chain me to my desk

Spring fever is in full bloom! I kid you not, you're going to have to chain me to my desk today -- it's going up to 23C (ahem, that's about 72F) and it's going to be bright and sunny! The trees are all blooming and the birds are singing. Yes, it's spring. My absolute favourite season because you can actually be outside and enjoy the sunshine. Not like in July, when we all hide in the shade because the sun is so strong that the slightest exposure will make you melt. I love spring because all the flowers and plants start to (re)appear -- I love to marvel at my garden and see things start to bloom. Maja is also showing some fascination with the daffodils blooming on our street -- and likes to touch the flowers, gently. And, to make things even more positive for the weekend, Richard and I are going OUT tonight because we've got a babysitter. yipee! And we're going out tomorrow evening as well. And we hope to go to the zoo with Maja tomorrow. Did I mention how much I love spring?

mambo #5

1 DD sesame bagel with egg & cheese, 1 coffee, and 1 lg. oj later... I'm ready to face the day. --------- Being a parent is great! Take for example, the fact that Maja now needs some hard-soled shoes. That means that I get to go shoe shopping!!!! Yahoo! All the joy and none of the guilt because the shoes aren't for me. Bliss. And kids' shoes are so much more fun than big-people shoes. I'd be happy in blue shoes like this! I think, that Puma has fun big-people shoes, and so does Skechers. I'll take those in a 7.5, please. Spring is in the air! ------------- Oh, but I'm too practical! These are probably a better choice... gender neutral.

see, I told ya'll I'm glam

What kind of yarn are you? You are Cashmere.You are sophisticated and luxe. You can often be found in high-end boutiques and hobnobbing with the upper crust. You are one of the beautiful people and you don't let anyone forget it! Take this quiz!

glamour

I need some glamour. Being a cataloguing librarian just doesn't lend oneself to a glamourous lifestyle... in essence, I think my job is a hazard to my health. I sit all day and watch films of gorgeous movie stars and I AIN'T GETTIN' NO GLAMOUR. Maybe I'm in the wrong profession? Wearing makeup, a dress, and stilettos just doesn't jive with my cubicle-life. sigh. So, what to do? I think the first solution is one that many women turn to: change the hairdo. So, votes on what to do with my hair? I'm thinking something streaky, something red... -------------- And, dammit, it's spring -- at least according to the calendar. Never mind that there were snowflakes coming down on Monday morning. I'm going to slowly start switching out my winter clothes as I wash them... no more turtlenecks! No glamour, there. No more bulky wool sweaters. No more hiding under layers. I'll be like a red-haired phoenix rising from the ashes...

should I be afraid?

There are some small containers of cottage cheese in my fridge which have a best before date of February 19. I brought one to work today... and opened it. I sniffed it. Smells fine. I put a little dab on my tongue... that seems fine. I put a whole spoonful in my mouth... again, fine. Now, should I be afraid of cottage cheese that is supposedly well past it's best before date, but tastes, looks, and smells just fine???? Time will tell...

sitting on my duff

Yes, indeedy. I haven't held a paintbrush or wielded a cleaning product in almost 72 hours. And I'm NOT going through withdrawal. Instead, I'm sitting on my duff (yes, mom) and knitting. I've completed 1/2 of the bottom lace edging for Maja's birthday sweater; I've started the Trellis Scarf from Interweave Knits; and I've got a plan for my handpainted merino. Yipee! The trellis scarf:

ohhh, a contest

See the post titled "pssst, anybody wanna buy a house"

pics of Emerson

I had a request for more pictures of Emerson! And of course, here are some of Emerson & Maja: It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and we just hung out on the second floor and played in the sun patch!

amaryllis oh sweet phyllis

Here are pictures of the amaryllis plant!!!

katia has a new hate

Yes. I have a new hate. And yes, it does involve paint. More specifically, painting spindles. Victorian spindles from 1898 -- aka Queen Anne Victorian. On stairways. Fear and loathing reigns on Buckingham Place. Here's an excerpt of a description from About.com: "Of all the Victorian house styles, Queen Anne is the most elaborate and the most eccentric. The style is often called romantic and feminine, yet it is the product of a most unromantic era -- the machine age. Queen Anne became an architectural fashion in the 1880s and 1890s, when the industrial revolution was building up steam. North America was caught up in the excitement of new technologies. Factory-made, precut architectural parts were shuttled across the country on a rapidly expanding train network. Exuberant builders combined these pieces to create innovative, and sometimes excessive, homes."

update on paint

We finished the bathroom last night! Woohoo. And I finished 99% of the hallway. Richard made me stop at midnight and he's agreed to finish the spindles tonight. The third floor painting is all done and most of the boxes are in our nicely organized basement. There is a light at the end of the tunnel! So, the remainder of the week will be spent tidying and cleaning in preparation for Sunday's open house. I can't wait until this is all over. ---------------- And, in response to Mrs. H's comments on the Feb. 27 entry regarding the English grammer of Prof. Elyn (ahem, her daughter) and yours truely, here is a primer on it's/its. Clear as mud? It's unrelated to her comment, but is the biggest grammatical issue I have. Please note, that Mrs. H is an English teacher! She only taught me English for a short time during high school, so she is not primarily responsible for my poor grammer. Her daughter, however, is another story. heh. But, I love you all. ---------------- p.s. Beware the Ides of March.

Your Linguistic Profile:

45% General American English

20% Dixie

20% Yankee

10% Upper Midwestern

5% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak? And this is what I do when I have free time????

psst, anybody wanna buy a house?

Whoever finds the Emerson butt in these pictures wins a prize. But, you have to put your answer in the comments section!!! I think I'm actually glad it's Monday and that I'm at work. Otherwise I'd be at home ... painting. I think my hands are still cramping from doing trim work. At anyrate, we FINISHED with second floor t.v. room and bedroom. And, the first floor living room and dining room. It's a novel concept to have drapes on the bedroom windows and to be able to walk on the floor without a) getting a splinter, or b) being skeeved out by the rug. We still have to: finish the bathroom; finish painting trim in the hallway; tidy the third floor; paint a few spots on one wall on the third floor. And clean clean clean. We've been culling furniture, and by Wednesday we'll have given away a bookshelf, 2 tables & 4 chairs & 2 kitchen storage units. We've also found a home for my old Ikea sofa and the Ikea Ivar shelving that we have on the third floor -- those will disappear sometime after mid-May, when we get ready to actually move. I. am. so. tired.

my child, the unhappy unicorn

When I went to pick Miss Maja up from daycare this afternoon she was sprouting a new hairdo... judging from the picture I took this evening, I would say she's not to happy about it. I'm so mean for taking that photo. Here's a happier one. No, she hasn't got any teeth, it's just a reflection off her shiny tongue. She may be walking, but she has NOT gotten any teeth yet.

in which maja models the bday sweater for James

I finished the sweater for James about a month ago... and then I didn't have the right buttons. And then when I got the buttons I couldn't find my needle. Eventually it was done, and then I packed it up and carried it around in my bag for a week. Anyway, it has been sent and hopefully it fits James! Here are some photos of Maja modelling the sweater. It's waaaay to big for her, but that's ok. It's a Debbie Bliss pattern, and has seed stitch edging. It's navy blue, and I made it with Rowan's Cashsoft DK, a blend of merino, microfibre, and cashmere. Wouldn't want to meet this tough-gal in an alley at night.