Bluebirds of happiness in my bathroom.

 

When I bought the new house the main bathroom was grey, grey, and more grey...  Actually the when I removed the grey shower curtain, the grey mirror and covered the grey floor with a blue rug, the countertop has a real blueish undertone and I set about adding as much
blue as I could.

Also the white cabinet over the toilet didn't match the wood-toned vanity... So I had to paint the cabinet to match the vanity or the vanity to match the cabinet.  I chose to do the latter.  And awoke one night knowing how I wanted to do it.  I charged in after DH dropped me off and had the doors off both cabinet and vanity before he could get to the end of the block.  This was NOT in my schedule at all but this girl just has to do what she has to do...

Since I wanted to add more blue, what is more blue than a bluebird? First I painted a bluebird on the wall cabinet after I put an antique glaze on the cabinet.  I took artistic license here because bluebirds do not make an open nest like this .  But it works for me here.

Then I painted the wood vanity antique white to match the wall cabinet and  more bluebirds.  By painting bluebirds on both the vanity and the cabinet they became a matched set, added more blue to the bathroom and made me very happy even though it took me three days to do it.  And I'm still looking for a window to add.






















before
and after

Folding door to bonus room is done!!!!

Spent most of the week at the new house and have all the things done that I wanted to do before hand... Lots of other projects in the works but will be doable after we move.  This week I am trying to catch up at the farm, pack up more things and get a mover lined up as well as someone to do an estate sale after the move. I just can't move fast enough now.....

I did finish the door today and now just need to find a handyman to install it for me.. I did indeed get a barn, sheep, path, and a pond with loons rather than ducks...  I didn't get anything in the upper sections but I am out of time.

Totally unplanned I spent 3 days totally transforming the bathroom cabinets but haven't taken pictures yet... plus I added about 20 extra shelves to existing closets, pantries,  and cabinets...

new home for old treasure

The other day as I was leaving for the new house I scooped up the topiary and brought it along.  When I got there I plopped it down by the entry table and decided that was as good a place for it as any.  In fact it looked very good there..

I turned to DH and asked him if the topiary didn't look even better there than where it was before. After a long pause  his reply: "What's a topiary?"  After I explained, there was another long pause and he asked: "Where was it before?  Then I explained that it has sat by the south window in the living room for 30 years... After another long pause he enthusiastically responded that the topiary definitely looked better here than where it was before.................. If nothing else my husband is a diplomat.

A new home for one of my treasures...

 

Just the reverse

 

When I first was  moving the old stuff to the new house the primary focus was finding the  item for a specific spot at the new house.  Now instead of having a spot to fill,  it more often than not it is the reverse.  I have something I love and am searching for a spot  for it.

A good example is this topiary I made years ago.  It is more than a little dusty and definitely needs some refurbishing with the flowers and greenery.  But I'm not ready to part with it and not because of the actually topiary part.

















I have a custodial attachment to the very large jardinière that is holding it.  It is very old and I just adore it.  It could never hold water or soil as it has a serious crack on the inside.  So it is my responsibility to see it comes to no harm.....Right????

Then there is giant crock that has been in the entry way for at least 30 years.  Each fall I fill it with lavender or baby's breath and under it is where we hide the house key.  Again this is a large item and not going to be easy to place.  No solution has come to mind as yet but it is definitely a keeper.  I may make a top for it and use it on the deck as a side table.  I'm still thinking on this one.


Years ago when I bought my gas stove (which is coming with me) it was meant to be placed against the wall but that was not the case in my kitchen and the back of the panel was exposed..  So I had to come up with something to hide the back of the stove's panel and I painted this board.

I just don't see a use or place for it at the new house.  It would make a darling back to a bench as it is fairly large.. I'm not all that attached to it so if it has to go to the thrift store I can sleep nights without it.

 What will cause a sleepless night or two is not taking this trunk.  I have had it over 50 years.  I moved it to Alaska with me in the 60s and then moved it to Spokane with me in 1980.  It has always held all my quilts.  But it is huge and try as I might I fear it will have to find a new home. I'm hoping my grandson will want it.


Now I have a place for this piece of needlework from a dear friend but it is the old rusty hinges that must be where I can see them every day. These hinges are from a door I blogged about almost exactly 10 years ago. These hinges are a constant reminder  no matter how bad things seem I must get up, dust myself off, hitch up my britches and get on with it....
 http://olderrose.blogspot.com/search?q=door  I did indeed find another door from the old part of the barn...it still is sitting on saw horses and DH has never dared to  mention  hauling it away.  In fact I may just take the door and the saw horsesas well with me.

Progress on the door!!!

  I have started working on the door to the bonus room. I set it up in the kitchen by the slider so I get the glorious morning sun.  You can see the door leaning against the wall on the right. Whenever I'm too tired to be moving and lifting stuff or I have an odd hour I work on it,  All the time I was painting the kitchen island and pantry I worked in this spot with both magnifying lamps at hand.  I also wear a LED light on an elastic head band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once again I'm changing my style as my eyesight diminishes.  Here I have it pretty much blocked in now using big foam brushes from the dollar store.  I plan the painting by gathering my parts much like I did crazy quilting.  I know that I want a path, a fence, a pond, some sheep, a barn and a pond with ducks.  I am starting lower left with the path and work my way up the path adding bits here and there.... just like I was walking into the painting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I've starting working with smaller sponges and got in a lot of the landscape detail. You can see how much the tree on the left grew between photo sessions.  I'm thinking the trees on the right are going to turn into willows...  At the very last I will add smaller touches here and there with a brush.....like the sheep and barn in the distance.    Not quite clear how I'm handling the upper squares except there will be a bird nest.  I might just paint every door in the house

For now the kitchen is finished and the new sink and countertops are in... Not a lot of color here but there will be when I add the Mexican tiles and divider of vintage stained glass.  I can just visualize this early morning light filling the house with color from the glass.  But it has to wait until the weather gets warmer and I can work on the saw in the garage to build the frame.  I desperately need to replace the lights but that will wait too until I do a little more research.  I need the brightest light possible but would like it to be dimmable.  If I am going to buy lights and pay a electrician to install them I want to be doubly sure I am getting what I need and want before I go ahead.