This post is sponsored by CREE.
We are knee-deep in the middle of the seventh grade study of the Greeks and the Romans.
And Achilles.
Remember him?
He was a great warrior with super-human strength who single-handedly fought off thousands with his mighty sword. Armies were in fear of him. Songs and poems were composed in his honor. His battle prowess was the stuff of legends.
And in the end?
He bit the dust because of his heel.
This farmhouse has an Achilles heel.
You might look at these pictures and think we are all about rolling green lawns and dappled sunshine and blooming roses and screened-in porches and hay bales and chirping crickets.
And you would be right. There is a lot of all of that going on around here.
But that heel is here. And it’s sticking out like a sore thumb.
Cue the super suspenseful music and add a PG disclaimer and hide your eyes and peek through your fingers when you see this.
You have been warned.
Don don dooooon. Don don dooooooon.
Eeeeeeeeeeek.
Booooooooooooo.
Yiiiiiiiiiiiikes.
Are you scared?
It’s like when you know that the girl in the Hallmark movie decides she wants to go out with the high-powered business man who is all about himself and his high-powered business and he doesn’t even know what kind of coffee she likes and she should be picking the guy who runs the pet shop who is secretly millionaire. And you are yelling at the screen and telling her not to pick him.
And you want to look away.
But you can’t.
Here’s the close-up of the Achilles heel in all it’s amazing glory.
It first showed up on the blog in this post.
I posted these pictures and totally forgot it was there.
And when I realized the fan was actually in the picture, I laughed and giggled and I was a little bit happy that it had it’s day in the sun and that you saw the real that happens so often around here.
But now the universe has righted itself and the workshop looks like this.
A little less dramatic.
A little less of the Achilles and a little more of the farmhouse.
And I’m lighting it up and saving energy with CREE.
These bulbs only use 6 watts of energy.
The light is so pure and white and I love how it lights up the porch of the workshop.
And the ceiling fan?
I think I’m using it to decorate for Halloween this year. 🙂
PS This showed up on my computer this morning.
Just a little Post-It note love.
And I’m paying it forward. 🙂
disclosure: This post is written as part of my partnership with CREE, all opinions on lighting and Achilles heels are my own.
The new light looks perfect there! And that love note...you are blessed, Karianne!
What happened to that fan? It had seen better days. ;) Thanks for lighting up my morning. So early, so punny. Have a great Wednesday!
That was really frightening!! But the Post-It note on the screen is priceless!!
"You light up my life"! [giggle] : )
I have two fans on my front porch that are almost as bad.. White also. Luckily they are wooden so I can just sand them and paint again. They aren't warped like yours ( such character) ha ha.. Love the new light.
Oh Kari Anne, I heard the fan screaming... "I'mmmmm mmmmeeellllttttiiinnnggg!" lol Though I would have been seriously tempted to put another fan up in its place, I love the light you chose. The post-it-note love is wonderful!
You never cease to brighten my day:)
Another FUNNY! Yep... I took out ceiling fans in my master bedroom to put up a chandelier that I love to look at every morning when my eyes pop open. Took out a couple others too in lieu of chandeliers. So I have floor fans roaring for a couple of moths... that's a compromise I decided I could live with. But... when I was looking at the front of the farmhouse just now, I saw something... Your hubby will come after me with a hammer after this suggestion. But, the front of your house is being covered by those two trees... the beautiful porch is hidden by them. Imagine it with them gone and some lower growing hydrangeas in thier place... Ohh ohhhhh..... there it is. Just a thought from a gal who's always diggin' in the dirt. The inside is spectacular and now the workshop is too - with the great new light. It's just me thinking out loud. Hope you enjoy the beautiful fall day we have ahead of us. The cold front has come thru and St. Louis has cooled off! And I'm a happy girl because of it.
awww........ how sweet of "whoever" noted you on your screen!!! and ummmmmm.... I'm pretty sure I felt the world "right" itself with the installation of that new light!!! Please have a proper burial for the sad... sad... fan!!! lololol ( BUT.... it is kind of nice to see REAL over at Thistlewood.... :) )
Funny and sweet. We have all had our slice of that "heel"............including my bunion. Have a sparkling day...................what wonderful kids you have, good job Karianne.
Ha ha I'm sure we all have a little something like that....I'm pretty sure mine are my baseboard covers!!! In my lower level I'm missing two giant pieces since the construction....they disappeared and nobody knows what happened to them. (How do 8 foot long baseboard covers just walk out of the house?) It's one of those things I don't think of until I walk by it on my way to the utility room....one of these days!! Have a happy day!
I liked the fan.! I would've kept it and done something wonderful to ti. It added something to the porch that the new light fixture doesn't. Just sayin"
floppy blades - thanks for the laugh!!!
Those fan blades must be MDF, which is not compatible with water. I would guess they got rained on at some point and that caused them to go limp. Best blog photo this week!
Light is perfect. That is funny with the fan that looked melted!!
Awwww!! That poor fan has seen a better day -- what are you going to do with it?? I can see you recycling it to do something or other. The fan blades could go on top of a beany for Halloween. Something from outer space that gets you from one place to another. I can't see you just tossing it in the garbage -- Nope you'll think of something to make with it only after it has some stripes painted on it courtesy of frog tape.:-) Have a great day.
Ahhh...the droopy flower ceiling fan. I'm happy you have averted the tragic hero ending by breaking the succession of events, replacing the fan with the rightful light. I'm sure it is lighting your path to the workshop much better. It takes real "insight" to "see" the possibilities in the space. In "hindsight" I'm glad it had it's moment in the sun. Your "foresight" enabled you to rethink the space and "see" what it needed, as usual. You are all those things in the your post-it love note. Hope you have a great day! I don't know what got in to me today...:)
awe love that.... doesn't it melt your heart... i got a love note from my youngest a few nights ago under my pillow... the last line says if you ever get mad at me about something, don't worry i will forgive you... saving that one for the teenage years!!!
That FAN!! HAHA!!! It reminds me of something that would happen in the South Florida heat and humidity. Total warped-ness! (Is that even a word? It should be!) But, I can honestly say, I have never seen a fan with blades like THAT. You could have just fudged it and started a new trend in fan blades! :D Karianne, your home is so beautiful, even more so with its occasional "human" frailties! Hmmm....a lot like YOU! Thank you for the smile and laugh this morning! Oh....and I LOVE the new light fixture for the workshop and the post-it note reminder of how loved you are!
How I wish that fan were the scariest thing at our farmhouse. Your house and farm are beautiful, even in the photo of the rusty fan. Too bad you don't go around the country giving farmhouse makeovers...or do you? :)
Knowing your love of weathered and chippy, I breezed by first flower fan picture waiting for the OH!NO! Ha, ha, laugh is on me! I have a house full of Achille's heels.... Really like the new light fixture, and love those Cree bulbs. We have replaced most every bulb in the house with them! Always enjoy reading your latest adventure. Have a great early autumn day.
Your girls are so incredibly sweet and encouraging! What a sweet thing to come upon! I kind of like seeing fans that need replacing along side your lovely designed home and property. It makes us normal kids feel like you, too are have to do projects and don't have it all perfect yet. Thanks for showing your Achilles heel! What a lovely solution you found! It looks perfect on Thistlewood Farms!
Ok.. when I initially saw that fan, I thought it was one of those "flower petal fixtures" upside down... I was so in awe of everything else that I didn't notice. I think your home is beautiful.
As always, this was a delight to read with thar wonderful sense of humor and that poor droopy fan, chuckle. I have been guilty of putting out a pic on FB and behold, there would be something in the background that wouled make me groan. Love the replacement light though and the surprise post it love note was awesome. What a wonderful find to begin a autumn day as those wonderful polished nails click across your keyboard, smile.
Sigh..guess I should of read my message before posting. Sorry for the misspellings. Spellcheck can be a blessing and a curse. Have a great day!
KariAnne, thank you for making me smile! The poor fan, but honestly, I really didn't notice it had issues. You are a rock star mom I have no doubt. Have a beautiful day at your beautiful home!
That computer screen was priceless - that is what this ole life is about. And thanks for committing that fan to a halloween project, because it was pretty scary all by itself - have a blessed evening.
Ceiling fans are great but they get so dirty well mine do and I have three of them in my house and they are all in need of a clean, just saying because that is all I can think of to say in this comment, I will now leave and go and annoy someone else with a silly long winded comment that seems to just ramble on
Priceless!! I love how the fan blades are drooping like a very elegant ( if slightly rusty?!?) wide brimmed hat… x0x0 Cynthia
Thank you for keeping it real. Your farm is so beautiful and inspiring. Keep up the good work and sharing it with us ;) Are you going to be at the Chapel Market ? I hope so ;)
oh my ...how could you? :) ha. I actually thought I saw it but was too embarrassed to bring it to your attention. Next time I will.
I have whole rooms that look like your fan!!!! Don't you love what shows up on our pictures!!!! That screen shot is a keeper! SIGH!
It's a good thing you outed your fan, KariAnne, otherwise; there would be a run on droopy fans...everyone would want one because Thistlewood Farms is graced with one! I may just have been one of those people...hehe! Awwwww, how sweet is that little post-it love note? Your babies are chips off of the beautiful block!
What? A flaw at Thistlewood? Aha! Hehehe, that droopy fan looked so sad, I hope it is given another role, say in a Halloween Haunted House!
I don't think I've ever seen a fan do that...lol! And I'm gonna agree with Susan on this one! I can see it now...the masses would've been flocking to the home improvement stores looking for a new "droopy fan". Love your post-it notes:)
Is that all??? You should live here in this farm house, with my to do list. lol What did you do to deserve such wonderful kids??? Take a picture and save it for one of "those" days kiddo.
Oh my goodness - how does that even happen?! I am cracking up! It must be awfully humid to make the fan blades wilt...love you!!
Yeah---we love to see the warts and all and you always keep it real, Karianne. So glad you see the details around your home as I don't always see mine until I do a few pics! lol! Great post. Jane x