Wednesday, December 30, 2015

the part time life

Yesterday I worked and so Doug had a couple guy friends over. I appreciate that he tries to keep my days off work free so that we can spend our evenings together.
He'd spent some time this last week following a youtube tutorial on how to make a silencer for his paint gun. He was so excited. So this was a picture of our yard:
Yes it has a hick-ish feel to it, but I love that Doug was so excited about his gun and his guys night and how he set up a little shooting range. Fun.
I'm definitely enjoying my part-time schedule. Today I was able to go with some friends and meet Molly's new baby.
I had followed a youtube tutorial of my own and figured out how to crochet a flower.
I was so proud!
Sewed it onto a headband from the dollar tree
And there she is! Pretty little baby girl.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Christmas Update

Christmas was a little different this year as it was my holiday to work.
It was an ok day. Pretty much the usual busyness of a day at work. Even with our humidifier I guess it's been too dry for my nose...
And now a few days later I've got a full blown cold. On my day off in between working I'm sitting here sniffling, coughing, and reading blogs instead of being productive. Oh well. Some days you just can't.
We had a really nice Christmas eve with my parents. Went up for dinner, Dad and Doug trimmed the last 2 of our new bedroom doors that were too long, had a delicious meal, opened presents. Mom and Dad got me these wonderful new slippers.
We went to the candlelight Christmas eve service at their church. Always nice. And then back home to be ready for work in the morning. After work Doug picked me up and we went out for dinner and then opened gifts at home. I've been totally missing out of all kinds of photo ops lately. My friend from NC was in town and we had a girl's day out, no pictures, had a girl's night with Jill and Kim, no pictures, and I didn't take any pictures either of Doug and I. Although I do have several cat videos of September playing with her new toy. Priorities! Too tired after working I guess. Doug got me a remote car starter which I'm sure will be appreciated on the long cold walk from work to my car.
The day after Christmas we went out to a lunch with Doug's extended family and that was really a lot nicer than I thought it would be, so that was nice.
Poor Doug yesterday had a headache from the moment he woke up to when he went to bed, and was throwing up too. We are not a great pair right now I guess!
But overall we have so much to be thankful for and very blessed. My heart is heavy for my cousin's brother-in-law, who at my age, found out he had a brain tumor and was dead within a week on Christmas. I saw on his wife's facebook a post so beautiful it made me cry. She just shared how loving and giving that her husband was that he chose to donate his organs and she (and their 2 children) were thankful that 2 families were going to receive a miracle this Christmas that their family did not. It was so heartbreaking, my thoughts and prayers are with them.
I hope everyone had a nice Christmas.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Mantle Makeover

This mantle makeover has been a long time in the making.
The old mantle, piled with large picture frames, including one with Doug's face on someone's body, and shower gifts. The half wall is real bricks and looks like there should be a fireplace there, but no, just a half wall of bricks.
First thing was painting the mantle white. Which I mentioned to Doug, but he wasn't so happy to come home one day and see that I actually did it. Sorry!
He had these huge picture art frames and his friends would come over and draw with dry erase markers on them. Kinda funny actually. I think that is nurse Anne up there doing something
boys..... lol
Well, I painted those frames white and since Doug wasn't too attached to those sea faring pictures, I got a picture blown up from our wedding and had a mirror put in the other one.
I painted that stuff before we were even married; a few months into marriage Doug moved out the air hockey table. Too big and people didn't really play. Then the fooseball table went in that room. Everything got piled back onto the mantle and there it stayed pretty much a whole year.
Then one day Doug said we could also move the fooseball table out. Yay! No one was playing that either and it just takes up a lot of room.
So now we have another more sitting area/den. And I finally got around to actually hanging the pictures and my gallery wall is finally complete
yay!
And then we put up our Christmas decorations.
we got this nice lighted garland last year from Bed, Bath and Beyond. I like it, but now you can't really see our reindeer stocking holders. And no holder for Miss September's stocking at all!
little decorated corner
my decorator taking a break
a closer look at the sides of the mantle. Painted that pallet wood sign, found a frame with burlap inside and pinned dollar tree blooms in it (altho Doug didn't like that, so replaced it with a key that's actually a bottle opener favor we got at a wedding), also a small frame with our vows that was my 1 year anniversary paper gift to Doug
Other side: a canvas print of a picture from our glacier tour in Alaska, the Alaska sign Joel and Michelle made for me, a picture of flowers my cousin painted as a wedding gift, the shadowbox of wedding memorabilia, and window style frame of all of us and our siblings/families.
I love this. Our wedding invitation and program card, a boutonniere, the birds my dad made that were our cake toppers, and one of the birdseed hearts that were our wedding favors
us and our siblings and their families
the tree
nativity scene I picked up from a farmer's market when visiting my friend Jill in Kentucky years ago
(with the key)
Merry Christmas!!!

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Star Wars Saturday

Doug and I had a nice little date day today.
Exercise, breakfast, shower and then headed to a morning matinee of the new Star Wars. 10am and it was packed! I was irritated because is it really fair (and theater etiquette) to save like a whole row of seats for your friends while other people (there on time mind you) get stuck in the front rows?? I felt like hurling those coats to the floor.
Anyway, despite the craned necks we did enjoy the movie. I was reading that some people cried during it (??) Doug and I liked it but we were also thinking isn't this a lot like episode 6? A huger version of the death star, same shield system that the Rebels can breech and destroy their entire plan/huge warship. People in the theater were also clapping and cheering when an old character would appear on screen, altho no one did for Luke Skywalker. Poor Luke. It seems like Chewie aged the best. One other thing I thought was weird was when that antagonist character unmasked himself I guess I was imagining a super hot guy underneath, maybe like an Edward Cullen look-a-like, but then it was a geeky looking guy with big nose and moles. I think someone who was supposed to be Hans' son would have been better looking! Anyway, worth seeing if you're a Star Wars fan.
After the movie we went to this super tasty Indian restaurant and got samosas and split butter chicken. Then headed to Lowes for trim for the ol' bathroom project. We've been working on it this afternoon, but still not finished. We got a nail gun for the trim, but then it looks like my air compressor from Grandpa hardly works. Nooo!
Looks like Doug has a coupon for a new one from Harbor Freight, so off we go back to the store again! :)

Monday, December 14, 2015

meeting my new baby niece

A month or so ago I spotted a flight to CO for $108. I had to wait for my work schedule to be published, and when it finally was it went up to $190. But it was still cheaper than the $300+ I usually pay to go to CO so I snagged it up to fly out for a quick weekend to meet my new baby niece.
I quickly noticed why the fare was so cheap. I guess Frontier is the new Spirit. Look at this tray table.
Which I guess is irrelevant as there is no snack or water provided to put on that little shelf, and no wi-fi for your laptop. The seats are even more narrow and don't recline at all. No movies. They also now charge for carry on bags too. So my cheap flight was not quite as cheap as I had hoped. I guess if I got that $108 fare it would've still been worth it if I could've packed everything into 1 backpack (that'd be free) and byo snack. But otherwise, will not be flying Frontier again.
Anyway, despite that unpleasant first bit, the visit was wonderful. Short but sweet. My brother picked me up and we were able to catch up. The visit was filled with lots of time with little girls, Chick-fil-A breakfasts, early Christmas with them, crafts with my sister-in-law, and just nice downtime with them.
I made those little pants 2 years ago for big sis
Molina is such a sweet fun girl and so smart. She's 2 years 2 months and already talking in full sentences and very curious about the world. It was fun to see my brother and his wife and see what wonderful parents they are.
Everyone is coming here in March for mom's 70th/retirement party. I'm really looking forward to us all being together and to see again how much the girls will have grown in just 3 more months.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Mudroom Makeover - part 1

Our cluttered shoe corner has bugged me for a long time. This tiered shelf was better than the previous mat covered in shoes, but September would hide in the first level and then dart out the door into the garage and then we'd be late after trying to coax her back inside.
I think the final irritating straw was one morning trying to leave for Bible study, and September cut me off and my bowl of cereal spilled into my slipper. Rrrr
After looking awhile for a bookcase on CraigsList, but unable to find one the right size I wanted, I decided to build my own. One trip to Lowes for supplies, and one trip up to Dad's workshop, and together we built a shoe shelf.
my rough drawing, and parts- we cut these finial tops and used them for little feet
drawing out the plan and making a cut list for the pieces
I didn't get many action shots. Mainly we cut all the pieces, took them to the barn to use the router for the edges, sanded everything. Then came back to the shop and glued/nail gunned everything together.
It took maybe about 5 hours including lunch? Dad said he liked helping me with this project, and being able to finish something in a day as most of his projects (he builds pipe organs) take months or years.
ta-da!
primer, 2 coats white latex paint, and a sealer topcoat later
like a glove!
Much much better. I'm still planning on putting a little hook on the side to hold a shoehorn (do I sound like an old grandma now? But they are useful!) but otherwise it's done.
Part 2 of the mudroom makeover will be a ways from now. Planning on making a craft desk for the other side of the room, and haven't really had the time to do that yet. Still painting doors to replace our bedroom ones, and the bathroom door is up, but still no trim. Slowly but surely!

Friday, December 4, 2015

day off

This morning, after raking the last bits of leaves and picking up branches down after the heavy snow I went and got a massage.
As someone who went to school for massage, I don't know why I get one so rarely. Like less than once a year (not counting the lovely backrubs from my sweet husband).
Where the magic happened.
It felt wonderful and I tried hard to relax. I don't know if anyone else is like this, during massages I find myself constantly wondering what the therapist is going to do next and how many more minutes I have left. But I tried not to think of it and just take deep breaths. There was one part where after getting stuffy/congested from my face being down in that little hole, he flipped me over and put a wash cloth with peppermint on my face to clear the sinuses. And he made some joke like "it's just oil, don't worry I'm not going to knock you out with chlorophyll." Which of course is what a leaf uses to complete photosynthesis and he meant chloroform the anesthetic. Anyway, I didn't correct him and then I felt like I should have because what if this is his famous joke he makes every massage?? He should know he's using the wrong word. By the time I thought about all this it would have been super awkward to be like "hey remember your joke from 10 minutes ago?..." Anyway, it was a great massage and the peppermint oil really did clear me up. He kept calling me 'your highness' which was unnecessary of course, but it did contribute to the feeling of being pampered, haha.
I came home and saw another StitchFix box waiting for me.
Yes. I've already posted two 'last Stitch Fix' blog posts. But I think Thanksgiving-ish they sent me a letter like we're thankful for our customers, here's a free styling fee! That way there is no $ spent if I don't like it. And they finally got me.
not with this horrible sack-like sweatshirt made out of rough burlap fabric
not with this either, altho this is usually my style, I have borderline too many stripes now
not with this "party in the back"
ugly frumpy librarian in the front
but with this sweet little purple cardigan
I actually liked the jeans they sent me too, but those were almost $80. So no. Even this sweater was $48, which is hard for me to spend that much. Doug talked me into it. And then when I hit the check out button, I forgot if you keep something (since I have never kept anything), they deduct the styling fee of $20, but since that was a gift to me anyway it was $20 cheaper. Even better!
The rest of the day we are going to head over to the library to get a card for me. My old one finally expired and now I'm in the poor county. Sad! And I have an afternoon of painting doors ahead of me. Noooooo! But it needs to be done. Then double date tonight with Josh and meeting his girlfriend. He's finally moving out next week. It hasn't been bad at all actually, but I'm looking forward to being able to use the spare room again, all our stuff has been piled in the one room and making things feel cluttery. So that will be good. Then I'm working the weekend.