Hello Yes, it's been a while, not much... how 'bout you?

Okay...I've got nothing.
No good excuses
No good explanations
No good reasons...why I've been gone so long, other than to say...I dropped out for a wee bit. : )
It's been before Christmas since I've last blogged.  The holidays took me over the edge. So we're going to start fresh and new, just like SPRING...

OMG!!!
This is the new SPRING!
Okay... it's not quite like this outside as I write this but this snap is only 3 weeks old and it's April 27th!!!
So kids... buckle up... it's going to be a BuMPy ride!
I'm giving you the "Nutshell" version of the last 5 months. (Can that be right??? 5 months???)

Well, here we go...











Without adieu, I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of the Chatreau-Grifo family...

MEET MISS OLIVE GRIFO!!!

As you might have guessed... She was a Christmas present.  She's a Golden Retriever/Cocker Spaniel and she is the sweetest thing.  To share just a few of the "sweetest" things she's eaten so far...

1. My Coach Purse
2. 4 pairs of my Shoes
3. 3 Wood handled screwdrivers
4. My iPad cover
5. 2 area rugs
6. The bottom flap of a new chair
7. 2 iPhone cords
8. 1 Wooden Salad Bowl
9. Countless pairs of my undergarments...seriously, I lost track!
10. The cord on the vacuum cleaner - completely separated it.

This is just a small sample of her greatness and abilities... the worse part is... you can't get mad at her because she is so stinking cute... here's a few more snaps...

Soooo as all new parents are consumed with their new baby, we are no different.  We giggle at each head turn, we talk about her latest poop style, we stop everything to kiss her and squeeze her as hard as she'll allow.  It's L-O-V-E folks!  No doubt about it.

On that note... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 We've decided that even though the rooms aren't done... that won't stop us from living in them as if they were!  We had 4 beautiful trees this year and even though the pictures of the village were lost in my phone break down, I still found some of the trees... at least some of them.

 For the first time, I had an 8' Christmas Tree with room at the top and it was sitting on a stand that was 3'!!!

 Even decorated the mantel... and had fires in the fireplace...

Here's a great snap of Olive and my granddog, Maeby!!! 

Okay....enough dog talk... well, at least for now.  

 Here we have the diningroom tree and the mantel in the diningroom... the Charlie Brown tree didn't count as one of the official 4 trees...but it sure is cute!

Got an unbelievably gorgeous Chandelier  

 from Blake and Steve It's crystal and it is a SHOW STOPPER!!!
I still shake my head at the friends I have and their willingness to help, give, share and just indulge me with their goodness...
Life is so funny that way... I am thankful and I am full of thanks.
Jealous much?  LOL

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

WE WELCOME IN 2014 

... with the coldest, snowiest, yuckiest weather on record!!!

and... after 18 years with The Arthritis Foundation, I took a new job with Make-A-Wish!!! So I am working with actual people now and when I ask questions, I'm not answering myself, other people talk to me!  It's amazing!!! By the way, it's World Wish Day and you should donate your airline miles or $$$$ to MAKE-A-WISH... and do it now!  (Tell 'em Cherie sent you)

I digress...So in your spare time Cherie, what have you been doing?  Glad you asked... here's a smidgen of what's going on with Martha...

1. Miles Bedroom is, for the most part, done. (pictures to come)
2. I have a laundry room where I can actually do our Laundry and after 6 months at the Laundry Mat, I still tear up when I can put clothes in the washer without putting them in the car first!  (This will be it's own story in a few days)
3. The main floor bathroom is moving along.  I've tiled the floor and the walls are ready for tile this weekend and then we just have to install the new toilet and sink and all the accouterments and it's done
4. The Back-Kitchen will be done in the next two weeks... I'm hoping...
5. The Pots and Pans Room, which WAS going to be George's office has changed and it will now become the China Room...due to a slight addiction/problem/concern that Cherie has...otherwise we'd need to build on an addition and that seems crazy in a house with 22 rooms in it already!
6.  We ripped up the last bit of carpet ... the main stair case... and still need to remove the nails, staples and screws (yes, I said screws) up but it's WAY better with that nastiness gone!!!
7. Bill Howell, the Wandering Troubadour, came back down and installed our beautiful banquette seat that he made out of some lovely oak with plug and all for the back kitchen.
8. Nancy and I took a road trip to "almost New York" for an estate sale!!! Drove there on a sunny Friday after work and came home on Saturday!  We did the trip in 24 hours!  It was AWESOME
9. My phone, our computer and a water pipe all broke in late December, early January... so I have a new phone number, a borrowed computer (thanks Blake) and new basement water pipes...
10. The radiator in front of the "found" bathroom door has been moved out of the way and into the back kitchen so you can access the bathroom.
11. We've been so lucky to have so many friends and family stop in to see us and meet Martha over the past few months and have enjoyed each and every visit! Everyone has been so gracious to act like they don't see the holes in the ceiling and cracks in the walls and the DUST... oh the DUST and just love Martha for her possibilities.... Thank You...Thank You... Thank You.

So I'll close this blog with some snaps, act like I never took the break and we'll move right along...

This was how it looked  BEFORE...(I wonder if this was dirty?)

This is the AFTER...not done but you can see the difference...

This is one side of the "Back Kitchen"... raised floor, new shelf wall made from the bead board we took off the walls in the butler's pantry.  I wanted a shelf for the herbs and tender flowers and this room gets great afternoon/evening sun. I can't wait to get this finished!!!

Stairs with carpet... sideways... don't ask

Stairs without carpet... sideways... again, don't ask : )

Main Floor Bath... You can see the radiator in front of the the door... and the floor

Here you can see the radiator is GONE and the Penny Round tile is in!!!

 This is the now famous... "Almost New York" trip...

 No one does a 24 hour Estate Sale Road Trip like Cherie and Nancy!!! WE RULE IT!!!

Hater's gonna Hate... but we don't negotiate!!!

The Toledo Mom's head down to Cbus to see the Columbus Daughters...Great way to spend a Sunday!

Had a wonderful Easter with our wonderful neighbors...Dave and Kevin and Miss Nancy! Go ahead and hate on my dish selection for the Easter table... Green is a nasty color on you!

Gathered with my sister and brother to celebrate my cousins life!  We are one less in the Cunningham family and that breaks my heart for so many unsaid reasons...but so good to touch my brother!!!

And last but not least... I've got the greatest kids... silly like their father and smart like their mother!!!

So this was a very different blog post... but it was a blog post... so you can stop sending worried notes, and texts and emails... It's all good here at Martha.  I'm falling into a new happy with my new job and I miss you madly.  I promise to be better with my updates and hope this finds you happy and living your path.

Peace my faithful companions...

c

Time for Dinner!

Getting ready for Thanksgiving... well, it is less than 2 weeks away... and I'm trying to think through all the cooking processes and what to have when and how we're going to do this and that and where will everyone sit and on and on and it hit me! It hit me like a slug from my sister... THIS WILL BE THE BEST THANKSGIVING TO DATE BECAUSE I AM TRULY, DEEP DOWN IN MY SOUL, ALMOST OUT OF CONTROL ...THANKFUL! We aren't having a ton of people, to my most recent count it's only 8 for dinner and 14 after and I don't have a "kitchen" or a stove or oven but I'm not worried... Do you know what I DO have?  I have friends and family that I am just crazy nuts about... I have a husband that is "on board" with my crazy dream here...and I have Martha and she is continues to amaze me with her willingness to bend and change and stay rigid where she needs to... (I also have a liquor store near by, it's only a block away) so I'm covered!
Dining room update...

Miles came home for a weekend...just to help us with Martha!  OMG, how many kids would do that?  Not many... we just happen to have a really really cool son that was willing to sand the corners of the dining room floor and MORE!  So the floor was stripped and then sanded and then cleaned and then we went to town with 2 different stains... well, you know we are sorta artsy...lol
It's not a fun job...and I'm thankful that someone else got to enjoy doing this for a while.

So here it is with all the stain and the sealer and all the rest of the stuff on it...

The walls get two colors... one wall is going to be Swiss Chocolate - BROWN and the other 3 are painted Williamsburg Sand - sorta soft, light brown.

This is the old color...sorta worn out beige... Moving on to the fireplace... the mantel was removed...I don't know who removed it or how long it's been gone but I do believe it is now for sale at a store downtown, which makes me really sad and even more sad because it's $1800.00 so that won't be happening!  I will come up with something else...but I'm going to paint it for some POP in the room... as if the chocolate room isn't enough!  HA.  

Oh wait... look... I found one!  It's not the original one but it works and I LOVE it!

We need to do a little tweaking but it works!!!

So here is the rest of the room... and that's right... IT'S DONE! 

 Before... I love the window in the middle... it's absolutely charming and for reference, the top of the window is at 8' and the bottom is at 6' from the floor and it's 6' long...and leaded glass.

 After...Now it's ready for dinning. I'm not sure why it's so hard to get accurate snaps in this room but I've tried in the daylight and in the evening and they never turn out exactly how it looks but I think you're getting the idea.

Before and After...

The cabinet looks amazing with all my accouterments and I installed a light to shine down over the glass shelves... happy!  

My favorite view...the china cabinet with my Johnson Brothers Friendly Village Collection.  I have more to show you but George wants breakfast!  Hope all is well with you and yours and that you find your plans for the upcoming holidays coming together.  So much to be thankful for.  Peace.

Cherie and Martha

It's about TIME!!!

It's been exactly one month and one day since my last blog and please believe me that it's been hard for me to keep you in the dark this long but I promised George that I wouldn't say anything until we actually SOLD the Harvard house and that meant...going to the closing and CLOSING THE DEAL!!! Foolishly, I agreed and because I know myself...all in or all out..., I knew I couldn't keep my finger from telling everyone that we had buyers for the house...so I just closed it down and put my fingers to the grindstone.

Soooooooooo...........WE SOLD THE HARVARD HOUSE!!!.... It's official and it's a done deal!  Whewwwwwwwwwwwww!  So it is a bit bittersweet that I begin again.  We are 100% out of Harvard and 100% in Martha.  Last night I did the opposite of what I've been doing for the past 5 months... after loading the last of the minutia, and cleaning the house we got in the truck at 2:30am, said goodbye to the holder of our hearts and family for the last 20 years and drove TO Martha.  We rode in silence and I think we both were trying not to let the other see the tears but when George unlocked the front door he looked at me and said, "Well, we start the next chapter now!"  So without further ado...

What have we been doing for the last 31 days?... Packing, packing, more packing, sorting, moving from here to there and back to that room over there ... NO, the other room...ugh... oh wait...there may have been a few updates since the Sewing Room...let's see.

THE MASTER BEDROOM...
(This room comes with a warning...If you do not want to be inundated with overwhelming awe, I suggest you not view these snaps!  This transformation is hard for most people to grasp and I'm just warning you... you're gonna wanna stay here!)


BEFORE...view from the hallway door...(there are 3 doors in this room...that's crazy talk!)

 Fireplace....

 View into the Mini Bar Area going into The Lounge

 So as you can see, we have lots of chipped trim and dirty cream colored walls.  I didn't get any snaps of the ceiling, drats!  It wasn't pretty but that's all been taken care of now...

 George working on ceiling...He looks so happy! : )

 Someone liked borders...the 80's called... they want it back!

 You can sorta see the ceiling in this snap... and you get a better idea of the trim work needed...ugh.

Ceiling light... hmmmmm...

So please fasten your seat belts...it's gonna get bumpy...

Walls get the first coat of "Pink Blush Morning"...

Day light shot with trim, ceiling and walls all painted... see the "hanging light fixture"

 Natural light is wonderful...

The floor was sanded down to barewood and then we "pickled" it.  We used a "pickling white" stain and sealer... It gives it that white washed look... look at the shadow of the Jade plant... I love it!

 Furniture moved in... the bed is READY!!!

 Sorta blurry but you're getting the vibe...

 My new reading area...

 This gives you a good view of the chandelier... and the floor.   The picture in the black frame was done by George when he was in 3rd grade... LOVE LOVE LOVE...

My favorite picture... Taken by Alfred Eisenstadt in Paris... The whole title is... "A wide range of facial expressions on children the moment the dragon is slain"  I absolutely LOVE this picture... It's printed on canvas and measures 30 x 40 to give you the idea of size... I pretend that I'm the one wearing the babushka and that George is the boy with his arm in the air.  
Well, I've fallen asleep twice while trying to finish this... I've got more to show you and promise it won't be so long between posts.  Thanks so much for all your inquires and nice letters and notes.  So glad to have closed one chapter and opened the next and am very thankful that you are along for the ride.
Peace,
Cherie and Martha.