A Very Sullivan Christmas

We hosted this year...for the first time in our new house...and for the first time EVER. A bit nerve wracking. It all turned out OK in the end, though. Here are some pics from the pre-festivities and the festivities. (I would've taken more, but I was a tad busy!)

I'm still alive...

...to my faithful readers (or potentially reader singular at this point), I'm baaack!! This semester is officially over as of 9PM this evening. THANK GOD. Wow, that was tough. My advice to all you kiddos out there is if you know that you want a master's degree and you know what you want it in...do it right away. I've been out of school for 12 years and believe me...I've felt it every single second.

Alas...it's over and I think I did pretty well. Look forward to more blog entries now that I've got a bit more time on my hands!

Kissing Cousins

Max & his cousin Fae (ok...cousin is stretching it a bit...)

Family

L to R: Dad, Uncle John, Granddad, Aunt Bev


Granddad & Aunt Carol


Granddad & Yours Truly


Granddad & Aunt Carol cutting a rug!

"I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights."

This quote by Adabella Radici helps to express how I feel about my Mom, whose birthday it is today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Lucky lady is off to Vegas today...what a b-day present!

Potpourri

- Just finished my first written school assignment. I toiled over it for two hours and it was only six sentences long. That's what happens when you haven't been in school for 12 years.

- Red Sox clinced a playoff spot. Yippers.

- I met up with two women that I went to junior high with and hadn't seen in over 20 years and had a BLAST.

- My dog needs a bath. Any volunteers?

- I started Pilates up again. Love/hate relationship there.

Step into the master bedroom...

...and take a look around (what did you THINK I meant? :) Here's room post #2 in our new house (master bedroom post was awhile ago.) I only have one "before" picture and it pretty much says it all...



I know. You're saying to yourself, "Is this the floor of an ice cream parlor?" NOPE. It was the floor of the master bedroom. YES. Pink and white ceramic tile floor. In the master bedroom. There are no words.

Needless to say, that was the FIRST thing we got rid of. Oh yeah...did I mention that the walls were Pepto-Bismol pink to match? Second thing we did was paint over that. Bleached Denim by Behr is the wall color and the amazing hardwood flooring is Brazilian Cherry solid hardwood from Lumber Liquidators. If you're following along at home and have been since the inception of this blog, you'll notice that I did end up getting the Pottery Barn duvet I wanted. I love it. Now I just need the shams to match! A few other notes: I love the paisley storage bins I got at Kohl's to put in our closet, our bedside lamps from Christmas Tree Shops ($19.99 each), and the switchplates, which I admit, are a tad over the top, but what the heck!

How many people can say they spent their 5th wedding anniversary in a Masonic Temple?

Me! Me! This weekend John and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. (Time flies!) Since I have a class on Saturday mornings, it was an abbreviated celebration, but still great nonetheless.

After my class on Saturday, we drove to Providence, RI. As odd as it may seem, I don't think I've ever "been" to Rhode Island. Probably driven through it a few times, but can't think of a time when I actually spent some time there. John took care of the hotel reservations online, so I didn't have any idea of where we were staying. We pulled up to our hotel. Let's just say that it was in a "good" neighborhood. It was right across the street from the Rhode Island state capitol building, which is beautiful. It was also in walking distance of the Providence Place Mall. I hadn't even been inside, but John got an "A" at that point for the accommodations.

We walked inside the Renaissance Providence and I was thrilled. (Probably not the right word, but I'm having a hard time finding the right one.) The building the hotel is in used to be a Masonic Temple. I just kept saying, "This place is so funky." Here are some pics of the lobby:





The best part was our room, though. I guess "palatial" is a word I'd use. Everything was so classic, yet funky. Of course, we didn't have a camera, nor did we have a phone that took pics. ::sigh::

I'll just have to leave you with that teaser and you'll have to stay there yourself!

Oh yeah, we went to Twin River Casino in nearby Lincoln, RI, on Saturday night, but that's another blog entry for another time...

I caved...and my feet thank me

I'd been eyeing Crocs for awhile, but didn't want to get them just to be part of the "in" crowd. I hate to say it, but the thing that held me back from getting them was that I thought they made people's feet look huge. Abnormally huge.

So, when I saw the Mary Jane Crocs, I was elated! They are a much more slender model that don't make one's feel look huge. I originally wanted the lavender (of course, fave color), but decided that a darker color would probably look better on me.

I took the plunge and ordered the Navy Mary Jane Crocs from eBay. They came today. OH-MY-GOD. They are sooooooo comfy. I haven't taken them off since they arrived. If you don't have a pair...get one.



P.S. Class went really well! (Worried for nothing...as usual.)

It's starting...

::gulp::

My first graduate-level course is tomorrow a.m. Yikes!

I actually feel pretty good about it, though. I downloaded the syllabus (once I FOUND the site to do that at), have my textbook, a notebook & folder, and have done 3/4 of what may or may not be the reading assignment due tomorrow. (The way the syllabus is constructed, it's tough to tell if the assignment is FOR the class it's next to on the sheet or for the NEXT class.)

Where's my pocket protector you ask? I've taken it off and put it next to the shiny apple I'll be bringing to class tomorrow. :)

I wish I'd discovered these earlier in the summer

They are GOOD!

Say goodbye to the big fork & spoon

They're gone. John looked at me the other day and said, "They've got to go." Yup, I was feeling it, too. Just didn't fit us.

I bought this to put up instead (or on a wall nearby):



I'm a tad perplexed, however. I went to HomeGoods last night to look at plates that I might put on this plate rack. I found one in the store just like the one I bought and tested two dinner plates on it. They look weird. They overlap. Is that normal? Why in most pictures (such as the one above) do they always only show one plate?

I didn't prepare a speech, so I'll just have to speak from the heart...

Courtenay (a/k/a Cooking with Court: http://www.cookfoodwithcourt.blogspot.com/) has presented my little ole' blog with an award! I haven't been at it for very long, so this comes as a complete surprise. Here's the hardware:



And now I will share the wealth. Here are the blogs that I will bestow this award on:

1. http://emoflamingo.blogspot.com/: Emoflamingo. I love reading Amanda's blog and seeing her cutie son Cameron. (She's also a whiz at photoshopping and doing cool stuff with photos.)

2. http://cld0528.blogspot.com/: My Ramblings. Crystal's one talented lady. She makes a mean towel cake!

Congrats to all the winners! Now here's what you do:

1. Post the award logo on your page.
2. Link back to the person who awarded you.
3. Nominate seven other blogs, and add links to their blogs.
4. Make sure your nominees know they’ve won!

Happy Birthday Nana

My paternal grandmother, whom I called her Nana, would've been 90 today (if my math is right). She died almost six years ago after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. Often times when people leave us and they've been gone for a while, we don't take the opportunity to remember them as frequently as when they first left us.

Here are the things that I remember when I think of my Nana:

-- The smell of marigolds: I remember helping her to plant the orange and yellow flowers in front of her and my Granddad's house.

-- Homemade donuts: I remember she and I used the Fry Daddy to make donuts and I thought that was so fun.

-- Getting my picture taken at JCPenney: When I was probably four or so, she took me downtown and got professional pictures of me taken at JCPenney. She told me not to tell my mom, as it would be a nice surprise for her. Typical Katie...the first thing I said to my Mom when I saw her was, "Mom: Nana took me to get my pictures taken!"

-- Bowling the big balls: She bowled in a league with the "big balls" or ten-pin bowling and I remember going with her in the mornings to the bowling alley.

-- My blue & maroon afghan: She could knit up a storm! I remember how excited I was to get my very own afghan and matching pillow after watching the adults get them at Christmas.

Happy Birthday Nana...I hope you're having a gin & tonic to celebrate. :)

Speak to me on the tackiness factor

I saw these in Pier 1 and was intrigued. I was immediately harkened back to 70's kitchens with the big wooden fork and spoon on the wall which lessened the intrigue factor. Then, I thought, "Pier 1 is pretty hip...they wouldn't sell these if they weren't hip, right?" So, after mulling it over for a week or so, I went back and bought them.



I came into the house laughing (which immediately made John suspicious). I said right up front, "These might be tacky, so if you hate them, I won't be offended." He said he didn't hate them, so we hung them in the dining room.

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the tackiest, what's your rating? (I've developed thick decorating skin, so I won't be hurt.)

To go along with the utensil theme, I also bought these:

Lots of exciting stuff going on here

So much has been accomplished this week, thus far! John & I went to HomeGoods last night to look for rugs for either the living room or the dining room. We found two that we liked for the living room. Both would've matched, but one was more in my color comfort-zone than the other. However, I knew that the comfort-zone one would just blend in and not stand out. John talked me into getting the more vibrant one and I must say that I LOVE it!!!

Thanks to all those that gave input on the pillows. After much deliberation, we chose the maroon/wine (officially called mulberry on the tag). The rug has this color in and they really complement each other nicely.

We went to JCPenney and found a set of three lamps for $80 for the living room. Two table lamps and one floor lamp. The room is really shaping up! Our next frontier is art.

Tonight I bought some wall art at Pier 1 for the dining room. I'm not convinced that it's not tacky, so I'll probably need some opinions on this, too. (Once we hang it, I'll post a photo.)

I'm watching another dining room wall art piece, but again, not so sure on the tackiness factor. Unfortunately, I can't copy/paste the pic, so you'll have to tune in again in the near future for a pic.

Hmmm...that's the update.

Your vote counts

(Heard that one before, haven't you?)

As you may have noticed, I'm not exactly Ms. HGTV (I leave that title to my mom). I bought four different color accent pillows for the living room: red, maroon/wine, brown, orange/rust.

PLEASE tell me which you like! Thanks.

Red


Maroon/Wine


Brown


Orange/Rust

WANTED: Window Treatment Help

Here's one of the bedroom windows:



We had to get something that has blackout capabilities, as there's a street light outside the window that shines right onto John's face while he's trying to sleep. So, we got these blackout roman shades. They match the duvet fairly well (at least I think they do.) I feel like something's missing, though. I was considering draping a scarf-type sheer thingy over them, such as this (probably not this color, though):



Would that look ok? Does it matter if they're two different materials? Thoughts? Help!

Curse of the Blog-ino

I thought it best I get rid of the Sox background, as they seem to be in free fall and as we all know, my blog background has a direct correlation with how well the Red Sox play.

So, now we're on to a funky green "abstract" one. Reminds me of Spin Art from birthday parties of yore. Apparently Spin Art has been making a comeback, but after reading some reviews, it's clear that they just don't make toys like they used to.

Ahhh....the weekend

Some of you might be surprised to discover that I'm actually awake at 9:15 on a Saturday morning. It's unfortunate, but true.

So, now that I'm awake, I should actually get some things accomplished, don't you think?

On the docket for today:

1) Hang up hardware in master bath
2) Get a medicine cabinet/mirror for the main bath
3) Spray paint curtain rod for G's room
4) Stop by a friend's potluck cookout
5) Tag items for yard sale

I'd say I'd do some yard work, but since the last time I tried that I ran into some snakes, yes, that's right...snakes, I think I'll pass. Granted, they're harmless (allegedly) snakes (isn't that an oxymoron?), but they still scare the crap out of me. So, I'll be inside today, thanks.

P.S. A new background in honor of this weekend's Sox/Yanks series.

Mom: Your Dreams Have Been Realized (for real this time)

1. We hung the curtains up in the kids' room. Here are the ones in J's room:


2. I got a cool nightstand for G's room at a thrift store for a whopping $24:



I hope I've made you proud!

For once in my life I chose comfort over fashion

My last slippers were done. I retired them to the trash at the ripe old age of 5. I was at Walmart the other day and decided I had to get some new ones. I found some cute ballerina-type ones in purple, but none in my size. So, I decided to settle for these. When I wear them, I feel like I'm walking on a cloud. Maybe I should pick unattractive shoes more often.

Presenting...the Master Bathroom!

Since the original purpose of this blog was for me to share my new house with my friends and family, I thought it might be nice if I actually DID share some of it! I decided to start with the master bathroom. I'm not really sure why, as it's the room we've done the least with. Least as in, I've only bought a shower curtain and some accessories for it. :) However, this is a very important shower curtain as it is dictating the color scheme of the bathroom.

Currently the room is a lovely 1950's teal/aqua/turquoise. I plan to paint it Behr Parisian Taupe and we'll have brown accents (already have a soap pump, wastebasket, soap dish, and toothbrush holder) and probably bluish accents, too.

Here are some "before" pictures (note the neon pink "DON'T USE THIS TOILET" sign):





Here are some "after" pictures:







There are some issues with the shower itself, so it's currently inoperable. We'll eventually have to get a completely new shower stall, etc.. (which is why I haven't painted.) When we do that, we'll replace the sink (it's not really stable) & toilet (it leaks) and we both really like Kohler's Memoirs Suite:



So, if you have any suggestions, feel free! Sorry this post was so long -- I can only imagine how wordy I'll be with the "real" rooms.

Your answer cannot be "You bought cheap curtains"

So, my mom and I picked out some curtains for my stepson's room. I wasn't sold on them originally, but seeing them up, I like them better. However, they have this weird tab-thing/extra piece of material going on. Does this piece of material serve a purpose? If so, what is it? If not, should I cut it off? Tuck it in?

Advise me, please and as the title of the post says, your answer can't be, "You bought cheap curtains." Thanks.

Magazine Recommendation

When John and I bought our house, I started looking for magazines that would give me decorating ideas, renovation suggestions, etc... Every magazine I looked at was either not my decorating style, for rich people, or just full of ads.

John loves watching the This Old House TV show, so when I saw the magazine, I thought I'd give it a shot. I LOVE it!! It has practical suggestions (for example, in the latest issue, there were 10 practical uses for car wax, one of which is to put it on a mirror and it will prevent it from fogging up in the bathroom!) The decorating styles are similar to my tastes and the DIY projects seem easy.

I was getting ready to return the latest issue to the library and it fell open to the gardening/landscape article. (Which I've been skipping in each issue.) I just happened to recognize some plants that are in my yard that I couldn't identify! So, instead of returning it, I kept it for a few more days.