Thursday, March 28, 2013

Quick Daffodil Watch update, 2013

I love how obnoxious this is.  It pleases me to no end!  Heh, heh, heh

ANYWAY-

there was significant melting yesterday- can you tell??




No?  Aw, shoot, me either, but I am pretty sure there is snow compaction and melting.....  so stay tuned!

Oh btw, there is another daffodil watch going on too-







Another inside daff is about to pop out - YAY!!!!  SO SO much JOY!!

Final empty room update! WOO HOO!!!

I am thrilled to report my room is as done as Joe is going to be contributing.  I need to finish my arch- a little more fill, sanding and then painting.  I need to do that today, as I want SOMETHING totally done!!  And the elusive Mike is coming later to help me move furniture in!! (Mad-Art teacher jumps up and down with glee!!)  I have, for your information, partaken of my morning coffee in the livingroom, parked on the floor on my new area rug!  I am absolutely like that!!  

This is what I came home to from my shopping trip yesterday:

Lovely glow
 I totally realize this picture is darkish and crooked, but I don't care.  I walked through the kitchen to get a first look at this!!  I practically purred.

Front room angle

Kitchen angle, right

Kitchen angle, left

Hallway angle, crooked

window angle


Window angle, right


Window angle, left

If I would have been able to get a slightly darker poly/stain combo, I would have

HAPPY ART TEACHER ANGLE!!!!
Later today or tomorrow I will be posting a synopsis, time line kind of thing, using one of my angles.  Looking forward to that, I think that is going to take some time, though!!  :)  All my posts do, but this one might take some extra.

But that will give me a lot of joy!!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

WAIT A SECOND!!!

Daffodil watch 2013- HECK NO-  I should be doing a BABY WATCH!!!

But Sarah Grace might find that creepy if I took random pictures of her and posted them......  Like I could take random pictures of her..........

The mind works in odd ways sometimes, I know.  Time for shopping!  :)

My living room will be done when I get back!  WOO HOO!!

Oh and Daffodil watch will go on, but know that Baby watch will always be in the background, waiting to make its announcement!!!!

You knew all this stuff would filter down, once my brain was cleared of unnecessary clutter like remodeling and grades and the Wizard of Oz.  And I will be doing a bit of a post on the Wizard soon.  I really want to see that Wizard of Oz movie, too......

I wonder what Adam is doing????  hmmmmm

Until later, find your joy!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

I'm totally in love........

With this floor!!  I actually teared up a little when I saw it. The color and the character is just fantastic!!



Joe did SUCH a great job finishing it off.  He sanded it quite a bit apparently- lots of places where there was paint splotches along the edges, and a few marks where someone dragged something very heavy- we think probably the wood stove at one point.  And we all know there was a wood stove, as  A. a little old lady who used to live here stopped by a few years ago and she told me so!  And 2. there are cool spark/burn marks that just add to the history of the place.  So these pix were taken between the second and third coat of poly, which btw, does not really smell at all!  Pleasant surprise!!!
Front room view


Kitchen angle and a peek of the Builder!


window angle


Hallway angle






Hallway angle, left

Hallway angle, right


Footsie angle- there are the burn marks, too.
Tomorrow it will actually be finished- the trim boards go up!  I will be shopping for a few things I need in Eau Claire.  I of COURSE know I could probably find these things closer than that, but hey, I'm on spring break.  It is the closest thing to a vaca as I am going to get! :) 

Now the question is, what sort of shape is the kitchen floor going to be in?? We won't investigate that for a few weeks yet, but I have been wavering between the wood and tile.  It seems a shame to cover the the gorgeous wood that has been waiting to make it's appearance.  I do like it so very much.....  And with the new sealing materials, apparently the wood is quite safe from water damage.....  so I guess we will see what lurks below!  I am again leaning towards the wood.  It would be a nice warm color and it is such a legitimate material- local tongue and groove maple!!  

Such a joy!!

Living room- BIG ole update and a "brief" story of color gone wrong

So when we last had a livingroom update, the Mad-Art Teacher was rethinking her whole "I can do it all, AND go ahead and conquer the world" attitude.  Of course I still think I can conquer the world, but I just need to not try to do it all in one week.



Last Thursday I was laid low, REALLY low, by a nasty virus- which showed me that first of all, I am dispensable, as the children got along just fine without me for that big practice/performance for the play.  gulp.  Crow eaten, message understood.  AND I need to make sure I am much more diligent about how I conduct myself when there is said nasty viruses spotted at the elementary school.  As in, less touchy the children art teacher and more douse myself in hand sanitizer and good old soapandwater art teacher!!  Anyway, when we last saw the livingroom, it was about to be mudded, taped, and primed, which you will find below here!  It was an amazing thing to come home and see this, it really made things look great!  Since then, the primer applied and then the weekend marathon of painting began!

I literally was either at the play or buying/prepping/painting/repainting the living room (or sleeping/eating) from Friday night until Monday morning.  You think I jest????  Friday during the day I ordered the paint from Park Falls Builders (I will get to that story in a moment), then the play on Friday night.  Saturday found me retrieving the paint, grocery shopping, spraying the furnace dealie right before having lunch, then rollering on the paint until I had to LEAVE for the play.  At the play until 10:30.  Get up Sunday morning, detest with my soul the darker of the colors (explanation to follow!), prep area for painting, paint light color, run to town for more makeup, prep area for painting, paint, eat quickly and go to play from noon until 6:30, come home and paint last of wall.  The Mad-Accountant managed to be home for the last bit of rollering, which was nice, as I was able to do a little cleanup- very little, but still.  Monday morning I got up to begin staining the wood trim at 7 to get done by 8, which is when the Builder came and I rushed off to a dental appointment and then to school to finish my grades!  WHEW!!!

So the tale of the color- briefly- is this: The MA and I were perusing paint chips and I was definitely leaning towards a honey goldish color.  I wanted two tones and we decided to make the ceiling the light color and I decided that one wall should accompany it.  Then that of course leaves the other 3 with the darker color.  I, of course, understand the uneven nature of composition, and my dear, symmetrical, analytical hubs does not.  He kept wanting the walls to be divided into 2 dark and 2 light........ oh honey, no.  Just no.  So he asked me about 85 times where the 2 light wall were going to be- jeez.  Now go make some poor tax payer cry, will you?? Anyway, we decided to go really dark and we chose the lightest and the darkest of the grouped paint chips.  Now sometimes, I admittedly am dense.  The name of the darkest color was "Golden Image".  Had I not the ability to totally block out my home life during school and my school life whilst at home, I would have realized that "Golden Image" is YELLOW BRICK ROAD YELLOW- THE DARKER ONE!!! Good GRIEF!!!  Which in and of itself is  not bad, BUT I KNEW that Golden Image is a nasty ass color to work with.  Transparent and streaky and obnoxious.  And godknows how dark it is. Anyway, I painted the lighter color on, and didn't really like it too much, but that is typical of me.  I always tell the kids at school- Don't make judgements about value until you get all the white of the canvas or paper covered and then adjust your tones.  And this is what I had in mind!!  So I start painting this Golden Image stuff and it SOON becomes apparent that I have worked with this beast before. It looks like hell when it goes on.  But I kept saying to myself, get rid of the white, get rid of the white....... don't make judgements!!!  Oy.  I finished it and may I just say it was JARRING.  It made me groan with displeasure.
But NEVER FEAR!  Armed with my art teacher knowledge and having my friend Cat as my muse, I went ahead the next day (when I still detested the color, even more so in the morning light) and mixed my own damn color!  I softened the color down to what I now call (I mean just this second named) Sunshine Honey and proceeded to erase most signs of the errant Golden Image.  whew.  I LOVE it.  It is now so warm and lovely and I can't wait to see the floor all finished later today!!  Ok, so maybe that was not a brief story, but you should know I underestimate my stories!

Anyway, when I got home from my day at the dentist, school, lunch (the electrician was at our house doing his electrical magic) and llllaaaaaa (that would be angels singing)- the GYM -  I arrived home to beauty!!!  Ceiling fan up, golden toned paint glowing, and a light in the middle of my livingroom.  I walked in and the words- it's so pretty- fell from my mouth and I promptly sent pictures to many many MANY of my friends and relatives!!

I'm in love!  And I have to shop!!  For a few things, most notably a floor lamp.  That would be tomorrow's adventure!

Pictures please!

Tape and Mud:
Tape and mud- frontroom angle
Kitchen angle


hallway angle


window angle

ceiling
 Primer:

front room angle

kitchen angle


Hallway angle


Hallway angle

window angle


preparing to paint furnace thingies

cutting in corners, etc.

the beginning

***NOTE***

This is a group of pix that probably should never be seen, and yet here they are!  I am sure my hotness factor has quadrupled in everyone's eyes after seeing the fashion forward painting ensemble I have donned- but that can't be helped.  Everyone try not to drive here all at once to behold it in person, I think I am going to throw it away. And then there is that unfortunate color thing going on there...... 

Yellow brick road yellow- ugh

Tell me you don't see the similarity!!


The look of "this color will be gone by the time the play comes if it kills me" desperation



Before tape is removed- front room


kitchen angle



Note who is not listening to instructions and removing tape before photo journaling is complete!
Morning pic of paint job!  Staining about to commence

Staining action to begin

This is where  you should insert angels singing and so MUCH joy~

Ceiling fan and electricity!! Front room angle

Kitchen angle

Kitchen right
Kitchen left

Hallway right



Hallway left

Window view of arch 


Today is the day the floors get sanded and refinished and I am going to make myself scarce!  I have a date with the gym and then a nice pedi planned and then a run up to Glidden to visit my dear friend and muse, Cat.  I am so anxious to see what it looks like when the floor is finished!!!  I am so excited!  Then the trim will be done and I want to touch up my arch plaster, and Thursday is move back in day!!!!  And I get to collapse on my couch finally and do a little relaxing and find more than a little joy!!