Credence Clearwater pondered it, Prince colored it purple, Adele set fire to it, Gene Kelly sang in it, Led Zepplin were fools in it, The Cure prayed for it, Husker Du stood in it, Willie Nelson saw blue eyes crying in it, The Jesus and Mary Chain were only happy when it happened, the Eurythmics let it fall on their heads, and Bob Dylan knew a hard rain’s gonna fall……. but I’m just SICK OF IT!
My drive to work most days looks like this.
Every day for the last 12 days it has RAINED! I know, I know, most of the country is in a horrible drought and I feel so bad for them. If I could I blow it all their way I would. Home renovation and non-stop rain just don’t mix! Especially when one of your main projects is painting the outside of the house. I left the house this morning and felt like I had stepped into a scene from Alice in Wonderland…..
What else is a girl who’s been inside for 12 days suppose to do when she sees mushrooms. Have a freakin’ play time, of course!!! You know you would have done it too.
Okay, I think I’m losing it… I’m having way too much fun! I only wish I had more figurines… the dolls and the army men just weren’t seeing eye to eye and I was afraid someone might get shot!
Okay, the mushrooms are too cool, but back to reality…
The yard is soaked, the fire ants are out, there’s mushrooms everywhere, the trees are weighed down and heavy (we’ve had to tie some of them up) …and it’s just a mess.
That means that many of our projects have come to a halt and I’m not sure when we’ll be able to get back to them. It’s only rained twice today and the sky is currently blue but there’s a chance for more rain every day this week. SAY WHAT!
So I guess I’ll just find something else to do… but for now I”ll give an update on what little we did accomplish before the rainy days came. Besides it might be my last chance to do a post …. we may have to start building an Ark.
The outside of our home was not something we were in a rush to do. Yes, it was YUCKY, and faded, and rough in all kinds of places but with very little rotten wood we decided to concentrate on the inside and have only done bits and pieces when it was necessary. So we set up some scaffolding at the back of the house to “get to work” and finally make the outside pretty!!
As you look down the back of the house and up to the roof you can see that the wood everywhere is in serious need of a make over… lipstick, blush, and mascara please!
So we got to work on scraping, removing old caulk, and sanding each 8 foot section of the house. Richie does the “prep” and I move in to caulk and stain. I’m “the Closer”. (ha!)
We started here (below)… and you can see how it looked before. Very raw, faded, and definitely showing it’s age. The squirrels have been sharpening their teeth on the house for so long the beams are nubby and discolored. I’m hoping getting a nice coat of stain will stop those little fu#@ers! … otherwise I have a tube of Wasabi on hand to see if their taste buds prefer some SPICE! (I’m evil, I know)
We used an outdoor solid stain from Cabot on the house. White under and gray for the rest. I think it’s amazing what a difference it all makes.
We finished one section and the eave of the next when the rain started. Fingers crossed that we can get back to it during the little breaks that we’re getting here and there. We were really on a roll and making great progress so it’s been a bummer to say the least.
So that’s where we are with the outside… always at the mercy of Mother Nature!
This weekend I went to work on the bed and it was a total and complete disappointment.
We thought we could squeak by using plywood instead of hard wood because it would save time. Well, it looks like we’re going to have to make them all over again. It looks like shit! You know I have a potty mouth but it really does. So Richie drove over to a hardwood specialty business about 20 miles from us to look over the selection of hardwoods, preferably Maple. It will require much more work but in the long run it will be worth it. So no progress on the bed because I refuse to go any further on something I’m not happy with. Ahhhh… ain’t home improvement grand!
Speaking of home improvement….
Just a little shout out to Jocelyn and Rob over at The Home Tome. Her new humor book, The Homeowner’s Guide to Greatness officially hits Amazon and Barnes and Nobles this week and it’s definitely something you should check out. If you own a home, you’ll appreciate the humor… cause laughter is much more fun than the crying that could go down at any moment. (especially after 12 days of rain!) Check it out!
It has been raining a ton here, too! Hope you get a break soon. The outside is looking good though! Sorry for the bed troubles. It will be awesome when you are done :) lastly, those mushrooms are CRAZY!
Thanks Brittney! Oh the rain… it’s never there when you need it and always around when you don’t. HA HA! My plants are happy, that’s for sure.
That bed has become a pain… Richie just called me and he’s buying the lumber as I type this. He’s not happy today, but you’re right… when it’s done it will be great. I may have to take one of those boards and whack HIM on the head! (LOL). Have a good one!
First: http://theusualbliss.com/2012/06/22/how-to-elimina…ation-gap-21-2/
Second, are those mushrooms REAL? Seriously, Wonderland!
Third, LOVE the light paint under the eaves. Very cool!
Loved your post! Looked like a great time to me. My taste in music is all over the place and apparently there are LOTS of songs about rain. I had so much fun coming up with a list. I have about 50 more but had to stop somewhere. HA HA!
Thanks, the paint/stain is really going to make the outside something to be proud of. I can’t wait to get back to it. No rain so far today…. so fingers crossed.
Good luck! I love how paint really makes a big impact- noticeable change. Fun!
We’re not getting quite that much rain in Fort Worth, but I was thinking yesterday how weird it was to be getting rain in the middle of July. The light paint under the eaves looks fantastic! And the mushroom pictures are hilarious.
Hi Dana! Seriously, what the heck? Last July you could fry an egg on my back porch and everything was so dry I panicked anytime someone smoked a cigarette. The whole place would have gone up in flames!
I think I heard the weather man say that this time last year to date we had 8 inches of rain….. this year to date 38 inches. SAY WHAT!!!
I’m loving the stained wood. Thank you so much. It will be a huge improvement.
Mushrooms are funny to me. They make me laugh when I see them pop up and I do foolish things. I’m glad you giggled. :-)
Wow! 12 days?! That’s nuts! My husband and I are dying over the little army men photos, by the way. Hope your week was fantastic!
Kristina
Nook & Sea
HA HA! Glad you put up with me! I admit, I get my kicks by behaving like a 5 year old. Can you tell I’m getting twitchy from being indoors!
Glad you’re back and thanks for the visit, Kristina!
I love you and your mushroom land. Funny girl:)
Down with the squirrels!!
Amazing work, as usual! Send some of that rain up and over here!
Right back at cha, sweet lady! Glad you understand my juvenile humor. When I saw those shrooms I just kept thinking about creating a little world around them. It made me late for work and I didn’t even care. I needed a giggle!
The squirrels are on my shit list! I’ve never seen anything like it. That’s not the only spot… they chew on the side, the windows, the beams. I have to run them off every morning during breakfast. They’re insane!!!
I know you need the rain… I’ll do my best – I’ll huff and puff and blow those clouds your way. :-)
oh honey, i dare you to live in seattle. after growing up in texas. man, you now know what my world is like! if we get the house painted this summer it will be amazing.
Hey girl! Honestly I don’t know how you do it. I have several friends in Seattle and they tell me you get use to it… but I’m afraid I’d go MAD! MAD I SAY!
Are you painting your house too? I hope we both make it, Brandy.
Your beautiful painted rooms have really made me sigh with envy. I desperately want to complete this project…. so I just might have to paint under an umbrella at this point. HA!
suuuure, “blame it on the rain”. i say eric clapton it and just “let it rain”. ;) but really, i want it to rain here so i can create a mushroom fairy (war?) land, too! i mean, i love the rest of your blog and the work you and richie are doing outside, but i can’t stop looking at your mushroom creatures!!!!!! adorable. you are so creative. okay, scrolling back up to look again :)
Hey you funny girl! You just made me burst out in laughter! I had Eric on my list but he got cut! Actually my list of rain songs was insane! I bet I came up with 50 or 60 songs. Apparently rain is very popular… just not HERE! HA!
I love your question mark after “war”. That sent me into tearful laugher, as I’m imagining your face looking quite puzzled as to what the hell kind of mushrooms I “might” be taking? (LOL) It’s time like these that having kids would have come in handy. Army men and creepy dolls with mushroom heads is all we’ve got around here! Which is quite weird on it’s own. I did find a kitty cat (did you see her?). I admit, I get my kicks in strange ways but it was just too irresistible. Clearly I need medication. Glad you “get” me. Love ya!
omg! i totally missed the kitty cat! so well camouflaged, he looks just like a leaf and is totally under the radar of mr. “alert” the perched army man! well played! hope you have a great day, stacey! too bad i got milli vanilli stuck in our heads :D
Just don’t get caught “lip syncing”. LOL
ROFL! I literally laughed out Loud at the mushroom episodes lol. Hilarious! Yeah the rain can be a downer, but please, if you can, please send the rain to Florida! lol. Your renovations are looking great! I LOVE the white and grey combo. Very sharp looking!
Ha Ha Ha! Thanks for giggling along… I’m glad you don’t think I’m a psycho!
I would love to send some rain to Florida. I thought you guys were getting it too, though? Maybe it’s just certain parts…. so consider it done!
Thank you for the nice comments on the staining. The white underneath makes it feel like someone turned a light on! I can complain about the rain but not the stain. I’m sure excited about how much better it looks. You’re so nice!! :-)
Do you hear thunder yet? I’m working on it!
I LOVE your stain! We’ve been looking at stains… and whenever I see the colored ones I wonder if they’re really pigmented enough to cover wood, or if they’re more sheer… The ones you’re using really look great—very rich.
I seriously cannot believe Texas is having a monsoon season! I would pretty much kill for some serious rain here. Plus, it’s not just lack of rain, but the insane heat. It’s making it impossible to really give anything enough water.
I laughed at your possible wasabi-treat for the squirrels. But I know they can cause some seriously unfunny damage. We had a squirrel-nemesis at our old house… he got into the wall of the attic, and made Paul into a crazy person trying to figure out where he got in. I was just freaked out that you could hear him from our bedroom… but all Paul cared about was how it was f-ing with the insulation.
p.s.- The first photo of the mushroom—I kind of squinted and was like, is that an ARMY man? Ha!!
Hey Victoria! I had never used an exterior stain before we got this house, so I wasn’t sure either. IT ROCKS! It goes on like paint but then it just soaks up and dries like a stain…. only SUPER FAST! The white takes two coats for really nice even coverage but the gray only takes one. The finish is suppose to be very UV resistant and I can tell you that the front of the house was stained almost 2 years ago and it still looks exactly the same. It holds up beautifully! I’m thrilled with it!
That’s the exact words the weather man used “monsoon-like” rain. BOOOOO!
Now I’m just waiting for a Cat. 4 hurricane to blow us all over. I’m not sure what’s worse.. the weather or the squirrels! They’re both a pain in my rear right now. HA!
Funny squirrel story! Just the sound of them clawing, and chewing, and wiggling in their squirrely ways drives me crazy! They are so destructive when they wanna be. I’m hoping I can save that Wasabi for a little sushi… but I’m prepared to use it if I have to!!! Ha Ha!
I love the colours you chose for the outside and I love the fun you had with the mushrooms. It is good to make light of a miserable situation.
Thank you!! Gray just seems like an appropriate color for a modern home and the eave is actually just a continuation of the ceiling on the inside so to have it one continuous sweep of white from the inside to the outside is going to be my dream come true. I’m loving it…. or at least I will be if I can ever get back to it!
Exactly! You’re so right… it’s important to have a little goofy fun when things aren’t so “perfect”. It makes me feel less stressed. Thank you, my friend!
HAHA The army dudes on your mushrooms are hilarious!!! Maybe they’ll scare the rain away? That first picture is very gloomy! We’ve had sun and heat up here for quite a while so I’ll channel the weather gods and send some of our good weather your way…
Thank you Meghan… please, we could use the help! HA! I know I shouldn’t be bitching because so many places are suffering from drought (makes me sad!)
I hope we all get some relief in one way or another. And soon!
I’ll buy a whole new pack of army men if that would help! Throw in a few care bears and some dinosaurs and it’s good weather for everyone. WHOO HOO!
P.S. Thanks again for the blogger award. You always include me on your list and I’m so thankful. You’re awesome!
Care bears and dinosaurs? Now we’re talking! PLEASE share those pictures if you do :)
Ok we don’t get cool mushrooms like that over yonder here in the Toronto area. I want those!! Love the backyard. So fresh and clean! Squirrels eh? Oh those we have. They like eating bird seed. Last year here it rained for this long too, hence the deck building took 2 months. I’ll send some of our humidity over to your end if you’d like to trade. Mind you I am terrified of thunderstorms and now have the CCR song stuck in my head!
Oh you know … everything is “bigger” in Texas. Shucks ma’am, we’re known for the size of our mushrooms!!! (KIDDING!) NO cool mushrooms over yonder? I can’t believe it. Honestly, I never see them unless it’s rained for 12 days. HA HA! Right now my yard is filled with all different kinds. Some of them are yellow with spots, some white, some look like sea shells. It’s crazy!
Sorry for the CCR song. I went to bed last night with those dang rain songs buzzing through my head! Rainy Days and Mondays did not get my down and definitely kept me “UP” (at night).
Thanks for looking at my work or lack there of. You’re so sweet!
I love mushroom soup BTW.
I’ve just nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award – though I have a feeling you’ve gotten this one before. Just in case, I did it anyway!
“Credence Clearwater pondered it, Prince colored it purple, Adele set fire to it, Gene Kelly sang in it, Led Zepplin were fools in it, The Cure prayed for it, Husker Du stood in it, Willie Nelson saw blue eyes crying in it, The Jesus and Mary Chain were only happy when it happened, the Eurythmics let it fall on their heads, and Bob Dylan knew a hard rain’s gonna fall……. but I’m just SICK OF IT!” – WOW! Beautiful way of stating exactly how I (and most of the southern States) have been feeling! Actually,I’ve been listening to many of those songs this week because of it. I tend to let music be a soundtrack to my days. You left off Karen Carpenter singing “Rainy Days & Mondays” http://youtu.be/VxHJZDIJu3M
which had my ear most of yesterday.;) We have been getting this wet stuff too! It sucks! We needed it but,come on already,a week half is long enough! There is some sunshine out today but in the distance,The Thunder Rolls. LOL! No telling how long the Sun will be out before I’m singing Here Comes The Rain Again. (Ha,that’s kinda fun. Might implement music references into my blog as well sometime.)
Hopefully you get some rays of light as well!
Fyi,the little green Army-men on the mushrooms are hilarious!!! Love it!
HA HA! I’m telling you… I do believe I could talk using song lyrics and titles.. you can really get on a roll! I had the Carpenters on my list of rain songs… which turns out is very easy to make. There’s TONS of rain songs. I guess we’re all affected by the weather…. I just need to write a song about it and shut up. HA!
I saw on the weather channel yesterday all the storms and rain over Nashville. I knew you guys were getting your share! That’s a good time to go to an indoor guitar show! Get a little “Thunderstruck”. Okay, Okay, I’ll stop.
Thanks for the visit… now we need to go rock out to something “sunny”!
Haha! Bono? Oh with,he’s Sonny. Not Sunny.
Forgot to mention how great the staining is looking. Nice color choices too!
1. Those mushrooms are AMAZING – wow! And the vignettes? Very creative – I suspect that something quite the opposite of shooting is about to happen…If you know what I mean…
2. HOW could you leave out Milli Vanilli”s (sp?) classic “Blame it on the Rain”?
3. The exterior part that you did get done looks fab – very tight.
4. Whenever anything goes wrong, I think it’s safe to suspect squirrels. All this rain you’re getting there? I’m sure the squirrels have something to do with it. Bank account overdrawn? Squirrels. Burned the nachos in the broiler? Once again, definitely squirrels. Come to think of it, they’ve done us a favor by being so pesky – automatic scapegoats.
5. Thanks so much for the shout out on the book! Very kind of you!
1. – HA HA HA! You’re great. I broke it up long before things got out of hand!
2. – Oh Milli Vanilli were definitely on the list… but I’m a bad lip sync-er and couldn’t keep up with the words…. so I left them off!
3 – Thanks for the that! I’m telling you.. it’s hard to go wrong with gray. I know you’d agree. Sorry if I stole it from you!
4 – Squirrels are the reason for most of my anger! They’re fuzzy tails, big teeth, and ferocious appetites will be the downfall of us all! I can’t think of one thing that’s gone wrong in my life that the squirrels weren’t responsible for. That’s it… I’m getting out the wasabi TODAY! How dare they make ME NUTS!
5 – Of course! It’s a pleasure to get to know you, read your blog, and we should all be excited about your success. It’s WONDERFUL!
Wah, wah… 12 days of rain… psssh! Okay… we both know I’m just jealous because I’ve grown gills living in the Pacific Northwest. On the plus side, I can wear all the fabulous boots I want! YAY!!
Seriously… the new paint is stunning! You’ve got major style and taste, girl. So hold out for the right wood on the bed. It will be AMAZING when it’s finished.
You crack me up, playing with your mushrooms! They should have their own blog. Or book deal. Hmmm… I want a cut of this idea.
Gotta go… I just heard thunder. :)
BRAGGER! you get to dress all cool 24/7 and we’re stuck in wife beaters and cut offs! HA HA! I know, I know… I shouldn’t complain.
Thanks for that, Danielle. The bed project was a real downer this weekend and Richie called me this afternoon and he was just picking up the new maple hardwood boards. Now we have to have them planed before we can start cutting and joining them. Richie’s going to be pissy for a while. Can I move in with you for a few weeks? Maybe borrow your boots? and live in Tessa’s pretty closet.
I think I just heard thunder too. OH NOOOOOOOO!
Hugs… you’re so fun!
Oh dude… that does sound like the biggest pain! I might be pissy too. Of course, you can move in… we’ll even clear off one of our organized purple shelves for you. We’re givers like that.
hi Stacey ~ the white/grey looks splendid. y’all have a seriously beautiful home. the land of the mushroom people made me laugh!
Hey! Thank you, Diane. The house was originally gray but has faded to almost bare wood over the years. I do feel like I’m bringing it back to life and I’m very proud… even if it does take me ten times longer than it would anyone else. I’m so slow! HAHA! But that gives me more time to create mushroom worlds and play with plastic army men. :-)
I would imagine you might have a few mushrooms of your own… it seems Houston got plenty of the wet stuff, too. It only rained once today… so that’s improvement!
Have a good week… and thanks for you lovely comments. I love your visits!
Love the army figures – how fun! Please, please send the rain to us! We need it to cool things down!!!
It’s so funny… some of us want what we don’t have and the rest of us have what we don’t want! Will we ever be satisfied! (laughing). Seriously, I know you guys really need it and need to cool down. I hope you get a good down pour soon. It’s time we all get a break.
Glad the shrooms made you smile. I’m easily amused, Christie. (but they were pretty cool to photograph… even without the army men and creepy dolls) HA HA!
What a difference some paint will do. I really like the look of painted wood instead of leaving it natural, especially in this case. Also, love the “sail awning” or whatever you call it! Great look!
And, the mushrooms made me laugh. You could have made a little video and given them all weird voices. Or is that just creepy/childish/ridiculous? The pics were fun though! I hope you get some better weather soon!
SO FUNNY!!! Creepy, childish, and ridiculous sounds good to me! Come on… I think it’s obviously I’m all of those things (in a good way!) HA HA!
You know, I agree… the paint/satin hides years of flaws and wear and really gives it a “fresh” new look. I have to say that I do lust over modern homes with their perfectly sanded and stained tongue and groove ceilings… but this house just wasn’t like that. It was in pretty rough condition so I feel good about what we’re doing. It really looks much better.
Thank you so much for noticing the sail! You ROCK! We’re actually thinking about getting another one or maybe a left and right triangle to cover more of the patio. I can’t believe the difference it has made in the heat on the patio… which reflects onto the glass and in the house. It has dramatically cooled that section. They’re fabulous! Better than an umbrella and cheaper than a fixed structure. YAY!
Thank you so much for visiting Linn. I will drop by your place and see what you’ve been up to! Something great, I’m sure. :-)
It’s been raining here in VA as well but that’s nothin new. Your exterior is looking fabulous…totally jealous :) Love the mushrooms so as long as there not poisonous, hehe
P.S Thanks for stopping by and leaving me a sweet comment :)
Thank you so much! It’s still raining so who knows when I’ll get the exterior finished. BUMMER!!!!
Oh absolutely, you have a great blog and that painting is so fabulous! I have a thing for abstract art so I was lusting BIG TIME! I’ve added you to my reader so I don’t miss a thing. :-)
Ahhh, I was laughing in hysterics, mushroom, army men, what’s not to like! Please can I have your rain, we can’t reno our outside cuz it’s too darn HOT, I’m literally melting! Thanks for the great post.
It’s one extreme or the other isn’t it! It makes you a little crazy after a while (insert mushroom insanity). Actually I realized I’m not insane because the mushrooms made the NEWS last night. Okay, I’m not sure if that’s interesting or if we live in a place that’s desperate for something to report on. HA HA!
Hope you get some relief and can get in a few days of work. It’s hard to have motivation and desire only to be completely halted by the weather. Stay cool!
stacey…i love you so much more knowing that you are the type of person who sits little army men on top of mushrooms…and then tells the world….x d
THE WORLD!!!! Are you kidding? I thought I was only sharing them with you. Oh crap… now everyone knows I play with dolls and poisonous mushrooms. WHAT HAVE I DONE!!!!!! (giggle)
I’m an open book, here…. hiding nothing. Which could be good or bad. I haven’t decided which.
I love that you put tea lights in your espresso cups!
an open book is the best kind !
I hear your pain! It has finally ended here…although we still get rain every 4 or 5 days only givine a small window to get any outside work done. Who want to do work inside in the summer, its your open window to be outside. I guess we can’t control everything, one of those things when you are a Type A…at least for me. ha
What you have done looks wonderful! Looking forward to more photos and updates! Best of luck on the rain holding off!
“rain rain go away…”
ps love the army men ;)
Thank you Heather… I know you have experienced that from your recent posts, and the frustration that comes from having that desire to “get stuff done” and then wah wah wah… the thunder rolls and the drops fall and all your plans go “down the drain”. I am definitely a control freak… who is certain they’re NOT one … which is the worst kind. HA HA!
Today was the first day it only rained once then stopped. I hope the trend continues because I’d love for once to do a post where I actually show something DONE! Besides the mushrooms have dried up so I’m running out of content!
(laughing).
Thanks for the sympathy and the encouragement. I appreciate you so much!
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