I would never win any of the Survivor challenges. I can’t hold my breath under water for very long, I can’t lift heavy weights for any length of time, and I really, really suck at puzzles. Take this morning, for example. Attached to our suite of offices is a classroom. In the classroom is a set of tables that fit together in the shape of a U. Some of the tables are shaped like a trapezoid (I think) and some are straight. You put them all together properly and you get a U shape. This morning they were scattered all over the place and I needed them to be back in the U. I called Housekeeping to help me get them back. The three of us moved tables around and around getting all kinds of crazy shapes… but no U. The Three Stooges put together a room? Finally I had to draw it out on a piece of paper. Whew! I knew that art training would come in handy. So what does that mean? I’m not a linear thinker? Something like that…

I guess that’s also the reason I can’t visualize how to put furniture in a room. I have to move it around and around until it looks right. Knowing that I’m going to be working on the upstairs of my house this winter (and for other reasons, perhaps one of them being the fact that I’m a huge spendaholic on things for my house)… I purchased a copy of “Apartment Therapy. The Eight Step Home Cure”. The book also inspired a great (and addictive) website (or maybe the website came first?) Anyway, I have high hopes and very little money. Pray for me.
Speaking of spend, spend, spend… and house, house house. D and I went on a shopping extravaganza last weekend in Toronto. Homesense, Ikea, outlet malls, Eaton’s Centre, Younge Street…. We actually shopped ourselves out. Incredible to imagine, but it’s true. I didn’t buy as much as you’d think, but am very happy with what I found.

And here’s a little tip to try. You know those sheepskins from Ikea? They cost about 35 bucks. Putting one of those on a chair instantly updates it and it looks and feels great. Not only that, for some reason, cats don’t like to sleep on it (maybe it’s just my cats?) which means I can now reclaim the two chairs in my library, previously unusable because of the dreaded cat-hair-bum you get after sitting on them. I also bought two lovely red bird Christmas decorations from Ikea. So pretty.