Baby B's Room

We finally started painting B's room. (And by "we" I mean all the credit for the hard work goes to Dave, I'm well aware of the fact I shouldn't be around paint fumes and other such chemicals :).  I had plans of painting this room a few weeks ago, but being the procrastinator/Shankus that I am, it took a bit longer than expected to get things started.

I had originally decided on yellow paint, then decided against it because it's so typical of a surprise baby room. I hemmed and hawed over a million different paint colors... and ended up with yellow again. I guess I know what I like!

 Decisions, decisions....

The work in progress:

It's so much more bright and cheerful than before! How we managed to move everything out of this room, but left a cat scratching toy on the door, is beyond me.

I think I'm going to put up light grey or taupe molding (Dave's response to this was, "I think I'd like taupe better than grey. What color is taupe? Green? Or is mauve green?"..... Dave doesn't get to go paint shopping by himself. Though, this Wikipedia article has taught me that there is a mauve taupe! Who knew?). Not quite sure what I'll do with the ugly brown doors, I'll cross that bridge when I get there. 

The plan is for the molding to be painted and up this week, and for the floor to be put in next weekend. We'll see where that goal takes us!

What's Going on at My Casa

Books:

Faith by Jennifer Haigh. I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up, I just happen to love this author and I've been trying to snag her newest from the library for awhile. Turns out at the core this book is a fictional story about a Boston priest accused of being involved in the Catholic priest scandal, but overall it is so much more than that. This book was emotionally a tough read, but such a good story. The book looks at how faith and truth can pull a family together and test their bonds as well. Haigh looks at the complexity of relationships, and how truth and communication can break down under the pretense of protecting the ones you love.
If you're looking for a happy easy read... this won't do it for you. It's pretty heartbreaking, as all of her books are in one way or another, but I would highly recommend anything by this author!

The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale. I was looking for a mindless fluff book, but this was worse than fluff. This book seems to have gotten decent reviews, but I couldn't get past the first chapter. Turns out she also wrote Austenland, which I also hated.

Television: We're joining the masses of 6 years ago, and just finished watching the first season of Dexter. So good! I love Michael C. Hall so much better in this role than in his role in Six Feet Under. If somehow Dave and I aren't the last people to learn of this show, and you don't know of Dexter - he's a serial killer who is also a blood spatter analyst in the forensics department of the Miami Police Department. The first season follows Dexter and the Miami PD as they track down the "Ice Truck Killer". This show can be a bit graphic, but not at all what I expected, I'd totally recommend it!

Magazines: I tend not to buy magazines, because I feel like they are a waste of money, but there are a few I just can't resist. Right now I'm perusing my July/August Dwell and my 2013 Ikea Catalog! (which I know is a catalog and not a magazine... I was just so excited for it to come in the mail!) I just can't stop planning my dream home. I'm always pretty nesty, so I hate to see what things are going to be like at the end of my pregnancy when I get into nesting mode!

Little Marley on the Prairie

If you know anything about me, you know I love my dog more than anything. You also know that my dog is the bane of my existence. Marley is... a lot of work, to put it lightly. It seems like it's one thing after another with him.

Last week he was skunked. I felt pretty awful for him, but it was his own darn fault for being so bad and not coming to me when I call his name. Of course, the next day he was just fine, but we've been the ones dealing with getting skunk smell out of our house for the past week :)

This week... it's something new :) Each summer Marley gets a rash on his back legs and around his tail. The vet says is flea dermatitis, which I would totally agree with, but I've never seen a flea on him. I also keep him on flea medicine March - November. (Anyone who knows anything about dogs have any thoughts on this?)

When Marley gets this rash, he chews on it constantly, causing all kinds of grossness. Last year we had to put him on steroids, it cleared up the rash... but a dog on steroids for two weeks is pretty much the worst thing ever. I won't go into detail here, but it wasn't a fun time.

This year we're hoping to avoid the steroids and we've put Marley in a cone right away. He really hates it... but he looks so cute! We even put a bow on the cone to liven things up a bit. It makes him look like he's wearing a sun bonnet. :)

Doesn't he look like he should be frolicking through a field of wildflowers?

Come and Get It!

Another yummy "I don't really know how to cook" meal. This is one of my all time favorite summer dishes and so stinkin' easy. Just make pasta of your choice - I prefer spaghetti, fusille or even farfalle, but I used fettuccine because that is what I had on hand. Once the pasta is cooked to your liking, toss with some olive oil, sprinkle with a little bit of sea salt, toss in some tomatoes and top off with Parmesan cheese. 

I drool over this super yummy, fresh meal. It's also good chilled, so it makes great leftovers! (I'll be having more for lunch tomorrow!)

Alpena

  

Challah and Chocolate Chip Sourdough french toast. Bread from Zingerman's... omg this was good!

 

        

 

Lake Huron.... I love you

 Mark looking all nautical in white on the paddle boat. See that island waaaay behind him on the left? We had plans of paddling there. Um.... it kind of didn't happen :)

 

Pizza made on the grill. So good. I did no cooking during this trip, so all the credit is due to my awesome friends!

Yup, these little gems are exactly what you think they are. Brown sugar and cinnamon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and candied bacon on top. Made by the fantastic Heather Jones of Bite Me Cake Shoppe.

Travels

I just got back from a wonderful trip to Alpena, MI for my friend, Jonesy's 30th birthday. For all you non-Michigan folk, Alpena is here:

I had one of the best weekends/trips I've had in a long time. The weather was beyond perfect, the cabins we stayed in were great, lake Huron was so amazingly warm and full of great big waves to splash in (I spent two straight hours swimming in lake Huron, I think the last time I spent such a large chunk of time in  lake I must have been around 10 years old). I can't even fully describe how wonderful lake Huron was this weekend, I feel silly gushing over a swim at the beach, but it was that great.

In addition to the stars aligning to create such a great weekend, the main reason this weekend was so wonderful was my fantastic friends! I feel so fortunate to have such a fabulous, fun group of friends. They are always such a good time and they made this weekend unforgettable. I feel really fortunate to have a group of friends that that for the most part gets me and loves me for who I am (they also put up with all my craziness, which I give them mad props for :)

I'll be posting pictures in the next few days - I have to get them edited before they see the internet :)

Life is Good

1. Voldy and his window cat friend | 2. A love note from the hubby | 3. Snuggling two kittens at once - heaven | 4. Root beer floats! | 5. My very first try at painting a picture, done at Painting with a Twist in Ferndale | 6. Voldy cat with his catnip toy I made him | 7. Kitten! | 8. Marley enjoying an open window in the car | 9. Baby belly at 22 weeks!