Because I am feeling uncreative about what to write these days, I present another little meme. I saw this one over at Miss Hass' blog and thought it was cool in a sort of voyeuristic way. There are people you think you know, people you know pretty well, and people you know everything about, but I bet most of the things in this meme are not things you would know about anyone but your own family, although they are some of the most mundane things -- the kind of things you never pay attention to, but which really do tell you something interesting about people. Enjoy this proverbial peep through my windows. Does anything here surprise you?
What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now?
I just finished a bar of soap this morning and have not yet replaced it. I have a whole basket of soaps in my bathroom and am undecided about what to use next. I am considering Milk soap from Whole Foods, or else this delightful Lemongrass and Chamomile soap that I got at Christmas.
Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator?
No, and why would I? I live by myself, and it's not July.
What would you change about your living room?
I really like my living room, actually. It's purple and red, which are my favorite colors. There is a lot of velvet in my living room. I also have a piano, which thrills me to no end. The only bad thing about it is that it is located at the front corner of the house which means it is a full six feet from traffic noise and sometimes it is drafty because I have a mail slot in the front door. And I've been sort of hesitant about my chandelier ever since my sister insulted it. I covered the bulbs with these paper shades to which I glued multicolored beaded fringe that I thought looked so cute. She said it looked like a lamp from a whorehouse. My question is, HOW WOULD SHE KNOW?
Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty?
I don't have a dishwasher, which means the dishes in my sink are usually dirty.
What's in your fridge?
Milk, orange juice, a bottle of Martinelli's, some ginger ale, my Brita pitcher, pizza sauce, yogurt, string cheese, Gruyére, mozarella with sun-dried tomato and basil, deli turkey, raisin bread, eggs, fruit salad, applesauce, apples, baby carrots, celery, fresh salsa, minced garlic, ketchup, mustard, relish, barbecue sauce, Miracle Whip, Salsa Lizano, apple butter, lime curd, Annie's Naturals Goddess dressing, Annie's Naturals Shiitake and Sesame Vinaigrette, butter, tooth whitening gel, spare batteries, and a box of Arm & Hammer.
What is on top of your refrigerator?
Cookbooks, a box of recipe cards, my roasting pan, and an onion.
White or wheat bread?
Wheat for sandwiches and raisin bread for toast. I'm not a big bread person in general, though.
What color or design is your shower curtain?
Multicolored stripes, with a clear plastic horizontal panel at eye level so you can see out.
How many plants are in your home?
One philodendron. It has lived with me for about six months without dying. This is amazing.
Is your bed made right now?
Yes. I don't like getting into an unmade bed.
Comet or Soft Scrub?
Old Dutch cleanser.
Is your closet organized?
Yes. Shelves on the left contain my purses and sweaters, which are in storage containers with little cedar balls to keep the moths out. Then from left to right I have jackets, dressy shirts (satins and velvets and that kind of thing), button shirts (short sleeved, then 3/4 sleeved, then long sleeved), dress pants, short skirts, long skirts, short dresses, long dresses, one suit, and one spring trench coat which is lavender and looks kind of like a medical lab coat but I love it and can't get rid of it yet even though I haven't worn it in a couple of years. My shoes are on the floor on a shoe rack. Also, all my hangers must face the same way and all like items are hanging the same way on those hangers.
Can you describe your flashlight?
I bought a pack of two, which are both grey and red. The smaller one is in my nightstand and the larger one has a heavy-duty magnet so it hangs on the side of my refrigerator.
Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home?
A Nalgene bottle for water, and if I drink something else, it goes in a glass.
Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now?
No. Ew.
If you have a garage, is it cluttered?
I don't have a garage, but I do have a little vestibule between my kitchen door and the back door, and I recently bought one of those chrome shelving racks that has a shelf each for my food storage, painting supplies, appliances that don't fit in my tiny kitchen, extra boxes and bags, and sports equipment. For a week or so after erecting the shelves, I would periodically open the kitchen door and just stare happily at the organized little corner. Would someone please find me a boyfriend so I can stop spending my evenings staring at my organized vestibule?
Curtains or blinds?
I vastly prefer blinds. Although I do have some fun multicolored patchwork curtains in my living room that remind me of stained glass.
How many pillows do you sleep with?
Two.
Do you sleep with any lights on at night?
Two night lights. One in the kitchen and one in the bathroom.
How often do you vacuum?
Whenever the house needs it, which isn't often since I'm rarely there and don't have much carpet. I sweep much more frequently.
What color is your toothbrush?
White and green handle with blue bristles.
Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch?
I don't have a front porch, just a stoop. The stoop has a mat, but it doesn't say welcome. I have a new mat for the back door (which is the door I use most). It has this cute little lawn gnome resting under a mushroom.
What is in your oven right now?
One oven rack and an oven thermometer.
Is there anything under your bed?
The window fan I use in the summertime.
What chore do you hate doing the most?
Anything that involves paper -- grading, filing, paying bills, sorting the mail, etc.
What retro items are in your home?
Basically everything I own. All my furniture, with the exception of a papasan chair, my piano, a butcher block cart in the kitchen, and those chrome shelves in the vestibule are either secondhand, antiques, or hand-me-downs from friends or family. I like the quality of older things, I like that they have a history, and I like the quirky, mismatched look they bring to my house. The house was built in 1843 so it all sort of works in a house like that.
Do you have a separate room that you use as an office?
Yes, and I LOVE IT! That was a non-negotiable when I was looking for my own place. I need my bedroom to be a paper-free haven.
How many mirrors are in your house?
Six. Small, dark rooms look bigger and brighter that way.
What color are your walls?
Royal Plum in the living room, Peapod Green in the dining room, Sunflower Yellow in the kitchen, Ladybug Red in my bedroom, and the office, spare room, and bathroom are white. I LOVE that my landlords let me paint!
Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home?
No. Unless you are a stalker or robber, or other type of creep who happens to know where I live, in which case the answer is an uzi and a pitbull. And a very scary Hell's Angel boyfriend.
What does your home smell like right now?
I don't know. Me?
Favorite candle smell?
I like fruity candles. Vanilla is OK. I can't stand anything with cinnamon in it.
What kind of pickles are in your refrigerator right now?
Just relish.
What color is your favorite bible?
My English one is burgundy, my Spanish one is red, and my Portuguese one is black.
Ever been on your roof?
No, but if the damn squirrels keep running around and mating on my roof in the middle of the night, I will go out there with my uzi and pitbull and take care of them once and for all.
Do you own a stereo?
Yes, but a CD recently got stuck in it and I can't fix it. I listen to my iPod on the dock a lot, though.
How many tv's do you have?
Two. One that I watch movies on, and another that my sister and brother-in-law passed on to me that is sitting in a corner because I get no channels so I have no reason to plug it in at the moment.
How many house phones?
None, just a cell.
Do you have a housekeeper?
Seriously?
What style do you decorate in?
I like bright colors and I like mismatched old things and stuff I bring back from my travels.
Do you like solid colors in furniture, or prints?
Solid. You can make a tan couch work in any room. And I like wood for pretty much everything else. Then I can paint the walls whatever color I want and when I get sick of it, it's a lot cheaper to change.
Is there a smoke detector in your home?
Yes, 3 of them. And I just changed the batteries! Go, me!
In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you'd grab if you could only make one quick trip?
My journals, photos, and laptop. They're the record of my life. Everything else is replaceable.
I love that your closet is as organized as mine. And I'm so jealous that you have a piano. And an office.
Posted by: Miss Hass | Sunday, 27 January 2008 at 05:16 PM