At the end of this week, Rick’s family are coming for a visit.  They’re driving about 18 hours from Oklahoma to see us – it’s been about 4 years since we’ve seen them so it will be really nice to catch up.  His folks are bringing his five year old niece, Keegan (pictured here with her 18 month old cousin, Alyssa)…

So the fact that we haven’t got any railing on our main stairs is a bit of a problem. A safety hazard, to say the least. So with a definite deadline to meet, we’ve been spurred on to get the stairs finally finished.  After all, we’ve only been living without rails since last summer . You can track our progress here: stair sanding, new library header, the tread problem and finally, stair staining.

First up?  Before we can install any spindles and railing, we have to solve the base plate issue (read about that here). Rick has been working hard building custom landing plates. Custom because DIY stores don’t carry landing plates in the dimensions we need – 16 ft long by 10 inches wide, plus a little rounded overhang to make it all look pretty.  See exhibit A.

So we glued 1 x 10 to a 1 x 1, and routered then edge to create a bull-nosed finished (see Exhibits B, C and D). A little bit of sanding and screwing and we now have custom landing plates. Voila!

See those brown swirls on the edge of the steps?  We removed the wooden decorative spirals that were stuck there.  Nothing wrong with ‘em, just not our style.  So, those swirls will eventually be painted over for a more seamless look.

Next up? Drilling the holes for the spindles and staining the rest of the plates.  Deets coming soon – stay tuned!

A baby snake.

This little dude was about 8 inches from tip to tail.  Not sure if he was poisonous or not, but we weren’t hanging around to find out! I’m just glad that Shrimp had the sense of mind to spit the snake out, rather than consuming it.  I brought him in for a quick photo shoot, and then deposited him back outside, far, far, far away from the house!

It has breathed its last breath … and ate Arriba for the last time

After getting gradually stinkier and stinkier (it was primarily used as our basset hound’s bed during the day – do you know how much bassets smell?), it has finally been laid to rest at the dump. Now we have a blank canvas…

In case you’re wondering where the rest of the furniture has gone to (from the first photo) …. the little glass crescent table is currently being used in our DVD nook until we find a more suitable replacement; the small TV was initially moved to the other side of the living room before being replaced with this beauty (it is now living in the game room upstairs); the keyboard is currently situated in the office.

For now, we’re putting one of the leather sofas over there until we figure our the final furniture configuration.  You know, when we get floors, a rug, side tables, curtains, redo the fireplace, install crown molding and baseboards, replace the windows, did I mention floors?

We’re still a long way from finishing this space, but hey at least it is now 100% less stinky (and probably at least 80% less ugly).

My memories of you
are like the sweetest smile
in the midst of ones deepest depression.
like golden laughter
ringing out on my worst possible day.
Being near you
is as familiar and warm
as a steaming cup of cocoa
after a tiresome day of play in the blustery snow.
You are the raging fireplace of my heart.
Your arms embrace,
the ones I yearn for every moment
of everyday and every night.
All I need to see me through
whatever may block my path.
You are Love.
The light of my life.
Happy Valentines day
from the depths of my soul.

© Misty A. Roff

Whilst we’re working hard around here trying to beautify our abode, I thought I’d simply post a few pics that are currently rocking my world on the design inspiration front.  Enjoy the random menagerie of eye candy…

Sources: drum chandelier | clock – source unknown  |  map art |   black on black stencil |   board-and-batten bathroom |   floating nightstands

This little beauty has been stripped naked and the legs are currently being stained a dark ebony color.

We even managed to find some luxurious looking faux-leather fabric… at 50% off (marking it down from $14.99/yard to $7.99/yard).  Score!

I snapped a pic on my iPhone of the material in the store.  I couldn’t decide between the black or red color.  You’ll just have to wait and see which one we ended up choosing.  Stay tuned!

Fast forward to the beginning of January 2011.  I was perusing the free section on Craigslist and spied another Queen Anne chair on offer.  The photo looked *very* similar to the chair we picked up back in May.  I talked to Rick about whether we should try and get a matching pair.  Free things in decent shape tend to go very quickly on Craigslist.  So we were pleasantly surprised that within 1 hour we were headed into town to pick up the chair.  As we neared the destination, we both had a feeling of deja vu.  Had we been here before?  No, surely not.

As we headed up the drive, it became apparent that this was the exact house we picked the first chair up from.   The guy even remembered us.  He said he had a pair of these chairs that had been mauled by their pet cat (in the exact same places on both chairs – around the bottom of the seat and on the left wing). The first chair was in worse shape which is why he let that one go first.  The second chair was in better condition … until their cat had its way with that one.

Either way, it came home with us.  So now we have two of these beauties just waiting to be recovered.

How strange that out of all the thousands of people that check Craigslist and could have responded to the ad, that we were the ones to get both chairs offered 6 months apart. Do you have any funny stories about getting things from Craigslist?

It’s a great clock, except for one thing.  See that little circular dial on the right?  You have to “twiddle” it to set the time for the alarm clock.  It’s not too bad when you have to reset the alarm, say from 7:15am to 7:30am. A few circular finger motions and the deed is done. However, when you need to reset the alarm from 6.15am to 9am, it takes f..o..r..e..v..e..r.  I don’t know if all of these clocks do it, or if its just ours, but most of the time when you are trying to move the time forward, the time actually goes backward.  Making the twiddle time even longer.  That takes away important sleep time, peeps!  Not good.  So, we’re on the lookout for a replacement alarm clock with iPod docking station (this one will go live in one of the guest bedrooms).

This one could work:

It has a dual alarm so you can set two separate wake-up times with the option of waking up to your iPod, iPhone, CD, AM/FM radio, or buzzer.  It comes with a remote control that lets you access all the music on your iPod or iPhone from across the room. Where the iPod sits is on a hidden sliding dock tray, so if you don’t have the iPod hooked up, the tray stashed neatly away.

This one has all the functionality as above,but a slightly more sophisticated, sleeker design:

This one has dual iPod docks and an in-built weather alert system:

Do you have any suggestions for an iPod dock and clock?  I’d love to know which make/model works for your family.

We simply peeled and stuck them to the windows/doors around the house:

Ignore the dirty windows, ummkay?

We were also given a small sign to put at the corner of the house…

Next up? Putting blinds on the garage windows to reduce nosy-parkers (“busybodies” in American English) looking in and seeing what we might have to steal.

Personally I feel a lot better knowing we are taking precautionary and preventative measure to secure our home.  In addition to the security system (and warning signs that we have said system), we can also rely on our canine intervention unit:

What steps have you taken to secure your house?

27 June, 1928 – 17 January, 2011

My Gramps passed away last week and today I am in the UK attending his funeral.  Below is a copy of the tribute speech I am making at the funeral:

“To tell you the truth I had a hard time putting all Gramps’ good traits into writing. No matter how hard I try, I can never do justice to what a source of love and support he was, and such an inspiration for all of us. I know we are all grieving today for we all lost a great man.

He was a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather and great grandfather.  A friend to all of us. I’m sure each and every one of you here today has something to share on how he touched your life.  I would like to share with you some of the special memories I have of Gramps.

Gramps was a very easy going man.  He was happy with life, with himself and with his family. He was happy to fit in with whatever you wanted to do.  He never moaned. He was liked by everyone. His solid, consistent presence was a calming influence on those around him. Gramps never had a bad word to say about anyone. He would offer an unbiased listening ear whenever you needed it. He was a man of few words. But when he did offer his opinion or advice, you listened because it was important.

For those that didn’t really know Gramps, you might mistake him for being an average guy.  Friendly, likeable, easy going.  For those of us who knew him well, we know he was anything but ordinary.  He was extraordinary.

Gramps defined himself by loving his family. He literally was our rock. He was a stable source of love and support for my family when we were going through tumultuous times. Gramps loved my Nan more than anything.  He always put her first. In December, they celebrated their Diamond anniversary: 60 years of marriage. This is an exceptional accomplishment – not just 60 years of togetherness, but seeing the look of devotion and love in his eyes when he looked at her.  I took some photos of Nan and Gramps in the summer. They are sitting on a bench, holding each other’s hands and looking into each other’s eyes. The amount of love that was shared cannot really be explained.

Gramps was a role model. He showed me the important qualities to find in a mate.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but I now see that I married a man that has all of the positive qualities that he had. I know my brother Sam thought of Gramps as his hero. That was why he chose Gramps to be the best man at his wedding.

I have many special memories of Gramps and have much consolation in the good feelings they give me.  Gramps had such a mischievous sense of humor. He always had some kind of jokey comment or phrase or rhyme to say about most situations.  I loved his playful nature. As we all know, Gramps was quite a hairy man.  I fondly remember this one time that Sam and I used his hairy chest as a dartboard for shooting those little plastic golf balls that had Velcro strips around.  We all had great fun that day.

Another time, I remember one Christmas we were sitting around the dining table after Christmas dinner, getting ready to play cards. We had some nibbles on the table, peanuts and crisps and so on.  And when my mum wasn’t looking, I’d throw a peanut at him. He’d throw one back at me and then get in trouble when my mum told him off for throwing food.  So, I kept throwing peanuts every now and then and he didn’t throw back.  Until he picked up the whole bowl and tipped it over my face.  I was wearing glasses then and the peanuts just filled up behind the lenses.  It was an important lesson.  Don’t mess with the master.

I have many memories of Gramps sitting in his chair by the fish tanks. He’d tell me all about all the fish he kept, their proper biological names and how he looked after them. He taught me how to play cards.  Many evenings when I was younger, myself, Nan and Gramps would pull a small table over by his chair and we’d play late into the night. Many times I have caught myself saying the same things as he taught me… “if you’re in a card school my dear, you don’t touch the cards until they’ve all been dealt”.

Gramps really loved his music.  We’d listen to it together, and he’d be sitting in his chair tapping his fingers on the stool. If he was listening to the radio and something came on he didn’t like – he’d screw up his face and make some comment about how they didn’t make music like they did in the old days.  It is no coincidence that my iPod is filled with many of the same songs we used to listen to, and I have all my music organized into neat, alphabetical folders, just like Gramps had all his music ordered.

Now he is no longer sitting in his chair.  There is an empty space.  It’s a very large void, not so much because his physical presence is now gone, but more because our relationship with him was something that filled us all with the sense that we were someone special to him – as he was special to us. And that space can never be filled by another person.

I was honored when Nan asked me to say a few good words about Gramps.  I have just scratched the surface of his great qualities and the memories I shared with Gramps.  But he and I shared a very special relationship based on silly jibes and insults.  In fact, he was the only person in the family that could insult me and I didn’t get upset by it. It was always done in a loving way. We’d poke each other in the arm or stick out our tongues.  It was our way of saying we loved each other.  So instead of a few good words, I’d like to end by saying this.

I love you big head, twit face. You’ll be dearly missed”.