We want to put some artwork, a clock or maybe some floating shelves on the wall over the tv.

The couch is from Pottery Barn, the pillows and curtains are from Pier 1, the leaning book case in the corner is from Crate and Barrel, the side table is a hand-me-down stained brown, the coffee table is from T. A. Lorton super discounted, the rug is from Lowe’s or Home Depot, the desk the tv is sitting on was a great find at an antique store, and the chairs are hand-me-downs that we plan to reupholster in a more contemporary fabric.

We wanted to put a bench on the empty wall by the front door so we could sit and take off shoes, etc., and then also put a mirror on the wall instead of the circle wood art. Our problem is the vent that sticks out from the wall – we have to find something that won’t block the vent. The pillows in front of the vent are there because the cats love to sit right in front of the vents when it is cold. The table is from World Market, as well as the art work. The lamp is from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Our dining space is tight. It also serves as the spot I do extra school activities with the kids and as an office space. We bought this small dining room furniture off of Craigslist. The bookcases and cabinets are from Target.

I just love the design of this circle wall art. Once we get a mirror, I think this would look nice over the tv. This wall art is from World Market.

So, there’s our living room/dining space. It is a vast improvement over what we had before and is much more grown-up.

Let’s start with my ironing board cover. It was hideous and I desperately needed a new one. Too much fusible stuff on there. And this was also the board I used to iron our clothes, as well, not just for crafting. Wha?!!! I know, the horror!

So, I found this tutorial and sewed up a new cover. The great thing about the fabric I used is that I found it deeply discounted at Joann’s and it is also material for outdoor use, so it repels water. Awesome! Check one thing off my long list.

Speaking of list, in the next few days I plan to make a list of all the thing I hope to accomplish this year, things that I have been putting off. Oh, and also taking a pic of the livingroom.

In no particular order, but quite possibly the most significant because maybe I think about them the most?:

- losing my grandmother unexpectedly
- finding out a long-ago friend passed away 4 years ago to cancer
- moving to a new state for the first time ever, a new city for that matter
- my babies turning 5 & 6
- celebrating our ten year anniversary
- reconnecting with long lost friends and former students on Facebook
- being quoted in an article
- realizing I want to be a writer (I’m putting that out there so I can be more committed to it)
- running four 5K’s and PRing

It’s been an up and down year, but through it all, I’ve felt truly blessed and I am excited for 2011. Happy New Year!

I’ve been creating in the kitchen, but not a lot has been turning out right. This broccoli and cheese soup and cornbread was about the only winner for the week. As is my tendency, I never can follow a recipe exactly. Well, I did with the cornbread, but I did make some changes with the soup. I added more cheese. I used turmeric. I seasoned it quite a bit. I added honey mustard because I thought the taste might be too bland. Added a bit more pepper for good measure. And then served it to the kids. They loved it! I thought for sure that they would turn their noses up at it. But, no. They genuinely liked it. Mr. M even had seconds. Well, that might have been because I said he had to have seconds on soup if he wanted seconds on corn bread. But, it still counts. :0)
And this cornbread has always been amazing, even the time when I ran out of baking powder and had to use sour cream as a substitute. And even though the corn bread wasn’t quite as fluffy, it still tasted really good.
So, these are both winners in my book. The corn bread recipe is always in heavy rotation and I even use the recipe for my pancakes. Fabulous!

So, to start off, family member having a baby = me deciding it’s time to knit! I have had this yarn (Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran) for a couple of years now. It is wonderful yarn, but I always hesitated to use it because 1) it is hand wash only and 2) whatever project I used it for had to be just right. Well, despite the fact that I’m knitting a sweater for a baby, I think it’s okay that it’s hand wash only. And the pattern, found in Simple Knits by Debbie Bliss, is so adorable that it made sense to use this yarn for it. So things are moving along. I am happy to report that after several months of no knitting, my knitting skills have not fallen off into the abyss. The goal is to finish before said baby arrives. I think I have about 3.5 months. Nothing like a goal. :0)

Oh, and I am working on the blog format. I was not incredibly comfortable in the last format and so am trying something a little more simplistic. Now I just need to figure out the header and the sidebars and I’ll be good to go.

I have some projects I need to work on, so hopefully I be back more with some updates.

And just some pictures of a butterfly our new cat decided to attack.