Sunday, December 18, 2011

Survey Says...

Wrapping paper or gift bags?

I use both, but prefer wrapping paper!

Real tree or Artificial?
It's been real up to this point. I told the hubs that I'm investing in artificial during the sales this year.

When do you put up the tree?
After Thanksgiving, typically within the first week of December.
When do you take the tree down?
After new years

Do you like eggnog?
Not so much....
Favorite gift received as a child?
Barbie's Dream House
Hardest person to buy for?
Father in Law

Easiest person to buy for?
Husband or nephews and nieces
Do you have a nativity scene?
No...
Mail or email Christmas cards?
Neither. I don't partake in Christmas cards
Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Pot and pans - that's house stuff
Favorite Christmas Movie (not cartoon)?
Toss up between National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story
When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Late August/ Early September
Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Any and all appetizers

Lights on the tree (colored or clear)?
Clear

Favorite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells

Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Home
Angel, star or ribbon on top of tree?
I like stars!
Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Both!!
Turkey or ham on Christmas day?
Prime rib

What do you want for Christmas this year?
Besides the obvious of a happy, healthy family, I'd love an upholstered headboard, a new camera, matching desks for Matt and I, and a trip to Florida!
Eggnog, hot chocolate, or apple cider?
Hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps mixed in!
How does Santa get into your house? Chimney or magic key?
Chimney

Friday, December 16, 2011

Christmas Memories

I have fond memories of Christmas. Every year was the same, but different. Here is a sampling of some Christmas memories that I have and treasure....

*When I was five, my Uncle Chuck got me the blond kid sister doll. She had lavender, striped overalls and long hair in braids. I named her Patsy. I think she's still in my Mom's attic somewhere.

*My favorite ornament is a glass Care Bear sitting on a cloud. It plays a little tune at the press of a button. Apparently, this ornament was gifted to me by the neighbor on my first Christmas.

*Growing up, my Mom always had an artificial tree. I think this is why going "tree hunting" isn't an important tradition to me. I'd much rather haul a tree out of storage, still decorate it and enjoy it, and then pack it back up without tracking needles everywhere and ruining my vacuum.

*The Christmas when I was 8, I wanted a puppy sooooooooo bad. We had two dogs, and my parents were not budging. On Christmas morning, there was no puppy. I went into the kitchen to get something and heard my five year old brother calling to me that there was one more present. I ran in, expecting my beloved pup to be there. Upon walking in the room, our German Shepherd, Sadie, popped out from under some left over gift wrap. At the time, I didn't think much of it. Looking back, it makes me feel special to know that my brother knew how much I wanted a puppy, and that he acknowledged that at the age of 5 in his own little way : )

*I have always, always looked at presents under the tree in the weeks leading up to opening them. Even still, when I walk into my Mom's house, I head straight for the tree to see if there's any new presents.

*One year for Christmas, I wanted Western Barbie. I spied a gift under the tree that was the size and shape of a Barbie box. I proceeded to tear the corner of the package ever so slightly, and got caught red handed. I didn't get that gift until my birthday in March. And it was, indeed, Western Barbie.

*I have wonderful memories of family on Christmas Eve and Morning. For a long time, we would eat clam chowder from a local restaurant called Morrison's on Christmas Eve. My parents, brother and Papa were always there. Then, when Papa and Dad passed away, we continued to be together. Now, traditions have changed slightly, but we still spend time and cherish it. Love that.

What are your Christmas Memories???

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Midweek Confessions

E over at E, Myself, and I is starting a new link up party!! Go over to her page and check it out along with all of her other awesome posts about everything from decorating to her adorable son : )



Here are my confessions this week.....

  • I'm pissed that our house isn't decorated for Christmas. And I'm also pissed that it probably won't be at all this year. The remodel has taken it's toll in all aspects of life, and even though I know it will be worth it, I miss my tree and exterior lights and mantel decor. Dang it!!!
  • I didn't take the final for my pathophysiology class. And I'm not sorry. You see, we're allowed to drop our lowest test score. I chose to not take the final, and drop the "zero" grade. This made my semester end an entire week earlier. That's why I'm not sorry.
  • I have not run since the half marathon in October. I'm a little sorry about that, but not enough to actually run (yet).
  • There are only 11 more days after today that I will coming to my office. This = big excitement!
  • All I want for dinner tonight is nachos and movie theatre popcorn. Depending on the condition of my tummy after eating that, I might throw in some sour patch kids. No wonder a year ago I had 40 pounds to lose (half way there!!)
  • On that note, I haven't counted Weight Watcher points since July. AT ALL. However, I haven't gained any weight. 'Tis good. 'Tis not good that I fell off the wagon. Will climb back on soon (notice the intentional non-commitment to a date?)
  • I could have easily stayed in bed until noon today.
What are your confessions this week???

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

House Stuff

The house is coming along. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Here's what we have left to do:

  • Finish installing wood flooring
  • Finishing painting trip (living, dining, kitchen, hallway), doors (French doors, laundry room door, and front door) and window trim (21 windows in all, some big, some small)
  • Tear old siding off of garage
  • Hang new siding and paint it (this will definitely be something we tackle AFTER we move in)
  • The tile in the master bath needs to be finished (we hired someone else to do this, thank goodness) Should be all done by Christmas
  • Get the bathroom vanities and entertainment center cabinets installed. This is going to be after Christmas. We're having 3 bathroom cabinets built and painted and an entire wall of cabinets, uppers and lowers, built and painted. From what I hear, they're all built, just not painted. And our cabinet makers close the entire week of Christmas. Goody, goody gumdrops. Oh well. The final product is going to be amazing!
  • Get concrete flooring installed in powder room along with a matching counter top.
  • Install closet systems - this is really only a big deal for the master closet because it's HUGE and it's going to be a pretty intricate little built in system.
Here's some pictures of the progress (cell phone ones, so bear with me on the quality!):

This is when the drywall was being installed. It was so exciting to not see bare studs anymore!

Texture, paint AND light switches!!!

My wonderful husband installing the toilet in the upstairs bathroom.

Carpet went in this last weekend. It looks amazing.

Matt began installing our laminate. We're having this type of flooring in the laundry room (as seen above), kitchen, dining room, living room, and hallway. I am in LOVE with it : )

So.....I'm kind of done trying to estimate when we will move back in. I think I've finally convinced Matt that it's better to wait until the inside is completely done - with the exception of window trim and the powder room. Basically, I want to be able to stand at a bathroom vanity and brush my teeth, do my hair and makeup, wash my face, etc. I would also like to hang my clothes in the master closet and sleep in the master bedroom. Is that too much to ask? I'm optimistic that we will be able to move back in between Christmas and New Year's....

Monday, December 12, 2011

Manic Monday

My weekend didn't start out so great. You see, I was supposed to go to Scottsdale to see my amazing friend, Bonnie, and her family. Thursday afternoon, about 16 hours before my plane was to leave, I got a phone call. Bonnie's son had been puking since that morning. We decided it would be best to postpone my trip, so as to make sure I wouldn't get sick and also that she would be able to adequately care for her sons without being in a martini induced haze as is the case with most of my visits. It's a good thing I decided not to go. Bonnie was sick herself by Friday night, and her other son got it the following day. I'm sad to have not gotten to see them, but am very much looking forward to my new trip in January.

Aside from the above, my weekend included lots of painting (almost there, some baseboard and doors and window trip left to do!). I'll have a post with a couple of pictures soon.

It also included a fight with the husband. We're fine now, but I just have to say I DESPISE being mad at Matt and fighting with him. Especially when it's his doing, and HE needs to be the one to apologize. At least when I'm the "bad guy", once I get over fuming I can be the one to go to him and eat crow when I'm ready. But, it's really shitty when you have no control over how or when an apology (that is very much deserved!!!) is handed out. Talk about a waste of a Sunday morning. BLAH!!

That's all for now. Sorry for the lack of pictures. I'm boring, I know.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Arizona Trip!

Currently, I'm in Scottsdale enjoying some much needed quality time with my dear friend Bonnie and her family!! More updates to come when I return. I promise I won't let the month of November be a pre-cursor to how this blog will be maintained : )

Friday, December 9, 2011

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Midweek confessions

E is holding another episode of midweek confessions, which I love. Plus, there's a button now : ) Hopefully soon there will be a link up too!!

  • I should feel guilty about leaving my husband alone to work on our unfinished home for 3 days, but I don't. I'm really looking forward to my trip to Arizona to see one of my besties and her family.
  • Sometimes, I think it will be weird to not live with someone. We've been out of our home since June 6th, and are currently at my father in laws house. It's wonderful. People like to make us dinner and take our fresh laundry out of the dryer and fold it for us. Read: I'm getting spoiled and may want to move back home.
  • Christmas spirit seems non-existent this year. I'm really looking forward to next year.
  • I will not have a job in January. I'm excited.

Guess that's it for this week!!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Jury Duty

On November 7th, I had to appear for jury selection. Guess what? They selected me. Yes, me. Out of 122 people, I became juror number 9. And the last 3 weeks have been me juggling everything that I was already trying to keep together plus now this.

I don't really care to discuss the actual trial. I will say that it was interesting, that I learned some things, and that I have a new respect for the judicial system. Aside from that, at this point in time I'm, frankly, sick of it.

Back to regularly scheduled programming!! Here's a bullet recap of what's been going on since my disappearance:

  • I only have two weeks left of school = happiness
  • I will more than likely only be at my current job until January = scary, exciting, wondrous
  • The house is still coming along. Paint is done, hopefully tile and carpet will be complete within the next couple of weeks. Maybe even our laminate flooring!
  • Thanksgiving was good this year. We have a lot to be very thankful for.
  • Matt and I both have colds right now = misery
That's it for now. Hopefully I can get some pictures of the house progress up before too long : )

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Midweek Confessions

E is starting a new Wednesday blog party. And she's awesome, so I wanted to participate. Plus, it's a fun way to ease back into blogging after being gone almost a month (EEK!). Here are my confessions...

  • When I first became a juror 27 days ago, I was excited. Now, I'm glad it's over.
  • I have not exercised since October 16th when I ran a half marathon.
  • Cooking is missing from my life. I can't wait to have a kitchen again. And to sleep in my own house.
  • I just applied for 5 other jobs, whilst sitting at my desk at my current job. Winning.
Head over to E's Blog and check out her confessions and all around awesome writing : )

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

House Inspiration

It's getting to the phase of our house project that I'm beginning to think about design and colors. So exciting. For fun, here is some inspiration that I've found via Pinterest the past few weeks....

I've loved this living room since I saw it about a year ago in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I think the colors are great, and the room is comfortable. Hoping to get my living room to look like this.

Our dining room is part of our living room, and I think this fits in with the photo of the living. I like that the chairs and table don't match perfectly and that everything is pretty neutral.

We have a window seat in our loft area that will have some form of pillows and cushions. I like the colors used here, but feel like there may be a few too many pillows : )

I want marble looking tile and floor in our master bath. Even though I love this aqua paint color, I'm thinking a dark gray might work better for us. Might use the aqua in one of the other baths.

Love everything about this bedroom. We will have French doors, and we won't have hardwood. But the colors in our room will definitely be similar to this.

And let's not forget the closet. With a closet space that is about 12x7, we're definitely planning on installing some type of organization system like the one above. I cannot wait for built in shoe racks and a place to store my hand bags!!

Hopefully within the next few months, we'll be putting the finishing touches on our abode and I'll be sharing the beautiful outcome with you. Stay tuned!




Thursday, October 27, 2011

Ohhhhhhh, Macy!

I just received a text from our wonderful neighbor.....this is what she found upon pulling into our culsdesac this morning:

Crazy dog!!!

I'm happy to report that Macy is now happily laying on her bed in our secure home. Thank goodness for a friend that cares and a husband that was at a job site just a few blocks away!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Questions....Answered!

Lately, I seem to be asked the same questions repeatedly. Typically, I don't mind. Sometimes I do. Here's a sampling of things I'm asked and the answers (what I actually say and what I'm really thinking)......

Q: So....how's school? How much longer do you have to go?
Verbal A: School is good, right now I'm in pathophysiology and it's really interesting. It's so nice to finally be studying something that pertains to nursing. I hope to be starting the RN program no later than next August, and from the time that I start I'll have two years.
What I really want to say: School sucks. Just like everyone says it does. Sure, it's nice to learn new things and to be making strides toward actually finishing my education, but honestly, I'd much rather not have to worry about homework and midterms and GPA's and entrance exams. And also? I have FOREVER left to be in school. How about we just chat once I'm finally a nurse, mmmmmmkay?

Q: How's the house coming along? When is your expected move in date?
Verbal A: It's moving along nicely. We're almost ready for a frame inspection and right after that it will be insulation and drywall time!! We hope to be back in a week or two before Thanksgiving. And we're so excited!
What I really want to say: Our house it a pit!!! Can't you see that? Look around! Yes, we've come a long way since we began this process, but we've still got a long way to go. And just because we're moving back in doesn't mean it's finished. There will be many, many months of work ahead. So no, I can't come over for a three hour long dinner, I can't go out of town with you and I can't make plans because more than likely I'll have to flake. Call me in a year and let's hope my answer is different. But it probably won't be. Because I'll still be in school (see above).

Q: So, how much would you say this whole thing has cost you (in reference to the house addition/remodel)?
Verbal A: Oh, you know, it's been so spread out with expenses here and there, I couldn't really say. We're just happy to be able to do it at all.
What I really want to say: Are you effing kidding me?????? Well here, let me just bust out the spreadsheets that I've maintained just for people like you who ask terribly rude questions about finances that have absolutely nothing to do with them. It's cost us a lot. More than we had thought, but still less than someone who would have to pay other people to do the work for them. And that's why we have no free time for dinners or out of town trips with friends.

Q: How are things at work?
Verbal A: Oh, pretty much the same as always.....boss is crazy, people aren't very much the team players that they should be, and I won't have a job come January. But, it is what it is!
What I really want to say: Shitty. Work is shitty. And the only reason I'm able to drag myself into the office every.single.day is because work resembles a little bit of a break compared to working on our pit of a house.

Q: Are you thinking about having kids soon? Don't you want kids?
Verbal A: Oh, we want kids someday....just not today. The plan is to wait until I'm done with school. And even then we may just want to enjoy each other for a little while without a house to build or homework to be managed. We'll see!! So how is little (insert child's/niece's/nephew's/grandchild's name here)????
What I really want to say: Is it a requirement that a child be birthed within the first three years of being married, because I must have missed that memo. Just because we don't have kids yet doesn't mean we don't want them. We do, however, plan to enjoy the fruits of our labor without having another being to care for. When I'm pregnant, I promise we'll let you know. Until then, please do not inquire about my ovulation, how old we'll be when we do start a family (and how that could be a problem), and that it's been a while since we've gotten married - don't we want to "add on". We are adding on. To our house. That's enough for now. Thank you and goodbye.

So, there you have it. The questions that are posed on a fairly regular basis. Honestly, this post kind of sounds like I'm pissed, and I'm really not. I guess I just sometimes wish the answers were different and didn't depend on such huge things - like finishing school and the building of our house. Also, I do tell some people what I really want to say, and they laugh and agree with me. Mostly my husband. That's just one reason why I love him. I especially love his answer to the baby question: "Just because you have to change poopy diapers and get up three times a night, doesn't mean we should.". Ahhhhhhh....a man after my own heart!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

House Update

A lot has happened with the house since the last time I did an update.

The framing has been finished!! We're hoping to button up the rest of the wiring and electrical to request a frame inspection early next week. The plumbing is also complete. Exterior paint is done, as well as the brick work and siding (with the exception of the garage). The roof was tackled just before a big rainstorm rolled through! Our AC units are in place on the very top of the roof.


This is the loft. What you're looking at will someday be a window seat. And I'm going to put funky cool pillows and art everywhere.

Our shower got hot mopped the other day. I didn't know what that meant until Matt told me that it had to happen to make our shower waterproof. This is because I want a river rock shower floor.

Our fire place. It was my idea to have it a few feet off the ground, and build the hearth out from the front. Matt didn't want to do it that way, but I made him. And now he loves it. I told him it's just another example of why I'm always right.

Shots of our French doors in the living room. Matt only wanted to do the one on the right. I insisted on having two. Again, he relented and now he's glad. Lindsey - 227, Matt - 8.

Three itty bitty windows on the other living room wall. The piano will sit underneath them. Sometimes I worry how they'll look if there ever comes a day that we don't have the piano. But then I tell myself if I think that far ahead, this house will never be done. So then I go back to deciding what shade of teal the upstairs bathroom should be.

The brick work on the front of the house. The "pop out" is where the stair case is. I love the pop out. And I love that our brick mason suggested trimming the window with black brick. He's the man.

This is the "in progress" shot of when the back of the house was being sided. Note that first, the sheeting had to be covered with Tyvek wrap.

Here's the finished siding. Tyvek was no where to be found when all was said and done.

As much as I wanted to have a baby poop yellow house, Matt just wasn't about it. So, we decided to paint it the same color that the house was before. We like gray. A lot.

At some point, we realized that it's October, and it's going to rain. So we needed a roof pronto. It was done in two days. And it began raining as the roofers pulled out of the driveway.

What's left to do?????
Finish the wiring and electrical
Install master bath tub
Insulation
Dry wall
Tape and texture dry wall
Paint interior
Install flooring
Install bath vanities
Install cabinets around fire place

We're hoping to be living there by Thanksgiving. Amen.




Friday, October 21, 2011

Nike 2011

Last Sunday, I completed my second half marathon! I participated in the Nike Women's Half Marathon that takes place in San Francisco every October.

Unlike last year, I didn't train quite as diligently as I should have. I had resolved that I might have to just walk the whole darn thing, but that was okay because at least I would still get to experience the beautiful course and be handed that little blue Tiffany box upon crossing the finish line.

Well, my competitive nature kicked in. I ran roughly 11 of the 13 miles and finished just 3 minutes slower than my time for last year! I think that stopping at an aid station for about 5-7 minutes screwed me out of beating last years time, but that's alright.

Here are some pictures from the weekend....

The expo tent in Union Square

On the side of the Niketown store in Union Square, they have all of the names of the runners/walkers who are participating. Here I am, pointing our my name : )

The group of us at dinner the night before the run. We ate at this great Italian restaurant called Firenze by Night.

Right before we headed to the start line - about 6:30 am.

Me and Judie with our Tiffany boxes - handed to us by firemen in tuxes as we crossed the finish.

Post run, Tiffany was hittin' the bottle in our room.

Me, feeling sassy because I rocked it!


Mostly just because I want to remember, here's a mile by mile recap of the run:

MILE 1: Tiffany and I start together, and then split up at about .77 - she's faster than me!
I hit the mile 1 mark and am shocked to have jogged the whole way. I figure why not keep going?

MILE 2: I felt like I really found my groove at this point. And, I was so glad that I had decided to run without music. Some people think that's crazy, but I think I appreciated the course and runners around me so much more.

MILE 3: HOT!!!! I was so glad to toss my sweatshirt into the donation bin. Then came the first hill at Ghiradelli Square. It was a short, but steep one. Made it up and down without incident.

Mile 4: This brought one of my favorite parts of the course. A beautiful view of Alcatraz and the bay, as well as the beginning of the Presidio. At this point, I started noticing a little hint of a blister on my arch. I hoped it would go away. It didn't.

Mile 5: Right at the beginning of this one, I saw an aid station and decided it was a good idea to stop and get something for my blister. An EMT applied moleskin and some tape. When I started back out, I thought for sure it was going to bug me the rest of the run, but fortunately it didn't.

MILE 6: Right at the beginning of this mile, there is a HUGE hill. And that hill is about a mile long. I had to walk the sucker. Kind of disappointing, but I figured at that point it would be silly to waste energy trying to run the hill when I still had about 7 miles to go!

MILE 7: The hill eased up a bit, and the view of the Golden Gate was beautifully distracting. I was proud of myself for having run as much as I did up to that point. Also, I knew that I was more than halfway through and that's always a good feeling no matter how much you love running. If I had made it that far, I was confident I could tackle the rest.

MILE 8: In a ritzy residential neighborhood. The beginning of this mile was alright, and then kind of boring. I was only able to look at pretty houses for so long without being sad that my house is currently a mess!

MILE 9: This is by far my least favorite mile of the course. It was last year, and it was this year. Don't know why....possibly because it has a slight incline the whole way and there's not really much to look at. I did witness a coach stretching a lady out on the sidewalk who was screaming bloody murder. That was somewhat entertaining, but I felt awful for her.

MILE 10: Freaking awesome. It's down hill about 90% of the way. You are on a cliff and overlooking the ocean and Ocean Beach. You can see the finish line. And this point during long runs is always huge for me mentally. Just a personal thing.

MILE 11: TIRED!!! This mile enters you into Golden Gate park. Being that it's as close to the finish line as it is, there's tons of spectators cheering runners on. By then, all I could think of was that I had the get through 2 more miles. Surprisingly, my feet and hips didn't hurt like I expected they would. My quads were tired though. I rested a lot during this mile.

MILE 12: The last one. And that's probably the only thing that got me through. After running what I just had and seeing the rest of the course, this part of the run wasn't much to write home about. I was just excited that I was going to finish!!

MILE 13/FINISH: AWESOME! I crossed the finish line at 2:51. I was tired. I knew I would be sore. But it was worth it. An accomplishment that gives me a feeling and sense of pride nothing else ever has.


And I can't wait to do it all again next year. Possibly even a little faster too : )

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

WILW & Pinteresting

Happy Wednesday!!! And.....time for my favorite link ups with Jamie and Michelle : )

This week, I'm loving....

....that I ran and finished the Nike Women's Half Marathon last Sunday. This was my second year and I loved it!

....that my husband and I are about a month away from moving back into our house. WE'RE READY!

....these boots that Pioneer Woman is giving away on her blog:
....that we're going to see Transiberian Orchestra right before Thanksgiving.

....as always, my wonderful husband!


And here's what I'm pinning this week:


Cute outfit, love the turquoise colored jewelry


Wedding song (or any song!) lyrics on canvas


Cute kitchen/dining decor


Beer mac and cheese


What are YOU loving and pinning????