First off, sorry for the delay in posting... we had a little scare in the pregnancy dept and I thought I was going to be delivering momentarily. Things seem to have settled a bit, and a good thing, too, as we haven't finished building the baby room in our city apt (most of the sheetrock is up, but we're still a couple of days away.)

Luckily, we've just finished painting her room in the house, (yep, it's going to be a girl) and Josh has acquiesced to add a little color to the lovely, but perhaps a bit too subtle for kids, white walls. I'm not one to put silly pink stuff everywhere just because we're having a female, but this color was too beautiful to pass up. Again, it's by Yolo, completely VOC free, and it's in their "sprout" collection, which is actually designed with baby rooms in mind (how appropriate!) We didn't want to overdo it, so we just painted one wall and the inside of the closet (which has no door, so you'll see it all the time)

What's amazing is that the rose hue goes really nicely with the orange floors, too! Nothing like a splash of color to liven up a place and make it your own. Maybe in the city we'll paint her room blue, just to shake it up a bit...

This is just a quickie to show you guys how great the stairs look now that they're finished and the rails are their final color of white. I'm so excited about how they look...  If I were ever going to be in the magazine as a Makes Me Happy subject, this would definitely be one of my 10 things! The color combination reminds me of a creamsicle-- my favorite!

This is just a quick and slightly overdue post to thank my husband's fabulous business partner, Ethan, for his help the weekend before last. Out of the kindness of his heart, he drove out to our house with his dog Hutch, and spent the weekend spackling and priming all sorts of surfaces... to the point that we now have no more bare sheet rock anywhere in the house! (except the basement, but that doesn't count...) It's incredible how much more finished the house feels, even if it isn't the exact color of white that we're going for. Without his help, we would never have been able to get the house into semi presentable mode for my in-laws' visit this past weekend (which went off without a problem, thank you very much.)

I would like to take this moment out to thank you, Ethan, for all of your hard and unpaid labor. We will be forever in your debt (at the very least, I promise to always return your phone calls and e mails promptly) You have earned massive karma points... May your kind actions be reflected back onto you before much time has passed.

(nb: I tried to find a photo of Ethan on the web so you guys could all see how cute he is, but I only found one taken during the unfortunate moment when he had a mustache, so I have chosen to leave it all to your imaginations.)

My parents, who live next door to us, have taken to giving tours of the place to anyone who visits them... especially when we aren't around. Evidently, one of the highlights of this tour is a stop in the downstairs bathroom for a viewing of the Kohler Hatbox toilet that we have installed. People marvel, exclaim and are more than likely bewildered (though they are too polite to say anything) at our choice in this particular matter.

I would like to explain. Several years ago, at the Domino launch party, there was a silent auction and this toilet was one of the items on display. Maybe I'd had a couple of drinks, and I bid on it, knowing that we'd eventually be needing a toilet. Much to my surprise, I won, and the hatbox was mine. It then sat in a cardboard container in our little tool shed for 2 summers while my husband Josh got more and more worked up over how huge and strange it was. We own it, I reminded him, so we're going to use it.

Our contractor and plumber scratched their heads when it came time to install the thing, but went ahead and did it, complete with the dedicated electrical line that it needs in order to power the flush. "So much trouble" everyone says, and even I begin to second guess myself. Am I a fool for having this oddly shaped thing in my home? Does it say "FASHION VICTIM" in huge neon letters?

And then I actually use it. It is incredibly comfortable. Something I never thought much about in a toilet, though now I'm spoiled. It actually takes up less room than a standard toilet with a tank, so it is a much better fit in our tiny guest bathroom, plus it uses less water when it flushes, so it's kinder to the environment.

I am now totally pleased with myself and could care less what my parents' friends think when they come trooping through. If any of them took the time to actually use the thing, they'd be sold, too. The true test comes this weekend when my in-laws come for a visit. I know I'm going to get flak for it, but if I can make it through with a smile on my face, I know I'm good.

Wish me luck.