Things I Will Never Be Good At

I usually focus on how I want to be. I usually do not get bogged down by what I am not. It can be sort of liberating to give yourself permission to accept what you are not. It sort of takes it off the life list to something else you might be better suited for to come in. Below is a list of what I am no longer looking to be. 

1. I will never be the girl who can wear an all white outfit. I am a spiller. I embrace messy, white and I will never be a match.

2. I do not get the appeal of drinking games or card games and will no longer try to embrace them. 

3. Karaoke. Don't like it, don't do it, want no part of it. 

4. Be crafty. I would love to create that perfect bed side table finding some treasure in the country and lovingly restoring it to perfection after I have made my home made soap. This will probably never happen. 

5. Have smaller feet or nicer hands. Both are a disaster. Thankfully I can delegate this task to QQ nails. Seriously if you're in Manhattan go to them. They are amazing. I can make a manicure last for 2 weeks sometimes from them. 

6. Drink scotch, whiskey or bourbon. I think it's sexy when women drink these things, but they are so not for me. I no longer strive to be a brown liquor drinker. Vodka 4-eva! 

7. Stop picking at my face. I know it's gross, I know it makes things worse, I know I am not fixing anything, and I know I am causing the marks on my face but every blemish represents the time I could get it right. 

8. I will probably always wonder if a guy really likes me up until we're making out. Not such a good judge of that. Not so much at all. The making out helps. 

9. I will always think when I have a little time before I need to leave and go somewhere that I can accomplish some huge task in the spare 10 minutes. I should just empty the dishwasher but why not try to redo my floors. I swear I am smart.

10. As much as I wish I could pop a card in the mail for every occasion my friends and family deserve one for I will just never pull it off. I am not a card sender. Instead of always having the guilts I will just accept this. I have at least progressed to wrapping gifts and not just handing really unfortunate looking packages to people with a sheepish shrug. 

What are your I will never be lists?

New Diet Plan

I have continued to cook and go about my daily life. Here's the weird thing. I am cooking using heavy cream, cheese, and oil. These are not my usual go to things. I am way more skim or almond milk, low fat cheese and oil what's that. The best part I am losing more weight. Last week, the week of risotto eating I lost 3 pounds. If I am being honest there was not just risotto eating, but also real ice cream, and mascarpone with honey and pumpkin seeds. According to my nutritionist typically when people cook with higher calorie higher fat ingredients they eat less. She said when you are steaming everything you are a lot more likely to let yourself eat however much of it that you want. When you know what's in there you eat less. I do not feel hungry. I am certainly not restricting. It does flip me out a little bit the higher fat things. I just take it into account for my other meals. I am stricter about my snacks making sure they are more nutrient dense then just tasty. Lunch is a little more boring and just knock it out, because it's tasty dinners that my heart belongs to. It's cold out and I want warm comforting tasty dinners that remind me of my childhood. 

My mom god bless her, made dinner just about every night of my life. She not only cooked but made everything from scratch. I never had bottled dressing, sauce, any of that, always mom made. There also was always a salad. I do not think I remember ever a meal we did not have a salad. I totally took that for granted growing up. It's now making my own sauces, and dressings I really appreciate all the effort she went to to make us delicious healthy dinners. I guess it's true we all turn into our mom's because lately I want to make everything and always serve dinner with a salad...with dressing I made. If only I could replicate hers! It's seriously simple but mine never tastes the same. I am pretty sure she puts magic on there she is not owning up to. 

 I want to cut corners, swap things, but instead I just adjust the portions. I think maybe my unemployment project should be the eat heavy cream and lose weight cookbook. Cooking is a great challenge though because you can't be afraid or hung up on perfection. That's for baking which I am not dipping my toes into yet. If I start baking someone stage an intervention because that will just be a covert way for me to eat my feelings. 

I guess me point in all this is, don't be afraid to make things you love and enjoy it. You might end up eating less, and being happier then with your grilled chicken and steamed veggies. Pasta never killed anyone. It was not having it that did. 

Tonight's adventure, another Joy The Baker recipe, and this kale salad. Not sure I can get down with a brown butter dressing. BUTTER DRESSING?! Whaaaaaaat? Mind blown. 

http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/12/big-fat-bolognese-sauce-with-fresh-pasta/

http://acozykitchen.com/butternut-squash-kale-salad/

When in Doubt

Wear skintight black pants. I had been fighting the pants thing the past few weeks. My body is all of a sudden changing and sort of quickly. I hear sustained weight loss does this but it's been a while. I was starting to have pant issues. My standard glued to my body black pants were not so glued. At first I loved the room. Loved seeing the space in the waistband, not going to lie. I love me some loose clothes. All of a sudden though it's no longer cute. It's saggy bums and baggy knees and no amount of drying on high will rectify the situation. This is when you have to embrace new pants. I swear by, live in, and own way too many pairs of Old Navy's jeggings. You might be thinking, jeggings? Even the name sounds awful. I know, I know, but just trust me. They sound like a really horrible unflattering idea. These are just super tight stretchy jeans, they have some substance and are not just leggings made to look like jeans. I think these in the darker colors are super flattering, comfy and well someone should stage an intervention because more often then not they are on my body. I even like to pop shorter desses over them. The first stage is admitting you have a problem. I resigned myself to needing to re-up my supplies and headed over to Old Navy. I was not down one but two pant sizes. Granted, being down two sizes in jeggings is really more like one to a half size in real clothes. Lets keep it honest here. More stretch equals more give so as much as I would LOVE to take that as the gospel I know when I buy real pants it could end in tears. Lets not set ourselves up shall we.

When the weather turns cooler and I can wear my target's finest pleather jacket, and my boots that I would marry if that wasn't totally weird all of a sudden I turn a little more rocker then my usual style. I like the mix of feminine and tough accents. A little lace trim on my shirt makes me feel a little more girly and less motorcycle mama. I feel a little naked in my super tight pants, but I sort of love it to. It makes me feel all zippy running around town in boots with purpose and tight pants.

Might be all black but far from Morticia. 

Hey Sexy Ladies

I was on pinterest last night because well I miss it if I stay away for too long. I mean if you do not visually assault yourself with things at least a few times a day you're not living. Anyway I saw the below image someone had pinned and commented on it being nice to see a model with thighs and I thought yes, that woman is beautiful, she does have thighs and I LIKE IT. Lately in general I just feel more comfortable in my body. I embrace the curves. I respect my shape and do not shun it. The goal for me is to not work to eradicate it. I have typically been so hung up on being thin I wanted to erase any curve. I wanted smaller breasts, no hips, slim thighs. I am not even delving into the complicated relationship I have with butts. I wanted everything I do not have. Not only do I not have these things I probably never will. I mean I feel like I am small breasted these days and I swing between a C/D cup. Yeah, not so small....but when you used to be a double D and up well it's all relative. I will never have the perfect go braless boobs I have dreamt of and that's okay. It's why we do have bras.

Lately I put a little more wiggle in my walk I mean that's why I have these hips right? I say thank you when I get a compliment and do not immediately deflect it. I appreciate that I have a small waist rather then cursing the fact that it emphasizes my hips. I love that I can see evidence of my riblets on my sides not because it's bone but because that definition is the result of hard work. I walk with my shoulders back and high heels on not caring that I am 5'8" and feel super tall in heels. I am tall. I will only ever be so small. I have to own it. These things collectively show me that the changes I would like to see are possible inside and out.

 I am a huge fan of strength training and can not stress enough how important I think it is and I've learned my importance will shift. For me right now it makes me feel strong, lean, and it makes me appreciate that what should jiggle does and what maybe should be a little firmer does not. It makes me see I will never have super skinny legs but I can have ones that are strong, defined and let me do the things that I want. That let me wear a dress shorter then I would usually be okay with, and let myself like the reflection I see in the mirror. Taking care of my body instead of always criticizing it for what it's not lets me appreciate what it is. Do I accept my body? Not entirely, but at least for the time being I respect it, and value it and want to do right by it.

All this being said I have recently discovered mascarpone cheese is delicious. Especially delicious late at night with some honey and pumpkin seeds. That will put a very different wiggle in your walk. The wiggle of heavy cream. No es bueno.


I HIGHLY suggest checking this blog out and seeing the photos. It's pretty amazing, not just because the women are curvy but because they are confident and that shows and it's always lovely to see woman after woman who is beautiful because she is confident not because she is a certain size.

http://curveappeal.tumblr.com/

Erin Tinley thank you for making 42 inch hips look amazing.  

Who Knew?

It turns out I can make a mighty fine pumpkin risotto with seared scallops. This is sort of a dangerous discovery because now I just want to make risotto all the time. I meant to take a photo but honestly I was too hungry by the time it was ready. The writing partner gave it an A so I'll take that as a good sign. Fellas however generally like anything cooked for them so he might be biased. It's been really lovely though to cook dinner and then get our meeting on. I think it helps both of us decompress before we have to gear up to be creative and on our thinking game. I also think cooking and eating with someone puts you at ease. He chats with me and plays DJ while I put finishing touches on dinner. I am liking this new ritual. It makes me want people to come over every night and tell me stories while I cook. I in general just like it when people tell me stories so feel free. I always have time for them.

This week has been a little heavy eating and booze fueled. Not really how I typically like things to go. I worked out and tried to off set some of it where I could. You just have to roll with the week that presents itself. I try not to beat myself up and generally I am feeling pretty positive about myself and body regardless of my choices. That being said Friday night skipping dinner and replacing it with vodka was unspeakably dumb. It was not my intention. The night just got away from me. It happens. Saturday I picked myself up, drank some coconut water for survival and moved along. Egon was not too hard on me during Sat's workout thankfully but it was a good reminder of what excess brings. Friday night was a good time so that at least makes the suffering a little more worth it.

Next week I need to focus on healthier habits. Less cooking with heavy cream and more eating clean. Now if my writing partner wouldn't bring over pints of ice cream life would be perfect. Who am I kidding life without ice cream is not perfect or worth living.

Things That Will Make You Feel Alone

Lately these random things keep happening that emphasize how on my own I am and feel. I like it but there are moments I feel like I have traded my life for some sort of sitcom-esque escapade of a life being changed. I have never been a huge homemaker. I never had the time or desire. I had some capacity for it. I can cook, I can clean, I can decorate, I just choose not to. It bores me. I should say it bored me. Now I am a woman on a mission. I am so into it. I have been pouring over recipes cooking all those things I never had time to, picking up those bits and bobs I had always wanted as finishing touches, and cleaning. A lot. Not being exhausted and stressed makes this a lot easier. I need to find a patron so I can just swan about in my domesticated bliss. Wait, that's a terrible idea that would lead to boredom, baking, and a lot of weight gain.  I miss work. I miss the pressure, and the way it used my brain and sometimes I feel a little lost without that, but in the meantime I am loving getting to explore this whole other world I have hugely ignored up until now.

Ways to Emphasize Being Alone:

1. I have a laptop but close to zero software. Oh yeah that's my problem now. I do not have a company that loads it all up for me and a tech guy to help me figure out how to rebuild my itunes library. I do however have a Saturday night I can spend loading, cursing, and rebuilding. 

2. I removed a dead mouse from my apartment. By myself. In a homemade hazmat suit of giant garbage bags, huge rubber gloves, tongs I have no idea how I came to own, and a makeshift helmet. I was all cavalier when the exterminator came and asked if I had boyfriend before putting a snap trap down. I just sort of did not put two and two together. A snap trap while it would take care of my new roomie would also require me to deal with it. I was all no worries, I have a brother, he'll do it. The good news the trap worked, the bad news...I discovered it one evening. Alone. My brother lives in Brooklyn. I spent the next few minutes squealing and wondering how quickly I could move. Texted my brother, contemplated texting every guy I have ever known ever in my phone, and then realized I really could not take another second with it there and lady-ed up. It was awful but I felt pretty triumphant afterwards. 

3. I fixed my toilet all by myself. Again the feeling of triumphant did not really match the action, but whatever I will take it. I will take it all day long, and put a gold star next to my life chart. 

4. I am figuring out health insurance. Ugh, what a pain. I have no idea what 90% of it means, I just keep asking in a cavewoman like fashion I just want to make sure if anything ever happens I am covered. That apparently is not helpful to the people trying to create your insurance plan. 

5. Losing something makes you appreciate what you do have. I appreciate these small things so much and find myself so much less irritated by life and what comes with it. I might be alone, but I'm not lonely and I'm not incapable. I mean I can fix a toilet. Check me out. 

Yes, Please

I want my life to feel like this photograph. Effortlessly gorgeous and interesting. I always like to play a little guitar on the set of my films. Don't you?

Instead I am waffling about debating whether or not I can pull off pumpkin risotto and seared scallops. Maybe I'll pop on a tiara for increased magical powers. I got this. I mean I learned all about the difference in wet and dry scallops which for a sea dwelling protein seems like a bizarre caution. I will not be afraid of the if you do not constantly stir life as you know it is over. I will be undaunted by more then 4 minutes of searing equals rubbery not delicious scallops. Oh the fear. The recipe is from here and I'll let you know how it turns out.

The magical Audrey Hepburn with George  Peppard on set. 

Oh Happy Day

Last year I discovered persimmons. Growing up we had a persimmon tree in our yard, but I never cared for the fruit. Last year I decided to get reacquainted and sadly did this at the end of the season. While shopping for my pasta fixin's yesterday I spotted my beloved persimmons! It's a little early for them, but I am so excited to see them back. I have no idea how to describe them. They are very sweet, and have a distinctive flavor, and texture. I am familiar with the fuyu persimmons, that's what I have seen in stores, but there is another variety hachiya which I have not seen. The good news is they are one of those fruits that can replace dessert, they are so sweet, the bad news they have 118 calories on average for a relatively small fruit so you do have to factor that into the snacking equation. They are also high in fiber, vitamin A and antioxidants. I find despite their petite stature they are super satisfying, tasty, and look good in my fruit bowl with their pretty orange color.

why hello pretty mid-morning snack

Food Glorious Food

I have been eating out a lot. I am not complaining, except shockingly to me I am. I was feeling gross Saturday. Brunch had been a burger, with cheese and fries. While definitely tasty and I have been on a total burger bender and the thrill was gone. I lie. I might eat a burger tomorrow but not with fries. I blame years and year of veggie burgers on this late in life discovery and love affair with burgers. Anyway, lately I have been meeting people, getting drinks with people, and just generally eating a lot more meals not at home. I wanted to cook. Make whole foods, clean, control what went in it, and know what I was eating.  Sunday my friend Meggie came over and I was thrilled to catch up with her and have her cooking confidence with me. She is an amazing cook and lucky for me she was game to grocery shop and cook with me.

I love Joy the Baker, and have been reading her blog forever but had yet to make anything. This one recipe for lemon pasta kept nudging me. The change in temps have me leaning heavier, richer and starch. The more the better. So I quit ignoring it, and decided I was making this dish but with some modifications. It needed protein, and I could make the olive oil and portion what worked for me. We changed the recipe adding in chicken sausage we crumbled in. You have to just wing it, and when that's lemon, parsley and parmesan, you can measure and put in whatever works for your tastes and calorie counts. I put down what I used, and it was delicious.

The recipe : http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/08/easy-sunday-lemon-pasta/

I used:

1 cup vegetable broth, I added this in because I made it earlier and then reheated later.
Juice of 3 lemons, this is to your lemon taste. I am currently in a lemon juice love affair.
large handful chopped parsley. I am seeing parsley on the side so I added a lot.
1 teaspoon olive oil, because I purposefully did not want it to be oily. I like my fat more hidden.
I was liberal with the cheese. I used low fat so I was cheese slutty.
1 cup peas
1/2 box penne makes 4 large servings.
2 chicken sausages. I went with garlicky ones. It was a nice touch with the lemon.

My Hero

There's this guy at my gym who I am obsessed with. I am not being my hyperbolic self I am truly obsessed with him. He runs like his life depends on it and for very long periods of time. I mean he is flying on the treadmill. I have watched him for months thoroughly inspired by how he runs. I seriously think his mom is a gazelle or something. I have wanted to say something to him for months. I mean I am his biggest exercise fan but I just felt too shy. I also never really had the chance because I did not want to interrupt his work out and following him into the locker room seemed too forward.

I was sitting at the cafe catching up with my darling friend Nisa when he came up to get a smoothie. Now was my chance....I gushed to him about his running and how he inspires me. He was super cool! He told me a little about his own running experience. He had been a swimmer but moved to the city and was not down with the pool situation so he started running. He kept emphasizing to me he had not always run like that it had taken him time and for me to stick with it. He gave me a few tips, and just kept insisting I stick with it and it would get easier, I would be faster, run farther, and find my own running way. It just reminded me everyone has their own exercise story and it's worth asking the people who you admire. Hearing that he had not just hopped on to the treadmill one day and started sprinting made my next set of intervals a whole lot more bearable and my hopes of being part gazelle felt a lot more attainable.

Progress in the Unknown

So lets see what's going on. A whole lot actually. I am still losing weight which I am both super excited about and not really surprised. I definitely have life stress that I am working daily to manage but not being super unhappy is making it easier to stay clear in my mind and make healthy choices and decisions. It's daunting to have the task of restructuring my life in front of me but it's pretty cool and definitely educational on a daily basis. My career has always been such a hugely defining aspect of my life I kind of feeling I am really getting to know who I am with that removed.

Work wise, I am a meeting machine. I have enjoyed having the downtime but I am starting to go a little mad. I am trying not to make rash decisions based on fears, but it's tough not to feel this pressure. Friends, family and professional peeps keep urging me to relax take my time and just see what happens, but that does not pay my bills. I get overwhelmed by just how alone I feel. I am responsible for every aspect of my upkeep from getting my laptop up to snuff with software to figuring out health insurance. None of it is a huge deal but some days it feels like it is. I just try to keep the anxiety in check and address what I can as I can. I am learning a whole lot about one day at a time. 

I have a few things cooking and they are all vastly different which is exciting and confusing. I am not sure what direction I will end up going in at this point. I think some of it will have to do with offers being made, and what I just feel like is the right direction to charge right into. Being openminded and not having a definitive answer I think makes more things drift in my direction. I am open to anything because I have no conclusive idea of direction. A few things I have sussed out are, I want to be more creative, I want to have an increased role in creative concept, I would like writing to be a component, and ideally social media plays a part of this yet to be named job. It's weird job searching 9 years after entering the job market because it's less interviews and applying and more meeting and casual talking. A part of me is frustrated by this and wants more clarity another part likes the looseness. It leaves me more open to listening and considering and not so concerned with what the direct result of this chat is. I focus on being excited by all these unknowns and not paralyzed by them. Most of the time this works, other times not so much.

Lots and lots of writing going on. I am writing almost every day and things are moving along swimmingly with the writing partner. I am growing used to his greatness, and less phased by it. It's really great to work with someone who is super great as a person, and pushes me to do better work. I think some of what was creeping in, is my last big business partnership truly royally blew up in my face and I was holding him at arm's length. I have to really sort through how I feel about that relationship dissolving and the way that it did. We have not spoken since I left, and he sent me a text to say sorry about it. Almost 9 years together, starting a company together, and a text? Lame. Anyway feelings of betrayal are there now that some of the relief associated with a break up I wanted has lessened. As for the newbie, I think I had some stuff swirling he was being affected by. I am afraid of getting too attached to working with someone again, I am afraid of admitting how important what we are working on is to me, and I am uneasy about working on something that is outside my comfort zone. I did not really delve into the partnership stuff with him but the other stuff I did. It was a good lesson in speaking up talking to him because in order to work with me he has to learn about how I work and vice versa. I learned a lot in that phone call about both of us. I had to articulate some stuff I had been avoiding and I had to take the chance of sharing it with him. Ew, vulnerability. Not a big fan but what I keep learning is newbie does not scare easily and I have yet to throw anything his way he has been phased by. The more we learn about how the other operates the better we work together. We met Monday night and had one of our most successful meetings, accomplishing so much, clarifying a ton, and I felt like we had a different level of comfortability working and sharing ideas with one another. If nothing else is progressing that is and that's pretty great for now. 

Ladies I love the Kimbra Edition

I am completely in love and obsessed with Kimbra's album Vows. I love the song "Settle Down", and wish I had thought of the name Nebraska Jones. I am not sure who to compare her to, but she has an amazing voice, and unusual sound.

Life Make Up

I like make up. I think it's fun. I rarely do not wear it and it's less to do with my appearance and more to do with it being grown up drawing time. Often on the weekends I do not wear make up during the day. I find this to be strangely controversial with some of the ladies in my life. My thing is Saturdays I work out with Egon, so what am I wearing make up for? To sweat and have it look like melty clown face? I have to shower post work out anyway and who wants to get made up twice. I don't.

Being single and running around town often with a naked face I feel like I am violating some single lady rule of not putting my best face forward because of that you just never know that you are supposed to live with it motivating you. I think this is crap. Any guy I end up with is going to have to accept despite my usually made up ways I also like to give my skin a chance to breathe and not have a bunch of pigment layered on it.

The person though who takes the most issue with this however is my mom. My mom is very southern when it comes to appearance. Women should be made up and at the very least have some blush and lipstick on. I shunned both for years out of some sort of rebellion. I have childhood and teenage memories of her attacking my face with some blush insisting I just needed a little color I am so washed out. Anyway we were speaking recently and she said that I had never looked better. That losing my job took five years off me, that my color has returned, and I look so much better. She said sometimes I would comfort myself that you just looked so washed out and stressed because you did not have any make up on. We went shopping once and I was not wearing make up and she kept bringing it up. I finally said alright, alright I get it I committed some sort of mortal sin and did not wear make up today. She confessed she was jealous because people would scream if she went out without make up and that she believes everyone needs make up and would even put it on the dogs.  I continually learn people care far less about us then we could ever imagine or grasp and wish sometimes my mom would subscribe a little more to that when it comes to appearances.

I was brushing my teeth this morning looking at my naked face and thinking regardless of whether or not I should be down with this nudity I am. I am okay with who I am without the eyeliner, or blush and the more okay I am with myself the less I feel the need to cover it up. I use less make up these days, I care less about having a 1000 pieces of jewelry on, and in general feel less reason to distract any viewers. Yeah, it's not perfect the complexion could be evened out, the under eye circles covered up, the neck bejeweled but sometimes it feels good to be a little more naked and a little less done up.

Pre-gym naked face this morn.

A Good Problem to Have

One of the best things about being unemployed is the vast amounts of free time I have at my disposal. I have been super proactive about taking advantage of this. In fact I have been somewhat annoyed by my lack of free time. I had some pretty big plans for binging on reality TV and doing nothing and I have yet to get to it. I think not having a job makes me feel even more pressure to stay busy. Truthfully I am a little worn out because unemployed does not equal not busy. Who knew? A recent development is I have been writing. A lot. And with a partner. 

More about this partner. I met him at my gym funnily enough. He is a good looking guy who I completely misjudged. I thought he was like some of the other guys at my gym a moderately successful male model and probably a bit douchey. All of this judgement is based on the fact that when he's working out he has mean face, not at all on his behavior making me an a-hole. Anyway we became acquainted started chatting and I realized two things. 1. he is quite possibly one of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met and 2. He is ridiculously funny and often not meaning to be which I think is the best kind of funny. He also is not a male model and seemed somewhat horrified I thought that was a possibility. My bad, but maybe turn down the ridiculous good looks? 

When I got back from LA I was catching up with him about the trip telling him about the meetings I had and what not and how someone had suggested development to me. He asked me if I had any ideas and I said not really. He happened to have a good one, and because he is the nicest guy in the world offered it to me. I can not emphasize his niceness enough, and yet somehow he is incredibly manly. I said why not write it together? The beginnings of our writing partnership were conducted via text and it was one of those out of body texting moments. What have I done?! Why am I actively seeking to work with the super hot guy who makes me a little bit nervous because he's so nice and gives great chat? I have been around attractive men and usually keep my cool, usually, but nice and hot? That's tough. We started working together and it's delightful. I struggled in some of our first interactions to not feel super self conscious of my ideas or to girl out, taking back what I've said and being like oh I didn't mean that, no way, super dumb. I take it all back. He has also been super reassuring and supportive. When we did our first big writing reveal working on our character bios I admitted upon getting his reply that I was relieved and had been a little nervous. His immediate response was why would you be nervous, we're a team, and remember there's no bad ideas we're brainstorming. I felt really different in that moment, in that I can continue being nervous about how people will receive what I put out there or I can learn something from his ease and just worry a little less and work a little more.  It's pretty great and provided I do not self sabotage in some way I think we can do great work together. 

So what's the problem? The problem is I feel like he is on a mission every time I see him to top his previous level of awesome. He's incredibly kind and sweet and if he does not cease and desist with it I will have no choice but to develop a raging crush on him that I will assume zero accountability for. He truly will have brought it on to himself. I mean the phone call with his nieces promising to take them to play with puppies? Come on. He is way too amazing a fella to be behaving like that willy nilly. It's either incredibly irresponsible or he is an evil puppy promising genius. 

Tah Dah!

Space has been rehabbed and here are the photos to prove it. Also to prove it is my entire body hurts. Life cardio!

close up of an art directed side table

kitchen and hallway, I should probably get a table. 

bedroom, the clothes were air drying that's why they are not in my closet. 

Book case! Still needs a little work. 

Living room, guest appearance by Dumplin' under the chair. 

Katie the great in progress. She is THE BEST.
 I could not have done it without her or the 100 hours of work she gave me.
 I owe her more the the falafel sandwich I got her.