Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Company coming gets me motivated

 

Hi Folks ~ Boy oh boy, time is zipping right along. September is almost half over. Had a couple of hints of ‘fallish’ weather, then it went right back to feeling like summer, hot and humid.

Friday company will be here from out of town, for a short visit. There’s nothing like company coming to get one’s fanny out of the chair and into work mode. Out comes the vacuum, the duster, mop, etc. to get the place ready.

I decided to pick up my paint brush and finish painting the bathroom too, that project had been stopped by my getting plantar fascitis. My feet are doing better, but were aching really bad last night when I went to bed.  Up and down the ladder, plus standing on the steps of ladder, wore me out, but the wear out was worth it.

Before

06-22-hall-curtain

After

The rose tree is electrified and I will take a picture of it lit later. I bought that tree probably about 35 years ago at a local flea market. They were asking $12, I got it for $10. I need to touch up the roses so that they show up better. They have a bit of dust and rust, but interior designers said to us years ago, that ‘rust is a must’.  The dust is not, so I need to vacuum the tree.  The tree is much narrower than the book case, I moved it to the living room.  This whole little project has my mind jumping around with ideas.

09-12-rose-tree

What is that curtain for? To close at night, to direct air-conditioning on down the hall into the bedroom.  I got this idea a year or so ago. I have a room a.c. unit in the kitchen that keeps the whole little place cool. It’s how we’ve cooled this place for years.

This is the curtain closed.  I think I paid $1 for it at a thrift store. My shadow is on the curtain. It is lined with plain white material on the back side. It already had those ties at the top. The rod is pvc pipe.

06-22-hall-curtain2

I look forward to painting some more today. I want to paint the south side of the hall the same color and that wall leads right into the kitchen, having the two arches in it. I need to do some plaster repair on that wall. When the county went through here and widened the road, the heavy road equipment pounding away for months at a time, led to some cracks in the wall.  This color is certainly changing the mood of this little cottage. We’ve always had light colored walls because this place is so small. I hadn’t thought to paint this wall this pink satin enamel color, but I do have a gallon of paint to use up and I’m loving the look. I believe it is NOT the trend of the moment, but I never have been one to follow trends though. Today I do plan to do something a little ‘trendy’ though and that is to buy two cotton/poly drop cloths from HD, to cover two chairs in the living room. I’ve read about that and seen photos online. The reviews for these say they wash nicely and become softer after washing. They are a reasonable price too.

I need to mow and weedwack ‘again’. We keep having rain, and that keeps things growing and over growing.

Below is an alamanda that I got as a cutting.  I just ‘love’ the colors of this one.

09-10-alamanda-buds

09-11-alamanda

I will close with this photo below. When I saw this heart, I had to grab the camera. I’ve not seen/found any hearts lately, so this definitely made me smile.

09-11-heart

Ok, that’s it from Plum Cottage. Time to break the fast and then get back to work.

Have a great week ~ FlowerLady

28 comments:

Nancy J said...

Is that real plum jam? What a place for a heart, almost too good to eat. Your flowers, and buds, beautiful, and please do not overdo the work in a day, there'll always be another. All going well down here, so very many thanks for your love, prayers and caring thoughts. They were a blessing to my body and soul, which seems to be doing OK now.Hugs from NZ.

Rebecca said...

You KNOW how I love seeing interior photo :)
You are certainly a "busy beaver" - and how I identify with the motivation of company coming :)
We are still in the middle of remodeling. Need to wrap it up since my father has an October date for his estate sale and has indicated he'd like to move in here with us before the sale! Now THAT'S motivation, too!

SimplySingleSenior said...

I really like the pink wall and the rose tree. I always want pink around me - no matter the season or whether or not it is on "trend". Enjoy your company!

Jane said...

Don't wear yourself out, getting ready for your visitors, Rainey. Leave some energy for the visit! Enjoying the glimpses of your home. Hope you have fun with your visitors.

Hugs
Jane

gld said...

That is my motivation too! Now I need to get motivated to repair some plaster in the ceiling in the mbr and br. You have inspired me to try painting again too.

I love what you are doing.

What a delicious way to see a heart!

Terra said...

I like your indoor flower tree and it was a good idea to put it in that spot and move the bookcase. It has a lighter feel and look.

L. D. said...

Yes, company can move us out of our normal and do some special cleaning. I find myself putting things away that I should have put away a week ago I had that foot situation one summer and it was very painful. I hope you can get over it quickly. The plum jelly made me hungry. Have fun with visitors.

Ruth Hiebert said...

Your guests will be welcomed into a lovely place and that not just because of the new paint job,but because of your friendship and love.

Melanie said...

It's true about having company...it sure gets you to deep clean! Be careful with the painting though...you don't want to get yourself so worn out that you aren't able to relax and enjoy yourself with your company!

Deborah Montgomery said...

wow -- when you get ready, you get ready! It's true, isn't it, that having guests really gets us in gear. One of the reasons why I like hosting book club every two weeks. Forces me to clean up!
Love seeing the inside of your cozy home.
Blessings, Deborah

Cheryl said...

We often say that if it weren't for company, we'd never get anything done! But doesn't it feel good to get those extra things (or even the basic things) done? Enjoy your visitors...and your spruced up house!

Hey, your curtain idea is ingenious!

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

'Company Coming' is such a good incentive for tidying up and for new paint! I always get so much done....until next time - wish I was more inspired in between :) Love the pretty color on your walls and those beautiful arches. I am loving that tall mirror, too. The rose tree is so pretty and unusual - I've never seen anything like it. I have a curtain in between my living room and kitchen - for keeping in the heat in winter. Glad that your feet are feeling better - I've experienced that and it is the worst pain ever! Love the jelly heart! Hope your visit is lovely. Hugs xo Karen

Marti said...

I love the flower tree! It looks good against the pink wall. I've had feet problems before. They can really slow you down. Take care and use the ice or ball, or whatever was recommended to you.

I hope you enjoy your visit. You've been so busy lately, it will be nice to sit and enjoy for awhile.

Jessica Jarrell said...

Oh yes, there is nothing like company coming to get one on one's feet, eh? I know the feeling well! I love your alamanda, it reminds me of our white mandevilla we planted this year. So pretty! The honeybees don't visit it, but I've seen lots of bumblebees and actually hummingbirds hitting up the flowers. I also love the paint color you chose, very sharp!

I hope you have a great time with your company FlowerLady, and a great weekend! 😀

BeachGypsy said...

By now I bet your company has arrived and I hope you are enjoying your time with them and relaxing and having fun! So glad you got all that done in time and everything looks so nice. Love the flower pictures. I posted some today too. Well, enjoy your visit and come back soon!

camp and cottage living said...

Fresh paint sure makes a difference, Lorraine! Company coming is about the only thing that motivate me too. I'd rather sew or craft.
You have a wonderful time with your company and take care of those feet!

Joy Junktion said...

Sometimes it takes a visitors approaching arrival to kick us into gear. But once we are 'moving' and complete a project, it feels so good. I hope you enjoy your company and have a blessed weekend! Cindy xo

Leslie Kimel said...

I love the rose tree! How pretty! It's fun to prepare for visitors but a little stressful too. In a few weeks Rob's little brother will be getting married at our house, so I have so much cleaning and gardening to do! But it is definitely good motivation to get projects done. Hope you have a great time with your guests!

Darcie said...

Hope you enjoyed your company. I agree...the house always does get a nice spruce up when company comes! Happy for your little heart find...its always nice to see things pop up on ordinary days...makes those days somehow feel more extraordinary, then ordinary. :-)

GretchenJoanna said...

Wow - the rose tree and paint really change things and are very pretty! I'm so sorry to hear about your feet. The PF I've battled for the last year was depressing in the way it kept me from doing these housework projects; my mood is much better now that my feet don't call my attention to them all the time!

And then the heat can be enervating. You are accomplishing a lot, considering. God bless you!

My Journey To Mindfulness said...

You sound so upbeat
love your tree and the paint.
Take care
and enjoy your ovmpany
and stay well...

Sallysmom said...

Hope your visit went well.

Celestina Marie said...

Hope you enjoyed a nice time with company. I agree when company is coming we get so much done to be ready. Love your hall rose tree. What a unique piece. I bet it's gorgeous when lit up. The curtain closure is a great idea to keep the area cooler. The treat at the end looks yummy! Have a great weekend. xo

Eggs In My Pocket said...

All of you hard work is lovely........I know what you mean about getting things done............my husband's work is ending in just a few days....and he has ordered a storage shed to be built on the property to make as his workshop..........but he is placing it right where our storage building is.......and it now will be moved.....but not until I re move all that I have stored in there.........I am dreading getting to work on it.
Your flowers are so pretty! Have a good visit with your company!

Summer said...

I like the pretty pink wall ♥

summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

Sallysmom said...

Hope all is well with you.

Gamala said...

Oh, what a wonderful visit we had, also bittersweet seeing big brother Mark's empty chair for the first time in over 40 years. The house, as always, was so homey and comfortable with Rainey's creative touch. We all laughed and cried together reminiscing and just sharing our wacky sense of humor. Yes, I drove over 575 miles, but it was so worth the trip to see my siblings (big sis and BIL, little brother and 2 SILs). Thank you, dear Rainey, for the wonderful time of sharing we had! Much love and hugs to you, Gail

Jessica Jarrell said...

Fall is finally here too. Yesterday it was even a little chilly! I have family members that drive from Kentucky to Florida in one day so they don't have to get a hotel for one night. They drive for 16-17 straight hours! I think they are crazy, I could never do that. I love your window looking into the secret garden, what a pretty view! My butterfly bushes have gotten so tall I can see them in the windowsill now, it makes me deliriously happy.

Hope you are having a good week FlowerLady! 😀