Homeless Home Decorator

My inner interior designer is jumping for joy.  No, we haven't found a home, but its okay to pre-decorate, right?  Just call me the 'Homeless Home Decorator'!

I'm naturally a creative person, as I think most people who blog tend to be.  This will be my first time getting creative control over how to decorate a home, and I am beyond THRILLED!  I think the prominent color in our home will be 'Grey' or 'Gray' (depending on your spelling taste).  I love it, and I'm kind of miffed that people are starting to use my color schemes more frequently now.  I want to scream at them, "STOP STEALING MY DESIGN TASTE"!

I'm trying to find a way for the whole house to flow together, so random rooms don't look like they belong in some other home.

The Master Bedroom has been my main focus, as I view that as my private sanctuary.  I call the design theme there (now don't laugh) "Modern Romance" (okay, you can laugh if you need to).  The color palette I'm going for is:  Primary Color - Shades of Grey, Secondary Color- White, and Accent Color - Cool Purples.  I want the main furniture to be a dark brown stain.  The artwork/wall decor is primarily going to be black and white shots from our engagement/wedding, that way we don't annoy our guests with these photos in the main areas of the home.  *I don't know why, but seeing lovey dovey mushy pictures of couples all throughout their home makes me want to barf.

Ralph Lauren White Paisley Duvet

I ordered a duvet cover yesterday (well, two of them - as I'm not sure which color to go with yet), and I'm going to center the bedroom around it.  I wanted the duvet to be a lighter color, so I can paint the room grey without it being too dark.

I kind of like the blue/grey color, so I might have to add it into my color scheme.  I'll have to see it in person to make the final judgement though.  Feel free to add your opinion on which one you think looks better.

Ralph Lauren Blue/Grey Paisley Duvet

I'm also purchasing this lamp.  I've been in love with it for months, and for the price tag (even on sale) I'd damn well better love it for the rest of my life.  Thankfully it will work throughout the house with the color scheme, but I have a feeling that it will always be in our bedroom regardless.

Candice Olson Table Lamp - Lets ignore the Price Tag

You all probably think I'm a rich design whore now, but really I'm not.  I make some high end quality purchases, which I expect to use a long long time.  I have to be severely attached to them to even consider stomaching that kind of price, especially considering the frugal way I was raised.  Yet, I skimp on stuff when I can (when I know it won't be used for years and years or the difference in quality isn't worth the extra price).  I mean, I'm the type of person who doesn't buy name brand toilet paper to save money!  I rinse off and reuse tin foil!  I rinse out and reuse Zip-lock bags!  I use plastic grocery bags for small trash can bags in the bathroom!  I typically buy my clothes off season!

Crate & Barrel Cooper Vases

Okay, enough trying to justify these expensive purchases.  I'm just going to put it out of my mind, and eagerly anticipate their arrival.  OH!  I also bought these cute little vases (silver and grey/bronze) for our home too!

Shhhhhh!  Don't tell my hubby!  I'm pretty sure he'd freak out that I'm decorating our house before we've found it!

Sandra Deez, Oh Jeez

As I'm sitting here, 'Toddlers & Tiaras' is playing on the television, which my husband is watching while he falls asleep.  I'm always amazed by how entertained he is by trashy reality TV.  I rarely watch because:  he is possessive about the remote control, I don't care about watching television that much, and there are few shows I actually feel the need to watch.

However, occasionally I'll watch bits and pieces of what he is viewing while I'm reading novels, doing art, or being on the internet.

Picture This...on a Four Year Old

I was amazed tonight to see a child, age four, come on stage dressed as Sandra Dee from Grease.  The contest apparently required the children to dress up as television or movie characters.  The costume or act wasn't the issue, but I was stunned that the parents had the child pretend smoking a cigarette.  The mom whispered to the little girl before she got on stage, "Now don't forget to smoke".

My.Jaw.Dropped

Granted, I have friends who smoke.  My own father has smoked the occasional cigar ever since I was a child.  I remember seeing kids my age in middle school smoking, but the BLATANT push and propaganda of a substance to a child just AMAZES me.

Yes, it was a FAKE cigarette, but really?!?  This little girl was FOUR years old!  I was glad to see that the judges docked her points because they deemed it 'inappropriate', but I am appalled at the plain lack of common sense of the parents.

I'm beginning to realize more and more as I age that 'Common Sense' isn't all that common anymore.

Here is another monstrosity of parenting... apparently they thought it was a good idea to dress up their daughter like Julia Roberts in the movie 'Pretty Woman'.  Now, I'm not talking about Julia Roberts in her pretty red dress.  I'm talking about beginning of the movie Hooker Julia Roberts.

I can't believe how our society is raising and sexualizing children.  They aren't sexual objects, and yet, we are portraying them as such.  It just doesn't make sense to me.

Channeling Modonna Circa 'Cone Bra'

Homeless and House Hunting

It's been a whirlwind couple of days.

We moved all of our worldly belongings into a Uhaul and packed it away into a storage unit.  We picked ourselves up (and way too many clothes, shoes, and personal items) and moved into our 'temporary home' aka. my husband's childhood bedroom at his parents house.  Our dog, Lula, unfortunately isn't allowed to stay with us, therefore, my parents are taking care of her.  Towards the end of the moving process I drove to the airport to pick up my brother, who was flying in from Florida, for our Grandma's funeral.  Afterwards everyone who helped us move had a cookout at my in-laws house as a 'Thank you' to everyone.

Then we packed up some stuff again to drag down to my family's town, so we could attend my Grandma's visitation.  We stayed the night there and attended the funeral the next day as well.  Afterwards my Dad and his siblings went to my Grandma's house to start sorting out belongings, as they don't feel comfortable leaving a lot of stuff in the house until they get it sold.  It was broken into when Grandma lived there, so they know it would more than likely get broken into now that she is gone.

There were a few belongings in the house that have always had special meaning to me.  They didn't have many belongings because they were so frugal, and you always felt like you were walking back into the 1940's-1950's when you went to their house.  Many stuff they bought was original from their wedding in 1954.

*A large World Globe on a Stand (my brother and I would always look at it when we stayed there - half of the countries aren't countries anymore!)  I've never seen another globe this big or old.  (My brother will get this, which is okay with me.  I know he's just as attached to it as I am.)

*Grandma's Cookie Jars - Grandma specifically wanted me to have them. <3

*Grandma/Grandpa's Sugar Bowl - Grandpa made it out of wood, and it always sat on their kitchen table.

Similar Aluminum Pitcher & Cup Set

*Aluminum Pitcher & Cups - My Dad and his siblings used to drink out of these, and my cousins and I used to drink out of them.  My brother and I have always loved them.

*A Holy Water Stoup (hung inside my Dad's childhood bedroom wall) It was a plastic hanger with a little boy holding a lamb.  It has a cup that holds holy water.  I was always fascinated by these whenever I would stay at Grandma's house, and I would play in the water!

I'm currently sitting in my husband's boyhood room, not really sure what to do with myself.  I keep joking with everyone saying that, "I'm Homeless!"  I wonder how long it will take us to find a house, but then again I'm not too eager to do the moving process again just yet.  I imagine by the time we find a house we want, and go through the whole process of showings, offers/counteroffers, and closing that we will be more than ready for our own home.

I guess I should say, "Let the House Hunting Begin!"

Cookie Jar Memories

My Grandma passed away earlier this morning, and I haven't really had time to process it.  We close on  my husband's house tomorrow, and we move out on Saturday.  I've been busy running around the house cleaning and packing, and, like I said, I haven't really had time to process it.

A few years ago when my Grandpa passed, I offered to write up his obituary because I was so close to him.  Therefore, my family asked me if I would write Grandma's as well.  I suppose it makes sense for me to write it, as I was an English teacher in a 'former life'.

When I think of my Grandma I'll remember:

*Staying at their house when my Mom/Dad would go on trips and sleeping in my Dad's old twin bed with a half railing frame around it, so a child wouldn't roll out.  I remember waking up at night scared of the Grandfather clock my Grandpa built chiming in the middle of the night.

*Watching Grandma scrape the butter off of the butter wrapper with a knife whenever she would open a new stick of butter because she was so frugal.

*Picking some of her outdoor flowers for her when I was about 4-5 and bringing them inside to her.  I thought she would be pleased and put them in a vase, but she scolded me for picking her flowers! lol

*I remember she wouldn't let us eat any snacks because it would "ruin our supper", even if the only snacks were carrot or celery sticks.

*I remember my brother and I would always try to lead Grandma into a conversation that would make her say "wash" because she would pronounce it "waRsh".  We would say something like, "Grandma are you going to wash the dishes after supper?", and she would reply, "Well, of course I'm going to warsh them after dinner.  Who in the world do you think would clean them otherwise?"  We would giggle ourselves silly over it.

*Additionally, we would crack up whenever she would say "Hells Bells" or "Quit fiddle farting around!"  Two of her FAVORITE expressions....

*My brother and I were always amused that she would call the trash can a "wastepaper basket".

Canning Jars

*I always remember her canning fruit or vegetables.  She would be shelling walnuts from the woods, snapping beans, shelling peas, or making jellys/jams.

*She would scold my brother and I whenever we would try to sneak down into the basement to watch Grandpa do woodworking because she was afraid we would get hurt.

*I remember thinking that the floor in her kitchen would be cleaner to eat off of than the table in my own home because she always kept everything so tidy.

*I'll remember the buttery soft and crisp peanut butter cookies she would make.  She would store them in her antique jars.  One jar was labeled "Cookies" on the front, and Grandpa would always steal one out and give it to me whenever I was crying (I was so young that I don't remember).  Grandpa stated at my Bridal Shower that the 'Cookie Jars' would go to me when she passed away because her memory of me was linked to them.

Eternal Birthdays

It is with a heavy heart that I'm blogging today.  My Grandma is slipping away, actually for all I know, she could be gone at this moment.

I realize that 90 1/2 years is a good long haul for anyone, and she's had more time to enjoy Earth than most people ever get.  However, I don't think it makes it any easier to say goodbye.  I remember thinking a few weeks ago that even though my Grandpa has been gone 3 years I still miss him, and I'll continue to miss him until I'm a little old lady myself.

I try to put a good spin on it reminding myself that I'll have plenty of people to greet me and show me around whenever I get to heaven.  I try to think of it not as the day they "died", but the day of their "eternal birthday".  It's much more pleasant to think about, and I think we should celebrate it that way.

My Heaven Welcoming Team thus Far:
-My Beagle dog's:  Sarah, Sam, & Megan
-My hedgehogs: Gumbie & Hocus-Pocus
-My brother's friend Craig
-My favorite Grandpa
-My family friend & friends' mom Annette
-My favorite student Emily

The list will only continue to grow as my days continue, as everyone's list does.

If you pray, if you don't, I would appreciate it if you would, if only for a moment, send happy thoughts my Grandma's way for a peaceful transition from this life.