A Charlie Brown Christmas

After our drawn-out floor staining process, we were exhausted. Christmas Eve morning, we stumbled into Starbucks for piping hot cocoa and warm conversation. We recapped the week in a series of play-by-plays about the coats of stain and the accompanying nights that never ended. Then Clint announced his plan to pick out a Christmas tree! We drove to his family’s property in Carnation and trudged around in the rain until we found the perfect (for us) tree. Its small size made it easy to cut and carry. My dear husband also surprised me with ornaments, strings of lights, and stockings at home. Our tired bodies were energized, and we decorated in a frenzy before falling asleep atop our new floors and under the twinkle of lights. Some would call our Christmas Eve decorating silly, but our tree and décor lasted well into February. Fire hazard? Perhaps. Fun? Absolutely.

Staining with the Beach Boys

“Little Saint Nick” lyrics are eternally tied to my memory of staining our fir floors. The week before Christmas, we patched, mended, and sanded spots needing extra attention. Then came meticulous vacuuming and washing until not a speck of dust remained. Blaring Christmas classics was our secret to sanity. The actualy staining process scheduled for 3pm quickly became 9pm. Our progress became tied to the number of times Beach Boy ballads repeated on the radio. Finally, at 9:55, we brushed our first stroke of stain across the light wood. The floors instantly “popped” with vintage color. Our “wax on, wax off” method continued over every square foot. Our bags were packed and sitting near the door, as we made our way to the finish line. Although The Beach Boys provided numerous reminders that “Christmas comes this time each year,” staining floors will happen only once in a lifetime.

Week 38: The Tortoise and the Early Bird

Sometimes the tortoise does not win the race. Sometimes the early bird does not get the worm. Sometimes waiting a year to find an affordable oven does not pay off. After searching Craiglist and outlet stores for months and months, we ended up paying for a brand new range that fit our irregular opening. What did we learn? Stewardship of resources is a good habit, even if does not always translate into dollars saved. I am sure Tortoise and Early Worm retired comfortably, despite minor setbacks.

Week 37: Reaching the Threshold

Our front door was framed near the turn of last century. It was sized just right, until the advent of King-sized mattresses, Costco overstuffed furniture, or in our case, industrial sized refrigerators. We drove over to Mill Work Outlet, a family run door supplier, and searched for a wider style. To correctly hang the door, Clint and I stood on either side of it, and moved shimming pieces for the right adjustment. It was a humbling communication experiment. A job that we planned for ten minutes turned into hours of back and forth directions. We were an inefficient yet successful team!

Week 36: A Room for Living

From years of teaching high school, I believe projects have beginnings, middles, and ends. A definitive launch, and a ceremonious finish. Not so in the remodeling world. With the kitchen “almost” complete, we have moved on to the living room. This staggered progress is less satisfying, but more efficient. We have now dry walled, spackled, and painted the living room. Clint installed recessed lights, and called the living room done—“almost”. Both the kitchen and living rooms are quite smart and will soon graduate with honors.

Week 35: An Early Christmas

When Clint and I got married last June, family and friends showered us with gifts. These packages were safely tucked in the attic until we could enjoy them with our completed kitchen. Now is the time! We brought down box after box and ended up with a huge pile of cardboard and Styrofoam. Christmas has come early for the Nelsons!

Week 34: Open Sesame

I used to press my nose against the shiny hardware in Restoration Hardware’s window. I never stepped inside, for fear there was a shopping fee for handling merchandise. This spendy shop is filled with elegant, artful, and overpriced house wares. My heart was set on something from this store, but our budget disagreed.

While visiting a friend at the Common Folk boutique, I fell in love with their hardware and ran outside to avoid temptation. Their sidewalk sale then caught my eye. 14 vintage door handles sat in a porcelain blue bowl. I heard a faint “Hallelujah Chorus” as I brought the bowl to the counter, and paid $2 each! Thanks, Common Folk!