Are those Wisconsin license plates?

Today I'm driving the Jeep. Those who visit this "spot" frequently are familiar with the mini-saga of Mica, my Mazda. And since I no longer trust her to carry me to and from the daily grind, I have borrowed my husband's hauling vehicle, his towing truck; also affectionately referred to as "the Heep" until she's restored to working condition. This borrowed beauty, this SUV with an attitude, boasts significant rust, a backseat filled with tools, cables, and more dirt than currently resides in our backyard, and a layer of dust on the console that's so thick that I'm starting to ponder the reality that it may actually be holding the Jeep together.

But I like the Jeep. I'm thinking of naming her; just don't tell my husband! And I've learned some valuable lessons while tooling around town in my very own man-mobile.

1. I am a much better driver in the Jeep. Speed laws: obeyed! Traffic laws: obeyed! You can't get into too much trouble when your vehicle takes a minute, thinks about it, weighs all it's options, and asks a few questions before responding to your acceleration request.
2. I'm not going to lie. I feel a little bit more powerful driving the beast. It feels good to sit above those 4-door sedans, with their 4 cylinder engines and doors that close without squeaking.
3. I kind of like driving a car with some character. Jeep owners unite! A little rust on the bumper means she probably pulled your boat out of the lake a time or two. That dirt in the backseat testifies to her ability to haul your "stuff" from one place to another. And the deep layer of dust? Well that just means she's lived some life...and so have you and you're too busy still doing it to dust your car!

And Rusty has taught me some things too. Some were verbal lessons, others I picked up from my womanly ability to "sense" that which is not being said:

Other things I've learned from driving "his" Jeep:
1. Do not mess with the lights. (apparently they're automatic! Seriously, he's got to stop buying cars that are smarter than me!)
2. Do not mess with the seat. (I like to sit far enough away from the windshield, that should an accident occur, my face, and the makeup I painstakingly applied in the morning, will remain in tact)
3. Do not mess with the radio. (I needed a little Lite FM!)
4. Do not try to park the Jeep in the mud where Rusty parks the Jeep; you will just get mud all over the tires, which will come off on the driveway, which will drive him crazy and he will have to go out there with a shovel when you're on your way to the grocery store to scoop it off and throw it in the yard. It's funny because it's true!

Ahhh...the lessons of life!

Ready, Set, SHOP!

I am LOVING Spring fashion! Lace and ruffles and bows, oh my! Months of white snow, black pants, and grandma sweaters have me all geared up for bright colors and flowing fabrics! Everywhere I look there are signs that soon we can pack away our parkas and slip into some flip-flops. I am ecstatic! If you've ever seen me or met me you know that I am a girly girl at heart. I love anything soft, feminine and beautiful and that's why this spring's fashions are making my purse dance. My pleather wallet is singing out to be freed from its polyester prison, deep within the depths of my handbag. It's been subdued long enough! It's time to shop, to spend a little bit of money and to ready myself for sunshine, warmer weather and the promise of summer! I am currently obsessed with: yellow and orange leather handbags, vintage inspired scarves, delicate whimsical necklaces, and funky bracelets. It's all about the accessories for me!

But since we have yet to win the lottery (kind of hard to do when you don't play), and Ed McMahon isn't knocking on my door I have to be budget conscious about updating my look for Spring. So, here's my game plan. I have compiled a list of necessities, and I have been googling it up for the last week or so. I have found several items that make my heart smile, but send my budget into cardiac arrest. I will print off these couture looks and scour my local Marshall's, TJMaxx, Target, and Turn Style stores to find comparable looks. And then I will post comparison pics with prices!

Alright, ready to see what I'm dying to have?

And because I don't enjoy everyone getting a glimpse of my underthings on a windy MN day, I do enjoy this ankle-length dress from Victoria's Secret. Plus, look, a little pocket for my lipgloss!

The ladies at poetiquecouture.com know what they're doing! Love me a little feminine shirt that's easy to wear and good for the environment. And at less than $40, I can still afford my Starbucks green tea while browsing. Check out their adorable site!

Goodbye boots, hello feet-baring sandals! I actually might just purchase these from Gap. But I will wait until they go on sale. Give it a day or two!

This beautiful bag is featured on www.anthropologie.com (one of my fave sites!!). However, it's $158 price tag isn't as yummy as it's buttery yellow color. I will keep looking.

I adore the mismatched prints in this retro scarf! People at Echo: Brownie points for you! And at $98 it's not atrociously priced, but I still think I can find something similar for WAY LESS!

Oh, so many more things to share with you, but not the space or time to do so! But don't worry, in the coming week I am embarquing on a shopping excursion with my good friend Heather, and her adorable daughter, Evie. We will bring the camera and document our trip for you. And then, as promised, I will give you a little, "Buy this, Not that" for all you Minneapolis shoppers. Bargain Divas, I've got your back!

And do share! What are your spring must haves??

What the...?

A new blog is coming; a blog about fashion and spring! And it's got pictures!! But, I had to share the unintentional and unwelcome adventure that Mica took me on yesterday. Remember that one time when I went out to my car in the morning and found her lifeless and unresponsive? Oh yeah, that was on Monday! So yesterday (that's Wednesday people) I was on my way to Bible study to worship the Lord in His flowy white robes. I was cruising down Golden Valley Road, radio blaring Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive", singing and taking note of the unusually large number of luxury cars on the road, when I approached a stoplight. I slowed to the MN-driving school handbook-appropriate speed and waited my turn for that bright red light to glow green. I touched the gas pedal to inch a bit further forward (in anticipation of my upcoming accelleration) and my stomach dropped as lights flashed on my dashboard and the engine cut out. My thoughts at this point? "Wha - uh - wha - uh?!? What the F!" Don't worry mom, I didn't actually think the word, just the letter! I frantically scrambled around to find my flashers (seriously, who knows where those are on their car??), turned them on and put the car in park. And then I started dialing. "Honey! Heeelllllppppp!"

15 minutes later (but what seemed like an hour, shut in my increasingly cold car while people stared as they drove past) our Jeep was hooked up to Mica, shocking life back into her battery. And just as quickly as it happened, my husband had us back on the road (he in my car, me in the Jeep), heading for home. And as I drove back to the g-hetto, following my broke-down car, I heard coming through the radio Nickelback's "How You Remind Me". Driving down Dowling, going over the events of the last week I sang along, "and the words in my head scream, 'Are we having fun yet?'"

I think that's kind of poetic! It's like my own personal soundtrack! At first I was afraid, I was petrified...but I will survive, I will survive! Oh, and no, I wasn't having fun last night. But after a hot bath, a come to Jesus moment (or two), an hour of baking this morning (don't think I didn't make banana chocolate chip crumb top muffins before work, because I totally did!), and a cup of coffee I can laugh about it and chalk it up to adventure. But, ummm, if I could make a request. Could the next adventure involve a beach?? Just a thought!

Oh, and one more thing: Is it wrong that as I was driving home last night I was lamenting the fact that I didn't have the camera with me to take a picture of my car stranded, lights flashing, to share with you all this morning? Next time...

Anyone else do this?

And this is what happens when I'm left alone with an M&M machine and not much else to occupy my time. Admittedly, I have work to do...lots of it. But right now my mind is wandering and I'm procrastinating (thus the pile of little candy coated chocolate pieces hanging out on my desk). Oh, and in case you're curious, I already ate them. They're gone, poof! The post-it they were resting on is sadly empty and looking quite out of place, stuck to my desk with no note or scrawled message to accompany it. The truth? I'm not even sure that I was really very hungry, or particularly craving chocolate. Nope, I'm pretty sure I was just bored.

I looked at my bruised and battered banana, which has been traveling from home to work, then back to home for the last two days, and made a conscious decision that it's fate rested better in a homemade batch of banana bread. So tonight I'll remove his banana cousins from the freezer, where they've been resting peacefully since their early demise several weeks ago, and tomorrow I'll bake, bake, bake them into a deliciously warm, moist loaf of banana bread. Yum! Because let's be honest about the fact that you cannot follow up M & M's with a banana; it just isn't going to happen. That would be like saying, "I'm going to eat this piece of deliciously chocolatey cake...and then I'm going to eat some brussel sprouts! Mmmmm!"

I mean really, who eats bananas because they LOVE the taste of bananas? Not me. I slather them in peanut butter or dip them in yogurt; anything to cover up the taste of banana. I can guarantee that you will never find me willingly diving into a piece of banana cream anything, or proclaiming a desire for that which has been artificially banana flavored. Banana bread is the exception to this rule; because it doesn't really taste like bananas (especially if you pour in half a bag of chocolate chips and cover the loaf with a crumb topping!)

I'm one of those people, you know, the ones you make fun of. I'll eat fish, lots of flaky, heart-healthy fish...as long as it's smothered, covered, or breaded! Melon? Sure! Just make sure you dip it in chocolate, marshmallow or vanilla cream first. You know what, go ahead and double dip it, just to make sure none of that melon flavor comes through! Onions? Yes, please. But you're going to cut them into a "blossom", batter them (at least twice), and deep fry them until they taste like a french fry, covered in a tater tot, right? Great, then I will have some!

Oh sure, I will eat just about anything...as long as I can dip it, fry it, season it or butter it so that it tastes like something else. However, I will say that as I get older this habit is becoming less and less necessary. My palate has become more accepting of new tastes and I'm learning to embrace varied flavors and textures. That said, there are a few foods that I just refuse to eat, no matter how disguised they appear to be. Would you like the list? Good, 'cause you're going to get it either way!

Unacceptable Food Choices
1. Bambi (oops, I mean venison): Seriously, I just can't come to terms with the thought of consuming a Disney character. You don't see the fine folks at Disney making a movie about chickens or tuna. That's got to count for something!
2. Oysters: I simply cannot consume anything that can be referred to as sliders (thus my ban of White Castle burgers!)
3. Sushi: Sorry honey, it's not going to happen. Cook it or leave it in the sea!
4. Lamb: Again with the fur and the big eyes and the fluffy tail. Plus, Mary would be so pissed! Who would follow her to school?

In case you're worried that my fridge is stocked with pizza, mac & cheese and hot dogs, rest assured that I enjoy a colorful and healthy diet. My husband will attest to the fact that on a regular basis I subject him to dishes like black bean veggie burgers, falafels, cauliflower saute, and mushroom pilaf. But I also regularly rotate in bacon, pepperoni and tacos! You've got to compromise!

Ok, so I'm dying to know. What are your unacceptable food choices??

Monday, Monday!

Mica and I are not friends right now. We are not exactly on speaking terms today. She let me down when I needed her the most; on a Monday, when I was late, and in need of her support. Real friends don't do that! Real friends don't give up on you!

Ok, so technically I probably shouldn't refer to my car as my friend, but I think it gives her the motivation she needs to run smoothly for me. I say nice things to her, wash her frequently, keep her interior clean and praise her performance in front of strangers. You might think I'm crazy, but it's worked for me...until now. This morning I walked out to my garage and clicked my key fob to unlock the car and unload the piles of necessities I was hauling into work. Nothing happened. No little clicks. No interior lights turning on. No happy greeting from my little blue friend. In vain I attempted to unlock the doors several more times before fishing out my cell phone and dialing my husband. Four rings and a voicemail later I gave up and went back into the house, discarding all of my belongs onto the kitchen table and landing myself on the couch to set to work. I was going to look up how to unlock my doors without my key fob! Trusty Interweb here I come! I googled, and I yahoo'd to no avail, and with much frustration tried my husband again. This time he answered (which I'm sure he's now very sorry that he did) and suggested that I *gasp* unlock the doors with the key! What?! What is this key he speaks of? The only way I know how to unlock my car is with that tiny button with the padlock symbol on it. You mean to tell me that you can open the doors with that pointy thingy that turns in the ignition??

Yes, I was a little irritated that he made this suggestion and here's why. I had, in fact, considered opening the door with the key. However, my experience with previous cars has told me this: You may be able to unlock the door, but you won't be able to start the car. I wasn't about to set off any type of anti-theft system that may be installed on my previously owned beauty! But, like a good wife, I submitted to his request and was able to open the door. I sat down, hope filling my heart, and turned the key in the ignition. Silence. Agh! Grrrr! Where is AAA when you need them?

Rusty agreed to come home, and upon his arrival discovered that my key fob was not the problem. Mica was dead. No lights, no sounds, no happy little engine. You see, Mica is not as fancy as Stella (that's my husband's beautiful and fancy MazdaSpeed). Her lights don't turn off all by themselves at the end of a long day. And when we returned home with Mica last night we forgot to shut off her lights, draining all the life right out of her sweet little battery. Tear. So even though some may say that it's not her fault that she let me down this morning, I'm not so sure. The months of winter sand have piled up on her floor matts, there are dust bunnies the size of Peter Rabbit hopping around in the back seat and we let our dog tramp his muddy little paws all over her clean, black interior. I think she's upset. I think she's getting even.

Tonight we will make it better. We will charge her battery, literally with that nifty black box my husband will attach to her, and figuratively, with a vaccuum, a wash and a few words of encouragement.

Adventures in Baking

There's a bruise on my finger from a slight hissy fit that resulted in my hand coming into sharp contact with my rolling pin, my kitchen is permanently covered in a light dusting of flour and my entire home has the faint smell of cinnamon...but I have victory. I embarked on a baking adventure last week; setting out with the goal of homemade cinnamon and caramel rolls for my husband's office. So, last Saturday I did a test run. Perfection! The dozen rolls came out perfectly puffy and golden brown. The icing melted down the sides like one of the pictures in a Betty Crocker cookbook, and much to my surprise they DID taste like a Cinnabon, just as the recipe promised! My excitement grew as my husband and family agreed they were delicious. I was eager to get started on the six dozen I needed to make for his co-workers. Let the baking begin!

Now before you get excited too, let me ask you: Have you ever made cinnamon rolls from scratch? They are tricky little buggers! Not complicated; tricky. You must proof yeast, mix ingredients in a certain order, and with just the right amounts and temperatures. And for a girl whose general culinary philosophy is more "throw it in and see how it goes" than "measure twice, pour once", this was a bit daunting. Unlevel measurements or milk that's too warm or too cold may result in disaster for your would be confections! That's a lot of pressure!! And a few of the batches had me looking for an eye to put my finger in (because I needed both of mine to continue baking!)

A few of the pans ended up being more cinnamon swirl bread than true cinnamon bread. After several attempts to cut too soft dough, I finally gave up and mushed it all back together, re-rolled and tried again (thus, the hand-slamming-rolling pin incident!). Let this be a lesson to me: Always use the recommended amount of flour...ALWAYS! Oh, and don't make six dozen of anything on a day when your hormones are out of whack, your dog has stepped in his own poop and then wiped it on your jeans, and people have been rude about your newly tinted do! Just a mental note for next time!

Anyways, here is a picture of five out of the seven pans I made. I got a little excited and started taking pictures before the last two pans came out of the oven! My hubby's co-workers LOVED them, gave them rave reviews and told him he's NEVER allowed to come in to work and complain about me...EVER! Ha!Here's the link to the recipe. I highly recommend it! Oh, and I don't have a bread machine, I just followed other reviewer's suggestion on how to make it without! Happy Baking!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Clone-of-a-Cinnabon/Detail.aspx

Reality Bites!

I like to get things done. I am a thing-doer. I make lists, I check things off and then I feel accomplished. Want to know a secret? Sometimes I even add things to the list that I've already done, just so I can check them off! It's a little sick, I know, but it makes me feel good!

Yesterday I took a personal day from my "day job." I say "day job" because I don't really consider that to be my real job. My real job is to be a good wife, friend, sister, daughter, and to serve God. The other job just pays the bills. Anywho, I took the day off to enjoy the weather (63 degrees here in Minneapolis - praise Jesus!), clean my house and get organized. My calendar has been packed with places to go and people to see the last two weeks and cleaning has taken a back seat. Needless to say my house was looking a little rough! So, I got up early, sent my hubby off to work with a yummy lunch and a hot cup of coffee and set into Martha Stewart mode. My floors were scrubbed, my mirrors and windows were polished, my kitchen counters were de-grimed and de-cluttered...and I have the garbage full of hair balls and windex stained paper towels to prove it! And look out Good Will, you have some silk floral arrangements and seaweed scented candles coming your way! By the middle of the afternoon I felt elated and accomplished! Slap a Susie Homemaker name tag on me and call it a day!

And then this morning, reality hit. In my zeal to return my house to it's original sparkling state, I had taken on the task of cleaning the cat box (a chore usually reserved for my husband) and had inadvertantly placed the cat box lid on backwards. Neither of our two cats were able to open the door! We awoke this morning to quite the racket and just assumed the cats were playing in the litter box. Our resident evil cat, Portia, alerted us to the mishap by peeing all over our bathrug. Good morning!! Upon closer examination of our house I found the following scenes: Nose and tongue marks on the freshly cleaned windows (our nerotic dog licks everything his tongue can reach!), cat hair and napkins stewn about the counter tops in the kitchen where the cats had taken to playing in the middle of the night, and muddy paw prints on my brilliantly white floor in the back entry (which I'd scrubbed on my hands and knees). All those things on my list that got check marks yesterday have to be added to this week's list, re-done and checked off again. Grrr!

I think I'm going to make a new list, one that's easier to maintain. It might look a little something like this:

1. Faux paint the back entry floor with black paw prints. That way the mud will just become a part of the pattern.
2. Embrace cat hair. Maybe gather it occasionally and knit it into a decorative throw for the couch.
3. Fill the kitchen, dining room, and living room floors with sand. Make the theme of the house (Sandbox Fun) and decorate with beach balls, beach chairs and sandcastles. Hang seashells on the wall. Insist that guests bring their flip-flops. Never again worry about vaccumming, sweeping or washing the floors!

I'm pretty confident that this way of living will cause me much less stress. Plus, I think it makes me look less crazy than if I were to shave our pets, make them wear rubber boots outside, and teach them to use the toilet.

One more adventure...

I'm a big supporter of rebellion. Peaceful, laugh-at-tradition, make people talk kind of rebellion. I try not to follow the crowd too much and every now and again I like to do something that makes people think I might be just a bit off my rocker. See? Even using the phrase, "off my rocker" in 2009 makes me seem just a little bit crazy. Am I right? In order to live the life we are called to, to stand out, to seek adventure, we have to step outside of our comfort zone. For everyone that's going to look a little different. You might be comfortable with everything short of jumping out of a plane. Well, strap on that parachute and get flying; it's time for your adventure! Maybe your idea of crazy is NOT replacing the toilet paper roll the MINUTE it's empty! Go ahead, leave it for your husband!

My comfort zone is pretty small. I'm only really, truly comfortable with a tiny amount of life. Everything else is adventure for me! The other night we were driving home from my parents house and my husband took a new road home. Adventure! I immediately got excited and exclaimed, "Where are you going?" When he replied that he was simply taking a new way, I giggled and shouted out, "Sweet, it's like we're going on an adventure!" Ok, now I know that doesn't seem very exciting or fear-inducing...and it wasn't. But, LOOKING for new and extraordinary ways to do life is what I'm all about. I see it everywhere. I seek it out. And I never say no to an idea that might take me one step closer to becoming the person God has called me to be.

Now, I don't think God called me to be a blonde...I'm pretty sure he doesn't care what color my hair is! But, letting go of my vain attachment to my strands and trusting someone else to be in charge of my appearance has taught me a few valuable lessons.

First, I am going to be brutally honest about the fact that I don't think I was ever meant to be a blonde. Maybe I'm just not used to the extreme change yet, but it's not my favorite look.

Second, it's incredibly freeing to silence that voice in my head that screams at me for perfection. It's been empowering to know that this isn't my best look, and I'm ok with it.

And finally, I'm slowly learning that the only opinion I really need to care about is that of God's. How did I get that from bleaching my hair blonde? I'm working my way into it...follow me here. In the last 12 hours I've received several comments from people that sound a little something like, "It's....different." Now, if I chose to, I could take that as a slam against my Marilyn-esque new do. But I choose to see that as a compliment! I LIKE different! And to remind myself that in this life you have to prioritize what matters. It was fun to get a new style and a new hair color, but it doesn't have eternal consequences...and even if EVERYONE thinks I look like a lemon-frosted cupcake I don't need to worry. Because the stuff that God is working on inside of me isn't effected by the color of my hair. And this tiny, little baby adventure is only part of the bigger journey that I'm on.

And let me just assure you; I WILL do many more things that seem ridiculous...maybe even today. And I WILL make decisions that I will regret! But I will also get to the end of my life and have stories to tell, pictures to prove that I LIVED, and hilarious re-countings of adventures gone awry!

Alright, the moment of truth...Lemon Frosted Cupcake!

I think I'd like to be a Disney princess!

I know some people wish to be an actual princess, but I think there may be just a bit too much responsibility with the crown and the title, and the family drama. If you're a real princess you probably have a cousin or a sister-in-law who's a duchess, but secretly wishes she was a princess and harbors ill feelings towards you, glaring at you fiendishly through the party-goers at each gala event held in your honor.

Still others I know wish to be a pop princess, singing and dancing their way onto the stage at the Grammy's. Yeah, I think a serious case of stage fright might make that more nightmare than fairytale for me. Plus, I'm not partial to sequins and from what I've seen that's a big portion of a pop star's life. I mean, I love a good sparkle, but when you start bedazzling your pets you've gone too far!

But a Disney princess, now that's the life! How do you think one goes about applying for that job? I'm sure there's a waiting list, but I'd like to get my name added! I mean, seriously, think about it. Have you ever seen a Disney Princess having a bad hair day, or walking around with a chipped manicure? Never! And those chicks are always impeccably dressed! Even Cinderella's maid's outfit fit her perfectly; accentuating her tiny waist and graceful ankles. But the ensemble didn't end there! Even though Cinderelly (as her friends liked to call her!) woke up in a dingy, cold room every day, given nothing more than meager furnishings for life, she somehow managed to coordinate her hair bow to her apron! And then she sang about it, dancing and twirling with the birdies and the squirrels who romped outside her bedroom window!

Now, I don't know about you, but in my 'hood, if I tried to sing with the birds and dance with the squirrels, two things would happen. First, my neighbor, Tommy, who's just a little crazy looking, but super friendly would probably yell out, "What you doin' silly white girl? Squirrels and birds is for eatin' not for playin'." And if after that warning, I still decided to wrangle up a few furry and feathery friends, I'd need a pair of bite-proof leather gloves, a cage for capturing my new little buddy, and a rabbies shot! And I could probably come up with a song for that, but I'd have to match it to the beat of the El Dorado's subwoofers, rolling down the street on his 22's. I'm just not sure I'm that talented of a song writer!

But I've got to say, all in all I think I'm a pretty good candidate for the princess gig. I've got my own prince, no need to outsource that job to some overly groomed Ken doll with plastic hair. I'll take my tatted up, pierced, beautifully bald husband with me as a bonus. I don't need a castle, I'm perfectly content with my 2 bedroom, 1 bath haven in the g-hetto! I can, with confidence, offer up my impressive heel collection as proof that I'm princess material...and if that's doesn't convince the Disney people, I've got slippers too (leopard print ones)! And the icing on the cake? I come with my own side kicks! Move over Flounder, Abu, and Raja, make room for Beau, Ninja-dog extraordinaire! He even has his own outfits, complete with holiday costumes!

So, if you see the Disney people, and you could put in a good word, I'd appreciate it. For now, I'll just stay here and practice my magic carpet driving skills, because you never know when that will come in handy!

It's My Perogative

And don't think I didn't break out in a little Bobby Brown right there, because I totally did! You know you did it too - don't be ashamed!

Ok, so admittedly, I change my mind a lot. And I mean A LOT! You know those paint colors we were trying to decide on for our kitchen? Changed! Thanks for the input, but we have once again changed our minds and now we're not even sure what colors we're going to paint the OTHER rooms in our house! White walls with white trim is starting to look pretty good right about now. At least it leaves me room to change my mind. :)

And don't think for a minute that this indecision is reserved for decorating. Oh no Nellie, I waffle on all kinds of decisions, from the truly insignificant to the momentous. This current decision lies somewhere in between, "What should I wear today?" and "Can we afford that Lexus my husband is not-so-secretly in love with?" Ok, I'm sorry honey, but the answer to that last question has already been answered by the budget and it's not looking good for you! No changing my mind there!

Enough messing around Katie, get back to the task at hand! I need help deciding on my new "do". My hair, my quaff, my locks, whatever you want to call it; it's in need of major repair. I've washed it and blown it and curled it and gelled it until it's now in a full fledged revolt against me, armed with split ends and *gasp* gray hairs!! I need a new line of defense! I need some serious color and a brand new style. So, I wandered my way onto the good 'ole internet and found a few sites where you can upload a picture of yourself and 'try on' different styles and colors. My favorite site was the Ladies Home Journal site. It's all free, it's quick and the styles were flattering. If you want to have a little fun, I highly recommend this site: lhj.com

Alright, let me know what you think. Be honest! My appointment is tomorrow afternoon and I would love your input. Oh, and keep in mind that the only photo I could find of myself was with my hair down, so you can see my dark hair underneath both styles. Ignore that! :)


Thoughts, comments, snide remarks? Come on people, I know I can count on you for the brutal truth!

The paint that stands between us

The REAL reason marriages end in divorce: Decorating. It’s true, I promise! Your relationship can survive a challenging economic environment, overly involved in-laws, and the occasional screaming match. But if the two of you can’t agree on the color of that new sofa sectional it’s all over! Alright, I’ll calm down; it’s not really THAT dramatic. But I’ve recently found out that decorating your newly acquired love nest can result in some serious “discussions”, some hurt feelings, and even the need to set down the paint chips and walk away for a while; a cooling off period if you will.

Really? All this over decorating? Yep. Now, maybe you’re someone whose significant other doesn’t care what color you paint the kitchen or if you decide to hang life-sized replicas of Egyptians mummies from your ceiling. But my hubby, my handsome, incredibly smart husband cares. He has an opinion; one that he actually shares with me on a regular basis. The nerve!

I actually went into marriage convinced that this is how a discussion on decorating might go in our home:

(Decorator Extraordinaire: That’s Me!):

“Honey, look at the great paint colors I picked up at our local do-it-yourself home center. Aren’t they beautiful? I’m thinking of this brown for the living room, this deep orange for the dining room and maybe a red or another brown for the kitchen.”

(Involved Husband: That’s my Man!):

“Uh-huh. Ummmmm…yeah. I was just thinking that maybe that brown is going to be too dark for the living room, the orange will clash with the woodwork in the dining room and the cabinets in the kitchen will blend right into that other brown you picked out. What about these colors over here that I’ve picked out? Don’t you think these are better?”

The room begins to spin, a hand flies to my forehead in a grand gesture and I look about for a fainting couch to drop onto! I’m astounded that my husband doesn’t think I’m a decorating genius and that EVERY idea I have should be praised for it’s excellent qualities and agreed to immediately. What has the world come to??

Reality? The question “Aren’t they beautiful?” wasn’t really a question at all. It was the opportunity for my husband to agree whole-heartedly to the decision I’d already made regarding our home’s colors. I wasn’t really asking for his opinion. I was asking for his approval on what I’d already decided to do. And even more than that; I was looking for affirmation for my ability to make our home look beautiful. But he didn’t know that. How could he? He is a man. He was simply replying (honestly, might I add!) to the question I’d asked. Those men and their reasonable minds! How do they put up with our irrational thought processes? I must say, most of the time my husband does it with great patience, and for that I’m thankful.

So, we're not getting divorced and we're still sleeping in the same bed. Oh, and we have agreed upon the colors in our living room (deep blue), dining room (deep green) and bathroom (muted orange). It's the kitchen that's still up for grabs! Care to weigh in? The Behr paint site was taking FOREVER to load, so I'll try to get some pics of colors up here soon. But for now, know this:

Rusty's choice for the kitchen: A brick red color

Katie's choice for the kitchen: A mustard yellow (or gold) color

Keep in mind that our kitchen cabinets are a honey oak color, our counter tops are a muted beige, our appliances are all white and we have hardwood floors. Oh, and because of the floor plan of our home, you can see the kitchen and the dining room from the living room (and vice versa), so all the colors have to coordinate. That should get you up to speed on what we're dealing with. I'll try to post some pictures soon!