Yesterday was Day 2

Ok, so I'm going to blog about this whole house thing because, of course, it'll be neat to look back at someday.

Yesterday I went between 1st part of work and 2nd part of work to try and ShopVac some of the (million-and-one) paint chips from the lawn, by the garage, by the deck .... and everywhere in between. I had about 45 min of good vacuuming when the thing lost suction. So, I was done doing that. I'm a girl and I'm not cleaning out a dusty dirty grassy nasty clogged ShopVac. ;-)

Went back after work and Chris and Josh were there. Josh was now on vac duty. Chris was beginning to prime the garage. (I will never go back on my word when I say Chris got the easy job of priming .... thanks to our new paint sprayer contraption ... although he'll tell you he had the hard job. No way, buddy). I got the fun job of scraping again .... the deck and some window frames.

Then it was finally time to begin priming the deck. Literally, it was awesome. I could prime any day over scraping!

(BTW .... that sweatshirt is a men's XXL ... which is why I look like a giant marshmallow).

My mom came over and my friend Katelyn was there too and we all worked on priming the deck some more. I'd say we got half done. Today I need to get a shrub scissors thing and trim the shrubs so we can actually finish scraping the deck and priming it. (I hate deck spindles, btw!)

Today, between work, I went over there again and primed a little more of the deck ... and I also got about 1/4 of the front porch primed as well.

Hopefully after we got done tonight, I'll have a lot more progress to share!

We better get this {beep}ing loan .... or all this work and money out of our pockets (which we pay regardless of what happens) will have been a waste....stay tuned.

615

So, we are in the middle of buying a house.

615 is the house number.

For the type of loan we are getting, there is work required before we can even buy it. All work that come out of our own pockets and time. Everything has to be up to code before we can get the loan.

These are the items we must do before it can pass:

• Scrape/Paint exterior of detached garage
• Scrape/Paint exterior basement windows & front windows – wood trim
• Scrape/Paint Front/Rear porches/decks where chipping/peeling paint is present
• make sure all paint chips are not left laying on the ground

Today, after spending $60 on just scraping supplies, we scraped the entire garage. Chris was there for 7 hours straight, I came after work for about 3 hours til it was done. We had a slew of people helping off and on: my mom, our friend Josh, and even our Realtor.

I'm really pleased the garage is done. Now to paint it. That's the easy part. The scraping really sucks, but what sucks even worse, is getting EVERY paint piece off the ground. We just left it for tonight, in the daylight tomorrow I'm going to try to shop vac most of it up. We'll see how that goes.

Here are some pictures from today. Yes, we do plan to get a new door:

Dinner. Hopefully our dinner tomorrow night will be, um, a little more home cooked.

Don't let his smile fool you. This is all for the camera:

These smiles, also fake. And GOOD LORD, is that really what I looked like today?!

More tomorrow!

New Hair

It's not really that much different, but hey, this photo is kind of cute. :-)

*High Five*

5 family members you can't live without?
Chris, Mom, Dad, Patrick, Grandma

5 girlfriends you can't live without?
Katelyn, Ashley, Michele, Shannon, and ?

5 foods you can’t live without?
Burritos, pecans, Velveeta Shells and Cheese, Yogurt, Noodles

5 favorite movies?
Knocked Up, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, District 9, The Ugly Truth, P.S. I Love You

5 favorite TV shows?
Property Virgins, The Bachelor, and ... ???

5 biggest pet peeves?
-Student Loans with high interest rates

-Apartment living

-That a job requiring a bachelor's degree doesn't offer insurance

-People taking government handouts who don't need them (or who need them bc they waste their money on other stuff)

-Wind

5 places you have visited and loved?
Salt Lake City/Provo area, Punta Cana, Playa Del Carmen, LA, and Puerto Vallarta

5 places you want to visit?
New York City, Italy, Virgin Islands, Seattle, Grand Canyon

5 memories that you will never forget:
-Finally getting a teaching job (although it was only for 3.5 months...still awesome!)

-Kenny Chesney concert in the rain ... first row, with only 10 or so of us left standing in the storm ... awesome and I've said it before, it changed my life (for personal reasons only I could ever understand ... and it actually had nothing to do with Kenny Chesney. LOL.)

-My wedding day, esp our last dance

-?

-? (these last two are yet to come, apparently :)

5 things you love about your house/location?
We live in an apartment ... so there is not much I love ... but here goes:

-Newer construction

-Big bathroom

-Walk in closet

-Private entrance

-Free heat (it's always 75 degrees in here)

5 things you wish you could change about your house/location?
Again, we live in an apartment, so this list could go on forever...

-Not being able to change anything I dislike about it (ugly floors, plain walls, etc, etc)

-Crappy dishwasher + washer/dyer

-Windows on only one side

-Not enough space

-No garage for me ... I HATE scraping my car at 6:30 am in the cold!

5 projects you are working on or want to accomplish this year?
-Buying a house

-Better albums for my photography business (this has been ... not so much fun to search around for)

-Get a full time job with insurance + benefits

-Take at least one vacation (even if it's somewhere close)

- ...?

5 material possessions you can’t live without? .
Computer, Cell Phone, Planner, Car, Camera (notice which one came last? That makes me sad that having a business makes me not really want to take my own photos anymore.)

5 reasons you blog?
To be able to look back on all the simple moments.

In other news....

We are looking at our very first house today!

This is a very exciting day for us!

Yet Another Questionnaire...

1.What would you like to appear in your hands right now? Canon 50mm 1.4 L

2.What was the last thing you ate? Kit Kat

3.What is your favorite episode of a tv show? Not sure at the moment ...

4.Have you ever ridden in a limo? Yes, from a hotel in Mexico back to the airport.

5.Which is better, your cursive or your printing? Printing

6.What photos are living on your camera right now, waiting to be downloaded? And why are they still there? Random pictures of the cat.

7.How many pregnant women do you know? 4, I think.

8. Three things you did this past weekend: Laundry, antique shopping, worked out (yeah, it *was* boring)

9.If you could only visit three websites for the next month, which would you choose? Gmail, Bloglines, Facebook

10.What did your family do for vacations when you were a child? Usually went somewhere once a year ... some trips we took were Mt.Rushmore/Badlands, Shipshewana (haha, sp?), Canada, Florida, U.P. Michigan ...)

11.Law & Order or Boston Legal? Law & Order, I guess ... although I've only seen a few episodes ... years ago.

12.Do you mind if guests show up uninvited? I love unexpected surprises!

13.When will you next travel by plane? Probably in May when I visit Alanna and her newly born baby!

14.What did the last text message you received say? Nelson.

15.When was the last time you got dressed up? How dressed up are we talking? I consider my "work clothes" to be "dressed up" compared to my weekend/home clothes ... but dressed up "dressed up?" I'd say, my wedding.

16.The perfect sign of affection is: Simple things. Kisses. Hugs. Helping around the house. Cute messages.

17.Do you use your real name online or do you go by a screen name? Both.

18.What do you miss when you’re away from home? Husband and cat.

19.What are you completely & totally over hearing about, reading about, discussing ad nauseum? Kardashians.

20.Do you reply to comments on your blog? No.

21.What are three things that you are looking forward to? Buying a house, going to see Alanna, wedding season to be over for 2010 ... LOL!

22.What is your favorite kind of tree? Apple trees :-)

23.What is the newest thing you own? I got two new shirts the other day. Does that count?

24.If I do anything well, it’s: Cookie Making. Specifically, Potato Chip Pecan cookies .... YUM.

25.What is your favorite dessert? Cheesecake.

26.Do you use a planner? Yes. I'm a little nutty about my planner. I have to buy the same one every year. And when I couldn't find my exact planner for 2010, I ran the codes from last years and the company names thru Google. And paid a pretty penny for it. Yes, I will do the same next year as well. HA. For the love of organization! :-)

27.What is your all-time favorite tv comedy? I'm not really a fan of comedies / TV shows ... however, my favorite movie comedy is Knocked Up. Loooove it.

28.What is your current obsession? Budgeting/finance tracking/house shopping (which, is actually just "looking" at houses online. Someday for real.)

29.Three signs Spring is here: yucky smell of mud, wet pants bottoms, greenhouses

30.Do you balance your checkbook or wing it? w-i-n-g-it-to-the-m-a-x

31.What kind of grapes do you prefer? red

32.What is your favorite store-bought cookie? Chips Ahoy Chocolate Peanutbutter

33.What was your fifth grade teacher’s name? Mrs.Kilgore.

34.High school was: Fine. Good memories, good times. Glad its over.

35.Describe your dream kitchen. granite, stainless steel appliances, garbage disposal, cabinet organizers like at Ikea, large island with a sink and barstools, dishwasher, huge fridge and a huge pantry.

36.What would you really like to purchase? A house.

37.How many of your friendships have lasted more than a decade? 1

38.Are there times when you still feel like a kid? Every day.

39.What teacher from high school comes to mind first? Mr. Z

40.What magazines do you read? Martha, Better Homes and Gardens, Taste of Home. And yes, the Pottery Barn catalog TOTALLY counts. ;-)

{Cake, Anyone}

Cake, cake, cake!

Below is a sampling of some of the cakes I've "viewed" (and some I've even tasted!) over the past year. All are client cakes, with the exception of one! ;-)

That exception is MY wedding cake!

Thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the weddings over the past year ... and what better way than with cake!?

{ Cuuute }

Love these!

They are from Elle's Studio - and I just purchased them!

I am planning on making a mini book of 2010 - with photos and journaling from each month, of course! I will blog as I make the album!

{What I've Been Up To}

I've made a lot of my own flower embellishments this week. It started out as creating a simple how-to article for Scrapjazz ... but now, I'm hooked! Can't wait to get some brooch pins so I can start adding these to all the simple cardigans I wear ... so fun.

I will post information about the article once it's published.

{Recipe: Pizza Casserole }

I had some pepperoni I needed to use up ... so I created this recipe!

I LOVE it! Not exactly "healthy" but - YUM!

Ingredients:

1 box macaroni and cheese

4 oz sliced pepperoni

3/4 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes (drained)

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tbsp Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Pizzaz Seasoning (www.thespicehouse.com)

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp basil (I used McCormick dried)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make mac and cheese as you normally would (I actually just used water instead of milk, and used no butter). Put in a 8x8 pan. Add and mix everything else except cheddar cheese. Sprinkle that on the top. Bake for 20 mins uncovered.

Easy as that!

Enjoy!

{Ribbons, anyone?}

Anyone interested in a ton of scrapbooking ribbon? I have ALL DIFFERENT colors, patterns, etc ... not just what you see here. Just send me $3 in the mail or on Paypal to cover shipping, and I'll send you 50 strands of all different colors of cool ribbon! (American Crafts, etc) All of the strands are at least 12 inches, most are between 14-16 inches or more. Let me know!

Or, if you have a specific color need, just let me know and I can pull those colors only.

Email me at kaylarphoto@gmail.com

{New Treat}

A late Christmas gift!

One of my students gave me a Barnes & Noble gift card for Christmas, and I am just using it now. What a wonderful gift to receive! So thoughtful!

I can't wait to get this book! I love all the cute little projects - espescially the lunch bag and the market totes!

I hope to get into sewing very soon. I still want to scrapbook, but it's hard when none of my supplies are in the home I actually live in. There are just too many and my apartment can barely hold what we have in it now! :-) That is why starting to sew would be perfect! My sewing machine + fabrics + threads wouldn't take up much space at all, and when I get the urge to craft, I won't have to get in the car and drive somewhere to do it!

If my master sewing plan doesn't turn out as planned, luckily, my mom is a super sewer and could whip out some of these projects for me to enjoy! I will be sure to share any awesome projects that either I or my mom creates from it!

Happy Weekend!

- - - - - - - - -

Sidenote:

The following kits are still available:

(click on names for additional information)

{Sweet Strawberry and Honeydew Collection $10 shipping included}

{Vintage Christmas Collection $10 Shipping Included}

{Oh Boy - Mini Collection (Chocolate, Creme, and Blueberry)}

{4th of July and Cherry Pie $9 Shipping Included}

The following kits are now SOLD OUT:

Sweet Boy Collection (Blueberry, Chocolate, and Creme)

Sweet Girl Collection - Chocolate and Pink

Oh Girl - Mini Collection (Chocolate, White, and Pink)

All Boy Collection

If you would like to purchase any of the kits, just email me at kaylarphoto@gmail.com

Top 10 Reasons I Want To Buy A House

1) Garage to park my car (to keep it safe, and to not have to remove snow, scrape ice, etc)

2) To be able to have a washer/dryer that won't wreck my clothes

3) Have whatever I want inside my house (pet-wise)

4) Have my own office space

5) Have space to go when I need time away from my husband

6) Put in kitchen + bathroom floors that don't constantly look dirty even when they're clean

7) A space my kitchen table will actually fit in

8) Being able to spruce a place up all HGTV style

9) Not have to pay rent; our money will actually go back to us (after 30 years anyway!)

10) Having a house will mean: I will have a full time teaching job

Bread Making Attempts

Today I attempted making beer bread with Diet Coke. That's right, Diet Coke. We didn't (or so I thought) have any beer on hand, so I decided, hmmm ... let's try soda instead. I read some reviews online, and they said Sprite was good with it. Well, didn't have any of that either, so I decided to experiment.

In short, the bread turned out just ok. I could taste the Diet Coke, which, when baked, tastes very metal-like. Chris came home from work for lunch, took a bite, and asked what it was made out of. Then he informed me we DID have beer.

Oh, okay, honey.

So I whipped up another loaf ... this time, with good, dark beer ... and, no metal-like taste in the final result. :-) Definitely learned, just make it with the beer!

I've posted the recipe before for beer bread, but here it is again:

Ingredients:
3 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup white sugar
12 oz beer
2 tablespoons melted butter

1. Mix flour, sugar, and beer.
2. Put into a greased bread loaf pan.
3. Spread melted butter over top the last 10 mins of baking.
4. Enjoy, of course!

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

{Scraps}

Some new scrap projects ....

Alanna's Baby Shower

My friend Alanna and her husband Joe are expecting their first baby in May! They are having a little boy, who is named Ayden. Alanna was in WI for a few days after Christmas, and her stepmom threw her an impromptu baby shower! It turned out so nice and she got some wonderful gifts! She now went back home to Utah, and the next time I see her, I will also get to see Ayden! So excited for them, and wish them only the best!

Onto the photos!