Staircase Refresh

 On my continuing mission to change every wall color in the house, I decided I couldn't stand it anymore and I had to get rid of the depressing orange on the staircase between the 1st floor and the basement. It was previously a color by Valspar called Copper Hide. While I feel dark paint has it's place, I don't think it's appropriate for small spaces such as a stairway. Like so many other rooms in the house, I changed the ceiling to Super White and the walls to Decorator's White- both by Benjamin Moore. 

Before: 1st Floor Looking Down

Before: Basement Looking Up

It's kind of a miracle I got through this one without falling and breaking my neck. There were some very high spots so taping and painting those nooks and crannies was really a challenge. This one was really tough and I had to enlist Brent to help me with the ceiling portion of it.

Then he had to enlist Liesel's help to tape that same spot. You may be asking yourself if there's really that much of a difference between Super White and Decorator's White that the taping was really even necessary and if you know me at all, you know the answer is absolutely yes. If it had been off, it would have kept me up at night and driven me crazy.

In the girl's bathroom I have framed photos of each of them at 3 months and now that Sydney has been baptized, I wanted to have their baptism photos lining the stairs. When I had hers framed, I changed out the cheap frame on Liesel's at the same time so they would look different yet cohesive. It took a while and custom framing is always pricy but I am SO happy with the results! 

After: 1st Floor Looking Down

The huge mirror used to hang behind the door of the powder room and it had just been sitting downstairs. Initially, I was going to paint the frame a simple black but in the end the frame complimented the light fixture. Speaking of the light fixture, I used to hate it- I felt like it added to the drab feeling of the staircase but once it was brightened up with the white paint it suddenly looked more charming. The mirror on the landing reflects the light beautifully! 

After: Basement Looking Up

The funny thing about this refresh is that in many ways the staircase looks better, but it did emphasize some of the construction- especially the baseboards- are just not done well at all. Once the walls were light and bright, suddenly the carpet looked incredibly dingy. When you line the Before and After up side by side, the carpet actually looks worse in the After. 

I mentioned this to Brent and I could see him inwardly groan that even as I was wrapping up this project I was mentally beginning another one that would inevitably be more expensive than just a can or two of paint.

All in good time my dear, all in good time. When we have the funds, not only will we replace the carpet but I think we can upgrade the handrails and I'd like to get lights along the baseboards just to ensure anyone walking down the stairs can easily see where they are going. I really wanted to finish this project before Sydney and I headed to Utah and I'm so glad it's done!

Ireland is TWELVE!!!

I just love this girl so much! I don't play favorites, but I can say if I'm working on a DIY project, Ireland is happy to get dirty, hunt down a Phillip's AND a flathead screwdriver. She is also so much fun to take shopping because she is willing to try any style. Ireland often flies under the radar a bit but when she has something to say, even just a casual observation of the world around her, her commentary is both hilarious and deep. She's ready to take on responsibility both with her siblings as well as with her ageing grandparents. I have a feeling that with her work ethic and cheerful disposition, she will go far in this old life!

Per tradition, Ireland had pie since she is a Pi Baby

She also had a massive farm breakfast served to her in bed. I love that Brent added some strawberries to, ya know, make it a balanced meal. 

Her boyfriend brought over a gift. Those two are so funny. I really do think they are just really close friends who wanted the boyfriend/girlfriend box checked off so they agreed to do so. Nick is such a love- he'd come straight from Tae Kwon Do to bring her his present.

 As for OUR present, we got her all kitted out for her upcoming trip to Harry Potter world with Tim and Whitney. More on that later!

Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition

 When I heard about the photo exhibit of Diana coming to Chicago, it's wasn't a question of IF I was going to it, just a question of WHEN. I finally had some free time and nabbed my ticket and I went alone so I could spend as much time as I like. 

The photos were taken by royal photographer Anwar Hussein and then his two sons Zak and Samir who continue to photograph the Cambridges and Sussexes. As a fan of Diana, I had seen a lot of the photos but getting the backstory to them was next level for me. The tour provided headphones and the photographs were numbered so you could listen to the photographer talk about the picture in detail. Here are a few that really caught me.

This one just looks like a random photo of the princess walking in a field but Anwar said Diana was crying. A well-wisher had gifted her the rose and she tearfully told him her own husband wouldn't give her flowers while a perfect stranger would.

As a mother, this one really resonates with me. Harry had kicked off his shoe and Diana's slightly set jaw shows a tad irritation at having to put it back on. Oh how I have been there!

The paper hats were a lovely surprise and I was blown away by all the detail in them. The yellow one for Kate and the black one for Meghan were my favorites. 

The detail of that hand-cut paper to look wavy and delicate is just... amazing!

I love the detail of not just the hat but the hat stand as well to mimic a black swan.

The crown was HUGE! A family was trying to get a photo under it and so this is all I could snap before they took over the space. All made of paper...

The famous Taj Mahal photo happened after hours and hours of the photographers sitting in insane heat. Anwar said only one of them had a bottle of water and they shared it among them as they waited for the princess to arrive. This was just before the book Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton was to hit the shelves. The recreating with William and Kate reportedly happened in less than a minute and all he was willing to say to reporters asking what was going through his mind was, "It's very beautiful." 

I was nearing the end of the exhibit where some more photos of the the younger royals were on display when I came across this trio:

The audio commentary said that when Diana was in India, an "untouchable" reached out for her shoes out of love and respect. The woman escorting Diana tried to shoo her away (you can see her on the right side of the photo) but Diana stopped, took the woman's hand, knelt to her level and spent a moment with her. I found my eyes welling up with tears at this one, thinking of how much that must have meant to this woman to just be acknowledged. Don't we all want to be acknowledged?

Science Olympiad

Admittedly, I didn't know much about Science Olympiad when I encouraged the girls to sign up for it. Based on the name it sounded scholastic yet competitive and to be honest, I'm not sure where I thought there was loads of fun but I do remember there was a free lunch and if there's a free lunch it MUST be fun, right? I couldn't understand why the girls- Liesel in particular- groaned so much about it.

Turns out Science Olympiad is basically coming in to the school on a Saturday and taking timed tests. I only discovered this after I volunteered to be a proctor since everything is online due to the pandemic. Along with the Subway sandwiches and chips, I ate a little crow when I realized that yeah- this would not be "fun" for any normal kid. 

The girls were troopers and they actually made the state semi-finals which their school had not done in a while. The other Science Olympiads were really nice kids and the teachers in charge of the whole thing were fantastic as well. 

It was a looong day but I kept myself busy folding paper cranes for this sweet project.

As we drove away, I humbly apologized for pushing them so hard on it. Liesel was eager to point out she had tried to tell me but I insisted it would be a good experience.

I mean, I'm still going to push the girls to go out of their comfort zones now and again. That's the best way to grow- redefine your own limits. But I might do a tad more research before being so vociferous about exactly which extracurriculars to jump into.

Miraculously, Ireland really enjoyed it and if it's not virtual may just tackle it again next year. As for Liesel?

I think it's a "bye Felicia" when it comes to Science Olympiad!

Ireland's Harry Potter Trip

Ireland saved all her Chocolate Challenge money for TWO YEARS so she could go to Harry Potter World with Whitney and Tim. I was so dang proud and I wanted her to have a truly memorable time so I splurged on the Pottery Barn suitcase that looks like a Ravenclaw trunk.

The robe I made for Halloween was a few years old and getting really short so I pulled out the pattern (again!) and made a new one that was nice and long. Initially I planned to make the interior the classic Ravenclaw blue (see suitcase above) but when I saw this fabric at JoAnn's I knew it would make this robe really special and unique. It was horrible stuff to work with! I cut it out during the Superbowl and there were bits of fluff flying into the air which made me cough and sneeze. I even put pockets into this one! My only regret is running out of time so I couldn't put in a little pocked just on the inside lapel where she could stow her wand. The robe was a lot to pack so Ireland unabashedly wore it on the plane, not caring one bit what others thought of her. Here she is all decked out as Luna Lovegood.

After their first night at the Cabana Bay Beach Resort (fun hotel with a retro vibe), they headed to the parks. Ireland wasn't the only one dressed to impress- Whitney was meticulous their outfits as well. Whitney went as a student from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic while Tim was dressed as a student from Durmstrang Institute. Whitney even hand-painted her shoes to ensure they were accurate to the film. They were all constantly told by cast members "Your outfits are amazing!" Many people asked where Ireland bought her robe and she was happy to tell them her mother sewed it for her!

Like any Hogwarts witch or wizard, Ireland was sorted. She unsurprisingly was delegated to Ravenclaw.

Entering Diagon Alley

Here they are in Diagon Alley. The dragon behind them on top of Gringotts bank actually breathes fire! 

 

This photos is in Hogsmeade (just outside Hogwarts castle) near a stage. There are performances such as a frog choir and Triwizard Tournament.

Here you can see how spot on their outfits were to what cast members wear. One performer called out "You look great!"

For this performance, they did incredibly incredible gymnastics by the Durmstrang students and then songs and dances by the Beauxbaton students. 

The Wandmaker invited Ireland and another kid to try out a variety of wands. The wand chooses the witch or wizard! In some cases, the connection is so strong, that the pair leave the shop without paying! Technically they are supposed to pay but they walked out so fast they didn't realize they were supposed to and they are like $70.00

Here's the wand that chose Ireland:

Outside Diagon Alley is the muggle entrance to the Ministry of Magic. If you dial 62442 MAGIC you get to hear a welcome message. 

Village of Hogsmeade

Hogwarts Express

The Midnight Bus

This photo was taken outside the Poseidon ride in Orlando Studios. They never actually went on the ride but they thought the waterfall coming out of his mouth was funny.

A lovely optical illusion at Platform 9 3/4 getting on the Hogwarts Express.

This little trio shared drinks at the Three Broomsticks, sampling every possible iteration of butterbeer. 

Ireland's personal favorite was the wintery frozen butterbeer which had a nice, brisk taste. 

Whitney and Tim are so cute! This is on the side of Honeydukes.

Behind Gringots there are some steps which was their favorite place to grab some ice cream and just people watch. This is also where one of their favorite rides was Hagrid's Motorbike right outside of Gringots. As you can see, only two people can go at a time so Ireland went with Tim and Whitney waited with the backpack. Unfortunately the ride broke down so Ireland and Tim left and as soon as they did, the ride started up again. Whitney pleaded with the cast member "You've seen me standing here" and he gave them all free passes.

They all had a wonderful time! They bought postcards and mailed them from Hogsmeade. Ireland did great with spells throughout the park. They had peppermint toads, fizzing whisbies and U No Poo (a candy from the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes). We insisted on covering Ireland's costs but I suspect they spoiled her just the same. More than anything I'm crazy proud of Ireland for saving up to do this and incredibly humbled and grateful for her amazing aunt and uncle who were willing to do it!