quote that speaks to me

re-fresh

being a gemini. i thrive on change. obviously why moving as a child worked well for me. and i continue to get the itch to this day. but if i cant get up and move. i usually try to refresh something. or add or remove things from my home. probably also handed down from my gemini mother who rearranges the living room every month or so. sometimes the entire house. watch out.

my latest thorn has been my coffee table. i really want a new one. but just havent found the one i want. (mainly the price i want to pay). and i think i will eventually change my living room all together. so in the mean time. i decided to refresh the old one. also since the top of it looks really shiny and nasty. from a bad paint job when my dad and i originally tried to refresh the furniture i bought for my first apartment. lets just say we got an ear full from mother. for one, he bought the shiny coat. wrong. and two, we painted in the sun and the paint dried faster than we could brush. so it was a gooey, ooey mess. but since i am not a perfectionist. i lived with it for now 5+ years.

now its time to unveil my new project! i covered the coffee table with foam and fabric. i can use it as an ottoman. and as lauren pointed out - extra seating. for all those guests in my tiny apartment. :) and add my tray back. and its still a functional coffee table.

so i started off by going to joann's fabric. they had everything i needed. and coupons! so i picked up some foam. batting. buttons - to make fabric buttons. and roamed the fabric section for a long time before i settled on the one below. i got home and was ready to get started. i didnt measure my table prior to going. not smart, but i ended up ok. i dont measure for projects. and i just nail things into the wall. i dont have the patience to measure. i think it goes back to the perfectionist and lack of. my foam was a little short. so i used the scraps to fill in the gaps. i cut the corner of my fabric to the pattern on the button box. and then made my buttons. sewed those onto the fabric and batting. last step was to staple the fabric and batting onto the table. and viola! and i threw in a picture of zola. she didnt help. but she is just so cute. and happens to be sitting on my parents ottoman coffee table that she thinks is her bed. well she doesnt think. she knows.

trash day or something

monday. as if it didnt already bring a bad vibe. i get home from work to find a post it on my door. from judy. the landlord. who i used to think was a sweet. kind. older woman. almost like a grandmother. the lady who vacations in the winter in hawaii. but still had a handy man out to the apartment the day after we had spent the night with no heat. in the middle of february. the darling lady who moves and doesnt tell you and calls in an uproar - your rent is late. or the person who requires you to report if you have a visitor for more than 3 days. because that will affect the water bill. and you will be charged for it. or the sweet. kind. lady who lectures you on hair in your drain. and gives advice to place a towel over your sink when getting ready in the morning. (umm judster, you saw i had long hair that i cant control when i signed the lease). but nevermind all those things. yes the kind sweet lady left me a post it on my door. to let me know there was a letter waiting for me under my door. this precious gem:

let me now translate. i spent a good 15 minutes. trying to figure out what this chicken scratch says. please also note i will bold those words she thought needed bolding. but i dont have underline in my blog widget, so those will be italic.

Jamie
Your back porch has been brought to my attn by my husband. He said it smelled bad on your side. New floor was put down 2 years ago $5,000. Anything spilled on floor is to be cleaned by you. Only 1 reg small trash can & a recycable can is to be on your side. Lease says tenant is to sweep & keep it clean. Wednesday everything is to be off. A man will be coming to shower it down. Thanks Judy

Since i will not call Judy. or bring this up if i see her. i am replying on here. i think it is retarded. the day i found this note. i didnt even have a trash bag on 'my side'. therefor i dont know what her husband is refering to. besides he is so old, he probably cant smell anyway. (sorry that was mean - but true!) secondly the dumbest thing i have ever heard is we are not allowed to have anything but one small trash can and recycable can (its recycle bin - juds). i have had enough of her and her antics. if its not one thing. its another. she is an unhappy. bored lady. who needs to find a new hobby other than tormenting people who help pay her bills. my lease is up in a few months. and i wish her the best of luck filling that apartment. in the 2+ years i have lived there. this past month was probably the first time that all apartments were occupied. and there are only four.

i moved all my trash and recyle bin inside today. because trash day isnt until friday. friday! and she asks us to remove everything on wednesday. she is a moron. and i will brush this off. her professionalism is awful. and it wouldnt bother me, if she didnt have such outrageous requests and demands on her tenants. when i moved there, i looked for a place that was independently owned. i thought it would be better than a corporate rental complex. which they have their down side too. no place is perfect. i realize that. but seriously. judy is a nutbag. dont get me started on the fights my neighbor has had with her. i now know why people move out - of what i thought was a hidden secret.

it still hurts

my ego. and my hand. over the weekend. one of my dogsitting pups jumped up to play. and scratched my hand. i didnt think much of it. until i looked down and there was blood. not gushing. not drive myself to the emergency room. but enough to make me a little queasy. if only bill compton was around to help me heal. (sorry had to throw in a little vampire humor). actually make that eric. oh eric. the cut still hurts. i had to clap at work a lot today. dont ask. and it hurt to clap. it hurts!

now onto my ego. well i am afraid my friends. brace yourself. the hand modeling career might be over. mother said it best last night when she pointed out that i should have gotten them insured. (sadly she wasnt serious - sounds like a good set up for a lifetime movie). i still have my hair modeling going for me. as long as the dogs dont cut it off in the middle of the night. or put gum in it. to end on a happy note. my manicure from ellen's wedding has lasted 11 days. and that includes two weekends. impressive! and someone mistook them for tammy taylor pink and whites. ok. maybe not. but a coworker asked if they were real or fake. i said yes real, do you want to use them in your next campaign.

its fall. and i love the cool. crisp weather. i admit i love summer. and have complained a lot on here about the seasons. but there is something about fall. that makes me fall in love. aaahhh. i have been on bridesmaid duty. stacy was married in virginia. so i got a little vacation out of it too. she was a beautiful bride. with every detailed covered through out the weekend and especially at the reception. including honey (yum!), childrens activity books and doggy treats. it was a special weekend. with lots of activities around the water. so we had to use the ongoing joke of singing the theme song of dawsons creek. and making references to dawson and joey on their boats. ellen also got married this month. and can i say it again. another beautiful bride. i just think there is something to be said about a young woman. when all the pieces come together. the hair. make-up. jewels. and the dress. oh the dress. the light in their eyes. and smile on their face. is priceless. i felt the same way when i saw lauren and lil joj. (have i talked about little ones' wedding on here...) ellen had a splendid gathering as well. filled with candles, plaid and a live band. it was great weekend and party.

so my lil joj got married too this summer. i was the maid of honor. (although i feel most readers know this already). it was a fun weekend. and i loved being moh. i got to drive a 16 passenger van. smoke chocolate cigarettes. and dream about my future - a single mom of 16 with a smoking habit. i also can add this wedding to a first time. the first time i cried at a wedding. and i will make it my last. i have a reputation to uphold. i am a face of steel. i dont cry at weddings. or maybe that is stone cold. i have a heart. i swear. but i think it was the combo of giving a speech. and really sinking in - that as i put it, my lil joj was getting married. she is a wife. and then i had to make that realization for all my other pretty brides this summer (and in years past - cant leave out all those ladies). we are getting old! haha.

onto other things. i have a few new obsessions. i mentioned the netflix wii last post. i have been better. two weddings. back to back. that really forced me to get out of the house. :) i have been craving sweet potato fries. a lot. i think i ventured out early this summer. and now i am hooked. hooked! i can buy a frozen bag of sp fries. and i really have to limit how many i make. i think i would eat the whole bag. there are also sweet potato chips. those go great with my lunches. last night i made acorn squash. it was delightful. i added some corn in the middle and cheese on the top. next i am going to try to make spaghetti squash. keep you posted. i guess if i am going to be couch potato this winter - i will atleast be sweet! badda taahh. (bad joke. i know).

enjoy the fall season. there are a lot of football games to watch. cheering. yelling. victories to be celebrated. i love it.