tour part 2

Hello Friends,
Hope you enjoyed the kitchen tour from the previous blog entry....now, on to Part 2! If you click here you will be sent to our second youtube video....
Then, as if you thought it couldn't get any better....well, I have more video on my dining room table place settings....YOU are sooooo fortunate to know ME! (you know I am kidding, right?)
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cathy

Hurrah for youtube!

Dear friends,
I made several videos to share with you so you can "see" some of our latest home diy endeavors. Hopefully you will get the picture....'scuse the pun....!
You can go here to have a look at the first one, which is a tour of our kitchen....but not the finished product as yet, still more diy ahead!
hope you have some fun plans for the weekend, we are helping friends celebrate the nuptuals of their only son to his true love!!! We get to go to the rehearsal dinner and the wedding and dinner reception.....I am excited, should be just beautiful....and I can relax and enjoy, hoo-ray!
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cathy

A July Post!

Hello Friends,

I have seen a lot of design blogs that have been talking about adding color to your interior doors. One in particular, though not a design blog per say, but still I enjoy is NYC taught me. She painted her entry door a nice blue…but I have been drawn to aqua lately. So, I picked up a sample jar of Valspar Simply Aqua and put two coats on our front door!

I know I need a new rug now, but I really do like the look, makes quite a pop!

Here it is from a distance, still saying howdy

this is a lovely geranium in our window box outside the kitchen window…I was seriously thinking of painting the door this color….what do you think????

Can you believe it is July already? Paul and I are still working on painting projects…but we have made good progress and are on target for completion very soon. Paul added bead board to 2 sides of our “L” in the kitchen. We were told by a “pro” that it would not work, but, well…ignorance is bliss and we just plowed on ahead and what do you know….it worked and looks amazing! We have all the supplies ready to put up our new back splash…the tin…wow, that will make a huge impact. Then we will begin painting our 40 year old Ethan Allen club chairs, they are a pine-dark stained, we will paint them black and upholster the cushions in this fabric. They should look like whole new chairs. I bought the fabric from Joann’s to cover the cushion on the ottoman and just fell in love with the pattern.

Hope you have a wonderful 4th of July. Celebrate freedom, remember the heroes who created and sustained our liberty. Pray for our country, her leaders and her people. Recognize we are among the absolute luckiest people on this planet to live where we live and have what we have. Renew your resolve to guard our great gift with all your might.

God bless America

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cathy

June is just beginning

Hello friends,

I am using a new-to-me software from windows and I have no idea how it will work out….but, if I can figure it out, it should make blogging a whole lot more exciting and easier. Nothing ventured….right? and it is free, so what is not to like???

***click on any photo to enlarge***

We brought Zion out to camp with us this first week in June. Above: Z sleeps real cozy in the tent!

Here’s a shot of Zion’s new bike!

Paul loads up the red truck to take the first load back to our storage unit.

Here’s what it looks like from the rear!

Chilin with the psp

loading up the W too

Here’s Paul’s new Cruiser…it’s a beaute

camping with us is a MAJOR production

we do have a lot of fun….

lots and lots of smiles

In June, the garden flowers are breath-taking

The deer eat my roses, but somehow, a few escape

I love hydrangea…

Progress is made in the painting of the kitchen cabinets….they are looking fantastic!

We are getting a new stainless microwave (LG) installed soon

We will also be using this faux tin for backsplash and getting new countertops!

more to follow

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cathy

My 200th Post!

Hello friends,

I was just looking at my stats...not a big deal as I have 9 followers and perhaps on a very good day, 15 hits....this is just fun for me to do...no big deal.....but then I saw "Postings:199" and thought THIS IS A BIG DEAL!!!! Wish I could give a car away or a cruise or a trip to Disney....but maybe when I hit 500????

Summer is here in NC with a vengence....90 degree temps and lots of sun....good beach weather!

We are bicycle shopping....I want a cruiser, maybe 7speed, Paul wants a no speed. Seen alot of nice ones for good prices especially at WMT. With his employee discount, they are even more attractive. I am no Lance Armstrong, but, I think it would be fun to tool around camp and get some exercise.

The photo above is of me and my grandson Woody. He is the best guy ever. I am so fortunate to have him in my life. We attended his orchestra concert last night and it was very very good. He will be a senior next year....where does the time go??? We had so many good times. I could make him happy just watching Thomas the Tank Engine. He has always been a good student and is very smart and talented (I am sure you have folks just like Woody in your life too!). Woody has a tender heart and I hope he keeps being the great young man he already is forever!

Thank you Woody for allowing us to be a part of your life, it means so much.

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cathy

Kitchen make over...or...Eat your heart out HGTV

First set of cabinets to get the "treatment". I emptied the cabinets, then removed the doors and all the hinges and hardware.

The stuff from inside the cabinet resides in the dining room for now.

Paul taped and painted the first coat of primer after we washed down the cabinets and doors really well to get rid of greese and grime. Did a bit of sanding, but not much.

Here's the cabinet after 2 coats of primer and two coats of paint.

Here's all the cabints on the sink side all painted and drying. We are waiting a full 5 days for them to cure and dry out before re-hanging the doors....

Hello friends,

I know I have told you this before, but it bears repeating: I am a gypsy. Never did I think I would live anywhere for 23 years, and yet....lo and behold...this July marks our 23rd year of owning this home on Arrowhead Way! I am more surprised than you are right now! When I look back, I think we have done a bunch of home improvements, but nothing major in quite a long while. Home maintanance was more our theme....but with the advent of my love of the internet and all those wonderful diy blogs of all sorts and google and youtube....well, I think, if I really wanted to...I could find a video and directions on self-open heart surgery!!! All kidding aside, I did find tons of info on painting kitchen cabinets, but I went with my brother, Alan's advice since he is a seasoned professional painter-and have been very happy with the results. Alan's best advice....patience.....boy, do I know what he means now! He also said start small, do it in parts rather than all at once. That has been good advice, but man am I weary of this endeavor! The good news is that it really is looking so very nice and bright and just the way I imagined and will update our kitchen to match the cottage look of the rest of the house and for very little money, but alot of labor....I have the time, it is just the two of us and

we deal pretty well with the chaos........

When we finish painting the upper cabinets, we will begin painting the lower ones in a very soft grey...........should be pretty. I promise to keep you posted. I have tons more photos, but blogger is fussy about too many photos. I am really hoping to get the painting all done very soon...but you cannot rush....patience....right!

We are going to get new countertops and a nice backsplash and then....I think that will be all for a while!

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cathy

Camp tour part one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXdpvbRaEw8
Hello again friends,


Have had fun with the Flip camera. I made a short...6 min. video of our camp, but, it takes Blogger forever to upload, so I am not sure it will work, but I will try. Gives you a real "feel" for camping with us!

Any questions?

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cathy