Austin

Here are some highlight pics from our trip to Austin last weekend for Father's day...of course, we had Maudie's but we also managed a trip to one of our favorites:

The cows at the Arboretum and some Amy's Ice Cream!

That is one of my favorite things to take the kids to do...however, I am a little sad that the Arboretum just seems to be getting a little sad and run down these days. I think they have just lost a lot of tenants because of the Dominion.

Pat had a small show at a ranch while we were in and the kids got to go...they had a ball!

Countertops!

*Warning, if reading about my countertop choices sounds exceedingly boring, read no further.*

Choosing countertops is giving me an ulcer...do people still get ulcers? Maybe that was hot in the 90's, I'm thinking people don't get them anymore. Well, I might be being a little dramatic, maybe.

The thing is, I love honed white calacatta counters but Pat is really against white counter tops. So my second choice, I think, is soapstone. However, people will tell you how terrible it is and then the next person will tell you how wonderful they are...it is very confusing. Also, I feel like if the counters aren't great, it brings the entire kitchen down. So after several trips to various stone yards, I think that I have chosen a couple of slabs. They are soapstone so I will let you know a year from now how I feel about them. They have some crazy veining...

Here it is next to calacatta marble

Here are some of the other things I came across:

 Above is "Green Leather" Soapstone...it is definitely not for me. Of course, it is much cheaper...that is the story of my life.

Above is a more traditional soapstone without the treatment to make it darker...I like it, but I went with the crazier veining in the first picture. I am happy to have made the decision but my 1998 ulcer is still flared up worrying that I made the wrong decision!

Finds

Well, I have posted about Uncommon lighting before but here are a few more great things I found...

These are some old gas knobs that we are going to refinish and use as pulls on the island...I think that they will turn out to be really interesting.

I love this chandelier...they finish it however you like. It is really supposed to be a massive two-tiered chandelier, but I don't have the luxury of the space do something this large. So this is a possibility for the dining room.

 I also love these guys for above the island but sadly they are not large enough.

Soooo...the one I may end up with is very different from all of these guys and maybe a little more boring. I am officially not very smart about how to get photos onto my blog but the link is in the previous post and is called Paris Flea Market chandelier.

ceiling lights PARIS FLEA MARKET CHANDELIER

ceiling lights PARIS FLEA MARKET CHANDELIER

Rainey's Birthday

Well, after celebrating Rainey's birthday for what feels like a solid 2 weeks, we have come to the end. It's crazy to me that she is 5, I am thinking I have counted wrong...seriously. Anyway, it was a fun time. We celebrated in Tyler on her real birthday and here at home with some of her school friends.

We, of course, couldn't resist this cake since she is the girliest of girls...I know it's cliche.

Oh yes, we did!

Also, sadly this is not my fabulous new dining room, so don't get excited. Here is her "birthday table":

Some of friends celebrating with us...

These were also the fun favors we sent home after I got them good and sugared up at the party. (Your welcome, everyone!) They are from Jenspopshoppe.com and they are yummy. They were hard to see in this picture but they were really detailed and cute. I wish I had the patience to make things like this.

I have some fun things to post about the kitchen later this week... I have actually ordered several things and am making progress. We will hopefully finish someday, it has been slow go lately with nothing really new to show. Strike up the Tejano band...

Progress?

Well, we are moving in the right direction...window disaster averted. (Kind of) Now we will have to sets of windows that match with a larger distance between the sets. This is why you need a real designer!

Also, now we have a lighting snafu.

Today, I said to the contractor, "Look at these cool lights I found to go over the island." Blank stare.

Me: What's wrong?
Contractor: What lights over the island?
Me: The lanterns I wanted over the island
Contractor: You didn't say you wanted lanterns over the island.
Me: Remember about how I made a big deal about how I wanted the beams centered over the island so that the lights would be centered between the beams?
Contractor: I thought you meant that light.
Me: Blank stare...the recessed light?
Contractor: yes
Me: hmm...I think I did say light...I meant chandelier.

Lesson: I say light, you say chandelier...apparently not the same thing.
Anybody need a designer job?

It would maybe would have helped if I showed the poor guy the sketches I made before 6 weeks into the project. He said next time we do a project I want to see the sketches before we start. Hmm, that is a really clever idea. I was maybe going for the element of surprise. If so, then I have accomplished my mission.