Laundry, closets and Italiano

I spent most of the day doing laundry and then organizing our closets. There were plenty of clothes that ended up in a container in the basement (hello, Goodwill!) and then there were some new discoveries, as well ("when did I buy this?"). There is nothing like clean, organized, and uncluttered closets. I also organized hubby's side (bleh). You can't see it on this pic, but I divided his "everyday clothes" from the "lawyer clothes" and found out that he has over 15 pairs of slacks and an assortment of ties that would impress any well-dressed businessman. My hubby either dresses really well, or he dresses like a lumberjack (check out those plaid shirts).
I also had a nightmare last night that the date of my Italy trip crept up before I was ready. I spent the entire night frantically packing and looking for stuff I'd need (in my dream, of course). So to put my mind at ease, I studied some Italian and went over my itinerary the next morning. Ho intenzione di essere preparati!
I am still watching my calories and exercising. Yesterday I went to the gym and did some jogging for half an hour. It completely wiped me out. I've had a sour stomach all day, so I didn't do any more, but I am still very happy with the work I put in this weekend. I weighed myself in just to make sure my Monday weight < or = Friday weight, and lo and behold, I lost 2 whole pounds! I will do an official weigh-in next Friday.

How do you say "finally, the shelves are up" in French?

I got my package from Amazon today after work - it contained my latest big splurge: Rosetta Stone! I am so looking forward to learning French. I plan on visiting France in the spring 2011, so I might as well start with some basics.
Other good news... our house's walls are very, very thick. We've been wanting to put up shelves for two and a half years now, with no luck as the screws would not go into the wall. Well, today my hubby's friend G came, and the two of them were able to drill those holes together.
Here is one side of the room with the shelves. Later the other side was added. I will show you populated book shelves tomorrow (or whenever I get to moving the books from the boxes onto the shelves).
My home will finally look the way I envisioned it. Yay!

Good ol' boring Saturday

It's a Saturday like any other. We slept in, woke up and watched Saturday morning cartoons on PBS and then finally got dressed and got going around 1pm. Most of the day was spent cleaning and writing homework. My dear husband hung up the lid holder from Ikea on the kitchen cabinet. I hated fishing for the right lid, so this is going to be really useful. Then he got encouraged and hung up my strainer, as well.
I love my hubby. And I am pretty sure he likes me, too. He does these little nice things that make my life easier. Ahhhh, love...

The loot from the trip

I didn't spend too much money on the shopping trip. But I am excited about the things I did get:
1) Fun, bright pillow covers from Ikea
2) Cheap frames and wall art from Ikea. Now I just got to figure out where to hang them.
3) A super-cute, super-bright compost bin for my kitchen (the trash bag peeking out is biodegradable - made from corn).
4) A recycling bin that has an opening flap. It is replacing my ugly open green bin. 5) Cute, folksy bedding for our bedroom.
6) A $3 scarf from American Eagle (thank you, mom!)7) Presents for my hubby - a fish theme. Swedish fish from Ikea that he likes, and lures from Cabellas. Awesome loot. Arrrrg!

Getting a grip

I've been eyeing the OXO Good Grips containers for a while now, so I finally caved in and bought some.

I tend to have a bug problem in my kitchen, and considering how much yummy stuff I have in my pantry (quinoa, bulgur, brown rice, orzo, lentils, polenta, flaxseed, wheat germ), it's no wonder. These containers are see-through and they seal-close. It's actually fun to press on the round button to seal the box.

It also makes my pantry look more organized and pretty.

What a busy weekend

Okay, so much happened since my last post, so I am going to be as concise as I can be.

Friday:
Took a day off to help parents with the garage sale. It was a gorgeous day and we made some money.
Afterwards, I felt inspired to organize and get rid of junk in our own home. Husband and I spent the evening organizing and cleaning out the storage in our basement. Most of the earned money went into buying plastic tubs.
Saturday:
Continued working at the garage sale. Here is a shot I made while driving to my parents house on Saturday morning. Pretty!In the evening, we went to visit our good friends A and G, and their baby B. They are expecting their second daughter in a couple of weeks. Baby B is so adorable!
Here is my husband holding her. It so suits him. :)
Here he is, grilling with G and Baby B.
Baby B is so independent, yet affectionate. She was a blast.
And here she is with her mommy. Baby #2 is on the way any day now.
Sunday:
My cousin and my sister came over. I made lunch. My cousin showed me photos of his latest international trip. I was jealous. We chilled out and watched the U.S. Open. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. We were all pretty tired.
I also received a really cool bag and a sweet card from my cousins in Canada for my birthday.
In the late afternoon, we went to grandparents-in-law's house. We played with the nephew and the niece.
I also received some sweet gifts from hubby's grandparents, uncle, and sister.
A decorative jar from my sister-in-law, $40 and a card from grandparents, and a Handi-Vac set and the Monty Python's Flying Circus calendar from uncle P.
Neat stuff! That was totally nice and unexpected.

P.S. I also wanted to once again wish my dad the happiest Father's Day. You are the best!

Presents from my parents

My parents are so sweet! They went to a number of garage sales last Friday and got some goodies for me. So thoughtful!

One of the things they found was this compartmentalized cubby for my knitting and crocheting paraphernalia. Before this, all of the content you see here was in a plastic bag, which made it so difficult for me to find things. This cubby is so practical and will make my hobby less frustrating.
My dad also saw some knitting needles and thought of me! These are some of the larger sized ones that I was actually missing in my collection.
Oh, and my dad knows how much I love to drink loose leaf tea, so he had to get this for me. It's so pretty and totally me. And now I actually have four matching cups to use for when I have company for tea.
But by far the most eccentric find is this cutting board from the 1950s.
What made it really special is the origin of the manufactured product:Thank you mom and dad! Your gifts are very much appreciated and cherished!

I wish I had Carla Bruni's milk-honey-butter voice

Last Sunday I opened our hallway storage closet and decided I would no longer tolerate the pile of shoes on the floor. It resembled a landfill. I could never find a matching pair. So being a perfectionist on either extreme (either perfectly messy, or perfectly organized), I decided to do a 180 and give each shoe its own "bed". I found a great shoe storage unit at Target on sale. Here is the After photo:

This required that I donate some of the shoes I don't plan to wear (ever). I also put the flip-flops and other flimsy shoes undeserving of their own rightful place on the shelf into a plastic bin on the top. My vacuum cleaners and mops fit in the corners, as well. Sweet. I kept opening the closet doors and admiring the view.

I also replaced an old, decapitating set of blinds from my kitchen window with a fresh, clean version. And I got some cute place mats by Orla Kiely (from this collection) and chair cushions for my dining room table. Then I made a dinner consisting of fruits and veggies I had on hand and my favorite wine ever, Caba Moch by our own Summerset winery.

There is my dinner, and there are them place mats. And here is my puppy, dressed for the occasion.