minor adjustments

soooo ... i haven't totally given up on blogging. almost, but not totally. though you may have given up on me by this point. if so ... well ... bygones. for the past two months, all you've gotten from me are stories about snowflake the elf and ... uh ... maybe just snowflake.

sorry about that.

but other things have been going on. around the house. pretty-type things. and i know you guys like that. like everything else around here, things are only half done at this point, so you don't get the full story yet. but i can tease you.

here i go ... teasing:

i'm terrible, aren't i?

from the sneaky little pix you can probably deduce that: 1) the pillows of amazingness are here and are, actually, amazing; 2) we found lamps for the desk/tables; 3) we figured out the window covering situation in the dining/great room (what you don't see is that we also figured out the kitchen window conundrum, but it's currently being made. i can't tease you with a pic of that.); 4) the cabinet of awesomeness is also here and is mostly awesome (mostly. when it arrived, one door wouldn't open. then marc forced it to work. but now three drawers are tight. they need a date with some sandpaper.); 5) basement curtains and book storage have been procured and built; 6) a "headboard" solution for the basement guest room has also been created; and 7) the laundry room is growing ever more functional.

and that's all i have for you. once i get my booty in gear and make everything look a little prettier, i'll show you official pix taken from the official camera. we also need to have every single curtain hemmed ... we're talking 10 panels, so that will be a bit of a delay. but i'll get back to you.

i promise.

don't leave me. or do. i'm not the boss of you.

a new year. (minus 14 days)

new year's came ... and went. i was sick ... a week later, i was better. i finally de-christmased ... then it took marc a week to bring in the bins from the garage so i could put it all away. we had snow ... then it rained all day on friday and melted everything ... then the temps plummeted and it all froze. you want to talk about a blank slate? this is it. we're starting from absolute zero. everything is in "rev up" mode right now.

2013 is two weeks old and it still feels like we're trying to get traction.

my birthday arrived last week, bringing with it turning 39 and trying to figure out how to avoid hitting 40 in 365 days.

however, i made the best of it. folded some laundry ... got my car washed ... took myself out for birthday lunch at noodles & co after a visit to barnes & noble. all good.

marc had made "surprise reservations" for dinner. all i knew was that we were headed downtown. the options were limitless, so i didn't even try to guess where we'd go. turns out, we went to a steakhouse. full of men in suits. it was yummy, though i've decided this year i will "surprise" marc with dinner somewhere that makes amazing quinoa salad and grilled fish.

however, i also got the complete series box set of "the west wing," and that is pretty fabulous.

and, as i do every year, i finally sat down to think through my intentions for the coming year. no resolutions ... that seems like too much pressure. but i always need a plan with some guidelines once mid-january hits and the holidays are safely put away.

so this year i will ...

1. get my butt back to the gym. once this cough goes away.

2. do one project around the house, start-to-finish, every month. in the pipeline: finally hang pictures on the walls; get the pantry organized; get our bathroom organized; finally put together and make useable the crafty room; plant something in at least one of the beds around the house; start a raised garden.

3. get the photography biz fully up and running, including new promo materials and a new web site. and rediscover the joy of taking photos just to take photos.

4. be a more present mom. take the time with my kids that they need, and try to keep a little elbow room in our days and weeks so that there's no reason to say no.

5. and take them somewhere for spring break. we haven't had a "spring break" in six years. it's time.

here's to hoping.