And the Menagerie Grows

There's always room for a new friend or two at our zoo. Can you spot the newcomers here? (Psst: It's the elephant and the little ladybug on the green leaf.) :)

Home is Where the Art Is

A few nights ago I returned home from work to find three surprises. Well, maybe "find" isn't the right word. It implies that there was no struggle in my discovery of said surprises, which was not the case. "Notice anything different?" asked the bf expectantly as I entered the living room. I was setting down my purse and removing my office ID badge, my weary mind unprepared for the challenge that awaited. I should interject that the bf takes a special glee in remarking upon my shoddy powers of observation. To be fair, his teasing isn't unfounded. As this account shows, I spotted only one of his surprises without the aid of his coaching, which took the form of that age-old crowd-pleaser of a party game, "hot and cold."

Outrageous Owl Print

Remember this? It's a print of the Large Outrageous Owl Tote I made for Katie of the blog What Katie Wore. I'd framed it ages ago with the intention of hanging it, but you know how that goes. I like to imagine someone looking at it and thinking, "Ooh! It's a painting. Wait, no, it's a print of a painted tote bag. How clever!" Of course, this person would have no prior knowledge of my tote painting enterprise. (I realize I'm taking some liberties here, but why write a blog if not to entertain such indulgences?)

Here we have the newest member of our Animal House menagerie, the blue jay corkscrew. This surprise was the most difficult for me to discover. The bf and I were sitting in the kitchen when he asked, apropos of nothing, "Do we have a corkscrew?"  "I don't know," I replied, and began rummaging around in the drawers. Coming up empty-handed, I admitted, "I guess not. But then, we're not big drinkers, so we probably figured we didn't need one . . ." The bf seemed to ignore this comment, instead taking off on a new tangent. (In hindsight, I recognize this as the dead giveaway it was.) "Don't forget your jewelry on the shelf," he said. Absently, I glanced at the shelf above the sink where I frequently discard rings and bracelets before attacking mountains of cheese-encrusted dishes. Something blue and foreign caught my eye, and I finally realized what he'd been getting at. Honestly, sometimes I think I make it too easy.

Now, the third surprise I did notice. We'd had these mini cutting boards from Target since we'd moved in two years ago, and although we'd always intended to display them, it never happened. So I was more than charmed to see them hanging cheerily against the stark kitchen wall.

The bf knows I like to craft as kooky a space as possible, and I was touched that he'd taken it upon himself to humor me. (Did I mention that he also scrubbed the kitchen floor? He would be annoyed if he knew I wrote that.)

Some Additions to the Animal House Family

On Monday I came home from work to find two new Animal House friends waiting for me on the kitchen table: the peacock dustpan and the snail tape dispenser. (The bumblebee scrubber is pictured also because I don't remember if I posted him yet. And even if I did, he's cute enough to be pictured twice!) I immediately carved out a place for them among the others on my kitchen shelf, delighted by the burst of color they lent to the already-bright display. That bf, he's just full of surprises. Want to start your own zoo? Google Boston Warehouse Web to get started.

My Personal Zoo

You didn't think I was talking about actual animals, did you? (I'm not an animal person. I probably shouldn't admit this in print, for fear of alienating myself from future customers. Even in everyday conversation I can sense people backing away slowly when I admit that I don't have any pets.)

These colorful little gadgets come from the Boston Warehouse Animal House collection, which can be purchased in bits and pieces from Target and Ace Hardware. For the complete collection, Google Boston Warehouse.

The bf and I don't use them -- oh, no. They're strictly for show. My favorite is the warthog vegetable scrubber (that green and yellow guy with the crazy hair). There are still many pieces that we'd both like to add to the menagerie. (My vote for the next purchase is the peacock dustpan and brush. I think the bf prefers the walrus mini sweep). The bf painted the cabinets and shelf interior himself (he is, after all, a painter), using crayon box brights. He can't believe that I've waited until now to blog about it. I think that was a gentle dig at me for blogging about, well, everything, but I'm willing to let it slide.