Workspace Wants

Okay, so I know we're clear that I'm not spending friviously at the moment (or really at all), but it isn't stopping me from wanting some goods. I'm keeping a wants list... A lot of times I find that I scratch things off as the fancy for them passes (I hope this happens for the cowboy boots I just added), but here are a few that I just can't get out of my head. The following are all for my workspace, that is still awaiting some personality.

This wire basket is perfect for stashing supplies and is so irresistibly cool. I can't decided on which fabric quite yet, but either of these combos (found here and here) would go with my storage finds and be just right for my inspiration board and curtain door. I need (read: really, really want) a new printer, and this one would certainly do! Right now I'm standing at my desk area and it's fine, really, but I'd sure like this retro stool to sit upon while filling orders. Ho hum... It's just stuff. Right? Right.

Spending Hiatus: Making It Official

I've decided to go on hiatus, well a Spending Hiatus that is. You guys have heard me talk (more like, go on and on and on) about budgeting and cutting back and economic stress and, and, and... Well, when I read about the Spending Hiatus 2, I thought, "Hey, I'm pretty much doing this already and I could really use the support," so I'm joining in.

If you haven't heard, it's just that: A pledge to not spend thoughtlessly, excessively, or frequently, now through the end of the year. It sounds a bit daunting, but I keep on telling myself that I'm going to try to continue with this simplified plan that we're on at the moment, even when the money flow kicks back in. This will be good practice. And we even get an exclusions list. I've thought through it and here's my exclusions list for the first half of the hiatus. (I plan to reassess in August. I just can't seem to wrap my mind around what we'll be needing when the new school year begins.)

Exclusions:

Grocery/Eating Budget: $800/month. Includes grocery items, eating out, diapers, toiletries, etc.

Make-up: Just the necessities (ex: I’m almost out of my Clinique powder… I know, I know. It’s a splurge, but I could risk and buy a new brand from the drug store for $8 and then it be the wrong shade/break my skin out/etc and I’d have wasted money. Can you detect my guilt?)

Birthday Presents: We're actually only buying for children's birthdays for now. My goal is to use my PayPal account for as much as possible. If not, I will do my best to pull from our pre-purchased stash or hunt out good deals. This will be tough because I absolutely love shopping for/buying/giving presents. I might just have to back buy for those birthdays we're missing. I'll reassess later.

Shoes for daughter: She’s just about ready for a new pair of sneakers and will need a pair of sandals soon too. (Her feet are HUGE!)

Paint: Just for the woodwork/moldings in our house, so not a large amount: Small investment, big payoff for when/if we sell our house. (Hopefully we will not have to do this out of necessity.) We have the time to it now, and it so needs to be done.

Books: While I will continue to hit up the library, I adore owning books. Between book clubs and personal reading, it's inevitable that I will find myself in Half Price Books at least once a month. I'm cutting back, but I'm also being realistic. I will refrain from Amazon and Borders, but I'm keeping Half Price. And of course, I'll be selling back most all that we purchase.

~Addendum~Possible Added Exclusions for when hubby gets a job:

Summer clothes: Hubby, daughter, and me are due for a spruce up, but will put it off until our income increases. (We have some very generous friends who passed on some nice hand-me-down duds for our little guy, so he’s set. SO thankful!)

Date Night: Once a month for me and hubby.

Extracurricular Activities: Gymnastics for daughter

Fabric: To finish out my new workspace

Flooring for our kitchen: If you saw the current one you’d completely understand!

Grocery Budget: We might increase this a little bit, depending on finances.

~Addendum 2~ If the new J-O-B is really good:

New printer: so I can start printing some of my cards at home.

Vacation: 3-4 day family get away to the beach

Stay tuned for updates. Please join in too! I could use all the support I can get!!

(We can do it... We can do it... We can do it!)

{images via me and here}

Books, Books, Books!

{images clockwise, from top left, via here, vintage books, carefree log*, and le flash}

I love books! Bookstores are among my favorite places... My husband and I often spend our date nights at Half Price Books. My kids and I love an outing to the library. Simply put, I'm a sucker for books. I read a variety of genres, but my top picks would be memoirs (other people's lives are so facinating!) and self reflection books (I suppose my life is interesting too). 

I tend to have two books going at all times, one is generally for pleasure and the other is an improvement type book. Occasionally I dive head first into a stack of books at one time and find myself overwhelmed by the information and desire for more time to read (I'm not the fastest of readers). Right now is one of those times... I'm in the midst of 4 books, and I'm clamoring to find the time I'd like to devote to each one. Here are the pages that have my attention at the moment:

To satisfy the parent in me, I'm reading Honey For A Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt. Oh, how I'm loving this book! The first half of the book goes into the benefits of reading to your children and encourages reading together as a family. The second half of the book lists great literature for kids of all ages. 

As a family we're reading Doll People by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin, and we are all thoroughly enjoying this one. It's a mixture of mystery, fantasy, and adventure, telling a story of an 8 year old doll girl who's been living in a doll house for over 100 years. My daughter wakes up asking to read more of this and both my husband and I are right along with her. The time together as a family is priceless.

For me, I'm reading Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I'm only finishing up chapter 2, and it's already got me on a self-reflective journey. I can see how this book could work is so many people's lives.

And just for fun, I'm reading Jodi Piccoult's Mercy. I'm not sure what my review will be of this one. I've read 4 of her books. I've loved 2 (My Sister's Keeper and Plain Truth) and strongly disliked 2 (The Tenth Circle and I can't remember the name of the other). I've just started this one, so we'll see.

Oh, and you know what? I was wrong. I'm reading one more book, so make that a total of 5. My sweet, little toddler (who is prone to throwing fits and holding his breath until he passes out) has got me quite into Love and Logic Magic For Early Childhood. I value the Love and Logic philosophy of giving kids choices, so I'm hoping to pick up some pearls to help with my spirited little guy.

I've been using Goodreads to keep track of my books I've read, as well as books I'd like to read. It's a neat site to see what others are reading and recommending... Kind of like a social book cataloging system. 

Do you have any books that you recommend, for when I make it though my current stack?

I recently finished this memior and really enjoyed it: The Best of Friends: Two Women, Two Continents, and One Enduring Friendship by Sara James and Ginger Mauney.

Happy Tuesday to you!

Meal Planning Monday: 101

{my favorite salad: baby spinach, strawberries, toasted almonds, poppyseed dressing}

So I started this whole Meal Planning Monday as a sort of way to help me fulfill one of my New Year's Resolutions. My goal was to plan the week with at least 3 cooked meals (with the hope that this will serve us at 5-6 meals). I'll admit that I flub up some, but over all the routine of planning out our week on Sunday has been quite efficient. Some of the benefits I'm noticing:

• Saves us money: We're working around what we have... Less wasted food, No last minute g-store runs or eating out decisions.
  
• Saves me time: I sit down once a week instead of daily to make meal decisions.
  
• Lowers my stress: No 5:00 scramble to figure out what everyone will eat. 
  
• Eating healthier: I can plan balanced meals and work in variety for the week.
  
• Ensures family dinner time: With a plan, I find that we are eating together at the same time each night, and it goes much smoother.

I still plan our week out on my nifty little $1 pad. My sister is meal planning now too and using this one that she prints out. By writing it down each week, we can easily go back over past plans for ideas when we're drawing a blank. I came across a new method recently from one of my favorite sites (Thanks Jenny for the head's up!) and I just think it's brilliant. SimpleMom records her meal plan on her google calendar. She works on a rotating schedule, where she'll plan a few weeks and then just sets it to repeat. (She outlines exactly how she does it here if you're interested in the details.) This eliminates even more time spent and stress out of the whole process. I could easily see how this would work with iCal and other online calendar systems. I'm seriously thinking about trying this technique out and see how it works for us.

Okay, so here's our week:

Monday/Wednesday: 

Chicken Spaghetti (my mother-in-law baked us a big ole batch... Love her!!)

Salad

Tuesday: 

Breakfast for dinner 

(I'm thinking of making a big batch of pancakes or waffles and save some of the batter for quick, yummy breakfasts in the morning.)

Thursday: 

Fish Tacos

Friday: 

Out to Dinner (birthday gift certificate: WOOHOO!)

Saturday/Sunday: 

Grilled Chicken

Spinach/Strawberry Salad

Are you meal planning? Is it working for you? What's your process? 

Happy Monday!

I'm Famous!

{image from here}

Well, not really, but it kindasorta feels like it. I recently met Miss Aimee (she's just as cute and sweet as she seems), and she asked to feature my house in her weekly Home Tour series... My first response was, "Really? My house? Surely  not." Then I reminded myself of all the wonderful photography I've seen on her blog, and I knew she'd definitely highlight it in some interestingly cool way. Head over to her blog if you'd like a little tour of my home. Welcome!

Happy Friday to you!

Smile

{image via here}

Thought this was too altogether pretty not to share.

Have a great day!

Motherhood

This sweet tag was passed along to me by Paula over at TwoEllie, and while it's taken me a while to complete it, I've been looking forward to it. I thought today would be the perfect day because being a mom has made me so much more aware and concerned with the world around me. I think more about the place we are preparing for these future adults we're raising. I feel such responsibility to bring them up well. I want to teach them so much just by living the right life. They inspire me to be better. That's what I'm thinking about on a day like today, appreciating our planet, along with every little person on it. 

So on to the task at hand... The tag question: What are 5 things you love about being a mom? I could go on and on, but here are the first five that came to me:

1. The unsolicited "I love you" and the random hug, just because they were overwhelmed with love and just had to show it at that moment. I can still remember the first one from my daughter. She was sitting in her highchair and she turned to me and muttered her version of, "I love you". I cried.

2. The weight of my kids in my lap while reading to them... This never gets old.

3. Being looked to as the expert on everything... I know this will not last forever, but it feels so great, and I plan to work it for as long as I can!

4. Taking walks with them... I love how long it takes for us to just make it down the block, as we're having to stop every few steps to listen to an "aiwpwane" or pick flowers (ie: weeds. Shhh!), or collect acorns. I notice so much more through my kids' eyes.

5. Just having the opportunity and responsibility of raising these two. I prayed so hard (and waited ever-so impatiently) to become a mother, and I often think, "I can't believe I get to be their mom". Stopping by their rooms each night takes my breath away. It's overwhelming, and it fills me up.

Kids are amazing little creatures.

I'm passing this tag along to you... What do you love about being a mom or an aunt or a doting neighbor or the likes? I'd love to read your comments and/or posts on what you love about your role in these lucky kiddos' lives.

Feeling Lucky?

 {UPDATE: I corrected the messed up link from earlier... Sorry!}

So many giveaways! So many generous people! 

Seriously, everywhere I turn there's another fabulous givaway. 

Here are a few that I've stumbled upon...

Look at this beautiful shirt! There have been so many people loving on Anthropology as of late. (I mean, have you seen their new stuff? So. Flipping. Cute.) This talented lady has made something to rival Anthropology and is fittingly calling it an Anthropolofication Piece. Her shirt, however, doesn't have a pricetag to match. In fact, it doesn't have a price tag at all. She's giving it away! I love it, and I want it. (And I'm posting about it to enter... Please don't feel used, because now you know and can enter too!)

These pretty earrings at Down and Out Chic are up for grabs. (Hurry! This one ends today!). I'm loving Christina's blog and this is her second giveaway over there in less than a week! 

A chance to win a plethora of green items is over at ModishBlog. I loved looking through all of the products and ways each is being eco-friendly. Here's just a handful of the possiblilities: 

I've been needing one of these keyfobs dealies. This one from Sweet Irie is so cute and could be yours (or mine) for free!

More Earrings... And they're cute too! Enter to win your choice over at Artsnark. I think I'd pick this pair, although there are quite a few lovelies to choose from: 

And you know, there's always good stuff over at the The Brightside Project (I'd definitely have no problem snagging one of these bags!), so don't forget to keep checking back over there (and remember to check back to see if you won)!

Happy Tuesday to you, and good luck!

(Any more giveaways I should be aware of??)

Meal Planning Monday: Go To Meals

{not my image}

It's always nice to have a few easy standby meals to use when you don't feel like cooking/thinking/planning/etc. The easier, cheaper, and fewer ingredients, the better. Breakfast for dinner is one of our reoccurring in-a-pinch meals. Eggs are always plentiful (and inexpensive) and everyone loves it. Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches is another on-the-fly meal that works for us. Something about the sandwich being hot makes it work for supper, and if you slap on some tomato and/or avocado, it's all nice and balanced. My favorite go-to option though has to be Chicken Caesar Salad. (Thanks to my sweet friend, Kathleen, for this one.) The 3 ingredients are romaine lettuce, rotisserie chicken (or leftovers work too), and Caesar dressing. (We love Newman's Own in the bottle.) Throw all in a container and shake. Voila! Dinner is served. If you're feeling a little fancy, sprinkle on some parmesan cheese. This meal is making its appearance in our week's line up:

Monday/Wednesday:

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Salad

Tuesday:

Mac and Cheese and Peas

(Dad out)

Thursdsay:

Chicken Caesar Salad

Friday/Saturday:

Soft Tacos

Guacamole (Excited to try this version!)

Sunday:

Leftovers: possibly Caesar wraps or taco salad, depending on what's available

What are your favorite go-to meals? 

Let's add a few options to stick in our back (apron) pockets!

Daydreaming...

I'm not feeling so hot... I've got the sniffling, sneezing, stuffy head thing that seems to be going around. I wish I could stay in bed all day long, but since I can't, I'm wishing I was recouperating some place tropical, lounging around in something like this:

beach outfit by PS~Erin featuring Old Navy swimwear

And if I can't be there, then I'd like to be snuggled up here:

image via Home & Gardens

But I'd settle for my own comfy bed, with a stack of books, a mug of hot, green tea and a box of tissues nearby. I hope you are able to dodge this nasty cold. Have a happy weekend!

Back To The Basics*

Okay, so I probably wouldn't be posting about this if my husband hadn't been laid off. And I'm sure I'd be spending differently if we'd already landed a fabulously lucrative new job. I admit there has been some extra (ahem) motivation, but I'm feeling refreshed in a way from how it's changing us. We are simplifying and doing some reassessing. Sure it was a bit forced on us, but the payoffs have been surprisingly nice... There are some benefits to this whole economic conundrum going on at the present time. While I'm hoping that our personal recession comes to an end soon (as well as for the rest of the world), I am going to do my best to hold on to the lessons being learned. Check out some cyber-support I've been collecting. These people are helping to advocate a simpler life:

• Here's a list things to do without spending a dime from ecosalon.
  

• Simple Mom highlighted free or cheap toys and always has useful frugal living and money management ideas. (I love, love this site!)
  

• Mostly Mod has started a Spending Hiatus support group. (More on this as soon as I get myself sorted.)
  

• Get some motivation to turn off your television at The Simple Dollar. We just did this and it really barely even counts as a sacrifice... Did you know you can still watch Survivor and Lost on the internet?!
  

*Disclaimer: I still reserve the right to peruse, adore, and secretly long for all the pretty things out there. Just going to do more admiring and less buying!

Have you made any personal adjustments in your life due to or in preparation for our current economic issues?

Operation NICE

I'm a nice gal. I like nice folks. I don't much care for rude people. In fact, my 2009 motto is to Be Nice. So when I came across this cute little link (see on my side bar). I had to click on it and I'm so glad I did... What a refreshing place to land. A whole little site devoted to being nice and encouraging others along the way. Hop over there and see what Melissa's got going on. Here's an abbreviated list from there to give you some proactive ideas. So simple, yet so grand.

• Give at least one sincere compliment a day and it doesn't have to be much. Tell someone they have a nice smile, or you like their shoes or you envy their patience. If you look for it, you can find something positive to say about anyone.
• If you buy something from a vending machine, leave the change in the change thingy for the next person. It's funny how someone finding an unexpected quarter makes their day.
• Make a bunch of small little notes that have positive messages like "Have a nice day!" or "Someone loves you" and hide them around a public area for random strangers to find. This is a good project for those who have kids.
• Give an extra $5 when you pay for something (retail, fast food restaurant) and ask that they apply it to the next person in line.
• If you pack lunches for your loved one, stick a small note telling them to have a great day. Similarly, hide small love letters in your significant others pockets/bags/jackets.
• Clear the snow off a neighbor's car after a big snowfall.
• When you see a mom with a stroller going into a building - hold the door for her. She'll appreciate it more than you'll know!
• Make eye contact with people and smile.
• Wave when someone lets you merge on the road.
• When a waitress or other service person has been exceptional, let their manager know.
• When making dinner, double the recipe and deliver dinner to a neighbor.
• Offer your mail carrier, trash man or anyone else working outside on a hot day a bottle of water.

Have a NICE day!

Onward!

I just started reading a new book (join me if you'd like), and it's got me feeling rather introspective. (I've only even read through the introduction & a portion of the first chapter... Looks like I'm in for quite a ride!) This quote meshes with what I'm reading and feeling... For me the hardest obstacle to overcome when setting goals and trying new things is the fear of it not working out or stumbling along the way. I'm working on this. How about you?

It's A Special Day At Our House!

It's my husband's birthday! We do birthday week around here, where the celebration of your birth starts a week before the actual date. The birthday person of honor gets extra special treatment, with little gifts and niceties each day. I thought I'd end my man's b-day week with a little tribute: 

The Top 10 reasons I'm so very glad he was born 

(in no particular order)

{I love this picture!} 

1. I get to be his partner.

2. He thinks I'm funny.

3. He's helping me raise my kids... And they completely hit the dad jackpot!  

4. He makes me feel so completely loved.

5. I got to become a member of his incredible family. 

6. He's my biggest fan. 

7. I'm married to the handsome, smart, witty, & thoughtful guy that he became.

8. Because of his influence I'm a way better human being.

9. He wants to grow old with me (& doesn't mind that I'm sprouting gray hair already).

10. He's my best friend!

Happy Birthday, Babe! I'm so thankful for you!

Frame Frenzy

Check out this wall! This incredibly talented individual has painted these frames on the wall to showcase her and her loved one's art. I can't stop looking at it. (I first saw it via this blog.) She used wallpaper as her inspiration, so of course I had to look that up. 

I absolutely love this idea. So neat! While perusing this uber-cool wallpaper, I noticed it's made it's blog rounds a while back (I'm a late blog bloomer), but it's definitely worth another mention. And these nifty vinyl frames came up on my search as well. They could be used to recreate this look in a not-so-permanent way.

All these whimsical frames have me wanting to add on a craft room or playroom or the creative likes. Do you think I could slip that into the budget? 

Have a wondrous Easter weekend!

All Skate Slowly and Carefully

Need some weekend plans? I've got the perfect thing for you: Some old-school roller skating. We recently took our daughter for a fun outing to a local roller rink. We completely enjoyed ourselves with a day of skating, hot dogs and slurpees (see blue tongue picture above). The setting hasn't changed much since my roller skating days (back when I was decked out in neon and the boys were breakdancing), but they have evolved some to offer these nifty tripod contraptions on wheels for the novice skater. It was when our little gal skated off on her own with the aid of one of these roller-do-hickies that I realized how much fun I was having on my own... Just skating. Not to mention, how starry-eyed I felt couple-skating with my husband. I highly recommend it. My daughter's convinced she wants to have her 7th birthday at the rink. And I'm thinking that I might just want to have mine there too. How fun would that be? 

Let's Hear It For The Teachers!

I just about missed Teacher Appreciation Week at my daughter's school! Officially, the national date is in May, so I was caught off guard when I noticed it scheduled for next week on the school calendar. I would have hated to miss this! As a former teacher, I can tell you that this is a great week, full of hugs, gratitude, and warm-fuzzies all around. It's exciting for me this year to be on the other side, a parent who is appreciating a teacher. I can't wait to shower her teacher with some love in return for her loving my little gal all year long. I'm having a tough time deciding what/how we'll show our appreciation, but I'm thinking about a little something each day... Maybe a handmade token one day, an edible something another, and a gift to end the week. Here are some fun ideas:

1: What grade school teacher wouldn't appreciate 

some organic hand sanitizer to ward off germs?

 

2: An apple for the teacher never looked sweeter than 

this one wrapped in it's own apple sweater! 

3: I would have loved to have a set of these bookplates 

to keep track of all of my classroom books. 

4: For me a gift certificate to our local coffee shop, coupled 

with this adorable coffee cozy would've been a favored gift. 

5: This lanyard & matching keychain would definitely keep 

the teacher's whistle and keys fashionably located.

Happy Wednesday!

My Style

I've been tagged (my first time!) by Miss Aimee and Tonya. I was challenged to find one photo that shows my style. This was tough... So much harder than I thought it was going to be. My tastes are going through a metamorphasis at the moment, so my inspiration images are all over the map. I love old things... Things that I like just like because I like them, not because they are a rare or valuable antique. This still holds true, but I'm finding myself drawn to clean, crisp and brand-spankin'-new things too. I used to be in love with all things pine and now I'm more attracted to dark wood and painted furniture. I like an uncluttered look, but I find myself picking up various small things that I love (and can afford now), but failing to save for larger items (we deperately need a sofa, to reupholster chairs, updated bedding, office furniture, a new kitchen...) that would help make a difference in the overall feel. I think this image is a good glimpse of my in-between-style at the moment.

{image from here}

I love that this room appears to be a comfy, happily used space and that it is chock-full of books. I love those floors and that sofa. I love the colorful throw and the fact that it looks like it might have been passed down from Grandma. I like that the coffee table is more modern, but there's that old chair against the wall. I am smitten with that architectural nugget up in the corner (I'm a sucker for old home character). The big, giant, oversized (too redundant?) rug is a winner too. Ideally this room has a wall of built-in shelving just beyond the camera's view, showcasing family photographs and momentos. Oh, and a mudroom somewhere in the near vacinity would be dreamy!

***Update: Check out the summer edition of this little challenge.***

Monday Meal Planning: Budget Tidbits

{risotto with asparagus}

Just a little report on how our newly reduced budget is going: So far so good... We actually came in under budget for the week! A few tips that are working for us:

1~Using cash: We're pulling out our eating budget for the month in cash and separating it into weeks. This is such a good visual for me. I can gauge how we're doing and adjust accordingly. Plus, it hurts just a little more to pay in bills rather than pulling out the check card. 

2~Meal Planning: This is really helping me, and it's even getting a little easier as I keep up with it. I'm finding that I'm really looking at what we have and buying just for what we need. And it's really nice to know I've got the week planned-- One thing less to think about!

3~Budget meetings: Our goal is to sit down weekly. We plan for any extra expenses that we foresee coming up (occasions, car registration/inspection, activities, and on and on) and adjust our spending as needed. 

 

4~Cutting expenses: This is something I wish we'd done at the very beginning of the lay off, or even before just in case. We brainstormed ways to decrease our regular bills and are canceling/suspending/reducing in several areas of our regular bills. We plan to continue with this when dear hubby is back in the working world, to ensure we are prepared just in case this happens again. We even had a meeting with our six year old and put her in charge of being our official "Watt Watcher". She's on the light & door patrol to cut down on our electricity. This was really just a way to inform her of our thriftiness and make her aware without alarming her. And, hey, every little bit helps! 

5~Staying Connected: Budgeting is t-o-u-g-h, and it can be a source of stress in a relationship. We're trying to look at this as a challenge that we're taking on together and are being as supportive as possible (overly so in a lot of cases). I'm just trying to safeguard against low morale and resentment. This is a team effort! Go us, go!

Here's our budget-friendly menu for the week:

Monday/Tuesday:

White Bean Chili 

(Hubby has already requested this again and suggested a double batch this time... I absolutely love when I try a new recipe and it makes it into the rotation! Oh, and I'm making it with Buffalo bc I have some in the freezer already. Gotta love that too!)

Wednesday:

Steak

risotto with  asparagus

Thursday:

Steak Fajita Salad

(Leftover Steak, lettuce, corn, avocado, salsa)

Friday:

Pizza Night

Using this easy dough recipe and making some extra to freeze.

Saturday/Sunday:

Something with Sweet Potatoes bc I have a bunch. I haven't quite deciced yet... Any ideas? I have pork tenderloin in the freezer, but I don't think I'm ready for that again just yet.

Hope your week is off to a fabulous start! 

It's a new week of possibilities...

No-Cost Decorating

My style seems to be changing and evolving, and I've got the updating itch to do something about it. This is tough because we've also got that limited budget thing going on at the moment too. I've rearranged the house too many times to count and that's just not taking the edge off like it usually does. I needed something bigger to tide me over until we can make some grander changes. Well, I just got my fix: A little painting project that cost us zero dollars. We painted the backs of our built-in shelves. 

{I totally forgot to snap a picture until it was already cleared and partially painted. Darn it!}

The real project awaiting the built-ins in our family room is to do away with the scallop detail, reface the door and drawer fronts and give it all a fresh coat of crisp, white paint. That's been on the list for quite a while now and will require some money spent. We decided to do something to change things up just for now. I rummaged through all of our leftover paints, pulled a few buckets (Ralph Lauren Heath Gray [a grayish blue] from our hall bath, Sherwin Williams Latte and Hopsack from my son's room, and SW Library Pewter from the dining room), and slapped up some test swatches. The Library Pewter won out and 2 hours later I had a new look. 

I'm thrilled with how it turned out, considering how easy and free it was! Have you done any no-cost decorating projects lately? Do share! The weekend is just waiting to be planned... Happy Friday!

Blog Music Party Week: Say It Ain't So!

I just had to play along with the Blog Party Music Week again today. The theme for today is "songs that you are embarrassed to admit you like". When I pulled out my primitive cd collection (to see what cds I had owned way back when people listened to cds), I had quite the nice time thumbing through them. Such great artists and songs in there that I must go download asap. There was a nice little collection of Chris Isaak, Counting Crows, Jackopierce, Rod Stewart, and then... Dun da da duuunnnn... Hanson. You remember that bubble-gum-sweet group of adorable brothers that sang MmmBop. No? Well, have a listen (or take a look, as it wouldn't allow an embed of their video):

[seeqpod disabled]

You have to admit it's quite the happy, catchy song, but what am I doing with the CD? I. Don't. Know.

Font FUN!

Hello, my name is Erin, and I'm addicted to fonts. Yes, it's true. I love browsing through font websites, admiring ads with interesting typography, and I'm fairly obsessive about finding just the right font for just the right occasion. I know I'm not alone in my obsession. If I were to form a support group, I know there would be quite a few members. My friend, Tonya, over at Kotori is a self-professed font junkie as well. We came up with this little game (okay, we sort of stole the idea from a friend's in-flight magazine that she stole), and thought it would be fun to share. Have fun! 

Each font name is written in the wrong font. Can you match up the name with its correct font type? Ex) #1 says it's Stencil, but it's actually written in Journal, so the answer to 1 is Journal.  

You can find the answers to this quiz here, along with Tonya's version of this fun game. Let me know how you did! If you haven't had enough and need a bigger challenge, try this little game at I Love Topography. And here are some iPhone wallpapers available to download for the font-loving crowd. Sorry to feed the addiction! 

Answers to Tonya's Quiz:

1. Bruce Mikita

2. Cast Iron

3. Architext

4. Antique Type

5. Herculanum

6. Marker Felt

7. Fake Receipt

8. Carnivalee Freakshow

9. Barcode

10. Schoolhouse Cursive

11. Vampire

12. Santa's Sleigh

13. Susie's Hand

14. Dielh Deco

15. Alphashapes

16. Varsity