Nesting Nelly Reporting for Duty

It is happening again... I'm entering into the phase of my life that rears its head every so often. I'm nesting! No, I am not pregnant!!!! I've been like this since I was a small girl and it has continued on into adulthood. I love this time. I always want to know the why of something and this is no different. My kitchen sink psychological analysis leads me to think it is my love of the fall season. Don't get me wrong, I live and die by the hot days of summer, but as soon as I feel the humidity break I get this urge to be 'Susie Freakin' Homemaker'.

I've been scouring cookbooks looking for comfort food. I want to do batch cooking so I have meals and servings of different foods in the freezer. All those rib sticking foods: chili, cabbage rolls, lasagna and stew. You get the idea, I'm sure. I've already made Curry Chicken and Rice, but none of that made it to the freezer.

I haven't even touched on how I get with my house in times like this. I just want to clean and renovate then clean again. I run around like an obssessed and slightly demented woman making lists of what I want to get accomplished. List, lists and more lists. Measuring tape in hand I start making notes and measurements of what is needed, here there and wherever. I just about drive myself crazy and this is where it gets bad, really very bad. I can make lists until I'm blue in the face, and let me tell ya I can really make a list, but if I don't accomplish what I set out to achieve, I get so annoyed with myself. Drive is good to a point, but obssession is a dangerous game.

So, in trying to make myself more accountable I will take this little nesting moment and list the things I want to do to my house in the next little while:

Princess' Room
~touch up paint on Princess' ceiling
~spray paint Princess' window blind gold
~buy, hang and paint new bedroom door
~install new door knob

My Bedroom
~install and paint new bedroom door
~hang shelf (having issues with this one)

Bathroom
~renovate the entire room - waiting on Cute Boy for this one!

Kitchen
~fix drywall
~spackle some drywall screw holes done
~paint kitchen

Spare Bedroom
~Where do I begin?

Garage
~Paint the garage trim to match door and window shutters

This concludes my short list and think this will be enough to keep me busy for a bit. I do need to spend some money to get these jobs finished, but not a lot which is always good. Most of the jobs listed are simple enough I just need some time off to be able to get them done.

Now that I have my list made I'm even more excited! I love my house and fixing it up brings me such happiness, especially now that it is all mine - greedy girl I am. Why does the thought of all this work leave me feeling overwhelmed, but happy as a lark?

The Dog Days of Summer

I'm going to start this entry and just let it fly, not sensor my thoughts but to let it just come from the heart!

I had the most wonderful weekend. I've had many over the last year, but this one was just too awesome.

Cute Boy worked days and I was on evenings on Saturday and off Sunday. I spent Saturday shopping with Cute Boy's daughters. It always seems I follow up with "it would have only been better if Lily were with us". This time is no different! Princess didn't come with us which is too bad. It was a total girl day and one she would have really enjoyed. The girls told me they don't get to shop very often, which in my way of life, believe that is a crime. I have never heard 'Tammy! Tammy! Look at this!, What do you think about this?, Would this work? Tammy! Tammy!" so many times in my life! It was hilarious. I watched Cute Boy's oldest daughter stretch a dollar like nothing else. I was and still am very proud of her. Cute Boy and I parent as differently as any two human beings could, so this shopping trip was just that - a trip. The girls would show me a skirt not much bigger than a tissue and I would just look they knew - Dad will kill one of us, back went the skirt to the rack.

The girls and I picked up Queenie and she hung out with us for a bit. We all headed back to Cute Boy's for a swim after working up a sweat. Being a fashionista is hard work, ya know. I got a small jump on back to school shopping: adorable skirt for Princess and a pair of crazy comfortable looking pants for Queenie. Oh the back to school shopping fun begins.

Sunday was a day of dreams for me. Cute Boy, myself and the three girls were invited to a family barbecue at Cute Boy's sister's home. I love being around his family. They are some of the most incredible people I've ever the honour of meeting. You would never know in a million years that they haven't known me as long as that. They love each other and you can see it in most everything they do with and for each other. The way they treat me is awesome, but the best part for me, is the way they are with Princess. Watching her open up slowly, but open up just the same, around them over time is just the greatest. Princess gravitates to Cute Boy's one neice. I see a lot of Cute Boy's neice in the person I think Princess will grow to become.

I had the absolute best day and know it is days like this recent one that show me just how blessed I am. You can not ask for more than being in a place that brings you joy and peace. That is exactly the kind of day I just lived. I'm still feeling the after glow.

In closing I steal from another blogger, Susan:

Thank for sharing a perfect summer day with me.

Lost - Faith Hill

Lost
Is it obvious to you
When you walk into a room
Your face is all I see
And my heart races so fast
I never knew a rush to feel like that
Every time you're touching me

I never did believe in anything
I couldn't hold between my fingers
But the way you make me feel
It's just so real the way it lingers

I get lost inside your stare
Lost when you're not there
When everything I have doesn't mean a thing
If it's without you
If it's a dream, don't wake me up
I'll scream if this isn't love
If bein' lost means never knowin'
How it feels without you
I wanna stay lost (forever)
(I wanna stay lost forever with you)

No, this feeling doesn't end
It's with me everywhere I am
Hope it never goes away
It's like defying gravity
Losin' all control and bein' free
And I always wanna stay

I never thought that I'd let go
Long enough to fall for someone deeply
Who had the power to erase my fears
And find me so completely
I get lost inside your stare
Lost when you're not there
When everything I have doesn't mean a thing
If it's without you
If it's a dream, don't wake me up
I'll scream if this isn't love
If bein' lost means never knowin'
How it feels without you
I wanna stay lost (forever)
(I wanna stay lost forever with you)
Don't tell me where we're goin'
I don't wanna know
I like the mystery (I like the mystery)
I can't believe we've come this far
So far away from where we started off
You found me when I wasn't lookin'
You found me

Don't tell me where we're goin'
I don't wanna know
I like the mystery (I like the mystery)
I can't believe we've come this far
So far away from where we started off
You found me when I wasn't lookin'
You found me

And now I'm lost inside your stare
Lost when you're not there
And everything I have doesn't mean a thing
If it's without you
Without you
If it's a dream
Don't wake me up
I'll scream if this isn't love
If bein' lost means never knowin'
How it feels without you
Yeah, if bein' lost means never knowin'
How it feels without you
Oh, if bein' lost means that I'm never
Gonna be without you
I wanna stay lost forever
I wanna stay lost forever with you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my new favorite song. Those close to me will know the reason for this fitting my life perfectly right now. The timing is perfect. When I was at the Faith and Tim concert in June, Faith sang this most beautiful song. I was on my way home from work last night when this song came on the radio. I was torn between the smile that kept taking over or the tiny tears rolling down my cheeks. Being a smitten kitten is one of the sweetest feelings I've ever experienced.