Are you watching?

Right now I'm watching the Academy Awards. I am so jealous of the all the beautiful dresses that Anne Hathaway is getting to wear as one of the hosts!

Anne Hathaway

I'll be honest and admit that I haven't seen any of the movies nominated for anything. Jim and I don't seem to go to the movies very often... Come to think of it, we've never been to a movie together. That's kind of odd, don't you think?  What couple doesn't go to the movies together? What's even more odd about it, is we have very similar taste in movies. I was surprised to find, when we were combining our collections, that we had many of the same movies on DVD.

In our defense, we do tend to watch movies on demand when they come out, and then if we like them we sometimes get them on DVD or Blueray.

Well, the commercial is over, so I'm going to go back to watching the Oscars!  Talk soon!

Date Night

Jim took me out on a date tonight!  Okay, it wasn't really a date, but it felt like one.  He asked me if I wanted to go out for dinner, and I said yes.  I even got dressed up a little...not a dress or skirt like I would usually wear on a date, but a pair of slack because we have quite a bit of snow on the ground.

Jim with the kids.

He took me to a local restaurant called Handsome Henry's.  It's a nice restaurant and they have excellent perch. We sat and talked and laughed. We shared an appetizer. He order a Philly steak sandwich and I order a perch sandwich.  After dinner we went to the club for a drink, and then we headed home.

Nothing extravagant, but a very enjoyable evening. Actually, the whole day was nice, because he didn't have anything he had to do, so we we were together all day. We even watched a movie together, "P.S. I Love You." Have you seen that movie?  I highly recommend it.

I think today was pretty perfect...better than perfect because I was with Jim!

Losing Weight

Last week I told you about the great virtual trainer that had been recommended to me on Shape.com.  Well, let me tell you, it's working! I've been logging everything I've been eating, and I am already seeing results. I need to get back into working out, because that kind of fell off when I got sick. But I was enjoying it, so I know it won't be hard to get back to doing it when I feel better.

Yes, I'm still suffering from a cold. It's really kind of a strange cold too. I've never had one quite like it before. One day I'll be absolutely miserable--like yesterday, sneezing, runny nose, stuffed up--then the next day I'll feel fine, but a little tired. So my plan is to take it easy and rest this weekend, and then pick up with the exercising again on Monday.

Oh! Jim put up a new light in our bathroom! It looks so much better, but we still have to patch the wall and paint a bit, before I can show you. But I'm really pleased to see the ugly light gone!

Anyway, I'll tell you all about it and show you pictures of everything late. Jim just got home, so I'm going to spend some time with him.

Fighting another cold

Sorry about not posting yesterday.  I am fighting another cold and sleeping a lot.  It's the whole sneezing, sniffling, blowing thing, plus obligatory watery eyes...  I thought I was over this.  Anyway, I'll try to post something more interesting than this later, but I can't promise. It will all depend on how much energy I have and if I can get my stuffed up head to come up with anything more interesting!!

6 Uninteresting Things About Me

Some time ago I read a post Maria at Colour Me Happy and she shared six "uninteresting" things about herself. Well since I read that post, I've been thinking about writing a similar post about myself.

1. I hate being cold.  Yes, I know I live in Michigan, and I should be used to the cold, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I'm convinced that I should have been born somewhere warm, preferably in Italy, but basically anywhere that doesn't have snow.

2. I hate to drive. I would rather let someone else do the driving, unless we are taking my Beetle.

3. I have over 45 books on my NOOK right now, and I've started reading 16 of them. I have three books on my nightstand that I'm reading, and I usually spend at least an hour a day reading blogs.

The bottom shelf is some of my cookbooks.

4. I collect cookbooks.  I can't help it. I love them, but I hardly ever use them. I look at them, and some of them I even read, but even the few I use are just for reference, because I cook by taste.

5. Two years before I met Jim, I made a list of qualities I wanted in a man then I put it away and forgot it. Four months after I started dating Jim, I found the list and realized Jim possessed every one of those qualities.

6.  I usually buy my shoes first and then find outfits to go with them.  You can never have enough shoes!

So, what about all of you?  Want to share six uninteresting things about yourselves???

Starting a Garden

We got hit by another huge snow storm yesterday, but I'm thinking about our garden. Yes! We're going to plant a garden this year! I've never had my own garden before, but for as long as I can remember my parents always had one, which meant fresh vegetables pretty much all summer long.

Since we don't have very good soil, we'll be using raised garden beds. It's just going to work better for us, for a a couple of reasons. We'll be able to bring in some really good soil, and the garden will be contained, making it easier to take care of. The raised height will also help me when I'm having a lupus flare. I'm talking to  asking Jim about building a ledge around the boxes that I can sit on, but he's not real keen on the idea, so we'll have to see about that.

Regardless of whether I get the ledges or not, I'm  excited by the idea of having a garden, and I've been trying to decide what vegetables I want to plant. I know we're going to plant a lot of fresh herbs, because a long time ago I did have a very small herb garden, and I liked cooking with fresh herbs. Since I like to Italian cooking best, you can bet we'll have oregano, thyme, and basil.

This is what I imaging our garden looking like.  So what do you think would be the best things for a first-time gardener to plant?

Knocked down by a cold...

I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a bit of a head cold. Jim was a sweetheart. He went out specifically to get some medicine for me. I took some, and I've been drinking tea and sleeping all day. Anyway, this is going to be about it for this post, because I'm going to have another cup of tea and probably do some more sleeping...

I hope all of you are doing well and feeling good. 

Before & After: Bookcase Display

I've come to the realization that decorating a house to make it a home is an evolutionary process. It has to constantly change, because our needs, our likes and our desires are always changing.  And then, of course, there is always the chance that we'll simply outgrow or get bored with certain things.  It's a good thing I like decorating!

Before

I did a little tweaking of the display on the top of my bookcases. Something about it had never been right, and it had constantly bothered me. I had tried several different arrangements, but nothing they always seemed awkward.

The other thing that bothered me was the color of some of the white frames, and this is how the whole process started today.  I took the glass and pictures out of the four frames that weren't quite the right color, laid them out on newspaper, and spray painted them a better shade of white. I just did it lightly, because it was okay with me if some of the old color showed through. I thought that would add a little character to them.

Once they were painted, I decided it was time to make the top of that shelf look right. I took everything off the top except the lamp (the plug for the lamp is behind one of the shelves and not easy to get to.) Then I started putting everything back.

That's when I realized the problem...there were pieces on the shelf that didn't belong there. So I found new places for those things. Suddenly, the pictures where the main focus, the awkwardness was gone, which is what I wanted... I was happy...almost.. It still needed a little variety, a little sparkle.

Well, I found the right pieces to give it that variety and sparkle, and here's the result!

After

Now I'm happy!

Planning a Wedding Reception

I'm in the process of planning a wedding reception. I have to find a location for it, and I'm thinking we might end up having it at my mom and dad's, because we've waited too long to find somewhere.

Here are some inspiration pictures of what I would like our reception to look like...

I think it would be the most beautiful reception ever if I could get our reception to look like these pictures...

I've been collecting these pictures for quite some time, and I don't know the source for any of them, but if you do, please share it. I'd like to give credit to the proper people.

Adding Pink

Source

I've made it no secret that pink is my favorite color. It has been forever, from the time I was a small child. So when Pantone announced that Honeysuckle was this year's color of the year, I was thrilled. I mean, pink was back in--not that I think it ever really went out.

Source

But the thing is I've started seeing pink being used in decorating, and I know Jim will never go for painting any of our rooms Honeysuckle or even a lighter shade of it. And I understand that, because pink is not an easy color to live with if you don't love it.  I, however, do love it, so even though Jim doesn't, I had to think of a way to incorporate a little pink into our little house. 

So yesterday, while my mom and I were out shopping, I found two beautiful framed prints. I knew immediately that I wanted them even though I had no idea where I was going to hang them. It was one of those moments when you know if you don't buy something that you'll regret it later, maybe even forever. That's how I felt about my lovely china cabinet.

These prints were like that china cabinet. They are so feminine and romantic, and of course, pink. I love the bronze frames and the bronze detail on the mats. I tried them in a couple of places, and I thought I would have to put them away until I could find somewhere to hang them.

Then I found the perfect place to hang them. In the kitchen, above the entrance to the living room. I love the way the pictures look against the green paint and how the frames pull the brown color from the living room into the kitchen.

I'm so happy I found a way to add some pink to our little house. It's little things like this that make this house feel like my house too, and I'm so lucky that Jim wants me to make it my home. I'm a lucky lady! 

Before & After: Bookcases

One day during my recent little break, I was feeling pretty good, so I decided to take on a little project I had been thinking about for some time--Wallpapering the backs of my two bookcases.

Several months ago, Sarah over at A Beach Cottage wrote a post wallpapering her kitchen with paper that looks like bead-board.  A Beach Cottage Lesson in Wallpaper.  Ever since reading that post, I've been thinking about how I could use that wallpaper myself.  Then when I found out I could get it even cheaper on Amazon.com than I could at HomeDepot.com, I knew I had to order it and just figure it out from there.

Well, what I came up with was brightening up the backs of my two bookcases. They're not terribly expensive bookcases, just a couple of inexpensive ones from Target, but they look nice and they go nicely with my computer desk which is in storage... (pretty long sentence there, huh?) The only problem with them is that they are a dark mahogany color, which makes it very hard to see anything displayed on them. 

So...improvising on wallpaper tools, I measured, cut, and installed the paintable  bead-board wallpaper to the back of each one.

Here are the bookcases before I wallpapered them. 

Here they are after I wallpapered them.

Once I got them wallpapered and put everything back, I realized that all my books and treasures where hiding all the nice white bead-board, so I rearranged everything. After I did that, I was pleased with the results. Now you can actually see the items on the top two shelves. Plus, I think the white framed photos on the top blend in with the shelves better. Before, they kind of stood out as though they were just plunked there without connecting to anything else. 

After I finished the project, I realized I had pushed myself too much and ended up sleeping the rest of the day, but when I woke up, I had beautiful bookcases to look at that highlight my treasures rather than hiding them!

Shopping with Mom! A day of Treasures!

Today I went shopping with my mom again. We seem to be doing that a lot lately, but I don't mind at all. It's nice to spend time with her.  We went out for breakfast, and then out to the new thrift store I found a few days ago. Mom and I like bargains, so after we got done at the thrift store, we headed across the street to Goodwill.

Detail of the shelf I found.

Not a very good picture... How do you take a picture of a shelf?

I found some more treasures at both places.  At the thrift store, I found this wonderful big shelf for $1.99 that I thought would be perfect for installing under the office window for Jasper to stretch out on and look out at the world. At Goodwill, I got a couple of large bowls. I think they're stoneware, but there isn't any kind of marking on them. Then a tiny little vase, which I think is crystal because it is so heavy for the size.

The bowls...Strangely they look the same size. The front one is actually smaller.

The little vase I found. Right now it has some pretty stones in it.

One thing we did discover is the thrift store has better prices than Goodwill.  They both have really good deals, but it's a little harder to pull out the wallet at Goodwill after seeing the prices at the thrift shop--I DID, but it wasn't as easy!!!

Oh! one more treasure to share... I didn't find this one today, but I found it a couple of days ago at the thrift store for less than $2.  I just loved the shape of this vase.

One more treasure. I can't wait to put flowers in this vase!

Of course, whenever Mom and I go out together we have to  have something to eat. Today we went to a little local restaurant called Town & Country. I ordered a vegetable omelet without cheese for breakfast, and then for lunch I ordered tomato soup.  I was worried that going out to eat would be bad for my new fitness goal, but I did pretty good.  In fact, I did so well that I can have a snack tonight if I want.

Regardless of the treasures I found or that I stayed within my fitness goals, I got to spend some the day with my mom and that was the most valuable treasure of all!

Getting in Shape

Two years ago, I felt the sexiest I had felt in my entire life. I was single, confident, and in fantastic shape. I wasn't my smallest, but everything I looked good in everything I put on, and more importantly I felt like I looked good in my clothes.

After I met Jim, I started putting on weight, and within six months, I had put on 30 pounds. Needless to say, I no longer felt like I looked good in my clothes. In fact, most of my clothes no longer fit, so I had to buy larger clothes. Getting new clothes is cool, except when you have to get them because your old clothes are too small.

Me, February 2009.

Jim doesn't seem to mind that I've put on weight. He's even said there's just more of me to love... I haven't been able to convince him that isn't a compliment. When I try to explain it to him, he says, "What's worth more 100 pounds of gold or 200 pounds of gold?"  How do I make him understand that his explanation does not make it better?????

Anyway, this week, I've gotten serious about losing these extra pounds, and telling you about it means I have to really stick with it!!

Jim and Me, December 2009.

Actually, I want to share this really great site that was recommended to me. Shape.com has a Virtual Trainer, that allows you to track your food and exercise. You can see exactly how everything you put in your mouth and how your exercise affects your weight. Let me tell you, I found out I've been eating way more than I thought I was eating. The best part about the Virtual Trainer is it's FREE! No fees to pay, no stupid newsletters clogging up your email. Just an easy way to keep track of your progress.

The site has also motivated me to start a walking regiment. I could actually see what kind of a difference even doing something as simple as walking could do for my weight loss goal. Having Lupus, I have to be very careful about how I exercise because my joints can become very tender and painful. I also have a lot of arthritis because of the Lupus. So walking seems to be a very good exercise.

Of course, it's winter here and we have lots of snow, so walking isn't easy. I bought a video "Leslie Sansone Walk at Home: 5 Day Slim Down", and I really like it. It's not hard on my joints, but I still work up a good aerobic sweat, and I walk a mile every day right in my home.

Me on our wedding day, December 1, 2010.

I usually have a hard time staying motivated, but I logging onto Shape.com and logging in everything is making a real difference. It's kind of become a competition with myself. How healthy can I eat today? How many calories can I cut? If I exercise and extra 10 minutes, how many more calories will I burn?

So what about all of you? Have you found any great things that help you reach your goals?

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Today is a day for amore.  Of course, this morning while we were drinking our coffee, I admitted to Jim that I hadn't bought him a card, and that's when he admitted he hadn't bought me one either. Could we be any more romantic???

Need a break...

Yesterday was the first day this year that I have missed posting here.  I am still completely committed to posting everyday, unfortunately I am having a Lupus flare that is sapping all my energy and strength. It started last week Thursday, and I thought it had gone back into remission, but it came on again yesterday in full-force.  I just do not have the energy, and I am in a lot of pain. So I am going to take a few days off from posting in order to take care of my health.

Thank you for understanding.

Diana, Princess of Wales

Yesterday, Jim and I went to the Grand Rapids Art Museum to see the Princess Diana Exhibit. It's in its final weeks, ending February 16, so I knew if I wanted to see it that it had to be this week. I know Jim wasn't interested, but he loves me and likes to make me happy, so he agreed to go to an exhibit that I'm sure completely bored him just for me.  How's that for love?

The Spencer Tiara. Photo Fox 17

Anyway, they exhibit was really very interesting. It was cool seeing actual letters Diana had written. They had home movies and toys and even her school uniform.  Of course, they highlighted what her brother said about her from her funeral.

Photo Paul L. Newby II | The Grand Rapids Press

The part of the exhibit that I found most interesting was the display of her clothes. They had gowns, dresses, suits and even the khakis she wore in the mine fields.  I have to say though, even though it was wonderful to see all the iconic outfits, they weren't as impressive in person as I thought they would be. I guess there was a part of me that expected them to be stitched in gold, even though I knew they wouldn't be. 

Jim was very patient while I took the time to read every description on every plaque. He even paid extra so I could have an audio tour. If you go, the audio tour is waste of money. Her brother basically just says exactly what's written on the plaques.

Photo Courtesy Photo

Of course, probably the iconic item in the exhibit was Diana's wedding gown. I'm not exactly sure what I expected, but I expected more--especially being a recent bride myself. I was underwhelmed by her dress. Oh, it was beautiful in a very 1980's way.

Jim was so sweet. He said my wedding gown was prettier. Isn't that the nicest thing, to have your husband say he thinks your dress was prettier than a princess's dress?  I have the most wonderful husband in the world!

Life

Sorry...  This will be a really short post.  Projects and activities kind of distracted me today, so I don't have anything planned for this post.

Tomorrow I tell you about what Jim and I did today. We went on a little outing, I think you might be interested in it.  Just a hint, it has to do with Princess Diana.

A little update about my cap sleeves...they're coming right along.

So good night!  Hope your day was as lovely as mine was!!!  I'll leave you with something lovely to look at!

Starting over from Scratch

Okay... I got through sewing one of the cap sleeves together.  Then I looked at it and realized that the thread I used was too dark. I thought I could get away with it, but even though you couldn't really see the actual stitches, you could see the that the lace looked darker. So, being a perfectionist, I started ripping out the stitches and resewing them with the right color thread...

What I had to start out with. Just bits and pieces.

After I had finished resewing the first sleeve, I was much happier with the color. It didn't have a darker look to it. However, that's when I decided to play around with the layout of the lace for the other sleeve. Bet you can't guess what happened.  Yep! I found a layout that I liked better, so out came the seam ripper again. I tore the whole sleeve I had just finished apart, and started over completely. 

My first attempt at piecing the sleeve together.

It's the price I pay for being a perfectionist. This new layout is so much better. It's more simple. It uses fewer pieces of lace. And the best part is, it is an easier layout to create the illusion of mirrored sleeves. It's not exact, but I'm hoping it's close enough that it won't look odd.

Layout that I'm working with now.

Of course, I still have a lot of sewing to do yet. The picture above is only laid out the way I think the sleeves are going to go together. Parts of them are sewn, but they're not done by any means. But I am happier with the way they're looking so far. They need a little tweaking as far as position of the various pieces, but I can tell you these are a lot less work than my original design.

Super Bowl Widow

Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay

It's no secret that today is Super Bowl Sunday. It comes every year, but until I met Jim, it came and went without any notice. Well, since my dear husband is a huge sports fan, and I am not, I have become a Super Bowl Widow.

Last year, we went to the Polish Union and watched the game together. I was so bored, but I sat through it and watched it. Unfortunately, Jim knew I was bored, and I think that ruined his fun. That's why this year he is at the club watching it without me, which I think will be more fun for both of us.

Jim and Tia watching a Lion's game

I've had a friend who suggested that I should learn to like sports, because Jim likes them so much. I do enjoy watching baseball with him once in a while, but he knew I wasn't into sports when he met me and doesn't expect me to embrace everything that he likes. After all, he doesn't enjoy shopping, and I don't expect him to learn how to enjoy it. It's enough that sometimes I watch sports with him and he goes shopping with me.

So what have I been doing this evening while he's away watching the Super Bowl? I've watched "The Holiday", great movie. If I wasn't totally in love with my husband, I could totally fall for Jude Law, and Jack Black is so adorable.

Now I'm watching one of my all time favorites, "Pretty Woman."  I like picking out all the obvious '80s things. The women's fashions are easy to pick out, and of course, the decor. Men's clothing is a little different. I mean, a classic suit that is cut well just never seems to go out of style.