Ooof!

I didn't know what exactly to title this post, but I wanted something to capture that feeling and sound similar to the wind being knocked out of you... or kinda like catching a hard-thrown football, right in the stomach, "Ooooff!" But once I catch one football, here comes another.

Yeah, that's kind of how I feel at the moment. And I've been so tired, I've been in bed before 9 the past 2 nights, so I haven't had much time to post anything. I'm stealing a few lunch-hour moments right now, just to write to let you know I am still alive... just trying to juggle a lot at the moment. I'll have some posts later this week....

Stay tuned.

Freakshow Dreams

I had the strangest dream last night that left me feelin' a little panicky. Apparently I had not closed on my house yet, but was scheduled to close within a day or two...regardless, it was near the time the house would be mine. And then POOF! All of sudden, because of some clause or fine print or something, the house was whisked out from under me by someone else. Just. Like. That!

I was pretty upset, but I think I was in shock, so it hadn't quite hit me yet. I needed a place to live, fast, so I agreed to buy a house, sight unseen, in Denver (the city, not the burbs) of all places! Yikes! The place was no house at all, but a nightmarish condo/apartment of sorts, with a giant bathroom in 70s decor that was shared by all. Plus a few other random bathrooms that didn't seem to have all the needed components. Like one had a sink, but no toilet. Huh?! My kitchen ended up being a diner, again, shared by all, which I found out during the lunchtime rush. My family was there to help me move in and was shocked by what they saw, but they were trying to be supportive, since apparently this was what I bought. It started to hit me and I started to panic. I was hoping that I could get out of it, like there was some sort of return policy on property.

My sister, being helpful, offered to show me a house a friend of hers was selling...to the tune of $500,000. Um, a little outside of my price range, but we all went to look anyway. The house had a lot of amazing bathrooms. More than I needed. And a normal kitchen. Meanwhile, I was still freaked out about being homeless and having my house sucked out from beneath me.

That's when I woke up. It took me a minute to realize where I was and that it was my house. Not the freakshow condo, but MY actual house. After getting some distance from the dream I started thinking, maybe I'm starting to feel like it's really my home...enough to panic about it being taken away??? And maybe I have a thing about bathrooms.

What do you think? Any interpretations? Have you had any freakish dreams lately?

Finders Keepers

One of the most surprisingly fun parts about buying a house has been discovering some of the stuff left behind by the previous owner. I guess I wasn't expecting much to be left behind, except what we agreed on (i.e., curtains, appliances), but there was a lot of random stuff left here.

It's kind of like finding treasure... although some things take a little more imagination and creativity! Anywho, since I have a little imagination and some creativity, I thought it would be fun, and would help me recharge my battery, to do make use of some of the stuff I've found. And naturally, I'd share them here with you.

I was excited to find lots of stuff in my little garage- some old wood, doors, windows, and lots of pots and things for the flowers in the yard. I figured most of the pots were bigger clay pots for outside but I was really excited to find this little beauty in the mix too!


A pretty pale blue and I like the way the corners are a little higher and there's kind of a swoop in between. I knew it would come in handy and would make a nice addition to a couple of other little blue pots I had. Voila! Jade gets a new home!

Doesn't she look stunning?! What kind of trash to treasure projects have you done?

Stay tuned for more...

I'm Too Sexy

Suz, over at 30 Before 30 List, tagged me to do a 5 sexy things meme.

Here's how it works:

* Write 5 things that make you feel sexy
* Post a pic if you dare!
* Pass it on to 5 lovely bloggers

Let's see...

A really great French tip pedicure! (Of course with some pretty open-toe shoes). A pedicure just polishes the whole look (pun totally intended).

A new haircut/hairstyle. I love getting my hair cut and styled. I just feel pretty after and the best part- I didn't have to do all the hard work!

Really pretty underwear. I don't really care what brand, it just has to be something pretty, something I don't wear every single day, something I buy for me.

Yoga. I admit, I suck at keeping up a regular routine. I feel good about myself and my body when I'm doing regular yoga... exercise, yes, but yoga specifically because you just have to pay attention to your body and your breathing and keeping everything balanced. Afterward I feel like I have better posture, I feel strong, I feel confident, and that is sexy.

Gettin' all purty and goin' out on a date. (Even if the date isn't all that awesome)

I really couldn't find a picture to share... hmm...

Erm, I don't have 5 bloggers to tag, since Suz would've been one, and she tagged one of the others I would've tagged! SO, I'll make do with this:

I'm tagging my lovely sisters: Kim @ Kim's Spot and Amber @ a little bit of everything

I'm also tagging Erin @ Tales of Our Journey

I would also LOVE to hear from my friend Nacole, even though she doesn't have a blog... and Scottish, if you're out there reading this, I think it would be a hoot to hear yours... and really anyone else who would like to tell me their 5 things! I love comments!

Meet Medusa

Isn't she lovely? And crazy looking? I got her a couple weekends ago. She makes me smile with her crazy corkscrews and waviness all over the place. The plant's real name is juncus effusus spiralis (I dare you to say that aloud five times fast), but the fun name is The Bad Hair Day plant. Indeed.

Medusa was looking pretty cramped in her tiny plant store pot and she was starting to look a bit droopy, so earlier this week I headed to Home Depot (or the Depot as I like to say) and got her a new pot (exactly like one I had in a smaller version), some moisture control potting soil (my girl prefers very wet soil), and spent some time re-potting her and her sisters, Jade and Lipstick (more on them later).

Ah, nature. Dirt under my nails. Birds chirping. Mosquitoes biting. I hauled everything into the kitchen after Medusa was set...no need to be eaten alive by those darn bugs. Plus it was getting harder to see anything in the dusky light.

Good thing I didn't wait to re-pot Medusa, I've never seen roots that tightly woven together! No wonder she was droopy. I really couldn't break them up much, but I tried. I think she has perked up a bit in her new, spacious pot, but that could just be my imagination.

By the way, Medusa was not an easy girl for me to photograph! So, if you want to see some cool pictures and read more about her, go here.

Thank Goodness!

I'm all sayin' is I'm glad the weekend is here. It has been a very busy week, especially with K-Dog out sick for almost all of it! I'm tired! While K-Dog being sick means I'm still on-call for the weekend (boo), I don't even care that much at this point. I'm just ready to enjoy a restful and relaxing weekend.

Here are my plans:

Lots of this:

Some of this, enjoyed s l o w l y, perhaps over a good book and maybe with a nice breakfast on Sunday morning:

And more of this:

Unfortunately, I have to probably should do some of this:

and this

But that's OK. I can handle it. I might also try to work on a couple of small projects I have brewing in my mind and then hopefully get back on track with my studying, which has fallen by the wayside. I'm also hoping that I don't catch whatever K-Dog has!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Making a Home

It seems I have a never-ending to-do list these days...painting, cleaning, mowing, nesting. It seems like the nesting part is taking forever. But I've been trying to do a few fun projects here and there, just so I feel like I'm accomplishing something... and making this feel like home. So here are 2 projects I did tonight after work. I'm pretty happy with them both!

First of all, I have a nice big dining room with patio doors and windows and a window seat. But my dining room is always a bit dark because I don't open the blinds very often as my windows look onto the neighbors' driveway and a kitchen window:

I decided to buy some of that window film that offers privacy, but allows light in. I was a bit surprised at the variety! I settled on some pretty stuff with vines swirling all over. I got the kit with a squeegee and other helpful tools, too. After this stuff sat around for over a week, I decided tonight was the night! I washed the windows, measured, cut, sprayed everything down (it helps a lot if it's wet), peeled, stuck and squeegeed. It wasn't exactly perfect- but I like how it turned out...


Now maybe my plants will get more much-needed light!!

Project Number 2 came from Goodwill last night! I can literally count on one hand the number of times I've been to a Goodwill, but I keep hearing about all the awesome things people find there, so I went to check it out! I found 2 things- a frame I plan to do something with, and a sign that I thought would be cute in my living room on the way to the kitchen. However, when I got it home I realized it wasn't going to work there. I was pretty bummed. But then, Plan B!!

It would be perfect over my little nook off the kitchen! After more measuring and some calculating, then even more measuring, I got the sign up. I think it looks great! And I think it's actually the first thing that I've hung in my house! (I've hung a couple other things on existing nails) Woohoo!

I'm getting there... little by little!

Conundrum

Whew! This week is flying by! Maybe that's a good thing...

Anyway, last weekend was Paint Fest USA 2009 at my house. My neck and hands were killing me by the time we were done painting... I realized I really haven't done much painting (of rooms) and so I was a bit clumsy at first. Oh well. The paint is on the wall!

Though, this leads me to said conundrum... I think the paint color is a bit lighter than I anticipated. Don't get me wrong, it's still pretty and light and all that. I finally dug out the paint swatch or chip or whatever you call it and compared the two last night and it does appear to be just a bit lighter on the wall. The primer even seemed darker to me than the paint does...

So do I add another coat of paint? (I think my hands spontaneously started bleeding when I typed that.) Will that add some depth and color and weight? Please excuse the painters tape in the picture...

Is It a Full Moon?

Lemme check my calendar...


Hmmm, nope.

Then what the heck?!? Has everyone gone mad? Is there something in the water? The air? What is going on?

I've been dealing with more issues, phone calls, and crises than I know what to do with! Cripes!

Instant Decor!

Hey'all! I wanted to show you a quick and easy project I did recently to add a little decoration to my home. As a new homeowner on a budget, anything quick, easy and cheap is great, but free is awesome! Plus, it's "green" too! And for the first time, I'm linking up with DIY Day over at Kimba's site, so be sure to check things out over there! (I'm a little nervous!)

Earlier this summer, my clever brother told me not to cut down my lily stems once the lilies were all done blooming, so I didn't, trusting in his infinite wisdom and decorating ability. With all the commotion going on this summer, I basically forgot about what he said, until my yard started looking like this:

Once the lily stems were dry and woody-looking, I "harvested" them- some of them pulled out easily and others I had to cut, but it only took a few minutes. I tried to cut them all so they were pretty long, since I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do. My brother mentioned spray painting, but I like the natural look...at least for now. I grabbed a couple of vases I had on hand, cut them to fit, and voila!


You probably can't tell because of the angle of the picture, but the green vase is somewhat tall, so I left the stems pretty long. The clear vase is much shorter (and on a very tall shelf), so those were cut shorter.

Just think, you could pay a chunk of change for something like this from Pier 1 or Pottery Barn. Or you could just cut down those stems in your backyard. You choose.

If you've stopped by from Kimba's DIY Day, thanks for checking out my lil' project!

Dear Diary,

Tomorrow marks 6 months since I left Colorado. I just realized it. On one hand it's hard to believe...on the other, it seems like it's been forever!

I find myself missing my Colorado peeps a lot lately. I had this crazy dream last night about visiting my department, seeing familiar faces, getting lots of hugs. I've been missing my favorite local coffee places (definitely Starry Night and the Human Bean), pizza place (MeMe's), kooky pasta place (Rasta Pasta)... though I'm trying to find new favorites here.

I know I made the right choice for me. I needed to get out of a job that was literally making me sick, a job I hated. I needed to get back to what I love doing. Even though I've had some tough days lately, I know I'm doing what I love.

xoxo,
heidi

Pardon My Dust...

All right. I finally have some pictures to share of my big renovation project! Hooray! It's actually not finished yet, but I think the transformation is pretty dramatic already. Let's take a look, shall we?

A while back I wrote about how I decided to strip the wallpaper in my office/craft room/potential 2nd guest room. Here's a shot of the "accent wall" in the room:


Nice, right? I took a close-up so you could appreciate the detail! The other walls were covered with something a little less obnoxious, but unfortunately, I was so darn anxious to rip it off the wall, I didn't take any pics! Anyway, as I started ripping the paper off, I discovered some sweet wood paneling. I had no idea it was under there. I would've just painted that and left it alone, but there were some tricky spots and problems... and let's not forget there was all this wood trim covering some of the seams that didn't fit together so well. Nice.

Under the paneling... plaster. Probably the original plaster from 1918 or whenever. Cracked. Falling down in parts. Not good. We started ripping out the paneling... here's a shot...




This next shot is probably the trickiest part of the whole room, the dormer ceiling. And, it was in pretty rough shape, though you might not be able to tell. I'm pretty sure there was a closet there or something.

I also must say that the previous owner of my house LOVED paint. LOVED it. So almost every single door in the house is painted, usually the same as the room inside, and the same as the hallway on the other side. Which means a lot of work sanding, priming, and painting the darn things to get them the way I want them... I won't bore you with those pictures now. But here, is what the room looked like today! (sorry if it's a tiny bit blurry)

Much better, yes?! I should've taken this picture a little more to the left so you can see the closet again, but I couldn't remember exactly which spots I stood in before...Oh well. I'm sure you get the idea! Dramatic, I think.

Obviously, it's not finished. My mom and dad will probably come back again next weekend, so we can finish sanding and then start priming (at least). I hope to have all the trim and doors painted and ready to go. This feels like it's taken forever and my mom and dad and brother have worked so hard to help me! They're such troopers! Thanks guys!

Until next time...

Ah, Friday

Thank God for Fridays... and wine.

Have a good looooooong weekend!

Love & Relaxation

Last night I was determined to have a relaxing, yet productive, evening. Can those 2 things really coexist, you ask. Well, yes. Yes, I believe they can! I was hoping I had a new issue of Vanity Fair waiting for me at home... but instead, something better was there... the new, 2010 Ikea catalog!!! More on that later...

I was trying to figure out what I was going to make for dinner with few ingredients, little hassle, and minimal preparation/cook time. I also wanted something filling and comforting. Hmm. Got it! My new favorite, go-to recipe! It is quick, easy, and so tasty and filling I feel like licking the bowl when I'm finished.

Black bean soup. So simple. So lovely. And healthy to boot. Here's the original recipe:

Puree 1 19-oz can of black beans (no need to drain the beans) in a blender or food processor. Gently heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a medium saucepan and toss in a small minced onion and clove of garlic and cook until onions are soft. Add the pureed beans and 1/2 cup chicken broth to the saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally allowing it to thicken. Add a dollop of sour cream (optional) and enjoy!

Six ingredients!! That's all you need! However... I can never just leave a recipe alone. I have to tweak things. I can't help it. I'll tell you what I've done and let you make up your mind...but I should say that the 2 times I've made this, it was a bit different each time, depending on what I had available in my cupboard and fridge.

The first time I made it, I had a mildly hot pepper from my neighbor, G. I chopped that and threw it in with the onions and garlic and it added a lovely mild flavor. If I had a pepper last night, I also would've added it. I almost always increase garlic whenever I make things... I love me some garlic. I also usually add some cayenne pepper to the mix at some point, for a little spice, also a little salt and black pepper to taste. Depending on your beans, you may want to add part of the chicken broth to the blender to help it puree nicely. Last night I used 2 smaller cans of beans and one was very watery...I think the majority of the weight of the can was liquid, not beans, jerks (not buying that brand anymore!). Anyway, eyeball it and use your best judgment. I think that this needed some acidity the first time I made it and so I added lemon juice (lime would work too) and it was awesome and definitely a permanent change! You can add that to your own taste preferences... I didn't measure the citrus... or the cayenne pepper. Last night I didn't add sour cream and the soup was amazing all by itself! Oh! I almost forgot! I also added cilantro! Yum. Let me know if you make this and what you think.

I ate my lovely, comforting bowl of black bean soup on my deck while I flipped through a new psych publication and watched the dogs play. Ah, relaxing. I told myself I could not look through the Ikea catalog until I did some licensing reading (that's the productive part)...urgh, torture. But I got some reading done just before a good friend called to chat...it's been too long, so I talked for quite a while, then crawled in bed with the catalog.

I admit I didn't get through the whole thing and had to turn out the lights by 8:55. I was asleep by 9:00.

I actually slept pretty late this morning, spilled coffee just before I was supposed to leave (thankfully NOT on my white linen skirt), cleaned that up, barely got a parking spot in the nearest lot, and was taunted by K-Dog for being late (who is late nearly 95% of the time).

But it's Thursday! And I get paid tomorrow! Woohoo!

WTF, Part 2: I Am Also a Bad Friend

I just realized I forgot my friend Nacole's birthday!

Nacole: I am clearly an idiot. I wholeheartedly apologize. You deserve better. I should be slapped or shunned or something.

I wish you a very Happy (albeit belated) Birthday! I hope your wishes (of better, more attentive friends) come true. I lift my stemless wine glass to you in a toast for a fabulous year! Love you!

WTF?!?

OK seriously... work has heated up real quick-like. I was expecting it and it still feels like my head is spinning. Wowza.

There were a couple of times today that I felt really unsure of myself and at a loss... like I once again lost the ever-elusive "Mo Jo". Maybe it's just on the fritz, I'm not sure, but I hate the feeling. Even worse, though, is when Doubt lurks just around the corner. I really don't want to have Doubt hanging around- he's too clingy, overstays his welcome, and makes me nervous. Bleh.

Do you ever have moments/days/weeks like that?

In my line of work it's really important for me to take good care of myself and recharge my batteries often. And for about a week or so I've been thinking that I need to recharge, but I'm having a hard time doing that right now. I have so many things going on. And with studying for my licensing exam, I am literally dealing with work-related stuff more often than not. Even my obsession with cooking has quieted down...which means my eating and snacking isn't going as well as it was. And gosh darn it, I've been failing miserably at my repeated resolution to walk the dogs more often. Plus, I'm not sure exactly what I need in order to recharge this time. What do you do to recharge?

Oh, the Suspense!

Ah, Monday. What fun. Today is the first day of classes here and all the students are back. On one hand I'm excited, there's more energy in the air, I'm looking forward to seeing more students on a regular basis...on the other hand, I'm nervous, there are people everywhere (goodbye quiet, peaceful campus), and I'll be very busy soon...very busy. In and of itself, that's not a problem, but after the slow summer, it's gonna be a change.

Anywho, the weekend went by super-fast with all the home improvement work going on! I took lots and lots of pictures, and can't wait to show you. But... you're going to have to wait! I need to get the pics off the camera AND we have finishing work to do on the room next weekend. Plus, it will be more dramatic to see the actual "After" pictures.

Happy Monday!

Stay Tuned...

It's been a crazy week, I've had a headache for days, and all I want to do is sleep.

Instead, my mom, dad, and brother are coming for the weekend to work on my office/craft room! I'm looking forward to finishing it. I just hope we can get things accomplished and my headache goes away and stays away! Grr.

Stay tuned for pictures...

I'm About to Get Serious

I feel like I'm about to begin training for a marathon. In a sense, I suppose it is a marathon... I'm talking about my licensing exam preparation. I "attended" a webinar-type workshop this evening on starting your preparation for the exam and while I knew a lot of the tips and strategies covered, I did walk away with some good ideas for outlining my individualized "Two-Phase Study Plan". Yes, they recommend planning a concrete schedule, with spelled out objectives, planned days off, etc. The workshop gave me a shot of motivation (i.e., a swift kick to the arse), so I pulled out my trusted Sharpies, a lame calendar from my insurance agent, and I marked off my study schedule for "Phase 1" of the plan. ("Phase 2" will come later, based on areas for improvement identified during "Phase 1".)

So, for the next 4 months I am in training, people! Operation EPPP is about to commence! I think I need one of these guys to help: A part of my preparation, which is included on the CDs and in the materials, is learning to manage anxiety and combat negative thoughts and poor attitudes. I'm not kidding when I say there is a visualization exercise and progressive muscle relaxation specific to taking this test!! Yikes! (By the way, not a good idea to listen to a relaxation exercise like that while driving...oops.) Anyway, the part on attitude and negative thoughts makes me think of this guy:

Ah, Stuart Smalley. You always turn my frown upside down. Stuart, you make me realize that "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me." And doggone it, I will pass the EPPP! No "stinkin' thinkin'" for me!

By the way, if you're not familiar with this classic Saturday Night Live character, you're missing out. I have a well-loved and tattered copy of his book, which cracks me up every time!

Call Me When It's Friday