Painting house interior 2023

 Tech guy approached the topic of our To-Do List this week. None of which included the item I've talked about for several months and put as one of my resolutions- painting my living area.

After the house purchase, we initially painted the living area white with a wallpaper border. We wallpapered in the alcove (dining room) beyond it. I loved it. I'd nurse my kiddos, look about, and think how clean, crisp, and chic it looked. I didn't, and still don't, have a lot of faith in my decorating skills. And this was way before we could search online for ideas. But somehow, I'd done it.

Old wallpapered dining room

In 2004, and I know this via pictures because it was BTB (before the blog), I had a "decorator" friend help me redo the area while tech guy was out of town. We started by choosing fabric for a decorative window treatment made by my MIL and FIL. From there, we took colors from the material and painted. Why I allowed yellow and red, my least two favorite colors, is beyond me. But I did.

Yellow area with red accent wall

Window treatment fabric

I had tons of painting help from my gal pals. The red went on two walls as an accent (used as a backdrop in all Halloween photos) and in the foyer, where we sponge-painted gold blobs. We also used the same gold to paint my picture frames. We didn't touch the ceiling. 

Halloween photos against the red wall

It's been that way for almost twenty years. I needed a change. And I wanted the ceilings painted because we missed too many spots in our first go-around.

Tech guy argued, citing obstacles that I shot down. Eventually, he saw my side and had me pick a painting date over a weekend. Oleg's family signed up to help. I went to the paint store to choose colors.

With the help of numerous decorating sites, my first thought was gray. My family made faces, so I agreed to give the accent walls something cheerful. It didn't go well.

I suffered. I went to multiple paint stores, and then I remembered how my friend had made me take colors from the material for my window treatment. Madison and I set off one evening after dinner to look at fabrics. We both found one we agreed upon, and I purchased the last yard. 

Taking a periwinkle color from one of the flowers as my accent wall, tech guy and I headed to Lowe's. The two ladies in the paint department steered me away from gray. I got annoyed. Dammit, I wanted gray!

So, they pulled up colors on the computer and showed me how the colors that make gray are not in periwinkle. Gulp. They chose my colors, and because I'm unsure of myself, I went with the experts, forgetting how I did that last time. Remember yellow and red? 

But I did insist on bringing home samples to slather onto the walls.

Then, using the non-accent sample, we painted the hallway. I LOVED it! I purchased both colors. Then, I painted the foyer myself. It took me all day, but that night I danced because I LOVED it!

Painting weekend began at nine. I assigned tasks from the ceiling to edging to around the picture hangers (which I wanted right back up afterward), etc. 

Before

After

There were six painters, and at one point, Oleg appeared and jumped in. We worked with a lunch and dinner break until eleven that night, but we got it all done, including returning furniture and pictures to their spots.

Before with gold frames

After with new frames

The last area, turned into our dining room years ago, was painted a few days later. It took two full days. I had help at the end from my friend SueG.

Before

After

Then, I reupholstered the window treatment and my dining chairs. I bought new rugs and picture frames. Oleg's family purchased pillows, flowers, a blanket, and a colorful vase for my china cabinet. 

Everyone LOVES it. My living area is lighter and brighter. It's cheerful and happy. Ten out of ten. I returned to Lowe's and let the paint ladies know they had done a superb job. They were so right. They were thrilled.

Check off a resolution!

Resolution 2023 - two month check-in

How have two months gone by already? No matter, it's check-in time. Remember, I'm changing my scoring between 0-2, adding to each month for a total of 12 for each resolution. 

Personal Goals:

• Paint my home space - My ceilings haven't been painted since we first moved in. My living room and my hallway need an overhaul. My bedroom could use it too, but that isn't as important as the first two. - There has not been any painting, but I have visited two paint stores, gotten millions of paint samples, discussed painting questions with said experts, searched the database for fabric samples, and scheduled the paint day. So, BAM! Working on it. Score: 2

• Entice Tom to build my shelves to display my playing card collection - I collect playing cards. I need somewhere to display them, and Tom drew out plans for what I found on Etsy. He claims he can knock it out, "don't waste your money." Once I get the paint done, this comes next. - The only thing I've enticed Tom to do is get rid of the almost 30-year-old couch in the Steelers room and allow me to paint the living room. I have to be gentle with him. I have, however, gone through the cards and counted them. Score - 1

• Travel - Can't let those Wyndham points go to waste. - I didn't travel, but I've made some arrangements, which counts. Score - 1

• Lower my cholesterol - I retake it in May or June. - I don't get tested until later in the year, but I did count calories in January and lost five pounds. I have started back to the gym. I am eating oatmeal. Bam! Score 2

• Exercise/Healthy eating habits - This goes with the above, but I do need to shed some weight for my own mental health, not to mention the flip side of the coin. I lost five pounds, and I started back to the gym. Score - 2

• Catch up on my blog - Writing has kept me from this. My readers are complaining. I need to catch up! - Oops! - Score - 0

Total - 8 out of 12 - Look at me go!

The forgotten note

For Christmas, I received the gift of a monthly handwritten letter from a stranger. A pen pal! Her name is Katie, and she's from Pennsylvania. My first note arrived before Christmas, and she even sent me a postcard after Christmas from her vacation in Florida. February's note was about the Eagles and how her hometown was very excited, although she is not much of a football person. 

Oh, well. She likes to send little notes inside the envelopes. Sometimes I get a poem. For February I got hearts. She updates me on the weather, or gives me history on her town, or tells me interesting things she and her husband do like dancing to 1920's music at a speakeasy. It's a cool thing and a very different gift.

I liked the idea so much, I'm doing it for my BIL. Surprisingly, and I know readers of this blog will be shocked NOT, but I forgot to get a card out to him for his birthday. Thinking it through, I thought why not do this for him? Send a little handwritten note each month, filling him in on my life or whatever catches my fancy. 

It was hard. It's been ages since I've written a letter to someone. Remember those days? My PA friends and I wrote letters all the time - probably because our mothers made us. But, I had to dig deep to have things to talk about. I'm used to blogging or writing fiction. Updating and creating something worth reading? Not so easy. Yet, I am determined. 

I haven't a clue whether he is enjoying it. But, I am. I like taking time out of my day to jot a note, and I'm getting solid use of note cards my mother owned. 

Here's to bringing back letter writing! Watch out. I may just send you something!

February birthdays

Nikita and his mother have birthdays a week apart, so it was a solid two weeks of fun and cake. We celebrated Nikita's with BBQ at Sonny's, and we pretty much closed the place down. On a Monday, with everyone coming from work and two counties, it was hectic, but we managed. By the time we left, I was swimming in liquid because Sonny believes in BIG cups. 

The Saturday after that celebration, we had brunch to celebrate Nataly's birthday, and then we played putt-putt on the beach. Putt-Putt is not a Ukrainian thing, and feeding the alligators was almost as exciting as the game.

I made sure to talk a lot of smack beforehand, which is hilarious since putt-putt is not my thing. It's my brother's family's thing. I'm not clueless, however, having come from a golfing family. The weather was wonderful, and because we were a big group, we had to split into two. That left me in the adult group with the two who had never played before, so yeah, I was safe. 

I ended up knowing the person who worked the front, and she was thrilled to see me. Our kids danced together, and I taught hers how to swim, so she hooked us up with great discounts.

The "children" group was not well behaved. They played in front of us, and I think their goals were how to play putt-putt in any way other than correctly. Oddly, holes-in-one were scored.

Maddy: "It said to keep on the path. We did that."

Darcy won overall, but I won out of my group. The other two caught on quickly, though, so I might have to practice some at home just in case this becomes a birthday tradition.

Christmas is over

The signal that Christmas is officially over!

 

Happy 18th Sydney!

 

Madison and I stopped by Sydney's workplace (the pet supermarket) to wish her a happy birthday. We brought a balloon and a cookie cake, and I opened the door and began singing. It was later in the evening, so there weren't too many people, but one of the ladies joined in and sang along with me. I thought she was an employee. Turned out, she was a shopper and a drunk one at that.

Sydney isn't big on being the center of attention, but she also knows I ignore that for certain events. I wasn't the first person to stop in and bring her treats, either. Her aunt came by earlier, but I'm told she did not "create a scene." I took that to mean she did not sing.

Happy Birthday, Sydney. I guess this means you no longer need Nanny Cara.

Happy 2023

We rang in the New Year with our Ukraine family. Christmas and New Year are very different there, and it took some explaining and reading to finally understand it all. I'll give you the script note version:

• New Year's Eve is a massive holiday celebration. It starts at home with tons of food, a Christmas tree, and a visit from Santa. Then it spills into the street, where there are parties and fireworks.
• At midnight, everyone goes home and opens presents.
• Christmas is celebrated on January 7th in accordance with the Eastern Orthodox religious calendar.

There is more history involved, and some Ukrainians celebrate Christmas by the Julian calendar, but we did it the way Oleg's family does it. They invited us for New Year's Eve and we partied way into the next day.

The first thing we did was eat. There was SO much food! We ate appetizers and drank cocktails and champagne. Then, we had a large feast and wine. Following all of that, we jumped into playing games. Oleg had arranged all these tik tok games, and we laughed so hard playing them. 

At one point during our gaming, there came a loud banging on the front door. It scared the crap out of all of us, but it was only Santa Claus. He came inside, offering good wishes, and then he insisted we all give him a poem for goodies from his sack. Having paid attention to Oleg's many details on how he celebrated the holiday, I jumped in first, reciting a poem called Nancy Hanks by Rosemary Benet. It was a poem I had to learn for some class in elementary school, and I've never forgotten the first stanza.

I was rewarded with a handful of candies. Santa had to really work hard to get the others involved, and some of the poems were inappropriate--thankfully, there were no small children with big ears to hear them.

We turned on the television for the ball drop and got our champagne ready in the nick of time. There was a lot of celebrating--loudly. Then we took photos.

Did I mention liquor was prevalent? 

Everyone went outside for fireworks and sparklers. I stayed inside. I'm not a fire person, nor did I want to be around if the association folks came outside to cite us for too much excitement. They ended up leaving the subdivision and setting them off in the street, but those things were LOUD. Plus, they weren't the only ones shooting them off.

When everyone returned, we opened presents. In their tradition, everyone just rips into the gifts, which made for a lot of chaos. I'm used to unwrapping taking hours. They did slow it down after I whined, so we could enjoy seeing what everyone got.

We left for home after 2:00 a.m. It was a blast, but we were all pretty dead todayy. Still, I could get used to this tradition!

2023 Resolutions

My family has kept resolutions since the 1980s. Each year, we mark them down, work on them, and then discuss whether we've kept them or not. I do a check-in on how I'm doing every two months. This year, I'm changing my scoring. One point for starting it in the month, two points for really working on it and/or for completion. 

Here are the things I resolve to complete:

Personal Goals:

• Paint my home space - My ceilings haven't been painted since we first moved in. My living room and my hallway need an overhaul. My bedroom could use it too, but that isn't as important as the first two.

• Entice Tom to build my shelves to display my playing card collection - I collect playing cards. I need somewhere to display them, and Tom drew out plans for what I found on Etsy. He claims he can knock it out, don't waste your money. Once, I get the paint done, this comes next.

• Travel - Can't let those Wyndham points go to waste.

• Lower my cholesterol - I retake it in May or June.

• Exercise/Healthy eating habits - This goes with the above, but I do need to shed some weight for my own mental health, not to mention the flip side of the coin.

• Catch up on my blog - Writing has kept me from this. My readers are complaining. I need to catch up!

Good-bye 2022

Last check-in on the resolutions. This one is yay or nay. Did I or didn't I keep these resolutions?

• To finish several projects I've started and haven't completed, including staying on Tom until we have completed our will -  Nay

• To establish a daily business routine with hours and keep to it -  Yay

• Begin a healthy eating/workout regimen - Pretty much still doing okay on this one. Eh, So/So

• Create my author's website and increase my author's social media presence -. Nay/Yay

• Have a monthly dinner calendar, so I'm not struggling to know what to cook at night - YAY!!

• To finish my mess, that is book one. Finish book three. Edit both. Learn the self-publishing industry - Why did I cram so much into one resolution? Nay/Nay/Nay/Yay

• Eat weekly meals at a table and not in front of the TV - So/So

• Go on several girl trips - YAY!!

• Purchase birthday cards and prepare for sending out at the beginning of the month - I'll admit that I have given up on this one. Nay

• Get back to blogging on my personal site. - Nay

Total : 5 Yays, 6 Nays, and 3 so/sos

I'll take it. Could be worse. Could be better. Next year, I'll try to tone it down so I don't have several in one resolution.

Happy New Year, peeps!

Christmas 2022 wrap-up

Christmas Day was cold and wet. I loved it. I got to wear snuggly clothes I bought for my PA visit. we had the traditional breakfast casserole, cinnamon muffins from the can, and mimosas. It took forever to open presents. Jay worked on the roast that was as big as a newborn baby. Oleg's family arrived mid-afternoon. 

I liked the stockings best this year. Everyone went overboard filling those things, and we all received great stuff! 

Dinner was fabulous--as always with Jay in the kitchen. I was outvoted on using the china, so paper plates it was. After the feast, we played a human game of tic-tac-toe, which meant rearranging furniture in the living room, but we had tons of laughs. I got competitive and still want a rematch, but it will have to be outdoors, where we have more room. The game was suggested by Maryna. She played it with her English class for their holiday party. 

The weather finally turned warmer, so the rest of the week was spent at the family's rental on the beach. We played a lot of games. Ate a lot of food. Some swam in the pool. Jay and Ewan ventured into the cold Gulf. There was running and walking on the beach. A lot of consumed wine. 

We stuck with our traditions, including dinner at E&E. Since Nikita was off of school, he joined in many of our day and night activities. He's now immersed in the family, whether he wants it or not.

Always the pictures of the setting sun. This is the first time I've been this close to the beach since COVID. Crazy, huh?

Before the family left, Darcy provided excitement with some stomach pains that led to an ER visit. Our nearest hospital was a seven-hour wait, so I drove on auto-pilot to the one I spent many hours in with my mom. They were empty and not too happy to hear the other hospital was suggesting patients come to them.

The tests were normal. Within twenty-four hours, she was back to normal. 

When the family left at the end of the week, the house was too quiet. Colder, rainy weather moved in, matching all of our moods. The pandemic messed up many holidays. I'm thrilled we were able to get back on track. 

Until next time. Love you all!

Christmas Eve 2022

My family arrived late last night and stayed near the airport. They are not happy with this cold weather that people believe I brought back from Pennsylvania. Too bad. We love it! It finally feels like Christmas!

While my family spends the day wrapping presents and getting settled into their place on the beach, we will celebrate Christmas with my hubby's side of the family. This is the one day everyone will be here besides Christmas Day.

For most of the week, my nephew stayed with us. It was like old times having him here, although he is now married. And grown-up. Both Madison and I tried to hang around to entertain him and spend quality time. When his parents arrived, he joined them at the rental house, and Darcy moved back into what was once her room.

I love having both girls back under our roof!

Darcy's roommate and Oleg will join us again this year, as well as Oleg's family. It shall be a packed house! 

It was agreed we would have brunch for Christmas since my family was here. I alternate the holiday with my family and my husband's family and try my best to spend at least half a day with his family during my family's year. It isn't always easy, and feelings are hurt on both sides, but I don't know how to satisfy everyone. I haven't seen my family in three years because of COVID, and a lot has happened. 

The rental house was huge! It was also weirdly painted in bright, vibrant colors and decorated with paintings that looked like they came from one of those paint and wine places.

The brunch was delicious. My SILs are both great cooks. I didn't get quality time with everyone, but we just saw one another at the wedding in September. 

We did our usual Yankee exchange, and while it isn't my favorite thing, this year might've changed my mind. It was tons of fun! The gifts were great. There was a lot of stealing of not just one gift but several. It took two hours to get through all twenty-plus presents, and while I didn't end up with what I wanted, I did end up with the gift I tried to get last year. Yes, someone did put in their present from last year! I won't mention names, but I might've had some direction in ending up with it. I will say Oleg stole from me the electric salt and pepper grinder I wanted. I will not forget that.

Grandma gave the grandchildren her presents and opened gifts from us. She also tried out one of the toys given in the Yankee exchange. Needless to say, we won't be giving her anything projectile any time soon! 

My family got to my house only a short time after we got home. I got teary hugging all of them. Everyone looked great! We ate pizza and caught up. This was their first time meeting Oleg. Games were played. Stockings filled. Under the tree was packed, but as my girls pointed out, it is a small space. Uh-huh.

I thought this would be the first year without Santa for my girls. Darcy was not happy about that and texted Oleg, who then texted me and told me to stop killing Christmas. He insisted he would be Santa for Darcy, so several days before Christmas, I ran around getting more gifts for him and Maddy.

 

He and I did our traditional watching of Die Hard while everyone else went to bed. Tom, who had his COVID booster, slept after the pizza. He woke up at midnight and joined us. At about 1:15 a.m., I realized I hadn't put the breakfast casserole in the crockpot, so I had to do that. Oleg and I played Santa, then he went off to bed. 

This is the first time I didn't watch A Christmas Story since I don't know when. I should've whined about that to Darcy. 

I'm off to shower. Technically, it is Christmas since it's almost three o'clock. Merry Christmas, peeps! Hope your day is a great one!