Barrel of monkeys

Ever had one of those days where you get a phone call out of the blue, from an old friend that you haven't spoken to in years, and when they ask "So what are you up to these days?" all you can seem to muster out is "I'm fine. I'm Busy. Everything's great, really". But in your mind you're really thinking "Where do I begin? How can I possibly summarize my life for you in one uncomplicated sentence, without it turning it into one great long monologue, where at the end you're sorry you ever asked".

Lately, I feel like I've been running into this scenario on a regular basis, and maybe that's why I sometimes hide under the covers away from my blog. Perhaps I'm afraid of opening a barrel of monkeys on you all I suppose.

Without becoming a complete rambling mess, like when you're standing in the dairy isle at the grocery store, and you spot an old acquaintance and simply say "hey, how's it going" and before you know it, they've got you cornered in the butter section and they're giving you a play-by-play of their foot bunion surgery, going on about how Timmy almost made the baseball team and how Jane was picked for Class President. again. And all the while, all you can think about are clever and discreet ways to grab your quart of milk and sprint all the way down the isle to the checkout stand in between sentences, before anyone even notices.

You surely have seen February's Cottage of the Month, right? If not, here's the obligatory link to check it out, so head straight over. And you'll be glad you did. I absolutely adore Alice, and she is a true gem. She has such a knack for making the most of her space and filling it with awesome vignettes and a warm, cozy palette. Because I obviously cannot use all of the photos that homeowners provide me when creating their features, Alice has been sharing many photos on her blog that didn't make it in her Cottage of the Month feature. They're all equally beautiful, one more interesting than the next.

While on the subject of the Cottage of the Month, I need to ask my fellow regular COTM viewers...have you had any difficulty recently, in locating the Cottage of the Month page on my website? And have you had any problems either locating the Archives Book, or being able to view the Archives? Changing web hosts and moving all of my inventory to the new host proved to be the biggest, baddest monkey in the barrel, and I'm still working out a few last wrinkles.

And when I'm not working on the next Cottage of the Month, working on my website, photographing, listing new items, taking orders and shipping orders, figuring out my taxes, shopping antique stores and flea markets, and squeezing in a little quality time with family and friends, I am somehow able to carve out a little bit of time to devote to our beloved Cottage8. It's really becoming the house of our dreams, and I simply cannot wait to show you all.

Okay monkeys, it's back in the barrel time.

oxox
Jennifer