When One Door Closes, Another Opens Somewhere Else

It's true!

First, last night, I visited a friend I hadn't seen in some months, and she showed me this fantastic giant metal storm door  that she'd picked up for free and couldn't use...and offered it to me.  I hemmed and hawed - my front door is just slightly a funky size, enough that most other doors don't work with it.  Hers was exactly right! YAY!!!

And then I got in my truck to leave attempted to get into my truck to leave, and couldn't get the key into the lock.  I had to go in through the passenger side to unlock the driver's side door!  The hell?  I got it fixed this morning, though, so it's all good.

Soon as my friend and I can get that door across town (when we both have time, since it won't fit in my truck), I'll have a new storm door to refinish and hang.  Yay!

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It's Finished!!!

This is what a finished craft room looks like! 

YAY!

Back to its old, cluttered, workroom-looking self - but with organized shelves, an updated and brighter paint job, art, and a REAL FLOOR.

And a vacuum cleaner, for some reason.
Sorry about that.

I have to give props to Kress, who spent Friday afternoon while I was at work, re-installing all the baseboards and door trim as a surprise for me!  Wow!


And this picture was taken with A REAL CAMERA!  I haven't gotten a new one yet; I borrowed a friend's Saturday for a short trip out of town.

As always, I still have a bit of work to do.  The naked floor lamp by the window is my task lighting, which I can't sew without.  I'd like to replace it with something more attractive, and that I can position over the table where I need it.  Then there's the ceiling, which I still haven't decided about.  I also need to re-cover the taupe office chair!  The cover I made for it not 3 months ago got a big hole ripped in the front of the fabric somehow during all this business with the floor!  AUGH!

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Almost there...

Just need to get those baseboards back into place, patch a gap (oops), and then put the room back together!

:D


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Ikea Shopping List

It's going to be a few more days until I can get the craft room situated enough to bring you "after" pics, and introduce you to the next project I have lined up.  In the meantime, here's what's on my radar the next time I trek out to my "local" (an hour away) Big Blue Swedish Box:

ALSEDA woven "stool."  Floor cushion with internal scaffolding, really.  Made of woven banana fibers, and I ADORE the smell of them.  I've meant to grab a couple of these for the house/patio forever, but I never seem to get around to it.

BOLLO folding wooden table...which, for some reason, I couldn't find on my last trip, even though I looked all over the place.   Now when I look for it on the website, I can find the page for the BOLLO series, but it looks like all they have left is the chair.  Sad panda!  That would have been perfect for back patio, SCA camping... .  Sigh.

INDIRA woven cotton bedspread.  I want several of these, actually - for camping, for a light summer throw on the bed or the couch, for wrapping up in on the patio on a cool Spring night.  It comes in several colors I really like, and they're starting to go on sale as they get ready for Spring stock.

NARHET stemware.  So cute!  I'm picky about stuff like this - and I really shouldn't be, considering how much glassware I've broken in my life, I'm pretty clumsy - but there's a certain shape and feel that I'm always on the lookout for, and these are it.  Ikea, I love you.  So pretty, and simple.

KVIST duvet cover & sham set.  This is the same fabric as on my big ironing board in the sewing room, and I'm in love with it.  I've always wanted this duvet cover, but it didn't work in my bedroom - so it's going in the guest room...that I'm going to start talking about next week.  :)

First DIY of the New Year: Going With the Flo'

Hey, check it out:

This was Sunday morning, after about two hours' work, all by myself.  Once Kress got home from work and we worked on it together, we zinged out the rest of the floor in two hours total.

The flooring is done!  But I still have to clean up the baseboards (remove nails, caulk, etc.) and put them back up, so, "after" pics when I'm really done.  :)

In case anyone's wondering, this is Ikea's TUNDRA laminate flooring (this color's not on the website).  I thought it was that easy snap-together "click lock" stuff, but it's not - plain ol' tongue and groove. Whatevs.  The foam underlayment is generic stuff from the hardware store - same price as Ikea's, and Ikea was out of it the day I bought the laminate!

Also, Kress and I signed the concrete underneath the floor.  Little gift for the next owners of the house. :o)

To be continued...


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