Hiatus

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I'm going away for a while.

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Not quite Paris.  Wishing.

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Just time to focus. 

I have to choose paint colors, flooring, etc. and negotiate in the process.  You know how these things go.  The house is 4 hours away so that means a lot of travel time.  Every spare moment needs to be spent packing up my current house.
I'm the type who veers off the path.  I can sit down to make a few blog comments and before I know it, hours have passed.

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 I shall return...after I climb this mountain.  

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 Wishing you the dreamiest and most delicious summer!

Who Gives a Hoot ?

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Do you remember owl decor in the 70's?  I do. We had a few in our house including an owl bank which sat on my dresser as a kid.  They're back and I'm loving them all the same.

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I found this brown one in Goodwill the other day.  It's probably as old as me.  I'm vintage.

For $2 and a can of white spray paint, it's now hip.

It needs another coat of paint but I'm not sure if I want to leave it white.

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Posting to Mod Mix Monday @Mod Vintage Life 

Remember the purse?

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I'm not old, I'm just wise!

Wood Floors

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Dark, medium or natural?  That is the question for today.  Trying to decide what color of stain to go on my wood floors.

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My heart says dark, my head says light.

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What I do not like is an orange or red tint, which is what I had.

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Dark would probably be a nightmare to keep clean.  But the light may not go with my style of house which is very traditional. 
Furnishings are fairly neutral, (bye bye red couch,) although I do have darker wood pieces.  The kitchen has white cabinets with black granite. Thinking griege paint. 

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Maybe I should just go for a happy medium.

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Still a little reddish to me.
Other considerations- we really don't have an open floor plan but are hoping the continuation of wood into the living area will make it cohesive.  The living room has very little light but the breakfast area and dining room have lots of light. 

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Then I have to decide on sheen.  High or low gloss, satin? 
I would appreciate any tips or advice!
Thanks! 

Pets in the House & An Attitude Adjustment

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This may be one of the most controversial posts I will ever write.  
I don't like pets in my house. Please don't go hating me.  Most every single one of my friends have pet(s) in their houses.  It's a personal choice.  I love dogs and always had one growing up. My mom did not allow us to bring them inside except for puppies to nurture.  I'd climb out of bed at night and sneak the puppy into bed with me because I could not stand to hear one cry.  So let me assure you, I do like pets.
I just prefer they have their own space.  Not to ignore, but somewhere to run and play and make all the messes they want. We'd never leave one out in inclement weather, etc. either. 

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For those of you who keep yours inside, I'll happily pet them, play with them and let them sit in my lap when I come to visit.  I enjoy that. Although, I do not allow my children to continually bother an adult guest in my house and think the same rule should go for pets.  


I'm highly allergic to cats.  Not the "sneezing and watery eyes"  but the "absolutely can't breathe" kind.  Without treatment, cats are lethal to me.  I once became so ill, it lasted 3 months, all from one encounter with a cat.  

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Hard to imagine how something so adorable can make me so sick,  but it does. 

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Not sure why some people find this amusing.  We were once invited to dinner at a friend's house and this is exactly what was happening in the kitchen. The cats were on the counter eating out of the very bowl meant to serve us.  I didn't eat and my visit was short.  Maybe the only time I was grateful for being allergic to cats. 

Nothing sweeter than puppy dog eyes.  It would be hard for me to say no or scold something so cute.  I really have a big soft heart for pets.

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Here's the reason for this post.  In my last post, I told you how our house was not as we left it.  Turns out the tenants had at least 8 dogs maybe 12 inside.  The house was a dog house, not a people house.  I can't begin to tell you of the filth that was awaiting us.  So much damage has been done.  I can't fathom how people lived in that type of mess.  The smell alone was enough to make me sick.  And for the first time, I had an allergic reaction to dog hair in the same way I've had to cats. Everything from the plumbing to the a/c unit has been damaged. I could go on and on but, I really desire for this blog to be a fun and positive place so details will be spared.  In the upcoming weeks, we'll be replacing all the flooring, etc.  Therefore, you'll know why we are remodeling. 

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Each time I relay this story,  my friends feel compelled to tell me how clean his/her pets are and how his/her house is not affected.  I know that.  I'd be the same way about mine. Unfortunately not everyone is so clean.  What's even more sad is some do not realize how unclean they are.  So if you have pets and you lease now or in the future, do not be upset at rules, pet deposits, etc.  I pray you never have to live on this side of the fence.

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When I drove away from my house, I cried a little but then remembered things are only things... and things cost money, which made me cry a tad more. 
Later that day, I saw my little buddy Gavin, the 3 year old who was diagnosed with cancer 2 weeks ago.  
Nope.  I really don't have a single thing to complain about.

Some of you have asked how he is.  Perfect way to end on a positive note!  The chemo has made him really sick but it only lasted for a couple of days.  The best news is that it's working better than expected.  His lab work came back great!  The tumor is shrinking!  We are praying for less chemo and a quicker surgery.

Gavin has the prettiest dark hair and the longest dark eyelashes you've ever seen. The next round of chemo will probably take that so his mommy was going to get pictures made this week. 
He was rather droopy when I saw him and this made me cry on the inside.  It's hard to see a 3 year old who doesn't feel like running and playing.  But we are so grateful he is still with us and all the good reports thus far!  His parents are in great spirits and have a beautiful attitude.  A lesson for us all.
God is good!

Almost

I love to make a house a home.  And I'm getting a new project!  Never mind that I didn't finish this current one.  

I've been reluctant to write the words, "we're moving" because there were so many unknowns.   It's official.  We are moving back to the Brownsfield. Yes, we did sell the house but in a lease purchase, the buyers can opt out and they did.  Let's just say we found the house a lot different than we left it.  But I don't want to even talk about it today.  Ranting can come later.

Step into my sunroom, the room that was "almost" decorated.  It was last on the list at The Borrowed House. Now it will never be completed.  The decor is a mix of vintage and modern pieces so I'm posting to my friend Nita's new linky party, Mod Mix Monday.  

Good thing I kept my boots by the door.  Actually, I've moved them from the front door to the back.  I guess that's symbolic too. 
The boots even provided the color inspiration for the room.

I recently hit a winning streak with giveaways.  Every prize worked out perfectly in this space.  But it'll be fun to make them work in new spaces too.
A Cozy Cup of Tea sponsered a giveaway on Burlap and Blue and I won!  Kristina makes incredible pillows. 

Hard decision but I settled on the silhouette. Don't you love the ticking?
Couldn't resist these darling number tags so I bought them to be included in my package.

Yay me! I won another giveaway from Timeless N Chic over on Type A.  This cute blue shelf...

and this spring candle holder made by Courtney.  Isn't it so clever?

I'm enjoying putting little treasures on the rustic shelf. 

Stacy from Stacy's Shabby Shoppe sent this vintage ballerina cupcake topper in yet another giveaway.  She couldn't have known how much I'd love it.  Red headed!  My heart, my daughter.

In addition to the Scrabble "home" letters, Tracey from Raggy Girl Vintage sent the sweetest wrapped friendship package with all these other goodies below.  Love how the ballerina theme serendipitously happened.

I've already told each of them, but thanks again girls!  I'm blessed!

In looking back...

I've learned a lot this past year.  I fought so hard against being in my current place in the beginning.  Seems almost foolish now. 

You can only move when the door opens.  
Although things have not been easy, good things have happened too.  My family has grown in love and understanding.  We've made new friends and experienced new things, even were featured in the news and newspaper (our brief moment of stardom.)
I found some great places, like antique stores and flea markets, of course. 

This $15 chair cleaned up really well.  The matching dreamy sofa will need reupholstering, but it was only $55!  
Good things.

Our family motto-

Source

Let the packing begin!