Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Spring Sensations


While taking the dog out yesterday afternoon, I realized for the first time that Spring is really coming! Our daffodils are coming up, and they even have BUDS!! I am thrilled. Yesterday the girls and I walked over to Rubia and purchased some flowers. Annoyingly, when I got there I thought it was half-price day, so I spent WAY more than I ever would have normally. But that's okay... the house is brighter, and maybe that is worth the money.
It's become kind of a tradition that whenever my Mothering magazine comes in the mail, I leave the girls to have some Daddy Time and take off to enjoy a hot beverage in a cozy chair that is not in my home, and read as much of my magazine as possible until mama duties call. Tonight was the night! We planned it better this time--I had the car, so I picked Martin up from work and he dropped me down the road at the Main Street Starbucks, then took the girls to Target just to hang around for an hour or so. The girls were great for him, and I got more time than usual! Often in the evenings Greta won't let me leave, and if she does, it isn't for long. Tonight I got through HALF my magazine before Anja started falling asleep and Greta started getting grumpy. It was lovely!! I know this is a little scummy of me, considering my views on local businesses, but I am beginning to kind of like Starbucks. I still don't really care for their coffee, but they have some really yummy hot chocolate. Also, sadly, we don't go to Vienna anymore. Their management has changed, and the place is going downhill fast. They cut corners--their Vanilla Chai tastes more like water with some cardomom in it than like the liquid sugar cookie of the olden times, and to be honest, the new manager is kind of a jerk. And lazy. Not only that, but their prices have skyrocketed along with all the other negative changes, and I just can't pay $4.00 for a drink that doesn't even taste good. It's really depressing, but I guess it's best to leave it as a fabulous place of our past and make other coffee shops (like K.Dees, which closes annoyingly early,) our place of choice. The other thing about Starbucks--and I know this is part of their horrible marketing scheme--is that they are so blasted convenient. Short on time? Zip over to the levee! On your way to get Martino from work? Pop in at the Main Street location! Headed out of town? Zip through a drive-thru near any major highway! I know, I know... I am a huge sucker. But it DOES feel cozy to hunker down in one of their big armchairs and listen to the coffee shop bustle. Anyway, I had a quite enjoyable time by myself this evening and was glad to see the girls and bring them home to bed. (Martin took care of their dinner. Please don't ask what it was.)
I finished the rag rug for the girls' kitchen yesterday! I am very happy with the way it turned out--especially considering this is a craft I learned many, many years ago, and was able to pick up and do again without any kind of challenge. Easy-peasy! I have another of these (that my mom made--I just tied it off when I found it as an unfinished project in my closet) on Greta's highchair. It looks cute, but it's a stupid place for a rug, considering how disgusting it gets. Still though, it keeps her from slipping, which was the whole point.
Next up on the Kitchen Remodeling Project is to find a shelf and hang some pictures. I went to Goodwill today and got a frame to fit a card that Greta got in the mail the other day from her godparents. It has bears on it, and Anja loves it, so I thought she'd like to have it framed and hanging in her kitchen corner. WRONG! She completely lost it when I put the card in the frame. Evidently she'd rather carry it around with her and let Greta eat it than preserve it behind glass. Well, whatever.

And speaking of Greta Bird, there may soon be a post full of new wardrobe items.... depending on how fast I can get things done. I took down my sewing machine this morning because I was sick of it being on the dining room table, being the first thing anyone saw upon entrance into our house. UGLY. However, it was just this afternoon that I took it out of its box again and started another project. This time I set it up on a different table in the dining room, the one where I got so mad at Martin for leaving his gun cleaning gear/work stuff/random junk he acquires throughout any given day. Shame on me!

I did find a few repurposeful treasures at the Goodwills today. We'll see if my imagination and my hands can match up to make a few cute somethings!

5 comments:

Joannie said...

I won't comment on the Starbucks part. Except-- there's a Starbucks on Main Street? I feel like a Lafayette outsider that this is news to me. Where the heck is it?

Anonymous said...

Well, technically, yes. But it's at the corner of Main and 52. It's definitely not downtown. And it's pretty new, and VERY missable. And kind of hard to get into the parking lot... BUT, convenient if you're going to Ivy Tech by way of Main Street!!
P.S. this is Annie, I just didn't want to sign all the way out of Martin's name and lose my comment.

Anonymous said...

I had the same reaction as Joannie and I actually live here! A Starbucks on Main Street? They would never allow that! But I do wish that the downtown powers that be would allow SOME named stores to come. We desperately need a place for breakfast. I think it would be lovely if LePeeps would come. Ladies would meet their friends during the week and it would be full on Sundays with all of the churchgoers. It would be divine.
mrsw

日日夜夜 said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

annie! could you possibly text me so that i could get your number again? i had to reset my phone and lost all my numbers. :(

i realize i could just go next door and get the number from you, but it's raining outside and my couch is too comfortable. :)