The End December 3, 2009

I’ve been blogging for nearly 5 years now and I have to say that I’ve mostly, really enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed getting to know people in the blogosphere and just writing. I have big grand thoughts of how to say this and I can’t really seem to put it all together except to say that I’m done. It just feels like the end, you know? It kind of stinks because I really like wordpress but I think that laying it down is what I’m supposed to do right now.

In the last couple of weeks I’ve read, and thought and even did a little creative writing thing just because I wanted to. I’ve enjoyed holding a book and dog-earing the pages. I’ve enjoyed holding and reading a newspaper without the distraction of seeing what everybody is doing at any moment. My head feels clearer- not completely clear, but clearer. I’m seeking balance and restoration and just being without thinking about whether or not an event is blog-worthy. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy reading about what you’re doing, I really do. And I still will read blogs, just less. Thanks for taking a peek into my little world and caring about what I have to say, it means a lot to me.

The End.

A Cold and a Grouchy Patooty November 18, 2009

I have a cold. It’s not earth-shatteringly awful but I hate colds. I feel ok for a bit, get up and do stuff and then lay back down. So tonight, as last night, Travis will have to take care of the girls, take care of me and maybe, possibly work on our bedroom. The upside is that I will most likely get to watch White Christmas. I got to watch Holiday Inn on Monday and Chloe loved it. I think she’ll love old movies the way I do.

And speaking of Chloe, she was the grouchiest, grouchy-grouch of all time yesterday. When I picked her up from school she yelled at Halle, then she cried when I reprimanded her. Then she cried because she was hungry, because she had a bad day at school, because she lost a paper, etc. And she made Halle cry too. It was at that moment that I briefly envied parents of boys. When we got home she slammed her bedroom door and threw a book which hit a plastic ship which landed on Halle’s head. More crying. So I fed her and put her to bed at 7:30 because she clearly needed it. She didn’t get to watch her favorite show of all time- The Biggest Loser- and she was bummed. But she woke up this morning at 6:45 of her own accord and giggled and chatted and made jokes, she was completely back to her usual cheerful self. I never want to see grouchy-hungry-tired Chloe again. I have to admit that I’ve gotten a bit lax about bed time because she seemed to be ok but looking back at it, I’d wondered why she was so grouchy with Halle and why they were fighting much more than usual. She likes to read after we put her to bed and she’ll read forever. Tonight and forever after, she’s going to bed at 8:30.

I have to go pick Chloe up from school and I really tried to figure out how I could not shower and wear my pajamas without scaring people and humiliating myself. No dice. So I’m going to throw a fleece jacket over my tank top and pick up the princess. Nothing screams style like a company fleece jacket- from a company I’ve never heard of. Travis just brought it home one day from work. So it’s my workout, take Chloe to school, couldn’t care less what I look like because it’s warm jacket. Then it’s back to the couch…

My Birthday in Pictures November 13, 2009

Ok, last paint picture (maybe). I just wanted to highlight the contrast between the two colors. Now on to my birthday.

 

 

 

Is this setup positively drool-worthy? We went to Rebecca’s Upholstery something or other in dtf and they had an upstairs. So Chloe and I had to go. I’d never been in there before and I loved it so much. The merchandise was great but even if it hadn’t been, I’d have still loved it with the hardwood floors, exposed brick walls and original windows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chloe posed for this one. I wish that I thought about trying harder to get her profile in the shot but it’s still sweet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was able to get a shot of the roof of the building across the street from the window. I’ve never been able to get a very good glimpse of it because I’m usually on the ground but I love it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got a ridiculous amount of stuff this year. That doesn’t usually happen.This year I got two watches which weren’t really birthday presents but were given to Amanda and me by my aunt. She used to sell Citizen watches but now she sells Rolex and couldn’t use these. Amanda didn’t like hers so she gave it to me. Nice. I also got two coffee pots because Travis didn’t coordinate with my parents. Which meant I had to choose. Which meant I had guilt. I kept the one Travis got me because we’d picked it out but my parents had looked for two weeks for the one they got me. I hate choosing in situations like that. And I got a coffee grinder- a nice one. And a CHI to keep my hair nice and straight. So I guess my birthday was kind of a big deal. Not that it isn’t usually but it seemed like a really big deal this year…and it was really nice. So I can keep my coffee habit in style, my hair in style, keep time really in style and I have yet to determine what to do with a gift card and cash.

So I think I could get used to this…

It’s My Party and I’ll Paint if I Want To November 12, 2009

It’s my birthday and my hubby is home making breakfast for me. Sweet, no? I decided yesterday morning that I wouldn’t wait one more day to tackle the living room (again) and I had a ridiculous amount of energy so I just did it. The living room had to be cleaned out anyway because my parents are coming today. See, all the stuff from my bedroom was plopped into the living room and I’ve been walking around a ton of stuff for nearly two months now. So just for funsies I did get a picture of that green. Fun, huh? But not for a master bedroom.

The “soothing” green Travis bought

So here’s the before- in a stone color. It was nice but dark and dinged up.

The stone color before

After

And here’s the after…Sandstone Cove. I really like it because it feel clean and it makes the living room feel bigger. Which is a big deal when the room is only 10×15. I had other pictures up but WordPress is glitchy too and I don’t feel like taking a bunch of time to fix it. I’m going to have breakfast with Trav and Halle (Chloe is at school and Amanda is asleep) then my parents are coming in. We’re going to have lunch at Merridee’s and walk around downtown Franklin. The weather is perfect- crisp and sunny. I think it’s going to be a great day.

Apple Down November 10, 2009

You’d have to be a Gilmore Girls fan to get that reference. I just bought apple green spray paint for my little computer desk and I that line keeps popping into my head. I’ve been a little paint crazy this week. I’ve got oil based primer for the cabinets, table and chairs, china cabinet, pantries, blah, blah, blahdie, blah. It’s too much to do I think before Thanksgiving without making me crazy. I have all the hardware and hinges for the cabinets though and I think the kitchen would look so much nicer with a few coats of paint. So what’s stopping me? A few things but mostly the fact that my drilling skills stink. I used it to drill pilot holes for the bamboo floor but I wasn’t as successful with hanging a curtain rod in the girls room or a towel bar in the bathroom. The girls curtain rod fell nearly a year ago and I haven’t tried to put it back up yet. What does drilling have to do with cabinets? The hardware, I have to drill holes for the new handles. Whoever added the current pulls put them in weird places and they aren’t all even and it bugs me. They also put pulls on the non-drawer in front of the sink. Which serves no purpose except to catch my belt loops and nearly make me curse. Little things like that bug me.

I did pick the paint color for the bedroom though and it’s…..blue. But it’s the perfect blue. It’s a lot softer and more grey than the kitchen- it’s actually what I wanted for the kitchen. And I also picked paint for the living room and (eventually) the kitchen. Yes, I realize that I’ve painted the kitchen twice and that it’s a nice color. But it’s just too much blue for me and I want the house color to flow better. Initially I picked a grey-ish color and I liked it ok, but at night it looked purple-ish. I can’t have an entire purple-ish room. And if I’m going to go through all the trouble to paint it two days before my birthday when my parents are coming in town, I’m going to like the color. So I picked Sandstone Cove, which you can find at Behr.com if you’re really, really curious. I didn’t even get a sample. They had one of those brochure things with it in a room and I liked it and bought a gallon. I’m not sure what comes over me sometimes.  I’m watching a big swatch of it dry on the walls though and I know I’m going to like it. It’s a lot lighter and I think it will brighten everything up. It’s been about 2 1/2 years since I painted and it really needed to be repainted anyway. And it’s written into my genetic code to constantly change things- so there you have it. The kitchen will have to be repainted at some point because when Travis replaces the doors to the rest of the bedrooms and bathroom it messes up the doorway and they have to be patched, sanded and painted. So it might be a while before I get to that. Although I did think of doing the wall that the cabinets are on in the retro avocado that he bought just for fun. I couldn’t take a whole room of it but I might like it on one wall. Plus it would be super easy to repaint when we sell or rent or whatever.

Now I’m waiting for that patch to dry to see if I’m going to have to prime even though I bought the super-ultra paint with the primer in it. I think I will because the living room is so dark and the new color is so light. I’m pretty picky and I’d rather do primer than have it look weird. I’ll let you know that later, now to tackle stuff….

Feelings, Paint, Pumpkins and a Recipe November 6, 2009

Feelings. Bleh. Sometimes I really just want to live without them. I am finding though that it’s better to be informed than to just be blindsided by them. I’ve dealt with this before, a lot actually, and it prepares you for dealing with grief but not completely. I forgot that I could be completely fine one minute and then as if a switch flipped, be back in the pit. *But* writing about paint and pumpkins and the weather helps. In days like this I have to focus on what’s going to help me to feel better. Today it’s blogging and working out and cleaning the living room. That last one was a surprise to me too.

A couple of nights ago Travis and I went on a coffee date. The air was crisp but not too cold and the moon was so big in the sky that it literally took my breath away. As in, I gasped when I saw it. Travis was driving and thought something was wrong but it was just that big. You know, that big huge moon that’s in movies sometimes. Anyway, we went to Starbuck’s and I got a pumpkin spice latte and an iced pumpkin scone. I have to admit that I don’t really expect much from Starbuck’s as far as their pastries are concerned. In the past they tasted like cheap, processed danishes that were slightly better than something you’d get out of a vending machine. That’s coming from the girl that likes Velveeta. But I’ve baked from scratch enough to know when something is really processed- plus I’ve seen the boxes they come in. Amanda has actually complained about the fact that they’ve recently taken out all the bad stuff- hydrogenated oils and all- that it doesn’t taste as good. I have to disagree with that though. This scone was actually pretty good. I even recommend it. I want another one. Then we walked around town and it was just beautiful. I made a comment about us living in Stars Hollow, the trees are a beautiful red and fallen leaves are scattered on the sidewalk. Fabulous.

Now to answer Mary’s question about whether or not the green would match her quilt- it wouldn’t. It most closely resembles the middle two colors of this paint swatch. I couldn’t find the actual Retro Avocado because the swatches for their Premium Plus Ultra paint (with the primer in it) has it’s own set of swatches which aren’t on the website. Unless I missed it somewhere. I took a picture of it but my camera couldn’t capture the true color. It would be ok for a piece of furniture- if it the finish wasn’t flat.

A few weeks ago I bought a tiny little Betty Crocker recipe book at Target in the dollar bin. It’s several recipes for fall baking and I made their pumpkin-cranberry muffins. They were a big hit here and so I’m going to share the recipe with you:

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat flour)

3/4 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 c. sweetened dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped pecans

coarse sugar for the top

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin cups with Pam or use baking cups

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir in pumpkin, oil, eggs cranberries and pecans just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle coarse sugar evenly over batter in each cup.

3. Bake 20-25 minutes. Serve warm. Yum!

I really, really liked them. And so did our friends kiddo. I was watching their kids so that they could take their newly adopted daughter to a really big doctor appointment. I haven’t posted anything about it because 1. it’s not my story and 2. there are lots of big posts about the whole process. I have felt really blessed to be a small part of their journey. Even if it’s just watching kiddos.

Now I’m off to workout. I’m not sure that I have the strength to push the pedals but I’m going to do my best. And I’m going to read a magazine- one of the three I’m subscribed to- and I’m going to try to dream about the future. All while living in today. Then maybe the kiddos and I will walk downtown again. That seems to make me really happy.

 

Blue? Green? Blue. Green. Grey? November 5, 2009

Our master bedroom in in the final sanding stages and we’re nearly to the point of painting…yippee! Or rather, Travis is nearly to the point of painting. The only thing that I have to do in this project is pick out a paint color. Initially he picked out a color but he’s never actually picked a paint color out of all the paint color choices available. He picked the kitchen paint color out of a couple of different swatches I handed him. This time it was completely different since I was out of town when he picked it. He knows I love green and he tried to match the bedskirt from our comforter set. What he picked was “retro avocado” and I tried, really tried, to like it. I was ok with it as long as I wasn’t mad at him. So a volatile green probably wasn’t the best choice. I called it vomitous green and baby poop at different points so I’m picking a new color. Unfortunately since he’s a novice paint picker he bought a whole gallon of the stuff which I’m going to have to give away or figure out something to do with it.

Oh, right, this is what our bedroom looks like now. The plan is to paint and to buy a white down comforter. Or down-ish or whatever they fill those things with. I like white because it looks clean and because I can stuff it in whatever duvet cover I choose down the road without it showing through. Because I get bored very easily. I blame my mother for that. I mean, I must get my creative genes from my mother and that’s why I get bored easily. So a color. I love blue. I nearly always pick blue out of a lineup but I have a LOT of blue in my house. And even though I’ve painted the kitchen twice, I’m still not happy with the color. It isn’t that I don’t like it, I do, but there’s so.much.of.it. I don’t really like the flow of colors and I’d like to change it. The living room is a nice stone color with green undertones. The accents are all a cool blue and blue in the kitchen so add blue to the bedroom and you have a swimming pool. Kidding. The room colors that I like the most are the stone in the living room and the pale green in the bathroom. It makes me wonder if I should make the majority of the house a stone color and paint the rooms in shades I really like. I have found that I really like pumpkin, the fruit and the shade. But there isn’t a room in my house that’s big enough for a color like that. Look at this homeowner’s use of pumpkin in their living room and bathroom. I like it but I don’t think I’d put it in a bathroom.

You may have seen this color quiz floating around the internet lately. My results are here and I think it reflects what I want our house to be but not so sure about those colors. I should probably sit down and write it out. I think that if I could change the color of the kitchen and hallway, then I’d choose blue for the bedroom. If not I’m leaning toward green. Except that it’s possible that we’re going to have an extra room in the not too distant future. I won’t say too much about that until it’s finalized but I know for sure that my exercise bike will be evicted from our bedroom as soon as that happens. That room might end up being retro avocado though.

So what do you think? You know I’m posting this to get your opinions, right? I figure that since home prices have tanked (yes, even in *Franklin*- gasp!) we’ll be in this house for quite a while and I want to be happy with it. Even if I don’t feel like painting. Not the least, tiny, itty-bitty bit.

Getting My Ducks, er Turkey, In a Row November 3, 2009

Thanksgiving. It’s a holiday that we almost always travel to my parents house. Three years ago we stayed home because my parents went to my brother’s house and one year they came here but other than that we’ve traveled. Well, in light of everything that’s happened in the last couple of months we’ve realized our need for stability and I’ve expressed my desire to establish our own traditions for holidays. So we decided to stay home for the big holidays for the forseeable future. The down side is that I’m really going to miss my family. The upside is that my brother’s family (7) and my family (5) won’t be jammed into my parents house, sharing one bathroom. And in reality the family dynamic is warm and fuzzy in my thoughts but there’s a reason that the National Lampoon movies are so successful- everybody has a cousin Eddy in their family. Christmas Vacation is one of my favorite movies (although I’ve realized that I can’t watch it with the kiddos around) but it’s funny because I can relate to it. Of course I totally reserve the right to completely change my mind next year… 

The agenda is to have Thanksgiving on our own schedule which means that I get to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade. I don’t usually sit and watch the whole thing but I do like to watch some of it and so do the kids. Sometimes I wonder if I was dropped on my parents doorstep because that’s just one of the many things I like to do that nobody else does. Plus I get to (somewhat) flex my creative muscles in the kitchen. Perhaps a spatchcocked Turkey this year? I do know that I’ll have to make broccoli casserole and using Velveeta in anything pretty much takes away any foodie points I might have earned. Amanda couldn’t possibly live if I didn’t make it and if I’m going to be completely honest, I like Velveeta. I know, but I was raised on it and I ate a Velveeta and Miracle Whip sandwich every single day in the first grade. Yummo- I know. So, ok, my palette isn’t completely refined. But I do want to make at least a couple of new things, even if it’s just dessert. But realistically I can’t go crazy and make tons of food because 1. We’ll never eat that much and 2. I very little space for leftovers. I do have a plan for leftover turkey though. The day after Thanksgiving we’re planning on skipping the black Friday experience and intend to go hiking instead. I don’t like shopping when you’re shoulder to shoulder with people, I love hiking, I love waterfalls and leftover turkey sandwiches sounds fabulous. I can’t really think of a better way to spend the day. Unless it rains. Then I’d better think of a better way to spend the day. 

And to wrap-up Halloween…here’s Princess Lolly. I have to hand it to Amanda, she always comes up with something creative and fantastic. This year she and her friend Janae (the two of them are affectionately referred to as ”Jamanda”) were Queen Frostine and the aforementioned Princess Lolly. Last year they were Captain Hook and Tinker Bell. This year she attached lollipops to tulle and put that all over her dress. The funny thing was that her body heat made the lollipops melt and drip down her dress a bit. It made me laugh.  

Princess Lolly made a Starbuck's run

I have to admit that I don’t put in the effort to think about costumes that much. They’re expensive and I don’t sew very well and it’s just not a motivation. But it’s really important to Chloe. She wanted to really, really, for real trick-or-treat this year and I wanted to go downtown. So we hit the pumpkinfest, a bit late, then headed to the houses for trick-or-treating. Along with a lot of other people. Since the kids hadn’t really experienced anything other than church festivals and the mall it was a bit overwhelming to them- especially Chloe. The home owners had done it up right, with spooky music and costumes and themes and dark tunnels…and Chloe begged to go to the mall. There were a lot of really scary masks that made her hide her face and skip houses. Oh, and the pumpkin house? Scary. Travis checked it out and it was a no-go. So we took our (freezing) sweet, scared cheerleader and snow princess (I know she looks like Santa Claus but she says she’s a snow princess, so she’s a snow princess) to the mall.

I love my stubborn sweet Chloe who desperately didn’t want to wear a jacket even though it was in the 50’s. She told me that she wouldn’t be cold because she had Cuban blood and I told her that her Cuban blood would freeze. She froze. But she was happy and really wanted to show off her costume.

I really had so much fun. It was great to be with Travis and the girls and even though Chloe doesn’t want to trick-or-treat next year (I fear I’ve scarred her) I think it was still a great day.

Halloween Downtown Franklin Style October 30, 2009

It’s been a fanstastic week and in the spirit of the holiday I thought I’d show you a couple of houses that celebrate in a really big way. And I thought I’d experiment with making the pictures bigger. Unfortunately these seem huge while the medium pictures are very small. Um, the big pictures don’t fit- bummer.

This particular house I’ve wanted to show a picture of for a really long time because of it’s rounded purple door. I love doors that aren’t the normal rectangular shape and purple is just out of the ordinary. Not that I’d have a purple door but it does make me look every time I pass by. And when I drove by yesterday they were building a big platform contraption that was spitting out “smoke”, I’m really curious as to what they’re doing with that.

Do you remember this house? I did and Open House Tuesday featuring this one over a year ago. It’s still for sale with the same realtor and the virtual tour is still up which is still thoroughly enjoyable for gawking. I don’t think they’ve lowered the price though and I’ve noticed that prices here have really taken a tumble since then. But this is about Halloween, right?

 

This house is actually so big that I couldn’t get a picture of the whole thing even when I went out into the street a bit. It doesn’t look as large as it is, even when you’re standing in front of it. But they do it up quite a bit for the holidays. I noticed for Halloween and Christmas last year they had a professional company decorate it for them.

So that was all for funsies and I hope you enjoyed it.  I think I want to do a lot more fun posts soon. This new WordPress thing has been very inspiring, I’m really glad I moved.

The Most Fabulous Day October 28, 2009

I had the most wonderful day in recent memory on Monday. I picked Chloe up from school and decided that we wouldn’t go straight home but would do something I’ve wanted to do since we moved here- walk on Main Street and take pictures. The leaves are really fantastic right now and the weather was perfect, cool and dry, and I was having a fantastic hair day. So off we went.

The first stop was the Green-Moore house. I can’t imagine living in a Victorian house but it’s wonderful for pictures. Most of the historical homes have these plaques in front that tell you when the house was built and I presume the names of the people that built it. One day I’d like to find out if I’m right about that.

Green-Moore House 1896

This is the leafy mess that made me decide to do this. We don’t have any trees like this in our yard and I knew the girls would love it…and they did. There were squeals and giggles and throwing leaves in the air. It really was just what I needed to clear my head. I felt so very happy- I’m going to do it again soon.

Looking Up

And the funny house. It probably has a real name but I look for it with every changing season or holiday. The owner(s) really take pride in dressing it up.

The Funny House

It’s really cute but I think I might be a little creeped out with all of the dolls and things on the front porch.

They even invite you into their pumpkin house. It’s up all the time during Halloween but we’ve never been in there. Mostly because I can’t imagine just walking into someone’s garage and also because I have no idea what’s in there. I see lots of kids going in and out of there on Halloween night so it’s probably fine.

Actually Main Street is a pretty popular place to Trick or Treat. The street is lined with cars and there are kids everywhere. Last year one of the houses had a screen set up and they were playing The Munsters. That made me want to stop. That’s what I’m thinking of doing with the kids this year. We usually take them to the mall and they get about 5 pieces of candy- which is all I want them to have- but it’s not as much fun. I don’t think I have Travis sold on the idea yet though. 

My Favorite Tree

 This is my favorite tree. I look for it every single year because the leaves are so brilliant. It’s on the corner of a really busy intersection and the top has been a bit mangled by the electric company (the threat of ice and snapping lines and all) but I still think it’s beautiful. The owners have ivy covering the trunk and I think it’s beautiful.

There was lots more fun that day. We walked to the shops and ran into people selling Shih Tzus on the street. They were so completely gorgeous and have made me rethink getting a Westie.

Heyday Gifts in Franklin

The shopping didn’t last all that long because it’s not nearly as much fun as just walking. Not with girls that want to touch *everything*. So we made our way back and talked about all the other things we want to see and do- like buy a Shih Tzu. And play in the leaves. It was so fabulous. It really was the most fabulous day.

The end of our trip