'ello

I get up every morning
determined to change the world
& have one hell of a good time.

Sometimes this makes
planning the day difficult.

E.B. White

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I can't even tell you how many times I have tried to post something and then been sidetracked by the whispers of items still in boxes....you misssss me...unpaaaaack me......you neeeeeeed me.....

Oy.

Well, it has been paying off to keep unpacking. Lookie! No more boxes in the livingroom.

Okay, well....except these two boxes (but they have a purpose):

Like my coffee table? Hahahaha. Yeah, well...for now...IT WORKS.
See, if you go back to that first photo, there should be a bookcase in that corner there where that basket is. The bookcases aren't here yet, and I haven't found a coffee table I like....so the boxes full of books, plus a piece of glass left behind by the last owner...? Viola. My "new" coffee table.

Actually, that first photo was taken before I created my designer coffee table. I took it so that I could show off the hardwood floors I had installed before I moved in. If you recall, the floors used to look like this before I moved in:

OoooBoy. There was no way I was keeping white carpets being a wheelchair user who lives with a 10 year-old little boy.

But I lamented over the floor selection. LAMENTED.

I knew I loved the darker woods. I knew that when I looked in magazines, the rooms that made me oooh and ahhh were the ones with darker floors. I also knew that I didn't know squat about decorating, and had lived with white walls my entire life. Here I was about to plop down a very big bundle on something that I couldn't replace or just paint over if I made a little "whoopsie" with my color choice. I had this huge fear (instilled in me by many) that the floors would be too dark and would suck the light out of the house. Some people told me that it would be too dark in here, and that it would make the room look too small or make it feel like you were floating, even.

I wasn't posting during that period of time, and be very glad, because every single person within earshot of me(or available on instant messenger) heard me freaking out about the floors. I mean, like really freaking out. It had the potential of being the biggest financial mistake in my entire life, because I have never spent so much money on something I wasn't entirely sure would work for me.

Well, as it turns out, the floors are gorgeous. The wood I chose is called "Tiete Chestnut". What makes it work in here is that it has a finish on it that actually shines light back into the room, so even though the floors are a bit darker, they actually make the room a bit brighter. The whole space is now very warm feeling, both to look at and to the touch.

I am very thankful for all of you folks who encouraged me to trust my gut and go with what I knew I loved, even though I wasn't sure it would work or not, and that it might be a costly mistake that I would have to live with for a verrrrry long time.

Thanks also, to all who commented about the orange kitchen. I love it, too!!

As for the dishwasher, well....I just had to kiss it. I have never lived in a place with a dishwasher before. This is a first for me! Growing up, my parents said they didn't need a dishwasher, because they already had TWO (my sister and I, hardy har har).

I am off to bed, but here is a shot of where I sat to type this post.

at the diningroom table

G'night ;-)