What is it about summer time?
The sights & the smells of summer
can be enchanting ...
queen anne's lace ... the flowers used
as centerpieces in mason jars at our wedding reception in
1997
Dan and I just celebrated 13 years of marriage!
Woo Hoo!
It's been an amazing ride ...
we've had our highs (we've lived in breathtaking
places around the United States and have
2 beautiful boys) and we've had our lows (we divorced in 2004 and then re-married in 2006!)...
so with the roller-coaster ride of marriage
along with the growing pains of life ...
we feel blessed that our family is together.
_________________________
Many have written and asked when I might
post again ... I apologize for the absence but
I've learned through those growing pains (mentioned above) to put my personal endeavors on the back-burner and
make hubby #1 in my life
and then
make the sweeties (my boys) #2 in my life
and then
there's the upkeep of our cottage home!
I'm not talking about the renovation of the kitchen or the many little projects I have cookin' up around here ...
I'm talkin' bare-bones keeper-of-the-home duties!
Gardening, laundry, cleaning, windows, canning, freezing, organizing, back-to-school shopping, ect.
Then ... when hubby is loved, boys are well cared for and our home is in order ...
... that's when I can take some quiet moments to post :O)
__________________________
Wanna peak at the latest?
We're having so much fun on this reno!
Do you remember what it looked like before?
Yes! This is the SAME wall! But now
we have cabinets :O) Yeah!
And what do you think about that IKEA
butcherblock countertop? wowsers!
The finish you see is the factory finish ... it is beautiful but not ready for high-end use ...
Dan and I read up on what we could find
on sealing butcher-block counter-tops ...
the most helpfo info came from TheLetteredCottage.com and This and That
we decided to use the product called Waterlox
I've applied 6 coats and it looks better with each application ... I think I'll put 10 coats on just for good measure. :O)
The above pic shows what Waterlox does for wood at 3 coats ... isn't it just yummy?!
The black hole you see on the right side of the butcherblock is a 1 3/4 " hole Dan drilled for electronic access for laptop wiring / land-line phone / cell-phone chargers, ect. He capped it off with a black, plastic liner w/lid so that all wiring is stream-lined and tucked away! Love a clean look at a desk-top area :O)
After 10 coats of Waterlox and a few days to completely dry ... we'll re-install and post pics
of the final product.
In the meantime, I'll be posting updates on the
ceiling project ...
see those black marks on the ceiling ... that's where the 20 yr-old track lighting used to be ...
recessed lights were installed a couple of months ago and now we're neck deep in painting the paintable, beadboard, wallpaper!
Can I just say, "AMAZING!"
This afternoon I painted one coat of
Decorator's White by BM in eggshell
...
I'll see what it looks like in the am ... I'm hoping there's a bit of a sheen but not too much to draw the eye up and notice all the imperfections ...
Dan does not appreciate when I "fuss" so much over the minute details ... but for me ...
the sheen must be right.
___________________________
Ya know ... instead of just looking at the beauty
of queen anne's lace ... I think I'll create bouquets of them around our cottage ...
Happy Summer my Friend!
as centerpieces in mason jars at our wedding reception in
1997
Dan and I just celebrated 13 years of marriage!
Woo Hoo!
It's been an amazing ride ...
we've had our highs (we've lived in breathtaking
places around the United States and have
2 beautiful boys) and we've had our lows (we divorced in 2004 and then re-married in 2006!)...
so with the roller-coaster ride of marriage
along with the growing pains of life ...
we feel blessed that our family is together.
_________________________
Many have written and asked when I might
post again ... I apologize for the absence but
I've learned through those growing pains (mentioned above) to put my personal endeavors on the back-burner and
make hubby #1 in my life
and then
make the sweeties (my boys) #2 in my life
and then
there's the upkeep of our cottage home!
I'm not talking about the renovation of the kitchen or the many little projects I have cookin' up around here ...
I'm talkin' bare-bones keeper-of-the-home duties!
Gardening, laundry, cleaning, windows, canning, freezing, organizing, back-to-school shopping, ect.
Then ... when hubby is loved, boys are well cared for and our home is in order ...
... that's when I can take some quiet moments to post :O)
__________________________
Wanna peak at the latest?
We're having so much fun on this reno!
Do you remember what it looked like before?
Yes! This is the SAME wall! But now
we have cabinets :O) Yeah!
And what do you think about that IKEA
butcherblock countertop? wowsers!
The finish you see is the factory finish ... it is beautiful but not ready for high-end use ...
Dan and I read up on what we could find
on sealing butcher-block counter-tops ...
the most helpfo info came from TheLetteredCottage.com and This and That
we decided to use the product called Waterlox
I've applied 6 coats and it looks better with each application ... I think I'll put 10 coats on just for good measure. :O)
The above pic shows what Waterlox does for wood at 3 coats ... isn't it just yummy?!
The black hole you see on the right side of the butcherblock is a 1 3/4 " hole Dan drilled for electronic access for laptop wiring / land-line phone / cell-phone chargers, ect. He capped it off with a black, plastic liner w/lid so that all wiring is stream-lined and tucked away! Love a clean look at a desk-top area :O)
After 10 coats of Waterlox and a few days to completely dry ... we'll re-install and post pics
of the final product.
In the meantime, I'll be posting updates on the
ceiling project ...
see those black marks on the ceiling ... that's where the 20 yr-old track lighting used to be ...
recessed lights were installed a couple of months ago and now we're neck deep in painting the paintable, beadboard, wallpaper!
Can I just say, "AMAZING!"
This afternoon I painted one coat of
Decorator's White by BM in eggshell
...
I'll see what it looks like in the am ... I'm hoping there's a bit of a sheen but not too much to draw the eye up and notice all the imperfections ...
Dan does not appreciate when I "fuss" so much over the minute details ... but for me ...
the sheen must be right.
___________________________
Ya know ... instead of just looking at the beauty
of queen anne's lace ... I think I'll create bouquets of them around our cottage ...
Happy Summer my Friend!
Happy Anniversary...we are celebrating our 14th this week! How time flies...
ReplyDeleteWe are in the process of buying a home. We actually have 2 offers in and should hear about one of them tomorrow or Tuesday.
Miss you guys!
Happy Anniversary! Ah yes, the queens anne's lace, or lack there off on your wedding day, hehe. But that is another story.
ReplyDeleteLoving the pictures. Keep them coming.
Oh Miss Gina, how I do love hearing your voice! Even though it is simply writing, my my, it still sounds so much like you! I feel as if your having a conversation with me-- which I always do enjoy our design conversations....I need to call HGTV right now, before you finish your cotage =]
ReplyDeleteoh friend, it looks amazing - good job! Reminded of Gods awesomeness as I looked at the desk area. Can you believe those cabinets came with wainscoting on the doors? I see that as a "Gina, this is how much I love you" whisper from God. He loves us in the simplest of details that know will tickle our fancy! love you!
ReplyDelete