Decorating part deux

I got a bug in me last night to finish up alot of my decorating - or at least placement of the decorations I have. Now that I'm sort of done with that I realize I need ALOT more stuff! This house has much more potential for holiday decor than my past apartments.


I cleaned off the entry table & added a few festive ornaments ... the tupperware bins do not qualify & will be removed later tonight.


I added a few more trinkets to the mantle & set up the nativity scene on the table between the beautiful and festive orange chairs. I just noticed how festive my pillows look - they are in the holiday spirit in their red stripes!



And finally, the tree. You can't really tell how glorious it is from this picture. Maybe I should take pictures in the dark so you can see the happy glow of the lights. I have caught the cats under the tree a handful of times already... and one ornament pulled off and placed on the kitchen floor for me to find. I am hoping the kitties will lose interest quickly. Good luck, right?!

I love this decorating thing! It is great and just cheers you up no matter what kind of day you've had! I just like to sit on the couch with all my candles lit & the Christmas lights on and just hum Oh Holy Night to myself. Love.

Decorating... Part 1

As promised, I started my decorating efforts last night. Not a major effort, but some.

First, I hung poinsettia garlands over the mirror in our entry way. (don't pay attention to the crap all over the table.. it's a work in progress!)



Then, I cleared off the mantel & added berry & sparkly garlands. I hung a wreath on the wall but not convinced it's staying there.. or in that position. We'll see.




Then I felt the need to resurrect one of my favorite holiday photos - Mark & Freddie in her holiday finery. She loves it!



More decorating to come!

Christmas Begins..

I was a bit irked this year to see how many people (retailers included) found it ok to skip Thanksgiving & decorate for Christmas mid-November. Thanksgiving is such a great holiday and I felt like it should have its own decorations. A thumbs up to Nordstrom who actually posted a sign at their front doors explaining that they would not be decorating for Christmas until November 27th. Way to go Nordstrom!

Ok.. enough of that - I actually love Christmas. I like how cheery things look all the time. This is our first Christmas in our new house & I am fear that I may turn into a crazy person over decorating. My house growing up never lacked in full holiday regalia dripping from every outpost possible - but I have always found myself a bit more conservative in my decorating quests. A tasteful tree, a nice wreath, a nativity scene.. but far from over the top.

This year I am already feeling different about my approach to decorating - there will definitely be more of it! I have already made my maiden voyage to Michaels to buy garlands that were 50% off. And who knows what will loom in the future.

Christmas is a time of celebration and what better way to celebrate than to decorate like you're having a party! Pictures to come...

Birthday Treats... the adventure story

I am a big fan of channels like the Food Network or Bravo, Travel Channel - anything that showcases food or cooking. Recently while watching an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives I learned about Bacon Donuts (you have to imagine the heavenly choir singing on your own when I say "Bacon Donuts"..). So, I shared this new-found-treasure with my bacon-adoring husband - immediately his eyes sort of went watery at the mere thought of bacon as a topping on a donut. It's like Homer Simpson's dream coming into reality.



**Side Note... I should have learned long ago to watch what I repeat to my husband. After watching an episode of Paula Deen where she described how she puts little pea-sized pieces of butter in with her hamburger meat to keep it "juicy" he has made this hamburger regiment number one. So much for paying extra for super lean meat! Continuing on...



So, today is my husband's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!) and I asked him if he'd like to take a treat to work to share for his special day and he immediately answered "bacon donuts." I should have guessed. Onto the google-machine I went and spliced together my very own recipe for bacon donut holes. For those of you ready to jump on the exciting adventure... please continue reading.



Bacon Donuts, adapted

Ingredients:

2 tubes of Grands Biscuits

1 tbsp cinnamon

3-5 cups of vegetable oil



Cut each biscuit in quarters, sprinkle with cinnamon & roll into balls. Heat oil to 375 degrees ("deep frying" temp) - use candy thermometer for accuracy. If the oil gets too hot the holes burn.. we learned that first-hand. Drop 6-8 holes into the oil & let them cook for about 3 minute total. They will start to turn over by themselves but it's a good idea to make sure they're evenly fried on each side. Remove & place on paper towels to remove excess grease.



Glaze:

1 1/4 c Powdered Sugar

1/4 c Maple Syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Mix together - if it comes out too thick, add a bit more syrup or a bit of milk (tsp at a time) until it is a glaze consistency. Dip each donut hole into the glaze -we chose to only dip half but that is up to you. Set on a piece of parchment/wax paper (glaze-side up) and sprinkle with chopped bacon. We used almost an entire package of bacon for this batch but that is at your discretion.



Let the holes set for about 30 minutes or so & either enjoy right away or place in an air-tight container for sharing later with friends! Makes 64 donut holes (wow! that sounds like alot!)



Enjoy!!!

(ps: sorry for the lack of pictures... I couldn't get it out of my husbands cell phone!)

Getting Healthy

It occurs to me that the holidays are looming somewhere close and that always sends my metabolism into hiding for a few months. I always find it amazing that in two fell swoops (namely Thanksgiving & Christmas) that I can go from a fairly normal, healthy girl to Hilda the Bohemoth Woman who's jeans are way too tight and has the energy of a slug baby. NOT THIS YEAR!

As soon as the sun decided to get it's lazy butt out of bed an hour earlier... so did I... and I started running in the mornings again. I always feel so much better when I run in the mornings - I am ready for bed at 8:15pm, but definitely feel better. Plus, I love our neighborhood early in the morning - when people are just starting to get up and move about. Houses are quiet, streets are still, sprinklers are doing their thing - it's very peaceful. Well, until I come running through with a quasi-asthmatic wheeze desperately trying not to keel over while singing the lyrics to one or another Miley Cyrus song. But enough about that..

I am also very excited about the prospect of the new workout DVD that is to be finding its way to me sometime "after the 17th" - the Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred. Compliments of my bestie, Kaija, I am guaranteed results from this bad boy. My Question is, does she yell insults at you from the DVD? I secretly hope so!

And last but definitely not least - I am going back to Weight Watchers. I joined WW a bit over 2 1/2 years ago and was very successful at it... and then decided I didn't need it anymore and I figured that I could do everything on my own. It is humbling how wrong I was. So - I am back and with a vengeance!

Watch out holidays! I'm on to you and your wiley ways!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is pretty big around my workplace - all the departments dress up in different themes. It gets pretty competitive. We had some pretty good groups this year but none can compare to my departments Lucha Libres! Yes, that is correct - there were 10 luchadoras, a referee and a ring girl.

We ruled the place! But.... we still came in 2nd to a duo that dressed up like Dog the Bounty Hunter & his wife, Beth.

They really can't be beat!

Happy Halloween everyone!

AKA... Houses for People

It appears I'm on a good-deed kick these days.



On top of my Baking Gals efforts, I am also volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. I've wanted to do this for over 5 years now but never could seem to get myself signed up. So, 2 weeks ago, I finally went to the Orientation Meeting and discovered that there are many different opportunities to volunteer for within Habitat for Humanity. I feel so silly thinking all I could do was build a house! I immediately signed up for a bunch of different teams.



First, I am working with the Hospitality team. They are the group of bright & smiling faces you see when you first get to a building site. I am one of those crazy people that wakes up in a great mood and can actually hold a conversation without ingesting a pot of coffee. I love mornings. My husband would not be good at this. After many expletives & throwing something at someone, he would be escorted off the premises and banned. So... I will be doing this solo.



Next is the Family Selection. Feeling overwhelmingly blessed that Mark & I were able to buy our house this year I feel like this is a great place for me to donate some time. The idea of meeting families & working with them on their paperwork and discussing home ownership and all of that makes me super excited. I will, however, warn them about yards. They are a never-ending source of chores & items on the to-do list. Our yard is a mess. And due to the recent rain, it is now a mess with lots of growing weeds. They are pretty & green though... so if you squint it looks like grass!



Hopefully my recent stint of generosity will inspire someone to get up and devote some time on someone or something else. I feel like I have been blessed with a very charmed life and it is good for me to remember that not everyone has been so fortunate. We're all in this together - let's help eachother out.



And now we'll sing Kumbaya. :)

Baking for good

I just had to tell everyone about the new thing I am doing - it's call Baking Gals. I saw it on another blog and thought it was PERFECT for me. I love to bake & what an awesome way to do something good with it. Not that bringing cookies to work isn't a good deed but this is a great opportunity. Oh... you want to know what it is? How silly of me!

Baking Gals was started by a clever young lady who wanted to send baked goodies to soldiers serving our country. Each month new groups are formed & you can sign up for one or a few & they designate you a soldier to send your goodies to. You can do it every month or just when you are able to fit it in. It is a great cause & I am so excited to be a part of it.

If you'd like to check it out - see: Operation Baking Gals



Or - if you have a soldier to nominate, let me know. Surprisingly enough, I really don't know any soldiers that are overseas right now. That is a blessing for me, but I know that there are many men & women all over the world serving our country - let's send them cookies!

Have a great week!

Dearest Sophie...

Over the past few months I have admittedly become obsessed with this cute little giraffe named Sophie. I actually have Jessica & Jackson to thank for the introduction as I first saw her cute little self on their blog. My first thoughts were simple “What a cute little giraffe!” but then it turned into “I want one of those giraffes.” I felt a bit weird about it because I do not have any kids and I am not pregnant but I desperately wanted a giraffe teether. She is French & Organic! What is wrong with me?!

Then I saw her featured in Cookie Magazine.

Then I saw her again featured in the LA Times.

So I bought one.

I am afraid after 2 big features that everyone will want one & in a year or so when I am pregnant or whatever, I won’t be able to find one because everyone in the world will have snatched them all up. And I would be left out… with no cute giraffe squeaky/teething toy.

So I bought one.

And her little organic self, with her vegetable dye dots, will sit in her box until there is a bebe Lepper to enjoy her. But at least I can rest easy knowing that my child will have a Sophie to love. That is, if I can share.

Crazy Pills

I officially started taking prenatal vitamins this past weekend & I feel like they’re giving me crazy dreams. I checked with some preggies I know & they all said that pregnancy gave them weird dreams but they don’t remember prenatals giving them weird dreams. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe by body is just so excited to have vitamins in it that it is celebrating by making me have very weird but colorful dreams. Just maybe…

Baby Book Worm

My adventures in future parenting continue...

First, one of my very bestest friends called today to tell me that she is expecting & I couldn't be happier. Congratulations to you!

Ok... so back to me.

I am now reading three books simultaneously.
1. Skinny Bitch with a Bump
2. What to Expect before you're Expecting
3. Healing & Preventing Autism (Jenny McCarthy)

The information is crazy-fascinating and I just can't seem to get enough. I need there to be more hours in the day for me to read!

My last post was the brain child of Skinny Bitch - I have successfully given up soda, anything with aspartame (and trying really hard to give up anything with sugar substitutes but they're EVERYWHERE!), milk on my cereal & yogurt. It may not sound like much but it's alot for me. Soda has been tough but I find myself drinking gallons of water everyday. I also find myself peeing gallons everyday too... I guess that's good practice for when I actually get pregnant! However, with all of the positive changes I am trying to make in my eating habits, I am not seeing myself really becoming a vegan. I am sure that my husband will refuse to live in a world without bacon. *sigh*

I've only read the first 6 pages in What to Expect but it has already prompted me to schedule a dentist appointment & physical with my GP... and to start harassing my husband to do the same. I have to say I was a bit surprised when I emailed my doctor and he said it "wasn't necessary" for me to come in for a physical before trying to conceive. I sort of figured my doctors would always think it was a good idea to get a physical - especially if I am about to attempt to grow another human inside my body. Silly, Dr Chen! I also went and bought some major vitamins today. They'll probably make me nauseated... Boo... but good for my bod so.. Yay!

And finally Jenny McCarthy's book about autism & vaccinations. My manager is pregnant and we've been talking alot about vaccinations lately - we both find it surprising that so many parents are perfectly fine immunizing their kids from things like Hep B... I looked up Hepatitis B on WebMD and this is how they say you contract it:

You may get hepatitis B if you:

• Have sex with an infected person without using a condom.
• Share needles (used for injecting drugs) with an infected person.
• Get a tattoo or piercing with tools that were not cleaned well.
• Share personal items like razors or toothbrushes with an infected person.

Hmm... How many babies do you see out their having illicit affairs while shooting up & getting tattoos and then borrowing some random guy's tooth brush? Not many. But yet, we're vaccinating our babies for it.

Now, don't get me wrong... I am not discounting the importance of vaccinations & immunizations - I think they are very necessary for some things. But I think it is important as parents & future parents to ask questions & research. These are YOUR children.

Anyway - wee tangent there.. sorry... I just think it is really important to read up on everything I can now so I can make real educated decisions for my children. Thus my 3-books-at-a-time club.

I do feel a bit sorry for my husband... as he has to listen to me wax poetic about my new-found knowledge on everything... and now he has to go to the doctor and the dentist. It's all for our future kids, right? Yes.. so it's the most important thing ever.

Have a great weekend!

Misadventures in Eating... trying to be Half a Skinny Bitch

My husband and I are about to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary & like all couples we are starting to think towards the future & our potential family-to-be. So, in my greatest efforts to be a proactive future-mother I have started to read all about how to be healthy when trying to conceive, etc.

I started reading Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven & I have to be honest that it is a bit intimidating. It takes the normal "don't drink caffeine, don't eat raw fish" dos & don'ts of pregnancy and straight kicks it in the soft stuff! I am only on chapter 6 but I am already asking myself, "How am I alive?! I've been eating dairy & meat and eating sugar substitutes for years! How do I not have 6 arms coming out of my forehead?!" The Skinny Bitches, if you will, fill their chapters with a barrage of information about not only certain health risks for many of the daily-consumed foods on my menu (and probably 90% of America!) but it also blows the whistle on the FDA & food industry giants for certain less-than-legit test results and statistics. It reminds me alot of the second part of Fast Food Nation - the part that goes in-depth on the meat industry. Eek!

With all of this newly discovered knowledge I have already decided to make a few changes with my eating habits. First and foremost (and probably hardest) was giving up soda & most sugar substitutes. SB goes into detail on some of our most favorite sugar substitutes - worst of all the faves being Aspartame. I think I've known for sometime that aspartame was bad but it wasn't until my dad told me that he had given it up & that action was helping with his arthritis that it really started to make me think that maybe this stuff really was poison! Then, when SB put up a big stink about it & elaborated on the questionable way that it was approved by the FDA I decided that I could probably live without it. So... Buh-Bye Soda.

Next was dairy. I won't go into detail because it is rather high on the "eeeww" factor, but I have decided to try something new on my granola during the morning commute. Today I tried Almond Milk.. and I have to say I was happily surprised. It just sort of tastes like a light-almond flavored liquid (umm.. yeah.. that's because that is what it is!). I enjoyed it very much. So, I'm 1 for 1. Feeling braver & braver, I decide to try Soy Yogurt with my lunch. I cannot say that it leaves me as happy as almond milk, but it is also not the worst thing I've eaten in recent history. It's a bit grainier than dairy yogurt and has sort of a heavier flavor, but all-in-all ok. It will probably not make a headlining appearance in my lunch, but is a good alternate option.

I have to admit that looking so closely at food & health has stressed me out a bit. I realize that so much of the food we consume on a day-to-day basis is just really not good for you. And I am a relatively healthy eater too - not alot of processed foods here. My wise friend, Tina (also a reader of the SB), advised me to find my groove with food. So, that is what I will do. Some of it is just about me asking the question: Why do I eat this? and some of it is making consciously better decisions about my health and my future child's health.

I know this is a completely new avenue for my posts - away from paint & baked goods. But I figured that lots of women go through this when they're trying to make good choices - so, I'm sharing my misadventures. Next... soy butter!

Office Space

We have finally cleaned up our office space and it is looking more and more like a usable work area instead of the cesspool of boxes & stuff that it once was. I am so happy!

On Labor Day (ironically), Mark and I set out to make a big dent in the back two rooms of our house.. cleaning, organizing, moving, etc. I spent much of Sunday buying a new desk and accouterments for our new office and our new work room (aka Amy's craft heaven) and we were successful in turning disasters into nice happy places. I wish I had a before picture so you could really see the progress we made, but you will just have to use your imaginations.


Ok, so there are still some boxes but it is miles from where it was!


And! It comes with a sleepy kitty!

Happy Weekend!

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day everyone!!

Stay cool - it is HOT outside!!

Applesauce

Last week after I made my apple turnovers I had some left over apple mixture & started taking it in my lunch in about 1/2 cup portions. Delicious! So, this week, I decided to do it again. Last night I chopped up about 4 Gala apple (roughly 1lb) and put them in a sauce pan with about 1/4c water & let them simmer for a good 10 minutes. Added some cinnamon & then mashed them up. Nothing beats homemade applesauce - and it is so easy!

All this talk about apples...

All this crazy talk about apples got me hunting around for something appley... and when nothing presented itself... I decided to make some apple turnovers! I had read this cute vignette in Bon Appetit about a lady visiting Paris & how all she wanted was a chocolate croissant... but the bakery in her neighborhood had sold out so she ended up getting an apple turnover (which had a much cooler french name in the story) and how she fell in love. So, I made these apple turnovers.

So delicious yet not too hard either. Worth the extra work to boil & mash up the fresh Granny Smith & Gala apples.


A Tasty Treat that kicks the pants off the Apple Pie at McDonalds!

Can Can...

My Mom got me a canning kit for Christmas last year - I know what you're thinking but I actually asked for it. I was going through some weird phase and that was what I wanted. 8 months later, it has emerged from the box & I have completed my first few jars of fresh tomato sauce. The funny thing is that the recipe was supposed to make 6 jars.. mine only made 3 1/2 jars. Go figure. Still, it looks like everything worked out & the jars sealed up ok. Not bad for my first try! I am very excited.

We're going up to Paso Robles & San Luis Obispo next weekend for my cousin, Nate's wedding & we are going to stop in Avila Beach at See Canyon to get apples to bring back. There are so many great things you can make with apples: apple pie, apple cake, apple turnovers, apple butter, apple preserves, apple sauce... see, the list is endless! So, we'll go to See Cyn to pick up a peck or two of apples so I can can more delicious treats! Maybe this time I'll feel like sharing!

Oye Vey!

Now that we are pretty much moved in to our house.. and the parts that aren't moved in are just going to stay that way for a while.. I am back to baking.

First, I will start with the BAGELS!
Maybe it's the Jewish in us.. even though neither of us are Jewish... but Mark and I made bagels last week & I am just now getting around to posting - slow poke, I know! Anyway, here are some pictures of our process.


These are our bebes after resting & about to go under the broiler for 2 minutes.


Here are the bebes post broil, now boiling for 7 minutes. This is what makes them chewy on the inside!


Here's everyone out of the oven and resting.


We just couldn't believe how perfect these came out! They were so delicious too! Mark and I split one right out of the oven & it was delightful. I took the rest to work the next day with some home-mixed flavored cream cheese & they were gobbled up!

Next time we'll try some festive flavors but these were an excellent start!
Mazel Tov!

Absent...

I see now that it has been something like 2 weeks since I posted last - my apologies for my absence! It has been a busy couple of weeks!

Both sets of my parents visited back-to-back and that created a black hole for me and my internet use. A nice visit was had by all but we are now back to "normal."

I will try to be more frequent with my posts - no one likes an empty blog!

Happy Monday!

The OC Fair!

Mark and I finally had the opportunity to go to the OC fair last night - so fun! I thought I would share a picture of the best caramel apple ever. I wish I had taken a picture of it when I first got it - it was glorious - but I was too anxious to start eating it. It was covered in caramel, then chocolate, then Oreos on one side & peanuts on the other. Quite the ordeal, but quite delicious.
Yum!



See all that caramel?!

New Toys!

You've probably noticed I've been non-blogging for about a week or so - my bad... but my parents both came to visit back-to-back and the computer seems miles away when visitors are around.

My dad was our first official house guest - and rightly so. Then 3 days later my mom & step-dad became our second set of house guests. Everyone has now gone back to their respective homes & my cats are becoming a bit less neurotic but before they left, my mom & step-dad left us a little present. A New Washer & Dryer!!! They are so perfect and for the first time in... well, ever... I am excited to laundry! Heck - even my husband has joined in the excitement!



Sorting....




Loading...




Trying to figure out which of our many options to go with first...




Neurotic cat...



Much more to post this week.. I am truly behind... but I will leave you now with happy thoughts of clean, happy smelling clothes. You will be happy to sit next to me tomorrow!

Fortune Cookie House Decorating

So, my husband has pretty much relinquished all interior decorating to me & I've decided this could be fun. I told him that I would no longer tell him about my projects - that he will just come home one day and something will be a different color or have new pillows, etc. It's like a fortune cookie! You never know what you'll get until you open it (it being the door or whatever..)

This week's fortune cookie... the hallway. Earlier this week I was convinced I was going to paint it teal but now.. I am feeling something different. I discovered the Living Etc website the other day & have been browsing through their galleries and came across my new favorite option - Off-Black. Their picture has a sassy green door, I will not have that, but I think the off-black will look rad with all the white doors & linen closet. Then add a saucy new light fixture or some new knobs on the linen closet - RAD! So excited!

So, I'm not telling Mark what I'm doing... and I may still change my mind for the 30th time. I guess we'll just see what the fortune cookie says!

Progress...

I've been busy! My parents are coming next week & in efforts for our house to look a bit more put together, last night Ikicked it into high gear & was able to check a bunch of things off my to-do list.

1. I finally got our house numbers up. Mark did help a bit with this - My super hero strength was failing me & he had to help me drill a few holes. Team Work - Whoo hoo!




2. I put up art in the dining room. Tina & I took a field trip to Paper Source at lunch & she helped me pick out my new wall art - tres chic!




3. I embellished our front porch - yay flowers! So pretty and friendly - it's like saying "welcome to our home" in plant-speak!




There are still a bunch of things on my list.. and many more that were crossed off but didn't warrant pictures (who wants to see my mirror hanging abilities?!).. but at the end of each day I feel pretty accomplished for the things I did get done.

It's all coming together... now to tackle (dun dun dun..) the Office!

How Dark is too dark?

I want to paint out hallway this teal color but I am having issues deciding - how dark is too dark? I like some of the darker colors but I am worried that we'll be entering the Cavern of Doom everytime we walk towards the back part of the house. Granted, it'll be spruced up with a new chandelier and some art to break it up... plus the doors & linen closet are white, so it won't be all dark and scary... but I still can't decide. What do you think?

Better than TV

I had to post this because it made me laugh out-loud. Freddie & Foxy seem to be enamored with our back yard. And what is not to love?! Crab grass & dirt galore! We're working on it.... then it'll really be quite the spectacle and I expect the cats will take up full-time residence in front of the screen door (lovingly installed by my handy hubby, yay!).

4th of July weekend

I went up to Sacramento for the 4th of July holiday - I decided to go up to visit a few friends while my darling husband had to work. On Sunday, I went up to the mountains with some friends & my family to help them all set up for a week of camping. The day was great - the sun was out but it was not hot - not a bug in sight.... then they came with a VENGEANCE! I am posting a picture of my leg today... not to be sexy... but to show you the massive amounts of mosquito bites I am enduring. The bulk of them are on my legs but I have a couple on my neck & even 2 on my face. Nasty bugs! They have no shame!

I made it most of yesterday without scratching but by the time I got home I thought I was going to cry if I didn't give my legs some scratchy relief. Aahhhhh..... Today I wore a skirt for easier access. I am also hoping that they start to dissipate. Nothing is worse than legs full of mosquito bites.

Camp, I love you - Bugs, I do NOT love you.

I Couldn't Wait!

My Flamingos came in today & I just couldn't wait to take them out of their box. So for a few hours, their temporary home is my Submit box on my desk. They make my whole desk brighter & more festive. Admittedly we're getting a few raised eyebrows but what the heck! They are great!

Welcome to the family, Herb & Jan!

9 months...

No - it's not what you're thinking... no babies here yet...

Today is my 9-month anniversary with my very cute husband. So, I am just taking this blog entry to say Happy 9 Months!

I love you!

New Goodies

This past Sunday I went out to the Long Beach Antique Flea Market to track down some funiture for our front entry way and I did a good job! In less than 1 hour I managed to score a new table & mirror for the hallway. They are perfect.




The table is kind of low but a great height to compliment the mirror which is a bit extra-long. I am hoping to get the mirror mounted this weekend & find some cool stuff to put on the table. My cats seem to think it belongs to them but I say No Dice!
(Don't mind all the picture frames underneath - that is my temporary storing spot while I figure out where to hang everything.)

Pay Pal Happy....

Today after lunch I decided to do a little bit of internet shopping... so I thought about all of the important things that I needed to buy and what topped the list? FLAMINGOS!

And then I decided I needed a bit of decor for our bathroom...

Seemed appropriate, no? :)

Yay for Pay Pal!

oh yeah...

I forgot to mention that our cats already like the new chairs. Foxy has taken to sitting on them... and don't miss Freaky Freddie with the glowing eyes in the background!

Decorating

I've decided that decorating a whole house can be a bit of a challenge. Especially when you have a tendency to draw towards bold colors... like grass green & navy blue. It makes choosing accent pieces a bit confusing sometimes. But that's ok - the challenge has been exciting.

This last weekend, my friend Tina & I went to the Rose Bowl flea market/swap meet to check out the furniture selection. I was lucky enough to find 2 chairs & a table right of the bat & they are now patiently waiting in the guest room until we can dig out the living room enough to put them in their real home.

The chairs definitely need to be recovered.. peach is not in my palette. But they are a great shape & I love their aesthetic. The table is pretty sassy too.

So, thanks to my friend Jaimee (http://www.crabtastic.blogspot.com/) I found some killer Poppy Fabric at Harts Fabrics(http://www.hartsfabrics.com/). Mark even approves of it... but alas, they are out of stock. Boo! So, dear Harts... please restock this fabric soon so I can recover my chairs & have a beautiful living room with one navy blue wall & 2 poppy covered chairs.

Isn't it perfect? ...sigh....

Cuppy Cakes

We had a baby shower today for the one and only male developer on our team. His wife is due next month so we invited them both for a celebratory luncheon held on our back patio... we had to kick the motocross riders off the track before lunch started.

I decided to make cupcakes for our event. I LOVE to bake & with my new kitchen I figure I'll be doing it quite often. I have to admit the cupcakes themselves left something to be desired (Boo, Martha Stewart!) but the chocolate ganache frosting & my attempt at decorating were pretty decent.

Here's my efforts at flexing my cake decorating muscles.

More baking shenanigans to come!

Happy Friday!

Foxy & Freddie

Foxy & Freddie are our cats. They are not adjusting well to our move. As you can see, they are not sure what to make of all of the boxes all over our house. I can tell that they recognize certain things (they should... it's all the same stuff) but they can't really seem to grasp their new surroundings. I am hoping they learn to embrace their new home... or they may go live in the garage. Maybe...

Freddie is our "special" cat & she has a thing for hiding in the refrigerator. She started doing this last year & I thought I broke her of it but it looks like she has reverted back. I think it is a coping mechanism. I am apparently not allowed to lure her out with treats as it rewards negative behavior. Is it really necessary to use child psychology on my cats? Anyway, before you call the pet authorities on me, she does not stay in the fridge.. I usually have to pull all of that stuff out underneath her and grab her. Lately she's been holding on for dear life which makes it more challenging. I can practically hear her little cat voice snickering as I say lots of bad words trying to get her untangled from the bottom shelf with out knocking over our beer selection... don't tell me you didn't notice... it is quite impressive, we know.

So, here's to hoping that our cats regain some sense of normalcy as the boxes become fewer and fewer.

Monday, Monday...

Well, we moved this last weekend and what a chore that was! We packed up our 24' truck on Friday & moved the whopping 16 miles from Costa Mesa to Orange. We are very excited to be in our new house & creating our own home. It has been fun however tiring.

Mark's dad & step mom came down on Saturday & helped us out with a little yard work - Mark & his dad tackled some sprinkler heads & I planted an herb garden with my step-mother-in-law (wow, that's alot of hyphens!).

Left: Mark & Dale digging out a sprinkler head

Me & my baby herb garden.

Things are progressing well. Can't wait to share more of our journey with you!