‘Twas a calm afternoon and a calm night.
Took my car for an inspection. Walked home. Talked to mom. Talked to Gram. Cleaned/organized/made dinner for the husband. He loves it when he walks in the door and I announce “Dinner is served!”
[Who wouldn’t!? So do I!]
Before we dined though, we shared a Shalafly Pumpkin beer in the formal living room to discuss the day’s events. Felt a bit Leave It To Beaver-ish! {Remind me to write about my thoughts on formal living rooms later!} The bakery is doing well, and while I’m still very involved in the business decisions, my hands are no longer needed there daily. I hope to work a few days a week from here on out – these past 2 have just been keeping me busy at home. I’m very happy I was able to put in so much time the first quarter. The bakery has always been Matt’s baby, so we are happy with how things are going.
For dinner I had thawed out half a pound of Virginia bison and turned it onto a meaty pasta sauce along with tomato sauce, a big green pepper, chili powder, and salt – served over penne and topped with some delicious raw cow’s milk cheese the twins brought me two weekends ago – delicious!
After dinner I worked on assembling my IKEA Antonious laundry room cart. I’m not happy with the set-up in there right now!
I give myself about a B- for the installation. I ended up putting all the wheels on and then taking them off to put them on again on the other end. Darn IKEA instructions photos (and darn my impatience!)
Matt hung another photo (one per night!) and these funky wine racks from IKEA!
Last night I finished the book Little Bee, the story of a young Nigerian refugee and the British family she meets. It was really good, very poetic and very emotional… heart-wrenching at times. Great character development. Recommended literature!
Hoping to start something new now . So glad after a college hiatus books are back in my life. Going to bed isn’t complete without a chapter!
{ 94 comments… read them below or add one }
Yay! Finally a first comment! I just love you blog.
Thanks Hanna!
mmmm beef sounds good right about now (as i make my vegetarian black bean chili)
also, i have a GREAT book recommendation for you – “the gastronomy of marriage” which i blogged about here:
http://theactorsdiet.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/a-perfect-marriage/
i know you’ll love it!
Cool!
I LOVED Little Bee! What a great read!! I just bought Chris Cleave’s second book, Incendiary, will open it up tonight
I would suggest Room for a good read, have you picked that one up yet? Also, what one earth do I do with a spaghetti squash? Picked it up at the farmer’s market and would like to turn it into goodness
I just finished Room! I need something less serious to read now. It was emotional.
I just finished room as well
It was a much quicker read than Little Bee in my opinion. Both great books though!
I haven’t gotten my hands on Room yet
I just finished Incendiary a couple of weeks ago and it was AMAZING. Also really intense and extremely heart-wrenching, but I just love his writing style. It and Little Bee are two of the best books I’ve read in a while!
I have that wine rack! Love, but there instructions are AWFUL! Rest assured you’re not the only one who struggled with assembling stuff. I have these lamps from there that gave me absolute fits!
That dinner looks so great!!
*their* instructions. grammar police
I love Ikea I wish I had one close by!
I’m glad the bakery is doing well!
We almost bought those same wine racks at Ikea — but we went with a free standing piece of furniture instead. I love the look of them though!
I’m glad you suggested that book. I’ve seen it here and there but never like reading something until I hear an official recommendation!
I’m reading The Violets of March right now and it’s pretty good, not excellent though.
If he had a suit and tie on, it’d be perfect. ha!
PS-the picture of Matt in the living room up top is too funny. So “formal”
Little Bee was one of my favorite books in recent memory. So moving and well-told.
Sounds weird but one of the qualities I wanted in a future husband was —-”I’ll be his June and he’ll be my Ward….”
I wanted the feelings of Leave it to Beaver.
I found Little Bee at the Goodwill a couple of weeks ago and was so excited because I’ve heard great things! And I totally know what you mean about the whole college hiatus thing. Since graduating in May I have read 13 books. Currently reading The Paris Wife about the Hemingways!
Wine rack? How bout 750 mL bottles of beer rack?
LOL. You are hilarious!
I just finished Little Bee last week and loved it!
That’s a book I’ve been wanting to read- good to hear your thoughts!
Dinner looks great!
I ordered the Little Bee – it should be here tomorrow! Glad to hear you liked it!
I read the book Little Bee last year and loved it. I do agree though very heart wrenching at times! Love the new wine racks!!
I bought some Ikea boxes that looked simple enough, but then they ended up requiring a hammer/mallet, and I couldn’t finish ‘em off in the middle of the night b/c the neighbors could hear me!
Bison is great! It is such a rare treat for me!
I think you mean Schlafly? It is delicious!
Yes…I can’t spell!!
Oh, I am going to have to find that book! I just started Bossypants, by Tina Fey. I requested it at the library at the beginning of the summer, and it just finally came in!
I’m not trying to nitpick, I swear, but you keep spelling Schlafly wrong
Just in case someone might want to look them up after seeing one of your posts about their pumpkin (which is the best!).
I can’t spell!! I’m focusing too much on getting the “la” in the middle
Glad the bakery is doing well! Remember when you were working 12 hour days 6 days a week?!
Yup!
I’m glad everything is coming together for you two Kath! Sounds like you are both really happy!
What a fun wine rack. I think things that are a little funky add some awesome personality!
Yes, I think ANYONE would like to walk through the door and have dinner ready and waiting!
I am in the middle of reading Little Bee, must say I have teared up a few times so far. The new house is looking really nice, I have been in my house a year and still have pictures to put up.
I have that wine rack too! Gotta love Ikea!
The house just keeps getting better and better! I also read Little Bee about 3 months ago, and although it was well-written, it wasn’t my type of material. Way too depressing for me! But since I’ve started my grad program I haven’t been reading.
I’ll have to make a list of books to read during Xmas break! 
I see so many things from ikea just in your house that I want. I really should never ever step foot in that store. I’d buy everything!!! Dinner looks delish, and congrats for being kneaded (hehe) less at the bakery!
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is a great non-fiction read by Barbara Kingslover. I just finished Prodigal Summer, fiction, that was good, too. I love how the house it coming along (so quickly, too). And dinner looks yum!
I love all books Barbara Kingsolver, especially since I’m a Kentucky girl! But you just named the two best.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle changed the way I eat, I think it should be on the mandatory high school reading list.
Oh…that is a great idea for a reading list book! I’ve heard the Poisonwood Bible is a great read. That will be my next book of hers.
The Poisonwood Bible is great, too. It’s a little slower to progress, but really good. The Bean Trees is good, as well. You just can’t go wrong with Barbara.
So glad y’all are settled into business and now, your own home
You are not alone in the Ikea furniture assembly department, I had my share of raging fits. Thanks to impatience
Dinner looked divine!
I do not love to do DIY projects, so the ones that I know that I may struggle with, I let my husband do.
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Ahh! I love being able to take care of household projects. And I love those “Leave it to Beaver” moments! Now that I work primarily from home, I hope to be able to include more of those moments in my life.
I actually only have a few pages of Bossypants by Tina Fey left to read tonight (very funny!) and will start Little Bee right after. I have to travel for work tomorrow so I’m hoping for some good plane reading time =) Glad you liked it!!
We JUST got the exact same storage cart yesterday! It’s awesome and I store all my random things in there
Assembling furniture is probably one of the most dreaded tasks ever for me! I HATE IT! I can never get it right the first time and end up un-assembling and then re-assembling. Oh, the joys. I’d say your work looks great. Way better than a B-
And good for you that you can scale back on your bakery work and hours. You have MORE than enough to keep you busy
Your dinner looks really yummy! I am loving how your house is coming together. I am curious to hear your thoughts on formal living rooms. many of the homes we like when we are looking at listings have formal living rooms and we aren’t sure how we feel about them – would we use it?
I just finished reading Little Bee, too! I agree, it was a very emotional book and beautifully written. I recommend it, as well!
I am glad Matt has his baby
and you get to do what you want and still help out!
I actually grew up in Nigeria so I may have to read Little bee- sounds interesting!
You should read it – I assume it is based on research, but I’d be curious to hear your thoughts
I can’t stand assembling Ikea furniture! But I love the furniture! Thankfully hubby does it all for me.
You guys are doing better than us – I think we’ve averaged one piece of art hung per month since we moved!
Ok… So unlike some readers i get to see you every so often but…. I can’t see you if you don’t come to the bakery! I need kath chat time!
Thanks,
GH Monkey
P.S. Don’t come in tomorrow I won’t be there!
Awww I miss you too. Honestly you guys are the reason I want to just come hang out more! As soon as things settle here I’ll be back to regular shifts
I have seen those wine racks there at IKEA and while I don’t have them, I sure do LOVE them!
Now, you just need to fill it up with some wine!
I have a few book recommendations for you:
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, yes, the genre is scifi and while that is not my genre of choice, it is a great book which i read for the second time this summer!
Also, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, i believe this is categorized as ‘young adult fiction’ but i’m in my late 20s and found it quite entertaining. I found both of these books to be quick reads and the kind that are difficult to put down…
Like some of the other commenters, I’ve read Tina Fey’s Bossypants as well. Funny! There’s a chapter where she has written responses to comments people have made about her on various websites- hilarious! I’m sure you would appreciate it.
All on my ‘someday’ list!
I love your wine rack.. and I give only doing the wheels wrong an A. I messed up our TV stand on like step 2 … so one piece if backwards… and there was NO way I was going back from step ZZ to fix it!
We have Hunger Games here if you want to borrow.
I get a kick out of the “One picture a night.” Sounds like your father, although he’s more like “one picture a year.”
Definitely save Hunger Games for me!
One of my new year’s goals for 2011 was to read more and so far I have failed miserably. I try to read in bed but for some reason reading late a night puts me right to sleep. I always fall asleep with the book on my chest after about 5 seconds! Congrats on the bakery success!
I’m usually asleep in 5 with the book too – that’s why it takes me so long to read a book!!
Haha, I really enjoyed reading this post! My fiance tried to build the two nightstands we bought from Ikea this past weekend last night and said the exact same thing, “Darn Ikea instructions!”
Your pasta dish looks so good! I love your first picture, it looks peaceful and romantic and yet it’s simple.
I am so glad that GH is doing so well!! You and Matt are an inspiration! I am working to save up some money so I can open my own business. It’s been a goal of mine since I was a teenager. Well off to work. Hope the rest of your day goes great!
Thanks Jennifer, and best of luck to you!
I built that same cart for my laundry room last month…and we had those wine bottle holders until we moved. Haha, IKEA really has the best deals on furniture. I love how your home is coming together. It looks beautiful (especially the guest bath)!!!
I always mess up when putting together IKEA furniture too! I think it’s definitely the instructions’ fault, not ours!
well I’m glad to hear that this college hiatus of not reading is not just me perhaps…. I really want to read but with all the other required reading its really difficult to find time or even want to sit down with another book. But I did read Little Bee a few years back and lovedddd every word of it, awesome book.
Do you read in bed or before going to bed? I have been doing better staying awake to read at night but I have to read on the couch in our office and not in bed. Thanks for the book recommendation, Little Bee is on my list. Right now I am reading The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure, a tribute to Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House books. I’m also reading Beezus & Ramona with my daughter. I finished my first Janet Evanovich book, Wicked Appetite which was entertaining but a little different. I’ve never been to Ikea but love the looks of their products. I bought a pumpkin beer the other day but need to remember to look for the Schafly.
Yeah in bed. I can’t seem to get comfortable reading on the couch
I can get more comfortable reading on the couch than I can trying to lay in bed to read. I think it’s because I sleep on my side and on my stomach so I can’t just sit up or lay on my back to read when I’m in bed. I tend to do my best reading on the elliptical or crosstrainer when I have to stay awake!
Thanks for the book review…I’ve had that book for a while but have yet to open it. I feel the exact same way re. reading. After finishing an especially satisfying read, I wonder how I could let time go by without a book in hand. It’s such a comforting habit to read a bit for pleasure every evening.
Good job on discovering an ideal bakery-home business balance. Glad you guys have settled into a comfortable normal.
Oh, and I feel your pain on the lack of IKEA lack of patience thing!
Your house is so pretty! I want to have pumpkin beer in your living room! Jeez, that sounds creepy.
Oh my lanta, if you liked Little Bee, please read Incendiary by the same author. Absolutely ridic (in a good way)!
Just saw the trailor for Jane Eyre so I’m going to try to re-read it…
I remember one of the most exciting things about leaving college and having a commute on a train was that I FINALLY was able to read for pleasure again!!
I LOVE those wine racks! And I give you more than a B for installation – if I were the one doing it, it would not have ended up looking ANYTHING like the picture on the box and there would have been way more assembling and disassembling happening! Haha.
Dinner looks delicious – I’ve been craving a big bowl of meaty pasta lately and that looks perfect.
You inspired me to make a pumpkin beer run, and I learned my local specialty store is getting Pumking on Friday. Is it wrong that I’m insanely excited??
I would be!
i just finished little bee a while ago. so well written. i enjoyed it too!
Kath, I’ve been reading your blog for over a year now and have never left a comment! Congratulations on your new home – how exciting! I’ve loved seeing all of your rooms come together in your photos.
If you’re looking for a fun, interesting read, I’m loving the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Check it out if you haven’t heard of it!
Thanks for your comment Katelyn! My mom is reserving Hunger Games for me
JK – looks like other readers are recommending it too
i do love pre-dinner beverages!
I loved Little Bee! I swear I sleep sounder when I read myself to sleep. Good luck with the moving in process.
Hi Kath, I know you recently made a big IKEA trip. Are you planning to share all the items you purchased? We just moved into a new home, and I’m looking for ways to organize! Thanks!
I didn’t purchase many small items – just the big stuff which you will see. I will try to do an IKEA item post sometime. That would be fun.
I love eating at my formal dining room. My husband always eats in front of the tv, while I take my food into the dining room. Feels more comfortable to me for some reason. Probably because I’ll spill stuff all over myself if I eat on the couch.
You should check out ‘Water for Elephants’. I saw the movie when it came out which was awesome, but the book was even better.
Read it and saw it!! Didn’t love the book