No Place Like Home

Why has there been a smile on my face?

2011-04-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Mostly because of the amount of time I have spent with my husband, that's why! If you are reading this, I warn you that there are no pictures and this might get uber mushy-gushy. I am merely writing this because I do not have a diary and I want to remember these past weeks!

1. First and foremost, my hubs planned a SURPRISE trip to Napa Valley for us! We both love wine and cannot wait to go! This is where we are staying...

Daniel already booked a limo tour for us one day, another day we will rent bikes, and I think we will also go to San Fran for a couple of days. CANNOT wait! It is just so sweet that he planned a vacation (that is normally my job) to a place that is so "me".

2. About a week after Daniel told me about this, I saw a raffle for Brenner's Wine festival on facebook. I decided to put our names in the raffle because Brenner's was featuring wines from Napa and Sonoma. I found out I WON two $75 tickets ...I haven't won anything in my life, but I am very happy with this being the first thing that I have won. The food was gourmet (Port steak kabobs, duck flat bread sandwiches, French cheese, salmon, Cabernet truffles, and more) and the wine samples were unlimited :-) The fest was beautiful...perfect weather, luscious landscaping, my favorite company...I wish I took pictures.

3. My honey and I took a couple of days off to take a road trip to Austin. We got there around 1, made a pit stop at P Terrys (mmmmm best veggie burger and fries), had a picnic in our bathing suits with Modelo at our hotel, and got to see Band of Horses (they were better at ACL) and Kings of Leon (never really listened to them, but they had a great show). We also got to see my brother, who is a sophomore at UT. He showed us what is new at UT, walked on the drag with us, and we got to treat him to some food OTHER than cereal at El Sol y La Luna (I highly recommend the salmon enchiladas). Today, we had some delcisious pancakes at Kerbey Lane, made our way home, and now I have made a pallet in front of our TV to watch Oprah.

4. Oh yah, I got a new car a couple of months ago..brand new Toyota 4 runner...I love it!

5. Why else am I smiling? Oh, maybe because next week is Easter, the week after that is field trip week, and then it is 1 more month until summer and guess who is NOT teaching summer school this year :-)

I thank God for Him blessing us with each other..I understand that He gives and takes away, and I just feel so loved that He is choosing to overwhelm us with blessings when we have done nothing to deserve this! Thank you Lord for Daniel and for our marriage. Thank You for the blessings that might seem small, but make me so happy!

Twas the week before Half Marathon...

2011-01-24T15:54:00.000-08:00

... So excited to DO THIS! I completed my last "long" run on Sunday and it felt great...now I just have to allow myself to rest this week so that I will have no muscle soreness come Sunday morning!
To celebrate, I got a new running jacket and I am in love! I am not in obsessed with it on the model because it looks a little loose fitting, but I love it on me- it has an empire waist, 4 pockets (2 on the outside with zippers, 2 on the inside), and thumb holes!
Kinda funny story. I never spend a ton of money on workout gear. Even though I use it on a daily basis, I don't feel the need to spend $100 on pants I am just going to sweat in. Well, I was wearing my favorite Target dryfit leggings while doing down dog at home...Daniel started cracking up and said he could see my undies STRAIGHT through my pants...could name the color and everything. Of course, I had just worn the pants to yoga class (and I pretty much wear them once a week)....really hope the lighting was dark enough that no one could tell I like leopard print. Needless to say, I went out and bought some nicer yoga pants!

I am SO taking of the Monday after the marathon...planning on sleeping in, getting a pedicure, and doing nothing more strenuous than a light walk. I love having small things to look forward to!

In honor of being the day after my last long run, I spent the day shopping (see above), and will now eat a Crave cupcake while watching The Bachelor (seriously I hate this show with a passion but I love reading the FUNNIEST blog the next day!

Some random thoughts

2011-01-15T17:31:00.000-08:00

1. I've read that one of the top indicators of a happy marriage is the split-up of household chores...the closer the couple is to splitting the chores 50/50, the happier they seem to be. I love our new "chores routine"...I go around the house and clean all of the counters, plus our 2 bathrooms, then I go grocery shopping. While I'm shopping, Daniel goes and cleans ALL of our floors (our whole house is hardwood, so it isn't an easy feat!) I do not mind cleaning counters, but I HATE cleaning our floors because I feel like I can never get them clean enough. Daniel has been sweeping and mopping since he was practically in diapers, so it works out well!

2. Made the YUMMIEST dinner tonight! I have never cooked fish before tonight because I worried that it wouldn't turn out well. Made this recipe and it was amazing and healthy! Daniel loved it, too!

3. I am obsessed with forearm stands...I have been doing it in our house on every empty wall I can find. It was a pose that I figured I would never be able to do (it is pretty tough on the core, upper back, and triceps/ shoulders) but I randomly kicked into it in class last week...and then did it 4 more times in a row! It is crazy how much stronger our bodies are than we realize. It's similar to a head stand, but your head is lifted up off the ground.

4. I kinda like these boots. I got some Toms for Christmas and I wear them all of the time. I definitely want to try them on before buying them....I am hoping Whole Earth provides them to save me a trip to Nordstroms. Do you or someone you know have these boots and like them?

5. An instructor I go to is opening a new yoga/ piltes gym on Studemont called Happy Belly Yoga and is charging only $20 bucks for UNLIMITED yoga for a month. Cannot wait!

OK, I think that about covers it! Have a great 3 day weekend, everyone!

It's OK that I...

2010-12-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

... have a sparse Christmas tree, with ornaments that say " Christina's first Xmas". I refuse to buy ornaments that mean nothing.

... have no time line for life.

... buy something for myself every time I make an online purchase for a Christmas gift.

...fear becoming a 100% vegetarian because I.Love.Steak.

...think a hot bubble bath solves all of life's problems.

...cannot wait until The Bachelor, even though I am not a fan of Brad.

...consider bed at 10:30 to be late.

...Feel a little pain when I come home from work and my husband's car isn't in the driveway.

...Only dust my blinds when I am expecting company.

...think Houston ain't that bad.

...

list of wants

2010-10-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a student told me her birthday was coming up. When I asked her when it was, she replied "November 28"....which is my birthday, too! After she guessed how old I will be (seven years old), she told me everything that she wants for her birthday...which got me thinking about what I would like.
I really do not care about birthdays or gifts. Of course I appreciate them, but I am fine if I receive nothing. I am usually a frugal person and I just do not like having a bunch of things that clutter up my house. Unfortunately, my list this year is rather extensive ...much thanks to my knack of losing and breaking expensive things. So, without further ado, I present you with my birthday/ Christmas wish list for 2010!

I really love this gym bag! It is cute how it has a holder for a yoga mat. I usually go to the gym right after work and just stuff my clothes in my purse....I think this is much more practical!

Best Christmas movie ever!

Cute, matches my dishes. Something I would never buy myself but would like receiving. Would be useful to use during a party!
I dropped my macbook and now the screen is all messed up...I can still use it, but there are areas on my screen that are cracked, making it hard to see the images. No wonder Daniel's computer is password protected and he won't let me in on what it is!

Ok. I am not normally a leather jacket wearin' gal, but I would like one in lieu of a motorcycle jacket. I could spend a lot of $$$ on a motorcycle jacket that wouldn't be too cute and that I would only wear while I am riding with Daniel...or I could spend a smidgen more and get a jacket that I can wear everyday. Daniel had a little motorcycle crash yesterday (not a big deal, but he got skinned up on his way to work) and now I really do not want to ride with him unless I have proper protection. I might not be able to wait until November 28 for this purchase!
Remember my whole knack of breaking and losing all things expensive? Yes, I spilled a 32 oz water bottle in my purse, and in turn ruining my second iphone in 3 months. I feel really bad asking for a new one, but I promise to be more careful!
I have had my car since I turned 17. It has been fun, but now that I am older, I would like to have something larger. It sucks grocery shopping or traveling with the dogs in my little 2 door VW convertible. Not to mention it currently has a hole in the door from a bow and arrow and a hole in the bumper thanks to Daniel backing into a fire hydrant.

I am embarrassed by how much money this list totals to....I know I will not receive the majority of these, it's called a wish list for a reason!

Happy Monday!

2010-10-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

Brie and apple quesadillas- made this for dinner tonight! Click the picture if you want the recipe (I didn't use arugula). Daniel said it was more of a snack, but we both really liked it.

Perfect for after dinner dessert- Blue Moon's pumpkin ale, Harvest Moon. I love everything pumpkin, including pumpkin beer!

Today has been pretty productive. My friend Kathryn and I started training for the Houston 1/2 marathon last week, and I have been finding myself running everyday. Before, I would run 2 or 3 miles about 4x a week, but now that I am making more of an effort, we are running 3-4 miles about everyday (either together or alone). It feels great, and there is something about running RIGHT after work that just makes the rest of your day productive. After our run I took the dogs to the park, helped Daniel with the lawn, and even cooked dinner. Feels good not being a lazy vegetable after work!

I love fall. Love it so much that I have a nasty sun burn to prove it. We spent all day outside yesterday, between Daniel's soccer game, running, and taking the dogs to the park. We have had our windows open 24/7 and it feels refreshing waking up at night a little chilly! I cannot wait to go to Cedar Creek and sit outside with some fried pickles and a Blue Moon- perfect weather for it!

Ok, that was a bit of a hodge podge, but at least I updated!

breakthrough

2010-09-17T07:30:00.001-07:00

I love yoga. I know people get tired of me praising it, but I do. I was a fitness instructor for a few years during college, teaching boot camp, strength training, and ab/ pilates classes about 5x a week...and I never felt as strong, connected, and excited to participate as I do with yoga.

The principal of yoga is what I really love...it is about being thankful for what your body can do. It is about accepting where your body is, but knowing that you will continue to grow in your practice. I never felt that way with running, although I do love to run. During a run, I usually struggle with not being able to be "fast" enough. With weight lifting, I struggle with not looking "strong" enough. With yoga, I know that I am not the best in the class, but the fact that I can do things that I never thought my body could do is good enough for me!

Well, I have had an inner struggle for the past several months with doing a hand stand. Stupid, yes. But it kept me from going to a certain yoga class that does a ton of handstands and left me feeling inferior and, again, not "good enough". When the instructor would have us go to the wall to practice hand stands, I would feel so much resentment towards myself. This instructor made me feel terrible, would say things like "this is an advance class, and if people can't keep up, then don't come" and would bark out vague instructions that would stress me out more than help me with the posture.

It would anger me. Yoga is SO not about feeling inferior and like you will never be able to accomplish a move. It was a catch 22...I would feel resentment towards my body, and then resentment for feeling resentment when I know that I shouldn't! It is funny....with some moves in this class, I would be the only one that could do them...so why can't I do a freaking hand stand?!?

I started going to a different yoga instructor. Her class isn't as good of a "work out" (because she isn't a drill sergeant), but I know it is beneficial to my personal yoga practice. Last night, she focused an hour on hand stands....I started the cold sweat when she had us move to the wall. Fear started setting in...I can't do this...I am going to embarrass myself...I am not strong enough...blah blah. She started us of with simple moves that help you with bringing your hips directly above your shoulders during an inversion..and then after 45 minutes of various postures that wake up the back and shoulders, we spent the last couple of minutes just being in a hand stand.

She never yelled. She never said that we weren't good enough. She did tell me that I overcompensate using my shoulder muscles instead of my back muscles. She also told me that I hold too much tension in my neck. When I corrected those two EASY things, I could hold the hand stand for about 30 seconds. This is going to probably sound a little hooky, but all of the voices in my head that told me I am not good enough ceased and I heard....nothing. I was able to relax into the pose and be in the moment. Which is exactly how yoga should be.

Emmy faves

2010-08-30T15:51:00.001-07:00

I totally planned on just watching the red carpet before the Emmy's....award shows are boring and I would rather just read the results online the next morning. However, the opening skit got me HOOKED- it was hilarious! I was wishing that they would have had more TV stars be in that opening. I loved the Modern Family skit with George Clooney, too. I might have to watch more award shows- very entertaining! Anyways, here are the best dresses, in my opinion.

Um, she could have been in a paper sack and still looked beautiful. I still cannot believe the transformation she has gone through in the past few years. She looks incredible.

Love the pale pink and the little ruffle on the top of the dress.
Don't think this fits wonderfully, but I still like the dress.
I love Tina Fey. This is her best look ever. Although I do not care for Glee much or this actress (yes, she has a wonderful voice...just not my favorite actress), I love her dress and I think that she looks perfect in it!

Who do you think was best/ worst dressed?

Simple Pleasures

2010-08-29T06:39:00.001-07:00

I love....
...coffee on a weekend morning. I always wake up first and it is just so relaxing sipping my coffee on my big comfy chair while cuddling with my kitty.

...when Daniel and I find a new TV show and become obsessed with it. This weekend has been a Modern Family Marathon. Sometimes I prefer this to going on a "real" date.

...having a clean home. Between episodes, Daniel and I made our home spotless. I am lucky that I have someone who shares the chores with me!

...being excited to go to work tomorrow. I have a great class, but a couple of challenging ones students. Is it weird that those challenging students are the ones that motivate me the most to wake up at 6:15 am and do my job?

...Groupon. Yesterday I got 1/2 off tickets to the Houston Wine Festival...CANNOT WAIT!

...Bubble Baths. I have taken one everyday since school started on Monday. I take my book and sometimes a glass of wine or my pomegranate/ peligrino concoction and stay in for hours. I am worried about our gas/ water bill for this month!

...Yoga, which I am going to now. Since work started, I have gone from practicing 4x a week to only 1-2 times. I went yesterday (first time this week) and my butt and arms are so sore! Whoever says Yoga is for wimps has never taken a power vinyasa class.

Namaste!

What's been going on

2010-08-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

1. Foam rollers
Ever since I got new running shoes, I have felt intense pain in my left quad basically 24/7. I have been running since high school and have never really experienced above average muscle pain. It is so weird that in this situation, it is ONLY my left quad/ IT band....has this happened to any of you? I am hoping that I will not have to buy new shoes, after shelling out $115 a mere two weeks ago for new ones. ANYWAYS, I am taking a few days off of running, and last night I went to "Yoga Bootcamp". After telling us that the class is nothing like yoga and more just stretching for athletes, the instructor has us get foam rollers. I'm feeling pissed at this point. I went expecting an intense yoga class based on cardio and strength (like a power vinyasa flow) and instead it was just going to be stretching? I stretch everyday! So, I begrudgingly use the foam roller on my quad...and OMG, tears come to my eyes it is so painful. I literally feel the lactic acid bubbles popping in my muscle. I am SO going to buy one of those foam rollers...although my quad still hurts, it feels a million times better. *fingers crossed that no running + foam roller will heal my quad*

2. Door
My father-in-law gave us his old door a few months ago, and it had been sitting in our garage ever since. Our old front door, which resembled a rectangle of cardboard, was quite an eye sore. A few weeks ago, my parents paid about $800 to refurbish their front door, which made me want to refurbish the door we had sitting in our attic. My husband didn't care to do it, but loves me so decided to work on our new-old door anyways! This door was a MESS- old hornet nests still connected to the wood, totally scratched up and discolored...but I could see the potential. Well, between sanding, staining, restaining, and sanding some more, and sealing, this little "project" took us over 2 weeks to accomplish! The prep work wasn't difficult, just time consuming b/c we could only do one side at a time and had to always wait 24 hours for the layers of stain and sealant to dry. So, Sunday was the big day...the door was finally done and we could hang it up! 5 trip to Lowes and 6 hours later, this darn door was finally up. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. The door was too long and we had to saw off the bottom 2 inches. The door was too wide so we literally had to whittle the side with a knife to make it fit. Couldn't get the dead bolt to work. Our alarm kept going off. I have to say that the hard work was worth it...wish I had a before pic, but oh well!
3. Two really yummy, vegetarian, and FAST meals...

"hummus" burgers- courtesy of Women's Health. This reminds me of falafel...Daniel gave it an 8.5 out of 10 and REALLY loved it....very filling, too!

Grind 1/2 cup of almonds and a teaspoon of coriander until it is the consistency of flour.
Mash up a can of organic garbanzo beans and 3 minced cloves of garlic until there are no whole beans left. Stir in almond meal, 2 teaspoons of cummin, a pinch of salt, an egg, and 1/4 cup of fresh parsley. Form patties and cook on a skillet (medium heat) with olive oil, about 5 min per side.
Meanwhile, mix 2 TB of mayonnaise (or nonflavored greek yogurt or sour cream) with a chile (canned, in adobo sauce).
Put hummus burger in a pita half, along with some spinach and tomato. Add the chile mayo. MMMMM!

Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink black beans- I made this tonight because I had a ton of fresh black beans left from another meal.

Stir-fry 1/2 a red onion and 3 cloves of minced garlic for about 2 minutes. Add 2 chiles (in adobo sauce) if you like spicy, along with about a cup of frozen corn.
Add beans after corn is no longer frozen (probably about 1 lb)
Once beans are warm, stir in some chopped tomato, the juice from a lime, about 1 TB of cumin and a pinch of salt
Serve with fresh cilantro, Mexican cheese, and a lot of avocado!

I pretty much just threw in what I had, but if you have some other veggies that you need to get rid of, I think it would work. This was really filling...Daniel had a bite and liked it, but had a huge burger for lunch so is fasting from dinner.

She Works Hard For The Money

2010-08-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first day back at work, and I must say that I am happy to be back. I am feeling motivated to make this my best year of teaching so far. I got so much done yesterday at work- moved all of my furniture by 8 am, put up all of my bulletin board paper and border, covered 3 of my cabinets, made my Science and Math Word Wall, made some materials for the first week of school, and started on my Peace Corner.....whew! Afterward, I ran 4 miles in 35 minutes, made dinner, and did two loads of laundry!!! I was feeling like Kelly Ripa in all of those Elextrolux commercials, except not nearly as cute. The only downfall was that I was on such a rush that I couldn't fall asleep...

Today I was at work by 7:45, and got up my reading word wall, calendar area, and math area...plus set up my library and organized my materials. I was able to leave by 10:45 to make it to my last Tuesday lunch time yoga class and run. I will post pictures of my classroom probably on Friday...

So, I made a really yummy vegetarian chili tonight that Daniel loved! It took little time to prepare, but about 2 hours to cook. Perfect for someone who has some chores or studying to do at home while it cooks!

First, I cooked a pound of black beans, which has to boil for about an hour and a half (this is the time consuming part). You can just use canned black beans if you have to cook in a pinch, but I try to stay away from canned food when I can. While the beans were cooking, a had time to clean our spare bathroom (aka Doodoo's bathroom) and clean our spare bedroom (aka our dog's bedroom).

Next, I sauteed an onion, 3 carrots, and a red bell pepper for about 2 minutes. I then added it with 8 oz of tomato sauce, 3 cups water, and this package of spices:

I didn't make it like it said to prepare, just bought it because it's a convenient way to make sure it tastes like chili and add the correct amount of spice.

I let that all simmer for about 20 minutes, then added my cooked black beans. It was DELICIOUS and Daniel felt really full afterward (always important for a man's dinner).

Speaking of delicious and filling....

Chocolate Eruption cake from Whole Foods, purchased for my mother-in-laws bday on Sunday. Maybe 1/4 was consumed on the day of her birth with the whole family....the rest has been devoured by Daniel and me these past 2 days. I told Daniel that whatever he doesn't eat of it tonight will be in the trash...I have no willpower to stop eating it, so it has to go!

Happy Day

2010-08-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

Today was just one of those days where I was in a great mood! I...
1. Went shopping at Katy Mills. I will never go back there, even though I found some good finds
at Gap outlet and Nike outlet. I should have just gone to the Cypress Outlet- it is closer and
nicer. Oh well! I saw this dress last yr at the regular Gap for $40...didn't get it, thought it was
too much mula. Found it today for FIVE BUCKS!!! It has a pocket on the top left boob. I think it will be great for standing outside in this August heat during recess! Aside from this dress, I also got another summery orange/ pink/ yellow/ brown dress, skinny jeans, black work pants, gray cami, gray cardigan vest, hot pink cardigan, hot pink suede flip flops, and burnt orange rimmed sunglasses.
2. Read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo for about 2 hours today. It is SO hard for me to read
beyond a book's climax, but I will hopefully finish it tomorrow.
3. For the past several years, Daniel and I have always gotten our hair cuts together. We used to
go to the same stylist....and even though I no longer use her (growing my hair long), I still go
with Daniel because of tradition, even though it is in Sugar Land. We made a date out of it
tonight. Went to Whole Foods first, where I ate salmon salad, the BEST bread pudding, and
this cute little can of champagne:

4. While Daniel was getting his hair cut, I decided to go to the Texas Running Co. to get some
new running shows. Mine are over a yr old and I am feeling the effects on the arch of my foot.
PLUS, my friend Kathryn and I signed up for the Houston 1/2 Marathon lottery, so I need
some motivation to go beyond my 3-5 miles on the treadmill. Anyways, I usually get my kicks
from a specialty store, but this place by far exceeds them all! They actually filmed me running
on their treadmill to see how my foot lands and then allowed me to watch it. I ended up
getting some cute hot pink Nikes that help me run more flat footed, plus a little number to
work out in. Cannot wait for tomorrow's workout!
5. Afterward, Daniel suggested we take the pups for a nice walk. For some reason, I prefer walks
to any other date. We ended up going to the dog park, where we made a game of hiding a ball
and having the pups find it- too cute!
6. After the walk, Daniel decided he wanted some wine. He rarely drinks wine, whereas I LOVE
wine! I of course jumped at the opportunity to buy a "nice bottle of wine", as Daniel requested
(i.e. not the usual twist top I buy). An over-12-dollar Cabernet, plus some brie and crackers=
AMAZING!!!
7. We haven't been on a vacay outside of TX since last November...and we are going to NYC this upcoming Thanksgiving break!!! My aunt lives there... she is one of my favorite people in the whole world...one of those types that is always positive and happy, and always has a ridiculous story to tell. She is almost twice my age, yet has three times my amount of energy. She is always either orchestrating theatre classes to youngsters, or biking across the city, or teaching yoga, or writing the upcoming off-Broadway play. Cannot wait to see her and her other half, Don, in a few months!

It takes a LONG time to blog! GEEZ! This probably won't be happening once work starts back up!!!

Pier 1 sale

2010-08-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my addiction to HGTV, I do not think that my house will ever feel "decorated enough". It is something I have been working on this past year, and I still have a long way to go. Once you think about it, it is a little foolish...I am buying frivolous things, like throw pillows that my dogs think are chew toys and silk flowers that just gather dust. The only use that these decorative items have is for aesthetic reasons...no other function. However, it is a hobby of mine, so when I do feel the need to decorate, it has to be on the cheap. With that said, here are my Pier 1 finds!

I took this picture to show the painting over my mantle that a friend painted. I love it, but it is pretty bright, which is what started me this excursion for new colors in my living room.

Although I love our hardwoods, I sometimes feel like our home is too "woody"....wood floors, wood cabinets, wood furniture. I am not a fan of white wood, which would probably stand out better with our floors. Anyways, I got these dinky rug onsale at Pier 1 for 10 bucks! I like how the colors speak with the painting in the previous picture. Wish it was larger, but at least it breaks up the wood a tad.
This lighting is awful, just wanted to show a Home Goods purchase (pillow- $15) It brings out the crimson on the chair if you see if in person. By the way, Doo Doo head was in that exact same spot when I left my home at 11 to meet Daniel for lunch at Ziggys. It is now 2:40! Sometimes I just go up to her to make sure she is still breathing.

I got the two crimson pillows for 20% off at Pier 1, usually 14.95. I also got the middle floral pillow. I love throw pillows, but they stay arranged on my couch for about 15 minutes until one of the dogs kicks them off. My pups loves laying on the couch, but for some reason hate when any pillows are sharing the couch with them!

Ok, I think that is about it! Happy Wednesday!

Last week of freedom!

2010-08-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that my summer break is almost over :-( I didn't get much checked off of my summer to-do list....never went to the dentist, dermatologist, or doctor. Didn't bust out my sewing machine. Didn't train Cole to walk on a leash. Didn't do as much home decorating as I would have liked. What I DID accomplish was a ton of R&R, along with maintaining a clean house, going to yoga or running almost everyday, and some chores such as being my own exterminator, oil change, cleaning out our closets.

Speaking of cleaning out our closets, I sold some old clothes to Buffalo Exchange and scored majorly with these leather Coach shoes! I am not huge on brands where I have to pay a ton of money to be a walking advertisement for them. However, I do not see a "C" anywhere on these shoes other than on the inside. They were brand new, and with my trade in, I only had to pay $17! Plus, I love the burnt orange strap :-)

Daniel gave me a Target gift card that he had received for his bday...I think it is for $25. Might go there today to scope out the shoes and jewelry. I have the shopping bug and I am trying to hold off my shopathon until Thursday, so maybe Target can hold me over.

Can I just say that I think Chelsea looked absolutely gorgeous on her wedding day? Back in the 90's could you have even imagined that she could transform from the awkward ugly duckling she was to such a poised, graceful woman? Love her dress, make-up, hair, and smile!

OK, I am going to fight everything in me that wants to lay around and veg out during my last days of relaxation and instead go hit the treadmill and the 11:45 Pilates class. Can anyone seriously run outside in this heat?!

2010-07-30T18:12:00.001-07:00

Last night, Daniel had to go to Mark's for a work dinner (no fair)! I was going to go get some take out at Barnaby's, but after watching Oprah, I changed my mind! Oprah had a feature about "freegans" (rhymes with vegan), people who get most of what they own for free....from the trash! It is amazing how much food is wasted at grocery stores simply because the produce has a scratch or the meat expires in the near future. Freegans literally get all of their food- milk, produce, eggs, meat- from dumpsters! So...I canceled on Barnaby's. No, I didn't dig around in the Kroger dumpster, but I did cook with food that I already had. It turned out REALLY good, too! Click here for Greek Grain Salad. The only grain I used was a whole box of barley.
So, my dad is in a new band, The Charlie Poe Band (clever name, right?). Anyways, tomorrow he is having a show at my cousin's bar, Jumps. I think it will be a lot of fun and I am excited to see family and friends. It is a free show and the drinks are great. Let me know if you want to go and I will gladly give you directions!

Last days of summer

2010-07-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

I finished this book in less than two days. I really love the author Emily Griffin. Her books are mostly classified as Chick Lit, but I feel like her books are not typical of that genre. Her characters are all 3 dimensional and her endings are never predictable. I do not want to give any of the book away, but it is written through two different ladies' point of view, Tessa and Valerie. I can relate to different aspects of both of these characters. Although they have never met, their lives become intertwined through a tragedy in Valerie's family. If you choose to read it, be prepared to do nothing else until it is finished!

Also, I woke up extra early this morning to start painting our porch. It is not finished- I still need to do the trim around the pillars and steps, along with a second coat of paint. I will do this either tomorrow or this afternoon. It feels nice checking this project off of our list of home improvements- makes me feel like I wasn't a total lazy bum this summer! I still want to add a nicer looking mail box and address numbers, but I think that I will save that for when Daniel and I sand/ stain our new front door. I feel like I am on that show Curb Appeal (I love HGTV!).

Funny story- before I started painting our porch, I made a mental note that I must unlock our back door, seeing as we will not be using our front door until the paint dries. So, I unlock the back door, and go outside to make sure that I can easily open the backdoor from there (the door is very old and always gets stuck). It opens, and I literally say out loud, "do NOT lock this door again." OF COURSE, my dogs need to go outside, so I let them out, do some chores, let them back in, and get started outside. About two hours later, I am finished and bring all of my tools to the back door. I go to open the door, and it won't budge! I try everything I can to open the darn door, but it is either stuck or locked. By this time, I am covered in sweat, paint, and dirt and just want to go inside. I have to use all of my flexibility (thanks, yoga!) to lunge over 3 paint-soaked steps, with the front foot balancing on the 1 inch thick trim of the pillar and the back foot sunk in a flower bed. By the grace of God, I am able to get through the front door without messing up my work! And, despite all of my intentions to not lock the back door, it was, indeed, locked!

I think that's about all of my news. I hope everyone has a great Thursday!

A little bit of everything

2010-07-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing about soup is that it provides me with lunch leftovers for days, not to mention that it is a great way to get in some veggies. I made this soup last night. I subsitutued black beans for chicken, veg stock for chicken stock, and added bell pepper. Here is the recipe!
Daniel hated it, but I loved it. It definitely wasn't filling, though.

I ate steak Thurs-Saturday. I couldn't help it! On Thursday, Daniel and I went to Hugo's for lunch. I LOVE their steak almost as much as I love their margaritas. Then, on Friday night I went to this new Benihana-type restaurant with my family in the Brazos Bend Town Center. TOTAL DUD, but I did forgo my first choice of sushi for hibachi filet mignon. THEN, on Saturday Daniel and I went to a friend's house for dinner. Their steak seriously rivaled that of a 5 star steak house, so I couldn't resist :) But, now I am back to no more meat. I am only cutting back, not forsaking it completely!

At work, people make fun of me because of my love for Greek Yogurt. At 20+ grams of protein per serving, it is seriously one of the best snack choices, especially now that I am not consuming as much protein as usual. A tub of fat free is HUGE, but only 140 calories. I get the plain kind because I try not to eat any added sugar. Today I added blueberries to it after my run/ yoga regimen. Very filling and nourishing!

Supposedly a potential landscaper is coming today to give me a quote on my forest of a front yard. They have already canceled on me once and rescheduled for today...they are already 10 minutes late!

If they do not come (and it doesn't rain) then I am going to paint my porch! My house is yellow with white trim. Can't paint the porch white because it would show all of the dirt. I am thinking a sage green with some gray under tones.

Landscapers here!!!!

Good books

2010-07-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

This summer, I have done a ton of relaxing. Yoga everyday, an embarrassing amount of HGTV, and a hefty bill towards amazon.com due to the amount of books I have downloaded on my Kindle. I have read several great books. The Lovely Bones (yes, it was a movie, whateve) was probably the most thought provoking..but my two favorite books were Something Borrowed and Something Blue, a series by Emily Griffin.

Regarding the first book, I read it in less than 24 hours while at The Bond's lake house. In theory, it was a book that I should never recommend, about a 30 yr old woman's relationship with her self-involved best friend's fiance. I cannot believe how obsessed with this book I became, considering how much I value loyalty; however, I think every woman could relate to the main character's own insecurities and desires.

The latter book was basically the same story as the first book, along with the aftermath, according to the self-centered best friend. It was probably my favorite book- I loved seeing how Darcy, the shallow, wordly BFF evolved into a likeable character.

WELL, imagine my delight when I came upon the author's fan page to see that my beloved books were becoming a movie! Let's just say that I cannot wait until 2011! Here is a sneak peak:

Is it the deepest of books? NO. Is it a fun read? Absolutely!

BTW, I am open to any of your book recommendations!

Later is better than never!

2010-07-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while, I wanted to share something (small and a little superficial) but still something still fun and worth sharing.

This week, despite the fact that I have only been off for 2.5 weeks, I have been planning on going back to work. Last year I felt like I always had to sacrifice something during the week, whether it be the gym, chores, cooking, or sleep. It might sound silly, but a lot of what consumes my time in the kitchen is preparing meat! Defrosting it, cooking it thoroughly, cleaning up the mess afterward. On top of the health reasons that had already caused me to lower my meat-eating, plus the costs of meat, environmental reasons for avoiding meat, yada yada, I have decided to stop cooking meat and truthfully, try to stop eating it as well. To be honest, I do not like meat that much (chicken is so boring unless it is doused in olive oil) unless it is a nice, juicy filet mignon. Why waste my calories on something I do not really enjoy? I was only cooking it for us because I thought my husband wouldn't want a plant-based meal.

So, this past week I have cooked strictly vegetarian meals, and my husband has rated all of them. Here they are (BTW, there are only 4 meals because for 2 of them I had Amy's and for one my husband and I went out to eat).

Daniel rated these on a scale of 1-10, with 9.9 being Mark's Restaurant worthy, and a 1 being inedible (he says a 10 is simply unattainable). Anything that is a 6 or above is something he would want to eat again :-)

Day 1: Feta, Walnut, and Spinach Pasta salad- rated a 7
1. Boil whole wheat rigatoni pasta to al dente (I did the whole box to have lunch left
overs)
2. Drain it and chill in the fridge for about 10 min
3. Mix it with toasted walnuts (1/2 cup) several hand fulls of spinach (used defrosted
frozen spinach because it is already wilted), 1/2 of a chopped red onion, and about a cup of feta cheese and some salt/ pepper.

Day 2: Bean soup (courtesy of my mama, tweaked by me)
1. In a crockpot, mix a lb of dried black beans, 2 chopped carrots, 3 chopped stalks of celery, a chopped white onion, 7 cloves minced garlic, 1 chopped green pepper, 2 4 oz cans of green chiles, 5 cups of water, 3 cups of vegetable stalk, a Tablespoon of cumin and a Tablespoon of Thyme. Cook on high for 8 hours. Once it is ready to serve, top with some cilantro and avocado.

*Daniel did not rate this, but loved it so much that he came home from work to eat it for lunch- and he ALWAYS goes out!

Day 3: Pasta with goat cheese, fresh spinach, and roasted red peppers- "solid 7.5"
1. Cook whole wheat pasta shells in salted water until al dente
2. Once cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water
3. Mix cooked pasta with about 1/2 cup of goat cheese, 4 roasted peppers, and 4 handfuls
of fresh spinach
4. Top it off with the 1/2 cup of reserved water. This melts the cheese and creates a
creamy, yummy sauce. It also wilts the spinach.

Day 4: Egg, spinach, and feta "quiche" (turned more into a pizza)- rated a 7.8
1. Set oven to 350 degrees
2. In a bowl, mix 10 oz of defrosted frozen spinach (make sure you squeeze the excess
water out), 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 cup of feta (I also mixed in some goat cheese).
3. In a seperate bowl, whisk 3 eggs with 1.5 cups of skim milk, plus a pinch of nutmeg,
salt, and pepper.
4. In a pie pan (about 9-12 in), place 4 halves of whole wheat Orzo sandwich thins
5. Spoon the spinach mixture on top of the thins, and then pour the egg mixture on top.
6. Cook for about 30-40 min
* This was not very eggy. If you want it to be less pizza-like and more quiche-like, add
some more eggs/ milk. For every egg added, also add 1/2 cup of milk*

All of these recipes took barely any time to prepare. Daniel and I are both pretty health-conscious, so we liked that we didn't hate ourselves after eating these meals. Anyways, enjoy! I think I will be posting the recipes I cook this week, as well!

Random blog!

2009-10-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Why am I blogging instead of teaching 22 five-year-olds? Well, I didn't go to work today :-) Daniel and I took off Friday to go to ACL and had a great time. Seriously, other than the rain/ mud, we could not have asked for a better hoorah before he leaves on Saturday for London. We saw fun shows, enjoyed (some) beautiful weather, ate scrumptious food, and got to see some pals. A little bittersweet, since while we were having this mini vacation, I knew it was our last weekend together until I visit Daniel in mid November. I'm trying to look on the bright side of being without my husband until Nov. 19 (and after that, until late December). Here are some perks.

1. No cooking.
2. I will go from 5 loads of laundry a week to 1 every two weeks.
3. No more dirty mirror by his sink.
4. I can sleep in the middle of the bed.
5. I will no longer feel guilt when watching Project Runway.

Of course, the perks of being alone pale in comparison to falling asleep with the one you love, long walks with our dog, watching the Office together, cracking up over lame jokes, etc etc.

Anyways, I took today off to finish some chores, so I gotta go!

The "real" world

2009-08-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

I started work on Monday...which means probably no more house renos anytime soon. After a week of creating lesson plans (only to realize I followed exactly what the principal said to do, which means I am wrong and have to re-do them), 8 hour trainings and decorating my room (ran out of border and have to drive all the way to Lakeshore which is across the street from the Galleria...which means is takes 2 hours to get there, even though I am 7 miles away), I am pooped!

We did, however, lay tile in our laundry room two weeks ago. Previously, we had the room blocked off by shelves we have yet to hang up so that our Romba wouldn't completely die of dust overload. Laying tile was actually a ton of work, and this is coming from the girl whose only job was to be in charge of finding the tape measure at all times! It took us-and by us I mean the Bond men- a whole two days to do 30 sq. ft of utility room. We (ok, they) put in subfloor and laid the tile the first day. I think cutting the tile took the longest. The next day, the men had to grout and put in the quarter round. I think it looks beautiful and I can now actually walk in the room without having feet that leave dust foot prints wherever I go. Thanks, Bonds!

Tile aside.... kids start in a week and 3 days. Prayers are currently being accepted.

And now for an adorable picture of my cock-eared pup

home economics

2009-07-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

In two weeks and 20 square feet of fabric later, I have (almost) completed my drapes ( I say almost b/c I might be making Daniel some drapes for his game room or I might just buy him some). I think they have turned out pretty nicely, for it being my first time!

Here is our master bedroom. I love it b/c when you walk in the room, our bed is the focal point but I felt weird with a window being behind it (it was the only layout that would work for the room). I think these curtains make the room look a lot less boring.

They are pewter and brown striped "silk". I love them! Kitchen! I am so proud of them! I added trim to the bottom of them. I also cut them with scalloped edges.
Please forgive my Iphone pictures. I do have a perfectly working pink cannon, but I can't seem to find the charger for it and it is dead.
Aunt Lydia, if you are reading this thank you SO much for teaching me how to do this and letting me use your sewing machine. I have had a blast so far making these with you!!!

On a side note, tomorrow I am going to a Hobby Lobby class to learn different sewing techniques. It is only $5/ hour, but I have a feeling that they are going to suck me into more than just one class.

On another side note, I'd like a sewing machine. I am thinking Craigslist, unless anyone reading this has one I can buy from you?

living room

2009-07-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the fabric for the drapes in our living room. I think it turned out pretty well- Thanks Aunt Lydia! I am hopefully going back to her home on Wednesday to make the drapes for my kitchen and bedroom.
Here are the much-talked-about chairs. I'm really happy with them. My brother Gregory came all the way to our neck of the woods so that we could use his truck to bring these chairs home. Afterwards Gregory and I went to One's a Meal and split a gyro, tzatziki, and spinach pies. It was really yummy!
Bad lighting but I wanted to show the layout of them. I'll show more pics after I clean up and buy a coffee table.

Across the Pond

2009-07-25T17:55:00.000-07:00

So... Daniel is going to work in London for a few months in October! I am excited for this professional opportunity for him, but I'm sad that I most likely won't be able to come for the whole time. As much as I'd love to just quit my job and move with him, that isn't too practical- as you can guess, this house has cost a lot of bucks so far, plus we have a mortgage and car payment to make. If I knew that I would be able to start a new job in January I would SO be there the whole time, but the truth of the matter is if I don't find a job in January, I will be out of work until next September. Most likely I will take a week off in October (if my principal allows...which she better!) and then also go up to London during Thanksgiving break. I just hope that Daniel gets to come home before Christmas!

If you work for a school in Houston and you know that y'all will be hiring a new teacher in January, please let me know! That would make our decision much easier!

Chairs! Finally!

2009-07-15T15:57:00.001-07:00

Oh, the places I have looked for chairs. Chic Warehouse. Ashely. Star. Pier 1. Home Goods. World Market. The list goes on. Today, I was motivated. No more indecisiveness, I must pick out chairs! This is partly because my Aunt Lydia is helping me make drapes next week (I need to know what color of fabrics to get!) and also because I might be having the Poe side over in a couple of weeks. I went to Color and Tailor, the place I was pretty much planning on going to all along, and made my decision in about 5 minutes! I called Daniel to make sure it was okay, and he said begrudgingly that he just "better like them". Since they are custom made, I have to wait about a week. I went ahead and bought throw pillows for the couch that are in the same fabric as our new chairs. I love them! Daniel actually likes them a lot, too- whew!

And now to puppy news. We took Dakota (finally, a name!) to the vet a few days after we got her. It turns out she had major parasites living in her belly, which is why she was incredibly lethargic and whiny. She is now very medicated (she took 4 different medicines today) but she is seriously a whole new puppy. So playful and sweet! You know how every parent is insistent that they have the brightest, sweetest, cutest child? I feel that way about Dakota! Daniel and I are so happy we rescued her from the shelter and we tote her around everywhere with us.
Dakota and DooDoo Head have met. Doodoo Head slapped her but thankfully did not use her nails. She did this because Dakota ambushed her, so Dakota kind of deserved it. Other than that instance, DooDoo has been a good "older sister" to Dakota and is relatively patient with her. At my parent's house, DooDoo would hunt out the dogs and attack them, so I'm happy she just pretends Dakota doesn't exist. She likes to sniff out Dakota while she is sleeping, but that's about it!
I'll post pictures of the chairs as soon as we receive them! Also, be expecting some pictures of window treatments soon!

Puppy time!

2009-07-02T05:26:00.000-07:00

We got a puppy from the shelter! Her name was Thor, but
daniel is afraid the name is too manly for such a cute lil puppy girl. She is a mix between German Shepard and Australian Shepard, which are two very smart, loyal, protective breeds. She TRULY is a smart, good puppy (so far, at least!) She went to the restroom outside within seconds of bringing her out this morning and has yet to go in the house. She also doesn't whine at all while she is in her cage- I think she actually likes it!

She did, however, go #2 in Daniel's car and then accidentally sat in it. Daniel put her in the bath tub while he cleaned out his car. She passed out in the tub! She also went #2 in aisle 8 at Petsmart :-)
She is a month old. Her sister is still at the shelter, if anyone is interested!

In other home related news, we got a new TV. I think it is a little to small.

We wall mounted his old TV. We actually put the cable box in the attic and ran a wire through the dry wall to the TV. There is a sensor on the TV that transmits the channel we want to the cable box. I thought the living room was too small to have an entertainment center. I'm happy with the result!

A lot of nothing

2009-06-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

*sigh*

Today, my family (minus my brother Gregory) came over to see our latest changes, to eat at Spanish Flower (yummy) and to look at my chair choices. I was excited- today was the day I'd make the big decision!

After nearly falling into a food coma at Spanish Flower, we go to Chic Warehouse. Not a good idea. Daniel and my Dad find the nearest overstuffed couch to plop their full bodies on and discuss TV sizes. This leaves my Mom, Madeline, and I to look through 20 books of fabric.

Once my Dad and Daniel worked up the energy to go look around, my Dad decides that every chair is too "grandma" and we should go elsewhere. To Daniel, the newest decorator, they all don't fit in the house and we need two totally different chairs, one with wood arm rests and one with fabric arm rests. I tell myself that I can make a decision on my own and don't have to follow other people's opinions.

After looking at paisley fabric choices, I find two nice ones (one red and cinnamon, one blue and brown). I take them to Daniel and Dad, who have plopped back on an oversized couch and have reverted to simply resting, eyes closes, hands on belly style. Daniel makes an "ew" face and goes back to closing his eyes. This is when I figure it is time to leave and attempt to sneak out, hoping the sales guy who is waiting on me won't notice.

So, no dice. I figure, even though I have a burning itch to finish our living room (or at least get the ball rolling), the chairs can wait. No rush....no rush.....

Why am I terrible at making decisions?

2009-06-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

I knew I shouldn't have done it. I KNEW it! I had my heart set on Color and Tailor. Beyond affordable, custom made, and local. But then, my (ex)co-worker told me about Chic Warehouse. Very much like Color and Tailor, yet instead of having 20 different fabric choices, they have about 2000! And I'm not going to lie, the chairs look trendier. I need to make a pro/ cons list.

Pros of Chic Warehouse
1. local
2. more fabric choices
3. cuter chair choices
4. affordable

Cons
1. Takes 6-8 weeks to make (compared to 4 days!)
2. Is about 100-200 bucks more a chair (do you KNOW how frugal I am?)
3. Too many choices?
4. I still may have liked this fabric from Color and Taylor more than any of the ones I saw (of
course, I only saw about 1/8th of the choices.

Of course, I asked Daniel what to get and he said, "Whatever you like more." It is sweet of him to want me to pick based on taste instead of mula, but COME ON! I need him to make this life-changing decision for me!

Well, I told both Chic Warehouse and Color and Tailor I will come by on Saturday.....with my couch's throw pillow....

On to more decorating news, I found an art warehouse in The Heights that is having a remarkable sale. Times are tough, and evidently no art is being sold. They are all under $15-$125 and are ranging from paper size to 36x48. I mean, those are crazy good prices! These are originals, not prints! Tell me what you think of these? There are a million more choice, BTW, so click here if you are looking for art. PS these all range from 24x36- 36x48.

LOVE this, but I don't think it will go well above our fire place if we use blues and greens. Would go beautifully with my original cinnamon color, though.
This one is really beautiful larger. Would be a pretty over fire place pic.
For some reason, I am in love with this. I know it is simple, but i just love it! To bad it is to tall to go over fire place....but would look beautiful on a blank wall!

We have a huge blank wall in our kitchen that this would go nicely in.
Again, one that is beautiful larger but lookin tacky as a thumbnail.

ANyways, if you know anything about Chic Warehouse, Color and Tailor, or Gallery Direct Oil Paintings, please let me know!

Maybe problem solved?

2009-06-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Pier 1. No luck- the chairs looked way cuter online, needless to say. Went to Home Goods, still no luck. I came home and wandered upon this site:

www.colorandtailor.com

They are:
A. In montrose
B. Selling custom made furniture- you pick the cushion's firmness, fabric, and the bones of the chair.
C. Incredibly affordable- less expensive than things I have found at Star, Pier 1, World Market, Rooms to Go, and TARGET!

Being the indecisive and difficult women that God made me to be, I have gone from finding nothing to having too many choices! Want to help me pick my fabric?
This one is more affordable (but only by 50 bucks).
I like this chair more. There is also a tufted one but it wasn't on the website. These prices have already spoiled me- the tufted one is $399 and now I am thinking that is too much! Why pay that when you can get a chair that is not tufted for $249 (yes, you read that right!)
Love it, but it might be to feminine.
Probably my favorite, but Daniel thinks it belongs in The Haunted Mansion. Hopefully he will have a change of heart when he sees it in person!
Love it- I think it will go beautifully with our rug and the style of our house. Too old lady for Daniel? Maybe...
I'm eh about this. Love the colors, but not the pattern for my house. Too boring I think.

They also had some BEAUTIFUL chenille fabric. Of course, after I decided it was the fabric I couldn't live without, I realize it is the only fabric that will be $100 more a chair. Why am I always drawn to the most expensive thing, why?!

Please, comment away! Also, if you know of any other fantastic furniture store, let me know! I have toyed with the idea of buying a used chair and reupholstering it...but when I asked Daniel, his only response was "EWWWW!"

chair decisions!

2009-06-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, today is Daniel's and my anniversary. Man, a year goes by so quickly! It has been a great year...we were bums in Austin, Daniel got a fantastic job offer for Total in Houston and we moved, I got my first teaching job, we renovated this awesome house....I can only imagine where we will be next year at this time! Hopefully in Paris... :-D For the first year of marriage, it is traditional to get your spouse paper. Daniel gave me a subscribtion to the Houston Chronicle, something I have been wanting since we moved in!

We got a couch on Wenesday and picked it up on Saturday. Obviously, it is very neutral and bare bones right now. Please disregard my yoga mat, Doo Doo Head, and Daniel's guitar amps- they won't live there once the room is set up (well, at least not my mat and Daniel's amps).

We really had to get a smaller couch so it wouldn't overwhelm the room. I'm thinking a plant will go in the left corner (or a side table). We got a new TV for the game room and are going to hang our old TV (42 inch flat screen) on the right wall.

I'm at a loss for an accent color, and we need one badly! I do not want this to be a boring, all neutal room! I'm thinking cinnamon might get lost....we might need a green or red?

I like the idea of painting the wall behind the couch a deeper brown color, but we want to keep the traditional look in our house....and I think that might be too contemporary.

Here are chair options. I'd like to have two across from the couch, with a coffee table or chest in between the couch and chairs.
I just with this was dark brown instead of black.
This green one is Daniel's favorite. I think I like it, too.
I find this ecclectic. Daniel hate's both the one above and below.
I like this one but I can't tell what color the fabric is- if it is lavendar, it is a no go. I'm hoping it is brown. On sale at world market for $188!
I like the wicker, but would it be comfortable?
Might be to contemporary....

I think once we get all of our furniture, we will decide on an accent color for the couch. Please let me know which chair is your favorite!

2009-06-16T15:01:00.001-07:00

Daniel and I have been living in our (kind of) finished home for the past month or so. Here are some pictures of the (kind of) finished product!

Now that we are almost done with the interior aesthetic renos, it is time to furnish! I am toying with the idea with a white living room. I think it will make our floors pop. I am thinking cinnamon as an accent color. Let me know what you think!
This rug has a really beautiful design on it- the picture does not give it any justice.

What about this couch with it?

I would never think that I would want a white room, but because there are so many windows in our living room, I think it would make everything so light. I would not use those green and brown throw pillows, BTW. This is the color I'd like to accent with.
A coffee table with this cinnamon colored wood would tie everything in, I think.

As everyone knows, I am the most indecisive person out there and I pretty much need YOU to make my decision for me!!!!

Sorry it has been so long!

2009-02-22T17:58:00.000-08:00

It has taken awhile for me to post because nothing has happened! Daniel and I were both sick last week so we couldn't work on the house. We couldn't work on it on Saturday because I had staff training and Daniel had food poisoning. I hate that we have only worked on it one time in the past 2 weeks, but I guess we will have to make up for it!

Surprisingly, when we got there today the roofers were there! They put up a whole new roof in only one day! It is a huge deal, and I am glad to have it out of the way!

While the roofers were doing their business, we (and by we I mean the boys while I supervised) worked more on the bar. The frame is done!

The boys also put up the wall in the kitchen. It looks much better now.

On Wednesday I met with Chad (my cousin's Haley's husband) and the project manager Jason. They are starting on the bathroom on Tuesday! I cannot wait- once that is done, we will be able to move in shortly afterwards!

Side note- we had to bomb the house. Since rats have now decomposed in our walls, we had flies buzzing around everywhere! This morning, there were about a million dead flies in the house. EW!

The past 2 weeks...

2009-02-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry it has been a couple of weeks since I have past updated! Last weekend, although Daniel and I went both Saturday and Sunday, the work we did was small but took forever. Daniel meticulously finished sanding all of the base boards and windows in the living room while I primed everything. Last weekend, my parents and Madeline helped us on Saturday by taking out ALL of the vegetation in the front yard. It looks much better now! Also, Daniel moved the asbestos.
I feel like we got a LOT more done this weekend. The men started on the bar, the women took out the kitchen flooring. We also started emptying out the garage, and found things such as an old fashioned hair dryer, a wheelchair, molds for sculptures, yarn, Bridge supplies, and 50th anniversary memorabilia (must have been my great grandparents).

This is the wallpaper that was under all of the asbestos. Must be at least 50 years old! BTW, we covered it with drywall (see the next picture). The men put dry wall over what used to be built in book shelves. When we took out the shelves, there was just asbestos and wood. It looks so much better now!

Nanette and I took out most of the flooring in the kitchen (there is still some under the cabinets). It was very hard to take out, but I sure felt strong doing it! We found at least 3 different layers of old tile under the laminate rocks. One layer was even laminate wooding- and it was glued over the real wooding! We will put tile over this once our bathroom is done being remodeled.
The wall the men cut out! It looks wonderful now- the house seems so much larger and more open! Poor Mason nearly got a concussion- the wood fell on his head!
We still need to add a frame and molding to the bar, plus a counter. I can't wait to see the finished product!

We had so much help this weekend! Thank you Nanette, David, Mason, Justin, Kristen, Brandee, Aunt Cindy, Andy and Memaw! We also had some visitors- thank you Gigi and Pawpaw for stopping by to look at the house!

Ohhh, funny story! I had kinfolk stop by on Saturday whom I had never met! My dad's cousin Bubba, who he hasn't seen since he was ten, drove by the house to see if my aunt Kathryn still lived there! It was interesting meeting him and explaining to him how we are buying and renovating the home. Diane and Kathryn told me I would always have visitors at this house, and I guess they were right!

Sanding Galore

2009-01-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

So we get to the house on Saturday around 10, and instantly smell this rotting smell in the bathroom. Our first thought is that something is wrong with the plumbing- the toilets have not been used for the past 2 years, and maybe they can't handle being in use again! Then, we realize that there is a dead rat in the walls! EW!
On Saturday we got all of the sanding done in the living room- the baseboards and windows, I mean (we will save the floor for later). The house is SO dusty now!

We also had some visitors! My cousin Haley and her husband Chad came and checked out the home. Hopefully, Chad will be able to help us with our bathroom renovations. Also, our great friends Casi, Sonny, and our future friend Asher (right now he is little bun in the oven) came to help out- what a treat! Sonny went to sanding, while Casi and I finished with the wallpaper. BTW, if you ever need to remove wallpaper, buy wallpaper removal in a spray bottle! Water simply doesn't cut it.

That about covers it! We were there all day- sanding takes forever, as I have said several times already. Hopefully this upcoming weekend, we will be there both Saturday and Sunday!

HUGE Blessing!

2009-01-22T10:29:00.001-08:00

Insurance is paying for a whole new roof, plus a new roof for the garage! They are also paying to fix all of the water damage in the home, including new paint! This will save us so much money!

Daniel has been going to work on the house after work, seeing as it is only 4 miles away from Total Plaza. Now, the floors are all ready to be sanded. We are going to work on the house all day Saturday, with our friends Casi and Sonny (and hopefully David!).

Also, on Saturday my cousin's husband, Chad, is coming to see if he can help us renovate our master bathroom. Him and his father have done beautiful work with other homes, and my fingers are crossed that he can help us out! http://www.milliscustomhomes.com/

Small and Tedious

2009-01-19T15:17:00.001-08:00

I will probably say this every post from now on, but the smallest little details take the longest! I felt a little discouraged today because I felt like I wasn't even making a dent! My brother and his girlfriend, Meisha, along with my mom, Daniel, and I arrived to the house later than planned- around 10:45. I didn't even know where to begin! While Daniel started sanding down floor boards (BTW- it takes about 45 minutes to sand 2 feet!), Meisha and I cleaned the walls with clorox. FILTHY! The water was coming down in brown streaks! The dirtiest room was the old smoking room- everything is stained brown. We cleaned those walls twice, and they are still so gross looking. At least they can be primed and painted- no one will notice then! My brother went around and took down all of the old air vents. They are 100% disgusting and Daniel, being a bit of a germophobe, cannot bare with them being in our home! My mom cleaned the bathroom and kitchen really well. Around 11:45. the Bond's showed up! David got to work sanding, allowing for Daniel to punch some nails through the wood floors, to prepare for those to be sanded. Meisha, Nanette, and Gregory got to taking in the rest of the staples in the floor. My Dad, along with my sister and her friend Darcy, showed up around 1:30. The girls helped take down wallpaper- huge help! The termite inspector came and, of course, told me I needed to buy $2000 worth of termite prevention. The house hasn't had termites thus far, so I'm not going to worry about it!

Teeny, tiny staple by Mason's toe. I do not know HOW the kids got these out- it took me 20 minutes to get six! They were really wedged in the floor. BTW- the splotches on the floor are all paint. We can easily sand this.

Yellow paint under the floral wallpaper. Thank the Lord that only one wall has wallpaper- this took the girls forever!

Sanded down window. 2 whole windows sanded- just 10 more to go! They take FOREVER
Me in my sanding getup. My face was covered in peeled paint, by the end of the day!

About 2 feet of sanded floor board. We have this in 5 rooms! Probably 100 feet of it to go.

The windows, before being sanded. They are covered in peeled paint and debris. Yuck!

Thank you Gregory, Meisha, Madeline, Darcy, Mom, Dad, David, Nanette, and Mason for all of your hard work! We appreciate it SO much!

Blisters and Bruises

2009-01-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

Oh man, am I exhausted! Today Daniel and I, along with our generous family, worked at the house from 9-4:30! I had no idea how long it would take to get the floors ready to be sanded. I thought that we could just walk in, take the carpets out, and then we'd be done. Oh no, no, no, no, no. For some reason, 80 years ago my family thought it would be a good idea to staple the carpet every 6 inches! So Nanette, Cindy, Donna, Memaw, and I spent the whole day taking 80 yr old staples out of the wooden floors! My thumb has a huge blister on it, my back hurts, and my eyes are seeing double...but it feels good getting so much work done! Meanwhile, Daniel, his brothers, dad, and my dad went to the dump, cut up all the vegetation, fixed some of the roof, tore down old kitchen cabinets, and much more!

Nanette and I taking staples out of the first bedroom. We have 3 more bedrooms to go after this!
There was actually a hole in the wall...and David found the remains of the hole in the bushes! Yay...all fixed! Also, you can tell my Dad cut up A LOT of the dead plants and trees. He worked so hard today!
This will be our bedroom.
There were book cases here, and Daniel and the rest of the men tore them out because they STUNK! Turns out there is a crack in the windows, that caused water to leak in. We found mold, and possibly some toxic asbestos. We will create a wall to cover the remains of the shelves!
Living room! Pretty, pretty floors.

Thank you Aunt Donna, Aunt Cindy, Memaw, Nanette, David, Justin, Mason, Kristen, Bridget, and of course, Dad. We couldn't have done this without you and are SO appreciative of your help!

We are going back Monday. We have a meeting with the terminator inspector, plus we are cleaning and taking off some molding off the walls. Anyone want to help?

Unexpected accomplishments

2009-01-14T16:42:00.000-08:00

This morning, my dad and I left around lunch time to take my wonderful Mimi out to lunch, before going to the home for the termite inspection. We had to get the key from Mimi, and since she lives so close to this home, it was easy to go out to eat too! We brought some trash bags just in case we had to wait for the exterminator, so we could work after lunch. Well, We got to the home at 1 and worked non-stop until 5! The termite inspector called and canceled 10 minutes after she was supposed to be there. We planned to just throw trinkets away, but we ended up clearing EVERYTHING out of the home and putting it at the side of the house.

While waiting for the exterminator, we also decided to start pulling up the carpet. As you saw in earlier pictures, the carpet was green and filthy. Look what was underneath it! Beautiful red oak hardwoods- original from the 1920's!
Since we weren't planning on doing this, we didn't have tools to take the nails out. Considering these have yet to be sanded down and varnished, they look beautiful! Why would anyone want to cover it up?
The exterminator was supposed to come between 1-5...so of course he came at 4:45! Look at the rat nest! He said that the rats are baseball sized! He did a great job and is coming back in a month to bomb the whole attic with poison! Can't wait!
Tomorrow my dad and I are going to go look at different kitchen restoration options. I'll keep you posted!

The Pictures I promised

2009-01-12T19:33:00.000-08:00

Thank you, David, for sending these to me so quickly!

I used to stand in this exact same place and look up at the night sky for Rudolph on Christmas Eve! Someone usually had binoculars in their Christmas sac from Aunt Kathryn.

We will take down the mirror. Wouldn't it look cool to cover the fireplace in stones? Carpet will be gone, walls a neutral light brown. Side note- can you see the work we have cut out for us on Saturday? There is a lot to be thrown away!

As you can see, the carpet is very green and very filthy. It will be gone on Saturday! We will replace that really long hanging light fixture with a fan.

Adorable bathroom. Not a lot of work needs to be done here, just replace the toilet and possibly add a shower nozzle to the bathtub. A perfect, historic, Heights bathroom!

The kitchen. We will have to buy a fridge, dishwasher, and stove. We might replace the counter tops with granite. The floor is awful- just kinda ugly. It is this plastic fake looking stone pattern thing. Sorry Aunt K- it will be replaced with tile!

Yes, This is Happening!

2009-01-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

We are getting a home! And it isn't just any type of home...it's my great grandparent's home from 1926.
My own grandpa, Sonny, was born there in 1929. My great Aunt Kathryn had been living there, until recently, for the past 40+ years, taking care of her parents, raising her daughter, hosting Christmas parties, and living life. My father has fond memories of spending the weekends there with his siblings and cousin Diane, playing in the (rat infested) attic and getting into trouble. My own favorite memories involve going there on Christmas eve, playing on the antique piano and opening Aunt Kathryn's infamous Christmas sacks.
Now, Aunt Kathryn is older and living with her daughter in Katy. The house has been on the market for a while, but it needs a lot of work done. That is where Daniel and I come in!
As some of you know, Daniel and his dad are quite handy. I'm convinced Mr. Bond can fix up ANYTHING, and Daniel isn't too shabby himself! This house is full of memories, and I am excited to keep the home in our family!
So, this blog is dedicated to all of the work we will be doing to our new home. I will be posting pictures tonight or tomorrow of the home, rat nests and all! Here is a week itinerary of what Daniel and I will be doing.

Wednesday- Along with my dad, I will be going to the home for a termite inspection. Also, we will get rid of the rat family living in the attic. My dad is convinced that these rats' ancestors made the attic their home, as well, when he was a child. Byebye, suckers!
Saturday- HUGE day! We will be saving $500 bucks, due to using the Bond's trailer instead of renting a dumpster. There is still A LOT of junk in the house that we will be throwing away. Plus, we will be trashing all of the carpet. Keep your fingers crossed for beautiful hardwood floors!

I guess if the exterminator can't come, then we could just let Doodoo head loose in the attic?

Mmmm, rats!

Here is the link to check out the outside of the home.

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