What Ana Does

It took a few years and hours and hours of time looking through furniture websites and comparing prices and materials ( post here to prove my dedication ),  I FINALLY decided on this Reed Pottery Barn table (using coupons and gift cards). Here's the BEFORE image: And here's the new rectangle table, with some crazy kids... The new shape is really interesting in the space. We've always had the round table here. But we're getting used to it. And it chunky, and heavy, and modern ... but that top might be a veneer and I'm a little unhappy with it ... the white table was a veneer too, I guess, so it's not much different. And yes, these pictures make my floor look just awful. UGH. I'm not sure we're ready for a full gut job on this kitchen, as much as it really really needs it. But if quarantine continues much longer, I may end up using one of the DIYers I follow how-tos and PAINT THAT HIDEOUS FLOOR. What do you think?

Well I'm home and staring down the spaces in my house that need some attention. So now is the TIME. Let's start with our living room/dining room. I'd love to paint the gray color but I think that would fray David's already shaking state of mind. So, I'm considering all the walls and what's on them. It's never a bad idea to shuffle up wall art. This wall in particular has been unsolvable since we returned from Paris. It was mainly just filled with a random assortment of framed pictures and art. First step, clear the wall. Second step, that corner table isn't working. What goes into the corner between two sofas? I always thought it was a table. But maybe a book shelf? For this time, I don't want to order any new furniture. So I came up with a good solution... I bolstered up the table using bed pedestals I had in my garage. Suddenly it's taller and looks like it may belong there. And no one will ever notice the black plastic pedestals th...

I have so many thoughts about this pandemic and all the scary uncertainty rolling around everywhere. I worry for my family and my loved ones and my coworkers, but I'm also filled with some certainty that we're all going to be safe. And, someday soon, we'll share stories about what we did during these days/weeks we were isolated at home. Work From Home! I'm also fascinated by the sociology of this and what kind of mark it will leave on our culture. Big changes come from being uncomfortable, from uncertainty, from a massive crisis. That's true for us individually and as a civilization. So this is all so fascinating from that point of view. There's just so much swirling it will be weeks until we can really understand it all and see the big picture. Until then... We're all home. Dave and I are working from home. The kids are getting e-learning assignments and keeping busy. And Bruce the pup is confused that we haven't all left him to his day-long ...

With the world in a topsy-turvy place, here's a few puppy pictures to lighten your day. We fostered these two chocolate lab puppies for the last week. They went off to good homes over the weekend, and we kinda miss their snuggles and kisses (not their mess). They were founds in a cardboard box in a parking lot of a grocery store -- way to young to be away from their mama. We originally just went to volunteer with this organization last Sunday when this large group of 22 abandon dogs came up from Georgia, but they were short a foster family for these two. I'm not heartless, so of course I said YES. Polly and Pixie were spunky gals that even Bruce loved, and we hope they're doing well in their new homes.

I'm always happier when I can buy something that fulfills a want or need in my house and does some good. Lately, I've been finding a bunch of items that fit that description, so I thought I'd round them up in a handy list. 4Oceans - a few times a year I donate $100 to help pull plastic out of the oceans. It's the very least I can do considering all the plastic I PUT in the oceans (it's impossible to avoid plastic, y'all). It's awful. So yup, buying four bracelets and making that donate is a drop in the bucket, but it's something. And the kids enjoy the bracelets and sharing them with friends. ( Shop here. ) Who Gives a Crap  - imaging cutting down trees in a lush forest so I can wipe my butt (sorry for the visual) is so distasteful to me, in many different ways. 100% "tree free" toilet paper, paper towels and tissues are just becoming a thing and I'm all over it. And this company takes its profits and builds bathrooms in third-world ...

We've got a wedding in Florida at the end of February and none of my formal dresses currently fit. So instead of the frustrating, lonely and depressing experience of spending a few hours in the dressing room at Nordstrom or Lord & Taylor, I've been experimenting with online dress shopping. I've been using mainly Amazon and Zappos, because of quick and free shipping. And I found quite a lot of dress options. In fact, I spent WAY TO MUCH time browsing through dresses and imaging how they'd translate from the model's size 1 body to my, er, larger one. In the end, I found there were some advantages and disadvantages to doing this kind of very-targeted shopping .... Pluses:  - Try on is at my house, in my bathroom, with my own shoes and undergarments, etc. I had ALL the space to move around and take each for a test drive. - My house has better, natural lighting and several mirror options. - I could take pictures of myself in the dress to send to my sisters w...

This seems to be the time of year when I buy up all the books. Looking over past year's posts, it's pretty clear that awful February sends me to book stores and removes all my inhibitions about buying books. Other times of the year, I get the Kindle version, wait for the paperback or opt for the library book. But put me in the back-end of winter and I'm clamoring for all the new books.  Also, this is a pretty good season for new books.  And also, reading a book under a blanket while the weather is freezing and horrible is such a joy.  Here's my current NEW stack: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black is set in a similar world to her Folk of the Air series that I just finished. I'm a few chapters short of finishing this one and it's so good.  Why We Can't Sleep by Ada Calhoun is a book I bought after listening to her interviewed on a GOOP podcast (after my sister raved about it). It's all about my generation and how we'...