Mom and Me and our DIY Project

I have moved 14 times in my adult life.  My brother has moved twice as much, at least.  Our mother has been at just about every move, either to help with boxes rearrange rooms or provide some kind of domestic support.  She has said many times that she is done, "she's too old to keep doing this".  I understand.  She just had the unfortunate situation of raising two nomadic children.  She probably thought when I moved to Nashville that she could check out for awhile.  She couldn't.  I got her on a plane to help me with my move into my first apartment in Nashville.  It was the coolest apartment that I ever lived in...so of course I stayed a whole two years before moving again.

 My much improved apartment after a DIY visit from Mom and my Aunt Starr...who has been at a number of my apt. makeovers as well.


My mom does resist some of these paint/makeover jobs but she gets really into it once we get going.  So I figured with this latest paint job that she would probably be tempted and I nabbed her one last time.  When my husband and I recently decided to paint our kitchen, I immediately started worrying, thinking of our last painting episode.  I picked a color that was wrong (aiming for mustard yellow and got pumpkin-y yellow) and then he didn't tape so there were splotches all over the ceiling.  Then the kiddos came home during the middle of painting and he put a paint brush in their little hands.  We had painted switch plates and large orange streaks across the white woodwork.  So when I realized his kayaking plans for the upcoming weekend, I put in the emergency invite to mom.  I guess I should be painting with my husband but my mom is still the first person I think of when redecorating/redoing a room.  She has vision.  So I promised her wine and good company and I put a paint brush in her hand.  And she delivered.  We also talked and snickered through the whole thing.

Before--not sure this pic completely captured the bland, vacant white on the walls.  It did capture the clutter.


On the scale of DIY projects, this one was small, but it made such a big difference.  We went from a kitchen that was a utilitarian spot to cook food and have a quick meal, to a space that was welcoming, warm and a cool room to hang out in.

Good times.

Much warmer and nicer, don't you think?  Best of all, my husband loved it.

And we even snuck in a walk through the marsh...

and a little time with family...

We watched Owen, my stepson, ride a bike for the first time.  This is a pretty cool first, when it comes to firsts.

Granddaughter Tula, irresistable.

Thank you, Moo.  I love you.  Just think, when Tula grows up, you can start this all over again with her.