Day 22 of 31 days of prepping for the Holidays - WINE RESEARCH

There was a lot of studying going on today.   

We put in a full 5 hours of complete concentration of the subject matter.

(and don't we look good after all that hard work)

There was a lot of material to learn. 

We learned very good lessons.

There were some thought provoking moments!!

All and all it was a great day and we came away with some great wines.......

The bad news is they didn't make it through the night......

The wine is from Newsome Harlow and is appropriately called Train Wreck

 To get some more information on what I consider to be the best wine in Calaveras County 

click here

NEWSOME HARLOW.....AN AWESOME WINERY

The good news is it just means we have to do some more research 

AGAIN!!

WOO HOO!!

Day 21 of 31 days of prepping for the Holidays - Clean up Clean up

All day long I have been singing the 

BARNEY CLEAN UP SONG.......

Clean up  Clean up

Clean up clean up everybody everywhere. Clean up clean up everybody do your
share.

Does anyone else remember that song ..... or am I the only dork????

That song has been stuck in my head all day.

Today was clean up day....and boy does it feel good.

It was nice to be able to clean the house and then look around 

(even though I don't like the paint colors) 

and realize that we really have accomplished a lot.

My daughter who is away at college is coming home for the weekend.   So the prepping for the holidays will consist of wine tasting to find some really spectacular wines for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I will be back tomorrow with some pictures from the wineries we will be visiting in the area and a report on some newly discovered wines. 

Day 20 of 31 days of prepping for the Holidays ~ CRYING OVER PAINT

I am beyond frustrated and actually have tears running down my cheeks.   

I wish I was kidding about the tears but crap the paint colors for this project have really put me to the test.

  I am usually pretty good about picking color but for some reason in this house I am having major problems.

If you recall the kitchen has been painted.  When we started painting it we chose a color called 

White Sand by Benjamin Moore

I had bought a sample of the White sand and painted some in the living room along with two other samples one being Linen White

the other being Cedar Key

There were other colors we had also sampled but they don't even make honorable mention.....so I won't mention them....bottom line they were in the "What was I thinking" category.  

So after much discussion it was decided we would paint White Sand in both the kitchen and living room since they open onto one another.  Off to the paint store we went and to get two gallons of the White Sand for the wall and one gallon of Linen White for the ceiling and trim.   We decided to tackle the kitchen first.  Once we started painting the kitchen I couldn't figure it out but the White Sand had an icky green undertone.  

I couldn't understand it because it didn't have that undertone in samples

we had painted in the living room.

  I wish I would have taken pictures.....

( shame on me....that is a bloggers golden rule....take pictures and take pictures of disasters)  

At any rate we abandoned using the White Sand in the kitchen.

It was agreed that we would try Cedar key in the kitchen and use the White Sand in the living room.   So the kitchen was painted Cedar Key.  Almost immediately my husband had voiced a concern that the Cedar Key had a pinky undertone.   I did see a pinky undertone in certain areas but I convinced myself that the Cedar Key would look AMAZING once I had the pictures hung and the room accessorized.

Well guess what.....the kitchen has been painted the pictures are hung and some accessorizing has been added and

HOLD ONTO YOUR SEATS

that pinky undertone is just not working.  

It isn't so bad in the daylight...but at night it looks 

worse than pink .....it is bordering 

LAVENDER!

The thought of repainting the kitchen makes me want to runaway...but there is no way around it....

we don't like it.......It just doesn't work.  It is going to be repainted....I am not sure when but the kitchen isn't going to be Cedar Key for very long.

And now this brings me back to the White Sand.....the color that looked great in the living room.  

Tonight I decided to paint three little walls and start getting that color into the living room.   Mind you I had already painted quite a bit on a sample wall.  

But I didn't start on that already partially painted wall. 

Holy Moly..Sometimes I wonder how my mind works......but that would take too long to figure out.  

Okay to make a long painful story short as I finish painting the first wall there is no denying it.  This paint has an icky green undertone!!!

What the heck???   I mean seriously what the heck??

I did have a luminaire that is fitted with a fluorescent lamp shining onto the wall so I am thinking it has to be the lighting that is making this paint have an icky green undertone......because as I look onto the other wall where I had paint the sample White Sand it looks great...I mean really great.

So I think to myself maybe when this color dries it will look like the White Sand I know and love......hmmmm.....no such like....even dry it has an icky green undertone.  

Oh Oh.......I realize I am starting to get upset.....I can feel those damn tears!!

I get myself together and decide to paint the wall that was painted with the sample White Sand.  This wall was the test wall and has many large areas covered with the sample White Sand.

  

SO GUESS WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I PAINTED THE WHITE SAND FROM THE NEW GALLON OVER THE EXISTING WHITE SAND THAT I HAD PAINTED FROM THE SAMPLE PINT?

Yep you guessed it!!

The White Sand from the new gallon did not match the White Sand from the sample pint.   

Are you kidding me I say to myself.........There was something wrong with the new paint.   So I go get my paint chip and do something I should have done long ago......I take the paint and dab it onto the paint chip.......and yep you guessed it......

IT HAS AN ICKY GREEN UNDERTONE

Holy Moly........the paint had been mixed wrong!!!!

So the tears start rolling and I realize what a dummy I have been.   I never compared the paint chip with the color on top of the can.......I mean that is an amateur mistake!!

So at some point in the next few days when I get myself together......I get to bring back the two gallons of 

BAD 

paint and start all over again.

So now I need to focus on the positive ....

Hmmm.......What are the positives????

1.  I am going to be a very good painter.

2.   I am very good at seeing icky green undertones.

3.  If someone wants a pinky beige that looks lavender at night I know what color to suggest.

And one final positive thing is "AFTER ALL........

TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY!!"

DAY 19 of 31 days of prepping for the Holidays - A DAY OFF

Wednesday Wowzers - Halloween Ideas

Ok so it Wednesday Wowzers!

In case you don't know I love Halloween.

One of my favorite things to do for Halloween is to set a tablescape that is fun and creative.

Here are some of my favorites

Image Credit

Image credit

To create a Halloween Tablescape look for the following items which you can pick up inexpensively

1. Black candles

2. White Sheets ( I am sure you have some of those in you linen closet)

3. A few bags of Halloween spider webs.

4. Black and Silver glitter

5.  Black, white and orange ribbons

6. Black, white or orange baskets

Some advice is find a picture of a tablescape you like and use it for inspiration.  Put your own personal touch into it and don't be afraid to

MIX 

things up.

More is better and the key is layering.  

Woo Hoo!!  

Halloween is in 12 days.

Set that table and get your costume together and then email your pictures so I can post and share!!

 

 

Here is a picture from the days I worked in the corporate world.   As you can see I really get into the 

HALLOWEEN SPIRIT!!!

Day 18 of 31 days of prepping for the holidays - A DELIVERY!!

The phone call came in yesterday and when I didn't recognize the phone number I almost didn't answer the call.....but after I hung up the phone I was sure glad I took the call.  I was informed that the furniture I had ordered over two weeks ago would be delivered the next day.

Woo Hoo!!

To be honest I have been a little nervous about this purchase since I did everything over the internet.  Don't get me wrong I am a big proponent of the Internet.....I mean heck look at me between Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, checking my stats, email, Pinterest, Olioboard and then of course my continual search for inspiring images and of course things on

SALE

I AM A BIG BELIEVER IN THE INTERNET.

But I still had that nagging little voice.  I mean I got a really good price on everything and add in the fact that I didn't have to pay sales tax and then the delivery fee for everything was only

$21.85,

I mean seriously $21.85.......Do they know where I live?   

What the heck how could they afford to ship all this stuff for $21.85?

Honestly this is not a typo really it was only 

TWENTY ONE DOLLARS AND EIGHTY FIVE CENTS.

  So I kept checking the order status and figured at that shipping price it probably wouldn't arrive until sometime next year....you know by a slow boat from china or something....I mean heck it might be coming by a camel for all I knew.

But somehow someway that wasn't the case and the shipping company said it would be delivered to me today....so again I say 

WOO HOO!!

I happened to be out front when I saw a van driving slowly and I also noticed the driver had a perplexed look on his face.  I instantly knew that this van was loaded with my new furniture so 

I waved him down......

well I really ran out in the street and stopped him ....

and heck truth be told I probably would have laid in the street to stop him...

because I wanted what was in that van very badly.  And well I was sort of afraid that for a

$21.85

delivery fee he was just going to open that back of his van and kick out that furniture.  

But luckily he stopped and pulled into the driveway and got out and handed me the paperwork.   He quickly unloaded those BIG boxes and brought them into the living room and then asked the all important question....."How do I get back to San Jose from here?"   Maybe it was my imagination but his voice was filled with uncertainty and a little fear.   I am sure he was asking himself the same question I had been asking myself.....

."You mean all this furniture was delivered to the mountains in the middle of nowhere for $21.85"

My husband reassured him it was an easy drive back and when we asked which way he came he sadly told us which route he had taken....I realized this poor guy had been driving all over these mountains today.....So as he left I thanked him and told him to enjoy the beautiful scenery on his ride home...I don't think that made him feel any better because somehow I think he had seen more scenery today than he had planned.

I spent the next four hours getting the furniture out of the boxes and putting on some all important pieces.   I inspected every inch of this furniture and can say it really is quality stuff.  I felt happy with my purchases..... let's be honest I was 

ecstatic.   

I had two little observers today as I got this furniture together.  It was super cute because they never left my side.   In the end I got all of it set up....I was hot and sweaty...but I certainly felt a sense of accomplishment.

Meet my new chairs and coffee table!!!

And one tired little helper!!  

The other little guy had already hightailed it to bed.

Oh yeah and just in case you missed it.....the shipping cost was $21.85

Day 17 of 31 days of prepping for the Holidays - What day is it???

I woke up this morning in a fog!!!

I honestly didn't know what day it was.....

I also wasn't sure where I was.....

But I looked outside and saw trees....lots of trees!!

My eyes were focusing.

I put on my glasses and my world was filled 

with

color!

So many things came into 

FOCUS.

It was then that I was reminded of a quote that is in a picture that I will be hanging in my kitchen today. 

YOUR FUTURE IS JUST AS YOU'VE IMAGINED!

After I had my coffee I hung this picture in the

kitchen.

 I honestly can't think of a better message.

YOUR FUTURE IS JUST AS YOU'VE IMAGINED.  

Oh yeah.....and I finally figured out it was

MONDAY 

after my second cup of coffee!!

Day 16 of 31 days of prepping for the Holidays - Meet our friends

The assault on the Master Bathroom continues.  

My husband and I spent the entire day together in the Master Bathroom.......wow now that is 

ROMANTIC!! (wink..wink)

 We were both very busy and had lots of friends to help us accomplish our tasks.

Meet our friends.

Here is a close up.....some of these guys are so fun!!!

My husband spent the day caulking the cedar paneling.   After I had painted about 80% of it we realized that it would look so much better if we caulked where the boards joined.

This is how it looked unpainted and caulked. 

This is how is looks after it is painted. 

WOW

It is looking pretty 

AMAZING!!!!

While he was caulking away  I spent the day hanging wallpaper.

I can't wait to see what friends come over to play tomorrow.