Monday Mentionable's

Here we are on the second installment of 'Monday Mentionable's' and it's a body care item.  I have been buying this for about a decade (maybe more) and love it.  It is a body lotion called Shea Butter & Sesame Oil Body Balm:

As you can see it is from The Body Shop, from their Spa Wisdom line.  I adore it.  It really moisturizes your skin and leaves you feeling silky soft.  I received this lotion as a gift oh, so many years ago, and fell in love the first time I used it.  I have since gifted it to others and also have my children using it.  It is definitely a staple in our house, especially in these cold, skin-drying months.  

Speaking of dry skin and sesame oil (we were, weren't we?) I also highly recommend slathering sesame oil all over your body before you get in the shower.  Talk about soft skin... oh boy.  I learned this from Ayurveda and although I am not a strict abider I do love some of their teachings and get my sesame oil from an Ayurvedic site.  What I used to do, and need to get back in the habit of doing it, was massage sesame oil onto my skin before my shower and then when I got out of the shower I would put the above lotion on my body.  My skin has never been softer then when I did that.  I need to get back into it now that the weather has gotten colder.  

Happy moisturizing!

Monday Mentionable's

Welcome to the first edition of 'Monday Mentionable's' (cue nightly news music)

My first item was a gift from my sister-in-law.  It is a wonderful body oil from Sabon.

The scent I have is Amber, which I don't think they make anymore, but they have a nice selection of fragrances from which to choose.  It's a lovely, non-greasy, body oil that I spray on after the shower.  I usually just spray it on my arms and gently rub it in.  I think I would like to try the 'Patchouli Lavender Vanilla' next (hint hint).

Here is the current design of the bottles, a little different from the one I have:

I hope this finds its way into your stocking this year, or maybe it's the perfect gift to give to that special someone....

Enjoy~

'Tis the Season...

Since we are all, most likely, in the gift giving state of mind I thought I would share a few items that I enjoy.  Things I have liked to receive and give.

Stay tuned for 'Monday Mentionable's'

Ta Da!

I chose "Bold Brick" by Sherwin Williams for the door.  It's growing on me.  It's not the color I was picturing in my head.  I think it has a bit too much coral in it instead of reddish/brown.  But, none the less, it is growing on me and I love it more and more each day.  As much as you can love your front door that is...

We still have the lighting to install and some landscaping to do.  I have the exterior lights picked out from this site and am 90% sure on the interior foyer light.

As for the landscaping I want to do a pea-gravel walkway and add a few boxwoods around the deck. The planting will probably wait until Spring as it got very cold over the last week and planting now would probably not be a good idea.  Hopefully we can get the pea-gravel walkway in though.

The 'wrapping up' process at the end of a project always seems to take the longest, but it will be worth it in the end.  I like to really take my time with things to make sure I am making the correct decision.
What do you think?  Have I been making correct decisions?

Update (for those of you holding your breath)

The front door project is almost done!  Almost...

The deck is finished.  Here is a photo of the framing:

The painters are here today painting the front door and staining the new siding.  Not sure if they'll get to the deck today, but it should only take them a couple of days to finish the job.  Then, it's the electrician's turn to come out and hang the fixtures.  Cannot wait for this to be done!!  

Door Update

The siding went up around the door and where the door was, but is no longer.  

We are working on the deck right now, and once that is done we will paint the siding and the door.  

(I use the word 'we' very loosely here...)

Where the door is not, but once was.  Sometimes the dog forgets...

The front door will be one of these colors.  Please try to contain your excitement!

Sunflowers

My daughter wanted a sunflower garden.  I am so glad I complied, it has been so lovely sitting in the living room and seeing these beauties out the window:

The Door

...is in.  

Hurrah!

Here's a look:

The only thing I don't like about this picture is the guy seems to be holding up a piece of wood and scratching his head.  I certainly hope the roof doesn't cave in once the job's done.  If so, I will submit this photo into evidence.  Exhibit A.

Once the workers left for the day things like this started to happen:

and this...

I wish I could say it stopped here...

...but, it just got sillier and sillier...

If you have young children then you have probably seen the movie, 'Ramona and Beezus'.  

Thanks, Ramona, for the inspiration.  

Something's different...

Construction is underway on the foyer area.  We cleared everything out and it looked like this:

We cleared some landscaping in the front and it looked like this:

The original front door is to the right of the glass.  There is a little porch area there.  

And then I went to bed.  

I woke up, ate my breakfast, went outside and the front of my house looked like this:

and the inside looked like this:

They hung a blue tarp up so the whole living room had a blue hue.  It was fun just seeing the shadows of the workers going up and down their ladders.  Like a peep-show... or not... anyway....

They were very careful removing all the glass, and I think it was a much easier job than they had anticipated.  They only shattered one piece and I am still finding little shards on the ground in front of the house.  However, I know that there will be a deck/porch going up over it soon enough so I am not too worried about picking up every single piece (that would be impossible).  I just make sure that the kiddie winkles and their friends always keep their shoes on when they are playing out front.  

Remember the time it took me 3 years to pick out a front door?

Good times...

What I've been working on lately is my foyer area.  And by 'working on' I mean thinking about.  I haven't actually done any physical labor, just a lot of mental anguish.  Do you know it's really hard to choose a front door?  You didn't?  Well, take my word for it.  It's hard y'all.
I know you love it when I talk country!

So, here is what my foyer looks like:

Glass, glass, everywhere.  It is pretty, and lets in a lot of natural light, but when it's hot it burns up like a greenhouse inside. Also, the build-up of condensation on the glass means that the seals are blown on the windows.  And, when the seals are blown on your windows it means that you might as well open the front door and throw money out into the yard.  It's not very energy efficient.  Knowing this we called some window guys and they gave us an estimate to replace the windows.  And, then we thought, do we really just want to replace the windows?  What if we changed the configuration of the whole foyer?!?  So crazy it just might work. (name that movie)
And, by the way, when I say 'we' I mean 'I'.  I just like to say 'we' to give the appearance that my husband was involved.  I'm magnanimous.
BAM!  Every once in a while I'm going to throw out an SAT word.  Be prepared people.  My blog is high brow.

So, then I sat and thought for a year about different configurations of windows and doors.  We called some different guys out to give us another estimate and then I sat and thought about it for another year.  Then, I called the guys back and said, I think I know what I want so let's get this show on the road.
What I am going to do is move the front door from the side to the actual front of the house and I am going to close up the ceiling.  Windows on the ceiling just boil the place up, so glass is coming out and drywall is going up.  I still want to keep the light and airy feel that lets in a lot of natural light so I ordered 8ft doors that are mostly glass.  Now all we have to do is wait for permits and the door to come in and then hopefully the boys will knock it out and build it back up in no time.  That's how construction usually works, right?

I'm coming back

sung to the tune of 'I'm Coming Out' by Diana Ross

I promise...

Laundry Area

As some of you may remember my word for the year is ORGANIZE.  My goal was to set the timer and work for an hour in a certain area of my house.  Let me tell you, it is amazing what you can get done in an hour.

A.MAY.ZING.

One of the areas I thought I would share with you today is my laundry area.  I do not have a laundry room.  Our washer and dryer are in the basement, just up against the wall.  Under arrest as I like to say.  Have you noticed that a lot of people have their furniture under arrest?  As in, "up against the wall and spread 'em".  

Anyhoo, my laundry area is right at the bottom of the basement steps.  It's just a washer, dryer with the wash basin and a shelf above it all.  The unorganized area was the shelf.  It holds my detergent and miscellany laundry needs, but over time has just become a catch-all.  

Without further ado, here is a before:

I'm embarrassed to say that most of it was empty stuff that just needed to be tossed in the recycle bucket.  I tossed what was empty, took the shelf down, washed it off and put it back in place with everything nice and orderly.  

After:

my favorite detergent:

I do enjoy some oxygen bleach:

I got this jar a few years ago for my oxygen bleach.  I believe I got it at the Container Store, but I could be wrong.  (It happens every once in a while).  

I love the Mrs. Meyers and Method product lines.  Mrs. Meyers has a wonderful oxygen bleach, but I don't know if they make it anymore.  I haven't been able to find it in a while.  *sob*

Recently I just picked up some Oxy Clean, but it doesn't smell as good as Mrs. Meyers.  

I keep a little scoop in it

and it works very well for me.  

I also have a little dish for the coins and buttons that you inevitably find whilst doing laundry

And there you have it.  An hour of my day not gone to waste.  

Happy Organizing!

Ice Ice Baby

My in-laws live in a town where they have festivals, and art shows, and all kinds of wonderful things.  Why we don't live there I still haven't quite figured out.
Every year, on New Year's Eve, they have a 'festival' called "First Night".  Although, since it's New Year's Eve shouldn't it be called "Last Night"?  When we move to that town I will bring it up with the board.  But, in the meantime, First Night has ice sculptures.  All over the place.  Companies sponsor an ice sculpture and put it in front of their office and there is also a little park where ice sculptures are out to be perused.  It's like a little art show for ice.  Very lovely.  There is also someone selling hot chocolate and hot apple cider and kettle corn...  it's quite quaint.  (say that 3 times fast)

Can you guess which company sponsored this sculpture:

 Yep, the plumber.

Oh, and in the past, there is usually snow on the ground and people are wearing their snow boots and are all bundled up.  This year?  Not so much.  Global warming?  All the ice sculptures were on green grass and causing quite a muddy mess...

This guy was not quite finished his masterpiece

A T-Rex

This guy was busy working on something as well.

 Looks like it's going to be a pair of eskimos in front of an igloo.

Sculpting is amazing.  Any form.  Whether your medium is ice or clay or marble.  It is just amazing to me how someone can see nothing and another person something incredible.  

Deja Vu all over again

I know I have written this post before, it seems so familiar to me.  We've all played this game.  It's (drum roll please...) WHAT'S YOUR WORD?

I haven't posted in so long, it may well have been the last post you read...

I don't do resolutions.  Instead of resolutions I do a word for the year.  I have been doing this for the past few years and I really enjoy it.  I try to think of that word everyday and meditate with it and bring it into my prayers.

This year I am mixing things up a little bit.  My word is a resolution as well.  Say whaaaa??  Gotta pay attention on this here blog.  Didn't I just say that I don't do resolutions?  Well, this year, my word is my resolution.  So there.  Nanny nanny poo poo.

My word is my bond.  What's that from and why did it just pop into my head?

Without further ado, my word for 2012 is

ORGANISE
or,
ORGANIZE

depending on where you live.  The meaning is the same though...get yer shizz in order!

So, I am going to dedicate an hour a day (is that too much?  too little?) to organization.  I need to organize my time, so it may just mean I get an hour to myself some days.  I can sit around and scratch my armpits.  I also need to organize my bedroom and the toy closet, so I see a lot of laundry folding and board game stacking in my future.  Who knows, I may even post a few before and after shots.  I know you all are dying to see a photo of my armpit post scratch.

Huh?  What?

But, whatever the organizational challenge I will accomplish (a previous year's word) it and, in the long run, be able to spend quality time with my family (last year's word).

Here's to you!  Let's organize the shizz out of 2012.