Thursday, July 30, 2009

Makes me smile too much to keep to myself.

Last night, Kyle said the following in his sleep:

K: The man! with the medicine truck!
A: Huh?
K: The man! who had the truck, who gave me medicine for my back!
A: Ummm. Who the F gave you medicine out of a truck?
K: (Increasingly angry at my stupidity) I don't know how to make this any clearer to you. It was the man, with the truck. and there was that other one, who was having sex with Rob.
A: We don't know anybody named Rob.
K: ugh, nevermind!

I should point out that Kyle is, in fact, taking medicine for his back (a [probably] torn rotator cuff, serious business. We won't talk about the distress I feel about being helpless to fix it for him. I am a nurse, a fixer). He hates the pain meds because they make him feel stoned all the time and he's been getting strange and vivid dreams. By the way, the medicine was NOT obtained from any sort of man with a medicine truck. He got it from this weird place called the hospital.

Honey, if you read this, I love you. You and your medicine truck. And I'm sorry for telling the internet about the things you say while you're sleeping.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Dreaming of...

A lovely swim somewhere. It's 30 degrees out (celcius. 86F), which is HOT for our area, and climbing still. I'm sweaty, and I HATE being sweaty.

but Alas, I will be here writing my final self-evaluation instead. Maybe I can swim later.

Image from Renata Rashka's photostream

Monday, July 27, 2009

The Free Wedding!!!!

Count them. Four! Exclaimation points!
You. Must. Go Check out The Free Wedding*. RIGHT NOW!



Photos by OLOL. Who else?
Event Design by Joy Thigpen
For a full list of crazy talented vendors, GO CHECK IT OUT on Once Wed

*I've linked to post 1 on Once Wed, but there are nine equally glorious posts total.

!!!!




Did you know!? About these gorgeous ceramics?! Were you aware that such a wonderful thing existed in this world!?

If you did, internet, how dare you not have told me sooner.

All by Ninainvorm, who gets extra awesomeness points for living in the Netherlands.

I can't pick a favourite. But if you forced me to, I might pick the jug, pictured last.

ask, and ye shall receive.

Weeeeiirrdd.
After my post on the other day which talked about how long is too long for a dining table, check out what popped up on Apartmenttherapy:
Images from Outstanding in the Field, a company committed to reuniting diners with the people and environments from which their food comes.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

A humble request.

In light of recent events and in celebration of finishing my summer practicum, I have decided to write a sort of living will.

I am a huge, huge beleiver in compassionate euthanasia (used in the right circumstances). I beleive that it could and should be used at a person's request in order to allow people to choose to die with dignity and comfort. If I move away from here, I will probably move to the Netherlands or Oregon or somewhere else which allows the use of compassionate euthanasia.

With the elderly being the highest consumers of health care, one of the most common things we see in the hospital is dementia. And I began thinking: what If I become too demented to request the dignified death I want and deserve?

So, that said, here is my living will in case I ever get dementia (based on recent hospital experiences). If you don't enjoy talk about poop, you probably should stop reading now.
  1. I am okay with being incontinent of urine. I know this is a pretty common and unavoidable thing for a great many older adults. However, if I am unaware of the fact that I have peed myself, If I choose to go in a diaper instead of in the toilet, or if I am regularly incontinent of stool, it's probably time to go.
  2. If I ever attempt to disempact myself, especially with an ungloved hand, it's probably time to go.
  3. especially if I manage to fit MY ENTIRE HAND up to the wrist up there.
  4. If I ever become so confused that I pull a catheter out of my bladder, it's probably time to go.
  5. I am okay with meeting new people every day, but If I forget the names or faces of family members, it's probably time to go. If I start mistaking caregivers for family members, it's definitely time to go
  6. If I donate all my money to a church or charity to the extent that I am unable to pay my rent or mortgage, it's probably time to go.
  7. If I am in the hospital as a patient and beleive I am at work and that my roommate is my patient, it's probably time to go.
  8. If I am in the hospital and crawl pantsless into bed with another patient because they are complaining of being cold, it's probably time to go.
  9. If I ever poop or pee on the floor because I forgot where the bathroom is, it's probably time to go.
  10. If I am ever unable to be reasoned with or become violent and need restraining, chemical or physical, it's probably time to go.
  11. If I become disruptive to the point of being a 'hall monitor' patient, it's probably time to go.
  12. If I ever hallucinate about politicians standing over my bed and attempt to physically harm them, it's probably time to go.

Setting the table.

I have been thinking a lot about wedding tables. I'm not exactly sure why. But I have been wondering:

- how many guests is too many to sit at one long table? I love the vibe that sends out, but somehow I think a wedding with 70-ish people might run into the realm of ridiculous.

- is a seating arrangement really necessary?

- if we don't do one looooong table, do we sit at a table with the wedding party? or by ourselves?


and, of course, most importantly:

how can I (cheaply) make the tables beautiful?

I love these photos of gorgeous-yet-acheivable table designs:
I love the burlap runner and simple flowers on this Sunday Suppers table



I love this table, designed for Project Wedding by Chelsea at Oh, my deer! for its vintage-print napkins and citrus fruits with pretty little flags. Oh, and can we talk about the happy tape banner?


Who doesn't love the ambience of candles? Via apartmenttherapy.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Somebody stop me.

... from buying this pretty pretty dress.
It's exactly the opposite of my actual dress (which I haven't bought yet, but should order soon) in that it's a)short and b)frilly.

However, It's the same as my actual dress in that it's a)awesome b)handmade c)informal and d)on etsy for under $500. And that, my friends, is all the hinting you will be getting, at least for now.

made by KTJean Designs.

Friday, July 17, 2009

When you can't stick to the plan...

you blog about it.

So here's the thing.
I'm getting married in 10 months. And I really would like to slim down a bit before then. Not because I want to be a bridezilla or will look at my wedding photos and gripe about my chins. Although it is true that I wouldn't mind showing the photos to my grandkids and reminiscing over how beautiful and thin I was back then.

The thing is, then: I love my curves. I am 5'7 and 165lbs. That is, from a BMI point of view, I'm overweight. Just a teensy bit, mind you. 6 pounds down would bring me into the 'normal' range. I don't particularly mind being overweight, because I'll have you know, I look fantastic naked. Just FYI.

But I would really, really love to be able to pull on a pair of jeans without worrying about whether they will show off my muffin top . I would kill to have a pair of pants wear out at the knees before they wear out where my thighs rub together. I'm not saying I want to be 110 pounds or anything. I just want to worry about the jiggle a little bit less.

As an almost-nurse, I also know the value of core strength and want to build in that way so that I do my best to avoid back injury.

And god dammit, I'll say it: I want to wear a strapless wedding gown without the chicken wings. There you go. I'm vain that way.

Another reason I want to lose some weight is that one day, maybe not so very far away, I want to have kids. and I want those future pregnancies to be happy and healthy and leaving me afterwards with a body which, while maybe not the same, is still something I can be happy with. Also, I am very afraid of the dreaded number: 200. At nine months pregnant, the last thing I want is for that number to be staring me in the face. Because if that happens, there will be a fight. And I already know, the hormones will win.

These thoughts have been fluttering around in my head for ages and ages, and I just can't seem to get started. I have my crazy summer work schedule partly to thank for this. The rest of the credit can go to the raging sweet-tooth, carb-loving maniac who lives inside me. Thanks, maniac.

I don't honestly know where to start, or even what my goal is. I think a realistic thing would be to go for 10%: 16.5 lbs.
I've had some past success with weight watchers (I used to be 15-20 lbs heavier), but I can't afford that business right now. But I do need to be conscious about my eating habits and oh, I don't know, get moving a little more. Which means ending this blog post and getting the eff outside.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Recipe Cards!

I have been wanting to find some sweet recipe cards for such a long time. Following a much-loved recipe from a pretty card just feels so much better than searching it on the internet or scrambling for that peice of paper you filed........ somewhere.

So thank you to Vale Design for creating these lovelies, and for making them free!

Embellish

Bird

all I need to do is print on cardstock, trim, maybe laminate, and use!
I feel the need to bake some pretty things now.

(found via Twig & Thistle)

Monday, July 13, 2009

Stuff I want to wear.

I love to wear dresses. I own more dresses than I do pairs of pants. Not pairs of jeans, mind you; pairs of pants. Period.

I am out of things to wear for fall. And I'm thinking:
Rather than suffer the indignity of trying to find a pair (or several) of jeans for a girl with hips (and a bum, and thighs, oh and a belly too), why don't I just keep on wearing my dresses? What if I just pair them with tights and sweet sweaters and coats and boots?

Which lead me to mod cloth, of course.

Some of my faves, which I might just buy:

I tried to pick only dresses that I knew I could and would wear any day of the week, and which would suit my body shape. But really, it was horrible to make me choose only a few to share. You should really be ashamed of yourself.

Also, does anyone out there have a suggestion for best pair of leggings in the entire world? ones that are thick enough to stay warm in yet don't bunch up, durable, and actually stay up? Black is a necessity, other colours are a bonus. (Available in Canada would be a bonus, too)
Footed and footless candidates may apply.

*all prices in USD. Because even though I'm not American, this is the language of the internet, yo**.
** I NEVER say that in real life. Well, okay; only when I'm drunk.

On self-discipline

Thou shalt walk the dog before checking the 6000 blogs you read.
Because you do the latter first, the former won't ever get done.

Friday, July 10, 2009

The thing about hound dogs is...

I love my Luna Looney-tunes. I really do. I mean sure, I could do without the howling at anything that moves, but she's a sweet dog and a good one and will be with us until she's old and grey.
But the thing nobody ever told me about hound dogs* is that they shed like motherfuckers**. All the time.
Enough that dusting and vaccuuming EVERY ROOM is a daily necessity at our house. Miss a day, and we literally have tumbleweeds of dog hair floating around the house.
Every room, every day. I used to be a weekly(ish) vaccumer, so this was a big change for me. We have a furbuster and a shedding blade, which are supposedly two of the best grooming/shedding tools out there, and they keep things to a minimum for a day or so (while I've heard others say that they only have to use the shedding blade once a month and the furbuster once a season), but the dog hates them so much that it's hardly worth the effort.
Does anyone out there have any further tips to help me keep my sanity a little bit?

*Actually, we live in a largeish city in Canada, so nobody really told me anything about hound dogs, because nobody has any. I had no clue what I was getting into!
**I tried and failed to think of a better word to use here... sorry, mom.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

I'm sick.

The past couple of days, I have been more tired than I have ever been before*. More tired than anyone in the history of the universe.

I have a summer cold. And everyone knows, a summer cold is the lamest possible type of cold. Luckily, Victoria has been rainy and grey for the past few days so I'm not missing too much.

But still, I imagine all the things I could do. all the tidying I might have the energy to do, all the little house projects I had planned for my days off. But all I can do is sleep, and it sucks. The poor dog is going crazy.

Yes, please. Lace and flora via FFFFOUND!

I'd gladly stay in bed all day if my space looked like this. It wouldn't be sleeping the day away, it would be more like sunbathing or Catnapping, both of which are much more graceful than just sleeping.

*I beleive this every time I get sick. It's funny, my main symptom of sickness is usually exhaustion rather than various other forms of misery. I'd much rather hack up a lung at a functional level of energy than become exhausted from tiny little things like showering**.
**true story.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Judging the book by its cover.

In one of my 512 alternate personalities/universes, I would design packaging.

Because then I could take credit for pretty things like this:
Pavel Gubin*

Jamie Conkleton Red Tettemer
Tub Gin website here

However, I will settle for having these products in my Liquor Cabinet instead.

*I can see this bottle as the subject of a great many inappropriate facebook photos.

Monday, July 6, 2009

I was going to call this post Fab Prefab, but go ahead and see if there aren't 6000 blog posts out there with that title.

After this post, nobody will ever beleive me when I say that I dislike new construction ever again.
It's true that I really (really!) hate cookie-cutter suburban developments that have granite countertops, engineered hardwood floors, and cherry cabinets. or whatever the trifecta is.

I also really dislike the 'more is more' stance that many people seem to have. I watch HGTV real estate shows where people see a 3000 square foot home and say "I don't know if this is enough space for us, because we might have a baby one day and god knows we don't want to share a universe with it. Plus, where's the dog's bedroom? Where's the fourth full bathroom so that I don't have to pee in the same toilet as my husband, kids, or guests?"
I vow, right here and right now, that I will never, ever buy a home more than 1600 square feet. 2 bathrooms, max. Why? Because somebody has to clean all that extra space. And it ain't gonna be me.
/end tangent.

What I really wanted to say was that I think the idea of prefab living is super cool. Not prefab as in a double-wide, of course. But check some of these out:

(click on photos to link to their sources)

My favourite prefab concepts involve homes made from shipping containers. Keep in mind, the ones in the photos are actually huge, and break my 1600 square foot rule.

The LV series of homes from Rocio Romero is another very cool design. For the LVL (3bedrooms, 2bathrooms, 1453 square feet), prices begin at $42,950 (this is their large model, other smaller homes cost even less). This includes the walls and exterior only; the client builds their own foundation, purchases their own windows, and then installs all interior fixtures and fittings to suit their tastes. Dreamy.

there are so many companies now doing prefab homes. some are assembled on-site, others are delivered whole with everything including the kitchen sink already installed. Prices range hugely, but many are intended to cost less than a standard site-built home. One thing I love about the modern design of many of these is that they are designed to let in LIGHT. Lots of LIGHT. From the SUN. Something my current home lacks sorely.

Now, if someone just wants to give me a peice of land...

Friday, July 3, 2009

Robin redbreast, come and gone.


*found on the back walkway this morning...


from the way this egg is cracked (ie, poked out at the end), I choose to beleive it hatched of its own accord rather than being scavenged. It's so pretty. I don't know where the nest is.

*please reserve any comments about my sausage fingers. It's a Dutch thing, I can't fix it. I can only hope that, through selective breeding practices, I can avoid passing this trait on to future generations. Oh, wait, nevermind. Kyle's hands are huge.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Bedclothes to dream about.

I just stumbled across Ell & Cee, a lingerie boutique in the UK. They do ship internationally, though.


all of their peices are so beautiful and feminine...
I think this beachsuit is my favourite. Great for summertime lounging or flirty bikini cover-up, no?

find them all here.