Option 2: yellow with blue

The next house on our map was on Providence Church Rd.  

Again, this is the one that Jason and I had eyed a few months ago and we were very interested in seeing the inside of it.  It is located very close to Dan Nicolas Park and is much closer to the lake than our current rental and was within 10 minutes of the Holy Land hunting land.  It also adds only 3 or 4 minutes to my drive for work, so the location is pristine!  

 

It is yellow with very baby blue trim.  Every inch of trim/downspout/garage door/eave was covered with baby blue paint.  I wonder if they are really big TarHeels fans?

When we arrived, the sellers were there trying to clean and keep the house well maintained in an attempt to actually sell it.  I expect people to keep the grass mowed but they were busting out the big guns and using some good ‘ol ammonia.  These are my kind of people.  Screw the cheap store bought name brand products, get that mess out with the good chemicals.  Love it!  

Oh sorry, I got sidetracked.

There was a garage attached that we entered through, so having a space to keep my car or the jeep protected was a plus.  Especially the jeep, since it has a soft top that I’m constantly worried will rip with hail or a tree or whatever.  A garage would also be nice for muddy shoes and extra smelly clothes that really should be hosed off before coming inside.

The main house offered a living room that was connected to the dining room, which I like.  

living room

 The dining room was off of the galley style kitchen that is actually very large.   

dining room.  notice how it's attached to the living room?

It doesn’t have a refrigerator and the kitchen needs some updating, but unlike the Long Ferry Rd home, it is actually move in ready and I can definitely live with it for a while.  Well maybe not that wall paper, but the old cupboards and laminate counter top, they’re ok.

The dining room has gas logs too which are nice.

A bathroom was off of the hallway and while it needs some updates too, it’s more convenient and a little bit more of a private bathroom than the current guest bathroom at the rental.

The first bedroom was a little bit small but we could use it as an office or maybe….a craft room!!  Yipee!!!

The two remaining bedrooms were big and the master had its own bathroom, which is nice.  It had a full size shower, which our current “master bathroom” doesn’t offer.  It doesn’t have a walk in though.  Won waa… maybe we could add onto to the master someday if we decided this was the home for us.

But the real gem of this house?  The back yard!!  Oh man, did this place have a yard.  It sits on 3 acres of all flat land is perfect for two pups that have been cooped up for a while.  I’m sure a certain white one will be more than shocked that he will be allowed outside without a leash on.  

The front yard was also very lovely and large!!  Downside: the house looks out on a recycling site.  It is a little bit of an eyesore, but it doesn’t smell because it’s not a full boxsite, just recycling.  It’s also fenced in and the fence has a green cover attached.  But still…it is a recycling site right across from the house.  I bet a good hedgerow or a couple of magnolias would hide that really quick.  Hmmm… options

Jason liked this place too and it was definitely a place that would stay in our “possibilities” file.

Sorry for the lack of pictures to this place, the website just didn't offer many.

Love as always,

Meredith

Trash to Treasure #1: Coffee Table

I hope that this can be a series of posts.  I am super thrifty and have found so many online tutorials about how to revive old worn out pieces, that I think it’s going to be a habit that I try to stick with.  The plan is to only buy essential pieces for our home, and everything else will be hand me downs that have been refinished or thrift store finds that I bring back to life.  A lot of this will depend on Jason’s patience with me and my creativity.  I get the feeling that the first one will wear out quicker that the latter.

But  anywho, here is our first project: a revived coffee table

Backstory: Jason owns a beautiful cedar chest that we will NEVER part with.  We used it as our coffee table for the first year in our house.  But after 12+ months of fighting with the remote signal to reach the cable box over the coffee table, I have had enough.  Plus, this is about the time that I started reading a bunch of craft blogs.  Funny how that works, huh?  So one Goodwill trip, I come home with what has to be the ugliest coffee table in the history of America.  JASON COMPLETELY AGREED.

BUT IT ONLY COST $4!!!!!!!

$4! YEP, LET ME SAY AGAIN, $4!!!

So it was mine.  It sat in the shed for a month or two and after a recent trip to Lowe’s, aka, my favorite store ever!, we had supplies to bring this baby to life.  (Sorry I don’t have pictures of the before)

But here is the after:

What we did:

      1.       I hated the grove around the top that you can still kind of see.  So we filled it in with wood filler and sanded that down after it dried

      2.       All of the legs, the frame and the top were sanded down

3.       The legs and frame received about 2 coats of primer

4.       I painted the legs and frame with Krylon Hotel Vanilla spray paint.  The top received a total of 4 coats of a mahogany stain and then a couple of coats of wood sealer/protector

5.       Jason cut me a second shelf and fit it in.  This is why he’s super handy to have around, and as long as I let him play with power tools, he doesn’t complain about my crafting quams.  Plus, he normally gets a new toy out of the venture.  I have a feeling that will eventually come to an end.  But then again, those guys at Black and Decker are pretty innovative.

6.       The second shelf was painted and sealed

       7.       Everything was put together

The end result:

Oh yea, I did distress it a little.  I kind of wish I had done a little more distressing.  But it was my first project and didn't want to go overboard.  Live and learn

You're dagum right I straigtened up and dusted and even lit a candle before I took these pictures

Zeus got nosey, so he got to be in the picture

Yes, we do have a subscription to both of those magazines.  It's my attempt to be both fashionable and fit at the same time.

Hahah!!  Both of those are gift subscriptions, who am I kidding?

BTW: When Jason called his dad, who is a manager at a furniture plant, he said the following: “I’ve been making a coffee table.”  Pssh!  WTF, I did the hard part, I spent the $4!!  (Love you baby, thanks for the help!)

At first we thought: Gosh! It sure it short.  The cedar chest was so tall and that was the problem, so it took a little while to get used to, but I love it.  And after the inital reaction, I haven't heard Jason say anything about it's short stature, so I guess he's become accustomed to it to.  Just food for thought.

 What do you guys think?  Are my trash to treasure ideas good or should I just leave the furniture making/painting/reviving to the professionals?  AKA: Target and Bed Bath and Beyond

Love and Seasons Greetings,

Meredith

Meet Zeus

Jason proofed my story prior to publishing.  His notes are in italics.  I was just too lazy to retract my portions of the story.

Zeus is our special child.  He’s one big handful after another.  But like all things special, he holds onto your heart just a little bit more than you would expect.

Zeus was originally Jason’s dog but as we have grown as a family, he’s become my adopted child too. 

Jason tells the story a lot better than I do, but I’ll give it a whirl.  Jason works for the NC Forestry Department and his first assignment was in Granville Co, NC.  If you’ve never been to Granville Co, don’t worry, you’re not missing much.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful area.  There are trees and fields everywhere, and I swear I think time moves a little bit slower there.  Jason lived on a big farm with all kinds of land around it, so naturally he needed a farm dog to help with the company. 

Jason was going into work one day when he saw a Budweiser box on the side of the road.  Now, this is where the details are a little fuzzy to me.  I don’t know if the box moved somewhat or if Jason actually saw little baby Zeus poking his head out, but whichever it was, it peaked Jason’s interest.  And I’m pretty certain he told me he went on into work and didn’t think too much about it.  But on his way home, the box was still there.  Well only Jason would stop to check out a beer box on the side of the road.  Well low and behold; there was a very tiny, very skinny, big eyed puppy that looked just a little too sweet for Jason to leave him there.

Ok, now for the actual story of how I came to own Zeus.  I was never going to work at all. I was actually riding around looking for deer land 1 Saturday.  I saw a little puppy standing on the side of the road and when I drove by, he ran back in his Budweiser box.  I stopped the truck and got out to see what deal was.  When I got over to the box, Zeus had curled up in the corner of the box.  So I snatched him up and put him in the bed of the truck and took him and his box home.  Once we got to the house, he lived upstairs for a week, out of sight of the landlord, because I wasn’t supposed to have pets.  Anyway, I found a way to smuggle him in and once the landlord saw him, she couldn’t say no.

What a cutie pie

Jason took him back to the farm and raised him to be the crazy dog he is today.  His big eyes needed some work due to his eyelids turning in.  And he also had a hernia when I found him and also he was allergic to doggy flea shampoo and had a bad reaction.  Jason got them fixed by a vet and now Zeus is left with the saddest, droopiest eyes you’ll ever meet.  So don’t be fooled when you meet him: he’s not always that sad, he just looks it!   And because he lived on a farm, Zeus was able to play and chase deer and bark at horses and overall just run amuck!  He loved getting under the barns and in tight spaces to stay warm and to sleep.  He smelled something awful most of the time, but hey, he mostly stayed outside, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Fast forward three years and here we are living in Spencer and on a busy street with lots of neighbors and no place to run and chase and (thank goodness) get in ponds to get smelly.  As much as we hate having to do it, Zeus has to be on a leash when he’s outside and boy does he hate it!!  Hopefully soon we’ll get him some more land to run crazy on.

For now, Zeus likes being inside.  He’s the master of his domain.  He will bark at anyone even walking the street past the house.  It can be annoying, but for Halloween, I always knew when trick-or-treaters were at the door! BTW: Zeus looked very handsome in his Halloween collar.  (I’ll post a how-to on this eventually).  He gets his own bed to lie in every night.  One of his best qualities is his enthusiasm though!  Talk about a dog who is excited to be outside: every time Jason or I even get close to the door or his leash, Zeus turns into a kangaroo.  I wish I was joking too.  Literally on his back legs with the front ones repeatedly leaving the ground plane.  I don’t know if he thinks that the extra leverage will get us to jump up and down too, but whatever it is, there is no denying the excitement that a red leash brings him. Or at least the idea of being outside.  I doubt it’s the leash because as soon as we’re out the door, the leash is his worst enemy.  Go figure.

One of Zeus’s other qualities is how sweet he is (most of the time).  When you’re lying on the couch watching TV, Zeus always wants to show you he cares.  He does this by being just on the other side of arm rest and looking/breathing directly in your face.  Aww…the love.  Don’t worry, he’ll share the smell of his breath with ya.  You’re welcome. 

Zeus also loves to share in the chores.  He helps mop the floor in the kitchen by putting the water from his bowl on the floor for ya.  It just won’t stay on that big ‘ol tongue like it should, so he shares.  You’re welcome.

Well I guess that pretty much sums it up, Zeus, our crazy, special, scares the neighbors, no idea what he is kind of dog.  Feel free to visit for a proper introduction.  Don’t bring over small animals though, he doesn’t like them.  And trust me, you don’t want to know.  Don’t wear black either, or you’ll be taking some Zeus home with you.  And I’m currently running low on lent roll sheets.  Sorry.

Loves as always!

Meredith