Mom: So Doo keeps getting notes sent home – he talks in class, interrupts, etc. They call them “think about it” notes. He is currently grounded from watching TV or playing video games. He’s Distraught. So Last night we made him watch the State of the Union Address. Hehehe.

Me: That’s TERRIBLE punishment. And perfect blog fodder…

Mom: Well, hell, blog this: this morning instead of watching cartoons while he ate breakfast, I read him the newspaper article “Transportation Tax Eyed”. He was numb. Actually begged me to stop. I did not.

Poor kid!

On my way to her house I had to stop off at Walmart to run an errand. I was convinced I would end up on that terrible/awesome site with a caption like, “Nice caftan, old woman. Ha ha! FAIL!” While I was there it dawned on me that I didn’t have a back-up plan in case I dropped my coat at my sister’s house and she started cackling and proclaimed she couldn’t be seen with me in public. So, I bought a black, over-sized sweater to replace the caftan if need be. My sister did, however, really like my outfit, as did the ladies we dined with (or so they told me). So it was a win. But I did sweat it out. Oh, and the sweater from Walmart? Wore it to work on Monday and the singing complimentor proclaimed it “lovely”. Boo-yah!

1. Getting a snazzy updated do (a heavier bang and shaggier layers) feels good!
2. Merry’s Miracle Tarts! I like the Meyer lemon ones. You can find these at Whole Paycheck.
3. The polenta at The Dicken’s Tavern in Longmont. As my friend says, “It’s like sex on a plate.”
4. Sorting through thousands of pictures with my folks. My plan is to digitize the ones I picked out and then using these for several projects I have in mind. So many great memories!
5. A very excited and eager hello from my parent’s dog Yaya. I think she likes me. I like her too. Except for when she licks my pants!

Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
1 medium onion, cut up
2 zucchini, cut up
1 potato, cut up (catching on to the “cut up” trend yet?)
1 cup celery, diced (threw you for a loop there, huh?)
2 cups cauliflower, cut up (and we’re back on track)
2 carrots, cut up
1 can of green beans, drained
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 parsley, cut up
Any other veggie that strikes your fancy (kale perhaps?)
16 oz. tomato juice
4 cups of vegetable broth
4 cups of chicken broth
3/4 cup red wine

Add all to a pot, except corn and peas, and simmer for two hours.
Add corn and peas to the pot 15 minutes before serving to warm through
I also added a TON of garlic, about 4 TBS of lemon juice (it brightened all of the flavors), salt, pepper, and a bay leaf.

For those doing Weight Watchers, 2 cups of this crazy healthy soup is 3 points. Pretty sweet, huh?

But I decided, after three years of living with it, that the red wall had to go. I wanted something more cooling, peaceful, calm. So now my bedroom looks like this:

Not much changed in the room other than the wall color and yet I feel like there’s been a big change. That’s the beauty of paint. It’s a relatively affordable, sometimes quick (ha) way to make a big change.

What do you guys think of the color change?

But, BUT! I have recently come to understand that I love thrifting for household stuff – furniture, decor, etc. I chalk this up to my Pintrest and interior design blog addictions. Through those two sources I’ve come to appreciate the wonders that flea markets and furniture thrift stores hold. And the best part? If an item has appeal in it’s lines and over-all look, a can of stray paint can make it new again!

Here are a couple of the lovely things I’ve picked up in the past couple of weekends:

Milk glass candle holders.

Black floral chair.

Mirrored tray (um, and please ignore the pile of laundry on the bed. Whoops!)

Amber glass vase.

1. Conversing and connecting in the quiet that exists when the boob-tube is off.
2. Playing games like Put and Take Jacks. My apologies that I can’t give you info on how to get your paws on this great game. The couple that used to make these suckers to order has retired. So sad.
3. Snuggles and naps.
4. Reading amazingness like The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s a hard book to get into, but once Dantes lands in the Chateau D’if and meets Faria, well it just gets mind-bogglingly great. The dialogue! The dialogue! I tried to read this last year when we took a TV break as well and couldn’t get into it. I’m glad I didn’t give up this time around.
5. A lovely night out with my sister, her friend Michaele, and her sister. Thanks ladies! That was fun. Let’s do it again soon…

• If I were a month, I’d be September
• If I were a day of the week, I’d be Sunday
• If I were a time of day, I’d be dusk
• If I were a planet, I’d be Earth
• If I were a sea animal, I’d be a starfish
• If I were a direction, I’d be west
• If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be a loveseat
• If I were a historical figure, I’d be Molly Brown
• If I were a liquid, I’d be water
• If I were a gemstone, I’d be an opal
• If I were a tree, I’d be an aspen
• If I were a tool, I’d be a hammer
• If I were a flower, I’d be a peony
  
• If I were a kind of weather, I’d be a light rain
• If I were a musical instrument, I’d be an violin
• If I were a color, I’d be navy blue
• If I were an emotion, I’d be relaxed
• If I were a fruit, I’d be a nectarine
• If I were a sound, I’d be a rushing river
• If I were an element, I’d be water
• If I were a car, I’d be a vintage Mustang convertible
• If I were a food, I’d be nachos
• If I were a place, I’d be a hot spring
• If I were a material, I’d be silk
• If I were a taste, I’d be honey
• If I were a scent, I’d be lilac
• If I were an object, I’d be a ring
• If I were a body part, I’d be a clavicle
• If I were a facial expression, I’d be a wink
• If I were a song, I’d be Ceclia by Simon and Garfunkle
• If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be cowboy boots