Decorating school for husbands

 

“OK, why do we need these again?”  He asked for the third time.  I explain that finials are there as a decorative element on the curtain rods, and they also [jokingly] help stop the curtains from falling off the end. But who knows, I am certainly no expert, maybe they do.

“What are they called again?” 

“Finials”

“Fin-e what's?”

“Finials.

Why?

“Um..., I don’t know.  They just are, and so are the ones on the top of the lamp.”

“ Let’s move on to the paint for the cupboards, now do you prefer Cookie Dough, or Cloud white?” I ask. 

“What do you mean, they both look the same to me, you choose.”

“Do you want to use the satin, or should we use the semi-gloss?”

He remarks something that sounds very much like, “this isn’t a wrench, and I am not interested in it.”

He’s a guy, a man, and male, you know, they really don’t love talking about paint colors, or decorating.  But then to be fair, I don’t really love talking about oil changes, and battery levels, engine power, or rev’s per minute.

But I do try to make sure to find a solution that works for both of us.

It’s a far cry from when I grew up, my Dad worked, and my Mom worked the home.

So when the decorating spirit hit her, Dad would come home to a sunshine yellow kitchen, and I mean SUNSHINE YELLOW!

Good morning star shine.

It’s a good thing that their royal blue bedroom was across the house, it might have clashed wonderfully.

Although our bathroom was adorned with hot pink flowered wallpaper, like every other friend’s house.  Remember the avocado green bathroom fixtures?  Or the lavender?

I was so jealous of my sister’s lavender striped wallpapered room, with the pale purple walls, because mine was RED!  Everywhere red, how on earth did she find a red polyester bedspread?

Oh what about the Burnt Orange craze of the seventies.  My eyes are still smarting from that glare.

The wall to wall carpet that covered the floor, and halfway up the walls of our “Rec Room,”  the one with the dark brown squares that deftly hid the giant wolf spiders.

Ah the good old days, and now thanks to all the decorating shows, we are fountains of good taste. 

At least until the next generation declares our favourite colors to be old fashioned.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Winter lays down it’s cloak of white

 

 

 

O, wind,
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
~Percy Shelley

 

How sad to be a unwanted guest, one accused of reaching it’s icy tendrils into the cracks of all surfaces, and leaving a trail of white where ever it’s cloak is dragged.

Winter we do not love you, or at least very few of us do. Those that claim you as friend, not foe are subjected to a deriding roll of the eyes when they turn their backs on us.  We seriously doubt that they know their own minds when they claim to enjoy this frigid season.

Is it not in the very core of our soul to long for spring? To hope for that renewal, to depend upon the longer days, the lightening of the morning skies?

If you are a gardener, you count the minutes of light that are added onto each day’s end.  You reach for the curtains in the morning to see if there are slivers of illumination before you eat your breakfast. You peruse the bare branches, interrogating them, do you have any green yet?

You watch the ground for those first small weeds that signal a change, welcoming them only during this time of the year.  Later you will destroy them with a vengeance, now you sing to them.

Your ear is tuned to birdsong, hoping that the chirping birds are searching for each other, the cawing of the crows in the early morning signifying the time to build a nest.

For winter is a unwelcome guest, one that we cannot seem to evict at this time of year, the not too subtle hints we are leaving going over it’s head.  Stubborn, nasty, unwelcome.

And it cannot change our mind.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Pulled in all directions

 

 

 

I am kind of feeling like this Clematis flower today.  Pulled in all directions, notice it’s vining stems.  Day’s like this are actually good, because when things go quiet, you have that extra moment for reflection, to think, to ponder, and you really appreciate it.

Just a lot of “life” things going on, in a bitter cold day. We are expecting to have –10 C, by the end of the week, that’s if it doesn’t snow.

I managed to “forget” a dental appointment, this is after telling them that I would never forget [oh no I live in dread of them], why would I forget?

Well, I didn’t, forget so to speak, I just got the day wrong.

And the internet disappeared from our place last night, got that all fixed up early this morning, and now I can blog again, that’s a good thing.

My mind is on all of the crocus, and bulbs that are spearing up from the cold ground.  This is a unforeseen cold, unexpected, unwanted. 

Winter leave, we have had enough.

“Please”

Pretty Please?

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

 

Spring sends a postcard

 

 

 

Spring sent a post card.

My guess is that we were a little too hopeful about the possibility of spring coming to visit, our eagerly awaited guest.

All the signs were starting to show that maybe she would drop in. There are snowdrops in full bloom, the buds on the blueberries, and hydrangea in my garden are greening up.  The birds are chirping, and flying all around, the sun shone.

The early snow crocus are up in sunnier warm spots.  In some warmer sheltered locations there are buds on the daffs. 

This started a spring clean up, a tiding up for a special guest, but at the last minute she cancelled.  The forecast is for a cold week, with the chance of snow, yes that white stuff we rarely see this late in winter.

At least she sent a postcard, and she is still welcome to drop by anytime.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

 

And for more MBD, see my blue blog,  Blu oom.

http://bluoom.blogspot.com

Snowdrops and other random thoughts

 

Certainly he is no snowdrop?  I’m laughing at the thought.  But he is my Boo, and we adore him.  And since he likes to hang out in the little patch of garden in front of our place, where the snowdrops live, they seem synonymous in my mind.

The snowdrops are up, much more advanced then the photos that I am sharing today, and finally maybe, I will be able to capture the whites without washing them out.  It’s a challenging shot, they are deep into the garden, and dark, and if you light them, they wash out.  And I don’t want to step in the soil, so I cantilever myself and my camera out over the dirt.  Quite the sight, I assure you.  Almost as good as the times I have chased the Raccoon in my nightgown, but that’s a old story.

Of course then you have your assistants, both the Boo, and whichever “next door kitty” who is around must check out what is going on.  The swish of a tail caught in the corner of the shot, a curious paw whisking away dirt. Recognisance missions in fur coats.

All for the shot.

Speaking of cameras, does anyone else ever have these dreams that you are somewhere beautiful, and you forgot your camera? I have been having them regularly, and they wake me with a sweat.  It must be all the rain we have had, the flu, and the inability to get out there and shoot.  Such a feeling of regret, I wake up sad.

Tell me that you have them also, please!!!!

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

                                                             

Stormy Weather

 

Don’t know why there’s no sun up in the sky...stormy weather.

Have I turned my back on blogging?  No.

It’s just that I have the flu bug, and I have been a little under the weather lately.

I have a frog in my throat, aches in my bones, and even my hair hurts, [I  really hate that!]

I kind of feel like this jellyfish.

But.

I am looking forward to being my bright and perky self soon.

 

 

 

And it can’t be soon enough.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

MBD art tiles

 

I have been working on a new addition to my Muddy Boot Dreams card line for a while now, and I am very excited to show them to you.  It’s always fun to go through the creative process, refining, and polishing that dream, until it is a actual product.

Today I am introducing my new MBD Art Tiles, with my original images on them.  They are easily hung in singles, or groups, to accent a shelf, or a wall. The tiles measure 4 x 4 inches, and come with a metal hanger on the back.

Many of the tiles correspond with the card images, and make a great gift for birthdays, and special occasions.  Image giving  a matching card and art tile.

If you have a custom image that you would like crafted into a art tile please feel free to email me a request.  muddybootdreams[at]gmail.com for pricing and more info.

And I wanted to let you know that Blu oom has resurfaced from it’s winter dormancy.  So if you would like to see my Blu blog, here’s the link.

http://bluoom.blogspot.com/2011/02/springing-into-blu-ooms.html

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

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Ik houd van u [I love you].

 

No, Valentines Day hasn’t gotten to me, and forced me to speak Dutch.

It’s just that I was searching for some of those candy hearts to use as props in my photos, and I didn’t really love the English word ones.  The words were kind of harsh, and the colors were “off.”  So I went to our local sweetshop, [can you believe it, yes I have a local sweetshop], and found these.

“Yes, the salesperson said, we carry them, but they only come in Dutch”

That’s not a problem for me!  With both Gar and I coming from the Dutch background, it seems fitting that I would find a Dutch candy.

Besides, I totally remember learning to say Ik houd van u, or “I love you,” in Dutch.

So dear bloggers, Happy Valentines Day, and now you can turn to your sweetie, and say,

Ik houd van u.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

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You know you are reno-ing when….

 

You know that you are in the middle of a reno when:

• You reach for a wooden spoon to stir the soup, and don’t even notice it’s a crowbar.
• You get out of bed with a hop skip and a jump. That’s hop, over the laundry basket full of tools, skip, around the pile of flooring, jump, through the drywall leaned up against the door.
• The cat comes in with white paws, his were black, but now they are coated in dust from the wet saw, in fact everything outside is white, and it’s not snow.
• You no longer jump, or even notice when a loud bang is followed by “oh ******”.
• You are getting rather used to writing the words “One thousand, and ...” on a cheque, you’re getting great practice.

• Your heart no longer drops at the workman's call of “ah you had better come see this.” you know from experience it isn’t something good, nor is it a million dollars hidden in the walls. 
•  You find that tools make great clothes hangers, after all they aren’t being used, due to the latest “you had better come see this.”
• Your plumber is spending the month in Hawaii,  all expenses paid.....by you.
• You wash every dish, and piece of cutlery before using it, sawdust is everywhere, including in your underwear.
• The greeter at your local big box hardware store calls you by your first name, and thanks you for the raise he received.
• You know the names of the tools, and what they are used for.  In fact, you can now reinstall a dishwasher in 30 seconds flat, but it still remains broken.

• You ask for tools for Valentines day, and you know which ones you want.
• You thought it would all be over in a week, now you know better.
• You just smile and nod politely when friends tell you it will all be worth it in the end. 
• End?    There will be no end.

 

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

*♥ * ♥ *

 

Winter’s back broken, and spring in my step

 

 

 

Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen.

Willa Cather

As I was going through some old images from last year, I noticed this series of shots.  Taken in March, that was one of the harshest springs we had encountered for many a decade.  I have faith that this one coming will be a little less harsh for us.  But just thinking that makes me realize that maybe it’s my last easy spring.  In Armstrong the springs are short, cold, snowy, and then the next day it’s summer. 

At least this is what my sister tells me. I am choosing not to believe her.

This spring will be bittersweet for us.

We want to move to that country town, where winter will lay long, getting old and sullen, it’s been our dream for such a long time. It’s hard to realize as we look out into the garden now and see snowdrops, that where we want to live will have snow for a long time still.

As a gardener I long for those extended seasons, and here I am giving it up.

Makes you wonder doesn’t it?

But finally being near my family will be worth it.

 

 Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

♥  ~  ♥

One thing….leads to another, and oh my.

 

 

 

First the good stuff.

I am half way to a shiny new kitchen, and bathroom.  Well shiny new for us, after all this place is over 35 years old, and there is only so much polish that you can add to a sow’s ear to make it into a silk purse.

We have taken to calling the kitchen the “football field” referring to the absolute brightness of the gorgeous new track lighting, that feels remarkably like a night game football field.  I am not complaining about this, it’s nice to be able to see what you are cooking for once. It’s also pretty wonderful to see the other new kitchen counter tops, tiling, and the shiny new bathroom cupboard.

Just think, we are the very first people to put our stuff in there.  Wow.

There is a distinct smell of fresh ground coffee in each room, why you might ask, does she want her condo to smell like a Starbucks?

Well, lets just say that it absorbs the smell of burning wood, and smoke from the router. As soon as I clear the sawdust that has settled onto every surface, and can find the containers of coffee grounds I will remove them.

Now the not so good stuff. 

Yesterday...well let’s just say that there have been better days.

One thing leads to another.

Somehow the drain pipe for the sink is cracked, and when we use the sink, there is water everywhere, I found this out just after I finished painting inside that cupboard.

We need a plumber, they are expensive.  Not good.  And the plug in on the wall where the tiling is doesn’t work now, so we need a electrician.  And tonight the dishwasher decided to pout, and now the floor is all wet because it leaks also.

So the plumber will be very busy, and very expensive, I know that I picked the wrong career.

One thing leads to another, and the next thing you know is that you blow your reno budget.  No more beautiful glass mosaic tiles in shades of chocolate, biscuit, and cream, for a backsplash in the bathroom. No it’s going to be pretty basic.

But the plumber will be happy on the beach in Hawaii, along with the electrician.

Now let’s talk about the huge mistake I made in choosing this particular tile before asking about how to apply the grout so it won’t fill up all the pretty little holes in the tumbled marble?

Have you ever heard of someone having to use a giant icing bag to fill in every little line between the “oh these are so beautiful, let’s use them, and not a boring smooth ceramic tile?” They call it a grout bag, I call it having to ice my tumbled marble tiles.

Why don’t they come with a warning?  “Caution, grouting in a regular way will fill all the pretty little holes and lead to extremely boring blank squares.”

Well, guess what I will be doing for the next week?

One thing leads to another.

Icing tumbled marble mosaic tiles, all 5 billion of them. And making sure not to fill in all the pretty little holes.  Because I choose the ones that are extremely assorted sizes no continuous straight lines.

One thing leads to another...

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

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Springing into change

Or, new stuff I have learned

 

 

Notice a few different things around here?

Um..the color for one?  Like it, hate it?  Is it good or bad on your computer?  I certainly found out that things were not what they seemed to be when I checked my blog on a library computer.  The text was different, the colors were more muted, and the layout was...not what I had published.

So when  Brenda from Cosy Little House, posted her Blogger tips Monday tutorial it spurned me into action.  Brenda, you are a great catalyst, after all your request for a enlargement encouraged me to start my Zazzle site.  And now with your help, I have a shiny new header. And new blog colors that better portray the coming spring.

Brenda’s Monday blogging tips are full of great information, and I have learned more then a few things from her posts. 

I so dislike word verification, and it’s no secret.  After all the work of leaving a comment, nothing turns me off faster then having to jump through more hoops.  Time is limited, and having to type in word verification, and then to top it off have to wait to have the comment moderated..sigh.  Well you must understand how frustrating it is to readers.

I never had it on my blog, and hopefully never will.

But I did moderate comments through email, and have learned that I can still have them emailed to me, but I don’t need to moderate them.  It’s faster, easier, and you as a reader get to see what you wrote immediately.  See Brenda’s blogging tips for details.

I had no idea it worked that way.

Other things I have learned,  #1  the most important of all, Download your blog template, or you will be the one at midnight trying to recover your blog, and wondering where in the blogosphere it went.  And believe me, you don’t want to be doing that at midnight, or any other time.

How do you like the sunflower image above?  Thanks to Kim Klassen’s Skinny MIni tutorial, I finally learned how to do stuff in Photoshop.  It’s been my guilty secret, [not so secret anymore].  I just couldn’t figure out, or seem to remember if I stumbled on it the tricks.  Now here’s another secret I will share, Kim has amazing free textures, and tutorials.  Go and visit her, there is a treasure box of information on her site.

And if you are into textures, drop by Gerry at Shadow House Creations.  He offers amazing collections of textures, and tutorials.

The sunflower image is available in my Zazzle store, and look for many more items to be added in the near future.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams 

 

I ♥ spring.

 

I ♥ Spring,  and I ♥ February.

I ♥ flowers!!!

Well if you had a 3 day “almost” sunny spell after days, [weeks] of rain, and that chunky rain, they call snow.  You might wake up on Feb 1st and say I ♥ Spring too.

 

And if you were in the middle of “upgrading” your home [read tools, and supplies everywhere, stubbed toes and mess!], and things finally feel like they are coming together, and the sun was shining, and the projects that you were working on were actually turning out finally,and the sun was shining, and it seemed like maybe, just maybe spring might actually be coming,and you are just bursting with creativity, and even the cat is cooperating, and sleeping through the night, and life is good!...

Whew!  Well then maybe you would ♥ spring also.

And I hope that you do.

Happy Feb 1st.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams