My dear readers, as you know I have been doing a bit of painting as I “make over” our home. (And before I forget…check out the recipe for low calorie chocolate chip muffins at the end of this post….sorry, but I am eating one of them as I type this post and it is delish!)
But back to talking paint. I have to admit that I love the difference that a gallon of paint can make….everything seems fresh (and smells fresh)….ok, it is a paint smell but it is like starting with a clean slate.
But I have to warn you it can be addicting….You see each time I paint a room….it makes me want to get in that room and move stuff around and add things and remove things.
AND…here is the best or worst part. It makes me want to clean out closets and drawers! I have tossed out things that I have had (and moved) from house to house and it gives me such a feeling of …of…cleanliness? No, don’t think that is the right word but it is certainly getting me organized.
Yes, if you are getting ready to ask the question have I made any painting or decorating “mistakes”. I certainly have but you know what? that is the circle of life. We go through phases in our lives…. but I am constantly evolving. And no, I would not call myself anything close to a minimalist….but I have eliminated a lot of …well, let me call it what it is…clutter! And if your room is full of “clutter”, perhaps it is time to have a huge garage sale?
I don’t know where the “permanent” decorating of a home began for some of us…but apparently, we “decorate” when we first move in to a home and then it is set in stone that the rooms should remain that way for the next 10 (or twenty) years! ALONG with the accumulation of “stuff” that makes our rooms not only cluttered but stagnant!
Yikes!!!!
I am the first to admit that there was a time when I had gold appliances….AND I matched the appliances with a wall paper back splash that is still available today!
But I moved on.
I challenge you my dear readers…take a look around your home…is your room looking the same as it did many years ago?
I am not saying to go out and buy all new furniture…especially if you made great furniture choices of good furniture several years ago. But if they have fabric…say on a sofa or chair…and that fabric is a bit faded, frayed or showing lots of wear, think about having it recovered with a different fabric. OR is your dining room furniture beginning to show a few nicks and dings and looking a bit dated. Have you thought about refinishing the pieces or (yes, I am going to say it…) painting them?
And while you are at it…are you covering up beautiful hardwood flooring with outdated shag carpeting?
I have to raise my hand on that one. Years ago, I covered up all my hardwood floors with carpeting. What was I thinking? And it was avocado green carpeting! I mean seriously, what WAS I thinking? Well, in my defense…I lived in the cold Midwest and carpet felt so much nicer on my bare feet than cold hardwoods. I know, I could have worn socks OR shoes. 🙂
The stairway above? I had an acquaintance who had a stairway that looked just like this one only the shag carpet was bright orange and the wall paper was orange too.
But I’m sure you understand what I am trying to say. No matter what your style of decorating, there comes a time when you should perhaps take a step back and really look at your room(s). Have they looked the same as they did in the 1970’s? the 80’s? the 90’s? Is the decorating in your room your style or did it just evolve when you added pieces over the last couple decades?
And did you know that a decade is only 10 years? My how time flies, huh?
Perhaps it is time to remove the outdated wall paper and find a fresh new pattern or paint your room.
Look at your kitchen flooring…is that what you like and prefer? And did you know that white appliances are really on trend now?
Now, some may say…I like the retro look and there is certainly nothing wrong with having a decorated room from the 80’s style. My suggestion is to see what you can update in that room. Something to make it fresh again and still keep the look you prefer. Lighten it up, brighten it up, paint it up, reupholster it up, and I think you will be pleased with just a few minor changes. OR, go for a completely new style!
I repeat…look at your room….when was the last time you changed it up a bit? Shop your own home and kick it up a notch….Remove pictures and add pictures from other rooms. Change out the rug or paint your fireplace mantle or add a fireplace mantle if there is not one there. Repaint your fireplace surround (with heat proof paint of course) or re-arrange the clutter in your dining room hutch…..endless possibilities!
You will be amazed at how much you will love your rooms with just a little touch up. Change out that rusty kitchen faucet, or re-stain or paint your cabinets.
Now, if you will excuse me…my break is over…I have been enjoying the delicious Chocolate Chip muffins (see recipe below) and sipping on my morning coffee, while typing this post…and now I need to finish my painting job….
Oh, and here is a tip in case you don’t know. I put my paint brush in a zip lock plastic baggie and covered my paint pan with aluminum foil…..no sense it rinsing out brushes when I am going to get right back to them.
Have a great day and beginning to your week.
Recipe Card
- 3 large bananas, mashed
- 1⁄2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup flour
- 1⁄2 cup rolled oats (can use instant)
- 1⁄3 cup applesauce
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 cup chocolate chips
- Add sugar to mashed bananas and mix.
- Add beaten egg and mix.
- In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients.
- Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture and mix well.
- Mix in applesauce.
- Add chocolate chips and Stir.
- Spoon into medium size muffin tin (I use paper muffin cups so they won’t stick) and fill 3/4’s full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.
- Serving Size: 1 (75 g)
- Servings Per Recipe: 12
- AMOUNT PER SERVING
- Calories 158.3
- Calories from Fat 26
- Total Fat 2.9 g
- Saturated Fat 1.5 g
- Cholesterol 15.5 mg
- Sodium 241.5 mg
- Total Carbohydrate 32.3 g
- Dietary Fiber 2 g
- Sugars 16.4 g
- Protein 2.7 g
- SmartPoints value : 7
Hi honey, well we are past the due date and anticipation is making me fit to burst… let alone how daughter no.1 feels!
Yes I do roll for the suitcase when its a smaller case. I’d really like to be traveling in those days of the old steamer trunks… just hang the clothes in and have the valet sort on board.. hehehe
Did you check to see if Becky’s book was sponsored by Castile Soap? I hadn’t heard of it so Google to the rescue “Castile soap is a vegetable soap traditionally made from 100% pure olive oil, water, and lye.”
Then intrigued, again over to Google “lye”…. “a strongly alkaline solution, especially of potassium hydroxide, used for washing or cleansing.”
Hopefully its not as frightening as it sounds.. It made me read the back of my “Good and Balanced” Korean chicken and flat bread salad lunch box… mnnnnnnnn not sure I’d have bought it if I had seen the full ingredients.. but the calories were OK and it tasted fine if not a little too much onion for a work lunch though..
I haven’t seen any evidence of essential oils at the moment but daughter no.1 did occasionally use the lavender drops in a diffuser when she was here.
I still need to de-clutter… but I think I’m a lost cause at the moment as I actually bought some new/old style biscuit type tins with old advertising on the front.. you’ve probably seen them… and old Kilner jars.. I’ve found I was tucking everything away (by size and height to fit into the cupboards) and then snacking on the wrong foods as they were easy access.. so now healthy things are within reach but hidden.. So I’ll probably flunk the “de-clutter exam”.
Hugs from across the pond xx
I am convinced that I am getting lots and lots of exercise as I climb up and down the ladder to paint walls, or get on the floor to paint the baseboards. Of course, once I get down on the floor…I have to make a plan on how to get up with the help of a chair etc. hahaha! However, when I do eat, I convince myself I have to eat lots of food to keep up my energy! hahaha!
Oh, for the days of steamer trunks and ships, dressing for dinner and moonlight romance! That is my kind of traveling! sigh! 😉
There is always a gimmick isn’t there? No wonder Castile soap is in almost every solution. Good catch, not so sure about the lye! Yikes!
Hope the little one is about ready to join the world, the wait can be anxious for Mom and grandma! Let me know please.
Hugs always xxxxx
I’m exhausted just reading your blog… you have so much energy… must be the muffin fuel eh!
My daughter no. 1 asked (after I had updated her on your wonderful kitchen make over and the coffee station) if you had read the trending books on de-cluttering that are all the vogue now and I wasn’t sure if I had skipped that part in a previous blog. Apparently the “coffee station” features quite highly. Marie Kondo’s books are doing the rounds amongst her friends. Daughter has even taken to rolling the tee-shirts in little Ewan’s drawers.
Hugs from across the pond… daughter no. 1’s baby is due today so I’ve enough nervous energy to eat all the muffins.
love to you and your Captain xx
I know you must be excited awaiting the birth of a new little grandbaby. I am so excited for you.
No, haven’t read that book, but I am sure we can all learn a thing or two about de-cluttering.
When traveling, I always roll my clothes for the suitcase…I think you do too, don’t you?
however, I did find a book …The organically clean home by Becky Rapinchuk that I am delving into. I love products without so many chemicals and this book appears to have a lot of castile soap in many solutions for cleaning granite, marble, stove tops and fridges. So I bought a bottle and we shall see what we shall see.
I am kinda liking essential oils too. Please ask daughter no. 1 if she or her friends are into that, and if so…what are her thoughts.
Hugs always to you my friend xxx