Friday, July 31, 2009

My how time flies

Yesterday I was Facebook chatting with Chris and he mentioned that July 30, 2009 was the end of his active Army contract. He has fulfilled his four years active duty and now I guess this last one is just for fun :) I was so surprised that it has been four years since he commissioned and in turn four years since with both graduated college (Ohio University for me and Wright State University for Chris). Since then we've gotten married, moved, started a life together, moved again and had two deployments. I'm always amazed to see what life brings and can't even imagine what the next four bring!

Chris with his parents, Steve and Sharon, at Commencement


Chris and Zak at the Commissioning ceremony


Chris and I at a party at WSU after graduation

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Aren't these just beautiful?

Chris sent these to me this week:




Aren't I so lucky?

The green is gone!

This is what our bedroom looked like before I painted yesterday:


And here are the results of Benjamin Moore's Rattan color. I used the new Aura paint and it coated really, really well. I didn't have to prime and it only took me 1 1/2 gallons for a 21X14 room. I was really impressed!



Friday, July 24, 2009

More House Updates

Here are a few updates of the house, in no particular order :)

I'm thinking of painting our bedroom this taupe/tan/sand color called Rattan from Benjamin Moore. It will be a world of difference from the green! I like green and another more muted green is in the finals as well. I want something that works with our new bedroom comforter (the fabric at the bottom of the photo).


Here are some photos of the "completed" dining room. I need to make another curtain and then work on adding more to the walls but I'm happy with the progress so far. What is your opinion, red patterned curtains or the monotone silk?




Today I tackled hanging curtain rods, something Chris usually does. As I wasn't sure what I needed, I got out several tools, screws, ect.



Yesterday I updated the guest room with new curtains and pillow covers. I love the zebra but Chris was pretty skeptical about it when we spoke yesterday. I hope he comes around!


Lastly, on Thursday our chimney was cleaned and repaired. They found a gas line under all the log debris in the fire box. Apparently we can install a gas system and will have less mess than a wood burning fireplace.


Other projects on the list include deciding and painting the bedroom, re-upholstering the pink chair in the living room, and refinishing the hardwood floors and staircase. The last one may have to wait until Chris gets home.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Friends and Fun in Fayetteville

Max waiting to get there!


On Friday, Sandy, Lauren and I (plus Max and Bandit) left Columbus to head to NC for a weekend visit. I dropped Sandy, Lauren and Bandit off at Tanna and Allan's and then continued to Fayetteville. It was a rainy, yucky drive so I was really happy to finally arrive! On Friday night we picked up Aaron and then went out for sushi and to a piano bar downtown.

Lea and I at Key's Piano Bar being silly


Our group at Keys


Saturday was spent having a girls day at The Spa at Pinehurst and then dinner in Pinehurst. At the spa they gave us these heated neck wraps that were filled with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg...they were amazing and I'm trying to figure out how I can make them! It was so nice to catch up with the girls and I learned that another friend is pregnant :) Congrats to Kendra and Mike!

The girls at dinner in Pinehurst after spending the afternoon at the spa


Sunday morning I picked Aaron up for mass at St. Patricks and then back to Lea's for Slip N Sliding! We had a blast and it was just like being a kid again. We planned on going to the beach but since dogs aren't allowed in the summer we had to change our plans.

Aaron on the first run down the Slip N Slide


Lea ready to slide


Ready to Slip N Slide


Aaron and I with the gators


The Girls on the Slip N Slide


I spent Monday and Tuesday visiting with friends and then drove back to spend the night with The WEJ. All in all, it was a great trip and I really enjoyed spending time with my friends again. It was a little strange being in Fayetteville without Chris and I missed him!

Hanging out at Lea's

Thursday, July 16, 2009

What am I supposed to do with this?




Yesterday when I came home I found this in the middle of the street in front of our house. The branches must have fell off of a tree in our yard so I drug them into the yard so they wouldn't block traffic. I don't understand why the branches fell, it wasn't rainy or windy or anything. Today I broke the branches down in to manageable chunks and put them into a lawn bag. If they would have been much bigger I would have needed to invest in a chainsaw or something!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Bangs again

In preparation for my upcoming job interview (yay!) I decided that my hair needed a trim. I used a salon in Bexley called Micheal Garcia's Hair Salon and Spa. My stylist Kim did a great job and listened to what a wanted: to keep my length but do something a little bit different.

Before, not a great photo because I didn't dry my hair:


After, sleeker with bangs and layers:

Monday, July 6, 2009

A few house updates

Last week one of Chris’s Army friends was in town for his leave and was kind enough to come over and hang our new dining room light after we met for lunch. I was so glad to have help and wasn’t about to mess with anything electrical on my own. Thanks Matt! It isn’t too fancy but much, much better than the brass chandelier that hung previously. I’m slowly changing over all the brass fixtures and light covers to a brushed nickel to update the house. I also bought a new lawn decoration while in Pennsylvania to brighten up the front yard.

Matt hard at work changing out the light fixture:



The finished product!


My small update to the front yard:


Roughing it in PA

Well Max and I are back from our weekend in the mountains of PA, we survived no electricity (except by generator) and no indoor plumbing! We left on Thursday morning at 11:30am and it took 5 hours to drive to the cabin in the mountains near Ludlow, PA. Once we arrived, we set up camp. The cabin smelled musty and had to be aired out and it rained the first three days we were there so that didn't help matters. We had dinner at one of the local restaurants with Kenny and Becky, who were also spending the weekend at a cabin on the same mountain. On Friday we went to the railroad bridge that was half demolished by a tornado in 2003, we left when it started raining and then hit up Flickerwood Cellars winery for wine tasting. For $3 we got 6 tastings and a wine glass (if you bring the glass back you can get 6 more tastings for free). We enjoyed several of their wines and ended up becoming a member of their "Case Club" when we bought a whole case of wine. We then went hiking to a waterfall where Max managed to fall off a cliff. Luckily we was wearing his halter and leash and he just hung over the edge and the drop was only 5 or 6 feet so he wouldn't have dropped too far but it was still kind of scary. After the wine and hiking, we went back to camp and had dinner at the other camp. Some of the "locals" came up to have dinner with us and they were really nice. On Saturday (4th of July) we went into Kane, the nearest town, to buy stuff for dinner and had the other camp over for dinner. Then the ladies went back to Kane to watch fireworks that some guy set off in his back yard. They were an hour long and some of the best I have ever seen. I took Max which wasn't a good idea. He was completely terrified of them and spent the whole time cowering with either Mom or me. Here are a few photos of our trip:

Mom and Dad at the Cabin


Max and I at the Cabin


The Railroad Bridge destroyed by a tornado in 2003




At Flickerwood Cellars after the wine tasting


The waterfall we hiked to




Max hanging out in the car


Windsurfing out the window