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Category: Around the House

Transforming a 56-Year-Old Bathroom: Renovation Tips

Transforming a 56-Year-Old Bathroom: Renovation Tips

  After 56 years we have renovated our guest bath. We removed the flowered wall paper that had been up for 42 years and ripped the speckled oatmeal tile from the walls. This project took a month but is well worth it. We closed the window so the tile pattern can shine through. Replacing the vanity and toilet refreshed the space considerably. The box the toilet came in boasted you could flush ten golf balls in one flush. I don’t…

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The Ripple Effect of Room Renovations

The Ripple Effect of Room Renovations

When you do a rehab in one room it makes another one look shop-worn. That’s what happened when we did a redo to the guest bath. Suddenly, the carpet looked dingy in the hall and family room. So what do you do? Move all the furniture into the dining room to make room for the carpet cleaners. Hopefully, they will show up when they are scheduled and then we can shove all the stuff back into its proper place. If…

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Handmade Baby Blanket and Hat for Great-Grandbaby #8

Handmade Baby Blanket and Hat for Great-Grandbaby #8

Our family tree is expecting a new branch to emerge soon so I made a blanket and hat for the new arrival. Hopefully, she will appear in April. This makes great-grandbaby # 8! How did I get to live so long to see my children’s children’s children!

DIY Floor Protectors: Custom Socks and Shoes

DIY Floor Protectors: Custom Socks and Shoes

Even though I put protective pads to protect my hardwood floor in the kitchen, they still scratched the floor. Last week I saw a version of these socks and shoes at a friend’s house. I came home and designed some of my own.  Now, the chairs slide easily across the floor without scratches on the felt souls of the shoes held steady by the knitted socks.

Renovating a 56-Year-Old Bathroom

Renovating a 56-Year-Old Bathroom

We’re redoing a bathroom that hasn’t been renovated for 56 years. The day after we pulled the vanity and toilet, we got 11″ of snow. Now in order to remove the well-used items from the front yard, we have to dig it out of snow.  Hopefully, the neighbors don’t think this is our new yard art!

Complete Bathroom Renovation: Behind the Scenes

Complete Bathroom Renovation: Behind the Scenes

After 56 years our guest bath is getting a complete make-over! Hopefully, soon I’ll be able to show you the finished project. All my eldest daughter, Jennifer, needed to hear was, “I’m thinking about a bathroom redo,” at Christmas. Within two days we were off to the races. She engaged the tile guy and a painter. Then we shopped for tile. Eldest son, Trey, pulled the toilet; youngest son, Josh pulled the vanity and took off the tile and wallpaper….

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Reading the New Living Testament Aloud: My 2024 Journey

Reading the New Living Testament Aloud: My 2024 Journey

Last year I shared I would try to read this New Living Testament Study Bible aloud which is 2377 pages in a year. Here is that challenge. In mid-November 2024 I finished that goal. I didn’t read all the footnotes aloud, but I did manage the rest. It was a great discipline to read seven pages a day–every day. In 2025 I’ll read through The Passion Translation which is 1021 pages of only the New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs. I…

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The Growing Tradition of Christmas Stockings

The Growing Tradition of Christmas Stockings

We’ve added only one new stocking this year. Sixty-two years ago our mantle held only two stockings. Now, we have 35 with another one on the way. This is what happens when you have four kids who had 14 kids who have, at present, seven more. The more the merrier!  I think they’ll all be here for Christmas to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Glory to God in the highest and peace to men of good will.  

Turkey Day 24

Turkey Day 24

After everyone went home from Thanksgiving dinner, I checked the refrigerator to have an evening snack and call it good. This is what I found under the aluminum foil in the turkey plate. I guess the 30 people liked the turkey, brisket, and all the fixins’. I was a little nervous because this year I brined the turkey–something I had never attempted before in all my 50+-some years of hosting Thanksgiving. Now, on to Christmas with even more guests!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Winter weather is just around the corner. I hear whispers of, “Broccoli Cheese Soup” in my brain and belly. Here’s a recipe I found online the other day. I think I’ll try it. Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Servings: 8Ingredients Original recipe yields 8 servings 1 tablespoon butter ½ onion, chopped ¼ cup melted butter ¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 2 cups chicken stock 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced 2 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese salt and ground black pepper to taste Directions Gather all…

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