I was just looking through all the great images from last night when I noticed some of the pictures had very clear shots of my windows.

This is just another one of those small annoying things that I have lived with for the past 4 years. These are the original windows installed when the house was built. At the time, over 30 years ago, they were high fa-lut-in’ stuff. Double paned with the cute little mullions between the panes…only issue, in those first generation super high efficient windows, they did the fake mullions in WHITE TAPE.

Yes, white.tape.

So, when these super high efficient windows are exposed to the warm sun, year after year, after year…..the tape gets a little stiff. The heating and cooling of the white plastic tape becomes brittle and the adhesive wears off…and then it peels from the glass…and then it cracks…and then it crumbles. Since the tape is between two panes of glass for super high efficiency there isn’t anyway to get in between the two pieces of super high efficiency glass to remove the crumbled plastic tape.

It wouldn’t be so bad, or noticible if all the windows had this problem, but only some of them, like the ones that are exposed to the sun all day long. The ones on the upper floor are fine. It also wouldn’t be to bad if all of the plastic in all of the window cracked, crumbled and settled in the bottom of the window, because then you could only tell there was something wrong if you were up close.

So, the next project for this house is…moving the fence so the 15 yr old can have a place to park his car next year.

Heh. No, the windows are the next project.
Finally, after four years.

When I was about 13 my grandmother created a room for me in her house.  Before then, my sister and I shared a room.  I guess we stayed with her once and fought like cats and dogs so she separated us.  She lives in a different house than she did back then, but all the furniture is the same.

This is my bed, nightstand, chest of drawers and this…

is my vanity.

Actually it was my grandmother’s grandmother’s vanity. My great, great grandmother. A woman I never met, but always felt a connection too, because we shared a vanity.

She also had this awesome vanity set, made out of celluloid-well over 100 years old. Beautiful.
And today, I discovered it has been damaged (as well as the top of the marble section of the vanity)

This is the mirror…

And this is the cuticle pusher…

Every piece that had metal, rusted.
The pieces that sat in water or a cleaning solution, cracked and crumbled.

This vanity set lived through children, grandchildren, great grand children, great great grand children and MY kid (great, great, great, great) and one careless act (a spilled drink or a person cleaning not paying attention) ruined a family heirloom.

I cried.
Like a baby.
It was like a member of my family died.
Part of history gone.

(seriously, a year)

but, it is done.

We ripped out walls and pulled up glued down vinyl flooring.

replaced drywall, patched holes in the ceiling, had the whole she-bang rewired (we paid someone to do that)
and now, we are done.
(yes, that is a garbage can in the fireplace)

This awesome paper cutter, wrapping station thing (it was my grandparents) is probably going to end up mounted on the fireplace mantle.

Was in my popaw’s office when I was a kid and my sister and I loved to play with this thing. It still works, but I do prefer my solar “adding machine” these days.

Other posts talking about this remodel:

It Figures
And the Walls.
When September Ends

Most people have a Summer Reading list…
I guess I did too, but it dwindled down to almost nothing and I had a “book poor” panic attack.

There is something comforting for me to have a HUGE stack of stuff to read on my night stand.

And right now, I have TWO!

The first is my “every night” stack-that I work on a bit every night…

The second one is my alarm clock holder upper!

I usually have my “to read” pile in the order of purchase…this is close to being right except Lose It for Life
was bought on vacation-I wanted to go ahead and read it because I HAVE GOT TO get back on the healthy track!

What is on your night stand these days?

it pours, and trees go crack!

Today in the Greater Louisville area, some of us got upto 7 inches of rain.  All I know was there was just enough to flood my craft room (again) and break this lovely maple right in half.

I am adding the tree service to speed dial, this will be the third time in 15 months. I wonder if they offer bulk discounts?

Funny (ironic, certainly not haha) the last time he was here working on this very tree, he said, “have you ever considered chaining this tree?”

Probably not, since I have NO clue what you mean…Basically, he said we needed to put HUGE eye hooks on both limbs and chain them together…to prevent what just happened from happening but he said we had time. I guess he didn’t plan on this much rain in one day either

So, boys and girls, if you ever have an arborist or a tree guy say that, not doing it RIGHT THEN AND THERE could result in split tree 2 months later.

I still can’t get over, none of the furniture was crushed and it totally missed the fence. Although, if I were completely honest here, I would not have wept if it hit my house, specifically the craft room that is currently draining 2 inches of water.

I should have a complete family room.

Sure now it doesn’t look so hot…but it will!

my  personal blog is taking a back seat to summer and work committments.

I am hopeful that the start of high school soccer practice will give me some time to catch up with my own life (while the 14 yr old is sweating his 2% body fat off in the heat).

Good news, I should have some pictures of the family room progress soon.

Yes, this is the longest room remodel in the history of the world.

Isn’t he the cutest little thing!

and Iced Tea go hand in hand.

I suppose most of my southern friends think that I am a heathen and blasphemer for prefering UN-sweet tea.  I am my happiest when I cross the Ohio or Mississippi Rivers into normal tea land (where sweet isn’t the default).  Very few things make me more angry than getting sweet tea from a drive thru.

For the past several years I my most favorite tea came from the local Sonic, Route 44, extra ice, unsweet, no lemon please.  Brown water with a straw!  Before 10 am it only set me back $1.16.  or during happy hour they were half price, from 2-4…any other time of day $2.20 or some crazy number.

And yes, I paid it, often.

Part of the Sonic attraction is the ice- I MUST HAVE the ice!  If you don’t know the ice you are totally missing out on a world of chilly goodness.  I have always called it “rabbit turd” and I am not the only one becaus a google search will bring up hundreds of results.  The more cultured refer to it as shaved or crushed ice, but that really isn’t the best descriptor because they are little pellets.  Whatever term you prefer, it is hands down the best way to super chill a beverage when you are on the run.

For several years, I could tell you the exact location of several establishements that carry this type of ice.  If pressed, I could also tell you the exact date that some of them stopped (oh yes Speedway, in LaGrange, I am referring to you).  I understand it is a sickness and one that for years I was willing to ignore.

That is, until customer service, or lack there of, got in the way.  About 6 months ago my local sonic went through a change-and not for the better.  The drive thru window was taking an average (yes average people) of 5 minutes-when I WAS the only person in line.  I switched to McDonald’s-it just wasn’t the same .  Every few weeks I would give the Sonic another try and they would always get something wrong, a Route 44 came out as a 32 oz-and/or it was sweet.  Some days no one ever came to the window at all.

Honestly, in these tough economic times, if there is someone wanting to give you business, take it people, take it!

I moved on.
I turned to plan b.
Introducing the Tervis 24 oz. Big T Clear Tumbler

This puppy has solved all my problems.

• It is thoroughly insulated so drinks stay super cool or super warm.
• You can buy two types of lids, one that takes straws (like above) or one that works for coffee-and travel with a snappy shut lid.
• AND it is dishwasher safe!
• oh and there is something about a life time guarantee..which can’t be beat!

The amount of tea I was drinking and buying at fastfood restaurants paid for this glass in 3 days.  I will be buying a few more for the rest of the family.

This experiment is a success!

This morning my son took his old soccer shoes to two different kids at school who needed shoes to be on the middle school team.
One pair, he still really loves and it obviously pained him to fork them over, but he is true to his word and he promised them both a pair.

I love that kid.

Flip flops!
It was warm enough to bare the tootsies!
so I did.

I hope you are being blessed with warmer temp’s today too!