Out with the Old

Normally at this time of year I'd be getting my classroom ready for the school year. I love the days before school starts--the cleaning, the arranging, the planning, the hoping, even the nervousness. Perhaps because I'm staying home this year, I've been doing some nesting in our own little condo.

Remember this couch? The Danielson parents had it in their living room and then basement. Then Zach took it to college (our first kiss was on this couch!) and it graced our first apartment (as pictured above) and first condo (as pictured below). I covered it with fancy new fabric my first summer home from teaching, but there's no mistaking--this couch has seen it all. I don't even want to think about how many dust mites found a cozy home in it.


Well, say your farewells. It is GONE. The hide-a-bed broke so badly that we could barely close it after its last guest slept on it, so I finally convinced Zach to let me buy a new one. We took it out to the alley in pieces--first the cushions and cover, then the mattress, then the metal mattress frame, then the couch frame itself. This must have been a field day for the scrappers!

After some serious hunting, I found an awesome new couch on Craig's List for a super good deal. We got free delivery the day after I bought it and the delivery guys had to push it through the window to get it in! We feel super high and well supported on our new couch. Makes me feel so grown up. :)

Here it is!
Last summer Zach and I took a month long trip through Spain, France, and Italy. We finally got some pictures we took framed and put up on our wall. Here's the arrangement, followed by copies of the pictures we chose so you can see them better.
This is Mt. Saint Michel in France.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
The Pantheon in Rome, Italy.
The Colosseum in Rome, Italy.
The Duomo in Florence, Italy.
The view from Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy.
Now I just want to paint! This will be no small task with a baby, I know, but the yellow walls are driving me crazy. Soon they will be a lovely shade of "chocolate froth." Don't you love colors that sound like they taste good?