Sunday, January 30, 2011

Dreaming

It's a lazy Sunday - missed church 'cause we were so tired. Yesterday morning, we went with Jill to the Issaquah REI Scratch & Dent Sale. My hubby bought me the most beautiful winter jacket. I had to put on a debate session as to why he should allow me to have THIS one. We've been looking at jackets for both of us for at least a year (since before LAST snow season started) and I finally found THE ONE. Except his take was "Color: yes. Style: yes. Pattern: no." I never knew I would marry a man who cared so much about every article of clothing I owned. Nevertheless, we left REI with the jacket. A $99 steal!



Cameron also picked up some zip-away pants for traveling. Which brings me to a very exciting point: we have decided to go to Europe this summer! We have been talking and it and DREAMING away pretty much since we were married. Cameron brought up the other day, "You'd really like to go this year, wouldn't you?"

I continue to feel that if we don't just go now, we'll start our family and we'll wake up and be 60 years old. We won't be able to travel as fast or live quite as vicariously as we could now. We both really want to buy property and build our home, start having children, and settle down. So, this will be one of our last celebrations of life without kiddos. And we're gonna make it a good one!

We've looked at travel between Dublin, Stockholm, London, Paris, Barcelona, Florence, and Athens. I borrowed a load of books from the library - they're currently stacked as high as our desk right now. After researching and discussing it some more, we both keep coming back to Greece and Italy as the main places we want to see. We would rather spend a few weeks traveling through the Italian countryside, gnoshing on yummy food and meeting locals, and the Greek Islands and mainland, experiencing the ferry system and getting tanned on the beach.

It is cheaper, we find, to fly to Paris or London, so perhaps we'll fly in and travel by train part of the way. It would be interesting to see some of the mainland by train. We would be open to any travel suggestions or recommendations on places to stay. I'm not keen on the idea of sleeping in the park (Cameron's choice) or sleeping with complete strangers in my room (though some hostels have private bedrooms with shared bathrooms, which I don't care anything about). We'd like to travel for approximately $100 per person per day.

I'm dreaming of this right now:





Thursday, January 27, 2011

Creativity

I stumbled upon a book at the library last year: 460 Iris Folded Cards to Make . After messing around with a few cards, I started searching the internet for more unique designs. The latest is the cupid, but my favorite is the little birdie (I've only made one). Here's a few pics for browsing! I am selling them for $5 each and will have my Etsy store up and running soon! Enjoy!



Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Sunshine

Today was a very good day. I have accomplished so much, and that's a good feeling. The warmth of the sunshine outside is a fantastic reminder of the hope of Spring! I eagerly await the chirping of birdies, buds of crocus rearing their beautiful green heads, and warm winds fluttering through the trees. Today was a glimpse of that promise.

Near my birthday, Jill and I drove out Union Hill Road on a dark, rainy evening to pick up some FREE old cabinet doors and window frames from a post on Craigslist. When we finally found the narrow driveway, after turning the car around 4 times, I hopped out and purveyed the goods. Behind the stuff we had come for was a gorgeous King Louis IV-style chair, tattered and torn from years of use and sopping wet from time spent outdoors. It was mine. Absolutely, I can refinish this.



I dragged the chair over to our vehicle and enlisted Jill's help, as I had recently hurt my back. We took that chair home and I beamed as I showed it off to my parents, and later, to Cameron. There is so much beauty in something so old. Not the old, stinky straw or the hundreds of bugs I would later find as I ripped the chair apart, but the idea of something that has been through so much. I think of the families who have shared memories in this chair and the fun that ladies of the house must have had rearranging their living rooms to find the perfect spot for such a lovely antiquity.

And so, it is with great joy today that I announce I have safely removed every upholstery nail and staple from my chair. And all the stinky straw is gone, as well as the bug-infested batting and the hole-y fabric. All that stands of my chair is the elegant wooden frame. Oh, have I got some work ahead of me!

I spent the afternoon chillin' with my sis, making more Valentine's cupid cards. Pics soon... camera battery is charging.