Snowpocalypse!

Sounds like it's going to be a cozy, homebound weekend here in the Triangle. Good thing I have crown molding to hang and walls to paint. I'll be busy!

Quiet here on the home front. I've been doing some painting and waiting for the crown molding I ordered to come in so I can put it in the master BR. Hopefully I will have that to show off next weekend!

A few months ago we did *finally* replace the kitchen door. It was original from 1965 and made out of what appeared to be heavy-grade cardboard. A burly preschooler could have kicked it down.

It has the blinds embedded in the panes of glass which are nice; I can choose how much privacy and light I want. We had Lowe's install it--we really need to find a handyperson.

We also painted the kitchen to a sunny yellow. It was bright blue when we moved in. Why the previous owners decided on this color when the cabinets, floor and countertops are neutral and faux-stone is just beyond me:

Living

I snagged a new sofa from the ole CL over the weekend. My heart was set on white but with a sneaky beagle and a sloppy me, it probably would not have ended well. I found this basic, steel gray piece in excellent condition. The simple lines will help it last throughout my many decorating moods (hopefully).

The living room will need to be painted again, it's going to Behr Oyster. I need it to coordinate with what's going on in the dining room. Boring, yes, but again a basic backdrop to build upon.

HomeGoods visit

There's been lots of love for HomeGoods out in blog land lately and I have to admit I am addict as well. I have 2 nearby so I can get my fix pretty easily. There is some great stuff to be had and the clearance aisles can be awesome, if you hit it right. I stopped by this week before my scout leaders meeting and caught a couple of cute things:

$20-$40 nesting tables with bamboo legs.

$299 mirrored bureau. I would put it in my dining room.

Pattered baskets would be colorful clutter catchers. Didn't catch the price on these.

As with all things in life, there's a dirty underbelly. On to the bad:

The shape of these chairs are perfectly fin, but the fabric is straight out of a Red Roof Inn circa 1992.

Sarah Palin's book. Blargh. Gotta hand it to her, though, she's a good lookin' grandma.

Of course, I grabbed a couple of items I'll show off a little later.

Next Project

As much as Jake hates it, I've got a new project brewing. We have some really sloppy paint in our long and skinny hallway. With popcorn ceilings, it's hard to get wall paint neatly applied in the corners AND the previous homeowners did a cruddy paint job. Sadly, it's a bit of a wreck. Solution! Crown moulding! But, its a little scary to put up. My Google-fu revealed high-density foam crown molding is available via vendors such as SoSimpleCrown.

This image is an inspiration, though I think I will stick with white trim for a simple look.

photo

I ordered some samples and am settling on a profile. Hopefully I can attack the bedroom first as a test and report back.

Wknd progress

Our home has some quirks - some great and some hideous. These Godawful brass light fixtures graced the hall and guest bedroom. These are practically the cheapest fixtures available in LowesDepot and they sure look it. The one in the guest bedroom was even falling apart at the (poorly soldered) seams, threatening to rain glass shards down on our unsuspecting guests. Welcome to our home, care for a scratched cornea? Ugh. Brass.

I finally convinced Jake that we could easily DIY this job and picked up some rubbed bronze flushmounts today. They are also cheap but much classier, no? After a small amount of CFL bulb drama, we triumphed!

More Costa Rica

Geared up for zip-line touring!

Hiking through the Monteverde Cloud Forest. The source of this stream was just a few meters farther up.

La Fortuna waterfall near Arenal.

Approaching Arenal. We had one remarkably clear day and 2 totally socked in with clouds. Glad we got to see the cone!

Our Daihatsu Bego. I think it might have been powered by a riding mower engine.

Winter Break

We went to Costa Rica. There is good fishing there, however we are not fisherpeople so I can't report on that.

We also saw monkeys which were quite naughty and loved to steal people's things.

We also saw crocs!

It was gorgeous and tropical.

More to come...

What I Read on Vacation

I love vacation partly because I can plow through a couple of books at a time. Plane travel + waiting = bookie bliss for me.

I started and finished both My Life in France and Best American Travel Writing. If I ever summon up 1/3rd the moxie of Julia Child, my life will have been a success.

Now that 2010 is officially here, I'll state my resolutions for the record:

• Not blow off exercise and perhaps even develop a running habit.
• Cut back on snacking.
  
• Make home improvements (crown molding, take down louvers, replace light fixtures).
• Get Dad out to visit or go to see him.
• Advance my career.
  

These are all fairly easy and achievable -- hopefully I'll come back with all this shizz knocked off the list.