Ideas, Ideas, Ideas!

I have discovered a new web site this week. It is called houzz.com
This site is for people who want to redecorate but have a difficult time articulating what it is that they really want a room to look like.

This site has really opened doors for me!

You start with a style that draws you in. I love how warm this room feels. I just want to grab a good book and laze around in there all day just reading and dreaming!

I love the oriental red paired with the Tuscany colored walls, and the complimentary browns tying it all together. It is both masculine and soft at the same time. And it gets me to thinking about the bedroom upstairs that has turned into a catch-all. It should really be brought back to life as a bedroom - if not for The Child, then maybe it is time for me to move back in there and let The Child have my room again. Although with the ideas I have, either one of us would be happy with the way it will hopefully turn out!


The awesome thing about going with a Tuscany / Oriental theme is that one is not limited to just a few colors. You can blend in a variety of hues so long as you have three main colors in the theme.
And this site makes me consider painting one wall darker so that it will pop and become a focal point. A place for the eye to begin when taking in the entire feeling of the room.

I Love the curtain on this window. There are two windows in the upstairs bedroom. I have often thought about just running a curtain rod across that entire wall. Maybe THAT would be the wall that pops?
And of course, there are features to this existing room that I absolutely hate. The closet is SO 60's. Wood paneling nailed to a bunch of 2x4's. It's a cobble job and it looks it! But I could buy a few rolls of parchment and a pile of 1x2's and build a bunch of Oriental Panels to turn that entire wall into storage space. Now THAT would look awesome!

The fun thing about that room is that it is so large that it can be transformed into something really cool. I do believe this will become my winter project. A little bit of this from one pay check, a little bit of that from the next pay check.... if I plan it right, it will all come together by spring!

Ah, Gnocci!

Best recipe EVER!
All you have to do is watch and follow his humorous instructions!

Sisters

It's our Annual Sisters Weekend! I am so excited! I can't wait to get to The Copperleaf!
I still have much to do before I can leave, but I think I will be fine!
If the Zombie Apocalypse occurred tomorrow, I think I could survive with everything I have packed! I have my clothes and my hair stuff, all my cute shoes, and booze! LOL!

In preparing for this weekend, it was weighing heavy on my mind that Jerry had lost our house keys. So I bought a new lock for the front door. It took me a while to get it installed. Our front door is of course 1/16" thinner than the doors manufactured today. Therefore, the lock was a bit loose. But I used parts from the old lock to make it all thicker and more secure, and all is well! I RULE!!!

It makes me happy to know that if I put my mind to something, I can make it work. Sure, it's not the same as having a husband around, or even a handy man. But I know that I can get by. And that is what matters. I don't feel helpless like many widows would. I'm doing okay! And that means a lot!

I can't wait to sing a little Karaoke tonight. Even tho it looks like most of our relatives will not be joining us, I would still like to stop there for a bit. And then, who know what mischief us sisters will get up to!

Ah, Coffee!

I spent an hour revising and improving on the original concept. Therefore, it is now MINE!
See my initials in the corner? That means I licked it!

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there! I hope you are all surrounded by loved ones and enjoying a wonderful day.

This is a bittersweet day for me, now that my own father has passed away, as well as my husband.
It just feels odd. I miss them both terribly.

But instead of concentrating on loss, I am focusing on life. And what better way to do that than to be working on my back garden? If I keep working on it, in a few years it will be an ultra-inviting place to be.

I started by putting bricks around my fire pit. Because I really do love my fire pit.

 

I cleared away all of the firewood that was stacked along the back fence, with the help of a friend, of course, and then I stacked up some brick there as well, making a flower bed. It is a very modest flower bed right now, but once all of the plants are established, it will be very beautiful.

I also moved the tool crib to the corner of the yard. I like that silly thing. No one else has one in their yard, and I think it adds personality.

 It took me a while to get a good visualization of where I was heading with this, but this weekend, I finally got it all put together and I really love how the tool crib looks now that it has flowers in it. And OMG! I never knew there was such a thing as black petunias! How cool!!!!

And I couldn't help myself. I had to stain a big old K on the tool crib.

Now if only the grass seed would germinate where it is supposed to and fill in the bald spots in the yard that were created by wood being stacked there for years.

Time. That is all we need now. I'm done spending money on it this year.
Next year, I will dive in and work on the other corner by my garage. I know what I want that to look like, and it's going to take a good $500. I already put enough into it this year. That corner will wait.

For now, I'm just going to enjoy what I have created. It is so nice to sit out there and let the world pass by.

I really am quite fortunate

As my child sits by the computer chatting with his best friend who now lives miles away from us, I realize just how lucky we are to live in this age of modern conveniences.
I can get away with him having a Pay-as-You-Go Phone so that I can keep in touch with him, and he doesn't burn up all of his minutes texting or chatting with friends. Things are good! At least until he decides it is time to have a real girlfriend. Then, I'm screwed!

We are cat-sitting for my sister this weekend. And even though they are on their way home from their trip, The Child and I will be off soon to give kitty one last feeding. It is a beautiful day to take that long walk. And I do so need to get out and walk! The Aurora 5K is in 3 weeks and I am SO out of shape it isn't funny! Hopefully I can turn it around in time for the 5K and keep it going long after!

I stepped on a scale on Friday and am appalled at what I saw. I knew it would be bad, but I have never weighed this much. EVER! So my goal is to shed 10 pounds in the next 3 weeks, and continue on to lose more than 50. I need to get it back. This party with comfort food has got to end. As well as my adoration for Pepsi and Bailey's. Neither one helps my cause!

And while I am focussed on how large I am, my girl kitty has been focusing on becoming thin enough to escape. Yesterday, she managed to get outside by wiggling her dainty self out under the porch door! There is a 1 inch gap on the bottom, and a part of the lower door is chipped up just enough for her to get out! Thank goodness she always manages to come back when she gets loose, but I hate that she gets out because she always comes back hurking up her hunted prey. Yuck!

Well, we are off to feed the kitty! Have a great day, everyone!

On Line Shopping

It's no secret that I adore online shopping. It is much more fun to come home from work and find a happy new package on my porch than it is to go out and fight the masses and make a decision while some old lady shoves her cart between you and the product selection you are trying to choose wisely from.

Tonight, I discovered that it is even more fun to write witty reviews for my recent purchases! I can't wait until Amazon sees what I have written!

I recently ordered a vial of Allergy Medication because I am oh so tired of signing a log book at my local pharmacy to promise that I won't be building a meth lab any time soon. And while I was at it, I also bought a new pair of work pants.

My review of the allergy meds and the vendor that shipped it to me was this:

"They are as nice as a box of newly born kittens! My box arrived quicker than grandpa can spin a colorful yarn, and the product was everything I had hoped for. My allergy symptoms are nearly gone, my hair has never been shinier, and my boss even offered me a promotion! Way to go, HBK Direct! You made my world a better place to live!" 

Oh, but wait! They also wanted me to review the pants I had purchased!

"These pants arrived in a stylishly lovely slate gray package that was easy to open. Inside, I found an enchanting pair of trousers that were just begging me to try them on. They muffle my muffin top in the most sexy way possible and all of my friends are so jealous that they have started calling me Princess Kate behind my back. Oh yeah. I hear them. Don't be hatin' on my new sexy pants!"

 Yup! I really did write that, and I really did hit send/publish!  I wonder if they will ever ask me for another review! Hey! You gotta mess with people now and again or life gets stale!