Thursday, March 24, 2011

Card Night

This past weekend I was able to do something I haven't been able to do since I was probably in high school.
(No, not see my collar bones, that ship has sailed.)

I was able to take part in Card Night at Momma's house.

This is something I have truly missed over the past few years.

Growing up, Momma and a group of her friends would all get together to eat and play cards and eat.
(Maybe this does have something to do with the fact I can't see my collar bones. Or my knee caps.) 

So, we got it all organized and there were 8 players total.
We figured playing Phase 10 would be a no go, so we decided to play Pokeno.
But first came the food.






After we all had our first course, we began playing.
Pokeno is fun, but that's not what made the night so delightful.



Stories of awkward doctor's visits, spa experiences, talk about family and work, and being with a group of women who aren't afraid to laugh-- that's what made the night special.
And the cheese cake.
And the pepper jelly with cream cheese.
And the cream cheese stuffed jalapenos.

Hmm...maybe Philadelphia Cream Cheese company has something to do with conspiracy to hide my clavicles.





Sunday, March 20, 2011

Spring Has Dawned at the Little House

Over the past few weeks at The Little House it has been very clear that Spring is upon us.

(Some photos courtesy of Mr. Z)


The tulip tree was the first to burst into a song of color.







The plum tree was covered in delicate white blooms.




Many of the dogwood trees around the house have died in the past few years.
When Momma told me that, it made me sad.
Growing up I loved all the bursts of white flowers that would pop up in the middle of woods that still looked like winter.
There are a few that are coming back.





The redbud tree is my favorite. The bright pink is a refreshing contrast.


I noticed something odd about the "fallen" buds from the tree. They didn't seem to be random.


Then a look closer, I saw the buds were moving.
Carried to be exact.


We call them town ants. I'm not sure that's what the rest of the world calls them.
They picked the blooms fresh off the furthest limbs, managed to get them down the trunk of the tree, and carry them all the way to their home.


Now that is a work ethic.


Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Ding Dong the Smell is Gone

Ding dong the awful smell is gone.

I just had the greatest idea I could do for this post.
I wanted to put this picture up...


And then a picture of Mr Z's feet sticking out from underneath the house while he was working on the plumbing.
Then I quickly realized I didn't take a picture.
Then I briefly contemplated asking him to get back under the house so I could take a picture.

I thought that would go over like a lead balloon.
So, insert imaginary picture of Mr Z's feet here:


Mr. Handyman installed an 'S' trap under the tub drain, took out a 'T' in the pipe that went to nothing, and carefully placed the remaining pipes back where they were supposed to go. 

So far, no more smell!!

You have no idea how happy this has made me.


Saturday, March 12, 2011

The Bedroom Reveal


This is what the bedroom looked like a year ago.



Do you see that blue color? That is what the room was painted before Mr. Z moved into the house the first time. At that time, I was young and dumb and didn't take before pictures.





Here is the bedroom now.








Mr. Z said that this bedroom is the most calming one he has ever had and it feels so clean.
I asked him if he ever thought he would say that about a room in The Little House.
He said absolutely not.



(Please forgive the quality of the photos. I am still learning how to take inside shots with our new camera without the flash.)


Friday, March 11, 2011

The Bathroom Reveal

The bathroom renovation has been a great feat.
All 5 square feet of it.

Do you remember the contact paper?


Do you remember the floor tiles held with scotch tape..to the wall?


Do you remember the uneven cabinets?



They are still uneven. But now they look like this.

(Notice the warning signs?)

No more contact paper.






Now we don't feel dirtier after taking a shower.

(Smell update: We have determined that the smell is coming from the bathtub drain so for now we have put a drain cover over it and the smell is only faint. The drain needs an 'S' trap. We will be working on that soon.)



Thursday, March 10, 2011

The Rose Painting and Its Frame

I've talked about my Great Grandma before.
She was an amazing woman.
She painted.
She created.
She made pottery.
She made baskets from pine straw.
She drew sketches.
She loved flowers and birds.
She had a hunger for knowledge.
She was never afraid of new things.
She was a member of the Art Guild.
She contributed to the opening and maintaining of the parish museum.
She helped preserve history from the community.
She raised 3 children during the Great Depression.
She married the love of her life at age 14.
She loved bubble gum.

We called her Big Mawmaw.



She painted this for the local high school's home economics department.
It was mounted on the wall there for years.
A few years ago, they renovated the building and were going to throw out the painting.
Luckily, a worker knew Big Mawmaw and knew us, so she snatched it up and gave it to Momma.

What is even more interesting is that Momma already had one.
Big Mawmaw had painted a replica of the original for the school.

This one is Momma's


This is the one I have.
I thought the frame could use a touch up.


So, Mr. Z helped me get the painting out of the frame it has been in since 1973.
It wasn't as difficult as we thought it might be.

Then I primed it.


Painted it and distressed it.


Then I used some Behr glaze mixed with a tiny bit of Behr Espresso Bean.
I used it mostly in the corners and to 'dirty' the white a little.
I wiped most of it off on the smooth surfaces.

And this is what it looks like now.


I think Big Mawmaw would be pleased.


Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The Spare Bedroom Reveal

Trying to take good 'after' photos has been more difficult than I thought.
We are about 95% settled in, but there are a few things that we don't have a place for and a few stray boxes hanging around.

Over the past year, we have worked on The Little House every trip home. Slowly we have made it our home.

So, do you remember the yellow room?


This is what it looked like a little less than a year ago.






This is what the room looks like today.

*drum roll*












More 'after' pictures to come. I have to get everything else picture pretty and I need a day that it isn't raining.