Getting Ready

We have been busy getting ready for winter.  The weather here has been beautiful but our cold mornings let us know what is coming.  

Ben sanded and primed the part of the deck that isn't under a roof and therefore gets a lot of weather.  

He'll paint it this week, and I guess we will have to lock up Fetcher when he does!

I have been going through the things we stuffed into drawers as we unpacked this summer.  Scarves, mittens, linens, quilts, china ...it's all being hauled out and "edited" and better organized.  Some of it is going up on the walls so the rooms will feel more homelike and cozy.  I was glad to get the blue flow platter hung up in the dining room.... 

....and very happy to get some of my Quimper collection up so we can enjoy seeing it.

When I visited a neighbor's house and saw how she had hung her collection of old copper pots, I was inspired to do the same, especially since they go so nicely with the copper cups Ben uses when he makes Moscow Mule cocktails.  (We are still fine-tuning the placement of the copper pots, but the idea of hanging them here is a good one.)  

Did you notice the artwork hung above the radio?  It's a watercolor I bought at the Artist's Open Studio tour yesterday.  

It was done by a Boulder area artist named Ann Luce, who also did this oil painting...

...which we hung in the living room.  This is the first oil painting I've ever bought and I'm quite thrilled with it.  (Ben likes it, too!)

I had quite a busy week making decorating decisions.  We decided to move the too-small living room rug into the TV room and picked out a new living room rug that has a modern vibe to it.   The old chair in the TV room that no one wants to sit in is going to be replaced with a new barrel shaped swivel chair done in this cute green leather.  And we finally decided on a chair for our bedroom, so we are almost done with making furniture/design decisions!  I find it fun but tiring to deal with all this, but it will be nice to have everything in place for the winter and enjoy it for all the years to come.  

 It was a great week with lots of hikes and visiting with friends and other fun mingled with the work we got done.   I have to show you this funny photo Paul took of me; I know it isn't flattering but I think it's a hoot.

I guess I should be glad he didn't make me wear a funny hat, like he did Fetcher!  That is one tolerant cat.