My husband was under the weather (and blankets) for two weeks but, in between his moroseness, found the umph to check off (unbeknownst to him) some of the to-dos on the list. I keep it conveniently (for me) half-obscured by a couple of clippings of beautiful

table settings 🍽️ (dreams of mine)

The big to-do — because he ‘indiscriminately’ and without announcement dismantled, wait: took off, no: ripped off — the crown molding in the dining room and left the room ‘as is’ aka in shambles* back in October. You read correctly. He told me this past Saturday & Sunday, as we began working on the walls, that it might take a month to complete the project.

that is not so, but i said nada

Presume it was bait. After three days of doing ‘the worst’ — which included taking down a massive (yup) mirror (this is the dining room, mind you) and cutting it in half ✂︎, and fixing / plugging, sanding, etc., the walls and ceiling to make them muá (that’s a kiss in Spanish). I can manage the rest … not that he’ll ‘let’ me. And I’m ok with that. =) A friend once told me that she

gets tools and stuff to start

a project just because it’ll get her husband to do it — asking just doesn’t cut it. I may not remember that kernel of wisdom all the time, but sometimes yes. Anywho: dizzy yet? I have so many ideas for the walls and everything in there! Too much, really, but the kitchen space is a tad small for us. I mean, the kitchen isn’t small, but the layout and storage space =/. Changing it would require my husband to listen and visualize, let alone agree to the change.

can’t sneak it inº

so on to color, placement, organization = time

i so like that!

Oh, to boot, on Saturday, he also sanded our dining room teak table because garden vegetables (correct again, back in September / October) rotted in a basket on the table while we were away. Yuck! It was disgusting: the smell, the ooziness on the table and floor … ugh.

now (well, soon)

we’ll have to figure out the best way to finish the table properly. It does look gorgeous, pure and natural, though. Any — back again. I’d like to transform the space into an undining dining room or a pantry dining room. The first seems more appropriate. Learned the term this weekend on a Pinterest rabbit-hole journey.

Not counting—untrue, I most certainly am—how many days the project will take. Monday was a no-show; today will make 4. Then we’ll be with the grandkids through the weekend, so no work until next week. Bet it’ll take less than 7 days.

but keeping it to myself =)

We went to the paint store yesterday, brought home color brochures and samples, and I chose the colors in less than 10 minutes since I’ve had an idea in my mind for a while. All the chips are still stuck on the wall, so I can double-check / confirm them today.

• 🍽️ What I call culinary aesthetics on Pinterest

• * In Shambles is a chapter in Mine To Give: the start of the 2^nd part of the book—where the downhill slope begins

• ✂︎ My idea after our daughter-in-law’s suggestion (will offer her the other ½) that the mirror could be used on the floor against a wall while exercising (to view the body for proper alignment) when I mentioned taking it down last Thanksgiving because I want to revamp the room and get rid of the thing and perhaps replace it with a nice, narrower mirror and a floating shelf (have always wanted them).

• º Just like I can’t (or maybe I could?) sneak in a rack with a marble top I saw and ❣️. One never knows. Sometimes it takes him weeks (or neva’) to notice something. Even a newly painted wall. For. Real.

✂︎ what a run-on sentence! but i’ve got to go and cross off my own to-dos. chao.