What a tricky month October was. So much visual beauty everywhere and yet my own little world was looking quite messy from the outside. No perfectly staged rooms over here, at least not yet. Funny, how it seems like just yesterday when I was swaddled in the comforting warmth of sameness and carrying on like always.
Who would’ve guessed that my favorite month of the year, the one that’s filled with so many of my annual Fall and Halloween traditions would be so different this year?
I’ve been doing a lot of letting go lately and I think I’m getting better at it. Although yesterday Mr. M called me out to the garage and motioned to all the bins of stuff out there and said,
“Come on Les, how many Christmas decorations do we really need?”
And I asked him if that was a rhetorical question..
Apparently it was not.
Although, seriously. Could that be considered a trick question?
(ok… maybe letting go of the tangible stuff is a bit harder than I thought. Any tips out there from practiced movers on shedding one’s stuff?)
This October instead of adding pretty autumn touches to my rooms or planning a Halloween dinner party I’ve been busy dismantling our home room by room. Emptying our closets, labeling boxes and painting doors and walls and anything else that needs it. And by the way, I can’t thank you enough for all your positive, uplifting comments about our move. It really does help.
It’s hard to believe the month is over but here’s what I remember …
Bill the Handyman worked around our house long enough for Stella to approve of him (German Shepherds are very picky).
Patrick and Michael both came home from school for two whirlwind weekends—although different ones.
Patrick had a work project to show his Dad.
And Michael left sunny Southern Cal to come home for a prom.
Unfortunately when Michael came home I had a terrible cold and had to stay away from him so no pre-prom photos this time, but I did snap this blurry picture on his way out.
In the meantime I’ve been a crazy woman with the paint brush. After Bill sprayed this room I’ve been doing the touch ups.
Dark chocolate master bath- BEFORE
AFTER- with creamy white walls
(a much safer color)
Old storage cabinet for the Master bathroom;
BEFORE
AFTER
ASCP-1/2 Old white 1/2 pure white
(I’m still finishing it)
Shopping for a few accessories to stage our home:
A new mirror from Home Goods for this wall.
Fixing my painting mistake in Michael’s bedroom:
Years ago I had done a Ralph Lauren denim paint treatment in here but now it’s scuffed up in places… so I went through my old cans of paint and was delighted to find the original paint color we used on the wall above the chair rail.
How easy would that be? I would only have to paint the bottom half of the room… right?
Wrong.
After I painted the bottom I started touching up the upper part of the walls only to discover after it dried that it was a different shade of paint. Very close, but the wrong color.
So yes, add this room to my list of paint jobs.
And lucky for me that I have such a sweet Dad because this room has the high ceilings. And while I was painting in the Master one morning I heard him come down the hall carrying his drop cloths and paint brushes. Before I knew it he had finished all the high spots for me and even painted the closet!
My Dad is amazing, at 72 years old he still runs circles around me with his energy. But we’re a good team.
Afterwards I made him some home made chicken tortilla soup and peanut butter cookies.
There’s still lots I haven’t shown you but the painting is starting to wind down. Although I’m still not sure about the end of the island where I painted my chalk art.
My gut tells me I need to re-paint it before we list the house. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
What’s your opinion?
xoxo
Leslie
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