new bike for mama

Believe me, Miles is much cuter riding it than I am.

ikea inspiration

Chachi graciously allowed me a few hours at Ikea by myself. It was like a vacation.

These tables would be fun with a coat of bold spray paint - just the metal rims, for a pop of color.


I have ambitious plans for a dresser makeover for Miles, and these knobs would be fun, though I'd prefer a matte finish.


I'm not sure I have the DIY skills to pull this off, but this bowl would make a really cool pendant lampshade.


Again, a coat of spray paint in a bold color would make these pendants really pop.


I liked these little glass bowls so much I got a set in green. They match our kitchen tiles perfectly!


I think this tea pot is super-cute


and paired with a set of these glass mugs, it would make a great hostess or housewarming gift.


If Chachi ever lets me hang anything on the living room walls, these square frames would be a nice option.


These doormats are nice the way they are, or add a border or monogram with spray paint and a stencil.


I wondered around and let the creative juices flow for over 3 hours, but I spent less than $100. Ok, well, just over $100 - I couldn't resist the $1.50 hot dog/ice cream cone combo at the end.

new year's resolution #1

Blog more frequently.

Thanks for your patience, we'll have something new soon!

mahna mahna

Do doo do do do. Mahna mahna. Do doo do do do.

I can't wait.

joni: 0, herbs: too many to count

I give up. The herbs win. I just cannot keep them alive.

toasty!

We tried to enjoy the recent spell of warm weather, but lordy!

chez lindenstruth

Just a little plug for this fabulous bed-and-breakfast I know in Towson. Check out the breakfast we enjoyed al fresco one morning:



Yum! Thanks Mom and Dad!!

life's messy, clean it up

Ok, so that's Bissel's old tagline, and we bought a Dyson, but still. I'm thrilled to have a new vacuum. I was starting to worry the dust bunnies would start attacking.

Before:

After:

glamorous project #2

A mere two days after the new furnace was installed, we had the water heater replaced.

Fun times.

glamorous project #1

On Monday, the old asbestos-wrapped ducts were removed:

and on Tuesday, the original behemoth of a furnace (which conked out in, oh, April), was replaced with a shiny new model:

Stay tuned for more sexy home improvements!

bling bling

Chachi wasn't ever very happy with my jewelry storage solution:

So I found a jewelry cabinet on Overstock and we installed it last weekend. Problem solved, and - bonus - now we have a full-length mirror in the room too.

congrats to maggie & jessie!

We had a wonderful time at your wedding and hope you are having a fabulous honeymoon. Best wishes to the happy couple!

beardless papa

"Oh, geez. I had a mishap."

--Chachi, while shaving last night

Oh geez, indeed. He buzzed off part of his goatee by accident:

And decided shaving off the entire thing was the solution:

Oh geez.

Special thanks to Alyza for the clever title for this post.

a different kind of remodeling

We interrupt this program with an important message.

Inspired by dramatic changes on the home front, Joni decides she needs some remodeling of her own.

From this unruly mop:

To this stylish 'do:

We now return to your regulary scheduled programming.