Fall is here and changing my landscape everyday!At the dentist for a root canal. You can see I’m not very excited about this. However, I made it out to be much worse than it actually was and I feel so much better after the procedure.First snow of the season. I got about 4 inches overnight. Only 2 ladies showed up for water aerobics the next morning, and I’m glad to have been one of the ladies who made it on a snowy day in the city!One of the rentals had people arriving the same day. I think they appreciate having a fresh layer of snow when visiting Colorado in the fall.Mom came to stay for a week to celebrate her 75th birthday this November. I picked her up mid-day! Mom and I made some changes to the patio for the winter, trying to maximize the sun throughout the season.A different seating pattern for the season. Hopefully, I can use this space all winter, in the warmest part of the day. Mom in the background, enjoying a break on the patio in the afternoon.This tree drops leaves all over the patio roof and they slowly drift down to the ground with a breeze.So vibrant and lovely at 75!We had a tea reservation at The Brown Palace. Kasey and Nikki joined us to celebrate her birthday. Gorgeous girl!And Mom’s dear friend, Diane surprised her by showing up. They had not seen each other for 20 years and both turn 75 this November. Super special!We enjoyed tea, finger sandwiches and pastries in the beautiful historic hotel atrium.A couple days later, Mike’s family met us at Il Fornio restaurant for a birthday dinner.Awesome food and a wonderful family gathering!Mom with Lauren. Beautiful ladies!Mom and I worked in the yard and cut back the foliage. I hate to see it all disappear, but I know after the next 6 months, we’ll be ready to see new Green reappear in the spring!One afternoon, Micheal came over for lunch. We made Panini with salad and sat on the back patio, talking and laughing!Mom flew home after a lovely week in Englewood and I wentlooking for a new project. I found these 2 nightstands for $10 each. I’ll refinish them and give them new life!This simple little $10 stool will also get a makeover and feel sexy again!My friend suggested a new Fur cover and she’s right!It was late afternoon when I got this home, but I managed to strip the hardware off and clean both tables with TSP before applying a layer of sanding sealer. Make sure you use gloves with this product! It’s not meant for skin. Prep is really the biggest part of these projects. I’ve set up a work space in the yard for my projects.TSP works great as a heavy duty cleaner. Use gloves with TSP! It strips off any grime and creates a great surface for paint. I love that it prevents me from having to strip the finish off a piece before painting!After cleaning, I apply a light layer of sanding sealer to make the surface more smooth and consistent before paint.My sister gave me this card and I think it’s inspiring and beautiful!Now, I’m sharing it with you!
Late Fall of 2000, I bought my first house in Gunnison, CO. Palisades rock formation in the far right background.More of a farmhouse cabin, really. It had Yellow painted log siding, cinder block and brick exterior base walls, screened in porch, mud room, 3 bed 1 bath.Dreary looking when I first got my hands on it. But it had some good potential and I was aching to fix it up!The house sat on 2 lots, giving me some out buildings, stables and corral, a detached garage, a large garden area and tons of extra space. Corral and stables beyond the yard.The detached garage had a couple small windows, which I later enlarged and turned the garage into a studio. I rented out all the rooms in the house and moved myself into the studio. Next door is a historic old school house.The interior had Oak floors. My 2 cats Dutch (Tabby) and Camille (calico), were given to me by Susie as a house warming gift. Pine tongue and groove paneling throughout, a wood burning fireplace.Original built in cabinets. The ceiling was some kind of paneling without the standard aluminum grid. Living area near the front door. Largest bedroom The kitchen and bathroom were outdated, so my then-boyfriend, Kurt helped me do a very basic remodel on a very limited budget. Apparently, I had enough wine corks to do a back splash behind the original farmhouse sink.I tiled the counter top, painted over the residual adhesive on the bottom half of the back splash, added some shelves, painted the original cabinets and added Black hardware to make this old kitchen feel brighter and cleaner. Super rustic and super inexpensive to do! I painted the foundation rustic Red, added a rooster weather vane, took down old metal fencing around the house, cut down weeds and took the screen off the porch to open it up.1 year after moving in, I got a new puppy, Foxy Girl. My roommate got one of Foxy’s sister’s at the same time and named her Mariposa. This is THAT day and we are both so happy!Spring time in Gunnison is potentially more exciting than in other places. When you live in an area that gets as cold as 30 below zero and snows crazy amounts that sticks around until June, a reprieve is so very welcome! The city turns on a water ditch that flow through the town, but until it’s turned on late May or June, we hand water. Green begins to show up. This deck was already there and gets used through out the whole year.Mature trees and gardens appear. A simple sitting area against the house, protected from wind and out of view from the street. Colorado summers are the best! I set up some seating spots in the yard for entertaining friends when they stop by.Beautiful old Aspen tree with flowers in the garden below. With the city ditch turned on, Poppies bloom in a cluster. I also added some trees for privacy and shade. The rock to the right of the pic is a piece of petrified wood. Foxy Girl enjoying the beautiful summer day on the grassAfter taking the screen off the upper part of the porch, its seems breezy and welcoming. A perfect place to park your bicycle. A Progressive Bicycle Party, ending at my house. All my girlfriends gathered to celebrate another summer in Colorado!
Smart Girl Ideas 