Sunday Morning Gem

A few moments ago, I found a cd maxi-single that I had long forgotten about. As soon as I recognized it, I popped it into my cd-rom drive. Wow, talk about feeling 15 years old all over again! It's the Alanis Morissette "Ironic" single that includes live versions of  "Forgiven", "Not the Doctor", and "Wake Up". Back in the mid-late '90s, these were the days of mall music stores (Musicland, Sam Goody) and a few gone-but-not-forgotten big box stores (Circuit City, Tower Records). Finding cd-singles and imports was like finding a needle in a haystack. Especially for for a die hard Alanis fan who was sailing high on a recent concert experience. Ebay was in its infancy and cd-burning had not yet diminished what chances I had to find an authentic import or B-side. What little allowance money I managed to acquire went into purchasing these gems. I must have rocked out to this cd on repeat in my Sony Walkman, lying on my floor with my headphones on, getting lost in a bliss of rock and roll. To this day, my dad still jokes about my accrual of copies of Jagged Little Pill (Alanis' first US release), and if each subsequent album she releases is "just another live version" of JLP. Haha, Dad! Your joke still makes me laugh. :)

For your listening enjoyment: 

March & April House Photos

Welcome to a photo post! We're enjoying our home and haven't completely decided what we want to tackle next. I do need to work on organizing my craft room, as it's become the catch-all/dump the junk/kitty cat napping room. Andy is outside mowing the lawn on this gorgeous May morning; the area is expecting temps near 80 today! We're having a few folks over tonight for hockey watching and dinner. We may walk across the street and invite the neighbors over as well, so that they can also peek inside the house. I met the gal and her two sons on my run through the park the other evening; we'd met her husband last week when Tommy was over. Their two little boys are adorable! The babies these days are tugging on my heart strings! Plus, the  parents and in-laws give us the eye when it comes to babies. Anywho... here are some pics of the new house and a few projects we've tackled. 

Buh bye gross shower head!

I love the original tile!

A little plumber's tape

It works! We've since added a pipe extender so that Andy's tallness can fully enjoy the shower. 

Andy in the bedroom. We have the orange shag carpet in the master as well. Also, all the door frames, doors, and closets are the deep, brown wood that you see in the background, all original from 1970. To paint or not to paint? I'm on the fence. 

Suki on the bookshelf

This thing! Ermagherd! It was nailed to the wall, nailed AND glued together, and most likely custom made for the space. We had to destroy it to take it apart. 

Gone and forgotten. You can almost tell that the paint color is different in the corner. 

Welcome to our home! The small wooden number frame (next to the front door) will be painted soon. 

Spade tree, Andy mowin' the lawn, new sod where a dogwood tree once lived. My neighbor Roxanne mentioned that the owner's family came by one day, dug up the tree, and placed it on the flatbed of a truck and drove away. It must have had sentimental value. Roxanne said it really opened up the front of the house!

Let's paint the dining room wall! 

The end of the first coat.

I not only take photos, I get down and dirty!

Complete! I love love love how the Fiesta Ware and Pyrex pop! 

Hi, vintage blue Formica table! Not sure if I introduced her to the blog, but we purchased the table and chairs for $85 at an estate sale last summer. The chair seats need to be reupholstered, which we may DIY in the future. Also, check out the harvest gold dishwasher on the left side of the photo.

Suki, the cat, enjoying the view. 

Ikea wine rack, before

Ikea wine rack, during. Robin's egg blue is the color. 

Assembling Ikea shelves for our book nook. How cute is Andy?!

Side view

We painted the wall yellow, mounted the shelves, and somewhat hid the air conditioner. That's my Carnival glass collection on top. 

Front view

Panoramic shot, thanks to my iPhone!

Random meme

We've moved in. I'm feeling under the weather. Andy is on his way home from a Winterhawks game (they won). I really hope I'm not getting sick, but an extra day off would be nice either way. Here's a meme I found via April. 

What interesting things would we find in your refrigerator right now if we were to open it?

Mini-peppers
Mango-tofu and Coconut-tofu desserts
Lots of beer
3 tubs of cottage cheese
Leftover pizza from last weekend (I should throw that away)

What is your favorite sound in the kitchen?

Our new-to-us 1970s Harvest Gold Frigidaire dishwasher. It has one setting: push to turn on. The thing is a beast and noisy as all get out, but the dishes come out clean in about 40 minutes.

What three ingredients can’t you live without?
Ingredients for baking: butter, almond butter, chocolate chips
Ingredients for cooking: onions, butter, garlic

What was a high point of your last week?

Connecting with a client and revamping her IAP (Individual Action Plan). This lady recently had two of her kids returned home and is trying to close the books on her open CPS case. She was almost terminated from our housing program, but she's turned a new leaf and I hope she can blossom further within the next year.

What was a low point of your last week?  


Hmm... wanting to say eff it on cleaning our apartment, because we knew the property manager would come in anyway and state that "charges for cleaning are mandatory." A word to the wise: clean your oven and clean it often. Don't forget to scrub around the base of your toilet. I'm glad we've graduated from renting and get to pour some money into our home, rather than some other person's pockets.

We own ALL the homes

America's newest homeowners!

We did it! At 11:00am this morning, we met with the title company and our realtor to sign our closing papers for the house! It's been a long 45 days, but everything fell into place. So for now, the remaining packing will take place, renting of the U-Haul, and moving our shite over to our new digs over the weekend. We'll throw in some cleaning of our apartment for good measure. Plenty of photos, videos, and memories will unfold (and likely be posted). YAY! 

More waiting, but less anticipation

Just minutes after I clicked publish, Andy's phone rang and we were informed that the seller accepted our offer! WAHOO!! I feel like dancing! :)