thanks guys!

i just wanted to say thanks to everyone for making my birthday a wonderful one last week. my dear husband, who made sure i did what i wanted to on my bday (even if that meant he had to go to the thrift store with me); my wonderful friends, who i am so very lucky to have, and my family, who always makes me feel special. i don't know what i would do without you guys!

you rock print by wonting

tgif.

this week has been a crazy one. by the end of the day, we should have a new roof over our heads! we selected a different color than what was on it previously and though i really love the contrast, it is definitely going to take some getting used to. now that i know what the color combo looks like, i am really leaning towards a navy blue for the front door. i also have drawn some ideas for the new structure and can't wait to actually get it built. we need to check with the city, though, and see if we need to get a building permit or anything before we begin...

we are also less a few stumps in the front yard and i am going to finish planting those boxwood this weekend (hopefully)! i also purchased a few mums, some aster and a few white assylum that were on sale...

i must say, i am really glad it is friday. even though this week has flown by, i am certainly glad for a little downtime. oh, and you know what else? we bought beer and wine at United last night!!! lubbock is finally wet!

house numbers.

okay... so immediately after i posted this on tuesday, i found this! a little write-up of house numbers on remodelista. some of these are pretty pricey... but i'm thinking of just cutting some numbers out of wood and painting them. now goes the process of selecting a typeface and color... above are probably my favorite ones that i've found (that i think would work with the style of our home, that is). these are by Weston... the ones i like are around $50 a piece, depending on the size and depth you order.

i promise my blog won't turn into me rambling about home decor (well, not all the time, at least) but this is what i've had my mind on lately...

exteriors.

i get so distracted trying to decorate the inside of my home that i often forget about something that is perhaps much more important: the exterior. the exterior of your home sets the mood for those arriving and is another way to express your personal style. your home's curb appeal will also help you fetch a better price and get more buyers interested if/when you sell your home. above is what the front of our home currently looks like. cute, huh? the roofers are lovingly referring to it as the 'church house' because of the really steep roof.

(sans fisheye lens) we have been neglecting our front entrance and it's time for a change. i didn't really think about it too much until we got a check to replace our roof (because of a nasty hail storm earlier this year) and started looking at colors for our shingles. i knew i didn't want to keep the same color, but choosing something that will match the brick but add some contrast is rather difficult! we finally made that decision and so that should be happening very soon. hopefully next week soon.

we are also going to be updating the structure that covers the front porch, and i'd like to add some house numbers so that first-time visitors can find the place easier. this new structure will also house some climbing roses and have a matching roof...

on top of all that, i have been dreaming about painting our rather plain white front door something a little more exciting... i tried (without success) to get doug to let me paint it with the leftover purple paint from the bathroom. right now i'm thinking maybe a dark olive green or even a navy color (i know, my house will be preppy!) because i think those colors will look amazing with all the daffodils that will be in bloom come next spring. we are waiting, however, to see what the new roof does for the house.

so... changes to the front are:

new roof in mission brown

need to repaint windowsills (white)

rebuild structure in front of door

include some sort of house number at top of structure

plant boxwood on side and in front of house

also plant silver artemisia and daffodils

paint front door

plant climbing roses next february

i've found a few inspiration images that are not exactly things that i would (or could, with that matter) do with our home, but it's nice to see some unconventional color combos put into action... on a side note, i've found that yellow has really been drawing my eye lately....

via decorpad

via honeyinteriors on design*sponge

also decorpad

via marthastewart

i'm actually posting some book pics :)

i used to be really good about posting books as i finished them... not so much anymore! anyway, here are a few books that were finished recently...

really love that blue and orange combo...

hope you all had a nice weekend! the rain was good, and i got some things done around the house. i hope next weekend to be planting...

catching up.

i've been a bad blogger, and i'm sorry. life has just.... taken over, you know? to catch up on things:

i'm still making my books, i'm just not very good at posting pics of them when they have been finished. i have enjoyed making them this past few years, but i'm feeling that maybe that's coming to a close. i have so many other things that i would like to focus on, and i feel that just making them for close friends and family for special occasions would help me allocate my time a little better and explore my many other interests.

our yard is slowly coming along. i have devised a scheme to get rid of a few stumps in the front yard in preparation of planting many, many japanese boxwood. lets hope it works, it's kind of redneck... i have ordered 100 daffodils and eagerly await their arrival. they will go in the front yard. i am also having a hard time selecting a climbing rose for our front entry (sigh). grass is still growing in the backyard, but i have given up on my zucchini and squash. better luck next year!

the bathroom project is also making steady progress. i have a few spots that need touching up, but the interior part of the bath is very, very purple. and i love it. and i can't wait to hang stuff up in there. now we shall proceed with phase II... redoing the countertop, painting the cabinets, replacing hardware, hanging wallpaper... all that fun stuff. i hope to be done before halloween? please beware that if you come stay with us, you may be commissioned to sand or paint something...

doug is still currently looking for some work pertaining to industrial engineering. if you hear of anything, please let me know :)

also, i am eagerly awaiting some time out of town. i didn't really expect to get to go anywhere this year, but we are entertaining the idea of renting a little cabin in ruidoso and spending some time outside of texas. i have fond memories of my trip there last october, and we both agree that it is well worth the money to just relax for a few days.

i guess that's all. i still having other projects in the works... i hope you all had a nice labor day weekend!