Cool Housewares

Ok… so in addition to my not-so-secret obsession with stationery I also admit to an interest in home decorating websites, blogs and resources. My humble abode, however, is not meticulously decorated.  I do cherish my fab red couch, chair and ottoman (thanks Cherrye!); $75 kitchen table, chairs and baker’s rack bought from my future sister-in-law; and the various other hand-me-down and/or budget items.  I saw this today in my Google Reader and thought it was a good idea.  Especially when you’ve had a long day at work and just want to relax with a glass of wine.

Museum of Modern Art

Check out the New York Museum of Modern Art website for this and other cool houseware ideas.

Fine Imported Goods

It was awesome evacuating to the Dallas area because there is shopping galore.  I managed to keep my spending in check and only purchased a few non-essential items – face wash from Sephora, a pair of jeans (which could be argued as essential!), and a purse.  You will be happy to know that I did not purchase any of these bags featuring the Cadillac emblem, although the gold lame bowling bag purse was tempting.

Number 1 Killer of Plants

Putting them in a closet on your patio for a week during hurricane evacuation.

Exhibit 1: Prayer Plant

Exhibit 2: Basil

Exhibit 3: Rosemary

A footlong and a 40

Fridge and Freezer

If you were playing the glad game, you’d be glad the hurricane gave you an opportunity to clean out your fridge and freezer.  Yesterday I stopped at the store and got just a few things.

Today I did a bigger shopping trip and attempted to stock up.  Unfortunately everyone else was doing the same thing, so I didn’t get everything I needed.

IKE

Fortunately my apartment in Beaumont was spared damage. I don’t know exactly when the power came back on, but it is on now.  I came back to stay today.  On Tuesday, when I came to check on things, a few people’s apartments lost shingles or had lost pieces of the hardiplank siding.  A few sliding glass doors were broken.

My fiance’s parent’s house also was spared. It looks like one more foot of water, and their house would have had damage. They live kind of between Bridge City, TX and Orange, TX.  If you watched CNN you would have seen Anderson Cooper wearing waders and standing waist high in a ditch just down the road from their house.  Text message photos of standing water at a nearby intersection had us thinking there was no way their house didn’t have water in it.  They were fortunate.  Almost all the people who live in Bridge City have lost everything.  Even if they can salvage the frame of their home, their clothes, kid’s toys, 2nd cars, memories, and so much more have been destroyed.  We drove through a few days ago and it was absolutely horrible.  Marsh mud & reeds, as well as dead fish, snakes, alligators, hogs and cows were seen in the roads.  Some people were already back, purging their homes from all ruined belongings, and trying to salvage what they could.  I can’t even imagine what that feels like to lose everything.

Houston has been hit pretty bad too.  My parents are still without power after a week.

Here are just a few websites to see the impact of Hurricane Ike:

Beaumont
Beaumont Enterprise Reader Photos

Beaumont Enterprise September 22nd Pictures NEW!!

Houston
Channel 13 KTRK Houston

Channel 13 KTRK Houston Viewer Photos NEW!!

Houston Chronicle Reader Photos NEW!!!

Orange
Orange 1
Orange 2

I will update the links as I get the updates.