A Random Update

I've been neglecting this blog lately. With the new house we're trying to settle into and a new dog I'm house training and walking, my spare time for blogging has melted away! I think that March will be easier than February.

But who could resist those eyes? People, I'll admit it. I love my dog.

El maestro and I are LOVING this house. It feels so good to live with an air of permanence. We've even become better housekeepers! I keep the big kitchen clean and my husband vacuums all the time. He says it's because he never wants this house to return to it's previous state. For me it's because mess is less overwhelming when there's room to deal with it. It's so relaxing to live in a place with some extra room. (I'm told the extra room will vanish quickly--so I'm enjoying is as much as possible!)

Here's a peek into the "guest bathroom!" Someday it will be the kids' bathroom, but for now, it's all for the visitors! C'mon over!

The Laundry Room

My Dad bought me these adorable prints as a housewarming gift. I love them! They were the inspiration for my lovely laundry room decor.

I hung them right above my convenient drying pegs...drying rack? It's difficult to take pictures in a narrow room...

The shelf above the washer and dryer. My favorite lamp, my Japanese doll from the Big Brother, and some gorgeous spring blossoms (silk to last all year!).

I've always dreamed of a laundry room! And here it is in all it's glory!

The Boy Who Cried Wolf...

Want to see a picture of my Valentine?

This is not a joke!

Meet Annabelle. My 4 year old rat terrier.

The local PetSmart was having an adoption day today. El Maestro and I have been looking for a pet for Gideon, and this little lady fit the bill perfectly! She's energetic, curious, adorable, and loyal. Well, the loyal part is hard to officially know, seeing how she's been with us only a few hours. But she already follows me around the house, wherever I go.

Gideon is very curious about this creature. They'll be best friends in days!

Phew

The Comcast Man came this morning and reconnected us with the rest of the world. And my husband is, like, so excited because we upgraded to the HD package so that we could take advantage of the HD capability of our TV, blah blah blah.

I'm just glad to have the internet again. Oh, World Wide Web, how I love thee.

Now if I could just find a camera and a memory card in the same moment, I could share the progress on the house...

The Kitchen

This is the kitchen before we owned the house. Ugly wallpaper border. Disgustingly dirty window treatments. Grime an inch thick just about everywhere you looked. (That's our amazing realtor standing there. She is GREAT!)






And now? It's clean, warm, and inviting! Heck, you can't even tell that the counter top is still blue! (You can in real life, but I had to use the flash to get this picture the other night.)


These pictures don't really do it justice because blogs aren't scratch 'n' sniff. Everything about this kitchen just feels better because it smells...clean? We went through bottles of 409 and Simple Green wiping away the years of grime from frying, smoking, and who knows what else. Beanball gave up her entire weekend to help me get the grody factor under control. And things are soooo much better!


I can't wait to cook in my new kitchen!

By the way...

I haven't been around here much lately. And it's because something has taken over every spare minute of my life.

You see, last week el maestro and I made a teeny tiny little purchase...

We bought the Smurfs' house! And as much as I'd like to show you pictures of the inside...BEFORE our hours and hours of labor...I have no AFTER pictures at this point and can't bear to look at it the way it use to be.

So as you're awaiting my befores and afters...imagine nicotine stains as far as the eye can see, animal hair everywhere you would never want it, and the miraculous power of odor blocking primer and elbow grease.

This is gonna be SWEET! We just have to make it through this week...

Like Father, Like Son

Lately, Beanball has been bragging about the delicious meals her husband is cooking! I can't blame her...that guy is a great cook!

However, today I have to brag about MY husband...their son! He's reinstated a childhood tradition of burgers and milkshakes on Saturday nights. And that's fine with me because it means he does the shopping and the cooking!

Each week, my husband reads countless burger recipes, trying to come up with the most delicious for that Saturday. Yesterday's hamburgers were amazing. He started with a pesto-like combination of onion, garlic, jalapeno, cheddar cheese, egg, and Worcestershire sauce, blended together in the food processor. He added the mixture to the beef, crying from the emotion, onion, and pepper in the air.

Mmmm, those babies grilled up so nicely. We're talking delicious! Delightful! Delectable!

I can't wait until next Saturday...