Perfectionism

I am a perfectionist. It runs in the family. I see it in my brother. I realize that we both see things the same way. We even perceive color the same way. It's cool.

David playfully taunts my perfectionism. We have a massive willow tree that grows quickly and sheds all over the yard. Last summer, he was trimming the trees in the yard and I was sitting on the porch reading. He trimmed the weeping branches and purposefully left one branch uncut! He laughed and taunted, and it drove me friggin' NUTS! Later in the year, he did it again. He doesn't tell me; I just notice it. It's the way I am. I am a perfectionist. I feel more normal with my brother around because he's a perfectionist too.

Friends and family for the holidays

David and I went to Chicago and Wisconsin to visit friends and family for the holidays. We got to see baby Camille and she is just beautiful (as is her mom!). Here's a picture:



Visiting Mom and my older brother was also loads of fun. I even squeezed in a couple of short runs. Of course, I ate too much. Why do we always do that?

Jeff is still here finishing up a couple more rooms. What a nice treat to come home to a freshly painted house! He'll likely stay for another day or two, at least till the passes clear a bit from the new snow. He's out with a girl tonight...so maybe he'll stick around even longer...

In my next life I wanna be a dog

Steely steels the corner of the drop cloth for a midday nap.

Steely on his back again, Ice on guard, and Farkus's black head is ready to pounce on Steely.

It is ALWAYS playtime at our house, especially when the furniture is cleared out.

Farkus chills on his bed.









Steely suns at the top of the staircase.













My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog thinks I am.

So, two rooms and the hallways are done. The living room and fire place were both white. Now, they are "Bagel" with some special touches. These pictures are a little difficult to compare and we still have some furniture to move back in, but this is pretty much it.

Here are the before and after photos:
















The dining room is now officially the "red room." It's a striking difference. The walls are actually a little richer than they appear in the photo, which doesn't really catch the ambience. The back wall is striped in different finishes. I like it best at night with the glass lighting. Very sexy. Still needs some finishing touches, but for all practical purposes, it's done too.

Here are the before and after photos:















Jeff and David rock!

Still more to do!

Thanks for the input! We went with the color on the left. The room is now done, the furniture is back in it, and the carpet is steam cleaned. I just need some silk drapery for a final touch (and something on that back wall). It's a drastic change and I love it!

I took some pictures but my new camera is acting up and creating spots on the picture. It's not a lens problem because the spots are in different locations each picture. It seems to be a lighting problem (with the camera) but I really don't know.

But to give you an idea about the amount of work that went into this...check this out:



I will putz around with the camera tomorrow but for now I am tired after a full day's work followed by dinner at Spencer's with my husband and brother. The guys wanted meat and they got it!

Tomorrow we will eat dinner in our new dining room!

Which color?

I think I like the color on the left for our dining room. Bold and beautiful!

...and he cooks too!

It's been so nice to spend time with my brother, Jeff. He and David have nearly completed redoing our living room and, in fact, they have already started on the dining room while some paint is drying. He is an absolute pleasure to have around.

It hasn't all been work though. I couldn't decide which of my men to bring to my work holiday party (the first time I've gone to one of these in many years!), so I brought them both. It was tons of fun - as far as work parties go. Yesterday, Jeff made manicotti for us, which is an old recipe of my mom's. Mmm! It was delicious!



When I showed him this picture, he said it looked like he broke into the house to steal some fresh mozzarella....Yes, he did shower and he does clean up nicely.

Today, he went to a bar to watch the Packers game. I'm glad the Pack won. Maybe all these nice things wil entice him to move out this way....