Master Bathroom, Done!

I finished up the bathroom, and I love how it turned out. It's a nice robin's egg blue with ivory and brown accents. The two new glass shelves I installed in place of the giant oak-like cabinet look much cleaner and neater. I'm quite pleased with the result. It just wish I could take a picture that would show the cute linen curtain I made for the entire effect.

Sister Fun

Yesterday Kati and Ryan came to visit the split level, along with puppy Maia. It was our going away party for them before they leave for the move to Arizona. They arrived for lunch, and we had a nice afternoon of making cookies and playing Wii. Here's a few pictures.

If you didn't know it, dogs love candy cigarettes. Well, so do I for that matter. Christmas card picture? Vanilla Bean Counter was having a squinty picture day. That hasn't happened for a long time. She had been doing so well.Also, temporary tattoos are very fun. Can you guess whose is temporary and whose is real? (That's my knee, by the way, and yes, they are left-over from Halloween.)
Joshua made his delicious cookies after a few beverages. His rows on the cookie sheet were a little disorganized.Fun day had by all. We'll miss those kids but will see them again at Christmas. It's just around the corner.

I'm Being Watched

Well, really the entire Northgate subdivision, so not that creepy. Mr. Erickson (the kindly, if not nosy, old Swedish gentleman) came over today as I was hauling a bunch of 14 x 14 inch concrete stepping stones to my garage from the back yard. The old owners just left them under the deck, which looked junky. So, I'm working away when Mr. Erickson came over with a dolly. This was very nice, but I couldn't help but be a little embarassed, as I was sweating like crazy, no bra in a strappy top, too big shorts, crazy hair, and dirty all over. Whatever. The dolly made the job much shorter, and now I know if I'm ever being robbed, Mr. Erickson will be over to investigate in no time. I'm choosing to be comforted rather than annoyed by how informed he stays of his neighbors actions.

Happy Birthday Jenny!

Today was my sister-in-law's 10th birthday, and Joshua and I decided to put forth the effort to drive to Springfield to help her celebrate. The evening included Sam's chicken (always delicious) cake and ice cream, and bowling. This is a pretty typical evening at my in-laws, and it was so fun hanging out. Although the minor chaos makes me love my own peaceful home, it's fun to be a part of the crazy fun sometimes. Here are a few pictures from the evening.I bowled pretty well the first game, but then was tired of serious play, so I started free-style bowling. Pretty fun. Jenny joined right in.
Yes, that is glitter paint in my hair (hard to see). My nails were covered in glitter polish as well. (Both were gifts for the birthday girl that she insisted on sharing with her guests.) I was never allowed to wear this sort of thing growing up, so it was quite fun to do it tonight for the festivities. Overall, a great night. We're so glad we made the drive.

Our Bed and Breakfast

This weekend was the fifth in a row that Joshua and I have hosted guests, making us feel like quite the bed and breakfast owners. We have a good time hosting friends. I like it because it's so much easier staying at my own home rather than packing up an overnight bag and driving a couple hours to be trapped, I mean stay, at others' homes. I love seeing friends, but it's nice being able to do my own thing when I'm tired of group activities. Accomplishments for this weekend include some landscaping and painting.

All of the landscaping from the last owners is really overgrown, with the back yard having nothing at all, and the rest with a mismatched assortment of edging. The end goal for me is to have a tidy, low-maintenance, unified yard. This weekend I took care of some junk under the deck and made that look quite neat. This involved moving some rock and taking down two old hose holders mounted in random places.

My painting project was in the master bath. It's a small bathroom with a pedestal sink (no storage!) and a dated oak medicine cabinet and over-the-toilet cabinet. Today I painted the medicine cabinet white for a cleaner look, and now I'm pondering something functional but less obtrusive for over the toilet. Painting that cabinet was liberating. I know the last owners loved oak and loved that bathroom, but it's mine now, and I can do what I want! How fun. I hope to have the project completed by the end of the week. I'll post pictures when it's done.

Success!

After a very long road toward home ownership, we finally closed on the house this morning. We love our new home, and we're so excited. Time to work on putting some color into this stark split level. Guests, get ready to choose your own adventure when you come to visit. Will you choose up or down? The choice is entirely yours.

Fun Fourth

Usually I'm not the biggest celebrator of the fourth. I'm patriotic enough, but people playing with fireworks scares me. However, this year my favorite niece puppy turned one on Independence Day, and it just so happens that Kati and Ryan's birthday are in the first week of July, too, so there was lots to celebrate this weekend. We had a nice party at Jon G's today. Everyone got along, Maia was quite entertaining, and the weather was beautiful. I even got Kati to agree to start a blog to document her adventures in Arizona beginning at the end of the month. Things couldn't have gone better. Little Maia posing with a clown wig to be added to the family picture from Circus World for Mom's Christmas card later this year. She would not agree to wear it, but you can't stay upset with her. She's just too cute.

Now That's a Sexy Mermaid!

Here's my most recent custom order through my etsy store. This name banner was designed to coordinate with the bedding in Morgan's room. I'm not sure it's what I would pick for my daughter, but it was fun to stitch. It's also my first attempt at stitching a face. Until now I've kept to animals and objects without such intricate details.

Here's the inspiration fabric. Notice the underboob. I avoided that in my representation.Here's the finished banner.