Makeover on my School's Restroom

I couldn't stand it any longer... the staff restroom at my school was not a pleasant place to be. Every visit, I dreamed of doing a makeover on it, so I finally did it... I painted the walls a golden beige and used a fleur-de-lis stamp to create a border around the room, as well as a faux frame around the mirror. I added a tall, narrow cabinet that I updated with a little paint and hardware. And finally, I painted an outdoor scene high on the wall to give the impression of a window, covered with a curtain. I think it is a big improvement. I hope my fellow teachers and staff will, too!

Sewing & Stapling Makes the Chair

It's official... the re-upholstery of my great-grandfather's rocking chair is complete. Thank you to my mom who dedicated many hours on this project fitting, sewing, and pinning, and also thank you to Gary for his willingness to be the strength behind the staples!

New Office/"Free" Laptop Warning

Our new office is now done. Notice Gary's fine craftsmanship on making the desk appear as one piece. He did a great job! As usual, my work consisted of the painting; however, I (yes, me!) I moved the computer over to the new desk. Very overwhelming... wires and cables galore, tangled, twisted. I had to poke the wires through two holes: one located at the top of the desk and the other located underneath the desk going from one section of the desk to the little hidden space under the desk where the computer sits. But I was very proud of myself when I turned the computer on and it actually worked!

Back to the new office... It is really going to free up space in the guest room plus we have more countertop space. It would be nice to someday get rid of our dinosaur computer and replace it with a laptop, but that doesn't seem to be in the near future. I recently fell for that "free laptop scam..." where you go to www.getmyfreelaptop.com. Whatever you do, don't fall for this! You have to sign up for 12 (yes 12!) different programs/products to qualify and they all cost between a few dollars to $50-$60. Things like stamps.com, netflix, makeup that they send you every 3 months, free credit reports, skin care, book clubs, etc. All these companies immediately charge your credit card and if you want to return them, it's a big hassle. Trust me... don't do it!

Anyway (now that I've got that off my chest), I still have to go through files and organize the office. We've lost some drawer space, but have a whole shelf to store things in cute little boxes that I've yet to get.

A Welcoming Entrance

Here are some pictures of the front porch I took today. I have been very proud of myself for not killing all the plants so far. My thumb has been pretty green this summer.

Watching Grannie

In preparing for my parents' garage sale a few weeks earlier in the summer, I came across some old jewelry and watches that belonged to my grandmother. I decided to glue parts of her watches that were already broken to a frame with her picture. I also found a pretty red broach that I glued to a small picture frame with my daughter's picture in it.

Rocking through a Transformation

My mother decided she no longer had a place for my great-grandfather's upholstered rocking chair and was considering donating it. I asked for it, and we (rather, my mother) is in the process of reupholstering it. Here it is in the middle of the parlour.

Office in a Closet

Getting very close to finishing the new "office in a closet" we've been working on as fast as the speed of a turtle. I'm going to do some final touch-ups on the paint today, and Gary's got a little to-do's on it still, but we're hoping to have everything in place by the end of this weekend. Of course, then we have to take everything out of the room to start sanding the floors. (Sigh...)

Great Summer Finds

Just a few pictures of some vintage items I've come across this summer. The Coca-Cola lamp and gum-ball machine came from an antique shop in Brenham. The red metal shelf was my grandfather's. My parents had it in their garage and were going to put it in a garage sale!

Taking a Break from our Work...

Whenever there's a choice to be made from getting away for a weekend vs. working on the house, 9 times out of 10, the house wins. But this time was different. We were celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary, so we took a little trip to Fredericksburg. We stayed in a quaint little cottage, did a little shopping, ate some wonderful food, (Gary had to have his bratwurst and kraut!), and visited WildSeed Farms. Oh, and I can't leave out... we had to buy some delicious Fredericksburg peaches! It was a wonderful little trip.