Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Recently Read

Since I bought my nook a few weeks ago, I've been reading constantly.  Like most other things (cooking, blogging, reading, sewing, whatever), I go through phases where I'm super inspired to read and then other times where I'm just not that into it.  But lately I've been devouring books.  A few recent ones I've read:

Jen Lancaster's My Fair Lazy:  One Reality Television Addict's Attempt to Discover If Not Being a Dumb Ass Is The New Black, or a Culture-Up Manifesto

This is the fourth book I've read by Jen Lancaster and she always cracks me up.  Her books aren't deep (I know mom always says not to judge a book by its cover, but really.  Look at the cover.  Sums it up pretty well.), but she's just funny and her books are always great for light reading.


Nicholson Baker's The Anthologist.  About an author trying (and failing) to write the intro to his poetry anthology.  There isn't much in the way of story or characters, except for the narrator, but that character is so well done that it doesn't need any more.  It's a simple book and totally enjoyable to read.



Sam Wasson's Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.:  Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's and the Dawn of the Modern Woman.  I have no idea why this book gets an average of 2.5 stars from readers; I liked it considerably more than that.  (Actually, after reading the reviews, it appears that people wanted the book to be about Audrey Hepburn and "the stars" which it is not.)  The book goes into great detail about how the story was translated into film, how decisions were made about casting, music, costumes, etc. and how the movie probably wouldn't have been made had each of those decisions not been made the way they were, due to the subject matter.  Makes me want to re-watch the movie and read the original Capote story.

I'm currently reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.  I'll review it once I'm done.

Monday, August 30, 2010

San Diego Recap

My recent trip to San Diego was amazing.  Got to hang out with some amazing old friends and we had such a good time together.  I love that the girls I that were my best friends in 4th grade have grown into fabulous women whose company I still adore.  We no longer braid each other's hair or play with our American Girl dolls, but time spent with them over a glass (or two) of wine feels as if nothing's changed.  Unfortunately, I absolutely suck at remembering to take photos and so I have NONE of them.  Fabulous.

I also got to spend some much needed time with my aunt and grandmother and had a wonderful time with them.  I am incredibly blessed to have such a great family; I feel so inspired by them.

My main reason for flying out to San Diego for a short trip was for my oldest brother's wedding.  They started dating back in May (I think?), got engaged in June and got married August 23.  Both are people who thought they'd never get married and then found each other.  I'm absolutely tickled for them.

Here are some photos:

View from Swami's

Self Realization Fellowship  (Have I mentioned San Diego is NOT at all like Raleigh?)



Ahhhh...home.

San Diego Courthouse

View of San Diego's skyline from the wedding reception

Completely gorgeous day





Mazel Tov!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

More Excitingness

I'm heading to my hometown (San Diego) tomorrow!  I haven't been back since Christmas 2008, so I'm really looking forward to hanging out with friends and family.  I'll post pics when I get home.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Bedroom Inspiration

I saw this photo awhile ago and instantly fell in love:


One of the bedrooms will eventually be decorated similarly:  navy grasscloth wallpaper, white furniture, cream curtains, and orange accents.  Love.




Photos from David Netto Design

My version will have a little less wall clutter though.

Monday, August 16, 2010

I did it all for the nook(ie)

(So you can take that cookie and stick it up your yeah!)  (By the way, what ever happened to Fred Durst?  He's been awfully quiet lately.  Probably a good thing though.)

For a few weeks now, I've been mulling over Barnes & Noble's nook and bit the bullet and got one on Friday.  I'm obsessed.  I love it.


I got the Wi-Fi one and not the version with 3G.  I just didn't see enough need for 3G to justify the increased cost.  A few things that sold me on the nook:  1) ebooks are cheaper than paper books; 2) B&N offers "Free Book Fridays" in which they choose a book that you can download for free; 3) there's chess and sudoku on the thing; 4) you can put music on it; 5) you can connect to the internet to check email, google stuff and whatnot (it's a bit cumbersome, but not too bad); 6) our local library offers ebooks that are compatible with the nook.

I loved the B&N covers that you can buy, but they ran around $30 to $80 (and up), and I figured I could make a cover to protect it for a whole lot cheaper.  I used some scrap felt and a spare button and here's what I came up with:



Oh, and if you're wondering what I'm reading now, it's a book called "The Anthologist" by Nicholson Baker.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Desk Makeover

Awhile ago while I was shopping for various used furniture pieces, I spied this cute little desk.  The tag showed the price of $149, but Shelton's always seems to have a "Today Only" 1/2 price sale.  So, that dropped the price down to $75, which isn't bad, but I figured I'd see if there's any room for negotiation (can't hurt to ask), so I asked if they'd give it to me for $60 and they did!  Sweet!  So here it is before:


I loved the pseudo-Greek key detail under the top:


Before painting the piece, I took off the hardware and got out my Brasso.  These were a bitch to clean, since I'm pretty sure the hardware isn't actual brass.  After scrubbing and cleaning for about 45 minutes, I figured I'd just leave it as good as I could get it and not worry about it being perfect.


I was originally going to paint it with Martha Stewart's Maine Lobster color, but after scanning the "oops" paint section, I found a quart of red paint for $1.  Sold. 

After sanding, the desk got a coat of primer, then three coats of "Chianti" red. 


It actually matches the guest room quilt completely perfectly.  Hooray.  I love this four-poster bed that my grandfather made, but it's so tall that normal nightstands wind up far too short.  The desk is a perfect solution.  Still don't know what I'll put on the other side of the bed, but I'll figure it out.


The artwork is temporary; it's a bit generic for my taste, but the room needs something there, so this'll do for now.


The room still needs a rug and drapes, but it's coming along:


Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Hiatus

Sorry about the brief hiatus, folks.  Work has been kicking my butt lately--unfortunately, summer is my busiest time of year, so between work, house projects and hanging out with friends and family, there's precious little time for stuff like the ol' blog. 

Luckily, I have a few days of vacation this week with family at the lake and then I'm off to San Diego for my brother's wedding later this month.  I can't wait!

I'll get back to a normal posting schedule soon.  Promise.
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