ack!

I give up! I can't decorate. I can't even find sheets that will go with my very versatile linen duvet. I picked out some persimmon-y sheets from Bed Bath and Beyond, and was really excited about them until I actually put them on our bed... the sheen of the sheets does NOT go with the country charm I am going for. These sheets are going back to the store, I am regretting the duvet, and now I'm back at square one.

... I think I'm just going to have to go to IKEA, and buy pre-matched sheets and bedding that don't even have a thread count! I have NOTHING against IKEA; in fact, I love that store, but I was hoping to coordinate some things on my own. blah. perhaps I need to watch more HGTV.

home makeover

Despite the blanket of cobwebs, insect-infested shrubs, and colonies of ants and spiders that greeted me and freaked me out when I first moved in, I've calmed down a bit to admit that our little house actually has a lot of potential. As I've already shared in a previous post, I have high aspirations and a lengthy domestic to-do list to boot.

With insect-killer in one hand, and Emily as my brave and trusty sidekick, we are ready to tackle our first project: repainting the trim and door!

Before:

Day 1: Yardwork--getting rid of the GROSSLY infested gardenia bushes in front of the house.

As we cut the branches off, CLOUDS of little white bugs would fly off... not to mention the army of ants and aphids. blech!

Day 2: Removing chipped paint and sanding down all surfaces

Day 3 (today): Cleaning all surfaces with power hose and taping up sides of trim.

First gut-wrenching obstacle of the day--the ants carrying their baby eggs fleeing from their flooded nests. Notice the now-empty bottle of bug spray.

Second gut-wrenching obstacle--taking down the old, dirty, mildewy straw blinds that hung outside our back window... notice the cobwebs underneath. and the clump of cobwebs/mud/wasp nest that looks like a dead bird.

Our day's hard work looks like this:

Tomorrow: Painting!!!

wedding pictures!!

AHHHHH!!!! Our photographer, Serena Grace, just posted pictures and slideshow of our wedding on her blog!!! I am so narcissistic, haha—I can't stop looking at them!

these are some of my favorites:

taken in the bathroom—eek!

love the flare!




there's a group shot that I love even more in the slideshow, of us sitting on lots of old chairs—very Vogue covershoot-esque


heehee, look at the ladies in the background—especially stef in the front!

click here to see the rest!

Zinfandel Grille

Wayne and I had dinner at Zinfandel Grille tonight. Wayne ordered the sirloin steak special, and I, feeling particularly adventurous and highbrow, ordered the seared sea scallops with pesto risotto. I LOVED my dish (scallops were very large and meaty! Even wayne liked them, and he's not a seafood person), and now I think my new thing is scallops... or at least new thing to try at different restaurants. I still wouldn't say it's my favorite, but it is what intrigues me at the moment.

Our meal tonight...
Wayne's special entrée : $24.95
my sea scallops: $22.95
cup of clam chowder: $3.95

paying only $5 for our meal after using the entertainment book and opentable dining certificates: priceless!

(note: this is not my actual dinner. my own picture didn't turn out, so this is the closest thing i could find on the internet. mmm, but doesn't it look yummy?)

more drool.

ceci and emily's chunky chip cookies

photo credit: Emily To. milk glass and plate: Crate&Barrel.

(and yes, that is my naturally distressed table in the background.)

drool.

I've been researching and applying to jobs in Sacramento. And to help me narrow my search, I ask myself these questions:

1. Is this a job that will challenge me and utilize my strengths?
2. Is there opportunity for growth?
3. Am I passionate about the industry or product?
4. And can I wear fun shoes like these:

Just kidding... (but only sort of). Is it ridiculous that shoes can do so much to motivate my job search? Probably... but it's the (embarrassing) truth.

For more drool-worthy shoes, see Piperlime's new vintage collection!

I just went on a "quick" grocery run to get cinnamon sticks. That's it—just cinnamon sticks. But I couldn't resist the nectarines and peaches that were on sale. They were HUGE and looked soo good! And broccoli, too. And then I discovered the natural foods aisle and to my delight, found that they have bulk bins full of such yummy whole grain goodness like flax seed and oat bran! So I got some of that too... and whole wheat fig bars.

I went into the store for one item, and I came out with two bags of groceries.

football season

I'm sitting at home, watching the Niners game—all by myself. Wayne would be proud.

Of course, I did take a nap in the middle of it, and now that I'm awake, I'm also perusing recipes online and in my cookbooks, which I'm probably more into actually... but it still counts, right?

Anyway, watching (or kinda-watching) football makes me miss Mission Bowl! I wish I could play again this year... but good luck, ladies! I know you'll kick butt! or............... at least have a lot, a lot of fun! ;)

**whoa! The Niners won!!

Home Improvement

I finally finished cleaning and organizing the house (this was actually a couple of weeks ago), thanks to Colleen and Angela's mid-week visit, which really lit a fire under my butt to get the house clean and ready for visitors. I vacuumed and dusted (actions which I don't think had ever been performed before in this residence) and even scrubbed the walls and evicted innocent spiders from their homes in the corners of our house (good riddance!).

after
(Steve, your bed is now all clean.)

And now I'm on to decorating! I would love to install new window treatments—blinds and curtains—and paint our walls! I have dreams of a yellow kitchen and red dining room... and I absolutely love, love, LOVE the orange door below! But, Wayne's dad still owns this house, and as I was relating to Sabrina, I don't know how he'd feel about his house looking like it belonged to Rainbow Bright and her posse.

As for the interior furnishings, I would love to replace most of the existing furniture and hang up colorful prints and photos, but I may have to lay aside much of what I'd like to do, as Wayne and I have decided that it would be wisest to save larger projects and purchases for after I find employment and/or settle into a more permanent residence (if we do decide to buy). So for now, I am satisfied—and thankful—for our "vintage" furniture and heirlooms, like our dining table that has a rustic look with its naturally peeling varnish (some pay a lot for distressed furniture!) and its mismatched dining chairs that is oh, so Friends-esque.

Waste of Life

I did a lot of nothing today. Well, I guess I can't say nothing. I did spend the entire afternoon reading ALL ABOUT Anthony Caine, the fictitious character from the widely read comic strip "For Better or For Worse" who ends up marrying Elizabeth Patterson, watched the 2-hour E! Hollywood special "Beyonce Revealed", and then took a nap. Actually, reading Anthony Caine's "bio" was really fun, and I CRIED throughout the last part of his story about how he finally marries Elizabeth after a lifetime of pining for her (sounds like a familiar story, no?) Oh, and "Beyonce Revealed" was not bad either.

Yes, I am pathetic. I am currently looking for a job, but before I actually have one, I am just a stay-at-home... wife.