House Progress, Ducks and Flowers 6.27.2021

 Hi Everyone!  Hope you are enjoying the weekend!  I painted the Master Bath yesterday and today is my "off" day.  I always take Sundays off from house projects and just rest and relax.

Here are 2 photos of the Master Bath.  I don't know why the trim in the first photo looks like it is turquoise, it isn't it is white.

Master Bath painted Valpar's Polar Star (like the Master Bedroom).  The trim is white not turquoise LOL!

I am in the bathroom looking out into my room.  This week the contractor will be finishing the tile, setting the vanity, hopefully the shower door and new light fixtures.  I'm hoping he does all that while I'm away in NJ.

The Contractors worker put the shutters I had painted on the bottom half of the house.  I think they look so much better.  They were very dull black, so I painted them glossy black.  Like that much better.

Friday I painted the front railings, spindles and posts.  Nice super white now.  Once the new front door is installed and new side lights, it will look like a new place!

The Contractor this week worked on the final kitchen cabinets they were waiting for.  Here is the results so far!

Where you see the foot of the ladder, that is where the refrigerator is going.  I love that I will have a few drawers, not just doors under the top drawer.  Then there is the corner cabinet, which will have a lazy susan shelf unit.  Next in the skinny cabinet my cookie sheets and pizza stones will go in there.  There will be dividers in there.  Then the low little cabinet is below the white farmhouse sink!  I am so excited that I will be getting one!

This is the lazy susan unit int he corner cabinet.  It isn't all together yet, but it will be this week.

Yesterday after I was done painting I went and took care of Jenny's dog, Ringo.  He had to be let out because they were gone up to Charlotte, NC for the day.  I went out an checked her ducks.  They have grown so much.  She has 2 Pekings, 2 mallards and 2 Chunky Camos.  

They are so funny, they all gather in a corner and protect each other.  She got these as little ducklings.  You think they would be used to me by now.  I should have done a video, they were all quacking away!

My roses have just been blooming and blooming this week!  They are absolutely gorgeous too.  The David Austen Graham Thomas rose is just beautiful.  At one time I had 18 buds on it!

David Austin Heritage Rose

David Austin Heritage Rose

David Austin Graham Thomas Rose.  

I really hope you all have enjoyed my photos of the reno and the other goings on in my life!  Here is to having a good coming week!!

Sherri

Summer Lights at Brookgreen Garden, Murrells Inlet, SC

Saturday night Megan, Jenny, Owen and I went to Brookgreen Garden for the Summer Lights display. As always, it was a fabulous time had by all! There is always so many things to see here no matter how many times you visit this garden. I have been there quite a few times and I haven't even seen everything yet. Here are some photos from that night for you to enjoy:

These were all empty soda bottles with lights in them.  They had 3 or 4 groupings of these at the entrance.  So pretty!!

This horse sculpture was at the beginning of one of the gardens.  Reminds me of the last horse I owned.

All the sculptures at Brookgreen are just wonderful!!

There are 2 peacock statues at the beginning of the main walkway at Brookgreen, just beautiful!

This fountain is pretty during the day and as it starts to get dark.

Diana, the Huntress

This statue was created by the same sculpture who created the Rockefeller Center gold angels statues.  Amazing work!

These lights are all wine bottles turned upside down with lights in them.  It was so pretty as it started to get dark.

These Chinese Lanterns were wonderful.  There were paths just lined with these.  So many colors.

This is a statue of a little girl playing a flute while sitting on a flower.  The Chinese lanterns and other lights were all around her.

Owen specifically wanted to see this statue again.  It is of Ben Franklin as a young man.  He told me there are very few statues of Ben Franklin when he was young.  He loves Ben Franklin almost as much as Abraham Lincoln. :)

These were all glass orbs and hand blown glass pieces.  It was quite bright so that is why the photo isn't so detailed.

Down one of the paths they hung hundreds of Chinese Lanterns in the trees, all different colors.  So beautiful!!

This was such a magical night.  I especially love to see things like this through Owen's eyes.  Children have such a way with looking at things maybe differently than an adult would.  If you are ever near this garden, I would highly recommend stopping by.  There is also some animals there for children and adults to go see.  They also have a butterfly house but due to COVID I don't think they have opened this yet.  Just a wonderful experience!

TGIF June 18, 2021 Friday

Hi Everyone!  TGIF!  I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday and weekend.  Stay cool!

I had a little upsetting day yesterday, I had to call my daughter, Jenny to take me to the ER.  I had horrible hip pain and it was so bad I was in tears.  I also had a fever (low grade) and nauseousness.  I was having a sciatica bout.  That stuff is not fun.  I got 2 shots and sent home with some Motrin and pain meds.  Today I am doing better but not house stuff for me for the next few days.  

Today is kind of sad day for me.  John would have been 67 today.  I know most of you know I lost John unexpectedly on 11/27/19.  I miss that man like crazy everyday.  I hope he is having a wonderful heaven birthday today!

This was a picture of John taken in 2019.  We were with the whole family at Lake Norman.  We always celebrated John's birthday and Father's Day together.  He had so much fun being with the family and doing things with the grandboys.  He was such a good man!  Love you to the moon and back sweetie!!

My contractor is moving right along with installing the kitchen cabinets.  He realized there were 2 cabinets that were not in the order, they are at his cabinet shop now being put together so Monday or so next week he will be able to put the rest in and start doing the crown mouldings and the fancy hood over the stove.  Flooring will be done at the end.  The flooring choice for the kitchen, downstairs half bath and breakfast room area will be an engineered hardwood.  It will also go into the adjoing next room which is the den.  Should be really nice.  Here are some photos of his progress:

This will be my laundry area.  I'll put shelves above the washer and dryer, the cabinet wrapped up is a pantry.  The flooring will be the engineered hardwood.  This is the breakfast room/butler's pantry area.  I will be painting this room Valspar's Polar Star.  This is the same color I painted my Master Bedroom.

This is the downstairs half bath.  The vanity is in, the AC register in the floor will be removed.  We had to move the entrance into this room, that is why there is a vent in the floor in the doorway.  They moved the new vent work over already.  When they put down the new flooring the vent will be removed, patched and no one will ever no it was there!

This is the part of the kitchen that will have the gas range installed.  The contractor will be making the hood over the range fancier than it is with trim.  There will be white subway tile as the backsplash.  Behind the stove will be a herringbone tile pattern with tile trim around it.  

This is part of the kitchen.  The opposite side of the room from the kitchen sink and window.  The top of the pantry cabinet will hold my microwave and coffee maker.  It don't want that on the counter.  the rest will be for storage, which I always need because I have such a large amount of kitchen items!

This morning I had to water my gardens.  Yesterday I was in no shape to do so and I forgot to ask Jenny to do it for me.  This is some highlights on my watering walk:

Yesterday when I went out to the fenced area to let the dogs out, I saw this out of the corner of my eye.  There was a turtle in my garden laying eggs!!  She is from the pond on the golf course, which is pretty far away from the house.  She had a long walk to lay those eggs!

One of my newly planted roses this year Oh Happy Days was blooming brightly this morning.  So pretty!

One of my daylilies that I brought from the old house decided to bloom today also.  I love the water drops from water on them, so pretty in the sunlight.

Pink Prelude has been my pride and joy this year!  It just keeps blooming and blooming.  Love it!

Pink Prelude up close.

Pink Prelude flower and some buds.

David Austin's Graham Thomas has been a consistent bloomer this year also.  I have alot of other buds on there getting ready to bloom.  So cheerful is this color rose!

I went to turn off the hose at the spigot and guess who was nestled down amongst the clover today,  Mr. Toad!  Scared me at first because I'm always on the look out for snakes.  I hope he eats some more bugs!

I wish everyone a happy Friday and weekend!  Enjoy the days, stay cool and have a wonderful time!

Sherri

 

Things are moving right along! Monday 6.14.2021

 Hi Everyone!

Well alot of painting has gotten done around here.  All the bedrooms are done now.  The master I did a few weeks ago.  Friday I painted the front bedroom  (this is the room that had the dreaded wallpaper in it that took 1.5 weeks to remove).  I painted it with Valspar paint and it was called Winter in Paris.  I don't know how they make up the names but it sounds and looks pretty!  

Today I painted the back bedroom.  It was also Valspar paint and it is called Ghost Ship.  It looks more gray in the photo, but in person there is more blue in it.  I wanted something very subtle.  I'm happy with it!

This is before.  (I almost forgot to take a photo before I rolled the walls)

This is the after photo.  Like I said you can see more blue in the paint in person.  You can kind of see some more blue in the corner of the room. You can also see it in the Before photo, the blue coloring.  I ordered a Pottery Barn paisley duvet cover and shams to put in that room.  There is blue, green and golds in it.  Should go very nicely!  

I will be taking a 2-day break from painting.  I was almost done with the painting and I went to step down and lost my balance a little and slammed my hip into the door casement!  I'm nursing that along. I also have some other appointments the next few days that would interfere with painting or projects anyway.  

My veggies in the veggie trug are going crazy!  The summer yellow squash, tomato and cucumbers are just exploding!  I have really enjoyed the summer squash many nights last week and this weekend.  Yesterday I grilled a steak, steamed summer squash and I roasted some potatoes on the grill in a foil packet with olive oil and rosemary from my garden and it was wonderful!  (See below)

 

Veggie trug

I started a garden where there was never one before at this house.  I dug up the sod and got some plants in that I had brought from the other house and ordered from plant suppliers.  To my surprise this little daylily bloomed!  I love the color.

On Saturday I walked around and looked at my plants.  I could not pass up this lovely hydrangea blossom!  Most of mine were blue but this one is purple!  I love it.  I have a really dark purple one I put in when I first moved here in the front garden.  This is lighter but just as beautiful!

Yesterday as I do on ever Sunday is my day of rest!  After working on the house every day, I need a break and boy did I need one on this Sunday!  I watched part of the Westminster Dog Show.  Ginger was so funny, she actually started watching it while Emma just napped on the floor.

Ginger watching the Westminster Dog Show on Sunday!  I think she is thinking, "I'm glad I'm not being shown at that show.  Looks like too much work"!

Well that is about all I have for today!  I hope your day is lovely!

Sherri

6.8.21 Tuesday Rainy Day

Hi Everyone!

Well we have another rainy day today.  I know we needed rain, but it can stop now.  I just am not motivated today at all.  I did, however, spackle the guest room.  Yesterday I washed the walls down to get the wallpaper paste off and then I primed the walls to seal any remaining paste.  Tomorrow I have to go back to NC for my dentist appointment.  I was in the beginning of having an implant put in when I moved from NC to SC.  I have to have an impression done for the crown and they are going to clean my teeth (get that out of the way).  I will have to make one more trip to NC for the actual crown placement on the implant post.  I will be meeting my friend, Virginia from my old neighborhood for lunch.  I miss chatting with her, so I am really looking forward to the visit!  

My grandboys are done with their homeschooling classes on Friday!  They did so well on their end of the year testing!  My daughter, Jenny is making up Harry Potter baskets for them.  I am knitting the Harry Potter scarves to go with their HP hats I needed last year.  I only have a little done on Jack's scarf-see below:

The scarves shouldn't take too long.  The stitches are just knitting and purling.  Easy peasy!!  They boys certainly don't need them now!  It is so humid here with all this rain.  

I don't have any updated photos for you on the renovations.  Thursday I will paint the guest room, so I'll post that.  My kitchen cabinets and vanities are in and the crew is putting them together.  One step further to having my kitchen back!  The contractor said my LVP is also in for the guest bathroom.  I think the tile should be in soon also.  I really don't mind all the upheaval, I'm used to that having grown up in the construction field, but I really do miss cooking in my kitchen.  I miss having water on the first floor of the house too!  It will all be done before I know it!

Well I'm off to feed the dogs and make dinner.  Everyone have a lovely evening!

Sherri

 

Monday, 6.7.21

Hi Everyone!  I hope everyone is having a great day today!  I am getting ready to go up to the guest room and start removing all the residue wallpaper paste from the walls.  I will then use a sealant and then paint the walls in that room before the carpet is put down.  Here is what the room look like without the wallpaper:

So much better without that horrible pink with flowers wallpaper.  

The contractors on Friday worked on the Master Bath!  They got the "mud" tray in for the tile in the shower and the cement board up.  Hopefully they will tile this week!  They also got the plumbing put in the wall instead of on the outside of the wall.  I think they have one more pipe to put in the wall in this picture.  They also replaced the floor board with cement board under the vanity.  

Shower all ready to tile now!

Plumbing in the wall.  Plumbing stubs already for the sinks!

When I went to let the dogs out this morning, I was greeted by my volunteer sunflower being open!  Don't sunflowers just make you smile!

I hope you all have a wonderful day!  I'm off to take the wallpaper paste off the walls in the guest room now!

Sherri