2012: A year in review

At this time every year on every news and radio station they are counting the top 10 biggest new stories, best songs, photographs, celebrity stories/drama, hook-ups/break-ups, births and deaths that have happened over the past year.  Certainly, our world has seen some wonderful moments over 2012 as well as horrific.  Though those news stories will be in our heads and we will recall them those are not the things that really "make" the year.

Perhaps we (or maybe it's just me) are egocentric, but when you think of 2012 you will most likely (again, maybe it's just me) think of things that happened to you.  On my friends' Facebook pages I have seen babies born, marriages began, loved ones' passing, new jobs, college graduations, engagements, new houses, cross country moves, and personal goals achieved.  Those are the things we remember as we look back at the years.  Not the music or celebrity breakups.  Not the elections.  Not the sports.  Not even the news events.  It comes down to what happened to you.  When someone asks you what happened in 2012, you won't give them a news report.  You will give them a personal report.  And that's not a bad thing. Years are how we mark our time here on this planet.  The people, jobs, memories, and experiences that we encounter throughout the year give that time on this planet a reason and purpose.

So in 2012 here is my top 10 list of changes, lessons learned, accomplishments, goals achieved, and memories.

1.  Running.  In December of 2011, I could barely run a mile on the treadmill at the Y.  Today I ran 9.68 miles in the cold and ice and loved every second of it.  My longest mileage so far is 9.99 (which I obviously round up to 10).  I ran in 9 5K's] and even won a few medals!  Running has given me a peace I didn't know possible.  I love setting a goal and accomplishing it.  Lessons learned:  PEACE, ENDURANCE, and PERSEVERANCE

Running in a very cold Candy Cane 5K.  Not my best time, but it was COLD.

2.  Trips.  One of my lifelong goals is to be that old lady who has been everywhere, seen everything, and just had really cool experiences.  This summer I was able to go to a few cool places, but my favorite was my vacation to Oregon and Washington state.  If you ever get a chance to go, DO IT.  It's beautiful, amazing, and BEAUTIFUL.  I loved the peace of the west coast and the friendliness of the people we met.  I also got to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time.  Lessons learned:  INDEPENDENCE and APPRECIATION OF BEAUTY

Me at Multnomah Falls in Oregon

Me at Haystack Rock/the Pacific Ocean in Cannon Beach, Oregon

Me at Cape Disappointment in Washington state

Cape Disappointment

3.  Changing sizes.  I don't want to toot my own horn, but I would like you to compare these 2 pictures of me and see the difference.  I look thinner and feel better about myself.  I accomplished this through eating right (more veggies and portion control), drinking tons of water, and exercising daily.  Hard work pays off.  I'll say it again and again.  Lessons learned:  PATIENCE, HARD WORK, and SELF-CONTROL

Me with my brothers in May 2011.  

Me with my amazing friend Sarah in July 2012.

4.  Address change.  Thanks to some research from my aunt, a good family friend's knowledge, and God's goodness I was able to buy my first home.  While I never thought I would be the 25 single girl owning a home, I do.  And so far it's been great.  Lessons Learned:  GOD'S BLESSINGS and TIMING IS EVERYTHING

My house.  Come and visit anytime.  

5.  Amazing family.  I am beyond lucky to have an incredible family.  My brothers are funny and honest.  My mom is caring and loving.  My dad is hard-working and wise.  I also have amazing aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.  They show me they love me so often whether it be a phone call, a gift, a hug, through wise words, or just a smile.  They go to their local Targets to buy me running pants.  They make place mats for my new house.  They come to my house for a weekend to do gopher work.  God gave me an amazing family.  Lessons Learned:  LOVE and GOD'S BLESSINGS

Christmas Eve with the fam.  

Me, Mom, Aunt Cindy

Me and my cousin Haley at a winery in Oregon

Uncle Bill working hard on my house.  

6.  Miles don't matter.  I must admit I am not a good friend.  I forget to call.  I am terrible at remembering birthdays.  I don't realize people are having a bad day.  I forget to be kind.  Despite that, I have wonderful and amazing friends.  I have friends who call when my world falls apart, text me to encourage me, try things they don't want to because I want to, insist on hanging out, and just be amazing friends.  It doesn't matter if they live across the country, they are friends despite the miles that separate us.  I have also learned that friendship can come in the most unlikeliest of places: a pilates class, the weight room at the Y, or a neighboring classroom.  Lessons Learned:  FRIENDSHIP, KINDNESS, LOVE, and SOME OF THE BEST THINGS COME WHEN YOU ARE NOT LOOKING FOR THEM

Running & teaching friend:  Chris

I have awesome co-workers who are also my friends!

Bachelorette party fun with Alexx 

The Color Run with Mandy

7.  Heartbreak.  As much as I don't want it to define my year, it does.  Going into 2012 I had expectations that were not only not met but were destroyed.  It hasn't been easy.  It hasn't been fun.  But when I look at my left hand now, it's a different hand than before.  In some ways it's better.  In some ways, it's not.  But through this heartbreak, I have had many blessings (#1-6 on the list).  I wish I could say I am done struggling with this and that I'm over it.  I wish every day for that.  One day it will happen.  Lessons learned:  FAITH, GUT-FEELINGS, HONESTY, INTEGRITY, SMILING WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO, LIVING, RISING ABOVE, BEING BETTER THAN YOU THOUGHT, NEW EXPECTATIONS, BEING POSITIVE, LIVING LIFE, BLESSINGS, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, PEACE, ACCEPTANCE  (Okay I might still be working on the acceptance portion....)

8.  Saying yes.  After #7 happened, I decided I needed an attitude adjustment.  One of those things was that I had to stop saying "no" and starting saying "yes."  I truly believe that #1-6 happened because I have a say "yes" philosophy.  My life might not be how I imagined it.  My life might not even be exactly how I want it.  But that isn't going to stop my from living my life.  Lesson learned:  LIVE YOUR LIFE

9.  Dogs are people.  I just want to confess and put in writing that I am obsessed with my dog.  She makes me laugh, smile, and appreciate the world a little more.  Lessons learned:  BLESSINGS, APPRECIATION, and LAUGHTER

Khloe.  

10.  Gas ovens cook so fast.  Let's end on a less-serious note.  I consider myself to be an experienced baker, but my new gas oven has me totally mind boggled.  There has got to be some Harry P. magic in that thing.  I can cook so fast with this gas oven.  I love it.  Not that I cook/bake often.  Like once a week and then I eat that same meal for the next 5 days.  I have burnt a few things.  But just because something is new and scary and different doesn't mean it can't be amazing and you end up loving it.  Lessons learned:  GAS CAN BE GOOD and TRYING NEW THINGS IS GOOD


There you have it on my 2012 year in review.  I am so ready for 2013.  A new year with new goals, experiences, and memories to create.  I have a few resolutions that I will share soon!

The post-Christmas Christmas post

So I have been meaning to post for a long time because I have all these amazing Christmas crafts and recipes that I wanted to share.  But time got away from me.  I guess that's the holiday season.

Also, my dad has been sick with heart problems and a broken foot.  It's been so scary to see my dad in and out of hospital beds.  My dad has always been a big guy and has not lived a healthy lifestyle so a lot of this has been a long time coming.  Still though, that doesn't make it any easier to see someone that you love so much in a hospital bed or not feeling good.  I love my dad and cannot imagine my life without him.  It's been scary but he has been making some good food decisions and is excited to start exercising once his foot heals.

ANYWAY.  Here are some fun pictures of things I did for Christmas!

In my classroom, my students made these cute little reindeer fingerprint ornaments.  I have a million of these ornament bulbs so I thought I would use them up!  We used acrylic paint for the head, eyes, and nose.  (First graders love Rudolph so all of them were red-nosed reindeer.)  Do it in steps so that the paint completely drys.  I (and another teacher) did the reindeer antlers on all of the kids' ornaments in black Sharpie.  I am sure kids could do it themselves, we just didn't have the time.

Here's one of the students who decided a whole herd was needed.  It turned out cute!

So cute!

I can't claim this idea by myself.  I got it from here, and she totally takes a picture of each step so enjoy that from her.  Not me. 
http://www.littlebitfunky.com/2011/11/20-minute-crafter-reindeer-thumbprint.html

One of my favorite things to do at Christmas time is BAKE!  I think I made like 10 different types of cookies this year, 2 kinds of popcorn, 3 different types of bark, and a peppermint cheesecake!  I said I like baking right?!

Here are a few pictures of my favorites.

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Molasses Cookies

Here's a plate of my "variety pack."

Grinch cookies, Gingerbread, Swirl cookies,

Peppermint Swirl Cookies, Aunt Cindy's white velvet cookies

I'll include a few recipes and links, but I just can't share ALL of them or else no one would eat my stuff when they can make it themselves!

Peppermint Swirl cookies:  http://www.overthebigmoon.com/peppermint-kiss-sugar-cookies-and-santa-hat-cake-pops-guest-post-by-kinnas-kreations/
Grinch cookies:  http://pinlavie.com/grinch-cookies-mint-chocolate-chip/

Hot Chocolate cookies (recipe from Real Simple magazine)
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. sea salt (or kosher)
1/2 tsp. baking power
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. unsalted butter
24 oz. (2 bags) of semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 mini marshmallows

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  (Definitely do this because the marshmallows get sticky.)
2.  In large bowl whisk flour, salt, baking power & soda together.  Set aside.
3.  Combine butter and 12 oz (2 cups) of chocolate chips in separate bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until all melted.  Stir each time.  Cool slightly.  Then, add sugar, eggs, and vanilla to mixture.
4.  Add the flour mixture a little at a time.  Mix in remaining chocolate chips and marshmallows.  Don't overmix!
5.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.  Electric oven is like 12 minutes.  Gas oven is like 10.  Rotate sheets halfway in between.

All that cookie talk has made me hungry....I better find something to snack on!  I'm feeling pretty nostalgic about 2012 coming to an end so I am sure tomorrow I will post again. 

Revamp the Lamps

Okay, I am not that clever of a person, but HELLO was that not a clever title?!  I thought of it while running my 9.86 miles the other day.  (Oh yeah, I increased my mileage again!!!!!!!)

Anyway....upon moving into my house I immediately realized how DARK it was without lights!  It didn't matter how cute my sofa was if no one could see it.  So I started looking at table lamps and floor lamps at stores.  IMMEDIATELY I realized how EXPENSIVE lights were.  For goodness sake, did you know a base to a lamp can be like $30?  Then the shade is like $20!  And if we are talking  a floor lamp plan on like $60.  Not cool.  Didn't God say, "Let there be light"?  So why does lighting have to be so expensive?!  And of course I have expensive taste and couldn't even bare to look at the ugly cheap ones.  Forget it.

So for a few weeks I sat in the dark (with no TV) and pretended to be Amish.  That got old fast.  Then my mom came up with the idea of secondhand stores.  GENIUS MAMA!  It takes a bit of creativity and paint but you CAN find a lamp with a shade for under $25.  And it can be cute!

Before:  Look at this "beautiful" lamp!  It had a shiny wood finish to it.
Goodwill $3



I used this sanding deglosser which is like my favorite thing.
It gets the shiny finish off of anything without sanding.  Just rub it on with a towel.
You can see the change in the color of wood as I deglossed.

After!!  I spray painted the base with Rustoleum Hammered Spray Paint
in a steely gray color (Conveniently found in my parents' garage).
The shade was in the bargain room at IKEA for $3.
New lamp for around $7.



Before:  This metal lamp had a reddish brown color with black
specks on it.  Purchased for $8 at a local secondhand store.



After:  I used the same color spray paint for the base.
Had to do a couple layers on this one because I had to hold it
upside for the very bottom.  The shade was 50% off at Shopko for $10.
Total:  $18 lamp

I am really liking my new lamps!  I honestly like them better than anything I found in stores for mega bucks!  I like getting what I want for cheap!  So go to Goodwill or another secondhand store and use your creativity.  A bottle of spray paint can be your best friend!  

I also bought a floor lamp base for $10 at Goodwill and a shade for $20 at Shopko (again, 50% off).  It's not my total favorite base but for $10 I can't beat it.  I am debating on spray painting it because right now it is a tan and so is the lampshade.  What do you think?  I can't decide.  Don't worry, I don't think it is actually going to go in that place either.  Opinions are welcome!!  

Only 7 days until Christmas break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This teacher is excited!  

Getting crafty!

So yesterday was a rough day, but I got through it!  The day started with breakfast with a friend and then I spent some time with my dad.  Then my mom and dad came over and put themselves to work on the house. We finished the evening with a family dinner at a restaurant which was fun!  As long as I stayed busy I didn't think about what the day was....too much at least.

I just have to keep remembering to move on.

So in moving on I wanted to share a craft project that I made to get in the holiday spirit!!  This blog (A Diamond in the Stuff) has TONS of great holiday ideas that are mostly DIY and not too expensive!

http://adiamondinthestuff.blogspot.com/

For a take on the "traditional" Christmas wreath, she used a frame, ribbon, and ornaments to decorate her door!  I did something similar!

I just started with a regular picture frame.  Remember how my sellers left me lots of holes in the walls?  Well a few of those holes actually still had pictures on them.  They weren't pictures that spoke to me (i.e.:  ugly...), so I selected one of the frames and took it apart!  The frame wasn't old and cool, just regular!

1st step:  The frame had a glossy coating on it, so I used my favorite DeGlosser to get the sheen off and allow the spray paint to stick better.
2nd step:  Spray paint it!

3rd step:  Start adding ornaments & bells with ribbon.  I recommend using shatter-free since it will be hanging and banging against your door.

I attached the ribbons using the flat, metal thumb tacks.  I pushed them into the back of the frame.

                           

Make sure you vary the type of ornaments and the length of the ornaments.  

Here's my finished product!!  I am not super-duper crafty or creative but I really like the way it looks.  And I already had the frame, spray paint, thumb tacks, and ornaments.  All I bought was the ribbon!  What do you think?  

Definitely use 2 door-hangers so that it hangs evenly.

Tomorrow

Remember how I said that I had a life changing event in April?  Well I'm going to just say what it was because most of my friends and family know anyway.  I was engaged.  Wedding planned.  Dress purchased.  Vendors hired.  Save the dates about to go out.  And in April that all ended.  Broken engagement.  Wedding off.  Dress hanging in the closet.  Vendors cancelled. Save the dates put in a box never to be sent.  And maybe I am dumb, but I didn't see it coming at all.  I thought all was well with the world and that we were ready to get married.  Apparently I was.  He wasn't.

And so one day I was engaged and preparing for a certain life.  And the next day I wasn't and I didn't really know what life to prepare for then.  And so over the last 8 months I have learned my new life.  I have been really brave, really strong, and really patient.  But I want this blog to be honest.  And tomorrow is the day that I was supposed to get married on.  12-1-12.

I am trying not to dwell.  I am trying to stay busy thinking about other things.  But I can't help but wonder, what if?  What if were still together?  What if tomorrow my last name was changing?  What if I had never met him and where would be life be now?  Uh.

My friends and family have been beyond amazing during this whole time.  Whether it is a note, a glass of wine, a phone call, or just simply a hug, they are trying to make me feel better.

People say that I will find someone else.  I hope so.  I pray so.  But I wonder, is it possible?  I live in the smallest town on earth.  The "new" people I meet are my 7 year old students.  If there is a plan for me to get married one day, it is going to have to be God's plan because my plans just haven't worked out.  I hope he has a plan for me.  So I hate to be depressing, but sometimes it is really hard to be strong.

Have you ever just been tired of being strong?

Moving in!

I have officially moved in!  We spent our first night in the house last night.  It was weird, cool, and a bit scary all at the same time.  I'll give you a recap of what's happened since weekend 2.  (Still no pictures the internet won't download!!!!!  I'm taking them!  I swear!  The good news is that I will have faster internet sometime this week when my internet gets installed at my house!)

Project:  Garbage Disposal Installation
Guest Team Members:  Rick & Bryce Hupe
On Tuesday, my friends Rick, Chris & Bryce Hupe came to assist with the garbage disposal installation that my dad couldn't figure out.  Rick has a background in plumbing so he is a great friend to have!  Rick & Bryce worked away while Chris and I did what we do best:  chit-chat!  The garbage disposal was an easy install (At least I think it was.  There was no cursing so I assume that means it went well.  But maybe the Hupe men don't curse when frustrated....).

Bryce holds a light for Rick

During the installation I commented to Chris that we have been hearing this running water sound and we thought it was coming from the water heater.  Her plumber's wife recommendation was to just turn the TV up louder.  Chris asked Rick about it later and he heard it too.  He immediately determined it was a LEAK IN THE PIPES!!!!!!!!!!!!  Ahhhhhh.  Disaster.  Tragedy.  Panic.

Superhero Rick jumped into action!!!!!!!  Within seconds Rick was opening up my crawl-space to find the leak.  Luckily, the hole was right where the crawl-space opened.  He tried to turn the water off from the inside, but that didn't work.  In a FLASH he was outside opening up the manhole in my front yard and turning off the water!  Crisis temporarily averted.  He said he would be back tomorrow to fix the problem.  Chris assured me that it was not a big deal.  But this was the same person who told me to turn the TV up louder, so I wasn't sure her advice was safe!!  I spent all night imagining a huge hole flooding my entire house. 

Rick turns off the water while Bryce assists with a light.  Chris supervises. 

Project:  Fixing a leaky pipe
Guest Team Superhero Member:  Rick Hupe
On Wednesday Rick and Chris came back.  Rick--superhero of the century--came with all his supplies.  Rick got into the crawl-space and sawed and welded and did whatever he needed to do to fix the hole.  New pipe was installed and he turned the water back on!  There was a little water in the crawl-space but we got the leak early so no damage was done!  Thank the Lord!  (Really I did pray a prayer of thanks!)  I was very thankful for my friends to help me out because the bill was $17.20 and not $100s!  I am paying him in cookies for the next 2 years of my life, but that I can handle.  THANK YOU RICK!!!

Rick is UNDER MY HOUSE!  Fixing....

 

See that tiny black speck at the base of the L?  That was the hole that nearly flooded all of Bryan! 

Project:  MOVE-IN
Guest Team Members:  Uncle Bill, Caleb
Team Members:  Mom, Dad, me
Remember how I said I am all moved-in?  I am.  This means that my room at my parents house is EMPTY except for a shelf of books.  It's eerie.  I have slept, read, ate (oops, not supposed to), did homework, read, played, laughed, and cried in that room for 19 years.  And right now it's empty.  My daybed is at my new house.  My desk is at my new house.  It's weird.  Many of my friends have married and moved into houses and apartments of their own, but few have had to empty out their childhood bedroom.  Trust me folks, it is a bizarre experience.

The move has been slightly hindered by the fact that my parents are falling apart.  My mom's back has been hurting her.  My dad, while getting off of a ladder on Tuesday, stepped off a ladder and heard a snap in his foot.  He is currently in a walking boot and in a lot of pain.  (Note:  This did not stop his Black Friday shopping

My Uncle Bill and cousin Caleb helped get my very heavy dressers and desk down the stairs.  They are such hard workers!  Not a complaint was uttered!  Thanks Uncle Bill & Caleb!

Packing tip for drawers in dressers that do not come out:  Take the contents out by drawer and put in separate box.  Label each box like, Drawer 1:  Sweatpants, Drawer 2:  Underwear, etc.  Even if the box is not full, don't be tempted to put more things in it!!  It will mess you up!

So right now I am organizing and making lots of trips to Walmart for necessary items!  Pictures soon, promise!  (I get my faster internet on Thursday so that should help!)

Weekend 2

This was the second weekend we were in the house!  Dad has been working away at the house all week.  Isn't he great?!  I will upload more pictures soon, but it's not letting me again.  I am wondering if it's slow on Sunday nights because everyone else wants to upload pictures too.  Anyway....I'll let you know the progress!

Team members:  Dad, me, and Uncle Bill
*Uncle Bill is JUST wonderful!  Not only does he bring tasty treats, but he is super helpful and great!!  We got so much done because of him.

Projects completed this weekend :
-Colorful, children's fan taken down in the exercise room and sold!
-Brown fan above dining area taken down and moved to guest bedroom
-White fan from guest bedroom taken down and moved to exercise room
-Gold light fixtures taken down from hallway and bedroom and replaced with new silver/glass dome fixtures
-Chandelier hung over dining area

Dad & Uncle Bill hanging the dining light.  Dad was practicing sitting up and standing from the table as Uncle Bill held and adjusted the light.  It was rather comedic. 

-Almost all the trim is painted white in the bedroom.  The windows (yes they painted the windows the mauve color too!) might have to wait until warmer weather, because my dad doesn't want to paint them shut.
-Baseboard/kickboard in kitchen painted black
-Walls in kitchen are painted
-Cabinet "base" is painted (Not the doors though, does that make sense?  Doors are in process.  I am taking pictures of each step and am going to post all of those at once.)
-Refrigerator handle switched from the left hand side to the right hand side.  (DID YOU KNOW THAT CAN HAPPEN!?  It's just a freezer on top and fridge on the bottom kind and you can switch the handle and hinges so that it opens the other way.  Definitely an option for those that don't like the way your fridge opens!  Now people won't be able to see inside my fridge from the dining area/living room.  Which is good, I don't want people to steal my food!)
-New locks installed on front door and back door from garage to kitchen.  Still have one more to do on the very back garage door, but that entire door needs replaced.

Uncle Bill installing some new locks! 

-I did LOTS of moving.  I moved 3 entire carloads of my things.  I have occupied my bedroom here at my parent's house for the last 19 years.  And apparently I am a pack rat.  I cannot believe the amount of things I stuffed into that room.  And no I can't part with it all.  I think I threw away a few things, but for the most part this is stuff I want.  If anyone wants to go through my scrapbooks with me dating to the 5th grade, let me know.  You can come on over and I'll provide the wine!  My clothes are still at my parent's house as am I. The kitchen has been unpacked a little bit.  You can see the progress since the cabinet doors aren't on!  :)

My baking supplies!  Mom was thrilled that it cleared an entire shelf out of her cabinet!

My "open-concept" kitchen...

-Added sheet of thin sheet of stainless-steel beside stove where there was originally wood.  The wood would have made it hard to clean.  My dad just cut it according to size and nailed this on!  (Picture below)

Before

After!

I met the neighbors!  Well one of the neighbors, I already knew because I graduated with their son!  I re-introduced myself when he came into my yard with his lawnmower and leaf collector.  Yep, that's right my neighbor took care of all of my leaves in the front yard!  THEN, he got on the roof and cleaned out the gutters!  I didn't ask him to; he just did it!  How lucky am I?  I owe someone some cookies!  I also met the other neighbors who welcomed me into their home and whom I had a nice chat with.

We did have a slight hiccup.  Everything went so well with the lighting and the lock switching, but then we decided to paint.  I had this great idea to paint one of the walls and the adjoining hallway a nice plum color...purple.  The rest of the living room would be a nice slate grey.  I imagined it to be quite lovely.  WELL, sometimes things don't look the way we imagined them to be.  I picked a color that was dark purple but not too dark because I didn't want the hallway to look too dark.  The color was WAY TOO vibrant and bright.  It looked like a color in a sorority house bedroom (I know, I lived in one that was hot pink!).  We went to Sherwin Williams to see if they could make it more neutral and they couldn't.  Of course this makes me forget all of the GOOD things that happened this weekend and I am in tears.  I know it's only $27 of wasted paint, but still TWENTY SEVEN DOLLARS OF WASTED PAINT.  You know how they say don't cry over spilled milk?  Well I was crying over wasted paint.  My dad was trying to comfort me and offer solutions but I was just too upset to hear any of it.  I really don't like it when things don't turn out how I envision/imagine/dream of.  It's happened before and I am sure it will happen again but it is just a little crushing.

Dad painting the purple accent wall.  As soon as the paint went on he said, "Now THAT'S a color."  He continued for about 3 more minutes before I decided that this purple was no good. 

I know, Marjory, get over it.  Find a new color.  Paint it the same as the rest of the walls.  Just move on.  Get over it.  But.  I.  Can't.  I still want a plum/eggplant wall/hallway.  But I am still worried about it being too dark in the hallway.  I am thinking of going and getting those tiny little paint samples of plum and just painting in a few different places in the hallway to see how it looks.  Anyone else have any ideas or color thoughts?  How big of a deal is it if the hallway is dark?   

So right now we are at a standstill.  My least favorite thing. 

"Learning" how to paint

So apparently I have gone 25 years without properly learning to paint a wall.  Who knew?  So far my dad has been doing all of the painting and hasn't let me do anything!  (Whose house is this?)  Anyway, I've been assigned cleaning/organizing/prep work but today I ACTUALLY GOT TO PAINT.  Now I will tell you that the section I painted was behind the fridge and will never been seen by ANYONE, but still I painted!!!  Today [we were working on painting the kitchen walls.  (No the cabinets are not done, but the project manager {i.e., Dad] said we were painting the walls.  I just follow directions. 

Here were the tips I learned: 
-Push hard against the wall with the roller
-Move in the same direction (vertical or horizontal) for one coat and then switch to the other direction for the second coat
-If you get paint on the trim (who me?) it can be wiped off with paper towel if you are quick
-Look for drips and correct them ASAP
-Get a good amount of paint on the roller; don't be stingy
-Don't talk while you paint; it ruins your focus......  


Got in my run today AND I got a free pizza lunch because apparently it's some week honoring teachers!  Go teachers! 

Weekend 1: Cobwebs NOT included in the price of the house!

I got possession of the house this past Thursday.  Since then, IT HAS BEEN NUTS.  For all those moving into a new house, I ask you: ARE YOU CRAZY?!  Just move into a nice, clean hotel where the maid comes daily to clean and wash the sheets.  Seriously, consider it.

Below is a list of our projects so far that have been started by the team.  The team consists of the whole family.
Dad--project manager
Mom--cleaning extraordinaire & future reupholster/sewing expert
Ajay--(22 yr. old brother)--providing humor, odd jobs, and his ability to lift heavy objects
Patrick--(19 yr. old brother)-providing a sense of reality, odd jobs, and his 6 ft. height helps to touch all the places the rest of us can't.
Me--providing opinions, bossy-ness, and apparently I am now an ATM where money just keeps leaving my hands

Day 1 (Thursday night): 
Team members:  Dad & me
Tasks:
-Vacuumed and shampooed carpets (me)
-Vacuumed cobwebs out of windows, tops of ceiling, corners of walls, etc.  My new vacuum is phenomenal.  (me)
-Cabinet cleaning--with the vacuum of-course (me)
-Installation of  in-cabinet trash can (Dad)
-Took off cabinet doors and started sanding process (Dad)

HERE IS MY BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN!!  Fireworks to be set off later!  :)  

Cabinet doors OFF!  See ya later red, white, and blue! 













Day 2 (Friday):
Team members:  Dad, Mom, and me
Guest team member:  Taylor, co-worker with a truck from school
Tasks:
-Put together IKEA bed (Dad & Mom)
-Started to paint bedroom (Dad)
-Painted cabinet drawers (Dad)
-Delivered bed & set up (Taylor-----THANK YOU! and me....though I just provided the conversation!)
-Went to El Mariachis and had a Corona (me)

Bedroom being prepped for painting.  It was a lovely mauve

color.  Notice how the homeowners painted the trim.  :(  Now, 

we have to paint it white which is more work. 

Day 3 (Saturday)
Team members:  Dad, Mom, Me
-Cleaning kitchen cabinets (me)
-Taking this annoying contact paper off of the bottom of the cabinets (me)
-Sanding, painting, building in the kitchen (Dad)
-Bathroom & window cleaning (mom)
-Fridge cleaning (me & mom)
-Beginning of taking my things over (Dad & me)
-Trip to Home Depot to purchase wood for the kitchen, new lights because a single girl needs to make sure her lights are bright, and new locks/door handle-thingy-ma-bobs

Here is my dad caulking the gap between the white cabinet and the white ceiling.  It's that yellow stuff!  The gap was small, but happens as a house settles.  He used his finger to slather it on. 

Day 4 (Sunday)
Team members:  Dad, Mom, me, Ajay & Patrick
-Cleaning kitchen cabinets and putting a mesh liner down (no contact paper for me!)--(me)--THIS PROJECT IS DONE
-Major heavy lifting of furniture purchased at auctions out of parent's garage and into house (me, dad, Ajay, Patrick)
    *I did have a major STAR STRENGTH moment where I was able to lift a 20 pound box over my head   to put on a shelf.  Wahoo for working out at the Y! There were a couple of boxes of pictures, grade school/high school/college memorabilia that have been in boxes for years.  I still can't part with it though.  So I just left them in the boxes and moved them to my new house. 
-Oven cleaning (mom)
-Bathroom cleaning (mom)
-Shampooing of carpet (Ajay)
-Put dishes away in new cabinet, although the doors to the cabinet aren't there yet (me)
-Poop patrol of the old owner's dog (Ajay---seriously major points for this brother!)
-Installation of new furnace filters (Patrick---we are hoping he did it right.  He is the only one tall & skinny enough to fit in the small area to do this!)
-Sold microwave & bread box left behind by old owners on local buy-sell-trade FB site  (me)

Current state of the kitchen!  The grey is looking great!  

Bedroom wall painted and trim is being worked on!

Pat and Khloe are exhausted!  (Yes Khloe had to come check out the new house!)

Over the last 4 days there have been a lot of emotions going around in my head.   
Excitement.  Overwhelmed.  Nervousness.  Fear.  Anxiousness. 
There have been some tense moments between team members, especially me and my dad.  He and I are a lot alike.  Neither of us likes to have a voice raised AT us but that is how we both naturally respond when someone does something we don't like.  In trying to get the furnace filters in, I nearly burst into tears because I didn't understand what he was trying to tell me.  I almost melted into the thought of:  WHAT HAVE I SIGNED UP FOR?  I CAN'T DO THIS.  I CAN'T BE A HOMEOWNER.  Somehow I didn't melt down though.  Additionally, he annoyed me a bit when he was trying to bring all of kinds of things in to this house that I don't need.  One thing I love is EMPTY space and it stresses me out to have lots of junk.  He tried to bring in these TV tables that I didn't want/need and I almost flipped out.

A few surprises that we are not sure how we are going to deal with.
1)  There is a 2 ft section of baseboard missing from the living room in the middle of the room.  Lovely.
2)  The border above the tile in the kitchen is not coming off easily.  AND the walls underneath it are not textured the same as the rest of the wall.  We will see how we "fix" that. 

So under the patriotic flags is a lovely '80s swooshy-effect.  I bet you are wondering WHY on earth am I changing it?! 

We have had some beautiful days as far as weather so I have just been itching to run.  I love running without 97 layers of clothes on.  I squeezed in a run before the Home Depot excursion on Saturday.  My dad was tapping his feet to leave when I got back though.  It takes a while to do 7 miles Dad!  Then this morning, I got up early to run again.  I love running in the morning when most people are still sleeping.  It's like a secret being told between me, the road, and the day about to begin.  Ultimate peace.  I haven't done any Abs or Weight lifting since Thursday though so I better do a bit before I go to bed.  Especially since I made these Funfetti Cookies to give away.  Unfortunately, I ate a few too.  They were calling my name....
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/10/funfetti-cake-batter-cookies-recipe.html