Monday, January 21, 2008

Whole Lotta Nothin'

Instead of frantically looking at everyone else's blogs hoping someone has posted something, maybe I should post something.

It has been a boring weekend for us. It is ass-cold outside. I can't believe how fast I have lost my cold-weather-acclimation from Alaska. The temps have been in the teens and low 20s. Yesterday I didn't leave the house, unless you count running down the driveway in my socks to get the paper. Of course, it is damp and WINDY AS HELL here, so that makes it worse. But still. I have spring fever. In the winters in Alaska I used to dream about green grass at night. I would dream that I would open the front door and it would be summer and warm! I would be so shocked and so thrilled! I had that dream a lot. So, I guess I don't have spring fever that bad, comparatively.

John and I finished organizing the storage closet last week. It looks 100% better. I'm so glad he made me do it. I was quite happy sitting on the couch watching American Idol, but no! He had to come traipsing in with three new shelves, insisting I help. (Speaking of American Idol, I now seem to find the early episodes just.....sad. Anyone else?) So, the storage room does look better. I go in there every day and just look around in appreciation.

Yes. This is my life. Looking at my storage closet and waiting for the World's Longest Weekend to be over. I still hate weekends. John is usually gone. Everyone else's husbands are home, so they don't want to get together. No one is online. There is nothing on TV. All the restaurants are jammed. Becca has watched more TV this weekend than can possibly be good for her.

But! I did finalize my curtain selections! (Geez....I don't think this post could be any more boring if I TRIED! Should we talk about alphabetizing the spices?) After playgroup on Friday, a friend came over and suggested this set up for the curtains. I never considered doing something different on the big and small windows in the same room! I just couldn't do the red valances. I loved the fabric on them, but they just weren't quite right.

Family room--tie up shades on the small windows and panels on the big window:



For the kitchen sink windows (this doesn't photograph well, but trust, me, it is cute!), striped red/khaki/green/gold valances:


I'm going to keep the hideous vertical blinds for now on the sliding door (they are just so practical) and am going to try to make a cornice board over the top of them. Either with khaki, or with the red stripes.

Hey! Speaking of playgroup--we have a new plan every Friday night around here. We all rotate houses and have a babysitter come and hang out in the basement with the kids, while the moms stay upstairs and eat and drink wine. It works really well, except for MY KID. She will not go down to the basement because she is SO. CLINGY. She stays right by me. When she even SEES the babysitter she starts freaking out. Does anyone know how to treat a total cling-on? It only seems to be getting worse as she gets older! *help*

Hey! Speaking of eating at playgroup. We have been doing potluck stuff each week. So, last week I told everyone I was going to bring enchiladas. I tried a new recipe that contained Cream of Mushroom soup. As I was making them, I thought...well...this is easier than making a roux and all the other crap I've done to make enchiladas. Then, I thought....this is cheating. These don't really COUNT as enchiladas. Then, I brought them to playgroup and everyone stared at me like I had three heads. "You MADE these? When you said you were bringing enchiladas, we thought you mean the Old El Paso box kits you buy at the store!" I said, "They make enchilada kits?"

These people had never seen homeade enchiladas before. And, unfortunately, the first time they had them they had CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP in them. If I'd only known.....(they did eat them and liked them, but I felt like it was just all wrong!)

15 comments:

The Quinn Report said...

I really like your curtains!

Oh, and the babysitter/potluck play group thing you have going on sounds like a great idea! If only the babysitter could host a sleep over for all the kids....then THAT would be something!

Unknown said...

Love the curtain choice. The tie ups look much better than in the original photo and glad you did the panels on the big window. The khaki looks perfect! Do you feel like you've accomplished a huge task now? The curtains and the organizing. You need to sit down and have a glass of wine now.
The playgroup does indeed sound wonderful. I am completely jealous of your neighbor situation! There are only 2 people I know on my street and I could still be lying hurt on my kitchen floor unable to move and nobody would know until Neal came home and found me. Lovely thought. Sorry about that.

justme said...

ok, is it scary that your whole lot of nothing is interesting to me ??

that playgroup idea is NICE. sass never clinged - she is social but frass screams when one of the sitters comes AND she screams at thd sitting room at the gym. i feel sooo bad leaving her but i know i need to. i dread the first day of school with her. mama's girl !!!

Anonymous said...

About Becca... We used to call her mama "CLING CITY!" Guess you have it coming!!!

I cannot imagine you at her age going down alone - that would be without your mom - into a dark, dank cellar with a babysitter and wild, strange kids (who, BTW, lived across the street from you...)

MaryB said...

Oh my gosh - the whole "weekend thing"....I so get it. I feel the same way. Like everyone else in the world is out enjoying their family time and it is just little 'ol pathetic me alone on the weekend. Oh the pity parties I have had!

I love the window choices! And, I for one, do not find this a boring topic at all. Seriously, I currently have four colors of paint in 8 different patches allover my bedroom walls. I can obsess about any littel detail ad nauseum. Your strogae closet would make me so happy that I would go have my coffee in there just to adore the organization!

Our neighborhood had a happy gour similar tothe one you describe, but it is not in effect anymore. One day maybe I will blog about it if I decide it is safe. Although, you would probably think I was just making it all up.

As for the clingy Becca - it wii not be long before you are wishing that she would come snuggle (cling) a litte more often like she used to. I know this doesn't help at all right now, but beleive me it is true. My 4 year old is my youngest (last) and I get a little less snuggle time every day and it makes his Dad and I so sad.

People who have never had homemade enchiladas?? Where are they from?

MaryB said...

Okay, next time I will actually proofread before I hit publish comment!

Tracy said...

I knew if I just stuck to my guns and kept a hold of the Khaki color, I would prevail!! Actually, Sarah JP (hehe) really had a great idea, could they have a travel playgroup at my house sometime?? She could have a hay day in my house telling me everything I could do differently.

Katie said...

Oh Maryb....you MUST tell the happy hour stories! Even if you just leave them in my comments section! That would be safe! OR, just change enough names and details and maybe no one will know you are talking about them!

Luckily, ours are pretty tame. Just a few pathetic moms having an hour or two of talking time! :)

joanna said...

Those curtains look great. Much better than the red. I'm so glad you didn't listen to me!! Of course my windows are still either tacky or curtainless... And I love your new playgroup Friday night setup. Wish I had something like that going on around here.

Anonymous said...

I remember your mom being sick in Pine City when you where about Becca's age and after a few days forgeting about your Mom. The curtains look relly nice.But.....
the house looks way tooooo clean.

Erin said...

You hung curtains AND cleaned your storage closet AND made enchiladas?

$hit!

Also, good job.

Anonymous said...

Oh by the way -20 below zero in Pine City Sat & Sun.

Andrea and Ben said...

Sounds like you definitely had the clinginess coming from the stories posted here!
I love the curtains. I usually make the enchiladas on the back of the green sauce can. I am a cheater. Occassionally I get crazy and spur off, but when I need a fix they are tasty!!!

MaryB said...

Katie - ok, Im thinking of a way to post the stories. Im not so worried that anyone in the neighborhood would find them, but even though I didn't participate in the craziness, I dont want my mom reading that I even knew about it. Don't I sound like a momma's girl? Maybe Ill get an apartment in Constance's pink building. Ill leave you a comment on your most recent post when I get it set up. After all this build up you are going to be diappointed...maybe.

Joel and Angela said...

LOVE THEM!!! LOVE THEM!!!! Love the roman shades on one side and the panels on the big window! Are they a khaki or gold? They look so nice whatever color they are!!