Variety Pack Day!

Hey hey, all right, it's Variety Pack Day!  Lots of non-interconnected mini check marks!  Yay!  So let's get to it, shall we?

"Why did you make a jumbo cat toy?"

That's the response I got to the yarn art.  Well.  At least Mike's honest with his responses.  He hasn't said anything more so maybe secretly he's ok with it.  Maybe?  I dunno.

Oh!  Oh oh oh!  So here's why it's great to peruse the free section of Craigslist sometimes!

Ferns!

I came across an ad for free ferns!  Look at the size of those puppies!  Holy cow.  And they're gorgeous.  I responded right away and somehow I managed to be first.  Crazy!  That never happens.  He said he had at least twenty plants so I said I'll take eight without having much of an idea where to plant them but look at them -- couldn't pass those up.

When I got there, a bunch were gone already but I walked away with at least fifteen, probably close to twenty.  Free!  Yeah, I had to dig them out, he got free labor, but hey, whatev's dude, I saved us easily a couple hundred bucks had I purchased them instead.  He had trimmed them down to their wee little pineapple-y stubs last fall so I am anxiously awaiting them to start growing.  Like pacing.  Yeah.

About seven are around the south and west side of the patio out back and the remainder are all the way out front out front, outside our gate circling the city tree.  When things are growing, I'll share photos.

Cool, yeah?

Got the new drain in for the master bathroom sink.  A-yup, I did.

Ah, lookie there, it's a new drain!

The most challenging part?  I had cranked way the heck down on the old one so getting it loose was, um, special.  But, I am woman, hear me roar, I got it.

It was a much easier install this time in that there were way far fewer parts which was great.  Not so great?

Much smaller, more different pop up 'der in da center.  In my best Chicago-ese for you.

Look real close there in the front.  Gap.  The sides, if you will as math taught me there are no "sides" on a circle, were fine, no gaps but in the front and back, yep, gaps.  And the guy thought this would fit better....Anywhoo.

I smudged a ring of plumber's putty between the drain and the sink and so far it's holding just fine.  Whew.

Things I'm not real keen about with this drain?  That first part, the gaps.  Second, the water pools and sits there, doesn't drain entirely.  Things I do like?  Much smaller pop up -- the other one was quite large, bordering on too large.

So we'll see.  Fingers crossed!

Got the rest of the touch up's done on the foyer paint so that's good.  Now it's more than ready for a rest-of-stair paint decision.

Oh.  Speaking of paint.  Right.

Mike and I are out to dinner the other night and as per usual, I ask him what he had done for lunch that day at work.  So he tells me this insane story about how he and a coworker, Juliana, go out for lunch.

She told Mike she needed to stop at the paint store to grab some paint chips before they eat.  Her and her boyfriend Al, a fellow Menards fan, bought a house and are reworking it before they move in.  Smart!  Anyway, Mike claims he grumbled about stopping but agreed to.  Shocked stare #1, I shoot him.

Shocked stare #2:  he went in the store.  Into the store.  Got out of the car and went into the store.  My jaw dropped.  I can't get him to look at paint chips in my hand let alone ever get him to go to the store and look and yet, there he is, in a paint store.

Huh?!?!  What the....

He claims Juliana was hedging indecisive-like and in a desire to squelch his rabid hunger, grabbed three paint chips, handed them to her and said let's go.  "I think I ended up picking her house colors," he said.

Shocked stare #3.

Jaw on restaurant floor (gross).

What the....?!?, I am so perplexed and before we delve deeper, because he sees the look on my face, he brushes it all off, changes the subject.  Luckily for him, I let him.

Huh?!  Wow.  I am so picking up paint chips today.

But also speaking of paint, I finally got around to sanding the patch over the master bathroom door and trying out that Goodbye Cracks* stuff.  I thought I'd try it out there first as it's less of a crack than the one in the dining room.

Whooie, that stuff stinks to high heaven.  Fyi.  Whooie!

So I sanded the joint compound extra special well as the can label says the product is not sandable.  Instructions good, read them.  ;)  Gave the area a good wipe to remove the dust and lightly, oh so lightly, sprayed a first coat.  It's a yellow ocher color, rather surprising but ok.

After a half hour plus, I sprayed another light light coating then extended the spray up a bit to discourage any further splitting up the wall.

It's freaky stuff, a rubberized coating, hence my light light spraying.

I am hoping this close up shot is useful....

But it makes sense as the rubberized will stretch and move should the crack be determined to rear again.  My concern was mostly in painting over it, how much the rubberized texture would show.

But, in examining the dry paint, it's good.  There's no evidence of the crack.  Time will be the true test but for now, all good!  Keep ya posted!

Gone!  For now anyway.

In the bummer news category, Sirens got cancelled.  The production company is looking to see if another network will pick it up but....sheesh, sadness.  Boo, thumbs down.  That puts a big damper on the house project budget too.  Welp, guess I gotta tighten the purse strings even more now.  But it's sad news, and if you ask me?, the wrong choice.  But, USA Network didn't ask me.  They should have though, right?!

Ah yes, Variety Pack Day recipe....Ummm.....How about a make-y up-py one that I slung together last night for dessert?  Let's call it, um, Apple Puffs?  I defrosted some puff pastry dough, rolled it out and cut it into four pieces.  Meanwhile, I sliced up three medium to small gala apples relatively thinly, tossed them in a saute pan with a clump of dark brown sugar, a swirl of honey, a grating of nutmeg, cinnamon and a splash of water.  Cooked the apples a bit with a lid on, removed them and cooked the syrup down, tossed the apples back in, added raisins and chopped walnuts, let it cool a bit,  piled the mix onto the dough, fold, vent holes, sprinkle tops with cinnamon and sugar...425 for about twenty minutes or lightly golden brown and....bingo, dessert!  It was pretty good too.

Oh, a reminder just dinged....Birthday present making time for the nephews!  Last year I made this and this.  Off to research!  Or paint chip hunting....Ack, the returning job just emailed.  Ok, so much for any of that.

So that's the scoop my friends.  Have a great weekend!  xo

*The Goodbye Cracks link is an Amazon Affiliate link.  Mwah, thanks!