Entering the less is more style

It is definitely a challenge to remember to limit the things I like to the things I luv!  KISS

First I chose the best colour and not what I necessarily wanted.  But I do like the colour.  It is greige which is a neutral.  I have options now and I definitely luv options!

If I'd known I'd not be putting the large mirror back I'd have positioned the art mirror before priming.  It is meant to hang with the blocks in a diagonal position but I luv it in this asymmetrical arrangement.  Thank you, dear Rooster, and we did it with only one extra nail hole and only a few *^#+@#'s!  ;^)

The end of the banister only holds so many coats so the coat hooks have to stay.  :{  I am so happy with the small chandy but the naked light bulb is a problem.  Ugly shadows at night!  I bought a dimmer switch and found a frosted bulb so here is hoping!

I was looking for a tray for the top of hubby's cubbies!   I'm still looking but actually most of his clutter is hidden.  I do think I maybe shoulda brought the aqua bowl home but how much aqua do I really need.  I debated about the sconces but they make me happy.  The chest is from Ten Thousand Villages and another 'luv' but also useful for mitts, toques and scarves.  The garbage can may switch to the other side and in the corner.

And I'm not sure if the tree art is done but it works for me.   Hmm, I shall be tweaking this for a while.  Too bad there is no electrical plug on this wall.   The bane of old houses!  lol 

This wee cupboard is another thing that makes me happy.  So last night we got it fixed in place.  After the house painting is complete I'll be turning to fibre art and the screws for the hanging rod are above the bench and were in before the priming.  I am learning!  The pillows are maybe too big but washing may soften them.  And that lamp...??? 
 

But I am very happy with how this has come together and all the options I will have for the coming seasons.   I think I am entering a great decorating season!  :)

Entering the bonus zone

 This has been a remarkable project and has left me slightly breathless in spite of the bonuses.

I had originally planned for the winter decorating plan to include only some prep work for spring work parties.  The down hall, the stairway and the up hall are all connected so I thought I'd just start with the entrance wallpaper.

My grandson (a bonus) came to help remove the wallpaper from the hallway.  Gosh it was old and removing it revealed how dingy it had made the entrance in spite of being a very light and subtle stripe.   It felt great to have that done.  Josh screwed the coat rack boards and we hung the coats back up.  I was evaluating all the old nail holes when the Rooster asked why we'd put the coat hooks back when we weren't done.  I went to sleep thinking about that. Yah, why???

 The hall ceiling breaks at the bottom stair landing. (a bonus)  The old sponging technique on those tall stair walls is very neutral ( a bonus) so only doing the actual hall is feasible.   I have so many nail holes in the main wall it is embarrassing  to have them visible even for a few months.  :(

So the youngest grandaughter  (smaller bonus) and I got primer and paint samples.  We also scored a small chandelier in the discount section!  (BONUS)  onward!  The old light will be a better fit in the upstairs hallway and I have always coveted a chandelier, even a wee one!

Painting this door has so changed things and painting all those inserts was worth ever dribble! (bonus)

I have to spray paint the register.  The Rooster needs daylight to affix the chandy so that will have to wait for the weekend.  It is also probably a good idea to let the paint cure a bit and frankly I am so enjoying the clean emptiness.   oye- look at that stair railing!  I need to clean it as well!  These jobs just lead from one thing to the next and the next and the...

Now to keep trying to keep things KISS and not clutter everything up...


Part two next week when I decide what I will actually have in this welcome room.   Besides, I need to make Valentines!  ;^)  little bonuses!

Breaking into a sprint to cross the finish line

I quilted the leftovers for a wee mat!  If I can find the right thread I believe I have a plan for the big wall hanging.

I styled the big chest which the Rooster needs to turn his glue and his attention to.  I will antique the left hand birdhouse.  No screen door because to have it swing into the landing would wipe out the light and then wedge itself into the slope for the upstairs stairs.  To swing into the kitchen makes no sense with the chest there.  A louvered bi-fold door would work.  sad sigh

Then I put masking tape where two Ikea ledges would go and yup!  It works. This arrangement will cover the worst screw holes until I can get to Ikea,  patch the worst and mount the shelves.

Across the way is the Rooster's command centre. One of them anyway!  He has all those six baskets holding six aspects of his life.  lol

I wanted to show the entrance mat.  It ties most everything together and all I have left is to figure out the shade of paint I need.  Most satisfying Saturday as I 'shopped the house'!  This hall feels so much lighter, brighter, wider!  Now if I can figure where to stash the extra chairs we regularly need! ;)

I haven't intended to be posting on the weekends but this was all about finishing last week's goals. 

Last week's DYLP pages turned out well.  I used the gel medium to adhere the dark navy branch.  The over flap with the long strips of paper for journaling work great!

This week's prompt is to collage a recycled item.  I put a watercolour page inside a cd envelope and I have the backgrounds drying.  My flap will be a scrapbook paper. 

Gosh., Monday is only a few rotations of the clock away!   But I finished!!!  pant, pant

Slipped into Saturday

Two grand Kiddies will be arriving soon to stay till the 25th when we shall deliver them photo ready for a happy family day at their parents.  I want to get everything ready for some fun and creative projects.

The presents were wrapped and the tags completed.

The shortbread was done!

The journal pages got a few extra special pages ready to go.

The table runner and topper are finished and my thumb is coming along nicely!

The new/old piece of furniture got a makeover.  The Rooster had an early day Thursday; daylight is important for older eyes!  lol  And I couldn't wait to touch up the clock base Friday morning.  Pyjamas and paint brush!  I am SO messy.  awk!    Then I started looking at the other piece across the hall.  It turned out great but I need to find some material for a shelf in the bottom and some knobs.

The hall decisions are made and when the renovation hits this room I have a plan.  That closet will become a computer centre.  The rug is usually in the veranda for the summer and is there to remind me of my focus as I almost got seduced by a lovely rug that would have turned me 60 degrees away from all I have accumulated.  :^) I need to pick up a few drawer knobs and some harvest gold paint to smudge on the new clock base.

I had originally planned to have my friend Les's wall hanging up in the hall but it was just made for the front room!  Thanks, Les!

I shall resume with the regularly scheduled posts after the shortbread is eaten, the wrapping paper gathered, and the leftovers are consumed!

Blessings to all for the coming holidays!

maybe this time...

Can I get the shortbread made this week?

The hallway is up for consideration.  I underestimated a small job that once again involved the Rooster and his creative skills.  :(  So I need to jump on it first thing this morning.

I had taken up the rug.  I moved the clock across the hall and then decided to totally rework the base of the clock, well, the Rooster will.  And that's where I left things.

Another little piece that will move into the clocks old position is up for reworking and hopefully I can finish it up by Friday.  My Rooster carefully removed the wine rack and he'll be using it for his hobbies!  I am wondering what colour to paint it.  But I think I need to find the rug first.

There is that table runner and topper!!!  I'm also thinking I need one more sheer panel as I put the new one in the playroom and left the plain ones for the east rooms.  Luv the big leaves on it!

The calendar pages need keeping up with.  I am rolling with that one.

Jenn and I need to get some gift wrap and tags finished up.

I am sure others are busier than I but I am happy to only be kinda busy.  Here is to a smooth slide into the holidays!

Five steps forward and two back

We have a lot of the white fluffy stuff.  The gals in the coop are not real happy and the egg production is showing their displeasure!  They do venture out occasionally but the ducks are mostly out.  Look who is leading mama around now that he has really got his wings!  He can clear the top of the big barn!

The hallway was looking like such a small job that I diddled around with a lot of other stuff before I actually got down to 'doing' it.

I got the old leather trunk cleaned out.  All but a few year books that didn't fit were sent off to DD#1, official record keeper for the family.  I think she'll have a fun time pouring through the old letters and photos during the holidays!

I did make the 12 tags for 12/12/ 12 and that made me rethink how I was storing some things so I did get two more drawers done in the playroom.  All these little bits will make the job faster when I get into that room for the deep clean.  lol

I decided that the hall rug was becoming too much of a magnet for my sloppy coffee carrying on the way to the new computer station in the hallway.  Its also in the road for accessing the chair so I popped it into the Sunshine room and it'll be a cozy foot warmer and car race area!

But the hall turned out to be another digression because this clock needs more modifying as the bottom box to lift it up higher isn't right.  So my Rooster has agreed to another Saturday project.  lol

I want to store all my doll stuff in it.  That got me reacquainted with my 3 girls- Carly who had her glasses broke when dear grandson tried them on and who hasn't seen too well since! Carly, not Josh!  Emily Hanna, who withstands lots of attention, doesn't care for fancy and frills.  Her claim to fame was a 'for real' trip to a real hairdressers for a stylish bob.  The youngest and slightly smaller is Mariella , who for all her sweetness is a real trouper.  She survived a time away as her face healed from terrible black marks that Dutch Cleanser finally faded.  phew!  I am hoping that all the rearranging will postpone their re-entry into the grand kiddies play zone for a while longer.  Out of sight, out of mind?  Well, we'll try at least.

And that cleaned out another drawer!  yippee skippee!

I am up to date on the calendar journal.

The table runner ... :(

The shortbread...  :((   The grand kiddies and I will be making some on the 24th at this rate!  

I shall continue on with the hall makeover and see if we can get 'er done by next Friday!

Open door. Close door?

How about throw away the door!

This upstairs hall way usually has my flannelet design wall across this shallow closet.  I did learn to store stuff I don't usually need in it as there is usually something pinned all over it. 

Friday I was kinda frustrated and when I get that way I need to DO something.  I tend to take things out on the vacuum and while I was working I was thinking.   The clutter in the house is bothering me.  I am also thinking  about ways to get things finished.   How can I do things better?

I can't say enough good things about blogging.  It makes me commit and then it makes me figure out how to make those commitments happen.  Mostly I trick myself.   lol

 I blog Monday to Friday as my weekends are pretty much taken up with family.   To have Finishes for Friday I need to begin to plan on Monday.  But I need to get busy on Monday, not plan things.  So when I Finish on Friday I won't be finished until I have the plan for the following week.  This also means I'll be blogging about what I've done not just what I'd like to do.  So while I will bead on Monday it'll be the theme for Tuesday.  Tuesday is the day I'll prep for WOW, Worktable On Wednesday!  Then Wednesday I can be busy on house stuff and finishing the goal for the week which posts Friday.  etcetera!

 All that creative energy made me want to tear the hall door off.  I decided the days of queen sized quilts is over and the design wall becomes the hanging place for UFOs which make me duck my head as I pass through this space.  Be gone!  The fashion fabric is not too fashionable any more so...  Be gone.   Stacks of books everywhere is becoming hazardous to the Rooster's toes!  Be gone.

 This closet will house the computer when we change to high speed.  This gives me a better idea of what needs to happen.  I'm all about form over function.  I'm not liking the visual clutter of the books so I did some more creative storing.  lol 

A quick fix, some improvement, still a bit too cluttered, but I feel better. I did pass the fashion fabrics quickly off to my daughter on Sunday as I was already starting  to have second thoughts about my first good intentions.    I am forcing myself to stay focused and this hallway is further down the to-do list.  I can however be thinking ahead to solutions to some of the things that will be needed to make this work.  I am getting a bit smarter in my great old age!  ha!

So this week my goal is to get the last of my stitching patterns done.  I've sliced up the last of my solid black fabric.  This is not real exciting but I'm sure I'm going to refer to these over and over again and I'll be sew glad I persevered.  I need to plan the beading class schedule, WOW what's on Wednesday's Worktable,  declutter something else and find something to play with.

Some people sweep things under the rug. I shove them in a drawer or closet and slam the door.  I think I'm going to open a few more doors and maybe even get rid of the door entirely.  Open doors are definitely open opportunities.