70 square feet - A guest room !

Most people have closets larger than that - I whined
A lot of people have bathrooms bigger than that - I muttered
But it was all I had to work with - so as soon as I was finished whining and muttering I went to work on
making this impossibly tiny space into a second guest room.
You can see the first one HERE ( which has at the very least 80 square feet - HUGE lol )

These 2 tiny rooms used to be one large one - the previous owners split them into 2 for their 2 daughters.
The jury is still out on whether I should have reverted back to one larger one - not sure if that has any resale impact or not...............I just have to hope a future owner will see charm in them and overlook their size.

A quick coat of black spray paint on the dresser handles to make it fit in the room's decor.

7 feet X 10 feet ( and even a little under that because the wall juts out a little in one section )
That's a little under 70 square feet for those of you that are not as highly skilled with algebra as I am

Anyway -the only way this was ever going to work was by creating a bed nook..  There was simply no other solution.
BUT - that little section of the wall that jutted out?
Well that allowed for a nook to fit a double bed perfectly - and I DO mean perfectly - 1/2 an inch larger and the whole plan would have to have been scrapped.
The bed frame was a craig's list find - and though it really wasn't my first choice - I'm so glad it was the one that ended up being available -

Since I have to look for positives wherever I can find them in this room - I WILL say that I love the fact that the " nook " has it's own window - when you're laying in the bed all you can see are the tree tops - it's quite pretty.

I took this little console table out of our bedroom and put it in here - it's narrow enough in depth not to take up desperately needed inches ( it's pretty sad when every inch - not foot - but inch - counts ) but it's a place to put a glass of water - jewellery - etc.
And again I totally lucked out - since the width of this is exactly the width of the wall which it rests against !

John says - WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH THAT?
Suzan says - It's going in the guest room
John says - HERE WE GO - EVERY TIME YOU WORK ON ONE ROOM - EVERY OTHER ROOM GETS DISMANTLED.

But what he doesn't know is this:
I'm dismantling that right our of our bedroom - because in it's place I want him to build me a faux mantel !!!
( UPDATE - you can see the fireplace and mantel HERE and HERE )
Besides it fits the hobbit's guest room better I think.

Drapes made from a duvet on the other end ( which can close off the bed completely ) finished that section off.
I also took the Parisien Armoire out of the other little guest room to bring in here LOL

I didn't dare ask John to help me with this one - so as I was struggling to get it from one room to the next I banged it into the doorway accidentally and up he hops from where he was watching t.v.

John says - What the hell?
John says - It's an insane asylum here -
John says - Can't you leave anything alone at all?
Suzan says - NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BUG ME JOHN -
Suzan says - Feel free to give me a hand if you'd like -
( as the armoire is precariously tilted to one side - ready to crush me like a bug )
John says - Would you like to bring the dining room table in here too - you might as well
I've learned to block him out - but it's really getting annoying now - he has a comment on every single thing I do - every single step of the way.

One of my daughters gave me this " dress " dummy a couple of Christmas' ago - I brought it out into the landing so I could work on her - and then I needed to drape some dark curtains so you could actually see her.
Again hawkeye appeared out of nowhere

John says - Dressing the dummy now?
John says - What's with the velvet drapes hanging off the dresser?
Suzan says - So you can see it in the photos
John says - It looks
Suzan says - OMG - LEAVE ME ALONE JOHN -
ISN'T THERE A HOCKEY GAME ON?

I just threaded gauze strips around the body - and crisscrossed a ribbon on the top

and then tucked her into a corner of the room - the " art work " is a piece of an antique chair that fell apart on me - I'm clinging to the memory of it ...................

And now I'm going to show you the most perfect artwork for this little room.
Tina from WHAT WE KEEP sent me this -
There's sort of an inside joke here - she once told me a bear got in her back yard and she had to dive into her pool to escape it - AND I BELIEVED HER
I'm not blonde for no reason you know !!!
She had this silouette made for me and I framed it - I LOVE it ( thank you so much Amigo of mine )
I'll show you what another amigo sent me later this week -

Check this out - first of all it's black and white - perfect -
And secondly, it's 2 bears living inside an acorn " nook "  ( and the bear reference was totally lost on me - blonder and blonder - she actually had to explain it to me )
Too cute for words -
It sits on the end table - along with magazines to browse through

Once it was all finished John gave his approval
John says - I have to hand it to you Suzan - you somehow always manage to pull off the impossible
He doesn't see the irony in that.
He's impossible -

TOTAL COST FOR THIS MAKEOVER 100.00 DOLLARS

BED FRAME - 80.00
WALL READING LAMPS - 8.99 EACH

Everything else were items I had on hand ( including the paint )
We won't count John and I's labor - because that would bring it up to 25,000 dollars I'm sure
Tiny rooms require a lot more resourcefulness - but anything is possible, right?
And if you HAVE to - you can fit a bed - an end table - a dresser - an armoire and a " dress " dummy
into 70 square feet -
But only if you HAVE to......................
Otherwise - if you can - I'd highly recommend at the very least - 100 square feet.

But you work with what you've got, right?

and this is how it looked when we came to see the house

You all have a wonderful Tuesday !
Much love,
Me

Looking for inspiration?
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Vanity is thy name ( or determination, whichever applies )

No words necessary ?

Well actually - yes - there are some words that are necessary ( you wouldn't expect one of my posts not to have far too many words, would you? )

As in :" I love this more than words can express "

John says - We won't get that upstairs
Suzan says - Of course we will -  we we just have to remove the mirror.............

Until that proved to be impossible - 

John says - I guess it's been glued down to the bottom piece - 

Suzan says - Why on earth would they do that?
Suzan says - Let's keep trying

All screws were removed and it wouldn't budge - not an inch -  
We've tapped it with a mallet - then with a board and hammer - as my heart sank lower and lower.

John says - I'M TELLING YOU, SOME IDIOT HAS GLUED IT DOWN - you'll destroy all the veneer trying to pull it off

I've worked on furniture long enough to imagine this could be true - very strange things were done back in the day ( as opposed to the very strange things that we do today )
But still - something told me he was wrong about this

John says - Just sell it 

Suzan says - I can't 

John says - What do you mean " you can't "  of course you can 

John says - Do your magic on it - and sell it 

Suzan says - It's not the kind of magic it needs 

Suzan says - It needs to magically come undone so that it can go upstairs

Johns ays - Well it's not going to go upstairs

Which makes me even more determined.

I mean if he'd just sympathize with me - be as broken hearted as I am - then maybe ( but just maybe ) I could let it go.

But to make me get rid of it without even a drop of remorse?

I think people have gotten divorced for less.

I could just hear the divorce lawyer now in fact

Judge - What exactly are the grounds for divorce M'am

Suzan - My vanity, your honor.

John - Her vanity, your honor

And then I'd show  it to him - and he'd grant us one immediately - not understanding how anybody could refuse me such a beautiful item.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit this but I felt all 7 deadly sins at once at the thought of it leaving my clutches

Suzan says - I've been wanting a piece like this all my life

John says - Oh come off it - you say that about every piece you do

Suzan says - I DO NOT !!!

John says - I've heard that sentence before Suzan - plenty of times

Suzan says - You're as cold as ice, you know that?

I mean it but he just laughs out loud..................

He went out a little later and I decided to attack this piece on my own -
And lo and behold I see these 2 strange things on the back

Never saw this before - and I've worked on a LOT of furntiure - had no idea even what to do with it - so I kind of hooked the flat head screwdriver into those gaps and twisted it a bit and OMG OMG OMG it started to turn and release 2 two screws that were holding it firmly in place.
The mirror is off -
The vanity can be moved upstairs.
And once again we've dodged a bullet with the divorce courts !!!

When he came back home he walked right by it - and me - in fact - sitting on the stairs looking like the Cheshire Cat

Suzan says - Well?  Can you help me carry the vanity upstairs?
John ( doing a double take ) says - How the hell did you manage that?
Suzan says - It's called " Determination " John  -  you know, that gene that Men seem to be sorely lacking unless it comes to golf ?

Want to see it one more time?

It'll be a little while before I can work on it ( although it's been primed ) because I picked up a couple of other items that I'll show you another time :)

Oh and I've been singing this song since yesterday - a little louder when John happens to walk by me but he doesn't get the connection at all lol..................

You're as cold as ice

You're willing to sacrifice our love

You never take advice

Someday you'll pay the price

I know.................

HE IS A " FOREIGNER " AFTER ALL  ( although he has claimed - he really has - that Brits are NEVER foreigner's - no matter where they live ) 

But his thinking is completely foreign to me..............just saying.

Have a wonderful day everyone

Much love,
Me

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My Romantic Home                                                     Miss Mustard Seed
Life on Lakeshore Drive

A Friday Chat about This and That

I grew up ( brace yourself for this one - it's ugly ) thinking PEE was supposed to be yellow,
Not clear !
And I can tell you, in all honesty, that I never once looked in the bowl and thought that it was too deep a shade of yellow either - I simply did what I had to do - gave a quick flush and ran out to play with my Mother yelling out in the background " I didn't hear the water running - did you wash your hands ?"
( the answer was usually no - but I survived that too )
What I mean is there was no thought process involved with going pee - and that's how it should have stayed.

Now?
I'm obsessed - and I really didn't need another obsession.
I'm constantly checking the color and fretting over the depth or degree of the shade that swirls around my toilet bowl before I send it out into the great " Pee Patch "

I actually run downstairs and grab a bottle of water if I feel it's in order -
GOT.  TO.  TONE.  THAT.  COLOR.  DOWN.

Which brings me to the next thing.
Water in a bottle.
The greatest scam since someone sold the Brooklyn bridge to a naive buyer.

I had a girlfriend whose Mother-in-law refused to drink water from the tap - said she could always taste the difference.
One afternoon while I was visiting - her MIL came in and grabbed a bottle from the fridge - gulped it down - looked at me and said " There's no denying it - bottled water tastes so much better "
I didn't have the heart to tell her that I had just watched my girlfriend refilling those water bottles an hour earlier - from the kitchen faucet.

Have you noticed there aren't any public drinking fountains any more?  Not here anyway.
That was OUR source of drinking water as kids...............we didn't have to worry about carrying bottles around with us when we went out to play - we just stood in line and awaited our turn - and then took long gulps from a PUBLIC fountain. ( sometimes shooting some out at a friend - oh the germs, how they flew )
Fountains were everywhere - parks - schools - shopping centers - bus stations - anywhere, actually, where the need to quench our thirst was required.

Now I don't go anywhere without a bottle of water in my purse.
I have a fear of feeling a little thir dehydrated while out running errands.
( is this the time to admit I can remember drinking it from a hose in the backyard as a kid too, or is that just too much information ? )

8 glasses a day.
8 glasses a day
8 glasses a day

Last week my Son came by and I asked him if he wanted anything to drink
Just water, he replied
I went to grab a bottle -
Don't bother he said - I'll just take a glass of tap water
Tap water? ( I shrieked )
C'mon Mom - this whole bottled water is a scam - you're always saying so yourself...............

So there you go, sometimes your kids do in fact listen to you
From time to time

Later that night -
Suzan says - John - what color is your pee?
John says - What the hell?
Suzan says - Well it shouldn't be too dark - I'm just letting you know - you've got to be careful
Suzan says - I'm writing up a post on this subject
John says - Do your bloggers want to know what color my pee is?
John says - What the hell kind of a blog are you running now anyway?
Suzan says - Don't be ridiculous - I want to know - it's for your own good.
John says - There's 50 shades of yellow - mine falls somewhere in that frame.

And that may be the first witty thing I've EVER heard John say
_________________________________________________________________________________

The skin on my hands are getting  " crepe-y "
I had something in the oven the other night - and lightly scalded the upper part of my hand removing it.
At one time that would have just rendered a little red line - now?
My hand almost went on fire..................my fingers are like kindling - I'm drying out !!!
( maybe I should be drinking 16 glasses of water a day? )
________________________________________________________________________________

John says - Why don't you ever mash the tea?
Suzan says - Pardon me?
John says - You never mash the tea ...............
Suzan says - What ARE you talking about?
John says - THE TEA, it's always very weak
Suzan says - You may as well be talking Chinese to me John - I have no idea what you're talking about
John says - STEEP the tea..........you always take the teabags out too soon
Suzan says - Why did you call it " mash " then?
John says - You've never heard of mashing tea?
Suzan says - No - the only thing I mash are potatoes -
John shakes his head - Do you see why I had to come to the colonies to help you out?
Suzan says - Be careful John - because right about now I could mash your head with no remorse.
John says - That's bash - not mash - you could bash me over the head
Suzan says - When are you moving back to England?
John says - Not yet -  my work here is obviously not done
_________________________________________________________________________________

ALERT - IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE TO SEX ORGANS DO NOT READ THE NEXT PART.

A new email received this week where " George " informed me that he's 65 and gets erections as big as his leg - I'm not joking - I seriously received that this week   He does NOT mention the size of his leg however.....................
WHY am I getting all these emails about this crap?  I don't care if it's as big as his car
I'm getting paranoid now -
I used to cringe in disgust when I saw them - but you kind of get blase about the whole thing after awhile
At this point I find myself thinking - Oh George - you poor old desperate fool................

John says - Are you visiting those sites maybe - and they're tracking you?

OMG - I have never - NOT ONCE - in my life gone to a porn site - this is some sort of a conspiracy I tell you.

I don't visit sites where people have reached the end of their lives either - and yet I receive lots of these too.

I am Heather Walker,This is my Third Email to you,I am at the end of the road, and about to donate a huge amount through you. I promise that your assistance would be rewarded. Please reply back to me for more information. Remain Blessed

I find the " remain blessed " a nice personal touch - some of them can be so cold, don't you find?

And it's extra sweet considering she's at the end of her road - and reaching out to total strangers to heap tons of money and blessings on them.
But Heather is a liar - this was the first email I received from her - not the third - so I can't even trust
" saintly " people.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The floors in this house are on a slant - and not just in one direction either - some go this way - some go that way.................it's like a freaking " fun " house, seriously.
The only positive thing about them is that I can kind of just roll off the bed and keep rolling to the door.
When we first moved in I would get out of bed and stumble into the wall.
I looked perpetually tipsy.
But you really do learn to roll with it - literally.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Last winter - and only for the winter - we spent 4,800 dollars on heating oil.
We went into a state of shock actually.
But that was when extensive reno's were being done - and back doors were open more than they were closed - and a piece of plywood served as my kitchen window for 2 months.
It's starting to get cold now here in Montreal but I've noticed that every single time I turn the heat on - John turns it off.

John says - It's not necessary - it's not even cold in the house
John says - We're not being hit with heating bills like last winter
Suzan says - But the situation is not the same as last winter's - we actually have a thermal window in the kitchen and doors are closed and weather stripping is everywhere - AND I'M COLD
John says - Put your housecoat on - you live in it anyway

I went downstairs and he was WATCHING HOCKEY IN HIS JACKET !!!!!!!

Suzan says - Well I'm not living like this - are you crazy?
and I put the heat on full blast.

Later in bed

Suzan says - I don't think the heat is working - it's cold again in here
John says - I turned it off - it's not cold at all
Suzan says - IF I'M COLD EVEN WHEN I'M HAVING A HOT FLASH THEN IT'S FREAKING COLD.
John says - We used to sleep with hot water bottles in the bed back in Yorkshire
Suzan says - When are you moving back to England?
_________________________________________________________________________________

Have a wonderful weekend everyone -
The tea is mashing LMAO  !!!

Much love,
Me

Painting floors ( and 2 tips )

Well I finished painting the second guest room's floor - And I thought I'd share the most important thing I've learned through the process of painting all the floors upstairs

It's not whether you use semi gloss - or high gloss or even matte - that's a personal preference

And it's not whether you decide to paint in on your hands and knees like I do - with a brush - or use a roller to make the job a little easier

And in the end it's not even which brand of paint you decide to use ( as long as it's floor paint )
I swear by BEHR's Porch & Patio Floor Paint - and it's proven to be the best one for me - but as much as I can rant and rave about it - someone else might be ranting and raving about another product that works just as well for them.

No, the secret lies in this ( and  you really really have to trust me on this one )

2 coats - a day apart - ESPECIALLY if you're going with white floors.
Skipping this process results in doom and gloom - trust me on this one
I've learned that lesson the hard way so that you don't have to.
It's oil based so you have to open the window but it's perfectly fine to paint a water based floor paint over it.
( this is the ONLY time it's ok to paint water based paint over oil based anything - but I'm sure you all know that )

Our bedroom floor looks the same almost a year later

The landing has held up very well too - if you want to learn a little about my skills as an acrobat while painting - you can check it out HERE

OK - Time for the second TIP - and this one is every bit as important as the first one.

You must stand over your better half's back while he works - at all moments.
Even if he's barking at you that he doesn't need a hawk standing behind him - do it anyway.  Sometimes scurrying away while they work just isn't worth it.

Once all the floors were painted - I laid out the quarter rounds against the edges of the baseboards - just to simplify things for my better half -
( I HAVE to simplify things - I know it sounds insulting but you'll see why in a moment )

Suzan says - John - do you think you could put the quarter rounds in - the floors are ready
John says - Well the Godfather is on
Suzan says - You've seen that movie 10 times since I've known  you - and God only knows how many times before I met you.
John says- Well it's coming to a good part
Suzan says -  How many times do you need to see a horse's head in someone's bed?

He later came up and went to work -

John says - I'm finished
Suzan says - Oh thanks so much -
John says - Now leave me alone - I want to watch some t.v.
Suzan says - So go watch t.v. !!!

And I ran in the room gleefully - figuring I'd start putting furniture back - when much to my absolute and utter shock, I saw something I couldn't believe.
I mean that - my brain could NOT register it whatsoever ( and my brain has had tons of experience registering the unbelievable )

JOHNNNNNNNNNNNNN - I shrieked
John says - what now?
Suzan says - YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, RIGHT?
John says - WHAT?  OF COURSE YOU WOULDN'T BE HAPPY - I KNOW THAT BEFORE I START ANY BLOODY JOB
Suzan says - Please tell me you're joking ?
John says - Listen - you laid the wood out - NOT ME

Well he's put me in a spot - it's very hard to fight with logic like that.

I'm even a little embarrassed to show it to you - but hey - I didn't do it

Ta Da - the quarter rounds - done !

Suzan says - It absolutely cannot stay like that
Johns says - No one's going to see under the bed.
Suzan says - IT absolutely cannot stay like that
John says - Why do you turn every little thing into something huge
Suzan says - It absolutely cannot stay like that
John says - You're too much of a perfectionist
Suzan says - It absolutely cannot stay like that
Suzan says - Aren't you embarrassed?
John says - No - not at all - you're making a mountain out of a mole hill

Just so you know the why's when my makeover's take a little longer than expected.
I have to wait for him to fix these before I can place furniture -
And I have to wait for a night when there's no hockey on
Or a movie
Or a game show
Or the weather network.....................
Or a calender to hang.

Suzan says - What were you thinking John?
John says - I keep telling you I'm not a carpenter...............

But that's a lousy excuse - he's done baseboards all over the place here - to perfection -
He's built me a bench
He's deconstructed and reconstructed a box spring to allow it upstairs -
So......................tell it to the judge mister.

But at the very least - I've done my part.......................

Have a wonderful day one and all !
Hugs,
Me



Looking for inspiration?
Join me at these fabulous parties !!!

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I WANNA live there Wednesday # 101

WOW !!!  I feel like I've found the holy grail of IWLW's.
This is just too spectacular for words - so I won't bore you with any of mine today
Just what the listing reads -
and then I'll let the pics speak for themselves.

CARRIAGE HOUSE
4 beds - 4 baths
( 8 rooms total )
6,995,000
Brooklyn, New York
Realtor : DEBBIE RIEDERS
Images sourced thru CORCORAN.COM

If any of you buy this - you have to invite me to come for a visit -

Listing reads ( interesting !!! )

This rare Cobble Hill Carriage House, a former 1840’s Firehouse, is what real estate dreams are made of in New York City. Featured in many famous films over the years, it is impressive in scale with a 25’ wide x 85’ footprint, and offers three loft-like floors without the inconvenience of vertical townhouse living. The main floor weighs in at 2125 sq. ft. alone, and allows for an entertainment space unrivaled by ANY townhouse OR apartment in Brownstone Brooklyn. Add to that the drama of massive exposed wood beams, arched windows, a charming greenhouse, a perennial garden, an oversized reclaimed-brick wood-burning fireplace, 12” wide wood-plank floors, double height ceilings, a terrace off the 2nd floor, and oversized skylights, and you have a one-of-kind property with the warmth and grandeur only found in historical homes, but the open layout of more modern living. Currently configured as a two-unit home, with some very minor adjustments this home easily becomes a grand home with 4 to 6 bedrooms. It has been updated with central AC, and a Chef’s kitchen complete with a 48” Viking stove and granite countertops. Located in the heart of Cobble Hill, near Trader Joes, Barneys, every subway line, multiple schools, and Bklyn Bridge Park. Garage with monthly spots conveniently located across the street.

Additional features of this building include: Exposed Beam Ceiling and Double Height Ceilings, Parking Garage on Block w Monthly Spots, South Facing Garden and Terrace, Amazing Curb Appeal Close to All Transportation, Dramatic Staircase/Space for an Elevator!, 12" Wide Plank Oak Floors, Chef's Renovated KItchen, Huge Open Loft-Like Footprint, Reclaimed Brick Fireplace, and Super Flexible Layout.

________________________________________________________________________________

And here we go......... bet you'll have to look at each pic twice - this is truly spectacular !

OK - I WASN'T GOING TO TALK - BUT I CAN'T HELP MYSELF - THIS NEXT PHOTO?
OMG - HOW GORGEOUS IS THAT?
THAT BRICK REMINDS ME OF THE BRICK IN MY LAST PLACE :(
AND A SOLARIUM OFF THE BEDROOM?

OH.
MY.
GOD.
I SO wanna live there !
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone
But a lottery ticket
Hugs,
Me

Looking for inspiration?
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