A few more photos of the floor

I am planning on doing ONE more floor this year (maybe May), so I will hopefully do a 'tutorial' style pictures!

Here is the Living Room before and after! We still have to reinstall trim and whatnot, but what a difference....also excuse all the rubbish in the first picture...when I vacated the office stuff I made a train wreck and didnt' bother to sweep before snapping this! :D Here are pics of D's room before and after!

The following are the Master Bedroom
First the amount of old stain/varnish and yucky oldness.More of where previous contractors decided to clean out their paint machien on the floor, which was going under carpet at the time.
the after room! There are some darker areas and spots from where carpet padding had gotten damp and sat there. I despise carpet for this reason. How anyone pulls up old carpet sees what LIVES under there and puts it back down is beyond me! :D

I couldn't be much prouder of myself, I have to say!

Before and After....

I have more to post, but for now this was one of the worst areas. When the previous owners had planned to put carpet down they carpeted over the return air vents and their painters had a party painting the floor in the hall and front closet. Here is when we pulled the carpet and put plywood in the opening. I love a WELL PAINTED wood floor...this is NOT that!

Here we are looking from the kitchen to that exact spot AFTER!

I am acutely aware that fifty year old hardwood that has been 'unloved' in it's life wont' be PERFECT, but isn't that better. If you look right inside the opening to the left...you will see our patch of new hardwood.

Blame me.

If there is MORE dust in your house than usual this week, blame me. I have been sanding hardwood floors I have increased the national dust volume, I apologize. I hope to have some pictures for you soon.

In awe!

I have lived most of my life in and around Central Indiana.

I had never seen THIS before!

How majestic..how wonderful! I saw him (or her) twice in one day less than 2 miles from my house!

Earthquake in Haiti

What can you give up today (or this week) to help? I am donating $35 in place of a riding lesson to the Salvation army.
January is financially hard on our family, but NOTHING like that. I challenge you to give just a little this week.

You don't say?

It was last week, I wanted Chinese food, I got Chinese food. I also go this! Really? You think? LOL I hope the rewarding part is as true as the difficult part...

For those that have missed that memo....my child is disabled...everything takes longer, requires more effort and wears me out. The rewards include: Smiles, laughter and more.

Homemade Egg Noodles--tutorial

Since I mentioned making homemade noodles this week, I had two friends ask how. These are both women who can and do cook well and often from scratch. So, I took some photos as I made them.

The recipe I used yesterday was 2c. Flour, 1 t. salt and three eggs.

There are other recipes, many asking for one whole egg two yolks, x amount of water, I like the simple way.

Start with a clean counter, yes I said ON YOUR counter. (you are excused and may use a bowl or cutting board if you have grout lines on your counter). Dump your flour onto counter. (yes right on your counter, isn't this fun?). Add your salt (see my measuring spoon?)

Mix your salt in thoroughly. Make a well in your flour. Drop in eggs.

Begin mixing eggs and as they beat up nicely bring the flour into them. Do not knock down your walls this is the only way I can imagine messing this up. As the flour joins the eggs and becomes a dough you can get your hands in their and pull it together with your hands. (bottom left below) Knead a little, roll out thinly.(top right below)

Dough rolled thin (your choice I like rustic thick type egg noodles in chicken soup). Fold in fourths (above bottom right)

Cut folded dough with knife or pizza cutter into strips. Lay on towelling to dry (about an hour or two depending on humidity). Bring your water, stock or CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP to boil

add noodles, cooke until al dente (varies on thickness).

ENJOY!


Oh adn for those of you having kittens about the mess...here is how you fix it. Scrape up counter before trying to wash. It is like playing with play-doh, but not as time consuming as bread or other doughs.

Snow yes, Cold no!

That's my vote. While the snow makes driving hard, school delays and other inconveniences, it is beautiful. It covers the sleeping trees in light catching beauty and allows us to have more light in our short days. I like it....it makes for some winter fun. HOWEVER, when those snows are accompanied by teens and LOWER highs each day it makes me wish to hibernate.

How is winter where you are?

2010

Each year I write things i want to get done/do in the year. Last years list consisted of some simple items and some attainable goals. Many of them related to my horse. She got injured, I didn't do many of them. Also I tend to put things like "lose X lbs" Read my bible EVERY day.

Then completely unrelated to the YEAR it was, I thought about how I rarely talk to my Dad, thinking...if he just called me TEN minutes a week. So, since I cannot change that or him I can call him...and I can do OTHER ten minute things.

I can ignore that cookie for ten minutes, walk for ten minutes, read for ten minutes. In reality those minutes may spread....and I am not giving myself a bunch ultimatums.

SO....So far today I have called my grandmother for Ten, spent Ten putting on mascara, wiping down my counters, drinking my water and putting some moisturizer on my face.

So you want to do TEN for 2010 with me? If you can commit 10 a day...10 per waking hour.......whatever...join me!