New front porch furniture!

We finally purchased some new patio furniture for the front porch.  Love it! 

The swivel rockers are actually really comfy.  :)

Next up - to find a nice patio dining set for the back porch....

New Toys

Finally!!  We purchased a new washer and dryer this past Saturday (Lowe's had a great sale).  The ones we had were 9 years old and it was time for a change, plus the dryer squealed like a banshee.  We managed to sell our old washer/dryer on Craigslist in one day (crazy!).  Sunday we cleaned up the laundry room, painted and sealed the tile.  The new units arrived Monday afternoon - they're so pretty!  We wanted a top loader because we've heard so many people complain about the moldy smell of a front loader.  I can't wait to try them out!  Just in time for baby too.  :)

Our new washer and dryer! Whirlpool Carbio

We also decided to purchase a camcorder to capture life's amazing moments.  ;)  This piece of equipment is pretty sweet!  Not only does it take video in HD, it takes pictures as well.  Get ready for lots of videos of baby (no birthing videos!!)!

Canon VIXIA HF S200



You animal!

Meet the newest addition to our household, the Dyson DC25 Animal!  I found a steal of a deal on Craigslist for this baby (brand spanking new to boot!) and Malek brought it home today.  I'm actually excited to vacuum now.  :)

Nesting in color

This weekend we painted two more rooms in the house: the study and the master bedroom.  I wanted to get them 'out of the way' before the baby arrives.  We painted the study 'Nile Sand', which is the same color in the living room and hallways.  For our bedroom we went with 'Peanut Butter'.  The color compliments our bedding and looks great with the mocha curtains.  Our plan is to eventually purchase new espresso bedroom furniture, which will look AWESOME against the paint color.  :D  Of course new bedroom furniture is a good year or two away.

Study view 1

Study view 2 - nile sand color

New family portrait from our wedding, had it matted a couple weeks ago!

Master bedroom w/ mocha curtains and peanut butter walls. 
The curtains and 2 dark furniture pieces look great against the paint color.

I can't wait to purchase new espresso furniture, it will look awesome!
Our old furniture has seen better days and has been through 3 moves - plus now it blends in.

I love that mirror!

Home Projects

Over the holidays and while my parents were here we finished off quite a few home projects!

Malek finally hung the new mirror in our bedroom (we've only had it over a month!).  Luv it!

And this is a picture of my new jewelry armoire (just wanted to show if off).  Still need to xfer over all my jewelry.

We (as in my dad and Malek) hung curtains in the nursery and put together the crib.  Malek and I painted the room.

Everyone (but me) helped install new cabinet hardware in the kitchen.  I supervised watched.  :D I'm loving the new look, very sleek!

And today I started painting Emma's old chest espresso to put in the nursery (WIP).

Painting Galore!

I took this past Friday off from work and Malek & I spent the weekend painting 3 bedrooms, cleaning house, grocery shopping and overall preparing our home for our holiday guests.  :)

I've very proud of our painting job!  Like packing, when it comes to painting, I usually prefer help. We were going to wait until my parents arrived to help us, but we decided to give them a break and do it ourselves. 

Evan's room - light gray with red stripe



Emma's room - light aqua





Guestroom / Future nursery - beige





Finished stone walls

#23 - The finished stone walls...still missing mulch.  I think they turned out pretty good once the guy redid the first one so it matched the other two.  The circles are big enough for us to even plant some flowers around the trees.

Landscaping the trees

#20 - Landscaping the trees.  We decided to add stone walls around the three trees in the front yard.  I think its turning out nicely.  Right now there are 2 layers...I think we'll have them do one more and call it good.

House Unveiling Party

We did it!  3 months after moving into our new house, 2 months of projects, 1 month Evite notice and what seemed like a gazillion purchases....we finally had the big unveiling of our home.  For the party I had a snack menu prepared of my favorite food staples, but after relentless teasing from 2 of my closest friends (who shall remain nameless - A&J!), I switched it up.  We prepared a wonderful spread of Tex-Mex themed apps including a nacho bar with all the fixin's, queso, taquitos, 7 layer bean dip (that I made myself) and home-made Mexican Wedding cookies.  And to really top it off we rented a MARGARITA machine!  Everything went off without a hitch and we had a great time sharing our home with all our friends, family and co-workers.  Surprisingly I only took 5 pictures during the party.  I know!...so unlike me!  I was having too good a time to mess with the camera.  ;-)

I must say all our hard work really paid off!  We received numerous compliments on our home.  HUGE kudos to my friend Jennifer R for all her decorating advice and to my awesome husband for all the manual labor he had to endure.  LUV you guys!  I had the easy job of shopping for everything and supervising.  :-D

Here's a list of all the home projects we completed before the party:

• raised vanity in the master bath and a cabinet installed over the 'throne'
• raised vanity in the kids bath, added double sinks, and cabinet over the commode
• installed a cabinet above the powder bath commode as well
• new curtains and hardware for the living, dining and breakfast nook areas
• new curtains and hardware for both kids rooms
• new bedding (comforters/sheets/pillows) for both kids rooms (Thanks Nana!)
• new 55" flat screen TV for the living room (AWESOME!)
• hired professional painters to paint the living room/hallways/entry in Sand Nile (khaki/green), kitchen/breakfast nook in Cherry Cobbler (red), and the dining room in Aster (light purple).  There was NO WAY we were painting those 2 story high walls in the living room ourselves.
• laid down edging for the front flowerbed
• planted 6 new trees in the backyard
• hung rope lights on the back porch (mood lighting!)
• sealed the tile in the bathrooms (still need to seal the kitchen/entry/living rm areas)
• stained the fence (this was actually done the day after the housewarming party)  ;-)
• new rug for breakfast nook
• several new wall decor pieces, decorative couch pillows and various other items throughout the house
• new his and her L-desks for the study and matching bookcase
• several new frames for all our engagement/wedding/family pictures
• installed new fans for the study & kids room and bought a nicer fan for the living room (which we still need to install, old fan will go to the guest room)

And of course what you've all been waiting for - the pictures of our home!

by cfreund

Odds & Ends

#15 – Home cooked meals  (98/143).   I made breakfast on Sunday (sausage patties, biscuits, coffee) and spinach ravioli last night.  Granted these are 2 very easy things to make..and all I really had to do was defrost them...but darn it I'm still claiming them because we ate at home and stove top flames were involved.  :-D

Malek and I have been spending A LOT of time (and $$) on our house in preparation for our house-warming party.  I must say I'm super excited on the progress we've made.    My wonderful friend Jenn R sent me free decorating ideas and let me use her designer discounts (she's an interior decorator), and I MUST say she's EXCELLENT!  I LOVE everything she's suggested and the 1st floor of our home looks spectacular!  I can't wait to show it off to our friends and family.  I don't want to spill the beans yet on everything we've done (I'll blog about all our house projects after the party), but I must say it's been extremely entertaining listening to Malek hang curtains.  ;-)  We have yet to tackle the game room...right now it's a hodgepodge of all our miscellaneous furniture.  Unfortunately that project will have to wait until next year.

#44 - Work out 3x's a week (IP).  Still going strong!  I run 2x's a week in the mornings, and have been going to the gym on the other days for weights and elliptical.  Plus I'm still playing volleyball.  Softball has been put on the back burner since I took a nice line drive to the chin.  Ouch! 

#45 - Weight management (IP).  I managed to lose ~10 lbs for the wedding and have since been maintaining.  It fluctuates a little, but I'm happy where my weight has come to rest.  I feel GREAT!  I'm happy with my body and my life.   

#16 - Bathtub time.  Major FAILURE.  I guess I'm just a shower girl.  We have this great jacuzzi tub in the new house and we still haven't touched it!   I did chill some of our wedding champagne so we could enjoy the bubbly while taking a bubble bath...alas the champagne is still sitting there forlorn in the fridge. 

Can you tell I had fun with the smiley faces today?

We've moved!

Woohoo!  We are finally in the new house.  :-D  After almost a 2 week delay, we closed on both houses on Tuesday and had to moved the same day!  It was exhausting, but we got it all done.

Our day started at 7am with last min packing, we closed on the Ranier home at 11am, then Malek let the movers in at noon while I did a last walk-thru of the new home.  Then it was back to the Title Co at 12:30pm, and signing was finally completed around 2:15pm.  Whew!  After that we went back to the old house to finish packing up everything and instructing the movers.  They finally finished unloading at the new house at 12:15am, had to make 2 trips between houses!!  We hit the sack around 1am.

We took Wed off work as well to do some unpacking.  It's going to take a while to get the house in order.  At the moment the kitchen is in complete disarray.  I absolutely hate packing/unpacking a kitchen...I have no clue where to put anything!

Last night we stopped unpacking around 9pm to celebrate our new house.  With a bottle of champagne and a cake, we toasted to our new life and home!

Home Sweet Home

As we get ready to put my house on the market, I can’t help but feel a little sad.  I LOVE my house.  It is representative of so many things to me; a new life, new adventures, independence….a place to call my own.  And I know we will find a larger home that I am sure I will love just as much…but this house will forever be special to me.  It is my first!  I love the location, the colors, the layout, the hot tub!  I remember one evening when I called my mom as I soaked in the hot tub and looked up at the stars and thought “this is wonderful, I am happy, look what I have achieved!”  So many great memories; all the parties and nights in with friends, watching fireworks from the back yard, cuddling on the couch with Sarah (and Guinness too), the 1^st Christmas at my new place, letting Malek into my world….And of course many more adventures and memories to come as I begin a new journey with my new family in a new larger home.  It’s funny, as I’m writing this it brings a tear to my eye (many tears actually).  I never realized how much this home meant to me, and how important it was for me to share it with family and friends.  I will miss you my beloved home.  A new chapter in my life is about to start.


by cfreund

Holiday recap - Plethora of accomplishments

2.5 weeks of vacation and parents in town = many completed projects!

#10 - Use my stand mixer.  My mom and I made Christmas cookies together and I finally broke out the stand mixer.  I've owned this mixer for 8 years and had never used it.  Shame on me....it makes baking so much easier!  Even used it to make our favorite sweet potato side dish.

#15 - Cook home meal(s) (43/143) .  I decided for my parents anniversary to make them a great steak dinner.  I bought some awesome steaks from HEB for the occasion.  Malek seasoned and grilled them to perfection.  I made ranch flavored mashed potatoes and put together a salad.  To set the mood I even lit candles (#83 - Enjoy a candlelit dinner)!
On Christmas day I made eggs Benedict for brunch, my fav!  Yummy!

#40 - Read more than just fiction novels/books (IP).  Finished reading "Eat, Pray, Love" .  Started reading "New Moon"...yes yes, I know this is Fiction...as long as I'm reading I'm OK with it.

#41 - Clean out closets and donate clothes to charity at least once a year (IP, 1.5/3) - I started a pile of clothes in my tub to give to Good Will.  Plan on dropping it off sometime this January.  (Will update to 2/3 once I make the drop)

#64 - Start using anti-aging creams.  My brother gave me the Clinique daytime age defense moisturizer for Christmas.  I think I might also buy the antioxidant night moisturizer to go along with the day cream.  I do have the eye cream as well....just need to remember to use it!  For the past year I have been using Olay's Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer with SPF 30.

#111 - Home Theater System.  Hallelujah!  I have surround sound!  What a wonderful gift from my parents for Christmas.  My Dad and brother hooked it up the same day I unwrapped it.  I'm not used to hearing cars or bullets fly behind me, I find myself turning around quite a bit during movies.   

Home improvements (I love my parents!):

• Dad changed out most of my light switches to rocker switches (only have the laundry room left)
• Dad added bronze knobs to my cabinets and drawers in the kitchen
• Mom helped me change out the curtains in the office and then she worked her magic on curtains in the guest room (using bedsheets!).  These are temporary...just needed something up until I find curtains I like.
• Mom & Dad couldn't stand the full bed in my guestroom...so they upgraded the bed to a Queen!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

#2 - paint bedroom and bathroom, #14 - Meet my neighbors, #8 - Unpackmy stuff (IP)

Wow it's been a busy weekend/week.  Closed on my house on Friday, parents came into town on Saturday, went to Copperas Cove on Sunday to visit relatives, painted bed/bathroom in the new house on Monday, did the last of the packing Monday night and moved on Tuesday!

So yes, the painting is done!  My parents did most of it, but I did help!  They started on Monday while I was at work and as soon as I got home I jumped into the fray. I helped with the bathroom and the laundry room.  Wish I had taken pictures, I was covered in paint, it was quite amusing.  Not to mention I practically gave myself a concussion.  :-S

Tuesday was moving day!  Movers arrived at 8:30am and were done by 1:45pm.  Thankfully there was minimal damange in the move (lost a couple glasses).  Right after the movers left the cable guy showed up.  Perfect timing!  Everything is up and running after only a few hours of being unplugged.  I also met one of my next door neighbors during the move.  They seem like a really nice couple and hopefully I'll get to hang out with them once I'm settled in.  Now commences the unpacking of a plethora of boxes.  :-P

Tonight we'll clean up the apartment and continue with unpacking.  I also have to figure out if I really want to get out my Christmas tree and decorate it...with everything going on...I'm not sure we (my mom & dad & I) could handle yet another task.

Oh, btw, my knee is fine.  Just tweaked it.  Should be good to go in a couple weeks...I just have to stick with low-impact stuff.  Not the best time for this to happen with all the Holiday foods and cookies around.  :-(

 HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

#1 - Become a homeowner! What a glorious day!

OH WOW WHAT A DAY! At first it didn't start out too well. My knee has been bothering me all week. I must have slept on it funny last night because when I woke up I was in so much pain it was unreal! I couldn't bend it at all or stand on it. Finally after mustering up all my energy I made it to the freezer to get a cold pack and then take some ibuprofen. 30 mins later I was feeling a little better, enough to finally take a shower.

By 8:15am I was heading downtown to the Title company to close on my house! By 10am I was the proud owner of my very own home! I'm so excited! My Realtor even gave me a poinsettia and a gift bag which contained a bottle of wine, 2 boxes of Ghiradelli chocolates and a $50 gift card to Target! I love my Realtor. ;-)

From there I headed to my works offsite at The Oasis. I haven't been there since it burned down and boy does it look awesome! I arrived just in time to get my raffle tickets and find a table before the meeting started. Since this is our Holiday offsite, we had to bring a gift for the White Elephant exchange and if we wanted we could bring a toy for the Toys for Tots program and get another raffle ticket for the prizes our team was giving away (a monitor and Dell TV). The meeting went by fairly quickly and then they got to the awards. Next thing I know my manager is calling my name and bestows upon me an award for one of my projects. What a great surprise! I couldn't be happier! :-) After lunch we gathered in groups to do the gift exchange. It was crazy! My first gift I get a $20 gift card to home depot, which gets stolen. Then I get a $15 gift card to home depot, which gets stolen as well! Next I pick a small glass Christmas bowl...which to my surprise gets stolen! Where's the love people! My next gift are some crazy bear slippers (one pink pair and one black pair)...I figured they'd make great stocking stuffers. Too my astonishment someone stole them from me! So then I steal a co-workers $10 gift card to Starbucks and the game is finally over! I got to keep a pretty good gift after all that stealing. :-D

Then we do the final raffle drawing for the TV. Wouldn't this make for a great housewarming gift for my new home? We all anxiously await as the numbers are read...and they stop with one number to go. HOLY COW! So far I have a match! Tom asks who is left standing and 5 of us raise our hands. Then the final number is read. I look down at my raffle ticket and OMG....I WON! I WON!! Hands in the air, screaming at the top of my lungs I run, skip, hop to the front of the room and tackle Tom in a gianormous hug. I think he thought I was going to tackle him to the ground. Really?!?! Did you really call my number? I compare tickets and sure enough, I won the 37" TV! The perfect ending to a perfect day! The TV actually fit in the back of my car and Amanda and I take it to my new home. At the house yet another surprise awaited me! On my doorstep was a beautiful flower arrangement in a beautiful vase compliments of Nate. :mrgreen:

Since I seemed to be having a pretty good day, I decided to stop at the gas station on the way home and bought 10 lottery tickets. Hey, you never know. :-P