domestic indecision

I need your help!

2010-10-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

I'm having a true rug dilemma. I'm to the point where I am totally ready to take the plunge and purchase a new rug for our great room/living room/den/whatever people are calling it these days. It's the room with the TV and the giant couch and all the toddler toys sprawled about. That probably paints a pretty clear picture. I hate that I ended that sentence with a preposition, but I am so crazed right now I can't think of how to reword it without sounding a bit too much like Yoda. See? I'm truly desperate.

I need to make a decision tonight because one of my choices is at HomeGoods -- and we all know that means run back and purchase it first thing in the morning, or be terribly sad because someone else realized how awesome it is and they bought it first.

I think I'd said before that I wanted something a little bit more modern. Right now I have a beautiful PB pale blue-gray rug with a kind of paisley/damask in soft tans and ivory. It's beautiful ... but it belongs in my bedroom. I want something a little more lively for the room. So here are the options I'm thinking about that I can actually afford.

The first two are the same price for an 8 x 11 -- which is so hard to believe -- and the last is a bit pricier, but not unmanageable. The first one looks funny because that's actually a picture of a 3 x 5 that sits in front of my door. I can't believe I found the same rug months apart at Home Goods. Wow. Anyway, it's made with silk and is incredibly soft and parts of it are raised and others not. The second rug is thin and from Ikea, but I keep seeing it used in other spaces and I just love it. And finally, who doesn't like the last one? I mean, really?

Keep in mind that our floors are light and our walls are a pretty warm and muddy brown, and our couch is tan. I posted a pic so you can kinda see. Ok, now vote! Comments, please! And thanks. : )

Well I did it ... and the Entry Way did, too.

2010-09-03T10:27:00.000-05:00

I caved to peer pressure. Or barometric pressure. It was less than four thousand degrees today and in the spirit of things, I got out some fall decor and made a fall dinner. I know that I swore I wouldn't, but it's my prerogative and Madonna gave me the know-so way back in the day so you can just kiss my grits. They are in the pantry, all ready for the kissing.

In case you're wondering, we had a tasty Indian Chicken Stew tonight (heavy on garbonzo and ginger) along with some tasty pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins. De. Lightful. Even our guests thought so. And their three year old? He only wanted cupcakes. And then ice cream, which we didn't even have or suggest. Our son also really enjoyed a muffin during "naaaah", which is "snack" in toddler talk. Isn't he too cute?

Aside from all that pumpkiny goodness, I thought I'd also go ahead and let you inside for the House Tour. It's been awfully mean of me to make you wait patiently outside all this time, in the sweltering heat and such, but I am just like that sometimes. Go figure. Without much more ado, here's the entry way in our home, all gussied up in her "not-quite-really-fall-yet" look. You can even see that the summer wreath is still outside. I did put the fall one out. Just not before the pictures.

This is our entry way! We added the beadboard earlier this year during busy "crazy amount of projects before everyone we knew came to our house" week. Before that this space was especially hallway-esque.

This is the "not quite really fall yet" look I was talking about. See that gold platter*? It's really heavy. And it was my starting point for the display.

I had some different empty frames up there before but it never looked right. I even had these garage sale frames on my spraypaint list. Looks like today it paid off to be a procrastinator because I am loving the way it works with these other elements. It's like the not-really-ugly girl in those teen movies that gets the makeover and looks all hot. Except I didn't actually do anything to this frame. So instead maybe she looks better because she's not sitting in a pile with other things that need a lot of work. See there -- it makes sense to hang out with good looking people. You can all be my friend if you need good looking friends around you. I am super good looking and my friends are not so bad either. (I cannot wait for the comments I will get from them on this one.)

I added a dark little birdy (pictured above) and this Dollar Store birdy I purchased in the spring. He can do both seasons. He's flexible like that.

This little table must hold things that are toddler-proof. And I know that. So when the candle is lit (and the little one in bed) it sits on the table, otherwise he's hiding behind the ledge on the shelf. And guess what little brown birdy was not toddler-proof? He's all glued up and back to his perch. On the right wall, we have some industrial hooks (but not super pretty, so no picture) and a closet door for the world's tiniest closet (I'm calling Guinness this week!) and a full length mirror that one toddler in particular cannot get enough of. Oh, and see that pillow in the reflection? My neighbor made that for me! Isn't that sweet?

And one last picture of the platter because it's my favorite.

*My sweet grandmother, Mama-No, and I used to shop together all the time. One year we were out in the fall and discussing Christmas gifts for people and since I had a new house, she was telling me to be sure and tell her what I wanted. I agreed and figured I would start being on the look out. As we walked through the store we were currently in, she must have taken a mental note of every.single.thing I said was cute or neat or fun or interesting because that year for Christmas every present I opened up was spotted in that store on that one particular shopping trip. This platter has a matching vase so I can spread the love in more than one room. I love having it as one of the first things I see when coming in the door now. She might have to be up there for Christmas, too.

I Just Can't Do It

2010-08-29T21:43:00.000-05:00

I know that fall is right around the corner. I know! I keep seeing fancy displays and even Halloween and Thanksgiving stuff in stores. Every magazine and catalog that arrives in my mailbox has a full cover photo of some delicious fall scene. Even at Starbucks they've already brought back the Pumpkin Spice Lattes or whatever they are calling them this year.

But I just. Can't. Do. It.

It's still 298347 degrees outside with 29783% humidity. It feels like the surface of the sun. I can't even pretend that I'm considering it to nearly be fall. My friend Glo wrote about fabricating seasons. I should take her advice. She lives in the desert. No the real desert. Hey, wanna hear a joke? Why is desert spelled with only one "s"? Because it's too dry to grow two. Ha. I learned that in fifth grade and I still think about it every single time I write desert or dessert. Does that make me as smart as a fifth grader? Hmm. Moving on.

I just can't make it fall in my house. But I've started thinking about it. I made a list and will keep adding to it until I decide it's really fall. Which, maybe will be September 1. Or more likely September 15. Maybe it will be less than 98 degrees by then?

I saw this cutie in one of my catalogs and I think I'm going to try and make one! Well, without the shiny jacket or top hat. Ok, maybe the top hat. What do you think?

Risky enrty

2010-08-16T16:17:00.001-05:00

Yay! You're back! How fun. I want to continue on my Home Tour (part 1 here) so I thought the next thing to show you would be our entry way. But it's raining and I can't quite figure out how to take a decent picture today, so instead I thought I'd just tell you about some other amazing entryways and things I would love to see incorporated in my own home. Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow and I can show you some more of my home ... you know, since we're friends and all. : )

The entry way is such an important space. I think it's too often overlooked, but it is your transition from the outside world into the safety and cocoon of your home. This space needs to pull its weight both in form and function. If you go too much for form, it won't function and it's wasted but too much function and it could feel like you're walking back into work. Who wants that?

Your entry really needs only a few important pieces.

This is technically the entry from the garage, but I love that there's a desk and a chair here. How perfect to go through your mail right away, glance at your calendar on the way in or out and have a lamp handy to light the way at night. If this was the main entry, I think adding a basket on the right side of the door would be a perfect place to dump shoes and maybe a hook or two for your bag.

Not only is the entry your transition from the world to your home sweet home, it's a great place to give others a preview of your style. Think about something interesting on the floor or great art. This solution is a perfect fix for the long hallway type entry because this is completely customizable. Again, there's a place to sit and a bowl for mail or keys, as well as a pin board for messages, events or momentos.

An entry can be snuck into a quiet corner of your home as well. You are not limited to your home's official footprint. My favorite pieces for an entry are simple. A mirror, a place for mail and keys, a place to sit and something that clearly says home. Having said all that, I guess I should get really busy on my entry!

(Images from My Sweet Savannah and Martha Stewart)

Curb Appeal

2010-08-10T14:39:00.000-05:00

It's already week two of the Home Tour and I've already failed you! I cheated and left town last week and didn't do any posting or any photo taking of my house before I left. I didn't even take pictures of the fun house I visited either so that's a complete blogfail. I promise I'll do better this time. We'll finish up the rest of the exterior stuff this week and next week will {hopefully!} go as planned.

Today I wanted to talk about some things I'd still love to do at my house to fix up the curb appeal and give some suggestions for stuff you might want to do as well to freshen up the outside.

I have grand plans in mind for the landscaping. I want to encircle the front tree with a bed and maybe more fern, as well as add a little bed in the corner area where the sidewalk meets the driveway. I'd love to have stone line the flower beds to keep everything from shifting and something large and focal pointy at either end of the bed along the sidewalk. Maybe tall topiaries? Maybe oblesque statues? And the walls on either side of the kitchen window seem so empty, so maybe some hanging plants or climbing plants? {Do you have any ideas for that?}

There are a handful of things you can do today to brighten up your curb appeal, but we're going to focus on the easiest three. I mean, you don't have all day, right?

1. Clean up your act. Sweep off the sidewalk or blow the driveway. It's surprising what a little yard work will do for your house.

2. Focus on your entry. It is so important to have a clear path to the door! Make sure you and your guests have easy access to the entry point from where they've parked. If you have stepping stones or some type of pieced walkway, make sure each piece is sitting tight and won't wobble or move. At night, your walkway should be lit well enough to see from the driveway or walkway all the way to the door. On top of all that, make sure visitors can find your house. House numbers should be clearly visible from the street somewhere on your house, as well as perhaps on your mailbox or painted on the curb.

3. Add some interest. Painting your front door a striking new color adds to the wow factor. Consider a wreath or sign to accessorize your door and add warmth. It's a good idea to replace your welcome mat if yours isn't so welcoming. Also, try a bigger size or a different shape. Even though we only have a single door, we used a double mat and it substantially changed the feeling of our tiny porch.

Of course, if your entry or porch area is large enough to accommodate an urn with some seasonal plantings or a bench or swing, spend a few minutes creating a lovely place that you'd want to spend time in. Maybe a new cushion, pillow or pot {they'll all be on clearance soon!} will make a big difference for only a few dollars. What about you? What are some quick or easy changes you've made that have upped the appeal at your place?

Come on Over

2010-08-02T07:33:00.001-05:00

Hi friends! I'm so excited to invite you to my home. There are so many of you new followers that I want to personally extend an invitation for you to come party at my house. Over the next few weeks I want to give you a personal tour of our home, as well as give you some helpful hints and suggestions to make the most of yours. My goal is for the tour to be on Mondays, and the rest of the info to follow through out the week. I'd love to sit down and get to know you, so stop by and take a look around, and make some comments so I'll feel like you were really here and we had some serious fun.

First thing is you need directions, but I'm guessing if you're here, you already figured that part out. All the mailboxes are on my side of the street, which makes it really confusing for some people. I am sure to tell people that we're the tan house on the corner and people still try the red house across the street or the yellow house next door, neither of which is on a corner. I tried to make it easier by adding these giant white numbers on our front door. Do you like them? My mother in law said it looks like an apartment and our friends said it reminded them of Harry Potter. I bought some matching numbers for our black mailbox but haven't applied them yet.

Last year we did a major overhaul and tore out our sidewalk because it was always under water if it rained for .00002 seconds, which, since we live in Texas, definitely happens. I'm so glad we did this! I also suggested we make it a little wider as I knew right around the corner I'd need to be walking hand-in-hand with my adorable son and we needed room to walk. I love the gentle curves.

We did some landscaping and I really pushed to incorporate the tree in the bed and I'm pleased as punch with how it turned out. I love the fern around the tree. My spring annuals are growing a little out of control, but I'm trying to hold out until the winter annuals are ready. We have summer well into October so I need to wait as long as possible.

I also ordered this gorgeous black window box (that matches the panelling on our new shutters) that is over five feet long for under my kitchen window. It's only been planted about two weeks and so far, so good! It's really nice to have something pretty to look at while washing dishes. {Jenny, if you're reading, your house is pretty ... but so are flowers!} When I need to water them, I simply open the window, turn on the kitchen faucet, and aim the spray nozzle right into the box! Genius. I am a genius.

This is our front door and porch area. I know I've talked about wreaths before. I whipped up this wreath one night after bedtime with some moss and hot glue. Nothing to it! The funny thing is that when it's really hot out with low humidity (not too often) the moss shrinks up -- but it fluffs back out when the humidity returns. I just cut a thin strip of burlap and pulled pieces off to fray it and tied it in a loose bow. Simple and so cheap.

There's this weird little nook between that pillar and the house. Currently there's a little green gnome in the space, but I'm never quite sure what to do with it. Any ideas?

And just for fun, here's a quick before and after and after line up:

Before: Leroy Brown with pinky purpley brick and butter colored door and trim

After: Tan painted brick with black door and crisp white trim

(Read more about our Farbie Dream House Transformation)

Of course there are a ton of things I'd still like to do, but that's another post!

Thanks for touring the outside with me. I can't wait for you to come in!

House Tour

2010-07-29T08:15:00.001-05:00

I love looking at blogs full of beautiful pictures of other people's homes. If it's a blog that posts frequently, I can often notice even the smallest of changes. I also get some kind of sick high seeing pictures of your messes and your house not quite complete or what it looks like when you're trying to take pictures and your son makes a lego explosion or inserts an alien superhero or something. I like it most when your normally pristine house looks crazy and tornado-esque. But I'm also afraid to show you my house looking like that.

In fact, I never want to post any pictures of my house because it's not complete and I don't have a really good before and after shot. Or whatever. But you know what? I invite people into my home all the time. In fact, there are at least a dozen people coming over Thursday morning -- and I don't even know them. My house is not perfect ... or usually even very clean. This realization made me ask myself why I can invite people in to see the mess in person; even people I'll see regularly and who will know what a mess my house is! Why can't I let you, all my blog besties in for a little looksie?

Well, I can. And I will. Starting this week, I'll let you have a little tour of my house, one room at a time. And I won't even go crazy cleaning and organizing and perfecting. It is what it is. And because your home is where your heart is, I'm going to show you some of my heart, too. Here goes. Your about to be assaulted with some handsome dudes.

I had to use a phone picture because any additional clarity would cause you physical pain. It's hard to look at such stunning specimens of manfolk, but try to contain yourselves. This is my hubband and my little. The hubband will not be around for the tour as he usually makes himself really scarce when ladies hit the house, but the little man is here and is well known for providing lots of entertainment. Prepare yourselves. You've been warned.

The Reckoning

2010-07-27T08:57:00.001-05:00

I have no idea how this happened, but I stumbled across this website about minimalism. It's so weird. I mean, minimalism is not weird. Maybe a little, but I think it's because we're still somehow ingrained to wantwantwant moremoremore and when we see people without, we (ok, maybe this is just me?) feel a huge need to givegivegive so their cabinets aren't empty are as full as mine. But there's this little part of me that kinda-sorta-maybe wants to be a tad minimalist myself. I blame it on my mom. I think she's becoming a hoarder. Not in the house full of crazy trash or dead cat bodies under piles of cereal boxes way. Rather a every single knick knack brings me joy and reminds me of some distant memory, even if the item is just reminding me of the item kind of hoarding. It's weird. My hubband keeps threatening that when she dies we'll just set the whole house on fire. In other news, my mother is slowing down her crazy metamorphosis into the crazy cat lady ... because she's down to like, say, eleven cats now.

I digress. Back to minimalism. (Sidenote: shouldn't posts about minimalism be one word? Two at most?) I discovered this site and I need to confess that parts of me want less. And then there's another part of me that loves to decorate and rearrange and have seasonal decor (which I'm pretty sure would break a hard and fast rule with minimalists) and so that means I need to have stuff.

I bet a minimalist doesn't have plates they don't actually eat with.

I confessed to my hubband about my minimal desires to be minimalist and he laughed at me.

I told him about this amazing list of things to reduce in your home. He continued to laugh. Secretly I pledged to go through some of those things and begin to reduce the numbers. I don't have to get rid of everything, but I can reduce.

No real minimalist needs seven sample cans of paint. Along with minimalist tendencies comes the ability to pick paint with no samples.

Then tonight we decided to clean out one of our kitchen cabinet hubs I walked into the kitchen to discover my hubband rifling through a less-than-orderly cabinet ... it stores medicine and candles and adoption paperwork and erasers and thumb tacks and sharpies and expired vitamins that were never even opened. You know the one. (Please tell me you have this kind of cabinet?) It made me cringe that he wanted to clean it out -- mostly because I don't want him cleaning things out that he doesn't know about. (Oh no, am I hiding things? Is that an early sign of hoarding?) We continued on, emptying out things, recategorizing things, etc. And it does feel nice. Then he suggested a new tradition. Every Monday night, before the trash cans make it to the curb, we should fill one up with things from inside that we don't need. At this point I am only slightly alarmed because I am hoping it won't last long, but a part of me is a little scared to see what he wants to clean out next.

There has to be an exception to the rule somewhere.... I need seasonal decor!

What do you hold on to? Is there something that you know you could or should reduce but haven't? I hold onto things...please tell me I'm not alone. Are you addicted to buying dishes? My hubband told me again today that I am. Help a sister out and share your obsessions!

Friday Favorite Linky Party

2010-07-23T11:49:00.000-05:00

Hello, friends! I'm so excited to have my very first ever Linky Party -- and I feel like I'm already late since it's nearly noon. Who has a party first thing in the morning, anyway? Not a nice hostess, that's for sure.

I am so excited to read about your favorite things and to get to know you! Post away!!!

Another Fun Linky Idea

2010-07-16T15:40:00.000-05:00

I love reading posts about people's favorites. I'm not sure why exactly. But I do feel like I know a person a little bit better when I know what their favorite stuff is. Right? So, here's what I'm thinking. Let's have a linky party! Next Friday, JULY 23, let's link up some of our favorite stuffs. I think this could be so cool. And we can get to know each other so much better. I like that idea.

I'm going to start you off with one of my favorite things here at home. I nearly ran over this giant pear with my shopping cart at HomeGoods one night, and thought it was so hysterical, I just had to bring it home. I get so many compliments on it all the time. It's a huge hit, literally. Every time I see it I just feel the need to smile.

Ok, I know I've posted this picture before, but it's the only one I have of this giant pear and I just love it so much. But not so much that I wouldn't feel so weird having a little photo session with it. What if it's the pear and my baby? Is that ok?

Anyway. Get busy looking for one (or all) of your favorite things to link up to my party! It will be a grand old time!

a rug, a rug, and six more rugs

2010-07-01T23:22:00.000-05:00

Our oversized PB sectional is now listed with good ol' Craig. I'm already getting offers. I guess that's the good thing about investing all your pennies with PB -- it holds decent resale value with Craig and his peeps. It has me thinking.

1. Our bedroom floor is finally carpet free and painted. Which leads to the rug in the den moving to our bedroom. It's going to happen. It's going to happen. Which means ...

2. The den needs a new rug! Yay!

3. Should I go with natural stuff like jute or sisal? I mean, it's cheap and easy to live with and works well with my inherent desires to change everything up all the time.

4. OR ... should I get one of these amazingly fabulous rugs that will up the fun factor exponentially???

Um, this one is fabulous. I'm not sure that all that gray will work with all the deep brown. But I do LOVE the giant pop flowers. Love.

This is like my favorite color. Ok, it's not like my favorite, it is my favorite.

And I want to live in this rug.

Forever.

Hello subtle pattern in my favorite color. You are amazing.

And a little bit dizzying. No?

I can't decide if I like the stripe or the diamond more.

Can I have both?

Ok, you're right.

This would work with the deep browns and white,

but all of a sudden I don't like it anymore.

Um, LOVING this yellow right now.

A whole whole bunch.

And wouldn't it look fun with deep brown? That combo is not done enough.

Ah, green again.

If I go with a non-natural fibered rug, then it looks like it will be a little bit more modern. I'm kind of excited about that.

What about you? Any favorites you see or a new rug you just have to own? Do you prefer natural rugs or outdoor stuff? Are you way into traditional Oriental rugs or modern stuff? And will my toddler ruin natural stuff? I heard it's more stain resistant because the liquid just pools on it ... is this true?

{All rugs are from Layla Grace, with the exception of the last two, from Anthropologie}

Quick Clean

2010-06-21T07:43:00.000-05:00

When guests come to your house do you spend all your time telling them to ignore how dirty your house is and how it looks like something exploded? Do you make up excuses like, "well, I've been gone all day and the kids and the dogs and the hubband and the tornado made this mess..." or do you have even better excuses up your sleeve? Flylady calls it CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome) and I think sometimes, that's what it is. The rest of the time, it's really not that big of a deal.

Just yesterday a friend said she was coming over for a quick visit with her sister who really wanted to see our baby, er, toddler, er, manchild. I had not been expecting company and thought to myself automatically, "Oh no! My house is a Disaster with a capital Saster!!" I immediately switched over to emergency clean up duty and realized that in less than ten minutes, my house was looking better than just presentable. It was looking really clean! Apparently, I have some tricks up my sleeve that just might help you out in a pinch.

1. Pillows:
I don't know about you but when the pillows on the sofa are straightened up and neat then the whole room looks much tidier. I just grab and throw them where I like them and make sure to toss any throw blankets, baby blankets, toys, etc. into their appropriate homes. (This might be where you realize that you need somewhere to stash these things that looks nice. Get a big pretty basket from HoLo. They're only $20 on sale and they are big enough to throw toys and blankets in.)

2. The Island:
What is it about kitchens that draws people in? Food? It's probably food. That's what draws me in. Or sweet tea. That's it. We tend to offer our guests beverages and then they follow us into the kitchen and whammo. They see the crazyness. We have a huge island that is always full of stuffjunktrashmailbagscupsfruit, etc. I make a neat pile of the papery junk and move it off the island and corral the fruit or other weird stuff that sometimes lives there together on a cutting board or a placemat or a bowl. Even if those things don't really go together, it looks organized. Put your dirty dishes in the sink. If you have more than ten minutes, throw them all in the dishwasher. If not, move on. Having a big focal area look clean makes the rest of the mess dissipate. It's like magic.

3. The Bathroom:
Eeek! What if my guest needs to powder her nose? I don't clean anything. I might maybe swish the brush around the toilet if it looks really funky. And I might wipe out the toothpaste with a wipey. You know, if someone even remembered to brush his teeth and left a mess. Right now he spends his time eating his toothpaste. It tastes like Elmo. Mmmmm.

4. Lighting:
Turn off your overhead and turn on a lamp. I always always always open the blinds/curtains all the way when people come over. I figure if nothing else, they can notice my grass needs mowing (and I can blame that on someone else or the weather) and not my dustbunnies, who have hopefully scattered and are hiding quietly under the couch where they belong. Everything looks cleaner with light. I know that doesn't make sense, but it works.

5. Take a Deep Breath:
If it's stinky or funky or doesn't smell like brownies or clean laundry or an ocean of febreeze, do something about it. I cannot tell you the number of times my hubband has come home and said, "Wow! It's really clean in here!" Mostly I can't tell you that because he never says that. Just kidding. He's said it before. But I make myself forget it so that when he asks me how I managed to clean all day and care for our baby I can't lie. The secret is in the smell. If your house smells like baked goods or clean laundry or febreeze, you are more than golden. It's the easiest thing. If you see someone climbing out of their car run and spray something in the public rooms. Twist your ankle because you are running so fast. Then your guest will say how amazing you are for having such a clean home even when you're injured. I've found that those three smells are always safe. Please don't let your house smell like a giant jar of grape jelly or some super super strong flower, unless your house is really a florist shop.

That's it folks. Try it next time. Heck, try it today on your spouse and see what happens. Perhaps he'll reward you with some pearls so you can clean all June Cleaver style. Or maybe he'll rub your feet because he thinks you've been up and busy all day long. Maybe he'll just throw praise or money at you because of your super awesomeness. Hey, it could happen.

in which you see my crazy

2010-06-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! It's summer time around these here parts -- and probably around yours, too! I've been enjoying some trips to the pool as well as visiting with an out of town friend, but something about summer makes me a little bit crazy.

Even though it's fortyseventhousand degrees outside and twobillion percent humidity, I really want to be out there. Doin' stuff. And I definitely still have my list that I'm working on (bedroom floor painting this weekend!), I keep having this really crazy idea run through my head.

I think it would be so fun (and more than a little bit crazy) to spend the summer trying to link up to all the linky parties. I know, I know, I know! Obviously, some of them have a linky part every week so I wouldn't do those every single week, but I could do one and move on. This would definitely prove to be one wild and crazy summer, especially since it's already started and I'm already behind, but I think it would be so much fun.

If you wouldn't mind helping, that is. There are definitely a handful of linkys that I know and love so I'll be working on those first. But I know there are about three hundred and twelve others that I don't know about. This is where you come in, dear friends and readers! Could you post a comment (or seventeen?) telling me your favorite linkys so that I can check them up and start working on some projects? Even if you think I'm completely aware of them, tell me in the comments because I don't want to miss out. And if you think it would be awesome to come up with some new linky parties just to make me sweat, then that's fine, too because my followers/readers get top billing. If you're planning something special, then please, by all means, let me know!

I am setting a few rules for myself to keep it honest (and moving) around here. (If you have some other suggestions for this one, keep them to yourself. Just kidding. Let them fly!)
1. New projects only. I can't repost or link up a project that I've already posted. That's cheating.
2. One post can only count for the max of three linkys. (Example: if there's a linky about pink and purple and one about yards and one about favorite color combos, then you better believe that I'm going to plant some pinks and purples in my yard and talk about how they are such a great color combo.) But since projects can't be repeated, is this really allowed? Ok, I'll have to think about this one.
3. Post at least once a week. Guess I better work on some big and small projects simultaneously.
4. Make face-time at each party. It's not enough to link up. I need to visit with at least three other linkys at the same party and leave a comment. A nice one. Who likes mean comments? Your mom that's who. Just kidding.

I guess that's it. Prepare yourselves to see some of my crazy running wild and free. Remember to comment with your favorite linky parties and some more rules (if you think I won't break them) and some mean your mom jokes. Because those are always funny. Right? No? Your face.

If Projects ...

2010-06-12T08:20:00.000-05:00

I have a list of projects. It's a long list. It's a list of every project I want to do at my house in the foreseeable future. Things like:

paint bedroom floor
buy new bed
make beadboard backsplash (I need TDC to finish for more proof)
get new couch
find pile of money
get sprinkler system
patio furniture
and on and on.
{Please tell me you have a list. I can't bear to be alone in this.}

The problem with my list is one thing.
One word.
If.
Or maybe, the real issue is the word "then".

I somehow got it in my head that "if" I wait until I rip out the carpet, "then" I'll order the bed (and somehow it will be a better bed???) or "if" that slipcover looks ok, "then" I'll sell the couch and get new furniture. It's weird how that works. What's especially weird, is that there are projects I can most certainly do right away (like rearranging the bedroom furniture) that I refuse to do until I do something else -- often unrelated -- first (like rip out the carpet and paint the floors). And that is so silly!

Why should I wait to do something I can do until I do something else that might not happen for a long time (like the floors ... been waiting on that for over six months!)? Why do we place these weird limits and expectations on ourselves? Using my same example, I can definitely rearrange the furniture and even buy a new bed before the floor is painted. The bed doesn't change the color of paint or the ability to paint it or anything like that. I don't understand myself sometimes!

I was hoping this would come out all Oscar Wilde-ish in that "I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word I am saying" sort of way, but instead it comes out, "I am so paralyzed by indecision and fear and laziness that I never get anything done". And that, my friends, doesn't make for a good tagline, so I'm off to work on that.

One slip, two slip, red slip, blue slip

2010-06-10T17:15:00.002-05:00

Hi y'all. There's another post that's supposed to be up here, but it's not, so here's a link if you're interested. Otherwise, just read this one I guess. Or go wash your hair. Does anybody use that excuse anymore?

Do you Bemz? Have you heard of Bemz? They make all sorts of slipcovers for IKEA stuff. Nice huh? From couches to chairs to everything in between (that's just pillows, right?) you can find a huge selection at Bemz. They have pretty linens! Linen for your Extorp. Amazing. This is not helping with my decision to go cheap and easy or fabulous ... but less frugal. It's also not helping that one of my favorite bloggers is now also preaching the goodness of all things IKEA. I'm wondering if you can guess where I'll be taking a trip to next week? Have I mentioned that their new catalog should be out any day now? I am not so patiently stalking my mailman. I think he's onto me.

Bemz new "country" line

OH! How have I not mentioned my super fun news? Tomorrow I'm meeting with a client for a design consultation. This isn't just some friend who's asking my opinion here. I'm talking a nice lady who is going to give me actual real money to go and fix up her house. Her bedroom, to be exact. Which is funny, because since starting to redo mine, I'm on my fourth curtain choice. But I'll get there....

bedroom news

2010-05-21T08:13:00.000-05:00

Fun news! I think I have finally decided on what bed we're going to buy! I've been going back and forth and back again on what I really want. I've looked at wood and metal, upholstered, canopy ... you name it and I've looked at it! As of today, I have made up my mind. Mind you, this could possibly maybe change between now and when I actually order it, but I'm about 99% positive right now.

Here's the fun part. I'm going to show you a few options, and if you're game, try to guess which one I've decided on. Doesn't that sound like fun? I think so. I love it when other people guess things about me. Or my bedroom. But keep your bedroom guesses to the actual beds this time, pleaseandthankyou. Here goes:

{all images from Pottery Barn}

Well, there you have it. Guess away. There are six. The funny thing is that I could definitely choose any one of these beds ... or even bedrooms ... but there is one in particular that I am pretty smitten with. Oh, and if you need to catch up with the bedroom drama transformation, you can start here, then read this, this sorta counts, check here, oh and this one too. Man, apparently I have been doing a lot of pillow talk. I'm already so ready to be done with this!

What I Wore

2010-05-19T23:21:00.000-05:00

Preamble: I've really enjoyed the What I Wore posts that Lindsey over at The Pleated Poppy started. I liked them for four whole weeks now and so I promised her that I'd finally link up with my own post. And now I realize what a pain it is to remember to photograph myself every day ... how hard it is to remember what I did throughout the week ... and also how amazingly dirty this hallway mirror is. You'll see what I mean. Also, I think I started a day early. Now on to the goods.

tuesday: errands and date night

green cardi: loft

aqua shirt: kohls

jeans: loft

brown wedges: target

wednesday: chores and a trip to the pool

jeweled shirt: jcpenny

tank: new york and co

jeans: loft

i don't remember what shoes i put on.

thursday: errands and fun with friends (dinner and shopping)

white beaded cardi: target

pink dress: loft

floral shoes: target

charm bracelet: james avery

friday: hubband off, so lunch with fam at le madeline and park hopping

grey tee: old navy

purple shirt: target

jeans: loft

chucks: academy

friday night: dinner and a movie

cream cardi: loft

baby blue tank: old navy

dress: old navy

toms: online

i know i took pics on saturday and sunday, but they've disappeared. i wore a dress from target to church and i don't actually remember saturday. oh well.

monday: holo for party supplies, bsf, then starbucks with the girls

silver earrings: ???

black beaded flower pin: new york and co circa 2002

white tee: target

super cool black shirt you can't see because i wanted to show off my boots: homegoods

skinny jeans: new york and co

fun grey "rockstar" boots my friend convinced me to buy: dsw

(when i wear them i really do feel like a rockstar. but in this picture i look like a giant nerd.)

tuesday: fun at home and a trip to the pool

tee: jcpenny

jeans: loft

i did wear some flipflops from dsw to the pool and back

wednesday: cleaning out the baby's toys and drawers, taco bell, reba's house.

black tee: target

green shirt: kohls

jeans: old navy divas

green bracelet: kenya

bottle cap necklace: fredericksburg trip with the girls

cute gold flats you can't see: target

i'd also like to mention that i felt really weird taking pics where you couldn't see my face, and equally weird taking ones where you could. i will be cleaning that mirror first thing in the morning and working on the lighting situation as well. i don't really know if i'll be posting this again, but it was a good experiment for sure.

love a good themed party

2010-05-15T15:02:00.002-05:00

I love a good party. Ok scratch that. I love to throw a good party. I'm ashamed to admit I haven't posted this sooner, but deal with it, ok? We can still be friends even if I'm a little slow, right? My friend had a baby. Well, at the time, she hadn't had the baby yet. But we did have a party. A little birdy themed party. It was so fun to host a party for such a fun friend ... with my other fun friends. Who doesn't love a fun party with fun friends? ... ... Exactly. That's what I thought.

This is the guest of honor, Ainsley Jane, who ended up being early and ten pounds. She's a fun little chunk who is going to be my daughter in law one day-- that is, if my son would stop stealing her pacifier all the dang time. He doesn't know that's not very gentlemanly. We're working on it.

When having a party with a theme, you want to include as many elements of the theme in as many places as possible. They don't have to all be large and in your face, but even quiet touches really link things together. We stuck with all things bird: birds, branches, nests, eggs, bird houses and bird cages. We also used the same color palette of turquoise, white, tan, and pink to keep things unified. The best place to start is with the invitation. If you're having a bird themed party, there should be some reference to that on the invite. Recently we had a Mad Hatter's Tea (post to come!) and the invite looked like the hat and actually said "Mad Hatter's Tea" which is helpful for guests.

Even the favors were linked to the theme. I kept baby food jars for months, washed them, painted the lids in one of our colors, and made a nest inside with jordan almonds (large eggs), or pink or turquoise jelly beans (small eggs) and tied them with twine. These were a ridiculously huge hit. I was surprised. They were also great because I could send them home with people to their children and they didn't get smooshed or broken like cupcakes or cookies.

We actually held the shower in a local cafe. I generally prefer using a home, and for reasons I cannot even remember, that was not going to happen with this bunch. It did make for a lovely change of pace with several intimate little tables. Again, the theme is everywhere. Each table had a birdhouse crafted to match the nursery as well as a table cloth that was actually a receiving blanket in the coordinating colors. These are great ideas because the expenses are also part of the gift. Mommy received seven birdhouses for the nursery wall and seven receiving blankets (after I took them back home, washed and ironed them again). Each place setting also had the nest favor and some roses cut from my freshly landscaped yard.

I think it's important to spread your decor around a bit, so you'll notice behind the massive amount of gifts more birdcages, super fun turquoise branches (that ended up free, instead of $7.98 a stem!), an owl chair (kinda hiding behind the presents on the right) and the baby's name on branchy balls orbs across the front of the table.

I realize that's a lot of info hidden in the text and fun pictures, so here's a handy dandy list:

How To Have a Great Theme Party
1. Pick a theme -- or even a color scheme. We've recently had a Mad Hatter's Tea (post to come) and are currently planning a Cowboy themed party for an 80 year old. Yep you read that right. A beautiful shower was held for me simply by using a lovely color scheme of green, black and white.
2. Use that theme throughout. If you're having a ducky shower, have ducks on the invites, duck cookies, or a duck cake. Add yellow (or whatever color) to your drinks -- lemonade, lemon sherbet punch (who doesn't love that punch?). Put it front and center with your table coverings, centerpieces, etc. If the theme calls for it, dress in the theme as well. I'm not saying full out costumes, but if you have an "April Showers Bring May Flowers" then march yourself to Target and get some cute rainboots to wear and have some umbrellas out. Wear a flower pin on your shirt, in your hair, or everywhere.
3. If at all possible, make the venue appeal to the theme. Make sure your decor reaches above the table. We had birdcages on walls. At the cowboy party you better believe there will be balloons wearing cowboy hats. If having the party at your home, sneak a bit of the decor into the powder room the attendants will be using.
4. Let your guests know. Themes are so much more fun when everyone is in on it. Things can still be a surprise for the guest of honor (that's the way I like to roll) and people are usually great about playing along. You could even have a little something extra for guests who miss the memo (there's almost always at least one, so have an extra flower, bandana, or tea hat available).
5. Go a tiny bit overboard. I know I'm losing some of you now, but it's so much fun. Just admit it. Just do one overboard thing, not all of them.
6. Have fun. It's still a party, and don't forget that parties are meant for fun. : )

I'm linking with Teach Me Tuesday at Hope Studios, and at DIY Day with Kimba at A Soft Place To Land.

winner winner ... hey, that's me!

2010-05-14T07:24:00.002-05:00

A great while back, sweet Danielle from Life on Dahlia Lane nominated Domestic Indecision for One Lovely Blog Award and Krista of The Gathering Place Design awarded me a Beautiful Blogger.

I really appreciate these awards and these ladies. Their blogs are inspirational and often get my brain working to start new projects. Life on Dahlia Lane has lots of tasty recipes as well as a cute little puppy that I'm always staring at some super cute projects that you are definitely going to want to check out. The Gathering Place Design is chock full of projects for your home, as well as two precious little girls and my admitted drug of choice: bargain shopping.

Now for the torch passing: There are so many blogs out there that I just can't get enough of ... but I'm going to select a couple that really get me going. I love to read Older and Wisor because we share a love for Potbelly cookies and pole dancing jokes dry wit. I'm also constantly amazed at their house transformations and her boldness to just rip stuff out and fix stuff up. Me = totally and completely slightly jealous. I also want to nominate my friend over at The Hoot because I love her projects and her post about Angry Pants. She just had a baby so go and tell her you want to see more posts and more pics ... as soon as she unpacks her camera. I also love me some Lemonade Makin' Mama and her honest dealings with her lemons and her ridiculous infatuation with her hubband's upper arms. Seriously girl. We should all pray to be so in love with our spouses. She's also embarking on a whole new adventure that I can't wait to read about. And my final choice today is Bless This Nest. While we've never met, I feel like I would be right at home on Shannon's couch, cooing at her baby and talking about life together. The cuteness just oooozes out of her blog and I love that her priorities seem to be just right.

I always like to take some time to find some other fun new blogs -- so if you're little blog is newer, newish, or just wants to make new friend, show us who you are in the comments, and consider yourself awarded, doubly so.

Can't Sleep Blues & Announcement & Question & No, That's All.

2010-05-10T11:55:00.000-05:00

So for Mother's Day, I got to take a nap. A really long one. On the couch. It was glorious.

country living

But then, when it was time for bed, I couldn't fall asleep. I mean, I stayed in bed for a good thirty minutes waiting... and I just knew it was not coming. So I got up, got out my trusty home notebook, and started thinking. Back on my couch, with the light from the entry, I scribbled out some new furniture plans, scratched out some other ideas that didn't seem so good or necessary any more. I'm very excited about where things are going.

country living

My hubband made an announcement the other day. He wants to get rid of our oversized giant Pottery Barn sectional. I nearly fell over. I thought we'd have that until we died. Heck, I thought when my hubband died, we'd have him cremated and stuffed in the pillows because he loves that sectional so much. But, like many love affairs with my hubband, this one is done. And I can't say that I'm not super excited about that. I've been secretly desperately dreaming for white slipcovers for a while. I have a toddler. He has sticky hands. Two of them. All the time. It's like there's a jar of sticky somewhere hiding in his room and every time I clean him up he ventures back to the sticky jar. I have dreams of easy washable, bleachable slipcovers. So. I. Am. Tickled.

ballard designs

My question is this: which sofa do I go with? Part of me thinks Ikea is the way to go because they are so very inexpensive and I can replace the slipcovers for only fifty bucks. Seriously people, why am I considering other options? Oh yeah, because I love the lines of theHollis model from Ballard Designs and I've heard good things about Rowe, too. What's your experience with quality and price and comfort and durability and everything else important with these sofas and white slipcovers. Did you wash one and it shrunk? Have you purchased a couch with your last pennies for it to only be really uncomfortable? Please share your wisdom with me. I know this next investment needs to last for a while, and we're only in the beginning of growing our family, so whatever this is needs to be hearty and tough.

life is like an order of cheese curds

2010-05-10T08:37:00.000-05:00

Wednesday nights my hubband teaches so I get to play. Usually this means dinner with my girlfriends (and our babies) and some quick shopping. This week Kohl's, last week World Market. We've also been known to frequent HoLo and Homegoods, too. We get around. This week we ate at Culver's -- and they have "cheese curds". Think bite size cheese sticks. Cheese balls. Bites? Anyway, they call them curds. It's weird, but it makes sense. We noticed, while gobbling completely obeying Emily Post's dinner party etiquette that the cheeses were different. Not bad different, but each bite is different. One bite mozzarella, one bite cheddar. It's fun. It's a little dinner time surprise. You never know what you're going to find.

And that's kind of how life goes, too, isn't it? Some months are really good and you sell a million dollars worth of stuff with everybody's buddy, Craig. Some months you have a roof leak that turns into major renovations and a toilet in the den and four kids with the flu.

Sometimes your favorite store has one bajillion things you want to buy and you consider drastic measures (who needs grocery money next week?) and then other times there is absolutely nothing that interests you. Once I saw something that made me laugh out loud in the store. I'm not really sure why because it's not really funny, and I know that. My hubband just thinks it's weird.

this is my weird two-feet-tall pear

But every single time I see it sitting in the kitchen, it makes me smile and remember that everyday there are things worth smiling about.

I hope and pray that you find joy in the midst of life curds.

little lamp switcheroo

2010-05-09T20:36:00.002-05:00

I've been working on my bedroom issues bedroom unloveliness for some time now, and things are s l o w l y coming together. This week I did a little lamp update and thought I'd show it with you. It also happens to be the party category this week for Saturday Night Special over at Funky Junk Donna's. So here we go.

These lamps originally had a plain white bell shade. I scored them on clearance at Linens and Things (before they crashed, although they're back online now) and I was able to use a coupon so they were practically free. I love when that happens. I used them as lamps on my faux-ffet (faux buffet) so I added the black drum shades to class them up a big. How is it that crystal lamps needed some classing up?

To work with the look in my bedroom, I went with burlap. It's super cheap, within the color scheme, and I already had it on hand. Even if it turns out to be temporary, it's not going to kill me or break the bank. Just bust out your favorite hot glue gun and get to work. I will suggest, however, that you use the low temp glue gun because glue seeps through burlap and you will not have fingerprints left if you use the hot stuff. I'm just sayin'.

I knew I wanted to use some fun trim that I also added to my valance panels, so I didn't worry about cutting it straight. Love when that happens, too.

Add some ribbon from HoLo with a 40% off coupon. And it's only $1.99 regular price, so paying less than five dollars for two lamps is completely within my budget.

So they turned out lovely.

And I promise they're not sitting in my kitchen anymore, but are happily on either side of the bed ready to see more transformation in there. In fact, they whispered when I turned them on that they'd like new nightstands to sit on. Apparently those classed up lamps have high falootin' taste.

I'm also linking up to Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, and Kimba's DIY Day.

put some SPRING in it

2010-05-07T07:09:00.000-05:00

I just realized this post schedule for 2-27-10 never published. So, while it's really late, I'm still publishing it now. Go on, hate me.

During my blog hopping lately, I've noticed lots of spring -timeyness. And I like it. I'm really ready for it. Living here in Texas, we don't typically have much of a winter, and we hardly ever have one that stretches so far into February. Plus, I just feel like once Valentine's day is over, it's time to start working on Easter. And Easter says spring all over it.

I didn't think I had much spring stuff around, and these days it's all about shopping the house. So I tried. I just collected everything and anything that could maybe-possibly-almost mean spring.

I pulled out some whites, creams, bright fun greens, yellow, dishes, nesty things, birdies, plants, moss, flowers, etc.

Do you love how the wood candle {that I purchased mega clearance from PB} looks like a yummy little cake on the cake plate with the fun moss? I do. Maybe that should go in the kitchen ...

Don't think you can't decorate seasonally without purchasing lots of stuff. I admit, I probably have more spring stuff than other seasons, but I'm sure you have something in your house that you can work with to make these last days of winter {fingers crossed} seem a little bit brighter.

Giveaway Winner

2010-05-06T14:46:00.000-05:00

Eeek! It's way past Friday (and my birthday) and I still haven't announced the giveaway winner! I went out of town for the weekend and hadn't packed yet so I forgot to do this when I said I would. No excuses. The random.org winner is Jennifer Simpson. Jennifer, thanks for the birthday wishes -- email me your address and I'll send out your goodies.

I think I mentioned that I went out of town over the weekend. Well, I did. And it was awesome. I can't wait to show you what I purchased...but I'm going to be mean and make you wait. You see, I went to my favorite shop and purchased several things. It's not the most I ever spent there, but it's a close second. I cannot wait to show you. There are a few little things I need to take care of first, like ripping the carpet out of our bedroom and painting the floor. Can you wait for that?

The Nester wrote a post today about living in the process. I am so glad she reminded me that living in the process means there is progress even if it's really slow. And every day, it's feeling more and more like home. Thanks Nester. I just know we'd be best buds if you lived closer.

Oh, and I'm trying to learn something new so I can show you something fun and maybe you'll want to do it too and then we can have a party. So pray that I can figure this out!

Spots of Spring

2010-04-27T11:38:00.001-05:00

I realize it's already heading quickly to summer, at least here in Texas, but I wanted to share a little something you can do to add a little touch of spring. I saw these fun things at HoLo in the outdoor/garden department. I think they are supposed to be candle holders.

I love the cement. I think that's what really says outdoorsy and spring.

I wanted something more fun than just candles, so I opened up my little junk craft junk drawers and started looking to see what I had to work with. I had some leaves that I previously used in a wreath, an overabundance of moss, and some blue eggs ... which are actually soap.

Tip: Even though the eggs look really cute, and smell good, do not try to eat them. They are soap, and therefore taste like soap. Don't take my word for it. Ask my toddler.

So I took what I had and just sorta threw it together. I made a little nest out of grass, which I know is not exactly correct, but I already had it and it looks good and I don't have time to hunt down a bird willing to teach me proper nest making skills. I have a toddler. I barely have time to shower.

I put moss and a little candle in the other one. I want them to look like they go together, but not like identical twins. Not that I have anything against identical twins, I just don't want a pair of them sitting on my table. Sometimes they are a little creepy. Redrum anyone? Or how about those little girls in the new Ikea commercials? Less creepy ... but still ...

I think they turned out looking rather fun. Of course, I've already moved that table they are sitting on and have moved them, too, at least twice. But they are still looking good and my makeshift nest is holding up just fine, thankyouverymuch. No bird has come to hatch my eggs, and they are out of a toddler's reach, so they are fairing pretty well, too.

P.S. You still have a chance to enter my Birthday Giveaway -- the winner will be announced on Friday so come back to see if it is you!!!

Birthday Giveaway

2010-04-13T14:33:00.000-05:00

Hi y'all. Guess what ...

Ok, stop guessing. I'll just tell you.

Today is my birthday. I really like to celebrate my birthday. Usually, I try to stretch it out for as long as possible. I'm nearing an age where I might not like to celebrate my birthdays as much, so I'm trying to celebrate as much now as possible. Keep reading, this is where you come in.

Because you read my silly little blog (when I remember to post) and you leave me fun and funny comments (you know who you are) I wanted to share my birthday funness with you. So I'm having a giveaway. Which is really especially fun, because I am not entirely sure what I'm giving away yet. I think it might be a small collection of my favorite things. Kinda like Oprah does ... well, maybe like she does. I've never actually watched one of those episodes so I don't really know. If I'm botching this all up, let me know so she doesn't sue me. That would be bad. Not that I probably have anything she wants, unless she also likes my favorite things. Ooops. Rabbit trail...

Nitty Gritty:
I don't tweet, but you can certainly tweet about this.
I sometimes remember to facebook, when I have something brag-worthy, but you may certainly brag about this.
I do read all your lovely comments and so that's going to be my favorite.

All you have to do is leave a comment. Or twelve. And if you tweet or facebook or shout from your driveway, just leave me another comment telling me you twirped. Tooted. Tweeted. Whatever. Also, I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but I love the comments, so you can leave as many comments as you want and each one will get you entered again and again and again for the fun giveaway present. Unless you live in Abu Dhabi where it's going to cost me a boatload of money to ship to you. Then please don't enter a dozen times. But if I really do have a reader in Abu Dhabi, then mad props to me. And you, the Abu Dhabian.

I think that's it. Get to commenting and I'll get to packing (and photoing) my just for fun birthday giveaway. : )

spring door decor

2010-04-08T23:37:00.000-05:00

My hubband hates wreaths. He complains about them if they are big or small or even invisible. (He told me our winter wreath was going to put someone's eye out. It didn't.) He's a tried and true wreath hater. No matter, because we still always have a wreath on our door. Not to say you should disrespect your spouse or anything, it's just that I hate the glass in our door, and he understands that, so we have a deal. I'll keep hanging wreaths and he'll keep hating them until we get a new door. Sometimes the heavens smile and things work out because you and your hubband are dumb.

Anyway. I love me a good wreath. In the fall I love those twiggy ones and when it's spring time, I love to see those big bushy springy ones that scream "Hello Spring!" because we all want to scream that after winter cold and rain. Right?

So I went ahead and did you a favor and found some fun wreath inspiration for you. You can either go right on out and purchase these or get an eye-full and head to your craftyplace and make one of your own. Right now I still have my Easter wreath on the door (it has brown and white speckledy eggs) but I think I want something screaming spring on the door. I'm thinking reindeer moss or maybe even boxwood? Both? You'll just have to wait and see. I'm still gathering inspiration.

I love green hydrangeas. And the bits that stick out of this one. It just looks so fresh!

{williamssonoma.com}

I adore how full this wreath is -- just look at those lemons!

{williamssonoma.com}

The fun and zesty color combo had me at hello.

{target.com}

Nothing says spring like greens and some fresh white.

{frontgate.com}

These sweet pinks and green hydrangeas look so innocent.

{williamssonoma.com}

I 've "arranged" for spring to hang on your door.

Ok my bad. That was not funny.

{seasidewreaths.com}

Yes folks, Target thinks this is a wreath.

And while the temperature does rise, there will not be one of these on my door.

But one might appear on a friend's. Because seriously, it just might be worth it.

Are there any other places you look for door inspiration? Do you hang something crazy on your door for spring? Is your Christmas wreath still up? Don't lie. You don't have to be embarrassed. I mean, you should be, but you don't have to be. I'm not really judging you. I know where you can get a nice tinsel chili pepper...

totally and completely MIA

2010-04-03T21:11:00.000-06:00

Hi. In case you forgot, someone does from time to time write posts for this blog. That someone is me. And I've been absent. I've been dealing with some stuff lately. And not to bore you, or subject you to unwanted details into my personal life, or even submit you to unwarranted sad feelings, but I want to write about it. Just not today. I need it to be perfect. When I can finally express myself, I need it to be right. At least about this. Usually not about anything else, but this needs to be done right.

I have been working on some projects. One turned out ok and the other was terrible. And because we all like to know that people fail miserably, I will even post about that one for your enjoyment and self esteem. Because what raises our self esteem more than seeing others fail, too, right? I'm kidding.

So please please please return sometime soon to see me fail miserably and have one small success story, and read about something sorta personal. But probably not in all the same post. So come back more than once if you want to read all those things. Hope to see you soon.

Feedback Friday :: New Olympic Sport

2010-03-05T18:23:00.000-06:00

TGIF y'all. I'm looking forward to an evening out with my hubband and some new friends at a steakhouse. The kind of steakhouse where they have unlimited sweet tea and you throw peanut shells on the floor. And the waitresses do line dances. And it's ok if your adorable toddler gets really excited with the dancing and squeals. At least, I'm hoping it's ok.

Today when I finally had a few moments to play in blogland {anyone else suffering from a napless day with your toddler?} I stopped over at Hope Studios and found myself in the print! Every Friday Jennifer does a "Feedback Friday" that features some type of question/opinion getter/situation that you just HAVE to comment on. I'd seen something a few weeks back that sparked my interest, and I thought she'd get a kick out of it, too. So hop on over to read the scoop and throw in your opinions, too. Ok, I'll give you a hint.

{I'd seen the original info HERE and another tidbit with a short interview HERE.}

cracked pots

2010-02-26T08:21:00.000-06:00

My friend Christina has a knack for killing stuff. Mostly plants. Ok, maybe only plants. At least, as far as I know. She bought these cute pots from PB some time ago and had them grouped on top of her ancient entertainment center. They made even that beast look good. It only makes sense then thatI had been secretly lusting after them. She finally gave up the ghosts of those poor, defenseless, innocent plants, chunked them in the trash, and showed up at my house one day with the pots. Yes!

Did I mention that I live with toddler? Who is excellent, particularly, at toddling. And so we had an accident.

Cracked pots. Realistically, shattered in some places. Who knew that a four foot fall onto the floor would have that effect? No amount of glue-gunning was going to fix this. I had to find the super glue. Key word: find. Who even uses that stuff anymore? Apparently not my hubband because this is the conversation that transpired:

H: So, I see you're using super glue.

Me: Mmmm hmmm. {Hummed in a "I already know what you're thinking!" tone.}

H: How is it going? Does it work?

Me: What do you mean, does it work? Haven't you used it before?

H: Nope. Why would I?

That made me snicker. Why on earth would you try to put something back together that is so clearly broken? In fact, why am I trying to put something together that is shattered and will obviously look "repaired" and not perfect -- without blemish -- as before?

Because I'm a cracked pot, too. I am broken and glued a lot. I have glue stuck to parts of me and am missing chunks in others. We all need a little glue, a little time, and someone with a little love to put us back together again.

And while people can see that we're broken, and while we may never work quite the same again, it's worth it, right? I'm worth it. You're worth it. They're worth it.

Even if we're cracked pots, we can still be used.
We can still be useful.
We can still be beautiful.
We can still be part of the bloom.

Bonus Room :: A Poll

2010-02-23T22:26:00.000-06:00

Hi folks. I'm working on a few different projects, and hopefully I can finish at least one of them to show you soon. The lack of pictures and finished projects around here is getting me down. We've had some teething issues, some sickness issues and some weather issues, but I think it's finally starting to look up around here -- well, except the weather, but that's not really in my control.

Today I have a poll for you. I hope you'll chime in and tell me what you think.

Sorry for the stinky pictures. It's bad weather and bad lighting and now nighttime.

We have two living spaces.
We use one. So the other has got to go.

The couch is going to a friend who is moving into her very own dreamy house soon. And there are two armless chairs which could go (hello craigslist!) or stay, depending on the new use of the room. The room is open to the kitchen and dining room, but doesn't work as well for a traditional living room/family room/den-type room. It really only has two walls: the one with the giant window and the long one the couch is on. Otherwise, there's kinda a walkway from that backdoor {on the left in the above picture} to the kitchen and the rest of the house. The picture below is the walkway wall.

This is the daytime light and a much better representation of the color.

{And the mess usual to this house when rearranging.}

So, here's the poll:
If you had a bonus room, what would it be? What room in your house do you wish had more space? Have you used a room for something other than what it's meant for? Please share your tips and tricks. I'm anxious to here your suggestions and excited about all the possibilities!

Swapity Swip Swap

2010-02-16T21:04:00.000-06:00

Ladies (and dudes, but I don't think there are any dudes...)
you are cordially invited
{if you live in the Houston-ish area}
to come to my fun anything goes

SWAP 2.0

Saturday, February 27th
7p.m.

No hubbands or children
They are non-swapable

Email me {link on the right and also in profile} if you are in the area, or will be, and can somehow prove to me that you are a real person and not some weirdo stalker killer-type person, and we'll get you hooked up.

If you're not in the area, etc., rest assured there WILL be pictures this time. Last swap, I have no idea what happened. It was super duper fun and everyone took home a bundle of fun stuff. Anyway, so lurkers come out, followers join in, and anonymous people, let's meet!

P.S. My hubband will have a fit that I possibly invited stranger-danger-killer type people to our very home.

opinions please :: black or green?

2010-02-12T16:48:00.000-06:00

Today I was able to sneak out for Double Dave's and a quick trip to one of my favorite little shops in Old Town Spring with my pal, Rebecca. And the baby, too, of course. He likes to run or crawl through shop. I picked up these two empty frames -- the green one I've had my eye on and this black one that was new. And I have this great idea for it ... well, for one of them. And I think I know which one I'm going to use, but I'm not sure. It's a dilemma.

So black or green? Green or black?

And which orientation? Portrait or Landscape?

I need your help!

Also, I have three of these metal screens. They've been on the same wall since we got them, right after we married. But I saw them today and wondered how they'd look as a headboard of sorts. What do you think? The panel is sitting on the floor here, but they can be hung of course. Also, there's a teeny tiny sneak peek of the new window decor, my painted trophy lamp, and the fun table I brought home today with my frames.

Opinions please::

1. black or green?

2. portrait or landscape?

3. headboard situation

This has been brought to you by domestic indecision. Hence the name. Thank you and have a great weekend!

remember that plan?

2010-02-11T08:07:00.000-06:00

Yeah, well, I haven't even started on that plan.

Actually, that's a lie. I started, but then it didn't work out the way I thought. Sometimes that happens.

So I did what happens a lot ... I started a different project. On a whim. And it's awesome.

And that original plan? Forget it. I have a new one that is {hopefully} going to work!

can you guess what he's doing?

2010-02-02T23:25:00.000-06:00

Ok, remember how I told you I had a plan? Well, I did. And so I started working on it. And then something happened. Something magical.

Sorry about the blurry picture. It's like 11 pm when this took place. Can you guess what he's doing? If you guess I'll give you a prize. It's true.

Hate Your Space?

2010-01-29T10:27:00.000-06:00

So there's this wall. It's giant. 14 feet tall, to be precise. And it's what you see when you walk into our family room/den/whatever you call it and also pretty quickly when you walk into the front door of our house. I have struggled and struggled with this wall and these windows.

I've mentioned the skating rink affect this house had when we bought it, so at first, I was ok with the curtains hanging so low, because we wanted to bring the room in, cozy it up a bit.

That lasted all of a couple weeks. Then I tried four panels. Different panels. Brown panels. Orange panels. Patterned panels. Plain panels.

I know you're supposed to hang the curtains high high high, but I hate when there's like, oh, I don't know, three feet between the rod and the top of the windows. So I've been thinkin. And I have a plan.

Everybody's Doin' a Brand New Dance Now

2010-01-28T10:40:00.001-06:00

In your face desire-to-buy-all-new-stuff!

I want to move things around all the time. And sometimes things just work. Sometimes they don't. {Sometimes they really don't!} This chair is older than I am and is from the bank my grandfather worked at. Mine is the third home it's lived in. This pillow was purchased in 2006 during my first realization that a few fun new pillows would change my house. Boy, did they.

Oh, and those brances that are fabulous and turquoise and fabulous? They were purchased for a baby shower. Except that they were FREE.

Make a new combination today. Try something different. And sing this great 90s song while you do it. : )

P.S. If you're reading and you'd like to be publicized, please leave a comment with your blog link. I'd love to read your blog and have you in my blogroll. Thanks -- and nice to meet you!

if only

2010-01-27T14:16:00.000-06:00

I've been half-heartedly looking for a new bag. You know the kind: one that does both baby + a little fashion. Not that I take my bag to the park, and not that there are often other mothers there, but if I did and if there were, I think they'd approve.

If only I had an extra $972.09 (after tax) just hanging around, burning a hole in my pocket. Then this beautiful just-orange-enough-to-not-be-pink-and-girly-for-my-man-child-son bag would be mine.

who are you?

2010-01-18T06:26:00.000-06:00

I can't tell you the number of posts I've started.
Or thought up, in my head.
Or even taken a picture or two.
And then never published.

I think it takes a while. To get set up, you know. Who you are {the writer} and who y'all are {the reader} and how you {both writer and reader} want things to be. My first blog was all about our adoption. Which was a lengthy process. And the people who are reading that want to comment and be friends {if they aren't already your friends or family} and it's all about support and encouragement because adoption can be really hard. But I knew how to do that.

This is a whole different kind of community. Sure, the encouragement and support is there, but it's really different. I feel like it takes more to elicit a comment in this type of blog. You have to do something earth-shattering or surprising or heart-wrenching or all of the above. Not that I blog for your comments. Well, sometimes I do. Sometimes I need reassurance or suggestions or compliments that say I'm on the right track. And sometimes I want comments to know that I'm not alone, and that someone is reading this blog or looking at these pictures and experiencing my life with me. Sometimes I blog just to document what I'm doing.

But I ask, that if you are in fact reading this, that every once in a while, you leave a comment, a shout out, telling me you're there. Telling me who you are. Let's be friends. Let's support and encourage each other. Let me peek into your life as you peek into mine. Let's make a real difference in one another's lives.

Look Alike

2010-01-15T08:34:00.001-06:00

I've seen some pretty ways to display dishes. And since last summer, I've become addicted to pretty dishes. Buying them, displaying them, giving them. Needing them. Well, not really needing them, but where's the fun in admitting that?

I have some on the wall in the living room. And some stacked on the counter. And some stacked in a bookshelf. And more stacked in the cabinets. I've been on the lookout for one of those fancy vintage file holders or book displays or something that I can do something with. Enter HoLo.

Last week at HoLo {Hobby Lobby} I saw this. I think she's a mail sorter. She's a little bland, a little boring. But she's got a little extra room. Just like I've got a little extra ... well, nevermind. We'll just leave it at a little extra. {Extra something special??} Metal stuff is on sale 50% off, so for three dollars, I bring her home, plop her on the counter and start shoving dishes in.

I tried one dish at a time, but that wasn't working. Or showing off enough of my dishes. Or filling up all that extra she's got. So then I shoved in two at a time. You know, like you do with those bite-size lemon bars. Or bacon. Or nuggets. Or plates. Back to the plates.

Before I knew it, she was looking lovely and full. {No lemon bars or bacon.}

She might need a little distressing, but she's looking mighty fine if you ask me. And so are my dishes.

Time for a lemon bar reward. Or two. Or two times two. Stop judging. I know you're just jealous.

GoodWill Hunting

2010-01-14T08:27:00.001-06:00

I'm pretty sure that's not an original title. So sue me. It fits.

Today I stopped in my local GW store. It's new. We were all so very excited when it moved in. And it's ok, but it's teenytiny. Like, nearly invisible. Big sign outside, little store inside. But it's ok. Size doesn't matter. In this case.

Ok, I lied. Size does matter. Well, for this lamp it does. We need some new lamps for the bedroom. And I don't really have a spare $80 to go pick some out. Lamps are sometimes really expensive, yo. And I need two. They don't have to match. That's why I just got one. For $7.99 plus a new shade. And some serious spray paint. But I like her little trophy-esque shape. Don't you?

Why, m'lady, how do you keep your pretty little figure?

Well, I just keep winning things!

I also found this jewel. It's a ball jar. Wired for lighting. With one ugly old canning label. And brass electrics. And tons of shells. But we can fix all that. $4.99 people. You can't even get the cord for that price!

And this pretty little platter. I came into some silver pieces lately. And while I dig them when they are pretty and shiny {and GW puts a higher price tag on it when it's clean} I am really liking the ones with a bit of patina to them. That's what I'm calling it. Patina. Not dirt. Won't it look beautiful on my dresser with some perfume? Well, once that's all done?

busy week :: project romance part 3

2010-01-13T08:35:00.002-06:00

I can't believe I'm posting this publicly, but this is what my bedroom looked like during busy week. This was two days before massive throngs of people showed up at my house for a celebration.

Did I mention that our bedroom is basically RIGHT OFF the living room? As in, that's where people always want to go and put their purses and jackets. And sneak into the other bathroom. {This is why I think it's imperative to have a half bathroom somewhere! And yet, we don't have one!}

The fun thing is that you get a preview of the new paint color. Well, it looks really white in these pictures, unless you look by the ceiling. This is only one coat of paint. Should I remind you of the before?

See? Dark dark dark. Now it's light light light.

And the bathroom is coming along, too! You won't believe the transformation!

busy week :: project one: complete!

2010-01-12T15:22:00.001-06:00

I know, I know. You've been on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what I've been up to. Well, maybe not. But let's pretend, shall we? Thanks. In case you couldn't tell by my sneaky sneak peek, I added a wall of beaded board and a display ledge in my entry. Which before {go back and look at the before picture. I'll wait.} looked like a giant hallway. Well, I figured we could do something about that.

This is Frank. He's my main squeeze when it comes to fixing. Well, now he is. Don't worry, my hubband knows all about it. He's about to be my hubband's main squeeze, too. We went to church with Frank. Frank is awesome. Frank even entertained my baby while he worked. Home fixing + baby entertaining = totally worth my money. I got so much done while my little one was preoccupied barking and talking to Frank.

We removed the baseboards {ha ha, ok Frank did it.} and measured out a level line, both horizontally and vertically. My walls and floors are crooked. Yours probably are, too. From there, every piece went in measuring level and square up to that line.

I chose to do the panels at 65 inches. Because I am the perfect height, regardless of how often my hubband tells me I am too short. Maybe this will help him remember.

Then we {again, please read as "Frank"} added a 1x6 on top of the panel all the way down, and a 1x4 on top of that for the ledge. He suggested we use a door stop {you know, the thing inside the door frame that makes it stop swinging? You hang your door on either side of it?} because it would look prettier than my original suggestion of the cheapest thing. Plus, since he added it to the front, it doesn't take any space away from the ledge, like what would have happened if he'd added some little trim on top as a stopper. Am I making sense? Probably not. Also, I was a little bit worried about our rounded edge walls, but Frank suggested rounding the shelf out too, and it turned out great. No need for taller people to worry about poking out their eyeball when turning the corner.

Frank picked the already primed stuff -- which was only like a buck more expensive -- and painted it up after all the caulking and filler had dried. He trimmed the baseboards just a smidge, and set it all back up.

Fantastic, no?

Now all that's left is the accessorizing. What's funny is that I was so excited about doing this ... and it's been done for nearly five days and there is still nothing up there! Originally I had thought I'd display some fun art things ... but I'm really picturing the wreath from my front door up there now. I'll do one more follow up post when it's all decorated and pretty.

My hubband wants to put up hooks on the flat 1x6 ... but I think that means it will be covered in ugly brown and tan and green jackets all the time. {I wear pretty sweaters, but they make it back to the closet.} I don't want junky. But do you think the practicality of this is worth it???

busy week :: project one

2010-01-06T12:21:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm officially entitling this week "Busy Week" since I'm having a big party here on Saturday and have decided to do about two hundred projects before people get here. Sounds fun, right?

I also saw that there is a party over at Our Suburban Cottage. Isn't that fun? I like the part about how the featured project is the thing that "has been nagging at us like a pesky neighbor…or a two year old…or a mother-in-law (take your pick)."

So here I am showing you some sneak peeks into Project One for Busy Week.

So do you like all those teeny tiny fingerprints on the mirror? Those are from my adorable son. The mirror was recently at floor and tiny finger level. Then I put it on a vacant nail and didn't even bother to clean it. Further proof that my grandmother doesn't read my blog and that I don't have a maid.

Oh, and there has already been one casualty. Don't worry, I tell you what to do to prevent that in my reveal post. I'm watchin' out for you. And your goodies.

lookie!

2010-01-05T22:05:00.001-06:00

Hi. It's me again. Surprised?
I didn't think so.
Me neither.

I made a fancy header. Not too bad for my second try, right? I made another but I liked this one better. But I'm not sure if it will stay. What do you think?

Also, I'm working on a tag line. You know, that thing about your blog. Which is kinda hard right now, because I'm still working out the kinks about this blog. Right now, we're going to go with what we've got.

Domestic Indecision.
Home. How To. Hope for a Lovely Tomorrow.

Let me know what you think?!

project romance :: blurry vision

2010-01-05T11:16:00.000-06:00

I have several paint samples on the wall. Paint in the bedroom, paint in the bathroom. Paint coming out my ears. Guess what. I can't decide. I had a clear winner, and then I saw it in different light (how does the light change so much in three days?!) and then didn't like it anymore. So I went and purchased some Benjamin Moore paint that I saw in the PB catalog. Darn that PB. It's like crack sometimes. One day I'm going to be on the street begging people for their old catalogs, sniffing them and shooting them up. Well, not exactly shooting them up, because they are precious and I want to keep them all. But I don't. Just so you know.

no light on in dark corner -- daytime

light on -- daytime

bathroom craziness.

It started innocently enough. I'm really digging the white on white on white rooms lately. Well, not exactly that much white. Not like you're living in a bleach commercial or anything. But white on cream on ivory on faded blue and tan and I think by now you get my drift. And for the bathroom, I was thinking some smokey gray blue that was rich and deep and faded. But I also like fun. And frisky. And a little sassy. {If we're being honest. And while we're being honest, I believe those were three adjectives about me in a forward last week. Maybe I'm really self-obsessed?}

glass block makes cool shadows that I never even noticed before.

The problem is that the bathroom has a GIANT glass block window. It's great because that room is almost always full of natural light. The giant window is facing an even GIANTER mirror. {Gianter is a word.} So that room is blinding right now with those fun and frisky colors. So guess where I'm headed again today? Back to Sherwin Williams for yet another sample pot. {This makes about five trips this week.} Even though they are five bucks and some change each, I think I'd rather pay the five bucks then buy another gallon of paint. I made that mistake once before. With the gold that's in there now. It started out looking like a room full of macaroni and cheese. Which is great if you're a three year old and want to swim in mac n cheese. Not especially great for anything else.

Hopefully this afternoon I will be back with some progress!

{Remember, the big issue is a big fiesta at our house this weekend with lots of family. So everyone will be touring the house -- against my hubband's wishes -- and things need to be finished by then!}

bird explosion

2010-01-03T23:43:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time my sweet friend Misty bought me a little birdy.

She likes birds. I liked the birdy she gave me. Every time I saw a birdy, I thought of her. So then I was seeing birdies all the time. And she was seeing them all the time and thinking of me. Before we knew it, we were both all about birdies.

Then I was introduced to the world of blogging. Well, partial truth. I knew about blogging. I'd spent countless millions of hours on adoption blogs when we were researching adoption. But I didn't know there were housey blogs. The first housey blog anyone told me about was The Nester, which is a great place to start. It's also the best place to waste hundreds of hours when you should be vacuuming doghair tumbleweeds or folding laundry or finding one piece of clothing that doesn't have baby spit on it. Anyway. The Nester is also way into birdies. Cool. We should be buddies, me and that Nester.

I've been noticing birdies and their gaining popularity.

Other blogs. Other stores. Etsy. Pillows. Shirts. Baby clothes. Baby bedding.

Enter the new Pottery Barn Catalog. Oh.My.Goodness.

Bird Explosion.

Twenty three different birdy items.

Look! They are here:

And here:

Hark! A lark!

And apparently, there are even birdies for you birdy-haters.

You can light them* on fire:

Birdy Sightings on pillows, bedding, prints, plates, napkins, placemats, tapestries, a diffuser and more!

Man, I am such a trend-setter.

*Absolutely no birdies were harmed in the making of this post.

sold!

2009-12-19T01:30:00.000-06:00

Great news. My hubband's bachelor pad bedroom furniture sold on Craig's List -- for my asking price!

Yesterday the buyer came by to check it out ... and is coming first thing in the morning to pick it up!

Before bed tonight we cleaned out our nightstands and the dresser. He's not sure what he's going to do without a nightstand. He wants me to go and get one tomorrow. And a bed frame. Must have one of those.

You'd think after all this daydreaming about our "new" bedroom that I would know exactly what I want. But that's domestic indecision for ya!

Goodbye red furniture!!!

Oh, and I'm heading out to get my paint samples tomorrow afternoon. {And someone please remind me why I decided to do this the week of Christmas?!}

Christmas Decorations

2009-12-16T03:09:00.006-06:00

So, I had big plans this year.

After Christmas each year I get all these ideas and make all these decisions and hopes for the following holidays. And last year was no exception. I wanted a fireplace. {How do I build a fireplace?} I wanted fancy table decor. {Do I need a fancy table for that?} Big plans.

Then there's the baby.

And my new desire to spend all my time with him giggling and watching him throw oatmeal on the floor. And the result of wanting to simplify everything because these moments will never come back and the laundry will always be there, as will the dishes, and the dust bunnies, and the dog hair tumbleweeds. I mean, have you seen this precious face?

Yeah. I knew you'd understand.

But I did decorate. I put up our giant tree, as well as two other three foot trees, a branchy tree, and one that I think was meant for our porch. The nativity is out. Two of them. And I have a new fireplace -- well, without the fire ... or a permanent place. But it's still exciting. And I decorated it. And I made yummy cookies. We had a birthday party for Jesus. And I feel simply celebrated.

In the back of my mind, I keep thinking I'll finish that wreath I started on, I'll find that garland I made last year, and next year will be even better. But then I look at that face again, and hear his cute cute cute little laugh ... and I figure, I've got twelve whole months to prepare!

I'm linking up to

project romance :: part two

2009-12-01T18:00:00.001-06:00

This is part 2 in my master bedroom revamp. You can see all about my bedroom boredom in this post here, and I'll recap just a little. The room feels happy and warm and welcoming. Those are great, but not exactly what I want in my bedroom.

I did a little sprucing earlier this year with the duvet cover and curtains from Ikea. They are cheap and they brightened things up a bit. Before the yellow and white stripes there were chocolate brown silk curtains which looked fancy, but the room just felt really dark. Cave like. Probably the way my hubband preferred it. Oh well. As long as there's a bed and it's cold, he's fine. I took these pillows from another room and rescued the fun vintage lamp from my mother's office. I got the white quilt with a gift card and hubband already had all the furniture.

I'm officially renaming this :: project romance. Just FYI.

Things that must stay:

-- fancy mattress

-- white wood blinds

-- carpet {it needs to be replaced, but that is way down low on the list}

Things that must go:

-- all the furniture {I have permission to sell it and get new stuff, if the costs work out right}

-- the wall colors {warm rusty red on the bed wall and a fairly deep tan on the other three}

Things that can go either way:

-- this little shelf {It will need another paint job. I know it looks bright now, but you should have seen it when I found it!}

-- this antique sewing table

-- a simple {but Queen Anne style} standing mirror from my adolescence. It also needs a paint job, but I haven't painted it since I don't know what color yet.

-- white quilt

Things I'm considering:

-- a new furniture orientation

-- new furniture!!

-- what to hang on the walls

-- just how high to hang those curtains...

I'm up for any suggestions you have, so feel free to make some.

Are there any tips you have for a bedroom overhaul on a budget?

Do you have some good places to hunt for inspiration?

about moi

2009-11-16T15:10:00.000-06:00

I thought you might like to know a little about me. Maybe you don't. If not, you should stop reading now. You can still look at the pictures if you'd like. They're free for the lookin'.

I made some mistakes when we first started furnishing our home. When we married, my husband lived in this tinytinytiny house where just about everything touched. He had a long plaid sofa he'd inherited and an over sized chair-and-a-half with an ottoman. And a big entertainment center. We quickly pawned that entertainment center off on another family who needed one. We got a temporary solution (that lasted nearly four years!!!) and decided when we moved into our Mr. & Mrs. home that we'd not get temporary stuff.

Well, we went from that supercozy house to our happily ever after home and it.was.empty. That giant plaid stuff just floated in our giant roller rink feeling living room.

My house is just now recovering from the furniture stuffing we began. We knew all our friends' homes looked exactly the same and we didn't want that. But we weren't really sure of either of our tastes either. Hence the reason our home is just now starting to look like us. Ok, well, maybe like me.

This is the only thing of my husband's that we keep out for looks. He doesn't even plug his guitar in. But it's something that reminds me of him -- and maybe allows others to think he gets to have an opinion in our home. Don't get me wrong, I ask him all the time. But he has no opinion. And really, that's fine. I've learned when he does have an opinion, he likes flannel and plaid and leather and flannel and plaid. And white walls. So yeah. I'm ok with his lack of opinion.

These are some new curtains I made recently. Well, I hung them up. I haven't added fringe or decided just how long they should be. Right now there is a huge puddle of fabric on the floor my little son likes to play in. I'll tell you about the window wall in another post.

My grandmother had a few white milk glass bud vases when I was growing up and in college I decided I loved them. Good thing because then my mom and grandmother decided that's what I was getting for my birthdays and Christmas from then on out. I do have a nice collection. I had it all out and wasn't thrilled with it and packed it away. Now I'm working on something for my boudoir and the milk glass is making a big debut.

Again my love of milk glass. And fake greenery that doesn't look terribly fake. And these feather balls that my husband did have an opinion on. I didn't care for it. So I kept the balls and got rid of him. Just kidding. They're both still around.

My friend's mother gave me this tiny "cupcake stand" so that I could take someone special a cupcake. Everyone who's ever eaten one of my cupcakes knows that one is not enough. And if you're special enough to get that kind of presentation, you deserve more than one cupcake, right? Oh, and that darling little blue tealight holder? Yeah, it's from the dollar store. Crazy, right?

I love this shelf. It's maybe my favorite thing. It's a tiny little corner shelf that's been loved a lot. Or it looks like it. I picked it up {and a schoolbusyellow shelf, too!} on a shopping trip for next to nothing. We haggled with "the happy peddler" who was really kind of a weirdo peddler guy, but that's just semantics, right?

I think I showed you a sneak peek of this beauty ... which is still a work in progress around here. Sometimes I'm really motivated to do one million things and other times it takes me a while to really get going. But I'm going to. Because I love love love this and can't wait for it to be spectacular at Christmas time.

This is a little birdcage thingy I saw on someone's blog. She's selling them there for over three times what I actually paid for it. It has a little sister and I think they are going to hang out with the project above.

I love reindeer moss. And cloches/cheese domes/glass domes. And these super sweet tiny birdies. That thing behind it is a Christmas present, so don't tell anyone you saw it.

A few months ago I hung a plate wall. I've got lots of big big big huge long walls in this house. Plates were great to fix one. And so now I'm always looking for good ones. These might make an appearance in my bedroom project or in our bathroom. {Well, if I fix up our bedroom our bathroom will be jealous, don't you think?? Well, I think so. You just don't know our bathroom. There's a big rivalry there.}

the BIG reveal

2009-11-02T15:44:00.001-06:00

I am super excited. Really excited. Really really super excited.

{Can you tell that I'm excited?}

I finally get to reveal to you the tragic death of bad bad leroy brown, and introduce to you my fabulous new house. Well, it's not really new. It's the same one. But it definitely looks {and feels} like a whole new place to me. And that's very exciting, in case you were wondering. Very.

Ok, so first I show you the before. {Brace yourself.} Enter Bad Bad Leroy Brown:

And now for a close up:

Eeek. The terror. Moving on. So I've been updating. Well, it took over three years of living here, but then I started updating. This stuff takes time. And moola. And good things come to those who wait. So hang on, and I'll get to the good-er stuff.

First thing to do is get rid of the sad pink brick. The picture looks a little better than it was in real life {shocker}. The brick was this "watercolor" pink and purpley yuckyness. It was awful. Combine that with the butter yellow trim and door, and you've got yourself some kind of sick, twisted, grown - up barbie palace knockoff. You know the kind. Like the ones at the dollar store called Farbie. Well, this Farbie Dreamhouse was more like nightmare to me. So I painted it. And I even gave you a sneak peek of the door and maybe a tiny bit more. Go on. If you want to refresh your memory or cheat, I'll wait. I understand. The pressure is intense.

Oh, good you're back. So I painted it. And it was looking better. See?

Progress. But it still needs more. Let's add some shutters. Fancy black raised panel shutters.

Isn't it fun how fast things go on blogs? And also how different that paint color looks? {Do you like that one sad plant that we saved?}

We're looking much prettier, but now we need to work on function. Our sidewalk is like a lake every time it rains four raindrops. So out with the old...

And in with a lovely new sidewalk with a gentle curve. Oh and one super cute baby. Then, it's time for my favoritestest part. The part I've been waiting for since the day we moved into the house. Are you ready? I'm excited to reveal to you ...

My fancy almost-new house!!!

So it's not completely finished. It needs a little rock in front of the sidewalk to look even. And I clearly need more photos of how amazing it is. And the grass needs to grow over the long trench we had to dig for drainage, but it's a great big amazing change for me. Now I smile every time I pull into the driveway. And now I won't be embarrassed to invite people over in the daytime. 'Cause I'm not sad that they have to see the outside of my house. Need one more visual? Ok, twist my arm.

Before:

After:

Yay!!! Oh, and since Bad Bad Leroy Brown is gone, she needs a fun and sassy spunky new name. Please feel free to make some suggestions! I'm linking up to every single party I can find because this is so very exciting!!!

bad bad leroy brown

2009-10-30T20:45:00.000-06:00

Here is my before picture. I'm almost embarrassed to show you this. But I will. Because we're friends. And because you know I didn't pick it out this way, but rather purchased it this way, because that's the way it was. And also because you know there is an after coming -- and that it is good. Real good. And also, so I can link up to parties. Because who doesn't like a good party?

So brace yourself. Here it comes.

Bad bad bad before:

Wow. It's hard to believe I lived in that for as long as I did. Ick.

Ok, so I realize it's not terrible. But it's not really lovely or the sort of place you dream about coming home to either. {Surely you can admit that.}

If you want a sneak peek of the transformation, there is a teaser here, here, and here. Ok, so really those are all linked to the same post. It's just that I am really that excited about the after. It is finally finished today. I can hardly believe how giddy I am about the results. And how much I love my hubband for going along with my ideas even though he thought it was fine the way it was.

Make Your List :: Check it Twice!

2009-10-27T21:40:00.001-06:00

Halloween is the eight week mark to Christmas.

I'll wait. I know you need to catch your breath.

It's a super busy time of year. Let me tell you a story about my friend. She is married. She has a full time job, goes to school part time, has a four year old, is seven months pregnant, is in a wedding this weekend, is buying and building a house, and is all around spectacular and amazing in an every sort of way kind of gal. I love her. On top of all that, Christmas is coming. Right before she has a beautiful baby girl in January, and right after the amazing shower we are hosting for her in November. {More on that soon!}

Most of us lead lives like this. We hike from one end of town to the other, dropping off children, picking up dry cleaning, grocery shopping, soccer practicing, cooking, cleaning, hosting, driving, occasionally sleeping.

This first item in our Help for the Holidays series is really important:

Make a List

{then check it twice ... and twice again}

Start with your holiday shopping. Make a list of everyone you're going to buy for. Even if that list consists of yourself and your mom, make that list. Keep it handy, because I'm almost willing to bet money that you'll forget someone. You know, your brother's latest girlfriend ... or that lady that grampa takes to bingo every Thursday ... or that "female gift" you must take to the office party for White Elephant ... or your lovely and talented blogging friend who is helping you with your holidays.

I actually make more than one list. I do the shopping for my little nuclear family {from me and the hubs} as well as the grandparent shopping {everything to everyone from the matriarch and patriarch of my mother's family}. It's daunting to shop for the same people with different budgets multiple times from different people -- while trying to please everyone and keep my sanity. {But I love it.} So I use both sides of one piece of paper. {I also use bright paper so I can find it December 18 when it's crumpled and erased and hiding in the bottom of my bag.}

Then make you some columns. Mine are ideas, purchase info, and misc. When I have ideas for my little cousin (like a family fun pack) I write enough detail in the idea section, where to purchase in that section, and then any other misc info like if something needs personalized or to be picked up later, shipping confirmation, etc. Once it's wrapped, I cross it off. Don't black it out, just simply cross it off. Or draw boxes if that's your thing. Here, just let me show you.

Don't forget to put everybody on your list. People you work for, you work with, the guy who carries your ozarka bottle up those three flights of stairs every two days, your hair dresser, kids' bus driver, etc. You know, if you want to do a little something special for them. {Don't panic. We're not buying things for all those people. That's another post. Just add them to your list.}

Important things to remember about your list:

1. Do not stress about the number of people on your list.

2. Do not stress about forgetting someone. We'll take care of that.

3. Do not stress about your list looking super cute. It just needs to be functional.

4. Dear Rebecca, this one's for you.

bedroom boredom

2009-10-18T21:34:00.001-05:00

Before you go all crazy thinking about things you shouldn't, that's not exactly what I meant by the title. That said, I have been bored lately by my bedroom. I bought this Ralph Lauren textured paint on a whim one day to paint just the protruding part of my pantry. I did. And I loved it. It's this fabulous rust color {adirondack maybe?} with the little black spots that look like pepper. I loved it so much, that I convinced my friend to repaint my bedroom with it while my hubband was out of town. I had different bedding then, but everybody loved it, even my hubband. {More on that story later...}

Fast forward about two years, more or less. Right before our baby arrived, I decided to do some sprucing. If I was going to be at home all day, I was going to like what I was looking at! Currently, our bedroom looks like this:

I've always disliked the furniture. Hubband purchased that before me. Boo. It's very nice furniture, it's just not my style.

I bought a new duvet cover and curtains from Ikea, as well as the two decorative pillows that were moved from elsewhere in the house. The room is bright and fun and welcoming?? Well, that's how I feel. But that's not really the feeling I want when I go in to the master. You know what I mean? I feel like the room is perfect for guests. Great! We'll just move out all the stuff into the guest --- oh wait, we don't have a guest room.

This leads me to my current dilemma. I'm willing to admit I'm probably going to need to repaint the bedroom {and coordinating bathroom, ick} but I'm having a really hard time deciding where to go now. Enter the inspiration pictures, please.

from pottery barn

the set of something's gotta give

silver, mercury glass, white enamel birds, and moss

from my own collections

I still like the idea of something bright-ish, but want the ability for more masculine and possible sexiness {can I say that on my blog?} and just a touch of glamour and sass. I'm drawing a blank on the wall color. Maybe cream, gray, perfect taupe {half gray, half tan} ... or the lightest silver-gray-blue? Perhaps the feeling of a warm and fuzzy fall ... but without all that color?

I also want to be able to keep the curtains and duvet. I know I'm asking a lot. But they are less than six months old. Would it be fun to switch them in for spring and summer and put something else up for fall and winter? I do like switching. See what I mean about dilemma? I'm saving up for a new bed. And new furniture. But I don't know if I want a black bed, an iron bed, or an upholstered headboard. And I might consider a four poster or a canopy. I am more decisive about the furniture. Oh good, I've got something going for me. What about you -- any ideas for me?

door do-over

2009-10-12T23:12:00.000-05:00

I hate to admit it. But I am forced to. Well, I was. I had an ugly front door. Ok, maybe it wasn't so terrible. I'm sure someone out there in blogland likes this door. In fact, someone somewhere is scrimping and saving to get this very door for their lovely home. This door is just not me. And it's not our house.

Not to be completely negative. There are some good things. I like the paneling on the bottom and all the glass in the door and the pretty transom. It lets in lots of light. And...wait, that's it. My not-so-favorite parts include the color and the fun "Texas Star" in the center of the glass. And the terrible lack of landscaping. Another post. Moving on. And the house numbers that basically blend in and become completely invisible when people are looking for your house.

Time to take charge. Paint the front door. Paint it black! Paint the whole house! Paint the whole house black! {Sometimes, doesn't a project turn out so well that you want to do it everywhere? Yeah. Don't worry, I didn't paint the whole house black.}

Ok, actually, someone else painted it. In fact, I had the whole house painted. But look, it's already much better in black! Now...what to do about that star?

I find that if I hang a wreat
Now to take on that address issue. I had thought about putting some shiny new numbers somewhere near the front door. Or a sign that read, "This is it, Stupid" for people who get confused when I tell them we live on the corner. How hard is that people? Anyway. Numbers. I thought about it. And then I stumbled upon My Sweet Savannah's blog and saw her fancy numbers and knew that was the way to go. I called up my friend and Uppercase Living consultant and ordered up some numbers. fall wreath and it's f
ienUppercase Living consultant and ordered up some numbers.

Yep. You can definitely see that from the street. And it matches the trim. And I feel fancy when I drive up and see my pretty new house with my pretty new door and my pretty new numbers. I do think we need a shiny new handle and knob and maybe a kick plate. But all the knobs and handles in our whole house are that rubbed bronze. Would it look weird if the front (and then both back doors) all of a sudden didn't match? I need opinions here.

I'll reveal the whole new look of our house soon. I'm starting on the landscaping this week!

I'm linking up to DIY Day at ASPTL even though I only did part of this myself. But hey, I had the ideas. And I called the painter. And I even picked out the colors. And I did the numbers and wreath all by myself. Partial credit, right? drive up and see my pretty new house with my pretty new door and my pretty new numbers. I do think we need a shiny new handle and knob and maybe a kick plate. But all the knobs and handles in our whole house are that rubbed bronze. Would it look weird if the front (and then both back doors) all of a sudden didn't match? I need opinions here.

I'll reveal the whole new look of our house soon. I'm starting on the landscaping this week!(Finally! After only three and a half years of waiting.)

I'm linking up to DIY Day at ASPTL even though I only did part of this myself. But hey, I had the ideas. And I called the painter. And I even picked out the colors. And I did the numbers and wreath all by myself. Partial credit, right?

Exciting News

2009-10-09T18:25:00.000-05:00

So I went to Canton. And for those of you in this southernish area, you know why that is exciting.

And here is a sneak peek of my favorite new find.

All marvelous and chippy. And lead-filled I'm sure.

Once it's up, I'll have some lovely show and tell post.

And you'll all be jealous.

No really. You will.

I Dare Ya

2009-09-24T17:04:00.000-05:00

Don't worry. We're not running anywhere. I'm only running if a big hungry bear is chasing me.

I've heard of FlyLady before. Once I even had her little reminders on my google homepage, but I didn't really get it.

Then I kept seeing her. All over blog land. She's popular. I mean, she's really really popular. So I thought I'd check her out. Last night, I went to her homepage and then found the Beginner Baby Steps. Now that's what I need!

I don't actually want to admit I need help. I was raised to be a stong, capable, well rounded, individual woman who can-do-all. Weren't you? {I'm not that good at it.} FlyLady has this phrase about living in C.H.A.O.S. (the can't have anyone over syndrome) and while I don't feel like I live there now, I know I have and I am afraid I am standing on the corner peering in. Or maybe I'm renting the house next door. Either way, I was curious and now I'm trying it out.

I'm looking for friends and support, so if you are living in C.H.A.O.S. -- or hanging out on the porch like me, go to her website, sign up, and let's give it a try!

Oh, and don't forget my giveaway. It's the post below. : )

--------------------------------

So the first challenge is to shine your sinks. Well, I started to. Then when the bleach was sitting, soaking in, my dear sweet hubband drained it and poured his diet coke in the sink. With a splash. This is going to be one big challenge!

Giveaway!

2009-09-23T14:58:00.003-05:00

These guys are super excited. And frankly, so am I.

I almost can't believe that Domestic Indecision has had over one thousand blog hits! I'm pretty sure that's do to that easy little Fall Centerpiece -- because that entry has had the most amount of comments. I also understand that nobody seems to enjoy a fridge post. So no more of those, I promise! {Even if my freezer is desperately jealous.}

In honor of all the fun comments and blog hits and my two brand new followers {how very exciting!} I'm going to do my first giveaway. I can't help it. I like to pamper my friends. And if you are reading this or commenting or becoming a follower, then you are my new friend. And I want to reward you with a present. I'll give you a hint. It involves reindeer moss. That's right. One of my favorite little things. Which brings me to my next couple of posts:

1. a few shots around my house of some of my favorite things and spots; and,

2. a crafty night where I will reveal the giveaway prize as I make it right before your very eyes!

Are you excited yet?

I am!

Here's the scoop:

You can enter the giveaway by either becoming my follower or leaving a comment on this exciting post. Or both. You know, if you want to be entered twice. I know, I'm fun like that.

What are you waiting for?

A Clean Start

2009-09-21T12:52:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but when things are messy I get a little stressed out. Add this to the fact that I don't cook, and a messy fridge sends me into sensory overload. Let me introduce Exhibit A:

Ok, so let's talk dirty. Dirty fridge that is. Can you see what I'm talking about? I mean, what is that?! If we were to have some kind of food emergency, well, let's just not even go there. It would be bad. Need more proof? Exhibit B:

you can't even tell what's in that middle drawer!

Now, let's fix it. I already know you're thinking this is not an exciting post, but sometimes it's necessary. Last year we experienced this really fun thing known to you as Hurricane Ike. So I know what fun is involved in cleaning out a fridge and freezer with no power. And no air conditioning. And no trash pickup. Ick. Like I said, take a bullet and do the dirty.

Step 1: Remove everything.

I went ahead and started piling things into loose categories as I went.

hmm.

who knew there were three jars of pickles in there?

and three cans of open frosting?

my goodness.

(I'm pretending to be more surprised than I really am...)

How did all these veggies fit in that one drawer?

Wait, when did I buy those carrots?

Step 2: Wash everything.

I pull out the drawers, the door shelves (and their liners) and wash them in the sink with soap and water. I also clean out the actual fridge, too.

Step 3: While that stuff dries (no need to work yourself to death. You're already cleaning out the fridge!) start really going through the foodstuff.

Yep. Those carrots definitely belong in the trash.

Along with that cream.

And some chicken.

Why am I confessing all this?

Oh, you're feeling sad for me?

You think I should go ahead and eat the rest of this

yummy chocolate chip cookie pizza?

Well....ok. If you insist.

Step 4: Start organizing things back into compartments.

We use a lot of cheese and sandwhich stuff, so that all goes in the top drawer.

I group things together based on type of food and frequency of use.

Those weird sauces and salad dressings aren't needed as often as the juice and milk, so they go in the bottom door shelf and drinks higher up.

And yes, those are several bags of shredded cheese stacked on top of each other.

I said we use a lot of cheese.

I spread everything out so I can see better. This is one of the island stools.

Again with the sandwhiches and jams.

Who doesn't love their grandmother's homemade jam?

The highchair even lends a hand. Or legs. That's a tricky one.

We don't even use ketchup and we have two open bottles?

This is sauce and salad dressing.

Step 5: Load 'er back up!

And voila! Lookie! There's even a whole empty drawer!

I'm working on a really exciting post about making your freezer work for you.

I think I'm up to the challenge...

Easy Fall Centerpiece

2009-09-16T13:50:00.001-05:00

If you stick around long enough, you'll notice something.

We don't do red.

We like red. In fact, when we were engaged and beginning to pick things out for our happily ever after, we could agree on red. We did not agree on forest green. Or army green. Or "what about this green that isn't forest or army" that really was forest and army. Nope. But we could work with red. So that was our goal. Then we began to visit our friend's homes. Red. Red. And yep, you guessed it, more red. We even knew friends who were all painting some room in their house the exact same red. So that was it. No more red.

When we did move in to our new happily ever after home once we were happily hitched, we went with oranges and lime greens and some brown to keep it grounded. Ok, lots of brown. Even at Christmas I had this "no red" rule. (That definitely helps keep your decoration spending in check -- there's not a lot you can buy that doesn't have any red!) Now our house is slowly changing to a lot of white (yay!) with greens and browns and blacks and some fun aqua and turquoise. {I can't help it. I like a little zing.} But the "no red" rule has stuck. So what's a girl to do when fall and Christmas approach? When every little thing has red?

Stick with neutrals.

They are guaranteed. And, in three more years when maybe I love yellow and only yellow, they'll still work. Talk about a good investment.

Step 1: Pick out some good stuff on sale 50% off at your favorite HoLo (that's DI speak for Hobby Lobby)

classy white pumpkins

all fancied up for the ball

these bird feather balls are my new favorite things

just pull them right off their sticks. you can always shove them back on if you need to.

this fern is very realistic looking --

and a little bit furry too

more classy neutrals

these are berrylicious

just rip off those ugly little leaves

Step 2: Find something to put those goodies in (I opted for this white plate from Marshalls-Home Goods) and start piling them in.

Step 3: Decide you don't like how it's going. Get out that fun basket-planter-thingy you got for 90% off at HoLo. Start re-stuffing.

Oh, that's better.

But look, I still have some goodies left.

Hmmmm...what to do.

I've got a super long table. Great for dinner for eight. Not so great for tablescaping. Round or square tables can really benefit from one thing in the middle. A bowl of fruit, some fresh flowers, whatever. Long tables need something tall or something long to file down the middle. This arrangement isn't tall (8 inches is not tall) so we'll go with long.

Step 4: Pull out some dinner plates you don't use and toss pretty stuff on top.

Step 5: Put fun Fall Centerpiece(s) on your table. You're done! If you have a small 4-top round or square table, take those other plates and throw them around your house. Well, don't really throw them unless you're into sweeping up broken plates. But stick one on your bedside table, the guest bathroom, the coffee table. Wherever you need a little dose of fall.

Then, if you want, you can invite people over to oooh and ahhhhh about how pretty they are. They will. Then they will beg you to leave them there for more than one week because they like them. Trust me. Everyone will be amazed at your secret centerpiece powers.

style quiz

2009-09-10T13:01:00.001-05:00

Home Goods (or better known as Marshall's here in the South) has a little style quiz that is actually fun. Here's what it said about me:

You are a COUNTRY CASUAL

Your home expresses your open, easygoing approach to life. You love unique finds, and can turn a few mismatched garden chairs or floral teacups into a charming arrangement. You appreciate a pretty mix of relaxed pieces, like painted wood or weathered furniture, lovely florals and other patterns, lots of throws and pillows, mementos and bunches of fresh flowers that give your home a unique sense of breeziness and charm.

You value creativity. You are stylish and fun loving, and can be an inspiration to others. You have a natural sense of drama, and you know you have to be willing to take risks—whether with colors, finishes, furniture choices, or ideas—for your home to stand out. Your home can be happy and lively and the place all of your friends want to be.

It even made some suggestions for me, too:

Putting Your Style to Work!

With your style and needs in mind, here are a few tips that will help you make your home a little happier.

1. Your Design Challenge: EXPERIMENTThe last mile in decorating is the hardest, because that is when you really take the risk in expressing yourself. As with fashion or jewelry, one bold piece can set the tone, and the others complement the look. Don't be afraid to experiment, drag stuff around and make mistakes. Use what you're passionate about to inspire your home, whether it is a love for patterns, travel, gardening, family or the sea. Consider a collection of books, pictures or objects on your passion. Giving yourself parameters helps you choose things in keeping with your true style—which is precisely the point of HomeGoods StyleScope. But also think of colors, a country, a movie or words you love when you're shopping, so that you can check that these pieces match your unique sensibility before you bring them home.

2. Your Happy PlaceThe more serene your bedroom feels, the happier you will be. A pretty coverlet over a big duvet makes the bed look smooth—and not all duvet-lumpy! And, a blanket folded at the foot of the bed breaks up the big expanse of fabric. Euro shams—those big square pillows—are great for reading in bed, and a few decorative pillows can also be a nice touch. Consider adding a basket or a small occasional table near your bedside table for books, papers, lotions, linen spray or whatever you'd like.

3. Be Party-Ready All the Time!Scent: The first thing you notice about a home is how it smells. Use naturally fragrant cleaning products. If you find a scented candle or fresh potpourri you love, stock up on it. Any scent you like, whether perfume or linen spray, can be used on upholstery, bedding or just spritzed into the air.

Mood: Nice, flattering light makes us feel good. So nix the harsh, direct light from overhead fixtures in favor of the softer glow from floor and table lamps. Also, stock up on some votive candles and a couple of hurricane lanterns for setting around the room.

Food: Devote space in your pantry or on a shelf for go-to party essentials: crackers, dip, chips, nuts—whatever you like to serve. Keep on hand a collection of attractive bowls and cocktail napkins, and you'll be able to set a spread—instantly!

Drink: The simplest and chicest thing is to have a drinks tray or table always set up. Include a mix of pretty glasses, an ice bucket, a lovely pitcher, and bottles of soda and water. When the bell rings, just add ice and limes.I can't tell you how accurate some of it is. Wait, yes I can. Here's how it's accurate:

1. I am a big experimenter. There are a handful of people who visit my home often and never fail to say, "Oh, something's different. Again."

2. I do love a pretty, well-made bed. Currently, there's a quilt with a duvet folded in half at the bottom, and some lovely throw pillows. I also have a basket by the bed, as well as my great-grandmother's sewing table for pretty things.

3. We have pets. Who live inside. And sometimes smell. So the scent part was another truth that really hit home for me. I'm forever lighting candles and spraying some fragrance around. (I love Bath & Bodyworks Creamy Nutmeg.) I also try to always have some snacky foods available and I have lately been seriously thinking about putting our serving cart to use for serving drinks!

Now go check out that quiz and let me know your results, too!

post ideas

2009-09-09T14:33:00.000-05:00

So, there was an issue with the photography to go with the last post about jewelry. My bad. I'll get that in order, by this weekend perhaps, and we can move on.

I find myself really inspired to write posts -- when I am no where near my computer.

That's life.

Of course.

So, I'm going to start trying to at least write down my ideas so that when I am ready to sit down and write my posts, I can remember what on earth it was I was going to write about. Here goes. If anyone out there is actually reading this (Hi Misty), please post a comment with some other ideas. I know I have a good housey blog in me, I just don't want to feel like I am copying everyone else. So there. I'm admitting I am already afraid of being a fraud. Wow, that's a serious statement.

Here are some of my future posts:

1. Chili

2. House Odors

3. Buying furniture

4. Filling space

5. Living in the Now

6. What other people think

7. Cupcakes

8. More cupcakes

9. Deep freezing and the mistakes I've made

10. Pantry organizing

11. How to build a kitchen

12. FSS -- Flat Surface Syndrome

13. Mirrors

14. Faking It (take that as you may)

15. Baskets

16. Culture collectables

17. Pillows, pillows, and oh yeah, pillows

18. Closet clean out

19. Before and Afters

20. The difference a day makes

21. Making a Bed

22. Housey book/folder

23. Quick Changes that make a big difference

24.

25.

(those last few are waiting for suggestions...)

I'm starting tomorrow. Brace yourself.

Enjoying the Pretty Stuff

2009-09-03T23:33:00.001-05:00

Ladies--

You know you love it.

We all love it.

Well, one form of it or another.

Perhaps it's that beloved heirloom brooch that belonged to your great grandmother, or that fancy necklace your bffff gave you for Christmas last year, or maybe it's just that hot new trendy piece you found at Target accidently marked clearance (score!). But whatever it may be, we all love our jewelry.

Love it as we may, it is often a difficult thing to store. Which is sad. Pretty things should not be difficult. (But such is the way of the world. Sadly.) And even worse, why are we putting away such pretty pretty things?!

Next post: fun things to do with your sparkly jewels that get them out of that jewelry box. Which, by the way, according to my husband, is one of the first things looked for in a break-in. And if all your good stuff is right together in a giant jewelry box, you can kiss those goodies goodbye. Stay tuned -- next post is coming this weekend!

Happy Laboring!

Time to Cook - Thursday

2009-08-27T17:24:00.000-05:00

Cooking is not my thing.

Let me repeat.

Cooking is NOT my thing.

I somehow missed out on all the mandatory kitchen lessons when I was growing up. When I married, I only knew how to bake chocolate chip cookies. I mean, I could try other things, but no promises. When I met this boy who loved to cook, I traded deals with him. I'd do all the laundry if he'd do all the cooking. I'd even wash a dish or two occasionally. It seemed like a match made in heaven. I started doing laundry. And somehow, all that cooking never really happened.

In the last couple weeks, I've felt inspired to be more. I should have known this would only bring trouble. Anyway, I collected about a dozen new recipes and for nearly two weeks, we had a new meal every single day. My fridge was overflowing with left overs.

Imagine my excitement when I made a shrimp recipe that my husband loudly proclaimed, over and over, and over again, that it was "definitely the best thing you've ever made". He then proceeded to call his dad and bonus mom and invite them to dinner so I could make this beautiful meal. Have I mentioned that bonus mom is one of those talented cooks who can just make stuff up and it tastes great? I can call her and tell her I'm missing twelve of the necessary fourteen ingredients and she'll invent, spontaneously, a new perfect recipe that amazes everyone. Sometimes I really want to hate her. But she's such a good cook...and often I get to eat with her...so I can't hate her.

Anyway, tonight is the night I attempt to remake the "best meal ever" -- Shrimp Fritters.

ingredients

1 lb. peeled and deveined cooked shrimp, tails removed (I buy the big bag at Sam's Club)
1 egg
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tsp. seafood seasoning blend
1 lime
1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 Tbsp. honey
1 head romaine, sliced crosswise ( I already had some mixed greens, so this is what I used instead)

directions

1. Coarsely chop shrimp. In bowl beat egg. Add shrimp, two-thirds of the onions, the flour, and 2 teaspoons seasoning.

2. In large skillet heat 1/4 cup cooking oil over medium-high heat. In 1/3-cup portions, carefully drop about half the shrimp mixture in hot oil; slightly flatten with spatula. Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until golden and heated through. Transfer to paper towels; cover and keep warm. Cook remaining shrimp mixture.

3. Shred 2 teaspoons peel from lime. Cut lime in half. Juice half into bowl. Stir in peel, mayonnaise, remaining seasoning, and honey. Cut remaining lime half in wedges. Serve fritters with romaine, mayonnaise mixture, and lime wedges. Makes 4 servings. (Unless you are my husband, in which case, there was only enough for the two of us. No leftovers. Have I mentioned he's one of those guys who eats whatever he wants and still has a rockin' body? It's disgusting. But I love him.)

And for dessert, my famous candy bar brownies. I'll give you a hint about their secret ingredients --- candy. More on that later. And if you try this, please comment about how tasty it was!

Welcome!

2009-08-25T22:32:00.001-05:00

Hi -- welcome to my little corner. This blog is about -- well, all things me. Which includes housey stuff, recipe stuff, crafty stuff, and my attempts at being a gracious homemaker in this crazy world. I'm warning you -- some of my attempts are miserable. But I'm willing to show you them anyway. So, without further ado, let's get started!