Paint and progress

I think there's light at the end of the tunnel! Looky here, the kitchen is painted...

and so is the bathroom...

and the tile is going in the shower...

Rumor is our cork floor should show up all the way from Portugal on Thursday. And cabinetry is coming from St. Johns. Definitely more photos later this week!

Oooh, that smell. Can't you smell that smell?

My brother and I were chatting about the smell of freshly cut grass combined with lemons. It’s a scent we both remember from our childhoods, growing up in Southern California in a house built in a former lemon orchard. Lemons would drop before we could use them all, and eventually be mowed along with the grass, sending up the amazingly pungent scent of lemons and freshly cut grass.*

Smells are such a strong memory trigger. Other scents I remember from my childhood…
-butterscotch in the brush in the hills at the end of our street
-eucalyptus trees
-hose water on hot cement
-orange blossoms
-chicken manure used on the strawberry fields
-grandpa’s morton building: farming equipment, dirt, machines
-cinnamon and cloves mom would boil on the stove, making the house smell good during the holidays
-tangerine juice on skin, left on for hours while we played
-smoke and fire during the Santa Ana winds
-Pine Sol and Windex
-Play doh (and later homemade mint scented play-doh)
-paste (the stuff in the middle of the table, with tongue depresser sticks: didn’t that stuff smell like peppermint?)
-night blooming jasmine
-pungent lantana blooms
-the ocean

That was a nice escape. What smells do you remember?

*When mowing over a lemon, stand clear of the side shooter because you could get pelted with a partially ground up lemon. It hurts.

I'm a Pisces so you best not piss me off

I'm known to be Emo. I just found out yesterday what Emo means. But I love it. And it's me. Ja'AmLo also refers to me as Dramatron. I ****love***** this knew descriptor. Yes, life is drama. I'm known for drama. I'm known for tears and emo and drama. That is me. The life of a Pisces. And I'm done fighting it.

It is who I am. My strengths are my drama. And my emotions. And while it may be painful, it's also beautiful. I feel intensely. Music moves me to intense places, as does incredible art. Beautiful writing? It can take me down. Or it can take me to elevated levels of joy. It is who I am.

And so it goes with my birthday, and a lack of sunshine here in the hemisphere of Portland, Oregon, that my emo and seratonin and lack of a daily multivitamin all take hold of me, and with the passing of a birthday, they converge upon me and those around me.

It is what it is...

Take me for what I am
Who I was meant to be
And if you give a damn
Take me baby or leave me
Take me baby or leave me
A tiger in a cage can never see the sun
This diva needs her stage,
Baby - let's have fun!
You are the one I choose
Folks would kill to fill your shoes
You love the limelight too, now baby
So be mine but don't waste my time
Cryin' - "O' Honeybear - are you still my my my baby?

So Ja'AmLo sent a few lovely pics, and I best be sharing one of them with you. We all had awkward stages, right? Here's mine... Mom. I know you read my blog. Were these glasses ever in fashion? Did we kids all look this bad backed up against that pecky cedar in the family room?

Blah blah blah birthday blah blah

Yeah yeah, it's my birthday, which means it's time for my annual pity party. Tears, sadness, brought on with the lack of sunshine, and the general inability to live up to the birthdays of my childhood, well, that's my pity party. Don't you want to come to my pity party? Bah. I didn't think so. I'll be back to my better self tomorrow. Until then, it's best to stay far away from me.

She's just so photogenic

Oh Frida. She only comes out when all of the workers are gone for the day. And then she's stuck to me like chicle.

Different ways to see things

Who knew the floor could be so beautiful?

Above the leveling line to level out that crazy ass kitchen floor. As for below, can you guess what this is on the new bathroom floor?

Those little things that just get my panties in a bunch

First in an on-going series...
Blogging headlines that really just need to end now: riffs on "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" Really. Please. Stop. Now. It's an old worn-out overused riff, and it's time for it to just have a break. A break of about 45 years please. What is with this phrase? I see it in blogs, in publication headlines, blah blah blah: it just needs to stop.

Chaos reigns supreme

Do you do better in chaos or in order? I know some better get more things done when things are frenetic: the constant stimulation prods you to keep going, to put your head down and push through. I've never really been one of those types, but I have no option right now really. Yes, I've had offers to come stay at friends houses during this chaotic remodel, but we have 2 cats and a dog, and I can't just leave them here. Plus, it's actually been incredibly helpful to be here to make decisions on the spot about where the heating vent goes, to prod about specific things and to ask questions. I can't imagine doing this kind of remodel while working in my previous crazy job, complete with massive deadlines, hours and travel.

So I've been forced to operate in this chaos. Actually, I'm paying people to do this to me. And I know in the end it will be wonderful. But it doesn't mean it's easy. We're on day # who knows for the drywall in various places around the house. Shelves, furniture, equipment are shrouded in plastic and sheets, while the fine white dust collects in corners and grooves on our hundred year old wood floors. My clothes are spotted with drywall, and the mornings are filled with the chaos of rounding up pets and taking them to the basement, grabbing my laptop, and covering my office and dining room in sheets. AdRi speaks to the drywaller in spanish: he's a nice, young man committed to doing a good job and cleaning up as he goes. He was here Friday, but not until 4pm. He stayed until 6:30. And he was here Saturday. And Monday. And this morning. I believe that's done now.

Don't ask me where anything is. I have no idea. Packed in boxes and stacked in closets, hidden in corners underneath sheets yet still covered in construction dirt and dust, that's where those lost items most likely are.

This is a test of patience and of grace. Can I be graceful during this? I'm trying. I swear I'm trying.

Blessed be to the Patron Saint of Walmart

Perfect for a Sunday morning post: Angelina Jolie as Madonna of Consumption by artist Kate Kretz.

I'm pissed so I'm going to burn my coffee cup

Last night I listened to Armistead Maupin read from his newest book, and do a great Q & A from the stage in downtown Portland. He spoke of a lot of great things, and I have a feeling I could listen to him speak for hours. But one thing he read out loud was his quote on a Starbucks cup, picture above. I've blogged about it here. I guess it pissed off the Christian Right, with protests popping up and even the burning of cups. Last night he said he was "probably the only author to be the victim of a cup burning" and I thought that was the funniest thing ever. To imagine something so simple and true to piss off so many people that they burn their coffee cup.

What your kitchen looks like...

...when you don't have a kitchen. Three months of construction on our kitchen meant planning and set up for a temporary set up in our basement. "Set up" being a loosely worded term. Here are some pics for you...

And on the opposite wall, the wall of appliances...fridge, dryer, washer...

And the crem de la crem....the "camp kitchen" sink! And yes, it's the same sink our washer water exits into....Note to self: before doing laundry, make sure there are no dishes in the sink.

I know you've been wondering. So there is the excitement. And right next door in the basement, is our dining/exercise/living/guest/construction zone room, complete with litter box. You know you want to come have a microwaved meal here, don't you?

My Valentine

Here's a little peek inside part of the valentine I made for my sweetie...


Here's your close up:


Now that's a lot!

A VD Message

Scenes from a home remodel

Make your own caption.

Is it over yet?

No, it's not over. But drywall is. Kind of. Jesus Christ people. I knew drywall was notoriously messy, but this is bad. I feel like bringing in the garden hose and just spraying down everything: walls, furniture, art. The swiffer just smears that stuff around. This morning I found a nice puddle of it on top of the thermostat. I have to rinse out glasses or my water is crunchy. I think the drywall dust will help set the tone for a very sweet Valentines day. Maybe I should make a big heart with our initials in the drywall dust.....oh now that is very tempting.

Random thoughts on the grammys

I've been inspired by Lee's awesome high tech blogging about the grammys. So here are a few random thoughts.
-I like Dixie Chicks even more now;
-Mary J. Blige, we hear you loud and clear about your love for Jesus. Enough is enough. Hallelujuh praise be move it on.
-Note to self: get Corinne Bailey Rae's recent album. That voice! Love her.
-Oh Shakira. Those hips don't lie. If you missed it, do, take a moment, and
watch that amazing woman here.
That's all I've got. Have a great day.

Happy weekend is here

To good friends, good food, good wine, good times. And dog sisters. Thank you.

Have a great weekend ya'll.

If you can't say VAGINA, don't say anything at all.

"The HooHaa Monologues" is way more offensive than "The Vagina Monologues." I mean, come on people. To quote my friend and blog lurker KriSt (hahahha: Christ!), "If you can't say vagina, then you shouldn't stick your dick in one." Well said!

RIP Anna Nicole Smith

So sad to think this story is over. Say what you will about Anna Nicole Smith, she was a lost soul. The death of her son sounded so tragic, and now her death, well, looking back, it's not surprising. Watching her trainwreck of a reality show, I could never figure out if it was staged or real. She was surrounded by people using her: didn't she know? Sigh.

Yo yo yo: knit this!

Oh, if only Portland would be tagged by these taggers. I can imagine the headlines now...

Which do you find more intriguing?

The image of Virgin Mary burned into the sandwich, or the lipstick?

Stop persecuting me! Wah wah wah.

I'll let you guess which of these characters I most identify with.

The fun stuff

Been looking at this stuff for months. Stuff being counter options, floor options, paint colors. The pile of magazines marked with little tags. The other blog with spec's and inspiration photos. Notes on environmentally responsible options. New products. Old products. Our selections reflect all of these things. So here they are...
The kitchen:

We loved the green we had in there. This is similar. (We even dragged into the paintstore our doorbell, the last remaining thing with that paint color on it.)
The bathroom:

And a close up of this amazingly cool product, and from a company who also happens to be one of my clients. Funny how things work that way, isn't it?

Things are getting fun, peeps.

Reason #538 Why I Love Cute Overload

How else would I find Wink's look alike?

Progress

The new bathroom is taking shape...

Hey, that's my new shower...

Perhaps you haven't met our weekend guest...

Yeah! The kitchen has drywall....and don't think for a second that that purple door is staying...

Yet more exciting drywall shots...

Give me patience

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale.............