Weekend update: Project Nest

Firstly, I got a package in the mail. My giveaway win from Pink Sky Studio came in! It's so cute- I am now ready to make a little teapot tea towel with her sweet little embroidery pattern. Oh interwebs, how kind you can be!

I also have been getting busy on the sewing front. My machines are HOME though I still haven't plugged them in. Baby steps. I did wash all of my gorgeous Heather Ross fabrics, and they're in the dryer now. I started ironing everything for my next big project, the super secret gifts I am making for my bridesmaids. No photos on the blog, methinks, but I am very excited to get going on them! And I went to JoAnn's today to pick up a few patterns. And fabric. G came with me, and we selected two really lovely home dec fabrics to use in Project Nest! Now I've cleaned up most of the windows, it's time to hang some curtains. Although there are curtains in the guest room, courtesy of one of George's former renters, and some in the master bedroom... the rest of the house has bare windows. I picked up a nice burgundy silk (ok, a polyester silk look-alike, but it's washable). That will look really swank in our dining room, when we take down the paper over the chair rail and paint the top part of the wall silver. The bottom is currently a nice colonial blue, but instead of keeping the blue we might change up the look and go with a steel blue or even a real gray- I think with the deep curtains it will look very modern in there, and I am sure will give us great pleasure on the rare nights we don't just eat in the living room!

I also picked out a cutesy big plaid in cream, two shades of sage green, and shades of deep pink for my craft room. I could repaint the room cream again, or I could go with the very pale sage. Either way, all the colors look very nice with my deep gray sofa (and I can make rose-colored pillows to match!).

We had a pretty big yard sale today. Massive amounts of our duplicate belongings, extraneous kitchenware, and lots of other things are all gone- some sold, the rest donated to Goodwill. We feel so much lighter, and the basement and garage are suddenly much more navigable.

As if all that were not enough excitement for the day, I made a delicious chicken, cauliflower, and potato curry... and finished Clapotis. My third, but who's counting? It's delightful, and I think I will not block it, to keep it's subtle drape. My resident photographer has promised me some photos tomorrow, once he returns from a birthday party and I come back from the Quilters Unlimited quilt show at the Dulles Expo Center. So exciting!

On one final note, I wanted to recommend a little local establishment. Instead of cooking the curry last night, G picked me up from the metro and we went to Yorktown Bistro, here in Arlington and not far from the house. It's very open inside, with nice enough decor, and the cuisine is fairly traditional Italian. Oh oh so delicious! My chicken parm was one of the best I've had, and G enjoyed his three cheese ravioli. The homemade tiramisu was stellar, and we were particularly entranced by their specials on wine bottles. All in all? The perfect date night. They do takeout and rent out space, as well... we might have more decisions to make than we originally thought, when it comes time to plan our rehearsal dinner!