What a Year...

Exactly one year ago today, I handed over the keys to my cute little townhouse in Belmar. I loved that place - it was perfect for me and Sadie! A nice park across the street, the library, and of course, all the shopping!! Sadie and I often wandered over to the Petco, just to look around. There were some negatives, like the ancient neighbors and a cement courtyard, but overall it worked. During the 2007-2008 winter, I promised Sadie I would find a place with a yard by fall 2008 so she could spend time outside (and so that snow boots weren't required 3-4 times a day when she needed to go outside). In January 2008, just as I acknowledged that I would try to find place with a yard at some point during the year, I got the postcard that started all of this...

I should also mentioned that this postcard arrived 2 weeks after Maggie - call it fate, but it felt right to sell my townhouse and find a back yard!

I looked at probably 80 different places over the next 6 weeks trying to find the right place. I found one promising place and had it under contract, but in the end the seller and I couldn't agree to terms. I wanted something in an old neighborhood that was move in ready.

Umm, what did I just say? Move in ready?? Hmmm...

I had a list of things I wanted in my "dream home" and when I found the house on Adams, I saw the potential. I underestimated the work to get to "dream home" status, but it had potential.

First on the list was a yard. I think my yard is perfect! Not too big and not too small. And Maggie spends about 8 hours a day outside, minimum, so this is perfect for her.Next on the list was an open floor plan and I could tell that this place would make me happy. This is the only room that got a minor face lift. It was close to perfect right from the start.

A garage was also a must, and a 2 car garage was preferred. That is what I found, plus the access off 12th instead of the alley AND an oversized section that has tons of potential as well.

I also wanted a front porch-- check. A laundry shoot, or even better main floor laundry -- check! A nice kitchen, with room for entertaining -- check!! A good neighborhood within walking distance of bars - check!!! A home office and also a place for visitors to sleep - check!!!!

So, after the roller coaster of the past 12 months, I have indeed found my dream home:

Now, I just hope I can keep it ;)

Spring, Please Hurry Up!

The light dusting of snow, and the ice that some of my co-workers faced this morning, reminds me that it is still winter after all... Until next Friday, the 20th, when Spring officially begins! But the flowers in my yard decided to make an early appearance!! Welcome! Now stop teasing me.
A couple of months ago, I bought my first piece of new art for the house. My mom and I were at an art store off I-70 to look for some art supplies that I didn't understand, my mom is the right brained one, not me DUH! But I can certainly BUY art... This picture is pretty big, maybe 2 feet by 3 feet, and even signed by the artist! I picked it up for a cool $25. Apparently, you can't even buy a canvas for that price - sweet! Anyway, its hanging at the end of my bed and makes me feel like I have a window there!! My first art hung in the house!

And last, but not least, I wanted to take a picture of all the awesome birthday cards I got this year! The one upside to turning 30 is that I got some fun cards! Thanks to all!

Not much else to report... My camera broke at my birthday party somehow, but I stumbled upon my old camera that I lost a few months ago! It is in pretty bad shape, but it took the above pictures for me, so I can't complain! I am in the market for some window treatments for my bay window, so the whole neighborhood can't see in, and I think I figured out what to do. Hopefully I can get that knocked out soon and get some pictures posted!!

This weekend is Nicki's Bachelorette PARTY!! I am sooo super excited, but I can be 125% sure that I will not drink as much as I did one night last month.

I recovered from my birthday...

Barely. It took all day yesterday to feel human again - I guess I really am getting older! But I had a great time and here are a few fun pictures!

It started out innocently enough with dinner at Red Square. I remember the company was excellent, the vodka was good, the food was ok and the service was poor. Here is a cute picture of Suzie and Ivory! Then we headed over to Andrews on Lincoln. Thank you so much to everyone who came - it was a great time! I wish I had spent more time with a few people (Tanya, Kathyrn...) but somehow the vodka made my night go by super fast!

There were lots of good pictures, and some interesting pictures, and some troubling pictures. Here are just a few (for those that didn't see them on Facebook):

This was not my first shot... or my last...

I remember once my sister Rachel got made fun of because whenever she is drunk in a picture, she would make the peace sign... Uh oh... There is more than one open mouthed peace sign from that night...

If you want to see more pictures, you will have to become my facebook friend ;)

I also need to say an extra special thank you to Suzie - who made sure I got home safe and comforted me by reminding me that it was ok to throw up on your birthday - we've all done it, right!

Meet Cutler, My Sucidal Fish

Last week I was thinking about how proud I am that I have kept my fish alive for 2 years... I had wanted a salt water fish take for as far back as I can remember. For Christmas 2006, my mom bought me a BioCube. This little wonder has all the parts you need to have an amazing coral reef experience without all the thousands of dollars of equipment.

Right after I got the tank, I picked up a cheap fish (that I assumed would die) and I named him Rookie. Fitting right?? Well Rookie was doing well and so I got a new fish, the "nemo" fish and I named him Cutler. (Cutler was a Rookie at the time, again pretty creative, right?)

Now Cutler is trying to kill himself. And I have a feeling he will not be with us when I get back from my trip to LA next week.

One time, when I was away, the tank was open and Cutler jumped out of the tank and fell all the way to the hard wood floors below. But he didn't die - Eric picked him up and put him back in the tank. For the past 6+ months, things have been going swimmingly. Hehe.

A few nights ago, I was on the phone with my mom freaking out because Cutler didn't show up for feeding time. I searched for the dead floating fish or the dead fish laying in the sand, but there was no Cutler...
Somehow, he jumped the plastic barrier and was trapped in the filter area. Barely enough room to turn around! If I hadn't found him soon... So I scooped him back into the regular part of the tank where he swam around for a while. Next day, I found him in the same place again!

I'm wondering if there is a fish wisperer that can talk some sense into this guy... The next part is where it gets worse. Notice just to the left of the area with the orange fish is an area that has little holes in it? Well that's where I found Cutler this morning. Barely alive... because the water is not deep there. Stupid fish. Back into the tank... The next time I found him, he was in the next compartment over to the left, which is where the pump is. Here is the shot from the side of the tank. You can see a peek of orange inside the skinny window that helps me monitor the correct water level, write by the "minimum" sign.

So, I am leaving for a few days... Where do you suppose I will find my fish?

I've Been Tagged :(

So, I keep getting tagged on facebook to fill out some 25 questions thing... Maybe that can be my next blog post! But in the mean time, I got for real gangsta' tagged. Hehe - as Suzie said, at least it was my initial! Just when I thought I couldn't stand to paint any more, I got to repaint the side of my garage to cover graffiti. Boo. But it only took like 20 minutes, so if I had a non-painted garage, things would have been much worse!

My dad did some slave labor on Friday while I was mostly working and got some baseboards up in the basement (after I met my deadline for getting everything painted!). I still need to do the touch up work and my hand won't pick up a brush... Maybe next weekend. But it looks so much better so far and I love the dogs on the stairs!!

Why were the dogs on the stairs you ask?? Well, because my dad installed a new light fixture to replace the hideous one, and sometime during the night a boogey man came and knocked the glass part off - maybe the gremlins are back? I'm not sure if I should try to find another identical light fixture to get the glass part or if I should just get a whole new light...

And if there aren't enough dog pictures for you, here are two more. Whenever I paint, I make a mess (did you see my hands last week!) and apparently I get paint everywhere including on the dogs. Really, I think they are just nosey and get the paint on themselves...

Both dogs have paint on their right ears... weird.

Well, that's it for now... Have a great week everyone! (AHH, only 19 more days of my 20's!!)

It won't come off!!

Remember a few months ago, when I said I was "done" with my house... Well, I lied. This weekend, my dad is coming to help me finish a few projects in the basement, like installing some baseboards and light fixtures and flooring and what not. So, that means I have a deadline to get all of the new baseboards and walls painted. So, I spent a few hours tonight doing a little primer, coat, coat --- in my living room!!! The baseboard pieces are 16 feet long, and I don't have a saw, so I couldn't figure out anywhere else to paint them. Miraculously, I only made a mess on myself.

FYI, paint comes off hands easily with warm water and soap. Primer does NOT. I have an important meeting tomorrow at 8am... What should I do to get this stuff off??!?!
Here are the baseboards, as they were painted in my living room... This makes me cringe a little.

And here is another shot. My back hurts from bending over to paint these things... And if you look closely. you will see that there are 2 more boards on the side that aren't painted! YIKES! I Hope I can finish them tomorrow... Ah deadlines.

Last but not least, I have a new humidifier with my heating system... When it gets a little cool out, I get awesome windows that you can write on! I actually had a few frozen windows at one point, which might not be so good...

I had a wonderful time at Drea and Josh's wedding, and I want to wish them congratulations one more time! My camera went with me to Chicago but was dead on arrival so even though I remembered it, I couldn't take a single picture. Figures, right?

Almost a Month!

Wow, time flies when you are having fun!! I don't have too much to report, so prepare yourself for a blog of cute dog pictures!!

Ah, my girls:
Maggie has the cutest little underbite. Let me see your grill:

Christmas was amazing. I got to have my mom, sister, grandma and Eric over for Christmas dinner and the family time was very special. Rachel brought her LA dog, Cousin Ted. At first Ted wasn't having any of Maggie, but eventually they started to play and they had a lot of fun!

And Sadie was a good dog, as always. She really liked have a bow on her head... Or not...

Maggie got a new bone for Christmas:
So she tried to bury it in my new coat! That DOG!

Things are starting to be more normal again. Two weeks in a row of working 5 days has been very different than 2 weeks off! But I am feeling productive for the most part, so that's good! This new job isn't so bad!

Aunt Rachel, Maggie still LOVES her toys. She carries them everywhere (they are not allowed outside or in the bed, but everywhere else!):

And for Ann, here is our decorated Christmas tree! It was really beautiful. Thanks to my mom for decorating it and thanks to Eric for picking it out!

I couldn't resist posting this last picture... Paul emailed it to me. This is from Fritz's birthday party last weekend. I am pretty sure we were having a great time, right?!?!
Happy 2009 everyone! I'll try to find things other than the dogs to blog about!!