Friday Favorites (and a YHL comment)

This week was a bit frustrating. We met with another real estate agent, and his outlook on selling our house was - to be expected - just as bleak as every else's. Now, we're considering renting instead of selling. This is relieving in some ways, since selling was going to cost us money, but renting brings with it its own set of challenges.

However, my feelings of frustration - they are relative. I have so much to be thankful for.

My sweet husband -
who let me order the new bedding I was drooling over in this post.
who helping me completely rearrange our bedroom furniture on a my whim on Wednesday night.
who cleaned the floors for me while I went to Target on Thursday night, referring to himself as my "house husband."
who picked up dinner for us when I didn't feel like cooking.

My sister -
who dropped some skinny jeans in the mail for me to try on because they were too small for my nephew - just for fun. (Sidenote: I so wanted these jeans to fit because I thought it would be fun to say, "Oh these old new things? My sister picked them up in the men's department at TJMaxx for $7." Sadly, when I put them on and couldn't get them anywhere close to buttoned (despite the waist size being 3 inches larger than the jeans I own), I realized there was probably a good reason they were marked as irregular and still on the clearance rack.)

My house -
which regardless of whether we sell or rent is cool inside despite 100 degree days.
has a pantry and refrigerator with plenty inside.
is wireless, DVRed and all those other technological wonders I take for granted.

My dog -
who we've decided is the living epitome of Dug, from the movie Up (The Hubs cries when he watches Up.)



who is willing to go for a walk(!) or a car ride(!) or pay outside(!) or do tricks(!) anytime.

My health (I'll admit that the stress I'm self-imposing is doing a number on my scalp and skin (something I'm used to, it's been the case for many years) but -
it's good. And my husband's is good. And my parents'.
(Although, I would definitely appreciate any natural tips for combatting dry scalp, and MILD ezcema/psorasis.)

And I could go on, but I won't (and can't, because I'm technically working right now!).

I'm thankful for all these favorites today. (And linking up with Rachel at Finding Joy.)

Also, on a super "blog geek" sidenote: I definitely got my first "comment response" from Sherry at Younghouselove.com this week. Umm - I freaked out, and I also did a screen grab for posterity.

New Polish, Courtesy of JB

I saw some fun lime green nail polish in my newest Real Simple - something that I would not normally wear. I picked up a comparable color at Target yesterday, and today, my fingers (and toes) are sporting a new look.

Sidenote: I have not painted my fingernails in probably two years. Close up, it looks AWFUL.

Look who I have to thank for the color.

As I'm sure you did not guessed, I get to thank Mr. Justin Beiber.

This color is from his "The Less Lonely Girl" collection, "Designed with the fans, for the fans."

That's eye roll inducing, but the color - One Time Lime - is pretty fun. Happy Friday.

(Color is by Nicole by O.P.I.)

The Great Bedroom (Design) Debate

B and I worked together to pick the paint colors for each room in our house.

We picked a neutral vibrant tan for the dining room, and this color for the great room and kitchen:

Sherwin Williams Essential Gray

(Image via)

I like the latter so much that I would happily use again in our next house. In the bedrooms we used a bit more color, including a rich gray blue in the bedroom. 

This is an older picture, but it gives you an idea of the color.



Unfortunately, we painted the house before we were married, and therefore before I moved in, so I didn't realize that despite two windows, that room doesn't get much sun, save a couple hours each day. So, add a rich gray blue, and it's down right dark. Thankfully, the room is plenty large enough to support a darker color (if you're of the mindset that dark colors make a room look smaller), but I'm not convinced it's the right color for the room when we put it on the market.

Of course, the hubs really doesn't want to repaint (or pay someone else to do it). So, the other morning he offered up this little nugget:

"You know what an easier way to lighten up the bedroom would be? We could replace our [brown] duvet with a lighter one."

He just tossed that out there. As if I'd nod and move along with my life. It's almost as if he disregarded that that was practically license to buy new bed linens.

So, I've been browsing. Realistically, I may not get to pull the trigger, but the combination of colors and ruffles and masculine details companies are selling is making the interior designer in me drool.

 (Image via)

(Image via)

(Image via)

And my ultimate favorite find:

(image via)

While walking our dog last night, I reminded the hubs about the new duvet/quilt comment. I told him I'd found a few options. In turn, he called me "the human elephant" (because I never forget).

I do love a good compliment.

Also, thoughts on the above options? (I definitely think cream/gray is a safer bet than white.)

Craigslist Miscellany

I have a secret. Until yesterday, I had never successfully sold anything on Craigslist. (Bought something? Ha! All the time, much to the hub's dismay.) But yesterday, I posted six things, and I sold three of them the same day. It's quite the rush.

 Good-bye, end table. You served us well.

Thanks for the memories, sweet painted nightstand 

(previously lime green thanks to a college apartment color fling).

We also sold full mattress set that we'd inherited with a bedroom set but didn't need. The family who bought it was replacing their 8-year-old daughter hand-me-down king mattress. Apparently, she was against the replacement, but they thought a full was much more suitable for a little girl. That story made me laugh, since I slept in a twin bed until my second year of college.

Now, I'm trying to figure out e-bay. Any advice? I have a couple of nicer bags to sell that I doubt will sell on Craiglist.

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With my blow money, I did indeed buy the shorts I mentioned last Monday. While I was there, I also picked up this shirt (horrible modeling by yours truely).

AE boyfriend shirt, where have you been all my life? (Also, I picked mine up on clearance for 50 percent off.)

I really should learn to iron.

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I am typing this blog entry on the rogue during work hours, so I've got to get back to what I'm supposed to be doing. We're meeting with a second real estate agent tonight. I don't expect the financial outlook to be much brighter, but I'm choosing to trust God's plan. Right now, we still believe that selling is the better option for us, even if we do have to dip into savings. I'd love some stories of positive sales experiences, post real estate crash, if you have them. 

For all you Dave Ramsey folks, the real estate agent and her husband are on baby step 7 - build wealth and give. How cool is that?

Linking up with Carissa:

A bear of a week needs a good song.

This week has been a bear. Work has be rough. And yesterday, we met with a realtor about the possibility of putting our house on the market (in anticipation of a likely move - more to come), and the numbers are disheartening.

This morning, as I was running through scenarios in my mind on the way to drop one of our cars off at the shop, these lyrics came to mind. This song is both challenging and encouraging possibly my all-time favorite. (If I had to take one CD with me to a desert island, Caedmon's Call's "40 Acres", where this song is from, would be high in the running.)

Happy Friday!

As I survey the ground for ants
Looking for a place to sit and read
I'm reminded of the streets of my hometown
How they're much like this concrete that's warm beneath my feet

And how I'm all wrapped up in my mother's face
With a touch of my father just up around the eyes
And the sound of my brother's laugh
But more wrapped up in what binds our ever distant lives

But if I must go
Things I trust will be better off without me
But I don't want to know
Life is better off a mystery

So keep'em coming these lines on the road
And keep me responsible be it a light or heavy load
And keep me guessing with these blessings in disguise
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes

Hometown weather is on TV
I imagine the lives of the people living there
And I'm curious if they imagine me
Cause they just wanna leave; I wish that I could stay

And to visit places from my past
But only for an hour or so
Which is long enough to smell the air
To tell the tale and find the door

But I get turned around
I mistake some happiness for blessing
But I'm blessed as the poor
Still I judge success by how I'm dressing

So I'll sing a song of my hometown
I'll breathe the air and walk the streets
Maybe find a place to sit and read
And the ants are welcome company

And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes.
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes.

Caedmon's Call, Faith My Eyes



Home improvement: Part 2

In addition to the newly painted bookshelf, we also spruced up the dining room - with art. 

I like art. I don't have any painting/drawing skills, but I love the idea of having authentic art in our home. Unfortunately, that's expensive.

(I gave my husband the slient treatment for the better part of the four-hour drive from Asheville to Charleston because he denied me the purchase of a $400 piece of artwork. It was our first anniversary trip, and I was convinced that this sum of money was completely entirely worth it. Yeah, I had to apologize later.)

So, I'm always on the hunt for prints, photos, etc. that have meaning or reflect some part of our family. On Memorial Day, I stumbled upon this Etsy shop, called Mapity, featuring photos of locations on a map, with a vintage feel. And I was in love. After a bit of husband sweet talking, I picked out four prints:

Pearl Harbor (HI): He was here before we met.
Atlanta: I was here before we met.
San Francisco: We got in engaged here.
Charleston. We live here now.

Here's a close up of the San Francisco print:

(image via Mapity)

We hung them on Saturday afternoon (along with a mirror that had been leaning against the wall on top of a cheapo Target entry table for the better part of a year). I think it makes the dining room complete.

Before

After

 

(12 x 12 frames and mats from here.)

Dude, where's my coffee creamer?

Alternative title: Adventures in Marriage

The mustache mugs I bought him for Christmas from here.

From January through June, the small group I attend met at my house. And we all drank coffee. And we all liked creamer. So, I amassed a few extra flavored creamers in our fridge.

I noticed this this past Friday, and after wondering if we would get through all of them before their 10/31 expiry dates, I asked the hubs "if they would be used at his office." He said, "Yes, probably." End scene.

This morning, I brew a cup of coffee (Yay, Kuerig.), and go to the fridge to get my favorite creamer (Skinny Caramel Macchiato), and it's not there. Neither is the unopened bottle of the same flavor. Nor any of the other four unopened bottles of various other flavors. Just two almost empty bottles of second tier flavors (chai latte and vanilla Irish Creme).

Are you kidding me??

I was about two seconds from grabbing my phone to tell him "to bring me back my creamers!" Then, I realized, I'd offered, he'd remembered, and he executed.

I could not complain.

Also, chai latte flavor is actually pretty stinkin' good.

P.S. Home improvement part deux is coming up tomorrow. I'm totally back on top of this blogging thing. (She thinks wishfully.)

P.P.S. Geek alert! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 is coming out tomorrow at midnight.

P.P.P.S. I'm getting old alert! We considered the midnight showing, but quickly determined that despite it being THE MOVIE I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT THIS YEAR, I'd still probably fall asleep and/or hate myself on Friday morning.