AC Update

Really, what's one more day when the forecast for tomorrow is a degree cooler at 97? It's been 8 days since I reported the problem, a week since they "lost" my appointment, and 6 days since they put in a temporary fix that didn't work. I'm okay and have offers to stay with friends, but the poor cats have been moping around in their fur coats. I just have to keep telling myself that I won't be in this apartment forever. I can't move soon enough.

Weekend: Pros and Cons

Pro: Had a great visit with Dad and accomplished exactly what we had hoped to while he was here - details later.

Con: Air conditioning still not working. Now on Day 10 of Operation: Try Not To Die Of Heatstroke. I've called about it twice today and can't get an answer other than "we'll call you back."

Pro: Went to a great baby shower for Heather. Lots of fun.

Con: Rear-ended an Accord in Raleigh. Thankfully, no injuries or major damage. My car is fine but I left the impression of the screws from my front license plate in her bumper. I did the exact same thing four years ago and my insurance rates had just come down from that incident. Awesome.

Pro: Got fantastic deals on two armchairs, a sewing machine table, a desk chair, and fabric for recovering the armchair cushions. I'll post project pictures as I get started on these new projects.

Con: To top off a weekend that was both very bad and very good I managed to lock myself out of the house last night. Of course my neighbors with the spare key were out of town so I ended up going to the gym as planned and then decided my best option was to run out to Jeff and Heather's. I have no idea how long it took but I arrived drenched in sweat and bleeding from an encounter with a thorny vine on the side of the road. I was finally able to get in touch with my landlord but he wanted me to pay him to come by with a key. (His exact words were to "give him something for his time" so maybe I could have made a deal for the six-pack in my refrigerator.) Jeff drove me out to his house to get the key and I finally got back into the house six hours after locking myself out.

Con: I completely failed in my attempts to pick the lock on my front door (don't give me that look - I was desperate) so it looks like I'll never make it as a secret agent. Cat burglar is probably out as well.

Lessons Learned

If you find yourself in possession of chocolate chip cookie dough made with lard instead of butter, resist the temptation to eat it raw. Seriously. Just put down the spatula.

If you can stand it, more Davidson

So I'm a few months late with this. With all the Davidson hoopla this spring I missed this simple article that captures so much of what it is to be a Davidson Wildcat. Well done, JT.

Thrift Store Finds

I've wanted a cake platter for a long time, so this diy project from Design*Sponge caught my eye. I found a great candlestick and a plain white plate at a local thrift shop - I haven't glued them together yet but that's the next step.




I also found this fantastic metal Beatrix Potter platter. It matches two pencil cases I've had forever so they're all on display now in my hutch. (Speaking of the hutch, that was the ultimate furniture rehab project. I really wish I had some before pictures.)

Finished Catalog

Here's the final catalog post! I really couldn't be happier with how it turned out. So far, I've labeled all but 13 of the 60 drawers. If you know me at all, you will spot the one task I hadn't completed when I took the pictures. Obviously, I couldn't live with unordered drawers - they are now in alphabetical order.

Card Catalog in Progress

Turns out I only had to sand the catalog and not strip it. Here are a few pictures of the refinishing in progress.


The existing stain on the drawers had worn unevenly so the stain I put on didn't create an consistent color. It ended up looking fine since the darker area is covered by the hardware and labels but it was frustrating to deal with. It also affected how the polyurethane covered the surface. In the end, it's not perfect but I am calling the imperfections "character" instead of "flaws".


Having all these drawers stacked in the middle of the living room served as motivation to get the work finished.