Sweet dreams

One of my all time favorite things is curling up in bed while listening to the rain.  Add to that scenario my brand-new warm, fluffy, 44 ounce (not sure what the optimum ounce count is, but that sounded good enough to me) down comforter (bought on sale, thanks to Presidents’ Day), and I am ready for the coming rain.  Curled up in bed with a good book, it just doesn’t get any better.

Add to this delightful locale my newly acquired throw pillows, and this cozy spot looks down-right grown up, too.  Since I am the world’s slowest interior decorator, the pillows took awhile to arrive on said bed, but it’s coming together nicely.

Where’s your favorite spot to enjoy the rain?

Xeriscaping

My neighborhood is one of well-kept lawns, and neatly maintained flower beds.  It’s the rare home that deviates from this impeccable standard.  Though as soon as spring brings slightly more be-outside-all-day-planting friendly temperatures, my house may just become a stand-out on the block.  The idea of xeriscaping is being bandied about, for a few reasons.  For one, I live in an area where water just isn’t a plentiful commodity.  Sure, it may seem like a tropical paradise, with all the emerald green lawns, and swaying palm trees.  But left to its own devices, it’s a somewhat thirsty place.  So, saving water where I can would be helpful, not just to the water supply, but also to my checking account.  (Having been a renter for ages, that water bill takes some getting used to!)

Creating a drought-tolerant landscape is much lovelier than it used to be.  There are some beautiful, unusual plants available, and to stand out from my neighbors may not be such a bad thing.  Once my delightfully generous mother got wind of the plan, she started giving them as gifts.  Great colors, interesting shapes, and fun names.  Chocolate soldier?  Never heard of it, and now I have one.

Have any favorite succulents that simply must be part of the design?  Let me know, and I’ll throw ‘em into the mix.

And the winner is...

It turns out I decorate like I renovate.  One piece at a time.  When I was doing my bathrooms, I went to multiple stores for each type of item before choosing my very favorite one.  I looked at quite a few different tiles, faucets, and slabs of marble before the winners took their place on the podium.

The chair for my reading nook now sits cozily in the corner of my bedroom.  I looked around at several until I found just the right one.  Not too big, not to small, and a color that was just right for the rest of the furniture in the room.  Now all I need to do to make it the ideal little corner in which to read is to find the right lighting, and perfect side table.  I may be the world’s most leisurely interior designer, but I always enjoy the result.  And that’s the best prize of all.

Juicy

I love fruit.  The way other people love chocolate, I love fruit.  So when house hunting, every time a house had a fruit tree, that pushed it much farther up on the "this could be the one" list.  The fact that the home I chose has not one, but two citrus trees, was definitely a consideration when placing the offer.  Yes, I know, you can always plant trees, but these were mature.  Which got me excited that I wouldn't have to wait years for newly planted trees to grow, but that I would have a bountiful crop of grapefruits and lemons as soon as they ripened.

 

Once the grapefruits were nice and large, and just the right shade of pinky-yellow, I picked one gleefully.  My grin was quickly replaced with a pucker.  This thing wasn't just normal-grapefruit-sour, it was melt-the-enamel-straight-off-your-teeth-sour.  SO disappointed.

But over the weekend, all that changed.  We had gotten a deluge of rain in December, so when I returned from my recent vacation, I picked another.  Apparently all these trees wanted was a serious soaking.  When I cut into the grapefruit, it was the perfect rosy pink.  And it was juicy and delicious.  And the grin is back.

Welcome home

Travelling through Ecuador and the Galapagos over the course of a few weeks was amazing.  All the people I met were wonderful.  And the Galapagos Islands were teeming with life.  Although I’m always excited when embarking on a new adventure, this trip was especially memorable.  Experiencing a new culture, and seeing such a wide diversity of wildlife in its natural habitat, was truly phenomenal.  Sea lions and iguanas share the sand, with barely a notice of the other.  The penguins and blue footed boobies chirp happily, perched on rocks above waters swimming with sea turtles, sting rays, and sharks.  Each day I was away was a reminder of why, and how much, I love to travel.

But, ahh, it’s great to be home.  To my own bed, with soft sheets, and my perfect pillow.  To my beautifully renovated bathrooms, where the water pressure is constant, and hot water flows freely.  (After weeks without such things, I will no longer take them for granted!)  I’m enjoying getting settled back in, pouring over photos, and sharing holiday stories with friends and family.  After a nice break, I’m ready for the year to come, which is sure to be filled with many house-related projects.  I may even get adventurous, and incorporate some of the vibrant colors of Ecuador into my decorating.

‘Tis the season

I live in a festive neighborhood.  These people go all out.  Not over-the-top, in-your-face Griswold all out, but in a pleasant way.  A cheery way.  A way that brings a  smile to your face as you drive those last few minutes home, even though you’ve been sitting in traffic for too long.

So, with all this Christmasy joy these people are bringing to my evenings, it would only be right for me to reciprocate, and put up some twinkling lights of my own.  Alas, it is not to be.  And not because the magic of the season doesn’t live in my heart, because it absolutely does.  Just not in my actions.

This year, despite the boxes of Christmas finery tucked neatly away in my garage, I traded in Christmas lights for chrome.  Gave up putting out Santa, in favor of putting up a new shower.  The time usually spent decorating the tree got transitioned to choosing marble and faucets and tile.  Next year, though, I’ll be sure to keep renovations to the pre-December months, and devote myself to decorating my house.  So it too will bring a smile to the faces of my neighbors.  Instead of just to mine.

Full speed ahead

I’m oh-so-close to the finish line.  The master bath is almost completely done, with just a few small finishing touches left.  But the shower doors that didn’t exist last week are now in, and the super shiny chrome towel bars are a great replacement for the dining room chair I was using as a stand in.  It truly is the space I envisioned.

The smaller bathroom is coming along quickly.  The vanity is in, and it is a huge improvement on the 1989 cabinet it replaced.  The light switch has been moved to another wall, which impresses me tremendously that you can just change up the location of such a thing.  (The fact that I’m impressed is a perfect piece of evidence for why I would never try to tackle electrical work…)  Now, just waiting for the piece of marble I picked out over the weekend to be cut and installed.

Then it will be time to gather all the accessories!  All the nailed down stuff looks great, but decorating will be the final touch.  I’ll get rid of the hodge-podge of towel and bathmat colors that worked for the old bathrooms, and go with something entirely new.  Any votes for the new colors?