Halloween Care Packages

I found some great decorations at TJ Maxx. (I love TJ Maxx.) I can show you now because all my children have received their packages. When I went away to college and even now, my mother would surprise me from time to time with little packages. I've tried to carry on this tradition. I hope they know that I am always thinking about them.
Candy necklaces, little containers of playdough, cookie cutters, Halloween napkins, a Halloween sign, Halloween pencils, a Halloween advent calendar, etc.

I'm grateful for a mother who loves me no matter what. I hope my children know I feel the same way about them. I try to show them unconditional love and be there for them but who doesn't love a good surprise once in a while?

The New Addition Reveal

I'm still waiting for my new sectional but have given up on it for now since I ordered it in June. I didn't want to keep you in suspense any longer...not that you were holding your breath or anything. This is looking from the new room into my old family room and kitchen.
Looking from the TV wall to the gas fireplace. (The blue couches will be gone replaced with a new sectional that is slip covered in an off white canvas fabric.)
The timber framed beams and chandeliers. I still need to find just the right architectural something to go over the big screen. The recliner is also going but my husband is not very happy about that. Since we do not have room to have it directly face the TV, he is not using it anyway.
Looking from the fireplace. The room is 15 1/2 x 34 ft. We absolutely love it and we are so glad that we bit the bullet and just did it. (The cushions on the left are from my outdoor furniture on the patio. It's an easy place to keep them since I haven't ordered chairs for this end of the room yet. Actually, I kind of like the empty space. The grand kids love to make forts on this end of the room.)
My cabinet from Belgium. I like how one little piece can make such a difference in a space. The DVD's are stored in here. Check here to see my original post on my furniture purchases. It took a bit of imagination and sifting to find these pieces.
The industrial kitchen island turned sofa table. The speakers will disappear after we get speakers to be placed in the ceiling.
The zinc table. Those cords will mostly be gone once the speakers are wired into the ceiling. We still have to find them and keep forgetting to look.
The "entertainment" center. We still need to either bolt it to the wall or replace those 2 x4's with something else. Magazines and kid toys are in the baskets helping to hide those ugly wires.
The coffee table.
Specialty lighting for my husband's artwork. We have a whole gallery wall now.
Here's the post I bought at Round Top last spring.
Antique family metal trunks with a creeping charlie plant.
The gas fireplace.
The gallery wall. There are 5 pictures on that wall. I do like the lighting rail. We have a variety of lighting in the room...that rail with 10 lights, spotlights to wash down the fireplace, canned lights on dimmers, and two large chandeliers. You can set all kinds of moods with the lighting.
Looking from my kitchen through the old family room to the new addition. We replaced all the flooring when we built the addition. The doors from the south of France are also from Round Top. My husband liked all my purchases except those. I did get one new piece that will go on that blank wall last week at Excess. A beautiful old bookcase from a general store. I'm not sure how long it will take to get it. (The have a new ceiling fan but haven't gotten to that project yet.)
A close up of the door. So, what do you think? I'd love to hear from you.

New Addition Part 2

So I went to Texas to visit Candice and buy furniture for this new baby and when I came home, this is what I found...a new foundation

Our shed in it's new home...a little worse for the wear but still looking good.
Logan was visiting at the time and was in seventh heaven with all the equipment around. The workers were great to let them even drive a little.

He sat in there for a long time watching the big digger while pretending to drive the little digger.



While they were working on our house, this is what was going on next door. Our neighbor finally decided to remove his maple tree. Too bad he didn't do it before all the roots and shade ruined my garden space.

The big digger. We use technical names at our house.
A close up of the tree cutting.
There is our little shed. It used to be where you see the front of the foundation.

All this big equipment ruined our driveway but it was amazing to see how well they could maneuver it. I think they were filling in around the foundation at this point.
The walls go up by the end of April.




Spring has finally sprung. Love those fruitless pear trees.
Next came the beams. Our builder tried to talk us out of them. They were expensive but are so amazing. It was worth it.
The beams were parked on a trailer in front of our neighbor's house and then lifted into place. It was amazing to watch.









Then the framers were back to finish the roof trusses. They were nuts. Click on the picture. That worker is balancing on the edge of the wall while cutting off the end of the truss with a circular saw...one handed. Crazy!

The sheathing is on now too. Aren't those beams amazing?

I think the only thing we changed from the original plan was to add another window to the left of this door opening. Pretty good I think.


Stay tuned for more. I can't wait to show you the finished product. Well almost finished anyway. We still haven't passed the final inspection.