Love & Hate

Loves.........

1. All things Farmers' Market..........

I can't resist Farmers' Market flowers.

It's impossible.

I try!

But I always come home with some.......

And that vase? It's part of a collection I'm building for that skanky area above the dishwasher in the kitchen. It's from Leola's.

Of course it's vintage.

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My hairdresser also sets up at the market to sell her handmade jewelry. I've purchased several pieces from her. I found this at her booth for half off this weekend......


And she gifted the earrings to me for free!

It was all wrapped in that hilarious flamingo bag.

Flamingos make everything better.

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2. Pumpkins......

We took a trip to the pumpkin patch.

Which isn't really a patch.

It's more like a big cage.

With every type of pumpkin under the sun........


I like the different-er varieties. No normal pumpkins for me.

My favorites are called Cinderella and Fairytale.

And that's exactly what came home with me......


For more fall-ifying of the house.....

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Hate..........

Football.......

I have zero interest in the sport. But it takes over my life every fall.

Sunday afternoon.

Monday night.

I am a football widow.

Now don't confuse my hatred of football with my affection for attending high school football games. I have the band, after all, to look forward to, along with the atmosphere and concession stand vittles.

Anyway, if you can't tell, I don't care about football. But I do like hearing the mister scream and shout from the other room when his team scores a touchdown.

And I like the food that accompanies football.

Food always makes things better.

A Fairytale Facelift

Once upon a time (in 2006) there was a very outdated kitchen. It was awful.........

Carpet on the floor.....

(and the surprise of linoleum underneath)

Saloon doors at the end......

(sorta liked those swinging doors, but they really
closed in the space and were always in the way)

Vintage laminate on the counter and backsplash......


A barely working stovetop and hood.......


Super old lighting........


And ugly brown cabinets with awful copper hardware.......


But along came a determined, new homeowner ready to tackle a project. Little did she know, it would take four years for the wave of her magic wand to work.

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In 2007, the floors underwent a transformation.

With the help of her trusty sidekick, the homeowner tiled her own kitchen.....


Upon tiling the kitchen, the refrigerator was banished to the living room.

Where it would stay.

For the next three years.

(look behind us......by the door)

Two years went by. The kitchen got put on the back burner (hehehe). Then in 2009, Bob the Builder came to the rescue. New counters and a tile backsplash were installed, along with a new hood and stovetop.


Things were looking up, but it still wasn't finished. One more project remained.

The cabinets.


So the painting began.

And abruptly ended.

Because school started, and the homeowner got busy.

Another year went by.

But finally, in the summer of 2010, with the help of Bob and his sprayer, the cabinets were painted and new hardware was attached.

And after three years of being banished from the kitchen, the frig made its way back to its original home.

(please ignore the skanky paneling/wallpaper remnants above
the dishwasher in the following photo......the upgrade of this area
is in the works.......big plans for that space......big plans)

The homeowner was overcome with happiness.

But after three weeks, she still found herself walking to the fireplace to retrieve things from the frig.

It had been there for three years, after all.

Today, she wishes she had a dollar for every time she walked toward the fireplace for milk. Or ketchup.

She could probably finance a laundry room remodel. Or at the very least, quite a few lattes at Starbucks.

She's also decided that writing an entry in 3rd person isn't for her.

And she probably won't do it again.

The End

What Weekends Are Good For.....

Marching bands......

I miss being the color guard instructor.

I miss: my "flag girls"; the band directors; the other band kids; the excitement of performing; the feeling of being super proud of them after a good show.

But I like sitting in the stands with my orange and black on (as opposed to my men's size band director shirt and khakis). And I like not feeling super nervous during halftime!

Oh, and I do not miss early morning band.

Or after school practices.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1st birthday parties.....


My precious little niece turned ONE on Friday, so we gathered to celebrate over the weekend. And what 1st birthday party wouldn't be complete without cake smashing and gift opening? Luckily, Aunt Dan Dan succeeded in the gift department, but then again who doesn't love a Hello Kitty doll and stroller?

Finicky!

Sir Chester is a chew-toy-snob.

Observe the flat piece of rawhide in the background...........


The turkey wouldn't touch it. It was even the Milk Bone brand!

He prefers his Dollar Tree rawhides and fake roadkill (barely visible next to paw).


Now onto other things.......

The vintage tile in the entryway is much more appealing in that last picture than when I'm looking at it for real. I sort of like it. It makes me want to keep it.

But in person, it's superskanky. No matter how much I clean it, it still appears dingy. I've always loved the pattern, but the color did not hold up over time.

Keep it or kick it to the curb?

Good Things From This Weekend

Good thing #1: When asked if you want a free iced frappucino at Starbucks because they accidentally made too many, you say yes. Even if the beverage you are buying is a hot one (because the morning is chilly). Free Starbucks doesn't come around too often. And you can run the iced drink home and put it in the freezer.

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Good thing #2: Thanks to Leola's, my fave antique shop, I fall-ified the house a little with this homemade wreath crafted from bittersweet.


This makes me want a bittersweet plant in my yard.

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Good thing #3: I got to try The Cup. Peanut butter cup and red velvet cupcakes make for a good midnight snack.


Or maybe a tasty breakfast (so I've heard).

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More good things from the weekend:

• One more pedicure before the feet get covered up for quite a few months

• Girl time at Fedora Social House while eating fondue on the patio

• Buying a bright red mum for the front porch

• Meeting a fellow blogger in person and chatting at their shop

• Buy one, get one free roasts at Dillon's
  

Now can we please fast forward to next weekend?

Don't Leave!

This was the scene last night when I was preparing to leave my sissy's house.


My precious little nephew threw himself in front of the door and yelled, "No go bye-bye!"

You know you rate when a two year old blocks your exit.

Rats!

So you think you don't mind rodents*. You'll even hold them or pet them.

*Let's clarify: hamsters, gerbils, or even a small "pet" mouse.

Until your dog has one cornered in one of the open kitchen cabinets. And then he's scrambling around the house chasing it.

Then you find yourself paralyzed. Unable to move, but frantically screaming.

When the terror subsides, the mister tricks you into thinking it's back. And you're running for your life and screeching again.

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This happened. A few days ago. In our house.

The mouse is still on the loose.

I want Bob to finish the kitchen. STAT.

I want to be able to close those cabinet doors over a box of Decon or a trap of some sort. I want to plug those stupid holes for the plumbing that the mouse probably crawled though.

Evidently, I'm scared of mice. In my house.

But I'll still pet random pet rodents.