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These look divine. I’m a sucker for chocolate and peanut butter.
I could probably just collect iPhone cases, and these are fun.
This constellation jar DIY is just what I need for a rainy day activity this summer.
This piece is perfect. Not sure where I would put it if I bought it, but I love it.
Unbelievable bathroom transformation.
I just painted my hallway and part of my entry in this great Smokey Taupe by Benjamin Moore. I love how clean my walls are when the paint goes on, and I love how much “richer” everything seems.
I love how warm it is on the walls – perfect mix of grays and beige. I chose this color because it was 2 chips deeper than the Winds Breath by Benjamin Moore that I put in the living room. You can see the line I left on the wall and the difference. Mike and I have a date to paint our 2-story entry and that line will go away soon. That’s going to be a fun date.
I always kind of know how I want my house to look, but it seems like when it comes to picking a color, it is tough to find just the right shade of whatever color I’ve decided on. The best way to choose a color, in my opinion, is to see it in person in a room – a recommendation from someone with similar taste. This is how Woodlawn Blue came to be in several of our houses. Jenni recommended it – hopefully she’s not sorry. The second best way to choose a color is to see it in a room in a magazine or book or even sometimes online. I love the Pottery Barn catalog for this reason. I have chosen many of my colors because of how they looked in the pages of their catalog.
So, even when you pick a color, how do you decide whether or not it is right for your room? I like to paint large swatches all over my walls – then I’m really committed. Some are not so brave (or crazy) as me, and for them here is what I suggest.
Jessica was trying to decide on a color, but didn’t want different swatches all over her wall – just in case she didn’t paint right away. We had it narrowed down to 2 colors, so we took a piece of drywall and painted one side in one color and the other side (even though it was brown paper) in the other color. She was able to try both colors in her room, in different areas with different light, without the huge commitment. In her case, it helped her choose and really get excited about a color. We are actually going to paint it this week.
Did I tell you how much I love to paint? The main floor half-bath is next. The remaining wallpaper is going away tomorrow. Hooray.
Besides training for a Half-Marathon, where have I been? I really do like projects and I love to blog, but when I am missing here, I am usually busy working on something here. Check it out.
I have had a goal for 3 years. I am hesitant to call myself a runner because it is a fairly new thing for me. But, I always felt if I could run a half-marathon in under 2 hours, I would be a real runner (reminiscent of Pinocchio?).
I had a great training schedule and did most of the long mileage training on my own which required a large amount of perseverance. Every time I ran in tough weather (sleet and snow once or twice), or with aching joints or low iron I told myself that if I could push through the hard days I could do anything. And, I had some really good runs with some really good times. . . . until 2 weeks ago when I got sick and anemic and injured my ankle somehow.
So, what happened next? Doubt and fear and humiliation. I know, I’m a little on the dramatic side. I just could not handle coming across the finish line past the 2-hour mark one more year. Up until Friday, I was pretty discouraged. And then my biggest cheerleader (Mike, of course), took some time off to go downtown with me and pick up my packet and give me a pep talk. I took some ibuprofen and relaxed a little and pulled myself together.
So, here’s what I learned . . .
Insanity – This was the best pre-training program I could’ve done. My cardiovascular capacity increased and my lower body strength got a lot stronger. And, it taught me to “dig deeper”, as Shaun T would say.
My strengths – I charge the hills . . . I was always amazed at how many people I passed going uphill. That’s just my personality – if it’s tough, get it over with.
I can do hard things. A very wise Bishop taught my daughter that, and I think it applies to me.
Preparation is everything. Sticking to my schedule and being focused on my goal made it happen.
Friends can make all of the difference. A good friend and her daughter showed up in my last couple of miles when I was starting to feel a little despair. Sometimes all you need is a little support to help you endure.
Race Stats:
Chip time – 1:59:18
Division Placing – 24/100 Female Runners, Age 40-44
153/671 All Female Runners
300/921 Overall
This was my not-so-pretty ironing board. After all, it’s just an ironing board. And, I’m not much of an ironing-person. But, when my husband says it’s time for an overhaul, it might be time. This one’s for you, Mike.
Mom gave me this ironing board when I moved into my own apartment. I think she got it when I was small.
Brand new. My paint assistant, Gabi, scrubbed it and then painted it in Krylon Smoke Gray.
I found a great tutorial on making the cover here. Easy Peasy.
I love this fabric by Suburban Home. It’s called Because Yellow.
My new ironing board inspired me so much, I thoroughly cleaned the laundry room, including scraping off 2 years of paint splatters in my utility sink. Man, that felt good.
Fabulous tutorial on making a lace lamp shade.
These are very cool – wind up butterflies – great summer project.
This tutorial makes these chocolate cups look so easy to make.
Frosting on cupcakes tutorial.
We haven’t really eaten beets. I’ve had them, maybe twice in my life. My kids, never.
But, they were in the basket, so they must be used.
Roasted Beet and Potato Soup. It was actually really good. Nobody can bring themselves to eat the leftovers, but it was a good soup – especially if you like pureed ones. I, myself, prefer a good chunky soup or stew.
But, if you love beets, it was very tasty.
As has been mentioned before, I am not a great gardener. I do not love to be in the yard, although I may have short bursts of energy toward improving it. But, I do like my yard to look nice. So, when the boxwoods in front of my living room window died last year, I decided it was time to start over. But, what to plant?
My friend who is a fabulous gardener/landscaper came across an idea to photograph the bed in question several times during the day so you could figure out what best would thrive there, by analyzing the amount of sun the bed received.
9:30am 10:30am 11:30am
12:30pm 1:30pm 2:30pm
3:30pm 4:30pm 6:00pm
Very Interesting. I thought I had a lot of afternoon sun. Granted it is May, so it may be different in August, but what I noticed is that this bed is all shade until about 3:30pm. All of my sun is basically in the evening. This changes everything. So, I’m looking for a bush or shrub (must be attractive) that is in Zone 6 and thrives in mostly shade.
Some of you are probably wondering who has time to go out and take photos every hour. I know. These were my same thoughts for the past 2 years. It just so happened that I was alone for an entire day and stayed home to paint my hallways and entry. I just set a little timer on Due for every hour, and it was pretty easy.
I think I’ll go to my local nursery and give them my “analysis” to see what they suggest. In the meantime, any ideas, my plant-loving friends?
I would like to think I’m a champion. This is my all-time favorite breakfast – helps me refuel after a tough run and fills me up. Actually I’ve eaten it for lunch several times, and fixed it for my family for dinner on occasion.
Green onions and zucchini in olive oil.
Add a baked potato.
1 1/2 cups spinach.
Cook until vegetables are slightly browned and spinach is wilted.
1 whole egg and 2 egg whites poured over the top.
Add shredded parmesan. Yum!
Calories: 318
Protein: 24g
Carbs: 36g
Fat: 10g
Fiber: 4g
Exactly what I want to do with my charcoal gray bedroom . . . .
These chairs made me smile. Just think Mal, we could’ve done this with that wing back you came across.
Lots of great slipcover ideas here.
Great fabrics for this apron pattern . Follow her link to the original.
Love this transformation.
