Would you like bacon with that?

One of the "presenters" on my favorite tv show "Top Gear" always likes to tease that American restaurants are always saying, "You want cheese on that?"

I would like to counter this negative view of his with what can only be seen as a positive (well...erm...unless you're a vegetarian...)

We had dinner last night at a great little West Coast style place, where they offered a cocktail called The Smokehouse. This can only be described as a bacon cocktail. (You know, I think this has the potential to cure vegetarianism...)

And so, Mr. May, I say unto you, "Would you like bacon with that?"

 

Caption contest

Maggie, mid-manicure. What should be the caption for this picture?

 

Today's project

(well, besides unpacking)

I had heard from my dad about this product called Restor-a-Finish. He had used it on some furniture and had great success with it.

 

I decided that before I took a big leap and tackled a real piece of furniture, I would try something more Leslie-sized.

My test subject today was this wooden silverware box. As you can see, it has had better days:

I applied the stain with an old rag in the garage with the the door wide open- the smell wasn't as bad as I was anticipating from my mother's warnings, but it certainly wasn't something I'd like the house to smell like. I was really worried at first that it was going to look really streaky, but it didn't! So simple to use. And here's the after:

Pretty, right? The color difference is not quite as dramatic as it appears; it was bright daylight when I took the first picture and nighttime when I took the second. (I'll try and remember to take another one tomorrow)

I finished it up with a beeswax product that has orange oil- it smells so good! (which is a nice change from the brain-cell-killing smell of the stain.)

 

The trouble of unpacking with cats...

The funny thing is, I didn't even see Maggie when I took this picture!

I really need to remember to take "before" pictures...

I took a break from packing for a little crafty crafty.

This plastic IKEA picture frame started its life black, and with a glass pane and cardboard backing. The glass broke about a month or two into its life and I could never figure out what to do with it next.

A few years ago, I painted it kelly green (one of my favorite colors). It didn't go well. I did it by hand with a brush- like I said, it didn't go well.

And so, it has started on its way to a new life. I got some grey spray paint and grey tinted primer and set to work!

Ill share it's final reincarnation in a week or so.

Here it is so far!:

A few evening pictures of ''helping hands''

 

 

 

More 1am Glamour

We needed to clean the rug that is going underneath the breakfast table and took the opportunity to clean the media room couch, which has seen it's fair share of kitten warfare. Pictures below.

The kittens get new eating centers

Because, clearly, their dining area needs to be as lovely as ours (will be...)

I purchased 2 plastic placemats from Target and 6 bowls from World Market. (An aside: Can I tell you how thrilled I am to be near a World Market again?! Woot!) They each have a bowl for: wet food, dry food, and water. The bowls are all from the same line but have different patterns. So fun!

They are currently set up on either side of what is currently a built-in desk on the other side of our kitchen. (Give us a few more days and it will be something entirely different and more magical.)

Oh yeah, we're classy II

We received a gorgeous welcome basket yesterday. In it was a selection of cheeses, olives and, not to leave out our four-legged-friends, 2 tins of cat food! So sweet.

We dug into the cheese today and enjoyed the sparkling rose that was also included. The "bride" and "groom" cups we've been using had cola in them, so we decided to go hipster-style and use ball jars. Tee hee...

Top 10 things I love about Birmingham thus far

(These are in no particular order, other than the order in which I thought of them.)

1. Drive-through dry cleaners
2. The "traffic" (insert Yankee snicker here for the so-called "rush hour". A friend and I saw 4 separate accidents on the road yesterday and were delayed maybe 10 minutes)
3. $3.29-a-gallon gasoline
(Fred does not approve of this one- but he thinks it should still be a dollar...)
4. The fountain that greets us as we enter our neighborhood. (Although, it really does need a light for at night. I'm going to start resenting our HOA fees if I can't see the fountain we're paying for... *grumble grumble*)
5. That I have yet to meet a single unpleasant or ill-mannered person.
6. That it is the first week of November and it was 68 degrees and sunny.
7. That it never takes more than 15 minutes to get anywhere, from anywhere.
8. Two words: Super. Target.
9. That parking for the symphony took all of 2 minutes. (although, I hope that attendance improves!)
10. That we got to meet the star chef in town even before we moved here. (can you tell Fred suggested this one?)

So, yes, we're loving it here!!