Coolest Shutters EVER

While driving up to NY last week, we stopped to get gas. Sitting in the back of the van, I glanced over and saw this house.

I began to giggle. It was so very cute to begin with, but the shutters, OH, the shutters!!!

EVERYONE should have polka dots on their shutters. EVERYONE!

I Was Only Half Joking About the Turquoise

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of painting my living room turquoise. I realize I have red couches, but after looking through a bazillion red/turquoise google images, I've decided that I really like the combination.

credit

The color of my living room right now (vanilla brandy AKA tan) is nice, but there is just too much beige/tan in the room what with the walls, carpets, and floors. I'm craving a little more color diversity. And I just happen to really like turquoise and red. Maybe I'm crazy, but I found a lot of great red/turquoise room inspiration in this post at House of Turquoise and this post at Odi et Amo.

To test the turquoise and red shark infested waters, I carried one of my hall rugs and the bolt of red couch fabric to my upstairs turquoise room. I wanted to see how they all meshed together.

The turquoise of this wall is a bit washed out in the picture. It's much more turquoise in person. However, I like the overall effect. I think it really brings out the little bits of blue in the carpet.

The tan in the carpet meshes beautifully with the downstairs hardwood floors. Of course, I am somewhat concerned that I'll end up with a red/white/blue Americana effect - but I can avoid that if I avoid American flag pillows in my living room. Right??

This is all in the contemplation stage. I'm not going to rush to Lowes and buy 2 gallons of Parakeet Pete turquoise and repaint the living room tomorrow. I've lived with the Vanilla Brandy tan in the living room for over a year now. I'm still not in love with it, but I don't hate it either and I don't feel the need to change it immediately. My biggest objection to the tan in my living room is that it makes me think of the "people" colored crayon I used as a kid in coloring books. Is that a valid reason to discount a wall color??

So, what do you think folks? Should I give turquoise a shot? Or have I lost my marbles?

Home Improvement Plans - An Ongoing Process

The Professor and I have so many different ideas and plans for the house. Sometimes, I have trouble focusing on just one plan at a time in my head. Therefore, I'm writing them down here and will return to them periodically to help keep me focused. They aren't in any particular order. So, here are my lofty 2010 goals (of which, I'm sure not even half will be accomplished)...

The Professor's Goals:

1. finish installing kitchen counter tops, sink surround, backsplashes, and kickboards
2. run additional electrical wiring through the center walls of the upstairs and install extra electrical sockets in the upstairs bedrooms (which currently have 1 measly socket per room)
3. run internet wiring through the attic/into the walls
   
4. lay down plywood over the rafters throughout the whole attic to cover up the insulation and create gobs more storage space
   
5. run more lights throughout the attic
6. install a pull down ladder over the attic opening
7. replace all old and outdated plumbing with flexible PEX piping to prevent potential freezing and to fix our kitchen/laundry room water pressure problem
8. install an overhead light in the second half of the living room
9. seal up the foundation before next winter
   
10. install a railing around the upstairs porch roof

My Goals (with the understanding that 1) I'm crazy and always set too many unrealistic goals for myself & 2) I'll be lucky to do half of these and any success is largely dependent upon funds & baby... he can learn to wield a hammer at an early age, right?):

1. set up the nursery
2. baby proof the house
   
3. finish hanging mirrors
4. hang pictures/art throughout the house
   
5. finish organizing all of the miscellanea in the upstairs
6. clear out the dining room and adjacent closet
   
7. organize all tools into a centralized tool box and location (i.e. downstairs walk in closet)
8. clear out and organize the dining room and adjacent closet so that the dining room might be used as an actual dining room
9. convert under the stairs closet into a pantry (with lighting?)
   
10. build in shelving in random kitchen nook
    
11. finish replacing and caulking all of the windows
12. weed out and dispose of unwanted furniture; refinish and rearrange wanted furniture
    
13. sew duvet covers for down comforter and guest room comforters
14. sew couch pillow covers to cover up heinous faded floral pattern
    
15. sew sheer curtains and window trimmings/drapes for all of the windows in the house
16. remove kitchen destruction debris and other things cluttering the backyard
17. clear out and organize the cellar
18. clear out, gut, and organize the Sandwich Shoppe
    
19. build radiator boxes before next winter
20. put up crown molding throughout the house
21. update inside doors, install door knobs, fix door jambs/frames
    
22. put in a coffered ceiling in the living room (recessed lighting?)
    
23. paint and decorate the upstairs bedrooms
24. build a built in bookcase in the office area
25. organize shelving in the upstairs hallway using baskets/crates
    
26. Plant a small herb garden and put a hard to kill plant in every room
27. put cabinets/counters/sink into the laundry room
28. build in a china cabinet like structure in the dining room nook
29. replace laundry room door/weatherproof front and side door
30. build furniture you like using plans from Knock Off Wood
    

Big Long Term Plans That Most Probably Won't Happen This Year

1. Upstairs bathroom addition on top of the current downstairs bathroom
   
2. Make the Sandwich Shoppe habitable (real floors/walls/ceilings/insulation, etc.) and open it up to the rest of the house
3. completely renovate both bathrooms
4. put a bathroom in the sandwich shoppe
   
5. Raise the kitchen and dining room ceilings
6. Put in fencing and a garden in the back yard

I'm probably forgetting many things, but this is the running list of what's been swirling around in my head lately. Maybe now it can stay on the blog and leave my head alone. No? Didn't think so.