The Holman Road House-Sleeping Rooms and more

The Aquafresh mini-master bathroom features a cultured marble sink/vanity in colors that could match our toothpaste–if we used Aquafresh. The mirror is simply a framed mirror that eventually I plan to paint and glaze to match Cora’s dresser then hang in her room. The photo was taken too late to show off the matching blue wallpaper patterned with sea fans and seashells. The corner shower is hiding across from the toilet. Since I rarely have taken a bath upon moving from my parents’ home 20 years ago (They have extra heat in the ceiling with the vent; it’s the only thing that makes baths bearable and enjoyable in my opinion.) I’m not sad that it is truly only a 3/4 bath. There is also significant shelf and cabinet storage behind the entry door. So, a coat of paint and new sink and vanity and some of Mr. Detail’s creative touches and this room will look like new–one day.

Master bedroom

Oh, joy!  The previous owner carried the aqua from the bedroom into the bath using the carpet.  The pale blue paint on the walls isn’t nearly so invasive, but until we have the money and the energy to put in hardwoods we will imagine it without.  If you have been in our Georgia house, you will know that this is a significant change in size for us.  It is probably 3 times as large as our bedroom there.  I love having two closets.  Mine is opposite the dresser in the back corner.  (By the way, have you ever seen a more beautiful dresser?  My daddy made that for me when I was little.  It is walnut with a cherry stain and is my most valuable piece of furniture because of sentiment and quality.)  The other closet is catty-corner from it, on the same wall as the bathroom door.  We will have to wire the room to have overhead lighting.  This couple was very into the trend where you wire the plug into the light switch and use lamps to light the room.  I, on the other hand, prefer to actually see.  Thankfully my dear father-in-law was an electrician–and his son has learned a lot along the way as well.

Hall bath

There simply are no words for this room other than it is not narrow and nearly claustrophobic like our previous one.  Birdhouse wallpaper, pink rose decals for the vanity and carpet.  I won’t say anything else.  And despite my issues with carpet not in my family, I slept on the floor here the first night we stayed here.  Little Man had a stomach virus.  When that happens he always camps out in the bathroom.  If he ever doubts my love for him, to this I will refer.

Boys' room

They are tolerating the flowery wallpaper.  I’m envisioning a pale yellowish green, perhaps a hue lighter than the lightest dots on their bedspreads.  Not sure I can get a consensus on that one.  Mr. Detail really wants all the walls to be the same–the same great color that we used in our bedroom, hallway, and family room in Georgia.  I just like color so much, I’m not sure I can hold to that.  But until the time comes I won’t debate.  Priscilla curtains are just not doing it for me in a boys’ room.  I’m picturing Roman shades in something like this.  And, of course, sans carpet.  One of the upcoming projects right after the pantry re-do will be children’s closet re-dos.  I’m one of those moms who believe strongly in teaching self-sufficiency, even with all the extra work required due to the learning curve.  Although a bench works for Little Man, Girly still can’t reach her dresses.  Oh and I’m picturing a night stand that is wider than that little telephone table, yet similar in that it won’t block the register.

Girly’s room will have to be featured separately, simply because she’s been asleep each time I took a picture.  Or I can simply describe it here.  It’s similar to the boys in size and shape, but only one window and the wallpaper is pink.  Really her room is the only room that the wallpaper remotely matches the rest of the decor.  Her closet is deeper and longer than the others.  (How lovely for a girl, huh?)  I’m planning to paint her dresser, which is a former buffet with the legs sawed shorter, a Tiffany blue and change or paint the hardware to a sparkly silver.  Can’t wait to have a block of time to devote to that.

The Holman Road House-kitchen

Looking into the kitchen from the dining room

Since this was taken, I took down the cherry wallpaper and the nails where the apron and duster were hanging.

Oven side of U-shaped kitchen

As you enter the kitchen from the dining area, the stove/oven is to the right.  I’m not feeling the love of a glass top stove.  It seems to take a long time for water to boil.  Nor white countertops–or cabinets for that matter.  But it’s all good.  It just gives me more things to daydream about while working in my kitchen.  Besides the U-shape makes it very efficient.  Except when I have more than one helper.  But I’m thankful for the help, so we make it work.  Oh, and the jars of legumes on the counter did not fit into the pantry.  You will see in the next picture my solution.

The window over the sink

Currently there isn’t much of a view unless it has snowed.  (Mostly it is just the roof of the porch and carport area below.)  Eventually we will remove that and add a mudroom attached to a garage.  I organized the cabinets so that when there is a dishwasher added (to the right of the sink) it will be easy to put them away–even if it will be 10 years or more.  Notice the legume jars on the shelves by the sink.

To the left of the sink

All my kitchen accessories are cluttering the counter–because I use them all at least once a week.  Most of them more than that.  The kids love the fridge–because it has water and ice in the freezer door and they can easily reach it.

Our lovely microwave stand sets opposite of the kitchen sink

I’m looking for around for something to serve as a table or cart for the microwave. The green tape outlines the size of a bookcase (a china cabinet in a former life), but our microwave is too big for it.  So for now the stack of boxes of books (from Scott’s former Kindergarten classroom) temporarily upholstered with a tablecloth that I don’t use (from staging our Georgia house) works like a charm and the kids can easily reach it and be self-sufficient.  I don’t think House Beautiful will be doing a photo shoot on it, but I’m okay with that.  Also, you can see the wallpaper glue on the paneling that I’m still in the process of removing.

Proof that my humble kitchen works just fine

The boys and I watched several episodes of Cupcake Wars while staying with Scott’s parents.  We all were ready to make some of our own and they were winners even though the ingredients weren’t all that unusual.  They were orange-Cointreau cupcakes with an icing made with yogurt, butter, orange juice, Cointreau and powdered sugar.  Sprinkles and an orange garnish.  They were gone the morning after.

The Holman Road House–upon entering

I’ve promised to post some pictures of our new-to-us home here in quiet Moberly, Missouri.  I’m doing it in sections, so welcome and enjoy.  And to those of you who have thought I always had a neat house, these will certainly show you I am a real person!  Getting settled is not conducive to everything being in it’s place.  Neither is the lack of a dishwasher.  But I’m not having anxiety attacks over it.  The handwashing of dishes has really helped the boys to pitch in and help.

Entering through the front door

The coat closet is straight ahead (along with our random shoes that we leave off inside) and there is a built in shelf that divides the entry from the living room.  On the other side of it is a bookcase.  This will be revised/updated in the future.

The living room entering from the front door (looking to your right).

We are back to using our Target entertainment table since the one in Georgia was a built-in.  The student desk needs a new home, but is a coat rack sometimes serves as a coat rack for the time being.  Oh, and our lampshades cracked and crumbled with the cold temps and there isn’t much overhead lighting.

The living room as seen from the dining area

Drapes were removed.  They matched the valance, but had flowers.  I’m planning to recover the valances with something new and keep the sheers for now. Isn’t the carpet color lovely? (a faded greenish-blue)

 

The dining area as seen from the living room.

There are bookshelves on that left wall and shelving at the end.  The previous owner had glass doors on the shelving for some display, but I have no collection to show off other than cookbooks, so I took off the doors.  I put a tiered table (formerly my nightstand and then a toy table) under the bookshelves to hold napkins and trivets.  You can peek into the kitchen from here also.

To the downstairs

You can also head straight from the front entry to get to the stairs.  The doorway that is barely seen on the right is to the kitchen.  It is straight across from the doorway that goes into the dining room.  On the left is the pantry.

The pantry.

Only 3 shelves were in it.  Scott is going to give it a makeover when he finishes the project which is under time constraint (because it must be inspected).  So for now I have it organized, but my extra stuff is basically stacked neatly on the floor thus looking very cluttered.  In the end it will be beautiful–as far as pantries go.

Orange Pop

We did a science experiment with baking soda and orange juice.  Kinda like the vinegar and baking soda volcano, but in this version you make pop (soda to some of you).  As you can see from McCance’s face, this version of orange pop tasted nasty.

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Good to the Last Drop

We let McCance finish off the Nutella, but Cora decided he wasn’t thorough enough.

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Smoky Mountains-Adventure 4

Since the truck delivering trusses to the house down the driveway managed to get stuck, blocking the driveway, we walked to our fourth adventure–a morning walk around the pond to rid the boys of some extra (noisy rambunctious type) energy.  It is a chilly fall morning and around the pond there was a cold wind; I wished I had packed my hat!

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Smoky Mountains-Adventure 3

Not officially in the park, but we’re still in the area of the Smokies. . .

Yesterday it was rainy and chilly.  After picking up a charger for my camera battery, we started our third adventure.  And adventure it truly was.  Especially for Aunt L and I.

Tuckaleechee Caverns is a very intriguing cave full of rock formations and waterfalls.  What they don’t tell you before they sell you the tickets to the tour is that it also involves about 440 steps over a mile.  Girly rode on my back in my Ergo for about half the tour and then I had to switch her to the front (akin to being pregnant again, except she weighs more than I ever gained pregnant!) so her head would clear the rock!  Between that and having a fear of heights, my legs were Jello by the end.  I won’t even comment on my lack of being in shape.  I’ll just say that I do have quads.  I just forgot about them.

Neither of us took our cameras inside the caverns, but the story of how they were discovered and opened to the public is neat.  You can also read more about the formations in the caves.