Dish Chaos & Pigeon Racing–We Have it All! ;)

Welcome to the 720th Tablescape Thursday!

I’m running a bit behind this morning. I had a visitor sitting near my front porch last night and he’s still here this morning. I sprinkled out bird seed and dried mealworms, but not sure if he has eaten anything.

 

He’s banded so I called our local nature center. They said that we are in the heart of “pigeon racing season” and that he probably got disoriented yesterday during the storms. They recommended I try to get close enough to take a photo of his bands and then I’ll know which club he belongs to and who to contact via the pigeondotorg website. Using the zoom on my camera, I managed to capture info from the red band but he flew to a nearby tree before I could read the green band. I’ll keep trying today, hopefully, he’ll come back down near the front porch where he seems to like hanging out. Have you ever heard of pigeon racing? I had not–didn’t know that was a thing.

 

Painters are coming out mid-next week to paint the garage, so I’ve been busy unloading all the dishes from my storage cabinets.

Cabinet Storage Ideas for Dishware, Glassware, Flatware and Napkins

 

The cart I purchased recently has been awesome! (Cart is available here: Heavy Duty 3-Tier Cart.) For the items I decided to store in the breakfast room, I loaded up the cart and pushed it to the doorway where I unloaded it into that room since it’s the first room when coming in from the garage. For the items I’m storing elsewhere, I placed the cart inside the breakfast room, loaded it up through the doorway, and pushed it to the room where those dishes will be stored over the next few weeks while the garage is painted and the new flooring is installed.

 

So here’s how the cabinets look today.

 

I ended up putting all my glassware here on the breakfast table and in the breakfast table chairs.

 

Napkin rings and flatware are stored here for the time being.

 

Everything else landed here in the dining room.

 

I’m actually looking forward to putting everything back after the garage renovation is completed. I plan to add a couple more cabinets to the garage, so I’ll put those together first, then it will be fun refilling them all.

 

Can’t wait to share the completed garage in a few weeks!

 

Looking forward to all the beautiful table settings linked for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!

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Comments

  1. franki parde says

    THAT IS going to look SO NICE!! Isn’t it fun to pull those dishes out and remember…”oh, that party was so fun, etc etc” You GO gal!! franki

  2. God Bless You and your energy, Susan. My back is hurting just looking at all that…OUCH! But can’t wait to see the garage makeover as I know it’s going to be a WOW!

  3. I think you need to plan a mini vacation when you are done with this project. I get tired looking at all you have to put away!!! It will be lovely though!

    • Thanks, Toni! That would be welcomed for sure. I think putting it away again will be kinda fun. I took pictures so I could remember what went where.

  4. I agree with the comment about the memories- such a pleasure.
    And you will probably come up with new combos/ideas as you re-0rganize and re-shelve. Have tons of fun.

  5. Oh dear! You won’t need to ride your bike this week. At least the cabinets will be all clean, that’s always nice. This week I am working on removing, gleaning, and organizing two bookshelves that are floor to ceiling and 15 feet wide in the lower level we remodeled this year. I love things to be organized, but it is a lot more work as we are getting older.

    • lol Definitely got my exercise, for sure. I know, I try to take it in stages and stop to rest/drink water when I get tired. Amazing how much better you feel after resting for just 30 minutes or so. Stay hydrated!

  6. Wow – that is going to look great! Where did you buy your cabinets? I just love your blog and hope someday when I am in Marietta visiting my son, we can get together for coffee!

    • Thanks so much, Susan! I bought them on Amazon and from Walmart. The ones with the drawers are available right now, but the others (without drawers) are currently sold out, at least in the white color. Lowes also carries them but they are sold out there, as well. You can see them all here: https://amzn.to/3Pl3ri4

  7. Dawnemarie says

    Oh my goodness! Are you on speed??! All that work! Great job. Be careful. Wear a back brace.
    Cute pigeon. Never heard of racing. Love his bracelets.

    • I know, I had never heard of it either. The Nature Center here said it happens every year…apparently they do it every summer–pigeon racing. I gave this guy some water and birdseed, so hopefully, he’ll rest up and finish his trek back home.

  8. Snowflake281 says

    I’ve never heard of pigeon races. Pig races yes, but not pigeon races. I know my grandfather used to raise pigeons & if it wasn’t to race them I shutter to think what else for. Your garage renovation is going to look awesome. You’ve put a lot of effort into prepping it so I think it’s time for that nap on the porch now!

    • Thanks! lol Yes, I need a nap after all that. I had never heard of Pigeon racing either–apparently it happens during the summer months.

  9. Susan, pigeon keeping and racing is very popular in the UK. It comes as a great surprise to most people that HM Queen has pigeon ‘lofts’ at Sandringham and there are several videos.

    We had a pigeon that did a ‘pit-stop’ here last month. The birds can get disorientated through bad weather/exhausted. The advice is to give them time to recover, offer bird seed and water, and hopefully they will fly away when they get their strength back. If they are injured, that’s a different matter but you’ll be able to get advice locally.

    A long job moving all those dishes. It will be worth it in the end and long after your back ache has gone!

    • Thanks, Di! Yup, that’s what the Nature Center and my local birding store said. I gave him water and drove over to the bird store to buy some millet seed since apparently, they don’t eat sunflower/safflower, etc… which is what’s mainly in the regular seed that I put in my feeders. He perched in a Crepe Mrytle right now, resting up. Hopefully, he’ll feel up to continuing his trek home soon.

  10. Yes pigeon racing is a thing. I don’t know much about the details of the sport though.
    That poor pigeon might need water to drink and bathe in more than food at first. Glad u got a good shot of his bands. Hope the bird recovers.

    The garage redo is exciting. I’ve thought about doing my garage floors. I’ll learn a lot from your project. I always learn interesting things from your blog. Thank you for sharing.

    • I gave him water and food. Had to go buy some millet for him since pigeons apparently don’t eat sunflower seed and the other type of seed I normally keep on hand for my feeders. He’s resting in a tree right now. Hopefully, he will recover enough to fly on home. That’s what my bird store said will most likely happen.
      Thanks, Frances! I’ve wanted to do the floors for years but was storing my son’s childhood bedroom furniture there. Now that it’s at his house (grandsons are sleeping in it) I can finally do it. Looking forward to sharing more about it real soon.

  11. Wow – pigeon racing! Sounds like it could be interesting. 🙂 So nice of you to see if you can return it to its home and feed it in the meantime. Your garage is going to be so pretty. Hope you can put up with all the extra tableware in your house in the meantime! Fun. Thanks for sharing it all!

    • I rarely use the tables, prefer to eat on the porch, so I don’t think it will be too bad. Can’t wait to see it done, though. Thanks, Barbara!

  12. You are going to get some muscles lifting all that! How exciting to have your garage redecorated!! I just love your house and follow you all the time, I’ve been trying to get my husband to have our garage floor done but he doesn’t want to, he feels it can be slippery….and he has guy stuff out there haha

  13. I have only seen that many sets of dishes in a shop! I have just one set.

    • I used to have three sets, everyday, formal and Christmas. Once I started blogging and began Tablescape Thursday–here we are 14 years later and I have many more.
      XXX

  14. Oh, good night! Please share what kind of vitamins you are taking!

    • lol Well, currently I’m taking Zest Active. I have to order it from Ireland…heard about it through a YouTuber who lives in England. Her readers/followers recommended Zest Active to her. You mix it in water…actually tastes quite good.

  15. VICKIE H. says

    It is all going to be so awesome but GIRL! You are working your behind off! Retirement is supposed to be about relaxation! I know most of this is really fun for you…..sorting and rearranging and getting it EXACTLY like you want it to be. You are inspiring me…..I think we are about to have to have a portion of our garage floor torn out and re-poured because of some settling that has occurred since it was built 60 years ago. With an older home, it is always something……I am dreading it and looking forward to it all at the same time. Hope the next couple of weeks goes by fast and everything is completed right on schedule!

    • lol I know, I keep telling myself that this is all good exercise! Ha!
      That sounds like a big job, for sure. I hope it all goes really well, Vickie! I know what you mean, it’s always something! I wish I could share the finished garage sooner but they couldn’t work me in to their schedule until August. Can’t wait to share it with you once it’s complete!

  16. I am recently widowed. I would love for you to share how you find all of your contractors. I am in the Dallas area.

    Thank you

    • Mostly I just do a Google search and read the Google reviews, then check out the company’s website…and their BB&B record…then get estimates. The painting company I’m going with had great Google reviews and is a “Trust Dale” company. The Lighting company I used is called Lightning Bug Electric and they had 885 Google reviews with a score of 4.9 out of 5. I’ve never used this painting company. I like the company I used last time for the porch, but for the garage, they were $600 more than two other estimates I got, so time to try someone else. I think a lot of companies jack up the price after you use them once, thinking you’re a sure bet.

  17. Fun to see everything out. Like in the dining room…stacks of fall and Halloween plates with a stack of bunnies in the midst. Or two stacks of Christmas plates and then one stack of vine? plates. Although the green vine plates could work with Christmas ones. But so. much. work.

    • lol I didn’t keep anything sorted or in order when I moved it, just squirreled it all in like a puzzle. Will be interesting to put away again!

  18. Tina W Reynolds says

    Dear Susan, Looking at your photos and imagining the effort, my first thought was, “I need to be taking whatever vitamins she’s taking!”

    • lol It feels overwhelming at first so I just reminded myself that I had a week to get it all moved. Glad that’s done! I will pace myself putting it all back…well, I say that, but knowing me I’ll have trouble stopping until it’s all done. lol

  19. YES, Susan! I want your vitamins too! 🙂 I know I will face the same situation when I have to unload our walk-in closet to paint. A bunch of trips and much reorganizing, but SO good to get it done. Looking forward to the after pictures of the garage!!!

  20. Curious as to how you will move the cabinets out of the garage for the work on the floor and where will you store them? My neighbor did her floor a few weeks ago and everything that was on the floor had to be outside the garage.

    • If it’s during a time when there’s no rain in the forecast, they may put them outside on the driveway, covered by a tarp. They will only have to be outside for one night since they can be put back in place the next day. The floor just can’t be driven on for 3-4 days, but everything else can be put back inside. If it’s looking like rain, they’ll put them inside in the kitchen. There’s plenty of space in the kitchen for them.

  21. I don’t believe I’ve heard of pigeon racing before, pigeon carriers…yes. Interesting though and I hope this little one gets rested, a full belly and then can continue with his journey. When you said you were going to do this renovation, I was thinking about all the dish stuff you had to move from those cabinets and I wasn’t envying you with all the weight. But having that cart I’m sure was a huge help, still a lot of work but hopefully a little bit easier on you. It’s one thing seeing it all in your cabinets, but seeing it in the breakfast room and dinning room I’m so blown away. It’s amazing for sure! I can’t wait to see the garage when it is done, it’s going to be so nice! I think you will have lots of fun putting everything back and then you can take you time and not have to rush. But then again, knowing you, it will have to all be back right away! lol Love your energy! Hugs, Brenda

  22. Elena M. says

    Are you going to reinforce the shelves in your new cabinets, too? I think I remember you did that with boards from Home Depot? I can’t wait to see your finished garage once everything is put back in place with new floors and painted walls. I also had to take everything out of my bar cabinet and an entertainment center when we repoured concrete in our sunroom (to bring it three inches up level with our kitchen floor) and I had everything on my dining room table, floor, chairs, everywhere! My smarty pants brother in law came over and said it looked like a yard sale. It was horrible to move the stuff out, but for some reason it’s so much fun and exciting to put everything back, clean, reorganized, it makes it all look new! Good luck, and take it easy, so you don’t overdo it!

    • Yup. Once I get them together, I’ll take one of the shelves over and have them cut new ones. I noticed the ones I purchased from HD are ever so slightly bowing so when I put them back in, I’ll flip them over. It’s been 4 years and I guess with the heat and humidity, they have started to bow just a tiny, tiny bit. I can’t imagine how the shelves that came with the cabinets would have looked–if they hadn’t collapsed. Funny you say that because I’m really looking forward to that part, too! That’s too funny about your brother-in-law. I know this sounds morbid, but I was thinking that I hope nothing happens to me before I get everything put back together. I would hate for anyone to come into my home and find it this way! Ha!

  23. cheryl sinks says

    Thank you for your kindness Susan towards the pigeon

    • Sure, I love all animals and can’t stand to see one sick or hurt. I think he must have fully recovered. I bought some millet for him at the bird store today since the bird seed I put in my feeders and had on hand doesn’t have the type of seed that he would be able to eat…or at least not much that could eat. I put that out for him along with some water. I’m not sure if he ever ate any of it, but he’s gone now…no longer sitting in Crepe Myrtle tree. I think he just needed to rest and it appears he is on his way back home now. Apparently, the big storm we had here yesterday evening caused him to get disoriented for a bit.

  24. Have you catalogued everything? If not now would be a great time! You could take photos and put them in an album so you can “shop” your collection every week!

  25. boy, Martha Stewart doesn’t have anything over you. lolo with all of your goodies

  26. I can’t wait to see the end project! My husband and I replaced an open bookshelf with a closed cabinet in our living room and moved another bookcase and replaced it with a chair
    It’s 103 here today and even with the AC we were soaked. But worth it. Took a white cabinet from hobby lobby and painted it soft black to match rest of end tables. I know it was a pretty cabinet in white but didn’t go but couldn’t find one in black this nice. Hobby Lobby has nice furniture. Feels so good to get organized and clean.
    Interesting about racing pigeons.
    About all your dishes out made me laugh and think of my grandmother who would clean her house really good when she came for a 2 week visit each year because she said “What if a burglar came in ?”Ha!!

    • I didn’t realize that about the HL furniture…that’s good to know! Yes! I love organizing, feels amazing when you’re done! Congrats on getting all that done, Sheri!
      Ha! I know, the stuff we think about! Fortunately, it won’t have to look like this for more than 2-3 weeks, then life can return to normal…whatever that is. lol

  27. Can’t wait to see the garage since we’re going to have to do a makeover before we sell our house at the end of the year.

    You may have said this before but where did you purchase the cabinets in your garage? We’re going to need one to use as our pantry since there won’t be one in our tiny downsized home! 🙂 Thanks

    • Thanks, Anita. I bought them from Amazon and a few of them came from Walmart. The ones with the drawers are available right now, but the others (without drawers) are currently sold out, at least in the white color. Lowes also carries them but they are sold out there, as well. You can see them all here: https://amzn.to/3Pl3ri4

  28. I love your blog and have red it for several years. Your garage makeover sounds so cool!. I have a question, and it is a serious question though it might not sound that way – how do you keep your garage so clean? Ours seems to be a magnet for leaves, cobwebs, dirt, and spiders no matter how often I sweep it out. I would love to store small appliances and things I don’t use often out there, but also want to be able to use them again :). So, what is your secret?

    • Thanks, Maddie! Living in the south, we have tons of VERY BIG bugs that try to get in every chance they get, so I have the perimeter of my home treated once a quarter to keep them out. That works pretty well, although the occasional spider does slip through. I should probably start having the garage itself treated. I do blow it out pretty regularly. I have a battery-powered Dewalt Leaf Blower that I use for that. Mine doesn’t appear to be available now but you can see the ones they offer here: https://amzn.to/3cnv4bG .
      The cabinets do a fantastic job of keeping everything inside of them clean. The only cabinet where I get dust/dirt inside is the one right beside the garage door, so when I move them back after the painting and flooring is done, I’m going to only have 5 on that wall instead of 6 and move that 6th cabinet to the front wall.

  29. Good luck with your projects, Susan. These are big ones, but I believe they are so worth the trouble. I’m sure you’re going to love the results. I wish I could go ‘shopping’ in your dining room and breakfast room right now. 😀 I’ve been so busy, I missed the amazon sales, but thanks for mentioning the great deals at Talbots right now. I hope you picked up some favorites.

  30. I love all your ideas! I was wondering if you would tell me about your storage cabinets in garage. I really need some of these, can you help me out?

    • Thanks, Deana! I purchased these cabinets from Amazon and Walmart, although they for a while kept arriving damaged from Amazon. They may have that issue worked out since the last cabinet I ordered from Amazon arrived undamaged. Lowes also has them for an even better price than Amazon here: https://bit.ly/3cDwsaB I hope to order one or two more of these from Lowes in a couple of weeks when the flooring in the garage is done.

    • Actually, it appears Amazon’s price has come down…guess they are matching to what’s available elsewhere. So you’ll find them on Amazon for the same price here: https://amzn.to/3BfGMQb
      This is the one I have that is designed with two drawers: https://amzn.to/3OyzIRz .

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