as I was sick with pneumonia. Then I finished it off with a Martha Stewart paint in a beautiful scandanavian blue...I love it!

One of the challenges is the frosted glass doors. I don't care for the pattern and it seems to "granny" like. So, I am playing around with some ideas to replace the glass doors or paint the glass!

I just finished the last coat and I will show the after photos once I bring it inside from the garage!

Preserving Food And Friendship

I would love to learn how to do this locally. I find myself wishing I knew how to can food at this time of the year. I used to make my own herbed vinegars and oils and felt so good using them!