90 day recap

Well, hello there. Thought I should provide a quick recap on the last 3 {three!} months. I didn’t think much has happened or been done to my house, but as I write this, I realize there are several things to talk about!

My parents at their brunch wedding reception – November 25, 1978

My parents wedding day in 1978

For starters, we celebrated Thanksgiving at my parents’ house in Florence, KY. It might very well be the last family gathering in that house as they’re looking to downsize. It was also a special occasion because their 35th wedding anniversary was on 11/25, just a few days before Thanksgiving. We celebrated the day after Thanksgiving with friends & family at a Mexican restaurant. As a special surprise, my brothers & I had been working on a special gift the weeks leading up to it. It’s no little secret that I love champagne, and this special fondness comes from my parents! We ordered 2 magnum bottles of champagne & 24 mini bottles and put custom commemorative labels on them. We opened one of the magnums that night after dinner, and all of the guests got to take home their own mini bottle. We had the 2nd magnum on Christmas.

family room before

I also pulled the trigger on a fabric I liked at Hobby Lobby and finally reupholstered the western style valance the previous owners had above the sliding back door. It makes a huge difference and makes the cheap plastic slats look a little classier : )

I decided I needed a full size {fake} Christmas tree to take advantage of the HUGE front window in my house! It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. When my parents came to visit last summer, they brought a bunch of my childhood ornaments. Our family has a tradition that each year for St. Nicholas Day (St. Nick’s), we would wake to find our stockings stuffed with candy, small toys, an orange & a new ornament. The ornament would be the next in the series from Hallmark. When your series ends, you get to pick a new series that’s just starting. Some of my series I’ve collected all of the ornaments in are: Crayola Crayons, Dr. Seuss, Barbie Holiday, and Classic Barbie. These days, my series are Christmas Cupcakes and Season’s Treatings. It was fun to be able to put up all of my ornaments on my own tree. It’s been years since I’ve seen all of them at once!

I also felt my backyard was in desperate need of a firepit. I found an awesome one on clearance at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I haven’t had a chance to use it yet, but it’s all assembled and I’ve got several bundles of wood ready & waiting.

Twice a year the suburb I live in has arts festivals. During the fall, the art festival is in a park less than a mile from my house. I didn’t quite know what to expect since it was my first time, but I found some great pieces. I had purchased frames from Hobby Lobby months ago and just couldn’t decide where to put them. Finally, I decided to put them on the wall behind my TV. I love being able to see them every day. {I LOVE the one on the far left!}

During my home inspection, I was told that I needed a new chimney cap. The existing “cap” was simply a piece of metal mesh covering the opening and held down with mortar. Over the years, the rainwater has come down my chimney and started to erode the inside. Last summer, I got two separate quotes for a custom chimney cap and the prices were much higher than anticipated. In January, a deal popped up on Angie’s List for an inspection & cleaning. I jumped on it since I needed to be shown how to even light my fireplace. The chimney sweep that came out was super informative & also gave me a great price on a custom chimney cap. It was almost half of the other 2 companies! I immediately signed the quote and had a brand new custom chimney cap within 2 weeks.

This past weekend, I went to Home Depot to buy paint for the interior of my garage, and ended up leaving with a whole lot more. I bought weed killer, so let’s hope my first attempt at killing weeds proves to be a success. I also bought brushed silver doorknobs to replace the brass ones on every closet & bedroom door.  It makes such a difference to get rid of the dingy/worn out old knobs. I also purchased a pair of cabinet knobs to replace the vintage gold ones on every cabinet & drawer. I decided I liked them and found them online for 45% less than what I paid at Home Depot. I went ahead and ordered 35 for the remaining cabinets & drawers in my master bath, dressing vanity, jack & jill bath, hallway built-ins & laundry room. Yes, I have 35 {Thirty-Five} cabinets & drawers in my house, and that doesn’t include my kitchen. One thing I’m not short on is storage, and I won’t complain about that!

Here’s hoping the next 90 days are equally productive!