Step into my parlor

I know some of you come here just to read my rantings and ravings, but in an effort to make this more of an educational experience...or less of one maybe...I have decided that once a week, I will give you a tour of a room of my house. I'll give you a minute to finish your excited happy dancing.

I wasn't sure where to start but I think probably the best place would be the first place you would be were you to enter. The landing. (Do they call them landings because were you to fall down the stairs that would be where you would land?)

Welcome to our home. Directly up the stairs you will find yourself in the great room - our main living space. We have grown to love our openness - though for painting purposes this room is definitely the worst. After risking our lives on more than one occasion, we finally reached the conclusion that any future painting of the great room will be done by someone else. As I often say, we will sell the house before we repaint.



To your left and down a few short steps you will find our fully finished basement. I chose to decorate the wall with a few black and white photographs of our home and our parent's homes which I took myself. I'm slightly proud of my creativity. Cheap photos in matted frames from Walmart make for inexpensive wall art. Besides, it is nice to have something other than a face hanging on the wall.



Once you arrive at the top of the stairs, looking down you will see this. Notice the quilt hanging on the wall above the stairs. After many many "discussions" and "negotiations", I got my way and Hubby and his Dad hung the quilt above the stairs. It is, by my account, the perfect spot!



Our landing zone - my Grandparents' antique writing desk. This was the first piece of furniture my Grandparents purchased when they got married. Years later, as little children, we spent hours playing on it. When my Grandma passed away and the house was packed up, distributed, I asked for, and received, the desk. It is in the same state of beat-up-ness as I remember it. I have entertained ideas of refinishing it but have since tabled those thoughts. The masking tape remnants (Grandma was famous for holding her world together with masking tape) and all the scratches are pieces of history in a way. A great spot for keys, cell phones, wallets, purses, papers, mail. The lamp is also from my Grandparents.