Tweaks and Overhauls

New week. New day. New blog design.

Routines are good but change is good too - and sometimes it is just necessary. You always have to clean your house - at least I do - and periodically I do things just a little bit differently. Other times a complete overhaul is required. On the home front, this is what I have been doing with the boys clothes. It's necessary when the season has changed and they have grown.

The same truth applies to my blog. I resisted change for awhile. Why? I loved my design. I really did. So I survived for a long time with small tweaks and updates. I wrestled with the thought for a while but I finally had to face the truth - the time had come for a complete overhaul. Simms didn't think it was necessary but he isn't a huge lover of change either. That was one thing I tackled last night - after we pruned a tree (Simms pruned, I was the spotter for where to cut which branch), enjoyed an impromptu dinner by a fire in our backyard (mountain pies) and said good-night to our kiddos. The overhaul is complete and I still have time to tweak the details.

How do you deal with change? Do small tweaks give you the chills or do you love the challenge of a complete overhaul?

The Project Continues...

I don't have any true before pictures but here are some of the changes that we've made to Barber's room (a work that is still in progress)

Note the dresser. Can you tell the color doesn't match. It blended nicely when the walls were suede and the room was a teddy bear themed nursery. That will be painted white sometime this summer.

This is the chocolate wall - with a bit of a glare. Another dresser that needs to be painted white. It used to be my dad's when he was a little boy - all wood then. Somehow over the years it was painted this nasty green color. Simms started to strip the paint. I'm going to just sand it down and then paint it white. There are actually doors that go on top and hide the three pull out drawers. Those drawers were never painted green and I'm not going to paint them white either.

The colors we selected for Barber's room are based on the comforter set he has. You can see the pillow shams in the above photo.

This photo is a bit dark...it's actually the same blue as the first photo.

Here is our tricolor wall. I just love this wall if it is possible to actually love a wall. This is actually a type of before photo and below is the after...

Tricolor wall with the collage. We still have to get a photo to replace the sailboat. Meanwhile, Barber gets to pick what photos he wants on his wall. Some may stay forever but others will change over time.

This is one that I believe will stay forever...

More than a Simple Bookshelf

Life at our corner has been filled with a lot of activity. Good stuff and definitely things that would be blog-worthy. Time has been the variable that has prevented me from writing about it. However, I am planning on doing some catch-up over the next week.

Meanwhile, here is a pic of one of the time-filled activities that have kept me away from the computer. This bookshelf was purchased and put together by me. Definitely a great purchase from Target. It didn't work in the original location that I was thinking about but I found a happy spot in the kitchen and am loving the organization it has provided as well as clearing some space from my counter tops. Can one ever have enough counter space?

It fits on the side of our pantry next to the kitchen table. Perfect spot for many essentials. It's much nicer to have the vitamins here. It also has helped organize the lunch bags (bottom shelf). Craft and homework essentials fit perfectly as well as some of the games that we've been enjoying lately. I cannot even begin to describe the happy feeling that this gave to me - you couldn't wipe the smile off my face!

Simple Solutions

Sound like an oxymoron?

Check out my post at Created & Called. Maybe one of these Simple Solutions will work for you too.

If Sacrifice Was a Color, What Would It Be?

Picture one task that you truly despise. Something that if possible, you would never ever ever purposefully participate in. Do you have something in mind? Now understand this - this is how my beloved Simms feels about paint - not as in color but rather the process of application of said color.

We moved into our house in 1997. The home was only two years old and the walls were still covered with flat white construction paint. I'm a color girl. I love the show Color Splash on HGTV (as well as many others - anyone else a Design Star fan?). While I appreciate all the warm hues, my decorating taste seems to lean toward the cool tones. Needless to say, the walls were screaming for some color and character and over the last 11+ years I have been quite busy with paint. Simms is very happy to see the project complete and desires to be part of the planning process - he likes design, he just isn't a fan of the process through which it happens especially if paint is involved.

In the last 11+ years, Simms has very successfully avoided paint. He has gladly helped pick out colors - and he's even helped me with taping off the room (thank you!) - but his involvement typically ends there. He did help when we worked on our Master Bedroom - which was our first real project in 1997. I think that sealed the deal for his dislike of paint. He also helped paint the crown molding for our dining room in 2003. It is now 2008 and although my mom helped a bunch - she also is housing family this weekend and needs to take care of details in her own home.

Yesterday's plan was to paint the top and bottom of the final wall. I completed the bottom portion with the chocolate brown and Simms was going to complete the top in the evening. That was before we knew he was going to put in a 12-hour day at work. I was ready to improvise - thinking I could paint the middle section today and then tonight Simms could paint the top. I shared this with him and he tiredly nodded his agreement. Then at 10:30PM (not even 2 hours after he got home) he surprised me and asked "So, you ready to go upstairs and paint?" What? Now? Are you kidding me?

He wasn't. His concern was what tomorrow would bring - the unknown hours of his workday. So we spent an hour edging and rolling paint on the top portion of the final wall. He did it without verbally complaining but his nonverbals told me what a loving sacrifice it was. What a funny picture we were at 11:30 last night. Me with a smile of glee at seeing my vision for the room getting one step closer to completion while Simms humored me with an almost painful smirk and a "Hooray. It's done." Well, his portion of the paint is done. I'll finish this phase tomorrow but I'm not even near "done". There's woodwork and furniture to be painted, a curtain rod to purchase, canvases to paint, frames to purchase and hang, etc. etc. etc.

Tackle It Tuesday

Last week Jeter asked me when football started again. I told him preseason would begin next month. He was bummed that he had to wait. I believe his excited anticipation for the next season may have something to do with the re-do of their rooms - which will include framed posters and painted canvases featuring the NY Giants as well as the NY Yankees and NASCAR's Jeff Gordon (for Jeter) and Jimmie Johnson (for Barber).

It's taking me a L-O-N-G time to get started on this project. Do you think that the dislocated/severely sprained ankle has something to do with it? I am on the road to recovery and PT is amazing but I am not allowed to climb a ladder yet. Major problem when the walls are 8 feet high and I am 5'4". Add to this that my injury has brought out the Papa Bear of my Daddy. So I think about him or have his voice in my head - or in my ear because he has called me to make sure that I will NOT attempt to climb up a ladder or even a stool! This alone chases away any thoughts or temptations to attempt a climb. Meanwhile Barbers' walls have to be painted before this weekend - furniture needs to be moved back so we can house the Long Island entourage of family that is visiting. I am so excited to see my family again! Can you say "Mommy to the rescue!"? I am so grateful for her. She worked on the edging and the top 1-1/2 feet and I painted the rest of the wall. We completed the two light blue walls this weekend. Last night we completed the chocolate brown wall while Simms taped off the final wall. The top is going to be a light khaki, the bottom the chocolate brown and the large middle is going to be a medium blue. This actually mimics the comforter set that Barber has - my inspiration piece for the painting of his room. Who knows...I might even attempt some before and after pictures for you when the project is done.

Meanwhile...how do we break the news to Jeter that his favorite NY Giant player - Jeremy Shockey has been traded to the Saints for a couple of draft picks?!?