Goodbye 2009!

The Christmas season has drawn to a close.

There are exciting things in store for the new year ahead.

I am excited to embark on many new adventures.

Adventures in design, in business and in a new home.

There is an abundance of different possibilities for the year ahead. I am ready to dive in! With the holidays behind me (almost) and January looking me in the eye... there is inspiration in the air.

Can you feel it?

Hello 2010!!!

Slowly but surely

So I finally finished painting the master bedroom yesterday. It only took 3 weeks (if you count the week that I was out-of-town). That definitely sets the record for longest it has ever taken me to paint a room.

So that being said, I was super ready to get it done. I was more than ready to get it done. I couldn't wait to get it done and I was determined to get it done.

So determined, ready and couldn't wait, that I was hurried, rushed and therefore...careless.

So yesterday I am trying my darndest to get the bedroom painted so that A: My husband and I could "move into" our bedroom instead of sleeping in the guest bedroom and B: I could put my box full of shoes away (one really does not hinge on the other but for some reason I have made this the rule - no finished bedroom, no shoes).

The first mishap was pretty stupid. Messy and stupid. I had on the shelf of my handy dandy step ladder/stool, my trim cup, with the handle and the special slot for my paint brush. The trim cup, full of paint was just setting there minding its own business, when I decided to try and open the door. The door that the ladder/step stool was in front of. SO therefore the ladder/step stool has to move. But I forgot one simple, important thing...the trim cup.

Remember in the 80s/early 90s going to Micheal's and getting to pick out your super awesome hot pink t-shirt and two or three paint colors. The sweet employee would stretch your shirt over the board that went on the spinny thing and, voila!, a few minutes later you had a totally RAD splatter painted t-shirt. If you didn't have this exact experience then maybe you just splatter painted your room, your torn-up jeans, your trapper keeper.

Well I am bringing it back!!! Yes, when I moved the ladder/step stool, to open the door, the trim cup went spiraling off and made the "coolest" pattern all over the carpet and door trim and a little actually inside the closet!!!

Ya, not so cool. So my painting went on hold while I sprayed and dabbed and blotted and cleaned up the carpet and woodwork.

After that was all done, I went on with the painting for about 20 more minutes. I finished with the lighter color and switched to the darker accent color. Moving merrily along, seeing the finish line, only two more areas to trim out, across one ceiling and down one wall.

But darn it if that stinking ladder/step stool needed to be moved again. Just a little closer to the corner...

Unfortunately the can of the darker accent color happened to be on the floor right under the ladder. And the lid was ON TOP of the almost FULL GALLON of paint but not really TAPPED down and secure. And since it had taken me 3 weeks to finish this job the plastic that I had put all around the perimeter of the room had gotten moved and messed up and was not completely (read: not at all) protecting the carpet.

So caramel colored paint is pouring out of the can, I grab the can and as I scream some expletives, "Oh F*** Oh F***", I start scooping up the paint with my hands and dumping it back in the can. I start to envision replacing the carpet, feeling very dejected, I force back the tears and just start dabbing and blotting and spraying and cleaning up my mess. I mean really? Really!!! How the heck did I do this...again! I have never painted a room that has been this much of a pain in the arse. Usually I am pretty good at painting. I don't really mind it. It is the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to totally transform a room.

Until this one.

And I don't even really love the color.

Ugggggg. Oh well it is done. I got the half gallon of paint up out of my almost white carpet after a roll of paper towels and some pretty strong carpet cleaner and a wet dry vacuum.

And I will not be painting again any time soon.

It is my brain...and I will call it crazy if I want to

~Why is my life governed by passwords. And how do I keep them all straight.

~No matter how hard I try, I usually say too much

~I love the Radioshack commercial with the Nutcracker who has a laptop and his singing sugar plum fairies. He makes music with his friends and has back-up singers.

~I want food but I neither want to make it, order it or go get it. Man I don't know how the Indians did it.

~Have you ever tried to stop thinking. Try it. I bet you can't do it.

~My dogs always bark at doorbells on the TV.

~I better win this fantasy football crap. Because it is my FANTASY so shouldn't I at least get to win at that?

~Why is Chick-fil-A closed on Sundays. God made CHIKIN we should get to enjoy it after church, right? (no I did not go to church today, should have but didn't)

~Where did the Orbits guy get that cool inflatable flying car thing? I want one!

~I wish I could get that "Christmas Light Glow" on my house all year.

~Diet Coke is the sweet nectar. It always makes me feel better.

~Why do female sports commentators usually speak like they are trying to sould like men?

~Seriously I am starving.

~And now I feel guilty because there are small childrens on the TV that ARE actually STARVING. I just ate a tupperware full of StoveTop I am by no means starving.

~Come on Roddy White. Or should I say Matt Ryan? Whatever.

It doesn't stop. It doesn't stop.

Does this shirt make my butt look faster?

So recently I flew back to Las Vegas to run a 1/2 marathon to benefit the Crohn's and Colitis foundation in honor of my SIL Hurricane Rojo over at http://www.poopinmypocket.blogspot.com/. I was happy to do it of course.

So I trained for 16 weeks, the last two being interrupted by this pesky moving across the country thing. So just like my training the first 10 miles or so went great, on pace, everything was hunky dory.

See I am going so fast I am a blur!!!

The last 3 or so miles were rough. Probably one of the hardest things I have ever done. At the last .1 mile (a 1/2 marathon is 13.1 miles) I was balling. I am not sure if it was actual pain and exhaustion or the shear emotional release that I had completed it. I trained, I raised funds, I almost didn't get to run at all b/c I procrastinated registering, and I was finally running it and crossing the finish line. It was intense to say the very least! I definitely have to thank my running buddy Nicole who held my hand for that last .1 mile. I couldn't have done any of it without her.

I crossed the finish line and with a smile on my face but sobbing none the less. I barely even nodded when the announcer commented on my shirt that said "Does this shirt make my butt look faster?" He said it did. Although by the time I registered he was talking about me I was bent over, hands on knees, trying to recover from what I had just experienced. Tears of joy, tears of relief, a veritable hodge podge of emotions.

After it was all over with and the finish line was indeed behind me, the 1/2 marathon was one of the best things I have ever had done (had you asked me at mile 12.5 I would have said that it was horrible and could you please get out of my face). I was filled with so much joy that I had accomplished something like this. Dancing has always been more my style so this running thing was a huge switch for me. I do love it and I loved training and I loved running the race and I am soooooo glad that I did it. Throughout the entire race I just kept thinking "I am really doing this!" and after it was done I was ecstatic!

I was so glad to have a banana!

My sweet family even welcomed me home to Florida with a cake and a CONGRATULATIONS sign, handmade by my precious niece.

The best news is that 3.2 million dollars were raised to benefit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation and I was glad that I could help in any small way.

So like any sane person (read: insane runner) I am already looking forward to my next race in March. This one is through Disney World. So from the Las Vegas strip to the Happiest Place on Earth! There should be some sort of commemorative medal for that one!!!

Back "Home"

Whoooo. It has been a doozy of a few weeks. Packing, driving across country, moving into a house without any stuff, all of the stuff arriving the day before I flew back out of town to our old home town of Las Vegas, running the Las Vegas 1/2 marathon, saying farewell to Vegas again, and now back "home" to the new house!

I say "home" because I still feel a little out of place having been here and there and everywhere in the past few weeks. I know that once I hunker down and get this place more my style I will feel much better. I have so many ideas and so much to do that I feel a tad overwhelmed but I have to keep reminding myself that there is no "deadline" and to take one thing at a time.

First order of business is Christmas decorating. Priority because if I don't get it done soon then what is the point? I will have to take it right back down again. This holiday season has been more hectic than most so I want to be able to enjoy my tree and decorations for as long as possible.

Second is organizing...everything! I was trying soooo hard to organize on the front end of the move but alas there is still much to be done on that front. So dunt-da-ta-da...IKEA!!! Yay! I love IKEA. I am so glad that I have finally moved somewhere that it is an in-town trip and not a weekend event. Bring on the swedish meatballs! All of this will have to be carefully budgeted but I am ready!!!

And finally, I need to make this house a home. Our home. My dear husband did some decorating while I was away that I need to gently rearrange. Not that he didn't do a great job, but ya know, I am a designer and all, and therefore by nature need to do the decorating my way. Plus I want to mix things up, use things in different ways than I have before. In order to not go broke in the process of designing this home I am hell bent on repurposing the accessories that I own. Use a vase that previously was in our living room next to the garden tub maybe. Hanging the hallway art in the bedroom etc. By doing this I hope that the things that we have will be new and fresh to us and this home will be too and not just a different version of the last house.

I promise to post pictures soon. I know all of this wordiness is, well, wordy.

All in due time, all in due time!

Moving Day

The truck is loaded. Our house is empty save the futon I am sitting on, one TV still playing college football, and a couple of mattresses and suitcases. Everyone is exhausted and there are still 4 long days of driving ahead with a few days in big D for me and the pups. Got to see a few friends today as they stopped by to say goodbye, to the shagren of my father-in-law who was feverishly trying to get as much possible done in the daylight hours as he could. Very focused that man. God bless him. We honestly COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT without him.

Blessing in disquise that I did not work this week. I can't even imagine how chaotic it would have been if I had been at work all week. With me constantly packing and the men constantly loading the trailer it really wouldn't have gotten done if I had come home at 6pm or later every night.

I look around and I am a little sad, but more excited. Considering I am gaining 1000 square feet and a HUGE yard is keeping me focused on the positive. I can't wait for my large kitchen and living room. I am already planning parties in my head. I am thinking about all of the baby and wedding showers (not for me but others), birthdays, chili cookoffs, college football watch parties, puppy parties, my name starts with a "M" and its Monday parties!!! So exciting! This is definitely the first "internet only" house I have ever moved into. My SIL did go check it out for me but it is always different doing the "walk-through" yourself and I have never moved somewhere where the walk-through was also move-in day.

So today on move-out day I am excited and full of expectation and anticipation. It will be different, I will miss my friends here, but I am gaining alot. Closeness to family, hopes of my own business or a new opportunity, new house, living close to water, etc.

I am excited, and tired. It has been a long week. Wish me luck on the long drive ahead.

Moving day, Moving on, Moving forward.

Just keep packing, just keep packing

Why is it that when you start packing up your house for a move, then and only then, do you realize how much stuff you actually have accumulated. It is amazing how much two people can own. I had huge aspirations to give a bunch of stuff to Goodwill but I really don't have alot of extra stuff. 'Cause you know I NEED all of this stuff.

The wonderful thing is that I have been able to be organized thus far. I have wonderful visions of my new home being perfectly orderly. The move will be seamless, breathtakingly easy due to the painstaking efforts of my packing. This is my dream, not so sure it will be a reality. I know that I will get to a certain point and I will start to get to The Random Stuff.

This is the category that causes me agony and heartache. I tend to get to this point in packing and I find myself just staring at the huge array of randomness. Not knowing how to categorize it, it usually ends up all in one box. The sad thing is this one box usually never gets unpacked in the new home.

This will surely not happen this time. I vow to unpack everything and if a home cannot be found for The Random Stuff, then maybe I don't need it in the first place. Which begs the question, why I move it anyway. Usually it is out of frustration I think, because by the time I get to The Random Stuff I am too burnt out from all of the previous organization that I just give in.

I will just stand by the fact that all of the organized boxes offset the one (?) unorganized box!!!

So for now I will...just keep packing...just keep packing...(sung to the tune of Dori's song "Just Keep Swimming" on Finding Nemo). I love that movie!

Spoon full of Sugar

The race is on till moving day. I have about 2.7 boxes packed. I don't know where to go from there. I just need to dive in but I am in full out procrastination mode.

Yesterday was my last day at work. I thought I had one more week but the man in the glass box said no. In light of my 2.7 boxes, this isn't necessarily a terrible thing.

Will someone come help me pack? The puppies are just staring at me!

I really need Mary Poppins right now. She could just whisk her hand and all of my belongings would start dancing around the room and into their respectable, perfectly organized, boxes. I've got a spoon full of sugar Mary, won't you come help?

Okay here I go I am going to go pack a box. I hate packing!

relocating

So here is the thing about moving. There are good things and there are bad things. I will break them down for you as I have experienced them today.

Awesome phone call from my SIL (who so graciously) went over to the house that I would love to move to and checked it out for me, and confirmed my hopes that this was INDEED the house that my husband and I should move to. Granted I think she may just want to hang out there with me, which I totally don't blame her for, but her support is extremely appreciated and I love her and her husband for checkin' it out for us!

Then there are the people that are really sad. And I am really sad about leaving. The people that I love. The people that I am going to miss so much that it physically hurts. I haven't cried yet because I don't want to think that things will ever be any different than they are now. But alas I am moving ACROSS THE COUNTRY. These people are all very understanding and lovely and I hate to possibly hurt them and I hope that they know that if I could possibly pick them up and move them with ME, I would. Because, obviously, it is all about me.

But then again it is...about me...and my husband... and what is best for our future.

It is hard to admit that. But sometimes you just have to do "what you have to do".

Then there are the peeps that you never knew even cared until all the sudden you are leaving. These are the ones that perplex me. All the sudden my cubicle mate (sadly I do live/work in a semi-cubicle) has to listen to me tell the story over-and-over again about why and when I will be leaving. It isn't that I don't appreciate their concern, I just did not, for some reason, anticipate the inquiry. That is interesting. We will have to wait and see if that changes after the shock has worn off.

So to all of the people out there that are either excited or upset, numb or angry, happy, sad, anxious, or just plain excited &/or in shock, I just want to let you know that I am pretty much all of the same.

It is life, and therefore, by default, is a journey.

liberation

A new chapter begins today. A renewed sense of liberation, creative license, and optimism encompasses me tonight. I am nervous, apprehensive, excited, sad, and reflective today. Now we anticipate, need to get organized, need to strategize, etc. More to come!!! Can't wait!

The day before the letter

Tomorrow I will be handing in my resignation letter at work. I am extremely nervous about it. This is my first real resignation as this is my first career job. I have given two weeks notice at various jobs that I had in college, but that is way different than this. This is big. This is scary.

However, I am ready. It will be good to finally be able to tell my boss my plans. Plans to move across the country to be closer to family. To hopefully start a family of our own soon.

I haven't been very comfortable lately knowing that I would be leaving and not being able to talk about it. I am pretty good at keeping secrets but it is very hard. I talk, alot, and it is extremely difficult for me not to be honest. Probably to a fault. I am sure that I over-share frequently.

Tomorrow is the liberation. To get it all out there on the table will be good. Then maybe I will bring myself to pack a box! Because 2 weeks is going to creep up on us way fast.

Is it wrong that I even find it hard to publish this. I feel like I still need to keep it all hush hush. It isn't like my boss will read this. Ever. Especially not 12 hours before I tell them I am quitting. It just still makes me nervous!!!

...and so it goes

The inaugural blog.
I have been thinking about doing this for awhile. I read blogs. I love them. I have an addiction to them. At my current job I find myself chained to my desk during my lunch hour, with my low calorie microwave lunch, reading through my favorites. The blogs I read inspire me. They have inspired me to write my own. I will try to be inspiring myself.

I plan to blog about design, about life, about the little things, about the big things. Where I have been, what I have seen and experienced, and the people and things that move me, will be the focus of this blog.

As I venture into unchartered territory, will you join me?