TwentyFeet

WE HAVE MOVED

2011-04-14T09:49:00.000-04:00

Check out our new space at http://www.twentyfeet.us/ :)

The Husband and I have decided to change things up a bit for the next year, see how we like the new space...how you like it... Honestly the part that made the decision for me was when he told me he wanted to be involved, wanted to be a part of this space too and Squarespace gives us that option.

Remember to update your bookmarks with the new site... http://www.twentyfeet.us/ Thanks for reading!

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How am I...

2011-03-30T20:35:00.001-04:00

...supposed to read my book with a cat sitting on it? Huh, Mason?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Utterly Exhausted

2011-03-30T17:54:00.000-04:00

I am spent. done. finished. exhausted.

Jay's car is officially totaled - crazy and unexpected! It's weird to think we won't ride to Kathy and Dennis' in it again. It won't take another road trip to Cinncinnati with us. It's leather seats hot in the summer heat and frigid cold in the winter. The sunroof open to the breeze. Hunter curled up in the backseat completely content to have a seat to curl up in. It was a sporty car that zipped around corners...a silver streak (hahaha!) It's in the salvage yard in Fredericksburg right now where Melissa and I will go visit one more time to gain our last of the personal items left behind, not thinking it was going to be a total loss when the tow truck came. The remainder of the loan is paid and eventually (two weeks or so) we should get our loss check. The snazzy VW Jetta rental has to be returned on Tuesday, so essentially we have to buy a car this weekend - talk about pressure!

What about Betty, some of you might ask? Well, she can make the drive - Jay took her last Friday - but she's loud and not the best on gas mileage. Plus, we found out this past weekend that she needs a new altenator if she will hit the open road on a daily basis.

So we will see where we stand after Saturday's road trip from dealership to dealership window shopping for cars and hopefully test driving one or two...

Right this minute, people are banging around in our garage... A while back at the Home and Garden Show, we signed up for dirt cheap installation on SafeRacks and just because life tests you at times - some more than others - our appointment fell into this week and the evening hours. Our appt was at 5pm and they called just before 4:30 saying they were around the corner (!) while I was stuck on 66 in some lovely traffic courtesy of the sleet storm (!!) so it'd be another 30 mins before I could get there and 'yes, you will have to wait because no one is home.' Home I arrive and there are two gentleman (more strength to move stuff out of the way as needed) waiting on me. He is asking where I want them and I tell him some thoughts with the original 8x4 racks (two of them) we ordered. I call Jay to make sure we are on the same page and I don't have the energy to explain or answer his questions so I had the phone over to the Rack Guy. They decide one 8x4 and one 6x4 is legit to cover the entire back wall. Yep, sounds great (why hadn't I thought of that?). As they bang and drill, me and the Zoo are all sitting in the office not making a sound, just listening while I type.

Here's to hoping the remainder of the week pans out easily and quickly...

Comfort and Warmth

2011-03-27T14:05:00.001-04:00

Chase the Cat cozy, warm and fast asleep on my lap... He's the most lovable (out of them all) and enjoys a good vege!

And now there are two... Parker the Cat has joined us.

Getting a bit warm under here Ladies and Gentleman! :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Spring

2011-03-26T18:40:00.001-04:00

Brought some flowers from the outside today...

...to the inside to enjoy!

Relaxing Saturday

2011-03-26T10:52:00.001-04:00

So there's A LOT going on right now...a relaxing Saturday is a welcomed change of pace. We woke up around 8am and have been lounging in bed all morning jamming out to the old classic songs using my Rdio app. Peter Frampton Is cranking while I type this :) The husband has been throwing back his coffee and just brought me a bowl of Cinnamon Cheerios for breakfast (had a coupon, not bad but Honey Nut is still the best!).

What's so crazy right now? Well Thursday night when The Husband came home, he pulled in the driveway and his car broke - literally! His driver side wheel and axle came apart with the tire falling off and jamming into his fender and door.

It's pretty wild to think about. I am so incredibly thankful he made it home safely and it didn't break while going 60mph on the highway! So we called and its possibly covered under insurance - great news! But it could easily be deemed totaled so that means we'd need a new car - ugh! Luckily he was able to drive Betty yesterday and will be given a rental car to use. So the tow truck is coming to pick up the Honda today... It's a waiting game now.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Betty

2011-03-17T22:09:00.000-04:00

She is his pride and joy. She is LOUD and beautiful. She is now legal in Virginia. Being 36 years old, she needs some work, so just like everything else it's slowly but surely getting done.

Without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Betty :) Isn't she a beauty?

To celebrate and welcome her to Virginia, I got the Husband a surprise (sshh! keep it a secret...). Betty looks gorgeous in blue and Go Blue! just happens to be one of the Husband's teams so...

I hope he likes it! I can't wait to show her off around town...

I have a love/hate relationship...

2011-03-10T19:45:00.000-05:00

...with the rain!

We spent all our time, money and energy to fix the front yard last summer... What happens with the first big storm that hits? Water in the basement! FLIPPING WATER!

There's nothing to damage down there now, thanks to our time and effort spent this past fall. It's not a ton of water, but enough that it's standing water on the concrete floor. It's enough that I'm going to go use multiple towels to clean it up and then more still to shove in the corner where it's slowly seeping in. It's enough that I'll check it again before I go to bed to see if more water has tried to join our indoor swimming pool.

I dreaded possible water in the basement while driving home in the hard rain and lightening. With the rain steady all day and the flood warnings we received, I hoped the basement would be dry when I opened the door. No such luck.

I have neglected the blog big time, so there's much to write but I'm going to first let Hunter outside to potty, make a grilled cheese sandwich (sorry gym efforts) and then mop up the basement with towels... Then I'll come back here and start typing what's been happening in our world.

UPDATE (w/ pictures):

This is the second time I am typing this because my computer timed out trying to draw you a explanatory picture of the multiple places where water is slowly seeping in, so you get the less wordy version...

View from top of the stairs of standing water...it goes fully under the stairs too.


Seeping in from the corner, which is below where the driveway, garage and new grass meet -- hello puddle!

Over by the laundry sink at the other end of the basement...pretty sure water is coming from the back corner and follows the crack in the concrete...

...to this spot, unless it's coming from along the wall somewhere...

...and then finally this spot where the insulation has soaked up majority of puddle; think it's coming from the far back corner at top of the picture and following wall then crack to puddle up.

My head hurts...am going to bed.

Joining the A-Team

2011-02-22T20:19:00.000-05:00

As ~~we speak~~ I type, I am playing with my new phone :) Yep, you guessed it...I got myself an iPhone yesterday! I LOVE IT!! I've always been an Apple fan, just never had the balls to go there or the dollars really. Yes, they are money grubbing whores as my Husband says, but you have to admit they are mighty fine whores when it comes to technology.

I set up my Apple ID and am downloading free apps from the store. Yes, I will probably spend some dollars on the fun ones, but for right now the free ones are making me cheese from ear to ear.

I need to look up the 'list' app Joy was telling me about... You know how cozy me and lists are! :)

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Lost

2011-02-17T19:04:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh...I think I lost 90% of my pictures that were on my old hard drive. I thought I copied them over to the external hard drive, but there's only six folders there. I had 50 folders easy. College. Summertime. Going out. Weddings. Everything prior to Jan 2009 essentially was on there and now they are gone. I'm crying over pictures. I need a distraction. I need those pictures back...makes me so upset that I didn't confirm they copied over when I was thinking about it months ago.

Ripped jeans

2011-02-16T21:34:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to explain the title of this post, except to say that I joined the gym today!

Here's to getting in shape and feeling fabulous again :)

July 2006 - I actually wore this out to a bar! Look at those abs and the arms - shows you what year round soccer can do!

Umm...it's a door

2011-02-14T21:03:00.000-05:00

I can cross something off my list :)

We added a new counter top to the kitchen recently and stuck to our original plan, creating an eat-in nook. In the making, we had a true workshop in the basement - cutting, sanding and spray painting!

The Husband screwed a 2x4 into the wall to brace the top. He measured and cut down the door to length, including a notch for the window (fabulous!) He nailed 2x4s together to make a leg support. I sanded it down, trying to hide the notches and make the rough surface, not so rough for tiny hands and arms. We screwed it all together and it was perfect! (We aren't going to talk about my stubborn miss-hap and how I caused a good chunk of extra work for the Husband.) We spray painted the top 'Heirloom White' yet ran out of the first can, so had to go to HD to buy more. Unfortunately you can still see where we ran out after the second can and coat, so eventually I'll roll paint it. We spray painted the leg a soft green, which isn't as noticeable in needing another coat.

We've started 'using' it - actually eating lunch there by the window this weekend :) It was wonderful and will be highly used during the summer months I'm sure! We need to get chairs that are a slight bit higher than what is there now, the original thought of stools would be too tall for the counter height. The Husband is going to build a shelf in the opening between the longer cabinets to put my cookbooks, which will add some dimension with color, plus I love books - not picky on what kind. They are all learning and teaching tools in my mind, so the more the better.

Best part about this counter top.... UMM, IT'S A DOOR! And it was free - Hahaha! Yep, it's a leftover closet door from the basement. We put the door knob hole against the wall, so any appliances that find a home there can still be plugged into the outlet below. I love it!

Check out the evolution of this wall, here.

As seen from the dining room

As seen from the office

In the morning light...

Cooks Ct Projects

2011-02-07T14:58:00.000-05:00

The Husband and I are opposites when it comes to many things. How we get around most of them, I don't know, but we do and I would like to think it makes us each stronger people. I'm a list person - love, love, love them - but the Husband not so much :) We currently have a list labeled 'Cooks Ct Projects' that is on our fridge...it's three lists actually stapled together! Since this list never feels like it's dwindling, it's causing a bit of a overwhelming feeling in the house from us both. I've decided to recreate it here, in this space, my space within the internet, to help me keep track and cross things off the 'List' as we go. In no specific order and of course with items added as we go...

Basement

Tear down drywall and drop ceiling
Mitigate mold
Scrape tile floor
Grind glue off floor and smooth
Stain floor
DryLock/Seal concrete block
New windows
New hot water heater
New AC unit
Build closet and drywall for HVAC/Utilities
Build play/craft/guest room and drywall
Move bathroom to utility sink setup
French doors in place of garage door

Attic

Fix attic fan
Extend boards for movement

Garage

Clean and organize
New garage door
Build upper storage over workbench for decorations and other items needed once a year

Laundry

Paint
Move laundry to basement
Create mudroom space
Knock down wall to kitchen
Install sliding glass door to large deck

Kitchen

Create countertop with leftover door - DONE Feb2011
Remove remaining wallpaper and paint
Fix lazy susan cabinet
Reface/Paint cabinets
New appliances
Reconfigure
New countertops
New flooring

Dining Room

Move lighting fixture over table or centered in room
New flooring
New windows
Fireplace vent

Foyer

Buy and install crown molding and baseboards
New front and rear entry doors
New front and rear screen doors

Living Room

New flooring
Paint - DONE Feb2011
Ceiling fan
Crown/Baseboards
Build header between foyer/living room

Office

New flooring
New window
Build header between living room/office
Add french doors
Update to more private door to kitchen

Hall Bath

Remove remaining wallpaper
Mitigate mold (if found)
Purchase pedestal sink
Close off true bathroom to vanity sink
Paint
New door
New vanity sink/counter
Tall storage chest for towels and CVS store
Possible laundry shoot to basement laundry

Yellow Room

Scrape glue off walls
New door
Build closet for room into hall bath
Paint
New windows

Guest Room

Remove wallpaper
Paint
New door
New window
Switch closet space with Jay's closet and close off current closet

Master Bedroom

Remove wallpaper
Paint
New windows
Increase walk-in closet space for both of us
Update bathroom

Whole House

New roof and gutters
Better insulation
Check electrical
Fully wired internet
Fully wired Sonos
Fix driveway
Fence in backyard
Build deck off current laundry/kitchen
Build covered front porch

Same old bowl of soup, just reheated...

2011-02-03T19:14:00.000-05:00

It's always the same conversation, about every three months or so, the Husband and I have. This house easily overwhelms us and is a hard thing to swallow at times. It's that splinter in your foot that you can't fully get out. It's the job that you huff and puff about when waking up, wishing you didn't have to go today. Now don't get me wrong, we love this house but good gracious it needs A LOT of work and there feels like never enough time or money to get it all done. It's a house that we might have passed on if we had known what to look for when buying it, but we didn't and were thrilled to pieces for it to be ours! It's our first home together. It's in the country with a great piece of land. Lastly, it's has fabulous potential... Yet just like everything else we need breaks from it and it's 'list'.

I'm going to share our 'Cooks Ct Project' list (because I need them to survive) in another post so I don't have to read this depressing one each time I want to joyously cross something off :)

To leave you all with something wonderfully happy and that makes me smile every time I see his wrinkled face or silly ears, please enjoy...

Love him to pieces!

PSE9

2011-02-02T20:22:00.000-05:00

Photshop. All the professional photographers have it (or so I think.) Anyone who is anyone in the photography world deals with photoshop (again, or so I think.) Well, baby, I got it! WAHOO!

It is my birthday present from the Husband... I've talked about wanting it, so I can jazz up some pictures like the best of 'em - bloggers that is. Now for the reality of it, I don't know a damn thing about it. Never used it, no idea how it works or what all the little gadgets are. Not a one. But I will learn and it will be glorious! Joy and I are going to conquer Photoshop like we are back in college again. Well maybe not the same way since now we have responsibilities, unlike in college. :)

So, here goes Test #1 (haven't even read the booklet or tutorials, am just winging it)...

From the 30th... figure I can have some fun with this action shot!

Just opening the picture in PSE, it wants you to put a name to a face and will recognize/organize by person if you want - very cool!

Accented Edges

Just trying to save this picture to upload it, I need to learn about 'version sets'. I want to create a flame coming off the candles and maybe get rid of the picture in the background, so that isn't a focus. I tried to create the flame but kept getting some error message because I need to do something else first, but I have no idea how to do any of it...

Tutorials here I come...there is ALOT to learn!

5 1/2 hours!

2011-01-26T22:04:00.000-05:00

I made it home safe and sound...FINALLY!! It took five and a half hours to get home today/tonight from work. I know there are others still on the road, I hope they are safe.

It was pretty slow moving from the beginning and I don't think I went faster than 25 mph the entire drive. And I might have had to pee on the road, so am glad I had a large cup with me - 'nuff said! The snow is coming down so quickly, the roads don't look like they have even been plowed...none of them! We easily have 6-7 inches here at the house with a few fallen tree limbs and one lucky Betty the Nova :) Unfortunately the Husband is going to hole up at work tonight - love him and would love to wake up beside him, but there is no way his Honda will make it home. Thought I'd share some pics... Be safe everyone!

As I type this, the electricity has faltered three times, but hasn't gone out yet....need to go find some candles!

And as I told the Husband today, it wouldn't be my birthday without snow :)

Pine Trees in backyard

Heard a limb break back in the woods...

Shade Tree in backyard

Happy dog :)

Japanese Maple

Crepe Myrtle

Tall Bush - well it was...

Front yard tree...honestly, not sure what type it is...


VERY LUCKY BETTY :)

The Big 3-0 Birthday Week

2011-01-25T19:34:00.000-05:00

The birthday week has been a mixture of fabulous and horrible all at the same time. Saturday technically isn't included in this week, but that's where we will start...

While shopping in HD for interior doors, I received some sad news from a dear friend. She is doing well and is strong; I need to send her a card. That evening I had a fabulous time hanging with Heather and Jacqui to celebrate Heather peacing out (so sad, but more on that later). The evening started off with sushi from Wegmans (love it! Only the cooked stuff though) - YUM! Jacqui found a great wine bar - Church Street Cellars - in Vienna and her ex was a gem to be our DD. It's fabulous and I have to remember to take Kathy for her birthday -- she would enjoy it a lot! From there, we caught a ride with a gem of an ex to the Fairfax Town Center to a restaurant/bar called Ozzie's. Great atmosphere where we proceeded to enjoy more drink - Peach Bellini is where it's at! - and meet drunk Jacqui...she was great! We called a cab to head home, but they took too long so called Heather's (little) bro to scoop us up and as we are waiting for the bro, up pulls the cabbie so we start walking...horrible drunk us! We hit the pjs, Jacqui falls asleep, Heather and I bust into the late night munchies of chips and salsa, proceeding to have a way-too-long discussion on making salsa from scratch :) We snuggled into Jacqui's bed close to 4am and were done. The next morning, we chatted about the evening's events and how I'm a bed hog (the Husband got his best night's sleep EVER while I was gone).

I got home to the Husband's surprise... He hung the bedroom interior door... It was on the frame, but there was a two inch gap at the top and flush on the bottom! We did some examining and determined that the current fugly doors are pre-hung lovelies. We had to hammer and chisel new hinge groves in the frame and the door itself to make the gap be on the bottom and keep the door knob aligned. My hungover head did NOT enjoy this one bit!! After the banging in the house was done (still in my head though!), the door still does not fit the frame, so we tried once more. Unfortunately it still won't shut, meaning our house is not level or square! You can see the frame is completely not squared to the floor when you try and shut the door. It is hung, but won't shut which is fine for our bedroom now (but will need to remedied before guests or little ones come along). Our next option is to shave down our new door or call in for back-ups and buy more expensive pre-hung doors!

Fugly pre-hung doors

No more doors

Gap at top of our door...ignore the non-painted walls

The day ended with much needed grocery shopping in town. Neither of us wanted to go with the sour mood the door had put us in, but the pantry and fridge was desolate. The trip was fairly uneventful with a quick list (not in order but we survived that well) and aimless walking with the headache still around. There was a bad moment when the Husband exclaimed his needing to eat more carbs since his weight was XYZ and I proceeded to cry. Right there in the cracker aisle, tears started to flow. This craziness was brought on by the hangover probably but also the fact I weigh more than the Husband. UGH! Special K is my new go to - cereal, breakfast bars, snacks and meal bars. We shall see how this works people...

Monday I woke up late - blah! - and was cruising on 66. The road opened up and I was able to gain speed finally yet quickly realized that I was needing to keep my steering wheel sideways to go straight!! Thinking to myself I need to check my tire pressure/air when I get to work, I got over in the slow lane (not my typical move) and there went the tire! Totally done...it luckily wasn't a huge blow out like I always imagined the situation being. I pulled on the shoulder and called the Husband....hit the flashers, called the boss lady and the Husband again for the important numbers to come help me. Up pulled a state trooper and he called in roadside assistance for me...they came about twenty minutes later and was able to change my tire, with a bit hesitation as neither of us could figure out how to get the spare out from under the truck. Once I had the spare on, I hit Starbucks (sorry Husband but my toes were in pain!) and met a lovely lady who questioned the dog hair on the back of my black coat (hahaha!)...finally at work I was exhausted already! Not a good start to the work week.

Today has become better with snuggling in bed with the Husband this morning. We took my truck to get inspected (due by end of January) with our fingers crossed the spare would pass inspection. YAY! Yes, it did but I did need more running lights but that was easy peasy compared to a failed inspection. She's good until 2012 :)

I'm cooking up some hamburger now and listening to our wedding playlist on Sonos...it's bringing me back to our fabulous day! Makes me think I need to do something FABULOUS for the big 30 people!! An innocent night out dancing...let loose and groove it on the dance floor is sounding fun to me. Maybe it's because I've been dancing around the kitchen while cooking.

This week will get better...even though it ends with saying goodbye to my twenties...

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The Big Lebowski...

2011-01-25T18:39:00.000-05:00

Originally written on Jan 20th

Yeah, I don't even know what this post title is (a movie, I think?) but the saying pops into my head everytime I think of the upcoming event in my life.

I'm turning thirty the end of this month and just the thought of it freaks me out a bit. Okay, a lot to be fully and completely honest. I know it's just a number, I truly do believe that (my Gran is a shining example of this fact) and it's not that I'm getting older...I like to think of it as getting wiser :) There are a few things I thought I would have accomplished by this time. There's no need to list them here. Rather, let's be positive about this upcoming milestone... I've accomplished a lot in my last thirty years.

I own a home - multiple homes actually (~~not our smartest decision but...~~ be positive Susan!)
I was able to live alone and loved it!
I lived in the heart of Reston...a smaller scale version of NYC :)...
I walked to the grocery store, restaraunts and work
I have a college degree due to some determination on my part
I have a supportive and loving Husband who I can't imagine my life without
I have four fabulous fur-kids
I have a vehicle that is still running even with her grumbles in the morning (trying to be positive...)
I have a job which I enjoy very much and where I've been collectively for close to six years!
I have amazing friends who have stuck beside me and held my hand through life's events
I can sew and craft :)

All of the above are fabulous accomplishments, yet it makes me realize that above all those things...
I am alive
I can walk
I can breathe on my own
I am not in constant pain

The Big 3-0! :)

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Strength

2011-01-20T21:39:00.000-05:00

I need to focus on the positive in my life right now. I have so much to be thankful for! I am a usually optimistic person and aren't shoved down often, but when I do find myself on the ground I try to think of how Heidi would handle the situation. In the middle of her turmoil, she was smiling - always smiling - I miss her. With her strength within me, I am always able to get up again and continue on...

A goodbye to 2010

2011-01-18T21:26:00.000-05:00

It's halfway through the month of January and I still can't believe 2010 is over! A few days before the new year, I sent the following email to the Husband...

I’ve been reflecting lately on this past year… We have accomplished A LOT!

· Tore down wallpaper and painted the foyer during blizzard

· Tore down wallpaper in yellow room and partially in hall bath

· Updated wood stove to flow into main duct work

· Destroyed front yard! Removing pebble garden, sidewalk, retaining wall, flower bed

· Laid so much dirt it’s ridiculous in that open space

· Took down master bath door

· Built workbench in garage and basement

· Flower beds – weeding, moving bulbs and mulching

· Seeded and fenced in front yard

· Tore up carpet in living room and office (Happy Anniversary!)

· Tore down basement drywall, studs, drop ceiling, dividing wall, cork closet walls

· Painted office

· Scraped laminate flooring in basement - here

· Laid boards in attic

· New Living Room window (plus a major headache) - read about that here with more to come

· Moved kitchen cabinets, re-hung cabinets and range hood

· Painted kitchen and dining room - here, here and here

· New curtains - living room, office and dining room

WOW! In the two years we have been in this house, this past year was crazy busy with projects. It's amazing to look at pictures of the walk-thru vs. present day to see the changes. Granted, most are cosmetic, but I feel they are the best since it makes this house our home. I think we are almost there (even though the list on our fridge is double-sided!) – hopefully only tackling a few more large projects (outside of full demo), will get us through 2011. Here's the top of my list...

· Grind and stain concrete flooring in basement

· Hardwood floors in living room and office

· New roof and gutters

· Seal basement concrete block

· Yellow room with closet

· Hall bath

· Fenced in yard

· Transplant flower bulbs

· More mulch!!

Okay, so enough with the lists which I love! Reflecting on this past year obviously makes me think of this coming year too and all the changes that will come with it… It excites me to find out how the year will pan out – What will we get done at the house? What will come of our jobs? Where will we go on vacation? New car? New little person? New animal? All of it is unknown, which admittedly scares me a ~~bit~~ lot, but also reminds me that there is so much to look forward to!

I'M READY FOR THE ROLLER COASTER OF 2011! Bring it :)

Just one of them days...

2011-01-05T19:07:00.000-05:00

...that a girl goes through...

It has been a day, let me tell you! I'm doing my early to work, early to home thing pretty good these days. Was at work to day by 7:30am - usually the only one in my department - but it didn't start off too great. One thing after another, after another and I didn't peace out until 5pm, only to hear on the radio that there were two accidents on 66 (you have got to be kidding me!) Hit town shortly after 6pm, headed to the grocery store for coffee for the Husband (grabbed a few items in addition to that). I decided to get gas with my Giant points since I was already out late and so I didn't have to go in the AM (will thank myself tomorrow morning). I went to pull in and some guy in a tiny FL plates car took my spot - I couldn't even grab the spot in front of him (piss me off) - so I back it up and swung around to another pump, inside to pay and cash in my G-points, we are pumping gas. I empty out my trash bin in the door since I'm a multi-tasker and trash flies everywhere! My torn up deposit slip is in little pieces on the ground, I parked too close to the pump so had to straddle it each way to make it the trash can (twice). On the way home, I decide a newly purchased (seedless) clementime will perk my spirits; I peel that chumpy and take a big wedge: three seeds! -- second wedge: one seed! -- last try: two seeds! (piss me off big time!!) I throw the rest out of the window and continue home. Lastly, I am putting wood on the fire and drop a big one on my foot - ugh! I think I'm going to call it a night - fed the zoo, check on the constantly barking Hunter outside, going to scarf something down, take a bath and go to bed. I hope your day has gone better...

Tomorrow is a new day; it will be better!
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Christmas and New Years Eve 2010

2011-01-04T18:23:00.000-05:00

I have been neglecting the world wide web lately with the holidays keeping this house going and doing some much needed relaxing.

We had a great holiday with Jay's family in town. The schedule for the most part followed my thoughts here. It made for a long day but was fabulous to see almost all of both our families in one day! We were showered with presents - picture frames, socks (always), beautiful pearl necklace, manicure set, Boston pjs and ornaments (nice!), HD and Lowes gift cards and mula (always appreciated and needed!). Jay and I agreed this year to not do presents since we didn't need anything and the money could be better spent on the house projects needed. My husband is a sneaky and fabulous man! Sidenote: we usually exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. Once I was all snuggled in bed preparing to awake in a few hours, he comes in and asks if I want my 'holiday gift now or in the morning?' I smile yet remind him we agree to not buy presents this year, to which his planned response was 'it's not a present, it's a holiday gift'. I love surprises and he knows it :) The Husband bought me yet another item to help me relax (his new goal in life hahaha!) -- a bath spa that suctions to the side of your tub and creates a current/bubbles to jazz up a still tub o' water, a bath pillow to rest my pretty head and a drain suction cover to gain an extra 4-5 inches of water in the tub. I used it once the in-laws left and it's amazing...I love it and him for thinking of me! He always does...

The day after Christmas we went to visit Heidi. It was a nice ride to relax and get out of the house with the doggie doo. We decided that next year we will start a tradition of bringing her a wreath and decorating after Turkey Day thru Christmas for some festiveness...

New Years Eve was nice... I had the day off work yet Jay had to punch the clock, so we rode in together and I dropped him off to go meet up with Daddio to see Tron (not Thor) in Manassas. It was a good movie - neither of us had seen the original from the 80s but they did good creating a back story. I enjoyed it more than I thought honestly, where Dad thought it was 'okay'. After some movie and popcorn time, I hung at Kathy and Dennis' with the girls - we painted our nails and watched some music videos (hilarious!). I scooped Jay once the girls went to bed and we headed back to K&D house. It's my turn to enjoy some adult beverages (we take turns each year), plus we had veggies, chips/salsa and bruchetta - quite yummy. On the way home we listened to the top 500 songs and I thought I was Mick Jagger or something jamming out, surprisingly knowing all the words to multiple songs - surprised the Husband.

It was a great end to the year...time to look forward into 2011. Another post to come later this evening if I can swing it.

I'll leave you with some pics of some very happy girls on Christmas morning, among other festive items...

Thank you my love!

Gold ornament tree in dining room

Dress up shoes!

Star Wars book


Reading Santa's letter and his reply too!

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T17:03:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! I went to my Mom's for brunch this morning and had a wonderful time, just the four of us...Mom, Dad, Dustin and I.

After opening presents, I found myself telling the story of previous friends who didn't treat their numerous animals well and ultimately how we came to have Little Miss. In retelling the story, I realized that we are incredibly lucky to have our wonderful animals. They are always so happy to see us - each in their own way - and it would be crushing to lose one of them in any way. Chase and Mason were from the Fairfax SPCA in 2005, Hunter from Lost Dog and Cat Foundation in 2008 and Parker from friends when she was just three days old in 2008.

I received an email from LDCF looking back on the previous 2010 year. Within it, there is the below video link...it's fabulous to see all those animals gain loving homes. Just to warn you, it made me cry!

As I sit here, our zoo is hanging out with me in the office with Parker on top of the entertainment center, Chase the cat in my lap, Mason sitting with Jim Morrison in a chair and Hunter fast asleep in my orange chair. I love each and every one of them immensely!

In addition to my current zoo, I will never forget these two...

These are my dogs growing up...Moe and Ashen. They came home as a surprise from Daddio, so tiny and cute! They didn't stay little for long, this is a picture of them at nine months old!!! Brother and sister, Moe was more Rottweiler and Ashen was more Doberman Pincher. They were wonderful dogs with their own quirks and lived a long life. They made our days brighter!

To Do List

2010-12-21T19:36:00.000-05:00

Okay, so we are officially counting down the days until Christmas is upon us... I can't believe it's in less than a week!

Jay and I are hosting his parents this year and with the Big Day being on a Saturday, my husband doesn't have to work the actual day which is a rare occurrence in this neck of the woods. So of course, down comes PA to join in the festivities. Jay's other sister, Karen and her husband are staying with Kathy and Dennis, while Jay's 'rents are staying with us. Originally there was going to be a lot of back and forth between our house and Herndon (K&D's house) but logistically it just doesn't make sense. The in-laws and I will head to Herndon in the wee hours of the morning to see the girls open their presents and after a few hours, Jay will come join us (so Hunter isn't home alone all day long!) After an early dinner, Jay and I will skip over to my aunt's house to see one side of my fam then back home to the zoo.

So that is the plan, which wasn't the point of this post! In preparation for the arrival of PA, I have a 'To Do' list. For those of you who know me well, you are not surprised by this - not even close to surprised. I love lists. They make me feel accomplished. I love making a list and writing something on that list that I know 100% certain that I won't forget to do, but put it there just so I have at least one item to cross off. Because crossing something off the list is the best part!

I'm rambling... Here's my To Do by Friday AM list: (in the order I wrote it down late last night :))

~~Clip cat's nails~~ -- Done, with some growling involved but treats afterward :)
~~Vacuum~~ -- Done on Friday
~~Dust~~ -- Done on Friday
~~Wrap presents~~ -- Will do tonight
~~Make sure guest room is ready/towels stocked/shampoo and conditioner~~ -- Done on Friday
Hang wreaths -- might not happen - Nope, sure didn't
Paint hallway -- a long stretch - Wasn't even a thought to do
~~Buy stamps~~ -- Done on lunch break Thursday
~~One more laundry run~~ -- Done
~~Make rice krispies~~ -- Done on Friday
~~Call Joy~~ -- Done and as always fabulous talking to her and hearing Mr. Owen
~~Visit Heidi~~/Call Eric -- Jay and I visited her day after Christmas
~~Three more presents~~
~~More wood~~ -- Being delivered tomorrow AM and then need to stack it by Friday
~~See the Madre and Bro~~ -- tentatively scheduled for either Friday or Jan 2nd depending on this list -- Done, see post here
~~See Daddio~~ -- tentative on schedules, hoping to catch dinner one evening -- Done, see post here
~~Mail out Christmas cards (possibly after Christmas, but whatever)~~ -- Done Monday after Christmas
Sew something :)

That's a hefty list but manageable with Friday off work and possibly Thursday too.

Here's to hoping you all have a fabulously wonderful Christmas and have time to relax with loved ones!

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Today

2010-12-20T11:38:00.000-05:00

I walked thru the dining room and kitchen this morning on my way to work (my typical route thru the house) and fell in love with both rooms all over again!

As the Husband and I were saying last night, the brown in the dining room puts the emphasis on the fireplace - where it should be! - now being the focal point of the room.

I must admit wasn't too hot for the blue color we chose originally for the kitchen, but it looks fabulous. I also have a weakness for kitchens... I'm not a big cook (probably because it can become so messy or disorganized in there) but I need a clean and orderly kitchen. In college, I would constantly pull everything out of the community fridge (six people sharing) and reorganize it - it would drive me crazy. I've done this a few times in my own fridge, especially on grocery shopping day. Anyways, enough about the Kitchen OCD...

Point is, the house is coming together and that thrills me to no end!

Paint changes everything - Part 2

2010-12-19T21:50:00.000-05:00

We finished painting the dining room today and were on a roll so added some color to our newly redesigned kitchen... It's a bit nautical and looks fabulous! WE LOVE IT!

From just the right angle it could be in a magazine :) Don't you think??

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Kitchen redo

2010-12-19T21:42:00.000-05:00

Over the last month, we have changed this house around ALOT! Painting, rearranging, tearing apart the basement multiple times...one more big change to the kitchen and we might be taking a break for a while...

We did some demo upstairs this time :) The kitchen overlooks the dining room I guess you'd say with the stove top, range hood and upper cabinets backing into the dining room. Yes, that's a more accurate description. We wanted a more open space, so Turkey Day weekend we tore some cabinets down and gave them a new home.

Jay was ready to jump in (we aren't very patient people) when he came home from work Thursday evening at 11pm. We had decided to take down the cabinets above the stove top in order to open up the space to the dining room. About ten minutes after he was home, we tore into those cabinets and were able to take them down in one piece strategically. The range hood came down too (nasty, dirty thing) which vented through the cabinets out of the side roof eave. Once everything was down, we felt accomplished and exhausted so decided to get some sleep. Given that our kitchen looked like a bomb blew up in it, I gave in to the fact that it would be more clean tomorrow and called it a night.

Taking down the cabinet fronts (notice the dining room isn't done yet (post timing issue)

We both had Friday off work (yay!) and we jumped right in where we left off the evening before. Maybe you're wondering where these cabinets now call home?? Our newly white/old ugly blue sponge wall is the perfect place! Jay measured and created a 'third hand', I'm not sure what it's truly called, but was a 2x4 screwed into the wall to set the cabinets on. While he did that, my kitchen OCD kicked in and I was cleaning behind us, straightening tools and throwing away scrap materials - hahaha! I helped hold the cabinets up with all my might while he screwed them into the wall until they were secure enough for my tired arms to take a break. It truly looks like the cabinets belong on that wall. It gives the kitchen a more open feel and is such a better utilization of the space it's ridiculous!

Fabulous!

Unfortunately during this project, the Husband didn't feel so hot and decided to lay down now that the cabinets were up and in place. He was burning up but felt cold, turns out he had a temperature of 100.5!! Poor guy was fighting something nasty, so he grabbed a sweatshirt and I wrapped him in blankets for a much needed nap with Hunter curled up beside him (love that!) While my boys were resting up, I was in heaven rearranging and organizing our new kitchen cabinets!! Everything now makes much more sense on the walls - with coffee cups by the maker, not over the stove; the plates, bowls, cups and glasses all in one large cabinet; the cooking items by the oven and over the baking items. It's fabulous! In the 'new' cabinets I was able to fit all my wine glasses, which don't get used often yet I feel they need to be in reach (plus they are beautiful and I have a collection going); Hunter's treats; extra set of bowls; Magic Bullet and accessories. I screwed the cabinet doors back on and wiped down the counters, OCD'ed myself into oblivion within my kitchen space. It was such a relief to put it all back together. The Husband woke up to not knowing where I single item in the kitchen was :) but feeling better than earlier. We ordered Chinese in and relaxed for the rest of the evening, climbing into bed early.

We still had the range hood to figure out, which Jay did excellent handyman work one morning while I was at work. He was able to use leftover materials from other projects and hang the hood by chains over the stove top and created the duct work also! I must admit, I was a bit apprehensive when he told me about the chains, but it turned out great. He is so much better at seeing the picture in his head, whereas I have to literally see it in person (this is our largest difference and biggest challenge probably, but I trust his instincts). Our last piece of the project is to add a counter under the 'new' cabinets. We originally were going to use an old door from the basement, but it's hollow core so won't work very well. My Dad might have some leftover Corian at his shop to help us out, but for now it's still open and Hunter's crate is using the space up nicely.

The kitchen/dining room space has changed immensely in the last month! It's fitting into our lifestyle and our wants...slowly but surely, it's coming together.

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Paint changes everything

2010-12-19T20:49:00.000-05:00

It is true, paint changes the entire feel of a room or a piece of furniture!

We have been ~~stuck~~ unable to agree on a color for the dining room. I wanted a rich brown color but was afraid it would either be too dark or clash with whatever color we chose for the kitchen (since they are so open to each other now). Jay wanted a maroon color to help with the fireplace and he's always liked the idea of a maroon dining room. He is fabulous in truly letting me chose the colors for the house, even though I ask his opinion every time wanting him to enjoy the room too. In the end, we were both in agreement that the peachy-pink color had to go! My friend Virginia put it nicely when she said 'If they put that color in a paint can, it'd be called Old Lady'. HAHAHA! So incredibly true.

How it looked when we bought the house

Gotta love the Old Lady walls and those dreadful curtain/drapes

With the snow that came this past week and my dentist appointment in town, I decided painting is how I would spend my free afternoon. So I grabbed a gallon of beautiful brown, called Scented Clove, on the way home. I taped off the edges, did the up and down trim work on the edges, ceiling and floor boards. I accomplished painting the two main walls flanking the fireplace that evening. At first I felt it was too contrast to the orange-ish brick and the thick cherry wood mantle, but the more I turned the corner or walked through the room, the more I loved it!

Today Jay and I finished the room - yes, my Husband helped me paint :) We two-teamed it...Jay trimmed and I rolled. The entire room was done in less than two hours! It is a gorgeous room now, very welcoming. It gives the brick a darker, more brown coloring and warms up the room completely! It feels lived in. It feels relaxing.

We've rearranged the room over the last week making it more functional. Previously, the dining room table was the focal point of the room - making a fabulous dumping ground for anything and everything! Plus, together we maybe sit at the dining room once or twice a week with our opposite schedules. In rearranging, we created a little bistro by the large windows, it's intimate and still functional, along with not taking up the entire room's quirky space. We added a throw rug in the middle of the space to settle everything. Beside the kitchen, we have Heidi & Eric's papasan chair with a table and lamp - this is where I'm sitting now, yet the cats claim this space often. We hung pictures up and curtains too (bought the rods yesterday and more of the old office curtains - we are just switching rooms with the curtains). Sidenote: Chase the Cat just curled up with me in the chair and Hunter the Dog is laying on the carpet chewing on his bone. This scene makes me incredibly happy.

I know you guys want to see pictures, so here you go...


OLD DINING ROOM

Our little Bistro all lit up

You will have to come over for dinner sometime soon!

Home Sweet Home

2010-12-19T18:49:00.000-05:00

Our house if finally becoming our home in the truest sense of the word...

The office is painted - finished Turkey Day weekend - and it turned out to be a beautiful color called Mushroom Bisque. I would work in the evenings jamming out to Dave and painting around the furniture Jay would have moved for me earlier in the day. I took a good week to get the whole room done. I was rooting around for rollers in our basement 'paint section' and found a Blue Tape Applicator Tool...LOVE IT! It is a fabulous invention and made painting go a lot faster than with the newspaper I had taped to the ceiling originally (hahaha!) After the painting was done last Friday, Jay and I rearranged the room again on Saturday.

Here is what it looked like before...

And now...

The color gives such a soft, warm feel to the room. We moved the living room curtains to the office, which goes well. I like how the window and door way pop with the white trim. It's our first complete room in the house with paint, curtains and decorating...

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No longer battling...

2010-12-18T11:42:00.000-05:00

...with my sewing machine :)

I was able to sew a present together for a certain someone which was supposed to be an August birthday present but now will be a Christmas present. I am thrilled with the results and the fact that I did it with my own two hands (and the machine)! If I must say so myself, it was pretty ambitious for a first sew job...

I can't wait to make pillows and quilts and purses and skirts...WAHOO!

Mom's hand-me-down machine

The zipper took a while to figure out... Mom and I both learned on this one!

I even embroidered the heart on :)

Got Time?

2010-12-15T22:47:00.000-05:00

Busy...that is such a 'cop-out' word at times - used when you can't collectively list out what you've been up to - yet usually is a true statement. Maybe you've been so busy, you can't remember all the little things you've done or it'd take too long to recount it all.

I can fully confirm that we have been BUSY here on Cooks Court. Ever since the day after Thanksgiving, surprisingly. Where to begin (I feel I always start posts this way lately)...

After I painted the lovely blue sponged wall a classy white in the kitchen - still looks nice, yet more changes have happened there too. I'll get to that later. Anyways, I had a nice long five-day mini-vacation.

Turkey Day was fabulous! It's by far my MOST FAVORITE holiday - good food, great people, good food, lots of laughs. It's better than Christmas; I don't need any presents, just time with the fam. Growing up, Thanksgiving has always been with my Mom's side of the family, so Hunter and I went to the Madre's house to enjoy the day. Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Brother, Mom, Gran and a couple dogs - it was a full house! We had delicious dinner and dessert. Hunter had a playmate in Otis (Jackie and Greg's dog), along with Abby and Sophie (not the best play partners, but good girls). We stayed late and headed home that evening with Hunter fast asleep before we hit the interstate.

Thanksgiving Hockey is a tradition - Go Uncle Marty!

What a handsome boy!

Happy Thanksgiving

The basement project is still coming along. Just to recap, we have taken down the drywall, paneling, studs, drop ceiling, cork closet, dividing wall and doorway. Wow, at times I still can't believe it used to be a liveable space because now it's not even close :) We have big plans for this basement...slowly but surely it will be put back together! Over the Turkey Day weekend, Jay and I rented a tile stripper from Theros - yep, not a tile scraper, but a tile stripper (the Husband enjoyed that one). We picked it up Saturday afternoon and had it until Monday morning for $75 total. It was a walk behind machine with a blade on the front and an internal mechanism constantly vibrating it against the floor. Initially the rental place put the blade in backwards, so we thought this process was going to take forever but played with it and we were in business. The Husband did most of the scraping - major workout for your legs and arms. It took us half days on Saturday and Sunday - needing a break. Eventually we hit a routine - he'd scrape and I'd sweep the remnants out of the way. We filled up about five or six big black leaf trash bags! So now the floor is a bit tacky but void of that ugly laminate tile. I never thought I'd see the day...

Tile Stripper :)

Lots more to share - office is painted and complete (our first room), kitchen and dining room layout has changed, there is Christmas inside and outside our lovely home - details and pictures to come but am exhausted...time for bed with my electric blanket - thank you Husband :)

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Blue Sponge Paint

2010-11-24T21:28:00.000-05:00

Do you like dark blue? Yeah? Me too!
Do you like light blue? Not pastel baby blue, but sky blue...sure.
Do you like white? Same here.
Do you like peachy/pink? No? Me neither!

What about all four together?

Yeah, that was our kitchen about four hours ago... AND NOW....

WOW! I kind of can't believe it used to be bright blue and sponge painted. It's definitely WHITE and now a blank slate to better help us decide what color to paint the kitchen moving forward. So incredibly glad this is done - finally!

I was going to work on getting my dag-gone sewing machine to work, but changing the kitchen felt more accomplishing since I don't know what's wrong with the sewing machine (I don't seem to have the best patience for it right now). I might bring it with me to the Mom's tomorrow to see if she can help since it used to be hers...

And if I don't jump on tomorrow...HAPPY TURKEY DAY TO EVERYONE!!

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Introductions

2010-11-21T16:20:00.000-05:00

I finally met the little guy yesterday! Oh man, he is one handsome fella... I have been secretly pining to meet the newly arrived Mr. Owen Charles or Baby A as I lovingly call him, with his tiny fingers and toes.

I called Joy on the way home from a birthday party to see how their weekend was panning out. She said the coast was clear and we could come out any time we wanted. I was thrilled! Told Jay when I got home, but unfortunately he wasn't feeling good (fighting something in his chest), so thought it best to not give a cold to the tiny person and stay home. I was completely bummed out - one of our two days to see each other and we weren't going to spend it together! - but not meeting Owen would have crushed me more, so I said my goodbyes (maybe with a tear or two - I'm going to be screwed with kids) and hit the road.

A quick stop at Home Depot for Kev's requested kitchen sprayer and a plant for Owen to grow with him, a pit stop to fuel up and now I'm on my way. It was a gorgeous drive, said my hellos to Heidi as I passed by and marveled at the sun setting on my left with the moon high on my right. I forgot how much I love that drive!

Walking in the door, Skylar greeted me with a welcoming hello making me wish I had brought Hunter for her to play with. I passed along the plant and scooped up Mr. Owen for our formal introductions on his 13th day in this world. Meredyth and Ryan were there during an impromptu stop, so I was able to visit with them also for a while before they headed towards their original destination. She just couldn't pass up an opportunity to see the little man. I stuck around for almost three hours...held Owen for a good chunk of that with his radiating heat, Joy and Kevin fed me (thank you!), took some pictures of the adorable tiny person and Joy granted me a mini photo-shoot of Owen and I - hahaha! I was also able to see their new kitchen (my Dad did the corian - looks great! and I love the painted cabinets), Owen's room (great job Kev on the built in and closet organizer), new paint throughout - love the soft grey color, new floors and updated door handles. They went to town re-doing everything before Owen came - very smart! - and the finished product is gorgeous! Enough about their house, which is intriguing to me and probably me alone, here are some pictures of the little guy in all his glory...

Thank you to Family A in the woods of Harpers Ferry. I had a wonderful time hanging out, meeting your little guy and spreading some love your way! I hope to see you soon, until then I will have to control my withdrawls :)

Resting his head on his hands, fast asleep...

Love the tiny toes!

Matching in our stripes

Accomplished Sunday

2010-11-21T15:21:00.000-05:00

I did not sleep well last night, so Jay let me sleep in until 9am this morning (lets me catch some extra Zs now since I won't get to when kiddos come)...just Hunter and I snoozing away. I was awoken with a kiss and a 'Good Morning Sunshine' (best way to wake up!) We chatted and made the bed then folded the laundry and put it away. The Husband headed towards the living room...

I have been meaning to pack away my summer shirts and pull out the winter ones, so decided I should do it now while up and moving. I always find I put away clothes that I don't wear that often, but never want to cut anything so just pack it up, telling myself I'll deal with it next season - which I never do. My friend Melissa has a good trick that I have begun to utilize - turn all your hangers backwards and when you wear something and hang it back up, turn the hanger around the right way - make sense? At the end of the season, any hangers that are still backwards are clothes you never wore, so toss them instead of packing them up again! Easy peasy and makes sense. I was able to get rid of twelve shirts!! Very motivating. I hung up my winter shirts and yelled to the Husband about my accomplishment. He was very glad - always stating I have too many clothes, mentioned I could probably get rid of other clothes in my closet. The challenge was on :) I asked him if he'd help me...sure, I know what you have and haven't worn (with a smile on his face). I pulled out my casual wear t-shirts on hangers (33 of them) - kept maybe one third of them! Next were my folded t-shirts (picture five piles of 10 shirts each on an upper shelft) - kept maybe half of them! Lastly were my dresses - fancy dresses, bridesmaid dresses and college slutty dresses (maybe 15 total), I tossed half of them and kept only the ones I'll wear. I reorganized my scarves/belts/purses trading places and incorporating a new hook Jay screwed up for me. We cut through his clothes too - his hanging shirts were cut in half easy! After it was all said and done, we opened up half his closet, which now houses winter jackets and my dresses.

From our bedroom, we ventured into the guest room - duh, duh duhhh - this is a catch all for anything and everything! The closet was stuffed to the gills...we pulled out about ten pillows, two comforters, a never opened blanket, decorations, more clothes (most were tossed) and winter jackets (now housed in our bedroom closet). We re-arranged things - the dresser had four empty drawers, so we filled it with pillowcases and extra sheets; moved the games from the upper shelf to the floor of the closet (easier for kids); pillows galore up top now; moved a small dresser (used to house pillow cases) into closet and filled it with my crafting fabric and topped it with comforters. The room opens up now with a piece of furniture in the closet now.

Moving to the living room (first time I left the bedrooms all morning!), we vacuumed. I LOVE a vacuumed house!! Jay connected the computer to the tv to see how that looks. We are probably going to kill DirectTV and watch tv from our computer (hulu.com here we come!) It's $80 to get the internet and another $80 for DirectTV - RIP OFF! We are now watching the Raiders/Steelers game from the computer - not too shabby! It's all about who you are able to stream from...aka Napster for TV.

Talk about an accomplished Sunday!

Relaxation

2010-11-19T14:41:00.000-05:00

My husband is trying his hardest to teach me to relax...to fully and completely, no thoughts in your head...relax. I have a very hard time with relaxing given there's never enough time in the day and always too mcuh to do! I am learning today. I have a massage today. A selfish, gifted, Happy Anniversary massage at the spa in town. I can't wait! Thank you Husband for this gift...you are amazing! Who knows, maybe you'll get one this weekend (wink wink)!

Hump Day - Version Two

2010-11-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

(Written last night)

Another quiet drive home... Lots on my mind due to this week's events - won't bore you with those and don't have the energy to type it all right now.

One of the biggest things on my mind right now is m-o-n-e-y and I hate how much hold over me that word has. It stresses me out A LOT! Are we saving enough? Are we making enough? Are we living paycheck to rent check to paycheck? What if life happens, are we prepared? There's so much that we want to be done with the house - are we focusing on the 'need' items and not the 'want' items? How do you appropriately prioritize everything? The basement-want that done, but not necessary; a new vehicle-need but truck still running today; extra bedroom and hall bath-need closet in bedroom and rework bath before little ones come; paint the house-not needed, I need to get over it; kitchen redo-it works as is now; new flooring-not needed but will soon; new roof and gutters-need items; What's going to happen come next August? Are we doing something wrong to feel so strapped (or is that just me?)? Gives me a headache and exhausts me just thinking about it all!!

Speaking of the fam, Daddio called tonight when I was moments from the house asking if I wanted to catch a movie. It always puts a smile on my face when he asks that...I enjoy spending time with him - even if it is just sitting quietly in the dark (is that strange?) I struggled with wanting to go, but already being home and seeing Hunter's wiggle butt excitement, it was too daunting to think of leaving him again for more than an hour's stretch. Do others have an internal conflict similar to this? I struggle with him most (the cats are more independent with the ability to entertain themselves outside) - wondering if I'm playing with him enough, if I'm giving him enough love, if I leave him alone too much. But then he climbs in the chair with me and licks my tears away which makes me laugh and smile, knowing his is unconditional love too. It's my own struggle within and I need to get a handle on it - all of it.

Thanks for listening...

Time for a bath...

2010-11-17T19:36:00.000-05:00

Chase the Cat is laying beside me giving himself a bath. He's cleaning his face and paws - I LOVE watching them do this! :) Speaking of which, I need to unwind...going to take my own bath...

Update: A bath was not taken...felt too lazy of an action...needed to get stuff done. Be productive. I spray painted a metal basket black (needs one more coat), hoping it can be a catch all in the foyer or living room possibly; putty filled the holes in the hallway, now need to sand them down; filled and ran the dishwasher; straighted up the dining room; devoured a few chocolate chip cookies and watched four of the five Office episodes. All was more productive than a bath :)

Marietta, PA

2010-11-15T22:18:00.000-05:00

Our friends Nate and Holly & Gus and Deanna live in this quaint little town in Pennsylvania called Marietta. Jay used to work with Nate years ago and they have remained close in friendships.

Marietta is a tiny town - two blocks by four blocks or something crazy like that! - which has a railroad running thru it and a river beside it! It's a tiny place where you know everyone and everyone knows you. They have an old main street with shops/businesses and many of the homes have the 'old charm' of yesteryears.

We went to visit for the first time last summer - it was Marietta Day. Just the sound of that is fabulous - it wouldn't work in Warrenton, but it does in Marietta. All the townspeople set up shop down the main drag selling their most prized possessions - it's essentially a town yard sale :) We got a late start and missed most of the fun -- we had even talked Jacqui and her roomie to meet us up there; they never turn down a yard sale so went but left before we arrived. We stayed the night and hung out at Shank's Tavern after a race in the pouring rain! Anyways...it was a fabulous time with Nate, Holly, Maya, Rowan and Sylvie being our gracious hostess.

For the wedding, we received a gift certificate to The Railroad House Inn for one night's stay. We kept never finding the right time to go and it was expiring the end of the year. We decided on Halloween weekend, hoping to see the kiddos all dressed up for some trick or treating. Headed up after Jay got off work on Friday (with Hunter in tow) and the drive took longer than we originally planned, not arriving until close to 2am. Poor Holly was literally writing us a note saying she couldn't stay awake any longer and to make ourselves at home! We said our goodnights and crashed pretty quickly ourselves.

The next morning, Rowan had a soccer tournament -- let me say, these people are avid soccer players -- we made it to game two and Jay took numerous pictures of the team playing with Nate on the sidelines as Coach. Rowan scored his first goal and wanted to see the pictures over and over again - so excited! After the game, we ventured for some yummy lunch at Mexitaly, owned by Greg and his wife (more PA friends, close with the gang). They make delicious burritos - of course I got Mexican!! After lunch, we ventured to a birthday party with the kids and Hunter...hung outside, ate some cupcakes and took Hunter for a nice long walk down to the Railroad House Inn. We passed some gorgeous homes along the way - all on the river and railroad tracks. We checked into the hotel and walked back to Nate and Holly's to drop Hunter off (they watched him for us Saturday night) and grab our luggage. At the hotel, we took a nap and then had dinner in the restaurant downstairs - great, delicious food by the fire!! Afterwards, we went back to Nate and Holly's to hang out for a bit -- the place was jumping...the kitchen was packed! It's pretty much a 'anyone is welcome as long as the door is open' situation. They were playing music and having multiple conversations; the kids were running in and out, up and down. Rowan asked me how many teeth I had; he thought he had 40 teeth in his mouth, which cracked me up. I told him probably not with his small seven year old mouth and then I told him to 'open wide' and counted all twenty of his teeth :) He was thrilled to know how many he had...very inquisitive guy! Things died down around 2am when we ventured back to our room...knowing this Saturday night was no different than most - just that we were a part of it this week.

The next morning, we had complimentary breakfast downstairs and then checked out after a good chat with the owners. They have a dog - evidenced by the kong in the hallway and leash at the backdoor :) Next time, we are allowed to bring Hunter, but he can't stay unattended in the room. That morning was Market - this is the real reason I'm writing this post, so I can remember how wonderful Market is in Marietta! The town puts on a farmer's market during the warm months, selling everything from fresh bread to plants to hand-made clothing. We were lucky enough to catch the last weekend I believe and had a great time, wishing we lived closer or in a town that was so tightly woven. People brought their instruments - Nate hauled multiple guitars/mandolins in a stroller - hahaha! There were about eight or so people in a circle just jamming off each other and singing. It was amazingly beautiful! We walked back 'home' then Maya had a soccer game later in the day with Nate coaching the sidelines again. She's ten but crazy mature - almost like you are talking to an adult mature - plus she's tall and lanky for her few ten years. She played well and towered over most of the other girls with a mean kick. The Bengals played the Dolphins that day (or read: Jay's team played Nate's team that day) so we taped the game during soccer and watched it later with most everyone, except Jay and Rowan falling asleep on the couch/chairs. Once the game was done, we started packing things up and headed home with Hunter exhausted, curled up in the backseat fast asleep before we got thru town.

It was a great time seeing friends and a nice break from the routine! Here are some pics from the trip...

Maya with her yellow shoes and a mean kick!

Music Circle

Emptying the thoughts...

2010-11-15T19:38:00.000-05:00

Free your mind and the rest will follow... -En Vogue

I drove home tonight with the radio off. I do this often - more often than I'd like to admit honestly. It's my way to unwind from work, from the conversations, from the noise. It is when I have too many thoughts in my head, ping-ponging all over the place in there. I can't concentrate on anything the radio says, just everything inside my head. So, here it goes...I'm unloading, emptying it out...in no particular order...

To do when I get home...fold laundry, move load from washer to dryer, cook food - make lunch for tomorrow, feed the zoo (first and foremost), pee (second on the list), MyMoney, play with sewing machine, paint hallway, vaccuum...
Obviously there's not enough time to get all that done, so I have no choice other than to be okay with that, but deep down I'm not.
I'm procrastinating on this computer. See a few thoughts down - this new/(old) all mine computer :)
I looked like a Target employee today - red shirt, khakis and dark shoes. Didn't notice this until I walked by the restroom mirror at the end of the day - hahaha!
On a happy note, my pants are loose - they haven't been this loose for almost two years!!
My electronic-saavy Husband reconfigured my old dent and scratcher AND his laptop for under $500...this is where I'm typing from now. It's great to have it back and it's all mine :)
Mason the Cat is sleeping in Hunter's dog bed at night. We aren't sure if Mason kicks Hunter out, which leads Hunter onto our bed; when we tell him to get down and in his bed, he's back up moments later, at which point we find Mason curled up in Hunter's bed. Need I remind you all that we call him Mason the Dog at times. Anywho, we bought a cheapo $5 cat bed at PetCo this weekend in the hopes that Mason will use that, but no such luck yet...Hunter just thinks it's a new toy for him.
Money feels like a corset at times - no more explanation needed.
Meeting Mr. Owen is postponed until this weekend sometime...
Sallie and the kiddos are in town this weekend - I need to see them while here and meet the littlest addition...
Olivia's bday party is on Saturday...
The cats just brought a mouse inside...the rest of the thoughts will have to wait!

UPDATE: Laying in bed re-emptying my head...seeing what I got accomplished...trying to sleep soon...

What did I get done tonight? I cut up a shite-ton of vegetables. I browned up two pounds of turkey meat. I added it all together with some taco seasoning in the crock pot. I originally bought squash and zuchini for a remake of a pork tenderloin dish I made a few weeks ago, but realized in rummaging thru the freezer that we don't have any pork tenderloin (too expensive and wasn't on sale, so we didn't buy any). Anyways, so this is what's in the crock pot and I'm hoping it makes a great dish to eat with tortillas and some cheese.

2lbs ground turkey
taco seasoning galore - you can never have too much of it!
Veggies: 2 yellow squash, 2 zucchinis, 1.5 tomatoes, green beans, can of corn and a can of beans
Some chicken broth stock to add liquid and possibly flavor
Cut up garlic

Mason was laying with me in bed and has now proceeded to curl up in Hunter's dog bed! (See above items)
Chase the Cat did bring a small mouse into the house, but I was able to put it outside hardly any effort. This has become routine to a degree - especially when the weather is changing.
I was able to fold the dried clothes and place the washed ones in the dryer - love when that task is done.
I need to post about Chase the Cat (I didn't forget about you my love)
Need to post about Coleman Elem 5k run
Need to post about Marietta PA
Need to post about wedding and anniversary
Need to update on HD craziness and how I'm not sure if we'll do the window route from them again
Hunter is roaming the house somewhere, Mason is passed out in his bed, Chase is sitting on the bench and I'm sure Parker is trying to find some crumbs by Hunter's crate!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2010-11-15T16:07:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Mom!

I see you in me all the time. Not just in the mirror :) but in the way I react to a situation, the way I respond to a question, my mannerisms and my love. At times, I'm caught off guard by it and a split second later think, Woah, that was totally Mom! Then find myself laughing realizing that I am you and you are Granny. It's inevitable, unavoidable and fabulous.

Thank you for everything that you do for Dustin and I...we couldn't get thru this life without you by our side. I love you and hope you are having a fabulous day!

Boys and Girls Club 5k Run

2010-11-12T17:05:00.000-05:00

I need goals, milestones, small accomplishments. Make it to the mailbox. Good job. Okay, now make it to the telephone pole far ahead. You can do this, just watch your breathing. I'm good with goals.

I've been wanting to get back into running road races for some time now, not really wanting to go it alone, but unable to find someone to 'run' with - and by 'run' I mean, go thru the motions with me because I can't talk or keep another's pace while running, so it's not for the companionship just the motivation. :) I ran a few races in my day around four years ago! The two (out of three) I remember are:

1) March 2006 - St. Patty's Day 8k with Julie and Mike, took approx 50 mins (not too shabby); I enjoyed this course since it would bend upon itself (essentially, the persons ahead of you would pull a you-ie and run against you, which gave me motivation to keep going - if they can do it, so can I).

2) April 2007 - Fodderstack 10k with the bro (a smoker and a drinker, still beat me!), don't even remember my time, very long hard course that didn't bend upon itself at all! with hills too; one hill so bad, there was an ambulance at the top to help people. I walked part of that race, but did finish the last mile running.

Fast forward three and a half years...

3) Oct 2010 - Boys and Girls 5k, time: 38:54. I am happy with that time seeing as I haven't played soccer in three years and haven't been working out hardcore to prepare for the race. Here's some pictures...

Crack of Dawn, Sun Oct 24th - Before the race (time stamp is wrong)

Don't I look tired?? Oh man I was but also jazzed up/nervous for the run! I actually received the leggings as a 'favorite gift' from my friend Jodi the evening before (the pretty one in blue in the attached post on Joy's blog; Jodi is a hardcore runner so I thought it was perfect) :) Jay came with me to the race and would sneak up at one of the hills or corners when I least expected him - a pleasant surprise pushing me to give it my all as to not dissapoint him or myself. This course was full of HILLS as it wound thru downtown Warrenton.

I made it though...near the back end and I definitely walked a chunk of it, but I finished it while running still! I got done and cried. I always do after a road race - the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment, knowing my two legs took me the whole way, I didn't give up, the relief of it being over - all those emotions run through me and I always cry! :) I'm silly that way...

I ate an orange and a banana, had some water and stayed until the last runner came thru for the 10k (basically you run the course twice) cheering them on. I didn't place or receive a medal, but I got this snazzy t-shirt.

My next race is a 5k race tomorrow in Marshall at the Coleman Elementary School. I'll be huffing it alone since Home Depot is coming out again but I know The Husband is there in spirit cheering me on! Will let you know how it goes...

Bunky's New Home

2010-11-12T16:33:00.000-05:00

Some of you might remember this story from a few years ago; others might not have heard it yet. In honor of Veteran’s Day and a community that came together, I have to share it again…

A dear friend of mine and one of my brother’s best friends, Bunky is an Army Ranger who left for boot camp right after high school in 2001. He was the lead in his battalion and was the first to go into a location and scope out the scene; he is a Ranger, one of few elite and held the position with honor and pride. He was less than a month shy of coming home after two tours overseas when a sniper shot him from behind. The bullet came in the back of his neck and out his jaw, paralyzing him from the shoulders down. Even being hurt, he didn’t want to leave his friends, his ‘brothers’. He was transported to Germany for a short while before being transferred to Walter Reed Hospital. I visited him at Walter Reed and was amazed at how positive he was, even in his condition at the time. It was overwhelming…his fellow soldiers came to visit him that day – they had been there when he was shot and came from all over the states to show their support and love. Bunky was released and Front Royal (our hometown) embraced him, raising money with a Bachelor Auction and Food Drives, helping to buy a much needed van and wheelchair. His parents helped to take care of him, splitting their time between two houses.

Homes For Our Troops heard about Bunky’s story and decided he needed a proper home. Three of the largest builders in town decided to help, along with friends and citizens of Front Royal. My brother and his friends first and foremost… The town and local companies donated their time and money to build him a gorgeous home in the mountains of Browntown! My dad’s company, Heartwood Solid Surfaces, donated the corian for the bathrooms, shower and tub surrounds. The official key ceremony was last night, when Bunky first saw the inside finished product. I had the priveledge to be there last night, missing the ceremony, but being able to see Bunky and his gorgeous house. It gave you chills just walking in the front door – seeing the possibilities ahead for him and knowing that Front Royal helped to build this for him. He absolutely deserves this home and all the memories that will be made here! Happy Veteran’s Day!

Here are a few articles and videos to commemorate the event:

Northern Virginia Daily - May 2010

Fox Five News - Nov 2010

Northern Virginia Daily - Nov 2010

Winchester - Nov 2010

Bunky and I - 2001 - Last day before shipping off to the Army

Baby A

2010-11-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

Our dear friends Joy and Kevin are parents! They have a tiny baby boy, Owen Charles, as of Sunday morning. I am beyond thrilled for them both!

Joy called yesterday morning and passed along the wonderful news. 'Hey Sue, I have some good news...I'm a Mom!' Even over the phone, I could hear the smile in her voice. She said everything went well, he has a full head of dark hair and they were excited to get Owen home to settle in together - their new family. I wonder how Skylar is doing with the newest addition??

They are parents - Mom and Dad... I know we are at that age, but the magnitude of that change is amazing to me still - I'm not sure if that will ever dissipate. This new, tiny little bundle is all theirs to love and cuddle and teach and protect.

Jay and I are hoping to go visit this Sunday...can't wait to meet the little guy! :) Gotta get working on this quilt...

Try Again Friday

2010-11-06T10:21:00.000-04:00

I live in Warrenton and work in Reston. Jacqui** lives in Fairfax and works in Rosslyn. We are always trying to meet up and catch up after work. When the stars align, we usually sit outside 'Bucks (as she lovingly calls it) and talk for hours, literally - her with a fancy coffee drink and me with my extra whip hot chocolate. It's wonderful!

Most evenings we play the try again game... I'll shoot her a text when I'm close to leaving work or she'll send me on when she's on the metro, but the usual responses are 'Already home, will try again', 'Still at work, will try again' or 'Have plans, will try again'. So we've dubbed it the try again game and get a slight kick out of the numerous weeks where we try to meet up but it just doesn't work. One of the best parts is that neither of us gets upset if it just doesn't work one evening because we understand busy and know it will work out eventually.

Alas, we have a solution - better than we've been doing at least. It's called, you guessed it, Try Again Friday. Every couple of Fridays, we meet in Gainesville after Jacqui has taken the train home and at times after I've been home to feed and take care of the zoo. I love Jacqui for meeting me half way in Gainesville after she's been at work, on the train and in traffic. It makes me feel not so far away! Depending on timing, we'll grab a quick bite or just 'Bucks then it depends...tonight we walked around Target for well over an hour - didn't buy one thing (yay us!) - and I had a great time! We toured the store basically - starting out in home goods, venturing to the pjs and sweatpants, the candle section (I think we sniffed every candle they have - Home Goods brand is nasty and Yankee still wins every time), clearance Halloween, Christmas (can't believe it's around the corner!!), scarves, hats and finally socks :)

I can't wait for our next Try Again Friday!

**Jacqui and I met once while at Mason - she lived in the same building as Megs and Sallie. I'd see her occasionally at the Pourhouse, but not often. Fast forward five years, Sallie is getting married in St. Thomas (gorgeous!) with Jacqui as a bridesmaid and myself as a guest; we happened to be on the same flight. I stayed at her place and Stephanie took us to the metro which led into Reagan Airport at o'dark hours. We were sitting on the plane, excited to start the trip and over the intercom comes '...everyone traveling to the Islands needed to leave the plane due to a delay on the runway...' and we wouldn't make our connection. Our luggage stays and off it goes - no delay, pretty much took off immediately! We catch a later flight that leaves us in Miami with a six hour layover - that is where our friendship blossomed...sitting outside the Miami airport, smoking cigarettes and eating pizza and bananas, missing all the fun, wishing we were in St. Thomas! We finally made it later that evening and had a fabulous time. But that trip solidified our friendship - I wouldn't be the person I am today without her. Over the years she's sat and listened to my crying over broken hearts, broken families, the excitement of buying my first home, new jobs, Halloweens and Valentine's Days, road trips, finding love and being a bridesmaid at my wedding. I can't imagine my life without her in it... Love you girl!

Switch!

2010-11-03T20:00:00.000-04:00

This room I'm sitting in right now has evolved since we've lived here... It originally started out as the dining room - easily decided when we first moved in with the only problem being we don't use the dining room much - I don't even have pictures of it being used as a dining room! During the week with our opposite schedules, we fly solo for meals at home. We needed a better use of the space...

After some rearranging of rooms last winter, it became our Office. It was a nice bright alternative to the extra bedroom, which we turned into the playroom for Erin and Bailey. This is when we first rearranged in February.

Where did the dining room go, you ask? We put it in the study (I guess that's what you'd call this room) off the kitchen. It's now perfectly placed at arms reach to the kitchen. Only downside is when the table is fully open, it's a tight squeeze to get around, which might even be an understatement! We bought the chandelier you see in the picture above for the dining room table, so that was moved as well and a ceiling fan took it's place. Here's a pic of the dining room...

Wow, this picture is OLD! We now have the chandelier on the ceiling and a large armoire where the dresser is, which is a close matching set to the table. And yes, the walls are that ugly peach pink!! I need to paint it badly...

The office space is similar still, yet evolved to an even better situation - we added a library. :) I absolutely love (love, love, love, love, love) the idea of floor to ceiling bookcases with so many books to get lost in! Thanks to my friend Jacqui and her spending spree, I picked up four well-loved white bookcases she no longer needed. I finally got my 'library'...

I like it best this way...eventually we might close off the door to the kitchen and add french doors between the office/library and the living room. Paint is next...gotta pick a color...

She Sees... He Sees...

2010-11-02T21:02:00.000-04:00

She sees...unpainted walls without any color.
He sees...perfectly fine walls for the time being.

She sees...the perfect piece of furniture to hold towels and bed linens.
He sees...a bathroom that needs to be remodeled.

She sees...the temperature is dropping fast!
He sees...a chimney that needs to be cleaned before using.

She sees...a back screen door that is letting in a draft.
He sees...the need to switch out the screen for the glass insert.

She sees...the beautiful backyard view from the dining room windows.
He sees...drafty windows that need some insulating curtains.

I was running through this exercise in my head tonight on my way home realizing that in many situations we see different needs. At first this struck me as alarming - how are we going to get through this journey when we don't see the same thing? - but then I came to the conclusion that it's okay that we don't see eye to eye on everything. Opposites attract...the yin and the yang...I guess you'd say, I'm the ~~dreamer~~ forgetful one and he's the practical one. He keeps me grounded and on my toes at the same time. :)

We do see eye to eye on the important things...

She sees...our children growing up in this house.
He sees...this house growing old with us.

She sees...us enjoying a fabulous view on the front porch swing holding hands.
He sees...grandchildren laughing in the front yard.

She sees...a hound dog curled up beside us.
He sees...a hound dog laying on the front stoop.

She sees...a loving husband standing beside her who will never give up on her.
He sees...someone who will always love him unconditionally and stand beside him, regardless of the situation.

Wallpaper and surprises...

2010-11-01T21:05:00.000-04:00

I truly despise wallpaper! Why did it have to be a 1980 fab? Each room of our house has some sort of wallpaper on the walls...professionally done wallpaper! Most of it is hideous, except our guest bedroom which has dainty yellow and orange flowers that I love, but that too will come down someday.

Jay and I started to tear down the wallpaper in the foyer last winter - first room you see coming into our house. We borrowed a steamer from his friend Lisa and went to town during all the snow. We initially tore off all the top layers in the foyer and the hallway, then used the steamer for the backing. (Side note - I am going to frame a piece of wallpaper from each room as we tear it apart as a reminder of what was there before us.) It was slow moving at first trying not to burn yourself or the other person, but eventually we got into a rhythm - one person steam, the other go behind and scrape the backing. It moved pretty quickly and we were done. Part A, check. But then it sat with the foyer walls plain for months!

Part B - clean and spackle.There was a large anchor hole in one wall that was too big to patch, so I bought a patch plate but it was too noticeable. After taking a free Home Depot 'How To' seminar I was told to cut a square in the drywall around the hole and then cut a new piece of drywall to fill that hole and add a 2x4 behind it in case you want to hang a picture later then spackle it up. It was all quite daunting but I was pretty sure I could handle this...'Okay, I can do this' was what I remember telling myself. Hahahaha - crazy girl! I bought some drywall - that was interesting - and took it home...cut out my hole in the wall and to my surprise found this...

Yep, that's a PBR bottle in our foyer wall!! Pretty sure it's from when they built the house in 1977!! Hahahaha - still makes me laugh remembering my astonishment and wondering what else was in our walls. That was eventful... (Side note - We saved the PBR bottle...it now sits on our dining room mantle. I might put it in a shadowbox one day with the piece of wallpaper I saved from the foyer.) I trudged on, cutting my square out and a similarly sized piece to fill the hole then spackled around to secure it. It didn't turn out very good - lumpy, noticeable and nasty. Luckily Jay fixed it while I was out of town for work (he was getting annoyed with staring at it I think) which thrilled me to no end! It's still a bit noticeable with the glossy paint, but it looks like the perfect place to hang a picture!

Last winter, we never got to steaming the backing from the hallway...fast forward eight months and it's finally done! I did it tonight and am so glad it's over. It bothered me each time I walked down the hallway and I'd make comments shortly after the foyer was done, but no bites from The Husband. So, I sucked it up... I was steaming and scraping as one team and the process moved along quite efficiently. Honestly, as I got paper stuck to my feet and glue on my fingertips, I felt accomplished but I wanted Jay to be there to help, to help make this house into our house. I realize there are other ways we can make this into our house together... So now, this indecisive girl, gets to choose all the paint colors since this husband of mine doesn't paint either! :)

Carpet Be Gone

2010-10-26T20:30:00.000-04:00

Raise your hand if you spent your anniversary tearing apart your house....no one? We did!

The carpet in our living room/office was nasty and that's an understatement! We decided to tear out the nasty, stained, smelly carpet one morning thinking 'we can do this' and 'it will be so much better when done!' Let me tell you, we were so right!! We took out the carpet, padding tack strips and hammered any stub-worthy nails down.

We are now living on the underlayment flooring (think this is what it's called) until we put down hard wood flooring, which will have to wait until after the holidays. Plus, my mom passed along some throw rugs and they work perfectly in the space!

Time

2010-10-26T19:50:00.000-04:00

I feel I lose ALOT of time everyday...figuratively and truly. I have so much I want to put up here and say...so many things I want to document and remember in just the right way...not rushing it but truly reliving the moment each time I read it.

I create a lot of these posts in my head...while I'm driving, while I'm 'doing', while I'm thinking... I come up with ideas and 'write' the post in my head, rethinking the beginning and how I want to intro something. Redoing the sentences until they are just right, portraying the perfect image. I think about the pictures I'd post...who'd read it... Needless to say, most of this happens while I'm in the truck on my way home in the dead quiet (outside of my grumblings at the traffic)...it's perfect and then I come home and forget the perfect way to say it. It;s deflating to say the least... I feel there's never enough time to truly write (type) it down for myself and others to read down the road.

I have a bunch in my head, so instead of waiting and stock piling them so there's something to post always (what a good blogger would do)...there will probably be a good flow in the next week - mostly things that have already happened, which makes me sad I wasn't able to post them in a more timely manner, but that's the story of my life it seems...never enough time...

Water and grass

2010-10-22T22:32:00.000-04:00

The above puddle is the representation of ALOT of hard work!! ALOT of unexpected work!! This is our front yard obviously... To make a long story short, each time it rained we would have this lovely frog swimming pool in our front yard. Our clay soil (if you want to call it soil) is so rock solid that it wouldn't soak up any water, so the water would end up in our basement :) Oh, joy! Yep, within six months of buying the house we had water in the basement. I still can't believe it. When we knew the rain would come and we'd stand watch, checking the basement every so often; if water came in, we sopped it up with towels, sucked it up with the shop vac and squidgy the hell out of the lovely laminate tile flooring, always hoping it was the last time.

In order to stop the issue, we gathered friends and family - you fabulous people know who you are - and we dug that shite up! Jay had busted up one section of sidewalk to help October 2009 - Halloween day actually - and realized we needed more manpower. So in June of this year, we recruited help in the nicest way...pretty please... Jay and I got up early busting up the sidewalk and once help came the men tore that sidewalk apart getting out all their aggressions, while we dug up all the millions and millions of pebbles. We used the dump cart and made a nice mound in the back beside the workshop to use for a future patio project. In between trips to the dump - surprised we don't know them by name now - we'd stop and get a yard of dirt to fill in the vacant space. Our plan was to regrade from the flower bed to the grass so the water wouldn't puddle and sit. It was amazing that day and great to get good and sweaty being able to see our progress from the morning.

Before Jay and I started that morning...


After the sidewalk and good portion of pebbles are gone...

In the end, Jay and I tore out the flower bed also to grade from the house out. We probably have about 8-10 yards of dirt (thank you Lee Highway Nursery) and tons of shoveling experience it's insane! Now that it's level, I'm proud to say that we haven't had water in the basement since mid-summer...

We planted grass in the dirt area almost a month ago. The Husband meticulously researched the correct grass seed to buy and lay...we leveled the area (it looks like a magician's hat to me) and pulled all the weeds...bought just a bit more dirt and laid some seed. It's growing - some places better than others but it's coming along.

We are supposed to get a frost tonight, so this is what a Wife does for her Husband's love of his grass...

Yes, those the original curtains from our living room - glad they can be used for something!

We have fabulous friends that have helped along the way of this journey....truly magnificent friends and family!

The extension of this front yard project is the basement...more on that later.

Like a picture frame

2010-10-21T20:55:00.000-04:00

Written a few weeks ago...

Our new window is spectacular! I love it... Who knew one window would make such a huge change in our house.

This old house is filled with the (what we believe are) the original casement windows by Anderson. In never having casement windows, I was intrigued by the cranks and the latches. I love how they are long - almost floor to ceiling in length! There are no internal 'grids' or the normal middle obstruction from a double hung window, letting lots of light in and giving a feeling of being closer to the outside. They are old school; each having their own second pane of glass that snaps in or out, in addition to an individual screen too. When we moved in we realized that not all the windows crank correctly - major drag but at least one, two or three in each sectional open. In order to keep track of which work and which don't, we keep the top open/close latch in the open position. We would love to replace all the windows in the house, yet there are far too many so we are prioritizing by energy efficiency and use.

Along those guidelines, the first and largest sectional to be replaced was the living room. Originally being five separate casements with only two of them opening, we decided it was our best option with the sunshine beating in a good portion of the day. To help with energy efficiency, we bought thick, insulating curtains from Wal-Mart to keep the heat out and the cool in during the summer months and vice versa during the winter months.

We originally wanted Thompson Creek to come out but we are outside their district. Therefore, our next option was HD who sells Renewal by Anderson windows. A rep came out and priced it all out for us...being crazy expensive, we settled on the living room first. In replacing the five separate casements, we chose a three pane window - large middle 'bay' window with a casement on either end. This would be perfect to remove the vertical obstructions and frame our Japanese Maple perfectly, yet still have the option to catch a breeze.

The window was installed on Sept 18th by sub-contractors we were told are legal and professional. In preparation, we had 'fenced' off the hydrangea and two grasses in the front yard, took down the window treatments and moved all the furniture off that wall. Two men arrived - a larger, younger man and a smaller, older man - neither spoke english very well. Jay, Hunter and I sat on the couches and basically watched what they did...curious to see how it was all going to work and to make sure we understood what was happening. I had the camera also to take pictures along the way and document the momentous event - in a covert manner. :)

Everything was going smoothly... they took the old window out and hauled it away... tore out the rotted wood bottom frame, which I thought was nice of them... they then proceeded to replace the rotted frame with a 2x4 piece of wood - makes sense, but seemed strange to us... next it was time to install the new window... they stood outside for about 20 mins just looking at it... tried to cut down a seam to see if would truly become 'sections'... they tried to carry it sideways, but it started to buckle at the connection points between the three windows and realized that wasn't going to work... Jay and I were wondering what they were doing (?!?!)... we walked outside to get the mail and a stray piece of trash that had drifted into the court... once out there, we stood talking to our neighbor and just watching the spectacle... finally we realized the smaller, older man could not lift his end of the window to carry it into the house!!!! You have got to be kidding me!?!? I asked Jay if he was going to help them, but he said no way because if something goes wrong, it's our problem then - makes sense but it was torture watching them. Finally he used a rope for leverage on his end and carried it inside. The larger, younger guy lifted his end into the empty frame and then they switched places - the smaller guy held it in the window while the larger guy hoisted the other end...the entire time the window is perched on the current sill!! I am in shock that he couldn't lift the window - how ridiculous!!! The window is in place and we head back inside to keep watch on the situation. There obviously are gaps between the old frame and the new window; they filled the side gaps with thin packaging foam... I am sure this is fine, but I was again in shock this was happening. At this point, Jay started to look up online about replacement window installation...nothing too comprehensive online, but everything seemed legit. They used shoe molding to hide the gaps and then caulked the seams on the inside. The outside needed some coverage due to the 2x4 for a bottom frame and the gaps on the side and top. They used brown metal which he bent and cut on site. It turned out to match as well as can be expected. Yes, there were times we had questions about what and why they were doing things, yet didn't ask questions for obvious reasons - they do this every day so they should know what and how to do this with their eyes closed. At least that's what you would think... In the end, we are happy with our end result - a beautiful picture window!!

Original five windows

Hunter keeping watch :)

Like a picture (try to ignore the ladder)


Torn in strips to fill the surrounding gaps after new window in place

2x4 as new base with no insulation stuffed in the cracks

Beautiful window!

From the outside

UPDATE
I am glad I documented all of this because there is are two unfortunate middle chapters. 1) The trim on the window sill had to be replaced due to the Chinese fire drill of putting the new window in the frame. It was wrecked pretty bad, so I called and they replaced the bottom trim molding. 2) Now the window is leaking water into our house!! The caulking looks to have pulled away or deteriorated from the outside of the window around the metal casing. We noticed this Tuesday evening and realized it's probably been happening for a while. There's water creating a small puddle in the living room and creeping along the wall edge, plus damage in the basement joists below the window. Fun stuff! I called HD again and someone was supposed to come today and is now coming in the morning - see below post. Hopefully they will be accommodating because who knows what is happening behind the dry wall or above the basement joists (between the underlayment floor and sub flooring). I will let you know how it goes...

In retrospect...

2010-10-21T15:28:00.000-04:00

We are going thru a water issue (I hate water!) with our month old HD living room window as of Tuesday evening.

I left work early today for an appointment with a field inspector to come check things out. I pulled into my neighborhood and he calls saying he's going to be late - after dinner late - so we rescheduled for tomorrow morning! Glad since Jay will now be home to stick it to him, but I had worked myself up to being mad and angry, to not take 'this is all we can do for you' as an answer...then he goes and reschedules - relief and frustration. Completely let my fences down as I said goodbye and he came back with one more question...'where is the water coming from since we haven't had any rain lately?' Stupid me answers, 'since we are trying to grow grass, we do have a sprinkler that hits the windows, yet there is extensive water damage in the basement, so since we just saw the puddle on Tuesday in the living room the water damage could be from previous rains.' IDIOT! I should have just said 'I'm not sure.' and left it at that but I opened my mouth.... I mean, he will be able to see the sprinkler set up towards the house when he arrives in person, but he hasn't even seen the window and I feel like I've blown it already. I'm going to beat myself up about this for hours...

Happy Dance

2010-10-19T11:18:00.000-04:00

Yep, I did the Happy Dance this morning while getting ready! Been living on two (technically three, but third pair isn't super comfortable) pairs of work pants when I have five doubled-up hangers in my closet swinging with different choices.

What was the cause for my Happy Dance you ask?? I am wearing pants to work today that I haven't worn in over a year plus!!

I just did the Happy Dance in my chair... Wahoo for 'new' clothes!

Mason the Dog...

2010-10-18T20:17:00.000-04:00

Oops, I mean Mason the Cat but truthfully sometimes we wonder with him!

He lounges in Hunter's crate at times...

He has taken to drinking out of Hunter's water bowl, when there is a water bowl not even three feet away which has been there since we moved in and was his previous drink of choice.

He plays with Hunter's toys too!

He is a lovable guy who can't sit still when you pet him and is always getting into something... I love his kitten face and his beautiful coloring... I got Mason (named for my alma mater) and his brother, Chase on October 15th, 2005 from the Fairfax County SPCA. They were a BOGO free deal :) I had planned on running a sprint-tri but my wisdom teeth surgery was still bothering me, so to cheer myself up I visited the SPCA...dangerous!! Look how stinking cute he was...

And today, five years later...

He has a few nicknames - Bengal Cat (for the Cinn Bengals - Jay's team), Mason the Dog, Bird Cat, Invincible for practically dragging himself across the yard and inside with a hurt paw and most recently 'Rambo' since he now has a nice scar across his nose from a scuffle over the weekend. Love you Mason the Cat - wouldn't be the same without you!

Chase the Cat and his tribute tomorrow...

PC vs. Mac

2010-10-14T17:03:00.000-04:00

We got ourselves a second round of tax money (WAHOO!). All of the first round, plus most of the second round went towards the dreaded credit cards, which is a nice relief. We only paid a piece of the large one (new house buying ~~mecessities~~ accessories and wedding make up that whopper of a card), but were able to fully pay off the remainders (belonging to The Husband). Enough about mula - boring! Which leads me to my point...

The Husband decided since I wasn't able to enjoy any of the money (ie: pay off my credit card), we should use the last small bit to buy me a computer. My very own. He vows not to add music or movies or random applications to it. I can solely dedicate it to the blog, my pictures and the internet. Can I tell you that I've been lusting over a Macbook or iPad for a while now and I'm completely a Dell girl at heart, but there's something about those beauties that make me smile.

So, my dilemma is that since I know pretty close to nothing about an Apple anything...who wants to share some info with me? Their website is of course 'buy this, buy that, love us not a pc' but I tend to not read that stuff since I'm easily swayed over something I want so bad :) Bring it on world...what can you tell me?

PS. I'm going to go to the Apple store on Monday during my lunch break, so you have until then...

P90X continuation...

2010-10-14T12:23:00.000-04:00

We started this 'meal plan' - feels like I'm back in college when I say that - a few weeks ago and it's been a bit derailed by me due to a bad cold I'm still trying to get over. Yet, I did manage to take a picture of our 'First P90X Meal' and it was delicious!

My dinner - scallops, asparagus and wild rice - YUM!

Jay's dinner - swordfish, asparagus and wild rice

It was AWESOME! We both looked at our plates and agreed that we felt we should be at a fancy restaraunt...some fine dining! Jay put on some Bob Marley to go along with the mood... Best dinner we've had in a long time.

Always...

2010-10-06T14:04:00.000-04:00

I will always remember that day one year ago today. ...seeing the Caller ID and knowing it wasn't going to be a happy 'How ya doing?' phone call deep in my gut... ...the strength Lauren had to tell me the news. I will always remember not wanting it to be true... ...the instant tears, the shaking and my knees going weak. I will always remember the uncontrollable sobs while at work and needing Tiffany to hold me up... ...the disbelief on one hand wanting just once more to see her, yet the relief she's not hurting anymore. I will always remember her smiling face, her laughter, her positiveness, her strength and her love.

Today is the one year mark of the death of a beautiful person and an amazing friend. We met in 2nd grade and were instant forever friends - bossum buddies from Anne of Green Gables, BFFE (Best Friends Forever and Ever). Heidi and I grew up together with our families intertwined, 'second families', to the fullest extent. She was the strongest person I knew, always active - playing softball, breaking records in track & field, soccer when we were younger. We were constantly laughing together...

Heidi was diagnosed with colon cancer in Fall 2003, which spread rapidly to her liver. Over the next six years, she underwent a few surgeries and chemotheraphy numerous times with remissions in between giving us all hope to believe. She was an active person during all this; if you didn't know, you couldn't tell she was fighting the battle. She was amazing!

She was married to her soul mate, Eric, on October 13, 2007 - one day before her 26th birthday and was truly on top of the world - in mind, health and love. I was honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding where she literally created almost every detail by hand - she was a crafty girl!

Walk Like An Egyptian became 'our song' - hahaha! I remember being home at her house and playing it as loud as we could on the stereo then singing and dancing around her living room and dining room table, just cracking up!

1989

2007

Once I became engaged, I wanted her by my side - one of my dearest friends. She was healthy and vibrant at the time, so I wasn't concerned. Unfortunately as the year passed, her health deteriorated and the cancer fought harder. She wasn't able to stand up there beside me - the hardest decision I'm sure she had to make - but she promised me she would be there, in the audience, to see the momumentous event. We had been through everything else together... She came and she looked gorgeous! I made a smaller bouquet from sunflowers (her signature flower) and she was holding it when I saw her, in the seat on the end, being the very first smiling face I saw walking down that aisle. It was perfect.

After the ceremony, she hung in the cottage on site waiting for the reception to start, wanting to stay that evening for as long as she was able. I was able to hang out with her, Eric, Terry and John (her 'rents) before the reception - fabulous moments I will cherish.

The next day, her and Eric took a vacation to Mexico (while we were on our honeymoon)...an all-inclusive resort where they were pampered, relaxed and spent the entire week together - just the two of them. She sent emails and pictures of their happenings each and every day talking about how happy she was and all the fun they were having. We both returned from our trips - me, trying to catch up on real life again and her, (unbenownst to me) sick with a cold from traveling. It took me two weeks after returning to call, wanting to chat about her trip and let her know how much it meant to me that she was at the wedding - I left a message on Monday, Oct 5th. She didn't hear that message. I got the call from Lauren the next day.

The next week is a fog of memories... Going with Joy to their house, seeing Eric, crafting with her supplies to create flower pins to hand out to the family and close friends at the funeral, sleeping until it didn't hurt anymore... I hate that she didn't hear my message to her. I had written thank you cards also - one to her and Eric and one to just her... I read them to her and everyone at the funeral - one of the toughest things I've had to do.

I have two notes here – one, a thank you card to Heidi and Eric and two, a note for Heidi. I wasn’t able to mail them in time for Heidi to read them – typical me - so I’d like to read them to you and her now.

Heidi and Eric – Thank you so much for being a part of our special day! Jay and I were honored you were able to be there. You both looked fabulous – Heidi, with your radiant smile and Eric, looking spiffy in your suit! It was wonderful to be able to spend some time with you before the reception began and I’m so glad you enjoyed yourselves and stayed for as long as you did! It was a perfect day and could not have been the same without your presence and love surrounding us! All our love, Susan and Jay

Heids – I can not begin to tell you how much it meant to me to have your smiling face be the first I saw walking down the aisle! Can you believe I’ve joined the married crowd? It’s absolutely fabulous and I find myself using the title ‘husband’ as much as possible! I know Jay and I will do just fine if we have an ounce of the love you and Eric share – I’m so happy you found each other early in life! He is amazing and you are both so blessed.

I know it was difficult for you to come to the wedding, but you looked beautiful and were so brave. I was thrilled to have some time alone with you and Terry in the cottage, before the craziness began! I hope you know how special you are to me and how much inspiration your strength and friendship has given to me over the years. Twenty years – can you believe it?! We’ve been there, together, for so many moments – big and small – first dances, new school years, slumber parties, 4-H camp, pigtail softball, Monster Mash, more birthdays than I can keep track of, lots of laughter, talent shows, learning how to drive, graduations and most recently each of our weddings! There will be so many more to come…I can’t wait!!

I know things have been rough these last few years, but you are so strong and surrounded by so much love! I am always here for you – just a phone call away - anytime. Thank you for your friendship! Love you always…

(This part was written after she had passed...) I will miss you forever my dear friend. I know that you are at peace now and no longer hurting; you are watching over all of us and enjoying the show with family and friends who have gone before you. We miss you here – very much – but have all been blessed in how you have touched each and every one of us, even those who couldn’t be here today. We will remember you always.

Maidzilla Party - May 2007

2006

May 2007

Senior Year of High School - 1999

Senior Prom - 1999

Girl's Night - 2007

Heidi's 28th Birthday - Oct 2008

Absolutely Beautiful

Heidi's family and friends are gathering tonight to visit her and have dinner. It will be hard, but I can't wait...

HERE is a YouTube slide show her brother, Logan put together - it is beautiful and he did an amazing job!

P90X

2010-10-03T17:09:00.000-04:00

Jay bought P90X a few years ago and introduced me to it when we started dating. I dabbled in one or two workouts and was destroyed on a regular basis. That shite is tough, but it definitely does the job!! Tony Horton pushes you through... In addition to the workouts, there is a nutrition guide with multiple phases that change dependent on your level of commitment. It has monthly menus laid out for the meal planners or a mere list of options to choose from - protein, grains, etc.

In appreciation of our healthy lifestyle change, we went grocery shopping today and consulted the P90X food options. We used the meal planner section for Phase I. We had to look up a few replacement choices for cottage cheese (neither of us like, so a glass of milk with sub in) and mushrooms (essentially any veggie will suffice). This grocery trip was expensive (healthier foods always seem to be) but our trade off is that we'll feel better. We bought alot of meats - fish (only wild caught fish), scallops, ground turkey and turkey burgers, beef chuck cubes, and chicken breasts. You best like veggies on this meal plan because you will eat A LOT of them! Our shopping cart was half full with veggies of all kinds - to be used for breakfast, lunch and dinners.

My first concern was how am I going to eat well and make meals - breakfast and lunch - while at work?? Instead of veggie omlets, we decided to hard boil a dozen eggs and each evening we can roast up those veggies and I can grab a few hard boiled eggs with veggies to cut up and eat at work. With our opposite work schedules, we are breaking up the food making as follows: Jay will make the dinners before he goes to work, taking half for himself and leaving the other half for when I get home. Once I'm home, I will heat up the Jay made dinner and make our lunches for the next day, packaging each separately.

We have scallops and fish for dinner tonight with rice and asparagus...sounds delicious!!

Oh and a new development in my taste buds, I like yogurt :) I have never liked the tang at the end of a yogurt scoopful, but it's so good for you that I need to start to like it. I bought four Yoplait yogurts - strawberry whipped, light chocolate mouse, thick and creamy strawberry banana and original berry. I must admit the strawberry whipped was my snack today and quite delicious!

The times they are a changin'...

Our House

2010-09-16T20:47:00.000-04:00

The below is from Feb 2009, an excerpt from a Shutterfly album after we bought the house... I can hear my excitement as I read these words over a year later.

Jay and I bought a house - WAHOO!! Signed and closed the deal on my birthday (which I really wouldn't recommend to many due to the stress and craziness)! It's a beautiful brick rancher that has amazing potential and wonderful bones sitting on an acre and a half of land - yep, all ours! Hunter is in heaven and the cats have warmed up to the echo sounds from the hardwood floors. It's a slow work in progress with our main focus on renting the Reston Condo, but it feels like home...even if we do pinch ourselves to make sure it's real! We have a guest room now so the door is always open...just give a call and come on over!

We were determined to sleep in OUR house the first night we owned it, so we packed up as much as we could in our cars, along with the animals - they have been here since Day 1! We had no furniture, just some cats toys, my beloved orange chair that has followed me everywhere and blankets galore. We made a pallet of blankets and created a great memory seeing the cats get low with every echo and Hunter sniff the dickens out of every inch. We woke up the next morning smiling and with a visitor already...

Yep, we've come to discover we have our very own wildlife sanctuary in our backyard! Mr. Fox hung around for a while that morning and came back for a few days afterwards, but eventually stopped showing his face when Hunter became King of the Yard. Since Mr. Fox found solace in the brush, we have daily visit from deer - lately two does and with their fawns - who love to nibble on the fruit trees. Hunter will just sit and watch them or when he's feeling frisky will try to sneak up and then runs around with all his might thinking he can catch them.

And even the smaller kind of animal that catches a ride from a cat or two...bleh! It's never a dull moment around here.

And just so I don't leave you with an unpleasant last image, here's a beauty for you...and I can never show just one :)

This house definitely has it's moments where you are in awe of the surroundings and definitely pinch yourself at times to make sure it's yours! It's perfect.

All in the details...

2010-09-15T21:47:00.000-04:00

Details...shmeatails... I have a friend who is amazing at the details! She can pull a room or party together and make it look effortless. All the while, I'm matchy matchy all the way home.

I'm good with spreadsheet details...with finding an error amongst tens of thousands of lines of data...in making a process run more smoothly or efficiently. I'm good with the black and white of it.

When it comes to decorating details, I'm a 'less is more' type of gal. A simple is beautiful girl. But there's no black and white about it...give me color!

I came to this thought process and keep touching on it because of the wall colors, flooring choices, crown and base molding choices (which are insanely expensive by the way!), furniture updates and fixtures changes that come with our evolving home. I am easily overwhelmed by having to choose just one. I think that comes mostly from being a visual, tangible (hahaha Megs) person that has a very hard time picturing it in her head! My poor husband...so patient with me...

Some quick pics found online that I love...

The arch doorways are fabulous...find I like the more square look versus the rounded.

Love the bead board in this bathroom!

Bead board again...and open cabinet doors - forces tidiness

LOVE ME SOME ORGANIZATION!

For those of you making these types of decisions on a daily basis - fabulous - please come help me...

PS - These are NOT of my house :) I wish!

Starting fresh...

2010-09-13T12:31:00.000-04:00

I had a salad for lunch today! Yahoo, so happy about that...and my work pants that I haven't been able to wear in the last six months are too. Just have to stick with it now...

Jay and I are starting our second year of marriage (our anniversary was yesterday, Sept 12th - more on that later) in a healthier mode of thinking! We are focusing more on what we eat on a daily basis. We aren't the most disciplined people, so this will be hard...I should correct that - I am not the most disciplined person but I don't believe in denying myself because I'll eventually breakdown and devour more than if I took a small sampling.

Here are a few 'changes' trying to be made...(some more me than him)

Eat more eggs = protein, protein, protein!
Purchase one item from the Organic aisle at the grocery store each trip with the hope that eventually more items items on our list will be found there
Don't over indulge (see above comment)
Eat more salad
Eat more fruit - bananas are good 'wake-me-up' items and a handful of grapes are a great snack
Walk Hunter the Dog every evening (at the very least three times a week)
Exercise outside of Hunter's daily walk = a slow progression from sit-ups while watching tv (when I do watch it) to P90X weekly to daily

Here we go...hopefully this blog can help keep me honest. My work pants definitely will!

Happy Healthy Monday everyone!

A Space...

2010-09-06T20:10:00.000-04:00

I want a space I can look back on in twenty years and see how life progressed...a space where I can share life's happenings with those far away from me...a space to share my thoughts...a space to call my own!

A little bit about me...
I have a family that loves me regardless of the situation and friends that step up to the plate without my needing to ask. I have an amazing husband that unfortunately I don't see enough and we are less than one week shy of our one-year wedding anniversary!! I am a chronic worrier, yet at the same time am always looking for the positive; easily over-using the phrase "that's a plus". We are crazy people in this economy and own more than one house...a condo, which we rent and act as landlord and a house we bought in Jan '09 (on my birthday) where we have worked HARD these last two years fixing it up and making it our own!

In this space, you'll find the happenings and changes to our brick rancher (a lot more to go!), our life with three cats and a doggie doo, crafting projects along the way and simply a release for the words in my head.

Oh and I'm hoping this will help with my overwhelming amount of pictures I need to sort through...it took me WAY too long to find this picture of our house from January '09!