I'm Back

Please, hold the applause.

No seriously, the five of you who read my blog don't need to cheer.

I was actually back on Friday but it takes me a while to recuperate from a visit to my sister's. Mainly because a visit to my sister's entails extremely hyperactive children. Though really I'm just glad of the shopping, because I have shopping envy as well. See, she has an uber shopping area with J.Jill and Crate and Barrell. We do too, and it's not THAT far away, but I have to take a major, crowded freeway to a crowded overflowing mall parking lot in a really overcrowded too-many-drivers area. I prefer the outdoor shopping centers, the ones with water features and play areas that are outside and all that. We have a brand smacking new one downtown but sadly it is catering to like, the 15 year olds. Ugh. I'm hoping the second and third phases will include oh, a bookstore, say.

I have to admit I have park envy. Her neighborhood has a WAY better park than my neighborhood, and nicer nature trails. But dang it, we have more sun. And the manmade lake has a walking trail I've just never bothered to check out ha ha. And we don't have a bamboo forest trying to reestablish itself in our backyard, so there is that. Lets just not talk about the mint jungle that's trying to make a comeback in the recently-cleared corner of the yard.

I've decided, garden-wise, to find shade for a shade garden. I'm embracing bulbs and flowers and hostas. Dammit. I will have a proper pretty garden next year somehow.

Fall is coming and I'm really excited. There's nothing more exciting than the end of summer for me. I don't know why. I love fall though. My eldest will be going back to school. I won't be sweltering in the heat. I've got many plans...plans to kill the rest of the garden this summer so I can start anew (minus the roses, we keep roses, perty roses), plans to complete writing, astrology (yes, I embrace the zen of astrological giddiness), plans to cross stitch and watch britcoms (yes, i'm dull), plans to go for longer, fall weather walks, plans to cook primarily using the slow cooker (bought two new slow cooker books, one all healthy meals... I'll let you know how that works Rainy..) and one that includes actual ideas for breakfast, like oats and stuff, so we'll see. And plans to continue the house projects that somehow are slowly but surely getting done!

I plan to embrace fall Sept. 5, the first day of school here. Heat or no, we'll be doing the first crock pot meal. (Why not earlier, well, because I haven't actually been cooking much this summer, and why ruin a trend?)

The rest is boring, so quit reading unless you are really fascinated by house projects due to too much Trading Spaces and While You Were Out. (I think Evan Farmer is hot)

The floors are done. WOOT. McRed is going to finish the door jams to the bedroom once he's done his insanely crazy term paper. His next plan is the stairs. I'll be painting the stairs walls and the hall.

Then I'll do the boy's room. VERY excited, but I did snuff out McRed's economical idea of using the orange for their room as well. I'm thinking a deep blue and teal on the walls to go with the tealish rug (which I'll cover with another rug) and also a roller shade for their room with curtains. I love roller shades. They are more suited to kids and apartments, and are kinda cheap, but they are great for kids rooms. Kids and cats destroy blinds. And look better, imo.The inspiration is underwater futuristic living. So I'll have to find neat wall stuff for them. Fish and boat and submarine stuff. Might be hard. I love roller shades. They are more suited to kids and apartments, and are kinda cheap, but they are great for kids rooms. Kids and cats destroy blinds. And look better, imo.

While we're doing this, I'll slowly be budgeting and buying the parts for my new bathroom which I've sent for a January time frame. (That means, really, that in January, when it's not together, I'll start whining until McRed says FINE we'll get your stupid thing done :) because the bathroom to him is frivolous. To me, it's my zen spot.) I've found a tub smaller than 58 inches long, a clawfoot replica that's DEEP. And I'm short, 5', so the fact it's not as long is fine :). The walls will be a cool refreshing deep-aquaish blue and the floor white slate or tile or something with maybe deep refreshing blue I don't know, dots or something in them. The vanities will be white, and we won't have one long one, we'll have two seperate ones that are smaller. The mirror will go and be replaced by oval ones with cutesy sconce lighting, and the cabinets will either be replaced or painted white. Probably painted white with new knobs. I'm sooo excited. AND the tub. WOOT.

After the bathroom is our bedroom, which is going to be easy. It's going to be sort of tropical island with more of a primitive rather than tikki tacky look... Bamboo, elephants, etc. (yeah lol I know it sounds tacky...)

Sometime this week or next, I'll be grabbing gazillions of paint swatches for the boys' room and our bathroom.

That's about it. I'm very excited.

Stay tuned for the next blog, the Battle of the Slipcover.

See, now that I've FINALLY gotten our kitchen table (as in, agreed we need it, shopped for and priced, with nicer chairs) McRed is bucking up about the slipcover I spent forever looking for.

Who will win? We shall see....