What Ana Does

I love the look of button down collars. I think they just look cleaner and more put together. I used to only buy collars with buttons -- until I figured out I could quickly sew on my own buttons. I don't even need to make a button hole because I'm not unbuttoning them, making them even quicker. Here's the seriously easy directions. The Shirt! Here's my new flannel shirt (aside: aren't you so glad flannel shirts are back? I'm ready to relive the glory of my grunge days) and the collar is just flopping around, willy-nilly. Extra Buttons Usually, there are extra buttons but, unfortunately, never the same size.  Sleeve With Buttons Luckily, you can usually find a gratuitous button elsewhere on the shirt. Check the sleeves. Do you need this many buttons on a shirt you'll likely roll up the sleeves? Nah. I prefer the smaller buttons, usually not right on the cuff but up the sleeve a bit.  Volia! Hold down the collar and sew direc...

You guys, how cool is this?! One of the cutest decorators that I follow ( Emily Henderson) helped redesigned an apartment of one of the bloggers I follow ( Cup of Jo ) -- and that's not even the cool part. It's a teeny apartment in NYC -- with lots of windows and there are lots of cool ideas for small spaces, etc. Including ... TA-DA! An Art Wall Behind the TV... Art Wall! I'm not saying I invented the concept -- I probably gleaned it from a book or HGTV show (possibly even Emily's) but it's what I was going for, for sure. Sometimes I just don't know my own decorating genius until I see other people do it, too. Sigh. My Art Wall With TV Even her explanation is exactly what I was thinking: Pretend like the TV isn’t there and just have an awesome art wall. Place the TV in front of it (ideally in front of a piece of art that has a lot of simple information ) and take away the importance of the TV. It’s as if we were all,  fine, we can put the TV ...

Did a quick makeover to the colors on the blog. Hope you like it. Yellow just makes me happy!

So excited to welcome a new family member! The free piano, who I will name Edith or Henrietta, just got delivered. And though I'm not sold on its placement, I'm so excited it's here. She needs a tuning and some little girls to learn proper fingering and how to read music.  I'm day dreaming of recitals and Beethoven!!

Leah's List This was a very important weekend to get things checked off on my todo list. There are only a few precious non-visitor weekends before the holiday craziness and, therefore, much to do. Leah helped me out by writing out the tasks. Plus, there were several she didn't include. As of Monday morning, I'm feeling very good about all we achieved. Holiday cards ordered. Hanukkah gifts under control. Dave cleaned out and organized the garage. Bunk bed ready to move back into the house (though not close to being finished). Light bulb changed. Drain-o used on the girls' tub. See? Little things that just needed some focus. Done and Done! We even booked a babysitter for Saturday night and saw "Thor" -- which was like a mini-vacation from all the work being done. Soo good! Hooray for ToDo lists and empty (stormy) weekends to do them in.

Audiobook: Cleaving by Julie Powell Read by: Julie Powell Genre: Memoir I listen ed to Julie & Julia and utterly enjoyed Julie's journey and honesty (and, yes, her creative use of curse words). So I picked up Cleaving , preparing myself for sickening descriptions of butchering. I was NOT prepared (and this isn’t a spoiler) that she’s cheating on her husband. (!) That sweet man who got her blogging and changed her life. Honestly, it took me days to overcome feelings of betrayal. Julie! ! Julie!! Why!!  But once I did, the audiobook went like this:  Part 1: Where Julie learns the art of butchering, which conveniently lends itself to about 200 metaphors of heartbreak, breakups and separating from your husband and lover. “Sometimes separating meat from bone isn't clean, you leave a lot of meat destroyed” (I paraphrased). At first I was like, "Cleaving"! I get it! Then, she started to hit me over the head with it, like maybe we didn’t pick up on the a...

Ever since Leah was born we thought "someday, she's going take piano lessons." It's good for her development, math skills and focus. Plus, the ability to read music is a skill we both wish we studied. Last year, my Mom gave us the electric keyboard my sister learned on when we were growing up. It's a favorite toy for the girls and they often put on impromptu concerts. And we'd be OK with starting lessons on it. But, wouldn't it be COOL to have a REAL piano? Dave's Mom has one that belonged to her mom. We asked repeatedly for it but she's attached to it. She likes to hear the grandkids bang on it when we're over. And when we left the state, it became completely unattainable. And have you SEEN the prices for upright pianos? Thousands for a new one. Hundreds and hundreds for used ones. Even on Craig's List! And you have to tack on moving and tuning expenses. Not in the budget. So, when I saw someone on our neighborhood bulletin board...

This week was our first snow fall. It didn't stick around long, but it was pretty.  Backyard Blanketed in Snow

Remember these Halloween lights I made out of salsa jars? Spooky, Right?  Well, never one to waste. I used a washable paint, so ... I washed them. Scrubbing Frankenstein The paint peeled right off with very little scrubbing and they're ready for some festive holiday usage. Not sure what that will be yet. I'll have to consult the Pinterest pins for some fantastic ideas. Waiting Creativity Will keep you posted!

The Star Chart!  At the tender ages of 5 and 7, we're finally out of the potty-training, help-feeding, dress-you, do-everything-for-you stage that is baby and toddlerhood. And we're onto teaching these two girls how to be functioning humans, capable of taking care of themselves. (I'm a big proponent of teaching the concept of independence as early as possible.) To that end, we've been using a Star Chart for the last month or so and have seen some pretty good results, so I thought I'd share. Our chart is less about disciplining bad behavior (we did that last year) and more focused on nurturing good habits. Habits, after all, are formed by doing something 12 times, unless you're under age 10, then that number is more like 1,200. Our categories include: Brushing teeth, and hair. Make your bed. Dirty clothes in the basket. Tidy your own room. etc. Pretty simple daily habits most adults follow. My end game here is to reduce my nagging.  This script is ge...

"He doesn't have a name yet, just a number." This is how he got me. I'm a softie, and, apparently that includes to animals, as well. There's backstory coming in a separate post but the NEWS FLASH is this: We might be adopting a dog. A DOG. He's 4-years-old and coming from a research lab. Rest assured, he's TOTALLY healthy -- but, he's had a very, very sheltered life. I won't go so far as say "abused" but not an ideal puppyhood. More on that later. I just feel ready to burst. We're adding another member to the family and I feel like I'm having a baby all over again. We have to buy supplies, get his "room" ready ... I need to read up on dogs books and manuals, because I know nothing. We should see a photo from when he's moved from the lab to a foster home to acclimate to a "home environment." (Awwww.) And we'll treat the first month as a trail period. We know other families who have adopted thro...

Mercer Street My weekend in New York City started with drinks with an old friend who loves in TriBeCa. We became fast friends years ago when we realize we read the same sappy/crazy young adult novels, and are both the mother of two girls. We drank wine/cider, snacked on bruschetta and talked books, work, parenting and more. There was much giggling. The next day, Dave and I roamed SoHo -- hitting some of my favorite boutiques and shops (Mariebelle, Purl, Scholastic Store, etc.). This includes the Orla Kiely shop where I don't so much as purchase but pay homage to the designer and her products. Had there been an alter, I might have fallen prostrate before it. Such is my zeal. We then enjoyed lunch at Bread on Broome Street, a favorite lunch spot back in the days when I worked in the neighborhood. The house tomato soup continues to be the best EVER. And with the rapid change that often happens in a city, it's nice when things stay the same.  The MET That eveni...

I feel pretty darn lucky that I get to go to NYC as often as I do. And not for work, but for play. Once again, I'm tagging along on husband's trip to the city that was once home base. The city I know better than all other cities. And, since I'm kid-less (thanks Nana!), it will be all about ME! What do I want to do? I'm planning to meet up with pals (cocktails in Tribeca?!) Get to the MET at night again (a favorite activity) and roam my favorite SoHo boutiques. I love the timing of this trip, because I can start planning/buying holiday gifts. And even though David will be off on some work-related activities, it's still time just for the two of us. And, as I've often stated, walking through a city hand-in-hand with my hubby is one of my FAVORITE ways to pass a sunny afternoon. "Remember when it was just the two of us?" we'll say. Then, "We have to bring the girls on our next trip." Sigh. Hooray hooray! Rockefeller Center - That...

I haven't actually sat down and watched a game in, well, years but (as I've mentioned before) I love football season. Mostly because of this ... Thumbs Up! My adorable football fanatic husband will watch the NFL Red Zone channel for hours and do load after load after load of laundry.  I can putter, run errands or take the kids to a play (as I was about to do just before I took this picture) and he'll just keep washing and folding. Marvelous. Related links: More Family Room posts

You know about my dining room curtains ... and how they're an awesome navy blue chevron (zig-zag) pattern. Well, since they went up, I've been working on incorporating the pattern on the other side of the room to "tie everything together" to use an interior designer term. Cuz, I'm fancy. Well, as of last night I finished the throw pillows. AND Target delivered my grey chevron slipper chair. So, yeah ... we're all chevron in this part of the house. Happy me!  I Made More Pillows!  Grey Chair - Brings Together Grey Walls and Zig-Zags Wellllll ... almost done. As I posted last week, the valences from the dining room are a GO . But I'm going to de-prioritize that work until the new year. My To-Make list is filled with holiday gift projects. It's that jolly time of year!  (Editor's Note: Grams, that's the chair you found on the Target website and sent to me. I did some comparison shopping, and that was the best deal and cha...

I was having a good hair day, so I took a selfie to mark the occasion. 

That just looks awesome, am I right?  It's just a piece of test fabric leftover from pillow making, but finishes up this little windows perfectly. Matches everything. Yay!  Off to buy even more chevron fabric!