How was YOUR morning?

Today we discover that sometimes, when you think you know what the children are doing – you really don’t. By the way: a box of infant oatmeal flakes spreads a lot farther than the size would suggest. It creates kind of a sawdust effect, too – you know, just in case you’re ever doing a play that needs sawdust and you can’t use it for some reason. Very similar.
We also discover that if, after sweeping up piles of oatmeal, you leave the hungry kids alone in the kitchen ‘just for a minute,’ to try and finish what the oatmeal episode interrupted, the older one will acquire a package of hot dog buns off of the counter and feed himself and his baby brother. Aww. It’s nice to know that if they were street children, Max would take care of Charlie. Sigh.

I’ve been working hard this week, people! Not on any knitting or crocheting, but I’ve been pursuing the previously mentioned (and long-procrastinated) cockeyed-scheme! It’s nearing a point of unveiling. I should be able to show it off soon. But it’s not so great to blog about. Um. Oh yeah, pictures!

I went to Joann’s on Monday for their Memorial Day sale: they had their remnants for 75% off (and once they’re put in the remnants bin, they’re already marked 50% off: so it was more like 87.5% off of the original price). I saw the lovely fabric pictured above – it’s about a yard and a half of lovely thick upholstery/brocade type fabric that usually sells for 40 (!) dollars a yard (!!!). I bought it for $7.50. I picked it up not because I love it (although it’s very pretty) but because I knew Greg would love it. How did I know? Because it’s a variation on the very fabric that makes up our bespread, and our bedroom curtains, and the shower curtain in the master bath (which he picked).
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but Greg and I appear to have a difference of opinion in terms of decorating colors. I like green. And brown. I find them soothing and earthy; comfortable. With Greg (since he doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it) he kind of pops all over the place based on what he sees in stores and other people’s houses, but when pressed he invariably says, “What about red?” (This is even funnier because he doesn’t realize he picks red every time.) Now, I read up on random things: color is one of them. They’ve done studies on the way that color impacts mood. I read in one (although I can’t seem to find it right now) that red raises the blood pressure, speeds respiration, and increases the heartrate. Oh, here’s a snippet: “Sitting for long periods of time in a room this color will likely breakdown any peace and harmony you are striving to create in your home.” Hah. Green, on the other hand, “is considered the most restful color for the eye.” Also, “in a …living room, it encourages unwinding but has enough warmth to promote comfort and togetherness. [It] has a calming effect when used as a main color for decorating. It is believed to relieve stress by helping people relax.” That’s more like it! To be fair, Greg is more of an active, adrenaline-charged person, so I can see why red appeals to him. We’re kind of opposites in that. So to make a long story…longer…our living room still has white walls. Brown couches, olive green drapes, and we’re probably going to paint the walls some tan or muted green. (Yes, he did suggest red for the walls.) Greg feels that this is an extremely booooooring color scheme, so I suggested bringing small red elements into the room to ‘balance’ it. Like his ratty burgundy recliner that he swears is the most comfortable chair in the world. Just as an example.
But back to the upholstery! My original intention was to create a cover for our increasingly disreputable-looking ‘computer chair,’ which is actually just one of our old dining chairs, a metal-and-vinyl abomination that is only improved by a cracking, peeling vinyl seat and foam dribbling out. Really, though, I think we’ll just buy a new chair. Yeah. So I’ll probably make some throw pillows for the sofa. It looks really awesome with them, and (as I predicted) Greg loved it.
I also bought a ball of Joann’s Belleza Tesoro in Pink with my 40% off coupon. Hey, I had to buy something with it, and at $6 a ball normally, that stuff is hecka expensive!