The Crosby Chronicles

A few months ago, we decided to combine the 25 gallon aquarium with the 100 gallon aquarium because the maintenance routine was just becoming too much. This was a great move because I really enjoy having all of my little critters in one place. I also only have to transport 21 gallons of deionized reverse osmosis water every two weeks instead of 40+ gallons. Removing the tank left me with a little awkward spot in the office that just looked like a void. I decided on Saturday morning that I was going to go out and find something that would make the room look more decorated. Here is what I did. The picture was given to me by a friend years ago and I took it out of the bathroom. I bought the chair for a very reasonable price at HomeGoods and picked up a cheap pillow at Target.  Poof, in one morning I was able to make the room look complete. On Saturday mornings, I often ask myself what I am going to create or do to make my life or my surroundings better. I think this was another step in the right direction.

This was my little hunk of wall before.

Here is my little hunk of wall after.

My neighbors across the hall moved in January 15th and proceeded to put up their live pine Christmas wreath. I thought it was a little strange, but let it go. Today, on March 1st, this same wreath still adorns the door. If you know me, you know I am very type A+++++, so looking at this everyday is driving me crazy. Naturally this Christmas wreath situation got me thinking, when is it appropriate to put up seasonal decorations? I did some research on the internet and here is an article that I completely agree with http://lisahw.pnn.com/articles/show/29907-when-holiday-decorations-should-go-up-according-to-me

In January, I bought this adorable wreath at HomeGoods for only $20. I have been waiting for the moment I could legally put it up and not offend the neighbors. Is it too early to put a spring wreath up even though it is still technically winter?

This is the neighbor's Christmas wreath.

This is my new lovely spring wreath.

The month long Salvation Army credenza turned dresser project is finally over. I may have ulnar nerve/elbow problems from the sander, but all of the hard work really paid off. I would like to thank Dad for special help with the sanding and painting and Ethan and Adam for helping me get the monster into the house. I would also like to thank Mom for always feeding the troops and letting me paint in her kitchen when it was thirty degrees outside.  I would love to have more time to work on projects like this. It is such an eco-friendly way to turn someone else’s junk into your treasure! I hope to keep this piece in my home for many years to come.

I ran across this post on (http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2010/01/what-makes-a-house-a-home/) a few weeks ago on a blog I read called Centsational Girl. It really made me think about the meaning of home and how everything does not have to always be magazine perfect. For those of you who know me, type A does not begin to describe my personality, so I thought I would repost this to remind myself that a little cat hair on the couch is ok!

We love to curl up together on the leather couch!

Today was the 10th Valentine’s Day Adam and I have spent together. In honor of the special day, and in an attempt to be cheap, I decided I would get a bit crafty and make Adam a collage of memories from the past ten years. What is the point of having all those “special memories” in a box you can’t reach in the back of your closet? I picked up a $12.99 picture frame from TJ Maxx, sorted through the memories, cut, chopped, and glue sticked, and here is what I created. The best part was Adam’s huge smile and the conversation about many of the wonderful experiences we have had over the past ten years! There you have it, a Valentine’s Day or special occasion gift that can be made for under $13.00!

All of the memories I wanted to frame were first collected.

The pictures were glued to poster board using glue stick.

A little dollar store ribbon was added to make it a bit more festive.

When I walked into our condo in March of 2007, I remember asking the agent, “is there anything else we can put on these floors?” Unfortunately, we bought our condo too late in the game to choose the flooring we wanted. We have a very open floor plan that includes ugly, damaged laminate in the kitchen and fuzzy looking carpet in the living room, dining room, and hallways. We always knew we would change out the flooring in the main part of the house. Naturally we assumed that we would put down some nice bamboo hardwood floors so we could have an eco-friendly, wear resistant floor. At one point, Adam event wanted to polish the concrete that was underneath the carpet. The hardwood plan soon turned sour when I actually started looking at hardwood floors. After picking up several samples and pushing on them with my fingernails, I realized that I was about to spend a lot of money on something that did not appear to be any more durable than the crappy laminate we have now. That is when I turned to the idea of tile. Now, I know this is an unconventional move, and many of you might be saying in your head, that is a horrible idea. Fortunately, we are not your typical white picket fence, 2.5 children type of people, so you should expect some odd things from us once in a while. Below you will see some pictures of rooms that I think are super modern and beautiful. I love anything that strikes the eye as a little different, so this seems to fit the bill. A bonus is that Adam has actually almost committed to taking a free DIY tile class with me. This could be the biggest project or disaster we have made yet!!! So, what do you think? Have I gone too far with this one? Is this an unsavory decision?

I am determined to get my new dresser done. If that means that I must sand in 29 degree weather then so be it. On Sunday, I began the sanding process and here is the progress I have made. I know the project will turn out great, but it is hard to believe with the way it looks now. I used 120-grit sandpaper on the entire body of the dresser inside and out and here are the results.

Let's get the party started!

I promise I will be beautiful one day.

We fixed the crack with a small amount of wood filler.

For months now, I have been wanting to go to Norfolk Wholesale Floral to see what kind of deals they have. The sunflowers that I picked up two weeks ago were finally showing their age, so I decided that my Saturday morning treat would be some fresh flowers. When I arrived, I was disappointed at the lack of fresh flowers, but noticed these orange stickers on everything. I asked another customer what was going. I was thrilled to find out that Saturday morning is clearance time at the wholesale florist. This event translated into 50% off flowers for me! I picked up two bunches of flowers for a grand total of $5.00 and I was on my merry way. I came home, cut and pruned, and put together two little flower arrangements; one for my desk and one for my dining room table. Overall, I am thrilled with my Saturday morning five dollar surprise.

Today I looked out of my gigantic classroom windows and saw more dreaded snow. The realization hit me that this winter thing still has a ways to go. This is the second time in less than a week we have seen snow in Hampton Roads. It sort of makes a native start to think things like the end of the world is near or all this hype about global warming is a hoax. Anyhow, I felt it completely necessary to go out and purchase a couple cheerful things, and have a seance to encourage the spring sprits to get things into motion. Needless to say, I am waiting with baited breath for some warm weather, flowery skirts, and blooming buds.

Before meeting my BFF, Tiffany, for dinner, I had to stop by the TJ Maxx. I have decided that I should NEVER live close to this place because Adam and I get in numerous “discussions” about the “frivolous” spending I do there. Tonight I picked up eight spring plaid napkins, a nest, and a bunny rabbit that Adam is going to truly despise (especially once I put a ribbon around its neck) and try to make me give away to charity. I only spent $25 bucks on all these jewels. I left with a smile on my face and the hope that spring is right around the corner.

Transforming physical objects to make them more aesthetically pleasing drives me. In my opinion, there is no tool more valuable or powerful than paint. Much to Adam’s dismay, I have a painting addiction: “Hello, my name is Mary and I love paint.” I love color so much that one of my friends said “I can tell you are a teacher, your house looks like a crayon box.” Now this insult did come from a guy, so I don’t take much stock in it, but I do think color makes the world a much happier place. Sometimes I wish I could paint over all the nasty nouns (people, places, and things) of the world, but that must wait until I win the lottery.  If you are reading this blog and hope to see a lot of tan or white paint, this is not the place for you. My heart flutters when I am holding a paint brush that is dripping with brick red, Georgian green, or palladium blue paint. Where do they get the names from anyway?

As of right now, I only have one project waiting to come to life with a little elbow greese and a major amount of some fancy named black Benjamin Moore Metal and Wood paint. If you have never painted furniture, I am telling you that this stuff kicks some serious behind and unfortunately comes in at a pricey $25 per quart. During the summer, I painted my 100 gallon aquarium and it turned out beautiful with just one coat. The ceremonial painting of my $160 thrift store credenza turned dresser must wait for the next warm Saturday morning that feels as if it is never coming. This Saturday, I plan to brave the frigid garage and begin the sanding process armed with 180 grit sand paper and a good old fashioned hand sander that once graced my talented grandfathers hands. I promise to update the progress as it occurs. Below you will see some before and after pics of the aquarium as well as the major thrift store score I am about to begin work on.

This is the aquarium before painting.

This is the aquarium stand after painting.

This is the latest painting project. This will be painted black to match the rest of our bedroom furniture.