Home Improvements 2007-2009

After we got our new countertops installed we started looking for before and after pictures. We're amazed at the difference from when we first bought the place. Here are just a few, including our newest addition. If seeing these pictures makes you want to visit, come on down... if it makes you want us to help with any projects, sorry we're busy. Enjoy!

Before: Black door, Green shutters... what were they thinking?!

After: Now we match... ahh, no more twitching...

Before: The sage green nightmare

After: new floors and some decorating sense

Before: A washed out mess

After: new floors, countertops, and paint...much more inviting

Tropic Brown granite

New faucet and sink

Dad's Birthday Weekend

This past weekend Ben & I had my parents down for Dad's birthday. We pretty much packed as many fun activities as you can in a short weekend visit. It's always fun having them in town and this time they brought their Wii! Needless to say, we had a blast!

Friday night was dinner and a movie, Dad's choice. We ate at Max & Erma's and then saw Amelia. Saturday were our big birthday plans. Dad has always wanted to take the Ohio River boat cruise. It was great, little chilly and overcast, but the food was delicious. They had great entertainment, beautiful scenery, and did I mention the good food? After the cruise we headed back to the house. Brian, Heather, Ben and I had gotten dad the Wii Fit...so our afternoon was set. While the guys got it set up, Mom and I decided that was the perfect opportunity to slip out and do some shopping. We were gone three hours and came back to two drunk guys playing golf. Surprised to see us home so soon, they looked like two boys caught in the middle of mischief. I made soup for dinner and then we rolled up our sleeves and let the bowling tournament begin. Everyone was pretty good, except me. Turns out that, in real life and Wii life, I can't break 100. Sunday Mom and I headed out to finish up some shopping and concluded the weekend with a stop at Home Goods, like all good visits to our house.

Dad had his knee surgery on Tuesday and is doing very well. He's still in the hospital but the nurses aren't letting him use his time off as a vacation. He's working his knee six hours a day as well as going to rehab. Attitude and appetite are still intact and pain is manageable, so all is good! He gets to come home tomorrow.

Our countertops come tomorrow! I'm almost to the point of sleepless nights I'm so excited. We'll post pictures as soon as we get those puppies installed. Saturday is Halloween and we're gearing up for the 200+ trick-or-treaters. Not sure what else is in store for the weekend, but I'm sure it will be another great one!

We bit the bullet...

... and bought granite countertops for the kitchen. This is something we've been discussing for a while now and with the prospect of moving next year, it really put this upgrade into perspective. Will we get the return on our investment?

After shopping around and doing a lot of research we decided, while it would be nice to see that money back in our pockets after the sale, we would like to make this change for the house and for ourselves. After all, most of our time is spent in the kitchen with friends and family, why not install an upgrade for yourself rather than purely for the next home owners?

We placed our order on Monday for the granite. Tropical Brown. Basically, a black background with lots of brown flecks throughout. During my research I came across a great deal on a 16 gauge stainless steel sink and an oil rubbed bronze faucet.

The sink arrived today and I was so excited for it's arrival that it started making me wonder why the arrival of a stainless steel sink makes me excited. Anyway, I wasn't the only one excited to see the new sink. Check out Kitty in his new "fort". He's been playing all day in this box, just like a kid.

They come and take final measurements on Friday and then we'll set an install date. Once complete I'll post before and after pictures. I'm so excited I can hardly wait.

"So we meet again, Mr. Tail."

Closet mayhem

So I feel a theme developing, and it all was caused by my post last Wednesday, there's a chill in the air. We made a pot roast in the crock pot on Monday, tromped around a pumpkin patch over the weekend, and now we've cleaned and switched out our closets.

I want to note that, while living in the south, this is one step that I didn't have to do. Not that a sweater wasn't needed for the cooler months, it was. It's just that, down south I didn't have to share a closet. Some people say the key to a happy marriage is his/her sinks. I say it's his/her sinks AND his/hers closets.

When making the switch we ended up getting rid of:

Of course, my response to all of this is, it's time to go shopping! I mean really, no girl should ever get rid of 14 pairs of shoes without plans to replenish.

That's a mighty big pumpkin you have there...

I searched relentlessly until I found a pumpkin patch within 90 miles that sounded like it was worth the trek. This puppy had a seven acre corn maze. With that kind of acreage I would for sure be able to lose Benjamin.

Saturday we made plans to run errands during the morning and drive up to the patch in the afternoon. All of these plans were made with one goal in mind: to use our Chili's gift card that we had been given more than six months ago. We don't have a Chili's near us, (I know, what kinda of place is this?) but there was one up by the pumpkin patch. So, dinner plans were made.

Not taking into consideration how much rain we had gotten the past two days, we arrived to the pumpkin patch to find ourselves tromping through mud. The entire farm was a big muddy mess. It wasn't just wet mud. It was sloppy, smelly, step into the mud hole and sink into oblivion, mud.

We opted not to do the corn maze, to my disappointment. This was a decision easily made after seeing patrons exit with mud caked up to their knees. We did check out a few of attractions, picked out our 31lb pumpkin, a mum, and, of course, a homemade Carmel apple.

The parking lot had gotten so bad that when we left they had guys standing in sections to help push people out who were getting stuck. I'm not sure what came over Ben, but in his mind we were no longer driving a Camry, but an ATV. In between his jackass grins I'm pretty sure I heard a couple of whoo hoo's!!!

Here are a few pictures from our Pumpkin patch adventure, enjoy!

Mighty big pumpkin

Stinky mud

Hmm?

Bad Halloween humor

itty bitties

Always appropriate attire for any occasion.

Ben, proud of the caked on mud.

Bike trail north of the city.

There's a chill in the air...

Fall is officially here.

This is the time of year I get out the crock pot and start making chicken tortilla soup and chili. I say goodbye to my all-time summer favorite, sherbert, and say hello to Bailey's hot chocolate. I go from begging Ben to turn on the air, to begging him to start up the fireplace. Running outside becomes out of the question and forcing myself to befriend the treadmill for the next five months becomes nearly impossible.

I have already started full hibernation mode. While the scale doesn't reflect it, I'm positive I've gained my winter "coat" and my sweats have become the wardrobe of choice.

Some may be rolling their eyes right now, Ben being one of them, but gosh darn, when that thermometer drops below 55, you can pretty much count on me being wrapped up in my Snuggie, on the couch, watching tv and having some sort of fatty food in my hands/mouth.

I haven't taken the initiative to change out my closets yet. Apparently I'm still hoping that there's a chance that I'll need to wear that linen sun dress one more time. This might be the weekend that reality strikes and the closets get changed. While I love a good cable knit sweater or fluffy fleece, I like my sun dresses and flip flops more.

Martha Stewart has; however, visited and adorned our house with fall decorations. That is one part I can honestly say is my favorite about Fall; the colors. I'm searching for a pumpkin patch to visit and a corn maze to lose Ben in, but so far no luck (on losing Ben or finding a corn maze).

Every year on February 2nd I hope that Punxsutawaney Phil doesn't see his shadow and we get blessed with an early spring. I don't believe that has ever happened in my lifetime, but it's sure nice to hope. So here's to the next 5 1/2 months of eating whatever you want, sleeping as much as you want and wearing sweatpants 24/7!