Now that I've stopped working on my first floor apartment (at least until I can open my doors and windows again to let the fumes of the products I use out) I seem to have taken up birdhouse renovations.  Fun.

I forgot to take a before picture.  This is actually a during picture.  Originally this house had no base on it, and the roof was all looking pretty much like the front as you see it here.  So, being as the bottom of this was pretty much rotted out, (it was found in a pile of leaves headed for the trash) I decided to rescue it and give it a new lease on life for another year or two.  So I built the base, painted it with exterior paint and added a few embellishments.  Here is the final result.  I have not put it outside yet, but probably should as this is the nesting season for the birdies and it did actually have a lot of nesting material I had to clean out so I know they did live here.

Do you think the cat sitting by the door will frighten them away?  Personally I doubt it.  We shall see and I'll let you know.

Meanwhile, I've taken on another one.  This one comes from another one that was pretty distraught.  I had purchased it years ago at the Tulip Festival and I remember paying $40.00 for it which just about blew my mind that I would actually pay that much.  Well you can't tell yet what the final house looks like, it was just beautiful.   Again, I didn't take a before picture.

So today I plan to finish my embellishments and some paint and stain to finish it off.  The front will have a more distinct door with doorknob and planters and the back I decided needed a picture window. I know it looks crooked but I haven't trimmed it in yet.  I actually have a piece of glass in there so the birds can see out.  This one they might not inhabit but again it will be interesting to see if they do.  So I will trim out the window, put some more embellishments on and show the finished project later on.  Hopefully, later today.

Hope you are enjoying your creative side and thanks for stopping by.

Today I went shopping for a piece of furniture that I could use for a desk or table for my arts and crafts but came home with this instead.  Everyone who comes into my house asks why I don't have my large screen tv in my living room so when I saw this and liked it, checked the price and it was right on target so I bought it, came home and assembled it and my daughter and companion came and carried the tv downstairs and I managed for the first time to hook it all up and the VCR too and then watched a movie to be sure it worked and it does.  Yea!  So often I am technically challenged but was able to complete the set up and watch the Country Music Awards on the big screen.  I've been watching on a small 29" and that now is in my bedroom.  More information than anybody needs.  Anyway the piece was made by Sauder Co. and I have had them before.  They go together really easily if you follow their directions and look really much more expensive than they are.

My blog will probably take on a different tone now that most of the work is done on my lower floor.  It is now fully functional although there are still small jobs that need to get done.  I am waiting for warmer weather so I can open windows and doors and paint and work outside on my deck and not have to deal with fumes inside.

A few more pictures for my  friend  Janet who doesn't do Facebook but who helped to finance my recent reno and help me with final finishing touches.

This vase I purchased at the Salvation Army Store for $1.99.  I think it is beautiful.  The dishes above I purchased to go in my kitchen.  Something to ad some pattern as my everyday dishes are plain white.  Above that is a new faucet I had to replace in my master bath due to leaking of the old one.  Above that is a coffee table that a dear girlfriend gave me.  It was her mothers who recently passed away.  I sanded off all the dark old finish and it came out this light color with some weathered streaks in it.  I find it goes really nicely in my room.  I need to put a finish on it yet, and haven't decided whether to whitewash it or just a clear coat.  I'm afraid the clear coat will make it dark again and I really want it to stay as light as it is.  Any suggestions I will listen to and consider.   Please leave me a note if you have an idea.

Spring is finally here or very near.  The ice on the side of my house is almost gone.  Will be working outside cleaning up soon.  Am anxious to get out in the fresh air and enjoy some sunshine.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you are enjoying your days and doing things you love.  Feel free to leave a note.

A little trip to Florida to visit a friend and to get away from the projects this old house keeps giving me.

Had an amazing time with girlfriends.  Trip to the beach in Delray,  Lunch at the beautiful Sunset House and gardens and eating at BoneFish Grill a couple of times.

Purchased two orchid plants in one pot for $3.50 at Home Depot.  Brought them home and they are alive although the flowers and stem are not going to survive as they got banged up.  I'm hoping it will grow new and strong with some tender loving care.

Took the train down and back and met some really interesting people.  Round trip cost in coach was about $250.  The trip takes 30 hours from start to finish if on schedule.  We were only an hour off schedule both ways.  Not to bad and only about an hour and 45 minutes in between connections so I only had about 45 minute wait at Penn Central.

Although I left in the middle of the week, the train was full and I didn't have the usual two seats to myself that I can usually spread out on and actually sleep well.  But my sleeping partners, one woman and one man were good.  No problems, no snoring….. lol.  A dinner date with one of the people I met in the dining car at night was wonderful conversation and cute to look at too.  Thank you to Scott for that.

Home now and back to the projects.  Wish spring would arrive and warmer temps so I can get my projects outside to work on and finish.

Thanks for stopping by again and hope you are experiencing good weather and good friends as I am.

I am not quite finished although my countertops are in.  As you can see I still have this built in cabinet to refinish.  Needs paint and doors (stuck in my garage because of the snow.) or I could leave the shelves open which is the trend these days.  Haven't quite decided yet on that.  Currently being used as storage for things I can't fit in the cabinets.

The benches are actually upper cabinets that are 18" tall, which happened to be the same height as my chairs.  I still need to make cushions for the tops.  The base of the table came from an old table that was left by my tenant.    My friend Sam has come back in a different capacity.  Friends only and he has accepted that that is the way it will be or not at all.  He pickled the top of it and it looks really good I think.

He also built me the second drawer down that fits perfectly.

I am undecided as to whether to paint the inside of the cabinet white or the color of the walls.  The color it is is what the kitchen was before the flood.  It appears the same as the new color but is actually a few shades lighter.

Hope all your decorating and projects are going well.  Thanks for stopping by.

I ordered  my countertop today from Home Depot.  I couldn't get a sample but it's a solid surface in a white quartz finish with beveled edge.  I actually went to order it yesterday because I had a coupon for 18 month payments with no interest charged but the coupon wasn't good until today.  At first I was upset because it meant I would have to come back today.  Well when I came back today, not only was I able to use the special no interest financing but I also got an additional 10% off because it is a special order.  I ended up saving $108.00 which is great.  No pics to show but progress is being made.  When all is said and done I'll post the pics.

On another topic I ended a potential relationship with a man I genuinely liked and could have helped me tremendously on my house because he kept pressuring me to do things I did not want to do.  I had enough aggravation about it to say goodbye.  I will miss him as we like to do all the same things and have very similar tastes, but I'm not going against my gut feelings and so it is.

I found this motivated me even more to do some other things I've been meaning to do but haven't.  I'm anxious to go back and do some artwork and spent last evening at a journal club meeting doing just that and enjoying the camaraderie of the instructor and other friends.

Time to back up a bit and change course.  Thanks for stopping by.