Coming soon to a living room near me

I have had a plan for a while (ok, for about a month, since we moved in) to paint the fireplace brick dark gray and the mantle a different color (i.e., something other than white). I either haven't had the time or the nerve (the time, I think...I've got plenty of nerve when it comes to my house), but it has not happened yet. Then today, lo and behold, I find this photo on design sponge:

ME LIKEY! I am determined to accomplish something very similar before Santa makes his way into my fireplace. Perhaps the orange will be toned down a *bit* from this photo...maybe the color of my kitchen or something similar (or maybe, just maybe, dark pink)...whatever I choose, it will be bold and will assure that the fireplace is an awesome focal point in my living room. Stay tuned.

Thankful

Things I am thankful for this year:

{two girls in matching dresses who are so excited and active that they can't pose for a decent photo together}

{josh & lisa joining us for thanksgiving for the first time in many years}

{phoebe learning to clap her little hands...}

{...and taking her first steps, just in time to show off to everyone}

{a working fireplace...}

{...and a completed dining room}

{chocolate!}

{cute tooshies and shoes}

{phoebe's tongue}

{stephanie nielsen...for her remarkable recovery and for her inspiration in my life. if you follow her story, you know what i mean and why i chose this photo. and, last but not least, for my very own mr. darcy.}

From the archives: Vintage Lucy

I have been fairly behind on blog posting...we are *still* unpacking and sorting out at our new house, which includes figuring out our computers, camera cables, etc. Sounds like it shouldn't be a big deal, but it has been. Blogging takes a bit of effort, as those who do it know -- getting the photos onto the computer, sorting through them, uploading them (hoping that Blogger doesn't crash while you do), writing. Try doing all this with a baby attached to your pant leg. Anyway I am trying to do better about posting...hang in there. In the meantime, I am at work today and have dug into my pictures folder so that I could post something. Vintage Lucy...that's what I got for ya on this rainy Tuesday.

Playing in the yard

Ok, I admit it, I DO like the suburbs after all :)

Glamour girl

I have been getting lots of comments from people lately when we are out-and-about regarding how pretty Lucy's hair is. It is getting long and it has such a nice color and curl. On Saturday morning, she actually let me blow dry it for the first time (rather than scream and run away at the notion). It came out looking like Veronica Lake...very old Hollywood glamour.

[thanks for the inspiration, veronica.]

When the cat was away...

[does my butt look big, or is it just my cloth diaper?]

...the mouse played!

Thanks to Nonni & Nonno for having Lucy for a funnnn-filled weekend on Cape Cod! She had a marvelous time (she's still talking about it, of course) and Phoebe loved having Mommy & Daddy to herself for a little while.

House peek

We've been in our new house for a few weeks now and we're still sorting through what feels like millions of boxes. In between, we are trying to get the house interior painted and I constantly have my hands into all sorts of little projects. I should probably focus on the bigger projects, but they are hard to accomplish with the kids constantly underfoot. So I've been doing a lot of things that require only a few minutes here or there (because, let's face it, that's all the time I have to myself!). I plan to blog a lot more about my house someday, but in the meantime here is a peek at how our kitchen is shaping up. We're thrilled with it so far...so bright and happy!

We painted the cabinets bright white and the walls orange-yellow (Benjamin Moore Semolina). We're crazy about the color -- even Jeff, who was very tentative about it at first. We still need some drawer pulls and I am leaning toward chrome cup pulls. I will probably just use them on the drawers and go with no hardware on the doors, or perhaps white milk glass nobs on the doors.

My wall of open cabinets. These were closed with doors when we bought the house but I had vision! I am filling them with things that I find pleasant to have around, like a footed jadeite hobnail cupcake plate, hobnail dessert cups, and a vintage milk glass rolling pin. All from Ebay! I also plan to buy some basic white dishware because I love the white-on-white look.

Another view of the open cabinets. You can see my cupcake stand well in this one. I got the two yellow teacups at Anthropologie and the white one, made of English bone china, on the side of the road after a yard sale in a box labeled "free." Now that's a bargain! The pithcers in the middle were purchased at a tiny store in the tiny village where we stayed in Italy. One says "Aqua" and the other says "Vino."

The window over my sink. To the left you can see the edge of a canister container I got at a yard sale for $2. It was dark knotty wood and I spray painted it bright yellow and added milk glass egg-shaped nobs from Anthropologie. I am still working on getting the tops to stay on correctly, but I am determined to make it work. The two jars are former spaghetti sauce jars that I have re-purposed as "memory jars" for the kids. I decorated the one on the left for Lucy, complete with a bight yellow L, and will do Phoebe's soon. The point of the jars is to put little notes in when the kids do or say cute things. It will be fun to hand them a bunch of full jars someday!

I found a dalmation and a flower on my back steps...

We hope you all had a Happy Halloween!!!

Tagged again

Sarah tagged me...I've been tagged before, but that was for different questions. So here are my responses to the new tag:

10 Years Ago, in October 1998, I:
1. Had just started law school & was studying my butt off all the time
2. Had just met my friend/roommate/maid of honor/child's Godmother Laura (Laura...10 years! Do I get a gift??)
3. Heard Laura telling me about her little sister Sarah, who was starting to date a kid from their hometown named Andy
4. Was dating a resident and fairly miserable about the whole thing

Five things on today's "To Do" List (there were waaaaaay more than 5):
1. Finish priming the little table in my kitchen that I rescued from the side of the road and am giving a new life to
2. Laundry
3. Cook dinner for my parents
4. Nurse the baby, nurse the baby, nurse the baby
5. Clean up the nuclear bomb of clothing all over my bedroom that I still had not sorted out after the move

Five things that I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Pay someone else to finish all the stuff that my house needs
2. Go back to Italy with my family for a few months
3. Go to a warm beach with my husband and stay in our own hut :)
4. Get weekly pedicures and monthly facials
5. Have more children

Five places I have lived:
1. Cape Cod
2. London
3. Manhattan
4. Boston
5. Sudbury (home sweet home!)

Five jobs I have had:
1. Sales clerk at my dad's jewelry store in high school
2. A/V squad in college...the greatest job ev-er
3. Lyme disease researcher
4. Lawyer who makes money but hates her job
5. Lawyer who doesn't make money but loves her job

Ok, I tag...Courtney, Melissa, Joannah, and Kate. I know you all are reading!