Before & After: Patio Remodel

So my little patio has been an embarrassing eyesore for...a long time. "Remodeling" it was our second weekend project. Here's the before:


















And here's the almost after, since we're not quite done. We have some hanging baskets to put up, and we're also going to look for a cute little loveseat or bench to go underneath the metal art piece.

Before & After: Kitchen Sink

Aside from a lovely break Saturday night to attend a dinner party hosted by the incomparable Kelly Shaw, we spent our Memorial Day weekend working on home improvement projects. The first task was replacing the kitchen sink, faucet, and garbage disposal.



Here's the before--an old, stained, scratched, and slightly chipped porcelain sink:

Here's the during--Matt spent a lot of time uncomfortably stuffed under the sink while I developed a fascination with plumber's putty.

And here's the beautiful after--our shiny new stainless steel sink (2" deeper than the old one, so we can finally fill water pitchers!) and faucet.

While We Were Out...

...the stork paid a visit. It appears that 2 of our 5 eggs have hatched.

Baby birds are kind of gross.

Thank God for PBS

From today's LA Times:

PBS to Showcase Jane Austen

Lee Margulies

May 22, 2007

PBS announced with pride Monday that it has a prejudice for Jane Austen. The noncommercial network said that, beginning in January, it would turn over "Masterpiece Theatre" to a four-month marathon of works by the famed British author: Repeats of 1997's "Emma," with Kate Beckinsale, and 1996's "Pride and Prejudice," with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, and new productions of "Northanger Abbey," "Persuasion," "Mansfield Park" and "Sense and Sensibility." Capping what will be presented as "The Complete Jane Austen" is "Miss Austen Regrets," a drama about the life of the 19th century writer, based on her letters and diaries.All four of the new Austen adaptations are by Andrew Davies, who did the earlier two screenplays too." Presenting Austen's novels consecutively is a brilliant idea because they reinforce each other — and they're not too long," Davies said in a statement released by PBS. " Airing all of Dickens would take five years!"

NestWatch 2007

Rat on Blogging

Skygrazer

While in Sterling, Colorado, recently for the funeral services of Matt's beloved grandmother, Tutu, we walked to the local park and discovered this fantastic statue. I'm not quite sure what it means, but I love the wording of the placard.

What Were They Thinking?

This dress from J. Crew is truly horrifying. I swear to you, my mom had a brown and white Hawaiian-print dress like this back when I was about 6 and it was terrible then, too. It just goes to show that the fashion industry doesn't give a single thought to how women's bodies are shaped and what real people want to wear. Tell me, even if you were a size 0 and 6 feet tall, what would be an appropriate occasion for wearing this dress? Seriously, I think sometimes that so-called designers and fashion-knowers are just using us to play some sick, mean-spirited game to entertain themselves.

So-Called Designer: "I know a good one! How about I copy the pattern from this Hilo Hattie muumuu I bought at the Honolulu factory while on vaca back in 1972?"

So-Called Fashion-Knower: "Hahaha, that'll be a good one! Ooh, I'll put it in my magazine and advertise it as the fave new silhouette for this year's Oscar gowns."

SCD: "Brilliant! Fab! How about I also make it in a color that will give people a really deathly pallor. Say a muted mustard yellow or -- wait, wait-- orange peel?"

SCFK: "You're a god! Wouldn't it be a laugh riot if someone with actual boobs wore it out, too--like Jennifer Hudson. Or Patricia Arquette. Can you imagine it? A giant orange lamp shade on Manolo Blahniks."

SCD: "It'll be even better if I make it floor-length with a heavy ruffle at the bottom, so that even Heidi Klum would look 4-feet tall in it...."

SCFK: "You're evil. I love it."

Me Likey

I love the look of this beige/nude nail polish by Deborah Lippman! Maybe the best part is it's name: You Can Leave Your Hat On. Naughty!

Call Me Tippi Hedren

The birds were busy today, as you can see. Yesterday I destroyed the measely little mound of twigs and grass they had stashed in my front door wreath, but apparently they were diligent little worker bees today because now they have a legitimate nest here. So much so that I feel like they've kind of earned the real estate and can't bring myself to kick them out.

I managed to get a picture of one of them through the kitchen window that faces out to the front porch. It was taken through the glass, hence the poor quality. But as it turns out, I was destined to get an even better photo opportunity.

When I opened the front door a bit later, I got more than just the little evening breeze I'd been hoping for: One poor bird with a mouthful of grass came flying right into the living room. He dropped his grass clippings onto the coffee table and then proceeded to fly head first into the glass of the closed french doors--over and over again until I stopped being freaked out and took pity on the poor thing. He finally rested on the floor and waited patiently while I opened the door and let him out.

Crafty

I'd read somewhere months ago that Michael's craft stores were going to start carrying a line of Martha Stewart products. I'm not an arts-and-craftsy kind of person, but this news excited even me. Now you can browse and shop for these new products online. Here are some of my favorites. (I love this wrapping paper and ribbon so much that I ought to marry it.)