BIRTHDAYS and A HORROR STORY

Last night I hosted a Birthday Party for my friend Barbara. Just seven of us old biddies...er...middle aged women eating, laughing and having a fun time eating Chicken Tarragon Crepes, Seafood Spinach Crepes, Roasted Beets and Buttercup Squash. That was followed by a decadent Apple Cranberry Bread Pudding made with a lovely Challah Bread. Yummy in my tummy! Did you used to say that when you were a kid?? Anyway, sorry no pictures or recipes because I tend to wing it.

Now for the Horror Story of the fireplace. Many of you have probably already spotted it. When I was finally finished with all the brick, I taped off the sides and top to give the mouldings a nice fresh coat of paint. I used new blue tape ( Shurtape, not 3M) and when I removed it just hours later, it pulled off all the gold wall paint. Never fear, I had almost a gallon left so off to the basement I trudged, opened the can, stirred like crazy only to find that whatever binder Benjamin Moore uses does not last for 6 years, darn! I put some on the wall anyway and all it did was dribble. So off to the paint store where they don't have samples in this color ( it is 6 years old, OK,OK), so I have to have a quart mixed ( from the label on the can's lid) and pay $17. Remember this was supposed to be basically a free project!! I ran home and used less than 2 Tablespoons aka one ounce of paint on the white stripes. I went out for an hour to give it a chance to dry and hopefully darken. No!!! See those goobers on the wall, now the whole room has to be repainted , which it *does* need, but I don't have the energy or $$ to do it right now!
End of Horror Story and I am over it now.

On Sunday October 26, tomorrow as I write this, please go over to Rabbit Run Cottage and wish our dear,sweet friend Susie Q a Happy Birthday. Apparently she is throwing herself a party! tell her I sent you.

Thanks for the kudos; I love you all.

Later,

Janet

PRIMED

Eight, count 'em 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 hours and about 3/4 gallon of primer. Yes, I would love to beef up the mantel and have a surround built, but the fireplace is not flat, but is stepped and therefore I need to have something custom designed and built. Not happening until the housing market comes back. But I digress somewhat. Ignore the white inside the firebox on the right. Don't know what I was thinking, must have been an ADD moment. I will repaint those with a lovely soot color.


Nooks and crannies. Great in English Muffins. Horrible in brick. There must be about an acre of surface area in this fireplace.

Tired and bored!

Janet

OPINIONS PLEASE

Here's the current view of the fireplace. It doesn't look too bad from this vantage point, but I have hated it since I moved in 17 years ago. I want a fireplace that looks classic and classy. I want the bricks to be antique and a soft clay color. You know what I mean, right??
Bad picture, I know. I should have run it through PhotoShop to lighten and brighten, but I am being lazy! The hearth is raised with a brick border around slate.


Here is the ugly brick. It's pre-formed from some kind of colored concrete. Nasty texture, not bricklike.


Maybe a first cousin to Lava Rock!! I have no money for a new mantel or new surround of any sort. No one seems to be buying houses these days? Why not?? So, do I paint the bricks white? What about the slate? I've wondered about watering down some terra cotta paint( from my Dining Room) and some of the gold paint( from the Living Room) and maybe trying some sponge glazing/ dabbing/ daubing technique to soften the colors.

Opinions please....you know you have them, lol.

Later,

Janet