DIY Roman Blinds

OMG these DIY roman blinds are gorgeous and look pretty darn easy to accomplish.  Little Green Notebook has done it again, with an easy-to-understand tutorial for ALMOST no-sew blinds that are made using cheapie plastic mini-blinds as a base.   I wish I had come up with this.  But, failing that, I am delighted that Jenny did.  Le sigh.

Wednesday Delights

Wednesday delights:

1.  The Ikea Kitchen Planner.  What an amazing tool! Check out my plan, above.  Now that I have paid for my new adorable roof, I am dreaming of the next big move.... kitchen reno.  White cabinets, butcher block countertops, white tile on floor, soft yellow on the walls, dry goods in glass jars on a shelf.  It is a beautiful dream, and I am diligently saving AS WE SPEAK.    See also the pic below....mine will not be a literal interpretation, but definitely the model I am after....

2.  Getting my home inspection scheduled, after multiple occasions for literally pulling my hair out in the home insurance biz.

3.  Grapefruit.  So good.  Nature's little gift in the winter.

4.  Cleaning my desk at work.

5.  Slow but steady progress on the ole brick walkway.  Can't wait to show more pics!  But here is a sad one from day two of digging: 

It is hard to tell, but that soil is mostly clay filled with rocks and BIG tree roots.  Digging is not easy, fo sho.  I've managed to break a couple of garden tools already.  I am just so freaking strong, you see.

6.  Looking forward to some real time off.  During which I can plan for the upcoming months. So much planning!!!!

smells like holiday spirit

I am settling into my own "real" pad for the first time in many years, having lived out of my suitcases for several and been in the airstream for several before that, and it is really fun! I considered a tree for the holidays, but took a look at the monkeys running around (and on top of) my coffee table and decided that might be a recipe for disaster.... so instead, I picked up 2 nice pieces of greenery that can be hung out of reach!

Above, mixed evergreens for the door, and below, a wreath of noble fir that I stuck throughout with bits of "gold" berries. My pics, as usual, kind of suck, but I am really pleased with the look and I LOVE the smell. My favorite thing for the holidays: candles that smell of evergreen. It is hard to find good ones that don't reek, but when you do get just the right one.... heaven.


In other, completely unrelated news:
How cool is this: Vocation Vacations. "Look before you leap. Test drive your dream job on a VocationVacation." Genius. Some career options I may or may not be considering: Oyster farmer, pro-wrestling ringside manager, shoe designer, sword maker, archeologist. Strangely, freelance opera director was not at the top of the list. hmm.

My new pad

These pics are not great, and the place is still in boxes, but here is a sneak peek at my new pad!

A pretty corner in my cozy bedroom....
the pool view, just outside our front door...

and as you can see, we are creating a haven for books of all shapes and sizes....

more to come, as things find their way out of boxes and onto shelves, etc!