WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THIS...

OUR LATEST ADVENTURE.......

This was going to be THE BIGGEST News of this century and probably the last Century also...


....36 hours after the conception .... it was OVER !!!

Are you ready for this .....Master Carpenter and I were going to learn how to play GOLF.....YES, GOLF !!!!

We were signed up and ready to go...........but..... I was being cautious and had a call into my doctor's office just to make sure it would be OK......he returned the call JUST before we were ready to sign up for lessons. He said: "Are you out of your mind......you can NOT be in the sun, NO, NO you can not be out on a golf course!"

So there it went...all gone. All the pretty clothes !!!.....and did you know they have golf clubs in lilac!!! I was so excited. I was going to be so coordinated!!!

Not to be defeated, Master Carpenter and I adventured out and found our GOLF CLUBS AND NEW OUTFITS.........

DON'T YOU LOVE THEM !!!!

They are the perfect fit!!!!! Actually .....it is Me!!! Don't you think?

Patti and I found this wonderful piece while she was here. The moment we entered the shop, I knew I had to have it!!! We haven't had a storage piece in years...so it fit the "functional" need along with the "form".

There is this jewel of a town, Senoia, about a 30 minute drive from here. Two years ago it was just a sleepy farming community. Now....after a renovation of the "Historical" downtown it is the talk of the State! What was a hardware store and closed businesses is now a street full of many quaint shops, bakeries and wonderful dining, from a coffee shop to at least three other fine dining restaurants. The claim to fame up to now was Hollywood had filmed Fried Green Tomatoes in the surrounding area!!!

What's coming in June is going to be wonderful. Southern Living Magazine is opening their 2010 Idea Home smack in the center of it all. I will be there for sure, and hope to share lots of pictures. Their concept will be "brownstone" homes.... retail and businesses on the street level with two and three additional floors of living space and terraces. The town is located fairly near Atlanta and other communities which will be a great draw.

Here is a website to learn all about it!!


http://www.historicsenoia.com/residential.html


Still have more ideas up my sleeve.....came up with a good project for Master Carpenter to start on and will be talking about it down the road....

So.....continue to check that mail.....
Patty

THE BIG OOOPS.........

.....AND HOW I FIXED IT...............

Boy, did I goof when I designed the mirror tiles behind the sofa! I should have had them go at least two rows higher. instead of a row lower than the top of the sofa. I never realized this, until I removed the sofa table. With the table out...they appeared to be falling to the floor. It was driving me nuts.....

I thought the fix would be easy..... Just remove the framing and add more rows to the top. Not so ...Master Carpenter couldn't remove the frames. They weren't going anywhere! When he glues...he glues.
Nix Plan A !

EPIPHANY.....Plan B!!!

Such a simple idea....why it took two days to figure out is beyond me?
Put up a row of tiles, leaving a space between the main piece, creating a transom !! and.....frame them the same as the large tiles....

Worked, in fact they were "beginning" to look pretty good. Did you notice the "beginning to look good"? There was too much BLACK. I was beginning to OVERDESIGN in black!!! OK, now what??

Another day another Epiphany. Change the color of the frame! Duh!

With that, I applied gold metallic paint over the black on both frames. ( I have silver and metallic paints in the garage ready for such instant fixes.)

It was getting there.........still not there.......something wasn't quite right. Now it need a Little" black! Needed to bring a hint of black into the frame to carry the color to the wall.

I called in Assistant Designer, Erica, and she said: "No problem, just add some black cording to the inside of the frame. Grandma it's easy, just buy a glue gun.......(A GLUE GUN...I NEVER USED THAT...HOW DOES IT WORK?) ....and glue it on.

Now, I'm really out of my comfort zone. I love to design, but I am not "crafty" and I will be the first to say so. I found myself on the floor of Hobby Lobby, on my cell phone, describing the choices I found in glue guns and which one I needed. I must have been a sight for sore eyes to the crafty shoppers walking up and down the aisle!

With all my supplies, glue gun and a great buy of black cording I was happily driving home to do my new project. I could do this, it would be easy!

Well...........Master Carpenter and I almost ended our 50 years and 10 months of happy bliss!! This was a PROJECT of enormous skill! I only wish we had a picture of what took place. The two of us, a six foot ladder, four chairs (so one could hop from one spot to another quickly because the glue dries FAST), the glue gun, an extension cord to keep the glue gun plugged in because it has to stay hot constantly, and the 13 yards of black cording!!!!! Can you picture this? Master Carpenter worked the gun and I pressed the cording into place. We now are doing quite a dance from one chair to another with four arms and four hands getting into each other's space. It went FAST......and it looks pretty good if I say so myself!!!

I am still not a CRAFTY person and don't think it's my "thing", but one way or another I was not going to let a little mistake in design ruin the look I was after. I do not give up!!!

.......and the REVEAL......



There are more surprises coming.......watch your mail...
Patty

NOW THE WAIT

The Deadline Has Passed....

All entries are in! ...

Now we wait to see who the lucky winner of $25 will be. ......Not a fortune, by any means, but it will buy a nice lunch at your favorite casual dining place!!!! Naturally, my choice would be Panera Bread!! I remember when I would join my friends once a week at the Panera's in Virginia Beach. We would sit for hours and just talk. Those were very special days!

I have been up to my usual mischief since you last heard from me. I want to share some new "stuff" that has appeared here at the "Epiphany House". Those who have visited recently have seen the additions, but the rest will discover changes have occurred!!! Will save some for later posts. Can't reveal all at once.......and some are still in the making........

To begin......I decided to put the chandelier that was in the great room over the dining table in the kitchen. Of course that led to....What to do with the one that was there? Easy Fix......install it in the guest room. The kitchen isn't quite ready to be photographed......need to work on the shades for the chandelier..... That will come later. Erica has some ideas and we will work on them when she visits next month.

Any change, even one, leads to... a Domino Game! Everything changing places and functions!!!

With the great room chandelier "out", so many possibilities to reposition the furniture became apparent. I no longer needed to have the red ottoman "centered" under the chandelier in the middle of the room. That one change, created many more!!!

I decided to take the sofa table out and use it in the guest room as a desk/table. So functional..... and with Sexy Sadie as a chair, the room not only affords a nice desk for guests, but a place to sit!!!! Our guest room is becoming a fairly nice place. A huge improvement over the blow-up bed our guests endured in Norfolk and Charlotte!!!!



Are you getting the idea.....everything moving and changing............It's so rewarding! One discovers how different a room can look by making just a slight change. A room's function can become something entirely different. If you don't try.... you will never know how great something old can look new and fresh again!

The great room has been opened up ... seems more spacious and less cluttered. The two slipper chairs are a "pair" by the fireplace creating an intimate seating area. The sofa and two wing chairs... although just across from the slipper chairs, actually are a separate seating area. A great plus all around. The lady's desk has been relocated. It actually is being used in an entirely new way! Have to wait on that.......

............. While browsing my favorite websites... one of the BEST finds I have ever had appeared! There was this fabulous CHANDELIER. Another chandelier ......I can't quit acquiring them!!!! It didn't take long to figure out a place for it...... it was IN that "shopping cart" in a flash!!!! There was nothing special about the foyer. Now there is...and it says "WOW" as you entire the house!!




PS....If you look closely you will notice a big change in the great room I haven't mentioned. That will be featured in the next post...........

Scroll down to the previous post for all the entries to the contest. Good luck to all !
Let the contest BEGIN....................

HURRY.....YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOUR DATE!

THE GUESSES ARE COMING IN...........



Only one guess for a day....so hurry and get the day you think will be it. You can enter until midnight on April 16th. We can watch and see who the lucky winner will be...........

The Entries:

Carla DelGiorno..........................................May 5
Meredith Fochetta.....................................May 8
Helen Miller................................................May 17
Carol Wheller..............................................May 18
Maggie McDonald......................................May 21
Claire Wihnyk.............................................May 23 @8:20 am EDT
Linda Wiley.................................................June 1
Henry Wihnyk........................................... June 7
Pat Wihnyk.................................................June 8
Pam Dardar................................................June 11
Patch Wihnyk.............................................June 14 @2:14 pm (14:14)EDT
Barry Miller................................................June 15
Bob Wihnyk................................................June 17
Patti McDonald..........................................June 19
Sue Wihnyk................................................June 23
MK Wihnyk................................................July 1
Russ Keldorph...........................................July 11
Anonymous (JT)........................................July 12
Janet Gibson..............................................July 16
Roxanne Bridges.......................................July 22
Erica Dougherty........................................July 28
Nancy Steele..............................................August 1

Good Luck ....
Patty

ARE YOU ALL READY !!!!!!!!

CONTEST TIME !!!!!! Can you believe it!!!
We have just hit 8016!!!!

It's hard to believe that number of hits ....over 3000 since mid October. I can't thank you enough for all the support you give to this blog. Without your part.....Patty's Epiphanies would not exist!!!

With that in mind, it's Contest time... again!!! On October 13, 2009 at 9:20 am we hit 5000 !!! Now when do you think we will hit 10,000?????????

Send in your guesses. Just a date (don't think we need a time). If needed, we will figure out how to deal with a tie. As before I will post your guesses.

Remember..... we have a prize for the winner.............Now that should get you all into action!

Figure out when you think the magic 10,000 will happen.. and Thank You ....Thank You

Patty

WHAT.....NO PAPER TOWELS !!!!!

Gotcha!!!

What is she writing about now???

What I am writing about is an idea from Erica. She asked me over the weekend to let everyone "out there" know the REAL ME !!! She was referring to the "cleaning freak"!!! But, in the same breath said that everyone would love to know my cleaning secrets....What wonderful magic solutions do I use? What methods? So on and so on...

I have to say now that.. I don't consider myself a cleaning freak! You that know me, don't laugh! I consider myself SMART!! I call my house keeping style PREVENTIVE CLEANING !!!

Just think about it.....I use a system that allows me the freedom of never having to really have to clean in the sense of CLEAN ... Why??...because it is ALWAYS clean! It never gets DIRTY... Now, do you Get It????

The system or routine is very easy. I lightly, and I repeat, lightly wipe down counters, tables ..just about all the surfaces daily. This includes the windows as I pull up the "wiped" shades. It takes no more time to pull up a shade wiping it as it would without. I always hated the blind and window job and now I don't have it. It also includes a little "wipe" in the refrigerator as I prepare breakfast. Again no more time to do it as you are removing food ....Tonight I was asked about the appliances. And yes, I do them also. The biggest job is the range top after Master Carpenter (Master Chief also) has cooked a meal. But again, I use the vinegar solution and it removes all the cooking grease and mess. Doing it daily keeps it from building up.... and...the best invention in years has been the self cleaning oven. Use It!!!

The only secret I have is what I DON'T use. PAPER TOWELS !!

I buy washcloths from a discount store in a package of 24 for $9.99. They last forever. I never buy or use paper towels. I save a fortune and for those "green" followers....look at all the paper I don't throw away.

I lightly dampen the wash cloth with a solution of white vinegar and water (one third vinegar to two thirds of water) I keep it in a spray bottle and just spray and wipe! Actually I just have to spray once or twice and the cloth is damp enough to go over most of the house, except for the baths. This solution works on everything......counters to windows to mirrors to tile floors!! It's fabulous. I do have a cleaning product for the wood floors that I use with a clothed mop.

I was having a problem with the stainless steel appliances. Janet, a loyal reader and our Sales Associate, shared with me a great idea. Wipe them with olive oil!!! It works!!! I bought some in a spray can and found I could spray a dab on a cloth. I wipe it over the appliance and then wipe it off with a clean cloth. I only have to do this every once in a while. The vinegar solution works on a regular basis.

I do vacuum and go over the wood floors daily, but it takes 15 minutes at the most. If I miss a spot you can bet I'll hit it the next day!

So there you have it.

Patty's Preventive Cleaning.

The benefits are great! The house is always clean. If I can't do it one day for some reason, it doesn't really matter...it's not going to get that dirty in two days!!!!! No big long dreaded days of scrubbing, etc.

Another benefit is the physical exercise it gives me. Think about it. I am up and down a step stool many, many times, on the floor wiping the tiles and pushing the mop and vacuum around.

The best benefit is the cost............supplies are cheap and the labor is free!!!

There is a product I do use for the shower tiles and glass. This product also removes most spots off painted walls. It's Arm & Hammer's Scrub Free with OXY.

After I have all these little chores done I am ready to meet the day!!!!!
(over all I would say the time involved is less then one and a half hours)

Erica, I have opened my secrets to the world and now everyone knows how crazy everyone will think I am.......but I have a clean house!!!

THE MAGIC SOLUTION

MOP AND CLEANER FOR WOOD FLOORS

MY FAITHFUL BUDDY (CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HIM)