A Slice of Drywall

Church Details

2011-10-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

The first time I saw this Church I knew that we had to get married there. We kept the decorations in the church simple because it was so beautiful on its own.We placed five white roses in the front of the church to symbolize all of our Grandparents that have passed on and could not be there.

Wedding Bells Rang

2011-10-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

After a ton of work and many happy memories, I married my best friend this past August. I hope to show you all the little details that made the wedding so special and kept me away from this blog. Here are just a few pictures from the best day of my life.

This years Halloween pumpkins

2010-11-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Halloween. So this year I failed to out do myself. I only got three pumpkins carved and only one was done with shading. I think they still came out great but I was a little disappointed I couldn't do more.

Halloween Pumpkins

2010-10-08T10:08:00.001-07:00

Every year I look forward to carving pumpkins and every year I feel like I need to outdo my previous year. Last year I did five pumpkins and even tried to shade one of the designs. I think they came out awesome and I am really struggling to figure out how to step up my game this year. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

2009 pumpkins:

Welcome, wont you come in

2010-09-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Once again my mind is wandering to projects that I haven't started instead of thinking about finishing the ones that I have. But it's so hard not to wander with these amazing images of entryways. Here is just a little eye candy to get your mind wandering. Enjoy!!!

Cummings Architects, LLC.

Sullivan Conard Architects

LDa Architecture & Interiors

Witt Construction

David Neiman Architects

houzz.com

Rue Online Magazine Premier

2010-09-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

The premier issue of Rue Magazine came out today and it's very good for an online magazine! I am intrigued at the number of magazines that are forming as an online format. It seems like a smart business decision based on the fact that they can save money on the paper, printing and delivery, and at the same time they are saving the environment. I don't know if you would call me old fashion or just slow to adapt but I just don't get the same thrill out of reading an online magazine as I do one that I received in the mail. There is just something about going to your mailbox and seeing your new issue of Martha and then physically touching it to read it. It's the same way with books. Now mind you I have not tried it but, I don't think that I could read a book with a computer. I need to touch the pages and see how far I have read and how much I have left to go. I guess it's just my preference. Rue on the other hand is a very fun and well laid out mag. They had some great photos that I of course clipped and placed in my ideas folder. Here are some of my favorites.

I am still alive and kicking

2010-09-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay of posts :( This wedding planning got a little crazy!!! Anyway, I am back and promise to be better.

Since I have been away, I have been continuing to working on the dining room and I must say it's getting there.

We also removed the ugly wallpaper in the kitchen. Once I finish painting I will post pictures of the after.

I am painting it a nice light green shade. We will see how it turns out (anything will be better than what's up there).

Wedding on the brain.

2010-04-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

So ever since we got engaged, all I can think about is wedding ideas. I always thought that I was going to want calla lilies as my flowers until I found this wedding from Southern Weddings.

www.swsmag.net

I am in LOVE with the deep purple hydrangeas!!!!!! I also love the black trees and the silver ornaments. ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!!!!!!

Earth day means so much more to me.

2010-04-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

Well I thought that earth day (April 22nd) was going to be like any other earth day.

Go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch some TV, and go to bed.

However, this earth day became one of the happiest days of my life.

I got ENGAGED!!!!!!!!

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T06:06:00.001-07:00

(Source:www.insideyourchicago.com)

Happy earth day everyone! This year I am not going to be planting a tree but I did promise myself that I would do five things to improve my life and the environment.

1. Take shorter showers (I don't know if this one counts as improving my life but it will help save water and cut down on our bill).

2. Switch over my banking account to send me only online statements.

3. Grow my own food (I am going to try to grow peas, carrots, broccoli and lettuce this year).

4. Carpool more with my sweetie.

5. Do a better job of remembering to bring my own bags when I grocery shop.

I know it's not much but even the littlest things can make a huge difference. How are you going to spend your earth day?

Sea Fan Art

2010-04-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

(Art.com)

I have always been a fan (no pun intended) of sea fans. So when I started to look for a framed one to purchase I was in shock as to how much they cost. The one framed above is from art.com and it costs $199. There is no way I am going to pay that kind of dough.

(Tuvalu.com)

This beautiful set of three sea fans costs $400!!!!

So I put my ~~little~~ big noggin to work and thought that I had to be able to purchase just the sea fan for cheap and frame it myself. I started to search online and just my luck, I found one on www.thenaturecompany.biz for just $9. You read correctly, just $9!!! Now I just have to wait for it to come in the mail. I will then be off to the Christmas Tree Shop (best place to buy frames for very little) to purchase my very own sea fan a home. I will let you know how it turns out and the total $ amount for the project.

New blog layout

2010-04-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

I was so sick of my old blog layout and how skinny it was. The images were always so tiny. So I finally went ahead and updated the layout to a much wider template. Now I can have nice large images. Here is our house with a little photoshop magic to the landscape. I am hoping that I can make the front of the house look like this for real.

Let there be light.

2010-04-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

Two months ago we purchased this light for the dining room from Lowes. When I bought the light, the guy told me that we would have it the first week in April. "Sounds good" I said and walked out the store. The first week of April came and went and I never heard a word from Lowes. So last Wednesday I called them to see where our light was. The guy does his thing on the computer and says "Oh it won't be here till the 14th of May."

"WHAT!!!!! When was anyone going to tell me this." He says that someone called me on March 28th to tell me and it says that I approved it. I don't know who Lowes called but it wasn't me. Anyway, to make a long story short the Lowes guy was very helpful and called the manufacture and it should be here on the 30th of April. Now we just have to hire an electrician to install it. Here is what it should look like when it's all done. It will be so nice to finally have a light in that room.

The basement wall has come down

2010-04-18T08:34:00.001-07:00

The previous owners of our house had installed a wall in the basement that divided it into two rooms (one they used as a very small game room and the other as a bedroom for their teenage son). Both rooms were just not working for us, so we decided to remove the wall and restore the basement to its original glory. Before we did anything (even though the owners told us they installed the wall) we had to make sure that the wall was not load bearing. That's the last thing we need in this house is to have the floor from above come crashing down. Living with Lindsay just recently had a great post about how to determine a load bearing vs. non-load bearing wall.

We determined that the wall was non-load bearing so we grabbed our sledge hammer and goggles and got to work.

Here is the wall before it came down.

It's amazing the things you can find when you remove a wall in your house. We discovered hidden wallpaper that hadn't seen the light in years. When we removed the walls in the master bedroom we found old school papers from the eighties.

The wall is gone!!!! Now we just have to clean up.

Doors revealed!

2010-04-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

Ok so yes, it took me a year to complete these four French doors in our dining room. At times I questioned myself as to what I got myself into, but after seeing the final product, I am so glad that I did paint them white. It's amazing what just a little paint can do to change a room. So without further or do the doors are revealed.

BEFORE

AFTER

So much better!!!!! The whole room is getting there. We just need to install a light, replace the windows and finish the trim and the dining room will be complete. Then I just have to concentrate on decorating the room. We have come a long way from where we were when we bought the house. If you remember this is what the dining room looked like when we walked through for our house inspection.

Ahhhh. So much better!

These doors will not be the death of me.

2010-03-26T06:40:00.001-07:00

Ok remember these bad boys (Yes, I know it had been a year and I am still working on them)? But I am happy to say that I am almost done with them. I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to paint them white. They look awesome though. Stay tuned to see the final reveal!!!!

One Year Blog Anniversary

2010-03-05T10:47:00.000-08:00

So I just happen to go back to my first post today and realized that yesterday was my ONE YEAR BLOG ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!

Man that year flew by and I didn't get half the stuff I wanted to do done. This next year I promise is going to be filled with more excitement and successful projects. Here is my wish list of things I would like to get done in the next year.

1. Finish painting the french doors (yes, these are the same french doors I started painting a year ago.)
2. Finish installing the molding in the dining room.
3. Install a light in the dining room.
4. Gut the other two bedrooms and replace windows.
5. Tear down the wall in the basement
6. Improve the curb appeal of the house (new front door?)
7. Finish clearing out the brush in the backyard.
8. Remove wallpaper in kitchen
9. Paint kitchen

Wish me luck!!!

Happy Weekend!!!!

2009-12-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

I am loving this room right now!!! I really love that desk. Just gorgeous!!!!

Goodbye Winter...Hello Sun

2009-12-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

In just a few days I will be leaving this cold weather and heading to the great warmth of Cozumel, Mexico!!!!! Just looking at this picture makes me feel a little warmer. Don't get me wrong, I love the snow, just not the cold. So in order to get ready I headed to the local scuba store to stock up on all the snorkeling gear I would ever need. One thing that I did opt to get are these shorter fins.
I figured that they would be easier to travel with and plus they are so cute. I think I am all ready now!!!! I just hope I don't run into one of these.

Headboard Ideas

2009-12-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

Growing up my bedroom was the typical kid's/teenager's room. Posters of my latest crush, stuffed animals as far as the eye can see, candy wrappers stuffed under the bed so my parents wouldn't catch me (oh wait, that was my sister...sorry K I had to do it). When I moved onto college, my bedroom was not only my bedroom but my whole apartment. I had to keep my whole life in my room. So I've never really had a bedroom that was a truly stunning, gorgeous bedroom like the ones you see in magazines. Even when we moved into our new house I arranged and kept things in my room like I was still in a dorm room.

That's is until I said enough is enough!!!! I need to grow up and create my stunning, magazine worthy bedroom. Now I know that I wont have my dream bedroom overnight or even in this house (it's a tiny room, no master bath or walk-in-closet) but I have to start somewhere.

My first task a headboard! After doing a little research I have decided to do a white headboard. And of course I am going to attempt to create it myself. Seems easy enough, right? I will make sure to share my progress with you.

Source:k8sanythingandeverything.blogspot.com

Source: Apartment Therapy

2009-10-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

So I am back after a long blogging break. There are so many things to talk about that happened while I was away. There is little time to waste but first we must set some goals.

• Finish Painting the French doors
• Finish putting up the trim in the dining room
• Start exercising
• Finish putting the pool stuff away
• Start to manage my grocery money better

Mother Day Gift

2009-05-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day I knew that I wouldn't be seeing my mom since we live 5 hours away from each other. So I thought that it would be sweet if I made her breakfast in bed (mail). Granola seemed to be the perfect fit. Something that is absolutely delicious and can be mailed.

Here is my recipe for Mother's Day Granola. Recipe taken from www.cdkitchen.com

Ingredients:
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 F. In a bowl mix the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a saucepan warm the oil and honey. Whisk in vanilla.

Carefully pour the liquid over the oat mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon; finish mixing by hand. Spread granola in a 15x10 inch baking pan.

Bake 40 minutes, stirring carefully every 10 minutes. Transfer granola-filled pan to a rack to cool completely. Stir in raisins or cranberries. Seal granola in an airtight container or self-sealing plastic bag. Store at room temperature for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.

After letting the granola cool (and a few taste tests) I wrapped it up in a bag. Added a ribbon, label and a spoon.

I made a custom label just for my mom.

I also included a bowl that I got for a $1 and a card. Wrapped it all up and shipped it to my mom and told her when she gets it to not open it till mother's day morning.

The gift was a huge success. My mom love the granola and of course made her cry....
mission accomplished!

What is your deal lilac!!!

2009-05-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

So apparently my lilac bush is a little slow. Everyone else's bushes look like this. Nice and full and fully in bloom. They look so beautiful!!!! And it's a good thing everyone else's lilacs are in full bloom because the Lilac Festival starts this weekend.

Image: www.danasresort.com

And here is my poor tree that is struggling to bloom. Every morning I look out my window and think today is the day that it is going to look like everyone else's and every morning I am disappointed. COME ON ALREADY LILAC, BLOOM!!!!!!!

It's getting there but not fast enough for me. I can 't wait to fill my home with the fresh scent of lilac.

May Goals

2009-05-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

• Finish book started in April and start a new one.
• Prime Master bedroom window
• Finish painting french doors
• Install molding in bathroom
• Spring clean the upstairs
• Make my mom a great mother's day gift
• Get roof quoted

April Goals Revisited

2009-04-30T09:56:00.001-07:00

So I didn't do so well this month. Only got two of the seven goals accomplished (two of the easier goals). Oh well!!! I will have to make sure to do better next month.

Finish painting one set of french doors - I currently only have one set of doors almost complete and the other set still just primed. I think if I go out and find the new door handles it will get me motivated again to finish.

Fix light in bathroom

Install molding in bathroom - I bought the molding I just have to get the saw out and cut it. If I do anything this weekend, I am doing this!!

Complete spring cleaning on all upstairs rooms - What was I thinking with this one. I haven't even started it. You know what's going on May's goal list.

Prime window in master bedroom - Again something that I just have to get my butt into action and do.

Start a good book

Finish clearing out gardens - I didn't cross this off yet, but I really should have. I cleared out most of the gardens but the stupid weeds keep coming back...grrrr.

I hope you all got more done this month then I did. May is going to be one busy month :)

Pepsi Throwback

2009-04-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

Pepsi launched a new soda (or pop) that is pure sugar cane instead of high fructose corn syrup. I picked some up at the store today to try it out and it actually tastes very similar to regular Pepsi. I do taste a slight difference but it's not bad. Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback will be available for eight weeks only so go grab it while its available.

I like pepsi but I wouldn't call it my favorite drink. I think that my favorite all-time drink, which they don't sell around here anymore, is Clearly Canadian. I don't know what it is about that stuff but boy is it good. I really should fine somewhere online that sells it and buy a bunch. I don't know why they stopped selling it here, I thought I was keeping them in business...lol.

A new member

2009-04-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

The pear tree in the back yard has finally bloomed and joined the rest of the flowering trees. The only tree left to bloom is the lilac tree.

Jazz up the Deck

2009-04-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

The back deck just lacked some color so I was off to home depot and lowes to pick up a few supplies.I grabbed two clay pots and a few paint supplies.

First task was to paint the pots white. I also sprayed the inside of the pots with Thompson Water Sealer so that the paint on the outside doesn't bubble. I learned this from my favorite blog thisyounghouse after they painted a bunch of pots for their back deck (Click Here for their project).

I then taped off stripes on the pots with masking tape and spray painted the whole pot black.

Remove the tape and....... VOILA. Two beautiful pots that add that touch of color the deck was screaming for.

I love the black and white and the boxwood just pops. They are very Mackenzie Childs without the price tag.

Flowers Galore

2009-04-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

With all this warm weather that we have been having the trees around our yard have been exploding with beautiful flowers. Some trees have started flowering that I didn't even know were flowering trees. It's so fun to find new surprises in your new home.

Here are the two cherry trees in the back yard. They have a really nice little white flower.

My second favorite tree...the cherry in the front yard. My favorite tree is the lilac tree in the backyard that hasn't bloomed yet.

The bush on the left side of the picture was a surprise flowering tree. A beautiful yellow flower that is also great cut in a vase.

Who Smells so Good!

2009-04-24T05:58:00.000-07:00

I have declared Wild Honeysuckle by Bath and Body Works my new favorite fragrance. I had purchased the soap awhile back and really liked the smell. So yesterday I went out to buy the air freshener in the same scent. While I was at the store I sprayed myself with the Wild Honeysuckle perfume and went about my business. Totally forgetting that I sprayed anything on me, I left the mall. As I was walking I could smell the perfume and kept thinking "Man someone smells really good." I got in the car and could still smell it and then it hit me...IT'S ME THAT SMELLS SO GOOD! This stuff really is the best and I therefore have placed it at the top of my Top 5 fragrances.

1. Wild Honeysuckle by Bath and Body Works. Discovered it after I sprayed myself in the store with the purfume.

2. Happy by Clinique. Discovered it after picking up one of my sisters friends who had it on. Has been my go to perfume ever since.

3. Love Potion by Victoria Secret. Discovered it because my sisters boyfriend bought her the lotion and I fell in love (I guess it really works!) with it.

4. Cucumber Mellon by Bath and Body Works. I can't remember how I found this fragrance. Probably just found it in the store and liked it.

5. Romance by Ralph Lauren. Discovered it after walking through Macy's and being sprayed by the Perfume girl. I think I liked it because it reminds me of a very good friend.

LOLLAPALOOZA LINEUP IS HERE

2009-04-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

The lineup is finally out for the lollapalooza music concert in Chicago. We went last year for the first time and had such a great time we are going back again this year. I am really excited about the lineup. There are going to be some really great bands that I can't wait to see.

MY LINEUP
The Killers
Beastie Boys
Kings of Leon
Snoop Dogg
Rise Against
TV on the Radio
Vampire Weekend
The Decemberists
Arctic Monkeys
Coheed and Cambria
Ben Folds
Silversun Pickups
Kaiser Chiefs
Peter Bjorn and John
Glasvegas
Passion Pit
The Airborne Toxic Event
Ra Ra Riot
Los Campesinos!
Manchester Orchestra

With any luck I will get to see most of these bands. But there are so many this year that I want to see, I just know that there are going to be conflicts. Check out the rest of the lineup here.

Started My April Book Finally!

2009-04-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

So, I finally went to the Library to pick out a book to start reading. After reading a review on another blog, I chose "The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff. A fictional novel about Brigham Young's (the leader of the Mormon Church back in 1875) 19th wife and her crusade to end polygamy.

Two little visitors

2009-04-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

So I looked out the window the other day and who do I see....two ducks swimming in our pool. I first thought "ah how cute" but then I realized "I don't want duck poop in my pool." So I headed outside to shoo them away. When I tried to get them out of the pool they just looked at me and kept on swimming. I was ignored by DUCKS!!!!! I gave up and went inside for a little bit. The next time I looked outside, thank goodness they were gone. After the swimming ducks, I realized that there was a little to much water on top of the pool cover. So, the next day I went out and bought a pump to remove the water. That will teach those ducks!

Oh deere

2009-04-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it has been awhile since my last post. We have had a couple of very busy days. Thursday, we went up to Toronto to see a Toronto Blue Jays vs. Detroit Tigers game and Friday the family came up for the weekend and Easter. But the biggest news of the whole weekend was on Saturday our new lawnmower arrived!!!!

We got our new Deere used but it only had 16 hours on it so it's practically new. Can't wait till the grass grows a little bit more so I can take it out for a spin.

Image Source: nrmotors.ca

Home sweet home

2009-04-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

The other day I came across another blog that caught my interest. bowerpower spoted some art work that inspired her to create her own montage of her home town. This of course inspired me to do the same for my new home town.

Inspiration piece number #1
Inspiration piece number #2

My master piece

2009-04-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

Finish painting one set of french doors
Fix light in bathroom
Install molding in bathroom
Complete spring cleaning on all upstairs rooms
Prime window in master bedroom
Start a good book
Finish clearing out gardens

Where did you go Spring?

2009-04-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

So apparently winter doesn't want to be over yet. This morning when I woke up and looked out the window, this is what I saw.
NOT COOL!!!! I liked the 66 degree day we had a week ago better. Hopefully, this won't last long and we can get back to the spring like weather we were having. Fingers crossed.

Signs of Life

2009-04-03T05:57:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to come to life around our yard. Flowers are popping up from the ground. Trees are starting to show little buds. Grass is starting to get a little greener. Yesterday was our best day in a long long time....66 degrees!!!!! I can't wait till it's like that everyday. Today is 53 and raining :( However, I did reseed the front lawn yesterday so now I don't have to drag the hose out to water it. Yesterday, I also checked the "lilac bush" it see if I could get a definite answer on if it is a lilac bush or not and

Drum roll please..........

IT IS!!!!!!!

I was so excited!!!! I can't wait till they fully bloom. It's not the best picture. But you can start to see the purple flowers come to life. YEAH!!!!!!

Here is a picture of one of the flowers I planted last fall. They are also starting to grow. It's so rewarding to plant something from a little seed and see it grow. Next fall I will have to plant some more flowers then I did this time.

Side Garden

2009-03-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

So here is what I got accomplished this past weekend.
• Removed bricks from backyard
• Created garden edging for side garden

Before

After

• Finished Painting the bookshelves

Creative Easter

2009-03-27T05:48:00.000-07:00

Very Cute Egg ideas for Easter. Hopefully, I can make some type of Easter eggs this weekend. I will let you know how that goes.

Image: Martha Stewart

Flirty "French Candy" Party Theme

2009-03-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

How fun is this party decoration!!! Makes me wish my dining room was done so I could decorate it. We're getting there on the dining room. The bookshelves are almost painted I just have to touch up some areas and then I can check it off my list. Then I have to finish the doors, place the molding up, and put in FLOORS!!!! I can't wait till that happens. I really hope I can get the doors done this weekend, however if it is going to be 60 on Sat. like they tell me then you can find me outside!

Spring Chick!

2009-03-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Bakerella posted these on her blog today and I just fell in love with them. I can't wait till she posts how to make them. They are going to be the first thing I make for easter!!!!!!

Image: bakerella.blogspot.com

Bench for Front Entry

2009-03-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

After searching and searching for a bench that would work for the front entry, I finally found one!!!! She needs some paint but after all the painting I have been doing, that's the easy part. I am going to paint it black. I am also going to buy a pub mirror to place over it.

Decorating for Easter

2009-03-23T17:32:00.001-07:00

With Easter just around the corner, I figured I better get decorating. I found these really cute bunnies at The Christmas Tree Shop.

They look just like a chocolate bunny. C was very disappointed when he found out that he couldn't eat them.

Welcome Spring

2009-03-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

I am so happy that spring is finally here!!!! I better hurry up and finish the dining room before I am not going to want to stay inside anymore. When we first moved in the dining room was nothing to speak of. Ugly felt wallpaper on the top and a blinding blue on the lower half of the walls. The carpet smelled of animals and had stains all over it. I did tried to clean the rug with a rug cleaner that we rented from Big Lots. However, I apparently can't read directions and emptied a whole bucket of solution in one corner of the room which resulted in a moldy rug. So the next day...the rug was gone.The furniture in these pictures are the owners before us. I took these pictures when we were doing the house inspection.
Here is the room after the rug was gone. Looks better already. We are going to eventually place hardwood down in this room.

So first thing I got started on was tearing down the ugly wallpaper. NOT FUN!!!! Took me awhile but I got it done. I then primed and painted the walls. A nice grey on the top and white on the bottom. I am going to do a faux wainscoting on the lower half. I also painted the bookshelves a nice crisp white. Much better than what was there.

I started to paint the back of the bookshelves silver but after seeing it up there, decided against it. One of my tasks this weekend is to paint over the silver and paint another coat of white on both the shelves and french doors.

Here are the doors getting ready for some paint.

Here they are in their current state along with the pear tree branches I cut down and spray painted silver. I need to get something to place them in. Hopefully, I can get a bunch done this weekend.

March Madness

2009-03-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

Let the madness begin!!!! Filled out my brackets last night (which made me very grumpy because I have no clue what I am doing) Hopefully I chose wisely and I get some money out of it. GO SYRACUSE!!!!!

Happy St. Patricks Day

2009-03-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

Make sure to try these out today. From my favorite baking blogger...Bakerella. Learn how to make these yummy treats HERE.

Garden

2009-03-16T18:44:00.000-07:00

So because it was so nice outside this past weekend, I headed out to do yard work. I raked the yard of all the sticks and pine cones the trees dropped over the winter. I also cleared out one of the gardens that had a bunch of stones in the middle. Looks a lot better cleared out. I am hoping to plant a bunch of wild flowers in the garden.

Bathroom Renovation

2009-03-16T17:38:00.000-07:00

So I finally dragged out some more photos of the bathroom renovation. I hope I never have to do another bathroom again in my life. :)

After many months of hard work.....I give you the before and after of the bathroom.

BEFORE

AFTER

We still have to paint the door and add some trim and then we will be done. I still am not sure about the red curtain. I might change that if I ever find a curtain that I like.

Weekend projects

2009-03-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

Prime two sets of French doors - Half done
Paint two sets of French doors
Finish painting Bookshelves - Half done
Paint the silver in the back of the bookshelves - Decided not to paint silver. Going to leave it white.
Finish painting trim around doors.
Install base molding in bathroom
Fix light in bathroom
Clean bathroom
Laundry
Organize shed
Take a nice long bath

So I didn't get as much done on my list as I wanted to. It was just too nice of a weekend to stay inside. But, I did get a lot done around the yard which was good.

Petite Watermelon

2009-03-16T05:57:00.000-07:00

Are these not the cutest things? Petite watermelon made of limes, jell-o and chocolate chips. So Clever!!!! These would be perfect for a summer party. Check out how to make them HERE.

Image: Chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com

Weekend list of things to do

2009-03-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

Finally, Friday has arrived and I have a list of things that I want to get done this weekend. Lets see how much I can get done!

Prime two sets of French doors
Paint two sets of French doors
Finish painting Bookshelves
Paint the silver in the back of the bookshelves
Finish painting trim around doors.
Install base molding in bathroom
Fix light in bathroom
Clean bathroom
Laundry
Organize shed
Take a nice long bath

Hot Tub

2009-03-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

So we are getting a hot tub!!!!! Our lovely neighbors who moved in around the same time we did had a hot tub that came with the house. They decided that they just don't use it enough it keep it and came over and asked if we would like to have it. Of course we said "YES!!!!!" I am so glad that we moved into the neighborhood that we did. We have such great neighbors :) We won't get the hot tub for a couple more weeks. We are going to let the ground dry up and then move it by taking part of the fence down. Can't wait to just sit in it and relax!

Image from: alibaba.com

Spring?

2009-03-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought that spring was almost here it had to start snowing again. Don't get me wrong I love the snow but enough already!!!!! So to put me in the spring mood I decided to think flowers!!! Most of the plants in our new yard I know what they are. However, there is this one bush in the backyard that we are hoping is a lilac bush. Keeping our fingers crossed!!!

Tree Table

2009-03-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

So as spring is arriving I am thinking more and more about things to do to renovate the backyard. Last summer we went to Saratoga Springs for the weekend and at this cute restaurant they had these outdoor tables that I just fell in love with. I think it would be so fun to have one in the backyard. Now I just have to find the right tree.

Accessorizing the bathroom

2009-03-05T05:59:00.000-08:00

The bathroom is almost complete. There are only a few little things left to do. I promise tomorrow I will post pictures of the before and after. Last night I started to think about adding some accessorizes to the bathroom. I hung two pictures that I finally found after searching for the right ones.

I love the idea of adding some large letters over the cabinet. I might run to JoAnn Fabrics to see if they have any letters and spray them silver. I will let you know how that turns out. I am still searching for something to place on top of the toilet. Let me know if anyone has any ideas.

Our House

2009-03-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

We moved into our first home at the end of July and have been very busy trying to get it perfect (well I am at least, C is just trying to make me happy). I know that it can never be the way I want it, but I can try all the least.
The first thing that we decided to do when we first moved in was to gut the bathroom and the master bedroom. No big deal right? ......Boy were we in for a test. First of all we only have one bathroom so we were making a lot of trips to the local McDonalds.
Here is my dad installing all of our new tile. Thanks dad!!! It came out so nice. Much better than what was there before

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Its amazing how much you learn when you have a house. After tiling the whole bathroom I feel like I could tile anything now.

First Blog

2009-03-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

I recently started reading a lot of blogs about people who have recorded their trials and tribulations with home renovating. I thought it was just me that was having all this fun with fixing up my new house. But looks like a lot of you are in the same boat. So this is where my new blog comes in. I wanted to also join the home renovating blogging community. I hope you enjoy our journey.