Stripping Wallpaper Today

This is not my favorite pastime, but the old kitchen and back entrance needed it.  This paper was a thick vinyl and even the scratch tool did not allow steam to penetrate very well.  Tearing off the vinyl top and then steaming the paper left underneath seemed to work the best.  It made quite a mess with all the small pieces of paper and wallpaper glue all over my hands.  Tomorrow will require more stripping above the servants  staircase.  Not exactly sure how I will reach the high spots.  12' ceilings look grand, but they can be hard to work.  The old paper looked good, but was a dark Burgundy.  The rear entrance needed more light and that is the direction we have maintained throughout our color selection.  Stop by the house if you dare and I will introduce you to my friend, the 10' step ladder.

Did you ever........

The first floor bathroom was blossoming with the new wallpaper that we had chosen.  It was very similar to the color and pattern that Betty Lou Crist (and Bob?) had chosen.  The excitement grew as I watched  Rena attach each strip of paper to the white primed wall.  That is, until she informed me that we did not have enough paper to finish the last wall.  There was the term "22 inch repeat" which caused match up issues and waste.  "Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH MY "- was all that I could think.  Then she told me that I should ask the store for the same Lot #.  That sounded like pushing my luck even more.  Since this paper was purchased a year before in optimistic anticipation, it was not too thrilling to call Sherwin-Williams.  I was thinking of plan B or C as I dialed.  Ta Da, we were able to find it - same lot and all.

Job security

Today I managed to take a one hour task and stretch it into several hours by a jammed pin nailer, split trim by trying a larger gun, and finding the answer by going to Councilman Mike (nice person and able to fix most "stuff").  Thanks Mike!

Spirits of the past

While I was working on my knees sanding a floor at the top of the servant's staircase, an image came to me of an early person scrubbing the same floor.  Just as I was on my knees, so were they.   Just as I was tired, so were they.  The job needed to be done, and indeed it will.  Motives, who knows?  We all are driven, what matters the source. 

Keep going and trying - never give up

Sometimes we work for a long time on a room (over a year) and it seems that there is little progress.  Then, in one day the sun appears to shine on the finishing touches and you wonder why you ever doubted your vision.  The first floor bathroom burst forth this week, like a Surprise Lily in August heat. 

Decisions, decisions

I think that I made a mistake on the color choice for the ...............!  I'ld tell you where, but that might prejudice my work or alter your opinion of something that you admire.  We spent the last month, breaking eggs.