Funk

Funk funk funkedy funk. There, I said it-and I'm bout waist deep in a big fat bowl of funk and fighting my way out. I think some major sunshine is in order here! That and/or a vacation since it's been over a year now since we were went on our last trip. I think my body knows when it's overdue.

Stagnant. Blah. I don't feel like going anywhere. I don't even feel like making beads. I've got quite a few sets still waiting to be listed-waiting patiently off to the side.

I'm hoping that once the dirtiest work in the foyer is done I can get in there and start painting and find that creative streak I need to give me a boost. Guess it can't be too bad if I'm looking forward to that, huh?

This weather-ugh! Man, why do we live in Illinois?

A much deserved ice cream with sprinkles

Here's Gabe right after hollering "wah hoooooooo Big Boy!!!!!!!"

I've been promising him ice cream with sprinkles if he pooped on the potty. He was so excited and could tell he thought he was somethin else. Of coarse no such luck since Saturday when this occurred...

*Boy, he's gonna hate me for this someday-lol.*

Can ya tell I have nothing else to talk about? lol

More foyer pics

A shot look up the stairs-note the lack of spindles now that there is no wall. Add those to the list of architectural details we need to hunt down.

Base of the stairs. There is no rail or spindles here at the bottom either since someone had built a closet there to the right at one time. See the hole in the floor? That's where the ductwork was run for Sawyer's bedroom originally up inside of that closet...
Another shot-side of stairs. I need to figure out what to put in that spot-some sort of table w/ a lamp I think. It will be directly opposite of the big mirror.

We will move the big mirror about a foot over to the right and it will go back up onto the corbeled ledge thingie it orignially sat on taking it back up to the ceiling. We just dicussed running the cold air return under it again like it was so we won't need a big grate in the floor.

Sorry for the dark picture. This is where he's wanting to build a bench across under the window. Most of these houses along here have some sort of built-in bench that hinges open at the top. That would be great for the little stuff we don't use all the time-like gloves and scarves,etc. I hate having to go to the attic and switch stuff out for the seasons!


Today Trav's been piddling around closing the air return off, moving some wiring and right now he's mudding up the holes. I think I'll be able to picture things better w/ holes patched-since that's all I can see are the holes for some reason-lol.

Gabe's back to his old self today-appetite is back and fever is gone-how bizarre! I wonder what it was that hit him? I'm just glad it's gone. I was pretty paranoid last night that it was working it's way on me-lol.

Foyer progress

After the mirror was taken down and moved aside. Omg it was heavy! I think it's so funny that someone, at sometime decided "hey, let's chop the foyer in 1/2 and make a weird little room behind it"

And here's the same shot after he removed the wall behind the mirror. It totally opened up the staircase now.
While the wall was still being removed. My dad stopped by to help out.

No more shampoo room! A little sad about that but the foyer is really going to look cool! I'm already thinking about garland on the stairs for Christmas-lol. We counted 3 different spots where the previous people had moved the cold air returns. Jeez! All of the old hardwood has been removed as well. You can see that huge mirror propped up by my dad there.

These were taken 2 days ago actually. Trav's torn out lots of other little bits,taken down a light, moved some electrical and will add a couple more outlets. Yesterday was filling in big holes w/ drywall so I'm sure today there will be some patching going on. I need to get online and find some inspiration for wall color or something! :)

I plan to take more pictures today after I rest a bit. Ugh-last night was awful! I ended up getting sucked into the 2cd Twilight book and forced myself to put it down at 1:30...as soon as I reached for my lamp Sawyer started screaming. His 2cd top tooth is being a bear and he was hysterical. Sat up with him for awhile, laid him down when he zonked, Gabe started talking in his sleep...dealt with him...climb in bed-Sawyer wakes screaming again. By now it's 2:30 and I'm kicking myself for reading when I shoulld have been sleeping. So I sit up with Sawyer again...In bed by 3....4:30 rolls around to Gabe crying "mommy-puke" omg...and yes-it was everywhere. So much for nice steaks for valentines dinner-lol. He has a fever-that's usually how he reacts when a fever is coming on. Changed sheets,he woke at 730 crying that he puked again. He ended up in bed with us after getting his sheets washed,etc. I wake at 8:00 to him between us sitting up saying "Gabey poop potty" serious? (he just did that for the first time a couple nights ago) so I was getting up to take him and I saw him swallowing alot over and over and went to snatch him up but it was too late-all over our bed. Needless to say I'm on...how much sleep? Not much. Poor guy. He's zonked on the couch next to me. I'll bet Trav's tired enough not too do a whole heck of a lot in there today. We're supposed to take his mom to dinner tonite for her birthday but I'm wondering if that's just asking for it!

Valentines

As I was getting ready to head out to Target for the required store bought valentines for the class party I had a lightbulb moment and decided that yes, we'll still go to Target but not for valentines-but for chocolate! Here's the little valentines we whipped up for her class buddies and I must say-after looking over her loot after school hers was the coolest. :)

All in a pile... a great use for my tons of jewelry baggies...

Sooo-it appears that our daughter has an admirer. A younger man as well! We were all piled on or in front of the couch playing a game on wii and a car pulls up slowly in front of our house. A boy is in the car pointing to our house and they sit for quite some time. Next thing I know I see the mom jump out and run up to our porch with a heart covered gift bag, leave it on the steps and run. I'm like omg-what on earth???

So we go thru said bag and there was a teddy bear, a bunch of "roses" made of candy, a heart shaped box of chocolate and a valentines card. O*M*G. 1st and 2cd grade people! I am floored that this little boy thought of all of this-but a little more floored that his mom took him shopping for it all!

**(I guess I need to get over my flashback to 5th grade with an awkward moment similar to this with a boy who went over the top and made me feel as if I accepted said gifts that it was saying something-like yes, I'm your girlfriend-so I gave them back)

I am just hopeful that she doesn't feel weird on Tues on the bus when she sees him. Oh ya-and this is the same boy who wrote that note on the bus about how beautiful she is, etc. Remember that a few weeks ago?

Livin the dirty life again...

Up goes the plastic sheeting-but it doesn't stop all of the dust...

So we're on our last official room for the renovation! We've been living here close to 4 years now and worked on it for a full year beforehand just to make it live-able. It's definately been a labor of love. I'm so glad that Travis is on the same page as me-where we can look at how muddled up someone made an old house and say ok we can change this back and do this and open this and build this and wah-lah-it turns out great! I'm also very lucky that he knows how to do anything-plumbing, wiring, drywall-you name it. That sure helps money-wise too-but the downside is living in a constant state of "yuck" as opposed to paying a bunch pf people and having it done!

Here is the massive mirror that you saw as you walked into the front door. A huge selling point for us-but over time realised it wasn't original and the wall behind it must have been created to put the mirror against.There is a goofy little 8x8 room they made behind it someone had used as a large shelved pantry room at some point-I used it as my shampoo room for my salon since you could access it from the other side.

We are swinging the mirror over to the side wall on the left so you can see in it as you walk down the staircase.
Here's the front stairwell. The old carpet and wallpaper and handrail were torn out when we moved in as well as a weird closet someone had added later at the foot of the stairs. This is what I've had to look at for 3.5 years-gross!
Gotta love the flesh colored paint on all the trim-yes it was thru out the entire house. Blech.
Looking towards the foyer from the landing. It's a good thing we have a set of butler stairs we use all the time.
From the hallway upstairs looking down. We have to reconstrust the stained glass window you can see a smidge of too...fun fun...
Here's a peek at my shampoo room-it really worked great for this purpose.
This is inside the shampoo room under the stairs. Can you believe Trav ran cable under there so the kids have a "secret room" they go in and watch tv on and cozy up in a beanbag chair. It was originally intended for clients kids to go sit and watch videos or play playstation but Chloe and Gabe have adopted it and want to keep it. I'm just excited to have a coat closet finally! That's the one thing about old houses...NO CLOSET SPACE! (there's usually a curtain hanging to block out the light and it's a little clubhouse in there...the plan was hannah Montana posters lining the walls but that hasn't happpened yet)

I'll be adding pictures of the progress. It will so good to get this done! I can't wait!

Surprise!

You mean you don't all secretly walk around with stickers on your belly buttons and flash people? hmm. You should try it sometime :)



Man, I have had nothing to gab about! I seriously think it's this weather-makes me so blahhh. Today though......68! 68 friggin degrees in February!!! I'm going to bust out the flip flops this afternoon-watch me-I'm gonna! Does that mean I have to paint my toenails? sigh...too lazy. Neighbors will have to deal w/ naked toes.

I started the 1st Twilight book a couple nights ago and am cruising right through it. Couldn't put it down last night.

I was finally able to sit and have a bead session earlier this week. I waited til the weather broke and got in the 40's since I need a window open-brrrrrrr. Sooo...I decided to play with my X-mas gifts-new funky mandrels! I did a double button hole button (a huge heart) but-well, that's just going to take some getting used to... then a cone mandrel-so it makes a nice hollow cone so it's not so heavy-it turned out soooooo cute! I really liked working with that even tho the mandrel is a bit on the heavy side. The bead looks like a funky little party hat-love it. What to make with it-who knows? Maybe I'll make some and list em and let someone else come up with that idea.

We are going to start with the foyer remodel of our home on Thursday.(Trav gets a 5 day weekend) It is the last room that needs to be done. I am really excited to get this going-I just want to be DONE! And since that's the room that people walk into I always feel it leaves people feeling yucky even once they're in the rest of the house. You'll see what I mean when I post before pics-it's seriously gross and we close it off and don't use it. That's what is nice about having the butler staircase to be able to use...Maybe I'll post pics tomorrow. :)

I spoke too soon

Sawyer started crawling for real yesterday! I was messing around w/ photoshop, he was playing on the floor and his Gertie ball (they're the best!) rolled into the dining room and Chloe says "mommmmmmmm...MOMMMMMMMMMM!!!" under her breath so I lean over to peek and off her goes one knee after the other after his ball. I have never moved so fast-I almost threw the computer to get to the video camera......and would have caught it-if the battery wasn't DEAD. Doesn't that figure? sigh. lol

I've got some pictures done today so I'll work on listing beads today. Have a great one!