It's gonna be a bright, sunshiny day

We've been married for 14 months now, and I'm still learning how to be married.  I'm used to thinking the worst - in everything; even myself.  So I analyze myself into a tizzy ledge from which Mike often talks me down.  Friday night was one of those times.  I hated the colors we'd chosen (and with which I'd already painted half the furniture) for our room.  I thought Mike was taking my project from me.  When really, I'd just worked myself (and knew it at the time, too, which makes it even worse) into a PMS-induced frustration-fest.

So, we ended up talking about it through my tears over a chest of drawers moved halfway to the garage.  And it was wonderful!  I don't give Mike nearly enough credit for his patience, his calm, and his ability to communicate.  I pride myself on being able to talk through problems, but he makes me look like I need therapy.

No comments please.

Anyway, that side bar story has absolutely nothing to do with the photos of today.  But Mike and I spent a whole day with absolutely no agenda, nowhere to be, nothing to do.  Ended up in Longmont on a gorgeous Colorado day eating at one of our favorite local spots, The Pump House.  Mike tried to take me to an antique store he found in Hygeine (it was closed, along with everything else), and then we ended up home - at our beautiful house - enjoying the rest of the evening in quiet peace.

I love him.

Mumford & Sons - just buy their CD, too.  Mike's best find of the week (and he has many, he's that good).  If you don't believe be, start with "The Cave" and move on to "Little Lion Man"

I love what you've done with the place

This is a quasi-sneak peak of the final outcome of my semi-disasterous, albeit in the end totally worth it, bedroom (click to see the "befores") redo.  The photos really don't do the colors justice at all, and I'm waiting on my final piece of bedding to post the rest of the room, but I love love love it.  I'm never buying anything new!  Scratch bedroom furniture off the list.  With $50 in spray paint (would've been less had I not repainted several pieces in 3 different color schemes), we have entirely new, completely custom furniture.  I have to say, my great-grandmother's furniture has served me well, and will continue to do so for years to come...

Tiny sneak view of the bedding - almost there!  I found this little stand at Goodwill (I'm addicted to thrift stores - awesome).  It was ugly brown wood in its previous life...but it's so not like my nightstand on the other side that it's a perfect little table for Mike's side of the bed.  Now, his clock is viewable from the entire room (compared to its previous perch on the floor).  I painted it yellow, which is the most yellow the furniture has.  I'm very happy with the outcome.  The table was $10, the spraypaint was $6.  Cheap at half the price!

Just buy A Silent Film's CD.  You won't regret it.

Go 'pids

We went to the Rapids game with Mike's 11 year old girls team, which was hilarious.  On so many levels!

Spotlight by Mutemath

Get Fresh

One of my new fav places to walk to lunch is freshii, an amazing lunch joint down from our office.  We parked ourselves on the patio Friday afternoon waiting for 3pm to roll around to start a 3-day weekend.  Amazingly enough, it came rather quickly...

I Can Talk by Two Door Cinema Club

It's What We Do

I had been at work for about 10 minutes (I was impressed he was able to wait that long) when Ryan whispers

"Aye!"

"What?"

"C'mere."

So I followed him silently to the supply nook where he showed me this:

We probably ended up breaking them more than driving them...

Or racing them off the track across the room resulting in race car crankies...

But still: awesome.

Why Not?

Don't be jealous you haven't seen the Rock Pile.

Thirteen Times the Strength by A Silent Film

A break from the nightstand diaries

And into South Dakota.  I drove through the Black Hills today, with The Last of the Mohicans soundtrack in my ears, and my Dad in my heart.

Aaaaaand Go

I'm addicted to spray paint, and not in the illegal way.  Here's to hoping it looks as good as a set...

Aqua Brief

This didn't last long...I should've taken a picture when it was teal AND orange. It looked cool, but it caused us to discover that neither one of us actually even LIKED the bedding we were painting it to match...

Good times.

Carry Me, Ohio by Sun Kill Moon

Life of a (One?) Nightstand

Poor little guy had no idea what he was in for...

First priming:

All I Want by LCD Soundsystem

Newcastle

Who lives this town?!  Really?!  And what do they do?

Reena by Sonic Youth

Someone In Your Party Has Died.

I'd never taken the highway from Rawlins to Casper, so it was an adventure in Stephen King books-on-tape and lack of cell phone service.  The problem with drinking 80 ounces of water a day is that, for every hour you're on the road, you have to make a pit stop.  So when I came upon a rest stop (my 4th of this WY tour alone), I didn't quite get that it was national landmark.

When I drove up for kicks and giggles and saw that it was Independance Rock, I was immediately taken back to the screen of the red iMac (one of the originals when Apple was just starting to be cool) glued to the keyboard with my sister, trying to survive the trail from the east coast to California to start a new, albeit 2D, life by packing our belongings into a pixelated covered wagon and setting out on an adventure that included copius amounts of shooting animals.

I immediately texted Karley.

me: Do you remember playing Oregon Trail??

Nar: Of course!  Why?  Are you at some sort of landmark from the game in real life?

me: Yes!  I'm standing in front of Independance Rock!

Nar:  We've just changed a wheel, overloaded the wagon with 8000 lbs of animal meat, and traded for Borax, and you're staring at a rock?!

me: Yeah, but the beads from the Indians were a fav.

Nar: I just ate berries that were poisonous and now have dissentary.  I will probably die next week; screw your beads!

FanTAStic.

Hate to Say I Told You So by The Hives

Momma Knows Best

Rock Springs, Wyoming.  How do I described the drive there?  Besides Laramie, then Rawlins, then Wamsutter (none of which have populations higher than their elevations), there is nothing between Cheyenne and Rock Springs.  It is a trucker's highway, complete with bottles of yellow liquid on the sides and miles and miles of barren wastelands.

My first leg of my 3 day tour through the state of WY consisted of this drive, made 1.5 hours longer by the thunder storm that rolled in 3/4 of the way.  I finally arrive to the dealership, soaked and cranky, only to find that I've been stood up by the people I'm supposed to meet there.  I cannot tell you how angry this makes me.  At least not in a public forum.  An entire day of my life I'd never get back.

It made me cry. 

So, at my mom's suggestion, I went to see a movie.  At the ONLY theater in Rock Springs.  How to Train Your Dragon, 3D.  I was the only person in the theater.  It was wonderful.  I laughed out loud and cried and played on my blackberry and texted Mike.  And when I walked out of the theater to the setting sun, spirits lifted from the animated film, this is what I saw:

Once again, God is good.  And MiMi knows.

You Will Leave a Mark by A Silent Film

Red Barn

Seriously with Anthropologie and their amazing rugs!

BAM!

I do this to Mike a lot.  It's probably not nearly as cute...

Throw Pillows

Love 'dems.

Also: inspiration much?  

Yes.

Fate

Mike hung the dragon quilt hanging his mom made him that sealed the deal (by matching the quilted blanket my mom had made me).  Sweet.

Unconditional by The Bravery

Tile

Reception @ TCH.  I want some.

You can't make this stuff up

Defiance

Mike knows (click for the full effect).

Down by Blink 182

Mike is currently addicted to Graph Jam.  

He sent me this:

I'm not really sure what he's trying to tell me.  

But, despite being wholly in love with Colorado, the graph is correct.

So there.

We Share the Same Skies by Cribs

The Library

Ta Da!  Once we build the emergency fund back up, we will be searching for the perf seating arrangement for the TV room, after which the comfy chair will have its rightful place in...

The Library!

It's finally complete!

Congrats, Toby & Megan!

We helped Toby propose tonight in Breck.  What a cute little town when it's not -10 degrees outside!  We will have to go back for a weekend...

I think Mike wished he could ask me all over again... :-)

Still Life

The Children's Hospital seriously has some of the best art.  I love these!

Pink

Dummy

This photo is AWESOME.

Belle Isle

As part of the 2010 Intro Show, we spent the morning on historic Belle Isle in Detroit.  We didn't drive (the lines were way too long) but we did appreciate the 2011 Mustang drifter, as well as some great good.  And company. :-)

Concourse C: a study

I'm never in Concourse C, so it was fascinating to see a part of the airport and realize I don't know it quite as well as I thought...