The purpose of this blog has been mostly to keep a record of my DIY, Craft, Sewing and Fine Art projects. That's not going to change, but for a little while the focus will be on a specific, HUGE, long-term project.
Background that you need to know for this to make sense is that, after a 45 year marriage, I am going to be moving to my own house...alone. I have chosen this path and, while my husband is not happy about it, he loves me enough to not only let me go without fighting, but has been an active supporter in every step. We are not divorcing and will be in frequent contact to support each other in this change. That is all anyone really needs to know about that.
The next piece of information that is important is that, rather than renting and throwing away my hard earned 401K money, we decided to put our savings together and buy me another house. We are not separating our income and expenses. All of it, as it has always been, is OURS.
The house I've chosen is a 1947 Cape Cod with lots of potential....that word, of course, translates into "work." Projects. Lots of them. I've been collecting used furniture, mostly from thrift shops, some from my own home, and I am in the process of refinishing them for a new life. Most of them are going to be lightly sanded (some not) and painted. Some will have chalk paint, some regular latex paint. My style is a modified shabby chic, but with some sophisticated leanings. I love the look of a mostly white and pastel palette, the painted, slightly distressed woods and the respect for reusing and upcycling of good, quality pieces. I generally don't care for all-white, lots of ruffles and/or lace, too much pink and/or flowers and worn, bare wood or paint that is so chipped there is more bare wood than paint showing. I'm going to be careful about not putting too much "stuff" on shelves and tables...I will be carefully editing to use things as decor that are also utilitarian. My version of shabby chic gets a little "bling." I like to see that soft pastel palette and painted wood punctuated by some shiny metallic lamps, some glittery chandeliers (if I can swing it....no pun intended) and some mirrors and other glass decor.
We will settle on the new house on August 10, and in the meantime, I have lots of furniture to paint and boxes to pack. After we have the keys, I will be painting the interior of the house. We have roofers coming to replace the roof and there are some other interior repairs to make before I can move in. Once in, I will finish up any painting of rooms and/or furniture that didn't get accomplished ahead of time and then settle into sewing curtains for EVERY SINGLE WINDOW. I've been collecting various fabrics over a number of months for this purpose. I have linen, sheets, tablecloths, actual curtain panels and even painter's drop cloths greedily hoarded, just waiting for me to get creative.
I'm going to be documenting the processes right here! Next post I will start off with some photos of the house and shortly thereafter, I will begin posting before and afters of my paint projects. Hang with me.....we're going for a RIDE!!
Background that you need to know for this to make sense is that, after a 45 year marriage, I am going to be moving to my own house...alone. I have chosen this path and, while my husband is not happy about it, he loves me enough to not only let me go without fighting, but has been an active supporter in every step. We are not divorcing and will be in frequent contact to support each other in this change. That is all anyone really needs to know about that.
The next piece of information that is important is that, rather than renting and throwing away my hard earned 401K money, we decided to put our savings together and buy me another house. We are not separating our income and expenses. All of it, as it has always been, is OURS.
The house I've chosen is a 1947 Cape Cod with lots of potential....that word, of course, translates into "work." Projects. Lots of them. I've been collecting used furniture, mostly from thrift shops, some from my own home, and I am in the process of refinishing them for a new life. Most of them are going to be lightly sanded (some not) and painted. Some will have chalk paint, some regular latex paint. My style is a modified shabby chic, but with some sophisticated leanings. I love the look of a mostly white and pastel palette, the painted, slightly distressed woods and the respect for reusing and upcycling of good, quality pieces. I generally don't care for all-white, lots of ruffles and/or lace, too much pink and/or flowers and worn, bare wood or paint that is so chipped there is more bare wood than paint showing. I'm going to be careful about not putting too much "stuff" on shelves and tables...I will be carefully editing to use things as decor that are also utilitarian. My version of shabby chic gets a little "bling." I like to see that soft pastel palette and painted wood punctuated by some shiny metallic lamps, some glittery chandeliers (if I can swing it....no pun intended) and some mirrors and other glass decor.
We will settle on the new house on August 10, and in the meantime, I have lots of furniture to paint and boxes to pack. After we have the keys, I will be painting the interior of the house. We have roofers coming to replace the roof and there are some other interior repairs to make before I can move in. Once in, I will finish up any painting of rooms and/or furniture that didn't get accomplished ahead of time and then settle into sewing curtains for EVERY SINGLE WINDOW. I've been collecting various fabrics over a number of months for this purpose. I have linen, sheets, tablecloths, actual curtain panels and even painter's drop cloths greedily hoarded, just waiting for me to get creative.
I'm going to be documenting the processes right here! Next post I will start off with some photos of the house and shortly thereafter, I will begin posting before and afters of my paint projects. Hang with me.....we're going for a RIDE!!