Mission Accomplished

Well, I got my island Friday afternoon and I am proud to say that I had most of it put together by Friday night, with no help from Joseph, thank you very much! I know he was relieved that he didn't have to do it after our computer desk putting together fiasco. I could of had it done Friday, but I grew bored with it after a while and left putting together the drawers for Sunday night. But here are a few pics from that. Sorry this is so boring, but I didn't have time for much else!! Now I have to decide if I want to take the time to paint it green. At this point, I doubt it!!! Ta-ta for now! Oh, I almost forgot. I was pretty mad when I got it and it wasn't white, but off-white. Normally that would bug me to no end about it not matching the cabinets, so who am I kidding, it will be green shortly!

Quick Update

Just a little update. When I was looking at the blog, I realized how sad my little island looks. What have I done??? Oh well.

A New Edition and a New Project

Finally!! I just received an email confirming that my kitchen island has finally been shipped! I ordered this thing back in January and it has been on back order. This is what it looks like.

It's not the one that I wanted, but I didn't see putting in $500 on an island that I will only use for (hopefully) a few more months. This one was only $150, so I went with the cheaper one. As you can see it is white. The plan is to paint it to look like the hutch that is already in the kitchen. I believe there are some pictures of it in some of my earlier posts. So when I do finally get it, let the fun begin. More painting...yuck! And staining...double yuck! It will all be worth it when I have just a little bit more storage room and some extra food prep area! Even if it's not that big. I was wanting one more like the one below, but those babies run upwards of $1,000, ummm, no thanks. Pretty, but no. So I will stick with my sad little baby that I will be getting. Maybe it will come before the weekend and I can do it then and post the results. BTW, I will post some pics of the bedroom, even though it isn't nearly how I envision it to be later. Waiting on some more funds to finish pimping the room out!

A Little Sunday Project

Another weekend, another project. Our neighbor recently closed in his back patio area with a fence. So, Joseph and I decided to put a few more pavers on our patio to carry the patio area all the way to the fence. First, Joseph had to fight to get the monstrous palm tree out of the ground so that he could finish putting the pavers down. I hate that I didn't get a picture because he had to labor forever to get that thing out of the ground! But we finally got everything done and added a few more feet of patio so that we can enjoy the view of the 'hood!

This was Oscar's contribution to the work day. He guarded the chair cushions!

The Madness that is Running of the Brides

Reminiscent of the episode on Friends when Monica enlists Phoebe and Rachel to find her dress at the sale at Kleinfields. "Don't be a baby."

Ok....where do I begin? Today I went with my friends to Atlanta to the annual Running of the Brides at Filene's Basement. We went to find my friend Kristin a wedding gown. We awoke at around 4:30 am and were downtown outside of the store by 5:15am. The doors didn't open until 8. So we had plenty of time to check out the sights of all of the brides and their posses hoping to find the perfect dress at a really great price. All dresses are priced between $250 and $700. Kristin tried on a $10,000 dress priced at $250 and even got the opportunity to try on a Vera Wang. So, they did have some major designer dresses. This event is total madness. Let's see...pushing, shoving, bartering, bargaining, and a few bumps and bruises along the way. I actually got pushed to the ground and scraped my knee, but it was worth it for the experience. So if you are getting married or know someone who is, I suggest that you try this event. Even if you don't find a dress, the memories made are priceless. The sights are unimaginable. The fights, the nearly naked women more than willing to de-robe in front of the world, the thousands of dresses is enough to make your head spin. It was fun and a memory I will never forget!

These are the dresses before people are allowed inside. These 2,500+ dresses are stripped off the racks in under one minute. Then the bartering begins.





The scene just before the doors open and the scene after the dresses have been tried on. I am happy to note that Kristin found the most amazingly beautiful dress at a steal of a deal. This is the dress that I am not proud to say, but I did steal it from another bride who was mean to us all day. So I got my revenge and snagged the dress that will soon to be the dress that my friend walks down the aisle in! So again, if you get this opportunity, please take it. It is pure craziness and fun!

My Sweet Baby

Hey all! I'm sitting here at work worrying about my little baby, Oscar. He is having surgery today to remove a couple of cysts/tumors. So just keep him in your thoughts and hope that he makes it out ok!

Book Club

I really don't have anything going on today but I did think that I would mention my book club. Me and some girlfriends are in a book club. Thought I would share our books that we have read. We have a good mixture of books. They have all been great. So go to the bookstore and get to reading!!

• The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger. It is an unconventional love story that centers on a man with a strange genetic disorder that causes him to unpredictably time travel, and his wife, an artist who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences.
• My Sister's Keeper by Judy Picoult. A novel about a young girl who sues her parents for the right to make her own decisions about how her body is used when a kidney transplant is planned in order to potentially save her older sister, who is dying from leukemia.
• Empire Falls by Richard Russo. A small, fictional mill town in Maine called Empire Falls, though once booming in industry, is quickly deteriorating. Owned by the powerful Whiting family, the town can no longer sustain itself. Seen through the eyes of Miles Roby, the manager of the Empire Grill, which is also owned by Mrs. Whiting, his struggles with family, including his divorce and his teenage daughter, greatly mirror the condition of the town. As prospects for the town's future dwindle, the past is visited to explain Miles' history as well as those around him and the town itself.
• Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler. The book follows the lives of three siblings: Cody, Ezra, and Jenny, and explores their experiences and recollections of growing up with their mother, Pearl, after the family is deserted by their father, Beck. The novel ends with Pearl's funeral, and a surprise occurrence. The novel examines how siblings may share the same events yet experience them differently. Eg. Cody remembers his childhood as a harsh time. He blames himself for his father abandoning him and considers himself left to the mercy of an angry mother who favours Ezra. Meanwhile Ezra remembers his childhood fondly and creates a nostalgic family-themed restaurant.
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. The novel is set in China in the 1800s. It chronicles a lasting friendship between two women.

We have not discussed the last book, since that is the book that was chosen for this month. So if you find yourself having some free time and need some good summer reads, I would suggest any of these books. Two of these books are in the process of being movies that will come out later this year. My Sister's Keeper stars Cameron Diaz. The Time Traveler's Wife stars Eric Bana (yum! From Troy fame). Oh yeah, Empire Falls was a mini-series on HBO a while back.

Another great book that is being made into a movie presently is Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. If you have not read this book, you need to. Like all of Sparks' books, this will bring you to tears. If you are a fan of Sparks' The Notebook and A Walk to Remember or Nights in Rodanthe, this is for you! Oh yeah, on a side note...the new Harry Potter movie comes out this summer. Yeah! I might compile a list of some more must reads that I have enjoyed over the years. Ta-Ta for now!