A Pair of Anniversary Cards

I've made two anniversary cards for two very special couples this month; my in-laws, Bill and Jean's 72nd and my dear friends, Arthur and Donna's 40th.

I'm very much out of practice making cards, much less coming up with ideas for them and so I decided to case a card made by someone who's beautiful creations speak to my imagination like no other's.  I'm using what I have on hand though, so really, the only thing that's similar is the flower arrangement.

Firstly, I cut turquoise cardstock using the PTI Border Bling: Blooming Hearts large die, used my corner rounder and then sponged a light layer of Distress Ink: Picket Fence right at the cut design.

Next, I cut a small panel of white cardstock to fit within the dotted design of the die cut.  I then stenciled vertical stripes using Salty Ocean Distress Ink and PTI's Watercolor Plaid stencils.  The sentiment is an old, wooden Hampton Art stamp.

The florals were made by cutting watercolor paper with PTI's Into The Blooms: Dahlia, Birthday Bouquet and Sizzix: Branch w/Leaves, sponged with Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint, Twisted Citron, Mustard Seed and Wild Honey Distress Inks.  All were spattered with water and Vintage Photo DI.

Lastly, I mounted my card front to a 4.25 x 5.50 inch card base, added a button and bow using PTI's Festive Birds dies and then some yellow sequins for a bit of bling.

2 Months Till Christmas

Yesterday was probably the last warm day of the year, so Craig and I took advantage of it and loaded up the kayaks and headed to Beaver Lake.  Oh, the colors of the trees this year have been glorious and I've been soaking up every possible moment of the gorgeous weather, the sights, the smells...  It was even an amazing summer and I took advantage of that every moment that I could too.

Heading to the lake

I was obviously a little out of control while taking this one.

We were only able to spend about an hour out there since we both had to go to work.  But, thankfully, it's really easy to put the kayaks in the back of my truck and head out the door.

I just had to include one more photo.  This one is the view outside of my office window just before four o'clock.  This next week is supposed to be cloudy and chances of rain throughout.  I'm just so glad this autumn has been so beautiful and colorful compared to last year and I thank God every day for letting me be a part of it.

Crazy How The Time Flies

Can't believe it's been 9 months!

I hit a major emotional slump after that last post.  Things weren't happening around the house as quickly as I thought they would.  We kept hitting roadblocks like leaks around the bathroom skylight and fireplace, lots of expenses for things like add-ons to our lawnmower (a snowplow and then a trailer for the crazy amount of wood that needs to be hauled around, oh, and a thing that picks up the leaves), a new/used car since Craig's was starting to have major issues, buying even more paint because once we finished the long hallway and main bathroom, we realized something was off.  Turns out we somehow ended up with semi-gloss paint instead of eggshell and it really looked awful, and then having to paint all over again.  One thing after another was breaking so I had to get a job.  Decorating for the holidays just wasn't going well either.  The fireplace mantel is working it's way out of the fireplace so it slopes downward.  There isn't much I can put on it that doesn't want to slide off.  The living room/dining room/entryway/odd space on the other side of the fireplace was a much bigger challenge to decorate than I could ever have thought.  To this day, I still don't like how the living room area is laid out but I don't know what else to do with it either.  It absolutely needs different furniture but that isn't going to happen for a while.  Oh, and then we both got Covid, and it wasn't the kind that we didn't notice.  It kicked our butts and had us down for the count for three weeks.  I was depressed and I think the lack of sunshine had something to do with that too.  At least Craig was determined to get me into the holiday spirit and he put lights on the pine tree that sits in the middle of the yard.  It was beautiful!  He then brought the decorations up from the basement and soon the house was semi-decorated, just two weeks before Christmas.

Backyard Christmas Tree

Fast forward to today.  Dad was back in town for 12 weeks, we painted all of the kitchen and laundry room cabinets (42 doors and 10 drawers), installed new hardware, painted the walls and tried out a butcherblock countertop on the coffee bar.  We love it!  So now the rest of the countertops, as well as the backsplash tile and the new floor, will have to wait until we save some money. 

 

My gardening skills are slowly improving after last year's epic fail.  I found a gallon of deer repellant in the basement, along with a spray bottle full.  Lo and behold, that stuff works like magic!  I still have something eating my pink carnations (I think it's a Blue Jay) but otherwise, everything else has done quite well.  

  

I am currently working on my mailbox area.  I planted a bunch of new bee loving blooms and I'm collecting rocks to put along the edge.  I just bought a new box to replace this old one that's falling apart and I'd like to put a small white fence behind the flowers.

 

For craft projects, I am currently working on a Christmastime cross stitch that was part of a Christmas in July SAL hosted by Nichol Spohr in her FB group.  Most of the group is following Nichol's lead by ordering an unfinished sled on Etsy.  However, I think I'm going to make my own sled since I'm not crazy about the one they were using AND, I haven't done any woodworking for a while and I thought it would be fun.  I'm actually a little further along than this but don't have an updated photo.

Another project I've been working on, is a crocheted blanket for my youngest grandson, Steele.  He loves Spiderman, birthday cakes, dinosaurs and rainbows.  So in collaboration with my daughter, I'm making his blanket squares a medium gray and they will be pieced together in rainbow colors.  I have 12 more squares to make, and then the fun begins.

The Post That Didn't Post When It Should Have

So here it is already the middle of September and the weather has been spectacular.  Sure, we've had rainy days, cloudy days, sunny days but the temps have been at or below 79° for the most part instead of the 100's - 115's we had in AZ.  Yuck...  Anyway, we just had three trees taken down today (one ash and two crabapples) because they were crowding the house and making a big mess.  We were afraid that since the ash was dying, it could fall on the house so it's been a priority to have it taken care of.  I'm kind of sad to see it go though.

Before, so big and pretty

And there she goes...

Progress on the house has been slow but steady.  My dad had been in town for the summer and helped us out a lot!  Craig focuses on keeping up with everything outside while I focus more on getting things unpacked as soon as another room has been painted.  We've painted the ceilings and walls of the three bedrooms, replaced the ceiling fan in the master, put a new light fixture in front of the fireplace.  My craft room is pretty much set up the way I want it and now I need to organize all of my stuff; I have WAY too much but I keep buying more; I really need to stop that.  Speaking of stuff, this leads me to the basement where there were already four grey shelving units plus I've put up three the black shelving units from our previous garage.  I'm filling these shelves with craft supplies, holiday bakeware, holiday decorations and my everyday home decorating pieces.  It's like having my own little store to go shopping in.

A Whole Month and Two Days Later...

I did say in the previous post that I would be doing a walk around the following day, but things came up and here, just over a month later I've gotten a chance to sit down and blog for a spell. Better late than never I suppose...

House Front Facing SW via Realtor Listing

Here she is in the early spring with nary a bud on the trees yet.  I feel the house could use a bit of contrast.  I like this weathered shade of blue but the grey trim feels like it's bringing her down.  It really needs some white to make it pop and I'm thinking a burst of red on the front door.  Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to get that done until next spring.

House Front

Here she is just a couple months later on move-in day.  Lots of green including lots of weeds.  Since this photo, my mom and I have planted some perennials and added some bright cheery flowers to the barrels.

Deck Facing North via Realtor Listing

Here is the back.  The deck is really rough looking and has moss covering about a quarter of it.  This is high on the priority list to fix, clean, get stained and painted before winter.  The plan is to stain the deck and seat surfaces a natural wood color and to paint everything else white.

Deck Hiding Behind Overgrown Bushes

Again, this shot is taken just as we were moving in.  Amazing what God's creation can do in a couple of short months.  The bushes and weeds are out of control but I've been working on them a section at a time each day.

Prickly Pear In Bloom

Here is something I didn't expect to see here in Wisconsin.  When I left Arizona, I said "If I never see a cactus again, it will be too soon".  Our realtor thought it was a sign; and it was...

 Ah, the kitchen...  The heart of the home, and my favorite spot in the new house.  It's the room I cannot stop dreaming about.

In a previous post, I already showed the inspiration photo that I have had pinned in my Home Renovations board for months.  Here it is again:

This sweet, cottagey kitchen with it's warm and inviting colors. ♥

This is my springboard.  I love the color of the island, the warmth of the copper and the earthy wood tones.

Kitchen Photo 1 via Realtor Listing

And here is my canvas.  I want all of the lower cabinets in the main prep area to be done in that aqua or maybe an even slightly bluer color.  The upper cabinets will be Swiss Coffee which is white with a hint of tan.  I would like the floors to match the beams on the ceiling and to have butcherblock countertops of the same color.  See that doorway and than another one through it in the middle of the picture?  That's the pantry, and I was thinking I would like that door to be the same color blue as the lower cabinets.

Kitchen Photo 2 via Realtor Listing

Here we have some mismatched appliances, there is a dishwasher on the other side of the peninsula that you can't see and it does not work.  That green sink is a sight with it's many gadgets and gizmos; it actually has two faucets.  I already have the new faucet and the farmhouse sink is ordered.  I'm kind of sad that there isn't a window to look out of while I'm at the sink but maybe a window mirror could work.  

Kitchen Tile & Paint Samples

Here is a photo I took with my phone of the backsplash tile and paint chips for the kitchen.  The lighting in Home Depot is not the best for photos, but the iridescence can be seen in the tile.  I think this kitchen is going to be quite pretty when it's all done.

Kitchen Photo 3 via Realtor Listing

This desk is going to be removed and my red hutch is going to take it's place.  I'm hoping we can do something about these hip walls and spindles while we're at it.  Oh, and those dated little corners that are all over the house must go too.

Kitchen Photo 4 via Realtor Listing

I am really looking forward to sitting at my kitchen table and watching the wildlife play in my backyard while I sip my tea and write in my journal.  The cabinets on the left will become a coffee, tea & cocoa bar.

Laundry Room Photo via Realtor Listing

The Laundry Room is pretty basic but will also serve as a mud room.  I could add hooks to the wall and a bench to change shoes.  I would like to take out this lower cabinet and put in a wider utility tub that I could give the dog his bath in, instead of leaning over into the bath tub.  The kitchen sink is directly behind the washer and behind the camera is the large closet that will become the pantry.  The door straight ahead is the garage and there is a door directly to the right of the camera that goes to the yard next to the deck.  

Bathroom #1 Photo via Realtor Listing

Here we have some blue that will need to be taken care of eventually.  The sink is blue too.  I'm just glad it isn't pink or green.  This is to be the bathroom that I planned on putting my Joanna Gaines shower curtain in, along with the pretty daisy picture my sister painted for me.  All of the upgrades in here will be pretty strait forward.  Vinyl plank floors, new tub, tile, toilet and sink...

Bathroom #2 (Master) Photo via Realtor Listing

Now this bathroom is going to be a challenge.  The shower is smaller than it looks in the photo and to the right of the camera is a lower cabinet unit wedged into a cubby.  Above the cabinet is a window but the top of the cabinet has a big hole in it.  Like a planter or something.  It's almost like a sink but it's actually just a big metal pan that's about eight inches deep.  I'm not crazy about this vanity with it's sink all the way to the one side.  I would prefer a larger shower and a smaller vanity in this little bathroom so this will eventually be a tear out and start over kind of project.

Okay, so that's it for the inside for now.  Tomorrow I'll be doing a walk around outside with a whole new list of things that need to be fixed up.

One More Week

Whew, the time really is flying!  It's only 6 days until closing, 7 days until the U-Boxes get delivered and 8 days until the movers haul all of our stuff into the house.  I'M SO EXCITED!!!

First and foremost in this whole process will be to get started on the painting.  Every room is going to be the neutral colors of Creamy Mushroom and Swiss Coffee as was the Arizona house.  So as soon as we can get into the new place, we're going in with painting supplies and starting in the master bedroom.

Master Bedroom via Realtor Listing

(Note: All of the photos are from the original listing and all I have at this time).  As beautiful as this bedroom set is, it's WAY too much furniture for the space.  I'm very much looking forward to making it my own with lighter pieces.  I'm thinking my bed will go below the window on the right and my antique dresser will go on the wall where the bed is.  That is all we brought from our room; we gave everything else away.  That bathroom door is going the wrong way.  If the bathroom is too narrow for the door to swing inward, then I will put in a pocket door OR one of those sliding barn doors would be awesome!  I've always wanted one of those...

Bedroom #2 via Realtor Listing

I am so happy that all of the bedrooms in this house are larger then the bedrooms in our old house.  This is going to be the guest bedroom sans everything in this photo.  There will be no pink carpet, no wallpaper, no chair rail, no seafoam green paint...

Bedroom #3 via Realtor Listing

BLUE!!!  This is going to be my craft room/office for the time being but will eventually be a second guest room.  Craig wants to finish the basement and make a craft room for me down there with cabinets, countertops and an island.  Wouldn't that be awesome?!?!  But with all of the other projects and plans, that one might take a while to get around to.  Again, this room will be painted like the others and all three will have the same carpeting.  Something I didn't have in my previous house that this one has, is light sockets in the ceilings of bedrooms 2 and 3.  We had to use floor or table lamps in those rooms.

I have been looking at houses for many months and even though I have seen hundreds of them, either online or in person, I have yet to see one with the perfect layout.  I'm starting to think the industry needs a few good architects.  Anyway, even the soon-to-be-ours sweet little casa in the woods has its wonky spaces and issues.  Some of these are easily dealt with and others we'll just have to live with.  Unless I win the lottery...

Great Room via Realtor Listing

Case in point, the area in front of, this side of, the fire place.  Notice how the fireplace sits crooked in the large great room.  The living room area is obvious, the dining area is to the left under that chandelier, and notice the lights hanging to the far right; I have no idea what this is about and, wait for it...

Great Room via Realtor Listing

There is a hole in the wall with spindles in it.  If you were to look into that hole, you would see the basement stairs and there is no door at the bottom.  This will be one of the first issues we address.  Anyway, I have no idea why this is set up this way or if there even was an intended purpose.  I thought maybe I could make it into a cozy sitting area.

Living Room via Realtor Listing

Here is the opposite side of the fireplace.  For some reason there is no mantle on this side but the hearth is elevated.  This set-up doesn't make a lot of sense because there is really no cozying up to this side of the fireplace.  This picture was taken just inside the front door.  All of the furniture will be facing the television.

I've always wanted a big picture window in the living room for my Christmas tree and this house has one.  But if you look at the floor next to the first fireplace picture, you'll see an indention in the carpet.  That is an outlet, which means I could put my Christmas tree there and it would be seen from just about any common area of the house and also from outside.  I have options and am already looking forward to decorating for the holidays.  :D

Okay, that's it for today.  Tomorrow will be a more comprehensive look at the kitchen, pantry, laundry room and bathrooms.

14 Days And Dreaming

Here are some inside pictures of the former house in Arizona just before piling the rest of our stuff into moving pods.  This is how it was staged for the open house.  The decor is mine but very little of it was used.  My little house felt huge at this point because the majority of my belongings were crammed in the garage.

AZ house

The good part about seeing my house in this light is knowing that I love the basics of my color choices.  Creamy Mushroom for the walls and Swiss Coffee for the cabinets and trim.  Love my neutral tones that I can throw color at.  I still prefer white painted cabinets over stained wood cabinets, especially for newer homes that don't have the beautiful, heavy woodwork like my mother's 100 year old house has.  LOVE her woodwork!

Below are photos that I've pinned to my Pinterest dream boards.  These represent the feel that I would like to accomplish, as well as some smaller ideas that would work for the new house.  For today, I'll only be focusing on the kitchen area.

KITCHEN

This sweet, cottagey kitchen with it's warm and inviting colors. ♥

I love this!  Since the new home does not have a kitchen island, but is a U-shape, I'm thinking of painting all the bottom cabinets this color.  Craig is all for it.  I'm just a little freaked out about painting outside of a neutral pallet.  

Unfortunately the ceilings are vaulted, otherwise I would absolutely be doing a pot rack.  However, above the upper cabinets is empty space all the way up to the ceiling.  I could do some wood and copper up there for a similar look.  I just love the warmth of the copper.

Oh, and I absolutely have to add the Ikea bracket and hooks to the end of the counter.  I have pinned that look, decorated in so many ways, more times than I'm willing to admit...

PANTRY

The dream pantry

Oh, how I would love a pretty pantry that looks like an old fashioned sweets shop!  Sigh...…! 

But reality says I can do something a bit more similar to this one instead.  Right now, it's a dark coat room which is right off the laundry/mudroom and the kitchen.  With some paint, wood, hardware and good ol' fashioned elbow grease, I'm pretty sure we can make it perfectly functional, organized and cute at the same time.  I used to have to store most of my canned goods in the garage so I'm really excited to have a real pantry!

COFFEE/TEA/COCOA BAR

Coffee makes me happy. ♥

The new house has so many cabinets, there are 40 cabinet doors in the kitchen alone.  Eight of those doors belong to a built-in hutch in the kitchen eating area which is to become, in part, the coffee bar.  OMG, I'm over the moon about this.  I'm even more excited to see what I can do with it for the holidays.

LITTLE THINGS

These little touches my be insignificant but, to me, can make a huge amount of difference in how much time I want to spend in my kitchen.

Cutting Board Convenience

I saw this and thought it was the best idea since cream cheese.  The new kitchen already has one of those slots with the hidden cutting board.  If all goes according to plan, I should be able to cut a hole in the board and then install one of those garbage bin sliders in the cabinet below.  BOOM!

A Drawer For The Odd Sizes

I've had this pinned to my Home Renovation board for years.  This is genius!

I ♥ Country Baskets

I'm pretty sure I'll have a little bit of wall space for something like this.  This could also be used for paper plates, napkins, kitchen towels...

Elevated Doggie Dishes

One less thing to pick up while vacuuming and mopping is pretty okay in my book.  

14 Days until move-in.  :D  The time is actually going by more quickly than I had anticipated.

I will be posting more about other rooms of the house in the next couple of days.

A New Beginning

We sold our house and now live with my mother...

It was pretty much the same thing every day.  I always asked my husband, Craig, why he bothered watching the morning news since it was always the same, "It's going to be sunny and hot, there is an accident blocking traffic on the I10 heading east into Phoenix, there was a shooting on 27th avenue last night, and it will be even hotter tomorrow".  We realized that we were just existing there, not living and thriving.

Arizona Home

In January of this year, our oldest daughter Jessica packed up her family of five to move to Massachusetts.  She was the last of our four children to move east of the Mississippi River.  We had been talking about moving for years but hemmed and hawed about it.  Once Jess and the fam departed, we decided it was time to go too.  So after getting the house to where I was finally happy with it, we put it on the market.

After living in Arizona for 25 years, I am excited to come back home to Wisconsin where I always looked forward to each new season and each new day.  Where change is a comfortable and happy constant.  Hence the name of the blog.  I am so happy to be back!

New Home in Wisconsin ♥

As I anticipate being able to move into our new home, I scour the internet for inspiration.  We bought a forty year old, one owner, home nestled amongst wooded trails and butted up against a small river.  It's pretty much our dream property and located just thirty minutes outside of Milwaukee.  The house itself has been updated with the essentials like new windows, furnace, roof, etc...  However, the layout and design are still very much 1980's and really needs to be updated.  But with the price of houses going up and up and up this year, we've pretty much maxed out our budget buying the dream property so we'll be tackling the majority of the updating and renovations ourselves.  We fully intend for this to be our forever home, so we want to make everything as timeless as possible but also be able to make easy updates and changes down the road when needed.

26 Days till move-in  :D