All I Need Is a Rocking Chair

I just had a moment where I floated out of my body and saw myself, and I thought, "How old am I?" I'm sitting here, hand-stitching a torn pillowcase and watching Antiques Roadshow. I'm having a senior moment!

If These Walls Could Chalk

When we were first shopping for a home, there was one feature I knew for sure I would add: a chalkboard wall.  Even though nowadays as a college instructor I use a whiteboard, the kid in me who used to play "teacher" loves and misses chalk.  Emmie loves it, too!  She draws while I cook.  Fun for the whole family!

You can buy chalkboard paint at your local hardware store.  We got the kind that you can have dyed various colors.  Instead of traditional black, we opted for dark grey to match the yellow/grey color scheme we have going on in the kitchen.  We have one thin wall without cabinets that juts out a bit into the room.  It was just right for a full-length chalkboard.  The top is for the grownups and the bottom three feet is Emmie's canvas.

We use it for all kinds of things!  Bruce has done large drawings (he's arty like that) to amuse Emmie.  For my birthday party, he turned it into a giant birthday card that all our friends signed by the end of the night (I took a picture for posterity).  Right now, it's a huge To Do list of stuff we want to buy or accomplish before our housewarming party next month:

I wrote the first three and Bruce says, "Those aren't projects.
They're things to buy." Isn't that how all projects start off?

The dryer has nothing to do with the party, but last weekend my father and brother brought over an old dryer they had in their barn.  It still works.  I cleaned it up, but we need to get the proper attachments.  Bruce is a little hesitant about hooking up a gas dryer.  One day, right after we just bought the house, Emmie and I were home all day by ourselves.  Bruce works for the gas company, so he scheduled someone come out to take a look as a precautionary measure.  It just so happens we had a leak in the laundry room caused by the previous owners' carelessness.  It could've been dangerous.  So understandably, Bruce is worried that something could go wrong if he installs the dryer himself.  We've got to get it working soon, though, for when the cold blows into Illinois, there won't be any more hanging clothes outside on the line.  Unless we want to wear icicles!

Let's see how many more items I add to the list and how many actually get done.  We've been busy every weekend practically all summer.  So far in September our schedule is fairly light.  It would be great if I can cross everything off before the party, wipe down the wall, and draw a cute Welcome sign for all our guests to see!

Back to School

Yesterday was my first day back in class.  I felt out of practice, frenziedly trying to figure out what to wear, get dinner ready, and get my books all packed up.  I realized I never emptied out my binder from the Spring term.  In the chaos, I left behind my water bottle and mints.  I made sure not to close-talk to any of the students.

It dawned on Bruce and me that last night was groundbreaking, because it was the first time I've gone to work since moving in to the new house.  Hence, it was Bruce and Emmie's first night by themselves at home.  I wondered how it would be, since she's recovering from a virus and was awfully cranky when I left.  Turns out, they had a great time!  They played in the basement and read books together - she "read" hers and gave him one to read, too.  When I came home, the house was tidied up, Emmie was asleep, and Bruce was paying bills.  Wow!

It was nice to feel like an adult again, to be in a position of importance.  It's a confidence-booster, for sure.  I came home, put my work bag down, poured a glass of wine, and put my feet up.

The more exciting news is that tomorrow, it will be Bruce's first day back at school!  He's decided to go back to college!  That is an ENORMOUS deal.  For years he's talked about returning.  He went to community college after high school like I did, but it never captivated his attention.  He's one of those people that was too smart for his own good. He could get an A with his eyes closed, but consequently got bored easily.  Eventually, he stopped going.  He wanted to learn about the world through real-life experience, rather than in the classroom.

As the years went on, he saw that not having a degree often acted as a detriment, especially when applying for jobs or seeking promotions.  With Emmie here now, he wants to provide for her as best as he can and be an inspiration to her.  He talked to his employer, filled out the paperwork, and was accepted for their tuition reimbursement program.  We have to pay it up front, but they will pay back up to 100% if he does well (which I'm sure he will).

Everyone who knows him is so proud, me included.  I look at him, and I marvel at this man I married, who never stops improving himself, who used to put up walls and now walks through them.  He is the best man I could've ever imagined having a family with.  He is already an inspiration to me and I know he will have a great influence on our children.

Bruce, I hope you have a wonderful first day back at school!  You're gonna do fantastic.  It'll be hard work, but it'll be worth it.  You are proving that a person is capable of positive change at any point in his or her life.  We can all take the lesson from you.

DIY Coffee Table

Today Bruce and I changed the look of our coffee table!  I've never done anything like this before, but it was inexpensive and easy to do.

I got the inspiration from Pinterest.   I have long detested this table.  It was a hand-me-down from Bruce's aunt (almost all our furniture was previously owned).  It's chunky and outdated.  I saw that a coat of paint could change the feel of a piece and I figured, why not give it a try?  As Bruce put it, "We don't really like it anyway, so what's the harm?  Worst comes to worst, we get a new one at a thrift store."

So we watched a few YouTube videos and read a few blogs.  It seemed simple enough.  We went to the hardware store and bought one medium course sanding sponge and two cans of white primer+paint-in-one spray paint, which was less than $15 total.

First, we took the table outside and placed it on a tarp.  I filled a bucket partway with warm water and dish soap, and I scrubbed the table all over with a regular sponge, to get any gunk off.  Bruce thinks this was probably unnecessary, since afterwards I lightly sanded all the surfaces that we'd be painting, to remove the lacquer so the new paint would stick well.

Then we taped the top of the table using masking tape, a garbage bag, and plastic wrap.  I was too cheap to use TWO garbage bags, ha!

When the top was good and protected, I sprayed the whole thing all over.  We waited about an hour and then sprayed another coat.  This took 1.5 cans of paint.

We left it outside to dry for a couple hours.  Then I took a piece of sandpaper we had and sanded over the paint to give it a worn, shabby chic look.  I learned that this refinishing technique is called "distressing" in the furniture renovation world.

I sanded more in the areas that would naturally wear over time - corners and outside edges.

We wiped all the paint dust away with a barely wet rag.  If I do this again, I will definitely wear a mask to protect my lungs from the spray paint and dust.  Also, there are some places where the paint dripped a little from me spraying too closely and thickly.  Next time I will be more careful about doing two even coats.

Overall, we are extremely pleased with the result!  The white legs help the table to seem less heavy and they compliment the white curtains we recently hung.  We'd like to get an end table at a garage sale or resale shop and maybe do this again!  As I've mentioned before, we hope to get a neutral-colored couch cover soon, in a beige or taupe, perhaps, with new pillows to add a pop of color/texture.  Then eventually we'll paint all the trim in the house white.  I dream about hardwood floors, too... but we'll get there.

Have you renovated a piece of furniture yourself?  I'd love to hear what you've done!

A Few Touch-Ups

Okay, okay.  I know I said I wasn't going to Keep Up with the Jones', but I have to admit that I've been preoccupied with home-improvement the past couple days.  I blame a lot of it on Pinterest.  The little voice of reason in my head who questions, "Do you really need that?" is getting drowned out by all my excited thoughts of various projects.

We don't have a lot of money to spend, so we can only do so much.  For instance, our living room faces north.  It's really dark in there, especially compared to our sunny yellow south-facing kitchen with patio doors.  The previous owners had painted the room a beige color, which we're fine with, except they painted one wall and the connecting corridor a terra cotta reddish-brown.  It really added to the weight of the room.

The red-brown wall, as seen from standing in our bright yellow kitchen.  The beige walls are in the background.

We both hated that accent wall.  Luckily, the previous owners left the cans of paint, and there was plenty more beige.  After Emmie went to bed one night, Bruce easily changed the color.

Bye, bye, accent wall!

We didn't have enough tape to do the corridor, but the living room itself feels spacier and is brighter now!

The other factor in the darkness of the room is the heavy, hunter green microfiber Roman shades hanging over the windows, also left by the previous owners.  During the day I would only pull them open about one-quarter of the way, because the front of our house is very close to the neighbor's driveway, and I don't like people being able to see in.

Yesterday, we used a store credit we had at our local hardware store to buy sheer white curtains and a curtain rod.  Bruce hung the curtains right over the shades, so now I can pull the shades open all the way during the day, and the curtains let in plenty of light while still managing our privacy.  The soft, billowy effect of the curtains also makes the room feel airier.

Eventually, we want to paint all the wood trim in our house white, to update and soften it, but that's for another time.  My next project is to paint our awful, hand-me-down, 1980's oak coffee table white and distress it to look shabby chic!  We are trying to do what we can with what we have.  I'd love to get a new couch cover (ours is blue right now - ew!), or better yet, a new couch, but it's not in the budget right now.

One step at a time.  We want to throw a housewarming party next month, so there are several things I'd like to do before that.  Otherwise, I'm trying to remind myself that we have a whole lifetime to renovate this house!

... an Ongoing Adventure

The Prince and Princess and baby finally moved out of the in-laws' kingdom and got little castle of their own... so what next?  As the past few months' posts have shown, I will be continuing this blog as a way to chronicle our journey as first-time homeowners.  

I was telling my wise, senior citizen friend how we still have boxes from the move that we haven't touched.  She laughed and replied, "Dear, I've been in my home for over twenty years now, and I still have unopened boxes, too!"  Moving in, as most homeowners can attest, is an ongoing project.

There are boxes to unpack, walls to paint, curtains to hang.  We know nearly nothing about taking care of a yard with grass, bushes, and flower beds.  We just returned from a trip to visit my friend, Lorelei, who just got married and also recently bought a first home.  We were inspired by the steps she and her husband have made in home-improvement.  I've been scouring Pinterest for ideas.  We just need the money to do it!

Which brings me to another area of improvement - finances.  We got our house, but that means having a mortgage on top of the debt we already had.  Thus we will be taking a fresh approach to budgeting, saving, and paying down credit cards.

In addition to the house and money matters, this is truly the first time I am raising my child as a WAHM (work at home mom).  Even though I do teach classes at night and on weekends, I am primarily home with Emmie by myself.  When we last had a place of our own, she was a newborn.  Then I had the constant presence/assistance of my in-laws for the past year.  This time I'll be parenting on my own for most of the weekdays.  That in itself is quite a pilgrimage!  It also means that time with Bruce is even more precious and appreciated.

As we keep moving along, I will keep writing and sharing our ups and downs, our triumphs and tribulations.  The goal is to build a strong family foundation in these formative years.  After all, it's the family inside the home that matters.

Prism

Friendship comes in all colors –

The sparkling color of children laughing as they tell secrets,

Or the rich shade of siblings exchanging smiles across the dinner table.

The vibrancy of teenagers cruising in a car with the windows rolled down,

Or the saturation of tears against a shoulder,

One hugging the other over a broken heart.

There is the illumination of adult conversation,

Blurred tones of decadence in a crowded bar.

The intensity of a mature bond between parent and offspring.

Sometimes the color of friendship

Is the color of sunrise, a furtive glance across a campus,

Sharing a midday kiss in the sizzling Far East,

Or the hue of holding hands in the sun-drenched hills of Tuscany.

Then there is the glow of an island wedding,

The bride and groom blended in the blush of love.

So many colors, but with friendship

There is no need to choose just one

As if it’s the paint on the walls of a first home.

No store sells the color of friendship;

It is priceless, like the color of happiness,

Or dedication, loyalty, trust, or

Hard work.

It’s all a rainbow:

Everyone sees his or her own arc

Made from sharp light against darkened sky.

But friendship, rounded as a rainbow, must always have

Two ends to exist, to keep it grounded,

Even as it soars – a

Me

And a

You.

Congratulations to my Lorelei!