While I was signing Gabriel out, Katrina took off on an adventure, I thought into the other room. I asked him to mind her, and after a moment realized I didn't see them in the building. I dashed outside to the parking lot to find Katrina determined to go into the parking lot, but Gabriel dutifully restraining her, turning it into a game.
It was far from an emergency, but it was one of those brief lapses of attention that lead to close calls and accidents, when some good piece of fate steps in and keeps a moment from turning to tragedy. This time, my guardian angel was Gabriel. I thanked Gabriel, but also told him it was my fault for not paying closer attention to her and that he shouldn't have to be responsible for her, though I was very glad he was and very proud of him. What a terrific brother!
I spent the afternoon at a fantastic tile store (which happens to be called Tile Fantastic) in complete sensory and aesthetic overload. Everything there is just so beautiful. How do I choose? Fortunately, I had help, from my architect-now-interior-designer, and she helped focus what I wanted and pull it together. Though we have 6 areas of tile to choose (three bathrooms, two fireplaces and kitchen backsplash), we picked it for two bathrooms and make good headway on the third. I'm beside myself!
Hard to tell from photos, but here's the design for the downstairs bathroom. It's intended to be light, with punch accents from the glass tile, and looks much better in real life than in the photo.
Guest suite bathroom
Then I went to the kitchen designer's place and settled on butcher block for my island after all. I'm really excited about this now -- I love wood, so organic and natural, absorbs sound, mixing bowls won't slide. The island will have no obstructions so it won't be hard to maintain (the one big downside), and I think it'll add an earthy touch to a country-ish kitchen.
Left from right: red oak flooring, cherry island door, cherry butcher block (I x'd out another one that's beech, which I like better but is too close in color and too uniform in grain, though I also like that better!).
This would be a lot more fun if I still didn't have so many unknowns ahead of me, but we made serious headway today. I'm treading into the world of friends like "Kinda Crafty," for whom design and colors and matching and coordinating and ideas just flows from numerous fertile rivers in her head. Me, I'm stuck at the bottom of a dam, staring up at a vast expanse of concrete, stunned. I have to thank scrapbooking for starting to open the door, and help me learn to find my aesthetic instincts. It's an uphill struggle. I'm a lot better at measuring and cutting and applying the right kind of glue than choosing patterns.
I got a happy chuckle from an unexpected source today: my Dad. Seems he's found a lady friend, in less than a week in his new digs! He's younger and healthier than most residents, and he's lacked daily companionship for so long, I'm so glad he has an outlet now. I smiled all day at the idea of him living that utterly normal part of his life again.
Building permits due tomorrow!
6/17/08
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