bold2boss

 The reno of Sam's room has expanded into his foyer...or maybe it's the 'add-on to be gym' reno that's expanded into the foyer.  My many renos are colliding and merging!  I'll interpret that as a sign that they are coming to completion after 7 years - although I'm not sure I can ever be 'reno-free', I'm just too addicted! We now have a sliding door in the foyer turning this small dark area into a light-filled open and inviting space with purpose and appeal - I love it - now I just need to add some beautiful decorative touches ! Here's our progress...removing the original door and opening the wall to create a frame... such a bonus to be working with post and beam construction so only the door frame needs to be built without having to worry about extra beam support... Having Sam and Ben helping makes the whole job fun...and their strong arms are a pretty big bonus too... keep it steady...casual one arm stance while big brother oversees ...not s...

...dings and finger prints...reminders of the kid's happy frolicking...love the frolicking but not so much the evidence - help!  Our house is full of life...kids happily bouncing, running, swinging through doorways - yes, still, even though Madeline and Benjamin are now in university and Sammy is well into high-school! My walls and doorways show the evidence of this - smudges, dings and all sorts of other representations of their happy frolicking. So I'm always on the search for a solution to keep the walls and doorways from looking like a haggard mother. The doorways 'mid-house' were a hug mess, needing serious attention...and since I had just redone Sammy's room, they were really screaming for attention. I set to the task of creating a solution for around the doorways that wouldn't require a whole wall treatment (no matter how much I love painting, the memory of painting those huge walls was too painfully fresh). I'm inspired by this Ralph Lauren picture b...

Some life experiences are transformative, ripping apart the way you understand, view and experience life.  As I lay there in that dim room, searching through a haze of exhaustion and confusion, I knew this was to be one. I could see a tiny ruddy body, limp and lifeless; my baby girl, torn from my body now transforming my life.  Silhouetted figures lean over her speaking in hushed tones; tubes; chest compressions..she’s dying…alone in this dark room surrounded by strangers. I reach for her, struggling to get closer, to give her something familiar in all this strangeness…  “Baby,” I whisper, “I’m here, stay with me…stay, please stay.” She did stay.  Her tiny delicate body wired up, naked under the harsh buzzing lights of the neonatal intensive care unit.  My delicate black haired baby, clinging to life…fierce eyes glaring and penetrating my soul. I went home without her…empty, desolate and alone...waiting for her to gather strength, waiting to bring her ...

Finally I can share the beautiful results of our year long project! Here are a few pictures of the living room transformation…(there is so much more of this little rancher reno that I will share soon… bedrooms , bathroom , kitchen, and more...) ...beautiful transformation into a light-filled home notice the popcorn ceiling, lighting fixture and yellow walls…the cheap yellow laminate flooring isn’t so obvious in the picture but is a glaring element that set the color and visual tone Prepping the floor for beautiful white-washed oak hardwood scraping the popcorn ceiling and prepping it for pot lighting  such messy work but so worth the result…and fairly quick…a good shoulder workout I used a process of coating the popcorn with non-caustic stripper (…at the time this seemed to be the best technique I’d tried yet, but not so now – see my painted popcorn ceiling removal  post) notice all the trim and crown molding removed…lots of drywall patching on the ceiling and walls Calculatio...

The rough edges of the bureau draw me closer. The ruts and worn edges under my fingertips are like the groves of a record, replaying our precious stories. Memories flood around me, mixing joy and aching nostalgia… little feet pattering down the hall soft rosy cheeks snuggled against teddies Laughter and warm embraces, music and dancing feet. …passing time. My fingers linger on the imperfections as I savor the precious memories… our life and love resonating in these marks, our history inscribed…our beautiful life… beautiful imperfections have a beautiful week xo shelley

The thick blanket of snowy winter on the garden is just as beautiful as when in full bloom.  the chickens stay snuggled in their cozy nest. all is soft, still and muted. have a beautiful week.  xo shelley  

Fall is here! I love the renewed greenness that comes with the fall. In the garden fresh sprigs, tender shoots of grass and even new blossoms are coaxed out by the rain and gentle warmth of the horizon sun – the world is lush and alive. ...fallen leaves amidst the lavender and heather... ...lavender scent fills the autumn breeze... ...soft filtered sun through the turning leaves... ...the hens scratching up fallen seeds and tender new sprigs... ...grateful for the cool reprieve of fall... ...pecking at the flowers pushing through the grapevines... ...even new blossoms emerge in the fall warmth... ...Russian Sage waves in the fall breeze... ...cozy nest in the lush tuffs of grass... ...babies grown, moving onto ventures of their own... Have a beautiful week! xo shelley