She Said I Think I'll Go to Boston

Just a few quick pics I took on an architectural bike tour during Greenbuild 2008.

We leave in the morning to begin our apartment hunt. I'm excited about that.

But even more exciting is THIS....are you kidding me! An open position for a blogger on a design related, Boston based blog...not just any blog...APARTMENT THERAPY...I say again...aloud...ARE YOU KIDDING ME!I read that blog everyday. I'm supposed to be packing right now...but I can't. I cannot concentrate. I was born for this job! It wasn't mentioned by the fortune teller {see right hand column} but it was 1985....the Internet wasn't even invented...and again, I don't even believe in fortune tellers.

Request for anyone who reads my blog: Will you please go to this link, register your info with Apartment Therapy and then write in the comment box below...

"Stephanie Sabbe would be the best person in the world for this position... YOU MUST pick her....I will read the Apartment Therapy blog every day....buy everything you advertise...and pass it on to all my friends"

Got it?!
In the meantime, I'll be working on my submission.
And hey! we're in a recession....a little shameless self promotion never killed anyone.

Shadow Fixture

The Fastest Sabbe

We're going back to my hometown this weekend to run the Country Music Marathon.

We are actually doing the 1/2, but it's a first for us both, so we are very excited.

Once upon a time....

I was much faster than Mr. Sabbe...I was the runner in the family.

I ran in high school and have tried to do a couple 5Ks a year to keep my "runner" status

Bryan plays golf....he's the golfer in the family.

In college he would never run with me...said he looked stupid running.

So I ran alone and he played golf.

Years later we married and he decided to give it a try.

In August of 2007 we signed up for an 8K in Memphis.

The week before the race, during one of our 3 mile runs, Mr. Sabbe turns to me and says

"You know, I like running...it's different than golf...once you get good, you are just good"

I reply

"Well actually, sometimes really in shape runners just have a really bad day"

He replies

"Hmmm, I don't think so"

Fast forward to Sunday

Remember we're in Memphis

The race was at 2pm

It was 90+ degrees outside.

We're about 3 miles into it and he turns to me and says

"Go on without me...I can't make it anymore...I need a break"

And so, being the good wife I am

I leave him

I finished first in my age category

I can't remember where Mr. Sabbe finished

But as you can see he was very thrilled to beat this 85 year old man

To tell the whole truth,

Mr. Sabbe ate peanut butter before we left the house that day without consulting me.

It doesn't take a running pro to tell you that lots of peanut butter 30 minutes before a 90 degree, 5 mile run is probably not the best snack choice

Fast forward a year and a half

Mr. Sabbe is now fast

So fast I can hardly stay with him on our long runs

I knew those skinny lets would become runners legs with a little guidance

It makes me sad and proud at the same time

As my best running friend, I want him to stay with me so we can

chat,encourage one another, and look like a cute little couple crossing the finish line together

But as my husband, I want him to beat as many other husbands as possible!

As the submissive wife I strive to be would do...

I hand over my title as The Fastest Sabbe

Curtain Refashioning

I have been meaning to post my little curtain makeover for about a month now.

I have had mixed feelings regarding curtains for the past 5 years. I had an architect spout off to me about how terrible he thought curtains were during my first year working at an architectural firm in Nashville...he also hated crown molding...I now see he might have been a bit extreme. I'm not nearly as easily influenced now and finally {a little late} decided my living room needed some curtains. Knowing that I was about to leave the house {and window treatments stay} I didn't want to spend a ton of money. The previous owner had left me some very nice Pottery Barn silk panels.

When I moved in and started decorating I decided to take them down for 4 reasons:

a.they were a bit dark and traditional for my taste
b. I'm not a big fan of the scrunchy type tops.
c. I didn't want to hide the pretty detailing of the window frame
d. I was still not over Zack's "curtains are not cool" comment

Here they are in the previous owner's living room

So I went and bought some cheap {$20 for 2} panels from Walmart, which were hilariously short on my windows...my husband even commented before I was finished You're not going to leave it like that are you? I took one of the silk panels, cut it into two and added to the bottom of the white panels.

And ta-da...two panels, 80ish inches long...for $20!

I've stashed away the other panel in hopes that I can do a project re-do in my next place of residence....which, by the way, will be in BOSTON! More on that later.

But this is totally the way to go if you have big windows and like this look.
Two straight rows of stitches = totally custom curtain panels.

Tomato Head

Mr. Sabbe took this picture of me at the beach. Sweet man.

Although I've always hated making sure I'm covered, head to toe, in sunscreen, I have always enjoyed being a redhead. We hope to have at least one mini readhead one day.

Talking about red hair made me think of this video. So funny!

p.s. If you've made a comment on my blog lately that appears to be deleted.. SORRY! I tried out the blog moderator thing and due to my ADD-style clicking and an incapacity to press the right button on iPhones I have turned that function back off.

Baby Basket

I'm back with crafts!

That's my number one good news.
Number two is we have an offer pending on our house!

This liner wasn't that hard, although it took me two tries to cut out. If you try to make your own liner, pin the fabric around the outside of the basket, then slide it off and sew 1" inside of where you pinned. It's held around the basket through paired button type holes I cut and threaded with a satin ribbon.

Can't wait to see if it's a boy or girl!

My Love Affair with This City {cont.}

Today I would like to lie here on the ground and watch the spider web of shadows glide over me as the sun takes it's course.

The other day I was passing our little {empty} Court Square and thinking Why is no one lying on the ground? It was a perfect day to be lying on the ground.

I loved my beach lying, but sometimes more than that, I love city lying.There is something so invigorating about parking yourself on a piece of grass in the middle of a booming metropolis.

p.s. I'm at my desk in Memphis today.

I hope you get to lie somewhere exciting today!

Mad World

I stole this photo and my title from the publication, Stir, Sherwin Williams sends out. Check it out, it's FREE to subscribe.

When I first started my first job I remember being so embarrassed because I thought it was Sherman Williams...I even wrote it on a set of specifications....which also makes me recall an event in a third grade Sunday school class where I read Job {in the Bible} aloud and pronounced it job {as in my line of work}...how did I ever recover.

Anyhow, isn't this photo awesome! This would so be me in the 50's...maybe minus the cigarette...but who knows, maybe not. I always say I'm glad I was not alive in the 60's. I get so {often waaaaay more than necessary} passionate about things. If I had been alive in the 60's I would have been front and center burning my bra. My husband laughs at my efforts to be a submissive wife {I really am trying} I see the beauty of the man being the head and the woman being the heart, but my heart is HUGE and often overpowers my husband's sweet head. There is this crazy feminist inside me that rears her head every now and then...I suppress her with sewing and coffee and holding babies at church.

I don't watch Mad Men, which is where the photo originated, but I may check it out simply to take a peek at what set decorator Amy Wells has going on. In this issue of Stir, Emmy-nominated Wells explains how she researches her rooms by looking through old Sears catalogues and old decorating books. She's also goes into detail about how they have made arrangements with art collectors to stage identical reproductions of very famous pieces without getting sued!....very smart.

My sister-in-law is a set decorator. She worked on the We Are Marshall Movie.

After reading this article I'm think now I want to be a set decorator when I grow up!

Bombs Over Bad Guac

we're soaking up every minute of fun at the beach

half the fun is always in the kitchen

but the avocados were not ripe this year

hungry men didn't seem to care

they have their own idea

the ring leader
{a newly wed}

has recently become fascinated with strange alcoholic concoctions after returning from an all inclusive honeymoon in Mexico

beware of all inclusive trips to Mexico

car + bomb...they even bought their own ingredients

discuss the fact they do not have a shot glass

decide a measuring cup will do

mr. sabbe scratches his head in deliberation

see the good angel on his right shoulder

don't do it bryan

in the end

all succumb to peer pressure

is this supposed to be curdling like this?

1/3 down

blaaahhh

it's getting chunky

the crowd gags

The ring leader smiles in defeat

we're not in Mexico anymore

and the guac takes the prize on best good idea gone bad!

Off to the Beach

We are about to head out. Unfortunately {for Mr. Sabbe} my nails are wet and I can't help him pack the car.

Do you want to know how crazy things have been for us around here?! Let me tell you all the crafts I've done that I have not been able to photograph and post.

1. Made fancy curtains for my living room, from $20 panels from Walmart
2. Re-upholstered living room chair cushions
3. Gave new life to an old piano bench by re-upholstering the seat with a fun hounds tooth print.
4. And I made cookies, similar my onesie cookies, last weekend. These were shaped like the state of TN and I put a little star where Memphis would be. And the saddest part of that craft is they are gone!

Hopefully we'll come back refreshed, and ready to craft AND post.

Open House Tomorrow! 3:30-5

I made the flyer. If you know me, you know I had to. I could not let the fate of my little house rest in the hands of a pre-formatted Word Document.
I am making Memphis Cookies and {non-alcoholic} Midtown Margaritas!
If you don't come by to check out the house, you can come by to check out the crafts!