A few thoughts ...

A few errant thoughts for you ...
I want to cut my hair, again.
I am quite shallow and actually put myself to sleep with thoughts of sophisticated, fun haircuts.
So this is what I am thinking:

I definitely think I am going to do it. Soon.
Onto other unrelated news, this little beauty is for sale.
Alas, my sweet, pink hog is getting the 'ole heave-ho.
Not for any reason other than lack of use.
I have kids, a busy husband who spends the majority of his time at school, and no side-car. hehe
So we posted it on Craigslist. No takers yet. Anyone need a scooter named Hope?

And this one we did sell. Today. It only took Scott a few hours to get a bite on this one. The price must have been right. We are saying adios to him tomorrow. A very small man came to purchase him this evening. I am not sure how he will ride this beast of a bike. But I can't say I am sad to see this one go. I will admit I was super scared every time Scott took it out. (Not that I had no confidence in his driving, just other people.)

And all these transactions made this possible:*

Or at least a 1962 Thunderbird that needs a little TLC. It is Scott's "new" car. The supra is falling a-part! So our solution was to get an older car to replace it. But at least it is a car that has attitude. It's cool and the price was good.

So that is what is happening in our 'hood.
p.s. Sorry that this post is super lame. It is really muggy in our apartment and while that has nothing to do with the "cool" factor of this post, somehow it has everything to do with it. I cannot seem to compose a coherent thought. I am so uncomfortable. It is almost October for crying out loud.

* This is not the actual car sitting outside our apartment. But it is the same model and does look like this without the perfect shiny paint job.

The desk

So with the changing of seasons, I often get a new burst of motivation to tackle some projects that have been sitting on the back-burner (translation: I have finally worn Scott down enough to permit me to overhaul a piece of furniture that was "fine" before).
Case in point: the desk.
Barf.
It was a nondescript, old-lady, with curly-Q details, shiny, monstrosity.
It was "fine" according to my supportive hubby.
But for those of you who know me well, fine just isn't fine.
If I have to keep it, use it, and/or look at it, it has to be more than fine.
Plus, really, if I get an idea into my head, it will just fester until I bring it to fruition.
Scott is probably exasperatingly nodding his head.
And I got the idea into my head that the desk needed a little spruce.
And was I right or was I right? Just take a look for yourself:

Okay, it may actually look worse than usual because I had already emptied out it's contents and stripped the paint off one of the drawers. But I am sure you can get the idea of how hideous it was. So that was the "before."

This is me taking a picture, again, of myself as I slave over the eye sore at 10:30 p.m. Really this is not optimal painting procedure, seeing as it was super dark outside, but that is virtually the only time I have to really work without the kids running wild all over our parking lot. As you can see, excitement is evident. Right now I am thinking, "When is this going to be done?" and "I really need a shower because it has been a few days." (I become a little single-minded when involved in a project.)

This is the "after." I think it looks TOTALLY different. You may not notice the subtle differences, so allow me to point them all out. The embellishments are gone. The middle drawer has been removed (I think it opens it up, gives it a more contemporary look, and brings up the height). The desk is also two-toned now. I stripped the paint off the top and painted it an almond color, then sanded and painted the remainder of the desk a flat black.

After all that, I painted two coats of polyurethane on the top to protect it from wear. So that is that. It looks much better, to me, and I did it all by my lonesome. Next up: the dresser is getting a makeover as soon as it stops raining.

Things that make me happy

This week has been a good one.
Lots of things went my way.
So therefore, I will proceed to list off things that make me happy,
mostly because I want to show off.
So firstly, roses. Roses make me happy. Not only do fresh flowers add a little somethin' to my table, but they are even better when gifted from my husband FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER! Score.

Secondly, a clean house. This makes me really happy, particularly if it gets done early enough in the day to enjoy it before it gets deflowered by my family. Look at my zombie children watching Reading Rainbow. On cleaning day, they definitely get their fair share of PBS.

Thirdly, this lovely really-nice-indoor-outdoor-fabric-bought-for-super-duper-cheap-on-clearance. I salivate over the beautiful cobalt blue color and fun trellis pattern. And to top it off, I repurposed this once picnic tablecloth into pillows, all by my lonesome! I literally giggle with giddiness every time I walk into my living room. Yes, I am that lame. And no, it apparently doesn't take that much to make me happy.

This requires no explanation.
Although, it must be Lucerne from Safeway because it tastes the least low fat. And I have done extensive research. Swear.

This little face. And the fact that he is sitting with his legs tucked up inside his shirt. So cute, or so sad that I don't dress him in pants while at home and he may actually be cold. Sorry Ezzy.

And this little face too. Ryan is getting funnier and funnier every day. The other day while over dinner, she said, "Daddy, I need to tell you something." Scott replied, "yes?" And Ryan responded, "You're hairy." This was said in all seriousness, and with no prompting whatsoever from me. It almost came as an afterthought, like she'd been saving it all day and just remembered then. YEesh.

Anything related to organization makes me very happy. There is nothing better that emptying out your whole kitchen/desk/closet, throwing half of whatever objects are filling said space, and reorganizing it all. Just me? Alrighty then.

Great design. I love design. Someday I will decorate houses other than mine, and maybe even get paid to do it! I would love to get a Master's in interior design in the future. But until then, I will just keep pawing through every design magazine I can get my hands on, surfing the design blogosphere for far to long in the evening after the kiddies go to bed, and continue experimenting on our home. I love myself a good mixture of textures, prints, neutrals, and something industrial for fun, kinda like this:

So the morale of this post is really that I am happy. Life is hard and sad things happen but everyone has reasons to be happy. I feel blessed every day. Life is to be celebrated.