What a great weekend! The Fadely's kept Chloe and Halle overnight for us on Friday and Amanda went to a show in Hendersonville so Trav and I had the place to ourselves for the first time since we moved in. We'd been putting it of since around Valentine's Day for this reason or that but we finally were able to push everything aside and spend some time together. We got out later than we had hoped because Travis had to work late unexpectedly so we got to the restaurant we wanted to eat at around 8:00. I figured that 7:00 is the rush so we probably wouldn't have to wait long but boy was I wrong! We talked to the hostess and it was an hour and fifteen minute wait which would put us actually eating at about 9:45- no thanks. So we wandered around and finally decided on Panera; good food, good music, good atmosphere, and quick. I can't even begin to tell you how relaxing it was. As much as I've wanted to spend time with just Travis I also really needed some kid-free time. We were able to sleep in the next morning and go out to breakfast. We chose a local popular "hole in the wall" restaurant- Travis' menu had been signed by Ashley, Wynona, and Naomi Judd. It was an older menu and since they couldn't get rid of it they just scratched out the parts that weren't valid anymore- cute. This was the type of restaurant that my parents would love- unique and country food. I wouldn't say it was the best breakfast I ever had, it wasn't even close actually, but it was nice to be able to try it out. Then we walked around downtown Franklin for a while and headed back to pick up the girls. We missed them and Halle missed us and told us so. Chloe didn't miss us and acted so badly that she had to go home and take a nap- sigh. I'm glad she loves the kids so much but she could at least have said "hi".

So yesterday we spent hours cleaning and doing laundry. Travis and I finally tackled our bedroom. It's always the last room we get to even though it should probably be the first. It had gotten so bad that I didn't even want to go in there unless it was time to go to sleep. I decided that it was finally time to pull out the clothes that I've been hanging onto forever but NEVER wear. I was holding onto a dress because it was $100 when I bought it even though that was about 13 years ago and was for a date with a guy that wasn't Travis. I wouldn't be caught dead in it now even though it would still be a very nice "churchy" dress. And I got rid of the formals that I'm never wearing again even if I could fit into them. And the suit from 1999. And the ugly brown skirt. And the button up shirts that I have to iron so I never wear them. And the pants that are too big but I hold onto them in case- in case I gain weight!?! That doesn't seem like a good idea, I haven't been able to wear them in a year. And Travis followed suit and got rid of stuff that he hasn't worn in at least a year- even though that meant getting rid of a nice Banana Republic sweater that I love but he thinks it's too big. Oh, and I quit holding onto stuff that I don't wear just because he likes it. We also unpacked a couple more boxes and cleared out a corner that held pillows and pictures. I put these great pillows on the couch. I bought them at Target before we ever moved. They were on clearance, of course for $6.24 marked down from $24.99. They didn't match the couch at the time- and are a little too fancy for the casual furniture we have now but I like them and I don't care. We weren't able to finish our room but we got a lot done and I was able to vacuum and I even made the bed this morning. We still have 10-15 boxes on the dresser but we're going through them and I'm sure we'll get rid of more stuff.

This is our new table and chairs set. It is much more sturdy than our last set and while I was sad to see the other set go (our first one) I think this one suits our needs a little better. It's smaller and you can't seat as many people but it gives us a little more room in the kitchen. I want to refinish it but I was just reading one of my mags and a designer was saying that it's really difficult to get the varnish off, it's tedious, and you can really mess it up. So, that's not even on the horizon right now. I could do the table pretty easily but the chairs would be pretty difficult.

Sooo, in other news, well not news really but anyway....if you haven't checked out the new Crate and Barrel catalogue you really should. They've got some great stuff and even if you don't decide to buy they've got some great decorating ideas. They've got a pottery barn, meets pier one, meets the coastal look,meets mod look. It seems like a bit of a departure from the other stuff I've seen from them even though I always like their style. And for the artsy set that reads this blog I saw this painting ideas machine the other day. It's great for getting the old thinker rolling for new projects. My thinker has already rolled to a project that I intended to start a few weeks ago but I've been sick pretty much constantly since then. I'm planning on painting a surfer girl motif on Chloe and Halle's ceiling fan. It's just a cheap little Wal-Mart fan and I have a picture we bought for Chloe for Christmas for inspiration so I don't think I can mess it up. I didn't get to any wallpaper stripping last week because I was sick but that's definitely my top priority this week. But since I can't do that constantly I'm pretty sure that I can get the fan blades down and primed today. I bought some actual artis acrylics for the project and I'm excited to use them. And now since this post is so long and Halle is screaming I will go and let you know how it turns out later.