Switcheroo

About a month or so ago, I found something I’d been hunting for since we moved in.  Our dining room has can lights, which are fine, but not exactly emitting the moody, groovy vibe I was hoping for.

I found them dusty and grimy in a vintage store, and one was wired with a plug instead of hardwired.  Luckily, that’s not a problem over here.  We decided to take the easy path since we can’t access the ceiling from above and bought 2 converter kits at Home Depot.  The one we bought isn’t online, but is similar to this one.

So while the CC was wiring up the cans, I got to polishing.  Luckily, the chrome was in pretty good shape, so no soda was required this time.

Of course, they HAVE to be on a dimmer.  A complete MUST.

There is one small problem.  I think they are too high.  Currently they hang at 36″ above the table.  I think this particular fixture calls for 28-30″.  Thoughts?

Nothing is happening right away, since I really just wanted to get them up before Thanksgiving, but if I have to change the length and rewire them, I’m thinking that I won’t replace the chain..maybe black cloth cord?  I’ll listen to your suggestions and mull it over before making any decisions, but for now, I’m super happy to have a little dramatic upgrade from builder’s cans.

When You Gotta Go

Since the arrival of Otto, we’ve been struggling a bit with all the gear needed to take him outside.  We’ve started clicker training, and the yard can be really dark, and if he doesn’t go in his designated woods spot, we have to scoop/bag etc..

What’s been happening is a mad scrambling and stuffing of pockets, “Oh, I don’t have any/enough/big enough pockets to get all these accessories into!” and when he’s sniffing and circling, there isn’t time for that sort of flapping about. I decided to make us a couple of aprons prepacked with anything we might need for an outing.

 

I picked up these contractor aprons to use at the Sale.  I think they are $1.99?  Not that I have anything against Ace hardware, but I thought it might be more fun to make it a bit personalized.  I printed a Vizsla silhouette onto t-shirt transfer paper and ironed it on.  I mistakenly thought that the background was a creamy color, but it was just on the screen and the image was clipped.  Instead of totally covering the Ace logo, I just ended up with the silhouette on top of it…Oops!

But, I decided I actually liked it.  It stays for now…I’ll consider it a happy accident!

Ready and waiting for little bladders on the move.  Wanna see him again?

All About Otto

In the immediate future, our lives will be almost completely consumed with this little fella.  Meet Otto! Followers on other media outlets have already been introduced, as he was the obvious choice of muse to try out the new phone camera!

After a few attempts at adopting, and just narrowly missing out each time, we finally found a pup to rescue who arrived on 11/11/11.  He’s 11 weeks old today, and it’s safe to say we are completely smitten.

A cold front came through Friday night so we built our first indoor fire of the season…someone approved.

It’s been 14 years since we had a puppy, so we are a sleepy bunch trying to remember how it all works!

For those without iPhones, Twitter or Instagram, I’m testing out Instagrid which pulls the photos to the web.  I don’t think it’s pulling captions, and no comments, but the pics are there.

Uh, oh, it’s been 30 minutes, so I’d better take someone outside quick!

 

Always Late to the Party

I waited nearly 5 years to join the party.  I’m a second generation adopter of any new gadget; I prefer they get the bugs out and lower the price before I jump in.  That said, I was all ready to go iPhone a few years back, but then we moved into what my friends call “the crater”.  Verizon coverage only, and we still need a booster to be able to talk without losing the call.  Once they finally got in cahoots with Verizon, you KNOW I had to wait for the 4S, second generation and all…I’d waited years, so what was another few months?

I’m still learning how to work this newfangled thing with the help of Thing One, who has an iPod touch, so he’s way ahead of me.  YES, I still have the clickwheel “classic” version.  I’m old.  When your kids start teaching you technology, it’s the beginning of a slippery slope down to grannyhood.

While cleaning up the last bits of Halloween around the house, I took my first attempt at Hipstamatic/Instagram usage and posted to my Twitter feed.  This could be fun!

 

The Container Store Preview

Fellow Nashvillian organization geeks…rejoice!  Saturday is the big day wherein we finally have our very own 25,000+ square feet of OCD bliss.  The Container Store has arrived and I was lucky enough to be invited to the preview today.  I didn’t count, but I guess there were close to 20 bloggers there oohing and ahhing along with me.  It’s a good month for Nashville retail; Nordstrom, and now TCS!

One of my top 5 favorite blogs is Chez Larsson.  Benita’s organization posts are true motivators in my attempts to banish clutter.  She is amazingly efficient, due in no small part to her systems and the arranged structure in her home. When I walk into TCS, I feel like I can possibly achieve Benitadom.

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but seeing all the shelves of organizational porn made my heart beat faster, and I’m not talking metaphorically.  I was really, and truly excited because I love this kind of thing.  I get it from my Dad.  When I was growing up, his workshop was impeccably peg boarded and labeled down to the last tack nail.  Nothing out of place.  Flash forward, and I get a bit out of sorts when things get too messy and cluttered..I constantly crave order, but with kids, there have to be compromises….and systems!!!  Let’s look.

 

All over the store, the vignettes had notes on them everywhere for the big soiree tonight.

Wall after wall of colorful, tidy goodness…..

Lego building stations…..Hmmmmm….

 

I love the Hicks inspired wrapping paper, as well as the faux bois ….

 

Who doesn’t love wheels?

I really loved this….it seems to be TCS’s version of the Componibili.  It’s all powder coated metal and all the drawers swivel out like the top one.  It looks more slick in person, my poor camera skills aren’t doing it justice.

AND…I got some swag!!  Wheee!

The long blue thing is a folding form.  Now, I too, can fold a sweater just like in Benetton. (I think that just dated me horribly…do “kids today” even know what that means?  Do they even have Benetton stores anymore, because I haven’t seen one in years.)

Thank you Alexandra and all the crew at The Container Store for inviting me.  I am, indeed, your target audience and I can’t wait to go back and buy a few things…I’ve already started rearranging the mudroom area in my head…and the pantry…..Oh, and the closet….

Haunted Forest Recap

It’s a mixed bag, my friends.  Some might say, I failed you big time.  Others might recognize that I did way better with photos than last year, so let’s focus on progress and development….mmmkay?  Glass half full people.

Weather was our main foe this round.  Last year, it was nice and dry all week, this time, we had rain Thursday AND Friday.  So?  This means the bulk of our forest adornments must be put in all at once….on the day of the party..in the mud.  We had a dry party, so there’s that…not cashing in on your rain date is definitely a win.

We used a Paperless Post invite which I have edited for public viewing…

We had about 95 peeps this year, and some of these snaps were taken before and after the party, and some were taken the next day.  Again…just not a lot of time for photos during the party.

As guests arrived up the driveway, there is a table at the entrance to the forest with treat bags.

We pulled out the tombstones we made last year….

And hung the moon…..

For those worried I might expose children to Gnarls Barkley, rest easy…we went with the spooky sounds instead, which I think scared the kids a lot more than the Boogie Monster ever could have, so they were potentially ruined either way.

For safety reasons, the treehouse was off limits, but we styled it up super spooky.

We created a little scene underneath the treehouse with our new gifted butler from our good friend…she loves Halloween as much as we do and I hope we did her proud with him!

I decided to put more than just skelebirds in the cages…this one has ghost bats…..

The other practice moons ended up adorning the bar area.

I’m pretty bummed I never got a single photo of the table spread.  It looked pretty good too…it was heaving with yummy stuff….

Now nothing…no bloody cranberry grape juice with brain ice, no hot spiced apple cider, kettle corn, mini pizzas, mini bagel dogs, carrots, sugar snaps, sun sugar tomatoes, hummus, grapes, manadarins, chips, pumpkin cakes, oreo tower, cheese plate, paté, garlic toasts, and of course…  dem bones!  Photo FAIL!!!!

The Tattoo Station was back again this year…..

….as was a pinata.  We didn’t make it ourselves this year…not enough time.

There’s really no better reminder of our savage animal insticts than watching the melee after a successful hit on a pinata.  That’s SCARY.

So this is one of those funny little things you discover after a party….who took the teeth?  Did they wear them, and did they taste like raw pumpkin?  Who knows.

 

This year’s movie feature was a series of old Scooby Doo episodes from 1969-1971.  Here’s a theater before and aftermath……

The next night, we had a fire, leftovers and popcorn and the Things choice movie.  Heh. Ven.  New tradition for sure. After the Things went to sleep, the CC and I watched the 39 Steps.

My favorite photo:  The CC and Thing Two kept me company after the party while I was snapping away in the forest, and I got lucky……

Happy Halloween everyone.