More Hiking Adventures with Kathee

This is my good friend Kathee. Don't be alarmed...we always leave early and throw on whatever is handy when we start off on our adventures. Here are a few pictures on one of our Squaw Peak overlook winter hikes.
Yikes...maybe come as you are hikes aren't a good idea. I think I better ask for new hiking clothes for Christmas.
We go rain or snow. We like a good challenge and embrace adventure. It is almost 4 1/2 miles one way.
I think these might have been pictures from two different hikes. I think we did it about 4 times last winter.
Here are pictures from the latest adventure. We hiked Mt. Nebo on Monday. After all it was labor day. It is 8 miles one way. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. It was all I could do to get to the top. The top is almost 12,000 feet and I had a bit of altitude sickness for awhile. It was a steep climb so coming down was hard as well.

This was 6 miles into the hike but those last two miles were a killer to the top. (Again, I'm thinking it is time to invest in some decent hiking clothes. It's not like we don't hike at least once a week and walk everyday.)
Ta Da We made it!
The view from the top.


Proof that I made it too!
Kathee had some major blisters but was a real trooper. Good thing she brought bandaids. 12 hours total round trip. We did have a snack break and lunch at the top so hikes 11 hours straight. I was sore for a few days but Kathee and I only took one day off of exercise before we were back at it again.

One more thing crossed off Kathee's bucket list. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger...right? I'm not sure what I would do without my little exercise friend. She makes life evermore enjoyable.

We are thinking about biking coast to coast. What do you think?

This One Almost Got Me

Click on the picture to get an even closer look at the rattlesnake that almost got me. My sister clicked this picture after it coiled back up after striking at me.

I was walking on the paved trail chatting with my SIL Mark, when I turned just in time to see this snake spring out at me. I screamed LOUDLY while jumping backwards into Mark. It missed me by inches. What saved me...we all agreed it was our morning family prayer asking for safety throughout our day. I hope I never come that close to a rattlesnake again.

You might be wondering where I've been the last 3 months. I've been to crazy town and think that I am getting back to "Normal"...is there such a thing?

We've had birthday parties, a baby blessing, a wedding, and wedding dinner, family reunion to Wyoming, lots of babysitting of the grandchildren, and helping our children, going to plays and so much more. Not to mention trying to keep up with my job at Alpine Home Care and Hospice. I kind of check out in the evening escaping to my room for a few minutes of reading and quiet to try and stay sane. I only lost my sanity once or twice. My kids remarked that they were proud of me for remaining mostly calm in the eye of the storm of life.

The addition/remodel on our house is almost finished and we love how it turned out. It was not without lots of stress which I'll fill you in on later. We are in the midst of trying to fix the sprinkler system that had to be redone because of the addition. I have a new couch and rug on order and can't wait until it comes. I received my furniture from Round Top and am happy with the choices I made... my husband likes them too.

Can't wait to catch up with you. I haven't even been reading my favorite blogs...a true indication on how wild my life has been. It will be really hard to have everyone gone this weekend after two months of kids and grandkids coming and going but I look forward to trying to get things cleaned up and out around here. I even have an appointment to have my windows cleaned inside and out. Ahhh...bliss.

Design Ideas

While in Texas, I shot a few pictures at Pottery Barn that I thought were inspiring. I loved these origami cranes hung from mono filament over the bed. I'm not sure I would ever do it but I thought it was innovative. It could be just the ticket in a room without architectural features.
I love that they were thinking green and recycled crates to add walls and display space. (This picture was included in case you wanted to see how to construct a wall like this. Click on the pictures to enlarge.) We thought this would be useful and inexpensive for a backyard party. We were specifically thinking wedding reception since Eli is getting married in June.
I can picture this as a wall to display engagement and/or wedding pictures at the reception. With a branch at the top strung with mini white lights in the branches, I think it could really look great.
I love how they stacked up the crates to create a display area. Someone has some real merchandising skills.
You could use these as the wedding present drop off area but I think it would take a pretty informal reception to pull that one off. You could make a pretty awesome picnic buffet table by adding a big top on top of this. It could be a unique pedestal table.

Next time you are out shopping, pay attention to the displays. You never know where inspiration will hit.

Candice's Living Room Project

(Candice is letting me post her room before she does. I did ask permission. She isn't worried about my 25 readers/family members spoiling things before she posts. She doesn't usually post about her house so she may never post these anyway. I really want your honest opinion on how you like the room. Tell me what you like and don't like. We can take it. But, just so you know, we don't like to have what everyone else has so this is a bit unique. )

It's becoming a tradition that when I visit my girls, they have projects lined up to do. We did Candice's family room last fall and this trip it was on to the living room. This is taken from the entry hall. This "living room" is really meant to be a dining room but there is lots of space to eat in the "great" room so we thought a library living space would be more useful. We call this our modern take on an old English library. We painted the walls a charcoal gray and left the trim white. We even took the paint up on the ceiling leaving a rectangle of the original color unpainted. We were going for drama. (It only took two coats of primer, one coat of paint that looked navy instead of charcoal, and then back to the paint store and another coat of a true charcoal...ok maybe it was darker than we wanted but at this point...good enough.)
We decided to line one wall with a thin plywood. Candice and I liked that look a lot but Mark encouraged us to go forward with our plan. What was the plan? The plan was to line the wall with pages from two Sherlock Holmes books. (Not that you would notice that is what the pages were from but when we go with a theme...we go with a theme. The book pages were different colors in each book so we interspersed the pages to give the wall a more mottled look. (Mark is hanging the new light is this picture.)

Anna asked why we didn't just apply the pages on the wall. We thought it would be easier to fill a few nails holes than to try and strip off thin book pages when and if she ever decides to change the decor.
What did the boys so while we were working? It was Saturday so the kids were allowed to play the wii while we worked. They loved it.
Candice and Dickens preparing the pages. (She might make me take this off my blog so don't tell her it's on here. Hey, we are working...it's a come as you are party.)

We sprayed the pages with spray mount and stuck them to the plywood. Just in case you were wondering how we did this. Rocket science right?
Mark waiting for us to tell him how to adjust the light. He was a trouper. Very patient with us and our "to do" list.
I really did sew all those stripes on the window draperies. It was not striped fabric. I would have like them better if I had made the stripes the same width. Ahhh, live and learn.
What do you think? The coffee table and locker we bought at Round Top. The pillow with the "S" I made for the family room and the #4 pillow is from Pottery Barn...I think. The chairs and love seat are from the Pottery Barn outlet store. They have some great buys.

(I found the couches I wanted from the Restoration Hardware outlet. They also were a really great price but thought it would cost me a fortune to have them shipped. I was so sad to leave them behind. They don't have shipping from the outlets like they do in the retail store or online. I wish they had some outlets like that around my house.)
Candice is ordering two unique bookshelves to go on each side of the locker. We were able to fit quite a few books in the locker even though it doesn't look like it. I know it is an unconventional arrangement but we like it. There is still more tweaking to do but we finished 2 am Easter morning and I left Monday morning early. The time went too quickly.
Interesting light don't you think? We also have molding to go around that painting rectangle in the ceiling but we didn't get it finished before I left.

Now for an insider secret. We were literally laughing and crying at around midnight. Picture dark gray walls, bare light bulbs, black and what striped curtains, and a metal locker with the doors closed. At that point we thought we had made a HUGE mistake. Especially when Mark came in with the #4 pillow held in both hands in front of his chest like he was having mug shots taken. Candice said that she would never be able to have any one over until it was changed or they would think she was really bizarre. We decided to keep going and once we got the rug and the furniture in along with some merchandising in the locker, it got a bit better. I have to say it was a rough night though. I don't think either of us slept much.
By morning, and a little more tweaking, we decided we loved it.


The coffee table is a old grill of some kind with zinc squares hammered on the top with little nail heads. We love re-purposed interesting one-of-a-kind pieces.
We didn't get everything hung before these pictures but there will be a black and white picture with light matting on that wall behind the love seat. She also had some great letters "M&C" to be hung on another wall. They are the finishing touches the room needs.

And, see those tulips. Mark bought those for Candice. They were there when we got home from Round Top just to show her how much he missed her. He is a keeper. (We feel so blessed with 3 great SILs actually.)

THE END. What do you think? If you are reading this, I would love to hear from you.

Could I entice you to make comments if I promise to show Candice's family room? A room I would really like in my own home. A room that is also unique and answers the question about what to do with a wall that is 24 feet tall without any architectural features.

My Round Top Purchases for the new Addition

Here was my first purchase. It is my new entertainment center. Do you think I can make it work? I can picture the big screen tv on top of that nice plank can't you?
I wish I had that mirror on top or those pans on the bottom shelf where the DVD player will be.
I love that urn on the other table too and what's not to love about the coral piece. It's a beauty. Unfortunately, I had to pass on so many treasures. I only had a little budget after all.
Can you picture this as my sofa table? I can picture it with big lamps on either end and large baskets full of quilts, pillows, and /or magazines. I know...you think I'm crazy right?
Just look how industrial and cool it is though. Look at the patina on that wood. Can't wait to decorate it up for Christmas with a small tree and all my vintage ornaments. (The room is 15 1/2 feet by 34 feet. The walls are 12 tall with a tall timber framed ceiling. The room can take some big pieces of furniture.)
Here is my coffee table. I don't remember which one but it is one of those. I'll never have to worry about the table top getting scratched from putting your feet up on it. I might have to do a little sanding and waxing to keep from getting splinters but that's OK.

I bought two of these. Now if I can just find the right light kit and a great lampshade, I'm in business. Won't they look great on top of the sofa table? I'll have to think of something great to do with the crates. Have any ideas?
See those doors. I bought a set of old European doors from the South of France. I'm not sure how I'm going to use those yet but I'm hoping to find a place. I might have to list them on ebay if not. They would make a great head board too but I'm going to use my old mantel to make one of those. Candice also bought a set and she is going to use them to make a headboard. I love old doors.


Here is a zinc top table I purchased as well. I wish they would have thrown in the tablescape...maybe they will surprise me with it...wishful thinking.

Another view of it.
Candice saw this little beauty first. It is either from the South of France or Belgium. It's very tall and not very deep which is just what I needed. I'll store the DVD's and videos in the bottom and books and beautiful things behind the glass.

I also purchased a couple rolls of antique carnival tickets and five player piano rolls, a large wooden dough bowl, an old turned column piece, and I think that is it. I hope I don't have any regrets once everything arrives...if they arrive. Everyone said the shipping coming was a good one but they haven't called me and they said they would. I'm a bit worried and am keeping my fingers crossed that it all works out. I'll let you know. It's a leap of faith for me.

So what do you think about my purchases? I really want to know. I do like unique. I don't want to have what everyone else has that is why I don't like shopping in big box stores, etc. One of a kind is a good thing in my book.

Stay tuned for the reveal of Candice's purchases. I don't have pictures of them at Round Top so will post pictures of us decorating her living room and the mostly finished room. I can't wait until you see them.

After that, I will show you how the addition is progressing. We removed the fireplace mantel yesterday and they are supposed to put the hole through the wall tomorrow. The timber frame and roofing is supposed to go on tomorrow too but nothing ever goes as scheduled so we'll see. It is exciting though.