Happiness in a suitcase ... and a five-foot cardboard box.
We're back again in Lagos. The first few days were a bit of a shock thanks to the effects of jet lag and just trying to (again) get used to how ... what's the word? ... chaotic, crazy, un-contained Lagos is!
All the honking and the garbage and the putrid canals and the sparse grocery stores. In a few weeks, the stores won't feel sparse and I won't even see the garbage (although I don't think I'll ever get used to the odors wafting out of the storm drains). That's how humans survive ... we adapt, we create a new normal, we evolve. As women, we also survive by creating a home that is safe, comfortable and nurturing. And by golly, there is nothing better than a trip back to the good ol' U.S. of A. to stock up on all sorts of goodies to feather the nest.
Shopping in Target or H-E-B was overwhelming. The SELECTION! My sister was shopping for a casserole dish, and she must have had 25 different types, sizes, styles and colors to choose from (and she STILL didn't find what she wanted!). I almost bought a casserole dish just for the pleasure of being able to buy one (they have 'em with non-stick coatings now)! I held back on the casserole dish, but I did come home with all sorts of nonsense like a sponge holder for my sink, a spaghetti spoon, a large metal bowl, wood veneer serving trays, eight throw pillows, and a countertop towel holder. Oh, and new clothes! (Can you hear the angels singing?)
Call me shallow, but I love clothes. I love creating a style and changing it and changing it again. And now I have a few new pieces to play with. For a day or two after unpacking, our bedroom smelled like a shopping mall, and it made me grin every time I walked in.
Two of the most substantial pieces I managed to cram into our luggage (consisting of three trunks, five duffel bags, three suitcases, and a five-foot-long cardboard box), were shades for my daughter's bedroom windows and a rug for our family room. How, may you ask, do you cram a large rug into a suitcase? The answer is FLOR.com, which sells rugs by the square that you stick together with ingenious little stickers. Sounds flimsy, I know, but it looks great. At least I think so.
The window shades are important because my daughter's windows are actually sliding glass doors and take up one entire wall of her room. She is forever having nightmares that something or someone is peeking in through the windows, so we brought back bamboo shades that will cover every square inch of glass, floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall. Hopefully, Elizabeth will sleep easier and that makes momma happy. (Pictures to come soon ... just waiting for the carpenter to come and install.)
So there it is, folks. Happiness comes in all shapes and sizes, but this week, it arrived in a pile of suitcases and a five-foot-long cardboard box.
All the honking and the garbage and the putrid canals and the sparse grocery stores. In a few weeks, the stores won't feel sparse and I won't even see the garbage (although I don't think I'll ever get used to the odors wafting out of the storm drains). That's how humans survive ... we adapt, we create a new normal, we evolve. As women, we also survive by creating a home that is safe, comfortable and nurturing. And by golly, there is nothing better than a trip back to the good ol' U.S. of A. to stock up on all sorts of goodies to feather the nest.
Shopping in Target or H-E-B was overwhelming. The SELECTION! My sister was shopping for a casserole dish, and she must have had 25 different types, sizes, styles and colors to choose from (and she STILL didn't find what she wanted!). I almost bought a casserole dish just for the pleasure of being able to buy one (they have 'em with non-stick coatings now)! I held back on the casserole dish, but I did come home with all sorts of nonsense like a sponge holder for my sink, a spaghetti spoon, a large metal bowl, wood veneer serving trays, eight throw pillows, and a countertop towel holder. Oh, and new clothes! (Can you hear the angels singing?)
Call me shallow, but I love clothes. I love creating a style and changing it and changing it again. And now I have a few new pieces to play with. For a day or two after unpacking, our bedroom smelled like a shopping mall, and it made me grin every time I walked in.
Two of the most substantial pieces I managed to cram into our luggage (consisting of three trunks, five duffel bags, three suitcases, and a five-foot-long cardboard box), were shades for my daughter's bedroom windows and a rug for our family room. How, may you ask, do you cram a large rug into a suitcase? The answer is FLOR.com, which sells rugs by the square that you stick together with ingenious little stickers. Sounds flimsy, I know, but it looks great. At least I think so.
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| Color me happy, we have a rug for the family room! |
The window shades are important because my daughter's windows are actually sliding glass doors and take up one entire wall of her room. She is forever having nightmares that something or someone is peeking in through the windows, so we brought back bamboo shades that will cover every square inch of glass, floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall. Hopefully, Elizabeth will sleep easier and that makes momma happy. (Pictures to come soon ... just waiting for the carpenter to come and install.)
So there it is, folks. Happiness comes in all shapes and sizes, but this week, it arrived in a pile of suitcases and a five-foot-long cardboard box.
I love FLOR! I don't blame Elizabeth-- I hate uncovered windows. We have blinds over everything possible!
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