Petunias

Petunias are a gauche flower.  Ask any cool garden designer, they'll tell you to stay a long ways away from petunias.  Gauche or not I like petunias, particularly the really dark purple ones.  I like the color and I am very fond of the way petunias smell. 

Every night when we're working on our house I can smell the petunias, it's a pretty nice accompaniment to a big job.  It's one thing that's different from the first time we painted our house.  The first time painting was just one thing on a long list of renovations, some big, some small.  We were in a hurry to get finished so we could move on to the next project, one of which was planting flower borders around the house.  

A lesson we've learned in the midst of painting the house again: moving scaffolding around a house with no flowers and minimal shrubs is way easier than one densely planted.  But.  It's a lot more pleasant to be on that scaffolding and looking down at flowers and smelling petunias than not.  It's also a lot easier on the stress level when painting the house is about all that's on the list of renovations.  I'm still going to redesign one or two flower beds, no rush, next year could be soon enough if need be. 

They say when you own a house you're never done.  Being this close to done is pretty nice.

Life twenty years into renovation is bliss.

Tricky Duck Tip:  Slow down and smell the petunias.

Posted by: Bliss on 7/26/2008 at 3:41 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Things I'm Loving Right Now

This was the subject of a blog I read the other day, I like it enough to use it today.  There's a good chance it will have nothing to do with organizing, but it's better than my contemplation of vacuming the paint chips off our porch roof.  Or maybe not.

Things I'm Loving Right Now:

The Hold Steady CD I'm listening to, "Stay Positive".  I really love it.  It arrived yesterday, a late addition to the Chief's birthday gifts.

The hot cup of Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger Green Tea I'm sipping.  Yum, and good for me!  Perfect for a less than hot summer day.

Planters Kettle Roasted Peanuts Classic Salt.  A tasty snack that is almost as good as the very special peanuts I order from Virginia at Christmas time.  And I can get them at Target any old time!

Beaded Earrings.  I'm having a blast making them and wearing them.

Asiatic Lilies.  Because they're blooming!

Life with things that I love is bliss.

Tricky Duck Tip:  Count your blessings once a day.

Posted by: Bliss on 7/19/2008 at 1:59 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink

A Vacum I Could Love

A vacum is pretty much like a bag, the perfect one doesn't seem to exist.  Maybe if I wasn't so opposed to spending a significant amount of money on one life would be simpler.  Anyway.  My current vacum is a Dirt Devil Featherlite Bagless.  It has some very good points:

• It is bagless, so I empty it every time I use it.  That wouldn't happen with bags.
• It has swivel casters which make it easy to get around furniture.
• Lots and lots of sucking power.
• It didn't cost enough to qualify as a major appliance.
• It has a hepa filter.

However, there are drawbacks:

• The cord comes out of the bottom of the motor, so I'm always stepping on it.
• The cord is too short making an extension cord necessary.  Extension cords are a pain because they're always getting stuck around the corners.
• The cord is not self retracting.
• Hepa filters are expensive.

It's not that I'm shopping for a new vac., I'm just curious if anyone has one they absolutely love.  It's on my mind because today is cleaning day, also known as vacum wrangling day. 

Life with a flawless vacum cleaner would be bliss.

Tricky Duck Tip:  Keep bathroom cleaning products to the absolute minimum and keep products in each bathroom, along with good cleaning cloths.

Posted by: Bliss on 7/12/2008 at 3:57 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Ohfercute!

It's the day after a holiday and for alot of us that means one thing, shopping the sales!  Today you should be able to find 4th of July decorations, etc. on sale at any of the major chains for major discounts.  You'll hear it over and over in the aisles, "Ohfercute!", often followed by "Ohfercheap!"  I'm just as drawn to this stuff as the next person, we've become a society that decorates for each and every holiday, and who doesn't want to play?

There's a problem, however.  It finally became clear to me when I was mulling over the giant wax jack o'lantern for 75% off at Target some time back.  I wanted the pumpkin, it was seriously cute.  Where could I safely keep a giant wax pumpkin?  The answer was actually easy, nowhere.  It's a question we could all ask a lot more often, especially when the really cute stuff goes on sale, really cheap.  Where will it go? 

When you find yourself loading your cart with stuff you didn't intend to ever buy, stop for a minute and ask, "Where will it go?"  If you don't have a good answer, put it back.  If you have the space and the money, buy. 

Lately I've been buying holiday wreaths.  I've got them stored in the guest room closet hanging from hooks on the wall and covered with plastic bags.  I haven't seen a 4th of July wreath, and since I don't really have room for one more, perhaps I'll pass...

Life with just enough is bliss.

Tricky Duck Tip:  Pack away holiday decorations in plastic tubs labeled with the holiday.

Posted by: Bliss on 7/05/2008 at 2:23 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Where Are My Shoes?

A question I didn't think I'd ever be asking myself again, where are my shoes?  By the back door?  By my bedroom chair?  Certainly theyr'e not in the closet.  Oh yeah, they're by my living room chair.  Aargh.  The house painting project is going just fine, the rest of life, well, it's a little more challenging.  I keep telling myself it's ok, it's temporary, I'll get through it.  I will be organized much better very soon!

This week I learned about roof vents.  The one we had installed with our red shingles 15 years ago broke and we were getting water where we shouldn't.  A roofer came over so he could tell us how much to replace it.  He told us our vent wasn't doing ****, we should take it out, have that hole patched, get three well placed flat vents and two revolving vents, aka whirley birds.  So we did.  The amazing thing is our house is MUCH cooler, especially the upstairs.  I'm talking 15 degrees cooler.  Who knew?  We are so happy!  Not all that organized but happy!

Life with a cooler bedroom is bliss.

Tricky Duck Tip:  Put your shoes away every night, even if you're bone tired from painting.

Posted by: Bliss on 6/29/2008 at 10:06 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink