Painting

We painted our bedroom last Saturday. It used to be dark, dark, chocolate brown. I called it the dungeon, because it just could not get bright and light no matter how many lights were on. But now, I love, love, love, it. I still need to get a rug for the wood floor.

The room is really big. And it took forever to paint. Fortunately for us, my cousins and aunt and uncle were coming to stay the night with us following the jets/giants game and so we knew we would be staying up late waiting for them to arrive. We figured better to stay up late painting than just sitting around.

We started to realize how big a project this was and how long it was taking . . .

but traffic was terrible out of NY and they did not arrive until 2:30 in the morning. We did not finish until 2:15 in the morning -- so it was perfect timing!!!!!

Fire and Ice

One of my favorite poems is Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

SOME say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

After suffering these burns on my fingers, I think Fire would be worse. At least the ice that I had to keep sticking my fingers into only burned for 5 minutes or so and then turned it really numb. These photos are a week after the burn. They really hurt, STILL.

How did I do this???? Well, I bought a nice tea kettle for easily making my kids hot chocolate. It was whistling loud and I was pouring the water into their mugs and there was just a little water left and I just needed a little more so I was trying to get it all out when the lid came off and the boiling water poured over my fingers. I can't believe it. My mom's teapot doesn't even have a lid, because you fill it through the spout -- so with her's this could never have happened. But mine has a lid on top for filling and it comes off if you turn it over far enough. It was a tough lesson to learn.

The Kitchen Curtains, table runners and placemats

Here are the pictures of my latest sewing projects. I have really enjoyed doing them. It is nothing fancy but it was a lot of fun to have one color thread on top and one color thread in the bobbin!

The Headaches of Moving

I enjoy change. I like seeing new places, meeting new people, doing new things. Moving is a great way to do all those neat things . . . Unfortunately there are some headaches associated with moving. Here are just a sampling.

THE DMV -- or in Texas they call it the DPS -- there is just no way to describe the layers of frustration associated with waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting to get your license and register your cars -- Here are just a few of our waiting highlights.

• At the Norwalk DMV if you don't have a pen, you have to buy one!


• The Norwalk DMV is a cell phone dead zone -- Do you think they made it that way???? Knowing that you would have to sit for 4 or 5 hours?


• I was awaiting a fax from our insurance to arrive at the DMV. I would call the insurance co., they would fax it, I would ask the "fax manager" if it arrived, she would say no, I would call the insurance co., they would fax it, . . . etc, etc. I finally got so frustrated, I left, drove the 25 minutes home, had the insurance co. fax it to me and then drove back. When I got back there the fax manager had 16 copies of my insurance info!!!!!


• While Trent was there he read "John Adams", one of the employees noticed and asked him why he would waste his time reading that book when HBO just made a movie of it. Here is Trent's real response, "Well, there is a lot more in the book." Here is what Trent really wanted to say, "Well, people who don't read the books work at the DMV"


• When Trent went up for his eye test he was wearing his glasses. The inspector said, "Do you wear glasses or contact lenses to correct your vision?" Trent said, "What do you think these are??? (pointing to his glasses) The inspector said, "They might be a disguise." So I will now let all of you in on the big secret. Trent is Superman, If he takes off his glasses everyone would know so he wears them as part of his "DISGUISE"

Setting up services

• Let's just say I wish I had a dollar for every minute I have been on hold. It has now been 3 weeks and we still don't have television. We have had both satellite companies say they can and then they can't do satellite. It is aggravating. I have completely given up on Satellite and today cable is coming from 8 - 11 am to set up TV.
• It took these 3 weeks to get AT&T phone and Internet all going. Three technician calls, 2 different modems, all so we could bundle those with satellite and get a good deal.
• I am cancelling AT&T phone and Internet so I can bundle it all with cable otherwise cable TV will cost me a fortune.
• I just got a call from cable and they are running late -- they won't be here until 12:30
• It is now 5:10. My TV's are all hooked up!!!!! My Internet is all hooked up!!!! My phone is having issues. It will make calls, but only receive them on occasion. (Oh and I had to get a new phone number! I was just too cheap to pay to keep my 2 week old one so I will email all of you the new number as soon as it works to receive calls)
• All I have done all day is watch the technicians and keep the kids busy. AAAAGGGGGHHHH!

Redecorating 101: Bathroom version

For some reason, when decorating I like to start with the bathrooms. Probably because they are small rooms and towels and floor mats are not very expensive.
This is the main floor powder bath. I already had maroon towels and floor mats and in the photos (with a bright flash) they look like they are not quite the same color but the room is quite dark and without a camera flash it all appears to match quite well.

This is the upstairs main bathroom. It has white tile with navy inserts. I am going with pink and navy and added navy bows to the pink shower curtain.
The kids towels even work except for Adam's. So help me please Mom and embroider a new one for me with Navy thread! Thank you so much!

This is the master bathroom. I think I am going to change the towels to green because right now the blue doesn't look so great.


This bathroom is in the basement off of the guest room. It is really nice, but we sure wish it had a shower.
Here is the guest room just to remind you all to come and visit!!!!!

Random things

If I haven't been blogging, then what have I been doing . . .

Lots of things . . .

1. making freezer jam (since my kids won't eat regular jam)
2. entertaining children (since I still don't have TV)
3. organizing
4. organizing
5. organizing (you get the picture???)
6. redecorating (i deserve my very own HGTV special)

Here is one project. These barstools were left by the owner and they are soft and comfy and fit perfectly in the space, but I just didn't love them . . . so 5 cans of spray paint ($0.96 each) 2 yards of fabric found at Walmart ($4.49 per yard)

and $15 bucks later -- I have new barstools. I love them!!!!

What do you all think out there in the blogosphere? Do you like them better black? I also loved the fabric so much that I went back and bought enough for curtains. When they are done I will post them too!

The first day trip to NYC -- August 9, 2008