Pardon My Dust

Evidently I sneezed, because while my eyes were closed, three days passed me by.  See, I was so jazzed by the completion of my sassy (at long last) Loo, that I thought I'd better exploit the momentum I'd created. 

I painted the kitchen. 

Turns out that while I academically understood what was involved (dismount a kajillion shelves, de-grease years of buildup (GAG), case yet more unfinished openings), I have never actually painted a kitchen (and its ceiling) before. 

How, you may ask, did I arrive at this stage in life without ever having de-gunked the dregs of kitchen ceilings and walls before?  No clue.  I'd chalk it up to Clean Living, but I think we all know better than that.  Let's go with Dumb Luck.  Think you're having a crappy day?  Bastards got you down?  Could be worse (turns out)!  You could be SCRUBBING A KITCHEN CEILING WITH TOXIC CHEMICALS!  And darned if the toxic chemicals don't get the job done!  (Sidebar:  I got "Phosphate-Free" T.S.P. {Tri-Sodium-Phosphate}: Doesn't that make it just T.S.?  Discuss.) 

For the Record:  Phillip totally bought into the ceiling business.  Worked his ass off, with nary a complaint.  Dude must really be tired of sleeping in the garage.  We'll See.


So the ceiling was painted a gorgeous blue that lives somewhere between an actual robins' egg and a gift box from Tiffany .  Maybe it's because I live in the Pacific Northwest (where it rains 300 days a year), but I have to tell you:  When it's gray outside, your ceiling can mimic a cloudless day:

This is the (yet unpainted - I had to knit) new casing for the opening between my kitchen and dining rooms.  Note the wall color:  Papaya.  Many thanks to those who liked the Marigold Loo.  Papaya is its somewhat less outgoing, but still scintillating cousin.  I'll show you more when the kitchen cabinets are redone.  Somebody Please Kill Me.  Cabinets?  Really?  This Old House  assures me that it can be done, but there are something like 27 simple steps involved.  I assure you that this is a desperate measure.  I hate my kitchen cabinets with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns.  There is nothing I could do to them that wouldn't be an improvement.  Stay Tuned. 

From time to time as a knitwear designer, I find myself in this awkward position:  I'm dying to tell you what I'm working on, but it's a secret.  You know how it is:  Certain profit-seeking entities *cough-Vogue Knitting-cough* would really prefer if I kept my otherwise flappy lips pursed till they are ready to share the next big thing.  So while I am totally in love with what I knitted this week, I don't get to show you.  Yet. 

Instead, I will show you that I spun something:

Here are two swell bobbins of "Mood Ring" from our good friends at Abstract Fiber .  I loved it so much when I got it all done that I wanted to make more of it.  Ashland Bay  to the rescue.  How killer are these two things together?  It's like  your favorite jeans and some strappy sandals when you just got a pedicure.  I'm looking at you, four-ply. 

I was so pleased with myself for finishing the kitchen (cabinets notwithstanding).  So naturally, that's when it happened:

The new wallpaper for the dining room arrived.

Clearly, my work here is not done.

Promise to visit me in the hospital if things go badly?