Little Details

I still haven't been able to get back to anything really creative because I'm still finishing up the details of our floor installation. Our baseboard trim in our bathrooms previously was the same tile that was on the floor. Since we removed and replaced the tile I'm now cutting and staining trim. The cutting part I can only do first thing in the morning because for some reason even though I'm measuring and double checking my angles and lengths - they are not turning out the way I want. Frustrating. But it is slowly getting done. Good thing I bought an extra board. I'm going to need it. 

Enjoying THIS moment.

It's been hard to sit back and enjoy our new floors since we've had so much chaos with the downstairs flooding and the upstairs bathroom leak (and did I mentioned now the check engine light is on in the minivan?) but I love them. The entry foyer used to be tile and the kitchen used to be laminate and now it is all the same flooring. I love that. It is so many shades of gray, tan and brown that it doesn't show a speck of dirt. I love that. It's not too shiny so you can't tell if someone spills something. I love that. It is a perfect mix of country barnwood with our cottage modern style. I love that.

I love our new floors!

Valentine's Day present

Things have been so chaotic I haven't been able to share the watercolor I did for my sweetie for Valentine's Day. I'm not sure if you can see the details but in the scribbles of the branch are names of all the people that love her. It is framed and on the back it says. "You'll Owl-ways be loved." 

Not all Roses and Sunshine

Just so you know that it's not all roses and sunshine when doing something creative here is a dose of reality (and my personal stress) for you to see. When pulling up the old bathroom floors a small leak was found. Tracing the leak back the the faucet valve stem I found that a LOT of the drywall behind the shower wall was black, moldy and crumbly. Ah what fun! I have fixed the leak and now I get the new experience of installing a new shower surround and shower doors. I purchased the shower surround. 

The real source of chaos though is this. We're redoing all the flooring on the upstairs level of our two story house. The downstairs is bigger and is, in general the children's domain. That means the carpet is already partially ruined so why not let them finish it off right? A water heater down there flooded two rooms of carpet.  We've sucked the water and lifted the carpet and have been drying it with fans for a few days but it smells like wet dog.  We have a carpet person coming today to possibly replace the pad and decide if we can put the carpet back or need to replace it.  Fun!

Robin Hood Costumes

I'm not sure if I've told you this, but my 8 year old will be a Broadway star someday. No really, I'm pretty sure of it. We regularly break out into show tunes just show she will be ready. For now though, she has a small non-speaking part in the school play with her best friend. I volunteered to do both costumes and I've been searching thrift stores for a while for something I thought would fit with a little altering. They are both finally done. The hardest part was that since they are "just villagers" their costumes had to be pastel with no print. Try to find that in a girls dress before easter. LOL Anyway, Maid Marion-ish costumes done with all the chaos (I'll blog about that shortly) that has been going on.

Secrets Revealed

A quick project with a free printable this morning. My daughter, Josie, is currently reading the Lemony Snicket books. This hangs in the main bathroom and is mirrored so the text is only revealed when you are looking in the mirror. I can't wait until she comes home from school to see it. 

Mario Party Success

The Mario Party for my 6 year old was a big success. He loved all the games and Mario themed snacks. He typically doesn't do well with large crowds (he has Sensory issues) but was really well behaved and really enjoyed himself. Most of the images were found as free printables online but I created a few especially for our specific snacks.  

Our next family birthday is for my oldest who is a leap day baby. She still hasn't decided on a theme but it will likely be girly and sparkly. 

Built in bookcase

I'm beginning to think I might be a little addicted to chalk paint. Really I think it's an addiction to making everything lighter & brighter. I probably has something to do with the fact that it's the rainy season in the Pacific Northwest! 

I love how much more open and airy it makes the living feel. I especially like that it is finished before our new floors start getting installed on Monday. Reclaimed barnwood! I'm so excited. 

Facebook fan page

I've created a Facebook fan page where I show more of my day-to-day projects. Little things I'm working on like homemade kids birthday party items or stuff for the garden.

Head on over and like my page to get my regular updates
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Life-Rewritten/421149337971361

Silent Auction Donation

My kids school is having their annual fundraising carnival this week. One of the best parts (for the adults) is they have some great silent auction items. This year I decided to donate one of my items for the auction and handpicked the quote for it. I can't wait to see if anyone bids on it. 

I have similar bowls for sale in my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/LifeReWritten

Little bowls of inspiration

As a follow up to my previous post, here is one of the finished bowls. This one will go to wife's office. She is a college professor and advises grad students. She often keeps a bowl of candy in her office and will use this bowl for that purpose. I thought a stressed out grad student was a great match for the quote. :) I really love how refinishing the interior wood makes it just shine.

I have a couple of other bowls listed in my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/LifeReWritten