List a mania?

I like lists and I like checking things off my list even more. In the spirit of check, check then, here is a list of some of my current faves.

T.V. (duh):

1. Glee

2. Lie to Me

3. Castle

4. SYTYCD

5. I want my Lost back. And did you see Juliette in those V promos? I liked V when it used to be on because...lizard people right?

Cleaning Products (say what you want good cleaning products are fine):

1. Method everything but especially the laundry detergent and fabric softner.

Bites:

1. Cilantro lime shrimp from Costco

2. Cook them yourself tortillas also from Costco

3. Veggie straws

4. Asian pears

Also:

1. candles

2. clean dog

3. dinner in the crock pot

4. Jonathan snuggles

5. warm afternoons

6. a full tank of gas

A New Katherine Neville Book = Christmas

I finished The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown. It didn't grab me the way The Davinci Code did, but I'm not sure if that's because it wasn't as good or just because I've read so much Dan Brown now.

What I did love was the part about the collective power of our minds to actually make things happen. I believe in this. Lots of people do right, or there wouldn't be prayer groups and the law of attraction and such?

So I looked online and there are several "pray for peace" days organized by different groups that invite anyone to join. Cool, yes?

And back to the book, if you like Dan Brown, read Katherine Neville.

OH MY GOSH, I just went to get you the link and she has a new book!!!! I have been waiting like ten years for her to write a new book! Must go to amazon now. Now, now, NOW.

Flying Feet

I've just realized why the fly lady is called the fly lady. It's because moms have to FLY around the house to get all their chores done and food available and clean clothes occasionally folded.

And that is why I can't wait to get these silly stitches OUT of my foot, because my fly-abilities have been seriously curtailed. I want to fly again.

Plus they itch.

Today is the day (oh I hope I hope); wish me luck!

Tea Cup Giddy

Have I told you before about how much I love dishes? Oh, a lovely dish makes my heart go pitter patter. I always buy plain white (crate and barrel) plates so that I can accessorize my table with whatever pretty serving dishes I have. But if I had money and cupboard space to spare I'd have dish sets coming out the wazoo I tell you what! The wazoo! spell check recognized "wazoo." that's funny.

So now, for your viewing and my gloating pleasure, I will share photos of the new to me dishes that my Aunt Nancy just gifted me because she moved and doesn't have space for them. Dishes, I do love you. I will marry you. We can be together forever.Mostly what she gave me are tea things that used to belong to my Grandma and Nana. I have some lovely ones already that you can see here. And a two tier cake stand! Don't hate me.These tea cups may be my new favorites because they are so over the top ladylike fancy. They remind me of Marie Antoinette. And Juicy Couture.I don't actually know what this is specifically for, but it will be adorable with a little jam at the fancy lady friends brunch that I usually have at Christmas.

Honestly, I am taking deep breaths now because the very thought of each lovely tea cup is like a hit of cocaine. I think. I mean that could be wrong because really I get sick from just percocet, but you know what I mean.

Done now, all this gleeful acquisition is exhausting.

Magic Words

I have some new magic words in my life. They are, deep breath, "I can't afford it."

As much as I have avoided using, or let's face it, acting on those words in the past, I'm surprised how well they've been working for me lately.

Twice recently when I've fessed up I can't afford it as a reason why I couldn't do something the person who was asking has breathed a big sigh of relief and said something along the lines of, "Oh good. I can't either."

So I'm thinking "I can't afford it," can be like my new club. I'm going to trot it out more and see how many friends want to join.

The Dumb Doom Seed!

The DOOM Seed has germinated!

Spent the morning trying to restore my iphone and banging my hairbrush on the wall (it helped me but made Riley nip Marc).

It seems better now.

He's Hungry!

Lately Jonathan has taken to lurking in the kitchen, sniffing everything I'm making, and asking, make that begging for bites. He is always hungry and super interested in food.

Last week we ate at Chipotle and he had the tres tacos meal. It is not small, I'm telling you that right now. It is a solid meal. I ordered a chicken burrito and ate half and wrapped the other half up to save for Marc (poor man is at the office night and day right now).

So anyway, before we are even out of the restaurant Jonathan is eyeing my burrito like a starving child from a third world country. He asks politely if he can have it. I politely say no.

On the way home he asks for it again and I tell him I'm saving for his dad, it's his Dad's dinner for pete's sake. This goes on for the whole night. It was not pretty, I tell you what.

I mention this to illustrate the boy's love for food. He will try anything, wants to help cook, and loves all kinds of food. So when he asked me to help him start his own blog I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that he wanted to call it "Big Burger," and write about food.

Go leave him a comment, he needs to be encouraged to write!

The Time Traveler's Wife

Has anyone seen The Time Traveler's Wife? I am dying to hear from someone what they thought of it. I personally can't go see it because it is one of my most beloved books and I can't stand the thought of it being made dumb and sappy like Under the Tuscan Sun.

I don't usually review books, and I don't usually recommend this one to friends because it has some seriously bad language.

The story of Claire and Henry though speaks straight to my heart. To me it's a metaphor for how love can be desperately hard and how what you love about a person can be intrinsically wrapped up in their weaknesses. It reminds me that love isn't bound by time, that it's eternal, and that it is worth the waiting and worrying and helplessness you can sometimes feel.

And that my friends is why I don't like to review books. Way too much sappy information. Sorry.

Let me make it up to you by RECOMMENDING two of my other all time favorite love stories. These are re-readers for sure.

The Samurai's Garden
Rose's Garden

And a majorly favorite love movie.

What Dreams May Come.

Envy Motivated Fall Decorating

Hi friend.
I'm linking up at Soft Place to Land for DIY Tuesday

It seems like everyone in blog land is showing off what they've done to decorate for Fall. And you know what I kept thinking? I kept thinking, "Who decorates for Fall? Christmas and Easter people. That's all I can handle."

But after awhile I, of course, got jealous and decided to see what I could do. I dragged out the Halloween crate which mostly has plastic pumpkin trick-or-treat buckets and crossed my fingers.

A little shopping the house plus a very modest trip to Pier One for some clearance fall foliage and away we go! Oh! And some dollar store crows. Love those.
This is my favorite, uh, is it stretching to call it a tablescape, because I had the clever idea to use books with spooky titles and, you know, float plastic skulls in the apothecary. Fine decorating yes indeedy! Plus the Jesus picture. I know.Here's some stuff I did in the living room, mostly moving things around and trying to accentuate the fall-ish items I already have.

I saw pillows covered in sweater fabric in Pottery Barn so I asked the girls if they had any sweaters they didn't want anymore and voila! Yes, I am so clever. Riley had eaten parts of these pillows during one of his Doggie Mr. Hyde moments so it was nice to recover them anyway.Have you seen all you want to see? There's a little more Halloween stuff in the entryway.Oh, and Muffy at the top of the stairs of course. I can't explain why I need a Muffy dressed for every holiday...it's a sickness...but I like it.

Entryway Reveal

I tried every which way to get a good picture of our narrow entry way and here, finally, are the three best shots.



I don't usually hang family photos; I like them in albums, but I think that was a mistake because I love looking at these every time (all the time) I trot up and down the stairs with a basket of laundry.

I told Marc that I like it because it makes me feel like I am in the home part of the house as soon as I come in the door. That's a problem with split levels, it feels like that little landing and staircase may as well be the stairwell in an apartment building or something. But this goes a long way towards fixing it. I highly recommend it if you have a split level that you battle with like I do.

So I explained that all to Marc and he gave me the "whatever" look and said he's glad I'm happy. He'd better be too. Dinner is much more likely when I'm happy. And other things too.