Apples to Apples: Lessons In Project Planning

Project planning supports project success.

Take the Google Doodle for example.

When I opened up Chrome Monday morning, the Google doodle successfully accomplished its purpose of informing me it’s Teacher Appreciation Week.

The celebration of our teachers got me to thinking about the special teachers I had and love to this day, the significant role a teacher plays in the lives of her/his students, and the apples to apples comparison between teacher project planning and decorista project planning.

kate spade new york Zadie Drive Apple Lidded Box

Many of us have a special place in our heart and grateful appreciation for at least one teacher from our scholastic past.

I can trace aspects of the life lessons, confidence levels, journalism interests, political interests and organizational skills utilized in my daily professional and personal life back to three beloved teachers.

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”

-Albert Einstein

Their influence through the formative years positively shaped, molded, and impacted my life, and the lessons learned reach far beyond a textbook, chalkboard, Donny Osmond or David Cassidy notebook.

Sweet and innocent were the times.

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I am struck by the similarities between teacher lesson planning and decorista project planning.

With the teacher lesson plan, planning is crucial to a successful instructional experience.

To be effective in classroom management, it is necessary to remain focused on the task at hand before moving on to the next activity.

When a teacher provides his or her students with step-by-step instructions, it makes for a smooth transition into the next subject.

In regards to a home improvement or interior decorating project, a detailed project plan puts inspiration to paper, dollars to sense, purpose to project.

Begin with a Master Plan

Project planning is essential to the overall process from idea to design to decorating execution to finished product.

Check Yes or No

Will converting a space from let’s say a formal living room or rarely used guest bedroom into a home office be a beneficial transformation or a regrettable repurpose?

Study the space and evaluate if it may be of better use to your needs by taking a recess from its initial purpose.

Will moving a wall make the design grade?

Take the time to study the space, and let the walls or removal of them talk to you.

Stay the Course

It is mighty tempting to tackle more than originally planned once you get into the project of it all.

Spreading the project love too thin can result in an incomplete or failing grade assigned to the design objective and decrease the desired quality of work.

Education is Project Power

Folks, let me let you in on a little secret.

There’s a whole lot more that goes into the home improvement interior design and interior decorating projects you see tackled and mastered on your favorite house to home show.

I’m not saying leave it to the professionals, but I do suggest doing your homework before jumping into the “I/we can do that” waters.

Do your homework by learning all you can through materials, fixtures and appliances manufacturer’s websites.

Access the FAQ page.

If you’ve got a question odds are someone else does too.

Take the time to watch the how-to videos.

Home improvement sites offer great tutorials, and YouTube is a treasure trove of information.

Read customer reviews and home improvement-interior design blogs.

Project planning is the essential tool beneficial to both teachers and decoristas.

#ThankATeacher #AppreciateAnEducator

Deliveries. Issues. Solutions. That’s the Way It Goes With Major Home Improvement Projects

My posting plan to bring you the companion piece post to Do You Know What It Means to Love the Decorating Styles Characteristic of the New Orleans Garden District didn’t quite make it to deadline. Deliveries, issues and solutions have taken priority over my normal posting schedule, but that’s the way it goes with major home improvement projects.

Home improvement projects are not without problems, delays and contractor issues. Don’t you just hate that?

We are now back on track, and from the looks of things it’s time to get things started up on the roof.

Lawn and garden cleanup is on schedule.

And loud.

Dave reminded me, “if you think this is loud, wait until the roofers get started.”

A good suggestion for surviving major home improvement projects is to always be prepared.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Our Had Tornado-Must Home Improve Show: Selecting Roofing Shingles

We have now come to the new roof portion of our had tornado-must home improve show selecting roofing shingles edition.

Scope sheets and roofing materials lead the conversation of late around Places In The Home.

Performance, color, texture, pattern, and climate figure into the roofing shingle selection equation.

Durability, protection and ability to hold up to normal Louisiana weather (I don’t even want to think about hurricane season) is the first thing to consider when selecting roofing shingles.

The next thing is to consider is the style aspect- the color, texture and pattern play.

Sherwin-Williams
Tricorn Black || Afternoon || High Reflective White

The exterior colors are not due for a color palette change anytime soon.

Based on our preferences I doubt there will be a dramatic shift in color choice when we do repaint.

Louisiana sun and humidity work against the longevity of a shingle’s color.

Dave has to continually remind me to take this fact under consideration in the color selection process.

Scroll back up to the top of the page and look at the roofs. See the streaked and darkening appearance of the shingles?

Humidity + Algae = Discoloration

Natural weathering comes with age and exposure to the elements, but our harsh weather conditions accelerate the appearance of aged wear.

I flipped over this Heirloom Brown (color) diamond (pattern) architectural shingle (texture).

GAF Sienna Heirloom Brown Value Collection Lifetime Shingles

Budget should be a four-letter word.

I know it makes me swear I will stay within ours.

For just that reason, I am choosing several options with budget friendly price points.

Landmark Premium ~ Weathered Wood

Owens Corning Trudefinition Duration in Estate Gray

GAF Royal Sovereign 3-Tab Shingles in Weathered Gray

Curb appeal is returning, slowly but surely.

Take Cover Now: Tornado Damage

There is nothing pretty about a tornado or tornado damage, and take cover now is a warning best heeded.

Period.

This past Sunday afternoon we learned that lesson firsthand as our town-neighborhood-house was hit by a tornado.

Photo~Cheryl Davis

We are no strangers to the force and fury of a hurricane.

A tornado however, is an extremely rare occurrence in Central Louisiana. This tornado experience was a first for us.

Our local news station was live on the air with the entire weather team covering the storm. The senior weatherman shouted “take cover now” and with that we took cover in the guest bathroom bathtub.

We never did hear the roaring train sound so many people remark they hear as a tornado approaches or when one is overhead.

What we did hear is the terrifying sound of trees, shingles, and various projectiles hitting the house.

The entire top of our neighbor’s magnolia tree was the first thing we saw as we opened our front door.

Salvaged magnolia leaves placed in a mason jar injects a touch of simple beauty and Southern comfort into this otherwise ugly situation.

Utilities are truly a beautiful thing.

We lost power Sunday afternoon, got it back a little before midnight, lost it again Monday morning and didn’t see the light of lights until last night at 9:51 pm CST.

A big, big thank you goes out to the utilities workers for a job well done and most appreciated.

That was then,

and this is now.

The crepe myrtle to the immediate right is history as is the hydrangea. The bird feeder chandelier was found one street over.

Howdy Do (the jockey) and the bird bath may be down but not out of the lawn and garden beautification game.

The roof is heavily damaged and the inside of the house is a victim of stained ceilings, wet carpets, dirty floors, etc…

Clorox bleach and Lysol spray is suddenly a hot commodity.

My desk/computer is in Dave’s man cave, and a large part of the ceiling in the room is soaked through and through.

That’s an odor one can only take for a few minutes at a time.

Blogging will slow as the smell increases.

I will probably need several more bottles of this stuff before all of this is over.

Roofs, ceilings, floors and sheetrock can be fixed.

We are safe and that’s all that matters.

Period.