PENSIEVE

I had a secret...and now I get to TELL!!! Can you say BIG APPLE??

Wanna win a trip to New York City?

Wanna win an all-expenses paid trip to New York City valued around $4,500?!

Wanna win an all-expenses paid trip to New York City valued around $4,500, including round-trip airfair, three days and two nights in one of Manhattan's finest hotels, a personal meet and greet with one of my close, personal friends* who happens to be The Diva of Dish???

Well, then, what in the world are you waiting for?!  CLICK THIS TO ENTER!!

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I just decreased my own chances of winning.

S i g h...

Sometimes it ain't about me at all ;).

P.S.  If you win, will you take me???  Please?

P.P.S.  Hey y'all...nevah mind what I had as the previous PPS--THANKS WITH ALL MY HEART TO ALL OF YOU who so kindly and thoughtfully entered either "Robin at PENSIEVE" or my URL in the referral blank for the "How'd you hear about the contest?" blank.  That blows all kinds of air up my skirt while simultaneously giving me the warm fuzzies, and lemme tell ya...not much feels bettah than THAT! :)

* "close, personal friend" perhaps better described as "imaginary close, personal friend" ;).

Hey Y'all ~ It's the ULTIMATE Blog Party :)

If you're visiting PENSIEVE for the first time, I'm so grateful you included me in your blog hopping this week.  I've recently written about the origin of my blog title (if you don't already understand the reference) and a quick way to get to know me is to read this.

• I like to write and read poetry, so I created Poetic License
• Picture Puzzler was born because I like to play games (you're invited to play that, too).
• I chase alligators and charm snakes
• I recently discovered I'm an opera lover although I like most music genres.
• I think everyone who can donate blood, should.
• I have a crush on Paula, Jamie and Bobby Deen--and Phil their webmaster, and best of all, they crush me back in my mind.
• I'm mom to three, wife to one, pet groomer to a dog, cat and two lionhead rabbits, and...I'm a daughter of the King (which means I'm a princess! :) ).
• I've been mistaken for Bo Derek AND Cousin It...!

Janice and Susan's Ultimate Blog Party is fun, but it can be over- whelming; if you're new to blogging a few tips might help make your week even more enjoyable.

• Don't wear yourself out the first day.
• IMHO, it's better to comment meaningfully rather than comment often <---YIKES!  I realized after writing that, it must not sound like I meant it...I'm just saying it's nice if the author can tell you actually read the post and that you didn't just comment to "get credit" (does that sound just as "bad"???)
  
• Subscribe right away to those that make an appealing first impression--you won't remember to "come back later".

I hope you'll add PENSIEVE to your readers or subscribe via email; if you do this week, how 'bout letting me know.  You might just win a prize.

Speaking of prizes, I almost forgot!  How could I do THAT???!  There are tons of prizes to be won at the end of the party--my favorites include (cross my fingers, throw salt over my shoulder, rub my lucky rabbits' foot, and since we have two rabbits, I have eight feet to rub...!):

Triple Metal Hoop Earrings from Two Belles & a Bead  (#147)
A set of cool daywear including a camisole and panties by Karen Neuburger (#109)
$25 gift card to Target, donated by Mommy Bytes (#117)
$20 Amazon Gift Certificate compliments of MommyDaddy Blog (#140)
$15 GC to Amazon from Mommy Cracked (#129)
$40 credit for blog design from RS Designs (#71)
Not too far behind these are a cool knitting bag from Crafty Mom (#136), a beautiful handmade silver cross necklace from Dandelion Dayz (#135).

 

Wow, there's plenty of reason to join in this week's fun!!

:)

One of our car convos and why I was "quiet" yesterday

My poems were written early yesterday because I knew after school drop off my day would spin out of control and blogging was not going to be a part of it.  I hosted a baby shower for a new friend in our Sunday School class Bible Fellowship last night, and my day was to be filled with little more than cooking and cleaning. 

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So on the way to school, my middle child uttered perhaps the STRANGEST thing that has ever flowed from his lips...if you've been reading PENSIEVE a while, you know that's saying a lot (and you might want to skip this part if grossness grosses you out (even if it's only words, it paints a disgusting picture).

T:  "You know what I think about doing when I get chill bumps all over?"

He pauses for effect.

T:  "I think about getting a knife and scraping them all off into a bowl...and EATING them...."

I'm gagging at the thought, but he's not done and it gets even MORE disgusting....

T:  "...yeah, I think the same thing about people who have bad acne...I just wanna scrape it off into a bowl..."

Thank God, he didn't wanna eat that, too! 

You know, I used to wish I could creep into the minds of my children to know their secret thoughts and unspoken dreams.  Thomas is curing that, revelation by revelation.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So, back to the baby shower.  It was a "Sip & See", which is code for she's already had the baby.  For weeknight things like this, I keep it simple, but simple still means preparation.  It was dessert only, not a full "shower spread", and I made my favorite recipes:  sour cream pound cake, strawberry creme puffs, fudge**, and butter mints.

Needless to say, between cookin' and makin' the above, then cleaning my house...I didn't stop to use the bathroom yesterday.  At 6:53, seven minutes before guests were due to arrive, I finally changed clothes and brushed my teeth, and finished just in time to greet the first guest.

Then the second...

...and the third.

At 7:30, the guest of honor was not here; originally, I planned the shower for 7:30, so I thought maybe that time had stuck in her mind instead of the revised earlier time.  At 7:45, we were all a bit concerned--I envisioned her stuck in a ditch on the way to my house!--so I called her home.  She answered on the second ring.

"Hey (name not used to protect the innocent, although she was guilty and she doesn't even read my blog)."

Her:  "Hey Robin, how are youOHMYGOODNESSI'MSUPPOSEDTOBEATYOURHOUSERIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!"

Me (laughing):  "It's okay...I was just worried..."

Her:  "I'mOnMyWayOutTheDoorNowI'MSOOOOOSORRY!!!  I just forgot...if you knew my day...."

And I'm like, you don't have to come, it's okay, we'll bring the party to you, yadayada, and she insisted on coming.

Ya know, in my pre-kids days I would've never understood how you could forget your own party....  Now?  (and this lady has four children)  I totally understand...it didn't phase me or really surprise me that much.

And when all was said and done, we had a splendid evening :).

**Can someone tell me why mine always crumbles when I slice it???  It tastes GREAT, but it's hard to get any "usable" squares out of it...am I cooking it too long?  It's the Fantasy Fudge recipe off marshmallow cream.

Scenes from Valentine Tea

Each year's party, at least in most recent years, begins with Noni reading this passage~

"When did you last have a tea party?  When was the last time you enjoyed a cup of tea with someone you cared about?  Isn't it time you did again?

...perhaps the idea of a tea party takes you back to your childhood.  Do you remember dressing up and putting on you best manners as you sipped pretend tea out of tiny cups and shared pretend delicacies with your friends, your parents, or your teddy bears?  Were you lucky enough to have adults who cared enough to share tea parties with you?  And are you lucky enough to have a little person with whom you could share a tea party today?  Is there a little girl inside you who longs for a lovely time of childish imagination and "so big" manners?

It could be that the mention of teatime brings quieter memories--cups of amber liquid sipped in peaceful solitude on a big old porch, or friendly confidences shared over steaming cups.

But even if you don't care for tea--if you prefer coffee or cocoa or lemonade or ice water, or if you like chunky mugs better than gleaming silver or delicate china, or if you find the idea of a traditional tea overly formal and a bit intimidating--there's still room for you at the tea table.  Few can resist a tea party when it is served with the right spirit.

You see, it's not the tea itself that speaks to the soul with such a satisfying message.  And it's not the teacups themselves that bring a message of beauty and serenity and friendship.

It's not the tea, in other words, that makes the teatime special.  It's the spirit of the tea party.

It's what happens when women or men or children make a place in their lives for the rituals of sharing.  It's what happens when we bother with the little extras that feed the soul and nurture the senses and make space for unhurried conversations.  And when that happens, it doesn't really matter what fills cups of holds the liquid.

It really isn't the tea.

It's the spirit of the tea party.

And, it is  in that spirit I offer an invitation to tea."

Excerpted from Emilie Barnes' "An Invitation to Tea".

More to follow...

Mothers and Daughters and Traditions and Tea Parties

Thirteen years ago, my mother-in-law timidly asked me if I'd be interested in hosting a mother-daughter Valentine tea party for my then three-year-old daughter, her first grandchild.  After giving birth to four sons, she was delighted, finally, to have a little girl with whom to celebrate life, and it came eagerly and generously in the form of darling dresses and doll babies, treasures and trinkets. 

And tea sets.  The perfect tea set.

Sarah delighted in little girl tea parties with the joie de vivre of her toddler companion; it mattered not if they were filled with imaginary confections or apple juice and sugar cookies.  Before Rachel had full command of her speech, she was taught how to serve and how to be served, and she had equal affection for both.  Rachel thrived on her Noni's undivided attention, and sometimes they even invited Grandy to join them.  Those tea parties sometimes lasted longer than their real-life counterpart!

Perhaps this was the genesis of Sarah's Valentine Tea Party idea, but I imagine it pre-dated Rachel's birth.  Before the age of ultrasound, every time she was pregnant, Sarah was certain "this time" she'd have a daughter.  Rachel's arrival had been anticipated for 30 years.

Over the past 13 years, the Valentine Tea has taken many forms.  The first few years found pre-schoolers and their mothers arriving dressed in their Sunday best.  In addition to ribbons and lace, the girls were adorned with all manner of grace and "best behavior".  For the first five years or so, we made a card for the fathers (since they weren't invited), and a Valentine-related craft.  The menu was a child's dream--heart-shaped PB&Js, heart-shaped Jello Jigglers, heart-shaped cookies, heart-shaped butter mints.  Fare for the moms was a bit more traditional--chicken salad and croissants, strawberry creme puffs, fresh fruit.

In time, I decided to do something "more" with the Tea.  Intentional about reaching young hearts, for several teas, I read a "moralized" Valentine story to them (you can find a variety of these at your local Christian book seller); other years, attempting to cultivate "other-mindedness", I asked the girls to bring diapers and wipes for us to give to the local crisis pregnancy center.  The last few times I hosted it in South Carolina, the girls could come without their moms, and somehow they always ended up IN the creek in our backyard (the first year that happened, they were still dressing in Sunday best!  Oh, how I remember the mud on one of the girl's white, chiffon-layered, junior bridesmaid dresses...:/).

There were always surcies for mother and daughter, finding perfect treats was one of my favorite parts of the Valentine Tea.  I'd scout all year for "nice" things at bargain prices, then squirrel them away until tea time. 

As a "words" girl, creating each year's invitation has always been fun, too.  Usually, I'd write a poem invite (no surprise there), but over the past few years, I've loved making Stampin' Up creations.  This year's is decidedly non-Valentine-ish--I wanted to stay away from "traditional" pink and red and went with a totally different color scheme. 

When we moved to Tennessee 4 1/2 years ago, I couldn't let our tradition die.  It meant too much to my mother-in-law, and surprising to me, it meant too much to me.  Once again, we tweaked the Tea to fit our stage in life, and it became a family affair--my sisters-in-laws, their daughters, my mother-in-law's best friend and sister-in-law, too.  All the younger girls get to invite one friend along with their mothers. 

I've come to appreciate the tradition of our Valentine Tea.  It provides a sense of identity to the women in our family; it binds us together and strengthens family (and friendship) ties.  It brings a dimension and richness to a holiday known for celebrating romance, and for us, instead, fosters a different sort of "love".

I'll share some pictures from this year's Tea--and from the past 13 years--next week.  Hope you'll check back in :).

Bacon Tomato Cups

Bacony, biscuity, oniony, Swiss cheesery, and (gulp) tomatoey snack GLORIOSITY--

The means to the end:

1 10-count can biscuits
1 pound bacon, crisp-fried, crumbled
2 small or 1 large tomato, seeded, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2-1 cup mayonnaise, enough to bind the ingredients
2 teaspoons basil

Preheat oven to 375ºF.    Spray mini-muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.

Separate biscuits; cut into quarters.

Note:  I've always wondered if there was a difference in taste/texture between plain buttermilk biscuits and the flaky layer version; I bought two small cans and tried 'em both for today.

Take biscuit quarters and press into prepared mini-muffin pans.  Using my almost-as-much-fun-as-my-kitchen-blow-torch Pampered Chef Mini-Tart Shaper makes it easy.

Thumbs are the best tool around for seeding tomatoes.  Slime-a-ly disgusting, yes, but highly effective.

 

If you take your time when you're chopping everything up, it might just end up in perfect piles like this:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. 

The ingredients looks so colorfully appetizing, don't you think?

NOT so appetizing once they're all mixed together--

Scoop out the mixture and fill the biscuit-lined muffin cups; the mixture WILL be taller than the biscuits themselves, which is just fine.

Bake for 20 minutes; remove from oven.  Spoon mixture which has overflowed back into muffin cups; bake for 5 minutes longer.  Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing.

Enjoy!

 

Want the recipe without my running commentary?  As you wish:

Ingredients:

• 1 10-count can biscuits
• 1 pound bacon, crisp-fried, crumbled
• 2 small or 1 large tomato, seeded, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
• 1/2-1 cup mayonnaise, enough to bind the ingredients
• 2 teaspoons basil

Preheat oven to 375ºF.    Spray mini-muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Separate biscuits; cut into quarters.  Spread out in prepared muffin cups.  Combine remaining ingredients in bowl, add enough mayonnaise to bind them together, and fill muffin cups.  Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, spoon mixture which has overflowed back into the cups.  Return to oven and bake about 5 more minutes.  Cool in pan 5-10 minutes before removing.

Additional Cook's Notes:

• I've experimented with other cheeses and varied the ingredients, and this recipe seems to incorporate well just about anything you'd like to try.
• Before filling the muffin cups, be sure to wipe away any excess cooking spray; otherwise it bakes onto your pan and discolors it.
• The aroma from these alone makes this recipe worth trying--even my kids who typically turn their noses up at anything out of the ordinary wandered into the kitchen, curious about what smelled so good :).

Mmmmm, Mmmmm GREAT ~ Bon Appetit!

Are you looking for some delicious Super Bowl recipes?   Some memorable dishes that will make your party, large or small?  Snacks, finger foods or entire spreads that satisfy your ravenous, Super Bowl appetite?  Well, then...just scroll down to the links below and I think you'll find plenty of what you're looking for. 

Feel free to add links to your own recipes or to others you've found on-line...then, whenever you're looking for the recipes, you'll know where to find them the next time!

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Thank you for joining this month's Recipe Round Up as it joins Snackalicious Super Dishes!  In honor of the Super Bowl, the theme is crowd-pleasing snacks (savory or sweet).

Full details for each carnival can be reached by clicking the links attached to their names, and in summary, please note:

1)  Recipes can be newly posted, archived posts, or even recipes you've read on other blogs and/or food sites (just be sure to give credit where credit is due).
2)  Please link the permalink, not your main blog page.  Include your name or blog name AND a brief title for your recipe.
3)  A drawing for one of 13 cookbooks will take place from all entries received on Monday, January 28th; additional entries can be earned if you also include a Snackalicous button in your sidebar and/or write a brief post for the joint carnival.
4)  Today and over the weekend visit as many participants as you can...let 'em know you checked in, and take notes for your own Super Bowl Commercial Viewing Party.

If you still have questions, please drop me a line.  In the meantime, it's not too late for you to thumb through your favorite recipes, write a post and then share them with a few of your friends. 

My stomach is grrrrrowling already :).

Fun Monday, Soooo Sweet!!

Beckie over at Give it a Try is this week's Fun Monday hostess with the mostest.  Here's her directive:

"I want to know what your favorite treat is.  Is it sweet or sour?  Is it plain or salty?  Is it candy or chocolate?  Is it homemade or store bought?  For instance, if your favorite is chocolate, tell us what kind specifically - sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes not so much.  I have heard a lot of talk about Junior Mints, but is it your favorite or just a tasty treat?  It can be anything, popcorn, peanuts, ice cream or chips, maybe you have more than one favorite - that is ok, just show us your favorite(s) and tell us why you like it so much.  C’mon, what gets you all juiced up?"

I wrote this post from memory, on my laptop when I didn't have access to wireless, and unfortunately, my memory was a bit sketchy...I thought Beckie had asked us to write about SWEET things in particular.  And, just the thought of all my favorite sweets (does having more than one "favorite" negate my ability to use the word "favorite", because I love each and every one equally...totally depending on my mood and for what my uber-ugly tongue has a taste) rendered me hyperglycemically happy--a calorie-free, mental sugar high.  This sweet euphoria released a bit of manic poetry, so without further ado, I offer today's Fun Monday:

An Ode to All Things Sweet

“Life is short,” it is said, “Eat dessert first!”

A philosophy perfect to me.

The only dilemma that scrambles my brain

Is when choices are more than just three.

 

You see, I was made with more than my share—

One sweet tooth just wasn’t enough.

Instead I am blessed with a dozen or more

To make a decision is tough.

 

There’s no such thing as a “favorite dessert”

Why limit myself to just one?

When dozens of treats are calling my name

Pick one? No, I’d miss too much fun.

 

Just thinking about my fav-o-rite sweets

Puts an instant smile on my face.

Dinner is simply a means to an end—

“Hurry, finish your long-winded grace!”

 

Italian Cream Cake, scrumptious tiramisu,

Have GOT to top any list.

Close in pursuit: luscious crème brulee

Chocolate cake? No way to resist!

 

And ice cream, dear ice cream, sweet treat of youth

In a bowl, topping cone, on a stick.

Delighted to try different flavors,

But chocolate I ALWAYS will pick.

 

And candy, oh my, I’m starting to shake

All this sweet talk is making me dizzy!

How 'bout cashews and popcorn and barbecue chips,

With Vanilla Coke, delightfully fizzy.

 

Hershey Kisses and Turtles and ol' Baby Ruth,

Yikes!  You're learning so much about me.

I love M&Ms, peanut, of course--

Time to go, 'cause now I'm hungry!

Be sure to visit Beckie for the rest of the Fun Monday players!

 

Photocredits:

Cool cake at the top

Tiramisu: Marmalade Mel at Flickr

M&Ms

Edy's Chocolate Ice Cream

Note to self: Don't drink caramel macchiatos at midnight :/

Scenes from some Potter parties in the Tennessee Valley last night...

We had to park at the opposite end of the Barnes & Noble parking lot.  I haven't seen this strip center this crowded since last CHRISTMAS!

This is a perfect display that has been taunting Harry fans for weeks now at B&N.  Thing is, rabid readers haven't read 3,440 pages...that's just silly!  I wouldn't call myself a rabid fan and I've read 6,880 pages (at least each book twice).  Rachel?  Now SHE'S a rabid fan....it wouldn't surprise me if she's read over 15,000 Potter pages...

We didn't stay at B&L long, it was uncomfortably hot and crowded...and the strangest costumed people I've ever seen NOT at Halloween--not even (all) Harry Potter-ish.  I mean, I saw a GROWN MAN (gray goatee) wearing a FULL Batman jumpsuit!  If that wasn't odd enough, he had a DIAPER on on the outside of it!  No...I didn't ask if I could photograph him...I was too creeped out.

Before moving on to our REAL Potter party where we pre-bought our copy Books a Million, we stopped at Starbucks for some caffeine to keep me up until the bewitching hour a tall caramel machiatto breve.  Mmmmmm. 

We saw some interesting people at BAM...the stars came out (the B ones, not the A list...no Harry, Ron or Hermione :( ).

A young Draco Malfoy...

Professor Trelawney...

And lovable Hagrid

Here we are waiting in line...a picture we took to text to my niece who was at a party in Florida.

This was the scene 12 seconds after we had our book in hand (I'm using the term "we" here VERY loosely...I haven't touched it yet).

It's 8:00 in the morning...while I was typing this, Rachel came out of her room dazed and confused.  I asked her if she had slept.  Somewhat off balance she said "No."  "Are you done?"  "No, but I think I'm gonna sleep a few hours...you can start reading if you want."

So...with that I'll bring this post to an end :). 

But not before sharing what my daughter said, the purist who thought Rowling should stop writing (publicly) as monument to this series (because all future writing of hers would be compared against it), who thinks Harper Lee is wonderful because she had one shabang with "To Kill a Mockingbird".

With a glazed look of adoration,

"I've changed my mind...J.K. Rowling NEEDS to keep writing.  She's genius!"

Before and After and Soooo Worth the Wait

The 80s were a fantastic decade for a host of reasons other than big hair, questionable fashion, and a seemingly endless supply of brat pack movies.  Home decor included a superflurity of floral Waverly wallpaper patterns seen over and over and over and over and over again.  And again.   Even into the 90s.  And whatever you call "now". 

After a while, as beautiful as the swirling, colorful petals and leaves were, they got tired.  Or maybe I just got tired of them.

When we moved to Tennessee I-cannot-believe-it's-been-this-long four years ago, the house that eventually evolved into our home was dated.   Every wall was a non-descript white, or everything was woodsy and masculine, or everything was tired wallpaper.  I guess I'm not using the word "everything" properly, but because I'm plum tuckered out from all that florid wallpaper, I'm not reaching very deeply into the vocabulary word bank, plus I'm going for effect here.  I want you to be tired, too.

Redecorating our home to look more like "us" came slowly.  We just weren't sure we were gonna stay in Tennessee:  1) the people sure talked funny (they all turned "riiiight" at the "liiiight" wearin' "whiiiiite" all "niiiiiight"...I bet you Southern bigots think "we" all sound alike;) ) and 2) we sure did miss God's Country South Carolina, where a) everything we needed was within a three-mile radius, and b) every place we LOVED (beach, mountains, beach, family, beach, friends, beach, college games, beach) was within a few hours' driving distance.

Fast forward four l  o  n  g  years and we're spiffing the place up a bit.  Y'all already know about our bathroom renovation because I mentioned it over SEVEN months ago and then again when we had a slight malfunction.  And, honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if writing this danged post is gonna take as long as the actual renovation because I started it a month ago!   Loading this many photos is a pain when you're anal about positioning pictures...and get easily distracted...and you're in contention for the Queen of Procrastination...and unlike a lot of bloggers who worry they'll run out of things to say, well, that doesn't creep into the tiniest crevices of my cortex. 

So without FURTHER ado, I'm just gonna post 'em, before and after, and I'll arrange them more nicely later.  Maybe. 

Oh, yeah.....if I totally inserted my OPI-polished and toe ring-adorned foot in my mouth because you have BEAUTIFUL 1980 Waverly wallpaper hanging from your every room...PUH-LEASE forgive me...I do that sometimes, and I'm sure in your home it's simply gawgeous :).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * * * * * * *

Since my blog IS a journal after all, and I sometimes write things here I don't wanna forget, it seemed like it might be a good idea to record all the things that ... slowed us down along the way.  Hmmmm, let's see if I can remember them all:

1)   Our tile guy, K, is a perfectionist.  He used three times the amount of tile others would have used to make sure all the seams matched perfectly. 

2)  Due to 1 above, we had to re-order tile.  Twice.

3)  K is also a very nice guy and likes to talk...a lot a good conversationalist.  I discovered it best for me to lock myself in a closet, or scrub my toilets, or the neighbor's toilets, or the neighbor's neighbor's toilets, or immerse myself in blogging reading or writing so as not to slow him down. 

4)  When the cabinets came in, one of them did not have holes drilled for the shelves.  Tad could've fixed that, but there was no margin for error--the holes that needed to be drilled were on the side of the cabinet facing my sink (shown above); one sneeze, one slip, and...we would've had a view finder.  We don't need no stinkin' viewfinder peering into my cabinet.  They sent someone out to fix it and it actually took about two hours.  I figured it would've taken five minutes.

5)   The holes drilled through my granite counter top for the faucets (again, my sink, not Tad's :/) were slightly off the mark; the base of the faucet couldn't lie flush with the counter; the granite people had to come back to fix it. 

6)  The valve for the shower had a factory defect.  Of course, we didn't know that when it was installed.  It leaked.  The back wall had to be cut out to fix it.

7)  After #6, Tad and I were out a dinner one night with some friends.  The kids called us.  They were watching television when all of a sudden, water started dripping through the light.  Tad calmly explained TO MY TEN YEAR OLD where to go cut off the water.  I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO CUT OFF THE WATER!!  It's under the house I think.  If I'm not mistaken, they've found dead rodents and snakeskins under there. 

8)  After the SECOND leak, we tried to schedule K to come back and fix it.  He's a one-man show, so it was "gonna take a few days" to get back to us.  After a week, I called him, only to find out his stepfather had just died.  I ended up calling another plumber to fix it.  I lucked out, he was a made-for-tv plumbing stud. 

9)  Oh, yeah, before ANY of the above.  We had to choose the tile, the design, accents and hardware, and for heaven's sake, grout!  Do you know how many colors of grout there are?!  Do you understand I CANNOT MAKE A DECISION???

10)  Tad painted the walls above the tile.  Up until that point, we loved every choice we had made. 

11)  Because we didn't love or barely like 10 above, we decided to wallpaper.  By this point my design friend Jennifer had entered the picture.  It's nice having help with these decisions.

12)  Because of the leak in the shower, as you've seen before, the floor had to be ripped out :(.   Then, we had to order more tile.  By this point, K was feeling reeeaaalll sorry for us and scheduled us quickly. 

12a)  Which reminds me, the first time he tiled the threshold, he didn't bank it enough towards the shower for the water to run into it; he fixed that the second time around. 

13)  Finally, it was time to hang the wallpaper.  I decided to use the person recommended to us by our painter (who died the day he finished our house).  This was NOT a good decision :(.  There are gaps in the seams in places and I'm STILL waiting on her to return to fix it >:(.   I THINK he recommended her to score brownie points--she told me he had asked her out twice in the past (she never accepted).  She hadn't even heard about his death til I told her...

Okay...I know you're just here for the pictures.  That's fine, lol, the rest really IS for me :).  There is no test to prove you read beyond the first sentence ;).