Tile for the Bathroom...Take 2

OK-round two. We went to another tile store and we liked their variety much better. The main problem with this bathroom is that we have no idea what we want for it. The shower is white ceramic tile with a royal blue accent tiled stripe. But, the shower curtain really covers the shower and you cannot tell what it is unless it is being used. Therefore, I am not sure if we need to match the floors with the shower or not??? Sami really likes the natural stone look, but I worry that it may clash with the ceramic? So, for the upstairs bathroom:
These greenish tiles are 6x6. We probably like them the best.
We also choose some natural stone. A bluish and a redish. The red is brighter in this picture than in real life and we would do these in 6x6 as well.
OK-these I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!! This would be for the downstairs b-room. I originally wanted to do marble hexagons, but hello $45 a square foot. Then we found some ceramic white hexagons for $5. Much better. But I have to wonder if it would make our bathroom look like a public toilet? Then I found these lovelies. Same idea as the white ceramic hexagons, but a bit more modern and funky at the same time. Of course, they are pricey, but we shall see how sweet I can be to Sami. :)

20 bags of mulch.

This was a big weekend for garden projects. Sami was busy in the veggie garden planting tomatoes and peppers in the raised beds and pots. And, we finally got around to filling the perennial gardens around the inside perimeter of the veggie garden. Sami cut down some down cedars to line the paths. Now we just have to haul about a ton of mulch to fill the walking paths.

As for the flower beds. I planted some annuals and then used 20 bags of mulch on the flower bed in front of the porch. During this process, I managed to hurt my sciatic nerve in my back. I know, I know, I should take it easy, but it is difficult now that I have finally stopped puking, to sit still.

Bela Pie Butler Grover chilin in the mulch.

Here are also some new flower boxes on the porch. Yes, there are plastic, but the ones I really love are copper and metal and cost $150 each! I cannot justify spending $600 on 4 pots when we have a little one on the way. Or possibly ever.

Spring Blooms and Beeswax

Here are the Rhododendrons in the front of the house. I have never seen them bloom. They really are quite a sight to see.


So, new to the potting shed, are these window boxes. I painted them teal to add a little zest and planted them with vine-like annuals. Baby petunias, sweet potato vine, snapdragons, and some beautiful red vine that I forget the name of. :)


The bees have been busy creating burr comb. Because there was extra space between the frames, they created this stuff. It is amazing how they manage to create each hexagon exactly the same size. And here is a close up of some baby bee larvae. In case you were wondering what baby bees may look like.

Shiitake Logs

Here is an update on the shiitake log saga. Here are the logs against the side of the barn. Then Sami shocked one of them in the creek. This is supposed to get them growing. And finally, we have a mushroom! Our hopes are that this log will really go crazy and produce several more shrooms. We shall see.

Beautiful Iris Bed

The Iris bed has just bloomed and it lovely. I wish it would stay like that all summer.

Shakori Hills

PaperHand Puppet Parade

Sami watching Town Mountain Bluegrass

Jess, Laura, Lauren, Fransesca, Carrie, Sami

Lala's new beautiful Mexican Indian Moccasins

Our little baby's beautiful Mexican Indian Moccasins. I couldn't resist. Squeal! (Apologies for the double chin in this shot)

On Sunday, Sami and I headed to Shakori Hills Music Festival for a few hours of good music, good friends, some dancing, and a whole lota hippies. Every time we go, we wish we would have camped. We did camp about 3 years ago and it poured rain the entire time, so I think that has turned us off, but no that we will have a little pumpkin head and a bell tent, we will give it another try.

BEEEEZZZZZ

Guy Smiley (Kris) is helping Sami feed the bees

Here are some photos of my brave little beekeeper taming the thousands of bees in out 2 hives.

30 Birthday Surprise!

Ahhh, the big birthday surprise. For the last 2 weeks Sami has refused to tell me what plans we has on Friday night...the big dirty thirty. I figured it must be dinner and maybe a surprise gift. I never imagined my entire family showing up in NC. After brunch and pedis with the gals I went home and took a cat nap with Sami. Then I began to get ready for "the night". I was frusterated because I didn't know what to wear since I had no idea what we were doing. And, I started to feel a bit sick. I almost said let's scratch the whole night. But we made it out the door. As we entered Carrboro I realized that it was 2nd Friday. A night of art and hors douvres. We pulled into the ArtsCenter I I figured Sami must have bought me some art. However, as we enetered and turned the corner I quickly discovered the entire Wiggans clan plus a few extras. I was in shock, but very excited. After a million hugs we went to Lala and Jessi's to open presents and relax before dinner at Crook's Corner. It was an amazing weekend and full of laughs. Thanks again Mimi, Debi, Mike, Sarah, Laura, Teri, Sam, Jessica, Joe, Christi, Casey, Natalie, Tommi, and Kris. And a huge thanks to Sami!

Brothers
Parents


The tables at Crooks


Mimi...hehehe Christi sneaking in

A bit of after dinner silliness

30 Birthday Surprise! con't...

(Natalie and Wini)

(Jessica Lynn and Nadine Jr.)

(Sarah and me, do we look alike?)

(Sweet Parmi and a sweet potato)

(Casey and Natalie P)

30 B-Day Outing

(At the Weathervane)
I started the day with a great brunch and celebratory flute of Prosseco with Amy and Rachel. Then off for our tri-yearly b-day pedis. It was fabulous. And as a surprise from Sami, I got this beautiful arbor created by a local metalsmith. It is made from old transition parts. My very first yard art. A fitting 30th birthday gift.

Bathroom Tile

Since it rained yesterday, Sami and I went to the tile store to check out inventory for our downstairs spare bathroom and the upstairs bathroom. We are waiting to tile out master b-room because we eventually want to remodel it a bit. So, I need help. Picking tile is overwhelming. We ended up finding a few we liked. For the downstairs b-room, I think we are leaning towards white hexagon tile.

For the upstairs we have picked some very different tiles. Sami really likes the rough stone look and I am leaning towards a polished funky fun tile. This will eventually be a kids b-room. (but since there is just a stand up shower, it may be years) The stone tiles are blue, terra-cotta, and a yellow. I think we like the red or blue the best. We will be choosing just one coler, but I lined them up so you could see what each 6x6 tile would look like together. The polished blue/green tiles are 3x3 each and in sheets. Please give me some input.

2nd trimester baby!

I am now officially in my 2nd trimester. The nausea/puke phase is supposed to be ending. I'll take it! Any day now would be great. Sami and I planted a lot this weekend in the shade garden. We also planted our potatoes. As soon as it is done raining, I will go outside and see if I can take some good pictures.

Just Another Day

I was so busy this past weekend with my weight management training (300 Registered Dietitians for 3 days!) and so very sick that I did not get around to posting anything. That mostly might have to do with the lack of interesting things happening in our lives right now. I am just trying to survive my bouts of puking and nausea (umm, in my second trimester on this Sunday so it should be ending any day now) and poor Sami is just trying to help me stay a float. I have to take a second to give him some major gold stars. He has been amazing! He cooks and cleans up pretty much every night, since I fall apart around 5pm, and he is very empathetic and understanding. He hasn't complained once. I guess I am doing enough of that for the both of us. But anyway, he has been great. It gives me such great hopes for when the baby actually comes...not that I had any doubts that he will be a huge help and a kick ass dada.

Anyway, I am going into work a bit late today, so we walked around the yard, it was about to pour down rain, and snapped a few shots of Bela the acro-cat, some baby asparagus starting to come up, and the chickens. Enjoy!