Happy Halloween!!!

So I'm decked out today in my FIVE DOLLAR Sookie Stackhouse costume. You heard me right!

Jeans and Sneakers: Already had, obvi.
White Tee from Forever 21: $3.50
Iron on transfer paper: Had in my stash already
Green fabric for apron: 1/4 yard at 4.99 a yard, $1.25
Green thread and ribbon to make apron: Already in my stash
Fake Blood: $1.99 at Target, BUT THEY FORGOT TO RING IT UP! So, free!

So far only ONE person at work has guessed who I am (WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?! WHAT DO YOU ALL DO ON SUNDAY NIGHT?!), but whatevs. I LIKE my costume, so there :)

Last night Boy and I made Jack Skellington cupcakes. I made a double batch of my usual chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing. We (and by "we" I mean "BOY BY HIMSELF") decorated the cupcakes with black glitter icing to look like Jack Skellington. DOPE! They came out adorably and I'm so happy to have figured out my husband has mad cake decorating skills. We had so much fun doing these together! We ended up with 3 dozen cupcakes . . . 12 for my office, 12 for his and 12 for an event this weekend.

So, in related and probably obvious news, that mythical second trimester burst of energy has ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO ME, OMG, HOORAY! I have a mental to do list every night, which I almost never get all the way through. Here is an sample list:

1. Tell husband X, Y and Z stories from the day
2. Do 40 minutes of yoga
3. Bubble bath! Read!
4. Make something nice for dinner
5. Watch Colbert and Daily Show with husband
6. Oxidize a pile of metal findings
7. Make 10 pieces for the ol' shop
8. Read more!

My lists are AMBITIOUS, YO! Let's also consider that I'm not home from work until 6:45 or 7. So we're talking dinner around 9pm and the rest after. Just a few weeks ago, when I was only making it awake until 10:30 every night, you can imagine how far down my lists I'd get. I was lucky to fit in dinner before passing out. During this last week I've managed to finish EVERY SINGLE THING on my list each night. Including really ambitious stuff like "Silversmith and wrap a friend's birthday present", "Try out my new metal stamping tools" and "End the night by watching The Great Pumpkin whilst eating popcorn".

SERIOUSLY, you guys, I would be quite happy to remain 3 1/2 months pregnant FOREVER. Except for the part where, you know, I do want to meet Bean eventually. And dress him up in silly hats. And nosh on his baby chub. And all that :)

More Cooking, More Questions

When Boy and I were up in Tehachapi we had an amazing dinner at this Latin restaurant near my father-in-law's property. The boys got cuban sandwiches (some concoction of pork in various forms and bbq sauce, it seemed) and I had truly spectacular veggie tacos. I'm always on the lookout for meals that I can pop in the oven and let cook while I work out (Preggo Yoga DVDs!) and this one fit that bill perfectly.

I chopped up a sweet potato, a carrot and a zucchini, drizzled them with olive oil and sea salt and set then, covered in foil, to roast at 350. When I was done with my yoga, I took the foil off the pan, cranked the heat a bit and chopped up some pico de gallo, slivered some green cabbage and doctored a can of black beans with green onions, cumin, oregano and red pepper flake. We ate them with blue corn tortillas.

They came out just perfectly, were really healthy and totally work as "the kind of dinner we can let cook with minimal supervision then eat after we work out" (a category also populated by such favorites as: "baked potatoes with stuff on them", "casseroles" and "big pots of soup").

Speaking of workouts . . . any pregnancy workout DVD recommendations out there? I've got Gabrielle Reece's Complete Fit and Healthy Pregnancy, which I liked a lot in the early months but now seems to require a bit more balance and coordination than I find I have anymore. I also have Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga Short Forms, which I only just started using but feels like a killer workout and is super convenient in that I can pick 15, 30 or 45 minute programs as time allows.

We Went Somewhere (Hint: Not Disneyland)

Boy's dad owns a piece of property in the mountains of Tehachapi, about an hour and a half drive from Los Angeles. It FEELS however, as though it were a MILLION AND A HALF hours from LA. There are trees and clear air and at night we could see SO MANY STARS. Like, woah, with the stars.

We went up there on Saturday and did a little (very light) hiking, cut some fire wood to bring home (Boy and his dad did, I "supervised") and messed around a little with Boy's dad's night vision (!) scope on our way home.

We also found time to take a shot of teh belleh, which is expanding at a mind boggling pace.

I Cooked Something!

Something worth posting and not a baked potato with beans and cheese (shut up!) or vat of rice krispies treats (I mean it, be quiet). Bean is becoming more and more cooperative and allowing me to Eat! Actual! Food! On occasion. Vegetables other than potatoes, even! Good ol' Bean.


Baked Potato and Corn Chowder

- 3 medium sized russet potatoes, rubbed in olive oil and sea salt and set in a 425 degree oven to bake for an hour
- 3 tblsp butter (I used Kerrygold)
- About 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 sweet onions, diced
- 4 large carrots, scraped and diced
- 1 celery heart, leaves and all, sliced
- 2 red bell peppers, diced
- 1 or 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced into half moons (If you have preggo brain and forgot the leeks, no need to get all apocalyptic about it. The soup will be fine without them.)
- 8 cups water and your favorite stock powder, or 8 cups stock
- 3 cups milk (I used 1%)
- 1/2 lb frozen white corn
- 1 can creamed corn
- 1 cup of shredded white cheese (I used a combo of white cheddar and Dubliner)
- At least 1 tblsp cracked black pepper
- 2 sliced green onions


* While potatoes are baking, dice up veg and saute in a dutch oven or stockpot with butter and salt until onions are translucent but not browned (10 mins or so)
* Add stock/water and milk, frozen corn and creamed corn and simmer until potatoes are done
* Slice baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop potato flesh into soup pot
* Stir in black pepper and 3/4 of cheese
* Turn off soup and let rest
* Meanwhile, top potato skins with remaining cheese, broil for a few minutes then garnish with green onions

*** Makes 6-8 bowls of soup ***

Thanks to everyone who responded on the caffeine front. My body is telling me to give it up and I certainly listen when my body tells me it NEEDS HALLOWEEN CANDY, so I really should listen in this case too. I bought myself a nice box of Decaf Irish Breakfast Tea yesterday and made myself a batch of sun tea with lemon. I chugged it all evening and still slept soundly. I've always thought that decaf was sort of pointless, but HOORAY FOR DECAF. I have realized it does indeed deserve a place on store shelves.

Today's minor freakout: When the hell do I take my belly ring out?

Friday Bullets

SOMEBODY is cranky and tired and pregnant and had a little too much rock and roll last night, so instead of a comprehensive, nicely composed post you're getting bullet points. You're welcome.

- The other night Boy was helping me take the groceries up from my car and he said "Oh! Wait! You've forgotten a box of Cheerios in your front seat!" and I said "LEAVE THOSE THERE THEY ARE MY CAR CHEERIOS THEY LIVE THERE!". Yep. Car Cheerios. They're a lifesaver whenever I'm violently hungry and/or barfy and stuck in traffic.

- Last night, while driving home, I managed to get well and truly lost at the intersection of a street I used to live just off of (Sunset) and one I used to live on (Benedict Canyon). I thought up unitl then I'd been escaping pregnancy brain pretty nicely, BUT NO! APPARENTLY NOT!

- I think I should probably just give up caffeine completely. I was never huge on it . . . a cup of black tea every morning in the car, sometimes a second at the office and a cup of coffee each weekend morning. Sometime around 6 weeks black tea started turning my stomach so I switched to herbal tea in the mornings. I gave up my weekend coffee shortly thereafter (I was drinking teeny 4oz cups, if at all, at that point). Now my only indulgence is the occasional iced tea or Coke, but I find even those tiny amounts affect me PROFOUNDLY. I find myself up all night and suffering withdrawal headaches the day after. I do appreciate that an iced tea can help me combat fatigue enough to get through an especially long day, but I'm just not sure it is worth it anymore. Thoughts? What are you planning to do or what did you do during your pregnancy(ies)?

Meet The Bean

Dear Internet:

I have been totally holding out on you. Like, shamelessly. I have been pregnant for THIRTEEN WHOLE WEEKS (and change) and I haven't made one little peep about it. How did I manage such a stunning feat of self control? Well, I'll tell you: I've been writing about it THE WHOLE FREAKING TIME and saving the resulting bits in DRAFT MODE rather than posting them. Heh!

So, without further ado, an oversharing account of my pregnancy thus far including such tasty little morsels as:

How I Found Out!
The Vomitiousness That Is Orange Juice!
- and -
Really, Boobs?! Are You Freaking Serious?!

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Saturday, August 1: Boobs killing me. Attend performance of Spamalot whilst Busting! Out! Of! My! Dress!

Wednesday, August 5: Veggie burgers! Veggie burgers are the best food ever! I COULD EAT NOTHING BUT VEGGIE BURGERS ALL WEEK and then I'd die happy. Cannot wait for our Disneyland vacation because THEY HAVE THE BEST VEGGIE BURGERS THERE! Consume 2 boxes in a span of 3 days. Make special mid-week trip to the store for additional veggie burgers.

Thursday, August 6: As boobs still killing me, buy no wire bras for the express purpose of SLEEPING IN.

Sunday, August 9: Bitter chocolate!!! 85% dark!!! NOM! Assume PMS. Buy maxi pads.

Monday, August 10: Period is due on the 13th. If I take a test now, there is an 83% chance it will be accurate. Pee on stick. Stick says no. Cry. Refuse to go see bands that night as we'd planned. Spend $40 online at website called 'Baby Hopes'. Go to bed early.

Tuesday, August 11: Explicitly tell my mother that I am not pregnant.

Thursday, August 13: GUYS! Miscalculated date period due. DUE FRIDAY NOT THURSDAY. Meaning tested in the 58% accuracy zone instead of 83%. Very silly mistake to have made, but obviously am not pregnant. Buy a bottle of wine on the way home.

- Later that evening -

Pee on stick so that I can drink said wine with a clear conscience. Sit on bed with husband looking at books while stick develops. BASICALLY IGNORE STICK COMPLETELY FOR FIVE MINUTES. Pick up stick, almost as an afterthought. Wonder why there are three letters in the word on stick's digital display. Dumb stick misspelled "no". Heh . . . wait. Why is there a plus sign on stick? Commence flapping wildly. Husband totally confused. Thrust peed-on stick in his general direction. His words: "Shut. Up. Go pee on another."

OF COURSE I AM OUT OF PEE.

Manage a pitiful amount in a cup. Put every test we own (three [3]) in cup. All positive.

Line tests up on bathroom counter. Photograph. Check every hour or so to make sure all are still positive. Shout updates to husband for remainder of evening.

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

File under things they do not tell you (although in this case I think D-crazy DID attempt a warning at one point): So you think because you are pregnant you'll escape your monthly pain and suffering for a while? PFT! You will have cramps FOR THE WHOLE NINE MONTHS (I am assuming, based on 2 weeks experience). Dismal and unexpected development.

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

Oh, hai, headaches! And constant peeing! Happy 5 weeks to us!

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

I am 5 weeks, 3 days pregnant and currently wearing my pants unbuttoned. ALREADY. Not "showing" per-se just So! Freaking! Bloated! At this rate it will be a miracle if I can keep the news to myself for 7 more weeks. And if my belly doesn't give it away, my boobs will. They will need their own ZIP CODE if they get any bigger.

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

I have reached the stage where no food whatsoever sounds appealing to me. I went thorough a thing last week where all I wanted was orange juice. Polished off a half gallon in a weekend. Bought TWO more half gallons at Trader Joes. By the time I got the new OJ home, I had decided it was Liquid Satan. I could picture it sloshing around in my belly all acid-y and REVOLTING. I HAVE TO STOP WRITING ABOUT IT BEFORE I PUKE.

Quite like pineapple though. For the moment.

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

Here's the thing about morning sickness (for me) (so far): It isn't so much that I'm going to puke as it is that NOTHING sounds edible. In the process of trying to figure out just one item that I *could* conceivably eat, I have to consider and reject at least 15 options of variable unsuitability. That process . . . is GAGWORTHY.

Lunchtime is a minefield. I could get a burrito? GAG. Or a salad? RALPH. Maybe a nice piece of pizza? VOMIT. And so on and so forth until I finally decide on ONE! miraculous food that I think I could stomach (i.e.; peas and brown rice, an entire bag of Baked Lays potato chips, etc.). By the time I actually get to eat anything I'm feeling weak and frail from the parade of revoltingness I've just played out in my head.

Not that these food aversions have done anything whatsoever for the fit of my pants. I'm expanding at quite a nice rate, having just purchased Gap jeans in a size 6, where heretofore I've worn 2's.

My husband just told me that I'm still a 2, it is just that the baby is a 4.

Internet, don't we love him?

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

Naps! Naps are freaking awesome!

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Tuesday (Sept. 22) was a BIG DAY. I had my First! Doctor! Appointment! Up until the appointment, nausea, sore boobs and weight gain notwithstanding, I could've *possibly* been making this whole pregnancy thing up. Which, I know, seriously, is the LEAST RATIONAL thought ever to have flitted through my head. But, really? Early pregnancy is WEIRD. You pee on a stick, get all excited and aside from a smattering of weird symptoms you're more or less on your own until that first doctor visit, which, for me, didn't happen until I was NINE WEEKS AND THREE DAYS PREGNANT. Granted, the day I found out I was already at 3 1/2 weeks but the subsequent six weeks of waiting were HORRIFIC and all the while I waited feeling like a fraud.

Not rational. I know. But still.

Within minutes of arriving at the doctor's office I got hooked up to an ultrasound machine and we confirmed that I was VERY MUCH NOT FAKING and INDEED 100% PREGNANT. My doctor's office is pretty high tech . . . they had a huge plasma TV up on the wall for me to watch while the ultrasound tech did her thing. I had Googled photos of 9 week ultrasounds and had figured we'd see a little bean shaped blob, but we got really lucky with the bean's position and we were able to see his* beating heart and his adorable little arms. The technician flipped a switch and a fast paced whooshing noise filled the room. I sat there stunned for a few seconds and finally asked "IS THAT THE BABY?!?!" (aka: "The dumbest question in the history of ultrasounds"). I can't even describe how incredible (and, ok, a little weird) it was to hear that heartbeat and see those little bean arms. There is a person! In my belly! Small and bean shaped and curled up on his side like a little hamster. I love him. Lots.

Which is all well and good because it made the next bit a little easier. I've been dreading the blood test (first of many, I know!) planned for my first visit. I have a *thing* about people touching the insides of my elbows (or the backs of my knees for that matter) so the thought of someone sticking a needle in there and SUCKING OUT MY BLOOD freaked me RIGHT THE FUCK OUT. I'd been building this whole fiasco up in my head for Six! Weeks! and all I can say is that I'm thrilled they did the ultrasound first because by the time the nurse came at me with a needle I'd made peace with the whole procedure as something Bean needed me to do. It really wasn't all THAT bad in the end either. I had my husband there to hold my hand and the nurse was great and got me talking. I chattered away about baby names for the minute or so I spent with an needle in my arm and before I knew it she was slapping on a band-aid.

Leaving Boy and I free to go home and gape at the printouts of our Bean.

* I'm going to be saying "his" until I know for sure. I suspect he's a boy and I refuse to refer to Bean as "it".

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

Maternity pants get such a bad rap, but, you know? They're comfortable. They fit. They don't make me feel like I'm bisecting my Bean ever time I sit down or, you know, BREATHE. The waistbands are pretty ugly on their own, but I can always WEAR A SHIRT OVER THEM. It isn't like I have to TUCK THINGS IN, omg.

My other options are a) Wear the pants I always used to wear, but with a hair tie looped through the button hole and a Bella Band holding the whole lot up. This works pretty well, if I'm going to be mainly standing. Unfortunately, those of us with a penchant for ultra skinny, super low rise denim like me will likely find that sitting in ultra low rise, super skinny jeans rigged up with a hair tie and a Bella Band results in plumbers crack the likes of which would BLOW YOUR FREAKING MIND.

So! For days when I'm not exclusively standing, another option is b) regular pants that are a size too big. These make me look like a hesher circa 1992. So, basically, NO.

Which leaves me with the aforementioned "Not That Bad" maternity pants. I have been cleaning out the clearance section of Gap.com and Oldnavy.com on a pretty regular basis and I've scored quite a few pairs of super cheap, demi panel pants. These in particular were a really great buy (I wear them tucked into tall boots).

In the tops department, I've discovered that anything with side ruching looks totally adorable over my growing bump and makes me feel more PREGNANT than FOND OF DONUTS (<- always nice to be pregnant and not fat)

In short: Maternity clothes are the most comfortable and flattering things in my closet right now. For nights out I still make do with rigging my pants and wearing flowy non-maternity tops. After a few long hard looks in the mirror though, I've decided that for work and for everyday, the maternity stuff really is more flattering. More comfortable and practical to boot. No shame: YEA FOR MATERNITY PANTS!

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

Boy and I went to a dinner party last night and about an hour in the general volume level in the room went up a notch or two and I started wondering why everyone seemed so . . . happy. OH YEAH. Because they'd all got a glass of wine in them.

We ended up the night at a show in Echo Park, where more drinking was done by people other than me, and where I made a pretty startling discovery. I always thought I talked a lot of shit and was generally crap in social situations BECAUSE of the drink or two I'd have to loosen up and relax. It turns out, I talk a lot of shit even whilst sober! I just AM crap in social situations! Hallelujah for deeper self knowledge.

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Handy tip of the week: A great way to get your husband to do the dishes every night is to drape yourself dramatically over the arm of the couch after dinner and moan "I'm sooooo preeegggnannnnnttttt". Invariably, mine will send me off to (read in) (and eat candy in) bed while he cleans up the kitchen.

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Thus endeth this extra long, reader's digest version of my first three months. Boy and I are beside ourselves with excitement and I'm thrilled to finally be able to tell y'all about Bean (aka: Beanie Bug, Bam-Bean-O and "He Who Makes Mama Barfy"). I'm especially thankful that I'll be able to tap the collective knowledge of the blogoverse throughout this adventure (For starters: Guys, really, give it to me straight: are my boobs going to keep growing? I ALREADY LOOK LIKE AN EXTRA ON BAYWATCH, HERE.)

Waffles: NOM!

When I registered for a waffle maker for our wedding, Boy mocked me. Oh! How he mocked me! He figured that it'd be hard to use, hard to clean, and just not something we'd ever pull out of the cupboard.

WELL, GUESS WHAT?

Turns out, I make a mean blueberry waffle. And the whole waffles from scratch deal takes LESS time than my standard eggs and potatoes weekend brekkie. Seriously, guys. 15 minutes TOPS, here. I use the recipe that came with my waffle maker (all standard ingredients we have on hand anyways: flour, milk, egg, salt, sugar, baking powder) and augment it by tossing in a handful of frozen blueberries.

It also turns out that homemade blueberry waffles look pretty dope on my Spode Blue Italian dinner plates.

NOM!

Firing up the ol' hooks

I haven't crocheted anything in eons. Seriously? Like, months and months and months. Over the weekend, though, while flipping through my new Lucky magazine, I saw this:



And, well, CLEARLY, I need that scarf. I need the jacket too, something fierce. But I'll start with the scarf.

So I dusted the cobwebs off of my yarn stash and found this:



Whereas it wasn't exactly black cashmere or alpaca, it WAS fresh off the boat from Ireland (well, my parents picked it up for me in Blarney about 3 years ago) and it is for sure the skein in my collection I've most been wanting to make something special out of.

I flipped through my stitch pattern book and found a spiderweb stitch, which, while it bears no relation whatsoever to the stitch pictured in Lucky, is a SPIDERWEB STITCH and in my current Halloween / Haunted Mansion obsessed state of mind I decided I MUST! TRY!



So, I'm about 3 pattern repeats in and actually really proud of myself for plowing through a complicated stitch pattern after a long crochet hiatus. And if I pull this scarf off? I'm going to get me some nice black cashmere to make another!

Halloween Time!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE FREAKING LOVE HALLOWEEN. It isn't like I get dressed up or anything. Or like we get trick or treaters at the condo (Third floor. Gated. Meh.) Or even like I throw or go to a big party every year. I just LOVE the spooky atmosphere and decorations and the fact that the entire month of October revolves around the eating of CANDY.

If I had it my way, the entire condo would be decked out in fake spider webs, ghost window decals and audio-anamatronic candy bowls right about now. HOWEVER. In an effort to keep Boy from going insane I've kept the decorations to a minumum:

Our baby albino pumpkin, Jack (as in Skellington, not O' Lantern)!

A pumpkin bucket full of Nerds!

And, arguably the best purchase I've EVER made at Target, a portrait of Queen Elizabeth . . .

. . . that becomes skeletal when viewed at an angle and which has CREEPY MUSIC and RED LIGHT UP EYES. (I believe Boy thinks we'll be taking this down after Halloween. Internet, he is mistaken.) (Video, sideways because I thought I'd be able to rotate it, hrumph, HERE.)


We also made a little addition to our DVD collection and I've been eyeing a few cupcake projects on Disney's website to make and bring to work on the 30th.

FUN! What are you doing to get into the Halloween spirit?

Wedding Gifties

One of the best things about having made over our bedroom is that we were able to move things around on the walls and incorporate a few pretty spectacular wedding gifts.

This is going to require backstory, methinks.

So! You know how my parents and I (and now Boy and his family!) have a long history of vacationing at Hampton Court Palace? Well, over the course of many, many years of staying there, we've made great friends with some of the Palace guards. My parents befriended a few guards within minutes of arriving at the Palace for their first stay . . . and you would too. The Palace is notoriously haunted and, if you found yourself in a spot of paranormal trouble, trust me, you'd want the guys downstairs with the big flashlights on your side!

We stayed at Hampton Court for the begining of our wedding trip, and had a little get together for HCP friends on one of our nights there. During that stay, Boy and I got two of, really, the most spectacular wedding gifts. Our friends Trevor and Jackie had a clock made for us by a clockmaker in Hastings, where they live. The clock was carved by hand in the shape of England. It is just absolutely gorgeous and handmade, artisan goods are totally the kind of thing I love. We put the clock up in our bedroom hallway, showcased on its own little patch of wall where we see it several times every day.

Our good friends Patrick and his sister Christine and her daughter Katherine had another spectacular handmade gift crafted for us: A Welsh Love Spoon. Love Spoons are unique to Wales and have a long, rich history. The carvings are all full of symbolism and meaning. The spoon that was made for us includes bells which are symbolic of weddings; a dragon, symbolic of Wales and Celtic knotwork for eternal love. We hug it up by our bedroom door, to make sure that we can't leave the house in the morning without seeing our spoon and remembering our amazing wedding!

Tinkering

Have you guys seen our living room? Have you seen our deck? Not to be a peacock about it, but they're pretty damn gorgeous. We worked hard on them and we love how they turned out. We're proud to have people over and show them off.

Which makes it all the more painful to walk into our bedroom and be surrounded by all the MEH.

We bought new dressers when we moved into the condo. We ripped out the tacky 80s blinds and redid all the window treatments (one of them pretty spectacularly). We put up pictures and things we'd collected while travelling. We bought a new duvet and I sewed up tons of pillows.

And still? The bedroom looks like a furniture wasteland. It is mismatched (not that things have to match) and just incredibly BORING.

Maybe I'm so down on the bedroom since my last bedroom was A FREAKING WORK OF ART. I LOVED that room. I had candle sconces on the wall and mirrors and heavy damask draperies and when I'd light the candles and lie in bed to read I honestly felt like I was at the Four Seasons. It was the perfect bedroom.

Sigh.

One thing Boy and I thought FOR SURE needed to be handled bedroom wise was my book "Situation". I have a great bookcase that my dad and grandpa built for me when I was a baby . . . simple, sturdy and obviously really sentimental. Trouble was, my book collection outgrew those shelves sometime in my second year of college. And yet I've made due ever since then by cramming it as full as possible and stacking books up alongside. On Thursday night at around 3am, that method sorta FAILED:



Boy had the brilliant idea of getting shelving that would span the entire width of our bedroom, under our window. We found shelves at Ikea that were the perfect length . . . just three inches to spare. So we were able to get that great, built in look without having to spend tons of money or actually build anything in.

The building, though, was not all shits and giggles. I'm sure we've all assembled Ikea furniture before and we all know about thier screws and lock bolts. If you haven't screwed a screw in ALL THE WAY you're not going to be able to get a lock bolt over it. And by the time you realize your error you'll have built the entirety of the bookcase and you won't be willing to undo all your work just to tighten one stupid screw. In which case you could leave the bolt off entirely, or you could get medieval on its ass with a jeweler's saw. The choice is yours!

After much wrangling, arranging and vaccuming, Boy and I ended up with this:



Plus side!: My books all fit! Some are 2 rows deep but WHATEVER. At least none are FOUR rows deep anymore.

Negative side: Those of us hoping for a massive, all around transformation (<- me) were left a little disappointed. The bedroom looks better, but it still isn't KILLER. We have an idea or two about rearranging the furniture (and ripping out the old carpeting) which could make all the difference in the world.

For now, though, I'm happy to have a "better" (if not yet perfect) bedroom and a home for all my books! More photos HERE, some of which I'll talk about another day because I've reached my teeth gnashing quota for this post!