From Blue to New!

This weekend's project..................................."See ya, Royal Blue!"

Jerad and I woke up Saturday morning creating a game plan to tackle the deep, dark, depressing ROYAL BLUE kitchen.  After a 2 hour trip to pick up paint and all the necessary tools, we came home and began our day- long process of taping and painting.

Here are some pictures to describe the work that was put in and the WONDERFUL outcome!

BEFORE

DURING

Of course, we had to have a little fun........ but this shows you how BLUE it really was!

AFTER      Seriously.... I LOVE it.  Whole new kitchen! 



 Here is a side by side picture to show the difference, as if you cant already see it.... ha!  :)    Just bear with me.... this is exciting stuff!   Paint does wonders!     We had a great time together, many laughs and jokes, and I think we can sing every word to the Jamey Johnson CD as a duet!  :)

So, the newest project that began this morning.......... Jerad got a wild hair that he wanted to rip up the carpet in the dining room to expose the laminate flooring below.  (Yes, he is in his robe....thats how early this "wild hair" came about!)

Now, as he was ripping..... it was discovered that the laminate did not go all the way to the wall.  (insert panick here, as we have already cut and ripped the carpet).   Immediately following... a 2 hour trip to Lowes and we are now replacing the whole dining room laminate....which isnt a bad thing, because I think there would have been a lot of cleaning involved otherwise.

Here is a before picture of our carpeted dining room....  I will have to wait until next weekend to provide you with the final product, since this Sunday was the last Sunday evening that we have to say goodbye!  :)    4 days of work this week, and then I'm movin' South!!!  

Have a great week everyone!

I quit mine so we could be together....

Tim McGraw's "Just To See You Smile" lyrics ring true for Jerad and me as of Friday, February 18th, 2011.

I submitted my letter of resignation to Forest Pharmaceuticals. 

We will now finally be able to spend Sunday nights together.... for that matter, even enjoy a dinner after work, grocery shopping together, maybe even go see a movie on a Wednesday night!  :)
This is a HUGE move for us, and I am very anxious for these next 2 weeks to fly by. 

I will be going back to school to get my Masters in Education.  Obviously, we have a little time until the next semester begins, so in the mean time I will be substitute teaching while job searching.  This will help me "get my feet wet" in teaching and get to know some in's and out's.

Jerad and I have had a growing hatred for Sundays for some time now.... so we are excited to just lay on the couch and eat ice cream on a Sunday, or stay on the lake until dark on a Sunday, or grill out until the fire flies come out on a Sunday.  ANYTHING ON A SUNDAY! 

I am very anxious to begin this next step with Jerad, and he has been extremely patient with my worry, questions, nervousness, etc.   I know that everything will be perfect in this move, however there is always the little worry in the back of your head when you don't have a job to walk into..... rightly so.      It will all fall together.... I know that.    March 4th....... cant wait for that day!!

So stay tuned for the updates on our move, the job search, the Sunday FUNDAYS!  (Lord, I am so excited about these Sundays!)    :)

Let the projects begin... Operation: Heather LOVES Organization

There was a hint of warm weather..............ok, so it was 48 degrees.   (Thats warm compared to the 25 that it was earlier in the week)             Jerad and I have extreme SPRING FEVER.....   Since the ground was muddy and messy from the snow melting, there wasnt much to do outside that would be any sort of productive.    So, we decided to keep things inside and begin some house renovations that we had been discussing all winter long.    In other words..... SPRING CLEANING!  

Project number ONE:    Creation of the pantry.

I wish I would have taken a before picture of this.   This closet was slammed full of hunting coats, wrapping paper, vaccum cleaner bags, and various other crazy items.  If you've ever been to our house you know that there is limited cabinet space and the cabinets that are there are about as deep as the ocean 50 miles out.   You lose canned goods in there for YEARS!  Anyway, I decided that it was time to consolidate.....we needed all the food together.....hence the beautiful shelving and organization we created below.   Mmmmmm..... I love this newly renovated closet.   :)

Project number TWO:                 Temporary Clothes Line

Even in 48 degree weather, a person gets the desire to have the "sun dried clothes smell"......  One of the simple pleasures in life.   :)

After doing a load of laundry, this sudden desire of the aformentioned clothes drying technique hit me..... 2:00 in the afternoon..... Jerad is on a ladder tying clothes line cord to our trees.   Bless his heart.   Any idea that I have, even if its as crazy as a clothes line in the middle of February....he's IN!

Yes, my friends.... it is THAT chilly that I needed a sock hat.....  but we got the job done and we both were VERY proud of the energy saving that we will have with our clothes line!

The following projects were minor yet very productive, and we are happy with having completed them.

• Kitchen table to Good Will
• Paper towel holder under the cabinet
• New duvet cover
• Guest bedroom cleaned out to become an office (project for several weekends)
• Bathroom shelving above toilet
• Organization baskets for kitchen and our bathroom

Here is an on going project for our house that I am pretty proud of.   Next frame will be our engagement picture that was in the BND on Super Bowl Sunday.   I just have to hunt down a frame that fits a 2x2 1/2 article.  (Home Goods here I come!)

After all of these honey do's were complete (as a team)..... it was time to celebrate our first Valentine's Day together!

We decided that it was important to us to just be together....we didnt need to go out to a fancy dinner or get each other extravagent gifts.  At this point, we only get to see each other on the weekends, so this time is like GOLD to us.   Below is a picture of us taking a hike up the waterfalls with Bella and Tug.  (I have to say.....those anchor earrings were my Valentine's Day present and I am OBSESSED!)  

I surprised Jerad with 3 photo albums of every picture we've taken since day one of our relationship.   I think he really enjoyed going back through and re-living the memories.   We have had a lot of GREAT times together so far, and many, many, many more to come!   I had a wonderful Valentines day doing a whole lot of NOTHING with my best friend.  Doesnt get any better than that!

Very soon.... BIG NEWS to come!!!    STAY TUNED!!!!!!!   :)

"Miss 21 & Ready For Fun!"

My sister's 21st birthday happened to fall on the day of the "Catastrophic Snow/Ice Storm" that we had in the beginning of February.  Come hell or high water, we were not going to let this storm stop us from seeing Hob (Shari) on this milestone birthday.  We had 2- 3 inches of frozen ice already on the ground, and there was freezing rain still coming down when we left on our journey to Southern Illinois.

This picture doesnt do the scene justice..... but it gives you an idea...

After a 3 hour car ride (usually takes an hour and a half) and a few close calls, we made it to Southern Illinois and we were able to take Hob out for dinner and give her a few gifts.  

              First time using her OWN ID  :) 

Margarita on the rocks!

A little "blue box" for her 21st....

________________________________________________________

Now......we celebrate!!

Shot book made by your's truly.    : )  

Party Bus!

Best place for a 21st birthday

I'm a little tea pot- ON STAGE!

All in all, it was a GREAT night with great people and I think Hob got her fair share of liquor samplings.... she made it to 9 shots and that was the limit.

     Happy 21st Birthday, Hob!    

"I pray you enough.....always!"

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I will end with a picture of that sweet boy I talk about all the time.... he makes me smile for a different reason everyday.      Nothing to do with Hob's birthday.... but I just love him!  : )