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.

Precarious Eggs

Whilst outside enjoying the unseasonably warm weather my son called to me to come look at something cool he had found.  This always makes me nervous.  The great outdoors can have numerous 'cool' things that make me want to vomit.  It's true.  So, I took a deep breath and steeled myself for the worse and walked over to my son.  What I saw was amazing.

I presume they are spider eggs.

Hanging from a tight rope.

As much as I hate when I unsuspectingly walk through a sticky web I think webs are amazing and beautiful.  And, now, these egg sacs hanging from a thread (a very sturdy thread) just add to my amazement of spiders and the things they can do.

This is 'cool'

I stood out in the snow and cried

It's snowing here in the northeast.  Who's been dreaming of a white Halloween?  Which one of you was it?  Well, it's come true.

Pumpkin seeds roasting on an open fire...

Doesn't have quite the same ring to it, eh?

The snow will probably all be gone by tomorrow, but it is beautiful to look at.  I love the snow.  I love watching it fall.  It is very soothing.  Like watching fish swim, or horses graze out in the fields, or sun shining on your face.  Yes, watching snow fall makes me smile, just as much as that first sun-shiny day after a bitter cold winter.  Is it because I am a gemini?  I like winter and summer.  Fall and spring.  Snow and sunshine.

Today was a grey, miserable day.  It rained all day long.  We spent our day running errands and dodging raindrops and loafing on the sofa watching TV.  Maybe it wasn't so grey and miserable.  But, in terms of weather, it was grey and miserable.  And then, just a few minutes ago I looked out and saw snow.  Actual snow flakes falling from the sky.  It was magical.  I ran outside and looked up.  It was beautiful.  And, then I looked over at Hoss' tree.  Yes, he has a tree.  Or, had...  He passed away a few weeks ago.  I miss him every day.  I look at Hoss' tree and it makes me smile and cry at the same time.  I guess that is the definition of bittersweet.  Whenever Hoss was out back and wanted to relax he could always be found lounging under his tree.  I think he liked the shade of it on a warmer day and the soft buzzing of bees gathering pollen was probably soothing to him.

As I looked up in the sky and watched the snow flakes come down and felt the coldness of them melt on my face and land on my hair... in that moment I knew Hoss was in heaven.  Who else would be sending me down gorgeous snow flakes this early in the season?  Hoss was hanging out with St. Francis and was thinking of us.  He wanted to let us know that that he was thinking of us.  I felt him all around me.

Snow was Hoss' absolute favorite.  Just as much as he liked to lounge outside under his tree on a sunny day he loved to lie outside in a blizzard and chill.  Hoss was the king of chillaxing.

We could all learn a thing or two from a St. Bernard.

I anticipate this winter being quite a bittersweet one.  And, so, I stood out in the snow, turned my face up to the falling snowflakes, and cried.


I love you my darling.

I miss you.