Spring has sprung early in my garden

This afternoon I noticed the cherry blossoms were tricked in to coming out early by this recent bout of sunshine.  Funny how they appear out of nowhere.  My garden is choked with a thick blanket of weeds – though they are lovely, lush and green at the moment.  I find it frustrating that every year I pull them all out, fertilize and try so plant something new; and every year I hope that something will finally take hold, grow thick, and choke out future weeds. 

Ever-hearty is a miniature yellow rose that was given to me 2 months after I moved in to this house – almost 5 years ago.  It was one of those little Easter flower things they sell at Safeway and was on death’s doorstep within a few days of my receiving it.  Cavalierly, I planted its almost dead carcass in a little spot in the garden.  I felt bad for (almost) killing it so quickly so I attempted to absolve my guilt by letting nature decide if it lived or died.  Despite often going months without water and usually being dwarfed by surrounding weeds, it survives.  If suffering my neglect it will bravely bear one small flower.  If I give it any love it busts out loads of blooms.

Today there are two little buds, about to open up and show their beautiful buttery yellow selves…  Awwww… such perseverance!

I hope I get some time this week to start some work in the garden.  Hopefully I will finally coax it towards its potential this year.  For such a little space it presents some serious challenges!

1. There is no direct sunlight.
2. Indirect sunlight is between 4-6 hours.
3. The soil is incredibly sandy.  I have amended it a number of times, but I really need to take some out in order to make room in the beds for better soil.  In order to do that I have to move dirt through my house as there is no access to the yard from the street.
4. Sandy soil = high surface tension = difficult to get water in to the soil to the plants.
5. I’m not a real fan of what would do well – succulents.

Any how… enough of my list-bitching.  I guess I’m happy to see some signs of life back there yet still felt the need for a small scale rant. 

I’ll try to post some Before pics this week.  That certainly worked wonders for getting my house in order!

Mom!

Does this look kind of familiar???  Damn, I wish I had room!

Remember that Project To-Do List?

Yeah, I kind of forgot about it too!

I just made a BIG step in crossing off the very first thing I put on that damn list:  the leaking shower!  (It’s actually item number 3, but that’s because I was trying to hide it behind other things everyone has to do.)  It has been leaking since June 2007. 

Wait wait wait… before you lose your chops about how much water I have wasted with a leaking faucet over the course of 2.5 years (oh my… I just got queasy for a second) I have been turning the water off behind the faucet with a screwdriver this whole time!  Let’s say it – all together now… GHETTO!  Yes, I know… it’s only the best of the best in the Girly Fabu-palace.  D’oh!  Any way… that little bastard’s number is UP!

It’s really the little joys in life, isn’t it?  Like being able to step in to the shower, turn a handle, and have water come flowing forth… clean, clear, cleansing water…. *drool*

If you loved me you’d buy me this: Minx ring edition

Want!

The Noisy Plume rules – if you didn’t know that already!

Dear Santa

All I want for Christmas is this…

You can fit a New York City apartment in your bag, can’t you? Actually, while you’re throwing things in that magic sack, can you also slip in a cute dancing boy who goes to church?  And a personal trainer?  And a miracle laundry solution for my small space? 

No problem, right?  You’re Santa!

I have been a very good girl unfortunately this year!

xoxo Emily

Dog-gone depression

I make no secret about my ambivalence toward my cat.  Our personalities are like oil and water, yet I’ve had her for close to 15 years so I’m stuck with her and I have a responsibility  to care for her (like The Child).

ANYWAY what I really wish I had was a dog.  I love dogs.  Countless times over the last 6 years I would have been a much happier person if I had that “unconditional, I looooove you so much it makes me a wagging, wiggling, puddle of devotion” thing that only dogs bring to the table. 

I guess what I am trying to say is that… I miss Maggie and Reggie!  (Most especially Reggie – I looooove him)

Maggie (black) & Reggie (red)

and YES!! I miss you guys, too, Mom & Clyde!  But I can talk to you on the phone and IM you on Yahoo!  The dogs not so much

Sex on a swivel

My taste seems to be veering back to Mid-Century Modern… check out this out on Lush Pad.  This chair is sexier that I could ever hope to be…

Room and Board j’adore

Just what I need – another online store front against whose glass I will smash my virtual face and slobber.

Wanderlust, I has it

My recent frustrations with life in the avenues has sparked my wanderlust in to a raging firestorm. 

Hotels.com sent me an email this morning, asking me to write a review for their Millionth Review Contest.  (Yes, I’m fully aware that they also asked everyone registered with them to do the same.)  The prize?  A trip to Bora Bora. 

Are you kidding me?  I would give my left eyeball for a week in one of those huts, filled with sun, sea and debauchery.  *sigh*  I need to work on finding myself a boy to travel with.  One that will be an adventurer – and not just a vacationer (grrrr UK trip grrr)

BUT… come September ‘09 Suzanne and I will be packing our bags and heading someplace incredibly super fabulous:  RIO DE JANEIRO!

Oooh weee – I’ve got about 9,678,285,335 lunges to do before that trip!

If my group at work has made their accruals and our bonuses are going to weather this financial storm, I am going to take Haley on a trip this summer.  The final destination is still to be determined, but Paris is the strong front runner (though I may try to talk her in to some place abroad that may be cheaper – Portugal?)

BIG TRIPS are fabulous without a doubt, but I’m also a huge fan of long weekends.  I find them to be more restorative than the epic adventures:  high impact fun, low impact sleep deprivation :-p

First off… ARIZONA!  Thanksgiving Tofurky with Mom and Clyde *hugs*, quad riding in the desert (Dathan is coming to play, too!), maybe some fishing, lots of playing with the dogs, and hopefully some swimming.

And… I am SO happy to say that I reconnected with a friend from my early days of college - someone who was always a fantastic friend and tons of fun (like a barrel of monkeys – adventure-sport loving monkeys!).  He just so happens to live near Moab.  I haven’t seen much of the red rocked version of desert and I am *dying* to!  It’d be an extra slathering of icing on the cake that I’ll have a kick-ass blast from the past for a tour guide!

So – I figured out how to get paid to ride horses, now I need to figure out how to get paid to travel!

Even I am laughing at this ridiculous undertaking

A week from tomorrow night I am jumping in a car and driving (10-13 hours) straight to my Mommy’s house for Thanksgiving.  In preparation for an all night drive after a whole day at work I decided that I am giving up all stimulants entirely (caffeine and sugar – how dare you!) Hopefully my system will be re-sensitized to all Keep-Me-Wakey assistance.

HA!  That sounds like a good plan any way!

You have to understand – I LOVE coffee.  Monday-Friday I probably average 6 or 7 cups a day.  I rarely drink it on the weekends though.  I’m not too lazy to make it; I’m too lazy to clean out the French Press when I’m done.  Life sucks without a garbage disposal but I am looking for a nice compost bucket for the counter top, but I digress (as I usually do).

I also have a malignant sweet tooth.  The moment I decide I am not going to have any sweets I feel the compulsion to knock over a liquor store and grab all the sugary goodness I can load in to my arms.  Actually, the moment I decide to deny myself anything I soon find myself in an orgy of gluttonous consumption that leads to an agonizing shame spiral and, of course, MORE self indulgence.

*sigh*

So, my bright idea du jour is to cut out two things that I love most in life.  Wait – I wonder if I tried that with The Child, too, if that would work?!?

If you loved me you’d buy me this: anything from Kelly Clark Studios edition

The breathtakingly beautiful and immensely talented Kelly has finally opened her gallery site, KellyClarkStudios.com. 

And my prized triptych is featured on her “Works on Paper” section.

WANT! Whaaaaaa!

Those turned legs and graceful arms are so girlie, but that zebra print is just…. *swoon*  And it looks damn comfortable as well!

Note to self:  Quit looking at Overstock sales when you don’t actually need anything!

Don Draper: the new love of my life

Mad Men is the coolest show on TV.  Love Mid-Century Modern?  Obsessed with the early 60’s?  Well I am both and this show is un-freaking-believable. 

Of course, this season’s finale was last week.  Please please please put on a marathon AMC!

I dream of dining rooms

Someday…. someday I will once again have a dining room.  Or dining area.  Or a dining nook.  Someday.  But really what I want is a real live formal dining room:  a room that serves no other purpose than the enjoyment of meals, preferably with family and friends.

And by the way, how have I never seen these chairs in Ikea??  They are CLEAR! 

Damn it!  Should I get one of these?  Or hold out for a Ghost chair??

If you loved me you’d buy me this: freakin’ awesome cookware edition

Are you kidding me?  $319.99 for LeCrueset?  If you’ve never cooked with real pots and pans you probably don’t get this screaming deal.

GAH! 

Maybe pretty flowers will make me happy

Since my back yard doesn’t get much sunlight I try to keep my eyes out for things that may actually survive back there.  Here are a couple things I saw when I just took an anger walk a few minutes ago…

I am never eating again

I must own this dress.  I wish it wasn’t made from the skin of an unethically killed moo-cow.  Poor, poor moo-cow.  At least its abused ass is looking mighty fierce now.

What I wish I were on my bookshelf

Sick kids and computer crashes

I spent yesterday cautiously watching Haley’s percolating tummy.  About 5a she pulled a Linda Blair and coated the bathroom with her previous day’s food.  (Yum – is it lunchtime yet?)  I kept her home from school, but had issues with my pc.  My computer decided to freak the *F* out and I’m still in the process of rebuilding post-rebuild.

Well, that’s reality.  What I am telling myself about how I spent my day yesterday is that I lazed around in my silk robe (you know, the one with marabou feather trim) and slippers, in this painfully glamorous room.

*sigh*

Just what I need (like a hole in the head)

Dammit…  why is jewelry looking so pretty to me right now?  I am the girl who generally goes totally unaccessorized!  Maybe it’s the beautiful corner of my room that is devoted just to getting beautiful?

GAH! 

That’s all I have to say on the matter.