Another sneak peek offering...

Yes, she is wearing a bandeau top.

((giggle))

Hope to see you tomorrow evening on Early Work Mercantile.



:> )

A sneak peek...

at my Early Work Mercantile offering for Sept 1st.





I'm trying to finish another piece to offer on EWM. But if I don't, it'll be offered on my selling blog.

Both pieces are spooktacular!!

Bwah-ha-ha!!!

Happy Sunday, all!!

:> )

When it comes to my kitchen countertop...

((giggle))

:> )

Patiently waiting...

♥

Back to square one... I think.

Well, my Wilsonart Old Mill Oak laminate samples arrived yesterday and was giddy as I laid them out across the countertop.

But as I looked at them and looked around at my kitchen, I felt there were too many woodtones. The floor, the butcher block, the Windsor dining room set and hutch are all different woodtones. Adding a woodtone countertop may be overkill. I also noticed when I dragged a knife across the Old Mill Oak, it left a light mark. **sigh**



My first choice was Formica's Soapstone Sequoia. Even though I went out of my comfort zone picking this one, I thought the look of soapstone complimented my farmhouse kitchen quite nicely.



Man, I am so frustrated.

Feel free to throw in your two cents.

So for now, I'll walk away and go create something Halloweenie for Early Work Mercantile.

:> )

Saving a little of my home in my home...

Doesn't make sense, does it?
It will. Give me a minute.

I mentioned my niece and fiance' purchased my parent's home. My childhood home.
I also mentioned I am thrilled they did. Knowing it is still in the family is truly a blessing. My parents took a lot of pride in their home.

But it is bittersweet. There's a lot of change going on in that home now. Although only cosmetic, it is still change. My childhood home is no more, esthetically speaking. I guess paneling and Z-Brick are no longer hip. ((giggle))

When they mentioned all the interior louver wood shutters were being removed, I asked my niece if I could have a few. She was sweet enough to say yes. ♥

Man, I can remember it like it was yesterday. My mom wanting wood, louver shutters and my daddy buying, staining and trying to hang them for her. I can also remember the the 2" ash that managed to stay on the cigarette hanging out of his mouth mouth as he wrestled and cursed trying to hang them. Minus the cigarette, I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. ((giggle))

So I cleaned them, and painted (and paint and painted) them and tried to hang them. They are a little lot warped and don't even come close to fitting. But I don't care. They are here with me and I couldn't be happier with how they look.



I'm still trying to figure out the other side.



Not sure why I'm in a long dress, changing the channel on a television that isn't on. OR why my mom would take a picture of me doing it...
But here it is and there are the shutters.
((giggle))



Happy Monday.



:> )

This isn't your mama's butcher block laminate countertop...

First let me type: If you are a hardcore, high end kitchen countertop kind of person...
There's nothing to see here. Please move along.
((giggle))

But if you're not, please continue reading.

Most of us remember the old Formica butcher block countertops. How could we forget?

Heck, I'm pretty sure you can still get this pattern.



We didn't have them. But I remember my aunt did. It was all the rage back in the 70's.

Well, genuine imitation wood grain laminate countertops have come a long way, baby!

Check this out!!
Wilsonart HD Old Mill Oak.









I was so smitten with these countertops; when I posted on Laurel/The North End Loft blog to ask her about them, I forgot to give her my email address. She was kind enough to hunt me down and contact me. What a sweetheart!!

She proceeded to say they look exactly the same now as they did when they were installed two years ago! They are also tough as nails and she highly recommends them.

Here's a few other pics I found online.







Here's the overall pattern.





I'm pretty sure smoke flew from my fingertips as I wildly typed to contact Wilsonart to have some samples sent me.

As you can see, I haven't been able to commit to a laminate pattern yet.
Lord knows I could make my own mosaic laminate countertop with all the samples I've ordered.



((hee hee))

Happy Thursday all!
:> )

Four thousand coats of paint, 70% humidity, a bat in the kitchen wood stove pipe...

and I still managed to get it all done!

Okay. Maybe the 4000 coats of paint is a bit of a stretch. But the humidity and bat are true.

I am tickled pink with the outcome of the new trim color! Perfect background colors for a colonial look.






Yep. I know I don't have knobs on the other pair of old shutters. I can't decide... Black knobs or no black knobs? (That is the question.)



I decided to bring this same trim color into our dining/American flag walls room.
But I still need to do another coat of paint. Gee, who would have thought?

As far as the bat goes, most know my philosophy. I love and adore nature. But not inside my home. So it has to go. The problem is they freak me the heck out! Saying I am not a fan of bats is an understatement. No need to tell me how cute they are. Or how wonderful they are. I'm not buying it.

Hubs says he'll take care of it over the weekend. The weekend??!!! Today is only Wednesday??!!! What if it somehow gets out, flies around "looking" to hunt me down and gets tangled in my hair??!! Or what if it somehow gets out, flies around "looking" to hunt me down and turns into Dracula??!! A little too dramatic? See?? This is why I can't wait until the weekend.

For now, I have wrapped up and taped up our tiny woodstove like a mummy. Hey, it could somehow squeeze out of the door. At least that what's my fear is telling me.

So that's about it for today. Now if you will excuse me, I have a garlic necklace to make...

:> )

BAT UPDATE: My sweet hubs took care it as I hid upstairs with the girls. He's my hero! ♥

Happy Monday!

Man, it's hotter than blazes and just as humid and I've been a trim painting fool!

I'd also like to add it looks absolutely fantastic!!! Woo hoo!!! Wish I did it 15 years ago. But I've always been a late bloomer. ((hee hee))

Not only does the room look bigger and brighter, painting all that trim makes the wonderful ceiling beams stand out so it draws the eye up!

Even my sweet hubs admitted, "Wow, this looks really nice!" That's saying a lot since he is a man of few words when it comes to interior decor. ((giggle))

So are you ready to see photos of the new paint job??!!!

Here's a sneak peek...



Sorry. You'll have to wait to see the rest. I need to do a second coat.
Ben is quite pleased.


:> )

I found the perfect trim color...

News at eleven!!

Heck, who am I trying to kid. I can't stay awake past 10:00pm. So I'll tell you about it now.

I think I mentioned I decided to do the reverse as far as paint color goes in that room. Lighter walls with darker trim.

So off to the Home Depot I did go and spent a small fortune on paint samples.
Boy, those little rascals add up!

Came home and tried every color on a piece of trim and every color looked... "eh."
Man, a good thing I grabbed yet another boatload of color chips when I was there.

As I sat and stared at them strewn across my kitchen table, one kind of caught my eye. It's called "Stepping Stones." It looked rather dark. But when I took it out in the natural light next to the Antique White, is wasn't. It's a nice neutral.

Antique White:


Stepping Stones:


So... off to the Home Depot I did go again. I painted a piece of trim and... we have a winner!! **the crowd goes wild**

See what happens when I stay up after 10pm??

:> )

I'm moving furniture around...

yet again.
Of course when I move furniture around, I feel the need to paint something too. ((giggle))

Actually, I've been champing at the bit for many years to paint the trim in this room.
It has that 1970's darkish pine stain which we all know how much I "love" that look. *please note sarcasm*
I think the dark wood beams are enough.

I've refrained because my sweet hubs doesn't want me to. Heck, I don't even know what color I'd like to paint it. All I know is that it needs to go. Bu-bye.





Icky-poo-poo..



So tell me, am I nuts??? Ummm... I'd better add to that question.
Am I nuts for wanting to paint the wood trim? What would you do?

I thought about just going white. Then I started looking around at a complimenting darker color. Not sure how it looks on your screen, but on my screen these colors look nice with the antique white on the walls.

Here's my wall color:


Here's what I picked.
Unmarked Trail:


Livingston:


Dry Pasture: (might be too dark)


I need to make a Home Depot run and look at the actual paint chips.

I did have a sample of Sculptor Clay so I painted some on a board and held it up next to the trim. It looks nice. But it may be too grey. Since I change furniture around as often as I change my underwear, I need to stick with a more neutral color. ((giggle))
I'll snap a pic of it later.




:> )

Happy Monday...

(((giggle)))

:> )

I received more Formica laminate samples in the mail...

My response to the majority of them was "oh, heck no."
But there was one... One that was rather pretty. Again in the grey- greige color. It's a new color called "Silver Quartzite" with the scovato finish. The only problem is the samples are about the size of a Chiclet. Seriously, how can anyone tell how a countertop would look like with a sample that size??















I still have Soapstone Sequoia on the brain.



:> )

"I am truly grateful...

that I am able to continue to walk through the doors of my childhood home. Although my daddy is no longer with us, my mama is still there. Esthetically, it has changed over the years. But my fond childhood memories are the same.



Mama is the artistic one and I am so grateful to have her "creative gene." She taught me to appreciate old things, paint the walls any color I like and to swing a hammer. (Even if it's at 2 o'clock in the morning because of an idea to create something)
She also taught me when picking out a dollie, to pick the one with the face that "speaks" to you. Not all dollies do.

Daddy fixed my broken toys, taught me to ride my bicycle without training wheels, taught me to plant a garden and to feed the birds. He also taught me to drive a car, change the oil and he always made sure any date I had came to the door first to meet him.

Both taught me to keep a sense of humor about life and the importance of eating dinner together (everyday) as a family.

In that little red house not only did I take my first steps, I lovingly kissed my daddy goodbye for the last time.
A lot of love has flowed through that home. I can only hope someday, when another family lives within those walls, they will experience the same love of family I was blessed to have."
:> )
Karin Pender
Countryfolk Keepsakes
January 7, 2011

I wrote this about the house I grew up in for an online art group I belonged to years ago.

I am reposting this because much has happened since then.

My mama passed away in 2014 and that little red house sat empty. That is until yesterday.

But I'm not sad. Actually, I'm very happy. You see my niece (my sister's daughter) and her fiancé bought the house and closed on it yesterday.

So I no longer have to hope that someday another family who lives within those walls will experience the same love I did.
I know they will.

I also know my daddy and mama are smiling down from Heaven...

♥