For Tracy, A Picture as Promised...

I promised Tracy I would post a picture of my tiny little kitchen in our old house back in FL. She is picking paint colors and you should all go offer her some opinions!

Tracy, as you can tell, these are not great pictures due to problems with lighting and with angle. I remember it being very difficult to get a picture where you could see much of the walls and cabinets together. Anyway, this is the Montana Tan with birch cabinets. The counter tops were the original Formica, but it can give you an idea as to how this paint looks with fairly light, neutral counter tops even though they are not fabulous and gorgeous like your granite choices! (also, i think if you click on the picture for the enlarged view, you will get a better sense of the color)

I can't wait to see what you do pick!

Seeing Light At the End of the Tunnel. Also, if you hate it, just lie to me!

This first picture will only matter if you are my mom or someone else who has been to my house multiple times...look, mom, no more useless desk...That new wall to the left of the laundry is the side of the new pantry.

This picture is attempting to show all of you who have suffered my endless obsessing about shades of white, almond, cream, vanilla, and a myriad other shades of "not quite white, like old white!" Can you see how the cabinets are different than the white trim? In all of the other pictures they just look white due tot he stupid flash andmy inability to take decent photographs...this is the best I can do.

The following pictures are general pictures of the progress. Al..Most...There!

Oh, looky! Can you see my new vacuum in the one above?? I llluurrrv it!!!! Upright vacuums are forever banished from this house!

Still not the granite or backsplash that I would have chosen, but I like them much better now than I did before. (I promise I WILL find some before pictures and post them.)

Wall color is a little lighter than I had envisioned, but I still like it. And, it does look a little deeper in person than it does in these pictures. ( I think the flash is once again the culprit)

Tomorrow, electricians are coming to put in fans and lighting. Painters will be her to finish up some final touches. Next, need to get the travertine repaired, buffed, and sealed. THEN, time to get the recessed built-in office designed and installed. Finally, at some point, it will be time to put in floors everywhere else in the house! Oh, and one more thing, I now HATE the paint in my front living room when seen from the new kitchen, so I guess I'm going to be painting it now too! Boy oh boy! These things really do take 10X longer than you plan, even when you are planning realistically! until we are done you will have to put up with my pictures, because at least my mom likes them and they upload faster here than they do through email!

Like Your Mom Used To Tell You

I have nothing nice to say. Blame it on PMSing, paint and lacquer fumes, or just a "feeling like a loser" funk. Getting the PTO up and running for the new school year probably isn't helping either. The PTO gig should come with a complimentary prescription for anti-anxiety meds. (AND A FLIPPIN BREAK ON TUITION!)

Well, not only do I have nothing nice to say, but most of the mean crap I have to say is not entertaining, and the mean stuff that is entertaining I can't blog about. (SO wish I could - I'd need a REAL big soap box!)

Maybe tomorrow I'll get a picture of the bulldozer driver working on our street who wears a red cowboy hat that is longer front to back than the man is tall. The boys named him "Swagger" at some point last week due to the way he saunters around the work site. It cracks me up EVERY single morning when I hear one of the boys say, "Work must be startin'; here comes Swagger."

One bright note - progress!!! It is only primer, but I FINALLY found a color that really does look like white buttercream after you add the vanilla (sherwin williams creamy) and it is going on tomorrow morning!

It's Like I'm Twittering - Only On Blogger and With Visuals

Because you know, there just wasn't enough going on INSIDE my house...




Yes, half of my driveway is GONE - very convenient for all those crews working on my house, um, OR NOT! Although they probably LOVE it - seeing as how they get paid per hour of labor and they spend 25% of their time moving their trucks at the City of Fort Worth's whim...


You know that deep down inside you wish you had one of these parked in your front yard, too!
Did I mention that all of this insanity of making the street look like a war zone is to result in our street being narrower??? Because some brainiac at City Hall decided that every single street in Fort Worth should be exactly the same width. Our circa 1950 streets are too wide. "They" say that this will save the city millions in the long run when it comes time to resurface streets. Yes, after you pay to extend every single homeowner's sprinkler system, sod the new portions of "yard," and create new curbs....yes, I can see how that will save you TONS of money. And, NO, they are NOT putting in sidewalks with the reclaimed space - dumb. dumb, dumb...

I need some more pie. Pass a fork, please.

I Am A Big Fat Liar

Dear Tracy,


I am very sorry to have told you a lie. I told you that my life had not been all that interrupted by the remodeling. Well, I can no longer stand by that statement. First of all, I was awakened this morning by a cal from my contractor (good neighbor friend a few houses down) at 6:54am to tell me that the worker bees were at my back door and couldn't get in. Duh!!! Every other work crew has shown up between 8 and 8:15am. My whole family was still sound asleep at 6:54am!!!! And then, this happened... (I hear it will be worse for the next week as the bed and texture, and paint crews start sanding and spraying)

What? You don't make breakfast in your bathroom?

BUT, BUT, BUT, Hey Mom!!! I have a PANTRY!!! FINALLY! Its not as big as we would've liked, but it is light years better than nothing which, as you know, is what we had before today! AND it has a door switch for the light - I LOVE those! they are ingenious! (Yes, indeed, I AM easily amused!)

And on the 6th day God said, "Let there be drywall!"

Now, if somebody could just help me make a final decision about CABINET PAINT!!!! AAARRGGHHH!!!! I know WHAT I WANT. I just am not sure how to MAKE IT HAPPEN! I want a "white' that is not white, but I don't want it to bee to creamy either. In my head I dream of a color I call "vanilla." And, don't give me any crap about painting the cabinets - I hate oak, okay? HATE HATE HATE.

Tomorrow - tape, bed, texture and trim work. Is it possible that we could be completely done with everything except the floors by Friday??????

Self and Home Improvement

I have tried and tried to acquire a taste for beer. It hasn't worked. In fact, I may have come to find it more and more revolting the more I tried to like it. However, this weekend while picking up some tummy yummies at Central Market, Rich got me to try the beers that the local brewery was tasting/promoting. One of them didn't make me puke. It was even interesting. (Can't bring myself to call it tasty yet - a girl can't change overnight ya know!) Then I discover that the brewery is open every Saturday with free beer and live music. Uuummm, HOW could I NOT already know about this????

If you are a fellow beer hater (or am I the only one?) come on down the the Rahr Brewery with me next Saturday and try some Ugly Pug. Doesn't it just figure that the beer I learn to like is called Ugly Pug? I couldn't have liked something a little more refined like Stella Artois or something? Of course not.

In other news, I might be needing some extra beer, wine, or cocktails in order to cope with the state of things around here...

Progress, but a pain in the butt nonetheless. Also, I can't blog or generally waste any time on the net during the day since they keep turning off the electricity! They seem to think that their not getting electrocuted supersedes my needing to know about Tessie's "deal!"

And a Good Time was Had By All

I am having a hard time readjusting to normal life. Especially since normal life really is not normal life. I came home to a house torn down to the studs in my kitchen/family room. There are workmen of some sort or another here all the time. It is progress, exciting progress, but it is definitely not normal life. Vacation was WONDERFUL! There were some more pics I wanted to include but someone's hubs forbid me to post pictures of him without his written consent. I think he was kidding, but in the end, he wins because the adorable pictures of him and the adorable AJ left with Rich on the laptop. These will have to do for now. (Please keep in mind that I am NOT a photographer like Tracy or Paige!) It just figures that the only picture of me was taken the day I wore the bathing suit that I hate the most due to its unflattering nature! Grant turned 5 while at the beach! He loved his Kung Fu Panda cake, but was utterly TRAUMATIZED by the sombrero, singing, and smearing of whipped cream on his face at the Mexican restaurant. Seriously, it was bad. He was inconsolably sad. Thank God for my brilliant idea to let him open his presents to pull him out of his funk! And thank Ya-Ya Ma for getting him the Speed Racer that was just the thing that pulled him back into HappyLand!

So sweet, it will rot your teeth right the heck out!

There are no words for my happiness at seeing my and el-e-e's friendship pass down to the next generation!


WHAT kind of face is that you ask??? The face of a kid who REALLY doesn't want his picture taken, yet has been bribed for his compliance.


Summer Bliss!

Hey! My kid is UNDER the water!



Um, mom, if you keep calling my name to take my picture I'm going to get tagged and have to be Marco!


Yep, we built this, uh-huh, SUUURRE we did!


WHY WHY WHY was I wearing THIS damn suit and NOT one of the two I had like 8 million compliments on??? Also, could it not have been taken the day after I recovered from the salmonella poisoning and had the flattest stomach ever? So flat in fact, that my bathing suits would fall down!


No, Grant, we can't see you AT ALL! Nope, not a bit!

Taking a break from the sun and sand. I swear these cousins have a blast doing ANYTHING at all together!

I love that all the cousins love each other SO MUCH! But, WHEN did they get so damned old?

The requested, but oh-so-elusive, Kung-Fu Panda cake!

The incident that shall not be named. Aren't we great parents? His bottom lip is ACTUALLY quivering in this picure, and what are we DOING? Are we trying to console him? No, we are taking pictures to document his humiliation and misery.

See, Tebow was happy BEFORE they smeared whipped cream all over his face and laughed at him! Take note, future bride of Grant, there will be no cake smearing!

Edited to add...Grant just walked by as Connor and I were looking at the messy face picture. He became angry and indignantly declared, "Top lookee at dat!! It is NOT funny!"

Can I Use your Shower?

Isn't this what all of your friends and neighbors ask you when they call? They would if they were me.

Here are a few pictures of my front yard. Do you like what Ive done with the landscaping? My services are always available.

What started as a simple installation of a sprinkler system has turned into replacing main lines from city meter to my house. What made people 50 yrs ago think that galvanized steel was a good plumbing material? And, how much do you think all that new shiny copper is going to cost me? You know, copper, like they steal out of streetlamps and various other crazy places due to its ever increasing value?

This is just the very first of our remodeling projects! Heaven help us!

Will Write More Later...

Busy, busy, busy around here. Spring Break planning in full swing along with house renovations getting under way. For now, here is my favorite Easter picture of the boys...



Hope you all had a great Easter weekend. I gave up chocolate for Lent, so I was more than happy Easter morning to have THESE for breakfast. One of my easiest, yummiest, go-to recipes for yummy chocolate decadence. They are fabulous with a great cup of coffee. Breakfast of champions, right?

Decisions, Decisions....

I think I already know what my decsion on this is, but I am interested to get your thoughts on a situation that has arisen here, because you guys seem like a sharp bunch of people. I need a sanity check.

Our house is small for a fam of 5. Have I mentioned that like a million times yet? However, I like it. I will like it oh-so-very-much more in the near future after we finish our re-do this summer. It is a great house in a sought-after neighborhood. While the rest of the country is in a housing crisis, Cowtown is holding its own and maybe even still thriving in my part of town thanks to the Barnett Shale (did I mention my house is sitting on top of it?) and some other factors. In fact, the realtors who helped us to buy this house have called several times in the past year asking us if we are ready to move up because they have a family who is looking that our house would be perfect for. There is NO inventory in our neighborhood, especially in our house's price range. These conversations always end with, "yea, so where would I go if they bought my house?" Answered with, "well, there is that problem...as you are unwilling to move out of this part of Ft Worth..."

BUT a house just came on the market - it is PERFECT! It is in the right neighborhood. It has a pool...needs minimal cosmetic change....it is pricey. We could (barely) swing the mortgage. Rich's analogy to me was this: "Remember when we moved here and we could afford NOTHING and you felt like your life was a prison? Well, for the next couple of years you would just be living in a nicer prison, you know, like the federal white collar prison." He told me to think about it and get back to him. I'm thinking that I don't look forward to being house poor. On the other hand, can I trust that fate will put another house on the market in a few years that is as perfect for our needs as this one? Rates are low. But, rates were low when we bought our current house too...so my mortgage is like miniscule....and I am excited about our remodel plans and rates are low for a HELOC right now...and that upgrade to captain just slips further and further into the future... (thanks a lot Mr. Economy and Mr. 60 year old!)

So, opinions? Stay the course? Buy now and suck it up for future happiness's sake?

WHEN IS SPELLCHECK COMING BACK??????? BLOGGER - GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!!!!!

Some Unsolicited Food and Baking Advice and Beating a Dead Horse

1. My preferred method to make buttercream frosting is to make a simple syrup and then beat into a butter, etc. This makes the creamiest, dreamiest buttercream. Like silk. However, a girl does not always have time for this. And I HATE canned frosting!! That is not ever an option. Ick! Gross! Disgusting! So, today I was making a chocolate cake and tried something new. I found a recipe where you beat heavy cream into the confectioner's sugar. Then melt your butter and unsweetened chocolate together and beat that melted mixture into the cream/sugar. The only drawback if you are in a hurry is that you need to let it cool in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes before frosting your cake or cupcakes. It is not as smooth as the real deal, but is less grainy than the usual beat-sugar-into-butter variety.

2. I have to find time to get my lazy self to Dallas. I need (read: crave) some mojitos, a cubano, plantains, and QUATTRO LECHES!

3. After years of missing Pancho's green salsa (who knew your favorite salsa could come from a Mexican restaurant in Japan?), and never having been able to dupilcate it, I have found a tomatillo salsa that is so yummy!!! We have been eating it on everything. Grilled chicken, quesedillas, chips, fajitas. Once, I even caught Rich eating it with a spoon when all the chips were gone. Surprisingly it is made by regular old Pace. It is the salsa verde in their new collection. I highly reccomend it, and I am picky!

4. I am giving up chocolate for Lent. I am nuts. Not as nuts as the crazy ass lunatic who suggested I give up COFFEE or DIET COKE!!!! Do you know any crack addicts who are giving up crack for LENT?????



Okay, lastly, to keep beating a dead horse...My husband thought the red room was overly "chickish" but, this, THIS he liked????? Granted, it was our other house, but this is basically what the room looked like before last week....so his definition of chickish or girly is WHAT??? It is official. He is a nut-job and gets no vote anymore.

At Katie's Request

Katie says that she can't help me without some photographic eveidence of the "chic-ness." So, here it is. Critique away. Keeping in mind several things:


1. I'm not done yet. Window panels and lumbar/boudoir pillows on the way.

2. Im not sure how the paint color appears on your monitor. It is Powell Buff by Benjamin Moore. It is a golden/buttery/tan. I did not want yellow, and I did not want Khaki.

3. My 12 year old (you know, the one with all the fashion advice!) says maybe I should make the walls a darker shade. Although, I think they appear lighter in the photos than they are in person.

4. I told you my house was small!

5. I think the red will look less stark when the very light carpet is gone and the wood floors are in.

6. My husband (the sole wage earner) is a lowly pilot, not a CEO with a golden parachute.

7. Nate Berkus or Martha Stewart I am not. (though I SO wish I was!)

8. The white coverlet and Euro's are a diamond matelasse pattern.

What's a Girl To Do?

First of all an update on the food diary - I am a loser who fell off the wagon. It all started with a trip to the movies, and ,really, who can resist movie popcorn, m&m's, and Twizzlers???? THEN I came home to find next year's tuition increase letter in the mail. OMG!! I drowned my sorrows in the rest of the m&m's. The next day was little Eliza's baptism and her mom had such yummy yummy food and mimosas(spiked with peach and mango nectars) and CAKE!....and, if these cute girls* invited you over for cake could you say no????

Next order of business - Remember when you all helped me to decide which new bedding to order? Well, I ended up getting the red paisley. I painted my room, put it all together and thought it looked great. I do all of these type of projects when Rich is on a trip because he gets all grumpy when I am in project mode. I think that mostly he is afraid I will ask him to help (as if!) Anyway, he got home late last night. He went back to go to bed and went to bed without saying a word. Well, I know what that means - he hates it! I asked him about it this morning and he, as nicely as he could, confirmed that in fact, yes, he hates it. It is "too red" and looks "like a total chic room." So, what would you do? Would you send it all back and start over? Or, would you think that he will just get used to it/get over it and that he is just a man/pilot anyway and what the heck does he know? I haven't put up the new panels on the windows yet or painted the bathroom, but have already ordered the monogramming on the new towels...

Lastly, I am freaking out about our impending remodel project. We have been thinking, planning, and dreaming about this since we moved in four years ago. I suffered (and I do mean suffered) through almost two years of regional airline pay while waiting for this to be a possibility. We have picked out floors, we have paid for landscape and lighting plans, etc, etc...but now this darn economy has me freaked out!!!! And then we get a letter from hub's company that made me cringe. Are we insane to go ahead with this? He assures me that everything is okay, but everytime I turn on the news I freak out a little more, and then he tells me that this is actually a great time to do this...good rates on a HELOC, and we a lender's dream at this point in time, blah, blah, blah....I am torn. I have waited for my house to be one I love. I have been so excited, but now the excitement is being tainted with trepidation...Please, please, tell me to just be excited! And, all of you people...spend your tax returns and tax rebates on a trip somewhere, will ya? A trip that requies you to FLY somewhere!!!! Perferably on a particular airline! Mama needs her some new floors and a pantry, and a sprinkler system!!

*blatant bragging on my mom - Can you believe my mom made these dresses? Cut, sewed, smocked and all without ever even being in the same state to measure them? This is why I should have had at least one girl! What a waste to have a grandma who is SO talented and have a bunch of boys!

AND - Spellcheck STILL is not working - AARGH!

Worst Paint Description EVER!

Dear Benjamin Moore,

My husband wanted me to let you know that he thinks that you should rename your color that you currently call "Waterbury Cream." He thinks you should re-name it "some dehydrated kid just urinated on our wall."

Hope this helps!
Rich and MaryBeth

Who cares about New Hampshire? VOTE HERE!

I can't decide! I have all of the white quilted Euro shams and coverlet etc., but can't decide if I want the red paisley or something more subtle and formal. If you don't already know this, I love red - it is kind of the "neutral carry-through" in my house. Opinions anyone? I have to choose quickly!

Complete materialism and no substance today.

I actually really do care about New Hampshire, but I have kind of decided to not talk politics on the 'ol blog. (We'll see how long I can stick to that!)