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So Saturday I got home from my sewing guild meeting to find JB in the basement laying the new floor. What? Umm, the floor isn't suppose to go in until next Spring - we talked about that - we agreed, I wasn't prepared. I had sewing to do! 
that's the carpet color - blush. To me it looks very apricot - there is a fair amount of orange going on, but not too much.
We had the carpet installed with the bull nosing method where the carpet follows the framework of the stairs. Can you see how the top edge of the stair that sticks out farther than the riser?
I wasn't sure I was going to like this installation method and truthfully - I've been hyperventilating since we ordered the carpet that it would be too orange and look horrible, but I like it.
It's a very low pile textured carpet.
Both sets of stairwells - upstairs and down from the main level of the house were carpeted in the same color.
Both stairwell have a fresh coat of paint. The upstairs (first photo) is painted heavy cream with the back walls on each landing painted cafe au lait. These are the same colors that are in my kitchen so it works.
The downstairs have been painted the same green as my kitchen - but JB "brightened" the color by adding some of the heavy cream.
As you can see we are also getting new trim throughout the house. The floor molding is substantially bigger and has a bit of detail. It's going to be nice when its finished. Now if we could just pull the trigger and order the cork flooring already.
Up the stairs that is. In the remodel department.
The next major home improvement is new carpeting on the stairs and landing and flooring upstairs in the bed and bath rooms.
I have decided upon the bedroom flooring but so far JB is not in agreement. Rather sad because I chose the carpet color based on the flooring.
They are installing the carpet next week while JB is still off work. Because of the way the carpet was installed and how the new carpet will be installed he wanted the old carpet out first so he had time to paint prior to the install. Yesterday was prep work, today is painting.
There is a fun little set of holiday questions going around the blog world and since I haven't done much sewing - I felt like playing along.
Have you started your shopping? Yes. I tend to be one of those really annoying people who do a lot of my crafty stuff really early - like January. Then I try to shop all year - when I see something I know somebody will like I pick it up. The problem I have these days is that I can't remember what safe place I put the gifts in.
What is one of your special traditions? Every year on Thanksgiving we start a jigsaw puzzle. It's a family affair and everyone who's at the house has to help. The only condition is that the puzzle have Santa in it somewhere.
Are you a Black Friday shopper? No! I've gone maybe once or twice. But really I hate crowds and I'm just not that into it.
When do you put up your tree? Since we starting having a "live" tree about 5 years ago, we purchase our tree early in December, but it stays outside with lights until around the 23rd.
What is your favorite Christmas movie? I love "It's a Wonderful Life" and make my family watch it on Christmas Eve every year. I also really enjoy all three of The Santa Clause movies.
Do you like Christmas baking? What is your favorite? I don't bake. I cook, but I do not bake. JB is the baker in our house. He's good - but he doesn't do Christmas baking. I will occasionally make a whack of mini loafs of quick breads, but that's about it. 
As others I've seen answering these questions - I've put in photos of some of my favorite Christmas decorations. The little snow puppy over there? It's an old starbucks ornament. I love it. There's a snow man walking his snow puppy. I had to move it away from bloodhound lips because Lucy thought it was new dog toy I put out for her. Isn't the dog eating a puppy a form of cannibalism?
The red pot. The one that was used for the tutorial on how to build your own beautiful umbrella stand. It was for my new clothesline! yep! I love it. I have wanted one for awhile - finally, I couldn't stand it any longer and went on an all out hunt to find one. It's had 2 loads of laundry on it already. i love air dried clothes - I'm pretty sure there isn't much of anything better - plus look how great it is for showing off finished sewing projects.
Hey Miss D - I had a photo shoot in my mind just for you, but JB 
wouldn't cooperate. High heels, skirt, apron and pegging out the laundry. I'm sure you can imagine it.
So - that quilt hanging on my line right now? Well I made that top during The Princess' senior year in high school. And then she decided she didn't like sunflowers any more. A week or so ago - she yelled at me and got really mad because both The Musical One and Miss L have quilts that I made and she doesn't. So, I offered to attempt to finish this one up before she drives to Connecticut at the end of this month. But of course, she can't decide if she likes it and would actually use it - so here it is kiddo. Let me know so I have time to layer and quilt it :)
okay - so here's the pot i showed you yesterday. it's it pretty sitting there on my dirty deck? guess i should clean the deck off, huh? Anyway - later this week sometime, i'll tell you what it's holding with that pretty little metal stake.
here's the pot that started it all. it's there -- under out patio table. the girls bought me the table and chairs for mother's day one year and they bought JB the pot, a bag of concrete and the umbrella the same year. those girls of mine are pretty clever.
here's a close up of it under our table. one thing to consider when you pick a pot - is will it fit under your table? that's important if the pot will be holding the umbrella that you use to provice shade while at your table.
another use for a concrete filled pot with a tube? a bird bath. in this case the pot was built as detailed yesterday. using a smaller diameter piece of PVC pipe. then, JB put a larger diameter piece of PVC on the smaller piece. the bird bath portion is a fairly shallow plastic serving platter which he attached a PVC coupler to the bottom of with plastic glue of some sort. the coupler fits into the pipe, the platter is filled with water and we have happy splashing birds.
if you build a stand - i would love to see how you use it.
So you spent the first part of the summer refinishing the deck and picking out the perfect patio furniture. Or you spray painted and refinished all your outdoor furniture. Whatever, you don't want one of those boring old white, water filled umbrella stands. They just don't cut it.
So you need any pot that floats your boat. Should be a ceramic pot though and not plastic. You will also need concrete, water, a
piece of pvc pipe, duct tape, and felt or furniture sliders.
DO NOT MIX the concrete at home with your hands. It's not good for you nor is it advised. In fact, you might actually want to wear a mask while dealing with dry concrete. You do not want to inhale the dry concrete either. 
Make sure you use that duct tape and tape the bottom of the PVC - otherwise it will fill with concrete and you won't be able to stick you umbrella in the pipe.
You can sorta see that the concrete only fills this pot about halfway. We put the furniture sliders on the bottom so it would slide around on the deck easier. We could also put dirt and plant flowers around the top since it has the drain holes.
Tomorrow - I'll show you some of the "Umbrella Stands" around our yard. Enjoy.
So - more work came in the box from Ms. Camilla. This time in the form of sewing. She carries the Amy Butler pattern line in her shop and this time she was looking for a couple of cute Tunic Mini Dresses.
I don't know what lines the fabrics are from but aren't they purdy? I especially like the aqua with the brown scrolls on it. 
do that. Well they do if you get their Renewal line - but it was essentially the same window at three times the cost. So the downstairs windows are all triple paned vinyl windows. 
Earlier this week, Sue and I were chatting. She mentioned that she wanted her significant other to build some sort of arbor to house her wind chimes. I mentioned that we have a beautiful arbor that JB built. It goes from the front yard to the upper back yard, where the ponds are.
He has a subscription to The Family Handyman and this arbor was the cover project a couple of years ago. The magazine had the schematic and all the instructions. He built the arbor in a weekend. We have added the metal sculpture to the arch.
There is a kiwi plant that grows over the arbor and in the summer the top is green! I'm not sure if you can see it, but there are benches on either side of the arbor. Unfortunately, we rarely just sit there and enjoy the view of the yard - this year.
Sue - I wasn't able to find a link for the old issue (and I don't remember which issue it was) nor could I find a link to this arbor on the website, but it's a start :)
Jessica who's been to my house asked for a picture of the deck from the pond/patio. I don't think she meant when everything was covered with snow - but that's what I've currently got - so that's what you're getting!
First photo - from the deck looking at the patio. On the left side of that photo you can see a table - that's the patio.
This photo was taken from just above the table. Looking down onto the house and deck. You can just see the outline of what we call the upper deck. Because there is a step between the two levels.
In this <----- last photo, JB was standing just under the patio. Our back yard is all levels. From this view you can see how long the deck is and how deep the snow is. Yes for Western Washington that's deep!
December 1st saw the last of the decking put down. The under structure of the deck is all treated lumber. JB sealed all cut edges so there is no cut wood exposed. The top of the deck is all cedar - it was less expensive than some type of composite decking.
JB stained the bottom, sides, and cut edges of all the boards before screwing them down to the foundation. He stopped staining the tops due to the weather, he could put the boards down in a drizzle if they were bare, but not while staining them. So that will get done in the Spring or on a good sunny Winter weekend.
The french doors were completely installed before my brother left. But not the inside trim. He did, however, help measure and cut everything before leaving.
JB painted the interior trim to match the rest of the creamy white woodwork in the house (chair rail).
Here's a close up of the inside trim he decided to us. JB is now chomping at the bit to change out the remaining mill work in the house. Since there's a good possibility we'll be installing new windows in the next year or so - I imagine it won't be long before all the trim work matches.
How about a view of the unstained french doors from the deck? I believe the doors will be painted to match the front door.
Friday night my brother and I met JB at the door store. We picked out doors and hardware and asked them to rush our job through. They nicely agreed. As soon as we got home the boys got busy taking the window out.
First the drywall was cut and removed, revealing electricity running under the window.
The dogs got into the act. They really weren't sure what the big hole in the house was.
The the remaining wall was removed. It has taken up residence on the deck.
The boys went to pick up the doors and the frame was installed.
Finally the first door went in.
The second door was hung and all the 
hardware installed (see the construction mess on the deck?).
Finally there are the doors. They still need the interior trim installed, but that's been purchased and should be done tomorrow. The brick moulding outside is already in place. Brother heads home tomorrow, but JB has Monday off so hopefully there will be more deck progress soon - it's almost done. 
