Mudroom During and After

DURING

It seems like we always forget to take true "before" pictures.  We tear into a project and then I remember that we should document it!  So...enjoy these "during" and after pictures.  We are fully enjoying our entrance into the Four Sisters Farm house now!

AFTER

Special thanks goes to Pop, our handyman (Pop said I can keep him if I'll feed him), and our daughter, DW who did the cool lettering on the storage crates Pop and I built.

Pop working on the wood storage crates

The World's Best Handyman
(who even built me a shelf with hanging rod above the stairway
just because I wanted it and then he proved it is sturdy)

DW lettering our storage crates

Christmas Decor 2013

It is Christmas inside and outside at Four Sisters Farm.  I LOVE the season and I LOVE the reason for the season!

Last Christmas season I had an idea for a faux fireplace with a mantle to hang our stockings from...I even went so far as to frame out a center and purchase some wood but then ran out of time.  I got back to it this year and Pop helped me...here is what we came up with.  It comes apart so we can store it easily for next year.

It looks even better with all the stockings hung! There are names embroidered on them but since we don't use real names on the blog, I know you understand.

As I decorate, I think about what fun we will have when we are gathered together...cousins playing...snuggling babies...yummy food and treats...stories shared...grown-up conversations shared by our kids after the children are settled into bed...the love and grace that we share for and with each other holds it all together in a small space with a lot of noise.  It's good stuff.  We will share some pictures from our time together in a few days so stay tuned!

Before decorating

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care (even if it is pretend).  

An old nativity scene that my Mom no longer needed and passed along to me
 is front and center with a gift tag that says, "To: Mankind  Love, God". 

Salt dough "cookies" made by our Superheroes are festive on a red plate;
and a clever cardboard "tree" by Bubba makes a rustic statement all its own.

A book about Jesus' birth recorded by my Dad and Mom is handy to pull down and "read" to the kids.

Garland, lights, and ribbon dress up the front door!

Crates I made hold lights, greenery, pine cones, and such.

Those cinnamon pine cones smell SO good!

A giant wreath is a must on the front porch.

Here we are all lighted up...it is all on a timer.
Driving up to a lighted house makes me really happy.

DIY Porch Pumpkins

If you've been reading at Four Sisters Farms for a while, you might recall one of my adventures involving wind turbines on our roof.

I like to save things and repurpose them and the turbines that had to be replaced sort of stacked up to three in a fairly short time.  I prefer to do things in fours at Four Sisters Farm but it seemed fitting to go ahead and repurpose those three turbines for our annual family fall party since DW's family wouldn't be here (sniff, I'm still sad about that).

So here is what I did...

I took the insides out of the turbine...carefully...I used some power tools in the process.

Pop probably would have come up with better ways or since he is a lot stronger than I am he may have just pulled them apart.

Anyway, once they they were disassembled, I spray painted them lightly with orange spray paint.  I wanted them to be a bit rustic, not all shiny and new looking!  Then I attached pieces of a small branch to the top and added some silk greenery.  I also built some crates from old, unused bed slats to display them on.  They make me happy.

Now I need one more to come off the roof so I can make the fourth one for when DW and family are back for fall party again!!

Blow wind, blow!

Cat Scratch Fever - Leather Furniture Restored...Somewhat

Recently, Pretty Princess sent me a link to a blog about using extra-virgin olive oil on leather furniture to hide scratches.  She is the one who insisted we move our mean cat, Coal, from Kansas to South Carolina where he took out his anger at being left at home while we made a trip back for a visit so I guess it's fitting that she helped find a reasonable restoration.  

If you want to know more about Coal who eventually moved back to Kansas before we did (lest you feel badly for the bully), you can read these posts:  

• Our Christmas Mira-Coal
• Free Bird
• Coal Embraces Farm Life
• The Grumpy Cat
• Where Are They Now?

Anyway...I tried it out and am pleased to report that it does help hide the scratches.    In short, I simply used an old tee-shirt with some olive oil and rubbed away on the scratches (Some were Coal-inflicted and some were just wear and tear).  The scratches are MUCH less noticeable and I can recommend giving it a try.  On some of the deepest scratches, I employed a little shoe polish but in reality, the EVOO alone did just as good a job.

Here are some before and after pictures for your viewing pleasure.

DIY Shoe Cubby on the Cheap

I've looked and looked for a wooden divided shoe cubby to no avail.  I didn't think it was all that huge a request.  Oh there are some hanging ones and some that are specific to certain closet systems.  Pop and I built in some shelving in the master closet that required a size that apparently doesn't exist in today's market.  Who knew?  Guess I should have checked that out before we decided on the size of the shelves!

So I put on my "Handy Grammy thinking cap" and went to one of the local purveyors of beverages for the over 21 years old crowd and inquired about boxes with dividers and was told to help myself to as many as I wanted.  I picked up two I thought might work and headed home. 

I got out some fun wrapping paper and packing tape and went to work (contact paper would have been great too).  I disassembled, covered, taped, and reassembled.  The organization it lends to my closet space makes me happy for now...I don't know yet how well it will hold up but we'll see.

In case you are wondering...I don't ONLY wear tennis shoes.  I have my dress shoes stored in plastic shoe boxes up high and I'm still pondering some boot storage.

The other box was not wasted...I covered just the outside of it and it found a home in my storage room holding wrapping paper and such.