Decorating: Getting In The Christmas Spirit

My house has been slowly decorated for Christmas over the past 2 weeks. I don't like to go overboard, but I like to have the basics covered.

First on my agenda was getting stockings. In previous apartments the hubby and I never had a fireplace so we never got around to buying any. But this year we have a fireplace with an honest-to-goodness mantle so some cheerful stockings were in order. I picked up two of these green and white beauties from Amazon, and I love them. I especially love that they're simple yet still festive. I'm a sucker for felt, buttons and top stitching!

Our next bit of Christmas spirit was our tree. Again, having only lived in apartments we never had the room for a real tree. This year we bought a live tree from a local lot and stood her up in the front corner, next to the fireplace. We weren't sure how the cats would react to a real tree in the house* so this year we stuck to lights and a topper only. This way if cats + real tree = tragic mess, none of our family ornaments will get broken. The tree has been up for over a week and so far, so good.


Under the tree, I placed our three winter village houses. They were a gift from the hubby's grandmother, and I have to admit I thought they were a bit tacky when I first saw them. But I hate to waste a gift so I put them out anyway - and now, I love them! They look so cute nestled on our white tree skirt!** Even though our ornament-less look was done out of necessity, I am really loving the white and silver theme we have going on. Less is always more in my book.


My finishing touch was a wreath for the door. I bought a plain wreath when we bought our tree and then worked some crafty magic.
I bought a bag of loose sleigh bells from a craft store and tied them to my wreath. I used monofilament, but you could just as easily use twine, floral wire or anything you might have on hand. I chose not to use glue so that I can remove the bells, unharmed, and re-use them next year. Seriously, this project took me less than 30 minutes, so it's super easy to do every year. I love coming home to the smell of fresh pine and the sound of jingle bells!

This will most likely be my last post for 2009. We have lots of family to see and lots of food to eat, so posting will be light (if not non-existant). The hubby and I have the week between Christmas and New Year's off - we plan to do some furniture buying/assembling over the break, including a trip to Ikea - so I will have lots to share as we begin 2010. Happy holidays!
*I have heard horror stories of cats climbing trees, knocking them over, breaking ornaments, etc and my cats are more devious than most.

**Cheapskate Decorating Tip: That's not actually a tree skirt. It's a fuzzy white blanket from Target. A tree skirt (made of cheaper material) would have cost me $40 but the blanket was only $25. So not only did I save money, but I can use the blanket for its intended purpose the rest of the year to add some cozy texture around the house. If I wanted more coverage I could have bought 2 blankets, but I stuck with 1 for the first go 'round.

Living: Baby Blog

We briefly interrupt your scheduled broadcast ---

I created a baby blog, The Peanut Stand, to keep friends and family in the loop with OB appointments, food cravings, pictures etc. If you have any interest in that sort of thing, feel free to stop in from time to time. If not, don't read it and I won't talk about babies anymore.

--- We now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

Decorating: It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like...

... someone actually lives in my house! You guys thought I was going to say Christmas, didn't you? Well, I have a Christmas post coming tomorrow, so sit tight.

It's been almost a month since we moved into our new house and we have been busy unpacking and trying to get things in place.

When we first looked at the house, one of the only things I didn't like about it was its so-called 'architectural feature.' The public side of the house is laid out with an open plan with a vaulted ceiling. Not too shabby. But, there are these pesky things like coat closets and laundry rooms that have to go somewhere, so they're in the center of the house with a regular ceiling, leaving this weird ledge below the vault. (I apologize if this is hard to follow. Just look at the pictures.)

Everyone else seemed to love the 'feature' but, being a bit of a snob (architects are known for this), I had yet to be convinced. Until...


One day the hubby suggested we use it as a bookshelf. Between all of our architecture books from school and my penchant for classic fiction, we have a lot of books.* I have to say it's nice to be able to display them in an out of the way place and not have to forfeit valuable floor or wall space to a massive bookshelf.

Also, I apologize for the crummy pictures. I wasn't trying to win any photo contests, I just wanted to prove a point. Empty ledge: terrible. Unique book storage: genius. Point for the hubby.

*For those of you on nerd watch, in the close-up photo you can see my massive 'American Short Stories' volume and my large collection of Shakespeare. Yes I took Intro to Shakespeare in college... as an elective... and I sat in the front row and answered every question. I was that kid.

Buying: Merry Christmas To Me!

I just bought myself an early Christmas gift. It's guaranteed to put a smile on my face for months, no years, to come!


Last night I popped into Holly Aiken's shop, Stitch, and I ordered myself a custom diaper bag.


sinking in...


That's right readers, I'm pregnant, expecting, knocked up, eating for two! Any way you spell it, there's serious excitement in my household!


Now before you go clicking 'unsubscribe' let me assure you this will not turn into a baby blog. I will still talk about movies, art, crafting and DIY projects. The only time babies will come up will be baby related craft projects - birth announcements, nursery decorating, maternity refashions, etc. I will most likely start a baby blog so that friends, family and new blog friends can keep up with my latest cravings and ultrasound photos. But rest assured, that content will not find its way here.


So, anyway, back to the diaper bag. I have been a fan of Holly Aiken's work for several years and I have several pieces from her collection already (5 to be exact. I'm not obsessing). She is a NCSU grad, like yours truly, and all her pieces are handmade in her shop in Raleigh, NC. Her bags are great because they have a decidedly retro styling but they are made from heavy duty materials so they can take a serious beating - and since I'm not the type to gal to change handbags every day, I need a sturdy one. All this makes for a perfect diaper bag. Also, I have always known I didn't want a fussy, girly diaper bag because a) I want to be able to carry it for multiple kids, boy or girl and b) the hubby is going to have to carry it too.* Also, once I no longer need a diaper bag, it can easily pass for a kick-ass messenger bag.


So by now I'm sure you're dying to hear what I picked out (and if not, just play along, ok?). I picked the Airship Messenger Bag as my body style and Dove in gunmetal / aqua as my color scheme. I think it's cute enough for a baby accessory but not too cute for the real world.






What do you think? YAY for babies! Sorry, I couldn't help myself. But enough about me. Are there any local or regional businesses you think are worth sharing? Do tell!

*I always feel so bad when I see a dad carrying a pink, quilted Vera Bradley. Come on ladies - gender neutral bags for dads!

UPDATE: I did start a baby blog, and you can read it here.

Living: Anybody Home?

Hello?

Anyone in here?

Isn't someone supposed to be writing this blog? You know, providing content for the faithful readers? Oh yeah, that would be me. Hmm.

Well, who decided I should move over Thanksgiving weekend, leaving me to unpack while simultaneously gift shopping, hall decking, office partying and merry making?!? Oh, that would be me again.
Surely I can think of some good excuses that won't make me sound tired and whiny.
I'm thinking, I'm thinking
Nope, guess not. There are oodles (that's right, oodles) of bloggers out there that have the usual holiday madness and still manage to write blogs and be fabulous! I must not be one of them. I have so many things to show you, I just need to get off my duff and actually photograph them. I'll be good I promise!

Remembering: Holiday Favorites

I saw this fun survey over on my good friend's blog, and thought I would post it here. Also, because I have been overwhelmed with unpacking and holiday shopping I thought this would be an easy post. Enjoy!

Favorite Holiday Cookie: sugar cookies, using my great-grandmother's secret recipe.

Favorite Winter Breakfast: I'm not a big breakfast eater, but when the mood hits me I love homemade biscuits with apple butter.


Favorite Winter Meal: Pierogi, a traditional slovak dish. The hubby's maternal grandfather is of Czech descent so this is also a family recipe. It is a treat because it takes days to make and we only have it once a year.

Favorite Seasonal Winter Veggie: sweet potatoes, any way you cook them


Favorite Seasonal Winter Fruit: fresh NC apples

Favorite Seasonal Dessert: eggnog milkshakes

Favorite Holiday Memory: at the church I grew up in, they hold a midnight service every Christmas Eve. At the close of the service everyone lights their candle, the lights are dimmed and we all sing 'Silent Night' by candle light. Magic.



Your Goal this Season: to give consumable gifts, meaning the gift has to be eaten, experienced or used, not just stuff to sit on a shelf.

Favorite Holiday Song: 'White Christmas' by Bing Crosby

Favorite Holiday Movie: I love all Christmas movies but 'White Christmas' and 'Love Actually' are tied for first.













Looking Forward to this Holiday: I am excited about spending our first Christmas in our new house where we can finally get a real tree, hang stockings on the mantle and put a wreath on the front door.

Favorite Holiday Book/Story: 'The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree' by Barbara Cooney. It is the story of a girl and her mother, going through hard financial times, making themselves the perfect Appalachian Christmas.



If you fill out this survey on your own blog, please comment below with a link so I can read yours too! Let's get to know one another a little better this holiday season.

Making: A Difference

Nothing makes me sadder than the thought of a cat or dog in need of a home. I just read over on Hamburger's House (a doggy spin-off of the always great Young House Love) that a grayhound racetrack in Wisconsin is closing and no longer has a use for its beautiful racing dogs. If the dogs aren't adopted they will be put down! For the full post click here. Please pass this on to anyone and everyone you know who might want a rescue dog or wouldn't mind spreading the word.


Every dog spared is a step in the right direction. Help get these pups a home for the holidays!

Living: 10 Things You Don't Know About Me

Inspired by John and Sherry's recent post I wanted to do a little write-up of yours truly. So without further ado, I present:

10 Things You (probably) Don't Know About Me

1. I have a good ear for mimicking accents and voices. The hubby jokes that he first asked me out because I can talk like Chris from Family Guy.

2. I have a hairline crack in one of my front teeth from face planting on the blacktop in elementary school.

3. I have a knack for movie and TV trivia. I hate to brag, but I kick butt at Friends Scene-It.

4. My underwear drawer is divided into 5 sections, each with its own purpose and folding style:
---Briefs [laying flat] - daily wear
---Boxer Briefs [square fold] - to wear under skirts
---Old Briefs [square fold] - just for Aunt Flo
---Thongs [too damn small to fold] - because some outfits require them
---String-Side Bikinis [rolled] - back-up undies... I don't like them but there's nothing wrong with them so I refuse to throw them out.

I'm fairly certain this means I'm crazy.

5. I knew I wanted to be an architect when I was 10. I confirmed this on my 8th grade class trip to Washington DC. All my friends took pictures of themselves but I took pictures of columns, skylights and friezes. Yes, I've been a nerd a very long time.

6. I am very particular about organization (see #4). I have been known to rearrange the dishes in the dishwasher if they're not stacked the 'right' way. I know, they don't get any cleaner my way, but I can't help it.

7. I am terrified of medical needles (IVs, shots, etc) but tattoo and piercing needles don't bother me in the slightest. I know this because I once fainted because of an IV but I was cool as a cucumber when I got my piercings.

Proof: I used to have an eyebrow ring. Don't laugh at my hair, it was halloween.

8. I have a mild blood clotting disorder. It has never, ever had any effect on my life but it means I'm not allowed to give blood.


9. One of my strengths (and one of my flaws) is that I plan everything before I need to. I'm not pregnant, but I've had baby names picked out for years. I decide what I want to buy before I have the money saved up. We haven't even closed on our house, but I've already bought furniture for it and I know what colors to paint it when we move in. You get the idea.

10. I am a terrible multi-tasker, and not in a good way. I normally have 2-5 craft projects going at any given time. This is hardly productive but I always get distracted while I'm in the middle of working. Most things get finished, but there are 1 or 2 projects that have hung around for years, just like that scarf I started knitting in January of 2004 that's sitting in the bottom of my closet.

So did anything surprise you? Anything you're dying to know about that I didn't mention?

NOTE: I wrote this post many weeks ago, and I've been saving it for a slow blog day. I just realized that some of my statements are incorrect. We've already closed on the house and already got it painted. But the idea is still the same. Carry on.

Organizing: With A Little Help From My Friends

Boring tasks are so much more enjoyable when you have help from friends and family. Yo-Yo is quite the "helper" himself.

Here he is packing some boxes...


... and here he is laying down carpet tiles.

I apoligize if you don't find this as funny as I do. I promise this isn't turning into a crazy cat-lady blog. Well, not entirely.

Organizing: Small Victories

I just want to say that today is Monday and I am thankful I made it through the weekend in one piece.

In hindsight, it was probably a little over-zealous to try and cram so much into one weekend. In case you're not convinced that I'm crazy, here's what went down over the 4-day weekend.

Thursday:
- food prep (mostly figuring out how to use a mandolin - they are awesome)
- eating lots and lots of food
- football on TV
- showing family around the new house
- packing, packing and more packing

Friday:
- the big move, for which the truck showed up at 8 a.m.
- visting with family and friends who came to help - I now know movers don't want any help. They have their system and you are just in the way.
- Harris family movie - The Blindside was so good. I highly recommend it.

Saturday:
- Pre-football breakfast
- NCSU vs UNC (huge rivalry, for all you non-Southerners) at which I screamed my head off
- Hicks family Brunswick Stew (10 gallons!) and mom's homemade banana pudding

Sunday:
- hooking up appliances
- first home-owners trip to Home Depot
- finally a bit of relaxation while I worked on Morgan's invitations

So yeah, I'm a wee bit tired today. That being said, I have to celebrate the little things. Is my house unpacked? Not even close. Is my closet organized? Big fat nope. But I did organize my scarves last night.


Like I said, it's the little things.
I hope you all had a more restful holiday than I did.

Living: Wish Me Luck!

If you're a fan of praying or thinking good thoughts, send some my way. Today is the big moving day and I'm hoping it's relatively stress free!

If you like to specialize your prayers/good juju, here's my wish list:
- that we actually get packed in time
- that nothing breaks
- that I make it through the day without stress crying
- that boxes get put into the proper room - I really hate it when boxes get dumped wherever

As I mentioned earlier, once we get over the hump of moving I hope to have lots of home beautification projects to share with you. Stay tuned!

Making: Memories Part 2

To follow up this morning's post, I thought I would tell you about a tradition from my side of the family: the green vegetable.

Five or so years ago, my Mom was preparing Thanksgiving dinner. This was to be the first Thanksgiving dinner she celebrated with her boyfriend (now my step-dad) Bruce. Mom wanted it to be perfect. Whenever she entertains, everything has to be just-so. The crisp linens, the charming decor and the well-thought and balanced menu. A key to this menu is that there has to be something green on the plate, for nutrition and a pop of color - a plate full of neutral colored food is just dull.

On the other hand, Bruce is notoriously picky. The only green vegetable he will eat is canned, french-cut green beans - not plain canned or frozen french-cut. Mom looked all over for his favorite but couldn't find it - apparently this variety of beans is quite elusive and hard to find.

Jump to the morning of Thanksgiving. Mom still hadn't found the beans. Bruce was okay with this, willing to forgo vegetables altogether. Mom would not be dissuaded - "There has to be something green!" In a moment of frustration (I'm sure a kitchen timer was beeping) she sent Bruce and I to the grocery store and told us not to come home until we found something green.

Bruce and I had no idea what to buy. Neither of us wre keen on vegetables. The few I would eat he hated, and I didn't like the few he could stand. Then, wandering through the holiday section, Bruce had a brilliant idea. M&M's were green. We bought a family size bag of red and green holiday M&M's and headed home. Before we showed Mom, we spent a few minutes separating the red from the green, then presented her with a bowl full of shiny, green M&M's.

It wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but it was clever and she does love chocolate. The "green vegetable" was a big hit with all the kids (and vegetable avoiding adults) and has since become a fixture of her Thanksgiving table.

Making: Memories

My husband's family has a wonderful tradition I would like to share with you. Every Thanksgiving after the turkey has been eaten, the football has been watched and the naps have been taken, they all go see a family movie together. Sometimes it's a Christmas movie, sometimes it's a musical but the chosen movie is supposed to be light-hearted and uplifting.

This year's movie is The Blind Side. I have been looking forward to seeing this movie since I first saw the trailer. I'm probably going to cry, but that's ok because the theater is dark and hopefully no one will notice.



So tell me, what unique tradition does your family enjoy during the holidays?

Buying: Party Boots

Inspired by Kate Miss, I have come to the decision that I need some heeled booties to get me through fall and winter. I think any of these would look fabulous with some tights and a party dress, don't you agree?



Which ones should come home with me?

From left to right, top to bottom: Truffle by Hive and Honey, Indigo by Clarks, Gallop by Fergie, Sweater Cuff Wedge by Kimchi Blue, Kline by Report, Wedge Bootie by We Who See, Suede Zip Bootie by Deena & Ozzy, Patent Oxford Wedge by Deena & Ozzy, Nash Bootie by We Who See

Coveting: Throw Pillows

I am just in love with the pillows by Dimmalimm Home. I originally found their shop because Apartment Therapy wrote a post on their line of coasters, but I was much more impressed with their pillows. They have a sculptural series (grey and white) but they also craft pillows from authentic Japanese kimino silk (orange).


They are definitely on the pricey side, but I would love to have one of their pieces on my couch!

Making: Upcycled Summer Scarf

Because posting has been so light lately - ok, almost non-existant - I got on the ball and wrote lots of posts to hold me over while we paint/pack/move/etc. By next week my sanity will be dwindling and you do not want me writing new content in that condition.


Anywho... I'll kick off my series of pre-scheduled posts with my DIY scarf. Inspired by this crafty chica, I set out to follow her tutorial for the summer scarf:



I'm a big fan of scarves any time of year - I am always, always cold - so I thought this would be a great opportunity to purge some of my giant giveaway T's that have been pilling up.

For my first attempt I followed her tutorial to the letter, and my results were... just ok. There were 2 key problems for me: 1) She recommended using an XL t-shirt which has a lot of volume. I have a petite torso - small shoulders, short waist and all that - so it was a little overwhelming on me; 2) I did the fringe because I thought it would be a fun detail. Not so much. It was a lot of look for me, so I will probably go back and cut off the fringe.

My subsequent attempts were much more successful; I downgraded to M and L t-shirts and ditched the fringe. I like the outcome because it creates a light-weight scarf perfect for transitional weather. My office is in an old, drafty building and I often wear scarves all day to keep the chill off my neck.*

Another bonus is its versatility. I can wear it long like a scarf...

... or doubled up like a choker.

As usual, I am a fan of any project where I can make something useful out of something I would normally wash the car with. This is such a simple project (it literally took me 45 seconds to cut up the shirt with a rotary cutter**) you could stock up on $0.25 t-shirts from Goodwill and make a scarf in every color.

So, any fun tutorials out there I'm missing out on? Any trash to treasure DIY you've come up with? Do tell!

*Yes, I'm secretly an old lady. I also complain to my landlord when my neighbors don't clean up after their dogs.

**Prior to this project I didn't own a rotary cutter, because no one bothered to tell me how awesome they are. Cutting t-shirts with scissors = lame.

Listening: Do You Want To Know A Secret?

It's no secret that I love the Beatles, but I have had this particular song on my mind for the past few days. Because it's an older recording there is no official music video*, so look past the blurry photo slideshow and enjoy the music. Happy Friday!

*I could have posted this instead, but I didn't want to subject you to that much wierdness. Even I don't love the Beatles enough to sit through that.

Living: My Apologies

Dear readers, I am sorry I didn't post anything yesterday. I was busy closing on my new house!! I had planned to take lots of pictures for you, but it was dark by the time we got the keys. Posting will probably be pretty light for the next month as I pack, move, unpack and paint the house. I will try to take plenty of before and after shots as I tackle my projects. So if I don't come up for air very often remember I haven't forgotten about you!

Until then, feel free to share any DIY or crafty goodness with me. I would love to share your projects with my other readers! Just e-mail me stories, photos or links to your blog at gimmeakiss.blog@gmail.com.

Buying: New Stamp for a New House

I just got a new goody from Etsy! In preparation for our upcoming move, I bought a return address stamp from Modern Art Stamps. I plan on making my own change of address announcements, and a stamp will make my life so much easier - not to mention it will look cute on future birthday cards and thank you notes.

First of all, my stamp came all the way from Costa Rica! I really love the volcano postage stamp and the 'handmade with love' custom stamp she used (even if it did get splattered in the rain).



Each of her stamps comes hand-cut and unmounted, although she will mount it for a small fee. I tried it out unmounted, and it works well enough, but I will definitely be getting a mounting block in the near future.

Here's my test print. Of course I picked an owl stamp, and I think he's just so cute in a vintage sort of way!

You know me, I won't ever show the internet my address - safety first! - but you can see the full design with a sample address here.
So how about you guys? Are there any stationary splurges you can't live without?

Remembering: Childhood Favorites

In honor of National Corduroy Appreciation Day*, I thought I would take a moment to remember one of my favorite childhood books.


Corduroy is the story of a stuffed bear, named Corduroy because of his overalls, who lives in a department store and comes to life at night. He searches for a new button because he fears no one will take him home with a missing button. The book tells of his adventures and the love of the little girl that finally takes him home in the end. It is a touching story and I encourage you to read it to the little boy or girl in your life.
* I love that 11.11 is Corduroy Day because the repeating 1 "approximates the texture of a cotton fabric with vertical wales."

In Focus: A Cure for the Blahs

So, yesterday I had a case of the blahs. It seems the folks at Apartment Therapy knew just what would cheer me up:


This collection of photos showed up in my reader this morning, and it's just what the doctor ordered. Precious Pets + Fabulous Furniture = Bye Bye Blahs*! Does that puppy just not melt your heart?
*Sorry, I'm a sucker for alliteration. Nerd? Guilty as charged.

Living: I Have a Case of the Blahs

Do you ever just feel 'blah?' Well I do. I feel so overwhelmed by packing, moving and grown-up mortgage stuff I haven't felt very inspired lately, blog-wise.

image source
Hopefully next week will pull me out of my blogging funk. We close on our house on Monday, so I promise to rush over and take lots of 'before' pictures to share with you. Then there's all the To-Do List maddness... You see we don't have to be out of our apartment until December 15 so we have a whole month to try to paint and get a few things done before we have to move all of our stuff in. Which is a good thing, but now I have all the unreal expectations of what I think I can accomplish in that month.
So I promise to stop being 'blah' very soon. In the meantime, I may just have to post some flikr eye candy for a few days. My apologies.

Making: Jewelry Organizer

Up until now I have been storing my accessories in a jewelry armoire I got when I was 10 (that looks a lot like this), only mine is missing its legs because they broke off. I originally thought I could store my jewelry in my vanity but the drawers were too big to keep everything organized and visible.

I set out to create customized solutions for all my jewelry. My top priority is to have everything visible and in one place. I took care of necklaces with my display board so my next task was to organize my rings and small earrings - I have another project on my to-do list to display my big earrings but it won't accommodate hoops and studs.

I found the base for this project at a thrift store and I think it has the neatest back story. The piece was originally used as specimen storage in a science lab. Each drawer has space for 100 little test tubes that were run through a centrifuge. The rack is steel and the compartments are hard white plastic.

I wasn't crazy about the white sterile aesthetic so I worked some crafty magic. I decoupaged each box with brown paper lunch bags and mod-podge to give it a softer feel. It still has an industrial vibe because of the steel rack, but it no longer screams 'I came from a lab!'



Here is a view of the empty drawers before I customized them.


The top drawer is for my small earrings. Using pliers I removed all of the plastic prongs except for the ones I needed to support the dividers. This was very tedious work so I opted to abandon this technique for the other drawers. I used cardstock to create the dividers and fashioned the cushions out of scrap fabric - a sweater for plushness and linen for finish. The linen really works well because the open weave allows me to push my earring backs into the fabric to keep them straight and tidy.

The second drawer is for the gold and silver rings I don't frequently wear. I kept all of the plastic prongs but used unrolled cotton balls to create a padded infill. I'm not crazy about this technique, and I may redo it in the future, but it gets the job done for now.

The next three drawers hold my large collection of button rings. Again, I left all of the plastic prongs. I used more cardstock to make each divider to stand my rings up.

I still have four more empty drawers that can be filled with other accessories. My favorite thing about this project is that I can customize each drawer to suit the needs of my accessories but they still read as a cohesive unit from the outside. Another great thing was how cheap this project was. The storage case was only $8 and I did everything else with stuff I already had in my craft supplies.
I didn't break this down as a tutorial because the thrift store piece is one of a kind, but you can take the idea behind this project and apply it to any storage and organization project.
MY TIPS:
#1) Think outside the box. You would never guess lab equipment would make a good jewelry box so don't be afraid to spend some time digging through thrift stores, garage sales and antique shops.
#2) Use what you have laying around your home. Don't always feel like you need to buy a lot of stuff for a new project.
#3) Use items for something other than their intended purpose. Lunch bags as decorative paper? Sweaters and cotton balls as pillows? If you can make it work, go for it!

Living: Busy Weekend

Dear Readers, I feel like I have so much to do this weekend!

-Friday night the hubby and I are double dating with a couple we don't get to see much so I'm very much looking forward to that.
-Saturday afternoon I'm going to cheer on the Wolfpack with the hubby's family. It will be nice to get back in the football stadium after a long stretch of bye weeks and away games.
-Saturday night the hubby and I are having dinner with my Mom and step-dad to (belatedly) celebrate my birthday.
-Sunday afternoon I'm going with Morgan to help her shop for her wedding dress. I love, love, love wedding planning, and I have to say it's much more fun when it's somebody else's money!
-Somewhere in there I have to squeeze in a haricut, laundry and packing - we close in less than 2 weeks!
So what about you guys? Do you have big plans for the weekend?

Coveting: More Rugs

Damn you Apartment Therapy!* What I am experiencing right now is way beyond the normal amount of coveting that goes on over here.

I have been searching for the perfect rug with warm greys and hints of yellow. Just when I decided I couldn't afford a real rug and settled on this set of FLOR tiles...



... the helpful folks over at Apartment Therapy have to go and show me this...

... which then led to me wanting this...


... and this.

All three rugs are made by The Rug Company and they don't list any prices on their website, which is never a good sign. According to AT a 5'x7' owl rug would only set me back $3,285 or, to put it in terms I can really understand, over three months rent! As cute as that owl would be in a nursery - OK, who am I kidding I would put that in my living room** - it's never gonna happen. Because I have to buy stuff like food.

Stupid Apartment Therapy.

* OK, I don't really mean it. Please let me keep reading about DIY goodness and home organization.

**By now we all know how I feel about owls.

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