I say a little prayer...

...for my kitchen!

This gem has had its final day on the door. Don't be sad, it lived a good life.



"Bless my pretty kitchen lord
And light it with Thy Love.
Help me plan and cook my meals
From Thy heavenly home above.
Bless our meals with Thy Presence
And warm them with Thy grace;
Watch over me as I do my work,
Washing pots and pans and plates.
The service I am trying to do
Is to make my family content,
So bless my eager efforts Lord
And make them heaven sent."

Tales from the underground . . .

Hey everyone - so much to update but so little time today!

That said, I want to offer two recent images from the house. Although it seems silly to share photos from the basement when I haven't shared any real images of the interior living space, here they are!

We ripped up the carpeting that was covering the basement stairs, only to find the stairs painted... well, red. Just like every other original surface of this house! Crazy...



And for those of you who have been eagerly awaiting photos of the mysterious Bobby Kennedy room.... here it is!



We have yet to decide what happened in this room, but here are the facts:

There was once a '60's refrigerator in this room
There is a built-in student desk attached to the wall
There are four wooden chairs arranged along the walls
This is the only "finished" space in the basement
That is, in fact, a picture of Bobby Kennedy on the wall
There was once a pad-lock on the door

Thoughts?!

WELCOMED guests

So not all is awful at the ranch.

The centipedes have certainly put me in a funk, but I had some great visitors this week! Nieces, nephews, brothers, in-laws, mom...

Look away if easily offended . . .

Well it looks as though I have house guests - and unwelcomed ones at that. What you see below is... well, utterly vomit-inducing. The sight of these creepy crawlers scurrying across a floor or wall is enough to give anyone the shivers.

Apparently common during the summer (though I have NEVER lived in a house with them before), these House Centipedes have been presenting themselves at night - maybe one a night, or every other night.

Granted, this may not sound like a full-on infestation, but I'll be damned to not treat it as one.

I have sprayed every entry point with EcoSmart, I have purchased a dehumidifier for the basement, I have sprinkled Borax, and I have contracted an exterminator. I don't scare easily, but these little pre-historic, hard-shelled, multi-legged creatures from hell have me terrified. If I find anymore centipedes post-exterminator, I may just burn the place down.

Distraction #472

I lied, no Photoshop rendering quite yet. I'm easily distracted.

This week's distraction: interior colors. Here's a glimpse at the initial color scheme, I like where it's going!

Manuscript

Exciting news everyone - we may have nailed down a color for the house! I want to paint the front of the house this fall, followed by the back and sides next spring.

Knowing it has to compliment the red brick while not competing with the gray roof... "Manuscript" seems to provide the perfect balance... Soon enough, the paint will be up and will offset fresh white trim and a new black door!



Thoughts, concerns, suggestions?! In the words of my mother "nothing can look worse than what it is now"... fair enough, but I'm aiming for perfection. Photoshop rendering coming next... :-)

Grand plans

Hello all - with the trees gone and the sidewalk edged, I'm starting to see what the house really looks like from the outside!

The obvious benefit: I can start visualizing what the house will look like.

The problem: I don't have the funds, time, or manpower to act on that vision yet!

Luckily for me, I am perfectly content doodling, thinking, and planning until the appropriate time comes. Next step, I'm going to meet with a friend of mine who has his own landscaping business to discuss plant selection, sourcing, etc!

In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at the plans!...



*cough* did I mention demolition volunteers are also welcome at any time?! ;-)