~~ They're leaving the nest, sew it's time for a trip - or two - or three...~~ D~'s bag ~9/22 ~~

[amytech]

Love the coffee station and your idea for the graphic! Super cute! Hope you can find that perfect cabinet used for just the right price

 

[DMGeurts]

The coffee station is an awesome idea! Nothing wrong with a small side project.

I need a wine station......

Hahahaha.... Too funny! I've seen those too...

Boy have you been busy! So glad that the house re-modeling is coming along nicely. Just love the curtains you purchase and the bargain you got. Just LOVE getting a bargain; especially when its a big project. Don't worry about the curtains being too fancy for you. Once it's all pulled together it will look FABULOUS!! You have such an eye for putting things together. It will be perfect!

So happy and excited for V. Plus the fact that she can go for free one class every quarter. That's will be a huge savings and to be able to have a few classes under her belt before she even starts her college years is awesome.

It will be awesome if Allison can do live updates on her trip this summer. I am really excited that she will have this opportunity. Wish I had that chance when I was her age.

This morning we woke up to no electric and it was pouring. Hooked up the generator, hit the switch for it to power up the house and it died. After several attempts it stayed on. Dad will be working on it to see what the issue is. We haven't used it in a while. I am just hoping it was just from dirt in the lines. I laughed about your "blizzard" and flip flops. We still are not having any spring weather here. It's been at least 20 degrees colder and chance of snow, but the forecast seems to be changing by the end of the week . It looks like spring is finally going to appear. Fingers crossed!

As for your coffee corner. I know you aren't going to go out and look for one, but as spring arrives around here people are getting rid of many pieces of furniture or possibly find something at goodwill. I see the things that people find and re-finish them. I bought my daughters vintage bedroom set at a huge yard sale for $75. Two twin beds, two night stands and a dresser with mirror. Brought it home gave it a good cleaning and re-finishing. Plus the fact it was real wood and my parents had a matching additional dresser for her was an added bonus. Never know what you will find. I know you are just itching to get some paint in your paint

Have a wonderful day!

Yes - I am so excited to see things happening... It's nice. I sure hope it looks as good as it looks in my head... Sometimes I wonder if my eyes and brain talk at all before I try something. LOL

I am so excited for her too - I am not sure if she will be able to take a class every quarter? There may be one or two that she won't be able to do - but hopefully, it would be nice if she could. Any savings helps.

Yes - Allison is working on it - she is starting to set it up now, and hopes to have it go live the week before her graduation. I am also very excited that she is doing this.

I sure hope you were able to get your generator working - or that power came back on... I hate when the power goes out, I never realize how dependent we are for everything.

I've been trying to watch everywhere I can think of, and I am not having much luck. We have a very nice entry table there now - and I would use that, but it's a very nice one, and I would hate to have it wrecked with the coffee pots there, ya know? I will keep looking... Part of the problem is that the wall is small... If it was 6" wider, I'd have soooo many more options. I am loving the idea of repurposing more and more though - I am very excited to be able to paint something that is totally unique and coordinates well with what I am doing. It will be a lot of fun! I hope... LOL

Thanks - I hope you have a great day too!

This sounds like a good plan.

A Coffee Station sounds like a good idea.


I had a nice birthday yesterday. The dinner Ulf and I made was delicious and the home made blueberry pie with home made ice cream was delicious as well.
I planned to go out and take my electric wheel for my wheelchair out for a test drive today. But it started to snow, so I ended up not testing it. The plan now is to take it for a test drive tomorrow.

Yay!!! I am so happy you had a nice birthday! Mmmm.... It looked very delicious on FB!

I am glad you were finally able to get it out - that' s awesome!

I hope you can find the piece that you need for the coffee cabinet. I was thinking that a nightstand might be 29" wide, or even a small desk.

Thanks Sue... I've been looking at night stands, I am just not sure if one of those would be tall enough? I will find something - it's just a matter of looking in the right place, I guess. I've been looking at dressers and buffets - but most of those are 36" wide at the smallest... I'll keep looking, but every time I look at my counter tops now - I think to myself... "boy, it sure would be nice to have those things gone..." LOL.

I love the idea for the coffee station. There is so much you could do to decorate something like that!



I love this as well! Too cute - and very true

Thanks - I know, I am having so much fun thinking of ideas... I think I've blown up Pinterest these last few days. LOL I need to stop.

Hahaha... Thanks... I am not sure I am going to do it exactly like that - I think I may have something custom made? We'll see...

Even though I am not a coffee drinker (I know, the horror!) those coffee stations are great! I should have put a catch all type station in our kitchen, although the perfect place now houses an empty dog crate for the dog that would have been. Hmmm, now you've got me thinking. I wonder how I can fit something like that in my house. Good luck with getting everything done. The house truly has to become a disaster for one room which is such a pain but in the end, it will be worth it. Just wish you had that fast forward button though

I think so too... We have a catch all in our kitchen, and it happens to be the counter next to the door - it drives me NUTS! Try as I may - everything just goes there, no matter who it is that walks in the door. I wish there was some sort of solution to that - but there really isn't. I've been searching Pinterest for that too, and while there are great ideas out there - I am not sure how well they work? I may try to get a new mail basket or something? And we get so much JUNK mail - seriously - I've been trying very hard to be diligent about throwing it away as soon as it comes in the door - and that helps, but gosh, there is just so much of it all the time. I really want to "unsubscribe" from all mail - I wish it was an option.

Yes - it's a true disaster, I am not sure what I am going to do? LOL - it drives me nuts! And it's only going to get worse over the next few days - as we move everything that's left in the living room into other rooms of the house - my kitchen will become even more non-functional than it already is... LOL I just have to remember that it's only for a short time. I hope.

Finally getting caught up on the Dis, I LOVE your living room it looks amazing! Funny we are doing the same thing in our kitchen a coffee spot!
A will have an amazing time in Europe. and congrats on your extra day!!!

Thanks - it's coming together.

You are??? Where are you putting it? I loved your little coffee spot on your counter when I was there - I thought it was super cute!

She will - it's quite exciting, if not scary for me. I've been having a very hard time with it - but I am trying not to let it overwhelm me, and just try to be happy for her. It's not easy.

Thanks... I'll feel better about it when we actually have airfare booked. Hopefully that will be soon.

It's great to see you Mo, miss you!

I just caught up reading from last week. My Grandma lost her battle with Alzheimer's last week, which totally derailed all normality in my life. I'm back at school and trying to get caught up everywhere with all of my planning and instruction, etc. Our house is a disaster, too UGH. Getting some reading done on the DIS has been a nice little break from the chaos of everything else!!!

I love how your front room is coming together, and think the making throw pillows out of the extra curtain panel is an awesome idea for tying everything together!

If we drank coffee in my house, I would totally do a coffee nook!! The ones you posted are absolutely adorable (but yours will be better because of the decal!) I guess in my house I would need to have a Beer nook?!

I am so very sorry for your loss. It's so hard to lose someone who is so important in your life. Big hugs to you!

Thanks... I am pretty excited to see the changes happening.

LOL on the beer nook - Josh would agree with you!

Today after my therapy riding Ulf and I went out in the snowy weather to try my new electrical wheel for my wheelchair. We have decided to take it with us when we fly to Helsinki, Finland in 3 weeks. So when I got home I called the airline to check what we have to do to get the battery with us on the plane. The answer I got was that I couldn't take it with me and had to send it as freight. I then called the company that delivered the wheel and asked them. They told me that it was not true and that it was just a waste of time calling the call center for the airline because they have no idea how this is done. The man on the phone then asked me when I was traveling and I said in 3 weeks so we still have time to figure this out. He then advised me to go to the airport and talk to the people that handle this stuff there. Show them the battery and then they should know how I have to do this. So the plan now is to drive to the airport tomorrow and have a talk with them.

I got Ulf to take a photo of me when we were outside testing the wheel

This is so awesome Lillian!!! It's much bigger than I imagined - but it looks to be perfect! So, are those handle bars on it - so you control it similar to a bike?

I hope the airlines are able to figure this out - it shouldn't be that hard. I know, even here, there are special circumstances for necessities like that.

Great photo - you look great!

Love the coffee station and your idea for the graphic! Super cute! Hope you can find that perfect cabinet used for just the right price

Thanks! Hopefully Josh doesn't get too annoyed by me having something Disney on the wall like that... It's one thing to have figurines, but another to have a decal. LOL

I sure hope so too... I've been hunting, but not having much luck.

***********************************************************************************************

Sorry all for no replies yesterday - it's been busy here, but not much exciting to update.

Still working out... Eating is a little off kilter - which doesn't make me too happy with myself... It's not terrible - but just not great either... I find I am so distracted with working on the living room, that I am not making the time to work on meals. I need to change that asap.

We did not work on the living room at all on Tuesday, but we did work on it last night. We were able to get the final sanding done on the bay window - as we are refinishing the sill... And we have the first coat of clear coat on it. I think that's what it's called? We also have the second coat of paint on the living room wall. So, we should be good there. Now, we need to take the TV down and start working on that space.

Next on the agenda, is the mantel will come down... The China cabinet will go there... We will scoot the table up against it... Then our couch and love seat will go into the dining area and so will the curio... It will be a big job, and there will be no remaining space in our kitchen - except for very narrow trails to get to the bathroom and the upstairs. I know this will drive me crazy - so the shorter amount of time that it's like this, the better for my sanity. I don't do well with clutter, especially in our living areas... So, hopefully I don't go too crazy with my house like this.

I thought I would be brave and show you what my living room looks like at this moment... It's a disaster! I can't hardly stand it. All of the furniture is at the center of the room, but you do get a better idea for the color of the walls and how the trim looks on the windows... Once I get the curtains up - there won't be much trim to see.

I am not sure what tonight looks like - as far as the house goes... Pretty sure we will be sanding the bay and adding another layer of clear coat. We have not started sealing the other two windows yet.

I also need to paint the baseboards that we have up... and the baseboards that aren't up yet. That needs to be done before the carpet goes in. Also the other two windows need to be clear coated. I am a little overwhelmed with how much needs to be done before we can actually lay the carpet... And it's all stuff that needs to have drying time. I am just trying not to think about it. Carpet truly wasn't in the plan - so now all of this extra stuff really has my head spinning.

I've also been taking some time to scan a few pictures that I didn't have stored digitally. I've been trying to do a few of them here n' there.... Most of these are Victoria's baby pictures, as I did Allison's last week. On top of the living room stuff - I also have Allison's graduation open house to work on, and I just don't even know where to begin with that?

And the puppies are in their glory - Josh brought home new bones for each of them last night, so they sat on the deck all night, chewing away... (Let's not even talk about how my deck needs to be refinished...)

Today... I will be heavy lifting... then I will be upstairs all day working. Today is applique day - I love applique day.

Then, we will be doing something in the living room tonight - I don't know what?

I hope you all have an amazing day!!! Pixie dust to all!

D~

 

[vrajewski10513]

Don't worry too much about your eating the last few days. A you just need to refocus and make meal prep a priority (which I know is hard as you have a million things going on right now!). But you've been doing so great recently, definitely don't let it get you down!

You're getting so much accomplished in the living room! The walls and trim look great. I can't wait to see how it looks with the rug!

I love looking at old pictures the girls are adorable! Just this past Easter my mom brought out her totes of albums and we went through them. It's such a great thing to do with family from time to time. I'm sure they're feeling extra sentimental now with the stage of life your girls are in.

Awe, MM and SC are so cute! I have two little dogs and I've been working on DH to try and get a big one. He says its either a new dog or kids. My choice

 

[ljcrochet]

I've been trying to watch everywhere I can think of, and I am not having much luck. We have a very nice entry table there now - and I would use that, but it's a very nice one, and I would hate to have it wrecked with the coffee pots there, ya know? I will keep looking... Part of the problem is that the wall is small... If it was 6" wider, I'd have soooo many more options. I am loving the idea of repurposing more and more though - I am very excited to be able to paint something that is totally unique and coordinates well with what I am doing. It will be a lot of fun! I hope... LOL

I forgot what you said the size of the wall is, but would somthing like this work? http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90093764/ You can add basekts on the bottom to make it funkier.

Next on the agenda, is the mantel will come down... The China cabinet will go there... We will scoot the table up against it... Then our couch and love seat will go into the dining area and so will the curio... It will be a big job, and there will be no remaining space in our kitchen - except for very narrow trails to get to the bathroom and the upstairs. I know this will drive me crazy - so the shorter amount of time that it's like this, the better for my sanity. I don't do well with clutter, especially in our living areas... So, hopefully I don't go too crazy with my house like thi

Sounds like a lot of work. Can't wait to see it when it is all completed.

 

[tatar63]

Good Morning Everyone, I hope your weather is as nice as it is suppose to be here in the Midwest. Wow, the trim is Beautiful & I LOVE the curtains! And I agree with whoever said "you love something even more when you get it at a bargain price". I am guessing the sage green or the blue for your accent color? Did I miss your reveal on this? When will the carpet be in? Questions, Questions.... Lol

How AWESOME for V, Photoshop will be an awesome skill to have combined with her amazing artistic skills . Possibly graduating early??? How are you handling the idea of that D~

The coffee station will be a great addition to your kitchen! Good luck finding the piece that you have in mind.

Allison's Summer sounds like it will be amazing, let us know if she starts a blog or something!

Have a great day everyone,
Monica

 

[Terkina]

Your living room looks just like it should when you're fixing the room. The color on the walls looks nice

Nice family pictures you have scanned.

This is so awesome Lillian!!! It's much bigger than I imagined - but it looks to be perfect! So, are those handle bars on it - so you control it similar to a bike?

I hope the airlines are able to figure this out - it shouldn't be that hard. I know, even here, there are special circumstances for necessities like that.

Great photo - you look great!

The handle bars are almost like on a bike. You steer it like a bike, but to get it to go forward (accelerate) you twist the right handle forward just like on a motorcycle. And then you have brakes just like on a normal bike. It goes 6,2 mph but downhill it will go much faster unless you brake.

Great photo - you look great!

Thank you so much You don't see it very well in the picture, but it's snowing and I have snow in my hair

I ordered plane tickets for a geocaching meeting I'm going to in October. As usual I gave the airline notice that I will have my manual wheelchair with me. And for the first time ever I got an e-mail back that there wasn't room for my chair on the airplane WHAT So I got Ulf to measure the chair so I could call the airline and talk to them. I called the airline and explained the problem and told the guy on the phone that this has never happened to me before. He asked for the measures and the weight of the chair. I gave him the information and then he told me that he got the green light in his system and that the chair was accepted. I asked what now when I got one no and one yes for the wheelchair. The answer I got was that the wheelchair was accepted and that I would get an e-mail confirming everything was OK.

The tax are also due to be checked now so I have checked my tax and of course there where something I didn't understand so I had to contact the tax office. I have meant to do this for 14 days now, but I've just postponed it because I expected to have to wait in line on the phone for very long because everyone have to check their tax and I'm guessing many people are calling them for help. But today I got the courage to call. As expected the waiting time was long 37 minutes. But luckily they had the option that they would call me back when it was my turn. I got an answer to the questions I had, but I'm not totally satisfied. I will ask my dad for help. He is an economist so I hope he can help me figure out if my tax is right. The taxes are so complicated so normal people has no chance of understanding it. The newspapers has written for weeks about that many people pay more tax than they really have to because either they don't bother to check their tax or they just don't understand it.

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Love all the photos! The girls are adorable! That's a great idea to scan the pictures!

Aw - good thing SC and MM got a treat!

 

[DMGeurts]

Don't worry too much about your eating the last few days. A you just need to refocus and make meal prep a priority (which I know is hard as you have a million things going on right now!). But you've been doing so great recently, definitely don't let it get you down!

You're getting so much accomplished in the living room! The walls and trim look great. I can't wait to see how it looks with the rug!

I love looking at old pictures the girls are adorable! Just this past Easter my mom brought out her totes of albums and we went through them. It's such a great thing to do with family from time to time. I'm sure they're feeling extra sentimental now with the stage of life your girls are in.

Awe, MM and SC are so cute! I have two little dogs and I've been working on DH to try and get a big one. He says its either a new dog or kids. My choice

Eeeek.... I tried so hard yesterday - still not perfect, but better. I am starting to think that my brain can only focus on one thing at a time.

Thanks - I am so excited... Right now, there isn't a lot of visible change, because we are sealing windows - and that's a process. But we are getting there.

Thanks- I miss them being so little... They were so cute - and so naughty! LOL I love doing that too - dragging out all of the old pictures for the girls to see... Most of them are now digital though - so that makes it easier/harder.

Hehehehe... So, which are you choosing?

I forgot what you said the size of the wall is, but would somthing like this work? http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90093764/ You can add basekts on the bottom to make it funkier.

Sounds like a lot of work. Can't wait to see it when it is all completed.

That's cute! I am pretty sure I am set on something wood though - and I think I want to paint it black (I think this furniture painting is going to be a sickness - LOL I am starting to look at ALL the furniture in my house and wonder what color I could paint it - LOL). The wall is 29" - but I didn't include the trim on the door on the one side - so I could probably go up to 31"-32" wide if necessary...

Me too - trust me. LOL I cannot WAIT to have at least ONE room in my main living level done just the way I like it.

Good Morning Everyone, I hope your weather is as nice as it is suppose to be here in the Midwest. Wow, the trim is Beautiful & I LOVE the curtains! And I agree with whoever said "you love something even more when you get it at a bargain price". I am guessing the sage green or the blue for your accent color? Did I miss your reveal on this? When will the carpet be in? Questions, Questions.... Lol

How AWESOME for V:, Photoshop will be an awesome skill to have combined with her amazing artistic skills . Possibly graduating early??? How are you handling the idea of that D~

The coffee station will be a great addition to your kitchen! Good luck finding the piece that you have in mind.

Allison's Summer sounds like it will be amazing, let us know if she starts a blog or something!

Have a great day everyone,
Monica

Monica!!!! How are you??? It's great to see you!

Well, so far - I am using the blues as my accent... There is a sort-of navy blue in there and also a lighter dusty blue color... but my furniture is brown... and I have a bit of red... Trying to stick mostly with the neutral tan color of my walls, the brown of the furniture and the blues - mostly.... It could get a little crazy - and I need to watch out for that. LOL

No reveal yet... Still a LOT of work to do... We are hoping (**fingers crossed**) by next weekend... I told Josh last night - I don't think I can take more than a week of all my furniture in the kitchen/dining area... So, once we move that in there - we are starting a timer. LOL

Ha! Monica - you know me too well! I am a total basket case about all of it - seriously. And - as you can probably tell - I am throwing my mind totally and completely into this remodeling job... Sometimes distraction can be a good thing.

Thanks - Josh had a great idea about it last night... I'd forgotten that we have a few Amish furniture stores nearby... I think we might try to check out one of those in the near future?

Allison has already started on her blog - so she is definitely doing one - but it won't go live for a few more weeks yet... I will keep you all posted!

Soooo... The big question... How are YOU? I hope you are well and staying busy! I hope your family and your sister are doing well.

Your living room looks just like it should when you're fixing the room. The color on the walls looks nice

Nice family pictures you have scanned.

The handle bars are almost like on a bike. You steer it like a bike, but to get it to go forward (accelerate) you twist the right handle forward just like on a motorcycle. And then you have brakes just like on a normal bike. It goes 6,2 mph but downhill it will go much faster unless you brake.

Thank you so much You don't see it very well in the picture, but it's snowing and I have snow in my hair

I ordered plane tickets for a geocaching meeting I'm going to in October. As usual I gave the airline notice that I will have my manual wheelchair with me. And for the first time ever I got an e-mail back that there wasn't room for my chair on the airplane WHAT So I got Ulf to measure the chair so I could call the airline and talk to them. I called the airline and explained the problem and told the guy on the phone that this has never happened to me before. He asked for the measures and the weight of the chair. I gave him the information and then he told me that he got the green light in his system and that the chair was accepted. I asked what now when I got one no and one yes for the wheelchair. The answer I got was that the wheelchair was accepted and that I would get an e-mail confirming everything was OK.

The tax are also due to be checked now so I have checked my tax and of course there where something I didn't understand so I had to contact the tax office. I have meant to do this for 14 days now, but I've just postponed it because I expected to have to wait in line on the phone for very long because everyone have to check their tax and I'm guessing many people are calling them for help. But today I got the courage to call. As expected the waiting time was long 37 minutes. But luckily they had the option that they would call me back when it was my turn. I got an answer to the questions I had, but I'm not totally satisfied. I will ask my dad for help. He is an economist so I hope he can help me figure out if my tax is right. The taxes are so complicated so normal people has no chance of understanding it. The newspapers has written for weeks about that many people pay more tax than they really have to because either they don't bother to check their tax or they just don't understand it.

Thanks Lillian... It's a mess - and I am trying very hard not to look at it too much. LOL Focusing on the good things right now... Like finished windows and a 90% painted room.

I think your new wheel is pretty cool! I am so excited that it makes life a little bit easier for you - except for trying to get the airlines to accept it... Sigh... Such a bummer that it's such a pain - but I am glad it worked out in the end. I hope you have your email from them already, so your mind is at ease about the situation. Traveling is stressful as it is - then to have to worry about whether your wheelchair will be accepted too - well, that would just make it so much more stressful.

Taxes are a pain - no matter what country a person lives in... Josh always does ours - just the thought of me trying to do it, well - it wouldn't go well. LOL I am more of a visual person - not a numbers person. LOL

I hope you had a great day!

Love all the photos! The girls are adorable! That's a great idea to scan the pictures!

Aw - good thing SC and MM got a treat!

Thanks... I really miss them being that age... They were so naughty, but so cute and so fun! We have a lot of great memories though.

Yah - so now I have naughty dogs... Hehehehe... Again - cute and fun though. LOL SC tries soooo hard to be good.

********************************************************************************************************

So.... Eating yesterday was OK... Not terrible... I could have done with out a few of the snacks I had - thankfully I kept them pretty small, so I am sure the damage was minimal. I did work out yesterday morning, so that's always good.

Then I was upstairs working all morning. I quit at lunch time so I could have lunch and then work on the living room. Josh gave me a job to do yesterday - and I wanted to make sure I had it done before he got home.

We had meatballs and baked potatoes for dinner last night - it was delicious and i have a TON of leftovers.

Then. last night - I put a 2nd coat of poly on the bay window.... It's looking nice, keeping in mind that I am not the best poly person in the world.

And Josh started to take up the carpet in manageable strips... Guess what we found under it?? Hard wood floors!!! Soooo... Now we are considering trying to restore it. It's in terrible condition - it would have to be sanded down and a LOT of work would have to be done to it - including replacing a few of the boards. But... We are thinking about it.

Tonight is the night... After Josh is home from work, we will be moving everything out of the living room - except for the couch and love seat - we will put those on the wall where the carpet is already up... Just to save us some room in the kitchen/dining area for as long as possible. We can get a lot of work done in the living room with the furniture on that wall.

Once we have all of the furniture out, we will take up the rest of the carpet, and make our final decision then about what we want to do with the floors -- and if they can be saved. Because once we decide to put the carpet in - there will be no going back to save the floors later - if we or anyone else wanted to - there is so much more to this than a person could imagine... If we choose to do carpet, Josh will have to level out the floors, and by doing that - well, it's permanent. So, I feel like it's a big decision. As much as I want wood floors - I also don't... So, we'll see. As usual - this job just got BIGGER.

So, that's where we are at.

We have BIG plans for the weekend... And hoping for a LOT of progress.

Trip updates

Soooo... I wanted to do a little update on Allison's trip... There have been some developments over the last few days... It looks like either B or M will be taking a long weekend off this summer, and taking Allison to Paris... As it is, she will be spending 2 weeks in the south of France with BMTL and M's family - so this is in addition to that. They will be taking her to DLP , and also the other points of interest in Paris - including Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, Musee Du Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Arch De Triomphe... My mind is BLOWN... The incredible-ness of this is beyond comprehension. The turn of events, years ago, to make any of this possible for my grils - well, let's just say that I am beyond grateful.

Then - it still gets even better... Myrthe has also booked Allison on a flight to Rome... Myrthe's BFF's family (whom we met at their wedding) lives there... They have invited Allison to come and stay with them for a week, and they plan to take her to the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, and Pompeii... Among many other places. I just want to cry with excitement!

There has been a bit of mention of either B or M taking Allison to London for a long weekend, as well. There has only been a slight mention of this - so, I am not certain... But so many things are running through my mind... So many emotions. Let's just say - it's a good thing that we are redoing the living room - or I would be one big basket case of a mess right now.... Excited, scared, terrified, nervous, happy, elated... Just the whole spectrum here for me. There are NO words.

So... Yah...

I've been working on ADRs for V's October Disney trip.... I don't want to go into too much detail about this - but I did want to mention it... I've been sorting out days, and what our plans are for each day... In the end - we are doing a few of the same restaurants that Allison and I did... And since we aren't staying on Disney property - I had to/have to make ADRs each morning... This makes it interesting, for sure. OK - that's all I want to say about that, for now. In the coming weeks - I'll be able to do a big update with all of our plans.

Sooo... That's it... Pretty big travel news here! And pretty big house news too!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend... Think of me and my muscles getting one heavy work out when we have to move all of that furniture out tonight. LOL Sending out lots of Pixie Dust to all of you for a nice weekend!

D~

 

[Tinkercc]

Hey D.

What a great find under the carpet! Do you know if the hard wood is original to your house? I absolutely love our hard wood. That's a tough decision!!

Allison's trip sounds like a dream!! It's so incredible that she is getting this opportunity! Europe is on our bucket list. Have a great weekend!! Can't wait to hear what you guys accomplish this weekend!

 

[vrajewski10513]

Hehehehe... So, which are you choosing?

Well first is Disney lol nothing before then. After that, probably some kiddos first. I'll be 28 in a couple months so I should probably get the ball Rollin on that sooner than later lol

That is so awesome that you found wood floors under thre carpet! I'm always for trying to refinish natural wood. Maybe redo the wood then find a nice area rug?

Alison's trip to Europe is really shaping up to be the trip of a lifetime. I'm so excited for her!

Can't wait to hear about your plans for V's trip and what ADRs you got!

Have a great weekend and good luck with all that furniture!

 

[Terkina]

How great that you found wooden floor under the carpet. I can't wait to hear what you decide to do with the floor now.

WOW Allison's trip to Europe sounds great. She is going to see and experience so much and she will have a lot of fun. I hope she doesn't get her hopes up on DLP on how it's going to be. The most disappointing part for me was that every ride is in french. So you miss out on a lot during the ride.

How exciting that you are going to make ADRs for V's trip. I can't wait to hear all about your plans.


So the story about the wheelchair on the plane continues. I got an sms this morning saying that the wheelchair couldn't go on the plane and that I had to call the airline in Sweden to get this sortet. So I called and it turns out I have to change to another flight. Since I was stupid and didn't tell them about the wheelchair right after I booked the flight I have to pay for the change of flight. Well I changed the flights and I'm now waiting for a confirmation that my chair can go on this flight. Lessen learned. Be sure to book the wheelchair right after booking the flight tickets so things can be changed if the chair can't go with the flight I booked.

 

[ssdeverell]

Hi! I have been a long time lurker on your trip reports, but I wanted to drop in and introduce myself because it appears my family will be at WDW at the same time as you. I made my ressies on Monday. I will be watching for you and Victoria and introduce myself if I see you.

 

[ljcrochet]

Once we have all of the furniture out, we will take up the rest of the carpet, and make our final decision then about what we want to do with the floors -- and if they can be saved. Because once we decide to put the carpet in - there will be no going back to save the floors later - if we or anyone else wanted to - there is so much more to this than a person could imagine... If we choose to do carpet, Josh will have to level out the floors, and by doing that - well, it's permanent. So, I feel like it's a big decision. As much as I want wood floors - I also don't... So, we'll see. As usual - this job just got BIGGER.

If the rest of the hard wood under the still carpeted section is ok, can Josh handle the refinishing of the hardwood himself? I would go with the hardwood if you can. You can always put an area rug over it down the road if you want to.

So many emotions. Let's just say - it's a good thing that we are redoing the living room - or I would be one big basket case of a mess right now.... Excited, scared, terrified, nervous, happy, elated... Just the whole spectrum here for me. There are NO words.

I'm so excited for your daughter. Sounds like the trip of a lifetime!

 

[Chicago Mo]

OH YOU TOO with the old pictures! She is simply adorable!--

Apparently my last post didn't post! So the above was posted yesterday..

Ohh I wish i could help with your floor decision! as i LOVE my floors they are just so much easier to clean especially with the kids and dogs. BUT!!-- It's colder. and echo-y... Dog hair turns into tumble weeds rolling across the floor... It's a tough decision! I can't wait to see the finished product!!

OMG A is going to have the MOST AMAZING adventure! I would KILL to be able to see all that history! oh the pictures she will get!!! I am pouring jealousy out of my skin!!!

Disney PARIS??? Are you kidding?!?! yep yep yep I am green with envy! There aren't enough adjectives to write!!!!!

Seriously cannot wait to see her pictures!

 

[Clio]

The girls are so cute in those pictures.
What a great find under the carpeting. Hopefully the floor can be restored at some point. My living room is beige with a beige couch and chair.
the only color is the geisha girl's red robe and a few other red things.
Alli is so lucky to be able to go to Disneyland Paris and maybe Rome. Your family is so nice.
I haven't do much of anything this week. I did finally finish the bathroom curtains I was making. Today it's supposed to warm up so I should go out and clean up the flower beds. the hostas are coming up and it's supposed to be nice all weekend.
Have a good day.
Liz

 

[Wood Nymph]

It sounds like Allison will have the trip of a lifetime! What a lucky girl. I hope Victoria gets the same opportunity.

 

[lovegrumpy]

The Europe trip sounds amazing.

 

[dalmatian7]

Yeah on the wood floors. We knew our house had them but we figured they were not salvageable because of the state of the carpet over them (pet stains, food stains from the previous tennant, so when we remodeled the kitchen we went and picked out a hardwood floor with the idea that once we tore the carpet up in the entry/dining area we would continue the floor into that room. Well wouldn't you know the floors really werent in bad shape except for glue and some carpet staples. So for minimum sanding and a few coats of clearcoat they are great and we didn't continue with the other flooring. So it doesn't match but it ends at a doorway so it is no different that if we had tile or linoleum in the kitchen. Fingers crossed yours are an easy fix (if you decide to keep them). If not, I like your carpet too.

 

[kittylady1972]

First of all, what a FABULOUS summer your girl is going to have with all of those trips! What a great opportunity for her. I can't imagine how excited you must be for her...and I'm sure a little scared but still...EXCITING!

Good luck deciding on carpet or floors. I tell you with the condition of the carpets at each threshold of our upstairs bedrooms thanks to the cats I'm seriously tempted to go hardwood up there...but with it being an open foyer...I think the noise would be too much. I have no money for new carpet anytime soon though, so we need to find some wait to live with it in the meantime and keep our feet save from the carpet tacks that are showing through at each doorway. ((SIGH))

Can't wait to hear about your plans with V as well. I am really REALLY tempted to plan a short and quick trip in October for just my daughter and myself. It's killing me that the kids get a 4-day weekend in October and we have nothing planned right now for that time. She was so upset about missing MNSSHP back in 2014 that I was thinking of just flying down, the two of us, and only getting tickets for the party. I'm not even sure we'd do the parks, maybe just hang at the resort the rest of the time. I've priced flights a few times and it's still tempting. We'll see if I have the nerve to pitch the idea to my husband, especially since there's a good chance we will already be spending some money that month for her and I to do a school trip to Philadelphia. I'm not looking as forward to that, though I've never been to Philly. It sounds nice, but expensive and the fact that they seem to expect me to room with another adult that I don't know...um NO. If I have to I'll pay for my own room out of pocket, and my daughter will stay in the room with me.

 

[DMGeurts]

Hey D.

What a great find under the carpet! Do you know if the hard wood is original to your house? I absolutely love our hard wood. That's a tough decision!!

Allison's trip sounds like a dream!! It's so incredible that she is getting this opportunity! Europe is on our bucket list. Have a great weekend!! Can't wait to hear what you guys accomplish this weekend!

Yes - the wood appears to be original to our house - which was built pre-1890, but we are not entirely sure which year exactly, but that is the year that it first showed up on the plat maps.

I am super excited for her - but I know it will be harder and harder on me as it gets closer. I cannot wait to hear all about her adventures too.

Thanks - I hope we accomplish a lot. I hope you have a great weekend too!

Well first is Disney lol nothing before then. After that, probably some kiddos first. I'll be 28 in a couple months so I should probably get the ball Rollin on that sooner than later lol

That is so awesome that you found wood floors under thre carpet! I'm always for trying to refinish natural wood. Maybe redo the wood then find a nice area rug?

Alison's trip to Europe is really shaping up to be the trip of a lifetime. I'm so excited for her!

Can't wait to hear about your plans for V's trip and what ADRs you got!

Have a great weekend and good luck with all that furniture!

Hahaha... I totally understand.

I know - I cannot believe those were under there! I am still shocked!

I can't believe it myself - I am so excited for her and cannot wait to hear all about it myself.

Hehehe... Me too! LOL

Thanks - we will need it for sure. I hope you have a nice weekend too!

How great that you found wooden floor under the carpet. I can't wait to hear what you decide to do with the floor now.

WOW Allison's trip to Europe sounds great. She is going to see and experience so much and she will have a lot of fun. I hope she doesn't get her hopes up on DLP on how it's going to be. The most disappointing part for me was that every ride is in french. So you miss out on a lot during the ride.

How exciting that you are going to make ADRs for V's trip. I can't wait to hear all about your plans.


So the story about the wheelchair on the plane continues. I got an sms this morning saying that the wheelchair couldn't go on the plane and that I had to call the airline in Sweden to get this sortet. So I called and it turns out I have to change to another flight. Since I was stupid and didn't tell them about the wheelchair right after I booked the flight I have to pay for the change of flight. Well I changed the flights and I'm now waiting for a confirmation that my chair can go on this flight. Lessen learned. Be sure to book the wheelchair right after booking the flight tickets so things can be changed if the chair can't go with the flight I booked.

It's such a tough decision - I will talk more about it below...

I will have to tell her about that with DLP - just so she knows in advance. Thanks for letting me know!

I am very excited about V's ADRs... I cannot wait to share with you all!

Oh no about your wheelchair - It's just hard to believe that they can't accommodate you. Such a bummer that you had to go through all that switching of flights - but I am glad you were able to get it figured out, and your trip is still on.

I hope you have a nice weekend Lillian.

Hi! I have been a long time lurker on your trip reports, but I wanted to drop in and introduce myself because it appears my family will be at WDW at the same time as you. I made my ressies on Monday. I will be watching for you and Victoria and introduce myself if I see you.

Hi there!!! Welcome!!! How exciting! I hope your planning is going well? Please do say hi if you run into us! I love meeting my Dis friends.

If the rest of the hard wood under the still carpeted section is ok, can Josh handle the refinishing of the hardwood himself? I would go with the hardwood if you can. You can always put an area rug over it down the road if you want to.


I'm so excited for your daughter. Sounds like the trip of a lifetime!

Yes - it's OK... For the first 6 years we were married (and before), Josh did custom home remodeling - specialzing in older homes... So, it's a job he can tackle for sure - just not sure it's something we really want to do? I'll post pictures and talk more about it below.

I know - right? I am so excited for her too! I never imagined my girls would ever get an opportunity like this!

OH YOU TOO with the old pictures! She is simply adorable!--

Apparently my last post didn't post! So the above was posted yesterday..

Ohh I wish i could help with your floor decision! as i LOVE my floors they are just so much easier to clean especially with the kids and dogs. BUT!!-- It's colder. and echo-y... Dog hair turns into tumble weeds rolling across the floor... It's a tough decision! I can't wait to see the finished product!!

OMG A is going to have the MOST AMAZING adventure! I would KILL to be able to see all that history! oh the pictures she will get!!! I am pouring jealousy out of my skin!!!

Disney PARIS??? Are you kidding?!?! yep yep yep I am green with envy! There aren't enough adjectives to write!!!!!

Seriously cannot wait to see her pictures!

I know - I just loved these old pictures, they've never been seen on the internet before because I'd just scanned them - so fun!

We are really leaning towards carpet for this exact reason... I have a heck of a time keeping my kitchen floor tumbleweed free - and I like the homey-comforting feel of carpet...

I know - right??? That kid is so lucky! I cannot wait to hear about her adventures, she is planning to blog about it - so I'll make sure to send you the link!

The girls are so cute in those pictures.
What a great find under the carpeting. Hopefully the floor can be restored at some point. My living room is beige with a beige couch and chair.
the only color is the geisha girl's red robe and a few other red things.
Alli is so lucky to be able to go to Disneyland Paris and maybe Rome. Your family is so nice.
I haven't do much of anything this week. I did finally finish the bathroom curtains I was making. Today it's supposed to warm up so I should go out and clean up the flower beds. the hostas are coming up and it's supposed to be nice all weekend.
Have a good day.
Liz

Awwww... Thank you - I miss them being young so much! But I love them now too... It's been one great big adventure!

I know - I definitely was NOT expecting to find that under there. I was expecting the wood farmhouse planks like we have in our upstairs hallway - similar to shiplap.

You living room sounds awesome - and very similar to mine in colors chosen.

I know - she is so lucky! Allison is paying for all of it herself, but she is just so fortunate that Myrthe is planning everything for her - It's pretty awesome!

Good luck getting everything done this weekend!

It sounds like Allison will have the trip of a lifetime! What a lucky girl. I hope Victoria gets the same opportunity.

I know - I am so excited for her!!!

Yes - V will get the exact same opportunities... It just really depends on what V wants to see and do while she is there... Knowing V - she'll want to spend more time at DLP. LOL

I hope you have a great weekend Sue!

The Europe trip sounds amazing.

I know - I am so excited for her - I cannot wait to read about all of her adventures!

Yeah on the wood floors. We knew our house had them but we figured they were not salvageable because of the state of the carpet over them (pet stains, food stains from the previous tennant, so when we remodeled the kitchen we went and picked out a hardwood floor with the idea that once we tore the carpet up in the entry/dining area we would continue the floor into that room. Well wouldn't you know the floors really werent in bad shape except for glue and some carpet staples. So for minimum sanding and a few coats of clearcoat they are great and we didn't continue with the other flooring. So it doesn't match but it ends at a doorway so it is no different that if we had tile or linoleum in the kitchen. Fingers crossed yours are an easy fix (if you decide to keep them). If not, I like your carpet too.

That is awesome!!! So glad that you were able to make them beautiful again. I think we have decided to do the carpet for now, being careful to keep the floors restorable at a later time - when we have the time and money to do it properly.

Thanks for telling me your story - I hope you have a nice weekend.

First of all, what a FABULOUS summer your girl is going to have with all of those trips! What a great opportunity for her. I can't imagine how excited you must be for her...and I'm sure a little scared but still...EXCITING!

Good luck deciding on carpet or floors. I tell you with the condition of the carpets at each threshold of our upstairs bedrooms thanks to the cats I'm seriously tempted to go hardwood up there...but with it being an open foyer...I think the noise would be too much. I have no money for new carpet anytime soon though, so we need to find some wait to live with it in the meantime and keep our feet save from the carpet tacks that are showing through at each doorway. ((SIGH))

Can't wait to hear about your plans with V as well. I am really REALLY tempted to plan a short and quick trip in October for just my daughter and myself. It's killing me that the kids get a 4-day weekend in October and we have nothing planned right now for that time. She was so upset about missing MNSSHP back in 2014 that I was thinking of just flying down, the two of us, and only getting tickets for the party. I'm not even sure we'd do the parks, maybe just hang at the resort the rest of the time. I've priced flights a few times and it's still tempting. We'll see if I have the nerve to pitch the idea to my husband, especially since there's a good chance we will already be spending some money that month for her and I to do a school trip to Philadelphia. I'm not looking as forward to that, though I've never been to Philly. It sounds nice, but expensive and the fact that they seem to expect me to room with another adult that I don't know...um NO. If I have to I'll pay for my own room out of pocket, and my daughter will stay in the room with me.

I know - I am beyond excited for her! Super scared and terrified - but excited too!

Thanks! Yikes on the tacking strips - that's gotta hurt in the middle of the night. And terrible that it affects so many rooms - so it's expensive to fix. I hope you are able to do it soon.

Oooh - let me know if you decide to go in October, I'd love to meet up! Exciting!

**********************************************************************************************

Gosh - I have so much to write - but I just don't have the time this morning.... I will leave you with a few photos of our progress last night - and I will have to stop back later to update. So sorry about that! If you all could see my kitchen area right now... I dunno - it sends me almost into full panic mode - and I really don't enjoy that... So, it's baaaad - IMO... Maybe I'll get brave and post pictures of that later. LOL

It appears that the wood floor was completely covered for most of it's life, by a carpet in the center - so the most terrible parts are along the outside edges approx 12" all around... The worst being where the black spill was and also centered under the bay window - where there was once a door. So, there would be a LOT of work involved.

For now - I think we have decided on just laying the carpet. I've made Josh promise that we won't do anything to harm the floors - so if I choose, at a later date, when this carpet has outlived it's life - then we can plan to restore - when we have the time and are prepared to do it. Besides - I do really like carpet in our living room - it just feels more cozy.

I hope you all have a great weekend! Pixie Dust to all of you!

D~