HGTV made me do it.

I come from a long line of DO IT YOURSRLFERS/ HANDYMEN. I can't remember a time in my life when my dad wasn't 'remodeling' something. He NEVER called in an expert. He build additions, sheds, a pool house....all on his own. He constructed the deck around their pool, build and installed the fence around their yard (roughly an acre. He fixed it all. Was it all AMAZING....no. Did he make mistakes....Yes. Bt in the end it always came together. 

He spent a lot of time teaching my brother and I how to do these things. I remember him showing me how to hock the wires up to the electrical outlet. I was so proud to tell everyone "yup I wired all these outlets'. I have always said that I could build my own house it I had to. I understand how to stud a wall and frame out windows and doors. It might not be the prettiest house. But I could do it, because of my dad. And because I believe in my self. Because my Dad made sure my brother and I knew how to do things and believed in our ability to do it. One thing I got from my dad was the ability to look at something to visualize the End result. 

So needless to say HGTV was a hit in our house. We would watch it and talk about how WE would do it. So when the hubby and I purchased our home I was excited to MAKE IT OUR OWN. Goal one, open up the living room. Currently we have our living room and a formal room. WHO NEEDS THAT. Nt us. There is nothing formal about us. So we decided to rip down the wall. We talked to my brother about it and came up with our game plan. 

Step one demo. 

Step two. YELL ABOUT THE JERK WHO DECIDED TO PUT THE HEAT DUCT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WALL. 

 

Damn you HGTV. For making me think this could be easy. Damn you! 

He's ALIVE.....

It's my favorite time of the year. 

HALLOWEEN!

It's the only time I enjoy going to work.......for the party. 

Over the years we have done 

1. The 3 blind mice

2. PacMan which was AWESOME.

3. Wizard of Oz

4. Alice in wonderland 

And this year...........................You'll have to wait for another day

But here are some ideas

Interesting???

So along with a costume parade we will play games and have a luncheon. I'm entering the EYE POPPING DESERT CONTEST.  I made franken treats. 

We shall see how they do. 

Who doesn't love GIFTS

The hubby and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary on September 8, 2012. 

I had no idea what people buy each other for anniversary gifts so I opted to go traditional. For the most part. 

First I ordered a custom caricature of him and I. I found a guy who actually drew the pictures old school with color penciled. You wouldn't believe how many of the places ow do it all digitally and then emails you a PDF file to print on your own. NO THANK YOU. I wanted to classic hand drawn color pencil picture. Lucky for me I found a guy who did that and was great to work with. 

That's us as! He drew us at Heinz field and as Steelers. (That's where we got engaged)

During the whole wedding planning my wonderful husband decided we should write our own vows. And since he didn't push for to much I agreed to writing my own vows. I wrote them 4 days before the wedding on an M&M note pad. One draft and done. I wasn't thrilled about it. See I'm a big bad cry baby. I knew I would cry....and did I ever. Cried my ever loving eyes out. It was ridicules. My husband said he would love to be able to read my gowns sometime because he couldn't make them out between my sobbing and laughing. So.....after getting them back from my maid of honor in DENVER I laminate them and attached them to the back of the picture. 

And what did my wonderful husband get me.........he made me a custom bookcase. 

This is the first thing he's built since high school and its freaking amazing. I love my "M" bookcase. It's different and so cool. I wanted something cool and different and I couldn't find anything online or in stores. So I said wouldn't it be cool if it was shaped like an M. And he made it. 

My awesome family

I love fall.

I used to have halloween parties for my little cousins, my nephew, and my friends children. It was fun. A TON of work, but FUN.

Then my dad passed away and I stopped the parties. I felt bad. My poor niece was only 9 months old at her first and only party........and I felt bad.  My dad and I loved setting up the parties. Buying new scary stuff for the haunted trail and planning. My dad loved the parties because he loved the kids. So after he passed away I just couldn't. I planned to skip the first halloween and then start the parties back up..........but I didn't. 

So the last two years instead of parties we have taken to the kids to a fall fest. And this year my mom, cousins Melissa and her twin daughters Jessica and Rebecca and my friend Pam and her boyfriend and son joined us for some fun family time. Oh yeah and of course my niece Sarah and nephew kanyon were there as was the hubby and my step son Scott. 

Mom and Sarah on the pony

Jessica, Rebecca and Sarah

All the munchkins kanyon. Rebecca, Sarah, Scott. Jessica, and Logan 

Waiting for the hay ride. So cute.

Caring out there pumpkins.

She picked hers all by herself

Their loot.

Next year I would like to have a party. Or maybe just pumpkins and painting. I don't know. We will deal with that when it gets here. 

We also went to a fall fest with my in-laws the other weekend. And we had a good time. It was 90degrees out, so it was WARM but fun non the less. 

Scott and Juliet

The twins in the corn pool.

To freaking cute

Nice cow.

I have to say I have a good looking family. We are surrounded by cute kids. 

No more weddings.

We recently returned from my best friends wedding in Asheville, nc.

Thank god that's over. Don't get me wrong it was a WONDERFUL TIME AND GREAT WEDDING. But that was the last wedding I have to go to for awhile. And since it was my 2nd wedding playing the role of MAID OF HONOR in 4 months.........I'm pooped.

 Planning 2 bridal showers and prepping for two weddings within a 6 month time frame is.......exhausting. 

Taylor and her niece Eldan, the super cute flower girl

Waiting for the wedding to start

They had a travel theme......how freaking cute is Carter. 

Us ladies

Not the greatest photo but it was a beautiful ceremony site.

Hello kitty cake topper

My mom and I. My mom and husband flew down for the wedding. She hasn't flown in over 30 years and was TERRIFIED. I'm talking had a will notarized "just in case" and wanted to buy insurance at the airport "just in case the plane crashes."  GOOD TIMES. 

If you've never been to Asheville, nc it's worth the trip. It's a cool town. 

We also visited the NC arboretum on the Blue Ridge Parkway

It had some lovely sitting areas

Mom taking a break

These guys looked like you wanted to talk. Cool looking 

 I forgot to take my camera so these photos are from my phone.....not the greatest. 

That's what I did last weekend. Now off to a fall fest at a local orchard today.