Suzy Orman Would Be So

Disappointed In Us

With the economic state the country is in, we here at The House of B's have been trying not to spend money just like everyone else, cutting back and taking Suzy Orman's money advice. Well..... I am trying to take her advice, The Hubs gets tired of me quoting her. Then I see something I think I can't live without and totally forget the advice. The last couple weeks that whole cutting back thing has gone right in the shitter! As most of you know we did a little room updating and with all that money spending it all leads to more money spending. Example.........................

The Hubs got the stairs and railings all lacqure-finished this weekend (another $50 trip to the hardware store) and when it was all done they were beautiful and ..........slicker than snot! Poor Charlie and Franklin were having a terrible time getting up and down the stairs. It was just a matter of time before one of us took a spill or worse yet.........a guest.

So off to town to find a solution to the problem. I found this great runner for the stairs at Bed Bath and Beyond and the colors are so P E R F E C T! Beige, browns, blues, and a little green. I'm lovin it! I had a 20% off coupon so the price wasn't too bad. Still a little more expensive than I would have liked but if you love it, you love it. We got home, put it on the stairs and it was THE ONE! Then it was decided we needed another one for in front of the French doors. I like how it adds a little more color.

On our second trip back to Bed Bath and Beyond to get another runner, we also picked up a Gel Pro Mat for the kitchen. I've been looking at these for years online. They used to only be available online and I was scared to spend that much money for something I couldn't touch first and see the colors up close. Bed Bath and Beyond now carries them and I was so excited. They don't have the color and style range that they have on the Gel Pro website, but now I can try one and see if they are everything I hoped they would be.

I have Plantar Fasciitis along with an obscene amount of bone spurs so standing on the hard wood floors for a long period of time kills me. Which means baking/ cooking for long periods of time or just standing and chatting while someone is sitting at the counter requires days of icing and Advil afterwards. I have high hopes of this being the answer to all my problems.

Dark brown basket weave pattern.
I got the small rug to start with for in front of my cook top, where I end up standing most of the time. I'm thinking now I need to get the longer runner to go in front of the sink.

Next stop...............

With a stop by the stove store and some more money spent, the gas stove is hooked up and working! I love it! It looks so much better.

This is so cozy now. It makes it hard to get up and do anything. I want to sit here 24/7 reading and blogging. We are soooooooo enjoying our new updated downstairs. It's wonderful!

I spent a little time hanging some stuff on the walls and decided I hated all the old stuff that was on the walls. I kept two things and hung them up.

I think I might hate this clock now. Or maybe it just needs something else up there on the wall with it????? Any ideas???

I bought this Tole painted wall hanging a couple years ago at my favorite antique store Annie's. I love this, it's been hung up in a corner where it didn't get much attention. Now I think it's time to bring it out and hang it on the big blank wall. I'm thinking two long mirrors on either side of it would be great. Then it would reflect the light off the French doors from the sun room. Another trip to town to spend money I guess.

I also went to some holiday bazaars this weekend too. I didn't find much. Unfortunately the holiday bazaars in my area are tried, the same ole same ole and nothing really new and exciting. There is a church near me who started having holiday bazaars last year and they do a great job. Their bazaar usually has great fresh new stuff. I could have bought them out (I had Suzy Orman on one shoulder saying "don't do it", and my subconscious on the other shoulder saying "buy it! They only have one sale a year!") but I settled on these bunches of dried hydrangea.

I love this look. I know it's old school and a big decorating NO NO but dried hydrangea is still one of my favorites. Now I need to find something else to put in the other crock.

The colors in these hydrangea are great. I love them.

So remember back on August 13 when I showed you all my messes around the house? I aired my dirt so to speak . By doing that I had hoped it would motivate me to get crackin and I WOULD HAVE TO clean them up. The plan was to get it all done immediately and then show you pictures. Well it didn't happen immediately but I have been working on it.

This was our guest room. It looked like a bomb went off. Mostly Franklin the cat was happy in here because he could sleep and not be seen. EVER! This room was covered with cat hair! It was not only messy but nasty dirty. Giant cat bed.

BEFORE

After

I spent half a day in here cleaning up, putting away and doing laundry. You can see the bed and floor. It's a miracle!

This closet lost it's doors when we moved in. They had been painted purple (the room was bubble gum pink with purple trim) when we moved in so we just took them off and threw them away. I needed to find something to hang on them until we can find closet doors to fit. I found these smocked curtains at Walmart a couple years ago and never used them for what I bought them for. So today........they are hanging in place of closet doors.

I layered my bed skirt with a chenille bedspread because the skirt was is too long for the bed (I bought bigger for a longer drop) and I'm out of room in the closet where I store my chenille bedspread collection. Which needs to be cleaned out one day soon.

I got all 3 boxes of linens and all the linens off the floor put away in this dresser I took out of my bedroom when I rearranged it a month or so ago.

I cleaned and dusted the perfume bottles and took some of them away. I had too many and it was so cluttered. I boxed some up and put them away.

I also made a trip downtown Seattle this last weekend to get some more tea. I had some other errands to run while down there but this was the most important. Seattle Tea Cup is suppose to be opening a big new store across the street. I'm so excited for that and I was hoping it would be open this time. It wasn't but never the less this stop makes me super happy. I got my usual order as well as a couple samples of other teas. Winter 2008 which smells very holidayish. vanilla, cinnamon and carmel are the flavors I picked up on. Then the Imperial tea is just a nice mild goes with everything tea.

Well that concludes this weekends spending spree. Totally not Suzy Orman approved!

I have been really behind on my blogging, reading and getting back to people. I apologize to all of you for that. I've been super busy and it's going to continue into this next week as well. BUT I promise............Next week is going to be a blogging extravaganza. Consider yourself notified that your going to need to stock up on coffee, treats, whores breakfast, whatever you like when reading blogs. It's also possible you will need a lot of time for my upcoming blogs. I have a couple things I'm working on that are totally Blog Worthy!

Stay Tuned............

The Furniture Is In

Because I know you all are holding your breath waiting for me to get the pictures up of the furniture back in the room (well Laurie Ann might be) I'm doing a quick post.

Last night and this morning we got the furniture back in the downstairs family room. It was nice to be able to move stuff around and try it different ways with out trying to move that BIG ASS TV. I have been begging The Hubs to buy a new flat screen. I think he's thinking about it, but I think he's also thinking about me getting a job!

The room is long with doors or an entrance on almost every wall. I think we came up with a configuration we can live with. We're going to try it out for a while. We moved the furniture up closer to the stove and TV (even with glasses we can't always read the writing across the bottom) and out of the way of the French doors. I also took out some furniture and used some different furniture from other rooms that wasn't really being used.

I used a side table that I had up in one of the bedrooms for between the chair and love seat. Then I took the milk glass lamp out of the computer room that I bought at a year or so ago and didn't know what to do with. It's kind of Grandmaie, but I'm kind of likin it. We will see, I change my mind often.

I think I don't like the lamp shade on that lamp.

The French Doors that open up to the sunroom. I like the new traffic flow between doors and stairs. It just seems to flow better.

The chairs might be a little too close to the stove. I might claim that chair right next to it. The Hubs hasn't hooked it up yet. Still waiting on a part. He better do it fast we are expecting the first rain and wind storm tonight. Which means.............No Power!

Charlie's treadmill is going to have to find a new home I think or The Hubs and I are going to have to get off our ass and use it. I have those 2 crocks that I have had for years and have never put anything in. I need to find something for them that will spiff up that corner. Any suggestions other then flowers?

Now I need to find stuff for the walls. Something fabulous.

Thanks for following along.

Have a great day

Timi

HGTV

Don't Bother

Returning My Calls!

3 years ago this month when we moved in to this house and I was over whelmed with ugliness. I wrote to HGTV (every show that had an e-mail address) and BEGGED them to come help me. I had no idea what to do with the red walls, wallpapered walls, dark brown dirty carpet, 1970's bathrooms, Brady Bunch wrought iron railings, bubble gum pink and purple walls, and 1980's country decor light fixtures.

Well it's slowly coming room by room. I have muddled through the remodeling process. We have been through a couple contractors and have stories to tell.

As most of you know this last week and this week we have been overhauling our ugly downstairs family room where we live most of the time. It's been a big fat mess, there has been a lot of cussing and swearing going on and the checkbook thinks it's a movie star it's been out so much.

BEFORE

What the room normally looks like. It's where we spend most of our time. Laundry, magazines, computer, dog and cat stuff, shoes, and the general catch all room. It's also the room that has 3 entries in it that get used all the time.

From the TV wall looking up the stairs in to the entry way and kitchen.

I hated this the most! This brick wall that was dirty, it smelled, and was just a huge eye sore.

The wall that Charlie's treadmill is on. Beautiful cedar paneling. When the dust bunnies feel off the kitchen floor they hung on for dear life to the cedar paneling. It was usually covered with big huge dust bunnies.

Open stairs that housed the biggest dust bunny nest you have ever seen. Like real bunnies they multiply quickly. I think the ones that survived the paneling fall found homes under here and started breeding.

So today was the day.........

New carpet day.

We ordered our carpet from Remnant King Carpets in Everett. Go see John, he is super helpful and they are very reasonably priced.

When they ripped out the old carpet that pretty vinyl was all the way through the room. Why would anyone want to cover that beauty up? I bet in the day it was lovely!

Carpet being installed. These guys did a great job. We will be having them back for our future flooring needs.

AFTER

So it's almost done! I have a little touch up painting to do, door knobs, new white outlets, and floor molding. I can't even tell you how excited we are. Especially with the holiday party season coming up. We have something planned and it's going to be nice to have this done.

The old TV wall and laundry room door. Charlie wasted no time getting doggy nose prints on the new glass door.

Sunroom door wall. It's going to be beautiful opened up for parties. It will be great this spring and summer too.

The new stairs and railing.

The old cedar paneling wall that had Charlie's treadmill on it. Not sure the tread mill is going to go back over there.

Sooooooooooooo here it is! The new tile and stove. In and finished. The stove pipe painted, the carpet laid around the tile. It looks fabulous! Thank you Lisa at Coastal Nest for suggesting keeping it simple and all the same color. I love it!

I'm so excited to get furniture moved back in. Waiting for The Hubs to get home from work so he can have the honors of helping me move furniture back in. Not to mention I thought he would want to see it empty and all done.

So here's my painting dilemma

I can't decide if the walls look odd with the colors divided. It only looks odd when you get down to the wainscoting. I went a head and took Laurie Ann's advice and painted the whole room blue to see how I liked it. Not to mention, it was a lot easier then painting the whole room over back to the off white.

Let me know what you think about the walls. I'm going to live with them a while and see what I think, but I'm undecided on how weird it looks.

Thanks for following along in our construction project. It was fun to get to show you what was going on.

Have a great day

Timi

WOW!

History Right Before My Very Eyes

Whether you voted for or against today, you witnessed a historical event in our country. This will probably be one of the most historical things I'm honored enough to witness in my life time.

At least in the top 5 I would think???

I didn't vote for Obama, but as I stood (No furniture, carpet coming in the morning) in front of the TV I held back the tears as I saw all the African American reports, Obama supporters and Katie Couric holding back tears also. One reporter was broadcasting from a church in Atlanta and he literally was shaking while he was trying to do his piece.

What a great event to witness.

Congratulations President Elect Barack Obama!

You have a huge mess to clean up and the highest level of expectations to live up to. I wish you all the best of luck.

Now back to All About Me.........

This blog is A Girl Named Timi not a President Named Barack!

More pictures later of my ALMOST finished downstairs!

House Of B's Updates

Some updates for you on what's going on here at The House of B's. It's been super busy and Princess Lazy Ass is out of her element with all the work going on around her and work she is expected to do.

Friday morning Brian and Jordan had to come finish up. They didn't get everything done in 2 days like planned. Does anything ever go as planned? Not at this house, that's for sure!

We have decided that our house should be called the What The Hell House. Every time we try to do something at this house, doesn't matter how simple or how difficult, the words always come out of someones mouth...."What the hell?" Wiring, walls not straight, drape hanging, plumbing, additions, toilets, it doesn't matter. Even the guy installing the dishwasher a couple months ago said it when he took out the old dishwasher. I heard the words more then a couple times come out of Brian's and Jordan's mouth.

So needless to say............They had to come back on Friday to finish up.

My shameless plug for our construction guys.

If you need a good contractor and live in the Northwest (Bellingham to Seattle metro area) part of Washington...........Brian at Quick Silver Construction is your man. If you want more references.................send me an e-mail.

The stairs coming along.

Tile for the gas stove to sit on. Soooooooooo much better than that huge brick wall and platform. I know your saying to yourself right now "why would she cover up that beautiful vinyl?"

Gas stove lookin better. Set in place, now it just needs to be hooked back up and pipes painted.

Now I need to get busy painting!

On Friday I went to have lunch and spend some time a long time friend Trudy. I have known her since the late 80's when I met her through some friends of an old boyfriend. I sooooo got the better end of that deal!

I just don't get to spend enough time with her. Since I moved to the Seattle burbs it's hard to get to the Bellingham burbs. Well Friday we made time. It was super nice to see her and we promised each other it wouldn't be so long.

On my way home I picked up Princess Spoiled Brat so she could attend WSU Laura's fabulous Halloween party. She was so excited.

So we raced to my house so we could make our food for the party.

First assignment..........Mummies

My helper.

I was trying to figure out how we were going to make our mummies, I had an idea so I started there. Princess Spoiled Brat was just smashin the dough on to the hot dogs. I told her she had the wrong holiday. Hers looked like Baby Jesus. She was laughing so hard I thought she was going to fall off the counter.

Her Baby Jesus creation.

So here are our mummies. Some of them do look like Baby Jesus.

Next up............Fingers and toes.

Mini corn dogs with the ends trimmed off and a little bit cut off the top. Then we dunked the ends in ketcup and baked. They did look a lot like toes and thumbs. They were nasty but the first to go.

WSU Laura knows how to throw a party. Her house was all decorated scary, she had scary food, and plenty of cocktails for the parents.

Then WSU Hubs and The Hubs took all 7 kids trick or treating. While we girls had a glass of wine and answered the door. Well WSU Laura answered the door the rest of us polished off all her wine.

The kids made a haul. They came back with bags full of candy, hats full of candy and so excited.

WSU Hubs showing them how to look through their candy.

The hottest witches ever!

Princess Spoiled Brat with her little gift bag from Laura.

I'm tellin ya......WSU Laura thinks of everything! You haven't been to a party until you have been to a WSU Laura party!

As we were pulling up to the house Princess Spoiled Brat says "wow, I don't remember Laura's house looking like this" I told her she had never been here at Halloween. There was a long pause then she said "I think Laura watches too much Martha Stewart."

That comment and the Baby Jesus making made my weekend!

The 3 girls all decked out. They looked so cute.

After all the candy was gone through, sorted, divided, traded, and half eaten it was time for a little Guitar Hero.

Even Charlie and Mia got in on the festivities. Of course Charlie hated his skunk costume. He looked darn cute, which is really all that matters.

A fun time was had by all. We got home well after midnight and on the ride home Princess Spoiled Brat was planning her next years costume and trick or treating strategies with the kids that included a much larger trick or treat bag. She actually was planning her costume around a pillowcase for a trick or treat bag. You know like they did in the olden days. Yeah, that came out of her mouth in the planning conversation.

So on Saturday we got up late and started cleaning up the mess downstairs. Our downstairs is all done except for the painting and the carpet. Pictures to come soon. It was looking so good and I'm so ready for all these messes to be cleaned up that I moved up the carpet install date to Wednesday instead of Friday. NOW............I have to bust a move painting everything.

Princess Spoiled Brat was all fired up to help us paint. As much as I appreciated her enthusiasm I just couldn't go there. I make a big enough mess on my own. So The Hubs and I dreamed up things we needed to do on Saturday so we couldn't start painting yet. We just needed to stall until 5 pm then.....................

We were off to another party!

WSU Laura's mother (Mother Madden) and stepdad had their 20th wedding anniversary and they were havin a big ole' shindig. We were honored enough to get an invite to the big deal and the invite was extended to

Princess Spoiled Brat as well.

Party Theme........

Roaring 20's, White Elephant Gift Exchange, and Food Bank Donation.

Well what fun this was! Lots of people there, they were all dressed in flapper and gangster outfits and looked great. Yeah, we were some of the lame group that didn't dress up. Why I didn't take my camera to this shindig? I have no idea. Sorry, it was good!

Mother Madden (WSU Laura's mother) worked super hard on tons of food, prizes and white elephant gifts.

It was a great party!

The white elephant gift exchange was so damn much fun. I love these at parties!

Princess Spoiled Brat was so excited that she was able to trade one of the ladies some beads and a candle for these two horse head book ends. I'm glad they went home with her.

Here is my little gem I won. Now it took some work to get this. I pissed off alot of people when I finally got this big box of happiness!

It's and old pharmacy bottle filled with real pills made in to a lamp. BRILLIANT! I'm so using this for a white elephant gift at my Ugly Christmas Sweater Party next month.

It was also so Blog Worthy I had to have it!

If you have never had a white elephant gift exchange or ever been to one you are soooooooooooooo missing out. These are a hoot and so much fun to shop for.

If you want to know more about how to have a white elephant gift exchange e-mail me and I'll tell you what we do. It's great fun!

We were at this fabulous party until after 1 am. On the ride home Princess Spoiled Brat talked about how much fun she had and wanted to know what party she would be going to next. I may have created a monster this weekend with the party going.

Sunday morning it was time to get up and get busy! We have at least a week of painting that needs to be done before Wednesday morning.

My brother came to pick up Princess Spoiled Brat in the late morning but before he left we put him to work. He helped The Hubs muscle the stove pipe back on the stove so we could get it painted and fired up for some heat.

Yes, your right! That pipe should have been painted outside but it didn't get done while we had some nice weather. Talk to The Hubs about that!

Now the rain has set in and we are up for at least 7 days straight of rain now. I can't wait for a non rain day to get that bitch painted. I want this room done and heated up!

I spent most of Sunday painting Wainscoting. I have it all most done.

I love the blue and white but the blue has become a problem.
Here are my finished stairs. They look great. MUCH MUCH BETTER!

However I'm thinking now that I want wainscoting all the side of the stairs and under the stairs enclosed.
Now with the stairs done the entry way really looks like crap!
Here is my blue paint problem. We have 12 foot ceilings on the white side of that blue and white line. If carry the blue all the way to the end of the wainscoting I will have to carry the blue all the way up the wall and in to the loft room above this room as well as in to the kitchen. I love the blue but not that much. Also I'm thinking the light blue with the white looks a little baby roomish. Then I saw on some decorating show that light blue should be in kids rooms not in living areas. I know I should do what I like but now that is just sticking in my head. So now I need to find another color for the wall. For now I'm going to paint it back to the off white that the entire house is. I need to sit and think about it a while before I commit to a color.

If you have any other ideas please e-mail me with them.

The stove pipe is in and painted! It looks so much better. I'm excited to take down the plastic this morning and get some paint on the walls behind it.

On this Monday morning, I'm going to finish up gramer and spell checking (like it does any good)my blog, eating my pumpkin chocolate chip bread (I have a recipe to die for), and cup of tea. THEN...........I'm going to start painting. I'll take more pictures to post when I get the carpet installed on Wednesday. I'm soooooooooo excited!

Have a great day!