I thought I would try out a new design and layout for the blog. What do you think of it? Do you like it better? Worse? Is this format more readable? The old format seemed a bit too cluttered for me, and I want to make your visit as pleasant as possible, so please tell me what you think!
Funny how summer weather has that affect on people…
I find that I have been busier in the week following vacation than I have been for a while. Perhaps it is because coming home after an absence gives you a fresh perspective- you notice things that before you had passed a million times a day. I noticed areas where there were organizational "road bumps", where things were continually not getting to their assigned "home", so I had to rethink a few things. The whole house could use a fresh coat of paint, frankly, as three years of toddler hood have been rough on the flat, builder’s beige walls…it is definitely something I hope to accomplish before the summer is out. The carpets desperately need a hard scrub for much the same reason. These are two things I wish we had done as soon as we moved in- repainted the flat walls with eggshell in a pleasant color, and Scotchguarded the carpet! Such are the learning experiences of a first time homeowner, so I thought I’d share in case anyone is heading down that road soon. *smile* That, and always measure three times before ordering anything for the home!
I mentioned a few posts ago about a book called Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson, and I must say, it’s on my wishlist for our personal library! I have turned to it so often (and have renewed it three times now) that I can’t imagine what it was like before! Some of the solutions are quite common sense, but she goes into such depth on things that I finally understand ‘why we do it that way’. I found solutions to some personal stumpers, like the dirty exterior window sills that collected mold…for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to get it clean and keep it clean. Not anymore. It’s almost like a "home keeping" dictionary. I am beginning to think that this book and the Joy of Cooking will become my "go-to" wedding or housewarming gift.
So there you go. My heart has been with hearth and home these days…and somehow, I think it’s a wonderful thing. Rebecca Sower is contemplating this as well in her recent post here. I have been enjoying Anna’s descriptions of little changes she has been making lately here . And this blog The Mayfly, is just pure eye candy and inspiration for an artist’s soul.
So tell me, what do you think? What summer projects are you planning on, looking forward to?