A Week From Saturday...

The roles will be reversed 

a week from Saturday!

On Saturday, May 9, one of my best friends in the WORLD will be wed to the love of her life. Mo, can't wait to see you looking gorgeous as usual but with a glamorous bridal twist! It's going to be such the fabulous day for you and Matt.

:)

Random

I just stumbled upon this accidental silliness photo of Moeko from East Side Lounge... and it's been making me giggle all day.

So I thought I'd share.

If you're from Atlanta, You'll Appreciate

I noticed this yesterday and it's been cracking me up ever since.

Click on the image and look smack in the middle of this google map at the area near East and West Paces Ferry, Roswell Road, Peachtree Road, etc. It's in the heart of Buckhead but it's labeled... well, see for yourself.

Easing In... TMI Thursday

So, I mentioned via a comment on Mb's blog two weeks ago that I may participate in a TMI Thursday*. Well, this is my first attempt. Being in that I'm rather private with bodily functions and such, I have to start light.

I'll start with an embarrassing story that many can laugh at and few witnesses can forget. 

So there I was, sitting at the lunch table amidst a few hundred other Eufaula High school students. It was 10th grade. I was sitting with some friends from show choir or some other super cool class, chatting about something like the newest roller coaster at Six Flags, the new night of TGIF coming up on Friday on ABC, the latest planet to be discovered how I didn’t have a date to homecoming. I flipped my soft cooler lunch box open and continued the discussion.

Before I had a second to blink, my classmate and friend Jeremy pulled something pale and cloth-like out of my lunch bag, twirled the item above his head then threw it in the middle of the atrium. It took me a few seconds to make out what the white, cotton item was. Oh sh*t (okay, I didn’t curse at that point in my life) SHOOT, it’s a pair of my freaking underwear! And other lunchers were noticing, too. People screamed, jumped out of the way, giggled, pointed and immediately started some really fun rumors about the situation playing out before them.

Seeing in that I was a camper at an all-girls summer camp even at 16 (shout out to Camp Nakanawa!), most of my underwear had a big “K. Beck” written in the back in jumbo black Sharpie. How else was I supposed to keep my lady part coverers separate from the other girls? This was embarrassing — and also meant that I had to go retrieve the panties because it would eventually be clear anyway who they belonged to.

Exhibit A: the star of my first TMI Thursday

Neon bright red in the face and trying to duck under my hands like I was hiding from the paparazzi, I slinked out towards the undergarment.

Did I mention these were granny panty-esque? Oh yeah. 

I picked up the sexy "full coverage" panties that looked like they belonged to my mom and miserably sat down back at the table. I think I was a mixture of bewildered and humiliated, thinking “how the eff did those things get into my lunch bag?” And “how am I ever going to recover from this?” The laughter didn’t die down with my tablemates until the lunch-ending bell rang. HORRIBLE. As if being an awkward 16-year-old isn’t bad enough.

My thoughts flashed back to that morning. I packed my lunch as my mom was doing laundry. Perhaps one of my much younger siblings threw the underthings into my lunch bag, not knowing the consequences. Perhaps it was done on purpose by a sibling closer in age to me. Maybe we’ll never know.

But what I do know is that for months, the halls of EHS were filled with questions:

·      Why wasn’t Katy wearing underwear? (I was, btw)

·      Was the pair of Fruit of the Looms roaming the cafeteria floor dirty or clean?

·      Why did Jeremy Carroll have Katy’s underwear?

·      Are Katy and Jeremy “an item?” (followed by oo-lah-lahs)

·      Why would a 16-year-old have her name written in her panties?

Having people discuss my possible commando-ness or underwear swappage was mortifying … especially considering the most scandalous thing I’d done with a boy by that point was hold hands.

*TMI Thursday is something many of the DC Bloggers are embracing. Posts range from poop and pee to periods and private parts... I already know I'm going to struggle with having enough material to be interesting and ongoing.

I Wish Upon a Star...

That someone would find my Canon Powershot SD1100 or the memory card with all of our honeymoon photos... and post them on this awesome site.

Inspiration from a 7-year-old

Listening to NPR during my morning commute, I happened to catch a really inspiring piece about a first grader named Tarak McLain.

Now 7-year-old Tarak McLain got a relatively simple assignment from his kindergarten teacher. "Bring in 100 things." Many kids brought in things like cotton balls or Cheerios. A then 6-year-old Tarak decided to bring in 100 of his beliefs. Over several days, he drafted his 100 beliefs — then later delivered them to his class. 

Beyond his mature wisdom, Tarak also has put together fundraisers for schools abroad and encourages his parents to keep food in the car so he can hand it out to the homeless.

Wow.

I really encourage you to give this a listen.

Our Kitchen: You've Come a Long Way, Baby

Kitchen circa 2004 (note: this was taken by the home's previous owners. 

I have no idea what the hell that antler thing is above the sink); refrigerator on right wall

Gotta love those avocado appliances, right? 

So vintage they're almost cool again.

Now: white appliances (including a gas range!), 1-by-1 inch tile backsplash, 

butcher's block countertop, repainted vent hood, granite composite sink with push button disposal, 

repainted/opened cabinets, recessed lighting

Custom desk with cork bulletin board, 

open shelving (still needs some organization)

I'm loving the soffit-turned-bookshelf, new section of cabinets, hidden trash can, 

Ralph Lauren river rock paint (on the walls) and wine glass racks 

(behind the scenes: new electrical)

Hosting an event this weekend helped us put a rush order on the finishing steps of our kitchen. Last week, Dan called Phil up to tell him our debacle — two-thirds of the cabinets left to sand/prime/paint, no crown molding, unpainted walls and high hopes of having our kitchen look nice for hosting people at the house Saturday. We really did have every intention of finishing ourselves by then... but our weekends have been non-stop busy and we've both been working late.

Phil, as well as Angel Painting (go Miguel!) came to our rescue. Phil headed over right away on Wednesday night; he and Dan tackled the crown molding in a few hours. Miguel and crew were over to our little ranch for Thursday, Friday and half of Saturday. We're now the proud owners of a kitchen complete with painted cabinets (antique white with light khaki on the back walls), caulked tile, a painted desk, crown molding, a stained door and more. 

While we hadn't originally planned to pay contractors for this final atheistic work, boy are we glad we did. I'm so proud of where we netted out. Dan worked hard and the contractors were all generous and hard-working. The guys all did a great job — and now we're done. Almost*. 

*We're still planning to do an "I love Lucy window" in the wall between the kitchen and dining room. We'll put in a small butcher's block counter top care of Phil (he has an extra piece) and some bar stools. This should help open up the kitchen and allow people to keep me company while I'm cooking. Scratch that. I'll be able to watch Dan as he does the dishes. 

Posts following our project are here. 

Honeymoon Recap: Second Full Day in Florence

The Duomo and its glorious dome — words can't describe 

what this looked like up close or in the distance (as seen from the Pitti Palace)

The Gates of Paradise

The Baptistry

We started our day with showers at our B&B then fresh cappuccino and croissants at Ristorante Rivoire. Mmmm. While it was way too early for sweets, I couldn't help but admire the carefully decorated truffles, cookies and other sweets. 

We met up with our Original and Best Tours group (this time, on the right day) near the open market. Our Original Renaissance tour group was larger than the groups we had with Through Eternity — but the guide still managed to corral us through the city. We met at the Palazzo Strozzi was built for the patriarch of the Strozzi family, a rival family to the Medicis. From there we walked to the Palazzo Davanzati, a gorgeous medieval palace. We saw chests, chairs, paintings and frescoes dating back to the 17th century. Our guide pointed out slats through the floor above the lobby that were once used to pour hot oil through (if there happened to be an unwanted guest that made it past security).

I think it was at the castle that our guide first started acting condescending to us. Maybe she dealt with so many ignorant American tourists that she just couldn't keep her attitude inside anymore. Our guide would ask a question, someone would answer (incorrectly) then she would make them feel silly for guessing what they guessed. I will get to an example later.

From there we strolled along the Ponte Vecchio, admiring again the sparkling jewels, handcrafted leather and Italian edibles. Live music filled the streets and the gorgeous weather only played into the beautiful scene. Our walking tour guide then took us through the historic streets of Florence, stopping to tell us about how the city had been reincarnated over the centuries. We admired all kinds of amazing architecture and heard more about the Medicis' rule over the city. 

We stopped through the city's political center, which also happened to be there area we were staying in — the Piazza della Signoria. Gorgeous city square. Our walk continued toward the Duomo and the Giotto bell tower. And the nearby Florence Baptistry was amazing, too. Its "Gates of Paradise" (Ghiberti) were beyond words. These were so popular with circulating tourists that it was tough to get a look. 

Original & Best then took us to our last stop for the morning leg of the tour — The Academy. We were able to skip the lines and get straight to Michelangelo's David, sculpted in the early 1500's. Michelangelo said he had a gift for releasing the statues from within marble. Seeing this sculpture in person was an incredible — maybe even spiritual — experience. Our guide asked, "So, what makes this David different than other Davids?" One man answered, "because his hands and feet are larger than usual?" She responded, sounding irritated. "Umm, no. Why would that make him unique? The answer is that he's pictured without David, something that is very rare." (Note: I see now that there's another tour company called "Original and Best Walking Tours" so I'm not sure which of the two was written up as a great company by Fodor's and Trip advisor...)

We also saw several unfinished Pietas, some of which he worked on as an elderly man. It's beyond me that a crazy man broke through crowds at the museum in 1991 and shattered his toes with a hammer. Who would want to do that to a masterpiece? Our tour concluded inside the Academy. We spent a little more time there (the David is really the highlight) then decided to hunt out some food.

Before lunch, we went ahead and took advantage of touring the and its campanile (bell tower).  Wow is it breathtaking! The Duomo is most famous for its 42-meter-wide dome. Much of the structure was finished in the late 1300's though the dome wasn't completed until 1436. Both the facade and the interior of the Duomo were sites to behold. We paid the two euros a person to climb the bell tower after we self-toured the inside of the Basilica de Santa Maria del Fiore (another name for the Duomo). The more than 400-step climb was worth the view of the city. Again, wow. Dan was like a kid in a candy store admiring the views of the city. 

Now we were really hungry. We had 45 minutes before meeting a guide for the second half of our tour (at the Uffizi). On a side street near our hotel, we stumbled upon La Buona Condotta. We waited in line among lunching businessmen and few tourists. The non-English speaking staff was accommodating and friendly. We had flatbread sandwiches (ham, artichoke, mozzarella, tomatoes), tortellini, a beer and sodas for 22 euros. 

Over at the Uffizi, we met a different guide for the second part of our small group tour. Only three others from our tour earlier in the day opted to do this leg. Our guide was a soft spoken art student. I enjoyed seeing the Renassiance art — especially Botticelli's Birth of Venus — but our guide seemed like she couldn't get out of there fast enough. Regardless, I'm glad we did both portions of the tour. 

The combined tours were 88 euro/person. I enjoyed what we saw, and of course the company of my new husband among amazing sites, but I wouldn't recommend this tour group if you can research other/better options. Maybe the other "Original and Best" provided a better experience. They did fulfill all their obligations (and we skipped the lines) but this group was not as enthusiastic and full service as our experience in Rome with Through Eternity. 

We chose kind of a random dinner location, but Dan and I both thought it was an interesting and relaxing change of pace. In jeans and t-shirts, we watched soccer and dined on lasagna, greek salad, Magherita pizza, grappa (yikes!) and cold beers. Yes, I realize an Irish pub in Florence seems like a sin — but Old Stone Irish Pub was fun for the night. 

Reflecting on our time in Italy, I realized how clean, approachable and romantic the city was. I'd heard that Florence was dirty, but such was not our experience at all. We saw trucks sweep and wash the streets at least twice a day while we were there. The area felt more walkable than Rome — but somehow the streets seemed more confusing. If I had to single three things out, seeing the David, riding on bikes through gorgeous Tuscany and seeing the Duomo were the highlights of Florence. Oh, I take that back. Everything was so wonderful. The culture, the food, the wine, the historic sites, the architecture and art, spending that first vacation and husband and wife, the whole experience... I breathe out a sigh and smile as I think about how amazing the trip was. I'm ready to go back, as I write this.

(All photos from Wikipedia Commons)