Buffet and Hutch Update

Well, despite Christmas (Merry Christmas!) and the aftermath of family visits, present explosion, sudden urge to clean sweep the house, and snow (SNOW!) to follow, I actually did manage to finish the bottom portion of my new china cabinet: the buffet! See how nice (well, and maybe kind of random) it looks in our entryway?

The dresser that was there before was a good bit higher (and wider, as Alan grumbled), hence, the height of the photographs. After the hutch gets finished, the pictures will probably move to the side. And perhaps the one of Alan bull riding (his secret past) will be replaced.
Here's a closer shot of the finished cabinet. Note the missing ring pull. Turns out of the four the company sent me, one was missing the post used to screw in the hardware. Hoping to have that replaced most speedily!

An even closer shot of the ring pulls. As I'm sure you were dying to see them better. Flash back to this before if you need a memory jog of the former (hideous) pulls.

And now it's on to the hutch. Only she's going to have to wait a bit as I have got to clean up this Christmas Crazy and take 874 bags of crud to Goodwill (crud to me, hopefully treasure to someone else) and take just a little trippie to visit a college friend (hi Andrea!). Meanwhile, Little Hutch can just continue to hang out in my dining room - the site for all worthy DIY projects! - and wait.

I'm just itching, though, to remove this ummm, nice bamboo stencil on the glass. Icky, huh? Am hoping that nail polish remover or paint remover will do the trick. Because that? I cannot live with.

Stay tuned for China Cabinet Do-Over, Part 2.

See Y'all? I'm NOT Insane!

Well, not totally anyway.

Look what I found on the Los Angeles Craigslist!

And, it's not nearly as pretty as mine!

Yeah, I hear the snickers from some of you out there.

And the price listed on this baby??

$450!

She Had Me At "Hello"

So, one of the daycares where I work is right behind

my favorite furniture shoppe.

You know which one I mean.

Mama tells me I need to stop going there,

and she might have a point.

You know you're going there a bit too often

when you run into the "salesmen" who work there

at the local library

and they totally recognize you.

Did I need a buffet? No.

Did I need a hutch? No.

But don't we all need a little more

Hollywood Regency Faux Bamboo in our lives?

No?

So clearly I didn't resist this purchase.

After all, it was only $35.

And I was totally going to rehab it

and try to sell it on Craigslist.

But then I got to thinking.

And that's always a little dangerous, isn't it?

Perhaps it could go in my house.
Perhaps it just needs a clean-up.

And a little painty, painty touch.

And a little spackle.

And some new pulls wouldn't hurt.So, the work began this week.

And yes, I am a crazy fool for

starting this job at Christmas time.

See how much better she already looks

with a little primer and the

after-effects of exploding soda

(or possibly murder)

already disappearing?

WARNING: Sacreligious Post Ahead

As I was setting out one of my nativity scenes
(yes, I have multiple),

I discovered that some mishaps had occurred
in the previous 11 months of storage.

And while I was setting them out,
this thought came to mind:

"Joseph got decapitated and Mary's a single mother!"

Horrifically, it sounds a bit like

a hit country song, doesn't it?

Miss You. I Really, Really Do.

I know. I wouldn't believe me either.

Oh! How I long to be creative and blog more!

Oh! How I long to grow my new business to hiring, oh, maybe five more speech pathologists.

Oh! How I long to just buy CHEAPITY CHEAP thrift store furniture and strip (you know, the furniture) and paint it and stretch my design-y bone.

Oh! How I long to just have a clean house!

Oh! How I'd even settle for just a clean kitchen! Or boys rooms that didn't require a navigational tool!

Oh! How I would love to get more practice time with that old camera and Wonder Lens That Was GIVEN to Me!

Oh! How I seem to need to be cloned!

Yeah. We're Kind of Weird Like That

The boys and I (and Girl Dog) took a hike in the woods today.

Found this treasure above.

Brought it home (to the envy of 2 male neighbors we passed on the way).

Along with 274 of his other bones.

Bleach it out and hang it up?