EXHAUSTION...

I AM.

EXHAUSTED.

I think it's because all I did in between running around last week was sit. At the hospital.

Waiting.

Long story short, my mom was sick, ended up dehydrated, and she hung out at the hospital, where they tested everything they could conjure up to test for, and found.....

an ulcer!!!

Good news! Except, the poor woman is on a liquid diet. Liquid diet for a week is nasty, it's either something you could drink through a straw or will melt on the counter. Everyday she has a new 'thing' she's craving... yesterday it was a Club Sandwich.  Interest in food = she's on the mend! Good news.

Anyway, my sister and I sat there playing on our iPads (thank god for cool Apple toys) obsessing on a word game. Every now and then, mom would pipe up with the answer.. she's good at that stuff.

Then on Friday night, Scarlett came out for her birthday celebration, and to see nana. We had a smaller than usual group, but fun none the less...

Among other cool things, she got a doll...she's like me, a doll girl. This doll came with some cool accessories... like hats.  Poor Jet, he got to try them on...

Honestly he didn't seem to mind to much...

Sunday, we headed into Chicago to a Bridal Show at the Paris Club. Since BOTH girls are in full bridal mode, we all went. The men hung out in the groom's room, and cruised around sampling tastes of potential caterers, while the girls and I gathered up info and even booked something for the wedding!!! WHoo Hoo... a decision....for some reason they are not easily come by lately.

So today, I am catching up on laundry and moving from room to room...in a foggy daze.

I'm just tired, maybe I should take an exercising walk...

nah,

instead I'll have a Cadbury Egg.. always invigorating.

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE....

I spent the weekend either agonizing about color, or painting. Except for today.

A couple friends invited me to go somewhere I've wanted to go forever. So how could I turn that down to hang out here and slather paint on the kitchen walls? Right?

This place was so cool.  It's an Antique shop located on a farm near here.  I was always leery to go there by myself, as who knows... Ed Gein could live there.

Creepy thought.

So there's strength in numbers, I guess.

Ed Gein did not live there. A very nice lady and her two dogs were there, I'd definitely go back, even by myself.  I, OF COURSE bought something.  But I'll talk about that later, when I figure out exactly what I'm going to do with it.  I also saw something I'm going to go back and get for my daughter for her upcoming birthday, now that it's use has become clear to me.

Anyway... upon my arrival home, Mark was rolling paint in the butler's pantry and I let the doglets out of their pen.  They were totally excited to see me.

It's nice to be so loved.

Millie was jumping about, and jumped directly into the rather full rolling pan of paint.  Yes indeedy,  all four feet up to mid shin and her stomach fur, (she's sporting a typical long Maltese 'do at the moment) submerged in paint.  As quickly as she jumped in, she jumped out, on the drop cloth (thank you).  I jumped over there, (a whole lot of jumping going on today) and grabbed her, holding her away from my fave jeans and a sweater I quite like. I ran to the sink, and while waiting for the water to warm up she began to 'swim' with her legs. Further sending paint spattering about.

(this is an old picture, sadly we didn't snap any of today's debacle)

So what do I know?

I know that when you are painting, you should not put your roller pan on the floor.  And, if you MUST, keep your damn dog in it's pen.

Go ahead, laugh... we did.

SHABBY.....CHIC?

No, just shabby.

This is how I'm currently living.  I can cheekily look you in the eye and state that I'm going for a 'shabby chic' look.  I've always been a good liar.

I'm in a quandary. I can't decide what colors to paint my kitchen... I want something different and dramatic something to match my new sinks, countertops and backsplash...

Only one problem here.

Not getting them... I have not just ONE daughter getting married... I have TWO in the next year.  So, alas, not this year for the new countertops, sinks, backsplash and, what the hell, let's throw in a new stove and dishwasher too.  (on an up note though, our third kid is a boy)

So with that said, I'm sitting here with a bazillion different paint chips, some copic markers and paper trying to figure something out.

What I'm figuring out here, in this situation, is.... that I need a cocktail... or a highball...(still love that word), or maybe just a winning lottery ticket.

YOU JUST CAN'T STOP.....

.. this has oft been said to me by a kid or two, or my mother, sister, friend ... or even by Mark, my accomplice in many cases.

What?  You ask, can't I stop doing????

A project. A 'rip out the wall, move the door, redo the floors, redecorate kind of thing'.  Something this old house is always calling me to do.

I'm doing it again. And it's a real mess....

And....

I'm really bored with it, but only 1/2 way through it....

Gotcha on the edge of your seat, don't I.

Unfortunately, for you however, I don't have time to tell you about it now, I can't sit around blogging, I have work to do.

You are such a bad influence.....

GOODBYE JANUARY....

January is usually LONG....really long.  But not so much this year. First of all, it's been warmer than usual, that helps, I guess.  That and I was gone for 10 days to Florida.

That really helped...

We flew into Ft. Myers, and headed down to Naples, joining some friends at a seaside destination.  We had a wonderful time (as we always do).  Hit the beach, watched the sun burn into the Gulf, nightly.  Mark referred to this portion of our trip as Florida Debauchery... ah, yeah, maybe just a little.

After a few days and nights of that, our friends had to head out, so we went to see another friend. She LIVES at the beach, what's not to love about that?  LOT of laughs... fun, and gorgeous sunsets.

Now, she sent me to a vintage consignment shop... where I OF COURSE found something I really, probably need.  A wonderful, antique cabinet... just FABULOUS.  Right?

Actually, I'm quite certain I need this, I just need to figure out how to get it from Naples to Chicago, and not have it cost a ridiculous amount of money... ugh, details.

I'm working on it.  Seriously.

Anyway, back to the trip, so we headed out from Naples, meandering our way up the coast to visit Mark's dad.  We decided to take a drive out to Sanibel on our way. We ended up staying out on Captiva, enjoyed seeing a playful dolphin in the harbor area from our balcony,

and another gorgeous sunset before we headed out to dinner.

While here, we got a call from our daughter, Jessica, she got engaged! Gorgeous ring, we are just so happy for both her and her fiancé.  Funny story here, last fall, I took my mom and girls to a play in Chicago.  Mark was home, drove us and had dinner with Dan. Whilst out for dinner, Dan asked Mark if he could marry Scarlett.  The VERY next day, Blain dropped by found Mark here alone, and asked if HE could marry Jessica!! Poor Mark, two daughters in two days!!  So, we are seriously in the wedding business here! Scarlett and Dan are looking at January 2013, Jessica and Blain are looking at April 2013.  I am looking at a little nip/tuck mid 2012... HaHa... I wish.

Back to Florida.

Got to Mark's dads, had a nice time there, we stayed there a few nights, hit the beach and the pool, ate to much and did a little light shopping. You know, typical vacation....

Best of all, we went to my VERY MOST FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD.... a restaurant on St. Armand's Key, for dinner. Dinner outside, with the same piano man that's been there FOREVER.  Seriously, forever, I remember him being there for probably 25+ years.  I pointed out that although a condo in Chicago was all fine and good, we really needed something there....

We stayed on the beach on Lido,  it's just like being home again.

But, now I'm home, home in Illinois... where oddly enough it's still winter, and the sunsets just aren't working for me...and dinner outside, not even a chance.

We do, however, have a piano, so play on piano man.

THE CHAIR AND THE LADY....

A while back I saw this fabric, loved it and wanted to do something with it. I pondered what or where I could use it and came up with the perfect scenario. A chair.

Not just any chair.

An antique chair that belonged to my Grandmother Nash.

I believe it sat at her fancy writing desk (that my mother has). I somehow ended up with the chair. Now it isn't without some history.

There was 'that shiny lady' that sat in it, when it resided in the old fruit pantry at the desk we had in there in the cellar of this old house.

Yes indeed... we moved here, and my almost 3 year old daughter asked me about the lady down there... pointing to the cellar. I asked what lady? She took me down stairs and pointed in the fruit cellar at this chair that sat at the desk. She said there was a shiny lady there before.

I stood there, and wondered who it was..or if this little girl was crazy or just what.  So I did what any mother would do....

I shut the door, and left it that way for a long time. Now, I've never seen the shiny lady in the fruit cellar, so I can't say for sure, but I'm wondering if it was Helen...the chair's owner. Who's to say.

Anyway, I drug it out, and we attacked it. So it went from this...

... to this 

Nice upgrade huh?  I think the 'shiny lady' would approve.

I showed you a peek at it in progress last summer, but never showed it finished (partly because we finished it right before Thanksgiving).

So I am the princess of procrastination... get over it.

On another note, I had my kidney stone removed surgically yesterday. I can't say I particularly enjoyed it, the stone or the surgery....but we needed to part company.

So we did.  In theory I'll be back to normal soon.

But, what is normal??

CHRISTMAS DAY....

Was great! Uneventful, but fun. We got up way too early after going to bed WAY to late and opened the gianormous pile of presents. I think everyone liked what they got, and frankly, if they didn't, they did a great job of hiding it.

I stated several times through out this holiday that I was going to be better at taking pictures. So much for grand pronouncements!

Here's the early morning carnage...

Jet got some new jammies....

After we were done here, we headed over to my mom's for more presents, and a delish dinner... here are my photographic efforts from there...

And, my gorgeous kids....

But, now, the tree is down, most everything 'Christmas' put away, except the garland on my staircase,  I may leave it up another week.  And I, must address this stupid kidney stone that's been with me since the day after Thanksgiving... enough is ENOUGH already. It took over the whole holiday season.

Happy New Year...