Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Salty Grossness

Today Rhiannon had a nine o'clock meeting with the vp at her new school.  So her along with two toddlers (Clara and my friends son) and I all went and toured the school together.  It was a pretty emotional visit for both Rhiannon and I.  

After we left I suggested we walk to Trader Joe's to pick up some sort of chocolate baked goods to help ease everyone's nerves.  (Chocolate is a girls best friend.  Especially in this house)


Since we did have two one yr olds with us we just did a quick brownie grabbing dash and made our way home. Once the babe's were in bed I asked Rhiannon to bring me some brownies.  

She said she already tried them and THEY WERE GROSS!

(Rhiannon is a super trickster.  I was under the impression she was just being silly again.)

So I dug in.


And she was right.


It was disgusting.  I felt like I was trying to chew up a salt lick.  

(For those of you that are "non country" a salt lick is a giant piece of salt hunters leave out to attract deer during hunting season.)  

(And yes I have actually licked one before.)


Although the outside on the brownies were covered in salt i found the inside was still just a delicious chocolate that we were originally looking for.  

I told Rhiannon to try and get to the inside.  She was less then enthusiastic


But she humored me anyway, like the good girl she is.






We decided it wasn't worth it,


Lesson learned? 

You really are not that busy. 

READ THE DAMN LABELS!!!!!!!!





  

Monday, August 29, 2011

whittle

This past weekend was the Misters fantasy football draft weekend.

(This is a weekend that shines a light on how the mister used to act -- or still does -- when I'm not around and/or before we became a serious item.)  

So there were a lot of grown up boys hanging out at our house this weekend.

Boys are strange creatures.  Especially when you get a group of them together.

I told the Mister I would get his bears sign made before the draft.  I completely underestimated the amount of time it would take for me to make this.  I sketched the face out on a round piece of pinewood and am using my Dremel to cut away small intricate pieces.  This is what I have done so far.

This is halfway.  The left eye was giving me a really hard time



Finally sketched out to my liking



About two hours of drilling and this is all I have done!  Not even close!!!!!



With the amount of time I have to work on this along with how tedious the work is I wont even be done by Christmas!

If anyone can tell me an easier way to do this I would greatly appreciate it!  

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

In The Doghouse

Taking Pictures?


NOT FUN!!!

Playing Outside?


SCREW THAT!!!!!

Bath Time?


I HATE THIS!!!!!

Playing In Tunnels?


GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!

Stroller Rides Around Town?


FRESH AIR SUCKS!!!!!!!

PLAYING IN THE DOG KENNEL?????




AWESOME!!!


Monday, August 22, 2011

The Bee's Knee's

Last night the Mister, Clara and myself drove back home to Chicago from an amazing party my parents threw down in the dirty south.  It felt SO good being home again, even if it was only for about 14 hours.  I packed the car up again this morning and and drove the baby and myself to Valpo to help out my dear friend who is having surgery on her knee as I write this.

Last week while I was gone I didn't make sure the freezer and fridge were stocked before I left.  As a result the sweet Mister almost starved to death.  (I'm such a bad wife.)  This time when he gets home from work he will find lots of Hungry Mans, Frozen white castles and dino nuggets waiting for him in the freezer (because that makes me a good, caring and health conscious wife, right?)   

Between all of this travelling and craziness I actually have been able to get a few (one) of my summer projects done!  When we moved into our new home I fell in love with everything EXCEPT the light fixtures in the front room and the dining room.  They were the the ugliest nastiest looking (early 90's crack-house) lights I had ever seen.  I had been on the hunt for new fixtures to replace them for months now.  I wanted 2 candelabra chandeliers and didn't want to spend more then $50.   I  finally found them at the home for habitat resale shop in St. Louis.  This place is amazing!!!!  

Reclaimed windows, doors, shutters, tiles, cabinets, sinks, granite, paint and chandeliers, oh my!  Lots and lots of chandeliers!!!!!

Just so you realize how incredibly nasty the previous chandeliers were please look below.  (I was always embarrassed when we had the lights on at night knowing people could see them as they walked by.)   





WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY!?!?!?!?!?!?!

The only thing I didn't like about the chandeliers I found (to replace the nasty old ones) was their color.  One was black and was this gold-ish color.



So I bought two cans of Rustoleum spray paint (shhh....don't tell the city of Chicago...)  The first can I bought was their metallic in brown.  The second can I bought was also brown, but in the hammered spray.  

I originally was going to spray them both with the metallic and then lightly go over them with the hammered.  However once I had them painted with the metallic I realized I really liked the way it looked, so for the dining room chandelier I just kept it with the Rustoleum brown metallic.





Since I liked the fixture I bought for the dining room more then the one I bought for the living/play room I decided to execute my first plan on that one and hope for the best.  So this one has both the brown metallic and hammered spray paint on it.  I love the way it turned out!  It has a deeper, more rich color.  Since the rooms sit side by side it contrasts nicely.



Best part, it was all done under $40.  Worst part, Right as I was finishing  putting the second one up I saw the Mister coming up the walk getting home from work.  So I got a stern talking to on how its "not safe" to stand on ladders and do electrical work and such.

Sorry Mister.  I promise not to mess with any more light fixtures.  (I've already gone and changed them all.)







Friday, August 19, 2011

Horrible Terrible No Good Very Bad Month

I know that is what the last post reads.  However if I had known how the world was about to take such a turn for the worst I would have kept my big fat spoiled mouth shut.

My sweet and loving Mister was attacked at the beginning of July (which is why I have taken a month long sabbatical away from this little project.)  He was hurt really bad and I have been spending all of last month trying to get him to at least 75%.  Some days are better then others but he is still constantly in pain and all of his injuries are going to be a slow and painful healing process.  However I am happy to report He is actually starting to return back to his normal grumbler self.  

Since things are looking up in our direction I can FINALLY focus on other parts of our life.  (like this little project.)

Since the entire month of July sucked (Mister hurt, basement flooding, Hobbes the lizard dying, car flooding etc) we were very relieved when August arrived.  I originally planned to start writing again once August 1st came BUT life got REALLY busy (as it usually does ).

I have decided a quick photo recap was the best way to catch us all back up to date.

I bought Clara this awesome headband from Timeless Toys in Chicago.  Every time she wears it her walk turns into a strut.  Hands down, this is the best free entertainment I have had in quite some time.
























Then Clara and I went blueberry "picking" (or eating if you were under the age of 2)  It was so darn hot we had to leave a lot earlier then expected and only brought home 5 quarts.
























RHIANNON CAME HOME!!!!!!!  The Girlies had loads of fun together!!!











They also ate 5 quarts of blueberries.




Our beloved Hobbes died.  Saddest day ever.  I cried a ton.  I got laughed at even more.  I made them all have a lizard funeral.  Rhiannon had a friend over that day.  I made her come to the funeral too.  Pretty sure her friend thinks I'm nuts.





I hung up the Mister's stupid L Flag.  Only because I felt sorry for him.  And I needed to hide some crap.  (Can you find the baby feet in this picture?)




We put the Mister's "Man Corner" together for him and then all enjoyed an evening together.  


(If you can't tell whats going on, Mister is watching three different games and the gals and I are watching a romantic comedy on the tv.  Quality family time at its best.)


We got a ton of rain that night and our "man corner" was completely flooded.  (Awesome!  Thank you evil July gods!)


Rhiannon went back to her Dad's for a bit and life went a lot like this.........


The Mister slept......

And the baby and I swam.  Every day.

She kind of hates it still.  I'm trying, folks.  I was jumping off the high dive at the ripe age of two.  She needs to man up.  You can not be my child and not be part fish!!!!!!!

That was pretty much everything fun/worth talking about in July.  Then August came.....and my beautiful baby sister came to baby sit for us so  we could celebrate my last year in my twenties.  

(I'm an old fart)



The mister then took me on the most romantic birthday breakfast EVER and spoiled my ass rotten!!

He then went to the otb with the dirty old boys. 



The girls and I made a day in the city.  We were going to go to some street festivals but it started to really rain.  We ran into the Pick Me Up cafe and found they have vegan milkshakes!!!!!!!!  This is extremely exciting since half of my family cant eat dairy.  

Clara was able to experience her FIRST MILKSHAKE EVER!!!!!


I believe she drank half of that before she would loosen her grasp on the cup.

After we decided to get out of the rain we met up with the boys and had some crab legs in the most amazingly awesome dirty dive bar called half-shell.  I know that is never what you want your sea food place being described as but trust me.  AH MAAAA ZING!!


(the boys having some much needed man love time)


I was then almost killed.  


(Death by shots.)

But I survived.

(Barely.)



I ended my sabbatical away from you all by going to my moms and digging through some old pictures.

Here is what I have found.

This is Rhiannon being the sassiest chic you will ever meet--at age three.


And here is my family killing our chickens on the farm I grew up on.  My job was the best!!!!.  I got to go into the chicken yard and chase around and catch the chickens.  I then brought them to their death.  

Do you know how hard it is to try and catch an angry chicken when you are just 10 yrs old?





After this horrible month has come and gone, I realize it has made me only appreciate our beautiful crazy life we have together even more.  I truly have the best Mister in the whole damn world.

The End.