Big changes

This is what my kitchen sink usually looks like:

I have a drainer on one side, and dirty dishes on the other, waiting to be washed, rinsed, stacked in the drainer to dry, and then put away.

. . .

This is what my kitchen sink looks like today:

Our first improvement is right here, this lovely single basin sink and pull-out faucet will greatly facilitate cleaning those few items that won't fit into our next improvement:

A dishwasher! Ta-Da!

My Sister

I went to visit my sister today with my kiddos.  We try to arrange play days when school is off.  During the course of the day we chatted and she told me a terribly funny story about her birthday weekend.  I was laughing so hard my stomach muscles were cramping.  But it was awful too.  It was such a sad birthday to have in some ways.  Just a bad day that happened to come on what should have been a good day.  But she said there were bright spots in it too.  And at the end of the day, when she was writing in her journal, she remembered the bright spots.  She looked for the beauty.  And by today, she was able to laugh while she told me all the drama of it.  She has so much talent for so many things that I can't even wrap my attention around.  She makes simple things special and beautiful with her detailed touch.  She's an awesome auntie to my girls, and my boy.  She's always willing to have a sleepover party with them, and she makes it fun!  She is a remarkably talented woman and I look up to her, as I always have, and always will.  She's my big sister, and I love her.  Happy Birthday!

Recent Projects

I built these shelves entirely by myself, from the lumber store to the finished product.

They work pretty good as bookshelves, huh?

But the real purpose is to organize our shoes. I just smile every time I walk past this beauty. A shelf for every person.

I also decided I needed bigger couch pillows that offered more support. Voila.

I didn't realize how much like a Harry Potter jersey they looked like until they were done. Oh well. They are suede and really comfy.