Decorating projects

I've been doing some home decorating projects over the past few weeks.

I painted this a long time ago back in Wisconsin. It hung in my dining room at the condo for years, but the colors just don't "go" with any room in my house.

I started by painting it back to brown.

Then I repainted the blocks with white, tan, red, green, and orange. Now that I see it in my living room, I'm thinking the orange I chose wasn't quite, well, "orange" enough.

I used to think that slipcovers were so old-fashioned and ugly. I've changed my opinion entirely. Can you believe this chair used to be pink?! The key is to go for the stretchy kind with a separate seat cushion. This is the "Surefit Stretch Pique Separate Seat" in Sage.

I found this tray at Ikea for just $8. But it wasn't quite the right color. So...

I took it apart.

...and stained the wood in ebony. This was coat one of FIVE...

...and spray painted the bottom black. It turned out fantastic!

While I was at Ikea, I picked up a bunch of picture frames. I think I'll hang them in my upstairs hallway. That's going to take a lot of patience with a level.

Do you SUDOKU?

A friend of mine at work taught me how to play Sudoku. Now I'm totally hooked!

Start with a puzzle that has some of the cells filled. Then find the solution which fills each empty cell with a number 1 through 9 in such a way that ALL of the following are true:
1.) Each row has just one of each number 1 through 9.
2.) Each column has just one of each number 1 through 9.
3.) Each block (dark gray lines) has just one of each number 1 through 9.

The one above is considered "medium" difficulty. How fast can you solve it?

By the way, I programmed a Caché routine to solve Sudoku puzzles. It kind of takes the fun out of it, though.

My favorite time of year?

It seems like just yesterday it was spring...

I even washed my car on Thursday.

My daisies and tulips are sprouting.

And I even started my broccoli and tomato seeds (the three packs on the right).

Anyone who knows me knows that I love spring. It's a time for renewal and change. It's a time to start fresh. It's time to enjoy the weather outside. Well, I got a little ahead of Mother Nature by thinking it was spring already. Oops!

Happy Birthday, Nash!

Today we went to my brother's house for Nash's 3rd birthday party.

Nash was excited to see Grandpa Big Truck. Nash had him read "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie", but Nash did most of the reading himself.

Linc is growing up, too. He's drinking water out of a big-boy cup.

The party had a "tool" theme. Nash and Daddy made the brownie base, and then Sarah decorated it like a tape measure.

Nash enjoyed the frosting.

Grandma and Grandpa Big Truck got Nash exactly what he asked for: an orange garbage truck. Nash quickly figured out how it worked. His matchbox cars fit in the bin and down the chute perfectly.

Linc also got a present. It is called a Googly Giggle. You drop it on the floor and it laughs and bounces around. At first he was frightened by it, but his curiosity won out.

Eventually he got brave enough to pick it up, but only after it stopped wiggling.

We had a great time two nights in a row. Last night Ma and I accompanied Brad and the boys to Sarah's school play. The boys were so-o-o-o well-behaved. They sat enthralled for the entire show.