Steps in the Right Direction

We are pleased to announce that we actually accomplished something this weekend! The long-neglected 1972 stairwell to the basement finally got its facelift.

The existing stairwell was painted a soft blue-grey and was illuminated by a simple 2-bulb fixture. I took down the broom holder and scrubbed the mini blind while Scott put up a new fixture.

The new fixture is the same style we used in the master closet, master hallway, and pantry.

It was fun to break out the painting supplies again! The walls were coated with Sherwin Williams Super Paint in 7732 Lemongrass, the same color as the adjacent office and the accent wall in the connector.

 While I painted, Scott prepared the rubber stairtreads, trimming them to the correct width.

We realized that this is the fifth staircase in two houses for which Scott has installed rubber stairtreads. He should get an award from the Rubber Stairtread Association of America!

I was happy to hang the Albuquerque street scene poster in the stair landing. This poster hung in the back stairwell at Grant Street for many years so it's nice to have it back on display.

Ta Da!

A few hours in and our little project was done - well, about 90% done. We still need to install a few rubber tiles on the landing but that should be a quick fix and a fun way to spend an evening this week.

Stay Tuned for Our Next Adventure!

Dear Winter, I'm over you . . .

You may wonder why I haven't posted anything since January 19th and the truth is - I'm bored.  We've both battled colds, we're both tired and lazy, and it's so danged cold outside we've just about become hibernating hermits. Still, we have managed to accomplish a few things that I can share:

As the winter has progressed, Scott has been investigating ways to improve the house's air-tightness. He's discovered some drafty spots that need attention, including the fireplace in the great room. He dragged the big extension ladder out and caulked all around the perimeter. The 1972 addition is problematic; it needs insulation, new windows, and new doors to gain efficiency. (Stay tuned for that . . . some day.)

On Saturday, January 25, I took a field trip to Overton, Nebraska with noTTafarm Super Friend, Amy B. Our destination?  Tiede's Second Hand and Antiques. Amy has been here many times over the years so she guided me through the amazing maze of buildings chock-full of housewares, china, books, and furniture. Everything is organized, clean, and ridiculously low-priced. (A side bonus was meeting my mommy and daddy plus nieces Lauren and Chelsie in Kearney for lunch! Yay!)

A portion of the china display at Tiede's

My prize finds of the day were three chromium and glass 1960s serving pieces. I had been thinking my pantry full of dishes was lacking in "modern" items, so these really filled the bill. I paid about $12 for all three which I've since seen priced on the web much, much higher. I chose to use the pieces for a recent "Wine Night" with three of my buddies:  Marie, Megan, and Amy B.

We spent a Friday night nibbling on goodies and drinking a few beverages . . . and gossiping about our shared workplace.  noTTafarm is the perfect place for Girls' Night!

Yesterday, as Scott was still recovering from his cold to get involved in any projects, I decided to have fun by organizing the table linens. Yes, I was looking for the ultimate in fun-having!

Of course, the minute I unloaded this cabinet in the buffet, Leo found it and made himself at home. Silly!

Once Leo relocated, I stacked the cubby with my collection of neatly-folded cloth napkins.

I emptied out this chest and reorganized: seldom-used linens in the bottom drawer, placemats in the center, and more-commonly used tablecloths in the top drawer. I even measured each cloth, recorded the size on a post-it, and pinned to each. I do not anticipating this being useful but at least it kept me occupied for an hour.

You are now caught-up on noTTafarm's goings-on. I am hoping that with this week's predicted return to temperatures in the 30s, we will find some energy to take on more exciting "adventures."

Stay Tuned for More!