Mmmm... tulips!  I trekked to Woodburn, OR yesterday and went to the Tulip Festival.  I've never gone on the weekend... I basically stay away from town, events, stores, on the weekends because there are just so many people.  Its not that I don't like people - I just don't like them enmass. 

Only 4 miles from the freeway to the fields... I was giddy.

4 miles.

TWO HOURS of driving later we traveled all 4 of those miles. 

That is how bad the traffic and crowds were. 

It was like Disneyland during the Exodus or something.  We could have walked faster.  And sadly, there were people that walked, w/ small children, faster than we drove.  Our average speed - 3.5.  It was a park.ing.  lot.

Remind me to go on the weekend again.  NOT!

That being said, the day were lovely, the friendship was divine, and the flowers... well, I will let them speak for themselves.  Enjoy.~G

12 weeks have come and gone, but we are done.  The house is ready (as ready as we are going to get it) and the potential buyer has an appt to walk-thru tomorrow at 4PM.  Eeek!
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Today, I am doing nothing. And I mean nothing.  I showered, ate, surfed the net, and took a nap.  Nothing.

During my 'nothing' I found an appealing pair of Crocs - the very first I have ever seen.  Yes, I have seen Crocs, but they are just butt-ugly.  (I apologize to all of you, who at the moment are perched in front of your screens w/ plastic covering your feet.)  I have never liked them... til I saw these sweet little Santa Cruz numbers... and now, I am being tempted to join the masses.

But I have a few questions first.

Do Crocs support at all?  I have been told they are like walking on air, like you have nothing on... but do they support you?  Do you feel horrible after a day of wearing them?

Do they last?  Or are they like any brand of flip-flop that mashes into oblivion in the first month?

Please educate me... they are calling my name! 

More, more, more - it needs to be done, but today I am listening to my body. 

I'm taking the day off. 

I'm putting my feet up. 

I'm reading the rest of my book. 

Nothing is getting done on the house...

I need some rest and rejuvenation. 

That's just the way it is.

Things are looking up. 

There is hope on the horizon. 

There is light at the end of the tunnel.   

One room is nearly finished!  Oh yeah baby!

I am so glad that we are finally coming to the end of this one room.  (I still have the horrific task of cleaning out the inside of the frig/freezer, but I am not even going to think of that today).

Today I have hardwood floors to clean and maybe some leaves to rake out of the front beds.

For now, I have a cup of tea in hand and I am resting my sore fingertips.~G

One of these things is not like the other... one of these things just isn't the same... can you guess which one just doesn't belong here... Ahhhh, do you remember that song from Sesame Street?  It running through my head this morning.  Let me explain -

When I started my painting process, mmmm...well over year ago now, right???  Its really been only 2 months ago...(ugh, it sure feels longer) I innocently went to the store and bought Swiss Almond like I had in the past.  Went home, slathered the walls w/ it.  Stood back and went "hmmmmm....something doesn't look right here." 

I kept telling myself it was 'just me' and that my eyes were going bad, the lighting had changed...something was different, I just couldn't put my finger on it.

Until today. 

God bless Google.  I don't know what I would do w/o it.  And I don't have a clue why I didn't search this out 2 months ago.

The color IS different.  My eyes aren't going bad and I am not losing my mind.

The first color is what I expected when I brought the 5 gallon bucket home.  It is my generic 'white' - all over.. as trim in the living room & bathroom, as wall color in the dining room, etc, etc, etc.  The color rocks (my world) as the best 'white'/beige/cream out there.  The pink, red hued impostor does not.

My man is exchanging paint as I type... I'm suppose to be clearing the living room because my friend Jessie's rockin' husband is going to come texture my world tomorrow.  CJ, I can't say thank you enough!~G

My friend Heather rocks at Roca!  There really is no other way to put it.

She is a master of making flavors that send your taste buds wild.

Heather is having a GIVEAWAY on HER BLOG for a pound of her home made, out of this world, roca.  Go now, RUN -  don't even finish reading this post... go enter! 

Then come back... and thank me for keepin' you in the know. ~G

My computer hates me. 

It might stay on for 3 days, 3 hours, 3 minutes, 30 seconds.  Its a crap shoot. 

Wifi card is dead.  Dvd burner drawer will barely close (if I wiggle and jiggle and stick my tongue out of the side of my mouth just right it works).  Blue screen of death shuts me down every 30 min or less, depending on its mood.  I don't have a battery (it gave up so long ago, way to young for it to die).  My cord will only give me power when it feels like it.  And just this week its decided to shut down when I touch it. *sigh* I thought we were friends.

Today I have painted cupboards, drawers, moldings, doors, desks, lamps, and artsie wall hangings. 

I realized 3 hours ago that Spring Break is in a week, not 2 like I thought... and I want to have the house ready for the teacher to look at during Spring Break. 

I need God's speed (and endurance.)~G

I  live amidst boxes and renovations on the house.  Long ago my drive to do the work got up and went and I didn't get the memo that it was happening.

As I type, the boy is sanding the ceiling and the girl is scraping a wall paper border off the dining room walls (something I told myself I would have done over 2 weeks ago).  I'm such a 'to do' list girl, that without one I've been spinning my wheels and getting, literally, nothing accomplished.

This week I have to suck it up and work, work, work with or without a list.  We have a recently divorced teacher that is highly interested in an older, large, fixer upper and wants to tour our house soon!  I have hope that we might not even have to put this baby up on the market and dread of the work that looms ahead.

Maybe everyone goes through a melancholy while moving out of their very first home...or quite possibly it was the sight of a shirt that I came across while sorting out a closet that I had to come to grips with... memories of my oldest wearing it.  Do I toss it, do I save it? I couldn't firm up an answer, so I let the tears flow and packed it in a box to move and I will deal with it there.  The best decision?  I don't know.  I just don't feel like I can deal w/ one more thing right now.  We haven't gone through all of his things yet, even now, over 2 years later.  *sigh*

I am happy to say that we have completed

* pulling up and relaying 2 rooms of flooring
* painting the living room (which is a huge room)
* painting the kitchen
* painting the kitchen cupboards  (nearly complete - that is a part of this weeks 'to do' list)
* the living room ceiling is near completion (sheet rock was put into place, taped, mudded, sanded... now for the texture and paint)

...and yes, dear friends, the microwave now hangs over the oven in all it's counter-saving glory (it was on sale, a bonus 10% off on top of the sale price sale, and we had 2 gift cards... bringing the grand total out of pocket to $68!).

This weekend we are laying carpet in the family room.  Off I go to pack something and get the family room gutted for all its installed carpet glory that my man will get done this weekend.~G

PS: Sorry for writing a book today, but it was therapeutic.

Click here to download the coupon.

And now I have Dire Straights running through my head... have a great weekend!~G

Sadly she breathed her last yesterday.  She was 12 years old & had been failing for some time.

Counter top or range top?  Which would sell a house better?~G