I pulled this from Charissa's blog.
Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud, and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING.
How does the world see you?
"Groovin'" by Damien Rice (Cool! So far this is working for me)
Will I have a happy life?"
"Forever Beautiful" by Dry Cell (that's good to know!)
What do my friends really think of me?
"She Looks To Me" by Red Hot Chili Peppers (I do turn to my friends a lot...hmm)
How can I make myself happy?
"Spitting Games" by Snow Patrol (who knew the answer to happiness was this simple?)
What should I do with my life?
"Renaissance" by Hooverphonic (ehhh)
Will I ever have children?
"Up, Up and Away" by Dave Matthews Band (this could go either way..are my hopes of having kids going up up and away...?)
What is some good advice for me?
"Distractions" by Zero 7 (man, is this one true!)
How will I be remembered?
"Don't Drink The Water" by Dave Matthews Band (I hope I will be remembered for something more like "Dancing Queen")
What is my signature dancing song?
"Blood Money" by The Church (My ex has called me a gold digger...however my real dance song is "Pink Sweater" about a girl who tells her shitty ex "I'll be the one in the Pink Sweater, dancing around when you're gone!"
What do I think my current theme song is?
"I Belong To You" by Lenny Kravitz (this could be true...this is one of my and Russ' songs)
What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
"Happy" by Fischerspooner (i hope this is how people view me)
What song will play at my funeral?
"The Cosmic Game" by Thievery Corporation (very surreal- love it! Sam and I dance to Thievery so perhaps he will dance to it at my funeral in honor of me)
What is my day going to be like?
"The Alchemist" by Dave Matthews Band (definition of alchemy: attempts to turn base metals into gold and find elixir of life. - alchemist)
Should I publish this meme?
"Where I Go" by Natalie Merchant (I publish my daily blog about where I go and what I do...so that's a yes)
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Snow and the Show
We've had some snow here recently. Really just dustings..but enough to leave the ground partially covered. Penny loves to run out and eat the snow- creating a beard effect on her face. Is she not the cutest little dog EVER?!?
Last night my mom came over for dinner because she was up at a vet for Meta's recheck. For those of you who have not been updated...turns out my mom's cat was injured pretty badly from her Smokey attack. There was a puncture wound that we did not notice, and when my mom returned from florida (welcome home!) Meta had a huge infected abscess and hole in her stomach. After a pretty intense exploratory surgery, the vet determined that no organs or vital tissue had been punctured and that Meta's excessive fatness literally saved her life. They removed 1 pound of fat from her stomach and she is now recovering. Her entire stomach is stitched closed. DUMB DOG!!
Here is a blurry picture I have of Meta (pre-dog attack)
After dinner with my mom, Russ and I headed to Claddagh's to see Wes and Drew play because we hadn't gotten out to see them in weeks. We met Charissa, and Ed there and closed the place down. Russ, Wes and Drew had way too much Scotch and suffered all day today for it.
Russ, with a scotch induced grin, enjoying the show:
Charissa and Ed overcome with excitement at receiving sweet text messages from Charissa's HOT new man, Joe. LOVE HIM!!
Wes and Drew in the middle of a set:
Last night my mom came over for dinner because she was up at a vet for Meta's recheck. For those of you who have not been updated...turns out my mom's cat was injured pretty badly from her Smokey attack. There was a puncture wound that we did not notice, and when my mom returned from florida (welcome home!) Meta had a huge infected abscess and hole in her stomach. After a pretty intense exploratory surgery, the vet determined that no organs or vital tissue had been punctured and that Meta's excessive fatness literally saved her life. They removed 1 pound of fat from her stomach and she is now recovering. Her entire stomach is stitched closed. DUMB DOG!!
Here is a blurry picture I have of Meta (pre-dog attack)
After dinner with my mom, Russ and I headed to Claddagh's to see Wes and Drew play because we hadn't gotten out to see them in weeks. We met Charissa, and Ed there and closed the place down. Russ, Wes and Drew had way too much Scotch and suffered all day today for it.
Russ, with a scotch induced grin, enjoying the show:
Charissa and Ed overcome with excitement at receiving sweet text messages from Charissa's HOT new man, Joe. LOVE HIM!!
Wes and Drew in the middle of a set:
Sunday, January 28, 2007
A Relaxing Weekend.
After the mayhem of last weekend, Russ and I decided to do a few of our favorite things this weekend to help us unwind and restore ourselves to a peaceful state of mind. Friday night we had a bonfire, which we planned rather last minute...and had a great turnout. Russ and Sam were home all day friday with Sam's cousin Andrea. They decided to revamp our campfire site with woodchips. It now looks gorgeous and everyone was very excited about the upgrade.
Here is Russ working on the wood chip path:
And the kids playing on the pile of wood chips:
Tons of people, and kids were there...it was quite fun. The only downside of the night was venturing inside the house to find that it had been commandeered by children...one look and I was headed right back to the beer I had waiting for me by the fire, when a small child would not let me leave without finding his shoes. They were nowhere to be found...and who knew putting gloves on a five year old was so DAMN hard!! My neighbors Angie and Cheryl walked in when I needed help most and I told them to remind me how frustrating children are in about a week or so. Another very funny point in the night: Russ discovering a three year old girl hiding in Sam's room covered in red paint and crying. We were laughing so hard we were almost crying. I managed to take zero pictures all night but luckily Charissa did.
Our neighbor, Mike standing in the middle of the fire. (Don't try this at home-just try it at our home)
Saturday Sam, Russ and I headed to Liberty Mountain for some skiing and snowboarding. What a joke compared to Telluride. Dru, we can see why you moved there...I was feeling like a serious ski snob on Saturday. Russ took an awesome video of Sam snowboarding and I will post this as soon as Russ gets it on the computer for me.
After dropping Sam back with his mom, Russ and I headed to a Bed & Breakfast we love in Lancaster, PA. The place is called Lovelace Manor. I took no pictures but was able to grab these off their website.
The Manor:
The other guests at the B&B were honeymooners. I love the decorated car:
Our suite, The Rose Suite:
We had an amazing dinner at our favorite Lancaster restaurant the loft and then spent today driving around the city and antiquing. We absolutely love Lancaster. The architecture is just beautiful and the city has so much character.
Here is a picture of Russ getting excited about the Antique mall we found, and his new favorite toy that he acquired from the mall: a lantern:
Oh yeah...we also went to an animal shelter and fell in love with a Mastiff/Weimeraner but decided against getting another dog. Her name was Cleo and here is a picture of her:
The ride home from our trip was even pleasant. Here is the beautiful sunset we saw:
While we were away Penelope stayed with Charissa and Antonio and clearly had a luxurious weekend of snuggles and blankets. Check out her blog to read about their weekend and see some adorable puppy pictures. (charissacosta.blogspot.com) I stole my favorites from her post.
Clearly these two are pooped from snuggling. Tough life. Thanks, Charissa, for being such a good babysitter!
Well...that's all for now...it was a packed weekend but VERY relaxing and fun! Now I must return to laundry and organizing. Russ and I are actually getting quite a bit done around the house this evening.
Here is Russ working on the wood chip path:
And the kids playing on the pile of wood chips:
Tons of people, and kids were there...it was quite fun. The only downside of the night was venturing inside the house to find that it had been commandeered by children...one look and I was headed right back to the beer I had waiting for me by the fire, when a small child would not let me leave without finding his shoes. They were nowhere to be found...and who knew putting gloves on a five year old was so DAMN hard!! My neighbors Angie and Cheryl walked in when I needed help most and I told them to remind me how frustrating children are in about a week or so. Another very funny point in the night: Russ discovering a three year old girl hiding in Sam's room covered in red paint and crying. We were laughing so hard we were almost crying. I managed to take zero pictures all night but luckily Charissa did.
Our neighbor, Mike standing in the middle of the fire. (Don't try this at home-just try it at our home)
Saturday Sam, Russ and I headed to Liberty Mountain for some skiing and snowboarding. What a joke compared to Telluride. Dru, we can see why you moved there...I was feeling like a serious ski snob on Saturday. Russ took an awesome video of Sam snowboarding and I will post this as soon as Russ gets it on the computer for me.
After dropping Sam back with his mom, Russ and I headed to a Bed & Breakfast we love in Lancaster, PA. The place is called Lovelace Manor. I took no pictures but was able to grab these off their website.
The Manor:
The other guests at the B&B were honeymooners. I love the decorated car:
Our suite, The Rose Suite:
We had an amazing dinner at our favorite Lancaster restaurant the loft and then spent today driving around the city and antiquing. We absolutely love Lancaster. The architecture is just beautiful and the city has so much character.
Here is a picture of Russ getting excited about the Antique mall we found, and his new favorite toy that he acquired from the mall: a lantern:
Oh yeah...we also went to an animal shelter and fell in love with a Mastiff/Weimeraner but decided against getting another dog. Her name was Cleo and here is a picture of her:
The ride home from our trip was even pleasant. Here is the beautiful sunset we saw:
While we were away Penelope stayed with Charissa and Antonio and clearly had a luxurious weekend of snuggles and blankets. Check out her blog to read about their weekend and see some adorable puppy pictures. (charissacosta.blogspot.com) I stole my favorites from her post.
Clearly these two are pooped from snuggling. Tough life. Thanks, Charissa, for being such a good babysitter!
Well...that's all for now...it was a packed weekend but VERY relaxing and fun! Now I must return to laundry and organizing. Russ and I are actually getting quite a bit done around the house this evening.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Love at First Bite.
Well, I am long overdue for a meaningful blog entry and I've had quite the weekend to provide me with PLENTY to write about.
Russ and I had decided that we were ready to start considering another dog. I've applied to many rescue agencies online and heard nothing back from any of them. Saturday, Charissa suggested cruising the local animal shelters to find a dog. She did this to cheer me up, since I was starting to get emotional about the whole dog thing. If Max were still around, we would not need to find another dog, and of course Max was perfect and I just wish he were still around....repeating over and over in my head accompanied by tears and sadness, getting me nowhere. Charissa spent the entire day and evening with me, being wonderfully supportive and helpful. I am so lucky to have a friend like her!
Our first stop was the SPCA where there was an adorable puppy. I am so proud of myself for walking away from him. Russ and I agreed we wanted an adult dog that no one else would want...a dog that really needed a loving home. We still played with the puppy and he was adorable!
Of course Charissa and I could not resist taking a picture with the little guy with a beard. They said he was part pit bull but he clearly was a terrier!
Moving on...our next stop was BARCS- Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter. There we fell in love with Maurice. Ahhhh Maurice. Freeze frame the moment I saw him in the kennel...one of those moments that, if I were to go back in time and do again, I really wouldn't know what to do. Hold on, cause this gets good....
We lock eyes and it was love at first site. The woman at the shelter then tells us that Maurice has been at the shelter for a long time and no one even gives him a second look. I took him into the visitation room immediately. He is a 2 year old Chocolate Lab, Shephard mix. Super cute and sweet. I decide within 10 minutes that I will be taking him home with me. We process our paperwork and in around an hour I am the proud owner of Maurice. All of the women who worked at the shelter came out to say goodbye to him and thank us. They were thrilled that Maurice was finally going home after so many months. Charissa and I give each other a look as to say "We've done good today!" Full of happiness and pride, Charissa and I load Maurice into the truck and head on our merry way. Note: this will be the last merry moment we have for awhile!
We stop at my moms house to pick something up for her and Maurice wreaks havoc in my moms house. I cannot get into details but lets just say...attempted murder of her cats occurred. Luckily everyone was fine. I high tail it home to Russ, the king of calm, to regain control of Maurice and myself. We were both wound up and in hysterics. While home, Russ does a great job calming down the situation...we set up Maurice's crate to ensure the safety of our small animals and we go to sleep. Even though it was a sleepless night for Russ and I, Maurice was was calm and caused no trouble. The next morning, Russ took Maurice into the yard for a nice long walk on the leash before going to the vet to be neutered. Maurice must have overheard because upon approaching the house he cleverly yanked his head out of his collar and took off. Russ and I ran a mile or so down our busy street following this dog. Watching as he is nearly hit by cars and jumping in the road to flag down cars and force them to stop and then proceed very slowly. At the end of this chase scene Maurice gets close enough to Russ to be tackled. He is clearly very scared and bites Russ very hard on the hand. At this point, we give up and go to an urgent care facility to have Russ' hand checked out.
After a long day...Russ and I come home to cook dinner and who should show up at our back door but Maurice. I suppose he was tired and hungry from running the neighborhood all day. We were thrilled to have him back because we could not bear the thought of him getting hit by a car, or spending the night outside in the snow. Maurice seemed just as thrilled to be home and was as sweet as could be...following us around the house, and sleeping by our side while we watched tv. Of course, we had to keep all the cats, and Penny locked up in our bedroom. We really bonded with Maurice and named him Smokey after Russ' aunt's dog who is known to run away for days on end, and come home when he gets hungry. Despite everything that had occurred, Russ decided that there was no way Smokey was going back to the shelter. It is very obvious that Smokey has been severly abused (he's afraid of his own shadow) and that no one has ever given him a chance. Luckily for us, we came up with the perfect solution. Russ' dad has been wanting to adopt a dog for months and fell in love with Smokey the minute he saw him. He lives alone, has no other animals, and has a large fenced in yard. Due to Smokey's desire to run away, and kill small house pets, this sounded like a match made in heaven! All in all, Smokey has a happy ending and we will still be able to help raise Smokey while ensuring the safety of our four small animals at home. Here are some pictures of Smokey the Bear:
Russ and I had decided that we were ready to start considering another dog. I've applied to many rescue agencies online and heard nothing back from any of them. Saturday, Charissa suggested cruising the local animal shelters to find a dog. She did this to cheer me up, since I was starting to get emotional about the whole dog thing. If Max were still around, we would not need to find another dog, and of course Max was perfect and I just wish he were still around....repeating over and over in my head accompanied by tears and sadness, getting me nowhere. Charissa spent the entire day and evening with me, being wonderfully supportive and helpful. I am so lucky to have a friend like her!
Our first stop was the SPCA where there was an adorable puppy. I am so proud of myself for walking away from him. Russ and I agreed we wanted an adult dog that no one else would want...a dog that really needed a loving home. We still played with the puppy and he was adorable!
Of course Charissa and I could not resist taking a picture with the little guy with a beard. They said he was part pit bull but he clearly was a terrier!
Moving on...our next stop was BARCS- Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter. There we fell in love with Maurice. Ahhhh Maurice. Freeze frame the moment I saw him in the kennel...one of those moments that, if I were to go back in time and do again, I really wouldn't know what to do. Hold on, cause this gets good....
We lock eyes and it was love at first site. The woman at the shelter then tells us that Maurice has been at the shelter for a long time and no one even gives him a second look. I took him into the visitation room immediately. He is a 2 year old Chocolate Lab, Shephard mix. Super cute and sweet. I decide within 10 minutes that I will be taking him home with me. We process our paperwork and in around an hour I am the proud owner of Maurice. All of the women who worked at the shelter came out to say goodbye to him and thank us. They were thrilled that Maurice was finally going home after so many months. Charissa and I give each other a look as to say "We've done good today!" Full of happiness and pride, Charissa and I load Maurice into the truck and head on our merry way. Note: this will be the last merry moment we have for awhile!
We stop at my moms house to pick something up for her and Maurice wreaks havoc in my moms house. I cannot get into details but lets just say...attempted murder of her cats occurred. Luckily everyone was fine. I high tail it home to Russ, the king of calm, to regain control of Maurice and myself. We were both wound up and in hysterics. While home, Russ does a great job calming down the situation...we set up Maurice's crate to ensure the safety of our small animals and we go to sleep. Even though it was a sleepless night for Russ and I, Maurice was was calm and caused no trouble. The next morning, Russ took Maurice into the yard for a nice long walk on the leash before going to the vet to be neutered. Maurice must have overheard because upon approaching the house he cleverly yanked his head out of his collar and took off. Russ and I ran a mile or so down our busy street following this dog. Watching as he is nearly hit by cars and jumping in the road to flag down cars and force them to stop and then proceed very slowly. At the end of this chase scene Maurice gets close enough to Russ to be tackled. He is clearly very scared and bites Russ very hard on the hand. At this point, we give up and go to an urgent care facility to have Russ' hand checked out.
After a long day...Russ and I come home to cook dinner and who should show up at our back door but Maurice. I suppose he was tired and hungry from running the neighborhood all day. We were thrilled to have him back because we could not bear the thought of him getting hit by a car, or spending the night outside in the snow. Maurice seemed just as thrilled to be home and was as sweet as could be...following us around the house, and sleeping by our side while we watched tv. Of course, we had to keep all the cats, and Penny locked up in our bedroom. We really bonded with Maurice and named him Smokey after Russ' aunt's dog who is known to run away for days on end, and come home when he gets hungry. Despite everything that had occurred, Russ decided that there was no way Smokey was going back to the shelter. It is very obvious that Smokey has been severly abused (he's afraid of his own shadow) and that no one has ever given him a chance. Luckily for us, we came up with the perfect solution. Russ' dad has been wanting to adopt a dog for months and fell in love with Smokey the minute he saw him. He lives alone, has no other animals, and has a large fenced in yard. Due to Smokey's desire to run away, and kill small house pets, this sounded like a match made in heaven! All in all, Smokey has a happy ending and we will still be able to help raise Smokey while ensuring the safety of our four small animals at home. Here are some pictures of Smokey the Bear:
Thursday, January 18, 2007
The Progression of Penny
Due to popular demand I am posting the many lives of Penny's hair. Charissa asked what Penny looks like with short hair....I am posting pictures of every stage. She looks like a different dog in every picture and the buzz cut one is flat out hilarious.
Peruse the following pictures for a little mid afternoon amusement:
When Penny first came home from the shelter with her nasty hair:
Cleaned up with long hair:
Penny with a mullet:
Penny with a buzz cut:
Peruse the following pictures for a little mid afternoon amusement:
When Penny first came home from the shelter with her nasty hair:
Cleaned up with long hair:
Penny with a mullet:
Penny with a buzz cut:
Sunday, January 14, 2007
On A More Positive Note.....
My last post had a negative tone, and although my stress has not subsided, only intensified with tons of work, I am in need of a positive blog. We finished our living room and it looks great.
Here's the before picture again:
Here's the after picture:
I am in the office still trying to make a deadline for tomorrow morning so I must return to work. This picture reminds me of why I do what I do ; )
Piture taken at the Miami airport on our way to St. Lucia.
Check out our website which has been updated yet again and looks FABULOUS. Clearly it IS all about design...I'm loving our gallery section and our recent website designs!
www.springdesign.us
Here's the before picture again:
Here's the after picture:
I am in the office still trying to make a deadline for tomorrow morning so I must return to work. This picture reminds me of why I do what I do ; )
Piture taken at the Miami airport on our way to St. Lucia.
Check out our website which has been updated yet again and looks FABULOUS. Clearly it IS all about design...I'm loving our gallery section and our recent website designs!
www.springdesign.us
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Stress!!!
I haven't had time to post lately because of work. I just finished rushing to get work out the door, so I'm now taking time to relax for a second and catch up on blogging. Overall this week has been hectic and stressful. I am working with a client that sends work at the end of the day and wants it completed by the next morning. I absolutely hate saying no to clients, so I am doing my best to make their tight deadlines. Russ just finished our living room floor last night, so we'll be able to put our house back in order by early next week hopefully. We have to let the Poly dry and set before we move furniture back into the room. The floor looks gorgeous but the living room furniture crammed in the dining room is making me crazy. Disorganization at home definitely adds to stress.
I was looking forward to a relaxing night last night with the cutie kids at the hospital house where I teach art every Wednesday, but alas it was not in the stars. I had just started class in the common area when a woman ran into the room yelling "Everyone out! FIRE!" The hall to the right of the common room was filled with smoke. Everyone panicked and started walk/running- grabbing kids and running for the door. I handed Penny off to my class helper and ran upstairs with a woman to pull the alarm and help get everyone out of the house. Everyone staying there is either very ill, or wheelchair bound, so evacuating the house could prove to be very difficult. We pounded on doors and helped people get out of their rooms. I did something very stupid...I took a woman in a wheelchair onto the elevator and down to the first floor. Russ told me if the fire were at the elevator we would have been killed when the doors opened. WHOOPS! I just couldn't conceive of trying to carry a woman down two flights of stairs...luckily we all made it out safely and the fire was very minor and contained within minutes- unfortunately we didn't know this when we were evacuating. This whole chain of events led me to wonder a few things though...why didn't someone think to pull the fire alarm before I made it to the second floor and pulled it myself...and why did everyone run out the door, rather than help? Luckily a man followed Joyce and I upstairs and was able to carry a terminally ill man out of the building...but we could have used more help. Russ calls me a fixer because I try to fix everything for everyone...so of course I have some ideas and suggestions for fire safety at the house which I think I will discuss with the director next week. The thought of little kids being stuck in wheelchairs in a burning house is plaguing me now- so hopefully they will take some of my ideas.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the weekend...even though a client has asked for a 60 page book to be made by Monday. Of course we will do it...60 pages is not that much, but its not a super quick project either. I will be doing the bulk of it because everyone else is on other jobs, so it looks like it will be another fast forward weekend. Oh yeah and I have to go to court tomorrow morning- I just LOVE wasting time and oodles of money dealing with an angry ex- mmm can't wait!
I was looking forward to a relaxing night last night with the cutie kids at the hospital house where I teach art every Wednesday, but alas it was not in the stars. I had just started class in the common area when a woman ran into the room yelling "Everyone out! FIRE!" The hall to the right of the common room was filled with smoke. Everyone panicked and started walk/running- grabbing kids and running for the door. I handed Penny off to my class helper and ran upstairs with a woman to pull the alarm and help get everyone out of the house. Everyone staying there is either very ill, or wheelchair bound, so evacuating the house could prove to be very difficult. We pounded on doors and helped people get out of their rooms. I did something very stupid...I took a woman in a wheelchair onto the elevator and down to the first floor. Russ told me if the fire were at the elevator we would have been killed when the doors opened. WHOOPS! I just couldn't conceive of trying to carry a woman down two flights of stairs...luckily we all made it out safely and the fire was very minor and contained within minutes- unfortunately we didn't know this when we were evacuating. This whole chain of events led me to wonder a few things though...why didn't someone think to pull the fire alarm before I made it to the second floor and pulled it myself...and why did everyone run out the door, rather than help? Luckily a man followed Joyce and I upstairs and was able to carry a terminally ill man out of the building...but we could have used more help. Russ calls me a fixer because I try to fix everything for everyone...so of course I have some ideas and suggestions for fire safety at the house which I think I will discuss with the director next week. The thought of little kids being stuck in wheelchairs in a burning house is plaguing me now- so hopefully they will take some of my ideas.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the weekend...even though a client has asked for a 60 page book to be made by Monday. Of course we will do it...60 pages is not that much, but its not a super quick project either. I will be doing the bulk of it because everyone else is on other jobs, so it looks like it will be another fast forward weekend. Oh yeah and I have to go to court tomorrow morning- I just LOVE wasting time and oodles of money dealing with an angry ex- mmm can't wait!
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Home Improvement
This weekend we decided to dive into some home improvement projects that we've been contemplating for a long time. When we moved into our house, everything was fresh and new...new carpet and fresh paint, only problem was, everything was neutral. I guess that's the rule of thumb for selling a house. That works I guess, unless the two people buying the house are artists...the neutral tones everywhere have finally driven us insane. Luckily the previous owners painted the kitchen and breakfast room a gorgeous sage green, but the living room and dining room have beige walls and a slightly different beige colored carpet. Yuck. Dining room...we decided to paint the bottom half of the walls below the chair rail a chocolate brown. I adore this color...it is so rich and so many colors look amazing against it. We figured this would add some contrast and depth to the room.
Here is the before picture as we started the job:
Here is Russ painting the first bit on:
Here is the completed project- unfortunately a lot of our living room furniture is crammed in this room because of the next project we decided to do...But you can still get the idea.
Next we moved on to the living room. Luckily I have a before picture courtesy of Angie taken from New Year's eve. You can see the neutral walls and carpet. We decided to rip out the carpet and expose the oak hard wood floor beneath. Who carpets hard wood floors?! Anyway, this is quite a project...we had to totally empty the room and we will have to power sand the floor, restain and poly the floor...but it will look so much better. We paused briefly to discuss painting the walls a color- but we're going to wait a while and just finish this floor since our house will be torn apart until we can finish this project up. It will take about a week.
Before:
In the middle of the project:
It already looks so much better. I will post the finished product in about a week when we're done.
Here is the before picture as we started the job:
Here is Russ painting the first bit on:
Here is the completed project- unfortunately a lot of our living room furniture is crammed in this room because of the next project we decided to do...But you can still get the idea.
Next we moved on to the living room. Luckily I have a before picture courtesy of Angie taken from New Year's eve. You can see the neutral walls and carpet. We decided to rip out the carpet and expose the oak hard wood floor beneath. Who carpets hard wood floors?! Anyway, this is quite a project...we had to totally empty the room and we will have to power sand the floor, restain and poly the floor...but it will look so much better. We paused briefly to discuss painting the walls a color- but we're going to wait a while and just finish this floor since our house will be torn apart until we can finish this project up. It will take about a week.
Before:
In the middle of the project:
It already looks so much better. I will post the finished product in about a week when we're done.
Accent Quiz from Charissa's Blog
Stolen straight from Charissa's blog is this accent quiz. I'd say it's pretty dead on being that I grew up in North Jersey:
| What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak. | |
| Philadelphia | |
| The Inland North | |
| The Midland | |
| The South | |
| Boston | |
| The West | |
| North Central | |
| What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz | |
Monday, January 1, 2007
Five and Five
Charissa has created a new poll and I think it's great. I just finished reading hers and it's wonderful. Very creative and positive idea, Charissa! Five and five: list five accomplishments that changed your life in 2006 and list five accomplishments I hope to achieve in 2007. 2006 has been such a huge year for me...so this will be easy for me to write. It's also nice to reflect on what a great year it has been.
1. Officially started Spring Design and Production, LLC in January, 2006. I literally started the year of 2006 with one of the biggest, if not THE biggest decision of my life. I can't comment enough on how blessed I am to have this company. The people who took a leap of faith to help me start it, Russ and my mom, and the people who took a leap of faith to accept jobs at a small startup company, Matt, and Kelli, have earned a special place in my heart forever because of their trust, confidence and loyalty. They're all responsible for this happy day to day existence I have when I wake up to go to a job I love every morning. Our first year has been a huge success...we've created an incredibly positive buzz in a very cut-throat and stressful industry, Educational Publishing/Production. We've remained steadily busy, at times ridiculously stressed out, yet all the while remaining a strong team that pulls through with poise.
2. Moved in with Russ. Despite a very negative and unsuccessful past in love and marriage, I ignored good common sense and moved in with a man. I say that jokingly, because despite everything I thought love was (all bad stuff) Russ has really thrown all of that out the window. He has taught me that you really can be best friends with your partner and that day to day life can be full of goofiness and laughter and "doing whatever we want because we're in charge". It has been such a happy and fun coexistence thus far that I am filled with nothing but positivity for what the future holds for us as a team.
3. Lost a very cherished loved one. Clearly this is not an accomplishment, but it is an event that changed my life this year. When Max was diagnosed with cancer I learned a lot about myself. Mainly that events occur whether or not you think you can emotionally handle them, and that I am a good mom. Max helped me realize that I definitely want kid(s) someday, a decision I struggled with after going through a divorce. All that I have left of Max are the memories of everything we did together...taking care of him and being with him were the happiest times of my adult life. It will be a real adjustment to continue to try to get used to his blaring absence, and the huge hole that has been left in my life.
4. Got back on the travel wagon and left the country again. Russ and I spent a week in St. Lucia in the Caribbean. The goal of the trip was to relax and reconnect with some alone time. The last time I travelled out of the country was on my honeymoon, to Greece, where I first got the travel bug. I promised myself I would see everything and travel somewhere amazing every year. When I returned from my honeymoon my marriage quickly fell apart, and a lot of plans I had for my future were placed on the back burner. Although St. Lucia wasn't on my list of amazing places to see, it marked the start of travelling to new places and making travelling a priority again. The best part of the trip was that Russ got the travel bug too. Seeing a different country and such a drastically different culture has him excited to plan our next trip.
5. Shed some bad friend weight, and gained friends who truly care about me. I need to keep this one short so that my anger does not come through. I had some horrible friends from my past life...girls who did nothing to help support my marriage, and then abandoned and betrayed me when I needed them the most. With my new life, and my new outlook on life, I've acquired an amazing circle of friends that bring me a ton of joy. This circle is full of fun, support, love, and all of those good things. They've all helped support the growth of my relationship with Russ, the growth of my company, and the growth of myself as an individual in so many ways.
FIVE FOR 2007
1. Take Spring to the next level. Continue to grow and remain successful.
2. Continue to be happy in love with Russ (this one should be easy ; )
3. Perhaps find something to take care of..a large dog, goats, or a baby :o
4. Continue to love life.
5. Become a better skiier. (to lighten things up)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
1. Officially started Spring Design and Production, LLC in January, 2006. I literally started the year of 2006 with one of the biggest, if not THE biggest decision of my life. I can't comment enough on how blessed I am to have this company. The people who took a leap of faith to help me start it, Russ and my mom, and the people who took a leap of faith to accept jobs at a small startup company, Matt, and Kelli, have earned a special place in my heart forever because of their trust, confidence and loyalty. They're all responsible for this happy day to day existence I have when I wake up to go to a job I love every morning. Our first year has been a huge success...we've created an incredibly positive buzz in a very cut-throat and stressful industry, Educational Publishing/Production. We've remained steadily busy, at times ridiculously stressed out, yet all the while remaining a strong team that pulls through with poise.
2. Moved in with Russ. Despite a very negative and unsuccessful past in love and marriage, I ignored good common sense and moved in with a man. I say that jokingly, because despite everything I thought love was (all bad stuff) Russ has really thrown all of that out the window. He has taught me that you really can be best friends with your partner and that day to day life can be full of goofiness and laughter and "doing whatever we want because we're in charge". It has been such a happy and fun coexistence thus far that I am filled with nothing but positivity for what the future holds for us as a team.
3. Lost a very cherished loved one. Clearly this is not an accomplishment, but it is an event that changed my life this year. When Max was diagnosed with cancer I learned a lot about myself. Mainly that events occur whether or not you think you can emotionally handle them, and that I am a good mom. Max helped me realize that I definitely want kid(s) someday, a decision I struggled with after going through a divorce. All that I have left of Max are the memories of everything we did together...taking care of him and being with him were the happiest times of my adult life. It will be a real adjustment to continue to try to get used to his blaring absence, and the huge hole that has been left in my life.
4. Got back on the travel wagon and left the country again. Russ and I spent a week in St. Lucia in the Caribbean. The goal of the trip was to relax and reconnect with some alone time. The last time I travelled out of the country was on my honeymoon, to Greece, where I first got the travel bug. I promised myself I would see everything and travel somewhere amazing every year. When I returned from my honeymoon my marriage quickly fell apart, and a lot of plans I had for my future were placed on the back burner. Although St. Lucia wasn't on my list of amazing places to see, it marked the start of travelling to new places and making travelling a priority again. The best part of the trip was that Russ got the travel bug too. Seeing a different country and such a drastically different culture has him excited to plan our next trip.
5. Shed some bad friend weight, and gained friends who truly care about me. I need to keep this one short so that my anger does not come through. I had some horrible friends from my past life...girls who did nothing to help support my marriage, and then abandoned and betrayed me when I needed them the most. With my new life, and my new outlook on life, I've acquired an amazing circle of friends that bring me a ton of joy. This circle is full of fun, support, love, and all of those good things. They've all helped support the growth of my relationship with Russ, the growth of my company, and the growth of myself as an individual in so many ways.
FIVE FOR 2007
1. Take Spring to the next level. Continue to grow and remain successful.
2. Continue to be happy in love with Russ (this one should be easy ; )
3. Perhaps find something to take care of..a large dog, goats, or a baby :o
4. Continue to love life.
5. Become a better skiier. (to lighten things up)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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