We are on a roll! I cannot believe how much we accomplished today! First of all, Eric had finished putting up the four shelves in the dinette area, but I had to wait overnight for them to be dry enough to put things on them. First thing this morning, we hung up the four fruit prints. We were going to put two on that wall, and two on the wall in the kitchen, but I had another idea after the shelves were hung, as you can see from the pictures! I LOVE it!
Sorry the pictures are so blurry. I'm using my cell phone, and it's just not as good as a real camera! Eric's going to buy me a new one for my birthday!
We then hung these two candle sconces I had from the shop. They’re made from two art nouveau door escutcheons, an item of door furniture. It is an architectural item that surrounds a keyhole or lock cylinder. Escutcheons are mainly decorative: they draw the eye to the keyhole. These are very decorative in that swirly, art nouveau way. They’re mounted on a slender wooden board and the key to the escutcheon is mounted on top of the board. In the center of the escutcheon is a candleholder. They’re really fabulous, because some clever person put them together. Why they never sold I’ll never know, but I got them at a very good price (just like the four fruit watercolors) when the shop was closing.
After everything was hung, I spent the next four or five hours watching a MONK MARATHON (one of my favorite TV shows) and unpacking box after box of collectibles. I sorted through tons of stuff and put out a bunch of Betty Boop, some kitchen collectibles, and a few pairs of candlesticks. I’m very happy with the results. I emptied a few boxes, got organized, and decorated the apartment – all at the same time!
Eric was keeping busy, too. He put up four more shelves in the bedroom, and I put a bunch of my purses, pocketbooks and handbags on display. Don't ask me what the difference is between a purse, a pocketbook and a handbag, but I've got 'em all!
They look great, I can see them all easily, and it cleared out my closet a lot. I was so happy today. I feel like we accomplished SO much and the place is really shaping up!
Neither one of us had left the house all day, so we decided to go out for sushi. We went to “our place” – HAIKU RESTAURANT. Their sushi is first rate! I keep asking Eric if he’d like to try another place, since there are at least 4 or 5 sushi restaurants in Pacific Beach, but he’s extremely loyal. When he likes something, he sticks with it. I guess that’s a good quality for a husband!
We had a delicious dinner of edamame, shumai, a volcano roll (which comes with a tiny bowl with a flambé on top (I guess the volcano is erupting!). We also had a Spicy, Crunchy Shrimp Roll, which is our favorite. It’s got so much stuff in it, I can’t even tell you what it is, except it’s SO good!
After we got back in the car, I saw that I had missed a call from our friends, Geri and Larry. I called back and spoke to Geri. They have a box of stuff that got left behind when our stuff was shipped. The remote to our CD player, a vintage garbage pail (I was using it until the end and forgot to give it to them to pack!) and a few other things. They’re going to ship it to us. They’re such good friends. They offered to store a lot of our stuff when we were moving, because we weren’t sure whether to take it or not. We ended up taking most of it, selling some and giving away some. I just didn’t want to bother them with that!
When we got home, we immediately went back to work. We both unpacked a few more boxes, and I organized my closet while I watched a FABULOUS show on TV called MOVIES ROCK. They played all the best songs from famous movies and contemporary artists like Beyoncé, Carrie Underwood, Elton John, Tony Bennett, Usher, and Fergie performed. I really enjoyed it. Usher recreated SINGING IN THE RAIN, which was filmed on a set, instead of performed live at the show. It was really fantastic. It was an exact recreation of the original. Of course, he’s no Gene Kelly, but he still did a great job!
Jennifer Hudson sang THERE’S A PLACE FOR US from WEST SIDE STORY and really brought down the house. That was a highlight for me. That girl can sing!
We finally stopped around midnight. Tomorrow we are heading to HOME DEPOT again. Eric is going to hang three more shelves in the master bedroom (all one foot off the ceiling). I want to put the rest of my purses and pocketbooks, and some of my favorite tins on them.
He’s going to hang a bunch of shelves in the second bedroom, too. That room is becoming his “work room.” He made a work table out of boxes with cardboard on top to create a smooth surface. Now, he has a place to work, and wants to unpack all his tools and lay them out on the shelves. He’s a shelving maniac!
Tomorrow is the 29th Annual Holiday Parade in Pacific Beach. There will be a tribute to California firefighters from 12-4 on Garnet Avenue. There will also be Arts and Crafts vendors at “Santa’s Village” on Cass Street. I’m trying to convince Eric to go. He wants to work on the shelves, but I think it will be fun. He says I should just go by myself, which isn’t a bad idea, because then I can hit all the vendors without dragging him around. The only problem is – it’s supposed to rain all weekend. We’ll see what happens. If it’s raining, we’ll just get a lot more accomplished in the apartment!