Playhouse Dream

I have fulfilled a childhood dream of mine. I now have a playhouse. Yay! Many hours of painting later, and the house is finished, reassembled and in use. A number of weeks ago I posted some pictures showing this playhouse we got from our former neighbors. It was clearly in need of some TLC.

Every time I paint something old, I am amazed at the difference a fresh coat of paint makes. The wood had been stained before but it was wearing off in many places. Instead of restaining it, I opted for paint. I kept most of the trim white, except for the door. I decided to paint it a similar color to our front door and skip the headache of painting around the trim. I didn't paint the inside at all - it was in mostly good shape. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Dan helped me put it back together, and we carried the assembled walls to the location and then put the roof on it there.

The picture below was taken later in the day. I removed more ivy and we moved the playhouse back so that it wouldn't be as close to the bottom of the slide.

Almost Springtime Freeze

We didn't get many inches of snow, but what we did get was covered with ice. I've always loved the look of ice covered trees and shrubs, but this year it was a little bittersweet since some plants had started flowering early. Some shrubs we planted last year were just starting to grow new leaves, the forsythia was blooming, and a magnolia tree had bloomed and been burnt by the freezing temperatures over the weekend. I love wintry weather (when the power doesn't go out!), but this time around I was concerned for the new growth on plants. And concerned about falling tree limbs. We did have some of that on our property, but thankfully nothing that downed any power lines or damaged anything else.

I love winter and I love springtime, and I prefer them in their proper order. Too many mild, spring-like days in February have really messed up early-blooming plants around here. I felt sad seeing cherry trees in bloom a couple weeks ago, because I knew they would freeze. One of our magnolia trees started to bloom before a freeze, but not all the buds opened. The other bloomed between two freezing weekends. I'm really, really hoping the first magnolia survives and has some buds that can bloom when it's really spring. Weather out-of-whack worries me. And knowing that we won't be able to enjoy some colors of spring because they bloomed too early this year just makes me feel sad.

The iced forsythia

Broken Cedar branches

Top-heavy Arbor Vitae

Iced Trees

Broken Arbor Vitae 

Frozen, iced Magnolia blooms

Just Give Me All the Projects

I think this is the story of my life. I really do like projects, but I can get ahead of myself in starting new ones. Or adding new ones to my "to-do" list. Our neighbors across the street sold their house and are moving. But they didn't want the adorable little wooden playhouse in their backyard. They had a crew cleaning out their house and getting rid of all the old stuff they weren't keeping, and the plan was to have this crew tear down the playhouse and toss it in the dumpster.

I don't know about you, but as some one who never had a playhouse (and who really, really loved them), I did not want to see this thing torn down - especially since it still has a few good years left. Long story short, they said we could have it but we needed to move it before the day was over. Dan was at work, and it was too heavy for me to move, so it seemed like it wasn't going to work out.

However, the dumpster got completely filled, so the work crew didn't tear down the little house. I happened to tell another neighbor about the playhouse, and the next thing I knew, she offered to take it apart and carry it over piece by piece for me early the next morning. And that is just what she did. While I was getting breakfast for the kids, I looked out the window and saw the roof was off, and half of the walls were already outside our back door! I helped her carry the roof over since it was too big for one person.

So now we have the roof and four walls of a playhouse all in need of some fresh paint a some more screws and nails to tighten up various areas.

I spent much of Tuesday cleaning the walls and nailing some pieces back together. I bought paint today, and all I need is some more warm weather, and I'll get to work on them. It's going to be a big project, and I think I'm a little bit crazy (and I know Dan thinks I'm nuts), but all I can think is how much my 5-year-old self would have loved this little playhouse. And now my kids will get to enjoy it. Well, as long as I can put it all back together nicely.

Old Chairs, New Paint

When it feels like spring, it's time for an outside project. What better way to spend time than with a can of spray paint and some old chairs? I "should" be working on something for my online class, but this is much more fun. Plus, I can work on that stuff after the kids are in bed.

A number of years ago I bought 2 chairs (like this one below) at a used furniture store. I recovered the seats, freshened up their white paint and they were good-to-go. Lately they've been looking a bit worn out. I just purchased a vintage iron table and two small chairs, so I figured these chairs should get a make over too.

Just for fun: here's the original fabric. I left it on and just put the new fabric over top.

Cushion off, first coat of spray paint. I like them much better already!

And finished! All ready for warmer weather....

Productive Procrastination

I'm taking an online graduate course right now. Four weeks. I am almost half way through. I'm getting my work done (thanks to many late nights), but I am also finding myself other things to do instead of working on it when I could be. And I keep creating projects for myself.

I always enjoy a good project and often have multiple ones in the works because I tend to be a motivational project worker: I work when motivated and stop when I'm not. I like to work in segments and take breaks. During those breaks I usually feel motivated to start another project. And so it goes.

One of my recent projects was a valance for our dining room window. Our kitchen and dining room are one big room and there is a window in each. I decided to make a dining room valance that matches the kitchen valance. It hides the blinds quite nicely when I pull them up during the day.

When I stand at the kitchen island, this is one of my favorite views. Artwork I like near an antique wash stand and lamp on the opposite side of the wall from the china cabinet I found not too long ago.

My graduate course is all about teaching and supporting reading in the early elementary years. As a result, I felt motivated to move some things around in the kid area to make more of a reading nook. I was definitely procrastinating the other evening when working on it, but at least it was some practical application of course content!

Before:

After:

I put Susanna's board books on the top shelf and moved the picture books to the bottom shelf. The baskets hold library books. I've been needing a system of keeping the library books accessible but not mixed in with our books. I can't tell you how many times I've had to sort through our books to find a missing library book. 

It's a small change, but moving the table and chairs has opened up some nice space on this rug. The little chairs are not the most comfortable for sitting and reading, but they don't fit at the table because of where it is against a wall and beside a step. 

Edwin really wanted to be able to use the step as a seat. 

This room is still a work in progress. Painting the cast iron radiators is on my to-do list. I'm pretty sure once I've done it, I'll wonder why it took me so long. I just don't have the motivation to paint so close to carpet right now...some day!

This little kitchen was Susanna's Christmas gift (thanks, Craigslist!). Many of the gifts given to her by extended family members were the accessories - pots & pans, toy food, utensils, etc. 

Today we put up some hooks so the cups could be hung up. 

It's a tiny kitchen, but it's perfect that way: it doesn't take up too much space. Now I really do need to get to my course work!

Basement Stairway

When the world all around you seems to be going crazy (or at least social media is), I suggest a hands-on project to get your mind off of it. Practical work, and prayer, seem to be the best ways for me to cope with stressors in my life. Sometimes it means I clean out my clothes closet, sometimes it means I tackle an organization project. More recently, it has been a painting project (big surprise there).

I give you: The Basement Stairway!  

Before:

I have no idea how old this green paint is, but based on the dirt and dust build-up, it's old. 

It's textured: gritty and sand-like. The hooks here are nice and convenient, but 

because the basement door has glass panes, we can see the stairway. I decided last week that I was tired of looking at dirty old green paint. I took the hooks down, and the guys who are dipping and stripping our interior doors put them in the vat to get the paint off. They didn't look so great, but with a bit of spray paint, they look like new. The basement walls need painted, but that will happen in time. As always, I am so amazed what a little caulk and fresh paint can do.

After:

China Collection

Once upon a time, I actively collected china cups and saucers. The first thing I ever bid on (and won) at an auction was a china cup and saucer. And when I was in high school, I bought myself a whole set of antique china at an antique store in central PA.

I don't buy china things anymore, but I've kept (most of) my collection. I got rid of a few things that I didn't really like, or that didn't have any sentimental value. I even considered getting rid of my set of china dishes, because, really, how often will I use them? But I still have them. I still like them. And I plan to start using them now that they have been unpacked and the boxes and paper recycled.

When we lived in Baltimore, we were given an old china cabinet that was in a house a friend of ours had purchased. A couple years ago, when I knew we were going to move, (but didn't know where yet) I packed up all that china and we got rid of the old cabinet.

Now that we've settled into this house, I started itching for a china cabinet, so I could unpack those boxes! I've been checking craigslist (once a day) for a number of weeks, checking out etsy, and I even visited some antique stores in the region. I found two that I liked. One was in North Carolina (a bit too far away to look at, and then there's the logistics of shipping a china cabinet) and one was close by. The one close by was just the style I wanted, but one of the doors didn't close and there was a crack in a decorative piece on top. I really liked that cabinet so I considered whether it would be worthwhile to take it to a furniture repair person. In the end, I decided it wasn't worth the hassle. Through craigslist, I ended up finding another cabinet relatively close by that I liked. And thanks to some friends who loaned us their truck, Dan and I were able to pick it up. So that's done.

It's fun to get new things, but it also becomes exhausting after a while. And when time drags by, and I deliberate about what decision to make, I start feeling cranky and annoyed at the whole experience. I just want to make a decision and be done already! And I start feeling like I'm just running after material possessions. And I don't like that. I don't enjoy feeling as if I am trapped by stuff.

So I'm glad, and thankful, that I found a cabinet I like. It's not perfect. It's old, so it has some wear and tear, but all in all, it does what it's meant to do.

I didn't get an exact date from the sellers, but based on who in their family originally owned it, I think it fits the time period of when our house was built.

This shelf below belonged to my grandmother. It, along with the cups and saucers, were packed away the entire time we rented. Once we moved to this house, I finally unpacked them, and we hung up the shelf. Elena is asking when we can have a tea party. One of these days I need to plan one!