Educated by Tara Westover (Goodreads Author)

1. Tara was affected by her father’s opinions and choices. How was she affected by her mother’s?
I think to some extent she was affected more by her Mother's choices because sometimes her Mother seemed to make an effort to help her and at other times she was completely indifferent to her.

2. As an adult, and despite fears for her safety, Tara keeps returning to her family. Why do you think she does this?
Because they are her family and what she knows. Having grown up that way to Tara it was normal.

 3. Why do you think Tara wrote this book?
In order to get some closure and make her voice heard. 

4. The book starts with a quote from Virginia Woolf: “The past is beautiful because one never realizes an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don’t have complete emotions about the present, only the past.” What do you think this means and why would Tara start her memoir with this?
I haven't got a clue, her past sounds AWFUL to me.

5. Tara wrote that her life was often narrated by others, with strong, forceful voices. She eventually realizes that her voice could be as strong. What is voice and how important is it that everyone find their own?
What YOU believe and how YOU feel about yourself and the world around you. Tara often let others especially her Father dictate what she believed and felt. 

6. Tara’s father makes his case for homeschooling by saying three of his children went on to get their PhDs. What do you make of this?
What this family did doesn't even remotely resemble homeschooling. And as a Homeschool Mother I resent her Father's statement. The best that can be said is that 3 of his children went on to get their PhDs in spite of the lack of educational opportunities in their family. What this family did is closer to unschooling (which is allowing the child to only study what they are interested in) but doesn't even meet the criteria for unschooling (which usually has at least structured study times). 

7. What impact did the steady narration of preparing for end times have on Tara as a child?
She was constantly frightened

 8. In the end of the book Tara writes that she is a different person from her father’s daughter, and her 16-year-old self. She says that this selfhood could be called many things (transformation, metamorphosis, falsity, betrayal) but she called it an education. What do you think of this?
Her education allowed her to move beyond the false beliefs her Father had indoctrinated her with during her childhood. 

 9. When Tara’s parents visited her in Cambridge, she said that the ability to evaluate many different ideas, histories, and points of view were the heart of what it means to self-create. Do you agree with this?
To some extent yes

 10. Audrey sought out Tara’s help in telling her parents how abusive Shawn was. When Tara told her parents and sought out Audrey’s help in confirming it, Audrey did not support the history of Shawn’s abuse. Why do you think Audrey changed her mind? Do you think things would have turned out differently if the two sisters supported each other?
I think Audrey had to much to lose, her family, her income (she worked for her parents) and her place in local society. 

 11. Why do you think Tara’s parents thought she was more dangerous than Shawn?
Because she threatened their beliefs. 

12. In the earlier chapters of the book, Tara states that she often felt shame/humiliation and seemed to think she was deserving of the words used to control/define her (slut, whore, etc.). After she goes to Rome, this theme appears to vanish. Why do you think that is?

13. Dr. Kerry said to Tara, “You act like someone who’s impersonating someone else…as if your life depends on it”. What do you think he meant?
Tara didn't feel like she deserved to be there so she was acting like she thought someone who did deserve to be there would. 

14. Tara’s father was never diagnosed with any mental illness. Do you think mental illness was a factor in the family? If so, to what extent?
The entire family appears somewhat mentally ill and I think it played a huge role in the family dynamics. 

 15. Tara writes that she felt ashamed when she takes Shawn to the hospital after the motorcycle accident. What is the source/cause of this emotion?
The fact that she disobeyed her Father and didn't have his "faith". 

16. What do you think is the source of Shawn’s violence?
I think it was a combination of things 1.) how he was raised 2.) physical trauma who knows how many times he suffered brain injuries before Tara was old enough to document it. 

House of Salt and Sorrows

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A psychological thriller intertwined with myths and fairy tales. Told from Annaleigh's POV she begins the tale with the statement Once there were twelve of us and proceeds to chronicle the deaths of her sisters. Is there a curse at work, is someone murdering her sisters one by one or is Annaleigh insane. Slowly oh so slowly the truth is revealed in a shocking ending. But just when it looks like Annaleigh's life with be filled with sorrow she gets her happily ever after.

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Sword of Kings (The Saxon Stories, #12)

Sword of Kings by Bernard Cornwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazingly enough at the end of the book Uhtred has managed to go back to Bebbanburg without swearing any oaths. Oaths get him in so much trouble.

In War of the Wolf Uhtred swore an oath to kill AEthelhelm when King Edward dies. In exchange AEthelstan promised that as long as Uhtred lives he wouldn't invade Northumbria. The oath was suppose to be a secret between the two men, but someone told AEthelhelm who decided to take the offensive and sent three ships full of men to kill Uhtred. Uhtred captures two of the ships and the third flees. And Uhtred starts considering how to keep his oath even though his wife Eadith and best friend Finan want him to stay in Bebbanburg. Then Queen Eadgifu sends for Uhtred, she needs his help to save her son's lives from AEthelhelm and (her step-son) Prince AElfweard. He manages to rescue Queen Eadgifu and send her and her children to safety in Bebbanburg with some of his men but Uhtred, Benedetta (Eadgifu's slave) and the remainder of his men are trapped in London. They find sanctuary with some orphaned children that Uhtred eventually takes home with him. They manage to escape from London by stealing a boat from a slave trader but when Uhtred is recognized they are pursued and they are forced to ditch the boat and travel by land. Where they discover they are close to AEthelstan's troops. Sending for help from AEthelstan Uhtred surrenders so the others can escape. Once reinforcements arrive Finan rescues Uhtred and they eventually wind up sneaking back into London so they can open a gate for AEthelstan. AEthelstan is victorious and Uhtred returns home where he learns his son in law and grandchildren died from the plague as well as his wife Eadith.

I imagine by book #13 he'll be married to Benedetta, Uhtred never stays single long.

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Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found it annoying how it switched between Anna's story in 1939 and Morgan's story in 2018 every other chapter and felt it detracted from my enjoyment. Other than that I LOVED IT!!! The plot was superb and how their lives intersected was surprising and riveting.

When a woman painter from the North (Anna) wins the Special 48 States Mural Competition she is assigned the small North Carolina town of Edenton. She will have to deal with their prejudice first against female artist and when she allows a young black man (Jesse Jameson Williams) who is a gifted artist to join the two white students against racism.

Morgan (an art student) is serving time for a DUI, when thanks to Jesse Jameson Williams' will she is plucked out of jail with the condition that she will restore Anna's mural in time for the opening of his art gallery. The will has everyone puzzled as to why Jesse would think an art student (Morgan) in uniquely qualified for the job? She doesn't know the first thing about art restoration but with Oliver's help she struggles to restore the unsettling mural. Morgan becomes intrigued with learning more about Anna and what happened to the artist that Jesse told his daughter went crazy. Slowly as the mural comes back to life Morgan uncovers the answers to the riddle of the mural. Just when she thinks she has the final answers she discovers that Jesse has one more surprise about Anna hidden on the walls of his gallery. But then Morgan discovers WHY he thought she should be the one to restore Anna's mural.

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Lord of Chaos (Wheel of Time, #6)

Prologue (The First Message)
Nynaeve is still trying to heal Siuan and Leane from being stilled. Queen Morgase is being held prisoner by the White Cloaks and has been told that Elayne is dead. Min is going to see Rand and is carrying a letter for Elayne. Perrin believes it's his duty to join Rand and Faile is plotting to accompany him. Elaida plots with the Shaido to destroy Rand, she also hopes to use the Shaido to kill Gawyn (Elayne's brother). Osan'gar and Aran'gar have new bodies and have been sent into the world in service to the "Great Lord".

 Chapters 1 - 30
OK it's pretty disconcerting that no one knows Asmodean is dead, Rand thinks he betrayed him. Rand is spending a lot of time trying to avoid Aviendha, so he is dismayed when she wants to accompany him to Cairhien in order to visit the Wise Ones. Rand is also teaching men to channel which has everyone in an uproar. Rand also discovers his biological Mother's true identity she was Tigraine the Daughter-Heir to Andor, her disappearance put Morgase on the throne in her place. Alanna made Rand her Warder against his will (Elayne is going to be displeased about that). 

Matt is supposedly headed into battle against Sammael but it's really a distraction he and Rand cooked up that very few people know about.  A group of "Aiel" attack his tent during the night, luckily he was sleeping outside in some brush counting the stars after having nightmares about the Tinkers massacre he had witnessed earlier. He and the majority of the Band of the Red Hand survive the raid due to his raising the alarm after he is awakened.

Elayne and Nynaeve are still in Salidar, where they fear that the Aes Sedai Rebels may return to the Tower, since they have been offered amnesty. Elayne and Nynaeve want to go to Ebou Dar to find a ter'angreal that affects weather but the Aes Sedai refuse to allow them to go. Nynaeve is also worried the Aes Sedai will discover  Moghedien's true identity. Elayne lies about the ter'angreal needing men to work in hopes that it will bind them to Rand.

Egwene has been traveling in dreams even though she isn't suppose to. She is pulled into Gawyn's dream and discovers he loves her. She confesses she feels the same way in the dream. When Aes Sedai from the tower arrive in Cairhien Egwene is dismayed, she sets the Wise Ones to watching them and she attempts to spy on them but is almost discovered. In her head long flight she runs into Gawyn (who is leader of their honor guard) they pledge their love to each other in person, Egwene assures him that Elayne is alive but refuses to tell him where she is at, and he assures Egwene that he will not tell the Aes Sedai that she is in Cairhien.

Three Ogier show up in Caemlyn seeking Rand they turn out to be Loial's Mother Covril, his teacher and Uncle Haman, and his betroth Erith. Loial has been out of the stedding too long and they are afraid he will die if he doesn't return soon. Rand tells them that the last he heard Loial was in Two Rivers, and ask them to help him find the Waygates. When they mark one in Shadar Logoth on the map Rand ask them to accompany him there to help him find the gate speedily so he can ward it and promises to take them to Two Rivers. Unfortunately the Aiel insist on accompanying the group and Liah disappears they spend hours searching for her unsuccessfully but have to leave when it starts to get dark. 

Nynaeve cures Logain from being Gentled and Siuan and Leane from being Stilled, but while Logain is as strong as ever Siuan and Leane are not as strong as they used to be. Siuan goes to the Aes Sedai Delana Mosalaine for help but later we discover she is one of the Black Ajah.

Chapter 31- Epilogue
Egwene is summoned back to Salidar, where she assumes she is to be punished for pretending to be Aes Sedai, instead she is made Amyrlin. Egwene and Siuan arrange for Logain to escape and hope he will join Rand. Egwene also makes plans to march on the White Tower.

I thought Moiraine had passed Lan's bond on to Nynaeve but she passed it to another Aes Sedai Myrelle who is suppose to keep Lan alive.

After Rand learns the girls are in Salidar he sends Matt to fetch Elayne, Nynaeve and Egwene. They have other plans. Matt accompanies Nynaeve and Elayne to Ebou Dar. 

Perrin arrives in Caemlyn where he meets Faile's parents.  Min tells Rand that something awful will happen to him if Perrin isn't near. When the Salidar Aes Sedai annoy him he goes to Cairhien with Perrin and his entourage (including Min). While Perrin is out hunting Rand is suppose to meet with the Tower Aes Sedai and is annoyed that Min isn't there to read them. And doesn't pay much attention to the servants that arrive with them carrying chest. Unfortunately the servants are also Aes Sedai and they have the numbers to over come Rand and shield him from the source they stuff him in a chest and carry him out of the castle. Telling the Aiel they he channeled and left the room. They torture both Rand and Min (who they had kidnapped earlier) on the way to Tar Valon. Berelain becomes suspicious and convinces everyone that the Aes Sedai kidnapped Rand. Perrin sets out with Loial, Dobraine Taborwin and his men,  Rhuarc leading the siswai'aman and Maidens of the Spear, and the Wise Ones to rescue him. Perrin also contacts the wolves for help. Along the way the wolves tell Perrin that another army is following him and he discovers the Salidar Aes Sedai, with the rest of his men from Two Rivers that he had left in Caemlyn. Alanna is using her bond with Rand to find him. They join forces and the wolves inform Perrin that he needs to hurry.  Sevanna, has double crossed the Tower Aes Sedai (she wants to marry Rand) and the Shaido Aiel are attacking the wagons. Led by Mazrim Taim the strongest of the men that can channel arrive through a portal. During the attack Rand is able to free himself when the Aes Sedai tie knots in the Shield. He finds Min and goes to help. Gawyn remembering his promise to Egwene doesn't harm Rand but offers to take Min with him. Min refuses and Gawyn and his men attempt to escape (Gawyn had already figure out that the Tower Aes Sedai  were trying to arrange his death to look like an accident, and had been trying to find a way to rescue Min.) Taim has his men construct a dome for protection but the many of Rand's allies are outside the dome and being slaughtered by the Shaido Aiel. Perrin begs him to drop the dome so they can save them, Taim refuses and Perrin and Loial ask that the dome be dropped enough for them to go to help. But Rand tells Taim to drop the dome and completely destroy the Shaido Aiel which he does.

With Aran'gar's help  Moghedien escapes.
Gawyn's fate is unknown.
Matt is taking care of a young boy Olver

Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry

Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry by Mary Higgins Clark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The first half of the book was OK toward the end it started falling apart so I only gave it 3 stars.

With the #MeToo movement hot news it was only a matter of time before it became the subject of numerous books here is another one, that is better than most.

TV's favorite anchorman is molesting women at work. A hot short attorney comes up with a scheme to profit from getting them to take low ball settlements from REL and someone is killing the women who don't take the settlements.

Enter our intrepid reporter Gina Kane, the story revolves around her life which is pretty interesting. She is on her way back from a trip hiking in Nepal with her recently widowed Father. We spend some time with Gina investigating her Father's new love interest. She's also trying to figure out how she feels about long time boyfriend Ted (personally I don't think she was that into him, so her bemoaning having to dump him for the story seemed forced). Then she gets a new boss, the new boss makes a deal with the guys at Rel and Gina is told to drop the story. The new boss leaves to work at REL (not suspicious at all right???) and her old boss comes back and the story is back on track. Then Gina dumbly gets into the car with the killer...

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Blue Moon (Jack Reacher, #24)

Blue Moon by Lee Child
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reacher notices an old man on a bus carrying a wad of money and a young punk who is paying way to much attention to the old man. So when they get off the bus Reacher follows and prevents a mugging. He then discovers the old man owes the money to loan sharks, and that due to his daughters medical bills he needs lots more money.

Reacher comes up with a plan to get the money for the old man and put the two rival gangs that control the town out of business and with the help of some friends he does just that before moving on.

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The Study/Home Office

 Haven't really decided what to call this room yet, but I am loving it. The addition of the love seat has made it into a cozy place to read. And if we have guest the loveseat makes out into a full size bed.

 The Glass Slipper Walls are very soothing.

 And I love my Natural Shades I got from Levolor the color is Bay Weave, Gray.  Since we are going to use this as a guest room I got the Room Darkening and for the kitties and grandkids I got the Cordless.

Holy Ghost (Virgil Flowers, #11)

Holy Ghost by John Sandford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When a sniper starts shooting people outside a church in Wheatfield, Minnesota Virgil Flowers is sent to investigate. The town was dying until the Virgin Mary appeared at the local Catholic Church. Now tourist are flocking to the church in hopes of seeing the Virgin for themselves, but with two of the tourist injured the Mayor (Holland) and his sidekick (Skinner) question how long the gravy train will continue.

Virgil is drifting around questioning people when he discovers that the owner of the local shooting range (Glen) has been killed and his dog locked up in the basement for around two weeks. Virgil rescues the dog and the couple he is staying with adopt it. It looks like the guy was sexually involved with someone and it also looks like his gun is missing and that it's likely the one being used in the shooting. But no one has a clue who Glen was seeing.

Then a local woman (Margery) is shot and the case starts coming together. At first Virgil suspects her son but after he is murdered Virgil realizes that it's the couple he owes money to that is responsible for the killings.

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A Curtain of Green and Other Stories

Clytie was one of the other stories The rotting-minds-in-rotting-mansions eventually culminated in Clytie drowning herself.

I really wanted to like this book but ... The stories seemed half formed and unfinished to me. 

Neon Prey (Lucas Davenport, #29)

Neon Prey by John Sandford
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The book gets off to a good start. Clayton Deese is arrested for a small time assault in New Orleans but when he jumps bail several dead bodies are discovered on his property and forensic evidence reveals he has been eating them. Bob and Rae call Lucas in order to get in on the case and they team up with FBI agent Tremanty (a big deal is made that he looks like a young Lucas). They track Deese to LA (Los Angeles) where he is hiding out with Marion Beauchamps, his half brother who is running a home evasion team. Their hide out is staked out and a Swat team is called in. Then everything goes to hell when Deese, Beauchamps, Cole and Cox escape due to the fact they were living in a house in back that the police didn't know about.

At this point the book goes off the rails which is why it only got 3 starts. Lucas makes a rookie mistake and gets shot when he stands out in the open in front of the hideout. And we are suppose to believe that no effort is made to find Deese while Lucas is recuperating or at least that Bob and Rae don't use the lead they have to find him.

Lucas recuperates and gets Weather's permission to go back on the hunt. They go back to LA and confront the English bouncer that was passing phone messages to Beauchamps. With the phone number he provides they are able to track Deese to Las Vegas. But they aren't the only ones hunting Deese. Deese has contacted his former employer Smith and demanded a payoff. Smith agrees to pay him and sends Santos to deliver the money or kill Deese. Deese suspecting a set up isn't there when Santos arrives and Beauchamps and Santos get in a shootout and Beauchamps is killed Cox escapes when Santos flees to escape the cops. Cole is at their second location were Cox and Deese eventually arrive at. Deese arranges to meet Santos at the mall to get the money but Cox and Cole tip off the cops (in hopes that the cops will kill Deese and Smith will pay them for setting Deese up). Santos is badly injured in the shootout that occurs and Deese escapes but without any money. Deese, Cox and Cole then decide to hit up Harrelson a local gambler who is rumored to keep 5 million dollars in his car. While Deese and his gang are invading Harrelson's home the police have found their second hide out (which is on the news).

When they discover that Harrelson doesn't have that much money in his car or house they kidnap his wife (Gloria) and alerted by the news reports that their hideout has been discovered by the cops they head to Deese's Uncle Ralph's trailer at a remote desert location. Cox and Cole want to leave but Ralph prevents them from leaving while Clayton rapes Gloria. Deese then forces Cox to stay with Ralph while he and Cole go to pick up the ransom.

Lucas who is suppose to resemble Harrelson drops off the ransom, due to Deese's plan to use a drainage channel tunnel he is able to escape. He shoots Cole and heads back to Ralph's. With the Vin number from the abandoned motorcycle they are able to discover it belongs to Ralph Deese and track down his current location. The police head there and actually arrive before Deese.

Before the police get there Ralph rapes Gloria. Cox takes advantage of the situation to kill both Ralph and Gloria as they can testify that she isn't the innocent girlfriend dragged along against her will but an active participate. She sticks around because she plans to leave with Cole and use his contacts to start a new life. When the police arrive and cut the power to the trailer she gets in the car to run the A/C which alerts Deese there is a problem when he gets back. The police are forced in to shooting him but only wound him as they want him alive. But he crawls under the trailer where he is bit by a snake. Cox surrenders and spins her tail of being held against her will by the men and used as a sex toy. Her high priced defense attorney gets all charges against her dropped.

Personal notes: Lucas and Virgil plot how to get Frankie to marry Virgil.
Tremanty and Rae hook up

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Cat Summer (The Cat Seasons Tetralogy Book 1)

Cat Summer by Mollie Hunt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Told from a feline POV Cat Summer weaves mythology into the first half of the story and continues with the hazards of ecological imbalance in the second half. The feline characters are developed with a deft hand and in fascinating detail, keeping the reader eagerly waiting for more.

Disclosure: I won Cat Summer as a prize.

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Bloody Genius (Virgil Flowers, #12)

Bloody Genius by John Sandford My rating: 2 of 5 stars

 I usually like Flowers books more than this but the action was all over the place. When a Professor winds up dead in a library carrel after hours Virgil is brought in to solve the crime. And I have to say like Virgil I didn't figure out why Quill was killed or who did it until the very end of the book. Even with Harry (the customer at the bar) giving a HUGE HINT.

 Quill is in a feud with Professor Green but you don't kill people over academic differences do you? Nash is a con artist who makes his living off stealing research, but he has an alibi. The current Mrs. Quill will get more money since Quill died before their divorce went through but she is cleared fairly soon in the novel. And nobody else really seems to have a motive and the CLUES are often contradictory and bizarre. Then Brett, Megan's (daughter of the deceased) boyfriend is killed with it staged to look like suicide and a confession written on his stomach and the pieces start to fall in place. Unfortunately to prove Virgil's theory Megan has to put her life on the line.

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Somehow I missed #11, I have it on hold and should be reading it soon. Virgil and Frankie are expecting twins. 

Filing Cabinet upgrade

 We had a LARGE metal filing cabinet that was that boring filing cabinet color, covered in stickers and dings. it needed HELP badly to look decent. First step was getting all the stickers off I found olive oil and rubbing alcohol helpful with that. I saw this metal border and decided to give it a try. It actually does look nice not sure I would do it again though, the metal border is sharp I sliced my finger with it and I had to get creative clamping it long enough for it to dry. I used Gorilla Glue to adhere the metal border to the filing cabinet. And it's a two person job at least to get it started. Big thanks to my friend Tammy for  lending a hand.

 I selected these flower knobs and found glitter paint to match.

 The metal border was probably the most time consuming part.

 I had to do one section let it dry and then do another section.

 I found a nice teal. Krylon® ColorMaster™ Matte Paint & Primer Color Surf to paint the entire filing cabinet. The drawers got special treatment, after painting them Surf I added a layer of  Krylon Glitter Blast Diamond Dust. I loved the result and if it hadn't been for all the holes from the handles, lock and card holder I would have left it at that. While I did use metal filer in the holes (very messy) I couldn't manage a smooth surface. 

 My original plan was to put wallpaper on the drawers. I had seen it done on Pinterest but alas wallpaper has gone the way of the Dodo Bird and seems to be extinct. Instead I used craft paper but I couldn't find any that would cover the entire drawer and unlike wallpaper that you could have placed side by side it doesn't line up. Hence the paint job. I know other people would have measured, but I gave up on trying to follow the directions to use math to center the paper and just eyeballed it. I briefly considered using shelf paper but was afraid it would prove to thin to hold up well. Also not a great selection of colors with shelf paper. This probably turned out to to be my favorite one as it has Teal to match the file cabinet and Dusty Lilac to match the walls in the Home Office/Study.

The other paper I found has a nice mixture of Dusty Lilac, Pink, Peach, Maroon and Yellow flowers.

The side of the file cabinet painted Surf.

The drawer just painted Surf with the Diamond Dust Overlay I left one of the original handle holes uncovered in order to install my pulls. You can see the indentions where the others were.

I used decoupage glue to put the craft paper on the drawers then I applied a coat of Krylon® Triple-Thick Crystal Clear Glaze

It was beginning to get hot here so I did a lot of the drawer work out on my porch instead of in the garage. Fenris was tasked with keeping Yin away from the decoupage glue (who knew cats were glue addicts).

Since I applied the paper by eyeballing it, it was important to make sure it all lined up.

Once the Glaze had been applied it was time to put the hardwear on and reassemble the drawers.

I choose to do the pulls in a staggered pattern.

And this is the finished product.

Laundry Room Makeover

 When we first moved in I referred to this as the utility room as it was so blah Really why do builders think we want to look at icky boxes and huge water heaters? First the Room was painted Glass Slippers

• Dusty Lilac (Lowe's: 1003-8A Glass Slippers / Ace: VR061C Twilight Bloom / Independent: V077-3 Twilight Bloom)
• Healing and peace. Looking for a sanctuary for inner peace, holistic healing and spirituality. We draw from a mix of eastern and western influences to find our balance.

 I got this idea from Pinterest.  I love Butterflies and this curtain was a lovely mixture of teal, blue and green, it's called Garden Discovery.

Hubby put shelves above the Washer and Dryer. I love them everything I need is within reach, it's very handy.

 Next I created a curtain rod out of PVC pipe.

 Next step painting it.

 A cute place to hang the dog leashes.

 While I was painting I also painted a picture frame.

 It took several coats.

 Flanges (also painted) provided the base for the curtain rod to hang.

 The Glass Slippers works well with the Flood Tide accent door and the Urban Sunrise trim. And the Garden Discovery Valence adds a nice touch. The rug is a nice mixture of Teal, Gray, Cream and white and work well with the Dust Tile.

The Tile is Tesoro Rox Series Color Dust

The Rox collection is the newest generation of digital ink jet technology tile.  The soft yet dramatic graphics give this series an authentic earthy look.

The Dust color is interesting as it is a mix of neutrals and seems to change color depending on the light.

This porcelain tile has similar characteristics found in a slab of honed granite. Large chunks of blue grey and pearly white are scattered throughout filled in with smaller swirls of speckled tan and cream. 

 Chimera approved of the Simplehuman Pet Food Cans. They are air tight and stainless steel. A stainless steel garbage can completed the look along with the gray and white shelf paper. I also found some lovely teal and gray containers to keep things in. They are so handy for taking cleaning supplies to other parts of the house.

 I found this dragonfly hanger at Lowe's it's perfect for hanging the broom on.

And now back to the curtain alcove I created.

 I had to get a hook to place in the ceiling to anchor the curtain rod, this was unexpected as none of the blogs that featured this mentioned it. Kudos to the nice guys at Lowe's who helped me find the things I needed.

 The curtains were a happy find as they match the colors in the rug perfectly. And it looks so nice not to see the hot water heater.

I love my new laundry room.