A Different View

(The old front window, "Before")

This week got away from me....lots of updates on the 1st and I've been painting non-stop since we came back from our trip. I'll post about the offerings tomorrow.

Before we left, we decided to take advantage of this year's tax credit for some home improvements and ordered new windows through a local company that also installs them. We really needed new windows. The old ones had been original to our 197o's home and some didn't seal well, or slide smoothly in the tracks, plus they weren't double paned so weatherwise they weren't very efficient.

So, for practical reasons it made good sense to order new ones. And since we have a small "Colonial Cottage" we only have five windows to replace.

When we moved into our home four years ago, we began the long process of remodeling..... slowly as time and money allowed. Most of the improvements have been inside where no one sees unless they are invited in!
The bathroom is redone, the kitchen, the ceilings (we scraped all the popcorn texture off....ugh!), new floors, and of course paint. The only outside improvements have been adding new plants, a walkway and paint.....oh, and of course the Porch Perils (click to read about that nightmare!).

(The window guys taking out the old windows. Sort of strange to see a huge hole in your home!)

The porch is still being "processed" by my husband. He is pricing concrete vs. wood and deciding which he'd rather work with, (and, he hasn't said it, but I'm pretty sure he's waiting until the weather gets a little cooler!)

(Here is the new front window from the outside, but without the custom trim.)

When we came home from our trip, we got a call that our windows were in and ready to be installed. We really were excited about it for lots of reasons, but we never expected the windows to transform the outside of our little cottage...wow!, what a difference a window can make!

(The window guys even put a custom trim around the outside of each window! Oh, and you can't see it for the honeysuckle, but there was some extra trim leftover and hubby framed the front door with it.)

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Late tomorrow, (or on the 1st), I'll be updating on three websites:

To Dwell In Primitive Thymes- is having a Bippity-Bobbity-Boo Halloween theme.

The Eclectic Artisans- is having an Autumn/Halloween/Thanksgiving theme.

Early Work Mercantile - I've tried my hand at something CREEPY, but 19th century! :)

Home Again

Cool camera shot! During the reunion my camera took a photo of another camera! That is me reaching for it and my sister in the green shirt, can you see us?? :)

Well, Texas was HOT, and HUMID, that part hasn't changed since I lived there! But we did have a nice time and tried to stay indoors most of the trip.

Well, most of us tried to stay indoors! My parents bought a small ATV years ago for the grandsons...my boys didn't seem to mind sweating and little for some fun!

While there, we had an extended family reunion, i.e. the aunts, uncles, cousins, their children and on down the line. It was good to see everyone, many I hadn't seen in over ten years.
My Mom looked good, she recently had surgery for breast cancer and will have another for reconstructive surgery soon. And her doctors have decided that radiation or chemo isn't necessary, so that is good news!

Here are a few photos of the reunion. We all gathered at my cousin's gorgeous home in LA. They just built a home on a lake and the setting was perfect for the reunion.

My cousin's sloping backyard and lake view. They had a boat that took us around the lake and pulled the inner tube.

My youngest (Ben) only got out of the pool to go to the lake for some tubing fun! Here he is in the pool with his cousin; my sister's son, and getting ready to hang on for dear life behind the boat!

My cousin's beautiful livingroom.....I didn't let the boys go in here!


My oldest (Ethan) and my Aunt (my Mom's older sister). She is gonna shoot me if she knows I put her photo on my blog! Shhhhh, dont' tell her! I just thought this was a cute pic, plus Ethan thought he was so tall next to her! She is tiny, and he is 5'11".

Another cool camera shot....I took a photo of everyone taking a photo! It was difficult to take pictures of people, most everyone had a camera and had it held up to their faces all day taking photos! (a line of cousins, aunts and great aunts....my cute sis on the end in the green shirt)

So, the trip and reunion was for my Mom and we are glad we went....but it is good to be home now too.

My family: the four members of the Davis clan on the left end...my brother in the white shirt (middle), his wife next to him. Then, my sis and her hubby and son...peeking out behind my Dad's head, who is seated in front next to my Mom.


Since we've been back, I've started several new paintings for the 1st updates, and we just had new windows put in our home! I'll post pics of the windows next time.

A Vacation is Hard Work!

(Sunflowers in bloom in our backyard!)

We are getting ready to fly to my parent's home in TX and the "getting ready" part sure is a lot of work! Guess it shouldn't be as difficult as I'm making it, but I just want to finish a few projects I started before we leave....do you get like that? Work yourself up into a frenzy wanting to leave everything in your house in order before you leave for awhile?

(Just a quick update photo of the herb/ flower garden in full bloom!)

So, one of the many list I've started, (so I won't forget anything or anybody!), is a list that has those few projects I've been meaning to do.....and those are just about done! I decided that I needed to rearrange the house, AND repaint some of the furniture, lol! I've been thinking about this for awhile now, just haven't had time during the home school year, so summer is the time for those home projects.


Then I decided I needed a new shirt, and couldn't find one in the stores, so......I went to the fabric store and found a cute pattern and made one. Now, I am NOT a seamstress, and I haven't tried to sew clothing for myself in many years. But this pattern just had three pieces, AND it said "easy" on the front, so I thought maybe I could handle it.



I have to say, I was fairly pleased with my efforts. I didn't have to rip out any seams or re-cut a piece of the pattern. The whole thing went together fairly quickly. I may even try the long sleeved version for fall....maybe, it DOES have an extra pattern piece! :)

(I had my son take these last two photos, and he must have been laughing and shaking the camera while he snapped....both photos of blurry!)

Now that the projects are out of the way, it's onto the packing and trying to fit everyone's things into suitcases! See you when we get back.

~4th of July~

Hope you have a Safe and Happy 4th of July~