#97 - Compile a Cookbook

So I haven't started on this goal yet, but just discovered this website. You can create cookbooks with your own recipes and borrow from Epicurious as well. I know spending $35 on something that I can probably whip up myself seems a bit excessive, but look how cute they are!

When I have more time, I'll definitely investigate this possibility further. Until then, I'm making mental notes of which fave recipes to include.

Bon apetite, everyone!

#9 - Funkify Our Guest Bathroom

****Greg, DO NOT READ THIS POST! Close your eyes and scroll down! You promised me the bathroom was all MINE! And I want it to be a surprise!****

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Have you closed your eyes yet?
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I'm serious! Close them! You promised...
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Ok, now that that's done...

Let's talk about our downstairs half bathroom for a minute. The first time I laid eyes on this little box of a room, I could feel its shackled little soul crying out for a makeover - so sad.

Since first entering the market in 1989, I am sure, it has been trapped in its current dowdy and unspired state of being. The walls are covered in a subdued blue wallpaper with little white and pink flowers. Ew. Half of one wall is occupied by a huge square mirror tacked directly onto the drywall above the sink. Boring. Showgirl lights line the upper edge of the mirror. Ehhh. And the cabinet under the sink is oak. Its a lonely, little room that only has an audience when we have guests or are cleaning out the kitty litter.

I'd love to transform this space and do something creative with it - without it being an eyesore or something that makes my husband cringe when he first lays eyes on it. I'd love to have people go in there, and after a little initial shock, take a step back, look around and find bits of interesting detail and inspiration. And do all of this within a reasonable budget... That may be the tricky part. (And suggestions or website referrals are welcome here.)

Getting started...
Everyone knows that when it comes to redecorating, you get the most bang for your buck in paint. Since we moved in, I knew I wanted one room in our house to be a deep, dark, sexy red color. And since this is such a small space, I don't think it'd be too overpowering here. Step 1: The major color - sexy red. However, I was worried that painting all 4 walls in this shade may be too intense.

Then I saw this project! The couple needed to make a nursery and were inspired when they found an awesome fabric pattern. They transferred the pattern onto their wall and painted accordingly. The effects were pretty amazing. I love it! And this gave me more inspiration. I've been seeing all of these beautiful damask patterns on everything from chairs to dishes to wall decor. So in keeping with the spirit of the above project, I thought I could use one wall in the bathroom and do the same pattern transfer with a not-too-busy damask. I found a few sites that had interesting patterns, but most were too dense. Sending our guests into an epileptic fit, trapped in a tiny room with an over-stimulated repeating pattern, would kinda defeat the purpose, ya know. So I decided that instead of having the entire wall covered, I could just have a bit of the pattern peeking out one of the sides. To give you a better idea of what I'm talking about, here are a few first draft schematics.This is not necessarily the pattern I'd stick with, although I do like it. In fact, I found a few contenders when I stumbled across this website. I love the swirly, organic designs featured on their main links, but it may be too "girly" for Greg's taste. That's still a work in progress. Step 2: Have a partially patterned focal wall.

Next, the mirror. I like that we have such a large mirror on that wall, but its just so blah. I'd like to either a) knock it down, which would probably require taking a sledgehammer to it - not very appealing, and find a more stylish oval mirror to hang in its place, or b) find some way to embellish the borders of the existing mirror. Mirrors are ridiculously expensive so I'm going to brainstorm on option b before doing research into option a - unless, of course, a beautiful and yet well-priced masterpiece happens to fall into my lap. I think I could add a painted wooden border around the edges of the mirror or get crafty and create some sort of mosaic glass or mirrored border that I could affix directly to the surface of the existing mirror. We'll see. Step 3: Mirror sexification.

And finally, Steps 4 & 5, if I can afford them... the lighting and the sink. This is going to be hard because I have a feeling the contemporary options I have in mind are also going to be the most expensive. And when I picture the end product, I always see the light fixture (especially) pop. Whether or not I can afford to replace the sink to a sleeker version is up in the air, but at the very least, I'd like to change this:...into something much more interesting, like this:...but without the creepiness.
(Is it just me or does this look like something straight out of the Matrix? It just might spring to life, chase me down and twist my little digital head off with its mechanical tentacles, which would, of course, also kill me in the physical world. Ew. Enough of that...) Ok, something very unique but without going way over the top. Any suggestions?

To be quite honest, I haven't solidified in my head what I want the end result to be. The vague pictures I covet in my mind's eye may not jive with the other changes I've planned so I'm expecting the idea of the room to morph as it starts taking shape. It might be one of those things that when I see it, I'll just know.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear feedback and/or suggestions.

#52 - Maybe Next Time

First legit girl goal honors for the season go to Janice! Congrats and I bow to your obvious superiority in the soccer realm.

But those two points she earned helped seal the deal for our second win! This time the score was 4-1. Its so good to see how much we've improved as we've played. Both of these teams kicked our butt last season - proof positive that a little practice goes a long way.

My next opportunity to achieve #52 is at tomorrow's game. Here's hoping...

#52 - The Cosmos Owe Me...

We're having one soccer game tonight and then another on Friday. We have a good chance to win either of these if we get our acts together. The teams' records are very close or only slightly better than our own so odds are good that we won't be slaughtered. At least I hope so.

But my eye is on the prize, babies. I WILL score a soccer goal dammit! I've had two near misses. But I was totally robbed both times. The sweet glory of momentary soccer super-stardom is upon me. I can taste it.

If I score tonight, I might be the first one on our team to score a legit girl goal. (Girl goals count for 2 points instead of 1 on coed teams - the feminist and the competitor inside me struggle with this concept from time to time.) Dilek and Brianna have officially each scored before, but they were both accidental deflections off of their unsuspecting body parts. Brianna got it in the butt. Dilek got it in the right boob (poor thing). No. Wait. Katie actually scored a beautiful goal in our first season. But since its a new season, I'm still going to count it. :)

Wish me luck!

Two Birds, One Stone

Valentine's day is coming up. I don't really buy into the whole hallmark holiday, but my husband and I usually have some kind of small commemoration of the day for ourselves.

This year I'm planning on reusing an old idea that never came to be. A few years ago I planned a couples massage for Greg and I for our romantic quasi-Valentines. We got up early on a Saturday for our appointment, drove out to the place, and waited. And waited. And waited. One half of our masseuse duo never showed! Can you believe that? How rude!

So it never happened. Well, this year it will dammit! I'm booking our appointment tomorrow.