7 things about me...

~ I'm blushing! ~

Janis, at White Alder Home tagged me with a Kreativ Blogger Award!

Wow!...thanks so much for thinking of little 'ol me and my take on life in blogland!

So here's my checklist of what I have to do to accept this most gracious award:

1. Thank the person who nominated me for the award.
 check

2. Link to the person who nominated me
 check, check

3. List 7 things people may not know about me
 I'm not sure there are 7 interesting things about me!

4. Nominate 7 creative bloggers, post their links and leave a comment on each
 I love them all...I have to pick just 7??

So here it goes...7 facts about yours truly...

~*~

ONE. I am ambidextrous. I use both my left and right hand for different tasks. That must explain why I can never make up my mind on anything. My brain is totally mixed up!

TWO. I need to multi-task at all times. It is impossible for me to sit and watch TV without doing something else. Usually, I am doing laundry, reading and magazine and planning my menu for the week...all while not missing a moment of my favorite shows. It drives my husband crazy.

THREE. My parents took me on my first trip to Europe when I was 9 years old. They wanted me to see how other parts of the world lived, and decided we would take the train into Czechslovakia. There is a story between the idea to go there and the end, but lets just say one little girl almost didn't make it out of that country. My Dad ended up having to pay off the guards on the train to let me go back into Germany. The guards were trying to take me away - saying I wasn't their daughter. I guess it was all about lining their pockets with a little extra cash. My mom was freaking out at that moment...but there were many, many times she brought this up during my angst-ridden teenage years. She would tell me to straighten up or we would take a little "trip"...oh, she's always a comedian!

FOUR. I love to do laundry. Weird, I know. It is my favorite household task. It must be the part of me that likes to have everything neat and orderly. I could do it every day and never get tired of it.

FIVE. I have never had a drop of coffee in my life. I love the smell, but will not even try a single sip. I just know I would hate it. People are always amazed at that for some reason.

SIX. I have a cousin that went to school with someone we all now know as 'Princess Diana'...and yes, I am being completely serious. They were friends and she attended her wedding, and later her funeral. I will sum it up like this...one side of our family did well in business and lives in Brentwood, CA...my Dad decided to "break out" on his own and move to a farm in rural IL. Needless to say we were not the side that did well enough to roll with the Royals. That is fine with me, to this day I can't figure out what all the forks are for on a formal place setting.

SEVEN. I was married in Las Vegas. Most people that know me have to pick up their jaw about now. For as much as I love all things beautiful, I never, even as a child, dreamed of the typical wedding...and I hate being the center of attention. I am a low-key kinda girl. A few members of our family and friends flew out for 3 days of festivities, and it was awesome! It is possible to have a beautiful wedding at a resort in Vegas...and no we did not use a drive-thru or an Elvis impersonator. 10 1/2 years later we are blisfully happy.

Whew! That was tough...I am a rather boring person, you know.

So, here are the 7 of my very favorite ladies in blogland. If your name is on my list...consider yourself tagged!

Andrea @ Faded Plains
(I am stalking her for her old truck)

Trina @ A Country Farmhouse
(Have you seen her farmhouse reno? WOW is all I can say...)

Holly @ In the Fun Lane
(She lives an all-around fabulous life.)

Jen @ Sanctuary Arts
(Uber-talented - this girl can craft like no one else!)

Martha @ Butterflies & Dragonflies
(One of the sweetest girls in blogland, love her!)

Anita @ Iowa Junk Gypsies
(She is hosting a trip to Paris, wanna go?)

Shannan @ Flower Patch Farmgirl
(She needs to bottle and sell that wit she has - I love reading her posts!)

yellow roses are her favorite...

Today, I am feeling stressed.

My mom is having surgery. A big surgery.

She is a tough lady, that I know.

So I am sure she will be just fine...but I still worry.

I wish I could keep her in a bubble and stop time.

So nothing would change...and time would not keep moving on...

(photo found here...)

Do me a tiny favor...if you would.

Send good thoughts her way.

 I'll take all I can get for her today.

packin' my bags...

I love County Living Magzine.

And I love architecture...and houses...and renovations.
And I love it even MORE when the two worlds collide and Country Living showcases a few homes around the US that are for sale!

 I look forward to the "real estate sampler", as they call it, each and every month. But in all the years I have been a subscriber, I have never actually gone further and checked out one of these houses. I do wonder how in the heck these big old houses sometimes come with such tiny price tags.

This one caught my eye this month, so for the first time I decided to check out the realtor's website and get the scoop on this old beauty. That is where I stumbled on these pics...and fell in love. I think I am packin' my bags and heading South!

This lovely Antebellum home is in Brunswick, Missouri and is on the market for only $99,000. Around here...that would be a steal! It has 4,400 square feet with a smoke-house and a barn...and sits on 2.6 acres. It has 6 chimneys and a widow's walk.

I think I just may pass out. $99,000?? Really?? It is my dream to live here. I just hope I would also find the closets stuffed with the cash I would need to fund the enormous renovation this old girl needs!

Just look at her. So majestic. So beautiful. So in need of a little TLC.

Look at that profile...gorgeous! I think for the rest of this post, I am going to dream that she is mine. She could be so much more than she is right now.

Ok, so the trim needs a little "work done"...a little nip...a little tuck...nothing I can't handle. Here is my trim-repair tip of the day...for those of you working on an old house...get a pen and paper...I'll wait.

Use Bondo to repair the wood. It is magic in a can, I swear. Oh, and if you don't know what Bondo is, visit your friendly neighborhood auto-body shop. It is what they use on rusted out old cars when they are restoring the body. Works magic on old rotten wood so you don't have to replace it. 

So lets start the inside tour. It only took me about 20 seconds to reno this home in my head.

I am crazy-obsessed with this foyer. I have dreams of refinishing the hardwood floors and painting all the trim and bannister white. I would love to take down the wallpaper, give the walls fresh paint and a lovely jute runner up the stairs. Oh, and of course a vintage chandelier needs to live here, too.

~sigh~

I love it so.

Now, the next picture is a bad one...so look very close. See the middle of the photo? That gorgeous curving staircase winds up to a third story and you can see all the way down the middle to the first floor.

I love the sound of a slamming screen door. And check out how wide this one is. And yes, that wallpaper and those sconces would have to go. A couple of lovely vintage metal and crytal ones would suit me nicely. Oh, and of couse more white woodwork.

I can't live without natural light. It is essential to my being. These floor to ceiling windows would make me a happy girl!

Oooh...that mantel! This house has 3 fireplaces, all with hand-carved, large mantels. They are all begging for fresh white paint...but I have to leave that old mirror just like it is. Have I ever told you how much I like weathered mirrors?

I saved my favorite for last...I have no idea what this little shed is currently used for...maybe this is the old smokehouse...but I see my office here. A perfect little get-away. A new window. A new roof. A pretty paint color with white trim. I would wake up early just so I could get out there and do some work!

Ok, I am back to reality. Back to my house built in the 50s. Back to 8' ceilings and a 2 car attached garage.

A long way from my Antebellum fantasy...but I have to admit, it was so nice to dream.

99 things I love…

making lists

mongolian beef from PF Chang

light filtering through white curtains

creaky wood steps

flea markets

the sound of old typewriters

disneyworld

dining al fresco

the rat pack

my dog jake

old glass door knobs

the farmhouse I grew up in

gravel roads

white sheets fresh off the clothesline

pencil starfish

love letters from WWII

camping at state parks

quotes

decorating magazines

old sliding pocket doors

labeling everything in sight with my label maker

down comforters

big tvs

road trips

old chippy paint

sprinkles cupcakes

typography

being home

the smell of fresh cut grass

subway tile

the ocean

beautiful business cards

squishy pillows

old crystal chandeliers

the smell of dryer sheets

rigatoni d from maggianos

shopping vintage boutiques

lake superior's shoreline

vanilla candles

the sound of crickets

outdoor summer concerts

cabinets with lots of little drawers

the smell of suntan lotion

white lights in trees

spending time “up north”

architecture

every dog I have ever met
english ironstone

jackson hole, wyoming

diamonds

a good hair day

lipgloss

old fireplace mantles

wrap around porches

the number 8

giving gifts

the las vegas strip

u-pick strawberries

every single song by kenny chesney

the smell of cooking onions & garlic

dinner out with friends

fall leaves

the sound of lawnmowers from down the street

seagrass

a good yard sale

cute elderly couples

someone saying ‘thank you’

white english ironstone

new car smell

finding a bargain

santa barbara, ca

singing in the car

falling asleep with the windows open

weekend trips

a success story

hgtv

planning a vacation

driftwood

being spontaneous

photography

a sundae with peanut butter & pecans from culver’s

reality tv

100% Grape juice popsicles

laughing until I cry

michigan sand dunes

fabulous sunglasses

lemon bars

a hug from my husband

the smell of fresh ground coffee

my dad’s hands

wedding cake flavor ice cream

walking around washington dc at night

jeans that are actually long enough for me

old white dairy barns

the smell of a campfire

dipping a new paintbrush in a fresh can of paint

tjmaxx, marshalls & homegoods

all white covers on a bed

simplicity

2009 was a great year...but stressful for me. I worked too much and enjoyed life too little. It was a blur. I just flew from one thing to the next in a quest to be everything to everyone. I couldn't say no to anything. I painted a record number pieces of furniture for clients...had a fabulous meal made for my husband every night...tried to do a reno on every room in my new house...took nieces and nephews on vacations in hopes of making fun memories for them. But, in the end, I found myself out of breath, out of shape and had no good memories for myself. To be honest, I am so happy there is official closure on one year to give a fresh start to the next.

So as I was painting some furniture today I had time to think. I promised myself that in 2010 I would enjoy the little things in life again. I made a mental list of crazy things...silly things...that bring me happiness. But, there is something about actually putting it in writing. Makes each thing seem so much more important.

My intention for 2010 is just simply slow down and enjoy it.

(photo found here...)