Our Life for the Past Week

Well, it all started when I walked into the bathroom to get ready for work, and I stepped in a big squishy puddle of water in the middle of the floor. That might not have been so alarming if a) our bathroom wasn't almost entirely carpeted, and b) we had recently taken a shower within the last eight hours. But we hadn't. Later that night, here is what our bathroom looked like!

Dustin figured out that cracks in the grout were the source of the problem. (My husband is Superman.) He began the barrel-of-fun process of de-grouting and then re-grouting the entire shower. Woo hoo!

Here is the picture after Dustin said, "now take a picture of how I really feel."

...and at long last (and unlike all the King's horses and all the King's men), Dustin put everything back together again! (Sorry, the elementary teacher in me brings that out.)

Our tile is now WHITE and crack free!

On a totally unrelated note....If this isn't the definition of a puppy dog face, I don't know what is. I got a solid stare the entire time I ate a bowl of ice cream. Mama loves that little face!

Such Tweet Music...and Other Artsy Things

Ok, so this London art exhibit is right up my alley. I'm sure it's supposed to make some artistic statement,

but I just think it's plain fun. A nice thing to watch when your brain needs a break.

Yet another art exhibition ("Spiral Cloud") that I love. This was part of a visual art project, but it's really

amazing that it was also accompanied an actual piano concert.

There's something about seeing music performed that makes hearing it so much more powerful. How dark and beautiful is this?

Ahhh, the weekend! How I've longed for you. (Five days and counting until school is out!) I'm going to enjoy the lack of lesson planning -thank you very much school talent show- and get some yard work done. I hope you get some good ol' rest and relaxation and have a happy Friday!

Jonathan Adler - 10 Commandments of Decorating

I don't know how I came across these, but I love the quirkiness and great advice, all rolled into one. My favorite is #5...good rule to decorate by.

#1 Thou shalt embrace maximalism. Thou wilt find minimalism to be something of a bummer in thy abode. Thou wilt grow tired of an endless sea of beige and thou wilt long for a splash of color & a dollop of pattern! Bargello pillows, Furnace bottles, and rustic modern lamps - these shalt be the accessories that add some panache to your pad. #2 Thou shalt not deny thyself hotelish comfort at home. Thou shalt furnish thy rooms with paw-pampering, hand-loomed llama wool rugs, luxurious lighting and our fabulous furniture. Thy rooms shalt feel like the most opulent hotel rooms in which thou hast ever stayed. Thou art worth it. #3 Thou shalt buy an X-Bench. Then, thou shalt buy another. Thou shalt use them in pairs, perfect under thy console or placed near thy sofa. Thou shalt rest thy feet upon them & so will thy guests. In fact, thy guests might even fight over who gets to rest upon them. Therefore, thou shalt establish house rules about thy X-Benches. Perhaps thou should consider a sign up sheet. #4 If thy nest needeth zest, consider thy crest! Thou shalt emblazon with thine initials wherever possible. #5 Thou shalt mix fancy with frisky. Thou shalt not be overly formal, for if thou art, thou will be sad. Conversely, thou shalt not be overly whimsical, for if thou art thou will not feel chic. Therefore, thou shalt embrace a mix, pairing the chic classical foundation - excellent proportions, classic furniture - with a layer of playful punctuation. Then thou shalt rest. #6 Thou shalt honor the funsters of yore. David Hicks, Alexander Girard, Piero Fornasetti, Bonnie Cashin, Bjorn Wiinblad - if thou dost not knoweth them, thou should. Thou can use Google Images to learn more about them and thou shalt channel their fun, idiosyncratic, playful spirit in thine own interiors. Thy home will be fun, happy, and chic. #7 Thou shalt not commit murder, unless thou art murdering for a decorative accessory. If thou should find thyself at one of our stores and seeth the last bird bowl on our shelf, thou shalt feel free to use whatever means necessary to obtain that special something. #8 Thou shalt not be afraid of orange. Thou shalt use orange copiously in thy interior, whether it beeth in an orange breakfast room or via the zing of an orange lacquered box. Thou might even consider painting thy front door orange to pique thy neighbor's curiosity. Thou shalt also covet chocolate brown. #9 Thou shalt play ping pong. Better still, thou shalt have a ping pong table in thy living room. Then, lo, thou shalt play ping pong with thy spouse rather than sitting around watching thy tv. #10 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. In fact, after following these 10 commandments, thy neighbor might covet thy house. So there. From jonathanadler.com