A Room for Living

My First Mood Board

I created my first mood board, a fun, energetic dining room. I LOVE this program!



Kendall's first mood board. So easy a 7 year old can do it.

Isn't it funny how the universe works? I had just posted my last post about wanting a ranch-style, one level house when I found a house that just went on the market. I really shouldn't be looking right now. But it was just listed and it's darling! We go to view it on Sunday. I'm trying to be realistic and not mentally move in. But at the same time if I just visualize us living in the house....well you just never know.

So I've been stalking the house. Is there such thing as a restraining order for stalking a house? Not only am I stalking the house, but I've been redecorating the inside, even though I haven't even seen it except in pictures.

At the risk of other people stalking "my" house here it is:



I do know that the exterior is darling and the interior needs some updating. I love a project, or two, or three.

This is what I'm loving recently:

This cozy, elegant dining room from this great designer. http://jentrified.blogspot.com/2010/07/dallas-palace-is-done.html (just copy and paste it into your browser. I can't get my links to work)



These great built-ins to make the best use of a small space found here
http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/the-grand-tour/



This ultra-glam beaded wallpaper for a stunning powder room from here
http://wallpaperweekly.com/?tag=glass-bead-wallpaper



There is more, much more. Oh the possiblities.

Conflicted

The home we live in now is not ours, we rent. The owner would like us to buy it but we are conflicted. He hasn't told us the asking price but we do know he is a bit upside down in the house which is probably the biggest reason we hesitate to mentally buy this place. I've put a lot of thought into it and here are my pros and cons:

Staying Here:
~No moving expenses
~No moving hassle (isn't that worth like a million bucks?!)
~We feel comfortable here
~We know what we would do to update the home, we've (okay, I've) got it all mapped out in my head.
~Land and space so we aren't crowded.

Moving:
~Land. I'm not sure I want to be responsible for almost 3 acres. And I kind of like living in a neighborhood.
~Less expensive options. Maybe.
~Less updating. Maybe. Although, for some reason, I am usually attracted to the ugliest house on the block and have lots of great ideas. This drives Dylan crazy.
~One level. I've wanted a one level house for a long time. The last three homes we have lived in have been two levels. I would like a spacious rambler.

Something along the lines of this!


Right now we are in a house that looks like this:


The house needs a ton of updates; all new flooring, walls moved, kitchen redone, bathrooms redone, light fixtures redone, exterior lighting installed. I could go on.

I tend to obesses about things. I'm trying not to obsess and trying to allow things to happen as they are meant to.

Baking Bread

I live in the country. I should be able to make a decent loaf of bread. I borrowed the bread machine from my Mom. I bought all of the healthy ingredients. And I was ready to bake several loaves a week so that we wouldn't have to buy processed bread from the store again or go broke buying the healthy stuff.

Attempt #1: Dense brick that slightly resembled bread.
Attempt #2: Not quite as dense but still gross brick that slightly resembled bread.

Now I could buy the premade bread mixes but what's the point? Those are $4 a pop. I might as well go to the natural section of the grocery store and pay $4 a loaf for good bread.

Well, I'll give it another try. I live in the country. I have to be able to do this!

Garden Girl

After receiving a vote of no confidence from Kendall in the spring I am happy to say that our first garden was mostly successful.

As I was planting strawberries in May this was our conversation:

Kendall: Oh no. We're....
Me: What's up? Is everything okay? (I could see the stress on her face)
Kendall: Nevermind.....Well....Well, we're going to have to get grandma over here. You're just not good at this kind of thing.
Me: What? You don't think I can grow a garden? You'll see. At the end of summer you are going to be so proud of me.

Okay, so the strawberries never grew. My Mother-in-Law said it best when she asked, while sqinting her eyes, "What did you plant, strawberry seeds?".

But the rest of the garden took off without a hitch. Well except for the corn that turned out not to be corn. Getting excited about the corn that popped up even though we didn't plant corn was a little hopeful. We watered and nurtured that stuff. It grew and grew. But when we got to Albuquerque for vacation and saw the corn they were growing there, we knew we did not have corn at all. When we got home I promptly googled 'weed that looks like corn'. What do you know?! We were growing millet and boy did we have a good crop!

Really though, we've had some luck. We have huge cucumber,carrots, peppers, onions, lettuce and a ton of pumpkins.

Kendall has more confidence in us now. We will definitely do vegetables again, we will try our luck at strawberries and even some market flowers. I'm looking forward to the next growing season.

Genius Parenting

Sometimes I can't believe I get paid for what I do, working with young children and teachers. I get to laugh out loud every day. Today it was this conversation:

Jane (name changed to protect the hilarious): I'm allergic to boys.
Teacher: (laughing) Who told you that?
Jane: My Daddy.
Teacher: I thought so (still laughing).
Jane: Well, I'm not allergic to these boys. I'm allergic to boys I don't know.

That dad is a genius I tell you. I promptly went home and told K & T that they are allergic to boys. They didn't buy it. Damn, I should have tried it when they were younger.