random stuff

Hurricane Michael has come in barreling through Port Saint Joe, where CC has done volunteer work for several summers. We sent and received almost simultaneous texts yesterday hoping "her kids" are okay. Those kids are almost entirely without resources, most of them tended by one grandparent who would most likely be unable to evacuate. The young and poor are very vulnerable. Hoping to hear something today.

That is a picture I snapped of our banana tree. We started out with one two gallon container holding not much more than a single stalk with a couple of raggedy leafs and a promise. Here, just a year after buying the plant, we have three separate containers of palms and a bit of overcrowding in the biggest pot, home to several vibrant stalks sporting leaves that reach up over my head for the sun. it's been practically tropical in our yard this summer because of the rain. The plants that were planted earlier this year look great. 

Because of the rain I have been working mostly inside the house. Here are pictures of where I'm at on the "landing pad". It looks a lot better. I decided to go with the matte/high gloss tone on tone stripes after all. My daughter, II, helped me realize that my favorite stencil, while perfect for me, is rather taste specific. Once the actually measuring and figuring for stripe placement began I was so glad that I didn't have to match the edges of a stencil especially in the corners! So - before and after, but not finished, painting complete, but I still have the lights and mirror yet to do.

 Here is "before". The door frame looking isn't really blue, that's lighting.

 It still sort of amazes me that the entire house, walls and ceilings, was painted this brown color - it was just so dark!

Already lighter but still needing another coat of white to cover that brown.

Taped off for the stripe pattern. I'm not keeping those light fixtures, they came with the house and are a bit glitzy for me.

These two show the finished stripe. The high gloss white looks grey. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I did think it would be whiter. I like it a lot. Still have the cabinet to paint and I'd love to replace the vanity top, but that is not at the top of my "fix-it" list right now. I'm shopping for a 36" round mirror for that back wall.

We are going to make something like this for the two lighting fixtures in that room. I'll put a picture of what we "put together" on this post once I get them done.