This Ranch House

New Camera

2010-05-16T21:27:00.003-04:00

For Mother's Day, I got a new camera to take with us on our trip. It is a Nikon CoolPix P90. Drake found it downtown at Roberts Imaging. I love it. I am still trying to figure out how to use it. Kat and Aaron came to dinner and Aaron showed me some cool features. I can't wait to test them out. Earlier today, I went out and took some pictures of some of the flowers. Nothing exciting but a great chance for me to try out the new camera on something that doesn't constantly move (I tried Dempsey earlier but he kept coming up to me and trying to lick the camera). My next "subject" will hopefully be Dempsey if I can get him to cooperate :)

Here is a picture of the camera. So far, so good!

Here is a picture of the flowers from one of my hanging baskets.

Close up of one of the annual flowers (I can't remember what it is called.)

Lilies...I love the color!

Another close up of the lilies.

I took a photography class in high school and loved it. I would like to take another class sometime just for fun. Hopefully I can figure out this camera. I will post more pictures I take (when this weather gets better).

Flowers

2010-05-16T21:01:00.003-04:00

Now I have never had a "green thumb." I love plants and flowers but never seem to have the best of luck. This year I decided to have my mom come and help me plant. I also made sure to get a few suggestions from Lorie on what to plant. So everyone keep your fingers crossed and hope they last this summer and come back next year!

(Side note: I planted a few tomato plants that I purchased from a school fundraiser. Everyone said they are one of the easiest plants to grow....well they aren't looking too great. I made a few adjustments and hopefully they will produce some tomatoes!)

On Saturday morning, Drake and I went to Frasee Garden in Brownsburg to buy flowers. I decided to stick with mostly perennials this year. We bought day lilies, coneflowers, and coreopsis. We also bought a few annuals that are in front of the boxwood. Later my mom and I went to Menards and bought a few hanging baskets and asiatic lilies. Earlier this Spring, Drake bought me a few hosta plants. My mom brought one more for me and we decided to plant those together. I hope I can keep these plants alive and they come back next year :)

I am very glad that my mom came to help! There was a lot of work. While we worked on planting, the boys went fishing. We first had to remove all the old mulch. We also removed the two azalea bushes we planted last year. They were not doing so well this year. After we dug hole for the plants, we put down the weed barrier. We planted the plants and put down the new mulch. I think my mom planted a few of the flower a little too deep :) Oh well, everything turned out great! My mom suggested getting a few hanging plants. We found great deals at Menards and bought a few hooks to hang the plants from. After all the hard work, we went and enjoyed a glass of Bubble tea from Greenleaf. It was a great day! I can't wait to see all the flowers bloom! Here are a few pictures...

Today Drake and I went to Lowes and bought a few flowers to plant in front of our new boxwood bushes. We bought a few more asiatic lilies and day lilies.

Today I went outside and a few of my asiatic lilies were blooming :) They look beautiful! I love the colors. I also went out and gave each plant a nice serving of Miracle Grow...hopefully with this rain, it will help them (especially my poor tomato plants).

Race for the Cure!

2010-04-18T19:31:00.004-04:00

A few months ago I decided I needed a change. I wasn't happy with myself and the fact I had "let myself go." So my coworker and I decided to start Weight Watchers and start exercising together. To make sure we would stay focused and on track, we decided to sign up for a few races. One of our parents also wanted to help us out. She is training to be a personal trainer and also has completed many races and triathlons. We decided to do the 5K Race for the Cure in April, the 5K Outrun the Sun in June and the sprint triathlon in August. We thought we could try the first race and time ourselves and then see if we can beat our time for the second race. We didn't think we would be able to run the whole race in April...but we did!

I am a little nervous (maybe a lot) about the sprint triathlon. It is a 500 meter swim (about 10 laps in a pool), 10 mile bike and a 3 mile run. It will be on August 21 at Eagle Creek. We have been doing a little swimming and biking but mostly we are trying to focus on the running. I have found that I am a horrible swimmer...and I am not exaggerating. It is the piece I struggle with the most. I am hoping with more practice it will become easier. I don't have a lot of upper body strength which doesn't help. I can do about 2 laps before I am out of breath and feel like I have to stop. Kate thinks it is because I don't seem very comfortable in the water...hopefully I will get over it soon especially since the swim will be in open water.

So far I feel great! I have lost about 16 pounds so far. I also feel pretty good running 3 miles. Now this might not sound like a lot, but for me it was. I never was a runner and didn't think I would enjoy it but I am. It was hard at first (running a few laps around the track was a struggle) but I am feeling more comfortable with running. It is nice to have someone there to help motivate you and push you through the running and other workouts. We both are determined and so far are doing a great job with staying on task. Drake has also been a great help. He is eating the foods that I am eating and helping me with Weight Watchers. He also helps make dinner (especially when I don't get home until 8 from school and softball). It is nice to have someone who supports you.

Here are a few pictures from Saturday!

Kate and I before the race! It was a beautiful (a little chilly) day.

After the race! We did it! 1 race down...2 more to go!

Spring Is Here!

2010-04-18T19:09:00.003-04:00

With Spring here, Drake and I have started working on some landscaping. We have done a few little things to help get us started. Drake pulled out the three small bushes in front of our office window. He thinks they are yew bushes. (He has a rash on both arms from pulling them out.) We replaced these bushes with 4 small boxwoods. We bought a boxwood last year and liked how it stayed green all year and just the over all look of it. Here is a before picture when we first bought the house...

Here is a picture of our new bushes. I think it looks so much better. (Sorry the picture is a little dark)

We bought these flowers at Menards to put in the flower pot on our deck. (We can't remember what they are called....Drake thinks it is "wandering" something.)

We also bought these two hosta plants for the front. We have a small pot that we will also put there once we find a plant for it.

Last fall, I planted tulip bulbs. I wasn't sure if they would come out.....but they did! They looked beautiful for a few weeks, but after the strong wind the other day...sadly there are just a few petals left :( Oh well, they looked great while they lasted!

Hopefully soon we will have some more posts of other planting we do! Next week we are going to put more weed fabric down in the flower beds....

Wedding!

2010-04-12T19:27:00.003-04:00

This was a busy weekend! We headed back to my hometown. It was Chris and Sara's wedding (4-10-10). It was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine. Her wedding was perfect! They both seemed happy and relaxed. I am so happy for the two of them but am sad that she will be leaving Indiana for Nevada. There will have to be many visits! Here are a few pictures from her wedding...

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Dalton

Friends since 7th grade...now we are both happily married :) It is crazy how fast the time goes. I will miss her!

The bridesmaids waiting for the wedding to start.

All of us with the beautiful bride :)

Lindsey, Emily, Sara, Amanda and Jenna

Chris and Sara...I wish you two the best and lots of happiness! You two are perfect for each other! It was a beautiful wedding!

Gift From A Friend....

2010-03-07T18:28:00.003-05:00

My friend Katharina has picked up a new hobby. She has her own little area in her basement where she makes stained glass pieces for windows. She has made many amazing pieces! As a gift, she made this piece for Drake and I. We put it in our kitchen...and we love it! The colors match our kitchen perfectly. Thanks Kat!

It looks great from the inside and outside of the house.

On another note...I am so happy that the snow has melted and the sun is shining! You know what this means...flip flops!

Homemade Pies

2010-03-07T11:48:00.003-05:00

Drake turned 25 on February 28! In the past, I have made or bought him a cake. This year he said he would rather me make him a pie from scratch. I have been trying out new recipes from scratch and so far so good! I have never made a pie (only the frozen kind you stick in the oven). I found a few recipes online and thought I would give it a try. I decided to make a berry (fresh strawberries and blackberries) pie! It is not the prettiest pie, but it tasted good! I will have to work on my presentation next time :) Anyways, here are a few pictures and I will post the recipe at the bottom!

Again, it isn't the prettiest...but the crust was flaky and buttery...yum!

A slice of berry pie:)

You can find the pie crust recipe here from Smitten Kitchen. It is a quick and easy recipe.

Pie Filling (from All Recipes)

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped, fresh strawberries

2 cups chopped, fresh blackberries

1/2 white sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 nine inch pie crusts

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Add berries and gently toss until berries are coated.

2. Line a 9 inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Stir berry mixture and transfer to the crust lined pie plate. Top with second crust, and seal the edges. To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of the pie with foil.

3. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes when using fresh fruit. Remove foil. Bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Wishing for Spring

2010-03-03T08:49:00.003-05:00

I am ready for Spring! I am over the snow and cold weather. I can't wait for warmer weather, sunshine and of course...flip flops! Drake and I did book our trip to South Korea for this summer! We can't wait! We are leaving Sunday, June 13 and returning July 4th (early in the morning). I was five the last time I was in South Korea. It will be great to visit new places and see family that I haven't seen in a while. Recently, we have been reading blogs of people who have traveled to South Korea to get some traveling tips. On a side note...just two and half more weeks until my Spring Break (two weeks off!).....can't wait!

Girl Scout Cookies

2010-02-17T20:21:00.003-05:00

Drake and I love girl scout cookies! Well, I didn't have a chance to order any from school (which is a good thing for me since I am trying eat healthier this year) but I did find a great recipe for one of our favorite Girl Scout cookies....Samoas.

My new favorite baking blog is called Baking Bites. Nicole Weston is the creator of the blog. There are so many recipes that I want to try. While browsing through the blog and bookmarking recipes I want to try, I came across a recipe for making Samoa Bars. I thought this looked great and not too difficult to make. A few weeks ago, I decided to make them. They turned out great and almost tasted exactly like the actual cookie. Next time I make it, I want to try a different short bread recipe for the base of the cookie. There are also recipes for some of the other Girl Scout cookies too! I recommend everyone to check out this blog. I can't wait to try out another recipe.

This is my favorite kitchen appliance (I know...a little dorky). This was the one thing that I really wanted for our kitchen. After moving into the house, we bought one from my one of my favorite stores (Bed, Bath & Beyond).

Here is a picture of the final product! Delicious!

Let It Snow....Let It Snow....Let It Snow...

2010-02-07T11:34:00.002-05:00

Dempsey loves the snow. He gets so excited and runs around jumping into the snow piles. Last year I found a doggie coat at Old Navy on sale for $7.00. I couldn't resist...I had to get it. He looks so silly in it but he doesn't mind me putting it on him. Now I don't make him wear it every time he goes out but every once in a while I will put it on him. I think he looks adorable. Here are a few pictures of him from the other day playing in the snow....

I threw a tennis ball for him and he had the hardest time finding it. He would not give up...he would keep sticking his head in and out of the snow.

We are supposed to get more snow this coming week...I am over it It can all go away. I am ready for warm weather and sunshine....and flip flops!

New Collar

2010-02-07T11:23:00.002-05:00

For Christmas, Drake's parents gave Dempsey a new collar. Drake found this collar at LLBean. It's waterproof which makes it easier to keep clean. There were only two colors to choose from and I thought the teal/green looked better. They ordered the biggest size because lets face it....Dempsey has a big neck. When we were in South Carolina, he tried it on and it was too big! We couldn't believe it. So we sent it back and ordered a smaller size. It finally came in the mail. It looks great! I love the color especially against his brown fur.

It has a nice place in the back to clip on his leash.

We decided it was time for a new tag. We wanted to get one that would go right on the collar. We were able to get one at PetSmart. Now he is not so noisy. It looks great! Thanks Tom and Lorie!

Super Bowl!

2010-01-26T19:12:00.003-05:00

We are SO excited that the Colts are going to the Super Bowl! Can't wait to cheer them on next Sunday! I ordered a new Clark jersey...Matt was able to get one for $24! I am not sure the quality but oh well. I can't wait to wear it next Friday at work and Sunday! GO COLTS!!

This picture is from last year at Lucus Oil Stadium.

New Shelves

2010-01-26T19:01:00.003-05:00

For Christmas, Drake and Abby got me shelves for the living room. We had a blank wall and thought it needed something. I had shown Drake these ladder shelves that I liked. He decided it would be a good Christmas present. I opened one here in Indiana on Christmas and then when we got to South Carolina, there was another one waiting for me from Abby. I agree! They look great! We also found some fun picture frames at Target and TJ MAXX. You will notice a green/white/yellow theme. These have become my new favorite colors together (and turquoise of course!)

Here is a front view.

Side view...

My favorite Dempsey picture...

Another shelf...look at that cute face!

Another shelf...

Remember This...

2010-01-26T18:52:00.002-05:00

Over Christmas break, I decided to do a small DIY project. I wanted to try and make these decorative yarn balls that I saw at Pier One. So I bought some Styrofoam balls, twine and pistachio green spray paint. Here is what I did...

Materials I used...

After super gluing the start of the twine onto the ball, I continued to wrap it around in different ways until it covered the ball.

Drake spray painted three of them. It wasn't the exact green I was looking for but oh well. We were going to paint some green and some red for Christmas but I never got around to painting them until after the holidays. I put them in a basket for now and they are on my new shelf. I might get a big glass vase and stick them in to see what they would look like. It was inexpensive and easy to do!

Warmer Weather

2010-01-07T16:33:00.004-05:00

Over the holidays, Drake and I went to visit his parents and sister in South Carolina. We were excited to leave the gross, cold weather of Indiana and head to some warmer weather! It was normally in the 50's while we were there but it was still WAY better than the below freezing weather happening in Indiana. It was nice to have no snow :) We also were able to take Dempsey (who LOVES it down there). It is great in the car (he mostly sleeps). Our trip down and back went well. I am so glad we were able to visit the Lands. We miss not having them here in Indiana but enjoy the time we get to spend with them in South Carolina. Here are a few pictures from our trip :) I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday (I know this post is WAY overdue....sorry it has been very busy. I am going to try to update more often :) )

Dempsey absolutely loved the beach! It was his first time in the ocean. Even though it was a little chilly, he would run into the water and chase the stick we would throw.

My favorite action photo of Dempsey.

Drake at Charles Towne Landing.

Dempsey loves to cuddle.

Drake and I in Charleston in front of the pineapple fountain.

Back

2010-01-04T15:48:00.002-05:00

from the warm(er) Low Country

Adorable Christmas Pup

2009-12-02T20:30:00.004-05:00

After putting decorations up, Dempsey decided to lay in front of the tree (here is a sneak peak at the tree) with his new Christmas rope (a Target special..$1.00). I luckily was quick enough to get this picture of him. Isn't he adorable? You may see this on our Christmas card this year...

He loves his Christmas rope!

Don't worry, we will have plenty of adorable pictures of Dempsey this Christmas. We found something special (humiliating) for him to wear this year. He just loves it! And we can't forget his reindeer antlers too!

Living Room Decor

2009-12-02T20:19:00.002-05:00

Here are a few more decorations in the living room:

This is on our TV stand. A few years ago we found these candles at Crate and Barrel (on sale of course!). One of the candles got a little warm in the attic and started to melt on the bottom. Hopefully it will last another year!

A friend of Drake's grandma (Oma) made these reindeer.

This is a vessel from Jerusalem made of olive wood. We put a mistletoe that we had from last year (it was smashed in the box from the attic and instead of throwing it out, we found another use for it) and a few pine cones.

Another vase filled with fake snow, twigs and sprigs of berries.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-12-02T19:56:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, Drake and I started decorating for Christmas. Last year we went the day after Christmas to look for ornaments and other decorations. We found green and white ornaments for our tree. My parents gave us their old Christmas tree and decided to buy a new one this year. It is still in good shape and saved us some money. We looked for trees last year and didn't find one we liked. So far our tree has the ornaments and white lights. We are on the hunt for a tree topper. After many attempts on Sunday, we gave up and decided we would look again this weekend. We were not impressed by the ones we saw. If you know of any great places to look...let us know! We are looking for a simple star to

put on the top. I thought it would be easy to find, but all of the ones we saw were flashy and ugly. After we put the finishing touches on the tree, I will post pictures but until then you will just have to wait :)

Here are a few decorations we have up around the house:

Since we don't have a fireplace or mantle, we had to hang our stockings on the wall. We found this at Target on Sale for $7.99 a piece! I wanted to find a dog

gie one for Dempsey but I like that these match. Drake's is green, mine is white and Dempsey's is red. They add color to our bare wall.

This is in the entry way. We had these pieces last year but not together. We may put more of the red sprigs on the tree ( I am not sure if they will look right yet).

We decided we wanted to create a few decorations we saw at the store but thought they were a little too pricey. They are almost finished! Here are a few of the items you would need. Can you guess what it is? Hopefully they will turn out and I can put them on display!

We have many more decorations around the house but it will only let me post so many pictures at once. I will post the others as soon as I can!

Christmas Time

2009-11-30T18:40:00.003-05:00

The Christmas season officially starts for me the day after Thanksgiving. I absolutely love Christmas and everything about it! For the past four years, Drake and I have started off the Christmas season by going downtown to the Circle of Lights. We start off the evening by going to the Rathskeller for dinner (yum!) and then head downtown to watch the tree lighting. Normally there is a crazy amount of people, but this year I didn't think it was as crowded as it has been in the past. Sometimes it can be overwhelming with all of the people pushing and shoving. We have learned to choose a side not in front of the stage (it is normally less crowded). This year, we timed it perfectly! After dinner, we stopped by Three Dog Bakery to get some yummy Christmas dog treats for Dempsey (we can't forget about him). Then we had to make a stop at Starbucks for a peppermint mocha (another reason I love Christmas). As soon as we got there, they were counting down...perfect! Don't let Drake fool you...I know he just loves it as much as I do :)

We also went to St. Elmos for dinner with Lorie and Tom. Delicious! I definitely ate way too much food this weekend. It was a great weekend!

Each year we make sure to take a picture in front of the tree.

We can't forget to post a picture of Dempsey...he is too cute. I am glad he puts up with me and all of the pictures I make him take.

Happy (late) Thanksgiving!

2009-11-30T18:30:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did! I know I am a little behind on blogging...I really haven't had a whole lot to blog about. We have not been doing any projects around the house lately. I will have some posts of Christmas decorations (some we have made) soon. Don't give up on me yet!

This Thanksgiving was our first one as a married couple. We went to Drake's grandparents house as well as my grandparents house. We ate way to much food (it was delicious!). It was great to see everyone. Drake's parents also came from South Carolina and stayed with us for a few days. Dempsey especially loved having them here. He got a lot of attention. We can't wait to visit them in South Carolina after Christmas!

Drake and I at my grandparents for Thanksgiving

My mom and I

Fall Baking

2009-11-02T17:47:00.003-05:00

I love to bake especially during the holidays! A week ago, I decided to look up a few recipes to try. My parents were coming up for a visit and I thought this would be the perfect time to try out a few new recipes. I love baking BUT I know I don't need all of these sweets sitting around tempting me. Since it is fall, I looked up some fun fall treats.

In a recent Rachael Ray magazine (one of my faves), Drake found a picture of roasted pumpkin seeds. It didn't give the recipe so he just threw a few spices on them and roasted them in the oven. (He is better at just throwing ingredients together... I have a hard time not following a recipe) He used cinnamon, sugar and a little salt. They were DELICIOUS! It was the perfect combination of sweet and salty.

My dad is a big fan of peanut butter. I found this creamy peanut butter pie recipe here. It was light and creamy and not too heavy but it is sweet!

I also found this great recipe for mini pumpkin cupcakes and homemade cream cheese icing! I am obsessed with mini cupcakes. I think they are cute and the perfect size. The only problem is that it makes so many of them! I made sure to give them away so I wouldn't be tempted to eat them all. It is hard to eat just one! And I got to use my aqua cake stand.

Here is the link to the original recipe. It was intended for regular sized cupcakes. It also included a cream cheese filling which I did not do for the mini cupcakes. Be careful because it makes a lot of batter! I had to throw half of it away and still made about 36 cupcakes. The recipes says it makes 24 regular cupcakes.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 (15 oz.) can solid pack pumpkin

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/3 cups flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place baking cups in mini muffin pan. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine pumpkin and buttermilk. Mix flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin mixture, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

Bake about 15-20 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. (Be sure to check on them after 12 minutes)

I found a lot of other recipes I can't wait to try! I will try and post any other recipes that I make!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-23T14:46:00.006-04:00

I love Fall! Everything about fall is wonderful. Going to the apple orchard, picking pumpkins, baking, decorating for fall (which I haven't really done), fall break, cooler weather, leaves changing, etc.

Today Drake and I went to pick out pumpkins to carve and ingredients to make hot apple cider and pumpkin muffins with cream cheese icing. We had to carve the pumpkins inside because it started pouring down rain. Dempsey loved licking the pumpkin pulp...gross dog.

Drake's pumpkin...

My pumpkin...

Dempsey posing with the pumpkin. He just loves pictures.

Our pumpkin display. Dempsey was tired of taking pictures.

Lazy Day...

2009-10-20T13:47:00.004-04:00

I'm home sick again today. I hate being sick...there isn't a whole lot you do besides sleep. I am feeling better and should be back to school tomorrow. Dempsey has decided he will also have a sick (lazy) day...

It was very hard to motivate him to move...

Dempsey

2009-10-17T19:26:00.003-04:00

So Dempsey also received a Halloween man stuffed toy in his birthday box. We decided to stick the man's arms through Dempsey's collar and well, this is what happened...

He was pretty funny. We couldn't stop laughing. We know, poor Dempsey.

He hasn't destroyed this toy yet. I think it's his new "baby." We will see how long it lasts...my guess 1 day...maybe.

Birthday Presents

2009-10-17T19:13:00.003-04:00

Dempsey received a birthday package in the mail a few days ago from his grandparents and his best bud Lucky in South Carolina. We waited until today to open it!

Here is what was in it! He is so loved :) (He was whining while I was taking this picture...he couldn't wait!)

He loved his hedgehog. Noticed I said loved. Once he broke the squeaker (he was extremely funny to watch when he was playing with it), he would just walk around carrying it in his mouth. It was like a sponge...it absorbed his slob (which he has a lot of) and when he would drop it or shove it in your face (ew), you could hear and feel all the slob. Gross. So we quickly and quietly threw it away. He didn't destroy it but it was pretty gross. We gave him his Halloween man instead.

It entertained him for a while.

Oh...and I had him wear his Halloween shirt! No matter what Drake says...he loves it :)

Happy Birthday!

2009-10-17T18:58:00.004-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEMPSEY! He turned 2 today!

Here he is when we first got him. He was only 6 weeks old.

This is from today. Not a little puppy anymore (well he will always be my little puppy :) )

We took him to the Avon/Washington Township park today. He LOVES going on hikes through the woods. It is one of his favorite things. He can't get enough of the "smells." He was definitely in heaven today...smelling and pulling everywhere!

His nose was glued to the ground. Drake had to walk him because he kept pulling everywhere.

Crossing the bridge...Dempsey had to check to make sure I was still there.

I finally got a picture of him with his nose off the ground.

The weather was a bit chilly but the view was beautiful! The leaves are changing...this is why I love fall :)

Silly Dog

2009-09-17T11:48:00.003-04:00

My prints from younghouselove came in a long white tube. Dempsey kept eyeing that tube all day. He couldn't wait to chew it up. When we finally gave it to him, he would just run around with it in his mouth wanting us to chase him. He is so silly sometimes. He would not hold still so I could get a picture of him...this was the only one where he didn't look like a blurry blob. He can't seem to hold still long enough to take a good picture. Oh well, we still love him.

Today we have to put his flea and heart worm medicine on his back. He always goes crazy...runs around rubbing his black all over the rug in Drake's office. It is pretty entertaining to watch.

Nice Surprise

2009-09-16T21:21:00.004-04:00

This past weekend Drake and I went to Bed Bath & Beyond (I LOVE this store) to pick up a few things. While waiting to check out, Drake pointed out a painting that he saw. I had not thought about looking at BB&B for artwork. I really liked it. Now it was a little more than we would spend on a piece of art from BB&B. (even with the 20% off). So we decided not to get it.

I kept bringing it up since we have been trying to find something for that entry way for a while. The colors were perfect and matched the rest of the color scheme for the living room. It was also big and took up a big portion of the wall which it what we were looking for.

When I came home from school, Drake was already home doing chores around the house (a nice thing to come home to). I would tell him thank you for everything it was doing. I had yet to realize the painting. I even let him in through the front door and walked by it multiple times and STILL didn't notice it. Finally after a comment from Drake about me not being very observant, I notice it! (He was so impressed with me...haha) It looks great!

The picture hanging in the entry way.

close up!

More Bathroom Decorations...

2009-09-16T21:13:00.003-04:00

Here are a few close ups of the items we found while shopping for decorations. We found a lot of great deals. We had to go to a few places (probably more than what Drake wanted to do) BUT it was worth it :) I think the bathroom looks so much better just by adding a coat of paint and a few accessaries. Of course I would like to get new lighting fixtures, get rid of the mirror and get a new vanity and sink but I can't do everything. It turned out great!

The coral sculpture we found at Pier One. The color is perfect!

The sea urchin candle holder from Target....only $1 and white!

This is a soap dish we found at TJ MAXX.

Bathroom Close Ups

2009-09-16T17:31:00.003-04:00

I ordered a few pictures from younghouselove and they arrived today! Yay! Drake was off work so he went to Michael's and bought two new frames for the prints. I think they look great in the bathroom!

We replaced the frame with no picture with this one.

This one is my favorite. I love the frame too...Drake did a great job.

Here it is again on the wall.

This is the old faucet that was in the guest bathroom. We didn't think it fit in with the rest of the bathroom. We found a new faucet for $24 at Lowe's.

The new nickel brushed faucet.

Bathroom Redo

2009-09-13T21:09:00.003-04:00

This weekend we also decided to repaint our bathroom. We wanted a different, bolder color since it is a small space. Drake knows I LOVE pistachio green, light yellows and the aqua from Martha Stewart. Knowing this, he found a blog where the lady also loves the same aqua color as I do. This is one of my new favorite blogs. I like her style and how she incorporates aqua into her design. Drake sent me a link to her post about Vintage Map from Martha Stewart...I fell in love with this color. Now I already had a few kitchen supplies (cake stand and hand towels) that are in this color. I was so excited that he actually suggested this color for the bathroom.

So after purchasing paint and supplies from Lowe's, I came home and got right to work. I knew it might be a little hard to paint because of the small spaces and the HUGE mirror (that I don't particularly like) that was in my way. It wasn't too bad. Drake had to come and help me with the ceiling edges. We applied two coats of paint. (We used Valspar Premium in eggshell from Lowe's)

While waiting for the paint to completely dry, Drake and I went to a few stores to find some things for the freshly painted bathroom. Here is what we found...

-white shower curtain and white bath mat from Kholes (50% off each)...we decided white would be a nice complementary color and we were going for a beachy (without being too tacky) theme

-hand towel rack, towel rack, soap holder, white picture frame and bath caddy from TJ MAXX

- white shelf and new faucet from Lowe's

-soap (clearance) and coral sculpture at Pier 1

-hand towels from Bed Bath & Beyond (50% off)

-white sea urchin votive (on clearance for $1!) at Target

The only thing we are waiting on are our new sea life prints from younghouselove. I can't wait to get them! I think they will look great in the bathroom.

Overall, we did a great job finding some great deals. It was a good weekend project. The bedroom may be our next painting job...we will see. Here are a few pictures of the bathroom. I will post some close ups of some of the items in another post.

*The color looks light blue in the picture but it is more bold...slightly brighter. It is called Vintage Map from Martha Stewart.

Before...tan, blue/green shower curtain

After...

Sink area...right above the towel rack we have space for one of our new prints

Shelf above the towel rack with our new decorations (we need a picture for the frame)

Close up... white sea urchin votive, frame and coral sculpture

Decked Out

2009-09-13T20:53:00.002-04:00

This was a BUSY weekend for house projects. On Saturday, Drake and I got up early and went to Lowe's to buy paint for the bathroom and stain for the deck. While I painted the bathroom, Drake stained the deck. We bought a Wagner Deck Mate to help stain the deck. We were going to use a strayer, but this looked easier. It worked pretty well but we had to trash it after using it. It wasn't an easy clean. It took about a day for it to completely dry. On Sunday, Drake had to go back and in between the slats use a brush to apply the stain.

We were happy about this however it was HORRIBLE for Dempsey because he could not go in the backyard. He whined and whined all morning while Drake was out there without him. We had to put him on a leash and take him to the front yard to go to the bathroom. However, he refused to go in the front yard. He would pee a little but would not go completely to the bathroom. (He was letting out horrible smells all day because he had to go but wouldn't!) All he wanted to do was go to the backyard and have someone throw his toy. Drake even took him on a few walks and that wasn't good enough. After a while, we decided we could take him around the front to the backyard and let him play with his toy. We knew he wouldn't be interested in the deck if we were throwing the toy for him. He still could not understand why he wasn't allowed to go there whenever he wanted. Then on Sunday after Drake painted in between the slats, Dempsey decided to lay down and now has two stripes on his stomach...silly silly dog. Needless to say, he is happy that he can now go to the backyard whenever he wants (as long as someone goes with him to throw his toy).

The deck looks SO much better!

We even found firewood for our fire pit:) I'm ready to make some s'mores!

The new view from bed

2009-09-10T19:21:00.002-04:00

The old media stand in the bedroom was too short and Amanda and I would have to sit up in be to see the TV and change channels. We only have one full bed frame and two full mattresses as well as box springs. Being that an extra mattress is hard to store it all got piled on the bed so we are riding pretty high. In response the TV got mounted in front of the bed high enough where we could see it while lying down. The media stand made a trip to goodwill and the cable box/ DVD player were mounted under the TV.

The Cords were a bit of a mess so the dresser moved in front to hide the wires. That left the corner of the bedroom open for Amanda's maternity rocker. (No Amanda is not pregnant, she's just ready to rock with a baby, either human or puggle.)

It is nice being able to watch TV in bed and not have to sit up. and the new layout feels much better. We are both looking forward to getting a larger bed for the three of us (Amanda Drake and Doodle). For now the house is feeling pretty comfortable and spacious.

Weekend Redo's

2009-09-09T20:34:00.003-04:00

Our first project of the weekend was to update our large, HEAVY, brass mirror. At Menards Amanda found a color of paint that she liked and it was ready for tape and spray.The color was Rustoleom "Pistachio." Pistachio is also the name of the color of our Kitchenaid stand mixer. She would paint everything pistachio.
And it turned out well. The brass was a bit too obtrusive for our tastes and the lighter paint is a much cleaner look. The color doesn't really pop off the wall but we are not in love with the bedroom paint scheme. It might be something we change after we get a new bed and headboard.
The mirror got relocated over the gentleman's dressing valet opposite of our window and it looks good there. We moved the dresser it was sitting on after mounting the TV, Cable Box, and DVD player so the mirror needed a new home anyway. (Perhaps Amanda will do a post on the new bedroom layout later.

This fan was one of Amanda's Birthday presents. It was going to be trashed at work so I brought it home cleaned the motor and case as well as oiling the mechanism. It runs very well now and helps cool of he living room. I new Amanda would love it because she loves anything in this sea foam green color. The only thing that would be better is pistachio.

The table under the fan was changed from wood to white via spray paint magic.
The fan matches the blues and greens in the Japanese map mounted above the table.

The Storage suitcase full on Wiimotes and Guitar hero guitars moved to the closet.
Also moving was the bench in the living room. It became a window seat and the chair it replaced moved to the guest bedroom to be a desk chair.
This placement was Amanda's idea and it turned out pretty well.

Decorating Decorating Decorating...

2009-09-08T21:08:00.003-04:00

The other day I decided to make a list of things I would like to (eventually) do to the house. Most are little things such as painting and decorating and others may be a bigger job. All I need is time and money! As I look at things online, I tend to want more and more:) One thing that I do want to do is decorate which I find hard to do. Drake and I have different tastes and styles and I have a hard time making my mind up. (I know hard to believe, right?) But we are learning to compromise with each other:)

We have moved some things around in the living room and in our bedroom. Now we have an empty wall in the living room by our back sliding door. We are planning on buying two ladder shelves for that wall. Our living room is pretty much light colors (blues, tans, greens). Once we replace our chair and coffee table I think our furniture in the living room will be set (for now). The ladder shelves well add some nice clean lines (I have been watching WAY to much HGTV...Design Star is my favorite show!)

Here is a picture of what we are thinking about buying. There are a few other styles we like but these are the cheapest.

I know I have to be patient and I can't have everything at once. I think the house is coming along and we both love to do projects for it. I have found a few new projects I want to do soon...so who knows I may have some new house posts coming soon with some DIY projects I have found! I just need more time in the day to get everything done!

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-08T20:33:00.003-04:00

This past weekend was much needed...three days off...amazing. I had not realized how exhausting the beginning of the school year can be. It was a full, much needed weekend.

On Friday my teaching partner Kate celebrated her birthday...the big 3-0. It was a pajama themed party. It took a while to convince Drake to dress up but he did...well sort of. He wore sweatpants, a blue dress shirt and tennis shoes, not exactly what I would call pajamas. I wore pink sweatpants, a gray t-shirt, a robe and slippers (both new from Target...the slippers look like knitted boots..I LOVE them...of course Drake doesn't:) ) The party was a lot of fun. Plenty of beverages, food and a bounce house!

The birthday girl and I

Drake and I...notice his "pajamas"

Orchard Ladies...Courtney, Kate, Jamie, Me, Jan and Brittney...rockin out our pjs!

Saturday was filled with shopping...chair shopping that is. We went all around Avon/Plainfield in such of a chair. We found a lot of styles that we liked but they didn't have any other color choices. We narrowed it down to two chairs, one from Ashley's Furniture and one from The Room Place, but we were not in love with either one of them. We weren't ready to make a purchase yet. Later, Drake found two (a chaise and a love seat) that we liked a lot. They are both on sale too!! Hopefully we make a decision soon.

On Sunday we went to New Castle to visit my parents. We went to church and to a pitch-in lunch. Then we went to Farmer's Pike (aka Hick Fest). I like to go and look around. There really isn't a whole there but it is interesting to see the types of people there. I always look at the knock off purses (no luck this year). I also have to make sure to get kettle corn and a lemon shake up:) It was nice to go home and see the family for a little while.

Monday Drake and I did some work around the house. I cleaned and Drake painted a mirror, hung the TV in the bedroom and put up a shelf (posts on these later). Then we headed to Katie and Chris' house for a cookout. It was great to see them and their new puppy Sammie...she is adorable!! It makes me want another one...haha but I know we don't need one right now.

Now only a four day week this week!

My New Love...

2009-09-05T17:37:00.004-04:00

Boba (Bubble) Tea! All I can say is Y.U.M! Drake has been waiting for months for this new place called Green Leaf to open on Rockville. It is known for its boba tea. It also serves some Vietnamese cuisine and sandwiches.

What the heck is boba tea? That is what I wanted to know...I had never heard of it. Well it is made with tea or pearl milk tea, flavorings such as strawberry, peach, mocha, passion fruit, etc, little water and ice. They shake it up in a cocktail mixer to produce "bubbles." Then they pour it into a glass and have a nifty little machine that seals up the top. You can add boba balls (made from a mixture of tapioca and carrageenan powder). They are kind of chewy and slimy. At first I thought gross...but after trying it..DELICIOUS!

Our Bubble Tea! I had strawberry and Drake had Thai Tea. I used the regular tea and Drake tried the pearl milk tea. They make the tea in front of you and then they seal the top.

Here is a picture of a boba ball. I wasn't a huge fan of them but Drake liked them.

I think Drake and I found a new favorite place and drink! YUM! And lucky for us, it is close by.

State Fair

2009-08-30T08:35:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday we went to the State Fair with some friends. I have only been once and that was to see Rascal Flatts in concert. I didn't walk around and see anything else. Drake had never been and he didn't really care to go. But...I thought that since we live in Indiana we have to go to the state fair once. When we got there it was raining...but then it stopped a few minutes later (thank goodness). We walked around and I saw a few kids from school and so did Kat (she is a teacher at a charter school). I always think it is interesting to people watch...you see all kinds of interesting people. The fair was no exception...there were plenty. There wasn't a whole lot going on except for a cheerleading competition and something to do with hogs. We did enjoys some lemon shake ups, kettle corn, and sweet corn. It wasn't the most exciting day but I thought it was worth going once. Drake said we are not going again until we have kids...he can be so negative sometimes.

Kelly and I enjoying some lemon shake ups!

Kat and I had to ride one ride at the fair...it was a little bumpy.

Well....

2009-08-29T17:00:00.005-04:00

It's been a while! The end of my summer (sad) has been crazy! Since the last time I have posted, we took a short trip to California (Aug 5-10)! It was a lot of fun! We stayed at Drake's grandma's house in Pacific Grove. It was BEAUTIFUL while we were out there. The weather was perfect. This was my first trip to California. We went to Monterey, Fisherman's Wharf, Point Lobos, Point Pinos and Carmel. We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, whale watching and kayaking while we were there. I also had my fill of clam chowder...delicious! Here are a few pictures...

While walking around Monterey, we found Drake Ave.

We went kayaking one morning and saw seals, otters and sea lions up close. The otters were so cute cracking shells. The seals kept popping their heads up out of the water close to us.

Drake and I outside of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Drake and I at Lover's Point. Beautiful view.

This is at Point Lobos. We hiked all through the park.

But unfortunately after we got back to Indiana (It took me a while to get used to the 3 hour time change) I had to go back to school :( I felt like I really didn't have much of a summer since I did camp and tutoring but I am glad we were still able to take a couple of trips! I can't believe school has already started (Monday will be the start of the 3 week!). This class seems like a very energetic one...we will see how this year goes! (hopefully well:) )

Dempsey's New Hobby

2009-07-26T13:46:00.003-04:00

We have found that Dempsey LOVES to go on bike rides. I wasn't sure how he would do at first. I pictured him running into the bike or pulling me off of it. He does a pretty good job. So far no one has been pulled off the bike and Dempsey hasn't decided to get in the way of the bike. He has a few times tried to cross in front of the bike because he wants to be on the side with the grass. Drake takes him around the neighborhood and for now I am just taking him up and down our street...I am still trying to get used to him:) He gets overly excited when he sees the bike and can't wait to go! (One time when Drake road the bike without him, Dempsey pulled me with all his might trying to catch up with him) Plus, it tires him out quicker!

Here are a few cute pictures of Dempsey enjoying his run...

Updating an old bike...

2009-07-26T13:27:00.004-04:00

A while ago, Drake's grandma gave us an old bike from 1977. It sat in our garage collecting dust for a long time. When we moved, we decided to fix it up so we could use it. I wanted a bike to ride around the neighborhood with Dempsey. Drake found a place called True Wheels Indy that would replace the cables, chain and overhaul the bike. Before taking it in, Drake cleaned up the bike as much as he could. There was a lot of rust from sitting around for so long. I forgot to take a picture of the bike before we fixed it so Drake found one that is similar online.

This is a picture of the bike before (this one looks a lot better than ours did in the beginning)

Here is the bike after we fixed it. Drake spay painted the body black, cleaned off the rust, bought cork grips for the handlebars, painted little white stripes on the fenders and attached a little pouch on the back to hold a bike lock.

Here is a close up of the cork grips. Drake applied shellac to the grips to darken and protect them.

Here is a close up of the fender. He added a little white to both.

Drake also bought another bike so we both could take Dempsey around the neighborhood together. It should get here sometime this week!

Our Baby

2009-07-20T21:43:00.003-04:00

We found Dempsey in a newspaper ad. We first went to the Humane Society to look at puppies. It was such a long and difficult process to adopt a puppy. We decided to look elsewhere. When Drake and I first started looking for a puppy, he was set on the idea of getting some sort of pit bull. He really wanted to rescue one since there are so many of them. I wasn't sure at first...I mean I had never had a dog and I had only heard bad things about pit bulls.

Well he found an ad in the newspaper for pit bull puppies and wanted to check it out. I still wasn't keen on the idea of getting a pit bull. We finally arrived to this house that looked a little shady. We went inside and was greeted by an angry momma pit bull barking. The lady took us to this small kitchen where there were 8 puppies sharing this cardboard box. The place was a dump. She had them out of the box so we could see them. There was this fat, little tan puppy that I thought was cute. All of the puppies were a mess. I felt sorry for them. I was pretty set on the chubby, tan puppy until she brought in this brown and white puppy that was sitting on the couch. This little butterball waggled up to Drake and started pulling on his pant leg. He was so ADORABLE...by far the best looking one. He had blue eyes, little white paws, a white stripe down his face, and a paint tipped tail...cute! We knew he was the one! He smelled awful when I picked him up. Poor little guy...he had scratches all over him, bug bites, fleas (we found that out later) and poop.

I was glad to get him out of there! Before we left, Drake had the lady rub a towel all over the mom so we could put it with him in the crate. (Later we found out it was infested with fleas!...GROSS!) On the way home he whined the whole way....he was so scared he was scratching my neck trying to climb on me.

We took him to Drake's parents' house so they could see him. The first thing we did was give him a bath (he took 3 that night!). Then Tom took us to Specks to get him some necessary puppy supplies! He had the cutest polka-dotted collar (Drake hated it). He was also terrified of the wood floor at Tom and Lorie's for the longest time...it was scary!

The first night was AWFUL! It was hard for me to leave him in the crate where he would yelp and whine...poor little guy. After the first two nights, he was fine. We did find out he had fleas from his previous house...that was fun trying to get rid of those.

Looking back I am so glad Dempsey is a part of our lives! There is never a dull moment with him...he is a pretty goofy dog. Despite what most people think, pit bulls are great pets! When raised right, they are big babies. It is sad to here people speak so negatively about pit bulls...when most people meet Dempsey they are a little nervous at first but quickly realize he is a sweet, goofy boy. Dempsey thinks he is about 5 lbs (really 85 lbs) and loves loves loves to lick (the vet thinks it is because we got him way to early...he was only 6 weeks). He never barks or bites. We really couldn't have asked for a better dog. We love him lots...he is VERY spoiled:) (Dempsey is the real reason Drake got engaged to me..haha so he says)

Oh and Drake picked the name Dempsey after Jack Dempsey, the boxer. Most people think he is named after Patrick Dempsey...which is what I tell everyone!

Dempsey when we first got him...he is soo cute!

Haha..isn't he just too cute with his sweater! Yes I bought him one because the poor little guy would shiver when he would go out to potty....it was in December and he didn't have a lot of fur. He loved it:)

Little Dempsey with his first buddy...he finally destroyed him before we moved.

He is so handsome..haha he loves to dress up.

Poor guy..he hated these antlers. He loves Christmas!

Our Little Messy Doodle

2009-07-20T18:36:00.002-04:00

Dempsey can be very messy...especially in the kitchen. Usually when I walk by his food area there are puddles of water everywhere! I think he gets most of the water on the floor instead of his mouth. He has also decided that while he is eating, if he gets tired of chewing or doesn't want the food anymore he just spits it out on the floor. Sometimes he just puts the food in his mouth and then drops it all over the floor. Now it wouldn't be bad if he would eat the food on the floor...but no...he seems to think that he is too good for the food that is now the floor. It never fails...every time I go into the kitchen there is a small pile of food just laying on the floor. Dogs can be so silly...

It's a good thing he is adorable...spoiled dog :)

Few more kitchen pictures...

2009-07-20T18:26:00.003-04:00

Here are a few more...

Since we lack storage space, we decided to hang the colanders....they can serve as a little color in the kitchen.

Again...I am not a fan of the clutter but I have no where to put this stand mixer..I feel like I need just a little more counter space.

Drake made this a while ago (when we lived in the other house)...it was pretty simple...wood, chalkboard paint and an old frame.

Counter area...again not a lot of space...but this is where I mostly cook.

And of course....DEMPSEY! He loves to lay on the cool floor after going for a run and while I am cooking...he is hoping for some scraps...which he tends to get.

Cooking in the Kitchen

2009-07-20T18:04:00.003-04:00

I really like the kitchen in this house. There are things I would like to update and change, but it is a nice first kitchen. It was in great shape when we moved in...all new appliances, flooring and paint (even though we did repaint it a light moss green).

List of ideas:

*new chairs for our table

*change the hardware on the cabinets

*backsplash (my friend Kat and Aaron are getting ready to backsplash their kitchen on their own...hopefully it goes well for them!)

*I also saw this DIY project on HGTV (my FAVORITE channel..I love most of the shows) where they made a rolling island that turned into a small table. The family on the show had the same problem we do...a small kitchen that needs a table and more working counter space. I wasn't sure how it would turn out but it looked great and not too difficult. They also made a tall bench along the wall that served as a seating area and storage underneath. I would eventually like to try this. We'll see!

*Maybe paint the cabinets..I don't know though, I don't think they look too bad.

We really can't do a whole lot with this kitchen because we would want to see a return in everything we did.

It was hard to get the whole kitchen in one pictures so I had to take a couple:

View from the laundry room door.

I just LOVE my pistachio kitchen aid mixer (and I do use it as often as I can)

We put the shelves in on the right. They are very sturdy so we couldn't put anything too heavy on them.

Our little dining area...we eventually hope to get new chairs. We found the table at Midlands Antiques. It used to be an old library table...we thought it would be perfect in the space.

Our pantry we also got at Midlands. I am not a fan of the clutter on top but I really don't have a whole lot of room for storage.

Dempsey Nose

2009-07-12T20:58:00.001-04:00

New Couch and New Bench

2009-07-12T20:52:00.002-04:00

Our new couch from Macy's and our new bench from Marshall's are the comfy new seating options in the living room.

The couch pillows are from Target at 40% off.

(Notice the camera hog behind the couch.)

The Living Room

2009-07-12T20:35:00.004-04:00

The living room is our favorite room in the house. Every other room is attached to the living room so it serves as the major hub of the house. We do spend a healthy amount of time on our new couch in front of the T.V. (We are big netflix'rs) The re-done bookcases that we turned into a media credenza are a big hit. They fit the room perfectly and were a ton cheaper than buying something new.

The room is set around the new couch and coffee

table that is set in front of the T.V. To the left is our sitting area with our armchair and and dining chair and otto

man. We turned an old occasional table and suitcase into a table with great storage for guitar hero guitars and wiifit balance boards. Our afro table is an old plant stand with a fern on top. (We have since trimmed the fern back substantially.)

The right half of the room is where Amanda's new bench has landed. It is a good place to sit to wipe off Dempsey paws.

A Much Needed Break...

2009-07-08T16:54:00.002-04:00

I am so glad we were able to make it down to South Carolina. It was great seeing the in-laws, their new house, Abby and of course Lucky. We really enjoyed ourselves and it was a much needed break! I have decided that I am doing WAY to much this summer and next summer I need to make sure I take some time to relax! Drake has blogged about a few things that we did while we were down there. I can't wait to go back! So here are a few more pictures from our awesome trip!

Drake and I at the Crab Shack at Folly Beach! This was the first place we had delicious seafood!

Drake caught a shark! (Nice face)

Here is one of many starfish he caught during our trip...so cute:)

The Lands at the pier enjoying the wonderful weather. Drake, Tom, Lorie, Amanda and Abby

Drake and I outside the aquarium.

A Much Needed Break... (Continued)

2009-07-08T16:42:00.003-04:00

Dempsey loved running around with no leash!

Dempsey and his best friend Lucky. Dempsey tried to swim...he isn't a great swimmer but he loves the water!

We took a tour of downtown Charleston. It is BEAUTIFUL! This was our horse Larry who showed us around.

On the 4th we ate downtown Charleston at Hank's. It was delicious! We had some yummy seafood.

This is a picture from the pier at Folly Beach. Beautiful!

South Carolina

2009-07-07T13:18:00.003-04:00

Amanda and I just returned from a mini-vacation visiting the parents in Charleston. Amanda has many more photos than I do so I'm sure she will do her own post later on. We did a lot during our short time down there but our standard schedule was.

5:30 A - Drake and Dad wake up, load truck, head to peir

6:00 A - Drake and Dad arrive at peir, set up king rigs and begin 12 hours of fishing.

6:30 A - Amanda and Mom wake up. Shower, eat breakfast, walk dogs, pack breakfast.

9:00 A - Amanda and Mom arrive at pier.

10:30 A - Amanda, Drake, and Mom head to beach to swim with sharks and stingrays, layout til dry.

12:00 P- Back to peir for lunch

12:30 P - Men back to fishing, Ladies Read

3:30 P - Ladies leave to

shower, walk dogs, make pretty

5:00 P- Drake and Dad pack

up rigs, leave pier, drive home.

5:30 P- Men get home shower and play with dogs

6:00 P-Everyone head downtown for dinner.

8:00 P- Everyone back home to relax and watch Television

10:00 P - Everyone to bed.

My Pictures are of the only big catch I had during my roughly 24 hours of fishing. A 40-50 lb Sandbar Shark.

Other catches include

-Many little Blacktips

-Stingray

-Many, Many starfish

-Sand Perch

-Bluefish

-Whiting

-Spots

-Croakers

Flowers

2009-06-26T14:39:00.004-04:00

Well the front of our house was a mess when we moved in. There were so many weeds where there was supposed to be flowers. I never thought I would get all of the weeds pulled. We first used Round-Up to try and kill as many weeds as we could. Then Drake and I spent about 2 hours pulling weeds and digging up dirt. (Never again do I want to pull another weed :) )

We shopped around for plants and found some at Lowes and Frazee Garden in Brownsburg. We bought one boxwood and two azaleas. We also bought a few flowers. Next year I hope to plant some more flowers. It just looks better than it did. It is a start! We also put down new mulch around the flowers, bushes and trees.

Here is the house before...if you notice on the right you can see some of the weeds. When we finally moved in the weeds were 10 times worse!

Here is after a few hours of work. The flowers have now bloomed.

The hibiscus tree has started to bloom a few flowers.

Napping Children

2009-06-22T14:42:00.003-04:00

I really can't complain about my summer job. Don't get me wrong, it is a lot of hard work. However, I do look forward to nap time every day:) They look so sweet and innocent sleeping. While most of them choose not to sleep, at least it is a quite, peaceful (most of the time) time. I remember being little and hating to take naps...now I am jealous! Oh well. Well this is a short post...the little munchkins are awake..back to work! I will post some pictures of some of the plants later!

The Deck

2009-06-20T18:06:00.003-04:00

I wasn't sure how it would turn out but I think my dad and Drake did a nice job on the deck. Last weekend they spent all day Saturday building the deck. I had went to New Castle to get a few things and bring my mom and brother to Avon. When we came back they only had some of the structure built (now this had been about 6 hours later). My mom and I were a little worried that it wasn't going to turn out. They didn't look very confident either. And what little boards they had didn't look like enough to cover the whole deck. They were convinced they had more than enough. Well when they laid out the boards, it only covered about 1/4 of the deck. Guess my mom and were right:) After they came back from Menards with the rest of the boards, the cement was set and they were ready to screw in the screws (all 420 of them). And here is the result...

They did a nice job. We need to stain the deck but with all of this rain we haven't had a chance. We also painted the chairs and table white so they would look a little better.

We bought these Adirondack chairs from Ace hardware for $30 a piece! We (Drake) had to assemble the chairs and paint them (I helped paint!). We bought the ottomans from Target already assembled and pre-painted for $20 a piece. Not bad! The fire pit in the middle is a wedding gift from some of my coworkers. We haven't been able to use it yet since it has been raining almost every day and we need to find firewood. Anyone know where we can buy some firewood? I can't wait to spend the summer nights on the deck!

FINALLY!

2009-06-20T10:39:00.003-04:00

We FINALLY have internet and cable! I know it may sound silly but it is pretty exciting. I didn't really realize how much I depend on the internet until I didn't have it:) Hopefully I can take some time and post some pictures of the house.

It has already been a busy summer. I think I have over committed myself this summer. I am tutoring four times a week, working at Orchard in the preschool camps from 8:30-4:30 every day and babysitting. The extra money is nice to have especially with the new house. I just look forward to the weekends (most of the time) where I can hopefully get things done and relax a little. Camp is over the last week of July so I will have a few weeks before school starts to relax.

Drake and I are taking a few trips this summer! We are going to South Carolina to visit his parents and sister over the 4th of July. I am excited to see them and their new house. We are taking Dempsey too! It will be interesting to see how he does in the car. He will be excited to see and chase his best friend Lucky. We are also going to Monterey, California the first week in August. I have never been to California but have heard it is beautiful. I can't wait! His grandma lives out there and we will be staying with her.

Next summer we are also getting to go to South Korea! It is our wedding present from my uncle and aunt who live in Korea. I am so excited and can't wait! The last time I was in South Korea I was five and I don't remember anything about it. My mom's whole family lives over there. Even though it will be difficult communicating with them (they don't speak English and we don't speak Korean) I am glad we get to see them. Luckily my mom is going so she can help translate. I am hoping to learn some more Korean before we go. My mom and brother are going to go for a month and Drake and I are going for two weeks. It is going to be a LONG plane ride (about 19 hours)...I hope we can make it!

Well we are getting ready to head down to New Castle to visit my family and have a cook out for Father's Day. Before I go, here are some adorable pictures of Dempsey!

We found dog ice cream at Target the other day...he LOVES it! It is called Frosty Paws. He goes crazy every time he sees the little cup. We have also found that he likes to eat marshmallows too...he is pretty spoiled.

This is where he likes to hide especially when it is storming.

Relaxing...he lives a hard life.

Good News!

2009-06-16T07:38:00.002-04:00

We should have internet and cable this Friday! FINALLY...it has been very difficult for me to live without internet for so long:) I will be able to post more on the blog! Right now I am relying on the internet at work. I have to be in early tomorrow so I will try and post some pictures of the house. I was going to today but forgot my camera cord to upload pictures onto my computer. There should be some new posts soon!

Wedding Pictures

2009-06-11T15:16:00.002-04:00

I have had a lot of people ask about wedding photos. Not all of the wedding pictures are posted yet, but the photographer said she should have them all done in the next few days. Here is the website and the steps to take if you want to see them.

Go to www.talltreesphotography.com

On the Left side click on LINKS

Then click on To view and order photos we have taken (first one)

Find Amanda Flynn & Drake Land Wedding

Enter in: amanflynn@gmail.com for the email address.

Hopefully she will have the rest up soon!

It's been a while...

2009-06-06T20:57:00.006-04:00

Well I know it has been a while since we have posted. A lot has happened the past few weeks.

On May 23, 2009 Drake and I got married! It was a BEAUTIFUL day:) Everything went great...the cake, decorations, food, ceremony, flowers, pictures, weather. Having our friends and family there to share our special day made it even better.

We had a wonderful rehearsal dinner at Buca de Beppos. There was so much food! We ended up taking a lot of leftovers as well as giving as many as we could away. I was able to meet some of Drake's family members that I had not met yet. It was a wonderful evening filled with family, friends, food and wine. (I will post a pictures as soon as I

can upload them onto my computer)

I ended up going to New Castle to stay with my parents that night. It was a lot easier than staying in Indy because I had to be up early and be in New Castle to get my hair done. My mom cooked me breakfast that morning which I have missed. She is an AMAZING cook. It was nice when she cooked all the meals...now I am hoping to be half the cook she is. I think Drake would agree that she is the better cook.

My bridesmaids met my mom and I at Colorz in New Castle at 8 a.m. They did such a great job! Everyone looked beautiful. It was nice that they were able to get everyone in at the same time. They even had wedding music playing in the background. Andrea (she has been doing my hair since high school) did an amazing job. I let her do what she thought would look good. We were all very pleased with out hair. As soon as they finished we had to rush to Greenwood. We were running a little late. We got to Valle Vista about 30 minutes late. Lori (the Mary Kay lady) was waiting for us. She also did a great job with the make-up. I felt bad because I think she was feeling a little rushed trying to get everyone done in time. The assistant photographer

was there taking pictures. I am curious to see how they turn out. I am not very confident that they will be great. Hopefully they will be. Once we were all ready they had me go out to the Veranda to meet Drake. I was very awkward...there were a bunch of older men sitting on golf carts watching us. I felt very uncomfortable...but we took some pictures and went back inside. Drake handed me a note that he wrote to me. After reading it, I couldn't wait to be Mrs. Land...it was very sweet:) We finished getting our formal pictures and then it was time for the ceremony.

I was nervous at first but as the girls were walking down, I was feeling less nervous. My dad was sweating like crazy. I can't explain how I felt walking down that aisle. I felt happy, nervous, but more than anything excited. It was perfect. The weather was beautiful (a little warm) and the ceremony looked wonderful. During the ceremony, I was sweating like crazy...it was very warm. I also noticed a bug was crawling on my dress and it took everything it had in me not to try and get it off. Other than that....everything went smoothly.

The reception went well. Our DJ Wes did a great job. He had a hard time getting people to dance but stuck with it. Valle Vista decorated the room beautifully. The centerpieces turned out better than I thought. We decided to go with lemons and limes in different bowls. I was exhausted after the reception. I was ready to go home and relax.

All in all I am glad the wedding turned out the way it did. Nothing bad happened...and after all that planning it was nice to see it happen. It went by extremely fast just like everyone was telling me it would. I am happy to Mrs. Drake Land:)

Here are a few pictures from the wedding. I don't have the pictures the photographers took. Kat's husband Aaron took BEAUTIFUL pictures at the wedding. He put different pictures that he took in a frame for us. I don't have any pictures from him on the computer yet. As soon as get more wedding photos I will post some. Here are a few from friends.

The Lands

Erin, Kat, Amanda, Sarah and Sara

Cousins on the Land side

Kyle, Ryan, Amy, Drake, Me, Megan and Abby

Landscape

2009-05-18T08:33:00.003-04:00

I drew up this ideal landscape in paint on my lunch break Friday.

Big Black box - House

Dark Green Cirlces and Squares - Existing trees and shrubs

Light Green - Lawn

Light Grey - Sidewalk, Driveway, A/C Unit, Stepping Stones

Light Brown - Flower Beds

Dark Brown - Deck

We need to install a deck, flower bed, and stepping stones on the right side of the house because any rain puts that area under water and makes for a dirty Dempsey. The gate to the fence is on that side as well and it would be nice to be able to go out there without waders. By building up a raised bed and using stepping stones we should be able to stay dry and the deck will give us a good place to wipe down Dempsey/Grill/let Amanda lay out.

Amanda's Dad; Bobby, said that he can help with the logistics of building a deck and moving lumber once we move in. Now all we need is alot of wedding money to make it happen.

We are hoping to also get the majority of our 900$ deposit back from our landlord after move out.

Shelf for above the Washer/Dryer

2009-05-18T08:26:00.004-04:00

We found the shelf we want for above the washer and dryer. We just can't find it online. It is a "Liatorp" from Ikea. It is 57 " in stead of an ideal 65" but it will look real nice above the laundry unit. Now all we need to do is send Amanda to West Chester Ohio to pick it up.On the subject of shleves, I installed to in our kitchen beside the cabinets near the door to the utility room. Unfortunatly there is neary a wall stud in that area so I had to use anchors to hold it in. It looks like the Kitchenaide Stand Mixer Amanda wants some wedding guest to buy her will need a different home.

Laundry Room....almost finished!

2009-05-15T08:08:00.003-04:00

We purchased a three panel room divider to help hide our hideous water heater and furnace. When we removed the door in between the kitchen and laundry room, our view from where our kitchen table will be looks awful. We thought this might make it look a little better.

Before...

After...you can still see a little on top but at least most of it is hidden.

Here is one side of the laundry room so far.

Here is the other side...

We still need shelves above the washer and dryer, doormat, bamboo curtains to hide the shelves (again another idea from thisyounghouse) and paint the trim around the door frame where we removed the door. We are almost there...

Washer and Dryer

2009-05-15T08:06:00.000-04:00

I am extremely excited about the laundry room! It is looking great. Our first big purchase for the house was a new washer and dryer (YAY...haha). We purchased them at Lowes. They were the last in stock and Drake was able to talk them down on price because of a small dent in the back that you can barely see.

Front load washer and dryer by Whirlpool (don't mind the mess on top)

We decided against the pedestals because Drake saw on thisyounghouse (my new favorite blog) they used the top as a place to fold clothes. Since I am a little short, if we put pedestals on the bottom I wouldn't be able to reach :) So Drake bought a piece of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) and cut it so it would fit the top and go against the wall. After we went to Michael's and bought a piece of fabric to cover the MDF.

Drake holding the finished product. We used a staple gun to secure the fabric.

On top of the washer and dryer

I know it has the sage green color but I thought since the laundry room flows into the kitchen, it would look better. I am trying to stay away from sage green since I seem to be using it a lot. It does have a little white design on it.

Fence

2009-05-13T15:32:00.003-04:00

The fence is finished! They were supposed to do it last Wednesday but because Indiana's wonderful weather...we had to put if off for a few days. Above the Rest Construction put up the fence. They did a GREAT job! They had it up in just 2 days. We have a lot more yard that I originally thought. It is nice to have a place to put Dempsey where we don't have to watch him. He has been enjoying "sniffing" out his new home. Right now it looks very natural but he told us we can paint or stain it in the fall.

Dempsey Update

2009-05-10T15:13:00.004-04:00

Dempsey has enjoyed going to the new house with us. It was a little difficult to keep an eye on him with no fence when we would go outside but now that is not a problem (more on the fence later). He always wanted all of the attention and would whimper and whine if we were not paying attention to him. He even stepped and sat in paint a few times. We still love him :) How couldn't you with a face like that.

Enjoying a bone and trying to stay out of trouble....

Playing catch in the backyard...

Showing off his handsome, new collar...

Entry Way

2009-05-10T15:05:00.004-04:00

We have added a few things to the entry hallway.

Before...

After...new paint, coat hooks, bench. We still need a door mat.

Under the bench we put two totes to store mail, magazines and newspapers.

Faucet

2009-05-10T14:56:00.004-04:00

For the kitchen sink, Drake found a new faucet at Menards to install. It looks a lot better than the one we had before. Some day we want to put in a new sink because this one is pretty shallow. For now a new faucet makes it look 100 times better than before and is was less expensive.

Before...

After...

Looks great!

Curtains!

2009-05-10T14:22:00.010-04:00

Drake was not excited when I mentioned getting a few curtains. He didn't want to put them up and he didn't trust me to do it. So despite his grumbling we went to Bed Bath and Beyond to try find curtains for the living room and curtain rods. There were so many curtains to choose from. We came across these Dublin curtains for $19.99 a panel....they were a good deal compared to most. We bought two sets for the window and back door in the living room. Drake also found curtain rods on clearance for $7.00 a piece!

Curtains but in cream

Since we haven't shown a before and after of the living room so far, I thought this might be a good place to do so. Here is the living room before we started painting. The paint color was fine but we didn't want every room in the house to be the same color.
Here is a picture of the room during the painting. We painted the living room and entry way a light tan or as they called it..."cream in my coffee." We painted the wall with the windows a "barely blue" for an accent wall. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out but it makes the room a lot lighter. In this picture, the tan wall looks a little yellow.

Here is the living room with the curtains and bookcases. You can also see Dempsey enjoying his new fenced-in back yard. Everything is coming together!

New Bookcases

2009-05-10T14:07:00.003-04:00

We took two bookcases that Drake had in his room since he was little and decided to turn them into our media credenza. Here is what they looked like before...(notice the lovely red wall paper behind it in the old house...)
We taped the inside of each bookcase. Originally, we were going to leave the inside backboard wood and paint the rest white.Here is what the finished product looked like. The paint bled through the painters tape and it didn't look as neat and modern as we thought. So we decide to paint the whole thing white.

Here is the final product in the new house. I think it turned out great!

Busy Month!

2009-05-04T11:01:00.003-04:00

May is going to be a busy busy month! I feel like I don't have enough time for everything. Unfortunately since we don't have the internet right now we haven't been able to post very often.

We started painting this past week. We painted the laundry room, kitchen and have started the living room. Hopefully we finish this week! I will post pictures as soon as I can.

We also got our new washer and dryer on Saturday! I am very excited about having a front loading washer and dryer...I know nerdy right?

I am ready for the wedding to finally get here! I go for my final meeting with Valle Vista on Monday, May 11. Hopefully by then I will have the final count for guests. Everything is going well except I have a lot of little things that I still need to do.

So in the next few days be on the look out for more pictures!

Bad News...

2009-05-04T10:58:00.002-04:00

While trying to move some things around in the garage, the locker that we found fell over. When we picked it back up, we noticed two of the doors were bent and wouldn't close. Drake tried to fix them but no matter what he did, the doors still wouldn't close. So now our storage idea will be placed in the trash.

While taking Dempsey on a walk...

2009-04-25T20:28:00.004-04:00

Drake stumbled upon this...

I thought oh my goodness...this things looks hideous! He looked so excited and I hated to crush his little heart but when he asked me what I thought about putting it in the garage I said, "I don't know about this." I mean look at it. After walking by a few more houses and listening to him rant and rave about how awesome this would look in the garage, I told him if he wanted it he could come back and get it. So when we got back to the house he drove his car and picked up the lockers. I still was a little suspicious about how this would turn out. We bought some black spray paint and painted it.

Here is what it looks like now...

A lot better! Now that it has been painted, I think it will look fine in the garage. Drake may cut off the legs and mount it to the wall. He wants to use it to store things like snow boots, tools, Dempsey's toys, etc. I guess I should listen to him sometimes :)

Spring

2009-04-13T16:46:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pictures of Dempsey enjoying the sunny weather. He has found a new love of playing frisbee. The only problem is if you are not paying attention to him and constantly throwing it for him, he will end up shredding it to pieces.

New Pantry

2009-04-13T16:35:00.003-04:00

Finally the pantry is finished! It took us a while to complete it with the cold, wet weather we were having. First, Drake sanded the pantry down and cleaned it off. Then it took about 3 coats of paint to cover up the old color. Drake also cut two new shelves for the inside. We took off the hardware and cleaned it by placing it in a crock pot with laundry detergent and hot water. It looks a lot better! Here are some before an after pictures.

Before...

After....

Here is the inside of the pantry.

The hardware all cleaned up!

Deck vs Patio

2009-04-04T09:38:00.008-04:00

We want to do something in our backyard to give us some extra living space. We are thinking of either doing a wood deck or a brick paver patio.

We dont have a step up into the house so we dont need stairs and wood has a lot of maintainace issues that we dont want to have to deal with. The brick might look nice if we could find a color that matched the brick on the facade of the house. But as with everything else our main concern is cost. Does anyone know what is cheaper to install?

Brick vs. Wood?

New couch options

2009-04-04T09:28:00.005-04:00

Dempsey has had a habit of destroying our lovely hand-me-down couches and claiming them for his own. Amanda and I would like to get a new couch of our own at some point in time and price is very important. I found these two mid-century modern couches online that are both under $500. Amanda says they wont be comfortable to sit on, but what she really means is they wont be comfortable to lay on.

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=14535959&parentid=A_FURN_FURNITURE_SOFAS&sortProperties=&navCount=60&navAction=poppushpushpush&color=&pushId=A_FURN_FURNITURE_SOFAS&popId=A_FURN_FURNITURE&prepushId=APARTMENT_FURNISH

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=60&startValue=1&selectedProductC

olor=&sortby=&id=15949167&parentid=A_FURN_FURNITURE_SOFAS&sortProperties=&navCount=60&navAction=poppushpushpush&color=&pushId=A_FURN_FURNITURE_SOFAS&popId=A_FURN_FURNITURE&prepushId=APARTMENT_FURNISH

We also found this more traditional couch for under $800 at Macy's. We have had 3 couches so far and they have all been green so why switch now? It does come in other colors however.

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=251335&CategoryID=35377&LinkLoc=29391&LinkType=SiteAd&AdID=504674

The Afters

2009-04-01T21:02:00.006-04:00

We have a bad history of not taking before pictures so without further ado, here are the afters.

An old school desk chair from Immaculate Heart of Mary.

An old frame turned into a chalkboard with plywood and chalkboard paint

One dollar Drexel Media stand from an estate sale repainted

and maps behind the grates

Amanda's old dresser with new hardware and a fresh coat of paint

It was so hot when we painted that the paint naturally alligatored

Old map of paris from a travel guide, sectioned and put in Target frames

Closeup

Old belts from thrift-stores turned into a dresser top

Full frontal

Drake's dresser refinished with tung oil and new hardware

Old photo of Drake's Great Grandpa's Intramural Basketball team framed

Old Navy graduation panorama of Drake's Grandpa framed

And in the whites

Old map of Japan from a travel guide matted and framed.

Delivery

2009-04-01T20:17:00.004-04:00

Drake's new workbench

Amanda's new pantry, this one needs alot of work

It is going in the empty spot between the cabinets in the kitchen and the utility room door.

It was called a jelly cabinet at the store. The map in the corner was of the Covington, Kentucky area.

New empire style, quarter-sawn oak kitchen table

It was a library desk built in Shelbyville,IN.

I'm sure Amanda will add more information about all this later.

New Discoveries

2009-03-30T18:05:00.008-04:00

Today Drake and I decided to go and check out Midland Arts & Antiques Market. We were not expecting to find or buy anything. I had never been in there before and was very surprised to see what it had to offer. There was so much stuff! Two floors packed with antiques. They had tables, chairs, sofas, desks, lamps, art work, books, and so much more. We also found a lot of things we liked. We ended up buying a glass pitcher, office chair, bench, kitchen table, work bench and pantry. These were all great finds! All of this ended up being less expensive than the work table and rolling cabinet we were going to use as our kitchen table. What a deal! We were able to take home the glass pitcher, office chair and bench. The work bench, kitchen table and pantry will arrive on Wednesday. Right now they are sitting in the garage and I can't wait to put them in the new house. Here are a few pictures of what we bought!

The beautiful glass and silver pitcher

The bench for the entry way...one of my favorite finds

Drake's office chair

I will post pictures of the other items as soon as they get here.

To do list

2009-03-29T19:33:00.003-04:00

Outside

Repoint brick by window
Caulk crack in foundation joint
Clean dryer vent
Install window screens
Replace outlet cover
Caulk nailheads, cover in KILZ, paint facia
KILZ and paint rust on window trim
Tamp down staples on roof or remove and secure with sealant
Fence
Deck
Landscape
Paint Sconces
Gilt house numbers on door

Attic

Lay subfloor

Garage

Paint Fridge
Build workbench with space for lawnmower
Build potting bench
Build shelf over fridge for snow blower
Add Pegboard
Add Open Shelves

Laundry & Utility

Drain 5 gallons off water heater
Fix drainpipes
Replace furnace filter
Have furnace serviced
Add cabinets over Washer and Dryer
Add Washer and Dryer
Add plywood top to Washer and Dryer
Add pegrail hooks
Add place for Dempsey food
Find storage for laundry supplies and extra Dempsey food
Remove Door

Office

Replace door with french door
Add felt pads to back of breakfront
Install safes in closet

Guest Bath

Fix flush mechanism to stop extra long water draining
Raise shower curtain
Change faucet
Frame mirror
Replace light fixture

Living Room

Fix Weather Stripping
Paint Cake Stand Blue (MS234) Lowes
Curtains

Master Bed

Add storage shelves to closet
Curtains
Raise shower curtain
Change faucet
Change showerhead
Frame mirror
Change light fixture

Entry

Add pegrail
Add bench

Kitchen

Paint Homestead Resort Spa Aqua (5004-5A) Lowes
Find ice maker for our Haier fridge
Change sink and faucet
Add Macy's worktable and rolling cabinet front

Guest Rooms and Guest Bathroom

2009-03-29T19:25:00.002-04:00

1st bedroom (we plan on using it as an office)

closet

Guest bathroom (also there is a linen closet)

bedroom #2

closet

Mater Suite

2009-03-29T19:18:00.003-04:00

Master bedroom

Walk in closet

Inside the closet

Master bathroom

Shower

Kitchen, Utility Room and Garage

2009-03-29T19:01:00.006-04:00

First view of kitchen coming in from entry with new appliances

View of the cabinets, stove and microwave

Entry into the utility room kitchen

Our kitchen table area

Utility room with water heater and furnace

Laundry area

2 car garage

Entry and Living Room

2009-03-29T18:46:00.008-04:00

Laminate floor entry

Entry facing living room

Living Room

Pass through to kitchen

Door to backyard