What I Did At Work Today....

I have the coolest job ever.

Sometimes I forget this.

But then I go to work and have a great day and get to work with my friends.

And then? I find out my friends are making these super cool videos !

Check it out, people! If you watch the first test in the Pumpkin Bread video, you can see the exact kitchen I work in....they shot the video in a few different kitchens, but the one with the big windows in the background is where I normally work. The women you see in the videos - Shirley, Jennifer, Marcia and Grace - seem kind serious in the footage....but in real life, they're soooo much fun. I keep expecting Jennifer to crack a funny, but she's keeping it all business-like :)

And guess what I made at work today? The healthified chocolate chip cookies. I think it may replace my old recipe! I really like them!

I Need A Change......

I like change. I really really do.


And you know what I've been doing all day this week? Looking at blogs.


Blogs with before-and-after shots.
Carefully staged with messes out of camera shot.

And I love that. LOVE IT!!!!
But I can't live in my house that way. Mainly because I'm too messy to live without a mess. That poses a problem.

Also? My current budget isn't allowing for any before-and-afters at this time. Only "before-and-oh-wait-nothings-changed-here" shots.


And that is very sad, because right now I have no decorating budget and a sweet little house full of rooms that I really want to change.



So I'm trying to find ways to spruce things up with no money. And I just saw something in someone's blog. Please don't ask me to remember which blog it is. I cannot answer that question - I've been looking at so many this week. Anyway, she had some faux chinese lanterns (still on their stems) in a vase.



Hey!



I have real ones in my garden! (Yeah, I know....it's looking a little errrrr....WILD back here.)

My pal Gretchen dug them up from her own garden for me a couple of years ago and assured me that I'd hate them because of their noxious nature.

I don't.

Yet.

So I picked a bunch and put them in this basket. I'm waiting for them to dry. I'm also going to dry some on their stems.

In the meantime? It's time to show my house some love. I cleared off the top of the contact-paper-covered piano and dusted.

And washed my clear vases.

And changed out my blue and white river rock vase-filler to my old fall stuff. Sorry. I didn't take a photo of the river rocks.

The cat helped me enormously.

That's actually not true. She just lay there in her bed. Enormous.

Here's something that makes me laugh. Zuddy's "man purse". Do you see it there? In the shoe basket to the left of the piano? Ha! It's the Target bag.

I really want to find some stuff to hang on the wall to the right of the mirror. I want a big "Z" for sure. But it's going to need more than that.

I do like these vase-fillers, but I'm getting sick to death of them. I just don't know what else to put in there.

So I'm feeling a little better because of the sparkly glass. Sparkly glass is always a great pick-me-up, isn't it? Crisis averted.

For now.

Because what I really want? Is a built-in wall of shelves and storage here:

And creamy painted woodwork.

And a white slipcover for my sofa:

Man.

I've got it BAD. Help me.

Ladies' Night

Insert your version of the Kool and The Gang song **here**.

Or don't.

It was Zuddy's night out last night so Noodle and I baked up some CRAP chocolate chip cookies that I had bought from some kid in the neighborhood. You know - they were for a school fundraiser. Of course, just because they're sub-standard doesn't mean they're not going to be eaten, right?

I mean, there is chocolate in them. Or a chocolate-like substance.

And sometimes that's just good enough.

I felt crabby yesterday. Staying in the house for this long is more than I can bear. I had already called my Mom and asked her to please come over so I could go do some errands and then go for a quick walk. While she was on her way over, I was talking to my dear friend Michelle on the phone and everything that came (or flew) out of my mouth was so negative. I realized it 3/4 of the way through our conversation. So I told her I was going to hang up with her and end her misery and I was going for a walk. She mentioned a big hill in my neighborhood and suggested, a big jokingly/a bit seriously that I should conquer it.

That maybe it would make me feel better. I kind of laughed it off.

But after I did my errands, it sounded like a good idea.

So, on my way home, I passed Zuddy's work (he saw me and waved at me) and parked my car and walked down the hill.

For those of you who know me in real life? You know that where I live is very hilly. In fact, Michelle and I used to have a nice little route where we'd go down this hill and then walk to a huge bank of stairs going up a cliff kind of like this one:

I don't know how many steps where there. Maybe a BAZILLION? But they were recently torn down and need to be rebuilt, so I can't show you a photo of them.

Anyway, we live up in the cliffs. And people come from all over to "get their workout on" in our neighborhood. Especially on their bicycles.

Which is why I kind of avoid the bicycle over here. Because it's hard. I realized this when I was visiting with my neighbor John once and wondered out loud why I avoid biking. Then he pointed out how many serious bicyclists we have riding around our neighborhood and DUH! Martha! That's why you avoid it, sister! Because it SUCKS!

Thanks John.

Anyway.

I'm walking down the hill. Feels good. Nice view:

Though it's a little industrial in the spot right below the hill:

Now, the ascend. It's a very curvy road. I love that house you see in the background:

Here are those steps I was talking about...the ones Michelle and I walk down to get to the big stairs. They're a little creepy. It always feels unsafe to me. Like some one's going to jump out at me.

Nice little curvy-wurvy road.

Here's that house. At one time it was really run-down.

Then it was a law office. Now I think it's just a house again.

They have a couple of garages on the property. I love this stone one. It's kind of incognito, built into the cliff:

Here's the other one, along with a shot of the back of the house:

That walk made me feel much better. It was just what I needed. Only I needed more of it. But it was time to go home. On the way home? I drove by a few great houses in my neighborhood.

This one has always been a sweet little house. Recently, the owners built this awesome addition:

That whole right side is the addition. I think it's a do-it-yourself job because it's not finished and it's been a couple of years. I know how that goes :)

Here's another house just down the block from the white one:

This one was in REALLY bad shape until someone moved in and loved it up. They're still working on it, but I know the person who owns it and the amount of work they've done is insane.

It was kind of a dark, dreary day yesterday, so it's hard to get the gist of the paint job on this one, but it's very striking. Trust me:

HOUSE TOUR!

For my palsie-walsie Amy.

Who I interviewed for my blog and never followed up with the scoop. I think we need to go out again and I need to re-interview her. Don'tchya think, Aim?

Anyway, here's the house:

It's a 3 bedroom/2 bath house in the Mac/Groveland area of St. Paul. It's in the perfect little neighborhood. Except it's not within walking distance to a grocery store.
And it's only got a one car garage.
And for $359,900 and a perfectly decorated house? The man of the house is going to need a little 'crisis center' to escape from that dining room chandelier.

Okay.
The front.
Cute, right??

The kitchen. Not lovin' it. But I'll just betchya that dishwasher actually works, so I'd take it. And they put in a lot of cabinets....especially around the fridge. This room is 13x9.

The little eating area in the kitchen. And look at those curtains! The lady of the house loves her luscious fabrics, I tell ya!

You are already acquainted with the dining room. It's 13x11. Same size as ours. Man. Switching out then lens on your camera really does an awful lot to make a room look bigger, huh?

The living room. It's 13x11. ONE FOOT SMALLER than ours!!!!

And, yes. I'M YELLING.

The main floor bedroom. 13x10. Same size as our office/playroom

The upstairs Master BR. It's 12x11.

I really like that duvet. I kind of like the overall decorating style in this house. Funky-bohemian with lots of rich fabrics.

The little ones' room. It's upstairs and is 11x9.

The back of the house. Love it. Ooo! Look behind the table and to the left of the photo! That little garden shed from Smith and Hawken!
I still couldn't get the photos I wanted for this tour. They're in the photo section of the 360 tour. Go here and mess around. You'll find it.

So.....what do you think of this one?

I think I want to paint my woodwork.

And - hey! There's an open house at this one on Sunday! Anyone want to go with me? Amy? Jilly?

We've got the Pox...

.....over here on Elizabeth Hill.

Just the Noodle, mind you. But she's got them in her throat, in her ears, on her toungue - yikes.

Guess what else? She's starting Violin lessons at school. She's so excited. Today was her first lesson - and of course she missed it, but one of the the Moms called to tell me that her first assignment is to name her violin. Right now "Jane" and "Sarah" are in the running. I don't mean to leave you all hanging, but I'll let you know when a decision has been made. In the meantime, I'm lobbying for "Tina Fey".

What? I like Tina Fey. She's funny!

Amy, I have that house tour waiting in the wings for you. There are a few choice photos I couldn't copy for some reason, so I'm going to try again tomorrow.

One more thing: I watched a show last night:

And I'm not embarassed to say that I watched it solely for the fabulous eye candy that is Simon Baker.

Oh yes I did.

When it came on? Zuddy gave me the 'eye-roll with a half back twist'. For those of you who don't know what that is? Its when your husband throws his head back and slightly to the side while rolling his eyes in exasperation at your bad TV viewing habits.

And then? He calls you on the fact that you could care less about the content of the show you're about to watch by suggesting you turn down the sound and play some nice John Mayer while you watch the moving picture show.

Gol-ly I love that Zuddy. He always comes up with the best ideas!

I'm So Proud.....

.....of my cousin Travis, his wife Amy and daughter Ellie.

Please see this story about them and their new endeavor.

If you click on the video portion of the story you will see them with a bunch of dogs. Those dogs are all theirs. And they live in their home with them....like the family members they are. (To see the video, scroll down a bit and look to the right of the screen.)

If anybody out there ever wants to add a pet to your home, please please please consider adopting a pet who needs a home.

And - hey - if you have some spare cash layin' around, consider sending it to Amy and Travis!

Thanks a lot for taking the time to look at their story!

Love,
Martha

LOVE. IT.

OH.
MY.
GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH.

I just love this dining room.

The chandelier!
The art!




It's just plain fun.

HOUSE TOUR!!

Oh yes. It's time, girlfriends.

It's been a while since we've had a house tour, hasn't it?

Okay, this little beauty was built in 1939 and has about 1400 square feet of living space. They're asking $340,000.00 for it and it's worth every penny.
Location, location, location! It's within walking distance to everything a girl would need.
Like Lunds.
And Noodles & Company.
And Caribou.
And Barnes & Noble.

Don't even get me started. It's right where Zuddy and I want to live. Except we'd want to take our neighbors with us.



The dining room. Kind of small at 13x9. But I'm loving that large piece of art on the wall. Though I'd probably move it to the plate wall.

Cute, cute, cutie-McCuterton kitchen. So neat. So clean. So finished.

Okay the family room is my fave. It's small at 14x11. I want to slipcover my sofa in white like this. ((GOAH!!! Do you see how I made this about me again? How do I do that?? ))

But - seriously- isn't this the most serene room? I want to curl up on that sofa with a laptop and read blogs. And watch the new season of The Office. And How I Met Your Mother. And The Unit.

The living room. It's 16x12.

First floor bedroom. Simple. Uncluttered. Cute.

Main floor bedroom-turned-office. Cute. Love it.

The 30x11 master upstairs. Not sure how I feel about that bathroom. I like my privacy in the
bathroom, people.

I only put this photo of the backyard to illustrate the major flaw of this house: The one car garage.

Zuddy would say it's a no-no.

Duuudes.

I haven't read blogs much lately, so I've had a LOT to catch up on. Would you like a recap? (This is where you say, "Why yes! Yes I would!")

Okay!

So....let's start with the best news: Sarah is expecting baby #4!! Isn't that so exciting? I'm hoping for a red-headed girl.
For HER. Not me.
And I'm also hoping her baby loses that tail it's sportin' in that babystrology.com depiction of her current appearance on Sarah's right-hand sidebar.
'Cause that isn't the best look for humans.

On to Lisa from Take 90 West. Lisa has a new family member named Bertha. She's pretty cute.

Now our other Lisa from from the Coastal Nest? That girl just posted a before and after of her kitchen. So. Cute.
And pretty much in the time it took me to NOT finish my kitchen? She's given her entire house a face lift, bought and rehabbed a beach cottage, had a storm come through and destroy her business and move that business to another location.
I think somewhere in this time span she's also gotten her PhD in quantum physics.
Don't go over there. You'll just feel bad.

I'm going to go and take a nap now.

The State Of Things Around Here: Part Deux

First of all (and most important), we have a third grader. Feast your eyes on her gap-toothed smile, people:

This third grader has never been happier to go back to school.

You know why?

New clothes, that's why.

You know why else?

Her "BFF" is not only in her class? And not only sitting at the same table in the same class? But she is now on the same bus and the same bus stop. Oh yes she is, people.

I'd post a photo of this wonderful girl, but I need to ask her equally wonderful Mommy first. And her Mommy? Is MY new BFF! Ha haaaaa! She is the coolest lady ever. I'll have to do a post about her, but I don't know how to convey to you Internets how flippin' FUNNY she is. She makes me wet my pants.

Okay. Now go look at the photo of the Noodle again. That's right. Just scroll up a little.

Do you notice the purple hair? As a reward for quitting her little thumb-sucking habit? She got some purple hair extensions. She's been wanting them forever.

In other news......Zuddy and I have kissed and made-up.

It always helps when I'm working. Outside the home for people who pay me in US dollars.

I was lucky enough to have another job come up just in the nick of time. It's an 8-day-a-month ongoing gig. So that's good news.

But let's be honest: if someone would just pay me for what I do around the house (in US dollars....or-better yet- some nice Euros, since the value of the US dollar is junk right now.), we wouldn't be having these little money issues.
And that's a large part of our problem.

And you know what happens when you have a problem? Stress happens and other (related) problems pop up. That's what happens.

I could go on and on. But -really........who wants to hear about that? Probably not you.

And I don't want you internets to think that I'm a miserable little girl, because I'm not.

I'm actually really happy.

But then, maybe the fact that I'm really happy and still have moments where I feel like I'm not always achieving my goals and realizing my dreams? Maybe that's a good thing to share! Is it? Or is it just whining and complaining?

Then, as I write this, I'm thinking about the title of my blog and the little statement underneath it: "Join me in my never-ending quest to feather my nest".

Uhhhhh. There really isn't a whole lot of nest-feathering going on here, is there? No. There's not.

Well, there is....but it's mostly undocumented and involves this: Because something inside of me wants to clean this time of the year. The nights are getting chilly, the days are just clear and beautiful and sunny.

Man. I just love Autumn.

So I'm starting with the Noodle's bedroom. I took off all of her bedding (She has a different duvet and bedskirt for summer) and put on her winter bedskirt. Then I took everything off the floor and piled it all on her bed and chair:

Then I swept. I moved all of the furniture and cleaned underneath everything.

I'm a good, old-fashioned type of cleaner-girl. Down on my hands and knees, scrub-scrub-scrubbing.

As you know, soon the Noodle will have some different furniture (see the last post) soon. We're getting rid of the dresser, desk and chair you're seeing in the above photos. I'm going to start sanding the new stuff today.

Anyway...I also wiped down all of the baseboards, doors, ceiling fan and furniture. Today I will wash the windows.

Noodle has a very small bedroom. I think it's 9x8 or something like that. It's Crazy-small.

Eventually we will move her into the larger bedroom which is now the office/playroom, but I can't see doing that yet. She still has too many toys. My goal right now is to paint all of that furniture in the basement and get it in her current room. Then we will get her a full-size mattress for a cute Jenny Lind style headboard and footboard I have for her.

But here's the plan for now: get rid of that desk in the photo below:

Get rid of the mirror and chair in the photo below:

And replace it with a white-painted bookcase with three drawers - just like that one at my Mom's place that I painted black - remember that?

Here it is! I need to update you on that project. These bookcases at my Mom's place are finished and filled and accessorized...they look great!

Here is her current dresser...it will be replaced with the desk and chair in the previous post. I want to do a pretty bulletin board or shelving above it. I'll probably end up with the shelving. She needs more storage.

I'm going to swing the bed around so that the headboard is below those plates. And then replace the plates with a pretty bulletin board.

After all of these furniture updates, I will finish the KITCHEN. Then we are going to do a little closet makeover for the Noodle.

That's the plan. What do you think?