Decorating Fun

So to give credit where credit is due, I totally stole this blog post idea from one of my favorite design sites, Little Green Notebook.  And I used fabrics from the same textile company that Jenny did, L&S Fabrics.  But I thought it would be a fun little challenge to try and dream up some rooms.  Also, we recently got wood flooring in our living room and we are trying to decide on a new color scheme in there, so I thought this might be helpful for my mom to look through. 

So here are my "dream" rooms:

I think these would be pretty in a bedroom.  I would use the floral print as big pillows on the bed with a white duvet.  The funky yellow pattern I would use for curtains, and then the blue ticking I would use to cover a chair or a bench at the foot of the bed with the ikat as a pillow.

The next one I would call, "College Prep."  Not too original there.  ;)  Obviously, I think these would work well in a dorm room, or a young graduate's room.  The solid blue would cover a fancy chair and the deer head print would cover a little bolster pillow to go with it.  The latttice I would use for curtains and the floral print would cover pillows for the bed.

Would it be crazy to use the following prints in a nursery?  I hope not, because I would!  I'd use the blue bird print for curtains, the brown check print on a cozy rocker with the crazy stripe print as a pillow.  And I'd use the red and brown damask as bumpers..?...whatever those things are called inside the crib.  ;)   

These I could see in our living room.  My mom and I both really like red.  I would love the solid red on a couch with the small blue print as pillows.  The top floral I would use for curtains, and the bottom floral...maybe as more pillows?  I'm not sure on that one, but I like the combo.

Next set up: "Jungle Fever."  I'm killing you with the creativity, right?!  Heh heh.  Again, I would see these in a living room.  I can be a little bit chicken with crazy prints so I would keep the jungle print on some pillows.  I would cover an ottoman or pouf with the brown lattice print.  I'd use the damask print on curtains, and the stripe I would use to cover a chair...I think.

I haven't done a dining room or kitchet yet, so I'll imagine this last set in a combined kitchen/dining room.  I'd either cover some chairs or upholster some with the lattic fabric, then I would use the stripe to cover a cushion on a built in bench and then add some pillows with the fun bird print.  And I would make some pretty Roman shades with the floral.

So there you have it.  What would you do??

Don't Try This At Home

A few days ago I was reading a friend's blog and was reminded of an incident that happened to me my freshman year of college. It is a memory that I had successfully pushed to the back of my mind. Until the blog. But then I thought, maybe the story could bring comfort to another soul as, dare I say the word, stupid, as me. So without further ado, let me go on with the story.

It was a quiet Wednesday morning in the pink infested dorm of Waldock. The clock showed 6:45 or so. I knew two things: 1.) I wanted to drink some chai tea. 2.) I needed to do some sit-ups. The freshman 15 was already showing it's effects.
I just happened to have some chai tea mix and there was a microwave conveniently located near the stairs right outside our wing's hallway. I thought, "Perfect! I can heat up the water while I do my sit-ups!" So I preceded with my plan. After I completed my first set of sit-ups, I walked out the door, down the hall and opened the door to the stairway area. As soon as I opened the door a thick wall of smoke hit me. I looked toward the microwave and noticed that smoke was pouring out of the microwave vent!

Again, not using my brain, I ran back to my room yelling my roommate's name, "Christine! Christine!" I don't even think I could get words out to explain what was wrong...but from the look of terror on my face and my crazy, flailing arms, she managed to decipher my desire for her to follow me, and, being the calm and collected person she is, she walked up to the microwave and turned it off. It was at this time that the fire alarms chose to go off. That's right my friends. The ENTIRE dorm...all 80 girls...had to evacuate. At around 7:05 in the morning. A chapel morning. Which meant that basically everyone but the slackers were awake and that pretty much ALL of the showers were occupied.

I blame it on my early morning state. When I first wake up, I can't even button my clothes correctly or untie a bow without making a knot, let alone muster enough brain cells to think not to put metal in the microwave. Yes, indeed, I had put my metal coffee thermos thing in the microwave. Something that Kindergarteners learn not to do. For awhile I entertained the idea that maybe we really wouldn't have to evacuate. I mean, after all, I knew it was just my coffee thermos. Nothing harmful about that...there was no serious fire. But then our R.D. came onto the hall and said that we all had to exit to the lawn in front of the dorm...the supposed...fire expert...man that came said that the fumes from the rubber exterior of the thermos may be toxic!

As I watched girl after girl filing out of the bathroom with shampoo in their hair and wet pajamas, the comments began to roll in. "Who was stupid enough to put metal in the microwave?" "I can't believe it! I was in the middle of a shower!" "Where's the moron?!!!" and other like retorts were spewed forth right and left. Terror and panic turned to utter humiliation.

After five minutes that felt like five days we were all out on the lawn...and the condescending fire man slowly exited the building holding my charred and melted coffee thermos with a tongs-like apparatus. He asked who it belonged to. I witnessed 158 eyes scanning the crowd. My two eyes were glued to what remained of my coffee thermos. The one my dad had bought me for my 18th birthday. My hand did not move an inch and my lips did not allow a single breath to escape. He went on to say that if I didn't claim it, he would trash it. What did the man think??? That I wanted a trophy of my idiocy resting on my dormroom desk??? Did he think I would actually use it again for its intended purpose??? Finally he got the hint and walked away with a reminder of one of the first rules our mothers teach us.

But the humiliation didn't end there. Those angry, soapy, shampooey Waldockians wanted answers! Who were they to blame for their ruined Wednesday morning? I refused to answer until one of my friends that I had since high school, HIGH SCHOOL, made some comment about her grandmother saying that my appalling action was one of the dumbest mistakes young people can make. It was something along those lines. I couldn't take it anymore. "I did it! Okay?!! It was me! So thanks for all your comments!" I said something like that. Then, since the toxic fumes had apparently evaporated and we were allowed back in the dorm, I ran up the stairs and into my room and I did what any normal mortified freshman girl would logically do; I cried. In walked one of the senior girls. She was just laughing and tried to sympathize a bit, but it didn't really work. She left and then my R.A. walked in. My R.A. was great. She was very good at showing freshmen the ropes. She gave me a hug and told me that one day I would laugh about it. I didn't believe her. I wasn't laughing when I went down to chapel and girls were still trying to find out who did it. I wasn't laughing when the girl who owned the demolished microwave said that I needed to pay up. But...she was right. I laugh now whenever a friend brings up that story..."remember when you..." and I laugh when someone tells me that they just told one of their relatives about "that time when I..." and, I must admit, I am thankful for a story I can tell the "grandkids" someday.

Caspian and Tumnus

Ever since I started college I really wanted to get some turtles. At school I really missed having a pet around, and I kind of liked the idea of having my own little pet. When someone told me that we could have small turtles in the dorms I was overjoyed. I started planning for pet turtles immediately. First I had to convince my roommate that the smell probably wouldn't be that bad, then I had to ask my R.D. for permission, finally I had to get a tank, and of course, the turtle. But alas! It seemed the world was against me! No pet stores in the greater Santa Clarita Valley sold the turtles that I was looking for. Besides that fact, my roommate didn't like the idea anyway. My hopes were dashed and I assumed that my chances of owning a turtle were over.
Well, last summer I was over at my friend's apartment and two of her roommates had some turtles. I was admiring them one night and one of her roommates asked if I would like to have her two turtles because she had been trying to give them away! She happened upon just the right person! I called my parents and they graciously agreed to let me bring home the turtles! My dream had come true!
Well, after some serious thinking, I decided to name them Caspian and Tumnus. I love the Chronicles of Narnia series, and even though Prince Caspian and Mr. Tumnus weren't technically friends with each other in the books, they were good friends in general with pretty much anyone they met.
The turtles did well for awhile, but soon they started becoming very lethargic. I had read that turtles need a UV light attached to their tank, but I didn't really believe it was necessary. Caspian and Tumnus always used to get excited when I even took out their food, but when they went a week or so without eating anything, I knew something was wrong. I bought a light and within a couple of days they were new turtles.
I seriously never imagined that two little turtles could be so entertaining! They are so hilarious. One of their favorite things to do is bask in the light and I commonly find them in the position that you see below.

I'll often find them with one of their back legs and one of their front legs stuck out like they are surfing. Once I found Caspian (the smaller one) facing the other direction on top of Tumnus with all of his legs sticking out in the air. It looked like he was trying a balancing act.

They have completely different personalitites too. Caspian is feisty, Tumnus is a little slow moving unless there is food; than he goes crazy! I have to hold a piece of food on either side of the tank and wait until they are separated, than I drop Caspian's food in first while I have to tease Tumnus with his food for awhile distracting him from Caspian's food. Caspian takes forever to eat his piece and if I dropped them both in at once, Tumnus would eat his and then go steal Caspian's. He eats his food in one gulp. If he misses the piece he bumps his nose on the glass. And if you keep moving your finger along the water line on the outside of the tank, they'll follow it and try to bite your finger. It's so cute to see their little pink tongues.

One day (before I started separating them during feeding time) I dropped one long pellet in and Caspian bit one end, then Tumnus came over and grabbed the other end with his mouth and they had a little game of tug of war pulling back and forth. It was so funny.

The last thing I'll say is about Tumnus. Late at night, after feeding time, Tumnus does his nightly ritual. He blows bubbles onto the surface of the water and then eats them. It is really strange, but, what can I say? They are weird turtles, but I love them. :0)