Kitchen or Living Room...Not

Still working on the kitchen and the fireplace wall.  Not quite ready to show them off just yet.  The kitchen has been being held up by little strips of counter top material waiting to be installed as part of the back splash and edging for the front.  These stupid little strips have been on my counters being moved from here to there and back again for about 2 months.  Ugh! 

Just thought you might like to take a look at some other things I've been doing.  I revamped my closet.  Originally in  the closet  I installed the hanging portion for my stuff with just one rod that wrapped the corner.  The before.

I think I liked the thought of a corner wrap and did not actually think about the reality of a corner wrap in a long, narrow closet.  With the original installation the closet was left with a narrow little corridor between the clothes and the wall.  Then to make that corridor and the whole closet seem even narrower I had used 16 inch wide shelves down to about shoulder high and spaced all the shelves too far apart.  Another before.

This made the whole closet not really big enough to use as a walk in.  It was just big enough to become the black hole that sucked things in.  To be lost forever.  Or until I took the time to sort through it and put things away.  Which was not easy since you couldn't really walk into the closet to put things away.  It had become a huge source of irritation for me.  So last week I took the corner wrap out and installed a high rod and a low rod at the end of the closet.   The after.

I also moved the 16" wide shelves up higher, installed more 12" shelving spacing them all closer together.  I ended up with about 2 more feet of hanging room and way more shelving.  I extended all the original shelves about 18 inches and added one more shelf.  Another after.

The best part is that it opened the closet up to really walk into.  That space is about 2 feet wide.  Not huge by any means, but very useable now.

AND while I had the closet empty, I painted the plywood subflooring.

 

Red.  Then I faux planked it using a Sharpee permanent marker.  Wouldn't Mother love it.......Auntie Faye would too!  The color came out much brighter in the photos.  It is really a deep crimsony red.  The color of an American Beauty rose.  I love it!

All that rearranging left me with such a nice bonus.  An easy to get to blank wall next to the door.  So I got to do this.

A place for all my girlie stuff that used to clutter up the bathroom.  LOVE!  Thank you Pinterest.

Bracelets and earrings.

 Two of my favorite pieces.

Rae gave me the onyx and silver Mother and Daughter pendant when she was in high school.  It's probably my most worn piece.  My two oldest Grandgirlies gave me the other for Christmas one year.  it makes my heart melt.

More fun girlie stuff.

A little shelf  I made from a 1x4 and steel mesh for little upcycled cans.

The cans hold all the little things that don't hang well.  Like hoops, posts, rings and pins.  I prettied the cans with modpodge and scrapbook paper.

Most of my scarves are now on a towel rack from Ikea.

Isn't it awesome!

Since we are talking about girlie stuff, I want to show you my hair.

I am letting the silver sparkle. Shimmery strands of light, dancing through a somewhat mousy head of hair. I am letting them grow, and I like them.  ~ R. Catherine Smith.

I have not been to a beauty shop/salon since December, 2011.  The last time I went was in Texas when I was there for a sibling reunion. I loved the reunion but hated the haircut.  It made me realize that I dislike the places intensely and had not received a good haircut in about 10 years.  So I vowed to never step foot in one again.  And so far I haven't.   I have ended up with what I am choosing to call Sparkly Hair.

Or maybe I should call it Glitter Hair.

Either or.  The above photos of my hair are courtesy of my son.  Who inherited my hair.  Only his is much prettier.  Or it was.  I cut it all off for him and almost cried. 

J's hair in March of this year. Tamed a bit from being tied down.  Right after this shot  I buzzed him.

About the photos, I have discovered PicMonkey  and having been having fun.  So you will be subjected to my fun.  Which leads me to this.  The following blurry thing is what you get when you try to use two mirrors and a camera held backwards to take a photo of the back of your head.

If anyone wonders.  No, my hair is not this curly.  It is naturally wavy, which I fought for years.  Not anymore.  This is what happens when you wash your hair before you go to bed and twist it up in a clip.  And leave it for two days.  See the little ends of curls sticking up from the top of my head.  That is what happens to bangs that have also been twisted up in a clip for 2 days. Not so great from the front.

As much as I like it, I know one thing for certain.  Mother would hate it.  Right K?

Edited to add:  I am not normally a person that would put photos of her hair out on public display.  Especially photos that have had sparkles and halo like frames added to them.  I did this to make my sister laugh. And it worked.  For some reason blogger is not letting her comment on my posts so I am adding her comments to this post from FB so they will explain why I used these photos. 

comment #1 from K.--  I will have to comment later cuz right now I am laughing so hard I have to run!

I think any female having been through childbirth understands why she had to run.

Comment #2  from K. -- Ok - so I guess I need to explain the laughter to everyone but you. I could just hear our mother saying "Kathryn Ruth - women over 40 SHOULD NOT wear their hair long!" And of course her hand would be on her hip. Then she would turn to me and say I don't remember you being a blond! Love the closet, but especially love love love the red floor! I think you should do the whole house like that. Your jewelry organization is really cool and pretty! I really need you to come here, I have two projects I want help with but just can't seem to get motivated. Keep up the posts - they make my day! Love you!

And K your laughter made my day.