Another Thrift Store Find: Barstools

These are for the kitchen. When I found them, the bottoms were painted white with LOTS of smudges and marks on them, but the seats were immaculate. The price: $14.95 each. Once I got them home, I sanded them down, then sanded again, and painted the bottoms black. Now all I have to do is find an island these will fit under.

Kitchen Rennovation: The New Backsplash

Remember the ugly backsplash I told you about in an earlier post? This green, tile-look, panel that you see here? Well, it's gone. I'm still working on the new look, but I'll show what I have done so far.

Here's the before picture.....

Now for the 'in progress picture'

I got the idea from Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality. When she decided to install picture frame moulding. Here's my start. I removed the green tile thingy and scrubbed the wall to get all the panel adhesive off. I used the best quality 1x4's from the wood working supply at Lowe's. The inner trip is a combination of stop moulding topped with small gauge picture frame moulding. As you can see, I have one wall done, and am starting on the other wall. The ideal way to do this is to do the entire thing, then paint it, but I'm doing it in stages. If you do this, be sure to chaulk well where the 1x4 meets the countertop. As you can see in the picture, one set of cabinets has been painted. I'll show you how I did them in a later post. Once I'm done, I have to install a window sill. Now back to the picture frame moulding.

You can see the tape where I was painting. It will get another round of chaulk when I'm done to fill in the gaps you see there by the tape. That unpainted board will get wedged in. I was sure to leave room to get it in.

I painted the light switch and the outlet to match. Be sure to clean them well then prime. I used rubbing alcohol to clean them. The primer I used was Krylon's metal and plastic primer. These need one more coat of paint then they will be screwed back into place. And don't those cabinets look better? I still have another set to do. I'm procrastinating because I didn't enjoy doing this set.

Here's a good shot of the moulding. And, yes, that's Christmas tree. I love it too much to put it away with the other Christmas decorations, so I left it out. It won't stay in the kitchen. I just love the pewter candlestick too. There's actually two. The other one is just outside the picture. My sweetheart got them on Ebay last year at a great price.

There is one more detail to the backsplash that I didn't mention. When it's done, my husband, a hobby painter, is going to paint a Pennsylvania countryside mural inside the panel that goes over the stove. Here are the one I like. These are from Cohasset Colonials. They won't be exact, but similar, and no frame, of course.

I love these sheep. I think I'm going to order these 2 prints for my dining room. The black frames will look great in there.

My Kitchen Rennovation

When I first started my rennovation, I spent countless hours online looking at kitchens. I love Colonial Homes, particularly those built in Pennsylvania in the 1700's. I also like Shaker furniture. I want my kitchen to look like it could fit into an old house. Here are some of the pictures I found that I like.

This first pic is definitley Shaker influenced. Love it. When I get to the bathroom rennovation, I'll go with a Shaker style like this.

I really like this white kitchen!

What I planned and what I'm ending up with are totally different looks. Here are the before pictures. I had just started on the upper cabinets when I remembered to take before pix. I will keep the cabinets. They're ugly, but there's potential. See that green tile-look backsplash? It's not tile, it's a paneling-like thingy that has to go!

As you can see in this picture I've started painting the cabinets over the stove. I went with a creamy while, called white chocolate, in a satin finish. I plan to use some black furniture pieces and will need the white cabinets to keep the room light. Flooring will be hardwood, actually Pergo. We have it in the dining room and love it.

Notice the cabinet doors. Mine are plain, but I want the paneled look like those in the Kitchen Gallery Pic above. That's easily done. I'll show you how I did it in a later post. So, check back often.

POTTER BY DAY, HOOKER BY NIGHT

I LOVE REDWARE! I love colonial history, homes, and decor! These are two pieces I got for Christmas from my husband. They are from The House of Cazan Pottery by Ginger Cazan in Ohio. She also makes hand-hooked rugs in the traditional colonial style. Her business card reads, "Potter By Day; Hooker By Night". LOL. I also have a plate made by a gentleman in Lancaster, PA. I'll take a pic and post it tomorrow. These will be on display in my kitchen when it's finished.

My $50 Thrift Store Buffet

Yes, I paid $49 for this entire buffet. I have a blank wall in my kitchen and needed something to go there. I was resigned to having to pay around $1000 for something that would fit there, but I walked into the thrift store and found the ugliest buffet I had ever seen, but it had potential. Ugly brown with veneer in some places, but it was well constructed and had some nice crown moulding on it. It's also lighted. It's missing a pane of glass in the door and a couple of the glass shelves were broken, but those can be replaced very inexpensively. I didn't even have to replace the hardware! I just removed the pulls, soaked them in a solution of hot soapy vinegar water, then cleaned then with a toothbrush, and rinsed. I sanded the entire piece and took down a lot of rough edges. The paint is a latex satin called coalmine. It's a shade off black.

As you can see, it still has my painting supplies inside. I have one more door to paint. My husband says I should leave the wooden interior, but I think it needs to be painted, especially since it's a veneer. I'm not sure. See that ugly veneer? That's what the whole thing looked like originally!

As I was in the store looking at this horrible ugly piece, I was unsure if I wanted to spend ANY money on it. It was hideous! So, I sat down on an old ugly sofa and prayed for direction. A few minutes later, this nice lady stopped by and admired the piece. She has a booth at the Chelsea Antique Mall. I told her I was thinking about purchasing it and she said that if I didn't, she would and she would do exactly what I was planning to do to it, which was paint it black. I bought it and I LOVE IT !!!!!

I'll post the finished pic as soon as it's done.

Kitchens

I'm rennovating my ugly kitchen on small budget. Stay tuned to see the update pictures.

This picture is from the January 2008 edition of Better Homes and Gardens. After MUCH thought and planning, this is what my kitchen is starting to look like, but with different knobs on the cabinets. I used small colonial knobs with a pewter-like finish. The island isn't finished and hardwood flooring will go in last.

I love looking at pictures of pretty kitchens. Here are some of my favorites.

Period Kitchens

Finally seeing some snow in Alabama

Keeping A Running Shopping List

This seems like a no-brainer, but I didn't start doing this until a few years ago. I live 19 miles from the nearest grocery store and was always running out to pick up items we ran out of, usually at the busiest time of the day. I don't even want to think about how much time and gasoline I wasted! Here's the solution:

Keep a shopping list on the fridge or somewhere in the kitchen. When you use the last of something or notice you are running low on something you use regularly, write it on the list and have other members of your household do the same. This works for more than just groceries. I write down things like shampoo, laundry detergent, gas for the lawn mower, you name it. Just remember to take your list with you when you go shopping!

Getting Organized in the Kitchen: Menu Planning

I used to do my grocery shopping on the fly, usually not knowing what was for dinner when I walked in the door of the grocery store at 5:00 p.m. I've been menu planning for a couple of years now, I swear by it. It's an excellent way to stay organized, save time and money, and keep connected to family. I swear by it. It's just another part of getting organized I learned from Flylady. Here's how it works:

Choose one day each week to do your grocery shopping and run most or all of your errands. Thursday is my marketing day and I'm in town that day anyway. I do my grocery shopping that day as well as most of my errands. I live 19 miles from my primary grocery store and 12 miles from the smaller one, so getting everything we need in one trip saves a lot of time and gasoline.

The day before you shop: spend 15 minutes cleaning out your fridge, freezer, and pantry. Don't go crazy and start deep cleaning - just toss the gross stuff from the fridge, wipe it down with a damp cloth, and make some room for your groceries. Same thing in the pantry. This isn't a deep cleaning, just take inventory of what you have make some room for groceries. This will also let you know what's in the pantry so you don't end up with 4 jars of opened peanut butter.

Now, sit down for a few minutes and look at your calendar for the next week. Plan your meals for the week. Use up some of what you already have on hand. You'll have more room in the pantry and you'll save a few dollars at the grocery store. Do you have some busy evenings? This is a great time to use the crockpot. Grab your shopping list from the fridge and write down what you'll need for your meals. Never....Never......Never......go grocery shopping without having your meals planned for the week and your list in hand.

Post the week's menus near your calendar. When you look at the calendar, take a look at your menus. What's for breakfast tomorrow? Dinner tomorrow evening? Do you need to thaw something or put some dry beans on to soak?

When I plan my meals, I don't always have an exact meal for each night. I just make 7 meal plans. I plan a couple of nice meals that I can use on days when I have more time and I plan a few simple meals. This way I can pick something easy on a night when I'm exhausted and really don't feel like cooking. To further your grocery savings, plan your meals around your store's sales.

The Weekly Planner

We all have stuff we do on a regular basis. Here's how I organize my week:
Get a piece of paper and write down all the stuff you do during the week. Things like clean your house, vacuum the car, buy groceries, etc. Now write the days of the week on your paper and fill in under each day the things you need to do on those days. Here's my weekly planner. Your schedule won't be like mine. Change it to make it work for you.

Monday:
clean house: dust, vacuum, sweep & mop, empty trash, catch up laundry

Tuesday:
zone cleaning (this is a flylady thing that I changed to work for me)

Wednesday:
clean out fridge and pantry - look at calendar & plan coming week - make menus for the coming week - make list of shopping and errands - check in with family members to see if they need anything from the store - what are we doing this weekend? make plans for it

Thursday:
shopping and errands: vacuum car and gas up - check fluids and air in tires - errands on list - groceries

Friday:
Pizza night with board game or movie - tidy the house for the weekend

Saturday:
Family Day

Sunday:
Rest, relax, worship

Setting Up a Daily Routine

Get a sheet of paper and do this. When you're done post it on your refrigerator and follow it daily until it becomes a habit. You can even write it again on the first page of your notebook.What are the things you need to do each morning and what time do you need to do them or have them done? Write them down. Here's mine:

Morning:
5:30 - start coffee make bed & tidybedroom while it brews - have coffee, bible study, prayer
6:15 - check calendar - empty dishwasher - start breakfast
6:45 - breakfast with the family - take vitamins - plan your day and make to-do list for the day
7:15 - plan dinner: thaw something - clean breakfast dishes - start laundry - vacuum house - clear flat surfaces - 5 minute room rescue - daily to-do list
8:30 - shower and dress
9:00 - start work day (I sleep in on the weekends, unless I'm shooting a wedding, so on the weekend I'll start this routine when I get up - whenever that is)

Afternoon:
3:15 - clear desk - go get kids
3:30 - afternoon snack for kids and me - chill out with them while they unwind then check in with them about homework and upcoming events at school/church - put events on calendar and/or items needed on shopping list
4:00 - run
5:00 - start dinner - kids set table then feed and water pets6:00 - dinner (sit at the table with no disctractions!)
After dinner: clean kitchen - everyone helps - turn on music to get started

Evening: (start after kitchen is clean - 20 minutes)
check calendar for tomorrow
gather any items needed for tomorrow and put in my big bag by the door
Clear flat surfaces & pick up throughout the house - 5 minutes
Shower or wash face - pajamas - brush teeth and hair - moisturize
lay out clothes for tomorrow (iron if needed)
start dishwasher and shine sink
relax until bedtime - get in bed at a decent hour

Getting Organized

Getting organized is one of the best things I ever did. Over the years, I've read tons of books and websites searching for ways to get organized, run my home smoothly, and manage my workday as a photographer & writer. I'm not an ultra-organized person, but I have found some techniques that work and I share them here.

Keeping a To-Do List and Using a Calendar

Setting Up a Daily Routine

The Weekly Planner

Menu Planning

Keeping a Running Shopping List

Getting Organized: To Do List & Calendar

The To Do List / The Notebook
Get a notebook, any notebook, and use it to make your daily to-do lists. I use a 5x7 spiral notebook or a steno pad, but any notebook will do. Use one page for each day of the week, starting with today. Think about the things you need to get done today and write them down on today's page. Get in the habit of using this notebook each morning to plan your day. Keep it with you throughout the day to refer to and write things down as they come up.

The Calendar
bought a big office desktop calendar and mounted it on the side of the refrigerator. You can use any calendar that works for you and your family. On the kitchen counter beside the fridge went a cup of mechanical pencils (no sharpening required). Every time I make an appointment, have an activity planned, or need to remember something, it goes on the calendar immediately. School, church, and extra-cirricular activities are written down as soon as I find out about them. My kids do the same. My oldest is in high school, so I don't always know when something is going on with his busy schedule until he writes it on the calendar.Now, here's a very important step. The calendar won't help you if you miss this step. You must develop a habit of checking the calendar for the next day's appointments. Put your calendar in a place where you and your family will see it and establish a time every day to check it. If you have to, write yourself a note until checking the calendar becomes a daily habit. I check mine in the evening when I'm cleaning up after dinner and in the morning before I start breakfast. Viola...no more missed appointments!

Pennsylvania

I love Pennsylvania! You can see the places I visit and the things I do while I'm there.

New Year's Eve In Pennsylvania

....

A New Addition To Our Family

We had a wonderful German Shepherd for over 8 years who we lost to caner in June of last year. We recently started looking for another one and were blessed to find this sweet girl. This is Else (pronounced Elsa). She will serve as family pet, protector/security system, and will rid the yard of stray cats.

New Year's Eve in Pennsylvania

logging near Teepleville / New Richmond, PA

Most of these pictures were taken from the car window. The man who was driving doesn't understand that photographs should be composed, not taken while flying by at 45 mph on ice covered roads :)

This is the old school house in Blooming Valley

We had a wonderful visit to Pennsylvania over Christmas and New Year's. It was 60 degrees on the day we arrived, which is normal in Alabama for December, but not for PA. I was so glad to finally get some snow! It came on the last day of our visit, but at least we got to see it. We cut our trip short by one day because I had to be back to shoot a wedding. Can't wait for my next trip to PA !

Seven inches of snow in Northeastern PA !

And another storm on the horizon. I'm sure most folks in NEPA are not loving the snow, but for an Alabama girl heading north for Christmas, I LOVE IT! I just hope the roads are cleared by the time we get there.

Here's the story from the Times Tribune in Scranton

loose weight, get in shape, have more energy!

I've found the magic pill: RUNNING

I first started running about 10 years ago. Back then, I only ran one or two miles a day. I loved the energy it gave me. I had a job that kept me active all day, so I didn't need to run a lot to keep my weight in check. Fast forward to the age of digital photography and Photoshop. That translates to a lot of time spent on the computer and sitting at a desk most of the day. I quit running for a while and began seeing a change in my weight. It was NOT a good change. When I started running again, I could barely run 1/4 of a mile. I would walk a quarter of a mile, then do a slow jog for a quarter, sometimes less. I did two miles that way every day for a week. Then I started to increase the distance I ran between walks. It was a very small increase, but it was an increase. Eventually I made it back up to running two miles a day. My weight wasn't changing, so I decided to work up to five miles every other day (you need a rest day in between runs to recover when you start running longer distances). That's where I am now. It's tough sometimes, but running is psychological. I love the run and the high I get from it. I like to run in the mornings, then I can go the rest of the day knowing that I'm sitting on five miles for the day.

The most impportant part of my prerun plan: Eat Breakfast! Not a big breakfast that you'll loose after two miles, but a good small breakfast to fuel your run.

Pennsylvania ~ This is where I relax

This meadow is my favorite place to be in the evenings when I'm at the cabin.

Portrait Sessions Booking Quickly For November

Portrait sessions are booking very quickly for the month of November, but I still have a few dates available. If you need a November session, now is the time to call !