And she said... Let there be light!

Okay... so you know how some livingrooms are? The kind that have no lights in the ceiling? I'm not sure if they expect everyone who lives there to be blind and therefore not mind the darkness that comes every evening.... or to keep so many lamps plugged in around the room, it takes fully 5 minutes to go around and turn them all on!

Don't get me wrong! I love lamps! There's nothing much better than curling up on the couch with a book, reading in the peace and quiet, with only the soft glow of a lamp! *sigh*

But if I need light... I want LIGHT!!! :o)

Whatever the case... I figured as long as we were redoing the ceiling... Otherwise known as punching holes, cutting and otherwise mangling the previous double-thick drywall substances... We might as well add some light, baby!

I know you can't tell it now... But soon 2 beautiful light fixtures will be mounted in the middle of the room where they will live forever after, shedding their glorious light, and brightening our hearts because we will no longer be stumbling around in the hazy darkness that has graced this particular livingroom for many years!

Stay tuned to see pictures of those lovely finished light fixtures!

The transformation of a fireplace...

Okay... want to see just a bit of progress??

Okay... So I didn't get a good before shot of the fireplace but I did happen to have this, so it'll have to do. You can kind of see it there... I just didn't like it though. It was too dark and didn't really "go" in there. So... here's the transformation of a fireplace! :o)

First, the gold... *sigh* Can't someone help me out here? What on earth is it called?!?! lol! Still can't remember. *sigh*

You know what I mean, anyway! It's black now and it looks so much better! I love how it looks!

Next, the entire brick and mantle were primed. I was intending to paint 2 coats of cream on the brick. However, after getting this far, I think I'm going to leave it.

The mortar all stayed white, but the brick behind shows through just a bit and I LOVE it!!!

And now the mantle is red... I still need one more coat on it, then I'm going to distress it. Should be REALLY neat! I added molding around the top to throw some more detail into the mix. So the distressing will really bring that out! Love it!

Anyway... It's really coming along and looking just how I want things to look! Yay!

It's SO fun seeing one's visions and plans coming into reality!

Whew! It's comin'!

Well.... Yesterday we got the planks for the ceiling and the wood flooring. Now the livingroom is full! :o)

We opted for wood flooring. It just seemed to be the best choice for us. Stay tuned for the escapades of Nicole installing wood flooring for the first time in her life! :o) Wow! I'm doing a lot of things for the first time in here, aren't I?!

Aaaaand... the planks are getting primed and the 1st coat of cream on them. They'll get the final
coat after they're installed. Oh joy!


Anyway... long story short... It's coming along!!!!!!!

I'm in love!!!

Yes... Yes... You heard me! I'm in love! L-O-V-E!

This new paint in the livingroom is beautiful! Absolutely and completely perfect!

I had a hard time getting pictures as we hadn't had a lot of natural light lately... But... It's kind of a light sage green. Very pretty!

We'll have cream woodwork, so I think it'll really pop in there! That gold fireplace thingy.. what do you call it?! Temporary mind block... Ummmm.... Okay.... Now I'm just sounding silly! But... yeah. That gold fireplace thingy is being painted black as we speak! Yay! I have something against shiny gold "house bling." I prefer the rust, puter, ect... patina. (Aren't you impressed that I not only knew that word... But I also knew what it meant? And even used it in the right context? Nice, huh?)

Look! Look! It's my human stud-finder! I mean... My cousin!

Kristin-my-cousin-who-goes-to-college-far-away-in-MO-but-is-home-on-Christmas-break came to stay a few days with me, and I of course, talked her into helping me out with the livingroom for a bit.

I'm planning on putting in tongue and groove planks like Kim did at One Woman's Cottage Life. I loved how it turned out, so decided to give it a go too! :o)

But what is Kristin doing up there? Well... It seems our studfinder wasn't doing a very reliable job at figuring out where the studs were. So we had to intervene. In other words, we had to cut through the ceiling from one end of the room to the other. Whew! I'm wiring in 2 lights anyway, so it all worked out. But out shoulders were SORE! :o)

Anyhoo... I know it seems I'm running about 4 days behind in blogging! Ahhhh! Before... I didn't blog because I had nothing to blog about. Now I don't blog because I'm to busy to blog! There's no winning about it, is there? lol!

Well... Whatever the case... I'll try to be more faithful in my bloggin'! :o)

I'm ali-i-i-i-ive!

Hello Ya'll!!

Yes! I am still alive!

I know you haven't heard from me since last year... But it is only January, so that's okay! ;o) lol


The reason I haven't blogged? Well... I just haven't done any blog-worthy "stuff" lately! But finally, I am! Are you ready for the news? The really, really, really exciting news?

**DRUMROLL PLEASE**

See all this stuff?? It's going to be used very shortly! How exciting!

These are the chosen colors! Sage green walls... Cream woodwork... and red accents!

I've been planning this room ever so long! Now the wallpaper boarder is coming off! Caleb's such a good helper!

The almost 60-year old carpet is torn up... Yes, I did say almost 60-year old carpet. And let me tell you... it was horrifically disgusting! Wait... that would be an understatement! Revolting? Repulsive? Sickening? Filthy? Nauseating? You know... I don't think there's even a word for it in the English language as we know it! Let's just stick with, "it was GROSS!!!"

You know how carpets have like... shag? This one didn't. It was just the mat. I mean, it got so bad... That when our vacume cleaner gave up the ghost last year, we've taken to sweeping it! And get this... It actually worked!

Halelujah!

I love progress!!!

The cracks... are all puttied... Just a bit of sanding and we're good to go!

The ceiling is ready to be redone...

Have you guessed which room I'm working on now?!

Yay!!! The livingroom!!! Oh joy!

I am going to resume work on Monday... So come back soon for updates!

YAY!!!

Another Tasty Tradition!

All right... I know, I know...

Why is it that most of our traditions center around food?

Well here's another one!

This is one of my very earliest memories!

We simply take an orange...

Squeeze it around in our hands for a while to get it nice and juicy inside...

Break both ends off a peppermint candy cane...

Stick one end into the now, very juicy orange...

There are very tiny holes in the candy cane, so it's kind of a straw.

It's very yummy... and brings back many fond memories!

It's definately one of those traditions I will do every winter someday with my own family!! :o)

So... Now that you've heard a few of ours...

What are some fun memories and traditions you have?

Another Post...

Hello!
I know, I know... 2 posts in one day! Aren't you impressed?

I just wanted to let you know that my cousin, Bethany, had a beautiful and encouraging post today... You'll have to go check it out!!! :o)

Christmas Cookies!!!

Yes.... Christmas Cookies...

Those words mean two things to me!

It is the name of my new favorite Christmas Song sung by George Strait... (Absolutely adorable! Makes me smile!)

AND it is also what we spent a few days ago doing!

After a whole day of decorating... I was positively sick!!! lol

Cookie dough... Frosting... Fudge batter.... and more...

I had about as much self-control as mom in a nut factory!!

Decorating Christmas sugar cookies is always a Christmas "must" around here... But this year we did something new! My Aunt Sheryl, and cousins Jessica and Jerrica all came over that evening and we had a "cookie bake." They brought several different batches of cookies and we made lots of cookies. It was LOTS of fun!

Want to join us next year?!

'Tis the Season!

'Tis the season! And I love it! I know I keep saying it, but we have so very many fun traditions that we do every Christmas. Last night... we put up the tree.

We found this particular tree... And... Get this... I drove dad's truck to get it! Not any truck, but a MANUAL transmission! For your information, I have made it a habit never to drive anything with a clutch. I once learned on a Dodge Shadow. *sigh* However, I had a few too many bad experiences that usually involved spinning out or killing it. But... Out of necessity, I ended up driving dad's truck. And it wasn't too bad, either!!! I know... I know, Ragnar.... Go ahead in interject here the, "I told you, you could do it!" :o)

Another tradition we have is drinking root beer in "Frosty Mugs" on the night we decorate the tree. "Frosty Mugs" are glass mugs we've left in the freezer. Then when you put liquid... Root Beer in this case... it's will turn cold and slushie. Yum! They're the best!

Don't worry.... We have LOTS of fun traditions we do every year... Memories to make...

I'll be sharing more with you soon! :o)

A Start on Christmas Decorating...

Well.... We've started Christmas decorating around here! I absolutely love decorating for Christmas! Here's a glimpse into a few of the nooks and crannies we've beautified so far! :o)

Remember this old doctor's bag I got for 1.00 at an auction? Well here it is again! Filled with pine cones... Vintage ornaments... And other Christmas odds and ends. It's one of my favorites!

This is the curio cabinet in the dining room. It's so pretty with pine boughs, poinsettias, Christmas garland, and of COURSE twinkle lights!!! :o)

When I bought all that Christmas junk a few months ago at the rainy auction... There was an entire box full vintage ornaments. I am having so much fun with them! I'm arranging them here and there in crystal bowls and other fun containers I've accumulated. Which is a lot! :o)

The fireplace mantle is now complete and Christmas-y!

Merry Christmas Ya'll!!!