Neutral Didn't Last Very Long

Peek behind Hazel to the hallway two+ weeks ago:  silver and black horizontal stripes (playing dress up here with little friends).

This week: soft matte pink over the black.  Thinking about painting gold over the pink for more shine.  Ceiling is still minty.  If these walls weren't TEXTURED I would have painted them 10x more often.  This came-with-the-house texture is not my favorite feature.  If they weren't in dinning room, living room, whole hallway I would sand them down.  Waiting for the remodel day when wall between kitchen & living room comes down before re-do textured walls.  I still love open-concept house plans.  Really want to fix the bottleneck passageway between kitchen and basement stairs...

Painted church pew light pink (was mossy green), used staple gun and IKEA rug to make off-white furry table.  Did add bright coral lamp and bright green tray back into room.  Couldn't stay completely neutral for long (bright is nice, but I crave saturated colors)!

Copper "Gazing" Ball for Garden

Bowling Ball covered with pennies for the garden!

The bowling ball was a $5.00 thrift store find.  Already a copper swirly color.  I washed the pennies off with alcohol (then let dry) before using glue (glue found at HM, "Go2Glue" but I like E6000 better, but was out).  Duct tape helped to hold them in place while they dried (so they wouldn't slide off).  Notice bowl to hold bowling ball and keep it from rolling off the counter top.  I only did one or two rows at most, let them dry, before adding more rows--so this is not a one afternoon project.  Days of drying, turning ball, making sure pennies weren't sliding off and escaping.  Used heads showing unless it was a shield penny or a wheat penny.  I did not seal it with anything--I want the patina of aged copper.

String Art Done Wrong & Right (a project fail)

He warned me:  he said the nails I had picked out at HD were too big, roofing nails.  My attempt at string art didn't go too well.  (Yes, I saw it on Pintrist.)

 

Not salvageable. 

So I painted it instead...And now it is on the front porch getting weathered--real weathered, not just faux/paint weathered.

So a thick board went from this, to

To almost this.  But I have noticed from looking at pictures that the I is too close to the L and should have been more to the left...I will paint over this something else.  Leaving the foundation "family" underneath.  Now you see my process.  Do I know what it will look like when it is done?  Sometimes knowing when to stop is important.  Not everything I try ends up perfect, or the way I imagine.

My talented & crafty friend from Church, KellyB, made this string art double star.  Reminds me of a quilt block.  THIS is how you do string art (smaller nails, to start).

Roxie's Smile!

Before and after...

(Just retainer)

Love Color but Moving Towards Neutral Experiment

I love LOVE color, bright saturated colors, all together.  For awhile I have been making over our living room to Radiant Orchid, combining the teal and blues and greens, very analogous color scheme. 

As I was pinning one day and looking at trends, I was startled into the "duh" moment of moves towards neutrality.  Why neutral?  Why blah/boring/subtle?  Is it really more calming, serene, relaxing?  Experiment motivation, and I just had to see what it would look like, try it on.

I painted.  Kept the same lines, just neutralized everything.

Bleached a few things.  I laughed at all the things that are decidedly NOT neutral in our home.  On purpose.  No wonder people seeing it for the first time are overwhelmed, hit in the face with so much to look at...

I rearranged art and looked for less bright things, hung up a feed sack on stretcher bars.

Made burlap header for gray curtains, painted out the blue/green faux bois, even painted out the black stripes in hallway...Everything toned down...How long will it last?  Trying to find my permanent forever home style.  Using what we have.

Anniversary Wishes

 (photo credit:  Sam Landbeck 15 years old)

To celebrate 25 years we are not going on a cruise (someday we will, not this year), not even going away for the weekend (I miss the work conferences John used to have).  Not buying a rug at IKEA I have been drooling over (that would pinpoint a color palette in LR!).  Not going to Hawaii (sister envy).  Not going to Cheesecake Factory (no sugar diet still in place).  Not going to a local spa, not going camping (wouldn't recommend that for a honeymoon like we did).....

We are going to the DC temple together.  Maybe getting crab cakes at our favorite Riverside Pizzaria place on the way home.  Take a hundred couple photos and try and get our eyes both open.

We are saving up towards a trip west at the end of June for the 50th wedding anniversary of my parents and my family reunion at Bear Lake, Idaho!  Which will be great fun and worth the sacrifices to make it happen.  Thinking of a caravan out with siblings and families.  Making memories.  Laughing at our human foibles.

Update on Family after Busy Weekend

Maxwell is doing well, in spite of a major house fire that has left him temporarily homeless.  He was sleeping in another bedroom from the one that caught fire.  When John starts the conversation, "Don't freak out..." I take a deep breath.  Big  hugs and thankful prayers he is ok.

He is thinking about auditioning for "Music Man" in 2 weeks at HCC, but he is not real thrilled about the dancing potentially involved!

Roxie sang a solo "The Water is Wide" and got 1's at the county solo & ensemble festival yesterday! 

It was a busy day.  We went to the matinee of Beauty & the Beast.  We heard Roxie's friend, Abby, and her talented siblings preform. and one of our Trek sons from last summer: Gaston!

Also at the musical:  our daughter's roommate's mom.  So we did a "Y" for our BYU Suzanna & Lindsay!

Practicing my stealthy spy photo-taking in Sunday School this morning...

And choir practice after Church...without glasses posed and with them on.

Saturday night Sam & John went to Game Stop and the cashier asked if they were Landbecks before seeing bank card.  She said when they walked in Sam reminded her of Max.  She told John, "Your sons look just like you!"