Quiet Monday Night

Gracie and I are just hanging out tonight.  The weekend was pretty uneventful, but relaxing and good, including some time spent with Casey, which is always cherished this time of year… heck, any time of year.

Even though I’ve had the weekend to rest, it seems Monday evenings are often when I’m the most fatigued.  Maybe I don’t sleep enough on Sunday nights… or more likely it’s the loss of another weekend and the facing of another work week.

Whatever the reason, a quiet Monday night seems a good combatant against it all.  The thoughts of desk days ahead are wiped away by the stories of a good book, the cold temps of the evening fall away against cozy blankets and a cup of tea.  And for Gracie, a cuddly position on the back of the couch are equal to all of that.

Pillows, Part 2

I made some more pillow covers this weekend.  With their completion, I now have a nice set of pillows in the living room which, especially when combined with the new curtains, make things much more cozy.

This is the one I made on Saturday and I absolutely love it.  It’s made from two of my old shirts which didn’t fit me very well, but I still really loved the fabric.  (It’s not seen above because it’s actually on the loveseat, not on the couch)

I cut the fabric for the next one on Saturday and sewed it on Sunday.  My sewing wasn’t the best on this one and the pillow I filled it with is old and kind of lumpy, but that can easily be remedied later on with a new pillow.  The fabric for this one is a handkerchief and leftover fabric from another pillow cover I made awhile back.

Before pillows:

With pillows (the other two floral pillows are some I inherited – by asking for them – from my Meme and which I love the mostest):

I really love how the living room is looking right now.  In addition to the pillows and curtains, I also recently changed the “art” above the couch.  It is now some photos I took myself at/of a place I dearly cherish.  The personal touches really make things more comfy and welcoming to me.

Hello Spring

Spring has opened up beautifully.  Yesterday, its first day, the skies were clear and the temperatures were comfortable.  In the evening, while we disappointedly watched Mason get destroyed by Ohio State, we had the windows open.  The air was cool, but fresh and not the cold air of winter.

This morning, on the way to work, there was a huge rainstorm, accompanied by a little thunder and lots of lightning.  It was dark and menacing, but by mid-morning it had cleared off and by the time I left to come home, it was nice enough for windows down in the car.

I am joyed by blooming daffodils and the trees beginning to bud.  It’s a rejuvenating time of year and my spirits are high.  I just hope this spring we’re experiencing moves north soon and melts the snow that’s still a part of the lives of those of you reading in New England!

Happy Flex Day

Today has been grand and there is still the evening to enjoy.  I got a good night’s sleep last night and woke up, had a great breakfast, and started my spring cleaning.  The dining room has been dusted and thoroughly vacuumed and a tablecloth adorns the table.

After the dining room was done and I took a quick shower, I headed out to run some errands.  I came back and replaced the air filter in the HVAC and hung some curtains, which Casey will probably hate… if he ever notices… but which I think add a little coziness to the living room.

This afternoon, Casey came home to watch the Mason game because he couldn’t get it to play on his computer at work (too many people enjoying March Madness on their company internet).  The game was ridiculous, far too intense for a pregnant woman’s blood pressure, but they thankfully pulled it out and are headed into the next round.

The weather has been gorgeous today and the windows have been open, airing things out.  I think I’ll take additional advantage of the beautiful temps and walk to the grocery store for a Boli pizza crust to combine with ingredients we already have for dinner.  Casey has to finish up some work he delayed by leaving early, but hopefully later we can do some typical Friday-night DVR clearing.  In the meantime, I think I’m going to figure out some pillow covers and maybe sew some t-shirt quilt squares.

I feel really good about this day.  I’ve filled up my time in good, productive ways and it’s great to have the energy to do such things.  I’m hoping the rest of the weekend will follow suit!

Refresh

Wednesdays are often a bummer, the middle of the week when you’re tired from Monday-Tuesday and not quite amped up for the weekend yet.  I was especially tired this morning after an up until after bedtime game of birthday Scrabble with Casey last night.  To make it worse, there is a lack of work at work and it makes for very long boring days.  A girl can only play so much FreeCell.

Today after lunch when my eyelids got super droopy and there was no work coming in, I decided I just couldn’t take three more hours of trying to look busy.  So I handed in my leave slip and headed home with hopes of a refreshing afternoon and an early bedtime.

The power nap when I got home went a little longer than I meant, but I was not deterred from plans I made for the afternoon.  I got up and started preparations for a good dinner.  Then I went for a walk outside, intent on searching out signs of spring.  It is still cool and crisp, but warmer weather is definitely on it’s way.  The robins are out and about, daffodils are poking up all around, and from the swampy areas in our neighborhood the peep frogs are making their presence known.

Now I’m waiting for dinner to bake and after eating I’ll “play” in my journal and then go to bed for reading and an early bedtime.  Hopefully these bits of goodness will make for a boost in the morning and a good Thursday!