Redecorating!!

Those words really didn't come off my fingers, did they?  ME,  the book reader,  book collector, love experiences but not processes girl,   please don't make me look at fabric,  room design,  or talk matching, arranging girl?  Oh,  but they did.  And I am SOOOOOO excited!!!!   Here is the first of the "new"  me.  I have a brown living room.  I mean,  EVERYTHING is brown.  Couch,  chair,  walls,  cabinet,  fireplace,  mantle.  lamps.  I told yah,  and I like brown as an accent,  NOT as the main only color.  So,  my decorator sister who closed her blog and should reopen it,  sent me fabric swatches to choose from for new pillows on my couch.  She said it would help.  I believed her,  like she believes me when I tell her to read a certain book.  We trust each other like that.  I chose this fabric.  

And my mom, who has a wonderful blog,  Under Her Wings,  made these for me for my birthday. 

Look at the detail she put into the edging and the little knot. Amazing!

See Very Brown Couch,  Great for concealing stains,  but a little drab.

 Let me tell you,  I have it made.  

Next up,  was a very red and dingy entrance wall.  Not what everyone should see when they first walk in my house.  I had red in my old house in LA,  but it had windows literally encircling it.  So red was good.  Here,  not so many windows.  Since this is the year to  find myself update,  I thought how difficult could it be to paint a wall.  And it wasn't.  Especially when I used this as my inspiration picture. 



Pottery Barn

Can you tell what color makes me happy?  Not the black,  although it is pretty in this pic.  So,  I went on down to Ben Moore and picked me up a quart.   My wall used to look like this.



Not my wall, but the same color.  I am still getting used to taking pics of before and after.  Heck,  taking pics at all is still enlightening. 



My good friend, who is also an interior designer, is coming over soon  and helping me arrange the pictures.  I know,  I would be lost in books and brown furniture if it weren't for wonderful lovely people who love color and know how to use it. 

I think I will be looking at Pottery Barn more often.  As soon as it is finished,  I will show you.  But don't hold your breath.  No projects are finished quickly around here.   

thanks for reading,

Reb

UPDATE:  I mentioned to my sister that my friend who is also her friend who is also an interior designer was helping me with my wall, and you would have thought I said she was FAT.  I think we argued for 15 min.  I have since asked her forgiveness and for her help in three rooms of my house now,  and she might forgive me.  Just a warning,  designers are VERY SENSITIVE!!  BEWARE!!

How to get Chickens to Lay Eggs

A couple of days ago the two youngest children who love and take of the chickens went to search for eggs.   They found...ONE...  I own NINE chickens and we could only get ONE egg?   I was a little miffed.  We pamper  take great care of these chickens,  feed them well, never forget water,  the kids pet them and play with them,  they get almost daily leftovers from the kitchen that many people would eat.  So what was up with the ONE out of NINE eggs? 

I decided to go have a chat with the feather balls.  First we discussed their cushy lifestyle and how I brought them into the world,  I could take them out.  Well,  I brought them home anyway.  Then we discussed rationing and penning.  They free roam our yard as long as we are home,  which as homeschoolers is daily!! 

Then I thought maybe I hadn't sung to them in awhile. We have a song.  or two. The first one is very sweet and goes like this.  

                                  Chick, Chick, Chick, Chick, Chicken,  Lay a little egg for me.
                                  Chick, Chick, Chick, Chick, Chicken,  I want one for my tea.
                                  I haven't had an egg since Easter, and now it's half past three, sooo
                                  Chick, Chick, Chick, Chick, Chicken,  Lay a little egg for me. 

A very cheery tune,  I think my grandmother taught me.  To be safe and so the chicks knew I was SERIOUS  I sang THE OTHER SONG.  It goes like this.

                                  Oh,  I had a little chicken and it wouldn't lay and egg,
                                  So I poured boiling water up and down it's leg,
                                  Oh,  the little chicken cried and the little chicken begged,
                                  And the little chicken laid me a hard boiled egg. 

And that did the trick.  The next day,  we got 6 eggs from that group.  I still would like to know who's not doing her duty.  I may have to take them out one by one and have personal chats.  In a group setting you never know who is not listening. 

thanks for reading,

Reb

Precious oldest Children

Just had to share this quick note.  We fill stockings around here.  We have done various traditions with them such as opening one gift every day the week before Christmas (my mom did this with us  until I had kids...hmmm...I think I was a little spoiled!!),  opening the stocking gifts Christmas Eve,  letting the kids open them before D and I got up.   Most years I don't fill the adults stockings, they are just for looks.  One year my mom and sister and I  exchanged stockings and filled them.  That was fun.  This year they hung lean and low on the mantle. 

When the kids began opening their stockings on Christmas morn,  my eldest said,  "Mom,  Dad,  you have things in your stockings too.  Open them."   Low and behold there was stuff in there.  My eldest had bought her aging parents little gifts, knowing what we liked,  so our stockings wouldn't be so sad.  She is a gem.  And no,  you can't have her.  I worked hard to get her where she is today!!  Here is a pic of my favorite stuffer.  

We constantly encourage the kids to fight over us when we are old and feeble.  My oldest usually says she'll find the best nursing care she can.  But this Christmas I see hope...maybe she'll even visit us with stockings at Christmas. 



thanks for reading, 

Reb