Nursery Time

I can't really do much about the nursery while I'm here.  You think I'm itching to?  Yeah.  So, I've been gathering inspiration.  Maybe too much.  My head's about to blow off and explode with bunting, painted letters, stripes, gliders and poufs.

I definitely have a more modern taste...no themes or anything too sweet.  I've decided that I like either soft and neutral or a white base with lots of bright color...and I think white with bright has won out.

I came across this and my belly bounced.  Probably because it's on trend with the neon, but it's fun and different and pleases my soul.

{via}

Some of these sort of have the Scandinavian look...maybe Europe has influenced me.  Probably just decor blogs, though.

{via}

 {via}

not nurseries, but still white and bright.

This one's more neutral and soothing and I really like it too.  Simple and pretty. Maybe I'll want more of a space that calms my nerves...and Alexander's.

{via}

and this...but maybe more for a girl

 {via}

 So, what to do when you need to avoid going through stuff, getting rid of things and packing for an international move?  Why, make a digi-nursery, of course!

ok, so maybe I've done two versions.
(Sundays are slow around here.)

These are way harder than they look.  Not sure I achieved the same look as my inspiration photos, but I want it to feel cozy too and not too bright and sterile.  Will I actually do the nursery just like this?  Probably not.  Will I have tons to spend?  No.  But, I still want to get into it and do something special...this is my first baby, now.  I just need to be in Pittsburgh with Target, Ikea, etsy, Urban Outfitters and the actual room.  I've got two months once we get there. 

Wish me luck!

Freaky then Hilarious

Last night after an episode of CSI: Miami, (Art and I watch that when we have nothing else because the cheesiness is hilarious, we love Horatio's terri lines and let's admit it...we just kinda love it) I somehow stumbled across this photographer's blog and saw these animated photos.  Art was peering over my shoulder looking too...

"oh, kinda freaky"

 

something about this is very unsettling

 

again with the freaky hair

the eyeballs are just kinda funny.

 

and then we cracked up at the never-ending wobbly champagne.

Her caption on this was "Anna sees everything."

As we were scrolling through her blog (she's a great photographer, so she has tons of pretty photos), we found ourselves stopping and staring at EVERY photo, waiting for something to happen.  About 15% of the photos are animated, so we felt kinda loserish for spending our time stopping, staring, waiting and then moving on.

You can imagine our disappointment when we realized this was just a static regular on her about page.

So much potential for just a little jingle. 

I can't believe I'm posting this peek into my our juvenile ways. 

You too can share in the fun here.

Refinishing Furni Really Rips You Up

Well, I asked for a photo of my sister's biceps yesterday... and... I got it. She's being photographed by the 'razzi all over town now that she has that lime waxed console table.

I kid. It's really this lady. And really quite gross.

Ventilator Valentín vs. Close-it-up Coco

Yes, we've discovered a major area of disagreement in this marriage...one that marriage prep couldn't have prepared us for. One that at first caused a little feistiness between me and my lovey and now has turned into a game of sorts. It's serious.

Art likes to leave things OPEN. for all time. Take our washing machine for example. The doors and the tray for detergent remain open at all times. He likes to let the water air out for fear of mildew stench. This frustrates me. I like it all closed up and looking nice. Having it open is so canty to my eyes. It's right on the left when you walk into the bathroom and those doors just flappin' open are not ok. I will walk by and close it quietly so Art doesn't hear and be so proud of my sneakiness only to walk back by a couple minutes later and see it is back open! {close it again}

Then I go into the kitchen to make myself a nice little snacky-poo and the oven and dishwasher are wide open too! This actually is a problem as I run into the sharp corners. I usually give Art a little {nice, sweet} shout out like "are you serious?"

And many a time I come home to a house breezin' it up to the max. EVERY single window is open. This is nice at first and gets a lot of fresh air into the apt., but after about 5 minutes, we are harboring our own insect farm. I close the windows and do you think they stay closed? Nope...Venty Valentín always strikes again.

The other night I was lying my head on the arm of the sofa and I saw a big green bug out of the corner of my eye literally almost in my eye..then I heard it {yes, heard the Annie Herman...boy-yoy-yoing noise} as it jumped across the room onto the wall. It was a big a$# green grasshopper. And, I can't tell you how many times I've been in the bath {which has a big window next to it that you can tilt open..you know VV loves that} and see a spider come crawling in or a big ole moth come flapping into my bath water. I yell at Art, "there's a brown recluse in here!". {did you ever get that e-mail about the effects of a brown recluse spider bite? please go look at this guy's hand and you will have arachnophobia like me if you don't already.}

So, not to air our dirty laundry {pun totally intendy} to you peeps, but now it's just part of life at our place. I walk into the bathroom in the morning to get ready and shut the washing machine doors {just part of the daily rountine}. I'm sure Art opens it back up when he gets up and goes in there, but I am gone to German class and it can stay open until my return. It's all about compromise right?

And I think to myself...what a wonderful world.

This just confirms my lunacy {my dad did nickname me Loon at a very young age...along with older sister Moon, younger sister Spoon and youngest sista Peach...he ran out and didn't want to use Goon, I guess.} Anyways, I miss that damn dog Ty. I hope to get my own doggie sometime in the next year. For now, we'll have to just conjure up images of loveliness like this.

The Desperate Housewives of Graz

On Friday night, Art and I went out to meet up with my new little group of girlfriends (and their boyfriends and husbands).

From left to right: Mari, Justine and Monika.

Mari is from Estonia (just west of Russia and south of Finland). She is here with her boyfriend, who is from Austria and getting his PhD in Electrical Engineering.

Justine has American parents, was born in Spain, lived in Florida when she was younger, but has lived in Madrid most of her life. She is here with her boyfriend who is from Graz, getting his PhD in Physics.

Monika is here with her husband, an engineer at Chrysler. They are moving back to Detroit at the end of July. :(

So, NONE of us have jobs, and have all seemed to follow the science oriented men in our lives to Graz. Mari said she feels like a desperate housewife here...we could all relate. It makes me feel a little better to know that it's not just me that's having a hard time finding employment here. In fact, it's really hard for Mari and Monika because Austria doesn't recognize the newer eastern EU countries yet and they won't let them work until at least 2010! Maybe we could start our own show....

Crest der Familie

Happy Birthday Mimi!

Happy Birthday Mom...wish we could be there to celebrate.

(preferably with some Mexican food :) )

Today is a holiday here...May Day or Labour Day.