Random bits on a Tuesday

I'm not sure if it's the paint & primer fumes I've inhaled lately or just typical mid-week brain fog...

But I'm kind of random today.

I finally put my Valentine's decor away and brought out something a little bright and cheery for the upcoming-soon to be-I can wait for-daylight savings time will be here- days of spring.

I changed up the dining room table again, this time no one made fun of me... now that we're officially in empty nest mode it's a 50-50 split on the female/male ratio... well unless I count the dogs and then its 4 ladies to one fella.

Speaking of empty nests, they may not have a nest but a flock of swan's have taken up in our field since last Saturday... their numbers seem to grow a bit every day.  Strangely our two labs don't even seem to notice them... or mind that they are hanging out in the middle of our winter wheat.

But one thing our labs have noticed is that the bed they slept in every night is now gone.... a mostly empty room is left behind.... their boy moved to his first house of his own.

Left behind is just some books, hockey posters, Lego's and an old Snoopy collection from years ago.  Well and of course the paint job that was never finished.  Blue and green like a favorite hockey team, the Vancouver Canucks.  Now covering up THAT is going to mean some more inhalation of primer fumes!

But now I have another room to fix up... this one into a real guest room, not a bed in my sewing room... and one with a door that actually latches so that said guests aren't awakened by said yellow and black labs... two almost 100 pound labs jumping on you in the morning is sure to keep the guest from staying more than a night or two!

I have lots of ideas for this room and I found this little gem for a bit of inspiration.

I'm thinking pale robin's egg blue/aqua walls like the sewing room but with some old quilts and fun pops of yellow perhaps instead of the pink.... as you can see I couldn't pass this chenille bedspread up since the price ($5.99) was certainly right!

And a final little inspiration and reminder of springtime to come... green and all the colors of flowers that I'm just dreaming about right now...

Counting down the final days of winter,

Where I've been lately....

You may have noticed that I haven’t been around much… at least I hope you noticed… then again, maybe I don’t want to know that you haven’t noticed!

I’ve been here….

Priming and painting up a storm, at least when I’m not at work… the paid kind of work that is.  This is my son’s new/old house.  A cute little place built in 1948.  He purchased his house from a cute 90+ little old lady.  It’s a perfect starter home for him that mostly just needs a few updates and a lot of paint.  I’m basically painting anything that doesn’t move… or at least it seems like it after 3 weekends.  Lots of cabinets, doors and trim... plus wall and ceilings too!

One of the first things I noticed, after the huge row of old lilac bushes, was the fabulous floor at the back door… and you all know how I feel about cool old linoleum floors!

There is even this old flooring on the shelves in the “fruit room” in the basement.  The house has a fabulous basement… it’s as big as the house and doesn’t have a really low ceiling.  Lots of potential.

And the back door still has the original lock with just a skeleton type key.  You don’t see that very often.

It’s a super bright house with great southern light exposure.  Very important in this part of the country where we have more than our share of gray and dreary days.

The bedrooms have beautiful original fir floors…

And the living room floors are the original oak… the wood floors were covered with carpet that wasn’t great and so it was removed.  Plus who wouldn’t want the wood floors instead?

The little old lady even left some furniture behind, which is wonderful since my son doesn’t own much of his own yet…

And she even left a little companion for him, this cute little dog doorstop.  I'd really like to plan a little "petnapping" every time I see this little guy.

So if you’re wondering where I am for the next few weekends, I’m probably still here… paint brush in hand and painting away.

A bright and sunny Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day... the middle of February... February 14th to be exact.

But no matter what you call it, it's really still winter.  I know you don't want to hear that.  We don't get spring for a number of weeks.  But I think someone has forgotten to tell Mother Nature, at least here in Washington our winter has been surprisingly mild since our few days of snow in January.  We've had temperatures in the 50's and a number of sunny days in February.

So many that these lilacs are showing their buds... can you believe it?  I have some hydrangeas with buds, roses with growth and of course my primroses are in full bloom... hopefully Jack Frost will not make too strong a showing in the upcoming weeks until it is officially spring.

I hope your Valentine's Day has been a bright and sunny one... and like the candy says....

A Happy Valentine to "me & you"!

Be still my heart...

February, a rather appropriate month for a racing heart wouldn’t you say?

And what do I owe MY racing heart to?  Not flowers or chocolate from my sweetie... Not finding the perfect little vintage bits and bobs at my local thrift/antique stores either... Perhaps it’s the once again non-stop weekends of painting, priming and prepping at my son’s new home… or perhaps the thought of my baby, my 22 year old baby that is, moving out on his own… or perhaps the middle of the night calls that don’t seem to cease even when said babies masquerading as adults move out and live on their own?

And really, don’t you think that babies should come with a warning label?  Something like “your heart now belongs to me… forever?”  Kind of appropriate right now with the month that shouts “Be Mine”!

With all the happenings around here, I did take time out to sprinkle a bit of Valentine’s fun around my home… my vintage Valentine’s of course mixed up with a bit of Red for Red Gate Farm.

As usual, a girl can never have too much glitter in her life…

Especially the glitter from Martha.  I found these two glass container and bottoms meant to make your own little snow type globes, waterless of course.  They came from a fabulous store in University Village (Seattle) named Impressions.  We stopped there a couple of weekends ago during the dress shopping trip.  They sold all kinds of fun things for stamping, scrap booking, etc…. and tons of fabulous unusual ribbon.  I picked up a few yards of a really fabulous one to use for the upcoming wedding (don’t you love how I manage to incorporate that into every post?)… I’ll have to share it with you another time…

The store also had cute pink bottle brush trees as well as some Martha Stewart craft products…

Although this heart glitter by Martha came from my local Michaels.  And as soon as I find my glue gun I’ll be putting this all together to make my very own Valentine’s heart/glitter/snow globe.  Hopefully BEFORE the big day next week...

A project that maybe, just maybe, I'll have time for this weekend, once I manage to wash all the paint and primer off my hands that is…  

Looking at a long weekend of painting, a short work week from my "real" paid job, and a lifetime title of "mom",

linking up to

It's a Very Cherry World
Rednesday

Common Ground
Vintage Inspiration Friday

The Brambleberry Cottage
Time Travel Thursday

Feeling the need for a little sunshine right about now.....

It’s the first day of February… hard to believe that the first month of 2012 is behind us already!  Where did that month go?  I’m pretty sure I didn’t accomplish anything around the house or on my “to do list”.  Fortunately we tend to get sunnier weather in February than we do in January… hopefully it will hold true for us again because I could really use a bit of blue skies and sunshine around here!  I like to think that sunshine streaming in the windows gives me energy and inspires me to get projects done but really… I think it’s the sun magnifying every dust bunny and dingy corner that is really what gets me up and moving!!

Today’s turning of another calendar page did inspire me to get online and start picking out my seeds for ordering.  Tons and tons of zinnias this year, with extra whites and lime greens for the big event in August.

Of course, lots and lots of white impatiens from Park Seed…

Sweet peas, in many colors.  One of my favorite scents in the garden…

Sunflowers, of course…

One of my favorites, hollyhocks...

Wave petunias again, they were slow to grow but by August were FANTASTIC…

And to round out the order... last, but certainly not least, a variety of pumpkins from Burpee.

I did try saving some of my “mumsy marigold” seeds this past fall.  It was hard to not order some “just in case” the saved seeds do not germinate…. I didn’t see that they were any kind of hybrid but I’m still a little apprehensive about it… really, what will I put in their place if it’s a bust?  Do you see the way my mind works here?  YES, I worry about things that I have no control over!

The 2012 garden season is underway, in my mind at least, and possibly I’ll even get to get my hands in the dirt in the upcoming weeks…

And I do believe tomorrow is Groundhog Day, I can never remember how it works, but any which way, shadow or not, I’m hoping for that “early” spring,