Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Sandy, step away from the tile aisle. (need more opinions, please!)

Ok, so tile A was the one that won by overwhelming majority.


And it was Dave's favorite.


Thanks for your help with that.
So, today I went to Home Depot to return the other one and get enough to finish the backsplash.


And I started looking at the displays.

Seriously, I just need to get out of the tile aisle.

I love tile.

But I cannot make up my mind.

I saw about another 5 displays I'd love in my house.

And I saw more backsplash ideas.

This is where you come in.

You all were so helpful the last time I called on your expertise.

Can you help this lady out again?

You're so awesome!

Ok, I'll keep this one tile A:

Tile B:


Tile C:


What you should know (that I didn't tell you before, but really did help us make our decision) is that our floor tile looks like this:

And that's the bath mat.  I included it to show you that there are tons of circles in that bathroom.  Which is why I included tile B.

Also, Tile A is approximately 4" tall. 

Tiles B and C are approximately 6".

On Tile C- that's actually two pieces.  It really looked awesome on the Home Depot display.  It didn't photograph well here at all.  Those brown tiles in the center of that bottom strip are brown glass tiles.  That top strip has a finished edge- which I like on a backsplash.

The other two have a blunt edge.

Tile A really does match our flooring the best.
And that itty bitty glass tile is very cute.

Tile B has a certain sophistication to it.  I like the brassy inserts with the circle.  I also like the brightness of the limestone.

What do you think?

Monday, March 29, 2010

Monday Madness

I'm getting sucked in...
...sucked in to March Maddness.  I sat through 2 basketball games this week. 

And I enjoyed them.

That, in and of itself, is a crazy surprise.

My blog has been getting very little of my attention as of late.

There's just too many pots on my stove.

I need a bigger stove.

There's a little progress on the Love Shack to update you on (including a tile winner!)

I've been asked to venture into some unchartered waters with a friend.
This launches in 8 days.

This is crazy-busy season for my work.
(and I am mildly behind...but I have yet to meet an auditor that doesn't say that)

Holy week is this week.
A asked me this week who the Easter Bunny is.
We don't make a big deal out of the Easter Bunny.
He knows it is a fictional character.
He still gets a gift from the EB, but knows that's not all that important.
He knows the real meaning of Easter.
I'm grateful for that.

Spring Break is next week.
My parents are taking the boys Sunday night through Tuesday.
I'm psyched.
I have many many lists of many things to do while they are gone.
Including visiting the dentist.
Grrrr.

Speaking of dentist.
Our family vacation has been cancelled this year.
Due to some unforeseen dental fees.
Sucks to see some desperately needed R&R going into your 6 year olds mouth.
Oh well, I'd rather see him with a healthy mouth.
Right?  Right?.....

My house is a pit, and I have no motivation to clean it.

I miss gluten.  I miss beer.

A. just finished a growth spurt.  He grew 1 1/2 inches in 8 weeks.
C's turn now.  He's waking up in the middle of the night.
I think I had two nights in between growth spurts.
C is thinning out.
After his haircut on Saturday, he looks more like a boy than a toddler.
sigh.

There's a hole in my sock.
C found it.
He wants to make it bigger.
He scratched me, and I said "ouch."
He is now kissing my foot.

I get to meet baby Fiona this week.
I can't wait!
Took long enough for us to get healthy.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Guilty Pleasure Friday

This post is dedicated to my facebook friends who will actually take me on a debate politics with me.

Thanks for giving me more ammunition for believing in the right way to do things!!!


Canada Has Spies?
see more Friends of Irony

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Faux pas?

I started a little debate on my facebook page about politics and where our nation is headed.

Faux pas?

Not sure.

I got a fun email about it, though.


My question is:

Why is it not ok to talk about politics?


and for that matter:

Why is it not ok to talk about religion?

Aren't these two subjects what pretty much rule our lives?

Don't they dictate every decision and action we take?

What do you think?

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Is there such a thing as "Fusion Theater"?

Have you ever heard of the term "fusion cuisine"?

You know, where they stick two flavors together that you normally don't think would go.  The opposite flavors actually turn into some cosmic awesome dish?

I was watching Rachael Ray the other day, and they combined Lima Beans and Frozen Waffles.  I went back to work before I could see what they did with them.

I can't understand how anything with lima beans could be good.

I digress.

Anyway, back to the post title.




I have two movies that I watched some time ago that I cannot get out of my head.  They resurface in the most unlikely of times and places in my head. 

They are quite opposite.

And actually they don't really fuse in my brain.

They come out separately.  At separate times.

But I can forget neither of them.



The first one?




Silence of the Lambs

The first psychological thiller I ever watched.

And it wasn't the whole cannibal, human skin suit thing that got to me.

It was in the final 10 minutes- when Clarrise was in the basement with the crazy dude, and it was pitch black.  He had these see-in-the-dark glasses on, and he could see her, but she couldn't see him.

First of all, bravo acting skills on Jodie Foster's part, because I cannot forget the look on her face during that scene.

But, from that point on, any time I'm in a totally dark room I think about that scene.  And I'll even bust out some amazing kung fu moves just in case there's some crazy guy with glasses on that can see me in the dark. 

After I've karate chopped the air, I'm secretly hoping that I've either scared off the villian trying to get me- or made him bust out laughing at my rediculousness.

Either way, I come out alive...I dig that.

The second movie in my fusion?




The Passion of the Christ.



I know...how the two meld in my brain, I will never know.

If you haven't seen this movie, I strongly recommend it.

Especially given we're in the season of Lent.

Good Friday, for me, will never be the same.

I mean, I can read the gospels over and over and
still not get the magnitude of what He did for me that day.

When I saw it?

I could hardly breathe.

The horrible suffering.

Since Mel Gibson is Catholic, the movie does focus on the stages of the cross and the mother/son relationship.  Which was interesting for me- since when I saw it, Adam was only a few months old.  That whole mother/son bond was very new to me and very overwhelming on every level.

Which made the movie that much more emotional.

There's one part when Jesus is carrying his cross up the hill and he stumbles.  Mary trys to help him up saying, "it's ok...I'm here."  Then it flashes back to when Jesus is a toddler learning to walk, he stumbles and she says the same thing.  And that moment it when I started sobbing in the movie theater.

He was a human. 
He endured so much. 


For me. 
For you. 


For people I consider my friends. 
For people I consider my enemies. 

Everyone.

Kind of makes me think of people who tell me that they're
in search of a religion that makes them "feel good." 

Funny, I don't think it "felt good" to Jesus. 
But he did it out of love for us.


So...that's my crazy fusion theater story. 
What are some movies that stick in your head?

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Special Saturday

My super awesome mom

took the boys and I to see this:
 
Disney on Ice: Finding Nemo.
It's one of the boys favorite movies.

They enjoyed themselves.

So did I.

Squirt is my favorite character.

I brought Swedish Fish and goldfish crackers for the boys to snack on.

It was a great special Saturday with the boys and their Grandma Connie.

While we were away, Dave was here...

working on this:


Any guesses as to what this is?

Hint:  It has been the MOST time consuming project of the addition yet.
5 Saturdays and counting....

Friday, March 19, 2010

Guilty Pleasure Friday

Dedicated to Dave who always says, "Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance."



Example A
see more Friends of Irony

Thursday, March 18, 2010

What I hear right now

- hum of my computer

-the wind in the trees through my open windows (YEAH!)

- the gurgling sound my lungs are making
while I try to breathe

- the boys eating goldfish crackers

- the boys fighting over said crackers

- the ringing of my home phone


- the dog outside rolling in
(whatever gross thing died on my lawn) the grass

- the message on my home phone-
my awesome crazy Philipino neighbor needs her car jumped


- the barking dogs next door
that think Molly is a sexy beast

- the ringing of my work phone

- Thomas the Tank Engine music
letting me know the movie is over and chaos is about to erupt

- the ringing in my ears
- the "bing bong" of a text message

- talking in the church parking lot behind our house

- gold fish crackers being spilled on the ground

- C. crying

- the clink of Molly's chain as
A. lets her in from outside

- Molly eating crackers off the floor
like a crazy lady.

- C. whining

- "Mommy I have to go potty."

Must go.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Guilty Pleasure Friday

This guilty pleasure friday is, again, dedicated to my big brother, Dan.  Who is- right now- on his way home from his TDY* in the Middle East.  And his birthday was yesterday.  I can think of no greater birthday present for him to be back in the states with his wife and sons.

And without further adieu...







*tour of duty.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Top indicators that I know its time to do laundry (and the reasons I give to put it off another day)

It's funny. I don't mind doing laundry.

Yet, I always seem to be behind on it.

As of late, I'm way behind.

Way, way behind.

I'm attributing it to a slew of sickness in our abode.

Couple that with a crazy busy schedule

And add to that a backslide in my adrenal function...

Well, let's just say that Minerva is not doing her job.

So, today I look around my house and I realize we're in some dire laundry straights.
But I don't want to do the laundry all day today.

So, I'm making excuses not to do it.

So, here are my indicaters that I see (and the reasons I'm giving for putting them off):

**I have no clean shirts without stains on them
(what's a couple of spit up stains on the shirt when I have no where to go today?)

**C. had to choose between an 18M shirt and his 3T swimming shirt
(lets pretend its beach day in the house!)

**I had to choose (again) between maternity underwear and nothing
(why did these maternity undies NOT get packed away?!?!)

**I'm using an old bib as a dish cloth
(they're made out of dish towels, why not?)


**I'm wearing Halloween socks.  The holey ones.  Because I wore the non-holey Halloween socks yesterday.
(I'm officially declaring it 'Party on my feet' week!  Next up, Christmas!)




** Dave washed himself with a dish scrubber in the shower since we had no washclothes
(Can we say the men in our lives could use a good exfoliation once in a while?!?!)




**A. has no clean clothes that matched.
(Thanks to a well placed Mix-Match day at school, courteousy of National Lutheran Schools Week)

**I only have two bath towels left on my chatroom shelves.
(Two?!?!  Really?  Wow, I can put off laundry for another two days.  The boys can drip dry.)



Ahhh, here's to another laundry free day.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Guilty Pleasure Friday

As we approach the time to start thinking of wall colors, furniture colors, colors to stain the trim, etc, I'm drawn to looking at interior design sites and consult with friends that know a thing or two about color.

Hence, this guilty pleasure poster jumped out at me.

This was obviously someone who not only remembers the 80's, but thrived in them as well.

Rock on, my friend...you're living on a prayer.


demotivational posters

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Before/ After pictures

Ahhh, Thursdays.  I love them.

Especially this Thursday- it was spa day at MOPS.
I love spa day at MOPS.

I feel beautiful and smell like Aveda products.
Does it get any better than that?

Well, of course it does!

It's also before/after picture day!!!

Head on over to Monica's to see the original creator.
Love her, love her blog.



Ok, SOOC:


This was taken on the Hop cousin's day at the zoo.
My nephew was so attentive and caring with C.
It totally warmed my heart.
He was soooo good with him!

I loved the look of the two of them in this picture, and wanted to crop it so the picture was just the two of them.

Then it was awfully dark, so I filled in some light:


How cute are they?!?!?

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

10 Years Ago...

My last post got me thinking...

I kept thinking how much will change in the course of a decade.

Then it got me thinking of how much had changed in the 10 years previous...

So, this is my 10 years ago post!

March 3, 2000


I am 23 years old.  Last year, I graduated from Grand Valley State University with a BBA (Marketing and Management Emphasis').  I completed my Product Marketing Internship at Haworth and started my first "real" job at another smaller office furniture manufacturer just two months ago.  So far, I'm not enjoying it as much as I had anticipated.  I don't think I'm cut out for "office politics."  I'm too blunt and call it like I see it.  Not something that the 'good old boys' are big fans of.  In addition, my boss frequently impersonates female genetalia with his mouth and tongue.  Makes me want to barf.  In addition, he doesn't wash his hands after using the restroom and just touched my pen.  I said he could have it- I'm not touching it again.  ever.  This is not a long term gig.  NeoCon is approaching quickly in Chicago- which is keeping me extremely busy- and hopefully far away from my disgusting boss.

I am dating a guy named Dave that I think could be "the one."  We've been dating for 4 1/2 months now, and he's already told me he loves me and is using words like "someday..."  "in the future..." and "kids".  He's nice, funny, courteous, honest, hard-working, and not to mention HOT.  He owns his own house and rents out the loft and basement to friends to help out with mortgage payments.  He works as a designer by day and does odd carpentry jobs a few nights a week.  He hopes to own his own business some day.  He  is also taking a few classes at the local college.  He's one busy guy.  Dave's from a big family, and they are all really nice too.  He's got an adorable niece who was born 5 months ago- I'm crazy about her. 

He's introduced me to a financial guy named Dave Ramsey.  I'm reading his book.  This guy makes sense.

  Darnit. 

Now I'm convicted to get rid of all my credit cards and pay off my car.  Dave doesn't know I'm doing this yet.  I will let him know as soon as I own my car.  Right now we've fallen into a great routine of seeing each other every Wednesday night (he comes my way) and Saturday nights (I head into the city to see him).  He's got me going to church again.  It's an interesting church we go to together.  Charasmatic and multi-cultural.  The music leader is awesome.   Nice for the short term, but not so much long term.  We'll see what happens.

My parents and I are taking a trip in June, and taking Dave with us.  We're looking forward to going to Europe to see my brother, his wife and their one year old son.  They're stationed at the Bitberg AFB there.  The pictures we've seen are beautiful!  We have quite a trip planned to tour the continent, and I cannot wait!  I also am thrilled to the gills to see my nephew!

My best friend is getting married in less than a month, and I am serving as her maid-of-honor.  We have many festivities to attend between now and then.  I'm sad that she'll be heading to Fort Wayne after she's married.  I love having her so close.

Most of my days are spent working, tanning, shopping and hanging out with friends.  I have few responsibilities, and I like it that way.  I'm enjoying my freedom and love having fun.


Well, if you're reading this, you've been tagged to join the fun!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

In ten years....

Hey ladies!  If you're reading this on your dashboard, you may want to read this one.  I've tagged about 10 of ya' to play along.  :)



My bloggy friend, Brittney, has tapped me to do an "in ten years" post.  I think this is a fun idea.  (Yeah, until I realized that her -in ten years- age was still less than my current one- oh man...).  But still fun.  So, here goes:


Here are the rules:


1. Post where you want to be in 10 years

2. Pass it on to 10 of your bloggy friends!

On March 2, 2020 I will be a  40-something mother of two boys SIXTEEN and TWELVE!  A. will be driving (gasp!) and saving for his first car using 401Dave funds (we match his money that he's saved).  C. will be looking forward to his confirmation this spring (gasp!).  Both boys will have surpassed me in height- A. probably being about a foot or so taller than his mom.

Molly would have passed a few years prior (I know, I hate to think of it, but labs don't typically make it to 18 1/2 years old), and we will have an additional dog or two.  We continue to name our dogs after members of the 80's movies Brat Pack  (Alley, Emilio, Anthony, Donger).

The addition on the addition will be COMPLETE!  (Seriously, it BETTER be by now!!!), and we will be fully funding our retirement accounts again.  We've traveled some, but not a lot yet- hopefully going back to Europe- a vacation that Dave and I loved back in 2000.

I have lost a ton of weight and continue to enjoy good health.  My energy level is untouched, and I have started a ministry helping others.  I own my own business- hopefully a portrait studio run out of our cleaned out pole barn, and enjoy moonlighting as (undecided career) here.  And my secret goal has been achieved and unveiled on our personal blog (see list #101).  Dave's business continues to thrive, and we will have completed our first fix-and-flip by now- perhaps selling it or renting it out depending on the state of the economy.

And ten years ago, when I originally wrote this post, I look back and think, "wow, was I blessed."  A decade later, I can still say the same thing, regardless of whether or not my life looks like the pretty picture painted here.  In the meantime, this is a lot to do...Dave I had best get crackin'!

Ok...sharing the fun..


Monday, March 1, 2010

Need your opinions, please.

Normally I have no problem making decisions.

Especially when it comes to home decor.

Actually, I have most of the addition decorated in my head.

Except for the details, of course.

And this is where I run into a bit of a stumbling block.

Instantly,
decisions I would make quickly are turning into a 45 minute blank stare in the tile aisle at Home Depot.

Whoever created those race car carts was a genius.

The employees were awesome and totally helpful.
And even one of Dave's fellow elders from church stopped by (on his lunch break!) to help me out.

But none of them have seen my (almost finished!!) bathroom.

And they don't know what it would look like against the chocolate brown cabinets.

So, here's where YOU come in.

I picked out two backsplashes that I love.

I cannot choose between the two of them.

They're both pretty.

I need your help.

Would you mind casting a vote?

THANKS!  You're awesome. 

I knew you'd help a friend in "need."

Ok, here's choice A:


And choice B:

So, then I thought that the lighting wasn't very good down there.  I took them outside to get some natural light*.  This way you can see the full color spectrum. 

I know, that was nice.  You're welcome.

So, again.  Choice A:

And choice B:

Thanks for helping a lady in "need!"

*you know...as much 'light' as we can get on March 1 in Michigan....