the Fairy & the Pumpkin

a tiara

Today's post is really not about anything in particular but some lovely things that I saw and can't stopping thinking about.

The husband is gone on call and I got to while away an hour watching episode 2 of "Downton Abbey" (season 3) from last Sunday.  The images, settings, camera angles, gorgeous backdrop, costumes, period details, and everything else have me irrevocably addicted.  If you are also experiencing symptoms of constant daydreaming, anxiety about how many hours to waitu ntil the next episode, and thorough envy of Lady Mary's wardrobe, I have to ask if you loved the wedding in the season 3 opening episode as much as I did??

The show is a pleasure for me on so many levels.  I feel so wrapped up with Mrs. Hughes' health scare and Mr. Bates' never-ending predicament.  The thought of losing Downton Abbey is as painful to me as if it were my own, but, I have to say, the tucked-away country cottage isn't so bad either!  As Sybil's husband says, it looks like a fairy dream house to most of us!

When I got married, I was only going to wear a veil in my hair but my mother insisted and persisted that I wear a tiara.  When Oberon's grandfather added his voice to the argument in favor of, I relented and found the tiniest, least modern tiara I came across, never quite finding exactly what I wanted.  Its shape was still a little too Disney-princess-like for my taste, but it satisfied all parties and that was what mattered most that day.

When I saw Lady Mary's wedding tiara, my jaw dropped to the floor.  That was the tiara I had wanted to wear!  Can I get married again just for this tiara???  (Don't worry, darling.  You'd still be my groom.)  This glorious and stately piece is studded with 45 carats of diamonds and made by the UK jewelers Bently and Skinner.

These photos of Lady Mary and said tiara were taken from this blog.

Lady Edith wore the same tiara I believe for her wedding. <little sniff> (photo here)

(and here)

This beautiful Georgian Diamond Floral Tiara by Bentley & Skinner will set you back only 125,000 pounds! You should know, this particular piece is very versatile.  It collapses into two brooches to get the most out of your money. <insert smiley winky face thingy>  I'm sure I'll never have the occasion to wear a tiara again, but I can always look for a smaller version of this to pin into my hair for an elegant occasion.  I'll just need an elegant occasion to justify my plans...I'll work on it.

I also read an article in "Martha Stewart Living" today on the most serenly organized kitchen.  I feel calmer just looking at it.  And I am inspired to imitate it someday in a kitchen of my own.

I hope one of these images made you a little bit as happy as they make me!

halloween hail mary

I am a walking holiday disaster.  Every year, there is a lengthy list of things I want to accomplish and, without fail, I end up too tired to finish it.  Then comes the realization that a holiday is not made up of a list of traditions or a secret formula that says "x+y=z" and we end up having a lovely time anyway.  

Despite my adult rationality, I can't help but recall how those traditions seem magical when I was younger.  As a child, it felt like the magic of the season, the celebration of change and our human history, was what made the world turn day after day, throughout the years, puttering on and on.  It was as if Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas then New Years' each opened the door to a new season and passing of the year that would otherwise feel frozen.  I realize now that it's untrue, that the miracle of a new day is the impetus for change and not the result, and that the most amazing change that happens with the passage of time is within ourselves, not the outward observance.  But that lesson has been nearly 30 years in the making.

So I'm sure you can guess what happens next.  My children say, "Oh, mom, mom!  Can we please, please, please do this?"  And then I say yes, usually equally excited but sometimes begrudgingly and othertimes without even knowing.  And then I have a list of things to finish by that specific holiday and I always end up wondering, "Won't Halloween still be Halloween even if we don't have...?" (insert "caramel apples" or "homemade costumes" or "finished costumes" or "a plethora of decorations" or whatever else)

So this year, I tried a "Halloween Hail Mary" where we squeezed in as many Halloween-y things as we could in a couple of days.  (This is where a huge thanks to my mother belongs. During her short visit, she made dinner and did the dishes so that I could do other things.)  Ideally this would have been posted before Halloween and not after but maybe it will find somebody next year and be of some sort of help.

When six year old girls go with their mommies to Sephora, they get ideas like painting their fingernails for Halloween.  And if their mothers are a little (or a lot) silly, they will whole-heartedly agree.  I decided candy corn nails would be easiest and cheapest.

candy corn painted nails

But I did them wrong.  I painted them orange first so the white and yellow didn't come through well.  I redid it painting the nail white first and that works out much better.  Here is the how-to.

And of course we had to turn those beautiful straight-from-the-patch-pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns.  We have some kind and wonderful friends who had us over so that we did not have to make pumpkin mess in our small apartment.

The pumpkin on the far right is the jack-o-lantern the Pixie did (almost) by herself.  The spidery pumpkin on the left is the pumpkin and design the Imp picked and then made his dad carve.  The middle ones were made by friends.

We found ourselves the lucky recipients of a Halloween treat phantom and had to repeat the favor to someone else.  Being short on time, I panicked a little.  But then I lucked out again and found this super easy shortbread recipe.  It took 15 minutes of preparation and baked for 35.  It will be making a reappearance for Christmas, I'm sure.  Topped with some leftover caramel from the caramel apples, it was a hands-down winner.

shortbread

That brings me to our caramel apples.

caramel apples

I don't even know what to say exactly except that they were amazing.  We found honeycrisp apples for $.99/lb and with the help of my trusty recipe and a candy thermometer, the combinaion was magical.  Heating the caramel to exactly 245F made perfect caramel, firm enough to stay on the apple and soft enough to chew easily.  We melted semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double-broiler and piped it out over the apples to finish them.

I can't forget about the cupcake recipe that I used for the Pixie's cooking club.  These 3 6-year old girls made the cupcakes and icing completely from scratch and decorated them all themselves.  I was very proud of them.  I can recommend the cake recipe because it is three important things: quick, easy, and delicious.

sour cream fudge cake

white icing

The photos I think pretty much explain the decorations.  The spider cupcakes were made by drawing concentric circles with black (pre-bought for simplicity's sake) icing, then dragging toothpicks from the center out.  They put a toy spider in the middle.  The pumpkin cupcakes were decorated by putting a template cut out of construction paper on the iced cupcake and sprinkled with chocolate sprinkles.

Lastly, I wanted to throw up a photo of the Imp's Tin Man costume.  I initially searched online and couldn't find an idea I really loved for the costume.  My mother designed what we ended up using so I thought I'd launch it into the webosphere for anybody else looking for inspiration.  The costume is a little worse for the wear because this photo was taken after a couple of hours of trick-or-treating.

She sewed the pants, shirt and hood from silver lame (pronounced "lam-eh" but I don't know how to put that little e-with-an-accent in) and added some quilted cuffs over the elbows to make them look like hinges.  The chest and hat were made of silver posterboard.  For the chest I puched holes along the short edges of the posterboard and tied them closed.  I cut out arm holes on each side and we would untie and open the chest tube, slide his arms through, and tie it closed.  I cut the posterboard so that it hit at his hip.  The hat was supposed to be made from silver pleather, pellon, and wonder-under  but I didn't get around to it.  Instead we made it from the scrap of cut posterboard.

And I think that's it.  I have finally reached the end of all-things-Halloween for the year!  I may have to bookmark this page for next year's Halloween!

i can live with that

There are so many roles and goals that I am daily trying to achieve that I won't bore you by listing them all.  I know so many of you have even longer lists.  The bottom line is that I find myself stretched in many directions and still need to meet time deadlines (i.e. the tardy bell at school). This may be old hat for many people, but it's very, very hard for me to do!

And the worst part about that list?  That I neglect my personal appearance and end up staring at my horrid reflection complete with frizzy hair halos and mommy-tummy-rolls, barely suppressing an "Eww, eww, ewwwww!"   Thankfully, that image is not completely accurate.  Stripped of the outward neglect is a woman who strives to create beauty, and improve both heart and intellect.  That is not a woman who deserves to be looked down on, overlooked, or pitied.  But, if I am to be totally honest, I have allowed myself to fall to that point where my physical appearance elicits those kinds of responses.

(Please note, I also want to do my best to help my awesome husband remember that the younger, thinner woman he married almost 10 years ago can still look beautiful and still loves him very much!)

Finding joy in my role as a mother has helped me to redefine my idea of beauty.  Personally, I think people look best when they find what comes naturally to their physical traits and personality.  But I also wouldn't feel beautiful if I spent a long time getting ready.  Here are my requirements: 10 minutes on hair and 5 minutes on skin and make-up.  So, I've come to realize that a simple and relaxed style is what suits me best.  (Before I was married, 30 minutes drying my hair and 30 minutes straightening it seemed reasonable.  Not so much anymore.)

Anyway, the long rambling thought process culminates in this:  here are some youtube videos of simple hair ideas that I was really excited to find.  They don't take much time but look put-together or dressed-up.

This content isn't original to me and I cheated to find it through this pinterest post of the blog, the Daily Muse.  Here are my favorites.  (Be warned, there is an excess of false eyelashes!)

The day I tried this ballerina bun, I was so happy with how chic it looked.  And it was ridiculously easy.  The trick was to twist the ponytail at the base once tightly, and then lay the hair in a loose bun.

 

This messy look below is so me.  

 

I completely plan on using this old-fave idea for the many drizzly days ahead that are guarateed frizz-makers.

 

I haven't tried this yet but I think it would look great for a date night or an event where more style is required.

 

I don't think I could do this next one on my hair very easily, but I would be happy to try because I love the woodland fairy vibe.  With a fun headband, it would bring some fun feminine to a very plain outfit.

 

Recently, I had also re-discovered how much I love to use braids to quickly get the hair out of my face and looking "done".

This is one of my favorites and it is super quick and easy.  I pull bigger sections for a more relaxed look instead of the tight, smaller-pieced braid.  Also, I continue doing the braid as a regular braid until it reaches behind my ear.  then I'll ponytail it and pin it in place.

 

When I saw this video of Cat Deeley below, I really wanted to try this Dutch crown braid.  It ended taking only 10 minutes on my first try and was a fun hairstyle that worked perfectly for a day volunteering at the school followed by a yoga workout.  My Pixie really loved my hair that day.  (FYI, your hair doesn't have to be too long.  I have layered, 3-inches past the shoulders hair and it still worked.)

This video below is a better "how-to" video done with an adorable little girl.  Just remember to braid "out" (instead of pulling hair from the sides and braiding them in and down, take the hair from the sides and pull it under and up) which is known as the Dutch braid.  Also, braid in the direction you want the hair to lie.  It's trickier to do it on yourself because you have to switch up your hand position but it's totally possible.

 

None of this was inspiring, but I hope that it reaches somebody who was wondering how to make their unmanageable hair look presentable in very little time.  Finding these ideas was nothing short of a little miracle in helping me work out my time/unruly-hair dichotomy!

there and back again

I don't know why this title from "The Hobbit" is on my mind when I was deliberately thinking of Alice in Wonderland.  I'm trying to work out the details of our family Halloween costumes to be "Alice in Wonderland"-themed.  But, surprisingly, my biggest resistance is that my Pixie doesn't want to be Alice.  She wants to be the Queen of Hearts.  I keep telling her that she will make a much cuter Alice than I, to which she whole-heartedly agreed.  I was a little surprised at how emphatically she declared this to be true so she imformed me that she has two sets of grandparents who think she is cuter than me.  I definitely have nothing to argue about there, neither about whether said grandparents affirmed any such thing or that it's true at all.  Bottomline: I would look ridiculous if I dressed up as Alice.  Totally.  Ridiculous.  She would look adorable.  I can see now that this will involve a little maternal trickery!

But this post isn't even about Halloween costumes.  It's really about getting "there and back again".  I'm getting a bike.  Finally!  I'm really excited even though we haven't quite narrowed it down to which one.  After lots of research, I wanted to shoot out the "best" choices for a woman's bike.  (I do have a previous post on the prettiest womens' bikes.)

For visual appeal, at the top of the list is the Linus Mixte 3 or 8.  Gorgeous French-style bike.  It gets less than ideal reviews from quite a few reviewers though.

Public Bikes fall near, but above the Linus Mixte, in reviews.  But you have to go to California to get one.

The Trek Allant is a very popular, in-high-demand bike right now.  It blends the quality, versatility, and comfort of Trek bikes with the aesthetics of European styling.  

Alternatively, the Trek WSD (Women-Specific Design) FX series get even better reviews.  No cute styling there, though.  You'd have to use your imagination and get some fenders, baskets, chain guards, etc.

Probably the most highly recommended bike for a woman wanting to commute on her bike is the Jamis Coda Sport Femme.  It was the Editors Choice winner from the Bicycle Magazine in 2011.  No high-style details here, but again, imagine adding chrome fenders, a basket and some other cute accessories.

None of these bicycles are near the $1,000 mark so that makes them a reasonable option for almost anyone.  And really, they're all good looking bikes.  Before I mentioned the store Adeline Adeline in New York City.  I love to peruse their website and pick out my dream accessories for my bike.

Like these dutch bells,

Yakkay helmets with their interchangeable covers,

Nutcase helmets in their adorable patterns like this mini dot,

and their fabulous baskets like this Pashley one.

There's so much more like reflective helmet bows, headlamps, wire baskets, rain capes, etc.  

But my most important accessory will be the one riding with me in back!

Now that the Pixie can ride on her own, I only have one who needs a little extra help, like this from rei.  Who knew that getting around could be so exciting.  And I would love to anyone's thoughts, opinions and suggestions!

breathing life: it is done

Seriously, it's done.  The house officially has an MLS listing (although I think it'll be 24-48 hours before it's up), the "For Sale" signs have been posted, and flyers have been made.  Would you like to see?  I'd love to hear your opinions!  Download House flyer (word) 

Now we just sit and wait.  And wait.  And keep the house really, really clean.  Which in this family is no easy feat.  Wiping a dirty fingerprint is like plucking a white hair: they aggressively reappear in dozens.

I think eventually I'll write a post about my experiences getting a house staged.  It is a multi-step process for sure.

Actually, there are a few more things we need to do.  Namely, paint the garage door a lighter color and paint the trim around it.  And spray the tenacious weeds in the front yard with herbicide.  But wouldn't you know it, we've had spotty on-and-off-again rain for two weeks now.  The rain is great.  But it's killing our painting and weed-killing schedule.

I did take a plethora of bathroom photos and I am finally ready to share them!  All at once a load has been lifted from my shoulders.

Here was the bathroom when we first moved in:

In February, we took it to this:

Then came the drain pan built from shower liner and portland cement.

At this point, we ran out of time.  Oberon hasn't been home but one weekend since then so we had to pay the tiler who set the drain pan to go ahead and tile the shower walls.  (The marble tiles, not the ceramic, were set with just mastic, making this process easier than I had read online.)

Notice his interesting method of using nails as spacers for the wall tile.  It's brilliant because the heavy tiles will not only be properly spaced, but their weight will rest on those nails, preventing sagging and lippage (where one side sticks out farther than the adjacent tiles' side) that can be common when setting wall tile.

Anyway, finally, a few days ago, I showed you what it looks like while waiting for the glass wall.  (I thought it looked lovely and if the glass wall wasn't being fabricated, I would have canceled it completely.)  You'll probably recognize the photo below from that previous post.

But now, it's all done and here is the final, final reveal.

No more teasing.

I mean it.

Ta da!

The glass wall does not have a door.  It can be referred to as a European shower since they less commonly have doors.  (Although that was definitely a stereotype.)  I get lots of comments about all the splash that I should expect.  But, I have to dispel the notion: there is barely any.  Inconsequential I would say.

The vanities are the Allen+Roth Hartley from Lowe's, completely assembled.  They're very nice for the price ($358, but I used a 10% moving discount) although I have since then seen these ones and wish I could have used them instead.  The medicine cabinets are also from Lowe's.  The light bar is from Home Depot.

Maybe you can't tell from the photo, but the fixture finishings don't match.  The hard finishings are in chrome but I couldn't find chrome towel hooks that I liked at HD and ended up using polished nickel which I like better than chrome.  It has a warmer, more yellowish finish.  Hopefully the contrast is not too noticeable.

The main paint color is "China White" by Benjamin Moore (color-matched at Home Depot in Behr paint) and the blue-ish color behind the toilet wall is Martha Stewart's "Gabardine" from Home Depot (also color-matched in Behr paint).  The woodwork is in Bitter Chocolate (satin finish) by Behr at HD.

I found a roll of non-sticky frosted vinyl-type covering for windows at Home Depot for $30.  It's for privacy use but still allows plenty of soft, diffused, natural light.

I hope you don't mind if I shower you (nudge nudge, wink wink) with images of my favorite pieces.

I love the 1' tile accent border in the marble wall.  Absolutely love it.  (The big 24x12" ceramic tiles are by Ceramica Flaminia in the Trani Grigio while the accent trim is a linear brick in Seabrook.  They are from a specialty tile store but we were given 25% contractor discount so the big tiles ended up being $2.40/sq.ft. and the trim was $11.14/sq.ft.)

I love the marble wall.  It adds so much radiance to the bathroom in general.  Its lustre literally lights up the bathroom.  It was $5.50/sq.ft. from Home Depot but we had to buy 4x as much as we wanted and sort through the boxes to pull out the best pieces.  And then we returned the leftovers.  (An apology to any mad, Home-Depot-marble buyers in my area!)

The showerheads are amazing.  The big 8" rain head that drops from my ceiling is my hands-down favorite.  Showering has because a luxury these days and I can't wait or think of enough excuses to go and shower.

I love stretching my hands up into the shower and not feel anything but warm water flowing over me.  If you'd like to come and try it out, let me know!  I'm totally cool with that!  (The ceiling showerhead is a Moen (~$60) while the hand-held is a fabulous Grohe piece (~$65).  Both were purchased at Lowe's.)

Picking which showerhead to use is always a decision; they're both so nice!  Here is a photo of the set up.  The bottom handle has a big lever to control water pressure and a small lever to control temperature.  The top handle let's you choose one of three settings: hand-held shower head, both showerheads, or ceiling shower head.  It's called a diverter for anybody who wanted to know.  (All trim is the Delta Leland collection in Chrome.)

I was really pleased to be able to find a mini-widespread faucet that fit the 4" centerset pre-drilled holes of our vanities.  4" centersets are usually less expensive and a little easier to put in.  But I just don't like how they look.  Luckily, faucet companies are starting to make more of the mini-widespreads.  Now that we have them, I feel like the 8" windespreads result in too much dripping from your hands as you reach across the distance.  4" mini-widespreads are definitely the way to go!  (These are from Delta's Victorian line in Chrome and cost about $150 each.)

I love the shower niches too.  Home Depot sold foot-long marble bullnose pieces that worked out perfetly to frame the edges of the niches.

These medicine cabinets get rid of counter top clutter.

And one last look.

Now for the tricky part: budget, cost, and finances.  If you're not interested, please read no further.  It's embarassing to reveal this kind of information.  Still, I wished I could have found a good description like this before I started our remodel.

Here is the general idea:

• tile: $660 (after being given a 25% off contractor discount for having been there so many times)
• marble tiles: $200
• shower faucet hardware and diverter (this includes the valves, fancy levers and trim): $750
• toilet: $120
• 2 sink faucets: $320
• other misc plumbing material: $80
• other misc shower & tiling material (backer boards, mastic, grout, etc.): $230
• lights, recessed and wall, and fan/heater/light: $500
• misc. electrical to add recessed lights: $60
• vanities: $650 (after 10% off coupon)
• medicine cabinets: $275
• window film covering: $30
• paint: $85 (because I did choose wrong the first time so we ate a gallon of paint essentially)
• glass wall (labor included in price): $499

And for the painful part:

• plumbing labor: $912 (that's with a "friend" discount)
• drain pan labor: $300
• tiling labor: $925

That puts this project at $4,455 in materials and $6,596 total with labor.  Wow.  That is a jaw-dropping amount for us.  I'm sure there was an extra invisible $200 spent in random things like screws and buckets or whatever.  All tallied and told, this was our most expensive renovation yet (even more than the kitchen with all-new appliances!), but I would say our most beautiful as well.

I would estimate that about $1,500 extra was spent going from just replacing the bathtub to converting it to a walk-in shower.  Was it worth it?  The answer isn't simple.  To me, yes, it's worth it.  The end result is so much more functional, aesthetic, and modern.  But, given that the house is going to be sold soon, it wasn't a wise expenditure.  sigh.  My decisions never are.

All of these photos make me so grateful for the hard work, sleep-deprivation, injuries, and stress Oberon put into the project.  He's not here (the common theme), but if he were, I would tell him just how special he is in my life.  I always wanted to find a partner who would give me reason to pause and think, "How did this wonderful thing happen that I was lucky enough to be married to this man?"  I don't have an answer to the question.  But, since lightning rarely strikes twice, I'd better hold on to him and not make him do any more life-threatening home renovations!

breathing life: easters

I am going to officially declare my stance on school holiday parties.  They are excessive.  Brutally.  Excessive.  It's like they're trying to do us homeroom parents in with the extra work and then hand us over-sugared, excited, and demanding children.

 I realize I am being a smidge grouchy about this all and that nobody asked me to be the children's homeroom mom.  But when I am one of the only stay-at-home mothers in the class, I get all plagued with these guilty feelings, like "The other mothers are so busy saving the world and putting food in their children's mouths when all I have to do is try hard to get out of my pajamas and make it to Target".  See?  How could I not finally write my name on that despairing, empty line that was begging for some parental attention???

(And by the way, if you have watched "Nacho Libre" (here), you know that Easter is pronounced "Easters" and that's the way it is.)

So, for their Easters parties, I was supposed to make these (from momtastic.com)

and bake something that looks like these from Betty Crocker

but life had different plans.  

I have a terrible cold thus my care factor dangerously dipped down close to ZERO, my mod podge was too old and dried to use on the jars, and my cookies turned out hideous.  But the parties, as all parties do, came and went and we all survived.  Well, I may not make it actually.

Because of all these Easters shin-digs and etcetera, I haven't committed myself completely to taking really great photos of the bathroom.

So, even though I didn't want to, let me share the one photo I do have, taken right before the glass guys came in the house.  The shower curtain is still up.

The reason I took the photo of the bathroom with the shower curtain up is to show you that it still looks ok!  So if you ever wanted to turn your bathroom into a walk-in shower and are afraid that your budget won't cover the coveted frameless glass, take comfort: you can just use a shower curtain until a further unspecified time.  Or maybe just forever.

I hope you like the bathroom (I really, really, really love it!) and I will, by this weekend, take really nice photos and take you on a virtual tour.  And hopefully by then I'll have organized my mental list of what I recommend doing and what I wouldn't do again.

And now it's off to NyQuil-land I go.

for the love of home: graphics fairy

I sure hope they bring the glass for our shower soon so I can share bathroom pictures with you!  The big reveal is always so much fun.  But because I can't wait, I'm going to use a photo taken in the new bathroom.

Let me back up though to when I found this blog that posts fun and interesting graphics called the graphics fairy.  At first I bookmarked it so that I could do a fun French print on pillows but I ended up using it for some wall art in the bathroom.

It started by spray painting some cheap black $4 frames in a chrome color (you can see how I do it here) and then I chose some of my favorite vintage-styled graphics.  To simulate a black mat, I just pasted them onto black cardstock to give that contrast but save me a little money and headache trying to find the right sizes.

I ended up really, really loving them.  The top frame is actually from a vintage book that I picked up in Italy so it's an original.  The rest are graphics printed up onto textured cream cardstock from Xpedx.  (They have a light enough weight to pass through your printer, unlike scrapbooking cardstock, and the texture gives added dimension to prints.)

Are you ready for a tiny sneak peek into the bathroom??

There were too many cute images that I wanted to use!

(And remember, start with frames that have nice details even if the color is not what you want.)

Those metallic/gold/brown frames because some fun pieces.

You can lightly sand the frames with fine sandpaper to give it an older, vintage, or "shabby chic"  look.

Just remember to spray clear lacquer over your spray painted photo frames.

This frame below was another cheap $4 from Walmart paired with a cute little mat from Hobby Lobby.

I am so feeling those little bees and nest pictures.

In case you're interested, here are the images I saved on my computer, all from the graphics fairy.  View this photo   View this photo   View this photo  View this photo  View this photo  View this photo  View this photo (I forgot to mention that a few are radiographs that I pulled from different locations.  I just chopped off the watermark when I cut them down to size.)

I've also really been feeling this song lately.  I'm not the only one though; the children think its simple harmonies and understated melody are pretty catchy too.  It's by The Magic Numbers & Amadou & Mariam.  For you "Twilight" fans, it's from the "New Moon" soundtrack.

Download 17 All I Believe In (Bonus Track)

Happy weekend everyone!!

 

breathing life: giveaway winner + children swimsuits

We have a giveaway winner!  Congratulations, Mari!  And maybe, with a little sweet-talking, we can talk my mom into doing another giveaway soon.

And while I have some fun things to share like bathroom photos, California photos, a simple art project and some hair dye discussion, they will have to wait.  Getting the house ready to put on the market is like biting off more than I can chew.

Until I can post those other great things, I wanted to post a picture of one of the pixie's Lands End swimsuits.  Lands End is my favorite place to look for children's swimsuits.  They are pricey but the quality will last from one year to the next.  For example, this photo is from last year but it still fits and looks great this year.

What I love about them, besides the durability, is that you can buy modest, tug-free, two pieces.  Because really, who wants to take a wet little girl to the bathroom in a clingy one-piece swimsuit.  No good.

They really do have some adorable pieces.  The boys' swimsuits are also high-quality fabric but lack a good elastic waistband.  You can tighten up the suits by tying them but it's not my favorite system.  But it could also just be that my Imp is on the small, shrimpy side.  I really love their rash guards too.  Really great quality that your children can wear for years if you buy them large like I do.

If you buy at the end of the summer, you can find the pieces for around $12 instead of the usual price.  At that price, you won't regret it.

I am so ready to get ready for summer!

f&p giveaway

Yay!  It's a perfect time for another fairy&pumpkin giveaway!  I'll be working on getting a garage sale going and will probably take a desperate break from posting anyway.  It'll give everyone plenty of chance to see and enter the giveaway.

I've already spoiled the surprise of what it's going to be, but here, my dear friends, are the photos of the giveaway.  My mother's etsy shop, vintage baby clothier, will donate one outfit: boy or girl, 0-3 mos, 3-6 mos, or 6-12 mos.  So, one person will get to pick either boy or girl and pick one of the three sizes.

She uses the finest, softest fabrics, imported from all over the globe, and then tailors them from real vintage photos of baby clothes.  I love her designs!  And, no, I'm not partial....nope.

I hope you love them.  I know my mother pours her heart into her baby designs and she accepts nothing but perfection.  There is nary a stray seam or thread in sight.  We are talking qual-i-tah.  (That's Oberon-speak for "quality".)

To enter the contest, just leave a comment.  (Also, notice my new pinterest button!)  I will randomly select someone, by putting your names into a hat and making Oberon draw a name, and announce the winner.  The giveaway deadline is Wednesday, March 28th, midnight.

breathing life: bathroom thoughts

 Don't worry.  This won't be a gross post filled with bathroom humor....or will it?

Seriously, these are my thoughts on remodeling or redecorating a bathroom, mostly a list of "do's".  (Bear in mind that I have no design experience or training before you take these suggestions too seriously.) And hopefully within 2 weeks I'll be showing you photos of my bathroom. 

1. Light in a bathroom is everything.  Maximize the light by removing window coverings and using thin, filmy linens or window privacy protectors that are like vinyl sheets that give a "frosted" look.
2. Everyone likes tall, spacious bathrooms.  Take the eye to the highest level by tiling up the shower to the ceiling.
   
3. For taller lines, think vertical tile lines.  The more horizontal lines you fit into a square foot, the more dense the area will appear.contemporary living room design by chicago interior designer Michael Abrams Limited
4. A border of contrasting tile will make the room look taller if placed nearer to the ceiling because it will draw the eye upward.  The golden rule is closer to 2/3rds of the way up but 3/4 or all the way up will increase its effectiveness at enlongating perceived height.
5. Spare yourself the headache of cleaning grout by going with colors that are slightly darker than your tile.  Or you can go with dark grout since that's the color it will end up being eventually anyway. 
6. Overdoing the shower fixtures is out but handheld showerheads or overhead ones can provide a different kind of utility.  Whatever you go with, put them high.  There are more tall people in the world than we realize (Oberon and I are not numbered among them) and they demand, even require, tall shower heads.
7. Chrome fixtures can have enduring style with their bright look and are cheaper than brushed nickel or antiqued bronze finishes.
8. Replacing one monster of a vanity with two vanities is a viable option.  While counter space is a premium in bathrooms, it will make the room look larger overall.  And, yes, you need two sinks.  You will lose a lot of interest when it's time to sell your home if you don't.  Whether you go with one or two vanities, look for ones that stand off the ground for a more finished and airy look.
9. Lighting is key.  A combination of sconces on the wall by the vanity mirror, recessed lighting in the shower, ample window light, and focal interest overhead lighting is the bar.  You want beautiful light at all times of the day and from many angles.
10. Keep uninterrupted views into the shower.  Opt for barriers that are as clear as possible for seamless transitions.  Speaking of, skip the curb into the shower if at all possible.
11. Paint color is difficult to pick in the bathroom.  Bathrooms typically have cooler, cleaner colors in them.  But something to consider is that warmer tones will enhance your complexion when you look in the mirror.  And who wants to look in the mirror and be aghast at the spectral face staring back at you?  You've got to help your reflection look its best back at you, I say.
12. Choose Benjamin Moore colors.  Then custom color match the swatch with Behr paint from Home Depot.  You'll save money and won't notice a quality difference.  But what can I say, Benjamin Moore is the master of the not-gray-but-so-close-and-complex shades.

Let's talk about color.  Even if you go with a color that is typically "cool", you can choose shades that have warm bases or tones in them.  Remember this beautiful bathroom photo?

That color is, I believe, Benjamin Moore's "Hale Navy."

I ended up using Benjamin Moore's "China White."  It's a beautiful, warm white that reminds me of light shining through a fine china.

I first painted the bathroom in Benjamin Moore's "Winds Breath" which is a beautiful color.  If "China White" is the light shining through fired china, then "Winds Breath" reminds me of the clay before it is fired.  The problem is that my bathroom doesn't receive enough light and we needed to go very light on the walls.

And if you want some color, I thought that Benjamin Moore's "Quiet Moments" was very beautiful and serene.

I should add a #13 to my list:  Keep your cell phone handy in case you need to call 911 when your husband falls through the ceiling while rewiring for recessed lighting or when he falls off a tall stool while painting the ceiling.  Luckily, no 911 calls were needed.  (Unluckily, my husband could have died.  Twice.  Not worth it!)  Keeping a first aid kit and ice packs ready is a must!