I'm A Mac

I just ordered a MacBook Air.

I feel so .... cool.

Poor.

But cool.

New Dinette Chairs

Here's Lola Bean - isn't she pretty? - showing off the new dinette chairs.

They're not finished yet because they have to have new seat cushions, but you get the gist.

They are midcentury modern and were made in Sweden. I picked them up at the Sleepy Poet Antique Mall where I find most of the cool stuff in the house. I committed blasphemy by spray painting them black but after a lot of thought I decided "They're my chairs. I can spray paint them if I want to." I'm on the hunt for something cool to upholster the seats with. Then they are off to Darren at The Upholstery Shop in beautiful, scenic Lincolnton, North Carolina.

We're sending a special smoochie out to Julie and The Chris for their invaluable help in hauling them home!

Random Pretty Boy Post

Nobody rocks the baby sling quite like Gavin Rossdale.

If this man were my husband, believe me, I'd be makin' babies, too.

Constantly....

Massage Envy

I joined Massage Envy about three weeks ago and I cannot speak more highly of it, at least the one I frequent here in Charlotte.

I have been really bothered by hip and lower back pain for the past few years. It's not really enough to call it "pain" but definitely discomfort and lately it has been getting worse. I have some stretches that I do, but they have been less and less effective.

Enter Massage Envy.

I really hesitated to do this for myself because I felt it to be a little too self indulgent, but after a particularly uncomfortable week and a lot of stress at work I decided to give it a shot.

It is really nice. I thought it would be like the waiting room at Jiffy Lube, but I was really wrong. The location closest to my home is nicer than the day spa I usually go to for massages and I couldn't do any better on the prices if I went to the YMCA.

If you haven't tried it, you really should. My hips are 100% better and I never would have believed it. The only real drawback, if you could call it that, is that you have to commit to one year of membership. However, for the price of a dinner out, I can treat myself to one massage a month, so I really can't complain.

The Stairwell

I know that y'all have just been dying to see the stairwell!

You remember what it looked like before: Builder's Beige and Home Depot Bargain Basement Builder's Grade Banisters (say that five times fast)


And here it is now:

I had the stairwell painted the same color as the rest of my downstairs - Tuscan Beige by Behr.

And I painted the banisters white.
At first I couldn't decide what to do with the banisters, because I hated them with a red hot passion.
I got a quote on having them all ripped out and replaced - but in the end, I didn't think replacing them would be a good investment.
Then I got a quote on having them professionally painted - $300.00.
Now I am willing to throw money at problems, but when it comes to something that I can paint myself - well - I just couldn't do it.
So for the price of a quart of paint and some blood, sweat and tears, I got a much cleaner look - or at least one I can live with. I also happen to think that it works more cohesively with the rest of the moldings in my place.

I must warn you that it was a miserable job and I hated every minute of it. It took three days and three coats - including one coat of oil based primer - but it looks clean and bright and I'm kind of a little proud of it. And the professional painter told me that I did a good job (when he was here to paint the kitchen) and that made it all the better.

Kitchen Art

So, I've become something of an Etsy addict lately.

Affordable and totally cool art. Delivered to your home! What's not to love?

I got the two GORGEOUS photos above from Jennifer Squires' Etsy shop. She's great to work with and her work is uniformly fabulous. I really admire the ability to take a simple subject and make it look sophisticated and special without making it seem ordinary.

Jennifer has the knack, y'all.

I actually ordered a third piece and am anxiously awaiting its arrival.

Go! Shop! Buy!!!

New Couch Pillows

After two years of looking, I have finally found the perfect couch pillows - or at least perfect for now. They are, strangely enough, purple.

The little ones for the green chairs kicked off the whole thing. They are kind of perfect. And they were on sale.

I really love this one:

I found them at Isabella in Myers Park.

I'm having a couple of more made in lavender silk. I'll post updates when they come back from the seamstress.

Elliott Puckette

I've been a big fan or Elliott Puckette for a few years now, ever since I read the article in the May 2003 issue of Vogue.

I never thought I'd be able to own her work.

Happily, she offered a limited edition print through Conde Nast and I was thrilled to be able to buy it. It's happily hanging in my bedroom now.

Yay!

Here it is in the room -

Back From....

Hey, we're back. Although we haven't really been anywhere.

Work has been crazy.

And my Mom has a brain tumor. Although not really a brain tumor, more of a head tumor.

Yeah, I'll bet you didn't see that coming any more than I did.

It's really strange because I didn't ever expect to get a call like that.

And I also thought that if doctors ever found something like that, they would know what it was and how to treat it...immediately. Well, no dice on that. They found the "mass" and then we waited for 10 days until she could get in to see the specialist at Bowman Gray. Then another week to have the biopsy and then another week to find out what we are dealing with.

The good news is that it's benign - which is - well I can't describe the relief.

The bad news is that it's wrapped around her carotid artery, pressing on her optic nerve and causing rather nasty symptoms, including dizziness, nausea and balance problems. She thought she had an inner ear infection. It's serious, but treatable.

The weird news is that they think she was probably born with it. Odd to think that you'd have a tumor in your head for your whole life without knowing it.

Anyway, the surgury is scheduled for December 2. I'll keep you posted.

Off This Week

I am taking a week off from work.

Before y'all get too excited, I'm spending the week taking care of all the household stuff that still needs to be done, a year and a half into home ownership.

Isn't that exciting? Painting! Closet Cleaning! Trips to Goodwill!

I know that I have been speaking about the stairway makeover for a while but believe it or not, on Sunday I honest to goodness got started on it. Yes, friends, as we speak my ugly banisters are covered in primer and anxiously awaiting their final coat of paint. I'm going to finish them this afternoon.

Tomorrow, the kitchen and laundry room are being painted and I'll be sure to post pictures. I'm not entirely sure that you will be able to tell the difference between the flat "builder's beige" that currently graces both rooms and the "French Canvas" from Benjamin Moore that had been selected after much consternation. However, I will be able to tell and really, that's all that matters.