A Day in the Life...

Happy Wednesday.

Normally, I would be at work, but Phillip and I took the week off. Yes, that's right. In Kauai one week. Home on Thursday late - technically 1:00 a.m. on Friday. Work on Friday, then the next week off. Spoiled? Well, not exactly. Up until the 5 o'clock departure from work the Wednesday before we left for Kauai - we were going to try and get out of there at lunch, 11:30 a.m., but this is how self-employed people roll - Phillip had worked virtually everyday, 12-16 hour days 7 days a week on a new Las Vegas Casino project all through the holiday months. So, he decided to close the studio for Spring Break.

Everyone is gone! Yes, we are still quasi-working. Went in on Monday to ship UPS. Checking voice mail and email from home periodically throughout the day. You never REALLY leave a business!

But, anyway, I decided to give you a sneak peak of my day today. WARNING: not very interesting, but...OH WELL!!!

Woke up. Came upstairs and said "Hello" to Wonka-doggish laying in front of the fireplace. Doesn't he look sad? He didn't even move when I was taking his picture. I think he really misses Kyle. So do I.

Then I made my breakfast. My Energy drink - Hot Chocolate with Instant Coffee and milk. I actually prefer fresh brewed coffee, but what a pain that would be, considering I don't drink coffee and only use a teaspoon or two of instant in my Hot Chocolate. When my mom lived in town, it was always a perk - no pun intended, when I'd visit her house. She ALWAYS had a pot of coffee on 24 hours a day! I've just never developed a taste for full-on coffee. Even the local coffee stands make a too-strong mocha for my taste. I always ask for 1/2 the norm. Mochas cost more than Hot Chocolate, so sometimes I'll cheat and just buy the Hot Chocolate and mix in a bit of instant!

Next up. Check my emails and then the blogs. Hi everyone!!!

***DINNER TIME****

Be back later.....

Okay, I'm back. A.J. made ham, turkey and cheese hoagies for dinner. Yummy!

My plan for the day was to finish painting Phillip's home office-to-be. This used to be A.J.'s new room, but when Kyle moved out (sigh!), we moved downstairs, and A.J. into our old room. He actually says he likes it better than the new room. He almost NEVER comes out of there!!!

Anyway, the new room will make a perfect space at home for Phillip. I painted the room two shades of gray with a red stripe for A.J. with black baseboards. (we never finished the closet trim, hung the closet door, or finished out the window trim)

Since the new office theme should be warmer to accomodate the "pirate" collection that is presently in our living room, the plan is to leave the red stripe, repaint the light gray a medium tan, the dark gray a chocolate brown, and all the wood trim a creamy white. Phillip decided NOT to hang the 36" closet door. So, I painted the interior closet walls the same chocolate brown as the two lower walls under the red stripe. We'll fill the closet with wooden shelves painted the creamy trim color.

'Nuff said. Here are the colors:
London White - Trim - Hi Gloss Finish
Red Fox - Stripe - Satin Finish
Dipped Chocolate - Lower Walls (2) and Closet Interior - Eggshell Finish. This is the PERFECT MILK CHOCOLATE BROWN
Golden Crust - Walls - Eggshell Finish. Gee, do you think there is a theme going here? Reminds me of shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate. Um, Yum!

Farthest corner walls. You can still see a hint of the original light gray. This will be hidden with new crown molding.
Entry wall on the right.

In the room, looking towards the closed door. These are the solid wood doors that are going throughout the house to replace the 1970's hollow-core, flat panel, dark stained doors. They will be painted the same creamy white trim color.

Ceiling fan, which was for A.J.'s hi-tech look. I'm thinking this will get moved into his room and be replaced with a rustic wood one to go with the "pirate" theme. See the closet in the "before" state, in the background.

Closet.




















On to the window sills. I'm doing six of them. Two for the room. One for the hallway. Three for the dining room windows that got replaced over two years ago. We've done a lot around the house since then. We NEVER finish one room before starting the next. Well, more like I move on to other projects before the previous one is done. A.D.D? Maybe. But, at least when ALL those little unfinished things get done, a bunch of rooms will be done at ONCE! Yeah, that's my theory....

Phillip cut the window sills to match the ones we put in the living room. First, I de-burred the edges with the sanding block.

Then, I used the tack cloth to remove the sanding dust.

It's amazing how much dust these things pick up off the wood. The waxy rosin is very, very sticky!

Prime next.

This is my trusty little paint pan. I've used it so many times. Just look at the kaleidoscope of paint colors.


I used a small foam roller to put on two coats of primer. It is much faster to apply primer this way. But, since the goal at our house is to try to re-invent a farmhouse - cottage - bungalow look, I will be final painting the wood with a brush in order to achieve that layered, brush-stroke, painted surface.

So, I've said many times that I'm a pack-rat. Well, here is where it pays off! Take these "old" laundry hamper frames. Each of my boys had one when they all lived at home - in an effort to get them to pick up their laundry - but somewhere along the line the canvas bags went missing. ??? Well, today they got re-purposed as saw horses to hold the primed window sills. Voila!!!

I'll keep you posted on the progress - but don't hold your breath....I may just find something else to do tomorrow - and the next tomorrow....etc....