Photo Finish

Well, I was so excited about my new project that I couldn't wait and had to finish it last night. I was so smart and kept the little paint samples from the bathroom, so I had plenty to paint my picture frames. I was disappointed to find out that all of the picture frames that I had gotten yesterday were all attached. That was fine. I just decided to have fun with it and see what I could come up with. What I decided on was this. There were four picture frames. I decided to put our monogram in the first frame and then the date of our wedding in the other three frames. I thought it turned out pretty cute. Take a peek!!

As you can see, I couldn't resist adding in a little dachshund to the piece to honor my sweet baby, Oscar. Since our initials are in brown polka dots, I did Oscar in green polka dots to sort of bind the three of us together. I know that sounds crazy but I thought it was sweet!! Now all that is left is to hang it on the wall. Not bad for 20 bucks! I'm thinking that I am going to have to redo the frame with the 8 in it. It is hard to see. But other than that, I thought it turned out cute. Very shabby chic. Here are some close ups.

My next project is similar to this one. While I was painting on the frames, I decided to paint the lamp that I already have. It was brown and an eyesore in the new bedroom. I have been looking for a new lamp but I haven't found one that I like, plus I haven't wanted to spend the money on a new one. So one man's trash is my treasure! Now I have plans for the lamp shade, but that's another post!!

Back in the Saddle Again

I know, I know! It has been forever since I have had a home project. Haven't had the time, to be honest. P90X practically runs my life! But I did want to share what I have coming down the pipes. Let's just say it involves the following:

The second picture has nothing to do with the project but I was so happy with my cheap find, I wanted to share! I got four pictures for a whopping $15!! Yeah me! I got these guys a few weeks ago and just hung them in the guest bath for the time being. I think they are a little too heavy looking for permanent placement there.

On to my project.....I found a set of 5 frames at Target for $20. So lets see what some photo frames and some scrapbook paper can make!! Not to mention a little bit of paint. If they turn out good they will find a new home in the guest bedroom. The bedroom that is still awaiting its debut, but it is not finished the way I would like before I post it!

To Kill a Mockingbird

Like I said on Friday, the faucet fiasco wouldn't be over. Joseph and I got home on Friday afternoon and he got right to work on completing the faucet installation. He got it taken care of and I had water again. Hip hip hooray! So we went about our business and a few hours later I was coming in the back after supervising Oscar outside and I heard a loud noise. I raced over thinking that our coffee pot had went crazy (it is the kind with the grinder up top, so I thought that was what I was hearing) but when I got there, it was unplugged. Then I looked under the sink and got sprayed in the face!! Joseph used the same type of materials that were originally under the sink, except that he had to use plastic rings of some sort instead of brass because that was all we could find. Well, we could only guess that the hot water softened the plastic just enough to allow water to seep through and the pressure built up to blow it off. So needless to say I had a HUGE mess to clean up. Our kitchen was about swamped! So Joseph had to truck it on over to the hardware store and this time just got a plain old faucet hose kit and it works beautifully. We then understood why our jacked up house had this rigging because it would have cost like $4 more to get the faucet hose than using what they did. Should have known! Hopefully we have heard the last out of the sink for a while!
On a lighter note....we have quite the situation at our house. It is quite humorous. If you saw above I had to escort Oscar outside to be his own personal bodyguard. We have a lovely pair of mockingbirds that have built a nest in one of the cypress trees outside. As you know, mockingbirds are very territorial and they view Oscar as Enemy # 1. So if he is outside by himself they will dive-bomb him until he runs inside like a scared little coward. So now, Oscar refuses to even think about going outside unless I am there to pick him up and carry him out AND stand next to him to protect him from his flying enemies. I guess I need to start dressing in all black, wear some Ray Bans, and get an earpiece and take my bodyguarding seriously!! I am hoping to get them attacking him on tape, but so far Oscar isn't staying put long enough for me to get my footage!! Birds are evil, I tell you. Ever since I was little and got attacked by our goose, I have hated them ever since. Now Oscar has realized my fear and hates them with a passion as well!

When It Rains, It Falls

It seems like anytime we try to do ANY home improvement project at our house, disaster will always follow. We ripped out the carpet and put it in wood floors, but surprise, surprise none of the walls are square and so on the last run of wood, it looks horrible. Just stupid stuff like that ALWAYS happens. For example, yesterday I was having a nice little day...that is until I got home. Turns out our cheap-o faucet (I can imagine the guy that redid our place got it in the bargain bin at the dollar store.) in the kitchen decided it was going to crack on the side of the faucet. Just imagine how a water hose does if it is not properly secured to the spigot. You turn the water on and poof you are now soaked. Same principle with the faucet. I went to turn on the water to wash my hands and I was surprised and shocked to not only see that the faucet is busted, but my shirt is wet as well. So needless to say a trip to Lowes was in order. So I run into Lowes and was in total faucet overload. I never realized how expensive they were, considering I never had to buy one before. I finally picked one out and a hundred bucks later I was in the car headed back home. Joseph wasn't too happy to have to replace the faucet because that got in the way of his Generals and Commanders game playing time, but the kitchen sink is pretty important, so he had no choice. Thought it would be simple. In and out and have it done in half and hour. WRONG. So wrong. First off, Joseph couldn't get the bolts that hold the faucet in place loosened. Joseph is a very strong guy and he probably tried for over thirty minutes trying to get one off. Seems like the guy that installed the thing used an air wrench or something and torqued the mess out of them. But eventually Joseph prevailed and the faucet came off. I was relieved because by this point Joseph was not a happy camper! So we get the nice, new faucet in place and Joseph goes to hook it up to the water lines. Guess what? The lines weren't long enough! Just my luck. So another trip to Lowes looking in the plumbing section for crap I had no idea what it even was. So I found some more tubing and some little brass things that go on the end. But another little plastic tip-thingy I couldn't find. Neither could the workers at Lowes. Ding, ding, ding!! I just won the jackpot!! I would have to go to a plumbing store and get another one. Bad thing is that it is 8:00, store-no-open! So, I had a super fun night cooking dinner with no water and let's be honest-the fridge water spigot takes FOREVER to fill up a big pot of collard greens. And it was even more fun after dinner and cleaning everything up-with no water. So at this point I am still out of water and Joseph still has to hunt down the special part that will get our sink back in working order. If not....I'm moving to Mexico. Scratch that---Mexico Beach. No swine flu for me! Stay tuned to see if we can get through the installation without anymore trouble!

Topsy-Turvy

Well....I got a wonderful idea about 8:30 last night. I decided that I should do some rearranging and move the furniture around in the living room. Note to self: there is not enough room and I have way too much furniture to be doing all this. Oh yeah, and Joseph was not too happy about my idea, either!! Needless to say, I am not satisfied with the results. I will be moving some more stuff around this afternoon, but after it is all said and done, I have a feeling that I will be moving everything back in its original spots! I will be sure to take some photos, just so others can experience my joy of living in a shoebox!

Misery Loves Company

If any of you are wondering why I haven't posted anything in a few days, that is because it hurts to type. This P90X is kicking my butt. So I have been too tired to do anything else or even think about doing anything else, because I don't think I could force my body to do anything at this point. Hopefully the soreness will go away in a few days and I will feel more like my self!!

Note: My Easter Lilies finally bloomed the other day. And they look like they are on steroids. They are massive, but beautiful. That's about all the exciting news that I have today. Ta-Ta for now.

Bring It

Well, today is May 1st and it is also the first day that I begin my 90 day workout routine using p90x. Two of my friends are doing this program and one has been at it for 3 weeks and I can already see amazing results on her. So hopefully, they can keep me motivated and I won't quit after three days!! So, I picked my dvds up at the post office yesterday (they made their way all the way from China!) and went home to check them out. I did the Stretch X tape trying to get a feel of how they structure their workouts and to loosen up a bit for today. So far I like how they do things. Today, however, begins the real workout parts, not just a few little stretches to help with your flexibility. Thankfully, I am not sore from yesterday, like I thought I would be since I never stretch or anything. So I am giving this a try and hopefully I will get good results. Because I will have to say, taking my before shots was no fun whatsoever! I knew I had gained weight, but seeing yourself in a bathing suit on camera will really motivate you!! So I am going to do what Tony Horton says and I am going to "Bring It"! Bring what? I don't know but I am going to give it my best!!