Ten years ago today...

Ten years ago today...

The morning of 9/11/2001,  I was a resident of the Ronald McDonald house, in Roanoke, Virginia.  Having given birth to our first beautiful baby girl three months early, we were able to reside there to be close to the NICU, which  was her residence for the first Six months of her life.  Our precious Saralain was in such hurry to meet us that she was born twenty four months and five days into her gestational period.  That morning I finally felt confident enough to send my daughter's birth announcements.  I was shoulder deep in baby pictures, ribbon, paper and envelopes, when the phone rang,

I can't tell you how relieved I was to hear my mother's voice on the other end of the phone.   As any parent who has experienced having a child in the hospital will tell you, hearing the phone ring makes your stomach go up into your throat.  My mother told me to turn on the news and we watched in horror.  I sat frozen, watching the news as the story unfolded.  I tried desperately to reach my husband who was more than an hour away at work.  I was worried about my friends in Northern Virginia and DC, which I had called home, until just a few short months earlier.  All sorts of fears were racing through my head.

For the last three months we had been praying for nothing but our daughters survival, now I found myself praying for the world we had brought her into.  I quickly readied myself and went to the hospital, not knowing how far this madness would reach. 

Today and many times over the last 10 years, I have prayed for the precious lives lost that day and for their family and friends that were robbed of their loved ones, that they find some peace and comfort.  I also pray that WE do not forget that tragic day and may nothing like it ever happen again.  I pray for our military and all the hard work they do protect us.  I pray that the powers in charge are looking out for are best interest.

Signing Time "The National Anthem"

Why am I posting this you may ask?  Well...we owe a great deal of credit to the Signing Time Videos and the wonderful creators, for helping us, help our daughter - to become more verbal.  They have the Full Spectrum Mom's stamp of approval!

Dinning room, decisions decisions decisions...

Ok...so here is yet another, in a loooong list of unfinished projects.  Indisision strikes again!

 Notice the "catch all" mess in the corner?  And, you should see the kitchen!  lol - wait - you can catch a glimps of it thru the doorway, oh noooo!  The shame...rofl

Reason number 1 for the delay - YET AGAIN, I am second guessing my paint choice. 
Reason number 2 - I was thinking maybe??  Board and Batten would look better in here?  But now I have changed my mind (YES, again!) and decided to go with Wainscoting - painted white.  And yes, that is Chair rail you see, in my "I want nothing Froo froo" phase I decided to paint it the same color as the wall.  Not, one of my better ideas!
Reason number 3 - The popcorn needs to be taken off of the ceiling and crown molding hung.  After the Powder room popcorn adventure - my days of scraping ceilings are OVER!  Ring ring, hello, Angies list - I'll take one handy man/drywall expert please?
Reason number 4 - One child with Autism  +  two SQUIRRELY dogs = you get the picture!

Reason number 5 for delay (and probably the biggest reason) - need more Pottery Barn units.  Cancel that!  Changed my mind again!  Now I think I want a buffet - I don't like how short these PB units are now that I see them in the room.  No "backsies" = sucks to be me!  Shhhew...will I ever be done?  Oh - I forgot to post my inspiration for this room!  I have had this pic for years - so maybe I'm not all that fickle after all :)

Board and Batten dilemma

Ok... So, here is a post I have been dragging my feet on -

 Sorry...it's a half bath and hard to get good pics of -

and here is the reason I have been dragging feet...

I - being a girl, and a Gemini girl at that, I am very fickle!  (Nooo???  You say sarcastically.  Yes, I heard that!  And I know who you are!)   Anyway...back to my dilemma.  In the middle of this project I decided to change from grey paint to beige on top of the board and baten.  Welp,  now I wish I had gone with the grey!  Actually there was blue in there somewhere too. But hey - I told you I was fickle!  The tile/grout (which I neglected to take a picture of) is mostly grey.  And, I'm getting a little beiged out...if you have seen my house "you know why" (one of the best one liners in a movie).  So...the reason I have not posted this sooner, and the reason I am posting now, is...I would like some opinions.  I am thinking about having the mirror and vanity cabinet sprayed white and the walls painted in grey.  I have a collection of small mirrors with silver and black frames which I thought might then look nice on the wall.  Any advice?  WAIT...I almost forgot!  The second part of my dilemma is, I feel the Board and Batten look unfinished.  Do you think it need a shelf or cap on the top?