my 22 year old shelf paper!!!

well, it'll be 22 years old at the end of january!!!
when i was growing up i think i remember my mom painting our kitchen ONCE in the 18 years i lived in her house.  she painted the dining room once too!  the living room had paneling, so that never got painted.  she would wash down the walls yearly though!  the 2 downstairs bedrooms (mom & dad's & mine) & the bathroom (1 SMALL bathroom for 8 people!!!)   were painted once!  i did paint my bedroom  "french violet" (lavendar) when i was in junior high.  then in high school i "wallpapered" it with wicker patterned contact paper  that i bought with my own babysitting money!!!!  that took a lot of rolls of contact paper!!!  but it looked really good!!  it was when i was in my "brown period"!!!   my favorite color was brown.  (i must be in my "black period" now!!!!!)    my room--i think i have a picture of it -- i'll have to find it & scan it into the computer to show you one day!  the 2 upstairs bedrooms had old wallpaper original to the house & nothing ever happened to those walls!!!  (except for my sister maggie "wallpapering" her side of the room with shaun cassidy & leif garrett posters from "tiger beat magazine"!!!!!  she's gonna kill me - but she was gonna marry shaun cassidy!!!  ----that's ok, i was gonna marry parker stevenson   but kirstie alley got him 1st!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (but now they're divorced, so maybe i should give him a call - ha ha!!!!!)

  
shaun's on the left --- parker's on the right.   parker's WAY CUTER than shaun!!!!!






hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!................wonder what he looks like these days?????

    

not too bad!  his eyes are kind of icey though!!!  they'd take some getting used to, but i think i could do it!!!  and he's only 8 years older than me, so that's not bad!!


OK ----------------- how does one get from shelf paper to parker stevenson???????!!!!!!!!

back to shelf paper ----


my mom wasn't one for changing up the decor of the house much, but she did change out the shelf paper in the kitchen cabinets every few years or so.  our kitchen was pretty small with not very many cabinets but it had 2 pantries.  one was for regular food & the other she kept all her home-canned goods.  shelves & shelves & shelves of canned green beans, peaches, pears, applesauce, tomatoes & tomatoe sauce..........& i'm sure much more that i can't even think of.  at the bottom of this cabinet was where the pots & pans were kept----in a big heap!!!!   i think i learned to be such a great organizer because of this!!!!  i'm so like my mom in so many ways, but again, so different!!!!!  (do you know that i'm still thinking about parker stevenson??!!)  anyhow, in this pantry the shelves were lined with newspaper.  i guess it was good for the canning jars.  easy to clean up & replace if needed.  in the other pantry i don't even remember the shelves being covered with anything!  my mind's totally blank!  but the cupboards that held the dishes had real contact paper!  she would change out the contact paper every few years.  i guess that was a cheap & fairly easy way to re-decorate!

when we moved into this house almost 22 years ago, i put cow patterened shelf paper in a few strategic cupboards & on all the shelves in my pantry.  i have always had a cow-themed kitchen.  the wallpaper has changed 4 times in 22 years (soon to be a 5th time, but going with NO wallpaper this time), but there have always been cows - usually on the border.  (i'm debating whether to keep the border or toss it......right now, it's a keeper, but we'll see what happens when i start getting plastered plastering the walls!!)    i LIKE my shelf paper, so even though it's pretty beat up well-used & loved, i've never had the desire to change it. 

when i started painting the kitchen cabinets, i debated about changing the shelf paper.  i needed more polyurethane & even checked out the shelf paper at walmart.  i didn't like any of it.  and it's expensive!!!!!   over 5 bucks a roll - & that's a little roll!!!  & i didn't like any of the designs.  i didn't want to "just settle" for anything & i don't like that rubbery stuff that doesn't stick, because it gets dirty & you can't wipe it as easily & the plates etc mess & bunch it all up & it's forever moving around............i just don't like it!!!! 

so as i'm painting cabinets the other night, i'm thinking about the shelf paper.  (could have been thinking about parker stevenson, but he never crossed my mind then!!!)  i'm thinking, "i LIKE my cow paper.  it's pretty neat that it's 22 years old!!!!"  i'm going to KEEP it!!!!!   wonder if it will last another 22 years???  will i  last another 22 years???!!!!   (if i had parker stevenson around, i might!!!!!!!)

i sanded off the edge of this & painted it so it looks a lot nicer & not all jaggedy.

i like how you can see the "cows" through the chicken wire!!!


there were some shelves that didn't have cow contact paper on & they were a  little rough at the edges -- & i got a little bit of paint on a few of the edges of the shelves----but i didn't want to buy any new contact paper.  well, being the cheapskate  frugal, resourceful person that i am, i decided to use scrapbook paper!!!!!  i mod podged scrapbook paper to the edges of the shelves.   it took just 4 sheets of paper - so for about $1 i did what needed to be done rather than spending $30 or more for shelf paper!!!!!!

this whole furniture refinishing project has only cost me $10.80 because i had to buy another can of poly!!  i have white paint in the garage that i might use for the walls once they're plastered (i have that in the garage too).  i'm debating on whether to tint the paint with a little black to make grey or have them white...............no matter which, the wallpaper really needed to come down!  now that i have a few of the upper cabinets completely done & the doors on, that green wallpaper is really dark next to the black cabinets!

here's a look at the new "shelf paper" & the progress on the cabinets so far:

all nice & organized!!!!   even looks good with the doors off, but i am going to  put them back on!!!!

i'll take a better picture of this when i get the bottom doors on - they're drying right now from the final coat of poly -  it looks like a real piece of stand alone furniture rather than cabinets!!!!   so cool!!!!!

did some rearranging of some of the dishes etc. to different cabinets.  a lot more practical now!

 i love my chicken wire cabinet even more now!!!!!   can't wait to get the knobs put back on!

moved some of the counter top decorations around too!!  i'm really liking it!!!!!  i'll have more pictures as more progress gets done.

well, it's really late - spent the afternoon & evening painting woodwork in the pastor's office.  got the crown moulding all painted, touched up some of the tan, painted the woodwork around the door frames.  still have to finish the doors & the baseboards......

gotta get to bed (& dream about parker stevenson!!!) - tomorrow after church i'm spending the afternoon with a very dear friend!  can't wait!!!!

be blessed!!!! (haven't said that in awhile, have i???)

miscellaneous monday stuff

sorry about not posting last week.  i've been doing "projects".

1.  pastor's office project --  i'm working on redecorating the pastor's office at church.  i've plastered the walls (one of the old men at church came up to me last sunday & said, "so i hear you were plastered this weekend!!!"  ha ha!!)   i've painted the ceiling.  used a sprayer.  got totally covered in white paint!!!!  pictures were taken - if they ever show up in public, certain people are going to have to pay big time!!!  i've painted 2 coats of "lyndhurst stone" (tan) on the walls.  this weekend i'll be painting crown moulding & baseboards & doors & trim.   the new pastor - whoever he is - had better like it, cuz that's what he's getting!!!!   here are some pictures of the process.  i'll post the final pictures when it's all done, the new flooring & furniture are in.

that's not paint on the carpet - that's dust from removing the beams......

 took down the "faux" beams from around the room.  made the room look taller & larger.  painted the brown structural beam to match the walls.  these pics are before the crown moulding was installed.

 the walls were all different textures.  now they're all the same.  that job took 2 weeks to finish!!

 my "reverse" farmer's tan!!!!!

 the ceiling was "popcorn" textured, but i don't think it had ever been painted because you could see bare drywall in some spots.   not anymore!!!  it took me about 4 hours to spray the whole ceiling!  this is a big room!!!!

 the ceiling is a beautiful clean white now!!!!  and we installed new lights.

 1st coat of "lyndhurst stone" - what a difference painting that ugly brown beam made!

ready for the crown moulding!!!    love it!!!

2.  as if this isn't enough work to do-------i started on my kitchen this weekend!!!!    now the kitchen's all torn apart, the dining room & living room are a mess with all the kitchen stuff in them.....................and i HATE messes!!!!!!    i've got the top cabinets all painted & one of the bottoms, the one next to the fridge.  tonight i'm going to put on the coat of poly.  i've got 5 doors sanded & painted and only about thirty seventy to go!!!!!  at least it feels that way!!!!  my kitchen didn't seem that big until i started sanding doors!!!!!!   in the process i decided to take down the wallpaper.  i like it.  it could have stayed.  but it was loose on some of the seams & there were lots of nail holes where different stuff was hung over the years.  i've had it up for about 10 years or so, so it's served it's purpose!  i'm going to plaster the walls & paint them.   i cut the paper so i could leave the cow border.  not sure if it's going to stay or go too.  we'll see when i start plastering.    i took a day of vacation yesterday to work on the kitchen.  it was in the 90's & i was wearing my swimming suit sanding doors in the virgin islands!  when i left the office today it was in the 70's & extremely windy!  i was COLD walking to my car - & i had a jacket on!!!!   what a difference!!!!!  i've been wearing my swimming suit every day practically since april!!!!  i wonder if those days are over for awhile now????????

here are some pictures of the mess kitchen mess!!!!

 i know i have pictures of the kitchen with the curtains up - remembered to take these after i had them down & one of the doors already off one of the cabinets.

 well, that settles it - the wallpaper's coming down!!!

 i'll tell you about the cow print shelf paper in another post!!!!

 just part of the mess!!

 i've lived in this house for almost 22 years!!!!  these poor cabinets sure look it too!!!!  i've lived here longer than i even lived in my parent's house!!!  (only lived there for 18 years)

 took the wallpaper down behind the fridge while i had it moved out to paint the side of the cabinets.

we had a bulletin board on the pantry door at one time & it messed up the finish on the door.  it was quicker & easier to wallpaper the door than to paint it.  i loved how the door just faded into the wall because of the wallpaper.  i've got an idea to remove the door & make a curtain instead, but i'm still mulling that over in my mind.  a nice shiny white painted door might not be too bad.............hmmmmmmmmmmmm............i'll have to keep thinking about this...............

well, i'd better get busy - it's already 8pm.  i just wanted to get something posted since i missed last week.     i also want to go to bed...........it's good bed snuggling weather!!!!!

ok - now i've got this song in my head................because of the 2nd butt call in 2 weeks!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97BfC4LgrXk&feature=player_detailpage

miscellaneous monday stuff

it's amazing how much Jesus loves us...............

i've heard this song a million times but tonight i really listened to the words as it played on the radio.  i cried.  the most refreshing cry i've had in a long time.

Jesus is ALL we need.

Where Your Heart Belongs
Artist: Mainstay
Album: Become Who You Are
You lost yourself in finding out
The wonders of the world will let you down
You gave yourself to those who never cared about your soul
They only cared for their own
Seems everyone has left you

You're not alone, I hear you call
And I've been waiting here for you through it all
You're not alone, come to the cross
Let Me show you where your heart belongs
You’re not alone

You've been down the darkest roads
And you know just how it feels to lose your hope
But don't give up on everything
When everyone has given up on you
And it feels like everyone has left you

You're not alone, I hear you call
I've been waiting here for you through it all
You're not alone, come to the cross
Let Me show you where your heart belongs
You're not alone

I will never leave you, come back to My open arms
To the only love you need

You're not alone, I hear you call
I've been waiting here for you through it all
You're not alone, come to the cross
Let Me show you where your heart belongs
You're not alone
You're not alone
You're not alone

that's all i've got for this monday!  be blessed!!!!

fall decorating

several people have requested that i "hurry" & post the pics of my "fall decorating"----

----it's not much, but here you go!!!!

removed the white shelf; moved the 3 stars on the left from another wall in the living room. 

the books are old old old & were up in my parents' attic -- so glad they got out before the fire! 

 
another of my favorite verses:   1 thessalonians 4:11   "make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, mind your own business & work with your hands."    i pray everyday that i'll accomplish this!!!!   most days i do!!!!!!!!!

 moved the "chair" picture, which made me move the "porch" picture!!!   above the bed was looking kinda naked, so this is good!!

i have a couple more bible verses i want to write on the walls......one is long & i'm afraid that i'll mess it up!!!   it's a lot harder to write on the wall than you'd think!!!!!!!

going to get to bed now - i did manual labor for 12 hours today - i hope i can move in the morning!!!!!!    more about that later!!!!!!

be blessed!!!!!!............lead a quiet life..............mind your own business.............work with your hands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     amen!!!!!