Sorry

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in forever quite a while....i promised myself I wouldn't do that! 

I've been really busy lately taking pictures for people...I love, love, love it!  However, it is very time consuming, hence the reason for my lack of blogging! 

I've also started selling some of my clothes online...I had great intentions of having a garage sale this summer...but it just didn't happen!  Which, is ok, I know I am selling more and making more (ca-ching) by selling them online, however, that too, is time consuming! 

We are having Christmas at our house this year for my family!  I'm excited yet nervous...ha ha ha i don't know why, my mom is still making the food and all...just a lot of stuff to get done before Christmas...like shopping...i haven't even started my Christmas shopping!  Ugh....

I plan on doing a quick update to our bathroom and when I do that, I will have something to blog about :)

The kids have been super busy lately...Paityn is loving preschool, she loves going and gets excited to talk about what she did there each day!  She is also busy going to Sunday school which she also loves so much! 

Charlie has just been busy being a boy!  and let me tell you, he is all boy!  He is always, always, always throwing a football, baseball, Christmas bulb...anything that he can throw, he does...and he does really good at it!  I love it lately how Paityn and Charlie get along lately...they will be playing and Charlie will look over at her and say, "Paityn, you my best buddy" melts.my.heart!  Love it! 

Well thought I would just check in really quickly and I will try and think of more things to blog about and try and do it much more often! 

My Brother Paul

My brother, yes, I call him my brother, he has been there for me so much in the last how many years and I honestly think the world of him. 

I think my first memory of him is when my sister Jaime would talk about how awesome she thought it was that Sarah's boyfriend's truck had the bright and dim switch on the foot board of his truck....She really thought it was awesome! 

I remember looking out the window at school one day and seeing his rent-a-pooper truck sitting in the parking lot waiting for my sister...

He has been such a huge part of my life and couldn't ask for anyone more perfect for my sister...

He taught me, VERY patiently how to drive a stick...trust me, he was patient, and that is a lot from Paul...he made me go up a very large hill many times so I wouldn't kill the car...and trust me, it was many times before I mastered it, but he taught me and he taught me well! 

I have seen Paul do some amazing things!  One time when we were coming back from one of our many trips to Arkansas, the vehicle blew a fuse (I think that's what it was)...have no fear, Paul is here...he took the foil off of his cigarette package and rigged it just right in the fuse and low and behold, it worked...the vehicle ran smoothly from there on out...amazing! 

I remember being so shocked then laughing so hard on another trip back from Arkansas where he was so frustrated at his cell phone, he looked at Sarah, asked, "Do we own this?" she shook her head yes and he promptly threw it out the window...we were all in shock watching the phone skid down the night road...then laughing at the fact that he actually just threw his phone out the window...Paul doesn't take crap from anyone, or anything! 

I remember the long night drives on the way to Arkansas where it was only him and I awake in the vehicle (I have a very difficult time sleeping in vehicles)...talking, him telling me stories...his thoughts on things in life and just being amazed at all the knowledge and experience he had at such a young age. 

I remember at Bass Camp, four wheeling...on the little kid four wheeler....you see, I have often times trusted Paul with my life, so I thought, "sure, why not have two adults get on a little kid four wheeler, if Paul thinks its safe, it must be"...Well, he decided to do some sort of a shriner act by whipping around and then immediately after, popping a wheelie (I still have no idea how he did that) I, by the way, jumped off the back and landed on my feet, he was pretty impressed with my cat like moves! 

I remember all the vehicles I would bring him to fix, look at, or have him help me buy, he has truly always looked out for me....he has always been there when I needed advice or just wanted to be dumb to make him laugh and smile.

In the past two years, our bond has grown stronger than I had ever imagined it would be.  I remember the first lunch that I brought him while he was in the hospital...subway...with EXTRA mayo...and that, was a lot of mayo!  I remember being so scared and sad the first time going to visit him, I didn't know what to talk about or what to say or what to ask.  I was so nervous and that felt weird to me...if any of you have ever met Paul, he is one that no one is ever nervous around (unless you made him mad, then yes, you should be nervous!).  The minute I walked in the door, he gave me a smile and said his usual, "Hey slim" and all my inhibitions melted away...and from that moment on, I decided I would bring him lunch and visit him and Sarah as often as I could.

And boy did I, I soon was referred to by him as his lunch lady...every time that he was in the hospital, I would be there with lunch, drinks, hair clippers (his hair started falling out from the chemo so he asked me to bring a hair clipper to just shave it off...good idea, until the clipper died after about four minutes into shaving his head).  I feel very fortunate that my work has been so understanding and allowing me to take an hour of vacation time along with my lunch break to be able to do this....it really means the world to me!

The hours that I have spent with Sarah and Paul in the hospital are ones that I am forever going to treasure....I have seen the good, the bad, the sad, the angry, the happy, the scared....I have seen it...it has not been easy what-so-ever, but I am grateful for that time, I am grateful that Sarah and Paul have felt so comfortable with me to share all those raw and sometimes intimate times with me.  It truly is an honor.

Tonight, when their amazing Dr. Petnaik came in to talk with everyone, he summed up Paul better than I think anyone ever could.  He told us that we should feel so privileged to know someone like him and in all of his years of being a doctor, he has never seen anyone with so much fight in them.  I have seen that...we all have.  Paul has been amazing during this entire journey....we never know how we would be in certain situations until we are actually put there....but I know, no one has done it like Paul (and what else would we expect!).  You can tell once you meet Dr. Petnaik, he truly cares about Paul, you can tell that he wants what is best for him and that he knows just how amazing of a person that Paul is, and for that, I am grateful!

The fight is not over yet...we still have faith and prayers....we know that no matter where this journey takes Paul, he will be ok...he is just such an amazing man.

There is so much more my heart is telling me to write, but I just cannot put it into words...I love Paul so much and it hurts me to see the fear in his eyes...we are all scared...we don't know what to expect, but we do know one thing, we have all been blessed to know such an amazing, strong, loving, feisty, loyal man!  I am grateful for his wonderful family and to be so welcomed by each and every one of them. 

Thank you everyone for your positive thoughts, your prayers, your gestures of kindness, your hugs and just being there through this all...

Keep the fight Paul, we are by your side the entire time. 

What to BEEEEEE for HALLOWEEEEN

I love Halloween...I don't know what made me all of a sudden get into it and love the idea of dressing up...but I do, I love it!

This was one of the first years that we dressed up...no picture of Jacob...but...he was the devil...I was the angel...cliche for sure...rookies! (Amanda was a witch...obviously you can tell by the picture)

I think the next year we were....well, I don't really know...the "fire" couple perhaps?

 

 

I don't know if we took a hiatus for a year or two but then we were this...this was just a day after we got engaged...(yes, after his costume, I still married him...ha)

 

He was the "automic wedgie nerd" and I was a bumble bee...

and I have to put this picture in there...Just because they crack me up

 

 

 

One year I was a geisha girl ... Jacob was a "flasher" no pictures of that for some reason...but it was a really funny costume!  

 

 

Now...THIS is where I started to get creative and was tired of buying costumes from the store...THIS is where I really started having so much fun with Halloween! 

 

 

We were Amish...I bought my outfit on ebay and and it was an authentic Amish outfit and bonnet...Jacob's costume was super easy and he looked hilarious!

 

 



The next year...we were a square dancing couple...this again, authentic and off of ebay...fun costume!

 

Then...Goths....talk about one extreme to the other...square dancers to goths...

 

 

Then, came Snooki and "The Situation"...I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to wear a skin tight dress 4 months after having Charlie...EEEK!

Then, last year, we were the Kennedy's....I bought my suit on ebay...when it came in the mail, the skirt was way too long...I improvised and cut the top off of it and then used that material to make the hat so that it matched the suit perfectly...Just like Jackie O's ;)

 

 

This year....well...this year I had a difficult time deciding what to be...I didn't want to spend a ton of money and I couldn't figure out what we should be...I was ALMOST going to commit Halloween Sin and re-use a costume...then...it came to me...I decided we would be......WAIT...I can't tell you yet that's the funnest part...check back after Halloween to see what I decided we should be...

 

I really enjoy getting creative with our costumes and going all out!  I look forward to it every year and now, that I have our costumes figured out for this year...I am ready!!!! 

 

So, this year...what will you BEEEEE for HALLOWEEEEEEN!

 

 







Re-vamp

I know it's been awhile...I've been busy re-decorating  here and there..I started with my entertainment center....

 

Here is what it used to look like:

 

 

This had our wedding cake topper (which actually was my sister Sarah and Paul's), my favorite wedding picture, our unity candle and a copper tree that I made...

 

I wanted to "revamp" the colors and such so i tried a few different things:

 

 

 

Didn't quite like either of them, then I came up with this:

I love the little owl...it was only like $8-10 from Big lots!  Super cute!

Then I decided I wanted to do my bookshelf in the living room...it used to look like this:

 

That is pretty much how it has looked for the last 6 years or so....time for a change!

 

I found this to be VERY challenging...the middle shelf in the bookcase doesn't move...so it was just at an awkward height...I was super frustrated and tried about 75 different ways of decorating....Which I tend to do all the time!  I move pieces, take pieces from other places try them out...it's quite the process....one of the ways I cam up with was this:

I didn't love it...there was just something about it i didn't dig...it bothered the crap out of me for an entire day...I went to savers and I found this:

It was a nice blue, very much the same as the other blues that I had here and there...but I thought I needed a little "pop" of color...so, naturally, I painted it...I really think it made a huge difference in the balancing of the bookshelf!  Here is the final product....I can dig it!

 

Then, I was at Target and I saw these lampshades and they were on sale!  So, I had to get them :)

 

 

Yes, I took the plastic off of them...Jacob said they looked 70's which I kind of agree, but then again I don't...I can't decide...whatever...I like them and they look good!

 

 

I noticed that before, you could hardly even tell that I had lamps on the table, way to pick a lampshade that is the EXACT same color as your wall Melissa!  Wow...Oh and the lamps themselves, I got those for Christmas YEARS ago, they were brass and white...you know...super cute???  Well I thought hey, spray paint changes anything!  So, I spray painted them and they looked like completely different lamps!  Love it! 

 

I really like to decorate and see how little changes make a huge difference!  Love it! However, I am glad my living room is finished and my OCD can rest for a bit...hopefully!

 

Our house...On Rena Belle Street

It's been awhile...but I've been working on this blog here and there when I get time at home (which isn't often)...I will try to blog more often so they aren't THIS long...

When we bought our house in 2003 it is what one would consider a fixer upper….and by that….I mean a complete and nasty disgusting house.  Our house was built in the 70's and I am pretty sure everything in it was still original…I’m talking carpet (picture orange shag), paneled walls, gold refrigerator and stove…the works!

I like to think that I am an ambitious person and I knew that with the help of our families and friends we could make this place what I had imagined….When we first moved in we did the basics, kilz and painted the smoke stained walls -you could literally see where all the pictures on the walls hung by the stains from smoke that outlined them, kilzed the cat pee areas on the sub flooring, replaced the carpet….the basics but he necessities!  It was a fun and challenging experience. 

Then about 5 years ago we decided that we should do more to the house…so we invested a little more money and sheet rocked the walls, new laminate flooring, carpet, trim, painted the kitchen cabinets, new doors, furniture….it was SOOOOO much work, but SOOOOO worth it! I don’t know why…but for some reason I didn’t get any before pictures…oh yeah…I remember, I think I was at my parent's house for the day and came home and Jacob and one of his friends had started tearing down the paneling (insert panic attack here…it was REALLY going to happen?!?!)

 

 

2 years later we decided to re-do the basement….we got new carpet, sheet rocked the bottom part of the wall, got new doors , trim, furniture ($300 couch off of Craigslist - score!)…It turned out nice (and hardly gets used….oops!)

I started to notice that before I have a baby, I get the itch to do some sort of big project around the house…since we aren't planning on having a baby this year….I still wanted to do some sort of project around the house….I had seen all these pretty kitchens on pinterest and I just loved them and longed to have a nice big open kitchen….I knew that wasn’t going to happen so I improvised…

I went from cupboards like this:

 

To the before when we re-did the house in 2009 (I think that's when it was?), to the after which is the current state of our kitchen!  

 

I know it isn’t something that is going to add value to the house or anything, but it was a super quick and easy fix and it has helped me like my kitchen just a LITTLE bit more...oh...and last week I found these super cute old green wood salt and pepper shakers at savers for $3....love them!

 

Oh yeah..and while I was doing my kitchen re-do, I also decided to re-do my chairs and table...(ps...I hate to admit this, but I searched for probably 15 minutes for pictures of my table and chairs and the realized I was about 15 feet away from them and could probably just take a new picture of them...)

Chair - They used to be white and cream striped...good, cute decision BF (before children), not so much after children...now the fabric is a brighter green (can't tell from the pictures)...really fresh...and yes, I put plastic over them...with two small children, best decision I have ever made (ok, maybe not EVER but, it was a pretty good decision - especially after Paityn and/or Charlie colored on them with a permanent marker...wiped right off)

 

Table - I got this table from my parents as a hand me down when we moved in...it was pretty beat up after a couple years of playing drinking games on it wear and tear, so I painted it black and distressed it like the cupboards...

I realize that our house still could use a lot of work and isn't perfect by any means...but it has really come a long way!  I often wonder what the old owners would think walking in!  It isn't perfect, but it's ours (in about 13 years when we get it paid off!)
 

It Actually Worked!

So....I might have a major shopping addiction like to shop a lot little.  I like finding different pieces to go with other pieces.  I have about 30 or so solid color tank tops, just because you never know when you need that certain color top to go under a shirt...you just NEVER know! 

With my drawers exploding starting to get full, and the fact that I may have started to take over Jacob's side of the closet, I am starting to see that it might be getting out of control.  One of these days I really want and need to downsize, but not quite yet!

Over the last year I have really gone through my drawers and closet to cut back on the number of clothes that I never really wear.  I have successfully cleared out about 4 totes of clothing, that I will sell on a garage sale (if I ever get around to having one...oooof!).  I had a lot of sweaters that I hadn't worn in quite awhile and they were all packed in totes...well last winter I wanted some of those cute little "sweater cuff thingys" that stick out of your tall boots, well I decided to cut off the sleeves of one of the sweaters packed away and put them around my legs to stick out of my boots, if that makes sense?  Well it looked a little like this:

(These are NOT my legs, boots, or sweater sleeves -wish they were)

So...back to my whole too many clothes issue.  I wanted a blue cardigan, I don't know why, I just all of a sudden wanted one.  I knew if I brought home any more clothes, the Mr. would NOT be happy...boo...so...I improvised...I remember having a blue sweater that I loved but just never wore anymore and I knew it was in my garage sale totes...so, I searched for it...and found it...here it is:

Cute and all, but just tired of it...

 

I was really nervous about cutting this sweater because after I tried it on, I was like, "Ok, maybe I DO like this sweater...if I ruin it, then I can't even wear it normally anymore."...Then, I reminded myself, YOU HAVEN'T WORN THIS SWEATER IN YEARS, GET OVER IT!

 

 So, I cut it!

Then, I folded over the ends and pinned it...

Then, I sewed it (after having another struggle with my sewing machine and doing the bobbin crap)...but, here is the final product, the actual sewing only took me about 10 mintues...NICE

 

When I walked out of the bedroom to show Jacob, he got all, "You have how many clothes, why did you buy more?" to which I said, "Oh no, I made this!" He didn't believe me and I had to show him the before picture! 

 

Here is a little side by side....

 

To tell the truth, I was super surprised that this actually worked...and looked decent!  I paired it with a bright green tank and dark jean...love it!  I also, at some point, plan on wearing a mustard tank under it...cute!  AND for the chillier days, I have a green scarf I can wear with it...truly a versatile piece...yay me! 

 

Now THAT is hot!

So to follow up from my previous post, here are all of the pillows I have made...first I made one big one for the middle, but I decided it looked a bit like a bed pillow...boo

See bed pillow...so...I decided to just literally cut the pillow in half and sew it up...

I had a little extra material of the blue stuff, so I just sewed and stuffed it...I showed Jacob's mom and she said that actually you ARE supposed to have an uneven amount of pillows on your couch...so that works awesome!  Here the final product:

OK...now...onto the point of my post...

So a guy at work gave me some jalapeno peppers...I've never worked with peppers before, just jarred ones...I have heard horror stories of people cutting up a pepper then touching their eyes and they were in agony for hours...just didn't seem worth it to me....but, since these peppers were free, I thought I would try it out...

Here are my supplies...jalapenos, Parisian cheese, cream cheese and GLOVES! 

The thing holding up my cheese is a spaghetti squash...I have no idea what that is, or what to do with it...but I'm going to wing it and see how it goes...

Aaaaanyway....

The guy at work, told me to cut them down the center...so...I did...

 

Then I mixed a bit of cheese with cream cheese and stuffed

 

Please excuse the pink thumbnail...I was testing out a fingernail polish at Hyvee...maybe that should have been my first clue...needless to say, I did not buy it...it was like a flat nail polish...not shiny at all...and it would take like 10 coats to make it not be transparent....no thanks...I don't have time for that!  And...I really need to get away from this pink color...I can never seem to go outside the box when it comes to nail polish...I really try, but I always come back to this sort of pink...frustrating....ok...wow...ADD much today! 

 

So...here they are stuffed and in a pan...the guy said to put them in a jelly dish...and I have absolutely no clue as to what in the world that is couldn't find mine so I just put it in this dish

 

Then I waited...

 

In the mean time, Jacob was cooking steaks on the grill...we heard on the radio about the Omaha Steak truck being in the mall parking lot...I thought I would try those out...great deal, the steaks looked pretty good...bad, bad, bad, bad, horrible idea...ugh...we choke those steaks down every time we make them...they are thin and flavorless...I think if you liked your steaks nasty and dry well well well done....you would like them...we are not those people...so please people, don't make the same mistake we did...don't buy meat from a truck...in the mall parking lot...who would have thought...live and learn...Ps....we have steaks for sale if anyone wants to buy them...

 

The timer went ding, and I took out the peppers...





Now, I was told these shouldn't be that hot...so I was excited...I like spicy things...but I still like to taste what I am eating...well...these...were...burn the crap out of your tongue, mouth, throat, esophagus and stomach lining...HOT! Good, but HOT!  If I ever had any sort of sinus issue ever in my life, THIS would have cleared that up!  Holy, holy HOT!  We ate two each and couldn't take anymore...I think I will cut the rest of it up and make a dip of some sorts?  We shall see, they might just end up sitting in the fridge until Sunday when it's time to take out the trash...

 

I really should blog a little more often so I am not all over the place...either that or do it NOT during bedtime when I am putting on about 3 miles walking between the bedroom and the couch 788 times while putting Charlie to bed...