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Paving stone and other lawn improvement

Even though I have laid brick in my gardens by myself, I am older and a bit wiser now, so I’m thinking about hiring some professionals to come and tell me about paving stone for my West courtyard. I just don’t have the strength nor the knowledge to do such a great job as I have seen online. The stones are so beautifully installed on the ground and the designs are pretty for that yard.

While I was outside looking at all the possibility for that West side of the yard, I got the opinion of my son about landscape lighting installation. I think it would really look nice and compliment the courtyard I’d like to have built, and also it would keep trespassers off our property, hopefully. That or at least deter them. I’ve wanted lighting all around the house and in the gardens anyway, and to me any kind of landscaping or home improvement basically raises the property value in some cases. It’s a win, win situation.

While doing a really intense study of that West yard, I notice that there are bare spots in the lawn that have been there for nearly 20 years now. It’s in pretty sorry shape, despite of all the time and money I have sunk into grass seed and fertilizer. I think perhaps looking into installing artificial grass. I’ll have to find out more about the pros and cons of that from professionals.

 

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A new screen door

For the last few months, I’ve needed a new latch on the storm/screen door. Finally I looked at the darn thing to figure out what I would need to fix the handle and latch. I figured it shouldn’t be that hard, though I’d never done it before.

The guy I talked to at a store I will not mention right now, took over the job of “helping” me, and though I thought it was a nice offer, I told him I didn’t need help. He tagged along anyway. Nothing bothers me more than a person trying to sell an item, not because a person needs it, but because the “helper” will make a commission. Heck with the part or piece works or not on what one needs it for.

I finally went to another home improvement store, and brought a brand new door. It was on sale, fit perfectly, and it was one I had my eye on for awhile. The kicker is, it was only 15.00 more than the parts the little “helper” had try to sell me.

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Great cloth diapers and diaper covers for gifts

It seems that all of my oldest daughter’s friends, have decided this summer is the time to have their second and third child, which means my gift of  cloth diapers and even diapers services are now to be thought about. At last count, there are four of the girls who have been best friends for years, that are expecting little ones in the next five months. They, I noticed spaced their children out in age, so they didn’t have two little babies in the home at the same time. In this period of time, things have change a lot for all of them.

When my daughter first got pregnant, I asked her to consider using cloth diapers and saving some money while doing so. She wasn’t too keen on the subject, since she was 13 when I had her first little brother. She saw me washing diapers and at that point in her life, she wasn’t into doing her own laundry, though she would help fold the diapers and diaper covers for me.

While my daughter and I were together last week, planning on big baby shower for all four girls together, such as tradition I showed my daughter the site I had found online shopping, that carries every type of diaper one could possibly imagine. The little covers are so awesome and cute now. It’s changed so much since I had to diaper my baby in plain white. Now it’s might be fun to change a baby’s diapers!

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Grills, open fire and camping

A lot of people are really into grilling. I find it a pain in the butt to do, despite of the grill outfits now a days, look like one brought their whole kitchen out into the yard. Maybe toting along part of the dining room too. I guess ya’ll can tell that I’m not one of the kind of people who like to grill. I am much more comfortable using a oven rack over an open fire. I think this stems from the years as kids and then young adults, camping trips. Now, I prefer to camp  in comfort.  I’ll come to semi real tent like camping, is a pop up camper that is decked out.

I do however, know how to cook on the open fire. I lug my cast iron pots, pans and skillets along with me, and also an old antique coffee pot, along with food that feeds an army in a few pots. I love cooking outside. I just don’t like to grill.

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Spice racks and spice collections

Adding to my summer spice collection, requires me to buy more spice racks. It seems I am now collecting them, like I do my various spices. From the domestic every day spices, to the more exotic spices I buy from specialty stores. I have plenty of room on my kitchen walls by the stove to have as many spices displayed and ready to use and visitors often ask if I am a collector. I must admit, I use these racks as also home decor.

Wall spice racks for me, are essential since I have limited cupboard space in my kitchen. My pantry is full of canned and dry goods, so except the wall, there really is no place for me to keep my spices, except the walls. I would love to have racks on the pantry door, but unfortunately the doors are sliders, and not the kind that open up the regular way. Hence making use of my wall space makes sense to me.

Over the years, folks have given me some really great kitchen spice racks as gifts, and I love to display them. That is when I got into the various exotic spices, and also learning how to cook various dishes that calls for them.

 

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Rain storm coming in

What a difference from the sunny weather with warm temperatures we have had lately. The clouds are coming in fast, and despite of the forecasters saying that today was going to be sunny and the high of 80 degrees this afternoon, I think they screwed up a bit. I’m watching my barometer drop significantly, and even the air feels and smells like a storm is coming in, not just a small bit of rain.

I sort of catch a grin from the guys who are forecasting our local weather. While watching the news this afternoon, one could actually see the uncertainty in their faces, as the weather map says no rain and yet, the cloud system outside indicates other wise.

The only thing I fret about, is perhaps a tornado being blown in. It used to be that we had “seasons” for the destructive weather of this nature. Now, like the general weather, it’s anyone’s guess what is going to happen weather wise, from day to day. I’ll make the most of the rain though, as I have a feeling we are going to need it. I have rain barrels which after last years drought, I’m happy I bought.

 

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More home improvement

The never ending home improvement bug has struck again. I’ve decided that I want to repaint the living room and leave one wall, so mirror tile can be put up. I’m not even going to try my had at this. I’m calling around for the professionals. I don’t want to get into the job of cutting glass, or dropping glass, hanging glass…none of it.

I’ve always wanted one wall of total mirrors though, that wasn’t a bathroom. I’ve been looking at various colors and styles and haven’t made a decision on what I want just yet. I’ve still got to pick out the colors I want to paint the living room. Then again, maybe I’ll pick the kind of mirror I love and then pick the paint. Which ever I do, I want this done right.

After the mirrored wall and new paint job, I’m gong to look for the perfect touches to go with both the antique furniture and the new furniture I plan on getting finally. I’m really looking forward to this renovation of sorts.

 

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Finding the perfect Palm Beach Architects

One of my favorite cousins who I am very close to, called me last night and told me that she has found the perfect Palm Beach Architects to design her new home! The man Katie married is a wonderful husband and father to her two year old son. Not only that, he is very wealthy. I’m happy for my cousin, as she didn’t really have much growing up and even though she married into money, she kept her values and her roots intact. The only thing she has ever dreamed of is a beautiful house. Now she is getting one, and I’m so happy for her.

Her husband John recently was transferred to Palm Beach, and along with getting a generous raise in the corporation he works for, he also had been planning on giving the gift of a beautiful dream home to Katie as soon as they moved to where they would settle permanently. Katie sent me the link to the website of the architects she would like to use, and to be honest, I was blown away with the beauty of their work.

My dear cousin doesn’t know the ins and outs of architecture, but this firm she told me, is getting to know her and guiding her through her decisions while putting their own spin on things as well as hers. When Katie and I were growing up, she always had some awesome ideas for her dream house. Now she has help from awesome professionals and the money to turn those dreams into reality. I’m so thrilled for her.

 

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Failed driviers test

This is the second time my daughter has taken her drivers test, and alas, failed. I feel so sorry for her. Her problem is the parking. When I am with her, she drives perfectly and only has a little bit of a problem parallel parking. When she is with her father, or with a stranger who is trying to teach her, she gets really nervous and then chokes up. AND, to make matters worse she has a really defensive nature and then gets upset when it seems someone is being demanding of her. Something that she has got to stop.

I admit that when she drives with her father, it is a horrendous experience. He is not a patient person and he tends to yell when there is no reason for doing so. In other words he is pure hell to have in a car while driving, or at a table when trying to learn homework. Actually anything that deals with teaching is not his strong point.

I’m going to take my daughter out the the farm and put her on one of the tractors and also have her drive one of the farm trucks. They are all sticks. It is how I learned how to drive when I was 9 yrs. old. If you can drive farm equipment, you can drive anything, is my motto. She and I will have her passing her driving test in no time.

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Picking out Graduation Announcements

With my youngest daughter’s graduation around coming on fast, (we have three more weeks) it’s time to address her graduation announcements. It seems like yesterday that I was sending her off to school for her first day, on the bus. I even remember what she wore that day. I get a bit “mom type” sentimental when it comes to things like preparing her now for graduation from high school, and soon she will be going off to collage. I’m going to really miss her a great deal when she leaves for school.

My daughter doesn’t want a big graduation party, which actually doesn’t surprise me much, since she never has liked a lot of pomp and circumstance, as it is. She’s is a social person, but on the same note, she doesn’t like a lot of fuss being made. We have decided to have a small get together with the family and a few close friends that she wanted to invite. I personally wish she’d like a big party, since graduation is a awesome accomplishment and also a step toward even bigger and better things in a person’s life.

The announcements we ordered are so personalized and fitting for my daughter that when her graduation photo is put inside, it is like we actually chose the announcements according to her various outfits worn in her pictures. Which actually we didn’t, yet they came out perfectly. My daughter is happy with them, the price was right and I’m happy about that. It will help with money matters, since we also plan on giving her the gift of money and the title to a truck she has wanted for a long time. It won’t surprise me if she finds a way to attach her announcement to her dashboard. This is saying something about how well they turned out.