Decorating Obsessed

Audrey's birth story and my health

2012-01-25T19:39:00.002-06:00

While the story isn’t over yet, I wanted to share what was going on with me.

Thursday, January 12
I came home from work with a fever and was wheezing.

Sunday, January 15 (Hospital Day 1)
My breathing difficulty was getting worse, so my OBGYN on-call doctor told me to go to urgent care and get my lungs listened to. At urgent care, my blood pressure was out of control and we were told to go straight to the hospital.

I was checked into L&D. My blood pressure was nowhere as high, but the hospital decided to do a 24-hour urine test. As for my difficulty breathing, I was put on an antibiotic to get the “yuck” out.

Monday, January 16 (Hospital Day 2)
I was diagnosed with early stages of pre-eclampsia and given the induction date of Tuesday, January 24. I was released from the hospital and put on bed rest for the week.

Tuesday, January 17 (Hospital Day 3)
I went back to the hospital this morning after some blood gushing. My doctor decided the baby wanted to come and broke my water a little after 1 p.m. Within 10 minutes my contractions were already 3-4 minutes apart.

The biggest issue was my breathing and coughing. I lasted 90 minutes (4 cm dilated) without an epidural. Sadly, I had some epidural drama. The first one did not go in well at all. I could still feel everything on my right side. The anesthesiologist clearly knew something was wrong, because he hung around for about 45 minutes. He fidgeted with the needle after that, and it didn’t get better, so he had to redo the entire process. The second epidural stayed in my system for about 90 minutes, but after that the pain returned and didn’t go away – even with several redoses.

I started pushing around 9 p.m., so about 8 hours later. Instead of taking breaks between pushing though, I was coughing and spitting up mucus and trying to catch any breath that I had left in me. I just knew that something was not right. After about an hour my doctor was paged. Before she arrived though, another RN came in to help. At this point, I was begging for a c-section and the new RN kept telling me to keep on going – how it’d be better for me and the baby. The new RN tried to put an oxygen mask on me, which I’m too claustrophoebic for and started freaking out even more, which made my breathing even worse. During the pushes at this point, they would lower the bed for the push positioning, which made the coughing even worse and my pushes got weaker and weaker. Then they'd raise the bed so I could cough and attempt to get any air I could.

Thirty minutes later, I had so little air that I was seeing spots and close to passing out. When my doctor walked in, she offered me a c-section in less than a minute.

Everything else that night is a blur. I had epidural #3, but I was so exhausted, I fell asleep on one of the doctors holding me up. I didn’t even realize I had been strapped down. I don’t remember Brent coming into the room or even really hearing Audrey cry. When Brent was holding Audrey, I took one look at her, smiled and passed out. Audrey was born at 11:38 p.m.

Wednesday, January 18 (Hospital Day 4)
While in the c-section recovery room, I got to hold Audrey and attempt to breastfeed her in between coughing fits and a chest x-ray. Brent and I were busy loving on her, and the grandparents stopped in to see their first grandchild. I was on oxygen and getting blood drawn while Audrey and I were having some skin-to-skin time.

The RN was having some difficulty with drawing my blood (didn’t really have a lot of desirable veins left), so I started paying attention to the abuse of my hand. Then Audrey made this alarming noise, I looked over at her and see her turning purple. The RN grabbed Audrey and ran out of the room with her.

I’m not sure how much time passed. Probably only 5 minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. The RN returned and told us everything was now fine. Audrey did stop breathing, but her heart was still going. She was now admitted into NICU.

When Brent and I woke up that morning, we got wonderful reports on Audrey. So, the new focus was on getting me better. I was still on oxygen and having breathing treatments.

That night, I finally got to see Audrey.

Saturday, January 21 (Hospital Day 7)
I was released from the hospital that night. Audrey developed a little jaundice though, so we boarded at the hospital since she was being released the following day.

That night I got worse. The coughing and breathing difficulty increased again…as did the tears. At this point, I played it up to hormones and just being hospital stir crazy. It hurt to be at any form of an inclined positioned because I couldn’t get air – so therefore I couldn't sleep.

Sunday, January 22 (Hospital Day 8)
We were discharged from the hospital on Sunday. Audrey still had some jaundice, but it was improving – so home health services provided us with the necessary equipment.

That morning I cried a lot. I just assumed it was hormones and possibly some post-pardum warning signs, so I didn’t read much into it. I still couldn’t get enough air, but I thought that going home would solve that issue.

I went downhill rather quickly once we got home. Less than 4 hours later, I was back in the ER. Basically, the trip to the ER was to determine if something was actually wrong or if it was panic-attack related.

After chest x-rays, an EKG and cat-scan – they discovered a had an extreme amount of fluid in my lungs and I was admitted into the hospital to start flushing out my system.

Monday, January 24 (Hospital Day 9)
Audrey update: Audrey no longer has jaundice!

I had an ECHO in the morning to determine the cause of the liquid.

I was diagnosed with Post-Pardum Cardio Myopathy. In a nut shell this means, pregnancy weakened my heart and it’s become enlarged and can’t function correctly.

While it’s looking like I’ll make a decent to full recovery, things will no longer be the same. This is a condition I will always have, which means I’ll always be at risk for congestive heart failure. I’ll most likely be on heart medication the rest of my life, and on a low-sodium diet to prevent future liquid build up.

Another heartbreaking change is that I won’t ever be pregnant again. Since pregnancy caused this issue, getting pregnant again will make my condition worse and likely lead to a form of heart balloon or other heart surgery. Definitely not worth the risk, but a lot of tears were shed.

Tuesday, January 24 (Hospital Day 10)
Not a whole lot has changed. I responded well to the medicines I’ve been on (I’ve already lost 3 liters of liquid…yes, 3 liters). Since I’ve responded well, I didn’t need to heart cath or additional ECHO done, which was a big relief.

I’m done with my nitro drip, but back on the oxygen. And I just started taking a new heart medication to see how that goes.

When I do get to go home, I’ll be on a “life vest” for about a month. This will make sure all stays well with my heart and give me a shock if needed.

Wednesday, January 25 (Hospital Day 11)
I started a beta blocker today, and I seem to be doing well with it so far. I also met up with the nutritionist to start going over my new sodium-free lifestyle.

There's rumors I'll be released on Friday, but there's been no doctor confirmation on this so far.
_____________________

So, that’s where I’m at right now. I’ll try to keep everyone updated.

As for Audrey, both my mom and mother-in-law are staying at the house with her. So she's been in great hands being spoiled.

Baby Audrey

2012-01-25T19:13:00.003-06:00

Audrey Elizabeth was born January 17 at 11:38 pm. She weighed 7 lbs, 5 oz and is 20.75" long.

Audrey at one week:
As you can see, we're still in the hospital. Audrey is doing great, the health issues are mine. I'll post that journey in a separate post.

Just a quickie

2012-01-16T21:37:00.003-06:00

I know I've been quiet, but I've been sick.

There's this gross cough going around where I work, and I caught it. Sadly, there's no good medicine I can actually take for a cough/chest congestion/runny nose, so I wound up in labor & delivery over the weekend and was just released tonight.

Basically, the cough/cough meds/not getting enough air elevated my blood pressure enough to be hospitalized.

The big news is that I'll be induced next week, if not earlier. Until then it's bedrest for me.

Please vote for me!

2012-01-09T09:34:00.002-06:00

Hey guys! I know this is super last minute, but I'm up for Nursery of the Week on Project Nursery, and I've decided it'd be rather awesome to win.

So click here, and then click the Facebook "like" button at the top. Voting closes at noon (not sure in which time zone though).

Thanks so much!

And in case you're curious, here's the competition.

2011

2012-01-04T20:25:00.004-06:00

2011 was quite a year. Here's my 2011 recap.

I painted the kitchen cabinets white:

I lost my job.

Built-in #1 in the man cave is done:

Hosted a couple's shower:

Linen closet revamp:

I got a new job!

Added curb appeal to the landscape:

Finished built-in #2 for the man cave:

Was featured on Hostess With the Mostess for the beer-tasting party:

Hosted a wine-tasting party for my mom's 60th birthday:

Bought a sectional for the man cave:

Bought a new a/c and Chip got his butt shaved:

Announced my pregnancy and shared my fertility story.

Painted the man cave green:

Brent got a new car:

Found out that JJ Bean is a girl!

Had Beer Party: The Sequel:

Finished the argyle wall:

Did built-ins for the master closet:

Created a "slide-in" built-in shelf:

Decorated for the holidays:

Lots of baby showers:

Audrey's nursery is done!

2012 is going to be a huge year for us. I can't wait to see what happens.

The nursery

2012-01-02T11:27:00.010-06:00

My goal was to have Audrey's nursery complete by the end of the year. While it's still missing a few elements, I'm excited to say that if I go in labor today – she will come home to a room that looks done and is now finally clean.

I didn't do a mood board for this room. I'm not sure if this hurt or helped me in the long run. I tried to use Pinterest, but I was even way to indecisive for even that and didn't make it too far. I can't even count how many times I changed my mind on fabrics. Really, the only piece of the nursery I was positive on was my argyle wall – so I based all of my decisions off of that.

The other deciding factor was budget. Baby items are a lot like wedding items – tack the word baby in front of it and the price sky rockets. So, I had my one splurge item – the glider and ottoman set, and then actually repurposed a lot of items for this space.

The crib is actually from Wal-Mart. It wasn't our original first choice (we were actually wanting the Somnat crib in green from Ikea and even made the 7-hour journey to Minneapolis for it. Of course, this was during Ikea's massive crib recall, so that idea fell through). When I saw the Baby Mod crib at Wal-Mart though, I came up with a new plan. Keep the crib white, and paint the wood base at the bottom green. I like this look so much more, and I still have a crib with some green on it.

I actually received this star in 2005 as a graduation present from my parents. It's been in a lot of rooms, but I think it going in a nursery is rather perfect. It's from a fabulous decor store in Lawrence, KS, that sadly closed several years ago.

Audrey's first Picasso's:

The glider and ottoman set are from BuyBuy Baby and were the big splurge, coming in at $600. The houndstooth quilt pattern was $7.50, and I had that made (this girl does not sew). The pillow is something I got off Etsy for my family room several years ago. The lamp is from Target, and the table is from a Craigslist flip I did in 2010.

The dresser was a $40 purchase off of Craigslist that I repainted. The painting is a DIY project I did several weekends ago.

The Expedit shelf was another must for the nursery:

An art fair purchase from 5 years ago:

The closet:

Drawer organization:

I started the nursery at 15 weeks. And at 34 weeks and 6 days, I can happily say "done!"

The month of Audrey

2011-12-28T20:34:00.007-06:00

The month of December was an Audrey-filled one – with 4 amazing showers, Christmas and 3 birth/baby classes – it was impossible to forget that Audrey will be making her debut in 5ish weeks.

My first shower was for family and family friends. (I haven't received photos from this shower yet though).

My good friends Kelley and Sara hosted my second shower.

During the shower we got crafty and made onsies. It was so much fun seeing what designs everyone came up with. They even made sure to have houndstooth fabric for me to use.

Me with Audrey's future grandmas:

At my third shower, I had 6 amazing hostesses:

This shower was from my book club friends. The theme was penguin wonderland, which was beyond perfect. There were penguins everywhere (there were even penguin jello shots that others were enjoying), but I especially loved the cake:

My 4th shower was actually today – Brent's work threw us one. Totally unexpected, but super sweet.

So clearly with all these showers...and Christmas, Audrey got beyond spoiled. Here's some of the goodies I'm most excited about:

I'm still in a state of shock that realistically, Audrey could say hello anytime now. And all these amazing gifts (and the others not shown) will help out greatly.

Christmas cheer

2011-12-12T20:32:00.002-06:00

I have a confession, while my house is decorated for the holidays – I'm just not feeling it. I have been distracted by a December full of baby showers, thank you cards, baby classes and nursery preparations. And I'm so ready for Audrey to get here that I'm having trouble focusing on anything else.

Originally, I thought I would go all out this year for Christmas, because it's Brent's and my last year as just the two of us. But, it's just not happening. While all the decor is out, third trimester exhaustion has set in, and some nights I don't even have the energy to turn on the penguin tree lights (I know! I must be tired to ignore something so fabulous). Well, mainly it's because bending down has gotten rather tricky. Thankfully, Brent is still bendy, so he's taken over the light duty.

Anyway...here's the part you care about – the decor.

The sweet tree

The family tree

I'll be especially excited about the family tree next Christmas when Audrey is here. I'm even toying with the idea of doing silhouettes of all the family instead of photos.

The penguin tree

My favorite new penguin ornament:

The formal tree

The classic tree

Other holiday photos from around the house...

Fabric is cool

2011-12-02T11:42:00.003-06:00

Now that the crib is in and assembled (!!!), I decided it was time to quite dragging my feet about picking my fabrics for the crib skirt and curtain panels.

I ordered 10 different fabric samples, and Brent and I quickly narrowed it down to the 2 winners.

The crib skirt (Dwell Studio Dotscape Jet):

The curtain panels (Waverly Scribble Meadow):

Brent and I both fell in love with this fabric right away, and were extremely happy it was the correct shade of green once the sample arrived.

Me: It's just so great. It's modern yet playful at the same time. I just love it.

Brent: I wouldn't describe it that way, but I love it too.

Me: How would you describe it?

Brent: It's cool.

Right.

I ordered everything yesterday, so now I get to impatiently wait for them to be shipped, delivered and made.

I heart Black Friday

2011-11-26T17:29:00.009-06:00

I know a lot of people don't get Black Friday, but I'm not one of those people.

I am obsessed with getting the best bargain possible, so naturally Black Friday and I have a very strong courtship. I've had my tentative Black Friday list since finding out I was pregnant, and I've been saving ever since, because I knew this year we'd be buying a lot of stuff.

Thanksgiving night, Brent and I went to Michaels, because they were offering 30% off your total purchase. I want to paint something above the dresser in the nursery – and I scored my $60 canvas for $20. I also bought all my paints and brushes. Then we bought all the supplies for 4 Christmas presents. (Brent's side has 4 elementary-aged girls who love to craft. So, I bought 4 bead organizer containers (all 75% off), and filled it with tons of crafting goodies – sequins, buttons, stickers, foam shapes, wood cutout outs, thread, etc.). We were in and out in 20 minutes, and saved about $125.

Later that night, my affair with Amazon and their amazing deals started.

My biggest deal/excitement was my camera. I finally acquired a Canon EOS Rebel T3. Amazon matched Sears' deal by packaging it with a telephoto lens for the same price. (But we shipped everything to one of Brent's friends in Missouri, so my deal was tax-free).

Brent's Christmas present this year is another Blu-ray player. He loves the one we got last Black Friday, so we just bought the newer version of this model. The new one will go in the man cave, and the older model will go in the family room.

For the past several years, I've bought the Christmas present that my grandparents give us. This year, we decided to go practical and upgrade our toaster to a 4-slicer. I actually bought this toaster as a wedding present for my cousin this fall and kind of feel in love with it.

I just couldn't say no to this – $70 for all 8 Harry Potter movies on Blu-ray? Ummm...yes, please. I'm excited to make Brent watch them with me. :)
I also acquired a few more DVDs as stocking stuffers and gifts for my brother.

Brent actually braved the crowds alone this year and went to Nebraska Furniture Mart. He's been wanting a new laptop for awhile, and his basically died this week...and the one he's been eying was $200 off.

Yep, it was definitely a successful day. Brent's been making me jealous playing with his new toy. I won't get my camera until Wednesday, so I am on countdown.

The "slide in" shelf

2011-11-22T20:56:00.005-06:00

The one thing I hated about the nursery was the attic access (aka: cabinet door) on the wall.

I mean, how is this not noticeable:

So, I started debating my options, because, well, this was just not acceptable. I toyed with the idea of a large picture or other ways to hide it. Then one day I realized I was going about it the wrong way – don't hide it, embrace it. And that's where the concept of my "slide-in" shelf came from.

While we currently don't use our attic, we didn't want to block off access to it. So I came up with the concept of a built-in looking shelf that could slide out when necessary, and then put Brent to work.

The first order of business was to go through the cabinet, which was super exciting because I found my houndstooth stencil (so I can finally repair the hole).

Then we cleared it out:

Now it was time for measurements. We still managed to have scraps leftover from the man cave built-ins, so this was another free project. Brent didn't want to deal with the angle at the top – so we put a permit board there, and had the shelving unit below that.

Once it was built, the painting began:

The end result:

I am so happy with how it turned out!

I grew up in a 1920s cape code. There was detail everywhere and built-ins in every room. While this no nowhere close to that 1920s craftmanship, it does remind me of the house I grew up in and that makes me smile.

From eyesore to wow feature:

A weekend of purging

2011-11-20T19:57:00.001-06:00

Spring cleaning is apparently happening a tad late in the Miller house this year. No closet is currently safe. I think the realization that we'll soon be acquiring a bunch of baby stuff is fueling this task.

While on this mission, I realized I have never gone through Macintosh and Chip's toys. Ummm...holy geez. Let's just say they are a tad spoiled.

Chip showing off part of his stash:
The donation pile for the local no-kill animal shelter:

The donation pile is about 40% of the toy collection. I don't think I realized how out of control it was. Before Chip was rescued, he never had toys – so I know the craziness started when we adopted him. Toys became a part of birthdays, holidays, when Brent and I traveled and also just because.

I think it's safe to say Macintosh and Chip will be getting treats in their stockings this year.

Closet preparations

2011-11-20T15:46:00.002-06:00

I bought goodies for Audrey's closet...several weeks ago (yes, I know I currently suck at this thing called blogging).

The closet dividers are from Amazon. And the storage stuff is actually from JoAnns. I feel like I hit the jackpot with it. This collection was in the office section and was 50% off. So, I scored 3 large baskets, 1 small basket, 2 "photo" boxes, a stack of 3 circular containers, a white organizer, and a backdoor organizer for $80.

Ut Oh

2011-11-11T14:48:00.002-06:00

Going to Web sites such as Macys and then doing a search for "penguins" is a bad idea.

Jonathan Adler has a penguin ornament out. $28 is a lot to spend on an ornament, but I might not be able to help myself. This little guy is adorable, and would make a perfect addition to my penguin tree.

I've got to stop

2011-11-11T14:32:00.003-06:00

I've got to stop buying things (mainly clothes) for Audrey. My baby showers aren't until December, and yet she already reaching what could be considered a full closet.

So, last weekend's shopping spree with my mom and god-mother was it. I am on break until after December 18th. It's going to be tough, but I have to do it.

But for now, here's what I bought at Crazy 8:

Penguin Bodysuit:

Penguin Sweater Hat:

Poodle Fleece Sleeper:

I would like to say this is all I purchased, but I also acquired a pink penguin hat at Macys. Let's not worry though, all 3 of the penguin hats I now have for Audrey are in different sizes.

And my order from Totsy's blowout sale last month may have come in.

And my mom may have bought some things as well (a sleeper and fleece coat). And...maybe a penguin pillow pet that I'll be receiving at Christmas.

Yep, I'm officially on break.

What I Bought...

2011-11-07T12:28:00.002-06:00

I just couldn't help myself. I'm powerless toward penguins.

At first I was going to buy the entire set of the 3 winter sport penguins, but the ice skating penguin looked way too one-legged in person.

I also decided to take a huge step and buy my first Thanksgiving/Fall decoration ever. This is a huge step for me. Luckily, it was only $3.95, so it was easy to take the plunge.

In pregnancy news, I have my 1-hour glucose screening today. And tomorrow I start my 3rd trimester. I can't believe how quickly time is flying by.

The master closet

2011-10-28T21:56:00.002-05:00

While I'm a judgmental snob when it comes to those in "new construction houses," there is one aspect of new houses that I'm insanely jealous of – the master bedroom closets. I wish Brent and I had any form of a walk-in closet in our bedroom. Instead, we have this:

Yep, that's all the clothing space we have.

To make due, I also took over the closet in the second guest bedroom.

But, since that's Audrey's future room – something had to be done. So we cleared out our closet and got to work.

Brent had tons of board leftover from the built-ins in the man cave, so I figured why not get creative. We divided our closet in half, and each drew out a game plan of what type of storage we needed. Brent wanted a special section for his suites and some shoe storage, but maintaining room for other clothes was important to him. I went the opposite route and actually cut the clothing part of my closet in half. This way I had plenty of room for shoes, purses and other things. While it will definitely be different switching out close each season, that's what worked best for me.

Brent and had shelves built and installed in no time.

Then we got to buy/paint one of the few items we needed for this project – edging.

Much better.

The best part – my things now fit in this closet. Yay!

Sure it's not a walk-in closet, but I will survive. And now this means Audrey's closet is ready to be started.

Argyle accomplished!

2011-10-24T09:49:00.003-05:00

It's done! The argyle wall is done!

Honestly, I'm still in a state of shock that I was able to finish it as quickly as I did. I started painting that wall white 3 weeks ago, and from there just worked on the wall off and on. Totally worth it:

Sorry, for the darkish photo. I finished all the touch-ups late last night – so this room was kind of on the dark side. I plan on taking new photos, once phase 2 of the wall is complete (but more on that later).

Here's how we made argyle happen.

1. Paint your wall your base color – this would be the color used the most. For the sack of your sanity, also have this color be the lightest color you're using.

2. Figure out how many diamonds you want (I wanted mine big, so I picked 5x8) and then make a grid. This goes super fast if you have one of those long levels. Brent measured/drew everything out in 5 minutes.

3. Now it's time to make some diamonds! Brent measured the size of one of the rectangles, and then divided the width and height in half. With those measurements he made a "mini rectangle template" on a sheet of computer paper, which was the fourth of the size of the ones on the wall. With that template, he was able to mark the halfway point in each rectangle (aka: where the diamond points go).

4. Start taping for color #2 (color #1 is your base color).

5. Paint color #2.

6. Peel tape and start taping for color #3.

7. Paint color #3.

8. Now it's time for some dashed line "fun." This was the part of the project I was dreading, but Brent and I found a way to cheat the system and make this task go by fast. Brent and I had some 6-foot edging for our closet project that was .75" in width. So, using the pencil intersections in the white diamonds as our guides – Brent held the piece of wood to the wall, while I taped everything off. For the length or each dashed line, I actually just used the length of a paint chip, that way I wouldn't have to measure anything.

9. Do touch-ups and then you're done!

I'm so happy with how it turned out. I'm especially happy that it's done, and I can move on to other projects like the nursery closet and turning the "door" on the argyle wall into a feature instead of an eyesore.

This weekend

2011-10-17T09:42:00.002-05:00

Nesting is a funny thing. For me, it's like drinking a lot of Red Bull and having an extreme amount of focus on the tasks at hand. All I wanted to do this weekend was start getting things ready for Audrey, and that's exactly what we did.

What I worked on this weekend:
That's right, aside from touch ups – the argyle wall is now done. A lot of touch-up work will be needed (thanks to my husband making his pencil lines as dark as possible), but I hope to do all touch ups next weekend.

What Brent worked on this weekend:

Yep, what you're seeing is not only a super gross closet, but Brent's and my super gross closet. I'd been wanting an organizational system in our closet for awhile, and I figured this was the perfect time to make it happen. The paint finished drying over night, so hopefully our clothes will be back hanging tonight, and ready for a reveal soon!

In other Audrey news: We're buying our glider and finishing off our registry tonight. I'm so excited!

The nursery palette

2011-10-17T09:10:00.002-05:00

While I toyed around with many color schemes, I kept coming back to this one – green, yellow, gray and white. I love the playfulness of these color together, and I love even more that it doesn't scream baby. Because this is the most gender-neutral palette ever, I decided to add in pops of magenta throughout the room, with some black to help balance out the pink.

The argyle wall though will stick with only the dominate colors, which we narrowed down to Behr's Japanese Fern and Sun Shower (the yellow on the right).

As for the gray, we'll be sticking with the gray used elsewhere in our house – Valspar's Granite Dust.

It fills good to be finally making some decisions.

Going white

2011-10-12T09:53:00.002-05:00

My second guest bedroom used to look like this:
Well, it's not so welcoming anymore. Audrey is taking over.

My first nursery project involved painting the focal wall white. And let me tell you, it was the weirdest experience ever. I never thought I would ever paint a wall white. I kept reminding myself, that eventually it'd be an argyle wall, but it was still just odd.

But it was definitiely nice to finally make some sort of progress in the future nursery.

I spy...

2011-10-07T11:05:00.003-05:00

...new penguin ornaments at Crate & Barrel!

Wooly Winter Sport Penguin Ornaments:
Alpaca Chubby Penguin Ornaments:
These will be fabulous additions to my penguin tree. I especially love the sporty penguins. I think I might have to get all 3 of those. :)

Beer Party: The Sequel

2011-09-27T19:10:00.012-05:00

Our second annual beer-tasting party was a success (and yes, beer party: the trilogy is already in the works for next year).

The guest count was a lot smaller this year, which I was originally nervous about, but I have since decided that 30-40 people is a fabulous size. It let me socialize with everyone. The 70-80 people we had last year was, well, a lot.

Since I kept a lot of things the same, I didn't take as many pictures, but here's the overview...

The save the date:

The invitation:

We still had the sign (picture from last year):

As well as the beer-tasting notepads (picture from the first party):

I also used the same food label design, but had a slightly different menu:

The pigs in a blanket were a game-time decision. I woke up from my power nap 3 hours before the party and decided I needed lil' smokies like it was my job. My father-in-law was nice enough to honor my craving and make a grocery store run for them and crescent rolls.

We also had a snack bar downstairs:

Because of pregnancy exhaustion and not taking off of work the day before the party, I decided to tone a few things down – one of them being the snack bar. I went with 4 snacks instead of 5, and cut the one that takes me the most time – the spicy nuts. This, of course meant I had several people asking if I made them again this year. Sigh.

Now on to the fun part...

The beer
Like last year, we had 3 stations. Last year, we were newbies and kept with the basics: ales, lagers and darks. This year, we went more specific and took advantage of Octoberfest with flavored, seasonals and classics.

We had each station scattered throughout the house (living room, kitchen and man cave) to help with the flow.

The napkins weren't as awesome as last years. But considering this party wasn't in honor of Brent, I figured a napkin discussing Brent's probable hangover the next day wasn't ideal.

(In retrospect, Brent did have a massive hangover the following morning, so those napkins would have been extremely appropriate).

And yes, we did have beer on tap this year as well. But it's main function served as some weird drinking game involving holding a pitcher of beer. I didn't ask questions, I just went back upstairs after witnessing a few minutes of craziness.

We had a huge variety of beer. The weirdest one being a seaweed beer. I had no idea that sort of thing even existed.

And since this is an annual event, Brent and I are toying with making a wall of shame and keeping track of who brought the worst beer each year. My dad won that honor at last year's party, and people were still making Vanilla Porter a year later. Yep, that beer was that bad.

I'll admit, watching everyone try my favorite pumpkin beer (O'Fallens Pumpkin Ale – seriously, try it – it tastes like pumpkin pie), was a tad difficult. But one of my friends brought me a build your own 6-pack of flavored ciders, so I got to have my own tasting (and feel cool holding a bottle). It was the sweetest thing ever.

The aftermath:

And now our garage smells like beer, but it was totally worth it...even though I didn't get to partake in the beer fun.

For details and pictures of the first beer party, click here.

For supply details, click here.

Audrey's growing wardrobe

2011-09-26T17:07:00.004-05:00

When Brent and I found out we were having a girl, we celebrated by hitting up the baby sale at Gymboree and buying a few must-have pieces.

When my mom found out we were having a girl, she did the same thing, just on a whole new level.

Yeah, my mom is just a tad excited. When I confronted my mom last year about Brent and I having issues in the fertility department, she got a little ahead of herself and starting purchasing clothes when a sale was too good to pass up. (For those wondering about the risky gamble she took by purchasing girl clothing, let's just say there's baby boy clothing stashed in her house somewhere).

And for those who noticed the title of this post, that's right, we have a name – Audrey Elizabeth. :)

The first nursery decision

2011-09-23T12:41:00.002-05:00

I knew I wanted a focal wall in the nursery, and after much debate – I'm going with this:

Hello argyle! I am so excited. And yes, those are the nursery colors. Black will also be added to the mix, but every time I added it into the argyle it looked to harsh. So I'll toss it in elsewhere.

I'm not exactly sure how one goes about creating an argyle wall, but that's an issue for my dear husband to figure out. I see lots of measuring and creative language in his future.

In other news: Beer party, the sequel, is this weekend! It feels so weird, because well, I've basically done nothing for it. I still have so much leftover from last year's party, that it didn't make sense spending money on making it different. There will be one big difference for this year's party though, I will be sober. Being around all the fabulous pumpkin beer will be a challenge. I wonder if my guests will get weird out if I start sniffing the beer?

So excited!

2011-09-14T20:29:00.002-05:00

Dreams

2011-09-04T12:40:00.003-05:00

Me: I had the weirdest dreams last night.

Brent (giving me a nervous look of where I was going with this, after hearing about another recent dream)

Me: I put in my retainer.

Brent: That is weird.

Me: Hey! I do that occasionally! Anyway, in my dream, when I took it out – half my teeth came out with it, including my 2 front teeth. It was very embarrassing, and I made you call Doctor Gardner.

Brent: Maybe that's a sign you should floss more.

Kill joy...

Me: We're taking queues from my dreams now? The night before one of my dreams involved our house running out of oxygen and us having to go outside whenever we wanted to breathe. What moral can you find in that dream?

Brent: That maybe I should stop farting in the house.

Touche, good sir, touche.

The latest purchase

2011-09-04T12:14:00.004-05:00

It finally happened. Brent got a new car.

The game plan changed several times, but we eventually settled on a 2012 Altima. While the original plan was to go used, with all the amazing deals going on currently with new cars, it didn't make financial sense not going new.

One of the musts on Brent's wish list was heated leather seats. We saved lots of money by purchasing a grade down from the "pimped out" line, and just having the dealership switch out the fabric seats with leather ones.

Fabric:

To leather:

They did an amazing job and this task took less than a day. Even the door fabric was switched out to leather. As for the price of a task like this, we were originally quote $1,900, but Brent was able to talk them down to $1,100. Not bad at all for a toasty butt in the winter. :)

In other news: I may or may not have downloaded the song from the Weber Grill commercials. And I might be rocking out to it right now.

Holy cuteness!

2011-08-31T09:39:00.001-05:00

My dogs have to be mail carriers this year for Halloween!
Minneapolis was great (well, minus Friday). I promise to post soon!

Ikea, round 2

2011-08-23T10:55:00.002-05:00

Brent and I are doing an Ikea roadtrip to Minneapolis this weekend, and I'm just a tad excited for it. Plus, I've never been to Minneapolis for pleasure, so it will be nice to see the city.

While our shopping list isn't as big as I was originally expecting, it will still be a productive trip.

The List
Expedit bookcase (for behind the sectional in the man cave):

Another Expedit bookcase (for behind the sectional in the man cave):

Branas Baskets for the Expedits:

SKUBB drawer organizers for the nursery:

Bastis hooks for the nursery:

Kassetts magazine files for work:

On our original list was also a crib, but Ikea sadly took all those away for more testing about 6 weeks ago. So that decision gets to remain in limbo for a bit.

I'll also be hitting up The Container Store while there, because that store is amazing. I'm still in shock that Kansas City doesn't have one. Apparently, my fellow neighbors feel differently about organization, and that makes me sad.

Ummm...I like penguins

2011-08-20T16:24:00.003-05:00

In case you couldn't tell by my penguin tree...

or my dogs' toys...

I may like penguins a little.

So, is it really a surprise that the only baby items I've bought so far are penguin-related? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Over the winter, I snatched these up from Baby Gap:

And my mom got me this adorable penguin backpack from Gymboree last week:

But considering I bought the penguin hat and booties before I was pregnant (yes, I judge me too), this hits the shocking reality that I've bought nothing for the baby since I've been pregnant. I know this will change once we find out the gender (September 12!), but until then I really just don't know what to buy.

Weekend Update

2011-08-07T12:31:00.002-05:00

For having no plans, it sure has been a busy weekend.

Going green
Goodbye purple:

Hello green:

While Brent is still sad to see the purple go, the green looks so much better with the brown sectional.

The basement has been o constant project since we moved into this house almost 2 years ago. While it's still not 100% complete, I'm so happy to finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

The hole
Brent has been sick, but is finally feeling better today – so I harassed him with a project he's said he was going to do for the past 3 months.

Remember the unfortunate incident that happened when moving the sectional to the basement?

After 3 months, it's FINALLY being addressed:

Well, I'm less than thrilled to have to redo any part of that wall...no longer having a futon in the basement does make it worth it.

Because I have issues saying no
I agreed to do the Westie Rescue of Missouri calendar again the day before I found out I was pregnant. While, I'm sure I could have canceled that obligation once I learned the news, well, I'm just not that sort of girl.

So, in addition to early bedtimes and feeling pukey – I've been busy with this:

Thankfully, it's much more organized this year. And I'm hoping my part of the project will be wrapping up soon.

Because I really have issues saying no
The calendar isn't the only project I have going on. Aside from that, I'm also helping co-organize a neighborhood block party for our street. Thankfully, my neighborhood is awesome and we have lots of volunteers wanting to help out – so my plate won't be too heavy.

Food!
I am starting to feel better (!!!!). I have some of my energy back and the majority of my food aversions are gone. To celebrate, I decided to cook dinner tonight. I haven't cooked since June, so this is a big deal.

I found this pot roast recipe on Pinterest, and knew I had to try it.

I have been craving fall and winter foods like it's my job, so hopefully this will help mellow that down. There's only so much soup one can eat in this heat.

What HAS to get done before February

2011-08-06T16:21:00.002-05:00

My 2011 goal list is about to get, well, altered. The deadline is now February, and the priorities are changing.

The obvious one:
- The nursery (Most of this adventure won't be until after we find out the gender in late September, but I'm slowly establishing a game plan. Since Brent and I prepared last year with buying an Expedit bookcase and dresser/changing table – we are making progress).

Not as obvious:
- The master closet (My biggest issue with our house is the lack of walk-in-closets. That's right, we have zero. So Brent and I share the master closet, and I've been using the closet in the future nursery for my dresses, shoes and purses. While I know I'll be losing considerable amounts of space – hopefully, Brent can build some sort of organizational system for the tiny closet).

- The man cave (We spend a lot of time down there, and I can only imagine that increasing once February rolls around). The list:
- Finish painting
- Get a mini-fridge for the wet bar
- Track lighting for above the bar
- Shelving for behind the sofa
- Wall art

Because I feel like it:
- Frame bathroom mirrors (The master and hall bath have the standard, build-grade mirrors in them. I'd like to give them a custom look with a frame job (couldn't help myself)).

- Entryway (Install molding below the chair rail).

My Journey

2011-07-31T09:05:00.002-05:00

Trying to get pregnant is an emotional, humbling and, well, bitter experience.

I wanted to go off topic today, and talk about my pregnancy journey. For something so common, fertility issues are still a hush-hush topic.

While my journey wasn’t as long and emotional as some, it still took a year of nonstop effort. I went off the pill in May 2010 and got my first positive pregnancy test this May.

Here’s my story, cycle-style.

Cycle 1
My dedication to “the task at hand” started instantly (big surprise, right?) – aside from a daily prenatal pill and iron supplement, I started temping each morning. When the period waiting game started, I just knew I was pregnant, because I had all the “symptoms.” I wasted a lot of money on pregnancy tests that first time around, and when I started my period – it was a shock to the system.

Cycle 2
To help make this cycle, “the cycle,” I borrowed a friend’s Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor, which is one amazing gadget and totally worth the hefty price tag if you can’t borrow one. While temping/charting let you know when you ovulate after the fact, the monitor gives you daily updates on your status.

So when this 6-week cycle wasn’t the one either, I formed a new game plan and stayed optimistic.

Cycle 3
In addition to the temping and monitor, I added fertility acupuncture to my list to try to bring my cycles closer to 28 days. I signed on to a 12-week process – 2 times a week for the first 6 weeks, and once a week after that. While being poked with needles (and acquiring some nasty bruises), I just knew this would work. With the insane amount of money I was spending on all of this – it just had to.

Cycle 4
While I maintained everything I was doing in cycle 3, something in me started to change this cycle – I started getting extremely emotional about my lack of pregnancy. It’d been 6 months and nothing. This is also the cycle that the annoying jabs family made about “wanting to be a grandparent, etc” started to really get to me. It got to the point where I stopped going to certain family events based on how I was feeling that day.

I had my yearly, with my amazing doctor. We talked about my 6-week cycles and several options. I also did my first progesterone blood test, which came back great. So my first possible issue was crossed off the list.

When I got my period, I wasn’t surprised. It got easier to expect nothing – that way it wouldn’t be so disappointing when nothing happened. Little did I know, this would be the last time I ovulated until the cycle I got pregnant.

Cycle 5
I came into cycle 5 with new energy. I was now temping/charting, using the monitor, doing acupuncture and taking FertileCM, Mucinex and green tea. (TMI time – cervical mucus, aka CM, plays a big role in getting you pregnant, because it helps guide the sperm where they need to go. FertileCM, Mucinex and green tea all help build your CM supply).

When I didn’t ovulate on my usual day, I started getting worried. When CD50 hit, and still nothing – I called my doctor and we decided force-quitting this cycle and starting a fertility drug next cycle was the way to go. After 10 days on Provera, my cycle ended at 68 days.

Cycle 6
It was now January – a new year, a new game plan. I took the fertility drug, Femara, for CD3-7 and just prayed something would work.

Education time – The 2 most popular fertility drugs are Clomid and Femara. While they both induce ovulation – they work in different ways. Clomid adds even more estrogen to your system, causing you to ovulate. Femara, does the opposite – it temporarily reduces your estrogen levels – causing your body to produce more, which also creates ovulation. The other 2 differences are that Femara doesn’t thin uterine lining and the risk for multiples isn’t as high (3% instead of 10%).

That being said, Femara still has a long list of side effects (but any drug originally designed for cancer patients, probably will), so I still had my fair share of fun (and hot flashes).

I also joined several fertility drug support groups to educate myself further, and then just waited.

Even though I knew I didn’t ovulate, I went back in for another CD21 progesterone test, which came back negative. At CD35 I started my period. I had experienced my first anovulatory cycle.

Cycle 7
This time around my Femara dosage was twice a strong. When I failed another progesterone test, my doctor and I decided that Femara wasn’t for me and more testing needed to be done. By this point Brent had already had his "man" testing, so we knew the issue was me. After CD35 and still nothing I decided to force quit this cycle as well.

Cycle 8
Back in December, I started thinking I might have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). So when my CD3 blood work came back, and I was officially diagnosed – I was not surprised.

I like referring to PCOS as being too fertile to function. You have all these eggs, but because of extra testosterone/insulin imbalances in your body – you get off course. For those unfamiliar with PCOS, let me start by saying it’s not diabetes (but if you are a diabetic female, you probably have PCOS) – it’s very much so the square and the rectangle.

PCOS isn’t something that goes away. It’s a condition I will have for the rest of my life.

My side effects include: irregular cycles, weight gain after going off the pill (and difficulty losing weight), dandruff, new hair growth, and oily skin. So yes, the most attractive and feminine condition to have. Basically, this means whenever I’m not pregnant or trying to get pregnant, I will be on birth control pills to keep my symptoms hidden.

Anyway, back to the story. I was put on Metformin to help manage my PCOS. Unlike the fertility drugs, this is something I take twice a day, every day. While the medicine made me super sick at first, I finally got used to it – and I’m excited to say it worked.

When I finally ovulated, it was a day of celebration. My 6-months of limbo was over. I was on the correct path! And then another cherry got added on top, because I got pregnant.

I wanted to share my story, because getting pregnant isn’t always easy. In high school you’re pretty much told if you have sex, you will get pregnant – the issue is that no one really corrects that lie. So it’s definitely a surprise to discover you really only have 3-5 days a cycle to get pregnant, and even if you’re doing everything right – you only have a 20% chance after that. With those odds it’s amazing women get pregnant at all. But they do, and they can. So if you’re trying, don’t give up hope.

Time to get honest

2011-07-27T20:10:00.002-05:00

Curious about my lack of projects since late May? Well, it's time to let the cat out of the bag – I am pregnant (and it's kicking my ass). :)

My second trimester is quickly approaching, and I'm hoping to get back to business as usual quite soon.

JJ Bean arrives February 7, 2012.

My paint experiment

2011-07-18T20:12:00.002-05:00

When the 3 final paint choices for the man cave each happened to be made by someone different – I decided to make things interesting.

This is what I saw after one coat:

While I've heard some negative reviews on Martha Stewart paint – I was shocked by the lack of coverage. It took me 3 coats to even get my sample on the wall somewhat presentable.

As for the Behr and Glidden, while Glidden covered a bit better – I think it's a personal preference. I know some people swear by Behr, but I'll always swear by Glidden. And I'm thrilled this little experiment proved Glidden's awesome.

This experiment was done out of boredom and not because I'm being paid by Glidden (even though that'd be super cool).

So many choices

2011-07-17T20:18:00.004-05:00

Brent and I may have gone a little crazy with our paint swatches options for the man cave.

But we narrowed it down rather quickly.

And while we narrowed it down it yet another cool color, I'm just proud of us for even entertaining the thought of something in the spice family.

Christmas in July

2011-07-15T09:48:00.000-05:00

Is anyone else excited about Hallmark's ornament premiere this weekend?

I'll admit, I'm only eager about all the penguin fabulousness (or what better be penguin fabulousness). The count down is on!

When it rains...

2011-07-14T20:38:00.005-05:00

Last month it was the a/c.

This month, looks like we have a new adventure:

We were wanting to wait until this fall before Brent got a new car, but looks like that might be happening this weekend. Ugh.

Update: Yay! It's just the battery!

The 2nd annual beer-tasting party

2011-07-14T15:35:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it's almost time for beer-tasting party #2. September 24 will be here before I know it!

I wanted to switch things up with a new design with this, and I'm loving the new look.

For details on the first beer-tasting party click here.

The great rug debate

2011-07-11T19:36:00.003-05:00

I need a new rug for the family room. And yes, need is actually the correct word.

The shag rug is probably a health hazard. The shag is a little too perfect at hiding messes, so it's time to move on.

Here's my family room...

And here's the 3 rugs I'm eying...

Ikea's Stockholm's rug ($199):

Alexa Chevrom Vibe Zebra rug ($79.99):

Hand-tufted Black Houndstooth rug ($138.99):

Opinions? I think I'm leaning toward the chevron print, and yes, the price may have something to do with that.

WTH is R.O.C. 2

2011-07-11T19:28:00.003-05:00

When I discovered even some friends had no idea where in my house R.O.C. 2 (room of crap) was, I figured it was time for a basement floor plan.

The basement is more than a man cave – it also houses our guest bedroom and R.O.C. 2.

One day when the 2 bedrooms upstairs are kids' rooms, the office will be moved into R.O.C. 2. As for now, it stores crap. I thought it'd be fun to turn it into a wine cellar, but Brent quickly vetoed that idea. Such a fun killer.

Anywho, I hope that clears up some visual questions. :)

Garage sale goodies

2011-07-10T17:57:00.002-05:00

When the people down the street had a garage sale, and I saw these:

I knew it was a must. Sure, they're pink now – but they'll be fabulous once painted. The lady said she got them in the 60s or 70s from a retail store that was closing. I can totally picture them once in an old school toy store. And better yet, I got them for $10 each.

These guys will have a home in R.O.C. 2 (room of crap).

The previous homeowners used this 9x8' room as an office. We're currently using it as our catch-all room. And it's definitely gotten worse since R.O.C. 1 became a second guest bedroom. So the extra shelving will come in handy.

I have one bookcase painted and ready to go, but as luck would have it – I ran out of paint, so the second shelf will just have to wait.

What' I've been up to...

2011-07-04T09:31:00.002-05:00

June was a very freelance heavy month for me.

The biggest project – my cousin's wedding invitations.

I still have the reply cards and maps to go, but progress is being made. And I'm definitely on countdown until this project is done.

Summer fixes

2011-07-04T09:21:00.003-05:00

Well, it's not an exciting photo, but with the money we just dropped on a new a/c, there's no way it wasn't going to get photographed.

Another issue we have each summer is Chip's allergies. Westies are itchy dogs by nature, but this year his itching and fur biting hit a new level that the Benadryl wouldn't cure. Once we discovered a huge amount of scabbing around his lower back/tail – we knew it was time for a new game plan. After a trip to the vet, that game plan included an embarrassing hair cut. Chip doesn't seem to mind his butt being on display though.

Backyard (June)

2011-06-18T08:30:00.004-05:00

My backyard landscape is growing strong:

I love how huge the asiatic lilies I planted last year are:

As for my other poor yucca, it decided to grow crooked, which was fine until the blooms weighed it down:

I'm excited that my outdoor tasks are done for the year. I scratched the climbing roses plan off my list, for a different outdoor game plan next spring. Woot!

2 dresser flips

2011-06-12T18:58:00.003-05:00

So, it just occurred to me that I never posted either of these reveals. I want to post them together, because I only get to keep one, and well, decisions are hard.

(Please forgive my terrible pictures. I've been under the weather, and the thought of retaking and/or staging photos is not an appealing one).

Dresser #1:
Before:

After:

Dresser #2:
Before:
After:

The winning dresser will be going in the third bedroom (where dresser #1 currently is). The third bedroom is currently used as a second guest bedroom, and will one day become a nursery. Right now, I'm leaning toward dresser #2 – I'm liking the modern look (and the extra drawer).

Luckily, I don't have to make any decisions quite yet. I don't plan on getting rid of a dresser in the man cave, until our next Ikea trip (August or September) – when I can get some behind-the-sofa Expedit bookcases for better storage.

It's getting hot in here...

2011-06-08T18:31:00.002-05:00

Sorry, for the break – I've been grouchy (you are welcome to picture me stealing Oscar's trash can here).

What should have been a simple "freon refill for our air conditioner" visit, turned into a "you'll be lucky if your air conditioner lasts through the summer" visit. Yay. I told Brent there was no way we were taking that gamble – summers is Kansas City are 95% miserable, with 100% humidity. So Brent and I have been getting price quotes. I don't think I realized how expensive air conditioners are – ouch! I'm just glad we found all this out after we got our sectional for the man cave, or the futon would probably still be here.

The new air conditioner will be installed in 2 week.s

A Tale of 5 Sofas

2011-06-03T16:59:00.004-05:00

The 6-week journey of 5 sofas for the man cave is now over.

It was a long, brutal process, but it's over now. The issue was the landing going down into the basement – nothing would fit in the space.

Our sectional arrived the day of the wine-party (nothing like cutting it close), and it took 45 minutes (and one hole in the wall) to make it fit. The hole was Brent's doing. The delivery guys said it wouldn't fit, but Brent was determined and pushed the sofa into the wall. My houndstooth wall.

Sigh. Looks like somebody gets to learn how to patch walls in the near future. But it was totally worth it, because the futon is gone!

Before:

After:

Yep, the man cave has definitely come a long way in the past year:

The only issue now is the wall color. I've never been a fan of it, but Brent's loved it. Thankfully, that love is quickly fading with the brown sectional. I think a celery color would be rather amazing and lighten things up.

White wine-tasting party

2011-05-29T18:40:00.013-05:00

I can safely say that my mom's birthday party was a success. As you'll be able to see from the photos, I kept it a similar format to the beer-tasting party – after all, if it ain't broke...

My reasoning for sticking with white wines was a simple one –

my mom + wine = spillage.

Well that, and that my mom prefers whites. But mainly the first reason.

Now, on to the fun stuff!

SAVE THE DATES AND INVITES
I love green wine bottles – so I used that to set the tone on everything I did.

FIRST GLANCE
Since most of my mom's friends haven't been to my house, I wanted a sign out front. (Well, I would have made a sign no matter what, but at least this time around I had an excuse).

THE STATIONS
We had four different stations set up around the house – chardonnay, pinot grigio, riesling/muscat and blends.

Aside from wine, each station had a wine opener, notepad, pen and napkins.

I designed the notepads, and then had them printed at VistaPrint.

Originally, I was going to get napkins with wine phrases on them, but when I saw these, I just couldn't resist.

For the station bottles, Brent drilled a hole in each one then we stuffed Christmas lights in them. (Just a warning – after 5 hours of being on those bottles got super hot, so we turned them off). As for the top part, I used a Silhouette.

We also had beer on tap for the non-wine drinkers. Brent and I definitely underestimated that amount of people we had in that group. The pony keg was finished off in about 4 hours, then that group moved on to mix drinks.

THE CHEESE BAR
Wine and cheese – it's a match made in heaven, so of course a cheese bar was a high priority for me. There were 9 different types of cheese, 3 different crackers and some fig spread, which went great with the Manchego cheese.

THE FOOD
I love appetizers at a party, and I can't see myself ever breaking away from this. Some of my mom's friends helped me out and brought appetizers as well, which made getting everything ready on Saturday so much less stressful.

The menu:

THE DESSERTS

The menu: Grandma's cream cheese brownies, cream puffs, lemon bars, pink champagne mini cupcakes, my mother-in-law's chocolate chip cookies with walnuts, chocolate-covered pretzels with heath bar and white chocolate-covered pretzels with sprinkles.

The phrase that pays:

PERSONAL TOUCH
I wanted to display pictures of my mom without making a huge production out of it (my mom would not like a picture wall). So, I cleaned off some wine bottles, created picture labels and placed them throughout the house.

I thought the party turned out great, but most importantly, my mom had a blast.

I hope to have the wine-party paper package available soon!

Eeeek!

2011-05-26T10:11:00.005-05:00

Today is a super exciting day for me – I was featured on my favorite blog.

For anyone stopping in from HWTM, you can view my beer-tasting party here and the paper package I offer here.

Thanks!

Ashley

What' I've been up to...

2011-05-25T20:26:00.002-05:00

Getting ready for this weekend's wine party.

The other side

2011-05-25T20:09:00.003-05:00

I love the built-ins Brent and I did for the man cave. But it was looking a little sad on the other side of the stairs.

So, during our "rush week," Brent and I added that task to the list and had this project finished in no time.

Our biggest obstacle was the vent, since we didn't want to block it. The solution: just letting the vent be.

The "end" result:

I still need to find something for the bottom. I was thinking some sort of basket for storage. As for the top, Brent's wanting to get a second TV.

Curb Appeal (day 8 and done!)

2011-05-22T21:48:00.005-05:00

After today, the forecast is rain, rain, rain until my mom's party. So, today was the day to finish up the front yard; and after 8 hours braving the humidity – it's done!

Last summer:
Now:

I'm really happy with how it turned out. I can't believe this project can be crossed off the list. This is something Brent and I have wanted to do ever since we moved in, but kept putting it off because of time and financial fears. Thankfully, both concerns turned out to be a non-issue.

Time
I did this project in 8 days, and only had help for half of them. The project would have been done even sooner, but surprises like a gas lamp pole and a bed of rocks underneath the dirt – held me up.

The financial breakdown:
- Ripping out the bushes: free (DIY)
- Retaining wall stones: $80.85 (55 stones during Home Depot's spring Black Friday sale at $1.47, normally $1.69)
- Retaining wall toppers: $33.80 (20 toppers at $1.69 each)
- Landscape block glue: $9.60 (2 bottles)
- Shrubs and perennials: $113.66
- Mulch: $14 (7 bags during Home Depot's spring Black Friday sale)

Pre-tax Total: $251.91

Not bad at all.

Busy bee

2011-05-22T21:25:00.002-05:00

Between my new job and my best friend's wedding, it's been a busy week.

Brent and I had been waiting a long time for this wedding. When Brent and I walked down the aisle on June 16, 2007 – we paired up our 2 great (and then single) friends as bridesmaid and groomsman. Being at their wedding yesterday, was an amazing full-circle experience.

As you can tell, Brent had a terrible time:

And with me hosting my mom's 60th birthday wine-tasting party next weekend, things won't be slowing down anytime soon.

Curb Appeal (days 6 & 7)

2011-05-14T15:53:00.003-05:00

When I bought the toppers for the retaining wall, I pictured them all just fitting and looking amazing. Somehow I didn't process that the toppers are rectangular and the retaining wall is curved.

So, while I pictured perfection - my reality was:

My reality from the front door was even more obvious:

So, I handed off this project to Brent, who conquered it like a champ.

While there are several ways to cut stones, he used a circular saw with masonry blades. (Please note the plural on that – there's a reason those blades are only $2.50 each. He went through 7 blades with this project).

While Brent was cutting the toppers, he reminded me of Pig Pen from Charlie Brown, because of all the dust flying around him:

Once the toppers were cut, the view from the front door was much better:
After everything was laid out how we wanted it, we used landscape block adhesive to make sure the toppers stayed on.

All the hard work definitely paid off:

Now it's on to the fun part – figuring out what to plant.

In other rush week news: The leaves have been picked up and the man cave ceiling is done!

This post was supposed to be awesome

2011-05-13T15:06:00.002-05:00

Today's post was supposed to look like this:
Now it's more:
The sectional we were supposed to have delivered today is a no go.

The guys at the furniture store we are working with have been amazing (Brent and them basically talk daily). They even special ordered us the perfect sectional (meaning it would fit in the landing and turn a sharp corner), but the manufacturer's Web site had the wrong measurements. So, we're back to square one.

We've considered the modular sectionals, but I think the basic sofa and loveseat is the winner. We're headed back to the store on Sunday, and hopefully we'll fall in love. Again.

Peacock fabulousness

2011-05-11T23:24:00.000-05:00

My cousin is getting married(!!!), and I'm thrilled. She's doing the peacock theme, and wanted her bridal shower to reflect that as well. No problem here – it's giving me 2 opportunities to embrace this ever-so-popular peacock trend.

I haven't battled the wedding invite yet, but I'm loving the shower invite:

In home news: We start the other built-ins tomorrow night!

Rush week

2011-05-10T15:50:00.002-05:00

With my new job starting on Monday, reality of how few house projects (and how many TV series) were accomplished. So, I've decided to work my tail off the rest of the week and see what happens.

Projects include: finish picking up all the dead leaves in the landscape, the retaining wall top, the man cave ceiling and the built-ins on the other side of the stairs. Even thinking about it makes me want to take a nap, but it will be worth it.

Brent even kicked off the party with some built-in prepping:

It's going to look so good! I can't wait.

For the questions about cutting retaining wall stones, I will tackle that topic when I discuss the topper situation. So hopefully very soon. :)

After 9 weeks (and 2 days)

2011-05-09T14:42:00.002-05:00

After a 2-month, TV-watching hiatus, I am happy to report I got a job! I am so excited to enter the world of magazine design. It's what I've always wanted to do, but didn't think possible without moving to a larger city.

I start on Monday, so this week will consist of finishing up as many projects as possible.

Flower power

2011-05-08T14:36:00.002-05:00

The sun is finally out, and the flowers are blooming.

Just 2 months ago, the landscape was looking like this:

Well, hello spring:

My plan is to just add a little bit each year to the back. And this year, with the focus being on the front yard, I do mean "little." And then one day, it will hopefully become a fabulous English garden.

After seeing how strong the 2 asiatic lilies I added last year were coming in, I decided to add 2 more. I also thought a knockout rose bush and paw print stone would make great additions.

Since my dogs love running through the landscape, I have to leave paths for them. I also have to stick with thicker flowers so Macintosh and Chip will run around not over the flowers. (Last year, the zinnias I planted didn't last a single day).

The flowers that the dogs would destroy, go in the pots:

While I am trying a few new flowers, for the most part I am sticking with what worked.

In other news: I would love some jobs vibes tomorrow. The place I did the design test for, wants me to come in for a second interview. I really want this job, so it's getting tough to be nonchalant about this whole process.

Curb Appeal (day 5)

2011-05-04T17:42:00.003-05:00

Holy geez, I need a nap. I've been inside for the past hour, and I don't think I'll be moving for the rest of the night. So sore.

My dad offered to help me today, so I took advantage.

What day 5 started with:

What it ended with:

The game plan had to change a bit because of the gaslight post we discovered last week, but I made it work. I'm loving how to looks with the topper. Now I just need to go back to the hardware store for the glue. Ugh.

Meet Pengy Wengy

2011-05-02T21:07:00.002-05:00

Macintosh may play with many toys throughout the day, but there's only 1 toy he brings to bed at night - Pengy Wengy.

Does anyone else have a pet that does this? I've never seen anything like it.

(As for the name, well, that's because of our penguin toy surplus. Each one got a name, so we could keep track of them. You guys have seen my penguin tree, none of this should be surprising).

Wine-tasting party countdown

2011-05-01T14:40:00.003-05:00

In 28 days, Brent and I will be hosting my mom's 60th birthday party, and what better way to do that than with a white wine-tasting party.

After the success of Brent's 30th birthday beer-tasting party, I've decided to keep the format fairly similar – just with wine. The biggest change is that this party is more genre specific – so chardonnay, pinot grigio, riesling/muscat and blends are the categories (versus white, red and blush). (This will also be the plan, when we bring back the beer-tasting party Octoberfest style).

I haven't really decided on a lot of the other details, but I think it would be awesome to do a cheese bar somewhere separate from the other appetizers.

The guest list includes 30 couples, the majority of which have not seen my house. And of the ones who have, most haven't seen it since the housewarming party in November 2009 – so things like the painted fireplace, houndstooth wall, bar, living room art, office and built-ins (to name a few) were nonexistent.

There's so much I would love to get done, but time is quickly running out – especially with Brent's jammed packed Corporate Challenge schedule and the upcoming wedding of our 2 good friends.

But, here are the musts:
- Get furniture for the man cave (this is scheduled to arrive in 2 weeks, and I pray that it fits)
- Do the built-in shelf on the other side of the man cave
- Finish painting the man cave ceiling
- Finish retaining wall in front
- Plant flowers and mulch the front and back yards

* The invitation is part of the wine-tasting party package I will soon be offering. Visit the Paper Obsessed tab for more detail.

Spring Organizing (Closet #2)

2011-04-28T13:50:00.003-05:00

The office closet had gotten out of control:

It was my giant junk drawer. But not anymore.

I did a thorough clean sweep on this closet – going through every piece of paper in it. Check out the rejects:

But it was totally worth the effort:

And since I got rid of so much paper, I rewarded myself by adding more to my "mini paper store" stash:

Paint apparently doesn't fix all

2011-04-26T18:09:00.003-05:00

It's been freakishly cold in Kansas City for the past week, so the heater has played a staring role in the Miller household. So when I couldn't turn the heating/cooling on using the thermostat this weekend – I started seeing $$$ and getting rather nervous.

After trying new batteries and other cheap fixes, we had our heating and cooling guy come out today. It's never a good sign when you can baffle the pros. After lots of trips up and down the stairs, he discovered the wiring was going bad. Ugh.

Then he asks, "have you hung anything up in the living room recently?" Nope.

As he journeys back to the basement, I start thinking of the man cave, and then the ceiling I'm still (yes, still) painting. And how last week, before the non-existent sectional arrived – I painted the front half of the ceiling...including the wires. Crap.

Paint was indeed the issue. Apparently, some of the wiring the previous owners did wasn't correct, and some wires were exposed. And once I painted over it, bad things happened.
Thankfully, everything is now to code, working and fixed without breaking the bank.

I'm just so happy he asked me that question, because I would have never made the connection. Especially, considering the painting and thermostat incidents were 5 days apart.

Apparently, paint does not fix all.

Tall crush

2011-04-25T20:33:00.003-05:00

I am smitten for CB2's high dining tables.

Do I plan on buying one? Nope. But I am enjoying my impractical dreams of busting out these tables during parties (that's right, in my dreams – I definitely own several of these guys). I love hightop tables.

In furniture news: I'm starting to wonder if Brent and I will ever be futon-free in the man cave. When we moved into the house, we had the money for the furniture, and the day before we went shopping, Brent's car decided it wanted the money instead. And that started the "always something" trend. The new something? Thermostat isn't turning anything on. We have someone coming out tomorrow, and I'm praying this won't break the bank (or furniture fund) too much.

In landscaping news: It has been cold and rainy for the past 2 weeks. So, I have accomplished nothing. I'm getting rather tired of this 40-degree weather.

In job news: I heard back from the place I interviewed with, and I've moved on to the design-test round. So, if I seem a little quiet, it's because I have magazine layouts to dream up.

Sofa shopping has begun

2011-04-23T22:55:00.003-05:00

After the CL drama (and finding no other acceptable man cave sitting on there), Brent and I decided to hit up some furniture stores today.

We actually found 2 that we liked – a microfiber sectional and a leather sofa set. Originally, we were dead set on the sofa set, but with 2 sofas (who needs a loveseat), but when we came back and did some measuring, we discovered that we literally did need a loveseat. Ugh.

So now it's looking like a sectional is the best solution for the narrow space.

This is the current winner:

(Try not to be too distracted by the terrible coffee table).

The obstacle now is making sure we can actually get it into the basement. Brent took all the door and hallway measurements tonight, and hopefully on Monday we'll find out good news about the furniture guys being able to make it work.

In other news: Brent got to experience US Toy for the first time today. In a store full of little kid party favors, leave it to him to find the mini toilet toy with a smiling piece of poo in it (that can squirt water at you when you open the lid). I'm still shocked he didn't try to sneak it into the cart. Maybe this is a sign of maturity?

So mad

2011-04-21T10:45:00.002-05:00

Apparently, "we're leaving now, see you in an hour" is now code for "we're going to stand you up."

Yep, the sectional lady was a no-show. Brent and I are livid...and sad. All our furniture has already been moved out of the man cave, so I spent last night laying on the floor.

It amazes me how inconsiderate people can be.

On to the next sofa search...

Curb Appeal (day 4)

2011-04-19T10:22:00.004-05:00

What we left off with on day 3:

With how long the first set of timbers took Brent to remove, I wasn't expecting to get too much work done – so imagine my surprise when they all came out together:

What my timber-free landscape is looking like:

Yep, it's so much better already.

Next, we started the part I've been dreading – digging out the path:

And since I apparently need to run into a snafu each day I work on this project – we found a block of concrete in the middle of our path. After some debate, we decided it had to have been a gas lamp at some point.

Day 4 final:

I think Brent's chipped away at the concrete enough now, that we should be good.

I'm not sure when I'll have time for my "day 5," but I am happy with the progress I've made so far. Ideally, I'd like everything ready for flowers and shrubs by April 29th – which is when my favorite charity plant sale is.

Eeek!

2011-04-18T13:31:00.005-05:00

I am so excited! I found this guy on CL, and Brent and I are picking it up tonight. This sectional will be perfect for the man cave.

Update: Ugh. Just got an email from the lady and she has decided to keep it. Guess the futon in the man cave will stay for awhile more.

Update 2: Apparently, I am getting the sectional again – the lady just wanted to keep it until she picks up her furniture on Wednesday. And since she'll be in the area, it will now be delivered to my garage. Sweet!

Beer-tasting party paper package

2011-04-16T11:58:00.007-05:00

One of the most common questions I receive from readers is asking where I got my invitations, notepads, etc., from the beer-tasting party I threw for Brent's 30th. My reply back is always a "sorry, I didn't buy them anywhere – I made them."

Sadly, it never occurred to me that I could market this. When I started researching beer-tasting parties there was nothing out there (which was exciting and devastating), so I've decided to change that.

The beer-tasting party paper package includes high-res PDFs of...

Invites...

An 11x17 sign..

Notepads (sized to be directly uploaded/printed at VistaPrint)...

Food labels...

Beer category signs...

So, I hope this helps some of my readers out. All these goodies and more are under the new tab Paper Obsessed.

**I am linking up with DIY Show Off and Craft-O-Mania.**

Curb Appeal (days 2 and 3)

2011-04-12T22:13:00.002-05:00

Slight hold up on the landscaping, those timbers are evil!

In 2 days, we went from this:

To this:

Yep, that took us 2 days. And this progress even involved chains and my SUV. It's getting somewhere though. I'm hoping to start the next retaining wall on Thursday.

Curb Appeal (day 1)

2011-04-12T13:00:00.004-05:00

Well, the bushes have been removed, and that alone is a massive improvement.

With:

Without:

We have stairs!

Then I drew out the line I wanted to follow for the first retaining wall:

The top walls progress:

I'm not going to lie, building a retaining wall is zero fun. Making sure each stone is level takes forever. I'm really not looking forward to the one I'll have to do where the timber starts. But it will be worth the time and foul language spent.

Curb Appeal (the game plan)

2011-04-10T19:46:00.002-05:00

Full disclosure: I'm not a fan of my front yard.

Nothing tragic, but nothing exciting either. It's just blah, and I've decided that needs to change.

The Game Plan:
- Remove the bushes (I don't like not being able to see the stairs, plus they are dying)
- Remove the old-school timber things
- Add several retaining walls
- Then pretty it up with flowers and shrubs

Home Depot's Spring Black Friday

2011-04-07T12:23:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited Home Depot is bringing this back! Their sale starts today and goes until Sunday. You can get a fabulous price on mulch and soil.

But I am most excited about this:

Sure it's only a $.12 discount, but that adds up.

New pillows!

2011-04-06T21:23:00.004-05:00

I had my favorite seamstress make me new pillows for the family room, and I am loving the black and white! (Confession, I've had them for about a month but I've been busy with Netflix's instant streaming – watching 30 Rock, Parks & Rec and Lost. Totally worth it).

Once I'm employed, replacing the shag rug is the first thing on my list. Dogs and shag do not go together. Just a heads up.

In other news: I got my first interview today! Sure it may not lead to anything, but it's a step in the right direction.

Spring Organizing (Closet #1)

2011-04-05T20:46:00.003-05:00

After my medicine drawer rant, I decided my drug turf in the linen closet could use some serious decluttering (hello, Tylonel from 2007 – I'm talking to you). Well, at least that's what I intended to do. But when I opened the linen closet, I discovered what an embarrassing war zone the entire closet was.

The embarrassing war zone:
So, I emptied it:

Then decided I had nothing else going on, so painted both the walls and shelves:

I picked green because it's bright, but more importantly, because I had a lot of this paint leftover from the hall bath.

Then came Target. I promise this trip started off innocent. I had a prescription to pick up, which apparently earned me a $10 Target gift card since it was a new med. So I mosied over to Target's storage area, and that's where things took a turn. I stared down 2 bins for at least 20 minutes. Yep, I just stood there and stared, while trying to visualize my super narrow linen closet and what would fit. I'm sure I looked awesome.

Anywho, on to the after...

I am so happy with it. And other than some (okay lots) of expired medicine and 1 pair of sheets – everything is back in there. Yet I somehow have much more room! I love organizational magic tricks. :)

And now some less awkward angle shots:No more searching for a special medicine. Things are now grouped into 6 categories: first aid, cold, aches, allergies, Ashley's and other.

And since I'm still on organizing mode, I've decided to tackle 3 more closets – the office and the 2 in the entry way.

That time of year

2011-04-04T20:28:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's already yard work time. It's gross and exciting all at the same time.

I'm currently de-leaving the landscape of the backyard – it's quite the chore:
So far no frogs have attacked me this year, so that's something. Although, I'm still nervous about having to remove leaves behind the shed (maybe that can be Brent's job).

Flowers are starting to bloom though, so I'm wanting to get all my landscaping tasks done asap.

Landscaping goals:
- Remove the lilies of the valley
- Remove the vine on the lattice and add climbing roses
- Remove the bushes in the front and relandscape

Anyone else have any exciting landscaping plans?

Hmm...

2011-04-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

In my cough-syrup drunkenness 2 weeks ago, I saw this photo and got really mad:

Mad enough to save the photo and plan an entire post about my rant. Today, I found the photo and well, that's about it. I vaguely remember being mad at this medicine drawer because there's no place for cough syrup (leave it to the girl coughing up a lung to discover this), but that's all I've got.

While this photo does look nice, to a medicine junky like myself – there is definitely no way. Look how few pills there are. And I'm really good at letting medicine expire, so the opened Tylonel thing going on is a bad idea for this girl.

I will be honest though, this photo has definitely gotten me in the mood to organize. So closets (and medicine) beware.

Team moss

2011-04-02T09:43:00.007-05:00

I'm joining every other decor blogger out there and making a moss wreath.

I've never really been a fan of wreaths. I think it's because whenever I think of them, I picture the country ones from the early '90s. My parents definitely had one in that famous country blue with a wooden duck on it. I may need therapy after revisiting that memory.

Anyway, I went to Joanns for my supplies (I picked Joanns because they seem to have the biggest letters, and I had lots of their coupons):

Let the hot gluing games begin!

I've decided the "M/W" are the most annoying letters to do this project for. There are some very narrow and difficult areas to do. Halfway through, when my fingers began to hurt, I began extremely jealous of all the "I" last names. Some people just have it so easy. :)

The back doesn't have to be pretty. Here's mine:

The final product:

I'm really happy with how it turned out, and I love how huge the M is. Brent said he could see it 3 houses down. Point for me!

You can't make this stuff up...

2011-04-01T16:52:00.002-05:00

Well, I guess you can (especially with it being April Fool's Day), but this is most definitely real.

I ordered a new shower curtain several weeks ago for the hall bath, although I wasn't sure if it was going to work colorwise (green always seems to photograph weird).

Fast forward to last Friday when I got the package. I was busy working on the paper pom-poms for the couple's shower – so all I did was open the box and observe the shade of green. After that, I placed the shower curtain on the living room chair and forgot about it. When Brent got home, he went into the living room and got way too excited about said curtain.

Brent: Is this our new shower curtain?

Me: Yes.

Brent: This is awesome.

Me: Glad you like it.

Brent: (laughing) Did you see the name?

Me: What? Did I misspell my name? Because I totally blame all the cough syrup.

Brent: What! You really didn't see the name?!?! I'm disappointed in you.

Me: What'd I do?

Brent: Not you! The name of the shower curtain is douche!

Me: What?!?!?!

Yep, I apparently bought a douche shower curtain. Please admire:

Although, for the record – the company name on the Internet was Plush Living. And sadly, I think the green is too bright, but at least it gave me a giggle.

My latest Craigslist purchase

2011-03-31T19:28:00.002-05:00

I'm in love (or know I will be once I'm done with it):

I am loving the shape, and this guy is solid wood. Sadly, I'll probably end up selling it once I'm done. I'd be in trouble if I got to keep every piece I fell in love with.

Mate? Check! couple's shower

2011-03-27T11:36:00.003-05:00

Aside from trying not to cough up a lung this past week - I've been planning a couple's shower.

My biggest obstacle for last night's shindig was budget – I didn't want to spend a lot of money on decorations. So I went to Hobby Lobby and spent $21 on plates, napkins, tissue paper and floral wire. Yep, that's it. Everything else I had around the house (or in the backyard), and well, I made it work.

An invitation refresher:

And here's what a graphic designer can do with a $21 decor budget:

I've been saving green wine bottles, for my mom's wine-tasting 60th birthday party in May, so I jumped on the opportunity to get to use some already. The daffodils were from my front yard, and the other flowers were from a kind neighbor who let me do a little chopping to her shrub. :)

Making labels for the food, is one of my favorite things to do. People like to know what they are eating (whether it's a vegetarian making sure they aren't eating meat or just a picky eater), it's a useful thing to have at a party. Plus, they look cute.

Then of course there were the Martha Stewart tissue paper pom-poms. They are time consuming to make, but totally worth it. Most of these were done over a bottle of wine with an awesome friend – so thankfully soberness isn't required.

The dessert station:

I wanted a way to show off pictures of the couple-of-honor without using picture frames – so, I gathered sticks from my backyard and decorated the tree.

And I had to include my favorite photo of them on the tree:
(It's from Brent's and my wedding. We paired them up as bridesmaid and groomsman, and shortly after – romance was in the air. I call this photo "The Look of Love.")

(Side note about Brent's and my wedding: They aren't the only couple now getting married. In 2 weeks, my good friend from college is marrying the woman he took as a blind date to my wedding. Warm fuzzies.)

Looking up...literally

2011-03-22T15:24:00.002-05:00

There's nothing wrong with the beige ceiling in the man cave (aside from the 1-coat job someone did), but I figure since I have the time – why not go white.

The non-whiteness of the ceiling became especially apparent once the shelves were built:

I'm only a quarter of the way done, it's looking a lot better:

And since I'm on the subject of the ceiling, I figured I'd answer a reader's question about what type of lighting is on the man cave ceiling. We have 3 rows of track lighting (with plans on adding a 4th row above the bar).

But the lighting I love the most is the rope lighting going around the room:

Painting the ceiling is definitely going to be a time-consuming project, but it's going to be worth it.

My March Madness

2011-03-19T19:57:00.003-05:00

I had no idea lacking a job would be so exhausting.

It's been almost 3 weeks and time has flown by. Of course, March Madness is definitely helping. Brent and I even brought down the TV from the master to help with our basketball fever.

Brent had a friend in town, so we hosted an impromptu watch party last night. We got 2 pony kegs and took advantage of the kegerator for the second time (which were polished off at an alarming rate). It was so much fun. These were the type of gatherings I always wanted to host, and it makes me happy to finally get to.

Other than that, we finished off the side of the built ins. So, thanks to some bead board, it went from this:

To this:

Much better.

I can't wait to start the built-ins on the other side of the stairs (for the evenness and the additional DVD storage). Brent's decided to put a power and cable outlet over there as well, so he can acquire another TV. Such a guy, but I know next March Madness I'll be praising his TV hoarding.

Ugh

2011-03-13T19:31:00.002-05:00

Why is it now that I'm trying not to spend money, I'm finding beyond amazing deals on Craigslist? A leather sectional for $450. A 7-piece patio set for $150. Definitely no fair.

What I've been up to...

2011-03-13T16:22:00.002-05:00

Rock Chalk!

This is the 4th year that Brent and I have gone to the tournament, and the 3rd time I've seen KU win it. It's a wonderful experience.

And now it's almost time for the Selection Show. So, so excited! March is definitely the best time of the year.

In other news: I applied for my first 3 jobs on Friday. I forgot how silly cover letters are.

Basically done!

2011-03-04T10:03:00.002-06:00

I'm excited to say that the built-in shelves are basically done (well, kind of), but since I now have some free time, I figured why not.

Here are the progress pictures up until now:

Here's the "final":

Granted, the shelf decor isn't done (Brent has more sports memorabilia to dig out of storage), but you get the idea.

The unfinished part on the shelf is actually the side you see when going down the stairs (which I'll post about at a later date). The other thing left is putting the baseboard back up.

But, because Brent and I aren't that simple – the built-in project isn't done. There's more building left to do. See the other side of the stairs:

That, of course, needs a matching built-in with more DVD storage. :)

What I bought

2011-03-04T09:54:00.002-06:00

Eek!

After lots of debate, I decided to just go for it. Plus, I figured it was fate that the new model was released on the day I was laid off.

Now the resume and hopefully freelance work can begin.

Nothing but time

2011-03-02T09:12:00.003-06:00

Last February, I mentioned the place I worked being acquired by another company. In November the companies merged, and yesterday, my job was "terminated."

This is the second time I've been laid off. And sadly, this is the second time I've been laid off via phone.

Fortunately though, this time I wasn't bit on the face by my foster dog several days prior with 3 stitches by my eye, so I never asked if I could just go back to my cube because I wanted my ice pack. Let me tell you, a comment like that receives a very awkward silence after explaining why you want said ice pack.

Unfortunately, unlike last time I wasn't given a 5-week separation date. And while it wasn't effective immediately (to where you're escorted out like a common criminal), I was given the day to gather my things and unsuccessfully try not to cry.

Yesterday consisted of a lot of wine, tears and Ally McBeal. Today will consist of Ally McBeal, filing for unemployment and trying to figure out a computer situation. From there it's working on the resume, hopefully doing some freelance, seeing what the fuss with Lost was about and working on tedious DIY projects I never had time for.

Projects will continue; they'll just be the cheap ones that involve paint. In other words, the plans of a new kitchen countertop/backsplash and new furniture for the man cave probably won't be happening this year. But things I didn't think I had time for this year will be. Give and take (well, mostly give).

I have so many pictures to post, but sadly, my camera was linked with my work laptop, so that is also on my list of things to get squared away. But for now, I'm just taking it one day at a time.

February's books

2011-02-28T16:48:00.003-06:00

Books read in February: 7
Books listened to in February: 3

Books:
9. "Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl" by Tracy Quan
10. "Stranger" by Megan Hart
11. "Bright Young Things" by Anna Godbersen (Bright Young Things #1)
12. "Anna and the French Kill" by Stephanie Perkins
13. "The Angel Experiment" by James Patterson (Maximum Ride #1)
14. "School's Out – Forever" by James Patterson (Maximum Ride #2)
15. "Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports" by James Patterson (Maximum Ride #3)

Audio Books:
6. "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins
7. "City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments #1)
8. "City of Ashes" by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments #2)

Favorite Book
"Anna and the French Kiss" was freaking adorable!

We actually have window molding!

2011-02-27T14:52:00.002-06:00

Well, our windows in the kitchen have always had molding, but you'd never know that with the extra-wide blinds the previous home owners installed.

While the blinds are very nice real wood...not white + too big = of constant annoyance to yours truly.

So, we finally made the switch in the kitchen (and family room). Being able to see the molding makes all the difference.

Progress report

2011-02-25T11:44:00.002-06:00

So close to done...

All that's left is the trim. Hopefully that's a task for this weekend.

Tuesday

2011-02-22T21:07:00.002-06:00

I'm excited to say that the building part of the shelves is done. Spackling, painting and adding trim is still on the agenda though.

Today's progress pictures:
And of course, the night I have energy to keep on going, I run out of paint. My goal for tomorrow evening is to have the painting done.

Monday

2011-02-21T21:58:00.003-06:00

Brent is still going strong (he took tomorrow off as well), but unlike some people, I have to work tomorrow and my bedtime is near – so I'm calling it quits on Monday. And judging from the choice words coming from the garage, I think Brent's about spent himself.

Since we are doing the built-in in 2 different pieces (bottom and top), we've started repeating Saturday and Sunday's steps. I am loving this repetition because it means there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

While I was at work, Brent attached all the bottom shelving to the base:

And did all the wiring (pre-spackle photo):

Then it was back to Home Depot to have the cuts made for the top:
And while Brent is currently building those shelves, I've started painting the shelf backs:
Definitely a productive day. I'm trying not to read too much into the fact that the day things get done is the day I'm not there.

Sunday

2011-02-21T21:47:00.002-06:00

Sunday consisted of a lot of painting and a very late night.

It was an awkward kind of day though, because when either Brent or myself was working, the other was at a standstill. Even though, I regretted it at work today, I'm happy I stayed up to get my painting done. Since Brent had today off, it gave him a good head start.

Saturday

2011-02-20T13:10:00.002-06:00

Even with 2 mishaps (both in the mis-measuring department), more progress was made on the built-ins than I expected.

The before:
The blank canvas:

The "demo":

The purchase:
There are some things we just aren't comfortable DIYing, like things that require straight lines. We had Home Depot cut all the shelving. The first 2 cuts are free, and everything after is $.50 a cut. $17 is a small price to pay for straight lines. We dropped off our "order" Saturday morning and it was ready 40 minutes later. Totally worth it.

The base (not sure what's going on with the spots):

Saturday's progress pic:

The big blank area (which is DVD shelving) was done, but I'm mean and had Brent redo it this morning. The bottom shelf was too short (as in, you couldn't put a finger above the DVD to grab it out). He said we could make due, I gave him several mean looks and finally I got my way. While I still don't think he is happy with me, I'm sure he'll be thankful about it in the long run.

Aside from the shelves, we alo dogsat this little cutie:

Definitely a guy thing

2011-02-17T20:06:00.002-06:00

I'm excited about the man cave built-in shelves for the look and the dvd storage. Brent, is excited because of this:

Yep, he bought a command center (among other things). I don't really get it, but I do know that my husband is glowing and very excitedly showed me every item in his "box of goodies" that arrived today.

The next project

2011-02-16T17:38:00.003-06:00

I know it's been like a year (exaggeration is the best), but I've been resting up for the next project. That's right, it's a big one. And we are starting it this weekend.

The task: built-in shelves to frame in the TV
I'm so excited to start this man cave project. That way we'll finally DVD storage, as well a place to finally display some of Brent's sports memorabilia.