Chalk Board Paint

Letting go of the Nightmare.

Those of you who have read this blog for a while know that our house, much to our dismay, was foreclosed on.   Not only that, but when it went to Sheriff's Sale, the church that we attended next door, bought it.  While my husband had spoken with the 'owner' of the church several times before and after the acquisition, it was not our intention to just let the house go.  My husband thought after the conversations he had with the owner that the owner understood that we still wanted the house and if he could get it for us, we would pay him back.  When the time came he bought the house with church funds to be used as their parsonage and therefore, we could not buy it back, unless they sold it in future and then it would have to be at fair market value.  Needless to say, we  were saddened by this.  But, we were able to purchase an old gutted home in town and fix it up and actually just paid off the final payment to the fella we were buying it from last month!  So now we have no house payment; no bank involved.  The taxes are low and we will be paying them soon.  So things are looking up.  But while all of the foreclosure/sheriff's sale was going on we received a form from the Independent Foreclosure Review to see if we qualified for being foreclosed on 'improperly'.   After all of this time we finally got a payment from them.  It was a very small percentage of what the house was worth and there is no appeal process, but it makes me feel better that I can show you this snippet from the form, to say that they know that we were wrongfully foreclosed.     If you want to read my prior laments you can go to the label "Troubling Times".  You can also go to "New Home" and see the work that we did on this new house.

God has provided for us graciously.

The sun is shining today and it should be beautiful and 76°.  So as I finish the post I am saying good bye to this nightmare we have been living through and hello to a bright future! 

Until next time.

www.occ.gov

www.federalreserve.gov

 When I came home from spinning class Saturday Chris said he felt like he had a kidney stone.  He was in pain when he and Margaret put up the outside lights.  We are a strand short but we can get that later.  Shortly after they got them up the pain increased.  It takes a lot to get him to the E.R. but he was quite willing to go.  We went, they sent him home on pain meds to pass it....it was a no-go.  We went back Sunday eve. and he stayed til Tues.afternoon when they surgically removed the dear thing.  No photo of it but it was 5mm or the size of a #8 knitting needle.  Everything revolves around knitting doesn't it?  LOL.  He is doing better.  He has a stent in that will be removed soon.

Space Saver

Between the fridge and the wall shelves is a lovely spot that needed to be filled.   We find it a perfect place to put up the magnetic strip to hold knives and such. 

Curtains

We finally got the curtains in the living room up. The windows are still needing replaced but the curtains will prevent people from seeing in at night....which they have done since May :)
But now....they can peek no more.

Margaret saw an idea on Pinterest to use drop cloths as curtains.   We bought brand new ones that we 6 ft by 9 ft and used those handy dandy rings with clips to attach them.  We folded over the top 2 ft.  We took them to the laundromat to soften them up and run them through the cycle with fabric softener.  

Kitchen Curtains

I finally got the curtains sewn.  While I am not totally in love with them yet, I do like them.  The bottom looks like the top when pulled shut.   I think I want to make one more panel on each side to make it a little fuller.  But if I get lazy and don't do it....I still like them well enough to keep them as they are.

The Bay Window

You've come a long way baby. 

The Ugly Woman Painting

Margaret picked this painting up at a yard sale for the music room long before we were able to paint it.  The paint colors were already picked out so we were pleased when they complimented each other so well.

It certainly isn't an original painting.  The surface is smooth and there isn't even a signature on it.  But it is still lovely.  She wanted it for the music room because, obviously, they are playing music.

As you look closer though the woman in the background is not so pleasant to gaze upon.  Thus, she has named the painting "The Ugly Woman".

It is sweet over the mantle.

Kitchen Curtains ?????

We are leaning toward the fabric on the left for the curtains in our very yellow kitchen.  They both look good with our very blue cabinets as well.  What do you think?   I am going to try and create cafe curtains.   I have been shopping at JoAnn's for years and just today learned that they will give you four inches of fabric free to take with you to help you decide on which one you want.  How wonderful!

Kitchen Happiness Part Two

Can't help it, had to paint it a happy blue.   :)

Bathroom Curtains Revisited

I shortened the front curtain and created a side curtain....so hide stuff.  :)

Bathroom Curtain

I made a curtain to hide the crates under the bathroom sink.

I had Chris hold them up in the living room to get an idea of what they would look like and to take a picture for you.

We all agreed they just looked too cute right there in the living room.

These are the attachments.  The rings across the rod very nicely.

My new favorite attachment.  I am gonna use them when I make the kitchen curtains as well.

Here it is under the sink again.  It may be a little too full.  The jury is still out on that.    I still need to make one for the end of the counter and I may just shorten this one and make the other one from it.

Kitchen Happiness

Life is just too short not to have a happy HAPPY kitchen.  I had originally wanted the color of the sky on the kitchen walls, but I decided on yellow!  I am happy I did.   It is a small kitchen with black appliances and dirt colored floors so I wanted it to look bigger and of course, why not really happy while I was at it.  It might make my cooking experiences more fun.  :)
Does anyone out there have a yellow kitchen?

It went on a little brighter than the paint sample showed but I still LOVE it.

Inch Worm

A better picture of the Inch Worm color on the wall.

We have been busy of late painting some rooms in the house.  Margaret picks out the colors.

I can't get the color of the living room to show up on the camera as even close to the color it is.  :(  But here goes.

 It's called Inch Worm by Valspar.  Much prettier in person.

The music room is probably my favorite room.

The bookshelves are Phoenix at Noon/Valspar and the wall is Valspar Lamplight.

Chris Painted the Bathroom

Knobs and Shoes

The bathroom now latches and locks.  I love the knob and the little key.

If the shoe fits.   It DID and it DOES.  :)  My husband is Brilliant. He had this old shoe out in the garage.  

The pantility locks and latches as well.

The Side Porch

Trying to spruce up the side porch a bit.  The two green pots are tomatoes, red pot is basil and the yellow is lavender.  How to use the bare dirt around the porches has yet to be determined.

The neighbor across the way has a macaw that he brings out on the porch once in a while. There it is on top of the cage.

The Foyer

It really did look this pinkish...but it is Oakley Upholstery Red-Valspar Paint-Satin.