A Laundry Room Inspiration Piece

Ok, well, um, I mean, ahem, the laundry room is now officially becoming a real big project.

There!  I said it!  The P word.

I never intended this, and it certainly wasn’t on any of my to-do lists.

But……

Somehow it has captured my imagination and I’m feeling very inspired to make some bigger changes down there to go with the new washer/dryer. 

It seems that painting the wall just isn’t enough.

Ever have that happen to you?  Has a little simple change suddenly bloomed in your head as a full blown makeover?

I can’t seem to think about anything else.

It’s consuming my brain every waking moment.  Why, I’ve even dreamt about it!

So, I guess the only thing to do is just roll with it and let it happen.

The good news?

As it turns out, I have everything in my dwindling ample stash that I need for this.

Surprised?

Aw, come on! The least you could do is PRETEND to be surprised.

Jeesh!

Guess I’m not fooling any of you, you’re all on to me and my obsession for collecting curb finds.

The whole thing (insert P word here) won’t really cost much more than the price of a few 2x4’s and a new laundry bag. 

Huh?  What?

A laundry bag? 

I’m going to very unfairly blame a little bit of this on Jami from Freckled Laundry.  I was reading her blog the other day about the his/her laundry bags she made for a wedding present; and next thing you know I’m on etsy ordering one from her!

It just caught my fancy and so now I have to make my laundry room worthy of not only the new washer and dryer, but that darn stinkin’ cute bag!

This photo is from her post, click on it to go there,

Why she even posted a great tutorial on how to make it yourself too!

Stay tuned for the plan that just came to life all on it’s own.

It’s going to make me crazy until I do it.

Rose

Yikes! Another project!

It started out so innocently. 

Earlier this year I made a list of major items I wanted to buy for the house this year.

A new washer and dryer were on that list.

Now mind you, when I made the list, the washer and dryer were working ok, just not very efficiently.

But lately they have been a pain in the neck, I’m having to re-spin and/or re-dry almost every load.  The basic fixes weren’t working anymore and the pair is at least 16 years old if not more.  (They were included in a previous home purchase.)

So I took the plunge last week and ordered a new Maytag front load washer and dryer. 

Aren’t they pretty?

There was a nice sale, a nice rebate, and another state rebate for recycling the old washer.

Oh, and Home Depot had the 12 month interest free deal.

Everything just fell into place.

So they will be delivered on Saturday.

This is where the yikes comes in.

Cleaning up the basement was suddenly at the very top of my to-do list.

So I went down into the dungeon Saturday and started clearing up some of the cobwebs and clutter. 

It’s amazing how big the laundry area really is when you de-junk it!

Sigh. Ok, that's done.  Now they have room to deliver the new and take out the old.

So then I get to looking at the walls and really seeing them for the first time in the 9 years since we moved in.

Bad. 

Very Bad.

                 U G L Y  Bad.

My new washer and dryer deserve so much better than this!

So out comes the paint and I get to work on

that cinder block wall behind the washer and dryer.

It’s over 70 years old and never been painted. 

Go figure.  How on earth did I get into this?

Of course, then I decide we need to replace the dryer vent with a rigid one, and the water hoses to the washer with the braided steel type.  And while we’re at it, we need a new vent for the outside of the house.  The old one is cracked.

And maybe, just maybe, the old fashioned kitchen sink will finally get hooked up.

Oh Honey, can  you do that while I paint?……

Poor Mike.

He really was not into this.

Now I’m thinking that the plain concrete floor

needs to be painted.

And……. I need a countertop to go on top of the new machines when they get here.

And……. I need to paint or re-configure the very rustic 2 x 4 shelving down there.

Eek! 

I only wanted a new washer and dryer….

Rose

Doors and Porches; My A-Bay Favs

Early this month when Mike and I went to Alexandria Bay for our anniversary I took a bunch of photos while walking around town.

While vacationing I love to look at the houses and pick out my favorite features.  Once I got home and started reviewing the photos it was obvious I’m fascinated with doors and porches.  I thought I would share some of them with you.

This screen door in a empty storefront was so attractive.  I love both the color and the style.  I dreamt that night that I rented this space and opened my own shop.  :)

Ok, now don’t panic, I’m not crazy….really.

But…..I would have loved to find the double front doors from this run down house at the curb.   Maybe I should have knocked to see if they were planning to replace them soon?

This little cottage  had a great wooden storm door on it. 

Loved the curb appeal of this next house.  The stone and round columns are awesome.  Love the color too!

Ok, another crazy moment…..the color of this porch transported me back in time to my grandparents’ house.  Their house trim was the exact same shade!

Do you think this home is owned by a fellow Junker? 

I was itching  to walk up on that porch and ring that bell.

Alas, I only admired from afar. 

Check out that ladder leaning against the wall!

I’m in love!

This round double decker wrap-around porch was stunning. 

The roof looks like a witches hat in this photo.

And I can’t leave out the porch at Boldt Castle.  See that great bench peeking out behind the stone pillar?

 

Hope you enjoyed the little photo tour of A-Bay through my eyes. 

I wonder what you would notice if you were there.  Are you like me?  Do you check out the houses when on vacation?

 

Rose

Work Work Work

Sorry if it seems like I dropped off the face of the earth lately.  This month has been particularly busy for me, what with our anniversary getaway, a week long business trip to Atlanta, then came last week which turned out to be the work week from hell, simply put.  We had 2 huge projects going on simultaneously.  Both required driving an hour each way to get there.

Let me give you a taste of my schedule.  I started work Monday morning at 5 am, ended at 8 pm.  Little did I know that it would be the shortest workday of the week!  The next day started at 5 and ended at midnight, then 8:30, an 11:30 and a 9 to wrap up on Friday.  The only sit down time was  the time spent driving.  Lunch and dinner times we grabbed something to eat as we worked.  I was so exhausted that I slept in until 9:30 Saturday morning!

Saturday was spent on the work computer completing some of the planning for this week’s schedule and catching up with all the normal work I missed last week by being on the road.  Even Sunday was spent on work tasks.

I’m not complaining, mind you, just trying to explain why I’ve been such a bad blogger.  I love my job and enjoy the diversity it provides.  There is usually a nice balance of office time and field work, with my normal workday lasting 10 hours.   It’s never boring!

I have 2 more tough weeks to go to complete one of the projects started last week.  Thankfully the other is done.

If you don’t see much of me during that time, please don’t give up on me.  I’ll be back, I promise! 

Rose

 

Boldt Castle Visit

 Edited to add:  I was out of town in Atlanta on a business trip all last week but had this post set to publish early in the week.  For some reason it didn’t go through while I was away.  So now I’m back and here you go, better late than never I guess! ;)

We had a great weekend in Alexandria Bay.  The weather was cool and sunny.  Just perfect!

Tonya from Hillbilly Handiworks suggested I share some of my photos of Boldt Castle, and I’m happy to oblige.

If you’re not familiar with the story of Boldt Castle, you can read more about it here. 

Briefly, the story goes that in 1900 millionaire George Boldt commissioned this castle to be built on Heart Island as a summer home for he and his beloved wife, Louise.  In 1904, more than half way through the construction process Louise died suddenly at the age of 42.  George was so broken hearted he sent a telegram to the construction crew to stop all work and leave the island immediately.  He never returned to the island or had the castle finished.

The castle was left as is for more than 70 years, unprotected from the elements and vandals.

Stunning views!

In 1977 the property was acquired by the Thousand Island Bridge Authority, which immediately began rehabilitating the castle.

Mike has never been to the castle, while I have been 4 times over the years. 

Today many of the rooms are completely restored and furnished in a manner appropriate to the period.

The grand staircase was the first area to be restored.

Check out the elaborate plaster work on the ceilings and walls!

 

I was simply amazed at the progress that had been made just in the 4 years since I last visited, not to mention since I was a teen visiting the island for the first time. 

The bedroom suites for George and Louise were newly completed.  I was enthralled by Louise’s room…..

Love that shade of blue on the walls!

 

George’s room was very masculine, but much darker and difficult to get a good photo of.

 

 

The bathroom was gorgeous!

I laughed when I saw this chair!  It looks like something any one of us would have in our home.  Love the whitewash and the distressed finish.

(The yellow rope was there so nobody could sit in it.)

This console table is another piece that would be right at home in my house. 

The dining room was fully furnished with a gigantic table and chairs. 

This china cabinet showcased the serving pieces.

I got a close up for my plate loving friends….

This piece was in the dining room too.  It is huge!

I hope you enjoyed my little tour of Boldt Castle.  Be sure to visit the official website for some really wonderful photos.

 

 

Rose

U Printing Giveaway Winner

 

Ok, I figured out how to load the random number generator (I think) and now let’s just see who the winner is…….

 

It’s comment # 13  (somehow the number disappeared when I posted, but it was 13, I swear!)

(One of these days I’m going to have my good pal Gail show me how to add numbers to my comments!)

Let’s just go count down the comments in the original post now.  Be right back. (go ahead and twiddle your fingers for a moment, k?)

Ok, got it!

The winner is……..

Tonya @

Hillbilly Handiworks

This is what she said in her comment.

Sent by Gail...
I have been trying to win some on her site. I think I've decided on square...no slim...no square...LOL.
At least I know what I want them for...my new website.
hillbillyhandiworks@gmail.com

Congratulations Tonya, thanks for coming over to enter.  It looks like it paid off for you!

Now you will have to make that decision between square or slim……that’s a tough one to make.

I’m sending your email info to the folks at Uprinting so they can get in touch with you and guide you from there.

 

On a personal note;

You all won’t see me blogging this weekend since Mike and I are going away to Alexandria Bay to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.  

We’re looking forward to a relaxing weekend of playing golf, visiting the famous Boldt Castle, romantic dinners and maybe even some antiquing. 

:)

Rose