Day 191 - Home Made

Look what I found at the store!??!?!

Now I can make my gingerbread steamers at home just like Starbucks

Now all I need is some whip cream to finish it off

Day 190 - Work Interupted

The plan was to finish our 2nd kitchen project today (the first project being the coutertops)

This project is a prep island for the bay window bump out in our kitchen

We currently have a small table and chairs in our bay...and I love the way it looks

But as cute as our kitchen is we are seriously lacking in food prep space

(I don't think we have a length of uninterrupted counter greater than 3 lineal feet)

Anyway, we got the "building bug" a while ago and this seemed like the perfect first project

Plus buying a pre-made kitchen cart/island like we want would cost around $700 (minimum)

Yesterday we bought the supplies, made the plan (yes, those two steps usually are reversed),

Made all our cuts, drilled all of the pocket holes, and sanded all of the pieces down

Today was the assembling the whole piece and the building of the bottom shelf...sounds simple...

And although the day went very smoothly, it still took a lot longer than planned...

Plus the day was cut short when we discovered one of the dogs (probably Ash) had an accident inside

And once we realized Ash was covered in "accident" we stopped the build day and had a wash day

So it looks like the painting will have to be pushed to another day...but we're still happy with the day

Steve reading the nail gun instructions / My Grandpa Kegebein's table saw

Shelf & leg detail / My favorite leg: half red & half white

The butcher block top island: minus it's paint job

Possible shelf storage idea (yeah this thing is huge!!!)

And now on to the puppy wash day...

Wes sad...

Wes sad, but pretty...

Wes pissed!!!

Ash before she knew she was getting washed too...

Ash pretty sure life is over...

Ash pissed as well...

And yes Kipp, under all of that hair Ash is a very skinny girl so lay off!!!

Day 189 - Kitchen Project Day One...

Our "1-day" kitchen project has turned into a (hopefully only) 2 day project

We started the work at 9 am and called it quits at 5 pm

So we're not ready to reveal the project...but here is a sneak peak...

Lumber run at Lowes...

Breaking out the new miter saw...

Playing in the massive amounts of sawdust...

Cutting the big stuff...

Sanding and drilling pocket holes...now all that's left is assembly and finishing!

See you tomorrow

Day 188 - Poor Baby

Haha, This is a hospital picture of my sister Mykaela

My mom and I found it while going through some storage stuff

I promised I would send it to her...but this is better

Now the whole world (or the 5 people who read this) can see the day Myk's

"Worried Face" began and forever changed family pictures!

Day 187 - Hold the phone!!!

My phone is 4 years old...and in phone years that is ancient!

It is an LG Chocolate, 2nd generation...and it's a beautiful deep blue color

When I first got it, it was very cool (Even featured on Gossip Girl as Serena's phone - So cool right!)

Now it's a little less than dorky...and Steve swears I'm Amish because I don't have a "Smart Phone"

But the truth is I have only had 3 phones in my life (including this one) and I am trying to make it last forever

(In fact recently Steve had to find me a battery on ebay because they don't sell them in stores any more)

I know I'm a weirdo for not wanting to upgrade but I only like phones for calling; 

I don't want apps or games...I just want to be able to call people, store a few numbers and text (slowly)

But tonight I feel vindicated for standing my ground and not caving into the upgrade craze!

There it is, My phone...on the big screen...well the TV, but hey it's 30 Rock on NBC and that's the big time

Tonight's new episode featured my phone as the phone Tracy Jordan "phoned it in" on

I was so happy, so proud! I'm not out dated and neither is my phone!!! Win!!!

Day 186 - Girls Rule!

A day late...but here I am, 27 and 6 months - That's right, I am half way through my year

(I waited until today to take the picture because I finally got around to touching up my hair)

And because it is too funny not to share...This is what my shopping bag looked like tonight

The hair die and tampons are mine...but the cookies and Reddi Wip are Steve

But try to guess how many people would believe me about that

Looks like quite the "Girl Power" night huh

Yeah I felt pretty cool!

Day 185 - Change of plans

I had several plans for tonight...

Nothing too exciting, but I was going to continue to get things done!

I was going to work out, bath the dogs, finish the last load of laundry, sketch...

So what am I up to instead?

I am taking two of these and not moving until morning!!!

Seriously - I get why women have periods...but I don't get why they have to be so bad!



Day 184 - Hanging on to winter

Tonight we finally opened one of Steve's Christmas eatible presents...real hot chocolate!

My mom got it for him from Williams-Sonoma (possibly just for the amazing tin it came in - Love It!)

But I have to say more than I loved the pretty the tin, I loved boiling real milk on the stove

And whisking in real dark chocolate shavings...such a rich, decadent treat!

It was so good that I think I'm too spoiled to go back to powdered stuff in hot water

Day 183 - Winter Goal

I didn't make any New Years resolutions this year...

And surprisingly I have done more this year (and we are only 23 days into it!) than any other year

So it feels risky to make a goal or resolution right now...but I'm going for it

Steve got me this book (see below) about and written by Major Dick Winters

The book and mini series Band of Brothers revolves around him and his Easy Company Regiment

I've never read the book Band of Brother, but I did watch every minuet of the mini series

I fell in love with the "character" Dick Winters and couldn't believe he could possibly be a real person

I recently read an article on MSNBC about his passing last year and had a few excepts from his book

I was captivated by how articulate and inspiring his writing was (but then I knew the man was amazing) 

I emailed the article to Steve to read...and he immediately ordered the book

So that's where we are today...I have Winter's book and I am going to read it

Each word on each page (if you know me at all you'll know that's a big deal)

I am dyslexic so it could take me the whole year to do it...but believe me it will be worth it!!!

Day 182 - After

 

So this the kitchen today...new countertops, new sink, and new faucet...so perfect!

This is Steve's favorite detail...when the quartz aggregate is cut and the light hit is the whole thing glows

This piece is right on the edge of the sink so two sides are cut and you can see straight through it

Day 181 - Shiny and New

This is just going to be a teaser sneak peek...The new countertops where installed today

But we still have to hook up the new faucet and touch up some paint

So I will wait and officially unveil the kitchen a little later

(Plus we have a few more kitchen projects up our sleeves coming up!)

So for now I leave you with this...

Day 180 - Blast from the past

Tonight my mom brought over some of my old doll furniture

I finally have the room to store my childhood things that I plan on keeping forever (or at least for a long time)

These were wood pieces "Santa" got for me from an Amish festival in Indiana

They came unfinished...which means the super custom paint job was done by mom herself!

Let me explain...I had/have a Samantha Parkington American Girl Doll

She is a young girl who grew up during the turn of the century (and I don't mean year 2000)...

Anyway I was the type of kid who knew exactly what she wanted

And I wanted furniture that looked Victorian and specifically a dresser with a scarf draped over it

(Yeah, I was a weird one)

What's even crazier though is how my mom always delivered...no matter how off the wall the request was

Tonight my mom suggested that I sand down the furniture and repaint it when I have kids

And although I think she is right that these pieces would look killer in a yellow and gray paint job...

I don't know if I could ever change them...they were exactly what I wanted then...and still are

I guess we'll just see if I have any kids who have an obsession with the early 1900's like me...I hope I do!

Day 179 - Wooooo goes there

It's impossible to see...but I am pretty sure Hedwig (Harry Potter's owl) is alive and well

And hanging out in my neighborhood...on top of this light post (see his glowing eyes)

And just let me tell you...the wing span on this sucker is incredible!!!

Day 178 - Burger Me!!!

Forget Tuesday Taco Night...Tuesdays now belong to Burger Club and particularly Fat Burger

We meet with Corey, Kim, and Amanda and ate our hearts out (even though I got crap for getting a small)

My order: Baby Fat Bacon Burger, Chocolate Shake, and Fat Fries...Another successful meeting!

(Although we all really missed Myk...Burger Club isn't the same without you!!!)

Day 177 - Back to Basics

 One of my very best friends is getting married in April

She is very famine, stylish, outgoing, fashion forward, modern and old school romantic...

She is amazing! And she needs / deserves a very amazing dress

She is thinking about having one made so she sent me some pictures and a few idea

And I promised to do some sketches (which I haven't done in forever) and tonight I did my first

 I plan on doing many more designs and detailing them out...but it was nice to get back to doing something

Creative and fun...and so exciting to help a friend! I love you Ace!!!

Day 176 - Old News

Steve says I use too many pictures of my puppies and sunsets on my blog

And it's probably true but I couldn't resist posting these pictures

Wes loves to sun himself outside...he just lays out there

So regal, so handsome...I love it!

Day 175 - Winner!!!

I slept in an extra hour today and didn't get up until 9...but once I got up I destroyed the day!!!

I got sick the day after Christmas and believe it or not, this is my first weekend being healthy since

So today I wanted to get a few of those chores done that were supposed to get done before New Years

First I "killed Christmas" (Steve's term for taking all of the Christmas decorations down)

Then to put the Christmas storage bins away I cleaned the garage and storage shelves

Then we went to Home Depot and bought a metal rack, came home and built it, and then loaded it up

With the rest of our garage storage (and the tools that make up our little home workshop)

(During this time Steve was working on refinishing our stair hand rails....that is going to be a huge project!)

Now back to me : )

So after the Christmas de-decorating and garage clean up victory I was pumped to do more...

So I cleaned out the down stairs hall closet and finally got some of my Christmas present put away

(My brother's girlfriend Nickee got me 16 red chargers and my mom got me winter appetizer plates)

Anyway the hall closet is my "party closet: full of extra wine glasses, decorative plates, disposable plates and Napkins, table clothes, candles, glass vases, and some gift wrapping supplies...and now it's all organized!

    

But I wasn't done yet!!! There was one more closet I wanted to tackle...

The upstairs hall closet is full of decorative pillows, extra bedding, drapes, picture and drape

Hanging hardware, chandelier light bulbs, candles, and a few unused storage bins waiting for more stuff

And now it too is perfect!  So take that cold, bronchitis, sinus infection, and year 2011 - I win!!!