connected

Lately I've been feeling really weird about Facebook. I always talk about how things were better before we had technology like digital music, cell phones with the internet, GPS, and the Kindle (don't even get me started on how wrong this is to me). But Facebook somehow slipped in and now I'm one of the billions of people that goes on there every day for who knows what. I see and post pictures, and that's nice. I have mini-conversations about random things with random friends, some of whom I haven't talked to face-to-face, over the phone, or even emailed in over a decade. And the weirdest part to me is that, even though I don't act on it most of the time, it now occurs to me to announce what I'm thinking or feeling to the 218 people that are my FB friends. I think that's STRANGE, people.

I want to revert back to how things were before, when people would actually be surprised by how their classmates have changed at high school reunions and when I didn't know that a friend from middle school's baby finally slept through the night. But if I quit Facebook, I'm cut out of a loop that I already feel pretty out of. I text maybe 12 times a year (almost always at loud concerts where I couldn't call if I wanted to), and it takes me about 10 minutes to write 1 sentence. I've never bought a song on iTunes. I thing all internet should be blocked from cell phones (and maybe we could just get rid of cell phones all together while we're at it? Just a thought...). I'm scared for the next generation because they won't know how to read a map, they won't hold actual books in their hands and dog ear pages, they won't bring a CD or record home and read the liner notes cover to cover while sitting on their bedroom floor listening to every song for the first time, and they won't know what its like to wonder about something and just say "huh...I don't know" and be content not knowing for the time being (Google).

So as you can imagine my outlook on these things already sets me apart and sadly, it alienates me sometimes. I feel really strongly about all this though, and I'm not about to buy a G4 phone just so I'll feel more included. And this is where Facebook comes back in...I'm really starting to despise it, but if I quit then I'll be cutting off the one techy thing (apart from email) that I can participate in with my friends. Its a catch 22, really. Is anyone else feeling the same way? Can we all make a pact right now to quit the whole thing once and for all?

ps. Seth feels just as strongly about this stuff as I do (maybe even more so - he's not on Facebook at all), and I love him for that. At least I don't feel like a lame old fogey talking about "the good ole days" when I'm around him :)

3rd time's a charm

Sad news first: my favorite vintage store in all of Knoxville is closing at the end of the year. Happy news: I got an insanely good deal on the couch of my dreams because of it. This will be couch #3 for our living room, and I'm confident it will be our last for a long time.

The old rug didn't look right with the new couch, and I've never been crazy about it in the first place, so I took the opportunity to find a suitable replacement. I wanted a cream colored shag from the get go but all of the ones I found online were insanely expensive (like $700+ for an 8x10). Then someone mentioned Home Depot to me and I found one there for a great deal. An added bonus is the size...this rug is quite a bit bigger than the old one so it fits the proportions of the room better.

I also picked up the matching chair because it was 36 DOLLARS. Insane! I think it looks great in that corner...makes for a nice, cozy record listening nook.

I moved the chair and rug that used to be in that corner into the guest room, and they work much better in there. There used to be a shelf there that was the same size as the desk, and its nice not to have matching rectangle boxes under each window. Its also nice to have a place to sit and I'm already imagining my mom reading there in the mornings when she comes to visit. Oh, and I'm glad to have a rug in the room now too...helps to warm it up.

For the first time I really feel like the house is starting to come together in a new way. I know I've made a lot of big changes in the last few years, but now its starting to feel more cohesive or something. When I look back on the different stages of the house on my blog (the progression of the living room and the many couches/rugs is particularly funny to me), its cool to see it come together over time. And it just shows that you can't throw together a house at one time or even in one year (at least I can't). I don't know how interior designers do it, even with their budgets. I think time is so important to develop your style and keep your eye open for just the right thing...and be open to changing what you originally had in mind if it doesn't work out the way you thought it would.

Now I'm getting even more excited about the b&w cork tiles in the kitchen...I think they'll look extra good from my new and improved living room :)

cork tiles

Even though it'll be awhile before I can actually start laying tile (need to save up the $$ first), I think I'm getting really close to narrowing down my choices!

All of these are cork samples (the real tiles will be 12"x12"). At first I loved the ones on the far left because they'd bring warmth - the off white tile is a similar tone to the floor that's there now, and the other tile is a really dark brown instead of black so it'll also add warmth. But then more samples came in and now I'm leaning towards the 2 options in the middle.

I know its hard to tell in the photo, but the one on the left is an off white and a true black. The one on the right is a true white and a dark brown that reads as black. I paired them like I did so each option had some warmth (either from the off white or the brown instead of black). I can see the benefit in each - the white will look crisp and clean, but the off white will look warmer and won't show dirt as easily.

Thoughts? Like I said, I not in the position to buy tiles tomorrow or anything, but I want to be confident in my choice by the time I am able to put the money down.

turkey day

I can't believe Thanksgiving is 1 week from today! And while I'm at it, if anyone can give me a scientific reason as to why time goes by faster and faster as you get older, I'd really appreciate it. It drives me crazy that I can't figure out why this is, but it is definitely something everyone I know can attest to. A solution for slowing it down would be great too. Thanks :)

Back to Thanksgiving...I thought I'd share a really easy way to not eat meat but still get your turkey fix: Quorn Turk'y Roast.

All you have to do is rub some olive oil and herbs on it (I use rosemary & sage...just standard poultry seasonings plus salt & pepper), then throw it in one of those roasting bags and stick it in the oven. It turns out great!

In case I don't post again before then, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

a glimpse into my brain

I get obsessed with specific foods randomly and with a vengeance. Example: I was just reading something that had the word tchotchkes in it and I immediately thought about Schlotzsky's and now I am full-on obsessed with how I can get one of those delicious sandwiches in my mouth ASAP. I looked online and the closest Schlotzsky's is 84 miles away in Somerset, KY (all the Knoxville locations closed down I guess). AGH. I hope I don't end up in KY one of these days. I once drove all the way to Dallas and back (3 hrs each way) just because I wanted Waffle House in the worst way and Austin didn't have one.

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drool......

In case you haven't noticed...

...I am full-on obsessed with my kitchen floor. The floor that's there isn't horrible...in fact I designed my cabinet makeover around the floor because I knew replacing it wasn't going to be an option for awhile. The floor is also in pretty good condition, and it certainly isn't an eyesore when you walk into the room. But...

I would like a floor that actually looks clean after I've cleaned it. And I'd like a floor that really looks great with the rest of the kitchen and house. But I think the #1 thing driving my obsession is just a craving for a big change in the house. A big reveal. I'm sure you've noticed my drastic slow down in blog posts. Once the big reveal stuff in the house slowed, the posts did too. Those are the things I like to write about the most, and I'm pretty sure those are the things readers like best as well. But I haven't done anything like that in so long...I think the last fun big reveal project (unless you call dry wall repair fun) was finishing up the den.

I don't know when I'll make a final decision...in fact I saw this today and now I'm wondering if black and white checkerboard is the way to go again (which I could still do with cork, by the way). But I really am enjoying thinking about all the options. Hopefully soon I'll be able to get actual boxes of tiles to lay down and see for myself because I'm convinced that's the only way I'll know for sure. In the meantime, here are some images that are inspiring me today:

via (and this is cork, btw)

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ps. Thanks so much for the input on my last cork post!! I am still very excited about that idea and have been playing around with cork samples at home all week.