I had time to read a book?

Dear Friends & Fellow Bloggers,

I just finished reading the most charming book. Okay, charming(?) is that the right word? How about, the most enjoyable book? No, that's not right either... Hmmmm, *checking thesaurus* entertaining? No, that's not quite right. Pleasant? Alright, how about the most pleasantly entertaining, enjoyable read I've had in a long while. Guys, this may be more of a chick book, but maybe not. I don't know, I'll have to see if I can get my husband to read it and get back to you on that. Huh? What's that? The title of the book you ask?

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by, Mary Ann Shaffer
and Annie Barrows

(I know, it a mouthful. Just ask your bookseller or librarian for the 'Guernsey book' or the 'Potato Peel Pie book'.)

The format of the book is made up of letters written back and forth between the characters. Thus the reason why I'm using that very same format to blog about the book, though MUCH LESS eloquently.

You can read a brief synopsis of the book here, by a fellow blogger. I think she liked the book too! I intend to poke around the web some more to see if I can find a review by anyone who DIDN'T like it.

So kind of hard to believe I had time to read, what with all the damn painting I've been doing. Actually it's hard to believe I can even muster up the strength to type with the claw my right hand has become from being wrapped around a paint brush and roller for the past two days. But yeah, one has to do SOMETHING to occupy ones time while waiting for paint to dry.

Speaking of the bathroom project. I've been asked about pictures... As in photos of the HIDEOUSNESS that was the FORMER paint color. Nope! didn't take any pics because believe me, it was best left forgotten and NO Mike, a few days time wasn't going to make that ice cream shop/asylum green even remotely manageable. I will however consider posting pics when the project is completed. I say CONSIDER because there's just something a bit off to me, about releasing pictures of the room I use to uh, powder my nose, for all the internet to view.

In conclusion, the master bath is now a lovely hue of green, my arm should be in a sling and if you're looking for a really good book, you now have my endorsement on 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.' So don't walk, RUN to your car and... Wait! Grab your keys first, you're not going to get very far without those. Did you remember your wallet because your library card is probably in there or at least the cash you'll need to purchase the book at the store. C'mon, do I have to help you with EVERYTHING? Here's the cover of the book so you'll know what to look for:
Now, aren't you glad you dropped into The Paper Treehouse?

Happy Reading!
Embee

The Greenening

I thought it would look nice. I mean, I REALLY thought it would work. I spent ALL day yesterday painting... ALL DAY! Give it a chance I thought, you know it always dries darker. Today when I look at the walls I want to cry. Seriously, the master bath looks like a cross of either a mental hospital or an ice-cream shop.

What will I be doing today?
*sigh*
Repainting.

Designer Dilemma

If you're the type to turn on HGTV 24 minutes and again at 53 minutes into an hour, just to check out the design of a completed room... Then you're probably like me and enjoy decorating and transforming rooms in your home.

But let me ask you this... What's the LAST area of a house to get decorated? Besides the laundry room... C'mon, I'm willing to bet it's that room you spend the majority of you time in... You know, the Master Bedroom? We've been in our house for five and half years now and I'm still going to bed and waking up to the same contractor white walls. I keep saying it's because I can't arrive at a decision on color scheme or exact style but the truth is, I'm just freakin' lazy! It's a large room with a large unpainted bathroom attached and I ask myself, WHO really sees this area besides my immediate family, which is made up of people who could care less what color the walls of MY room are?

SO, I decided I needed a jumping off point. Something that would make it necessary to begin the decorating process in this area of my home... This area which has become the last frontier (well, other than that laundry room.) My jumping off point?... The lighting in the master bath.

Picture if you will, the most heinous light fixture imagineable and that would be the one the contractor or the previous owners chose for the master bath. Not one, but two silver rectangles with 4 giant round bulbs on each one (I priced this fixture at Lowes... It's $6.50 fugly.) Below these two fixtures is a mirror the size of Montana... A mirror lacking bevel or frame or any interest whatsoever. A mirror placed directly across from the shower so as to make one shudder at the sight of their naked form, as it displays every bulge, crack & crevice and all highlighted by heinous contractor lighting.

BUT! The bulbs were starting to die... One by one, a month or two at a time, I'd flip on the bathroom switch and *ptchew* there would blow another bulb. That's when I made a promise to myself. When that last bulb on my fixture blows (my husbands fixture had 3 bulbs still lit, by last week mine had whittled down to one) it's time to take on the master bath and ultimately the bedroom too.

What a great idea huh? No light, no way to use the bathroom. It's a genius way to light a fire under my butt! On Wednesday, I flicked the light on and *ptchew* the last bulb blew. Tuesday evening I had been considering recarpeting the family room but when that light blew on Wednesday I knew what the next project HAD to be.

Thursday I went to Lowes and found the perfect fixtures and paint color for the bath. I considered having someone come in and cut the mirror down to size so my husband could make two frames for the 'halved' mirror... However, after reading some DIY info online about the removal of 'oversized' bathroom mirrors? I'm pleased with my decision to hit Marshall's and see what they had available in the framed mirror department. I scored two lovely framed mirrors at $40 a piece (SO much cheaper than the ones for sale at Lowes.) They're expresso colored and don't exactly match the cherry cabinetry but that's okay, I was planning on painting that and changing out the plain gold knobs. While at Marshall's I also found the perfect towels to help me nail down a color scheme. I was THRILLED to bring my purchases home and share the finalizing of color, style and inexpensive mirror renovation with my husband... And it all went well, UNTIL...
My 'freakishly' tall husband pointed out that the mirrors, which had to be hung at a height that would not interfere with the current placement of the light fixtures, were too short! I mean, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE??? Because as I stood there holding up the mirror (where it should fit perfectly), from MY perspective it looked like he fit in the mirror just fine! This is where the whole CONFUSING perspective part comes in.... Even though it APPEARED to ME (at a respectable 5' 8" tall) that his head fit in the mirror, he continued to argue that his eyes met directly with the bevel along the top of the mirror so it appeared he had four eyes (uh yeah, he only has two and did I mention he's 6' 5"?)

Seeing my plans for a gorgeous bathroom redo shatter around me, I began to argue the point.

Me: "Well, do you ALWAYS stand up straight when you shave or do you lean into the mirror a little?"

Him: *No answer, just that look.*

Me: "Well, you know you ARE getting older and you might be starting to shrink."

Him: *Still just the look.*

Me: "Well, WHAT am I gonna do and WHY do you have to be so freakishly tall?"

Him: "How many times is that now you've called me freakish?"

Daughter walks in the room to see what's going on and says: "Mom's right, you ARE freakishly tall Dad."

Later I discuss the dilemma with my son who says: "Well, Dad is getting older AND starting to shrink, right?"

Poor husband, he just can't catch a break.

SO, this is what we're thinking about doing... Relocating the light fixtures to a spot higher up the wall, so the mirror will in turn be able to be hung higher. Which leaves me with a concern for any resale opportunities we might have for a house with mirrors scaled so only GIANTS can view their reflections.

You know, maybe I should just take EVERYTHING back and buy a pack of ugly round bulbs to fit in those heinous contractor grade light fixtures.

For all those crafters who like to play with ribbon...

Consider this a public service announcement to any crafter out there who's searching for a way to store reams of ribbon.

I neglected to count but I have a LOT of ribbon.

After my husband finished the new studio space for me, we sat around flummoxed as to how to neatly, conveniently and ideally store the scads of ribbon roles I've collected to create my card, paper and craft projects.

For the past few weeks we've been discussing dowel ideas, curtain rod holders and pipe systems and then, and THEN the other night we found THIS:

The Domestic Diva

Who has an entire post on ribbon storage and this novel idea:

MOUNTED HOLDERS

While my mind is in the Gutter, darling Martha is thinking vertical! Use Gutters to keep ribbons and trims organized. Have a lumberyard (or your local home improvement store) cut a half-round copper or plastic gutter to size and add gutter end caps.

An inspired solution and a trip to the Depot and here's the result:

A thing of beauty, don't you agree? And yes, I've filled up the entire length of gutter and plan to add another length just below this one because yes, I have MORE ribbon and these are currently packed rather tightly... So yep, more gutter and yes, my anal-retentive ways made it necessary to store my ribbon by ROYGBIV/Multi.

'Hot-lanta' Whatta Trip!

Yes, I know, I've been such a slow poke about getting this post put together... Life has been crazy busy since I've returned home and I've been trying to get everything in order before the next wave of crazy busy hits... The month of October has a great deal of activity looming on the horizon.

SO... about my trip... Let me first say my friend 'Atlanta Rose' is the most gracious hostess... I mean, get a load of this incredibly beautiful guest room I was appointed:


But that's not all... I had not just ONE guest room but TWO at my disposal... I stored my suitcase and my stash of purchases in my SECOND guest room... How lovely is this?

I KNOW, it's like I was staying in a very high end bed and breakfast. Does the Queen of England have to pay for such hospitality? I doubt the queen stays in many places much grander than this:


And my only method of payment was giving thanks to my dear friend for all her graciousness, hardly seems fair, does it? And oh, I should also mention the Duchess made me feel at home by licking my fingers, curling up in my lap for a nap and always greeting me with this sweet little face:

So what did we do while we were together? (I'm referring to Rose and I, not Duchess)... What else? We LAUGHED, We ATE and we SHOPPED!
What did we eat?... What didn't we eat?... Crepe's from a charming french restaurant in Marietta:

For dessert a Choclate Mousse Crepe with Cherr & Raspberry Puree, Mmmmm!

Feasted on some real southern BBQ:

Pulled BBQ Chicken on a bun Mmmmm, and I loved the rustic atmosphere.

We also ate at a Delicious Cajun Restaurant one night and a wonderful Italian spot the next afternoon... Sorry, I didn't take pictures at EVERY restaurant. I did however, eat enough to insure my jeans hug my thighs a lot closer than they did before my visit.

So yes, the eating was good but the shopping... OH THE SHOPPING!

Rose introduced me to a wonderful little place known as 'The Classy Flea'... Well, I should say I begged her to introduce me, as I'd read about this little gem via Susan's blog 'Between Naps On The Porch'... Now I should explain, I've never been very interested in flea markets per se' but this place is beyond wonderful, the prices are great and the stuff... Well let me show you what I managed to shove in my suitcase:


Now, that there on the bottom, that's a King Size Matelasse coverlet with two king size pillow shams AND a bed skirt for just $49.00... That's right, forty-nine buckaroos! As for how I got the whole thing home? Let's just say my suitcase ended up being 7 lbs. too heavy for the limit so I spent the plane ride home with a king size coverlet on my lap.

The other three items I fell in love with and just couldn't leave them for someone else to take home. The finial didn't fair too well in the suitcase and came home in pieces but my friend Lori patched it up with some ceramic glue and it's none the worse for wear. Unbelievably the chicken made it through without a scratch! By the way the chicken was a steal, had a Kirkland's tag on it priced at $23.95 but I got it for $14.95 at 'The Flea'... As for the 'Welcome' sign, I plan to change out the ribbon with some lovely plaid ribbon I have on hand and then I'll walk it all around my house until I find the perfect spot. Not pictured are a purse I picked up for my friend Lori and the cutest Halloween decoration which I gave her also (she's totally into Halloween, as for me, not so much!)... I'll have to steal a pic of it and post it here later... And yes, all except the coverlet fit into my amazing expando suitcase!

But wait, here are some items I wish I could've taken home with me:

This adorable little chair was just $19.00... Had I gotten it home I would've given it an extra special paint treatment, a fluffy new cushion and some gorgeous fabric, maybe a plaid or a victorian botanical.


I might've hung this above our bed.


This silk valance would've worked perfectly in my master bedroom.


And this chandeleir would be adorable over my kitchen table.


I LOVED this tv cabinet with pocket doors... How gorgeous this would look in my family room and only $299.00
This piece was the first thing that caught my eye when we walked in the door. I couldn't find a price on it, probably because it was sold before we left the store. I mean, how gorgeous is this and it's massive in real life.


When Rose and I saw this we just had to get a picture because it summed up our visit so perfectly.


Next visit to Atlanta, I'm renting a u-haul... Better make some extra space in that second guest bedroom Rose!

This you won't want to miss...

Okay, maybe I'm just really tired (Got my beach on yesterday with a group of friends and didn't get home until 2:30 am, then the girl child had an ortho appointment with Dr. Fabulous first thing this morning)... and maybe I'm just punch drunk now, but after viewing the site Cake Wrecks, I not only have duplicate streams of mascara tracks trailing down my cheeks, I also have a runny nose and aching abs... Yes, I laughed that hard.

I'd like to dedicate this post to both Whiskeymarie, 'cause you know, she bakes and stuff... And to Jon, because I appreciate his sense of humor and I think this is right up his alley, especially THIS post.

If you've got the time, check out the entire site. If not, be sure not to miss THIS gem.

Details, Details...

When it comes to decorating a room, I'm all about the details...
Yesterday my daughter and I went to the mecca of cheap chic, 'Marshall's - Home Goods' and I'm overjoyed with the items I was able to find for the office project I'm working on. But here's the sad news in four words: One - Thousand - Dollar - Budget.

Now HGTV will tell you, thousand dollar budget? No problem! But have they ever created a PROFESSIONAL office space on $1,000? (Okay, they probably have but I missed that episode.) I do know one who is capable of such a task... My friend Atlanta Rose. Just check out what she did with her master bedroom suite with something like $35... (I know, it was more than that, but Rose just adores my sarcasm... Right Rose?) Alas, we can't all be like Atlanta Rose and lord knows I just don't have it in me to pick through every 'Goodwill' or 'Garage Sale' I come across and for this project we lack the time as it needs to be ready by July 1st.

So yeah, with a budget of a thousand dollars, a credenza for the computer, an executive desk chair and two client chairs need to be purchased. These are all VERY important items... However, what about the details? The things that make the space feel warm and inviting? Here's some pics of a few of those details:

This bowl is quite large at 16.5" in diameter














The metal piece will be a focal point on a large wall, it measures 37"h and 39"w and I love it so much I want to marry it! I plan on creating some artwork to grace either side of it.

The Atlas was a 'must have' detail because he looks like Amy's husband and like I told Amy, a guy with the weight of the world on his shoulders, in the office of a family lawyer, seems fitting... The fact that he looks like her man... Well, that's a win-win!

Lastly, candles! You never light 'em of course, but they project warmth and help cement the accent colors of the room. I've got a few extra candle sticks I can dig up or perhaps I'll place them on a charger with some colored stones.

We've already blown the budget with just the furniture pieces by $30 (less shipping), but Amy agrees the details are an important aspect... Thank heaven! ... Now if I can just round up some plants?