TONIGHT on Early Work Mercantile...

I have two new pieces to offer. I had so much fun creating them!

Folk Art Porker



Folk Art Hare





They will be listed after 6pm this evening.

Click on the banner below to go directly to my page.



Hope to see you there!

:> )

We're in the home stretch, (I think...)

Well, the crown molding is up and the john and sink are in. Hurray!!!

God bless my sweet hubs! For someone who never does this kind of stuff, he did a fantastic job considering what he had to work with! Hmmm. I'm starting to wonder if he's been keeping his talents from me intentionally. The sneaky b*st*rd. ((giggle))

We still have more to do, like redo the window apron (Ooops, I accidentally cracked it off) and add some simple crown molding across the top.

I decided I'm going to get another medicine cabinet. I'm no longer digging the one we have.

I also need to buy new towels... A new shower curtain... A braided rug... Sew a window curtain... the list goes on.
Does anyone have seeds for a money tree??

Here's a few photos of how it's looking so far.

Take a gander...



Before:


After:


Before:


After:


Before:


After:





I never did find a crapper to match the sink. I even contacted the company who made the sink hoping they would recommend something. Not a peep from them.

So the colors aren't exact. Oh well.
This old farmhouse (like us), is far from perfect. Truthfully, I like it that way.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

:> )

I learned a very important lesson today...

I do not know how to cut crown molding. Nope. Haven't a clue.

I thought I would surprise my sweet hubs and have it all done when he got home from work.

My first cut... Ooops.
My second cut... Uh-oh.
My third cut... Crap!
My fourth cut... #$%@&*!!!!

That's when I decided to stop and jump on the internet before I ruined anymore trim.

Who knew there's a certain way to cut crown molding??!!
You have to cut it upside down and at an angle.
Forget it! I can't stand on my head for that long. ((giggle))

So I decided to do some sewing instead. That's much safer.
I can't believe I haven't created anything in almost two months!
I'm working on something that will make everyone hoppy, warm and fuzzy.

After all that, I was thrilled to see my buffalo check fabric for my bathroom curtain finally arrived today!! YaY!!
Man, this large check is so hard to find!
I had to buy upholstery fabric. But it's lightweight enough to work for curtain fabric.

I crammed it in the window just to show how pretty it will look.
See!



The lighting makes everything look tan. But it's a linen color.

Hopefully in the next 48 hours we'll get the crown molding up, install the new toilet and sink.

I promise to post more photos as we finish up this project.

Happy Friday, everyone!!!

:> )

The bathroom still isn't finished...

But I couldn't take it anymore. It was driving me crazy!

I had to throw something together to give it a little character. But nothing fancy. I don't want fancy. I want simple.

So I started rummaging around the house and...



I've also hung some old wood boxes for cubby storage and to warm up the space.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE old wood boxes and crates.

This one still has the original postmark dated July 23, 1929. Three months before the worst stock market crash in United States history and the beginning of the Great Depression.



You'll always get a bit of a history lesson here at the ol' Countryfolk homestead. Whether you like it or not. ((giggle))

This weekend we hope to have the bathroom complete.

But we have quite a long list still left to do. So I'm not holding my breath.

In the meantime, I'll continue to sneak in more bathroom decor and hope my hubs doesn't trip over or hit his head on any of it when trying to finish up the remodel.
((hee-hee))

I'll keep you posted.

:> )

14 hours later...

The beadboard in the bathroom is complete!
Man, what a job. Nothing but crooked, wavy walls.
This is the one time I am grateful to have an OCD husband. ((giggle))

Here's a few pics how it went this afternoon.
Sorry, no pics of the completed work just yet.

We still have a lot more to do like put the john and sink in. But that's for another today.









I LOVE buffalo check. So I was happier than a tick on a hound dog when I found the perfect buffalo check fabric online to make my bathroom curtain. Here's a little swatch of it. Look how cute.



We also plan to add some "farmhouse crown molding" to the window. Pinterest is the best for decorating ideas.

Okay. Time for me to plant my butt on the couch.

Tomorrow I will caulk, caulk and caulk while my sweet hubs works on my Jeep to get her at least drivable.

Happy Saturday, all.

:> )

Old man winter got the best of me yesterday...

You can say I am yet another casualty of the snowstorm that hit the northeast yesterday.

On my way home from the grocery store, I lost control of my Jeep when I was going over an icy bridge through the back roads.
Thank goodness there was no on coming traffic.
Or worse yet an oncoming snowplow.
Thank goodness there was a guardrail.
Thank goodness I didn't go over the guardrail and into the creek.
Thank goodness for kind strangers.

May sound corny to some but I know the good Lord above is watching over me. As He has my whole life and for as long as I can remember. I have lots of stories that would put a cat with nine lives to shame. I guess He's not ready for me yet. I must have more to do here.
What that is? I have no idea.

I'm fine. Just really sore and have a small cut on my hand. My Jeep on the other hand didn't fare as well. Battered and bruised, I was still able to limp her home. Hubs says she may be old, but she's tough and he can fix her. Although she won't be as pretty as she once was. That's okay with me. I can totally relate.
I'm more worried about my Jeep. Hubs is more worried about me. Hugging me tight his words, "I can replace a vehicle. But I can't replace you." He's such a sweet man.

Did I see my life flash before my eyes? Nope. Not sure if I was supposed to. I did say "Oh sh*t!" when I felt her start to slide and lose control. Now I know how a NASCAR driver feels. But on a much smaller level.
MUCH smaller level. ((hee-hee))

Happy Friday, all.
Drive safe.

P.S.
I forgot one...
Thank goodness for Advil.

:> )

Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

He was born on February 12th 1809 in Hardin County Kentucky and died April 15th 1865 at the age of fifty six.

His home state is Illinois and he ran a store in New Salem.

His party was Republican and he was president for four years from 1861-1865, when he was assassinated.

Abraham had four children, Robert Todd Lincoln, Edward Lincoln, Willie Lincoln, Tad Lincoln. Only Robert Todd Lincoln survived into adulthood.

Lincoln was fond of pets, and owned horses, cats, dogs and a turkey. Even though he was strong, a talented wrestler, and proficient with an axe, he disliked killing and harming animals, even for food.

His birth mother died from milk sickness. (A rare disease caused by consuming dairy or meat products from cattle that have eaten any of various poisonous weeds.) His father remarried. Abraham was very close to his step mother.

He had deep depression, even though he would frequently tell stories and jokes to friends and family.

On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy. It was the crowning achievement of his administration. The original autograph was lost in the Chicago fire of 1871. Surviving photographs of the document show it primarily in Lincoln's own hand.

He never let the world forget that the Civil War involved an even larger issue. This he stated most movingly in dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg: "that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

One week before his death, had a dream of someone crying in the White House, when he found the room; he looked in and asked who had passed away. The man in the room said the President. When he looked in the coffin it was his own face he saw.

He was the first president to be assassinated. It happened on Good Friday, April 14th 1865 at Ford's Theatre in Washington DC. The assassin was John Wilkes Booth, an actor, who somehow thought he was helping the South by murdering the president.

"We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name - liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names - liberty and tyranny."

~Abraham Lincoln Address at Sanitary Fair, Baltimore, Maryland (April 18, 1864)

♥

In a nutshell...

Still working on the bathroom remodel. A 150 year old farmhouse comes with 150 year old problems. When we removed the old tub, we found everything back there except Jimmy Hoffa.

But I am grateful the new bathtub is finally in.
We were getting pretty ripe. ((giggle))

In an old farmhouse nothing is square. Everything droops or slants. Kind of like myself.
I know it will get done, it's just taking longer than I expected. I also know all this hard work will be worth it in the end.

I just hope I survive it to enjoy it.

Happy Tuesday, all!

:> )

"There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you....

In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself."
~Ruth Stout

Enjoy the privacy and peacefulness of winter.
♥

On to the next project...

They finished up the windows yesterday! I could not be happier with how they turned out! As they finished the windows, I decided to paint my studio. No need to remind me of my nuttiness. I'm well aware.

The octagon window in the half bathroom is FINALLY gone!! YIPPEE! That means no more breeze on our butt... Drafts on our derriere... Freezing our fanny off!! Okay, I'll stop. I'll just say it's much warmer in there now.

Next stop, completing the bathroom reno. Hubs and I are psyching ourselves up for the old tub removal and new tub install this weekend. He's pretty confident. Me? Let's just say I have a feeling I'll be more like Lloyd Bridges in the movie "Airplane."
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking..."
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking..."
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines."
(giggle))

Actually, I don't think it will be that bad. What's the worse that can happen??
We'll have no tub and have to scrub our cracks down in the creek. No big deal. They did it in the old days. ((hee-hee))

After seeing how wonderful the refinished bathroom pine floorboards came out, I decided I'm going to do something crazy... again.



I ran and bought more Colonial Pine stain (man, it's hard to find) and I'm going to refinish the pine floorboards in our living room and keeping room. Sure I did it 10 years ago, but I prefer this new stain color much more. Besides with two dogs, a husband and lil' ol' me, they need to be redone.

But that project will wait until spring. When I can open the windows, not be overcome with fumes and not have icicles hang off my nose.

Happy Tuesday, all!!

:> )

P.S.
My apologies for not responding to comments lately. But since I've been busier than a rooster in a hen house, I haven't had much time to respond.
Once things quiet down around here, I will.
♥

Good riddance!

Yesterday was the big day! We had all the windows replaced and finally got rid of those horrible crank windows above my kitchen sink! I've hated really disliked them since the day we moved in.



The windows guys were laughing when I cheered as they took the sawzall to them! Heck if I had pompoms I would have really embarrassed my uncoordinated self by trying to kick my leg up three inches from the ground.
But it would have been worth it!!

I now have my double hung old fashioned place a homemade baked pie on the window sill window!



Here's my sweet hubs pulling a "Vanna."
Ummm, I doubt Wheel of Fortune will whisk him away.



I told him don't expect any calls from The Price Is Right either.

Tomorrow they will be back to wrap the exterior part of the windows and replace those two icky poo-poo octagon windows.



Oooooh, I'd better search for some pompoms.

:> )