brown…or brown?

I got four paint samples from Lowe’s for what I’ve been calling our “L-shaped room” downstairs.

I don’t normally get samples; I typically am confident enough in my decision about the paint color that I don’t think I need to sample it. However, this is a pretty big room and I’m not painting twice!

The room will have one of our red couches and a leather chair and light brownish drapes, but that’s all I know for sure. I know I want to keep the room neutral and get away from the red/teal/black theme I had going on in Ohio.

So, I wanted to go with a really neutral and somewhat light shade of brown on the walls.

The first one is way more gray than I’d thought it would be, so it’s out. The fourth one is too dark, so it’s out. The two in the middle I could live with, but I was really looking more something just a bit lighter.

Here are the colors on a different wall that gets less light:

I think I’m going to have to go back to get another sample or two…

And Andrew’s chair is on its way, so I might just wait until it arrives and I can see it in the room before I pick the color. It’s not like there aren’t other things for me to be doing around here!

lights, camera, action!

The laundry room now has lights!

Andrew and his dad put up the drywall ceiling the other night and Andrew installed some can lights as well. Andrew is a fan of can lights. As in, he basically puts them in every room possible. He did in Ohio, and he’s doing it here. He’s gotta be some sort of expert by now…

There’s been a lot of action in there tonight–loud sawing noises and burning smells and wafts of dust coming from that general direction–so I’ve hunkered down in my office upstairs for some much-needed computering.

I cannot tell you how excited I am for this weekend–so I can get things done. Lord, let there be enough hours in the day!

labor day

We dropped our house projects for the long weekend to host our dear friends Emily and Dan and Jen and Dave and their baby, Aiden!

They arrived Friday night and we (not-so-promptly, according to Emily) ordered Pasquale’s pizza and wings:

Early risers Hadrian and Aiden hangin’ out the next morning:

After a circuit-training workout (led by Emily!) at the park across the street, we walked to Charlie’s for brunch, then to Fisher Price (headquartered in my NEW hometown!):

Followed by refreshments at Taste!

(Aiden got ahold of my earring…)

Miss Emily posing while we walked FROM OUR HOUSE TO MAIN STREET (how awesome is that?!):

Dinner on Saturday was beef on weck and homemade salad, which we devoured before I got a chance to snap a photo:

I made a cocktail for the girls of cake-flavored vodka and chocolate coconut water, a recommendation from a cousin. It was amazing!

Andrew made a fire in the backyard and we roasted marshmallows:

(In the interest of journalistic integrity, I feel I have to divulge this: the fire department and police may have shown up. Well, there is no ‘may’ about it; they did. Turns out a neighbor called our fire in, but YES, we are allowed to have a fire in our backyard. The authorities wished us well and left almost as soon as they arrived, somewhat puzzled as to why they were called in the first place…)

The spread the next morning:

Homemade bagels and blueberry donuts!

We headed off to Niagara Falls (because what else do you do with visitors who’ve never been?!), then proceeded on to Crystal Beach (also in Canada) against our better judgement. It was a bust, Aiden was hot and fussy–heck! We were ALL hot and fussy–so we scrambled back across the border as fast as possible!

We were welcomed by the familiar sights and smells of Wegmans, where we ordered subs to-go and picked up Bar Bill wings on the way home. After some showers, some grub and puttin’ our feet up, I’d say we all fully recovered from the crowded Falls and beach trip. Emily and I made a second pilgrimage to the caboose (our local ice cream joint), where we waited for what seemed like an eternity while the post-college returnee staff was still learning the ropes…

Our company left this morning after feasting on leftover breakfast and loading up the car. We said an enthusiastic goodbye, knowing it wouldn’t be the last.

Andrew and I wasted no time in getting back to the grind; he worked tirelessly in the laundry room (ready for ceiling lights and drywall!), while I picked up, repotted some plants, did laundry at the Layers’, organized the pantry and prepped for school.

I think I need more sleep…