PHeeD

29 August 2010

Befores and Afters

It had been a long week of painting. I am finally (mostly) done, with just the window frame left to paint, a project that has its own complications what with needing the window open on 80 degree days.

So without further ado, here are a couple before and after shots. The room is still empty but at least it's a pretty shell for my new office.

22 August 2010

Blue Room

I have been inspired. By two people. My friend Jen is moving into her first house and has been busy painting and prepping for the big move-in day. My other friend Tina just moved into another apartment and set up her own office in one of the spare bedrooms. I, as of two days ago, did not have an office. My books and things sat on the coffee table until I had to move them for some reason.

Upstairs was an empty room. It was blue because it was so lonely. Once painted and decorated, it is going to be my new office.

Some spackling had to be done first. Our house was built in the 1920s, so some of the wall and ceiling surfaces are less than perfect.

Yesterday most of the spackling had dried so I was able to prime the whole room. This is me at the beginning. I did not look this cheery at the end. There were a lot of surfaces to paint.

Now the whole room is a ghostly white.

Today I paint the ceiling. It sounds somewhat daunting. Then tomorrow I can finally put color on the walls. I chose Martha Stewart Chinchilla for the color.

I thought chinchillas were somewhat brown. Martha obviously knows best. I have been dying to paint something grey so I hope this turns out well.

20 August 2010

Cold Pasta

I love cold pasta.

It's about as simple a meal as you can get, second only perhaps to pizza because that you likely didn't make yourself the day before.

I made pasta yesterday for dinner. Whole wheat shells topped with sautéed onions, garlic, summer squash, tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, fresh basil and oregano, and feta. Yesterday we ate it hot at the dining table, breaking a sweat while doing so.

A few hours later, after dishes, after working on a writing project, I opened the fridge and its glow leaked suspiciously into the dark kitchen. What, after all, could I possibly want at this time of night? There was the pasta, reposing in a plastic container, innocently abiding its time on the shelf next to the peanut butter. It had cooled down by now, and the container was heavy as I pulled it from the fridge.

The Tupperware released some garlicky air when opened. The kitchen drawer groaned when I opened it for a fork.

Cold pasta is best eaten standing at the counter, the container in one hand, fork in the other. By this point the noodles have absorbed all the flavor of the accompanying players in the dish, but mostly the garlic. Perhaps this is why I love it so. The thing is, cold pasta does not look good. No one else really wants to help you finish it, which is fine by me.

It was 9 in the evening. I had just finished a small bowl of raspberry sorbet but I knew something better was waiting. I busily shoved a few forkfuls in my mouth, not wanting to spoil all the fun for today.

You can guess what I'm having for dinner.