Today we...

- bought the paint and brushes
- sandpapered the walls and repaired all the minor damages and cracks
- painted the ceiling (well, Thierry did)
- painted 3 of the walls (I did)

I also did the weekly grocery shopping, invited a few friends here and there to relax in between hard work, inspected some summer sales but found nothing and arranged an Ikea date with a friend to buy our new chairs...

I'm currently on the couch, enjoying a glass of red wine while Thierry plays Mario Kart next to me.

Oh, and a friend sent me a fantastic t-shirt, totally unexpectedly, which is very, very sweet.

Exhausted but satisfied.

blythou out.

- moved all the stuff (mountains of records, books, furniture) out
- washed the walls
- called charities to give them our old furniture and computers
- drank margaritas with my friend Renan yesterday evening. Yes that has nothing to do with redecorating our office, but it was a wonderful moment...


Our dining room currently looks like a storage unit, with boxes piled high, bookcases stuffed with more boxes, etc. There's dust everywhere.

Don't ask me why I still took time to slice fresh pinapple and make a fresh veggie casserole (zucchini, eggplant and bell pepper cooked in chopped tomatoes with loads of hot sauce). I'm either a masochist, a perfectionnist or, err, I don't want to lose my title of Real Life Cooking Mama.

I'm just beat and exhausted right now.

Blythou out.

I've just ordered black vinyl flooring for our office/study.

Because, yeah, we've finally decided to redecorate that room at last. Which isn't an easy task since there are 3000 records in there, plus two huge bookcases, tons of boxes, two desks, etc.

The color scheme is a tribute to the White Stripes. The walls will be red, the ceiling and woodwork white and the floor black.

I want a big common desk for Thierry and I and our two white Apple 'puters. And matching red or black sixties influenced desk chairs.

It's going to be a daunting task, but I'm looking forward to seeing the results.

Blythou out.

It's saturday morning and I've been up since 6:30 am...

But we've got a good reason for that : our new floor is being installed right that moment and the guys arrived at the crack of dawn to do the deed.

Today, we're getting a new, improved Rude Manor at last ! Ahhh, the relief...

I've already decided that since it's so colorful, there will be a lot less stuff on the walls. My b-day poster, a couple of b/w photos and that'll be it. And we'll have a little Elvis shrine because every house needs one.

I've also found the perfect new aluminium lampshade for the living room. Retro-futuristic, the way I like it.

Blythou out.

PS : I need a vacation already. We both do. Four days off in the summer wasn't enough. Don't know when or where we'll go, we have to think about it. Expect conflicts, me saying "whatever" and "I don't give a hoot anyway" over and over. YAWN. Taking time off is so exhausting ;-)

Thursday : moved out crap from dining-room
Friday : moved out rest of the crap, washed the walls, sanded and filled out holes
Saturday : bought paint, covered furniture that couldn't be moved out, started painting

Color scheme : upper parts of walls are yellow, bottom parts are orange, ceiling's yellow.

Today : go to lunch with mother in law for her birthday, skip business meeting in the evening, paint the rest of the orange parts, fixed minor defects. Sit back and relax.

Monday : move back some of the crap, attend TWO meetings, work on a magazine special.
Tuesday : move the living room crap. Cry from exhaustion. Feel discouraged and dispirited, because, eh, it's too big a task for me.
Wednesday : interview the Super Furry Animals in between various redecorating tasks.

I won't be on-line that much next week, for some reason... I'll miss you all.

Blythou out.

I've already changed some things in the living room and dining room. I expect Thierry to react as usual, i.e., like a cat who's slightly annoyed I've dared modifying his living arrangements.

It made me realise that we own *three* bars. Not one, not two. But THREE. We also own a large collection of cocktail glasses & shots, swizzle sticks & drink coasters. That thought scared me for a split second... Then, I figured it's just part of my sophisticated living/lounge culture/Shag obsession ;-)

I can't stand the state of relative ruin our living and dining rooms are currently in... And since I don't want to spend too much cash on decoration (seriously thinking of going to Japan *again* and Australia, my #2 dream place in the world), I've decided to take care of it myself.

I want to paint the dining room yellow and orange and the living room will be yellow and red (thanks JM for the inspiration). The floor will be black, preferably plastic/vinyl floor because it's easier to keep clean with two kitties.

It'll give me something to do while I think of what I want to do professionnally. I can't deny I'm a another turning point. I no longer want to write bland, uninteresting crap for another Evil Boss. I've outgrown this... And the music industry is in such a state that I need to broaden my horizons before it's too late.

So yes, manual work will help me clear my thoughts, I guess. If not, I can always get drunk on thinning fluid ;-)

Blythou out.