… and it certainly looks like a Monday back at work. YIKES! My desk is exploding with papers. (thank goodness it’s Tuesday… that gives me a short week!)

Sometimes I feel like I can’t escape the messes. Mess at home… mess at work… and my poor little car hasn’t been washed in months. I know, I know, it’s just a time in life that you “get through”. Change is certain and I always tell myself when I feel overwhelmed, “Will this matter in 5 years”. NO! I’m just whining today. It’s helpful to look back through the blog and see how far we’ve come. It just seems like we’re moving at a snails pace. (I refuse to say it…. I’m getting older and slower!) Hey, I didn’t say that.

The long weekend was sort of a bust. I had hoped to get LOTS done but it just never goes quite like you play it out in your head. It’s really bad to do that, I know. But I did make some progress…..

Back in June I did a post on some colorful fabric that I purchased just because I loved it and only “kinda” knowing what I’d do with it. Well I was tired of looking at it all so I did a little sewing. I used the gray flowered pattern to make some pillow cases for the guest bedroom. I love white sheets but the white pillow cases are B-O-R-I-N-G. Pillow cases are the easiest things to sew so I whipped up a set. These are terrible pictures.. but it looks much prettier.

I also used one of the fabrics for pillows for the sofa. I wanted something small and really soft. I went ahead and made a pattern for them because I know in 6 months I’ll want something different and I can take these off and make something else. A pattern makes it easier. NO BRAINS REQUIRED!

The Bedroom….

Well, it’s a struggle. I’m telling you. I was able to make progress with some of the woodwork, but like I said, nothing moves fast enough.
I turned my attention to the most horrible windows ever. Yes, I’m embarrassed to show the before pictures but they do make it more dramatic and who doesn’t love drama. Each window had to be scrubbed and scraped and cleaned til I bled. LITERALLY. I told you… DRAMA! All the wood in the house is what they call “rough cut” which means it hasn’t been sanded to that nice smooth finish most of us use and have in homes. In many ways it’s good and many it’s awful. The awful part is SPLINTERS! If only I had a dollar for every splinter I’ve dug out or screamed at the top of my lungs for Richie to dig out because it was so deep under my fingernail that I couldn’t get to it. I’m like a 2-year old baby.

My hands look like a construction worker or ditch digger. I should be on that CarHart commercial I always see about “working man hands”. (laughing!) One day I will paint my nails and look like a girl again. (sigh) BUT NOT TODAY!

Okay, the windows are awful but what works best is one of those sponge sandpaper blocks. I dip it in water and start sanding the surface. It not only removes the dirt and stains, it also takes the old stain out, cleans the hardware, and manages to sand the wood all at once. Yes, I’m a genius. It only took me almost 3 years to figure that one out. DUHHH! It works, see.

All 8 windows pretty much took me the entire day. I was covered in dirt. Once I apply the opaque stain the wood will look brand new.

before and after

I then did the cut in on the ceiling beams. Getting right up next to the white ceiling takes some patience… but really it’s all about how you bend the tip of the brush. I have to say that I’m really good at it. (so modest, right?) To be honest, my secret is….. laughing… I hold my breath. I’m not kidding. I hold my breath so I don’t jerk the brush. It’s not a technique I would advise. You might pass out. :-). HA!

The solid stain really covers the small marks and puttied holes beautifully. It’s like a magic wand you just roll over and everything looks good again. Now if I could only wave that wand and get done with it already.

The bad news is that although I have the window ready for caulk and stain I’m on hold because we have some wood rot issues on the outside which will require removal of some of the glass to repair it… so I’ve been told by “the man” to STOP and wait for him to make those repairs. WAIT, ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I can’t wait. (that’s what I was thinking, at least) Of course, dear, I’ll wait for you…

Thanks for listening to me rant. My splinter feels better and now so do I.
-Stacey