Ok we have SOME progress....

It's all about baby steps. This weekend promises to be very fulfilling, provided I can stay motivated! I was so anxious to get out of work and get started that I organized a closet at work for most of the afternoon! I have my moments.

So today I stopped by Ace Hardware and picked up my spray paint primer and paint. I also got an AMAZING tool that everyone should own. It was only $3.75 and is completely reusable. It's an attachment that goes on the spray can so you can spray it like pulling the trigger on a gun rather than pushing that little button until your fingers go numb.

I started with the footboard and got it totally primed and mostly painted! I am hoping to have the whole bed finished by tomorrow and put together Sunday! For now, here is the progress, it looks better already:


I also made dinner tonight and it was delicious! We had baked chicken with potatoes and veggies....yum...

The list for this weekend is to organize the spare room and clear out some of the 'outbox' clutter, divide my overflowing toolbox into 2, finish the bed, and finish a project in the office. What are you doing this weekend?

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Raleigh Easter was a Success!

Hey everyone! Man it has been a CRAZY week! I don't even know where to start. But the Easter weekend was busy and full of fun! I didn't get to many of my home projects, but I am hoping this week will allow me some time for that. Saturday, I volunteered at Raleigh Easter in downtown and it was a lot of fun! We had 4000 eggs and they were GONE in less than 30 seconds. It was crazy. Next year they are saying they will have at least 10, 000. I mean that is crazy! Here are a few pictures of the fun:

Martha, Me and Jane!

Balloons!

Soooo many people!

Crazy fun!

I have more pictures on my flickr page so check em out! In other news, Sunday we were in the band for all 3 services so we were at the church for quite a while. In the afternoon we came home and made an awesome lunch of Falafel, Pita/hummus, fresh veggies and couscous! Then we had warm chocolate chips cookies for dessert! It was great! We also watched Blades of Glory again and laughed and laughed. It was a really nice day.

This week we are dog sitting for Jerry's sister so we have and extra dog in the house (and bed)...I think we got the sleeping situation figured out last night finally, but who knew a king size bed could feel so small!!??

Finally, the biggest news of the week. Jerry's van was stolen right out of our driveway! While we slept! Talk about creepy! They found it, but the engine is damaged and it isn't drivable so we are waiting on insurance stuff to figure out what happens next. It's weird because I have a strange calm about the whole situation. I just know it will work out and we just have to see it through. In the meantime, Jerry will be able to use his sister's car since she is out of town, so we won't even need a rental, which is nice. So we'll see what happens next. I can't believe it's only Wednesday!

Have a great week :-)

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Easter Flowers!

So I have a lot to blog about and Raleigh Easter was great today! I'll add more later, but for now....some tulips!

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Painting 101 - Part One

OK I will admit it, I am not the greatest painter. I always thing I can do something, and it almost NEVER turns out the way I want it. However, I insist on powering through to the next project hoping against hope that this time will be different! No really!

When it comes to walls I've tried tape, no tape, special tools, fancy rollers. It doesn't matter. I always end up with paint everywhere EXCEPT where it should be. When it comes to furniture, I am a lazy sander. I tend to just rough it up a bit and it never seems to be enough.

SO, this time I am asking for help. Not in the form of labor, but simply, tried and true tools and techniques to hook a girl up. I am working on our spare room and as we are all under a budget, I have been cutting corners where I can. As much as I would LOVE the Anthropologie Chinoserie bed for my guest room, it's unlikely that I will spend $1900 for something that will get used oh say 7 times a year....max? Therefore I went Craigslist hunting and found this diamond in the rough for $40. That's more like it.



This bed has been painted about eleventy billion times...so I need a plan of attack. It is metal, but it pretty lightweight - not iron or anything like that. Originally, I planned to use spray paint which is definitely still an option, however, in the interest of cost cutting, I do still have almost a whole can of rustoleum from when I painted our front door:


My question is, if I choose to paint this behemoth with a brush, what steps should I take? Does a metal bed need sanding/scuffing up? Should I prime it? Help Me!

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Hey It's Easter Week!

With everything that has been going on, it's almost easy to forget that this week is Easter! But don't forget! There is a lot going on this weekend and I'd love to bump into you fine folks downtown! Our church is hosting a ridiculously giant and awesome Easter Egg Hunt in Moore Square on Saturday AND on Sunday, we are having a blowout celebration at the Church to celebrate Jesus' Resurrection! Can't forget about that part now can we??? SO here is the info and I hope to see you out :-) - ps Jerry and I will be in the band so pick any service, we'll be at all 3 !!

Raleigh’s biggest and best Easter Egg Hunt will take place at Moore Square Park in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, March 22, 2008. There will be 4,000 eggs for kids to find- everyone will walk away with treats! The Egg Hunt will start promptly at 11:00 am, but the fun begins at 10:30. Bring family, friends, and every kid you know! When you arrive, look for the large tent marked “Raleigh Easter” and volunteers sporting Raleigh Easter t-shirts. There will be music and balloons, and we’ll keep you posted with a countdown to the best Easter Egg Hunt in Raleigh!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? email info@raleigheaster.com

Parking is available on each border of Moore Square Park. In addition, these parking decks are convenient and close:

125 Hargett St Parking Lot 12 125 E Hargett St (501 feet NW)
Wilmington St. Station Deck - Blount St. Entrance S Blount St (512 feet NW)
Moore Square Parking Deck 233 S Wilmington St (535 feet W)
City Market Parking Lot 228 E Martin St (545 feet SE)

Raleigh Easter continues Sunday, March 23rd with 3 Services at Vintage21 Church. V21 Kids, the energetic and fun kid’s program at Vintage21, is held during the 9:30 and 11:30 am services. Parking is available at both morning services directly next to the building and across Hargett Street- keep an eye out for the friendly V21 Parking Team.

For more information about the service at Vintage21 Church, here are some helpful links:

• What To Expect at Vintage21
• V21 Kids
• History of Vintage21 Church

Questions? Comments? Email info@vintage21.com

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A Good Idea for Monday

I try not to get on a soap box too much, especially since I fail at so many "soapboxy" issues, but I have to admit that I was happy the day that Jerry said, 'we are out of plastic bags'. Not because now he had to scrounge for a way to clean up after the dog (I had a few in my car for such an emergency) but because my efforts to transition to a re-usable grocery bag seemed to be paying off! Now, I still get some plastic when I go on the large monthly trip, but the more frequent purchases go straight into the sac I got from Whole Foods for $1.99.

This brings me to another very small change we made over the past year. We have been carrying our own mugs to anywhere that might involve coffee. We love coffee and drink it whenever possible, which was why bringing our own mug makes sense!

I came across this nifty waste calculator that tells you how many pounds of trash you create each year based on the amount of coffee you drink. Check it out - and grab a mug!

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Pretty Bellflowers

***from Fresh Market.

Have a great weekend!

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I stole this....

But it is that funny. Have a happy Friday! **image from AT

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Whenever I'm alone with you....you make me feel like I am home again

No not that Cure.....


It is OFFICIALLY Week 1 of the Apartment Therapy Cure! I am SO excited because (at least) for this week, I don't have to do anything! Whee! I will say that I finished my required reading in Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan's book, Apartment Therapy - the eight step home cure, but other than that, I have my room all planned out as discussed way long ago.

We even took the quiz! Here is what I came up with for kicks and giggles:

Favorites:

Actress: Reese Witherspoon, Helen Mirren, Diane Keaton
Actor: Sean Connery, Michael Douglas, George Clooney
Writer: Jon Ronson, Thomas Friedman
Music: Coldplay, The Magic Numbers, Deathcab for Cutie
Restaurant: 5-Star (upscale chinese food OMG)
Automobile: None if possible - otherwise Volvo wagon
TV Show: Biggest Loser, ALIAS, House Hunters
Clothing: Banana Republic, Theory, Anthropologie

My Style:

1) Warm
2) Inviting
3) Classic

Personal History:

Born and raised on the Florida coast, have lived in FL, Israel, Peru and now NC.

Role Model:

My Mother

Her Qualities (list 3)

1) Honest
2) Intelligent
3) Caring

So what is wrong with my place?

1) Unfinished
2) Cluttered
3) bare (how can it be both?? I don't even know but it is)

If my house could speak what would it say?

I am in here somewhere!

What would I like to do more of here?

Rest/Relax and enjoy it without constantly feeling like I am not finished.

In 8 weeks, how do I want my friends to describe my place?

1) Welcoming
2) Relaxing
3) Fun!

Now I should tell you that I am opting for the One Room Cure and it will focus on my spare room. But I am hoping to sneak some elements into other corners of my house as well. Here is a reminder of my ideas - we'll call this my digital style-tray.

If you are doing the Cure this go-round - good luck!

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New Art!

Our good friend and favorite artist, Stephanie has an art show up this month over at Vintage21. We have been eying a certain piece for a couple years now and it was finally the time that we had to have it! She is so talented and I urge you to check our her work

We have to wait until the end of the show to get it, but it will definitely be going in our living room. In the meantime, I give you:

Ted (acrylic on canvas)

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Let's get busy!

OK so you all know that I have been blogging about tackling my spare room project for some time now - well it's time! I joined The Spring Cure from Apartment Therapy and I am securely on this bandwagon! So I'll be keeping a record of my progress on this blog.

Here are the "befores"




My goals for the room are:

*paint the walls
*paint the furniture
*add curtains
* hang pictures/artwork
*organize!

So there you have it. Jerry's family is coming to visit in 6 weeks...Think I can do it???

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I'm Going There.

Ok so I am going to let you in on a little secret. It's time for that personal blog that will get everyone talking. At least that's what happens in my inner life's movie. Ok so , maybe it will only get Angie and Beth talking, but if this is what it takes then so be it. I must tell the world and maybe one day it will make it on to NBC Saturday morning advertising.

I'm getting ahead of myself.

This issue is something that I have dealt with on and off throughout my lifetime and mostly during travel or at large sporting events. However, in the past year I have found that God took all of the most disgusting women on the face of the planet, and gave them jobs in my building. So, I now face this on a daily basis.

Here is what I am saying. Men pee standing up. Occasionally things get off balance and they might "miss the bowl". OK I can understand this as I can't imagine peeing with any accuracy from 3 feet away. Just clean it up and move on.

Here in lies my problem. Why is it, that some women think they are capable of "squatting" or "hovering" above the toilet seat without consequences of titanic proportions? Let me explain something about the female body in case you missed that day in health class. WE CAN NOT AIM.

Now, hear me out in this because I think this could be revolutionary. Let's say I am a habitual hoverer.

Why am I doing it???

Because public restrooms are dirty!

WHY are they dirty???

BECAUSE SOMEONE PEED ALL OVER THE SEAT.

HOW did they manage this??

Because they were hovering!

Now you would think that in a nice office building in a nice part of town, people could get over it enough to use the provided seat covers or *gasp* toilet paper to provide a nice clean barrier. I should have known better than to think that when I saw the printed signs that say "Ladies Please respect your co-workers and remember to flush". WHAT?!?! Remember to FLUSH!?? Where are we? Mrs. Begin's 1st grade class?!?!?

No. We are in a corporate place of business where manners have apparently been left at the door and I am surrounded by hundreds of non-flushing hoverers WHO DO NOT CLEAN OFF THE SEAT. Am I clear in this??

Don't do it. I am begging you.

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TGI...T ???

Yes. Thank God it's Thursday! After a whirlwind first half of the week, I am very glad for a normal regular-sized Thursday. My paper cuts have healed quite nicely (thank you very much) and we have a nice clean kitchen.

It's strange how the mundane things can really become enjoyable. I guess it's all about attitude. I say that I try to have a good attitude, but mostly I think I just try to LOOK like I have a good attitude. I don't think I am really doing it. SO that is something to work on. Food for thought.

I have really been enjoying the weather this week. This is probably one of my favorite times of the year (the other being the transition of Summer to Fall). I love how it feels to almost be spring. It just gives me this sense of anticipation that I seriously lack in the winter months. It also makes me want to plant and mulch my yard, but chances are I will just keep thinking about that one for a bit longer :-)

In other news, I ordered the cutest curtains for our guest room yesterday. I can't wait til they get here! This is one project that I can not wait to finish! I've been slowly but surely collecting the supplies to transform the room and now that it is clean, I just need to get going! Pictures of all that to come, but for now....my curtains :-)

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Oh My Goodness You do NOT want to miss this!

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Thanks Kelsey!

Kelsey made us this awesome wedding video and I love it! It's from the footage and pictures she took when she was here. It's hard to believe we've been married for 6 months! What a lovely reminder of the greatest day of my life :-)

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Oh Yes. This is happening

Jerry and I don't watch a lot of TV, but one show we try to make time for is The Biggest Loser. I don't know what it is, but we are hooked. It's pretty inspiring to watch people realize their goals, no matter what they are. We in the average category for our respective sizes, but one goal that we both share is to be more fit and healthy. We have tried to cut way back on eating out and we cook a lot of mostly healthy meals at home. SO, when I saw this DVD the other day, I knew it was on.


We just did the first level and it was hard! 30 minutes including the warm-up and cool down. After a couple weeks you add 10 minutes and then 10 more a few weeks later. It was fun to do it together and I hope we can keep it up!

**footage of us exercising to the highest bidder

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