wife of the year award

you know that chalkboard that i recently made.

it's getting a lot of use.  here is the message that it currently displays:

that boy i live with is pushing me to the brink.

he's off to mexico a.g.a.i.n.

first it was just until sunday.  then sunday became monday.

now monday has become tuesday.

i think i deserve the wife of the year award.

or at least a runner-up position.

(either that or i need to go to mexico and whip on some little senorita)

rocks and a surprise visit

bumpa came home from mexico with rock crystals.  the boys couldn't resist.  they made their mama drive all the way over here to look at the rocks...and take some home.  but then isn't that the definition of a boy... 'a noise with a rock in his pocket'.  then, of course, they had to have a root beer and a snack and then where did they go.  on nana's big, comfy bed to watch "kid shows".  made for one happy nana.

all is right with the world.

(well, except for the shoes on the bed...what's a nana to do.)

a shower, a missionary, and somebody's wish list

a full weekend for sure...my feet still hurt.  but one of the best ever.  it started with a bridal shower for my niece, allison.  she will soon marry mike.  they are good together.  and she raked in the loot.  it made me happy.

                                          the spread, the panty line and the attendees.

and carrie and ashley were the best co-hosts and workers ever.  they let me leave early...and did all the clean-up...so i could go off to prescott.  i love you girls.

the trip to prescott (rhymes with bisquit) was to attend a missionary farewell.  elder max kurtz is quite the young man.  confident, ready, and a smile that is going to light up spokane.  you will be in my prayers elder kurtz.  every night.

and of course, the prescsott trip included these amazing women.

somebody's wish list.  no self esteem issues here.

(and because chicka trips without them would be boring and dull.)

i got your backs girls...thanks for having mine.

i love my life.  i am blessed.  i am grateful.

my pocketbook is full.

yesterday's projects

this is my laundry "room"..."room" being a word only a builder would use.  because a space that measures 10' by 7' is not a room...a closet maybe.  or perhaps a pass through.  yes, that's what this is.  a pass through.  and i pass through it a dozen times a day.  i've tried to make it an inspiring place because sometimes i do more than just pass through to the garage.  sometimes  i "wash, rinse, fold, repeat" in here. so yesterday morning i got up and decided to add a little pizazz. 

i got an old frame, some chalkboard paint, and my vinyl cutter and perked it up.

and can i just say i love the orange frame on the chalkboard.  oh that beth rubin.  she knows her stuff.

( jen, you and miss beth must be bff' since you've been adding touches of orange for years.)

i wanted a chalkboard...a place to jot down reminders and write little love notes to that boy i live with.  and, of course, every chalkboard needs some vinyl.  mine says, "scrivere, i verbo; esprimere o comunicare nella scrittura.  italian.  translation - write, verb: to express or communicate in writing.  (because someday i'm going to italy and i need to be able to write about it.)

i work better under pressure

send help.

quick.

this woman needs it.

this morning i woke up energized...and i could use some energy.  i mean i do have a shower for my niece, Allison, here at my home on saturday.  and i am leaving to go out of town on saturday afternoon.  i have plenty to do.  i should be cleaning, getting my nest ready for company, cooking, so my company will have a few tidbits to nibble as we honor the bride to be.  but, of course, that would require a trip to the grocery store and that still hasn't happened either.  or i could be putting the finishing touches on the shower favors.  or maybe packing for my weekend.  but am i doing any of those things.  nope.  my morning energy is being spent projecting.  projecting.  somebody just shoot me.  please.  i've started to annoy myself. 

(i'll post pics of my projecting later today.  check back.  it's good.  but i am meeting friends for lunch.  i should probably shower.)

vinyl wall art, wal mart paint and a sneak preview

in the six years or so we have lived in this house, i have had many things in this niche in our master bedroom.  i've had a wrought iron wall decor grille thing-a-ma-jiggy, candle wall sconces, a tall narrow print that i just leaned against the back of the niche.  none of them seemed to please me.  in redoing the master i wanted to do something different for this troublesome little spot.  and since vinyl wall art is so b.i.g. right now and i just happen to have a vinyl cutter, i thought i would design some vinyl wall art.  i have to say, i am pleased with the design.  i am not pleased, however, with the wal mart paint that i recently used to paint the back of the niche.  talk about cheap paint.  first off, when i painted it about 2 weeks ago, the paint was so runny it just dripped down the wall.  and in applying my vinyl art, wal mart's cheap paint actually came off the wall as i positioned the vinyl.  which has never happened before and i have installed a lot of vinyl.  now i have to touch up the wall with some minuscule paint brush that i don't have.  lesson learned...no more wal mart paint.  it's cheap and it stinks. 

but you now have a sneak preview of one little piece of my master redo.

and here's another one.

this was painted with benjamin moore paint.  almost $50.00 a gallon.

but it went on like silk.  so worth it.

(sorry about that cord...i hate cords.  i'll be sure to tuck it away before i snap another picture.)

it's complicated

i've seen the movie twice.  yes, i loved it and i'd go see it a third time.  but seriously, forget the movie with it's comedic yet ever so poignant content.  the set design for jane's (meryl streep, the main character) house is absolutely T.O.  D.I.E.  F.O.R.  (an i never write in capital letters.)  i find myself at least twice a day googling the set designer, beth rubino, to peruse her work.  her relaxed yet elegant style (and in this case, not a cliche) has me mesmerized.  her color palette...browns, creams, greens with a blush (that word, blush, is used strictly to entertain my family and give them another reason to laugh at me) of oranges and yellows feels so comfortable and right.  she mixes antiques with squishy, big, comfortable furniture.  natural elements are everywhere.  the dinner and glassware are beautiful without being fussy or formal.  her little vases of fresh flowers are in such unexpected places.  the woman is a genius.  i want to make a new goal for 2010. to visit the set/location of it's complicated.
i have a very strong desire to see it in person.
now how to make it happen?

isn't it lovely.

i just can't stop looking at it.

(these images and more can be found at www.traditionalhome.com) 

are we having fun yet?

at the mall today with this crew.

everyone seemed to be having fun.

well, except for will.

and there's no bribing that kid either!

my guy

can't you just hear mary wells....

nothing you can say can tear me away from my guy.

nothing you could do 'cause i'm stuck like glue to my guy.

i'm sticking to my guy like a stamp to a letter,

like the birds of a feather, we, stick together.

i can tell you from the start i can't be torn apart from my guy.

and it's true for me and my guy.

except during hunting season.

let's see...3 weeks of deer hunting in southern arizona.
one week of guiding in mexico.
one week of hunting in mexico.
eight days in reno at the safari club international convention.

catching the flight to reno.

 as a matter of opinion i think he's tops.  my opinion is he's the cream of the crop.

as a matter of taste to be exact, he's my ideal as a matter of fact.

yep, mary wells, there's not a man today who can take me away from my guy.

unless, of course, he has a set of horns.

karaoke

recently had a karaoke night with these little beauties.  look out taylor swift.  competition is on the horizon.

emeline is quite comfortable behind the microphone.

oh, the life of a little girl. 

my hope is that they will always feel this happy, this secure, and this safe.

belt it out my loves.  for now, the world is yours.

swooning

i need to quit perusing design sites.  it takes hours of my time and has me falling in love on a daily basis.

today i fell in love with these.

how simple and cool.  burlap, a stencil, and some black paint.

i'm swooning.

check out more.

http://www.kmckaydesigns.com/

keeping it real here

last saturday i went shopping at ikea (oh ikea...i love you more every day) with these two lovely ladies.  aren't they cute.

we each have some redecorating projects we are working on.  mine is my master bedroom.  and when i'm in the middle of a project i'm not very tidy.  i get too involved in my project to worry about being neat and putting things back where they belong and making the bed.  i mean, who has time. i'm projecting here.

so, to those of you that think i am hopelessly entrenched in my ocd, i proudly give you the following:

i know it doesn't look like i'm doing much, so let me fill you in.

my color scheme is black, brown, platinum, and a silvery green.  i am painting my "tres amigos" furniture black.  i mounted a flat screen tv on the wall (heaven).  i'm moving an armoire (also to be painted black) from the guest bedroom into the master and moving my antique dresser into the guest bedroom.  my new bedding is a yummy, delicious silvery green that you won't get to see until the project is done.  i'm replacing the window coverings on the slider...still undecided there but i want texture, like wood or woven woods, in a rich expresso with creamy white panels on the ends.  i've got my eye on a fabulous piece of artwork (from ikea of course) for over the bed.  and i'm reupholstering a side chair and creating a little seating area with the sweetest little ikea side table...(duh, it's from ikea...of course it sweet.)

most of the furniture painting is done.  it's what i do at night since the boy i live with isn't around to play.

i can't wait until it's done.

neither can my ocd.

three hooligans

the boy i live with is guiding/hunting in mexico for the month.  yep, you heard right...the month.  okay, not actually the whole month because the later part of the month he will be in reno working the safari club international convention.  same difference.  and since carrie and her family and dave and his family were all out of town for the christmas holiday we weren't able to have our usual christmas with them.  and, since the boy i live with is "selectively unavailable" until february, i had my own christmas with these
three hooligans last night.

i couldn't love them more.