white out

One of the first things I knew about this house--before we bought it, or even looked at it for that matter--was that I wanted to paint the ceiling in the living room blue. After we bought the house and I enlisted Alex to prime and paint the living room walls, I busted out the roller and painted the ceiling myself. I still remember it: Halloween night 2005, dinnerless (but not drinkless) and all jacked up on miniature candies and barely able to see my progress because the room is lit like a cave. The end result? A blue ceiling that I have loved, but alas on Saturday it was time to say goodbye. Our new realtor convinced me that painting the ceilings white in our living and dining rooms would brighten up the front of the house (it needs it) so go ahead and cross that off our list.

Did I mention the TV cameras were there? Shhh....

and the oscar goes to:

Back in my twenties, when I had more time to myself than I knew what to do with, I would see every movie nominated for an Academy Award--including Best Foreign Picture when I could I find it at the Angelika--and my friend would host a big Oscar party (gowns optional...I'm kidding) as we challenged one another with our knowledge of film. One time I even fashioned an Oscar statue out of Christmas-themed cookie cutters and brought them to the party. True story.

Fast forward ten years plus one husband and two kids later, and anyone who has children knows that movies are the first thing to go on your social calendar (especially before the little ones are too young to sit through Disney Pixar's latest masterpiece). So my new Oscar tradition has become choosing one nominated movie to watch per year and then throwing my arms up in disbelief if the chosen one fails to take home the coveted statue of Best Picture. However, since I started this little tradition in 2009, my record is 2-0. In 2009 I went with the obvious favorite Slumdog Millionaire, but last year I consider myself lucky by correctly choosing The Hurt Locker (actually, I just wanted James Cameron to loose to his ex-wife). This year I'm going against the favorite (The King's Speech) and picking The Social Network. Alex and I watched it the other night, and he liked it so much he briefly considered getting a facebook account. That's kind of a big deal and worth a statue to me!

pictures of you

When I was in high school, I drew a picture of Jerry Garcia for my sister. We were deadheads at the time--as deadhead as suburban high school kids can be--and I was exploring my artistic side (this is when I was still enamored of the idea of living as a starving artist in SoHo). The picture was (is) terrible. Jerry has little freaky hands and slumped shoulders and blank eyes. I've asked my sister for years to get rid of it, but she holds onto it. And I didn't grow up to be an artist, starving or otherwise.

The other day I came across the website of a girl who did grow up to be an artist, and she creates the cutest custom illustrations starting at $150. Check out i Missy You to see how she's able to transform your favorite pictures of yourself--or musical legends or your dog or favorite pair of shoes--into a work of art. Maybe I'll send her a picture of Jerry...

let's make a deal

My sister and I are planning a trip to NYC in April. We're gonna party like it's 1999--the year I moved to the city--and leave our men at home to take care of the babies. It should be an adventure for everyone.

We already have our flights and one hotel booked (her husband works for Hilton, so he got us a good deal) but being the ever-resourceful former New Yorker that I am, I know the secret to getting a good deal is waiting for the right moment to pounce. And that moment is right now. The famed Mondrian hotel is opening its latest outpost in New York City (SoHo) in March, so there are deals to be had. Here's a rendering of the hotel:

It may be small, but it's stylish and swanky and the perfect location--neighborhood is always ranked above size when it comes to New York. Take a closer look:

Check out the view...buildings like legos laid out as far as the eye can see. I love it!

a tisket a tasket

So let's see if this is the magic trick that sells the house. Not the granite counter tops; not the exterior paint job; not the neutralizing of the living and dining room walls, but adding a flower box under the window. Here you see the before, and below you see the after:

Amazing, right? You can't believe your eyes? Instant dollars in the bank? Maybe not. Or maybe we should reserve judgement until I actually plant (is it considered planting?) flowers in it. I'm saving that task until we're 100% ready to go back on the market, though, because plants and such have about a 14-day life cycle under my care. Does the flower box look a little small to you? Is flower box even the right word for whatever those things are?

A globe light on the side porch: so what, right? The truth of the matter is that we've lived in this house for five years with just a naked lightbulb serving as our "light fixture" on the side porch (kind of like we lived with a garage light in our kitchen until someone asked "why do you have a garage light in your kitchen?"). The globe is nothing special, but it's more special than what was there before. I think it was worth the $12 (and the little shock that Alex got while installing it).

sunny saturday

I would like to congratulate Alex and myself for crossing four things off of our list this weekend. We took advantage of the 75-degree weather and perched the kids outside for a fun-filled Saturday afternoon. These are the things I learned: I love being outside but hate yard work, blowing leaves is way more difficult than it looks (and not as much fun, I might add) and raking with a baby attached to your chest is not very efficient. But here's a look at the the things we did accomplish:

- throw out the doormat in the kitchen
- stack up on air filters for hallway vent
- get a flower box for one of the front windows (um...do I need to plant something now?)
- get light for side porch and install

And here's a look at the Wheats in action:

Scout was so excited when she found out we'd be "playing" outside that she went all Brandi Chastain and ripped off her shirt.

Catcher was really excited, too...all he had to do all day was run around the yard.

Squirrels were freaking her out...

Catcher dismantled my pile of leaves that took 20 minutes to rake in 2.2 seconds. At least it was good for a chuckle.

Sorry about the unflattering angle, Scout. I know you'll bring it up some day when you hate me for everything.

Let's play pass the baby: I'll take her while you blow the leaves, then you take her while I blow the leaves; I'll take her while you're playing with electricity, then you take her...

idea bulb

Look what I found on etsy. Cute, right? I generally don't have the patience to go sloshing around the site looking for things I don't need--or things I want but don't have the room for until the house sells--but tonight I was playing around and happened up this little guy. Here's his brother:

This light in the wooden variation led me to search for more wood until I happened upon this cheeky little thing:

Quick...can you name the state? If you answered "yes" to the previous, can you name the city represented by the heart? You can even customize where you'd like to place you're heart (how cute!). If only I could think of someone who's heart belongs to this state...

Or maybe this one...

Now that I've started, I could keep going all night with the etsy, but I promised Alex we would watch Survivor from last night. Redemption Island, here we come...

what's in a heart?

Did I neglect to mention that yesterday was Valentine's Day? As you can imagine, I really don't like Valentine's Day (and I'm not saying that in a I'm-a-single-girl-who-really-wants-a-mate-but-says-she-hates-Valentine's sort of way). I'm really not fond of the holiday--although it is the one time of year that I enjoy eating cheap chocolate from a big cardboard box--because hearts and bunnies and sappy cards aren't really my jam. Are bunnies associated with Valentine's Day? Maybe not, but here are a few things that should be...

Hugs not drugs? Sometimes you have to say drugs not hugs. Either way, I love Jonathan Adler's quirky needlepoint pillows.

Only the late (and genius) Alexander McQueen could create such a desirable juxtaposition of opposites with this skull heart ring. I heart it.

This bracelet is constructed of hearts and inspired by Disney. Hearts and Disney are two things I would normally turn up my nose to, but there are times when two wrongs make a right (especially when Tom Binns is behind it!).

What can I say? I'm a sucker for some tacky heart tattoo art. Just wrap it up with my Whitman's Sampler and call it a day.

status update

The only thing I managed to cross off the list this week wasn't actually on the list (remember the Drano?), and it also doesn't count because I still have a slow draining sink...or whatever the technical lingo is. So there you have it. I still have a clogged sink and nothing crossed off my list.

little miss sunshine

Finally! It was 60 degrees in Charlotte today (isn't that the reason we moved here in the first place?). So how better to spend a warm Sunday afternoon in February than tearing up the playground with the kids? Actually, Catcher was really the only one tearing it up as he climbed up the slide and down the rock wall, but Scout held her own on the baby swing. Check out these snapshots--courtesy of my Hipstamatic app--that showcase a picturesque afternoon in the park (maybe one that could have taken place in the 60's, but picturesque nonetheless).

risky business

There are many ways in which I'm blessed to have a son, but perhaps the most profound is learning the exact age that a guy begins to entertain himself by dancing around the house in his underwear: 2 years, 7 months and 3 days. This afternoon, Catcher amused me with his own interpretations of itsy-bitsy spider, twinkle twinkle little star and the alphabet song while tapping his foot and singing into a drumstick (which, incidentally, he calls a baseball bat) in front of the fireplace. I know he'll hate me for this some day, but I couldn't let a moment like this go by uncaptured:

fashion meets design

In honor of New York's fashion week, I dedicate this post to some fabulous collaborations between fashion and interior design...

Alexander McQueen for The Rug Company

Oscar de la Renta for Century

Oscar de la Renta for Lee Jofa fabrics

Diane von Furstenberg

Vivienne Westwood for The Rug Company