How I Spent My Weekend

We began the process of redecorating the dining room this weekend. My HGTV privileges may be revoked if I continue to come up with ideas, but it looks a little better already. Just so everyone knows, I love color.

When we first moved into our house seven years ago, I was so tired of semi-gloss white walls that I went a little crazy with the painting. Here are a few shots of the dining room taken last week.

Very, very blue. I liked the color, but it never felt warm enough for a dining room. Also, please note Exhibit A a/k/a weedy, vaguely berry-ish things hanging on either side of the picture. I think these testify to the fact that Interior Design is not my calling. In the photo directly above, you can see the absolutely beautiful corner cupboard that my dad built for me as a Christmas present two years ago.

Now for some after shots:

The color looks a bit orange in the pictures, but it is actually caramel brown. I've also included my favorite picture of the kids, taken nine years ago. I can't believe how small they were then.

For the record, not all of the residents of our house were thrilled with the home improvement activities. Midnite's bed was moved and panic ensued. Here she is relaxing in her pajamas and clinging to her favorite ball for comfort. We haven't told her that the living room is next.

Another Song

This song really touched me today. I actually woke up humming it, I had heard it a few times and liked it, but I didn't know the words. Funny how God supplies the right words when we can't.

Online Fabric Shopping

I love fabric shopping. I love planning projects, looking for colors that complement one another, looking at cute prints - I just enjoy the fabric store experience. (This drives my husband crazy by the way.) So far, I've made table runners, purses, blankets, skirts and dresses for my daughter, pajama pants for my son, some stuffed soccer balls for my nephews. Now, I want to make throw pillows - brave, bright, vibrant throw pillows for the couch and loveseat. I am drawn to bright colors, so be warned.

Anna Maria Horner (one of my favorite fabric designers) has a new line called "Good Folks" coming out on the 15th, so I've been trolling the internet trying to decide which print my pillows should be made from. Don't say I didn't warn you, I want these to be bright and eye-catching (but not retina-harming). Here are the prints that are in the final running:

I'm leaning towards the one on the bottom right at the moment.

Doctor Who, say it ain't so

I admit to being a closet sci-fi nerd. I loved Star Trek the Next Generation and Star Trek Enterprise, the orginal Stargate (movie) and I've gone to see all of the most recent Star Wars movies on opening night. But, early last year, something happened that changed sci-fi for me forever. I discovered Doctor Who. Pure campy awesomeness imported from the UK. I searched out as many episodes on YouTube as possible and caught up with weekly showings on BBC America.

Admittedly, I do favor Christopher Eccleston's (on the left) Doctor Who to David Tennant (on the right), which seems to be opposite to popular opinion. Don't get me wrong, I really got to like David Tennant's character as time went on - especially in the last season.

Now, they have announced that there will be a NEW Doctor Who. A younger Doctor Who. Why? Don't they know that change is hard for me? Just kidding. I'm sure that I'll adjust - probably just in time for yet another replacement. Pardon me while I pout.

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Okay, all done.

Here is a pic of the New Improved Doctor Who Upgrade - Matt Smith

Post-Christmas Decorating Crisis

The last of the indoor Christmas decorations are now safely stored in their respective boxes in the basement, leaving a wasteland of barren surfaces. Now, to be very honest here, I am most certainly lacking the interior decorator gene that so many women seem to have. My mother and two sisters in law seem to effortlessly create magazine quality tableaus throughout their immaculate houses. At the other end of the spectrum is my house, where I have good ideas and better intentions - just not the ability to pull it all together.

So, now that all of the Christmas glitz and glamor (ha ha ha) has been put away, I've had plenty of time to stare at my walls, which I last painted seven years ago when we bought our house - I think it is time to repaint. I'll post some before and after pictures some time next week when we get around to painting. Painting always seems like a good idea until I get stuck doing it by myself.

I think I'll try to do something to perk the curtains up too, I just don't know what. If only there was some way to get on one of those home shows where I get a vacation and get to come home to a newly decorated house. It doesn't hurt to dream, right?

Witness to Worst Date Ever

My hubby and I unexpectedly lucked into a date night at a nice restaurant this evening. We were seated next to the wall near another couple, who would unbeknownst to them, be our entertainment that evening. It certainly was not our intention to eavesdrop, but a deep booming voice combined with a quiet dining room is not a good combination for an intimate evening out. We were soon hearing enough snippets of their conversation (mostly one-sided by the way) to ascertain that this was a first date between two people who had not previously met, the gentleman of the pair has many, very deeply held political, environmental and spiritual beliefs (and brought books to illustrate that fact) and wanted to know if the lady thought that a relationship might develop.

It was probably one of those "you just had to be there" moments, but nearly fifteen years of marriage and the fifteen years of close friendship preceding marriage has granted us the ability to read one another's facial expressions with a small margin of error. So we spent a good deal of the beginning of our date avoiding eye contact so as not to burst into giggle fits like two 12 year olds.

I'm so very glad that I have a husband I can have so much fun with and that he loves me regardless of whether I'm feeling serious or seriously immature. Witnessing that first date just made me more thankful that I have the husband I have and that I didn't have to sit through any tense, awkward dates like the one we witnessed this evening.

Song Stuck in My Head - HELP!

And now, I'm sharing it with you. My husband innocently purchased the Wicked soundtrack for me as a Christmas gift, never imagining that I would listen to it obsessively and drive him and the kids to distraction with it. I dearly hope to get to see the musical sometime this year - if I do, it will be my first Broadway trip ever.