Mini B4 and afters

During our 23 years of wedded bliss, the Mister and I have moved  five times.  We started off in Connecticut where the Mister's life truly began when he was fortunate enough to fall head-over-heels in love with moi.  We then moved to Southern California, and then on to Boca Raton, Florida.  The next stop was outside Chicago and then we re-located to the great state of Texas.  We have lived in The Woodlands and now call McKinney our home.

The Mister and I actually like to move.  We both enjoy the excitement of hunting for a new house.  When it comes to looking for a house or  redecorating our current home, the Mister is one of those "hands on" guys.  And he definitely has an opinion.  I have a lot of friends who are married to men that couldn't care less about choosing a house or participating in the decorating. 

There are pros and cons to having a Mister who takes an active role in the actual hunting and decorating.  Let me put it this way... there would be no cons if the Mister would just agree with what I want.  But unfortunately, he does have his own beliefs.  Strong ones, at that.  But in the end, I'll let you figure out who always wins.  And her initials happen to be PEN.

 When our beloved #2 left for college, the Mister and I were a little blue and started to get restless for something new. A move was not in the cards, divorce was out - no one else would want us - so we decided to do some renovations in our current home.  

So here goes with a preview of what we have been working on.  The biggest changes are yet to come; our master bedroom, master bath and guest room baths.

Before

After

Added crown molding to the foyer.

Before

After
More crown molding.

Before

When my friend, Lori of Lori Lynn Designs was over to do some consulting on our bedroom/bathroom renovation, she suggested doing "bishop's sleeves" on our puddling drapes. 

Yeah, I look that good in work out clothes, too! 

I love it!  Gives it a much more formal look.

The Mister came up with the idea of painting the island black and putting a marble counter top on it.  I secretly asked Lori what she thought before I agreed and she loved the idea.

OK, I've got to give it to him.  Sometimes the Mister has a good idea.  Every once in awhile.

While Lori was over, she also suggested giving the mantle a more interesting look.  I have a tendency of overdoing the symmetry.

Again, I love it.

Before

After

Alright, the Mister will get really mad if I don't tell you that he indeed picked out the mirror and the topiaries.
It's tough living with such a creative genius.



Hope you're having a restful weekend!

The Mister & Me in Preppy Empty Nesterdom

My Copper Crush

Last week, I was browsing my home away from home, Homegoods, when I stumbled across a couple of gorgeous pots very similar to the one pictured below.  It reminded me of how much I love the look of rich, shiny copper.  The Mister always reminds me of how "high maintenance" copper tends to be and how I usually don't mix too well with that kind of thing; especially considering that the Mister uses the same phrase to describe me.  So, instead of investing the time and energy into copper - which I confess to have a major crush on - I decided to do a post on it.  It's a lot less work that way.

desireempire.com

I can almost smell the aroma of this rosemary chicken.  Reminds me of my bro-in-law's Pièce de résistance.

Grandinroad

You can never have too much copper.

Amazon

Would love one of these.

Amoretti Bros.

Gorgeous

Taste of Home

Great size, too.

images.meredith.com

Somebody in that house must be working pretty darn hard to keep those pots so sparkling. 

enmiespaciovital.blogspot.com

Cute idea!

google.com

Wow!  Now this really looks high maintenance!

google.com
Two of my favorite things: succulents and copper.

Astleford Interiors
Stunning!

la-la-la bonne vie
If I got into this tub, the Mister would have to call the "jaws of life" to get me out!

vmburkhardt.tumbler.com

I would have to drink a lot of espresso to keep all this gorgeous copper twinkling!

Does anyone out there own a lot of copper?  And is it really as high maintenance as the Mister says? There's nothing I like better than to prove my man wrong!
Tips and tricks would be appreciated...

*******

Hope y'all have a fabulous Friday!

In honor of Chloe.

Happy Birthday, Erma Bombeck

Today would have been Erma Bombeck's 86th birthday.  For those of you who are too young to remember her, Erma Bombeck was a Midwestern suburban housewife who wrote a newspaper column chronicling her family life with a wry, yet warm sense of humor. She started with a little column in her neighborhood newspaper and, by the end of her life, her delightful words were published biweekly in 900 newspapers across the country.

Erma Bombeck was a Good Morning America contributor, producer of two television shows, and a participant in the President's Advisory Committee for Women (which actually led to the Equal Rights Amendment).  As if that weren't enough, in all her spare time she authored thirteen books.

Just like her devoted readers, Erma Bombeck's life was chock full of ups and downs.  She fought a congenital kidney disease since the age of 20 and was told she would never be able to have children.  She and her husband adopted a daughter, and a few years later, they were delighted when she gave birth to a son.  Unfortunately, Andrew inherited the kidney disease but successfully received a transplant just last year. Sadly, Erma Bombeck's kidney transplant was unsuccessful, and she died from complications in 1996.

Twice a week, I would read Erma Bombeck's column in The Bridgeport Post.  I was not a Midwestern housewife and yet I could relate to her hilarious family stories which always led to lessons in life.  I cannot recall a time when mid-way through her column, I did not either chuckle or shed the inevitable tear. 

 One of my favorite articles of Erma Bombeck's is titled "If I had my life to do over."  Although I was a mere adolescent the first time I read this, the sentiment has remained buried in my heart, especially after being married and having children.

Thanks to Wikipedia, here are some of Erma Bombeck's famous quotes.

• "Insanity is hereditary. You can catch it from your kids."
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• "My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first one being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint."
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• "There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child."
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• "If a man watches three football games in a row, he should be declared legally dead."
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• "Mothers-in-law who wear a black armband to the wedding are expendable."
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• "The only reason I would take up jogging is so I could hear heavy breathing again."
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• "Ironed Sheets are a health hazard."
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• "Laughter rises out of tragedy, when you need it the most, and rewards you for your courage."
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• "Dreams have only one owner at a time. That's why dreamers are lonely."
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• "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'"
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• "In general, my children refused to eat anything that hadn't danced on TV."
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• "When humor goes, there goes civilization."
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• "Seize the moment. Think of all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart."
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• "Never loan your car to anyone to whom you've given birth."
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• "The grass is always greener over the septic tank."
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• "A child needs your love more when he deserves it least."
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• "There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt."
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• "It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else."
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• "If you can laugh at it, you can live with it."
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• "I told you I was sick." (She requested this to be her epitaph.)
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• "I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian".

Happy Birthday, Erma Bombeck.  

Thank you for teaching me the lessons of life through your wit.

You are, and always will be, my inspiration. 

In honor of Erma Bombeck's birthday, make

someone laugh today!