Back to school, back to the gym, and back to the grind...

my kids...aren't they adorable??!!

Sophie and her best friend, Maggie

Well, now that the kids are back to school, I feel so full of ambition it's hard to know where it's coming from!! I want to do home projects, take on more decorating jobs (and finally see the end result of others that are still being held up by trades people!!) and get back to exercising on a regular basis. I want to get my life back in order, so to speak.

Well, hopefully you won't consider me a bad mother because I was grinning ear to ear on the first day of school. Don't get me wrong, they were all happy to be going (well as happy as one can be going back to school) and it's not that I don't want the kids around me, it's just that I don't want to break up any more squabbles, fix any more snacks, or pick up anymore dirty socks left by the front door and under beds...at least not ALL DAY LONG!! Yes, indeed, I just want to give my house a thorough cleaning and decluttering and have it stay that way for longer than five minutes! I want to rifle through drawers, clean out my "George Costanza" wallet, rescue the dust bunnies under my bed, and touch-up paint all the unfinished bits of trim and closet doors that we never seemed to get to last winter. I want to finish my craft area (is there a better name I can give to that? Craft area sounds like I'll be making little houses out of foam and glueing popsicle sticks together... not that my creations are that of an artiste, but they are a little more creative than that!!).

Today it is burning hot outside and I, who do not like to sweat, am trying to finish painting a few ongoing projects alternated with running in for some cool, air-conditioned solace. The kids are having what will probably be their last dip in the pool (the water temp is 66 degrees) and we are heading to our friends' house later for a birthday cake (my friend's birthday). I worked this morning with a client who is redoing three bathrooms in her home. Two are done, one more to go. I can't wait to see this last one complete as it is a lovely big bathroom and we made some great changes both decoratively and functionally. Renovating is fun, but boy can it be slow!! Too slow, sometimes!!

I am starting my bedroom makeover on Monday. I have already purchased a new duvet cover (I'm not 100% sure it's the one) and I finished painting the dressers cream and applying new glass knobs. I am still not sure my room is going to be as I want it to be, partly because I'm not sure how I want it to look!! Whatever I end up doing, it will have to stay that way for a long time...no more painting!!! Hope you are all having a great weekend!!!

Happy birthday to my beautiful niece Meaghan (seen here with her handsome brother, Connor)who just turned sweet sixteen,

and to my good friend, Janet!!!