Grown Up Lights

I'm a bit embarrassed about this post...it's a little pointless....maybe even boring for you. But I wanted to share anyhow.

Earlier this week, hubs gave me the day off to go shopping to my hearts content child-free! Aaaahhhh! It's amazing the things you can find when there are no little people pulling each other's hair or trying to jump out of the shopping cart or crying for their bottle, sippy cup, snacks, books...etc.!

Well, I spent a goooood long time at Home Sense, and after lots of phone pictures sent to hubs for the "thumbs up", I came home with this...

and this...

Sigh. Swoon. Be still my beating heart...I've fallen in love all over again.

It's been YEARS since a full sized table lamp has graced my home.

In fact, I'm not sure I've ever purchased one. That's why I'm calling them my grown-up lamps. They make me feel all grown up and like I have a real house now!

Oh...I know I said yesterday that I was trying my hardest to stay away from the scrolly iron-work stuff...but the nice scrolly ironwork table is something we already owned and...we are operating on a budget here...and...I'm going to paint it black as soon as we have warm enough weather here and...am I just making excuses? I just really love that table!

A few weeks ago - umm, actually last time I was at Home Sense....LOVE that store! - I found a new overhead light for our room as well. I may or may not have squealed when I saw it.

(Sorry about the terrible lighting in the pics. Our camera is not the greatest, nor is the photographer. I need to fire her.)

Slowly but surely the room is coming together! Our next step will be white trim and closet doors...I can hardly wait!

Project Get Rid of the Cave

I have to admit, I never registered the color of our master bedroom when we bought the house. We were on such a whirlwind tour of house hunting that by the time the deal was signed - I had no memory of what we were moving into.

Let's just say I was a leeetle surprised when I walked in to a dark, dark chocolate brown bedroom with ummm....oak trim and doors (sorry to all you oak lovers out there). At first I thought I could live with it for a while, even though I hated it. Well, all it took was one evening of trying to sort through our clothes and hang them up in the closet. I couldn't see a ding-dang-dong thing!!!! It felt so stinking cave-like in there!

In our first home - the one we just moved from - our master bedroom was our very first project, so I guess I never truly realized what a treasure it really is to have a beautiful room to retreat to at the end of a hard day of battling stubborn two year olds and drooling nine month olds (I only have one of each, but whatever), until now.

Here's a shot of that lovely brown that, in my opinion, is much better off found in a bowl of ice cream.

Don't get me wrong about brown. I like it! It would be stunning in a powder room with thick, glossy white mouldings and a pedestal sink. Maybe even throw in a chandelier! But NOT. WITH. OAK. TRIM. And definitely not in a bedroom with a small window. Blech!

So. We decided (everyone knows that means me, but hubs is pretty easy going about paint colors) to try a nice cool shade of grey-blue. Let me just pause here to say that I have been trying my very hardest to swing over to the contemporary side of the decorating fence for YEARS. But I've never quite been able to make it there. Some nice scrolly (is that a word? It rhymes with trolly) piece of iron work would always catch my eye and steer me back to the Old World fence. Arrrr! Well, this time I am breaking loose and I'm gonna make it over to the contemporary side!! (But...maybe hold me accountable, just in case, okay?) Thus the grey-blue paint.

Well, let me just say "they" aren't kidding when they say it's tough to find the perfect shade. At the first swipe of cutting in, I fell in love. Oh yummy in my tummy. And then a few more strokes around the room and lots of worried glances at the drying paint and....I realized that this color was NOT going to work. Hubby tried his hardest to convince me that I was nuts and it was a fantastic color. Just what we wanted! But I know he just hates painting. And he doesn't call me stubborn for nothing. It just felt like a baby boy's nursery in there. 

This is where those nice little pots of paint samples come in reeeeeally handy. On our next visit to Home Depot, I snatched one up in a big hurry and asked the nice paint lady to mix me up a nice new shade of grey-blue. Aaaannnd I tried again. Nope...way too light...almost white. The color right below it on the paint card looked like it just might be the shade I was going for. So...another 45 minute drive to Home Depot and a 5 minute rant to the above nice paint lady about how neither of the paint colors have worked and neither of them exactly matched the paint chip and it had better match this time so you better give me a matte paint...or...is the primer and paint in one better...well all I really care about is that the PAINT MATCHES THE CHIP this time. Above nice paint lady's eyes glazed over as she politely asked, "Ummkay. So do you want matte or eggshell?"

After all the drama and ranting and raving, we lived with the three colors all slapped together on every single wall for about a week. I inwardly worried that the third shade was going to be too grey but I figured it might just be a case of three-strikes-and-your-out-honey, so even if it was too grey I knew I'd be living with it. Hubby really hates painting.

Well, after the worlds longest post, I'm happy to tell you that we painted. Hubby lived. And I. laaahuuuvvvvve. it.

And I have no pictures of it. Yet. But until then - take my word for it, it's a silky, calming, bluish-grey that smacks perfectly of contemporary design. Yesssss!!

Stay tuned for pictures and updates. They're coming, I promise.

And for anyone else on the quest for the perfect shade of grey-blue...it's Behr's Light French Grey. Yum.

A Little Me Time and a Terrarium

Hubs is out at a hockey game tonight with his brother and nephews, so I thought I'd spend a bit of my solitary quiet time tonight by monkeying around with some plants and dirt.

Several years ago I was given a huge...vase?...container?...thing...?? as a birthday gift. I've always loved the look of it, but quite honestly I've never really known what to do with it. I have two children ages 2 and 10 months. Clearly, putting anything glass within hand/body level is...umm...dumb. So I got to thinkin'! Maybe it would make a nice terrarium of sorts....

Here are all the supplies laid out all nicely, just to look like I'm all soo organized and everything. You didn't hear it from me, but I'm all soo not.

I picked up three little plants from Home Depot for about $2.49 each and even tried to make sure they were plants that were more or less tolerant of less-than-perfect conditions. Don't ask me what they are, I haven't got a clue. They're pretty and of varying heights and that's all I care about!

First step: wash that container!! I was sorely tempted to skip this step because a). I don't enjoy washing dishes or anything else and b). I was feeling a wee bit lazy. BUT I knew if I didn't wash and carefully dry it before starting...the dust and dirt on there would drive me completely badonkers later when it would be impossible to clean. (yes, badonkers is a word)

Next step: pour in some rocks. I had a couple packages of various sizes of river rocks laying around, so I used them up. That's the great thing about moving...you find all kinds of things you didn't know you had!

Next add some dirt! Yup, those are my shapely (cough!) legs in the very clean reflection!

Now add those plants. Make sure there's enough dirt in there to adequately cover all the roots. I had to add more after each plant. Throw in some more river rocks if you have any extra laying around.

Oooh! Me likey!

Here's a friendly tip...when you water those plants, use a measuring cup or something that will fit down into the container and water close to the dirt. I learned the hard way. If you water up high the dirt splashes up the sides and it's stinkin' hard to get looking nice and clean again!

Better put that up high where little fingers and wiggly bodies can't get at it!

And those stacking...brown...things...? They found a new home.

I know, I know. The Nester would be horrified by my ivy plant decorating the upper cabinets. But it's okay - I like it and it's my house! And besides, I don't know where else to put it...

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'll admit I'm a little worried that I won't keep up on this as regularly as I'd like. But not worried enough to stop me from trying. : )

My hubby and I just purchased a new (to us) home in a new (to us) town, so I'd like to invite you to come along on our big adventure. Our home is 16 years old....just the perfect age for us. New enough that it's not falling apart over our heads...such a relief after living in a 40+ year old home which was, quite literally, falling apart everywhere...and old enough to need some serious updating! Yah, baby! I've got lots of plans rolling around in my head and can hardly wait to see them unfold.

There's just one teeny tiny little hitch. We're determined to pull ourselves out of debt. So. That means this might be a slower-than-I-like kind of process. But I know it'll be worth it in the end, and will demand a considerable amount of creativity on my part.

I hope you don't mind if a throw in a few recipes here and there as well. Homemaking is my passion. I waited 31 years to be a stay-at-home wife and mom and I've never felt more fulfilled than I do now. Food and design inspire me. My children inspire me. The weather inspires me. Over the months to come, I hope some of the inspiration I receive will be passed on to you.

Thanks for coming along with me, and experiencing a few of my favorite things (like brown paper packages tied up with string)!