Happy 150th Anniversary First Battle of Manassas/Bull Run!

Being that I live less than 5 miles from the site of both Battles of Manassas/Bull Run, I figured I'd do a nice post today about picnic attire, and the the commemoration ceremonies.

{source} This is near my house! Its off of Rt. 29  between Manassas and Gainesville.

So 150 years ago, the Yanks thought the war would be over nice and quick so the Union Army came down from D.C., a mere 35 miles, along with the gentry from the capitol. The gentry were sitting on the hillsides having  picnics and watching the battle.

Unfortunately, the Rebs  had a different idea and won the day with the Union troops and gentry racing back to D.C. The war would rage on for another 4 years.

There are tons of events planned for this weekend, but today is supposed to be 100 degrees with a heat index of 110. You will not find me outside.

Can you imagine wearing this get up in heat of any sort?

{source}

Sure its pretty, but not at all practical.

Back in February, I found the cutest madras plaid at Hancock Fabrics down in Richmond. I ended up with three different madras plaids (You can see them here and here) and I waited till now to make my outfit. Ok, I'm lying I actually made this outfit back in June, and I'm only just showing it to you now. :)

So here's the pattern I used. This was such a quick and easy pattern. I also plan on making the jacket  to go with this dress, but its not made yet. :)
 So the outfit is already a little rumpled, because I had to run to Target this morning, but I was as comfortable as I could be in it. I wish I could blame Harrison for all the colors on the wall back there, but I can't........
 Today was not a good photo day. I couldn't snap a good one, I'm shiny - despite my best efforts and I kept having some small fry show up in pictures. Did you see him?


Here are some close-ups of the dress. I paired it with capris because I could not lengthen it enough. The fabric was not wide enough. If the plaid had been 60" wide, it would have been no problem, but oh well. I like it with the capris.

Here's my small fry. The poor thing caught Devlin's summer cold. :( He climbed into bed with me this morning and was on fire. Just the thing for a 100 degree day. He's still precious though.

In case you guys want to come out and see the festivities for the 150th anniversary here is the website -150th Civil War

Well the painting is finally done! Hallelujah!

I am so glad that we finally got the hallway painted, and I'm even more glad that I hired out part of the job.

I got done about 4 pm yesterday afternoon, and then I took the evening off {mostly}.

So without any ado, lets get to the show.

So here's the entry, I think I need to do something above the door........now to decide what. :)

This is looking up to the balcony from the foyer. Just look at all that wall space. Its begging for something. I'm thinking old, interesting doors. :)

So here are the stairs. We're going to be heading upstairs now. Please pay no mind to the bag of laundry hanging off the banister. Doesn't the living room color look nice with the hallway color?

So here's the view at the top of the stairs. The bedroom doors are not usually closed, but I love the look of the crisp white trim against the walls. Love!

Here's looking out over the balcony! See what I mean about that wall space up there. I'm still thinking doors hung up there would look awesome. :)

Ok so lets go back downstairs. Here's the stairwell again. Usually that wall, along the stairs is full of pictures. I get to rehang all of them. Joy.

So now we're downstairs again.I love how all the colors work together.  BTW, this diagonal wall is where Harrison left his mark in yesterday's post.

Here's the area as above, but looking at it from the family room.

And here we are at the end of the painted portion.

So it was a LOT of work, and my whole body felt like it had been trampled by a herd of cows at the end of it, but it was SO worth it. I love how the color works with the rest of the colors in the house. I also love that it absorbs some of the sunlight that comes into the house, because that white was just blinding sometimes.

So you guys are probably wondering what color this is. Well it's Lyndhurst Mushroom by Valspar.

Funny story about the paint though. I went to Lowe's to get a 5 gallon bucket for the whole space. I wanted to get the signature line (paint + primer) in eggshell, but they were out of that in 5 gallon tubs, so I said ok, how about in gallons (there was a $6 difference between them). Out of that too, the color is a base 4. Then I suggest a 5 gallon bucket of the regular paint. Nope, out of that too. They've got a truck there and its unloading but the paint on it won't be ready to sell for at least an hour....well I'm not coming back, so I get 5 1-gallon buckets of regular paint in eggshell. Finally!

So then I decide that I'm going to get the bathroom paint. I ask for 1 gallon of the signature stuff in eggshell for the master bath. No dice. Ok, 2 gallons of the regular paint in eggshell. Still no dice. This color needs base 2 and apparently it is also popular. So then I say, how about 1 gallon of signature in matte. Yay! Done deal.

Then I get a quart of paint for a furniture project. Luckily, they have it's base in stock and in the signature line. :)

Well I hope you guys have enjoyed the photo tour of this very trying project.

I'll see you tomorrow!

Today was super frustrating.......SUPER FRUSTRATING!

Yes, it needed saying twice.

Woke up in a less than stellar mood because Harrison was being super needy and decided that he would no longer use the chest at the end of the bed to climb up and snuggle with me. No, he decided that whining was the way to go. Awesome.

7:22 is when I roll out of bed and head downstairs to feed the natives. Harrison decides that the table looks better painted in milk. Devlin has developed a hearing problem. I'm having to repeat myself multiple times.

9:03 is when I'm standing in line while the gals at the Wegman's coffee shop are making up some oh so delicious peppermint mocha for me. Harrison is having a smoothie and Dev is munching on a lollipop (the bank teller indulged him). All is well. For now.

10:30ish. Kids are in the car. Car is on. I'm loading up groceries into the back of the car, and then the lady who is parked next to me tells me she's wedged her car against Dev's open door. I don't know why Dev's door was open. Honestly, I thought it was closed, but the poor woman is upset because she thought she had looked. Never fear! I suggest that she back her car up so that the motion closes the door and thus frees said door. She does it. It works. I'm a genius. Back to loading those damn groceries.

By 11 I'm starting my prep for painting. All the food has been put away and the kids are watching a movie. Taping and cleaning commences. Then lunch, and finally around 1 and I start painting. The hallway is going to look amazing :)

4:30 pm - I've got the bigger half (the side with more wall space) cut in and the first coat of paint on. Yay! \

CRAP!

The boys have swim lessons at 5:50 and they're hungry, and I have to drive to the other side of Warrenton. Leftovers it is!  Dinner was a debacle in itself. I won't bore you with its intricacies, but suffice to say by the end of it I was willing to sell/give both boys to the highest bidder.

5:45 - we arrive at the Rec Center and haul into the facility to change for Harrison's class. Mom meets us there. We end up being late, but both boys had a terrific class and milkshakes were had by all.

9:00ish - Children are in bed and asleep or very close to it! Finally - MOM TIME! I finish cutting in the other side of the hallway and then use up the rest of the gallon to just get to the study. Oh, and I notice this fun tidbit on the wall.
That is the last full wall I completed before breaking for dinner. I never noticed that Harrison had paint on his hands, and there is no evidence that he touched anything before being called to the table for dinner. I may frame this, because every time I walked by it, I chuckled- a lot.

10:45 - I'm busting open the other gallon, and I think to myself, "Well this doesn't look right. It's too ugly." Well I was right. Here's what the last gallon of  paint looks like against the other gallons.
Definitely not the same color.

Great.

I'm now being forced into a furlough because of a mistint. LE SIGH! Which is why I'm writing this post now.

I hope you guys had a better day than me!

Here's to a better tomorrow!