Retro Bedroom Makeover

It has been busy around here lately. Lots of projects started, finished,or abandoned till next year, you all know how it goes! Two big projects have been finished, our roof and our bedroom. Brent has been working on a new roof for the past couple of summers. He did a great job and I could share some pictures but it is a grey asphalt tile roof. Not too exciting. He did a major section every summer. We all used to tease him he had a bar fridge, a couch and a flat screen TV up there as he seemed to spend a lot of time up there banging and crashing around. But it is done now and the Leahey Lounge is officially closed! Yay Brent!!

We have finally finished redoing our bedroom. This is an epic event around here. It has been a long term project, not weeks or months, we are talking a few years. Every time we would chose a paint colour or a floor sample, like clockwork, the phone would ring. We have spent more than the last decade care giving for all the elders and dealing with some other serious health issues in our own family. That phone would ring at an odd time, we'd both look at each other and think whose turn is it now?  Time passes and all our parents have ....left this vale of tears, our four aged kitties are gone too and things are on a more even keel here. If that is ever possible!

I should have taken a before picture, but I never thought to. Trust me, it wasn't looking so good! We knew the carpet was toast and we wanted a new paint colour for the walls. Picking paint is hard, at least I find it hard. You look at the chip, look at it on your wall, watch the light change on the chip, pick up another chip and on and on it goes. I know you can buy paint in small amounts and paint test patches but that would be too easy and less stressful for me. I love the colour we chose, it's a Benjamin Moore paint called Mayonnaise. It is considered a shaded white, it has a bit of yellow in it and when the sun hits it the room really lights up. It is a warm, cheerful colour, but not too yellowy.

Brent laid a lovely wood floor.

We have some old mid century modern furniture. It was originally my parents, but we have had it since the eighties! I have always wanted to paint it but for some unknown reason painting wood is an utter travesty in the male mind. Finally, finally, finally, someone agreed he would give it a try, and he loves it!

notice uncluttered corner

We painted the furniture white, it seems all the paints available now are a primer/ paint blend. I am not sold on these paints. I find their finish is softer and marks more easily. I guess that's why some people will put a few layers of Varathane or a suitable sealer on as a finishing coat. This is not a high traffic area so it will be just fine.

We did buy new baseboards and new closet doors. I love the new closet door handles and light fixture.

I love my satellite mirror.

 We reused and re purposed what we could and the rest we purchased at sales at home and hardware stores.

I will admit I am a clutterbug and we are both a pair of junk-a -toonies! However, we both love this clean uncluttered space and we have both promised to ourselves not to mess it up. So far so good. Hopefully we can adopt this frame of mind to the rest of the house!! Okay, everyone, you can all wake up now I am done talking about my bedroom!!

We travelled down to Victoria recently to spend Thanksgiving with our daughter. I cooked a turkey before we left and although it seemed like a total pain in the butt at the time, it was a good idea. I like to cook and my family knows it. No one seems to assume cooking duties as soon as I hit the door. Dang! Unfortunately the day after we arrived our daughter got nailed by a nasty flu which then morphed into both a sinus and chest infection. Ick!! Then Brent got sick. Double Ick!! Archie had a routine visit to the Vet's for a kennel cough booster and we discovered he had fleas!! Triple Ick!! Our visit was extended several days and there was much sneezing, coughing, moaning and scratching in a very small 500 sq. ft apartment. Priceless!! I made a lot of soup for the sickies. This is one of my favs.

This is a Curried Butternut Squash Soup. I use lots of curry powder and freshly grated ginger in this recipe. Sometimes I get a little too enthusiastic with my spices ( for some), a dollop (yes a dollop) of sour cream really cools it down and it tastes great. Everyone is on the mend now and we are home again. Archie, sans fleas, came back with us too.

Have a great week friends

Keep smiling!

Chris

Ross Bay