26.

Every year it comes: July. And it always brings the same sun kissed days: sweet Canada day. Independence day, with its glorious fireworks. July 24th, with its pioneer quaintness.  Did you know July is national blueberry month? Did you know it is also national hot dog month? It is. Supposedly. According to the internet. July also had friday the 13th this year. I suppose it would be spookier if it wasn't so beautiful outside. This July brings a special gift: the beginning of the summer olympics. Can't wait. Only comes every four years. But every July-- every single one brings the 14th. Directly following the 13th. It's my birthday. The 14th, I mean.

I have a lot of friends who have graduated from the "excited about my birthday" phase and have moved on to the "I'm old and unaccomplished" phase. I never used to get it. I mean- we're 80s babies. We're not "old" for at least another few decades, right?! It drove me nuts. This year, though- I started to kind of get it. Its not that I don't feel accomplished; I do. And its not that I feel old; I don't. People tell me all the time that I look young for my age, and when I rented a car to go to Texas, the guy spent about 30 seconds squinting back and forth from my drivers license to me making sure that I was truly 25 or older.

I don't feel old. I just am starting to get why people my age do.

One of my friends wrote a post on her blog recently about the frustration of time going by and finding yourself in the same place you were when you started. I ached for her for a split second, because I can relate. Sometimes I feel like I've been stuck -emotionally, mentally or physically- and I just can't get out of the rut, whatever it is.

And so when July came around this year, I was antsy. Its been a weird summer anyway, and I found myself wondering how I would celebrate. Count the hairs on my head that fade from deep brown to auburn to blondish and finally to a silvery white? Thats a little pathetic. Go shopping? A little better. Watch episodes of boy meets world? That seemed pretty legit. My mom surprised me for a week long visit which was THE best present I could have asked for. My birthday consisted of fun errands, shopping at bookstores, trying to stay dry from a last minute rainstorm (oh sweet rain), and staying warm drinking soup at a local cafe. We finished the night off by going to a dance production in the conference center theatre showcasing some of our choreography. Simple day. Simple and lovely.

 It was sort of awesome. Low key. And awesome.

And as I blew out the candle on the slice of marzipan cake that gid bought me, I decided to just be grateful. Its been kind of an amazing 26 years. And by kind of, I mean totally.

Thanks for the sweet birthday wishes, friends.

the 4th in photos...

Thank you sweet bountiful for the lovely fireworks. 

Thank you sweet lanterns for making our home festive.

And thank you sweet idaho for your traditions that we love so dearly.

and one more thing:

So the same neighbors who sold us our new entertainment center (see post below) gave us some oak floor panels that snap together. 

Gid didn't seem super interested when they offered them to us. Scratch that. He seemed very UNinterested in them. I'm guessing because he thought he'd end up doing all the work (which- to be fair- he usually does).

before

They were going to throw them out. 

And then I was like, "not on my watch".

And then, while Gid was at work, I gutted our bedroom, cleaned the dirty tile floor, put the wood in, put the bed, the boxsprings, the bedframe, the nightstands and the laundry baskets back and it looks about 1000% better. 

The end.

after

Yay for not having to worry about gross tile on my feet ever again in this apartment.

old, but new.

Remember our apartment from this post?

Remember how its so great?

Me too.

I love our apartment. In fact, when we finished putting the last picture on the wall, I told gideon I loved it so much I'd never change a thing. He gave me a knowing smile.

He knows me pretty well I guess.

This last weekend, it just so happens that a good friend of ours was moving out of our little village of apartments, and she happened to be selling the sweetest little entertainment center (among other things) for dirt cheap. It was when I was baby-sitting her sweet little boy over at her place that I really began to want it-- not because I thought it would fit into our apartment necessarily, but because it was so darling, and I wanted it to go to a good home. (They really loved it, but because of the move, they were desperate to sell it. Hence the amazing price.)

When I got home from babysitting, I casually mentioned to gideon that our friends had a really adorable entertainment center they were selling.

He was silent, but his eyes said something along the lines of, "how could we possibly fit one more piece of furniture into this 480 square feet, alyssa??".

He was right (as always), and I knew it. All the wood in our apartment is either espresso or black. The entertainment center was a creamy color. No matchy. Also- we have like zero extra space, but I was sure if I maneuvered our furniture there would be plenty of room for a new furniture family member. I went back and forth for a few hours. For a while I'd convinced myself it would be an absolutely ridiculous investment. Sure- it was darling. Just not for us.

.......

Or so I thought. I was sure I'd made up my mind. But the thought of the country french cream wood finding its way to a place where the owners might not appreciate its rustic charm kept haunting me. So I came up with a layout of an appropriate location for it within our humble home, and presented it to Gideon. After quizzing me on the measurements, the functionality, and the longterm plan, he went for it.

Our neighbors were pretty happy to be getting rid of it.

But not as happy as I was to welcome it to our apartment.

I know in the picture it might look a little more cramped, but its really not. I think it adds a sense of friendliness to our little home, wouldn't you say?

And even though it's not new new-- its new to us. And I sort of love it. Alot. 

What do you think, friends? Which do you like better? The old way, or the new way?

 (If you don't like it, maybe don't comment for a few weeks-- I'm still basking in the honeymoon stage of a good purchase.)