Betsy! The Bravest Warrior in the Land!!!!!

Or.... who you lookin' at????

Sooooo.....

We have a whole lotta turkeys in these here parts!!!!!

I counted up to 21 in front of my house on some afternoons.

They come to eat the crab apples.

Every fall they gather into large flocks and stuff their faces on the apples.

They accept me.....

I accept them.....

I think they're kinda cool.....

Who knows what the hell they think of me!!!!!

WELL.....

This year one of my older neighbors called me to warn me of some rogue birds.

She claimed four young males had become aggressive and had run towards her as if to attack her.

She retreated into her home.

Since I walk around our neighborhood with my parents, she wanted me to be aware of the potential danger, and to be on the lookout.

WELL.....

I thought to myself...

"Betsy, she must be a big scaredy cat, who would be afraid of these peaceful birds?????"

Then I got the condo monthly newsletter.

There was an article about the problem turkeys.

It turns out that the turkeys are becoming too used to humans.

Four of the young males, who have formed their own gang, are a little confused about just what humans are.

They think that we are part of their flock.

They are establishing themselves in the hierarchy of the pecking order and want to be above the humans who live here.

WELL.....

That didn't sound so bad.

I mean.....

I'm bigger than a stinkin' turkey!!!!!

Granted, I've had a nose job, but I still have a pretty impressive beak to assert myself in this here pecking order.

THEN....

One day when I was coming home from grocery shopping, I saw a police car parked in our cul de sac driveway.

Being the nosy concerned neighbor that I is, I asked 

just what the hell was going on what's up?????

The police officer informed me that she was on the lookout for the four renegade gobblers.

She wanted to "explain" to them where they fit in the order of the universe that is my condo development.

We had a nice conversation and she talked turkey with me, sharing some useful turkey intimidation tidbits. 

Carry an umbrella and open and close it at the turkeys.....

this should scare the @#$ stuffing out of them.

We both laughed and thought the whole thing was pretty funny.

I mean, how scary could a turkey be?????

THEN....

dum de dum dummmmmm.....(sound of warning music)

day before yesterday there were a  whole bunch of turkeys once again in front of my house, peacefully gorging themselves on the crab apples.

I noticed a group of four males that were off by themselves.

I though to myself....

"self....I wonder if those are the notorious four aggressive birds?"

then I thought....

"self.....let's see how the umbrella works!!!"

then I thought.....

"I mean, how scary can this be?????"

WELL.....

Let's just say that when more than one large bird fluffs up its feathers and starts walking towards you with its neck stretched forward.....

it's very intimidating!!!!

At this point I hadn't brought out my umbrella.

I was standing on the sidewalk in front of my condo.

I ran back inside and grabbed my mighty black smiter.

I came out and started opening and closing the umbrella like mad and barking like a dog as loud as I could.

Two of the males backed off, the other two had to think about it.

Then they slowly walked away, with me calling after them.....

"That's right, I da man!!!!! 

Don't you mess with this mudder!!!!!"

My heart was racing a million miles an hour.

Later when I was sitting in my family room, thinking about how scary they were, I realized how believable it is when an animal fluffs up it's fur or feathers.

In the heat of the moment, you really think that they've gotten bigger.

Next time I know I'll do better.

I want these buggers to understand that.....

I'm the head pecker in this flock!!!!

On that note,

Latah, Gatah 

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My Hall Stairs

After writing my last post about my buddy Kris's guest room.....

and showing you guys where I had hung the mirror that I gave to her.....

I got some comments about my hall, and why haven't I shown it?????

Well!!!!!

I haven't shown it because it ain't so great!

But, because I have no shame,

I will reveal it now.

When I moved from my house to my condo,

I had less walls on which to hang my many paintings, watercolors and prints.

I had collected a fair amount of dog paintings over the years, and hung them in my cottage living room.

House Beautiful Magazine

They were interspersed with all my other paintings.

sooooooo.....

when I moved, I decided to hang them as a collection on my stairs.

I painted the gold frame that housed the pugs.....

This was before I became the fabuloso painter that I is today, and since I just took this picture, I realized what a crummy job I did, so now I have to repaint it.

It's amazing what you no longer see in your own house if you walk by it every day......

Anyway....

I will now show you every painting I have hanging on my stairs, 

because it's Sunday, and what else do I have to do?????

Don't ask me anything about this painting, I know nothing about it.....

except that it's an oil painting in a goldish frame.....

Don't ask me anything about this painting, I know nothing about it....

except that it's a water color in a white frame.....

Don't ask me anything about this painting, I know nothing about it.....

except that it's a pastel drawing in a wood frame.

OH!!!!

And....

I bought this because it looked a lot like my dog!!!!!

Here's an old shot of my dog and me when I was younger!!!!

I miss her to this day.

BUT....back to the hall.....

Don't ask me anything about this painting, I know nothing about it.....

except that it's a lithograph in a black frame.....

Don't ask me anything about this painting, I know nothing about it.....

except that it's a needlework crewel piece in a gold frame.....

Don't ask me anything about this painting, I know nothing about it....

except it's an oil painting in a gold frame.....

Don't ask me anything about this painting, I know nothing about it....

  except it's a watercolor in a gold frame.....

Don't ask me anything about this painting, I know nothing about it.....

except that this is one goofy dog!!!!!

and it's a watercolor in a black frame.....

So,

this was where the mirror hung, that I gave to Kris.

So I needed to find something to put in its place.

I hung this pretty watercolor temporarily, until I find some more dogs!!!

I might give this to Miriam.....

I'm not sure.....

She and I don't like the same type of art.

I like good stuff, and she likes crap.

Some of you guys commented on the wallpaper.

I don't know if you can get it anymore, I bought it from Brunschwig & Fils.

They have been bought out by Kravet.

I can't think of anything else to say.....

OY!!!!!

On that note,

Latah, Gatah

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More Stuff for a Cottage Bedroom

OK Kampers....

let's go back to my buddy Kris's guest room.

As you know, we ain't done!!!!!

I will come back to Miriam and Ross's living room, but I bounce around between rooms and projects and ideas......

We left off in Kris's guest room, thinking that we would 

show a little constraint in hanging things on the walls.

We really tried.

We really really really really really did!!!!!

But we are creatures of crappola!!!!!

Yes we be!!!!!

This is how the room looked when last I showed it to you.

We hung just three things over the chest of drawers....

JUST 3!!!

However.....

After we hung the mirror in Kris's master bedroom, and we saw the impact it had on the room.....

 I suggested that we hang a mirror over the guest room chest.

Well....

Kris, being the fast learner that she is.....

immediately flew to eBay, and started looking for plates to hang around a mirror, so I could do a similar treatment in the guest room.

She found these....

They are old ironstone plates by Mason's, one of my favorite plate makers.

(china makers???? pottery makers????? stuff makers?????)

Now,

many years ago.....(8 or 9)....we had bought a mirror for our antique bidness.

When we moved our operation to the Boston Design Center, it somehow ended up in my house.......

It wasn't fine enough for the Design Center, but I loved it too much to get rid of it.

sooooooooo.......

I hung it at the bottom of my hall stairs.

It didn't make any sense there.....

it looked sorta silly.....

But I couldn't find it in my heart to get rid of it.

Sooooooo......

the years go by, and now Kris needs a mirror.

And this is the perfect style for her guest room!!!!!

So I gave it to her.

And now I can hang something more appropriate on my staircase.

Soooooo.......

I hung it for her in her guest room.....

And then I hung six plates around it....

The mirror is from the 1920's and has some wonderful etching.

Since we took down the three paintings hanging over the chest, I now had more stuff to play with!!!!

So,

I did what any self respecting krapptanista would do, and hung the little water color over the portrait of the girl.

The room is starting to have more oomph.

I love what just this little water color does for this view.

Here's another of my fabulouso side by sides.

The plates are more subtle than the floral paintings....

But I like the height of the mirror. 

I still need to make a pillow for the chair.

And we need accessories for the top of the chest.

There's a very good chance that more stuff will be hung on the walls, knowing Kris and me.....

We just have to find the perfect stuff.

But the hunt is what's so much fun!!!!!

And this isn't costing me nuthin' 'cuz it's Kris's house!!!!!

On that note,

Latah, Gatah

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A Cottage Style Makeover

Before we go any further with my niece Miriam's living room, assuming there is any further to go.......

Let's recap with progress pictures of the journey so far.

At this point it looks like this!!!!!

We still have accessories and the footstools to do, but it's coming along.....

I started with the room like this.....

Side by side comparison!!!

Another one!!!

Here's a progression!!!!

first we added the board details to create the cottage paneling look.

Here's the view down towards where the sectional would sit.

They had placed their TV there, which was WRONG!!!

So, I moved it for them, because I am always right!!!

Paneling added.....

Room painted with some of the new furniture.....

Draperies installed, made by moi!!!

Found a rug!! Laid it down!!!

The dog was no help at all.....

FINALLY got the right slipcovers.

I am going to recover the ottoman in a different fabric, too much white for me.

Now....

in the other direction....

this was the sad before.

We added some woodwork....

Added some paint....

Found some Craig's List chairs....

And I made the slipcovers!!!!! As well as the draperies!!!!!

Here's the before of the bookcase by the door to the screened in porch.

Miriam and Ross needed a place for their outside dog walking stuff, for walking the dog outside!

So I removed some shelves and added some hooks.

Miriam needed a piece of furniture to store more stuff.....

So I found this and painted it for her.

What a contrast!

Ross needed a space for his big manly TV, so I designed it for him, because I will need these two to take care of me when I'm old and decrepit.....

right???Ross and Miriam????

Hello!!!! Are you listening????

This is the before.

Here's a construction progress shot.

Testing that the TV fit....

Nobody trusts me, jeesh.

Waiting for the draperies and rug.

Waiting for the chair slipcovers...

Waiting for a good TV show....

We still have a lot more to do, but it's looking pretty and the kids are thrilled.

I am in the process of doing the little table I'm giving them for the left side of the sectional.

I thought it would be an easy redo.

I am always wrong about this stuff.....

On that note,

Latah, Gatah

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