"Small" changes

For the last two weeks I've been working on some projects in the house that are not particularly exciting, and that didn't provide any very interesting pics to share.

I finished painting the very last (!😄!) sections of dark molding in the house (deglossing first, then five coats of white paint): inside a closet, part of the entrance hall and a bathroom window.  I told you; exciting!

I also brought some furniture out of the garage - some sanded-but-yet-unpainted-shelves, a daybed that still needs to be put together, and a cabinet that's waiting to be cleaned and filled with games.  No photos there, either (yet!).

I finished painting the bathroom walls, but still need to caulk the molding, touch up paint the molding, clean the vanity hardware, reinstall the vanity cabinet doors and work on a little wall paint project I've got in mind.  So no pics there either (yet!).

So, since none of those efforts are ready for their close ups, I thought I'd share a few "small" changes of late.  (The "small" is in quotation marks because, while these may appear to be small changes to others, they were BIG in their psychological impact on me!  Sometimes when you're working on what feels like an endless project - and it's hard to see progress - the little changes mean a lot.  They are what keep you going through all the tasks that lack obvious payoffs.)

Anyway, here goes:

Small change #1:

Here is my husband's former "office."

When we first moved in, he needed a desk so he could work from home while here.  He borrowed this kitchen table from the garage (we found the desk chair at an estate sale) and made this bedroom a workspace, surrounded by house project boxes (of course).

Here is his new "office."

Once the foster kids went home and I painted the room they stayed in, I put this marble table (found on craigslist) in the corner to become the new "office" or workspace for any future guests who rent the place and need a comfortable spot to work.

I'm a huge fan of marble tops - because of their elegance and ability to withstand hot laptops/hot coffee cups/cold water glasses, etc. - so I bought this table that was not designed to be a desk.

(I also liked that it took up a little less real estate than most desks.  Most people working on a laptop don't need an enormous desk.)

Since the table wasn't intended to function as a desk, I ordered some clear risers to put under the legs to give it a little more height.

This is the clean, elegant look I was hoping for.  And practical, too!

Small change #2:

Curtains!

This window molding went from having dark stain to white paint, and I found the perfect curtains at WalMart.  They are floral and cheerful and just what I wanted.

I 💗 these little colored glass swans I found at a thrift store.

(They are perfect 1970's colors too!)

The kitchen window sill (sadly) isn't deep enough for plants, but my little swans fit perfectly.

It's the little details that make a house feel like a home.

The dining area got new WalMart curtains too, and it's closer to looking finished.

WalMart just happened to have curtains (well, a valance) in exactly the colors and style I was looking for.  (And of course at the right price.)  When does that ever happen?

Since I want to celebrate the vintage style of this 1970's house, I've tried to collect some vintage things to style it with.

I found this wonderful "Bible" at Goodwill and it was perfect - there will be a lot of scriptures on the walls of this house!

I just stuck this on the wall temporarily (on a nail that was already there), but I think it's going to stay here.  What perfect verses for these crazy times.

So a few "small" changes; but they filled me with hope that more and bigger are just around the corner!

And of course my husband and son rolled into town last weekend and made numerous trips through the kitchen without noticing anything had changed.  When I finally asked if they noticed anything new, they both looked around the room(s) puzzled.

"Curtains?"  My husband tentatively ventured.

*Sigh.*

Well, maybe it was more important for me than for them, and that's ok.  As my son observed, "There is a lot of stuff everywhere Mom.  It's kind of hard to notice in this mess."  He had a point.

All of these boxes of stuff will soon be organized.  The big changes are on their way!