I'm Signed Up!

Maybe it's all this creating that's been going on at the Ferrell household lately. Maybe it's that Sophie has reached that point where I'm starting to feel a little more freedom...she's not so baby anymore. Maybe after posting so many blogs like this one or this one that deal with me wanting to "create" .

Maybe - and this one is probably the truth - I'm a little more like my mom than I thought. My most cherished memories are of her teaching me at a very young age the art of ceramics from start to finish (with the kiln in our garage!) She always told me, "An artist never messes up...." which I still think about to this day.

Anyway, with the encouragement of my hubs (and probably ease of guilt factor there, since he often is gone on marathon days or trail running ventures!) I've signed up for a one day workshop in February with "Altar'd" painting and refurbishing designs. I'm really excited to learn how to glaze, paint, and restore an old piece of furniture back to life. I probably could have learned myself, but going to a workshop with five other like-minded souls wanting to create.....it just sounds therapeutic. ( Visit their website and read the owner's bio.....her testimony is amazing.)

Even more so, I'm excited to work with my hands again ....

it's been too long.

Showing His Skills Again!

I've always wanted a Harvest Table. But it is hard to find one that's just the right size...not too primitive looking...not too fabricated...but most of all, not too expensive! So lo and behold, my woodworking hubby decided he would make me one for my Christmas present.

He took 4 days and built, sanded, stained, poly'd, sanded, stained, poly'd....you get the picture. I had some antique chairs that matched perfect. And after all that hard work, I think his finished product is beautiful!

Thank you, hubs! I love it!

Merry Christmas Ya'll!

For the first time, we didn't get a Christmas card out this year. I might try to do a post-one, but just in case, I snapped a few quick ones of the best presents Boog & I have ever been given.

Merry Christmas All! Sophie (almost 2) and Grace (6)

(Couldn't resist the nose picker one!)

Christmas Eve Eve

There's nothing like playing in unfinished cabinetry during the holidays!

We didn't make deadline. My kitchen isn't finished : ( but good news is that it WILL be finished by New Years. It doesn't matter though. These past few months of remodel have taught me a couple of things:
1) Not to ever remodel near the holiday season ever again.
2) It will always take longer than you think (and be more expensive!)
3) Never trust a machete wearing plumber who isn't licensed (duh!)
4) Ladies, start knowing carpentry vocab like shim, caulk, 1x4, 2x4, etc. just so you don't sound like an idiot calling it "that piece of wood thingy" ( like me!)
but mainly.....I have been reminded how blessed we are to be able to do this remodel and all of it is in total vain if:
5) My home is worthless if it doesn't have Jesus being shown and spoken to these little precious girls and anyone else who enters.

Thank you Jesus for sweetness such as this!

And Now...the Sink

Nothing feels better than a productful day. I would say Boog probably feels pretty darn good - hence the two posts in one day! Not only did he install the countertops, but he also installed our sink, too! It was H-U-G-E and H-E-A-V-Y.

I'm just glad I wasn't part of this project!

Still in the Box.

Figuring it all out....
Goin' At It

DONE!

Man, oh man....... I can see clearly now the rain is gone!

My Hubs Surprises Me....

I mean, I know he has 1,000 hobbies. But woodworking wasn't really something I thought he really knew how to do. He made his mom a beautiful TV armoire once, but when he offered to make our countertops for the sink side, I questioned.

Our bartop will be granite, but we wanted to mix up the countertops. I wanted chopblock, of course, but that was more expensive than granite! Then came Boog. He offered. I sighed deep, but said 'ok'.

Any they're beautiful. Ready to be cut and a sink placed in!

He sanded, stained, poly'd....wash and repeat!

Notice the old chandelier bought at Round Top, Heather?

Cedar countertops - done! Thank you, Boog!

What a Difference a Year Makes....

Last year at this time, Boog was still busy with basketball....Sophie was almost one (still very baby)....and just us gals attempted to go see the Land of Lights in our hometown by ourselves. That was......interesting. But it was so much more fun to go as an entire family this year~

Our Trusty Driver

Sophie LOVING The Sunroof View....

My View (holding the tot's legs!)

Entering the Land of Lights....Visit It If You're Ever in Athens!

Blue Christmas!

All in all, a fun Christmas evening!

Real or Fake?

No, I'm not talking about those. I'm talking about these - Christmas trees. This year, due to the result of several moves over the past few years, the Ferrell family has either lost, sold, or given away our beautiful Christmas tree. And due to the fact that our house has been a construction zone, we haven't yet put up a tree.

So to make sure our girls' have some lights to oooh and ahh over, we traveled to Terrell, Texas, to the Walls Family Tree Farm to cut down an a la natural tree. A first for us.

Us in front of the tree Gracie wanted....

Searching for the shedless, allery free kind
(yes, there are some!)
Found it! Cutting it down now....

Being entertained by family pets.....

Grace wants one .....

Sophie Sweetness...

Natural Beauty....

I gotta say, the adventure of picking out a tree, wandering through acres of trees, meeting new, interesting people, and singing Christmas carols *and making a few animal noises for Sophie*, seems to be waayyyy more fun than fanning out plastic branches.
This could become a Ferrell family tradition!

Floors, Paint & More!

They're in! We've officially moved a few pieces of furniture back into the living room. Ahhhh! With the new paint, floors installed, and less dust....things are starting to look up! Good thing, because Boog & I were offically about to have to move out. We just couldn't take it anymore.....

Hard Worker.....Kitchen Still Miles To Go....

Like I said, I'm feeling better about things, but I'm not 100% yet. Talk to me in 2011.

The Love is Gone....

It has left the building. No...not the love for my hubs (I'll always love that one!)....maybe a little love is gone from my job (it's Christmas and the kids are w-i-l-d)....but 110% of the love is completely, utterly gone from my remodel crush.

I used to love the idea of "fixing stuff up". But then again, I've never actually lived through a major renovation. I have now....and it is a nagging, endless, time & mind consuming process that should never be done without serious prescription medication. That or no children.

But alas....we have t-minus 7 days until floors are installed and we can officially "move" back into the living room. The kitchen won't be ready until right before Christmas (fingers crossed), but at least we'll get the couch out of my daughter's room. Geez.

PRIMED/READY for PAINT!

Kitchen still a work in progress....

BTW - I spent a small fortune in sample paints. So if you are wanting to paint a room in the shade of cream, golden, or deep brown shade - come see me first.
I probably have something you'd like!

It Almost Never Happens...

I'm never a deal getter. Never. Not on clothes, at least. Now my sister.....she once gave me a precious skirt that she found for $1.99. Yes, that's right. $1.99. And I rocked that skirt out for all it's two buckage.

So the other weekend, after doing some Christmas shopping, I decided that Boog could watch the gals a little while longer while I tried to find some jeans that fit. I had specific wants: Not too long, not too low, hit me right below the ankle where I don't have to roll them up to wear flats. So.....not hard to do, right? We all know that's wrong. It's near impossible!

All the "teeny-bopper" stores well, really.....why don't I just show everyone my underwear and get it over with? Gap....almost. But I didn't love 'em and fretted paying $60 bucks for so-so. Old Navy....forget it. You can't have any thighs at all.

So after tons of stores, me - all ragged and haggardly - not wanting to look in any mirror.....I had one last stop. The Loft. And of course....they were perfect.

Voila!!!

And perfectly expensive, too. Almost $70. Now, as a teacher....and a teacher who's funding is going straight to "house re-model/moneysuckingvacuum" .....I cringed at paying that much. But, it had been three hours....and I was done. I shifted into neutral and just glided to the cash register.

Now THIS almost never happens. The lady was ringing me up.....I was pulling out my debit card.....and she said,
"OK...with the extra 30% off sale items...your total is 14.98."

Surely, she was wrong I asked. But she scanned again, and there it was.

I'm still sure she probably got fired for making some huge mistake. But I questioned...she confirmed. I was on cloud nine. It's only taken me a decade of shopping to come across a deal like that. I'm excited to be 43 when it will happen again!

Two Weeks!!!

Old paneling ripped off. Check. Mud and taped. Check. Now....texturing and priming. Then paint. Then floors. Then finish the cabinets. Wow.....I've been told in two weeks, we should have a functioning living area & kitchen. Just in time for Christmas......

....then we start on the bathroom.

More from our "Hopeful House Inspire" pictures...

The Reality.....

Is My Thanksgiving Like Yours?

The Feasting Table

Maybe your Thanksgiving is easy, easy. Every year it's at the same home, same cousins, same jokes, same game playing...... us Ferrell's? Oh no. We like to mix it up. Every year it's a guessing game of who's gonna have the dinner, where's it going to be located, when are we going to do it, are we going to be here/there/everywhere? etc. etc. Now that's a holiday!

This year, the Thanksgiving candidate that won was.....

My sister's house!

The lovely winners - Cody & Angela

Cody Digging In

My dad & Sopees (as she now calls herself!)

Grace and her best cousin bud, Landrie

My other two nieces, Emerie & Kellie-Laine

I love my sister's house because it's always busting at the seams with little girls. And this year, with my hubby gone hunting, it was even more girlish. Poor Cody. And the dinner is pretty much a chaos of getting everyone plates & drinks.... then hoping the adults can sit down and eat a bite before the little ones need something. Then sending the little ones on, so that us big ones can chat and laugh. But I'm thankful for a family that can be at a table and have some laughs. Even if it's mostly at ourselves.

Progress....Slow Progress!

Well, the beginning of some cabinets are beginning to show. Now, we're in the battle of deciding countertops - granite, wood, quartz, what HAVE you. But it's nice to see paneling off the walls....I can't wait for "paint day" and after that "floor day". Our trusty remodeler says it should be about two more weeks......we'll see about that!

Stage 7 - out of 42

The Nutcracker

For our niece's birthday, Mimi decided to treat her and Grace to go see "The Russian Nutcracker" in Dallas this past weekend. I got to tag along, of course, not just to see the stars of the show, but to get to hang with the stars of ANY show....

these two. Birthday girl & Grace.

Grace had a blast. Back home, she immediately went to ballerina mode. Practicing her plies and arabesques......which in 6 year old body language is more like splits and flying leaps.

Mommy enjoyed a meal with my oldest. Sometimes Sophie Monster garners all the attention 'round here. It's nice to get to slather some onto just Grace.

Thanks Mimi for a fun day!

Hello, My Name is Florence....

.....and I craigslisted again. I admit it. I'm ashamed. I scoured the site. Found what I wanted. Schemed a way to get it. And drove miles out of my way, just to get a hit. I did this awful thing. Based on this "inspiration" picture for our gutted bathroom......

Ain't She A Pretty One?

I needed a table for the sink. I could have it made, but when I saw this on Craigslist for a really, really cheap price - I thought - SCORE!

Chop it in two, hook it to the wall, drop a sink it in, grab cute fabric and voile!!!

I promise. I'll NEVER DO IT AGAIN. (grin!)

Gut It.

Lately, I think these two words have been used more often than they should. Remodel phase 3 out of 45. We pondered, dilemma'd, wondered, and thoughtfully decided that instead of salvaging any of the former kitchen cabinetry, we....just...wouldn't. The bathroom, too. Gut it. Gut it all.

If only those words came with "Gut it...while we stay at the Holiday Inn". Unfortunately, we are still living in this house. Breathing in the dust. Using the one bathroom sink as our kitchen sink, and eating take out. Lots of it.

Our new canned lighting has been installed (Yea!) and tonight, in preparation for the sheet rocking and painting to come this week, Boog and I got busy putting order to the chaos. Just so we can survive another month.

Ahhhh. All in a day's remodel.

Old Kitchen....

Gutted. No More Dividing Wall!

The Lovely, Nasty Gutted Bathroom