A clean slate

I think I may be getting a little bit slate-crazy. We're putting slate in the mudroom, I'm thinking about slate for the kitchen backsplash, and now Marc and I both fell in love with the look of this fireplace mantel.

Is it too much slate? Can you ever have too much slate? Will it look like a rustic cabin and not a Tudor Colonial? Oh, the drama.

Let there be light

It's the little things that mean so much.

We hired a landscaper to help us map out the hardscaping that needs to be re-done in the front and back of the house. (Did I mention that one of the many large machines that our contractor used during demolition completely collapsed our side concrete walkway? Not that we already weren't going to replace the 25 year-old cracked concrete anyway, but geez Louise! Thank goodness we hadn't already tried to replace it a few years ago!)

The landscaper suggested this low-voltage light for our backyard garden and along the back walkways. It's a sweet light -- and I'm queer -- but I love the light and I just love ticking all of these decisions from my list!

Now let's just hope he can still order them from the manufacturer. In the words of Roseanna Roseannadanna, it's always something.