Easter

I've found that I really enjoy cooking for people and trying to do new things in the kitchen. Being from a small family I never had the opportunity to have a house full of people and cook large or even semi-large holiday meals. But now that I've married into a large family I have this opportunity and am having a great time. I love hosting holidays and always offer our house as a gathering place. My big project for Easter was cupcakes, daisy shaped cupcakes, and it wasn't difficult but definitely more time consuming than I expected. I was coloring icing late into the evening and even enlisted the help of my husband to get things finished. I must say, I was very pleased with the result.

A test of patience

The house that we live in is pretty typical new construction..not new construction as in brand new house new, but new construction circa year 2000. I've found that living in the midwest means oak, and lots of it, from cabinets to trim to vanities...all medium oak. I've painted some of the rooms and I keep looking at them and thinking something just isn't right. I change things such as area rugs, accessories, hang pictures and still something just isn't right. It's the oak. The trim is calling out to me to be white, the vanity in the powder room, black, the vanities in the master bath and kids bath, white, the kitchen cabinets white or black ( I can't decide, big surprise huh honey!!) I am daunted by this task..will it look good..will it look cheap and painted..will it add value to our house making it unique from all the other houses I see in this area on realtor.com..will it take away value from our house making it unique in a way that everyone thinks is bad.

UUGGHH!!!

These thoughts have taken up alot of my time lately. I know if I take this project on it will take awhile to complete, not words I like to hear. I've read many posts about this on The Nest and the main consensus is that you must take your time, concentrate on one room at a time, don't try to rush or it will look sloppy. Am I up to the challenge?!?

I've decided to start with the powder room, the vanity to be exact. I've liked the color combination of black, white or cream and vibrant green for awhile now. I've accomplished the green walls, I have the accessories..but that oak vanity just made everything seem off. So today I've started... off with the cabinet doors, hardware, tp holder and off we go.... Here are some before photos...

Stay tuned for in progress shots and after shots including new mirror, new light fixture and accessories and maybe white trim depending on how the vanity painting goes.

Unhappy about the "happy weight"

After reading the post from Lisa over at High Heels and Sweatshirts I'm motivated to get on the fit train. I knew I had put on a few pounds but yesterday morning when I got on the scale YIKES! it was more than I had suspected. Lisa referred to it as "happy weight"...you get married, you're happy, you eat more, more of the wrong types of things and then before you know it 15 pounds of "happy" has been added to your body.

So, I'm motivated to lose this weight in the next couple of months and get back to my "bride" body. I've also been running for the last couple of months getting ready to run my first 5k this spring. My goal is to make running part of my long term fitness routine and not to only exercise when I want to lose weight.

Thanks Lisa for the jumpstart I needed..seeing your positive results and seeing that you did it the healthy way has made me motivated to change my eating habits and jump on the fit train.

Goodbye my friend.....

It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that we had to say goodbye to Abby this past weekend. She was a great friend and her unconditional love will be missed each and everyday. Abby lived a very long life (over 14 years) and she was healthy, for the most part, up until the end. Abby we love you and will miss you more than words can say.


It's hard for me to believe how much my life has changed in the 14 years that she's been alive. I always wondered what she was thinking. I'm happy she got to live the last year of her life as a family dog and all of the love that brings, even if that means she had to get her picture taken with a sticker on her nose.

I think I found my splurge from our tax refund........

One word........wow!

Rooms that I love

If only white were a practical color with two kids, two dogs and two cats........

If I could have one dress from the Oscars....

It would be this one that Penelope Cruz wore at the 2007 Oscars....
Everything about it makes my heart go pitter patter. The color, the cut, the fabric..everything.

My other favorite dress of all time is this...
My girl, SJP, this is one of the most incredible dresses I've ever seen. I miss Sex and the City, the girls, the clothes, the cosmopolitans....even when the clothes were wrong they were so right....
I can just tell you if my abs looked like that, I'd be rockin that outfit everyday.