Monday, August 10, 2015

The "New" Cottage

A Little Renovation Update


Well, I've been away a while, haven't I? 

Ouh, là, cela fait un bail que je ne suis pas apparue sur la blogosphère, hein?

I was focusing on "getting the electrician to finish his work" and thought I'd write a post as soon as my mission was accomplished... Unfortunately I failed - or he did... Anyway, none of the TV plugs actually delivers TV... So I spent a lot of time watching a black screen and that's why I had no time to write...

J'essayais de faire avancer l'électricien et j'espérais vous écrire une fois ma mission accomplie... Hélas, j'ai lamentablement échoué - ou plutôt c'est lui... Bref, aucune des prises télé ne fonctionne... J'ai donc passé beaucoup de temps à regarder un écran noir pour me détendre et c'est pourquoi je n'ai pas eu le temps d'écrire...

Milo decided that it was time his favourite chair was used again...

Or a friend of mine came to spend some holidays at the Cottage as she usually does... And it was a little more complicated than usual as most of my furniture was still in the middle of the living-room, the bathroom door still has no handle and I had to cook in the middle of all the eletrical stuff let by the electrician on my countertop!

Ou une de mes amies est venue passer quelques jours de ses vacances d'été au Cottage comme elle le fait d'habitude, mais cette fois cela a été un peu plus compliqué puisqu'une partie de mes meubles était encore stockée au milieu du salon, que la porte de la salle-de-bains n'a toujours pas de poignée et que le matériel de l'électricien était étalé sur mon plan de travail de cuisine !

Shadow hiding from the electrician.

Nevermind, I thought I'd take a little break from blogging and would come back as soon as I had driven my friend back to the train station... Except, I had to have some tiny surgery performed to remove one of my beauty spots (I'm a little less beautiful now). It was really nothing, but as it's on my arm, the doctor said that I was not allowed to lift anything heavy for a few days... I decided that the lid of my laptop entered the heavy categorie...

J'ai donc pensé que j'allais faire une petite pause dans le blog et que je reviendrais dès que j'aurais reconduit mon amie à la gare... C'était sans compter sur une petite intervention tout à fait bénigne pour retirer un grain de beauté... Bénigne, mais le docteur a quand même dit qu'il ne fallait rien porter de lourd pour ne pas tirer sur les fils... J'ai évalué que soulever l'écran de mon ordinateur portable pour bloguer était à classer dans les activités dangereuses au moins pour quelques jours...


During those few lazy days, spent sipping tea on my paint stained table and reading a love story, I pondered what to show you about the renovation... See, I know you're all waiting for a perfect before/after, but this is not happening. The electricity has been rewired and the insulation is more efficient, but other than that, nothing is done this summer: no painting, no decoration, mostly because I'm lazy and a little because I don't have the budget... Also, it's great to still have projects to look forward to, isn't it?

J'ai donc passé quelques jours à ne rien faire d'autre que siroter du thé sur ma table couverte de taches de peinture à lire une histoire d'amour... tout en me demandant ce que je devais vous montrer de la rénovation. En effet, ce qui a été fait cet été n'est pas spectaculaire de l'intérieur... L'électricité est remise aux normes et l'isolation devrait me permettre de ne plus chauffer le ciel cet hiver, mais cela n'est pas très photogénique. La peinture, la décoration ne sont pas faites... En partie parce que je suis flemmarde et fatiguée, en partie pour des raisons de budget. Et puis, il faut garder des projets pour les années à venir, non?

 
Still, after much hesitating, I've decided you had been good enough lately to deserve a little outside before/after.

Cependant, après beaucoup d'hésitations, j'ai décidé que vous aviez mérité un petit aperçu de ce que donne la transformation de l'extérieur.

 
I already showed you the North side of Cottage where a tiny skylight has been added... There used to be two and now there are three and, believe it or not, because this skylight faces the street, it was this one the town didn't want me to add...

Je vous ai déjà montré le côté nord de Cottage où une petite fenêtre de toit a été ajoutée... Il n'y en avait que deux et maintenant, il y en a trois. Je ne sais pas si vous allez le croire, mais c'est l'ajout de cette toute petite ouverture qui m'a posé tant de problème avec la mairie...


But the biggest transformation is on the South side of Cottage... Weirdly enough, the town didn't object at all about these windows, as you can't see them from the street... Can you see what's changed? I would totally tell you all about it, but I think the doctor would object that typing so long might damage the stitches he did, so next time, ok?

La plus grande transformation est sur la façade sud... Mais bizarrement, la mairie n'y a fait aucune objection car cela ne se voit pas depuis la rue ! Et vous, vous voyez une différence ? J'aimerais vous raconter toute l'histoire dès aujourd'hui, mais je crains que le docteur pense que taper autant sur mon clavier ne tire sur les fils qu'il m'a mis dans le bras... La prochaine fois, d'accord ?



See you soon,

A bientôt,



PS1: If you're lost, there's still a "before" of Cottage in the header...

PS1 : Si vous êtes perdu, il y a toujours une photo "avant" de Cottage dans la banderole du blog...

PS2: After weeks without TV, I've rewatched Frozen, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Mulholland Drive (still haven't figured that one out, but I can proudly say that I understand the others...), I've had personnal marathon of every TV show I like and I'm this close to rewatch for the gazillionth time Buffy The Vampire Slayer... Maybe I should do some housework instead???

PS2 : Après des semaines sans télé, j'ai re-regardé Cendrillon, La Belle Au Bois Dormant, La Reine des Neiges et Mulholland Drive (je n'ai toujours pas tout compris dans ce dernier, mais je suis fière de dire que je comprends plutôt bien l'histoire des autres), j'ai revu presque toutes mes séries préférées et je suis à deux doigts de me refaire l'intégrale de Buffy... Peut-être que je devrais m'occuper de la poussière de plâtre à la place...

PS3: I'm sharing my "new" Cottage with:

Dwellings-the Heart of You Home
                              

62 comments:

  1. First of all, LOVE that teacup!!! The outside is so pretty, I love your huge hydrangea so much I'm going to go buy one this weekend.

    Sorry about your surgery, hope you are back at it soon!

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  2. Dormers Magali? Or perhaps seeing your lovely kitties looking very content being back home to Mr. Cottage? Rest assure, your endless projects to make Mr. Cottage into a warm and safe home for you and your kitties will be most understanding from your readers. I can't but help but look at your gorgeous hydrangeas, so cottagey. Have a wonderful day, Kathleen in Az

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  3. You have 2 new gable windows! What a difference it must make in the light that comes inside those rooms! I'm glad you and Cottage have been reunited and I'm looking forward to the next installments. There's no place like home, right?

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  4. I so love your cottage. It makes me think of fairy tales. Snow White has nothing on your cottage.

    Jocelyn

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  5. Renovations usually involve problems which extends the duration. Cottage is looking rather charming with his new gable windows. Love them! Your town has such strange restrictions. Wishing you peace as you recover from your tiny surgery and house re o. xo

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  6. Yay for the dormers! They make Cottage look even classier. The upstairs must have so much more light. Recover fast! I've missed you.

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  7. Kitties look content, and you deserve time to relax! Love the new dormer windows, do they make a big difference in the amount of light upstairs? Sorry about your surgery, hope it heals fast. The daisies, roses and hydrangea are so pretty! Oh, and you make me laugh :-))

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    1. The dormers make a big difference in one room and not so much in the other in the amount of light, but they allow me to see my garden!

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  9. Two new dormer windows! Let there be light! The kitties will need a lot of attention after the temporar5y move and strangers in Cottage. Teachers do need to laze about a bit in the summer. Rest and hope you heal quickly. The paint brush is calling your name.

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  10. Love the new dormer windows! Sorry about the tiny surgery, but a good excuse to be lazy for a few days! Love the outside picture with the teacup and your hat.; So summery! Have a lovely week. I am back to work...today was the first day back for teachers and students return next week!

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  11. Your fairy tale cottage takes my breathe away, and now it's even prettier with your dormers Magali. Such a wide design decision.

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  12. Chère Magali, toujours impressionnée par ta rénovation et la voir en vrai fait vraiment plaisir. Merci pour toutes tes bonnes idées pour ma future maison et rénovation également.
    Emmanuelle

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  13. I hope things are finished soon because I imagine it is almost time to return to school.

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  14. Je suis contente de voir que tu trouves le courage... et le temps de reprendre l'écriture de ton blog. Ton cottage s'est bien transformé et j'adore tes chiens-assis... mais il te faudra encore beaucoup beaucoup de courage pour décorer l'étage et aussi le bras bien bien long...

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  15. Our new house, which we will move into in about a week, has skylights. One is in the bathroom. I can just picture myself trying to turn the skylight off before I leave the room!

    Cottage looks so pretty! I think cities are funny about what they will allow and will not allow one to do with their own property. The problem with adding windows sounds a little over-reaching. Only you know if you want to risk being seen from the outside. Only you know if you are willing to make and hang another set of curtains. Heck, live in a glass house! What is the city concerned with? Maintaining control of the windows. Are they more worried about someone looking in or you looking out? Isn't there something else they need to worry about??? So funny! Enjoy!

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  16. Magali, PROGRESS! You are making such progress. Homes take so much time to fix, and I wonder if they ever are completed in the lifetime of one ownership? But each improvement and repair is a happy time, and we rejoice with you!

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  17. But your cat it has life :-)
    I do not know how to live so completely without tv :-) but break worth doing. Our tv burned down one night, there was a problem with the flow, but our power was off for one day ... my husband could not stand, and quickly bought a second tv :-)
    I greet you warmly and wish to return to health

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  18. Les chiens assis ajoutent du cachet à cottage!
    J'adore ton service à thé (je suis aussi une tea addict!)
    Ah... les électriciens... Je comprends de quoi tu parles^^
    La mairie t"a embêtée pour la fenêtre... ton agglomération est soumise à un PLU?
    Repose toi bien et haut les coeurs pour la suite de la rénovation!
    Repose

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    1. La mairie m'a embêté pour la fenêtre car cette petite ouverture est à la limite de la propriété de mon voisin... Eh oui, dans les vieux hameaux, tous les jardins sont imbriqués les uns dans les autres ! J'ai eu l'accord de mes voisins, par contre.

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  19. Love the new gable windows on cottage. You will enjoy all the light and air they will bring for many, many years to come. We are still building the addition, rain has delayed us many weeks. We have also had water leaks in the refinished old house as one end wall and roof section is exposed. Renovating is not for the faint of heart is it?! Enjoy your lovely tea and watch the reruns. I hope your electrician finishes up soon. Hugs to you! xo Patty

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  20. Je me suis mise à regarder vampire diaries, ma famille se moque de moi... j'ai regardé l'intérieur des maisons avec un oeil différent grace à toi... en fait, je pense que tu devrais inviter monsieur le maire et lui offrir le thé, lui laisser entendre avec des mots simplement compréhensibles combien ton cottage est joli avec sa petite fenêtre qui te permettra de laisser un flot de lumière entrer, c'est vrai, le soleil c'est tout de même plus agréable et la chaleur encore plus...
    Remet toi bien et profite de tes quelques semaines de tranquillité pour te ressourcer et guérir tranquillement
    Bonne semaine ensoleillée

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    1. Ah, allez, j'avoue, puisque je n'ai pas la télé, je re-regarde aussi Vampire Diaries... J'ai d'ailleurs remarqué que Caroline devrait repeindre ses plinthes, elles m'ont semblé bien écaillées ;)
      Bon week-end!

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  21. Hey Magali,
    Oh so sorry you had to have a bit of surgery and I do hope you are feeling better. Stitches are not fun! I do believe I see two new dormers. Wow, if I'm right you'll get a lot more natural light, if I'm not you've had it all along. Isn't it shameful how we start these projects and we are at the mercy of the workers. Electrician is important, you need that! Glad you've had a little down time, we all need it. Take care and I'm sure sweet cottage doesn't mind a great either...........Hugs

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  22. Buenos dias Magali muy contenta de saber de ti y Cottage me encantan la hydrangea que tienes afuera y las ventanas arriba espectacular (en espanol no se como se dice) espero te cuides y sigas las indicaciones de tu doctor y siempre es bueno tener proyectos y hacerlos poco a poco nos mantienen ilusionadas . ;-) nelly

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    1. Nelly ,
      Estoy usando los puntos de sutura como una excusa para ser perezoso , pero que en realidad no son nada. Gracias por tus palabras siempre amables contigo.

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  23. Good Morning Magali,
    Sorry about having to have surgery. Sending good healing wishes your way. Love seeing the outside of your sweet cottage and I hope the other inside stuff will be getting done soon. Everyone needs a little down time so take advantage and give yourself some time to heal.
    Kris

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  24. hope your arm is good as new before long..at least you have a good excuse..i vote no to housework..i see the cats are doing well through the chaos..cats seem to brush off anything..or i should say snob their nose at it..hope the electrician gets things straightened out this week..better yet today..it really steams me when tradesmen make a mistake then we're left to pay for it..sorry you don't have a tv now..i just watched the episode of Charmed where they find Paige..hope it's back when Revenge starts the new season..i know you like that one..wish i was close..i'd help you to paint or something..the dormers look Fabulous.!! an looking out over the garden..how Wonderful.!!

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  25. Sorry about the arm, Magali. Before I cheated and looked at the header picture, I just knew those windows upstairs were new! Lots of light must be flooding into the upstairs of cottage! They look amazing on Cottage; he's looking good!

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  26. les délicats motifs et les tons de l'assiette à dessert sont superbes... et le far devait être trop bon !!! bon courage pour la remise en ordre de Cottage mais surtout bon repos avant la rentrée - bien cordialement - monique59

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    1. Le far était acheté à Paimpol où j'avais dû me rendre pour Cottage, une histoire que je raconterai un de ces jours sur le blog ;)

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  27. You will love all the light your new windows bring in Magali, what a clever idea for Cottage. Your cats seem to be having a good time. I do hope your arm heals well but, rest while you can and a good time to gather more ideas. Have a lovely day. Marlene from Oklahoma.

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    1. I love the view on my garden the windows give me! And one of the cat is already a fan of spending his evenings watching the garden from there as well!

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  28. Si je ne m'abuse tu as fait faire des chiens assis, c'est chouette mais je ne suis pas sûre que ça te fasse plus de lumière, par contre le cachet de Cottage y a gagné en super classe ,j'aime beaucoup. qu'est-ce qu'ils sont sympas tes petits griffus. En dehors des finitions que tu dois faire, les gros travaux son finis? Pour les prises de TV, ce doit juste être de l'affinage.
    Bon courage pour la suite.
    Plein de bisous. BABETTE

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  29. I think that the extra light you gained is a great idea. Hope you are healing well.

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  30. You made my day Magali! I love your humor. I hope that you are healing well, any kind of surgery is not fun. I know that you are going to love your windows. Love your darling tea pot and cup. Have a lovely day. Jo

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  31. Love the outside tour -- look forward to the interior. Jo @ Let's Face the Music

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  32. Lovely scenes of cottage and your sweet kitties. Perhaps summer days are meant to just enjoy and not do housework? Love your outdoor table setting - very sweet to sit and ponder life a while. Hope you are healing well. x

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  33. I hope you get all your electrical problems fixed and he does it right. We do not want to hear of any fires! I had one in my place due to electrical not being done right, but it was not huge because I stopped it in its tracks!

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  34. Get well soon! I am under the aftermath of surgery too so I can't really deal with the computer much!AriadnefromGreece!

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  35. Oh, Magali, thank you so much for coming to my blog post! Merci mille fois! Anita

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  36. WOW They look amazing Magali. I can hardly wait to see the inside with all that light pouring in. So nice to see your dreams become reality. Hopefully you are healing quickly and that everything is OK. All these renos will bring about many more blog posts so you will definitely need that arm back in good working order!! Hope you are enjoying your summer! XOXO

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  37. The headers are new to the roof line which will give you some more great sun! Hope you heal quickly and can type more to share with us. Hope all the electrical works our soon!

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  38. Well, you may not have anything to "show" us, but having that electrical and insulation work done is a huge improvement for your home. Those sorts of updates make a home so much more livable. Your cats are adorable. Take care of yourself and enjoy the rest of the summer.

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  39. Ooooh!! Gables! Now you can be "Magali of White Gables"! Have you read the "Anne of Green Gables" books? I loved them when I was a girl. Anyway, cats look content, and cottage looks lovely, it will be wonderful fun to decorate the inside of those gables!
    I am so sorry that electrician can not get himself together and do his job. I don't know what it is with construction guys. We live in a neighborhood that is building new houses, and they started a new one in what used to be an empty field next to our house about a month ago. They worked like crazy, every day making great progress, oh my they worked hard!! And then, about a week ago, they disappeared, and haven't been back since! Why? When will they come back? Will the house sit partially framed forever? Can I hang Christmas lights on it, if so?
    I am sorry you had to have surgery, I hope they got it all, it sounds like they did. It's good you are listening to the advice of your body and your doctor and taking it easy, you need to recover before the school year starts!
    Take care and enjoy, so good to know you are home!
    Best, Sarah Turkey Plate

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  40. I love your cottage...it is just so pretty and charming! I'm sure you're thinking that it'd be even more charming with the electricity working properly. ;-) I'm so sorry you had to have some surgery on your arm. Hope you are healing well.

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  41. Do you know why I love your blog and eagerly await the next update? Because there is such simplicity and beauty in your tales of every day life... I for one do not want a perfect before and after. I like the real and natural. Keep writing .. I love the story of you and cottage and can't wait to hear the next one.
    PS.. love the new dormers
    PSS... what is that great looking dessert you were eating while reading your book?

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    1. Thank you so much for those kind words, Theresa!
      The dessert is called "far" and it's a typical cake from Brittany, filled with prunes.

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  42. It's our first day back home from our trip to Europe. I love the new dormer windows, and how they are custom and go with the beautiful kitchen window! So happy you were successful in getting it approved!

    xoxo Su

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  43. It is very important to be lazy in the summer, if not in the summer then when. Though, for me, you are still getting a lot done and what you did show us looks just lovely.
    Amalia
    xo

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  44. Oh wow, when you said new windows I didn't realise they would be dormers. Cottage is looking great on the outside! Hope your surgery doesn't hurt too much. Have a good weekend x

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  45. We all need time to away from the blog and internet and I'm glad you enjoyed time with a friend and are listening to doctor's orders. Hope you heal quickly.

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  46. Aww... aren't Milo and Shadow simply the sweetest! You have gotten so much done, sweet friend! Where do you find the time and energy? You are amazing :)

    And your sweet little tea time looks so lovely and refreshing - what a lovely pattern on your tea cup! Hugs to you, Magali.

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  47. Summer equals lazy days... I'm just stuck inside and being lazy ;)

    I hope your arm is better soon.

    xo,
    rue

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  48. love the windows. I could admire it all day! very lovely.

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  49. Bonjour Magali,

    Quelques jour de pause et de farniente au soleil -dont nous n'avons pas manqué ca fait du bien. Pour ta fenêtre je ne suis pas surprise, ma soeur qui est à Cancale a passé outre la mairie pour peindre sa porte d'entrée , et à côté de ca, on voit des horreurs qui elles, ne semblent pas poser de problème...mais tous les architectes des Bâtiments de France ne sont pas irréprochables.

    Caroline de http://bleunordique.canalblog.com/

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  50. Obviously, being away from blogland for 2 months, I've missed some very important episodes about Cottage! But, it's good to know that you are renovating again, and the skylights looks wonderful, as does Cottage's exterior - that house of yours is such a snazzy dresser!

    Poppy

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  51. Your cottage is adorable and ever so charming! It is okay to be lazy and relax...I enjoy those days greatly! :-) I do hope your arm is better soon so that you can show us more of your gorgeous home! Have a wonderful day!

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  52. Your dormer windows look great.........so glad you were finally able to get them.
    Blessings, Nellie

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  53. No fun to have surgery. :( Hope you're feeling better now. My girls head back to school and we met my oldest's French Teacher. Ooh la la. He is from France. And is VERY hunky. Why don't you come visit me and I'll introduce you. ;) He was wearing a tight black shirt, and has an earring!

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