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Shutters and Some Board & Batten

My oh my, where does the time go?   Summer hits and the weeks fly by.  With three kids home from school each day, my energies are more diversified than usual.  It always takes me several days to adjust to three faces (sometimes four, if you count Mr. Wonderful) finding me around noon and wanting to know what’s for lunch.  Cooking in the middle of the day is very hard for me, primarily due to the fact that I’m usually in the middle of a cleaning or painting project and just….can’t….afford….to stop!

I do love having everyone around though.  All three kids played Parcheesi sprawled on the living room floor this afternoon while it rained outside, Reo Speedwagon’s “I Don’t Want to Lose You”  playing in the background.  Great family time.

I served leftover mac n’ cheese for lunch.  Teehee for me 🙂

Okay, so about home projects.  Upon our return from a family vacation in Idaho, the exterior shutters we ordered were in at Lowe’s.  Of course, we wasted no time hanging them.

Er…..I mean…..Mr. Wonderful wasted no time hanging them, almost killing himself doing so—quite literally.  Just look at this Redneck Getup:

You should’ve seen the ladder balanced in the extended backhoe bucket, enabling him to reach the tall windows on the front of the house. Even he was scared and he kept telling me, “People die doing home projects like this.”  And he’s right!
But the house looks better now, don’t you think?
Not quite so tall and commercial:
We’ve also had some fun with a Board & Batten treatment in our second son’s bedroom.  This was a first for us, and it was actually quite a bit of work, but we’re so thrilled with how things are turning out I’m already wondering, ‘What amazing architectural detail can I add elsewhere?’
Once again I’m reminded that with architectural detail, a room doesn’t need much else:

This room originally had ink blue walls with black sponge-treatment on top.  The original owner told me her teenage son wanted black walls, but she refused. The blue/black wall treatment was their compromise.  I used Valspar’s Carnelian, a wonderful orange with just enough brown to keep it from looking garish.  I probably should have done three coats, but I stopped at two:

Two eager beaver painters helped me paint the brown wall, and they were actually quite good:

Last night we moved Mr. Wonderful’s and my old queen bed frame in.

Five years ago our son asked if he could have this bed someday if we ever upgraded to a king.

Well, he never forgot his request, and last month we did, indeed, upgrade to a king.  I still love the old bed frame (isn’t it beautiful?) and plan to keep it around for a long time.

Today I was finishing up a few details, like painting this metal nightstand I found last week at a garage sale for $5.  I love how masculine it looks.

I also hung a few hooks.  You can never have too many hooks.

We still need to do some accessorizing to make the space cozy, but we’re almost finished.  Isaac slept in his new bedroom last night and could not be happier.  I think the look on his face above adequately captures the delight he’s feeling about his new room.
Precious moment: As I was screwing in the last hook above, he was bouncing around behind me anticipating the moment he could hang all his hats.  Suddenly, from behind, he wrapped his arms around my waist and breathlessly stated, “I love you, Mom!”
And I love you, too, dear boy.  More than you will ever know.
Blessings,
Jaimee

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shelli Belly says

    It's a good thing Mr. Wonderful has spent a time or two on ladders. That picture cracks me up.

    I'm so glad Isaac gets the bed that he use to get stuck in. How old was he? I still remember him peacefully calling for help as his little body was squished between the mattress and the foot of the bed. How dear was it when we ran upstairs all we could see was the top of his head? Then as only as our laughter boy could do 5 minutes latter he was stuck again.

    The shutters soften the house. I love them!

  2. Jody says

    Hooray for your return to blogging! I have missed you, sister!
    1. The shutters add so much to the appearance of the house. Great choice!
    2. Perhaps Greg could write a “what not to do” post for your blog. That ladder setup looks positively treacherous. But one look at that photo and I could already hear Greg's cautious yet humorous voice as he balanced on the ladder. Who else does that remind me of? Oh right, our dad! 🙂
    3. Oh Isaac, you are such a precious boy! I love how excited he is for his room – and rightly so.

  3. the occasional pat says

    I so enjoyed reading this, reminded me of our daughters (3 of them) when they were around that age and the pleasure they showed when getting their very own space. I think I may have had a panic attack is my other half had attempted the ladder set up, having said that he would never have done it as he has a fear of heights! Love the shutters, everyone in France has shutters of one sort or another unlike the UK where they are rare.

  4. Anonymous says

    The shutters really improved the house. The length of the structure is more balanced now. Your eyes will immediately fall to the window shades, which is a great decision by the way. The interior of the house looks good. I love the contrast and the colors you chose. It is definitely bright and warm inside your house.

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