tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33439682554390061002024-03-14T04:30:51.792-07:00It's a Blog Eat Blog WorldI have to get a piece of this blog world...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02914128642418138377noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-60634092184917488842015-03-26T19:00:00.000-07:002015-03-26T19:00:01.321-07:00Murphy updates! Wow how time is flying! It's been nearly 3 months since my last post right after we got Murphy and he has so perfectly become a part of our family! We were so excited to finally be able to bring him places with us after he got all his shots!! We really are those dog-parents who think our's is the cutest dog to ever grace the earth with his presence! He does everything with us and we are having so much fun with him! Here's a little recap of his first few months of life -<br />
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He comes with us to Home Depot...<br />
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He has hiking dates with his "Auntie Allie":<br />
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Playdates with his BFF Bear:<br />
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Played with lots of dogs at Baker Beach - where I officially developed my opinion that all dogs should be kept on leashes...<br />
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Got new snow shoes in preparation for our trip to Tahoe:<br />
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Played in the snow for the first time (and promptly removed his snow shoes):<br />
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Played with his Doodle-girlfriend Isla:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>photo officially named "Two Dads and their Doodles"</i></td></tr>
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Snuggled in bed for the first time:<br />
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Learned how to jump up on the couch when you leave the room - probably from his above mentioned gf Isla ;)<br />
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Started Puppy Training classes at Petco with who they call the town's "the dog whisperer!" This is him exhausted after his first class (after 2 classes he's learned come, sit, down, stand, stay, & leave it):<br />
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Getting neutered didn't slow him down one bit! Lots of dog owners describe their pups as sad or mopey afterwards, nope, Murphy was happy and hyper as ever from the second we picked him up!<br />
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Helping Dad out in the garage:<br />
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Helping Mom put together Ikea furniture... AKA trying to steal pieces:<br />
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He's an adorable, cuddly, hyper, ball of fluff! Some other favorite activities include following me around biting my pants (especially if they're tight or printed like leggings or pajama pants), trying to sneak up on the couch to snuggle, stealing socks, eating rocks and sticks outside, playing fetch, chew sticks, playing with his toys on the entryway rug, wrestling with dad, going for walks in the neighborhood, and playing with any dog he can chase (even ones that won't chase cuz they're old or scared like his "aunties"!!<br />
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We love you Murphy!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02914128642418138377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-81338766859899647882015-03-26T17:00:00.000-07:002015-03-26T17:00:01.606-07:00Kitchen Facelift - Before & AfterEarlier this month, our kitchen got a major facelift!! We found a perfect combination of contractor work and DIY work to bring it to a beautiful state at a cost we are so happy with.<br />
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First, we finally sucked it up and paid a contractor to come in and paint our cabinets white. They were previously a light stained oak.<br />
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<b>Before cabinets & counters</b></div>
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<b>After cabinets!</b></div>
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Also note, we got a new microwave and stove! The microwave is brand new, but the stove was Marc's parents old one that his dad refinished the top of so it looks brand spankin new!! We had a gas line run as well, and I love cooking on it much better than the electric one. Not to mention we finally have matching appliances!!!<br />
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One more thing to note is those hideous light pink/peach countertops. The prior owners were so proud of this kitchen and the woman had designed it all herself. Bless their hearts they loved it, but wow how ugly!!!!! We have been talking about new countertops for years now and just have been delaying eating the cost of granite (plus I don't love the look, I want soapstone! but of course Marc wants granite, so here we are with pink still). Then, Marc threw out the crazy idea and said - let's just paint them and see what happens! So on a Friday night Home Depot run, Marc convinced me to just try it, so $20 later we came home with a can of this Rust-Oleum Countertop Coating and selected the most neutral gray color from the color chart on top. We thought, hey if it looks terrible, we are only out $20 and we want to get new counters eventually, so whatever, let's just try it!!<br />
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1 coat and an hour later, this is what we had!! I was 100% shocked with how evenly this stuff went on with a perfect texture, how great it looks and how easy it was to apply!! We let it dry and did another coat the next day and here is the finished product!:<br />
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<b>After countertop paint!!!</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">don't mind the blue tape :)</td></tr>
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Our next step is to continue the tan paint from the living room on the side walls into the kitchen, and do a tile back splash instead of the red wall. We also have a small wooden island on wheels that I want to repaint black and stain the butcher block top a darker wood color. But hey, for 2 days and less than $2,000, this was a huge dramatic change I couldn't be happier with!!!<br />
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Has anyone else ever used this countertop paint?? I had never heard of anyone doing it and am so surprised because it was cheap, easy, and looks great!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02914128642418138377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-83675056363048686152015-01-05T15:27:00.004-08:002015-01-05T15:48:18.780-08:00I would have never guessed...Last week, on December 30th, Marc and I wrapped up 2014 and brought home a new addition to our family! Meet Murphy, the Goldendoodle!! He was born on October 28th, 2014 and was just 9 weeks old when we picked him up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiyVyX6u-XgUURtkOt2c0AMGEjRg7P-ylNzjMn9LLvXPSEiGbspuhZJ8W4RDo1dyzF7Mjh5K5sjmVHgF64wJlMiiVSCmRx4oWrShpKxNwi_zXZhyphenhyphenNwsxpUvQM6uaf-3wsU_6yb1-gmE8/s1600/IMG_9057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiyVyX6u-XgUURtkOt2c0AMGEjRg7P-ylNzjMn9LLvXPSEiGbspuhZJ8W4RDo1dyzF7Mjh5K5sjmVHgF64wJlMiiVSCmRx4oWrShpKxNwi_zXZhyphenhyphenNwsxpUvQM6uaf-3wsU_6yb1-gmE8/s1600/IMG_9057.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the ranch where he grew up</td></tr>
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I would have never guessed I would be sitting here thinking about my little fur-baby at home with my husband just waiting for me to get home and play. <br />
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I would have never guessed I would smile at those cheesy dog posts on Facebook and Instagram.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is SO Murphy!</td></tr>
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I would have never guessed I would let a dog lick my face or bite my hand without freaking out.<br />
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I would have never guessed that all it would take was a few short moments and I would fall in love with a furry, smelly, licking, biting, running, digging, pooping & peeing machine!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After his first bath</td></tr>
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I would have never guessed I would let a dog in my bed, let alone sleep on MY pillow!<br />
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I would have never guessed I would be so protective of a cute little animal.<br />
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To all of you (including myself) who were concerned about my character due to my lack of attachment to animals - look! I did it!! Even surprised myself a little on this one ;)<br />
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Welcome to our family Murphy! I hope you're ready for many years of adventures!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02914128642418138377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-27900524814215818982014-05-22T16:38:00.000-07:002014-05-22T16:39:29.256-07:00Epic Camping FailA few weeks ago, Marc and I arranged to have a few days off work together so we could take a long weekend somewhere. We decided we wanted to go camping and invited his brother and his girlfriend to head up to Dillon's Beach for the weekend (a place Marc and his family camped often when he was a kid). Sadly, his girlfriend woke up with a fever on the day we were supposed to leave so they couldn't make it. **Sign #1 that this trip wasn't going to go as planned** But instead, we decided to just head out and it would just be a weekend to ourselves. <br />
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Once we arrived to the campsite around 1:00, I was surprised to find it was really just a patch of grass with a picnic table. I asked Marc where the fire pit was and he pointed to a patch of dirt with no grass growing **Sign #2** The "campground" was a field of grass separated from the beach by some sand dunes. Roaming freely in the field were about 30 cows. Yes, cows. Mooing, eating grass, sniffing people's tents. It was most definitely a camping scene I'd never experienced before! **Sign #3** <br />
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We set up camp, pitched the tent and made some sandwiches to enjoy in the windy sun. Did I mention windy? It was a very windy day! Probably in the 60s but with 15 mph winds. This wind was blowing so hard our tent was whistling and the fabric was whipping around in the wind. We were sort of worried it was going to rip our tent to shreds. **Sign #4** <br />
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After lunch we decided to take a walk down to the marina where Marc said we were going to do some crabbing the next day. We bundled up with jackets and hoods, I had a down vest and a scarf even (that's how cold and windy it was and it was only about 3:00!) **Sign #5** The marina was very small, maybe a 20ft dock with some odd looking boats and interesting people around. But it was cozy, it's always nice to be in a different crowd and environment from time to time. Then we decided it was such hard work setting up the tent that we'd take a little nap (realizing then that we'd forgotten to bring pillows) - only to be woken up by a huge mama cow mooing at it's calf from about 10 feet from our tent. Talk about LOUD and hilarious! <br />
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Then, we walked over the dunes to the beach to watch the 20 kite surfers going back and forth in the waves - they were the smart ones in this story, enjoying the wind and actually wanting it to be there. <br />
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We decided we were hungry by then and wanted to head back to camp to make dinner. We grilled up some polish sausages, warmed the baked beans and made a gourmet bag salad. We found ourselves eating on the ground next to the car which served as a wind blocker (on the ground mainly because we forgot to bring chairs). **Sign #6** It was a good old camping dinner. Easy, quick, and yummy! After we washed our dishes, I thought Marc was getting something out of the car, but then I noticed he was sitting IN the car... As I opened the door to get in and ask what he was doing, I instantly realized. It was SO warm in the car! So I climbed in to warm up for a bit too. **Sign #7** The next thing I remember is Marc waking me up saying we had missed the sunset.... we had both fallen asleep for over an hour!! It was no nice to relax our bodies and warm up that we just passed out. <br />
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We agreed that our only chance of warmth outside the car was to start a fire, so with a push and a shove, Marc got out to start chopping the wood. By now it was about 8:30 and getting dark, and colder and windier. I was about to change into even more layers of sweat pants when I got out of the car and noticed Marc had only chopped 1 piece of wood in like 2 minutes. HA! He was so cold and tired it just wasn't happening. **Sign #8** So, I decided to ask him the question of the day: "Um.... are you still having fun...?" He looked at me with the same little bit of shame behind his eyes that I knew he could see in mine and responded with a quiet "Not really..." So I said what we'd both been thinking for a few hours - "want to just go home?" I promised that we could be packed and driving home in our nice warm car in 10 minutes tops! Much to my surprise, he agreed!! <br />
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So while cracking up, we jumped into action and deflated the air mattress, balled up the sleeping bags, ripped down the tent, threw it all in the car along with the ice chest and fire wood, and we were off!! It was a record pack job! The nosey woman eyeing us from inside her heated trailer 2 sites over was probably thinking that we were nuts and huge camping idiots. HAHA! I wish I had pictures of this part! <br />
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We headed back to the "ranger" to check out and explained, while laughing like weirdos, that we were leaving because we were cold and we didn't care about the non-refundable $60 fee. They, too, thought we were idiots, but we didn't care! We just ran back to the car and jumped in only to start laughing again at the sight we were to these people. We were home and warm in bed by 10:30 pm - even left all the food in the car to be unpacked the next day because, hey, it was going to be outside all night anyways if we were still camping, right? <br />
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The rest of the weekend turned out to be fabulous! We laid around all day being lazy because it felt like a free day to do nothing productive at all. It was definitely a memorable weekend to add to our collection of fun & silly things we've done together. And we got lots of good laughs out of it!<br />
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While we proved to be terrible withstanders of the cold & wind, we will return someday soon to try again at Dillon's Beach. But next time, we'll make sure we pick a warmer weekend, pay attention to the countless signs of camping failure, and make sure our friends can join us! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02914128642418138377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-41689908245339922732014-03-15T12:00:00.000-07:002014-03-15T12:00:00.813-07:00Two little turtlesLast weekend, was the much anticipated celebration in honor of my sister-in-law and two little girls on the way. It was hosted at my house, but many amazing ladies helped to pull the special event together. I'm going to mostly let the photos tell the story. It was such a fun day!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister made this! She's so talented!</td></tr>
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The beautiful mommy-to-be and I!</div>
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the Sea-Turtle/Under Water Theme decorations turned out so so cute!</div>
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Delicious and super cute themed food!!</div>
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Pinterest-worthy desserts!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6b9J17KBPJ9ihXHSJcS3SIkPLCBQmvoINXuc7d-sIx58kTYrMMbe_mFovFDnTFZoHV9KsFKrxeemnTWgx5mls2xRO1qaX1bbbmV02AopF8xl0oiIcAPJkHRkGqIY8VMoFDZQaNIWZrA/s1600/photo+5+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>The cutest gifts for Baby A & Baby B :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqIeYBPAxnQ7on2BSKPuBbUzvfloeBhTea0U3YIdcfibDpUPA6hTz6zcmUnsRH496Ae1sM49npn3K2QnnXUpPAnN_wrr0K221508rPBF4Dtsxf1rq_VIT0JvQT9E539Rggt6j8-emh5E/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqIeYBPAxnQ7on2BSKPuBbUzvfloeBhTea0U3YIdcfibDpUPA6hTz6zcmUnsRH496Ae1sM49npn3K2QnnXUpPAnN_wrr0K221508rPBF4Dtsxf1rq_VIT0JvQT9E539Rggt6j8-emh5E/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguq_DqFpIGt2dDfoMGv-tsvSWDZVuA92uTbaKdnae0zJpQsmGgmrvZLhRNpqp5987MhbjKa4abGg-yK_G_MvEEzaTOMF-Nmr1xE5sKJgQe1d8zssdTx4fjlKTQx4DVcvSVULm4EaeqrNA/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguq_DqFpIGt2dDfoMGv-tsvSWDZVuA92uTbaKdnae0zJpQsmGgmrvZLhRNpqp5987MhbjKa4abGg-yK_G_MvEEzaTOMF-Nmr1xE5sKJgQe1d8zssdTx4fjlKTQx4DVcvSVULm4EaeqrNA/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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and probably the funniest and most awkward gift: a framed baby picture of my brother...</div>
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Mommy holding the two very quickly dressed babies from the Pairs Dress-the-Twins Relay Race. Each pair could use only 2 hands - so that's one hand each, to put an article of clothing on the baby, then pass it to the next pair. Team Baby B was the winner!! but just barely... :) It was hilarious to see 40 ladies get really into this game!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtd23FjB_3GPQCUUa88KXVjFB9RL-UJYxA7qxgAfNv0cjdn446c4wUQPLUlUTopOPQ95J_gNyye4RZ8vnkAk_iRwSnon11TeuTnyrLHykKITvgUeMOvMuBIXv-lX4LyBldvkvpMEriNxU/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> And I'll end with two really excited Aunties :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4opZdjOvXCU2qFrfLd0jSJzOxm-d133yCeIR59w6KDJTlowBg1Iyn0vMUI-JLf0Xf8EUQe3ouz-ud8kEbMdgS3EbJB9NBuuqiLOfrxC7BBzQ7jpGnzmsvb6gAz9ZkQJLZQu-LMUd-Tk/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4opZdjOvXCU2qFrfLd0jSJzOxm-d133yCeIR59w6KDJTlowBg1Iyn0vMUI-JLf0Xf8EUQe3ouz-ud8kEbMdgS3EbJB9NBuuqiLOfrxC7BBzQ7jpGnzmsvb6gAz9ZkQJLZQu-LMUd-Tk/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Thank you to everyone who helped out to throw this beautiful shower for Paula and the twins. What a perfect day celebrating two little turtles who will make their debut in a few months. We love you both so much already Baby A & Baby B!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02914128642418138377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-13342019824193465582014-03-14T19:48:00.004-07:002014-03-14T19:48:40.552-07:00New Flooring - Before & After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Let me preface this post by saying that this whole project was started in early December and now we are in what month...? February?! What a project it's been and I am so so glad it's finally over. </div>
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Marc and I knew right when we moved into the house that we would eventually want to rip out the carpet and put in hardwood in the living areas and new carpet in the bedrooms, we just weren't quite sure when we'd do it. Now that we're married and considering adding a dog to our family, we decided it was time to get this project out of the way.</div>
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<em>To paint an accurate picture - this is what the living & dining rooms looked like before we moved in, so this is the previous owner's stuff... UGLY! haha.</em> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjPtaWsfOoJlzOz6L17iwlkJOuGYpfWY_3y0k-bXoqgLyfP8m0l9ByIn3b2PmkkPCY-0_hNx9VGcjO5XKPHXF4o51aFkC_LY5HkA2jzf7bFNJXEwY6KME7ez8QWtp1dKShR8j2Zw2NsA/s1600/DSC01960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjPtaWsfOoJlzOz6L17iwlkJOuGYpfWY_3y0k-bXoqgLyfP8m0l9ByIn3b2PmkkPCY-0_hNx9VGcjO5XKPHXF4o51aFkC_LY5HkA2jzf7bFNJXEwY6KME7ez8QWtp1dKShR8j2Zw2NsA/s1600/DSC01960.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi Kelly! :)</td></tr>
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First, we started by ripping out the old carpet in the dining, living & family rooms, and the hallway. That was a pretty easy task, removing all the staples from the subfloor was the worst part - can you say blisters on our hands?! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOq7Xx6lsPaktzVB2UHY_lNVLrMIYNTs19Xf_IY01WfxKuhVbl2ob-HjedLSwbIrTGCyJGJ3X4ThbknXXlWSJgVKdgocU3kvskdde5pBtz88ZebJ7zltbN3Q1wRDySgKOcCjsWI82pGw/s1600/photo+1+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOq7Xx6lsPaktzVB2UHY_lNVLrMIYNTs19Xf_IY01WfxKuhVbl2ob-HjedLSwbIrTGCyJGJ3X4ThbknXXlWSJgVKdgocU3kvskdde5pBtz88ZebJ7zltbN3Q1wRDySgKOcCjsWI82pGw/s1600/photo+1+(2).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Check out this beautiful linoleum from the 70s and some sort of odd electrical mat (we are thinking maybe it was a motion sensor for the alarm system)...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPcJq8_wPMkQ6AWuUMajh6BTrxppIW0ati8x1OgH-5PfTXU3NT2Yg50afOHn28ECviW0_1E7vDqHqxKNd1wqyFrbr_Nq2mQfIWl2AsLyGIKLOhDYyAGbUnJmxMyyiW1bfoxPXAkKZFBg/s1600/photo+5+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhZvXkJp3M-oXptRDXM9y9Dhi0QTOTRm8sSDgBBwjc_231Y1LmJTt01X6pE-JB0iXeDZ0QNo3v973TILXA-kDaZWaMnFMhj5cD11L7LvTghuX0tbpbEUK8HvViBQv98yRx5btm7ApsYA/s1600/photo+3+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhZvXkJp3M-oXptRDXM9y9Dhi0QTOTRm8sSDgBBwjc_231Y1LmJTt01X6pE-JB0iXeDZ0QNo3v973TILXA-kDaZWaMnFMhj5cD11L7LvTghuX0tbpbEUK8HvViBQv98yRx5btm7ApsYA/s1600/photo+3+(2).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPcJq8_wPMkQ6AWuUMajh6BTrxppIW0ati8x1OgH-5PfTXU3NT2Yg50afOHn28ECviW0_1E7vDqHqxKNd1wqyFrbr_Nq2mQfIWl2AsLyGIKLOhDYyAGbUnJmxMyyiW1bfoxPXAkKZFBg/s1600/photo+5+(2).JPG" height="320" width="240" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPcJq8_wPMkQ6AWuUMajh6BTrxppIW0ati8x1OgH-5PfTXU3NT2Yg50afOHn28ECviW0_1E7vDqHqxKNd1wqyFrbr_Nq2mQfIWl2AsLyGIKLOhDYyAGbUnJmxMyyiW1bfoxPXAkKZFBg/s1600/photo+5+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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As you can see, the floor was covered in stains. The previous home owners had small dogs who had lots of accidents in the house and I guess they never cleaned up after them, because this spot below on the subfloor was STILL WET!! Talk about disgusting. We knew there was a carpet stain there and had cleaned it many times to try to get the smell out, but we never knew the extent of the damage. After using pet stain remover and bleach, Marc ended up chipping out the first layer of the subfloor, pouring in bleach then filling it with wood filler. THEN painting the problem areas with odor blocking paint. I think we finally got it....hopefully our house will smell normal soon!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIusErMUzNvNtZoLmEdW0MNNXBVOs5B0nXTrcLZeGLNGg1vYUjqztGb-QLZqcRGI4kMEVB2s3GqOkCyfZ2mOKBG_nNzxrDD1L8Bv2JaqIP9v7ZxEhAILsk7UzX_Vhazzs7n_8cvx_wSM/s1600/photo+4+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIusErMUzNvNtZoLmEdW0MNNXBVOs5B0nXTrcLZeGLNGg1vYUjqztGb-QLZqcRGI4kMEVB2s3GqOkCyfZ2mOKBG_nNzxrDD1L8Bv2JaqIP9v7ZxEhAILsk7UzX_Vhazzs7n_8cvx_wSM/s1600/photo+4+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIusErMUzNvNtZoLmEdW0MNNXBVOs5B0nXTrcLZeGLNGg1vYUjqztGb-QLZqcRGI4kMEVB2s3GqOkCyfZ2mOKBG_nNzxrDD1L8Bv2JaqIP9v7ZxEhAILsk7UzX_Vhazzs7n_8cvx_wSM/s1600/photo+4+(2).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglc8xIEQbqcnKTAgsbVpmxDi6uHSZG98IVY9ph2F4dwzovWxLOqp9tLHESu9Eya5juf8el1YkUq-4drswQXegxPDb0AW6dRNix5Nawy3kXCHTErCq2dUgos9ve6C85pqyKoJm16Jcgtac/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglc8xIEQbqcnKTAgsbVpmxDi6uHSZG98IVY9ph2F4dwzovWxLOqp9tLHESu9Eya5juf8el1YkUq-4drswQXegxPDb0AW6dRNix5Nawy3kXCHTErCq2dUgos9ve6C85pqyKoJm16Jcgtac/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Then, it was finally time to start laying down the laminate. After at least a month of research and bringing home samples from flooring stores, we chose the <a href="http://www.samsclub.com/sams/select-surfaces-laminate-flooring-canyon-oak/prod2990117.ip" target="_blank">Select Surfaces Canyon Oak</a> from SAM's Club which we found to be great quality for a great price! We also purchased their standard <a href="http://www.samsclub.com/sams/premier-from-armstrong-laminate-underlayment/prod1170454.ip?navAction=" target="_blank">Premier from Armstrong</a> underlayment. Since the laminate came with a pad already on the back, we opted not to upgrade the underlayment and have found that it was a good choice. When we walk on the floors, there is no "clicking" or echo sounds - great sound barrier!<br />
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The main reason this flooring took us so long was maneuvering from room to room, doorjams and around the oddly shaped kitchen cabinets. Lots of precise measuring, double checking, precise cutting (we borrowed my dad's chop saw and my uncle's small table saw and even used a handsaw for some of the intricate cuts and doorjams, all tools are a must!!). This is not a project for someone looking for a mindless update, it took lots of concentration, calculating and precision to make it come out right - just to give you an idea, each piece must be at least 12" long and 2" wide, so we had to measure the whole house and anticipate how long rows would be so we didn't get to the end and be left with a 5" gap... Lots of work!!<br />
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Here is our first room transition!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnAY9smQXFKoAFGl8RyXdA1e1SCa0Pwu64zVUr4Jag_T7TyhgzN5HA1Uw0M1VtwO9VNtSaf4TJq53R0iTgPV4VOOZx8vfzUtaLRpFgpezjvihb0yC3_isk5kuAa0ZvGjHk0Owu-WkMtE/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnAY9smQXFKoAFGl8RyXdA1e1SCa0Pwu64zVUr4Jag_T7TyhgzN5HA1Uw0M1VtwO9VNtSaf4TJq53R0iTgPV4VOOZx8vfzUtaLRpFgpezjvihb0yC3_isk5kuAa0ZvGjHk0Owu-WkMtE/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgUP1kmoQpcj5u30kZJU4aPLTQHrrt0R1_hzRsGhaTWBJ73hAJJw5naajPeU9raTacQKODxCyg7KcsEG6Fil7GhbvHtBwa724iGd2YTkPcP0iL45UPippMUnNsei_b6FRYRMjl9YfOH0/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgUP1kmoQpcj5u30kZJU4aPLTQHrrt0R1_hzRsGhaTWBJ73hAJJw5naajPeU9raTacQKODxCyg7KcsEG6Fil7GhbvHtBwa724iGd2YTkPcP0iL45UPippMUnNsei_b6FRYRMjl9YfOH0/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgUP1kmoQpcj5u30kZJU4aPLTQHrrt0R1_hzRsGhaTWBJ73hAJJw5naajPeU9raTacQKODxCyg7KcsEG6Fil7GhbvHtBwa724iGd2YTkPcP0iL45UPippMUnNsei_b6FRYRMjl9YfOH0/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
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In the kitchen, we decided to get a new dishwasher since the old one was on its way out anyways, plus the laminate is so thick that it would be a huge hassle to get the old one out after we put the flooring down. We are so happy with it! It runs so quietly and matches our fridge perfectly. Plus, Best Buy delivers the new one and hauls away the old one for FREE!! This is the <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-24-built-in-dishwasher-stainless-steel/1150152.p?id=1219046321163&skuId=1150152&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=1150152&extensionType={adtype}:{network}&s_kwcid=PTC!pla!{keyword}!{matchtype}!{adwords_producttargetid}!{network}!{ifmobile:M}!{creative}&kpid=1150152&k_clickid=72e885fa-38fa-aca8-9b0a-0000705259a4" target="_blank">link </a>to the one we got. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8y_v10AdMxoQ41USahyphenhyphen7h433oPFF8mEjfDYZMrXE9gUKT4-bTpfKygL749dckkqzQtg9r3mlQ3TuI41AFZNnkRWkgQU7hESO-Okjo93WTpyB2PATMkjsr8TlG65bbseG3RagPLuJSkA/s1600/photo+3+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8y_v10AdMxoQ41USahyphenhyphen7h433oPFF8mEjfDYZMrXE9gUKT4-bTpfKygL749dckkqzQtg9r3mlQ3TuI41AFZNnkRWkgQU7hESO-Okjo93WTpyB2PATMkjsr8TlG65bbseG3RagPLuJSkA/s1600/photo+3+(3).JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the picture above, you can see the difficult angles of the kitchen cabinet/counter on the left of the photo - it's like a half-hexagon shape. That was a doosie!!<br />
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And so, I'd like to present, after 3 months of LONG, HARD work, the finished product! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguw22fUMwP1qQ5zocegFrTS2GczuBGnbOYVZlbbYLe1rdKNUc-twZ61vZD5coF7yPZL45OG-hsRXZv4N5ApqwSpScdH-b4hy2BAT-LVSRcEJc8Q66W8OQ8zPhjtyFfadl_S5Q48yW282c/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguw22fUMwP1qQ5zocegFrTS2GczuBGnbOYVZlbbYLe1rdKNUc-twZ61vZD5coF7yPZL45OG-hsRXZv4N5ApqwSpScdH-b4hy2BAT-LVSRcEJc8Q66W8OQ8zPhjtyFfadl_S5Q48yW282c/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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still no furniture... :) but check out those baseboards!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnN3SGck_4TXV0_kdRswL1w2NhH-OSDYh7Kt6O9kicxrWPb0GSZCa-5Ct8QS82CAYnglQdOamCtpAoNOczBBaKsdUBzxQo6YOEGWJPETlpwPh5mYrTwn2FIRr7AS-SfBMH27YYeAeCxyU/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnN3SGck_4TXV0_kdRswL1w2NhH-OSDYh7Kt6O9kicxrWPb0GSZCa-5Ct8QS82CAYnglQdOamCtpAoNOczBBaKsdUBzxQo6YOEGWJPETlpwPh5mYrTwn2FIRr7AS-SfBMH27YYeAeCxyU/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0HEQDPglGWQzX7EGUe8gqfqtAUEK4pFkUIL-YLx2GlLNWcqjlbaR4Blqb2-Jb5LXPlgdyPwWz5CvpZ_uct7WW1c3QQdt5xGh6W6vPeKXl56WOnt-ZWf-55rqgm1xFueFX4ZAebA11B0/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0HEQDPglGWQzX7EGUe8gqfqtAUEK4pFkUIL-YLx2GlLNWcqjlbaR4Blqb2-Jb5LXPlgdyPwWz5CvpZ_uct7WW1c3QQdt5xGh6W6vPeKXl56WOnt-ZWf-55rqgm1xFueFX4ZAebA11B0/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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the new beautiful "wedding wall" & new carpet in the bedrooms!</div>
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Also, here is a great shot from my beautiful sister-in-law's baby shower last weekend which was 100% our motivation for finishing the floors and baseboards last week! I will post more about the shower in a future post, so this is just a teaser.</div>
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It turned out so perfectly and I can't wait to meet my little nieces in June! Now that the floors are done, I am excited to decorate the rest of the house since we have been putting off a lot of it since the carpet was so gross. We are so proud of ourselves for laying all the flooring ourselves! And thanks to our parents for helping with the finishing touches!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02914128642418138377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-45115230769508285902014-01-02T10:40:00.001-08:002014-01-02T10:40:53.760-08:002013: What a year!I can very easily say that 2013 has been one of fastest years of my life. I can't believe all that's happened in the past 12 months:<br />
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our engagement, wedding planning, becoming an Auntie, making lots of improvements to our new house</div>
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my best friend and I both getting married within a few months of each other, an amazing honeymoon in Hawaii, accepting the role of Matron of Honor for another great friend's wedding next year</div>
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traveling around the country for work, especially to Kentucky and watching horse races at Churchill Downs, witnessing AHS Water Polo history and they clenched the NCS Championship</div>
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another whirlwind holiday season filled with family, my Nana going to heaven and seeing my family gather around each other showing so much love and support, spending extra time with the grandparents that are still with us</div>
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then saying goodbye in style to that crazy, wonderful, busy, unforgettable year!</div>
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2014 has so much in store for the Fisher family:</div>
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some expected changes and some surprises, times of joy and surely times of struggle. we'll take it all on together. </div>
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finishing the biggest home project thus far (new flooring throughout!), job changes, a quick visit to New Orleans, grad school, our nephew's 1st birthday, a trip to London, more wedding festivities, our one year anniversary, and many more! </div>
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I am so lucky and blessed to get to share all these past memories and future moments with my family and friends. Here's to a fabulous year done, and another one just begun!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02914128642418138377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-30632957582329735592013-10-25T13:01:00.003-07:002013-10-25T13:04:27.573-07:00Our wedding day was...September 14, 2013 was:<br />
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hands down, the most fun, love-filled, exciting, nervewracking, day of my life.<br />
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a day where we were surrounded by 105 of the most loving, supportive and party-ready family and friends.<br />
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planned down to the minute, and that plan was executed flawlessly by a team of said loved ones.<br />
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when our families witnessed our raw emotions as we said the vows we had written to each other.<br />
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a day my inner diva came out and I kicked out a couple of wedding crashing cougars.<br />
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when my family realized I married an amazing dancer.<br />
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the day I realized I have an obvious obsession with lists - according to all the speeches people gave for us.<br />
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photographed beautifully by our amazing photographer and friend, <a href="http://kpmora.com/blog/">Kevin. </a><br />
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the best day of my life.<br />
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~~~</div>
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Now that I have settled back into reality after nearly a month of wedding and honeymoon bliss, I am planning to put together several posts on our wedding and honeymoon. We should be receiving our professional wedding photos in a few weeks, so that's when I'll do most of the posting. I realize this will likely take me months to put together, but I am going to split it up like this: </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>The Prep</li>
<li>Ceremony</li>
<li>Cocktail Hour</li>
<li>Dinner, Toasts & Speeches </li>
<li>Dancing the night away</li>
<li>I Do for Ice Cream</li>
<li>Wedding Party</li>
<li>Favorite Photos</li>
<li>Honeymoon - Oahu</li>
<li>Honeymoon - Kauai</li>
</ul>
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Here are just a few favorites from the <a href="http://kpmora.com/blog/">KP Mora Photography blog</a>: </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02914128642418138377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-76385642687992881982013-08-12T23:03:00.000-07:002013-08-12T23:05:31.160-07:00My favorite number of days until the wedding!Yes, that's right ---<br />
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Just a little quickie before I head off to bed after a very long and very productive day (first, I was on-time to work, got LOTS done, came home in minimal traffic where Marc had dinner ready, did some wedding planning, then went for a run, then back to wedding planning, and wrote a blog post)! I would say that's pretty good for a Monday.<br />
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I'm getting sidetracked here, where was I?... <br />
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In the past few days, we (my parents, Marc and I) have crossed SO many things off our wedding to do list! It feels so great. I think with each thing crossed off, I relax a tiny bit and get a little more excited (if that's even possible)! Here's everything we did since last week:<br />
<ul>
<li>Dress fitting! It fits great! I tried on my veil with the dress as well, I made my veil from my mom's and I'm so glad it's going to work out. I just need to jazz it up a little :)</li>
<li>Wedding day walk through with the caterer at the venue. He is going to be the coordinator on the day of, which I didn't realize, so that's a huge help!</li>
<li>Made hair and make-up appointments for wedding day.</li>
<li>Ordered the vases for the center pieces which we are making ourselves.</li>
<li>Picked out the flowers we will order on Wednesday (since they can only be ordered 1 month in advance) - we're getting them for a great deal at SAMs Club.</li>
<li>Purchased my jewelry - love it!</li>
<li>Purchased my second pair of shoes for the wedding/reception - wedges that will be easier to dance in. I tried them out at work today, they feel pretty good, considering they're still quite tall. </li>
<li>My uncle became an official Deputy Commissioner and can legally officiate our wedding!</li>
<li>Sent out rehearsal dinner invites.</li>
<li>Wrote wedding programs (won't print them until 2 weeks before, just in case we change a song or something). </li>
<li>Made the flower girl basket - my mom decorated it so cute with ribbons, I love it!</li>
<li>Made the prelude and ceremony music playlists. </li>
<li>Bought Marc a new honeymoon wardrobe - my most successful shopping trip for him yet! Everything I brought home fit except for one shirt. Woo hoo!</li>
<li>Made the Wedding Day schedule and shared it with the bridesmaids. </li>
<li>Decided on our "thesis" for the wedding ceremony, we just need to email it to my uncle so he can finalize what he is going to say. </li>
</ul>
WOW! Making this list of what we did just this week makes me feel so accomplished! I can almost breathe! I am sure I missed some things too. <br />
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Oh ya, Marc and his dad replaced all the trim on the front of the house in preparationon for painting the house next weekend. Things sure are picking up here at the Baldisher household! Soon to be the Fisher Household in just ...... 33 days!<br />
<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-19014995731300484902013-07-24T09:51:00.000-07:002013-07-24T09:51:19.164-07:00Excited is an understatementTo say I am excited for this weekend is a complete understatement. This week has been so hard to concentrate! I have been waking up at all hours of the night just because I know what is coming and I cannot contain myself. <br />
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I feel like I should be spending each moment doing something wedding related. Whether it be for the wedding to come this weekend, or the wedding that's coming in 52 days. <br />
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Back to this weekend though, we will be celebrating the marriage of my beautiful BEST friend since we were babies. We are so different and so similar in so many ways. We grew up together. We played together. We had countless sleepovers in a row. We whined together. We <em>wine</em> together. And now, we even get to get married together! Well practically, I think within 50 days of each other is close enough to say we're doing it together. She is going to be a beautiful bride and it is going to be a beautiful wedding. <br />
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As we met for coffee last night for the last time as "as single woman," we found ourselves saying, I can't believe it's already here! This time that we will remember for the rest of our lives. It's here. She is getting married in just 3 days and will soon be a wonderful wife to a wonderful husband.<br />
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So here's to the weekend of a lifetime celebrating these two love birds! <br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-11682369477504463622013-07-02T10:14:00.000-07:002013-07-02T10:14:01.126-07:00A Furniture Makeover SuccessI completed this project a few months ago, but have received several compliments on how great this piece of furniture turned out so I wanted to document my process here on the blog-o. <br />
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My inspiration for this project came from Pinterest (of course)!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Coffee bar. Keeps your counter and cupboard space clear for other stuff. Love it!" class="pinImg fullBleed loaded" src="http://media-cache-ak2.pinimg.com/236x/54/4e/d6/544ed6ba7cd2028b34212065bb14489d.jpg" style="height: 378px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 236px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">{http://thevintagewren.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-08-04T14:13:00-04:00&max-results=3}</span> </td></tr>
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Behold, our new coffee bar!!! </div>
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It's a great way to free up some kitchen counter space </div>
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and add some decor to a random blank wall. </div>
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First, I did some blog research of my own to determine which paint, brushes and process I should follow. After staring at a paint sample color in our living room for about a month, we finally decided we were comfortable with it and headed off to Lowe's. <br />
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We settled on a small can of this rusty cranberry/raspberry color Valspar paint in semi-gloss so that it would stand up well to any spills and easily clean up. I also picked up a small container each of Zinsser Primer and Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish in clear to use as a coating on the top surface. I also picked up some foam brushes, a foam roller and several different grits of sandpaper. I already had some regular paint brushes, blue tape, tarps & gloves at home. I have learned that painting with gloves is a must!! No more having the "I have obviously been painting furniture" look on my hands & nails. <br />
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I started out by taking the dresser apart, removing the doors and hardware and setting it out on our driveway to begin sanding. Which proved to be the most arduous task. Sanding an intricate piece of furniture like this takes a loooooong time if you want to do a good job. Do you see the detail in the doors and legs? The electric hand sander was great for the flat surfaces, but I had to do all the fancy parts by hand of course.</div>
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After a good sanding and wiping the whole thing down, I was ready to prime! I painted the whole thing in 2 coats of primer (sanding once in between) to cover all the grain of the dark wood. Everything I read online said that if you want a quality painted piece of furniture, do not skimp on the sanding & priming stages. So I really took my time on these parts. I think I finished sanding and priming the first coat in one day, then sanded it again and did the second primer coat the following weekend. </div>
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A little something I learned about primer - don't use a brand new brush for primer unless you have paint thinner to clean it with... My brand new brush was ruined because the acrylic-based primer did not come out. Oh well... now I know for next time!</div>
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Then, the next weekend, I sanded again and did the first coat of color, which was so fun to see it on the actual piece of furniture! I used a regular bristle brush that worked great because the roller turned out to be annoying to use with all the curves and detail in the wood. Here you can see my set-up which was taking over half our garage for at least a month!<br />
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As you can see, I decided not to paint the inside of the shelves. I like to have a little glimpse of the "original" wood and plus I thought that sanding, priming, sanding and painting the inside shelves was a little pointless. I decided not to sand in between the two coats of color because the brush strokes were not severe. <br />
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After 2 coats of color, the following day, I applied the first coat of Minwax coating to the top surface. The trick with this was to apply a very thin coat and brush in only one direction or else it got sorta sticky and goopy. I let that dry for a few days then painted another coat of Minwax (I heard that if you didn't let it dry completely in between it got weird, so I went to the extreme). <br />
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Theeeeeen, I let it dry completely for about a week. If you don't let the Minwax dry for a long time before placing objects on the surface, it can leave marks and dents in it. After I brought it inside and set it all up, it has done great, so I would definitely recommend letting it dry outside for a while. It also kept all the fumes in the garage and our house didn't smell like paint or top coat. <br />
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I love how it turned out! I do want to get a little shelf to hang above it with hooks for our coffee mugs so they are there for easy access & some extra wall decor like from the inspiration picture above. Marc even said he might make one for me! Let's add that to the list of projects I have on his list... ;)Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-47072357599207710312013-06-06T15:43:00.001-07:002013-06-06T15:43:31.798-07:00May Showers bring ....<div style="text-align: center;">
a month that flys by so fast I blinked and it was June! </div>
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May was such a fun month, I want to document it all in lots of photos:<br />
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We showered a very special bride, my best friend since birth, Valerie, for her upcoming wedding this summer. Here you have all the Baldwin ladies and a Barnes, but not for long... :)<br />
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This gives you a little glimpse of the beautiful decor - lace, candles, vases, bird cages, so cute!<br />
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Opening some sexy gifts... </div>
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and some practical ones,</div>
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And playing a game where we asked her questions about her husband-to-be and each question she got wrong, she had to put a piece of bubble gum in her mouth - how cute is that little flower girl?! And I spy a beautiful maid of honor in there too :)</div>
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Celebrated my soon-to-be sister-in-law's baby shower. It was an elephant theme to match the nursery and turned out so cute! Isn't she just the cutest pregnant mama?! Can't wait to welcome this little boy into the family sometime around June 24th :)</div>
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The pretty table spread - that punch was delish!</div>
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Played "Name that Poo!" where you sniff the diapers filled with melted candy and try to identify the candy bar... </div>
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Sniffing the poo :)</div>
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Check out this adorable elephant cake Marc's cousin's wife made for us!</div>
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And here are a couple other random fun times that filled up the month of May:</div>
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Celebrated Mother's Day with these beautiful ladies!<br />
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Visited the wedding venue for some more planning and hotel where the girls will be getting ready - here's my mom and sister being their silly selves on the rooftop terrace of the hotel. Can't wait to stay here!</div>
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Marc and I celebrated our 4 year dating anniversary and decided it was a perfect excuse to go out and race some go karts. It was a blast! I had no idea how much fun I would have skidding around corners and passing cars just like the pro's! </div>
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Stopped off on the way to plan our wedding ceremony with our officiant, my uncle, and walked across the Foresthill bridge, what a beautiful view and it was SO high up!</div>
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I got to meet this little cutie: Preslie Kay - can you see her one dimple on her right cheek? Adorable!</div>
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I started addressing wedding invitations - the date is quickly approaching!!</div>
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And now to leave you with a little milestone we hit today - cue the freaking out!! </div>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-4445114836026531732013-04-25T12:33:00.000-07:002013-04-29T19:41:39.781-07:00Finally!!!!After a few months, I have finally gotten my act together with a post on our Engagement Photos!<br />
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Let me begin by explaining why it has taken me so long to get around to posting these. First, it was a much longer process than we anticipated for a few reasons: <br />
<ul><li>After some unfortunate technical difficulties on the photographer's behalf, all the photos from our first photo session were lost and we had to schedule re-takes. :( Yes, this meant that all the effort that went into round 1: hair done, makeup done, outfits dry cleaned, day off work had to be done alllllllll over again. Needless to say, it was frustrating and really drug out the whole process. After spending some time being upset about it, we decided it must have happened for a reason and showed up for the retakes knowing more about how the session would go. I skipped the hair and make-up appointments this time and just did my own, which I surprisingly ended up liking better than having them done. I think the photos from the retakes came out better than the first ones, so in the end, we were not so upset. </li><li>Once we finally got the photos back, there were about 60 of them (which I don't really get because many more photos were taken than that... maybe the other 100 just were hideous and the photographer wanted to spare us?). We had fun looking through them all but when it came down to actually chosing which ones we wanted to print, it was so hard! </li><ul><li>First, the photographer offered to make our Save the Dates, which turned out really cute so we quickly ordered those and sent them out. That was the easy part. </li><li>Then, we had to chose actual printed copies. The package we were given came with 3 8x10s and 6 5x7s and 25 digital images on a disc. It took us about 2 months to narrow it down and actually find time to sit down together to chose our favorites. </li><li>We didn't find out until recently that the digital images will be watermarked and encrypted or something so we won't be able to print them ourselves. I guess they're supposed to be only for online use or something... We are a little disappointed about this, but at least we get high quality prints of our top favorites. </li><li>I also wanted to order just one single print copy of all the ones we looked decent in (about 45 of them) but this turned out to be crazy overpriced, which again is disappointing and I don't understand it. </li></ul></ul>**I hope this portion didn't come out too negatively... we <em>did</em> enjoy having our photos taken and it we had a fun time doing it. I learned that Marc is really artistic when it comes to photography. He had no problem making suggestions for poses and those ones actually turned out to be some of our favorites! He totally surprised me! We just hope our actual wedding photos don't end up being this difficult. Which we know they won't be because we've chosen a family friend as our photographer and he's going to be great!**<br />
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Now, the part you've all been waiting for, THE PHOTOS!!!! These are just a few of our favorites --<br />
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*Yes, we did break one of my rules and make silly hearts with our hands... It was sorta like torture and really awkward... But it didn't turn out too horribly ;)Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-17411234092532319752013-03-27T10:50:00.004-07:002013-03-27T10:51:00.216-07:00"March"ing into springMarch was a crazy month! It was a great one, but crazy! We just "March"ed right on through! ;) I want to just recap a few highlights in photos: <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4bDoLWcAWtTxH-EB2uH3HR41G0H1rPY0JQz7XslPBFIqClA27pfkvRByH9hU4raRfwMPP5TnMeyMwRiGi_fYaXIRNUuL55Bac4zXGKDOAQgEdpYFYLi8nAMzWnhJmHq554lhTXh9Vu8/s1600/photo+5.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4bDoLWcAWtTxH-EB2uH3HR41G0H1rPY0JQz7XslPBFIqClA27pfkvRByH9hU4raRfwMPP5TnMeyMwRiGi_fYaXIRNUuL55Bac4zXGKDOAQgEdpYFYLi8nAMzWnhJmHq554lhTXh9Vu8/s320/photo+5.PNG" usa="true" width="309" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrated a certain someone's birthday with his favorite funfetti cake!! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jY7-6qjE15nscp3cdevskKPIJZRP-1ORuNPo6gZXBy8ri187NRf6LPuBRHsnuJ7kjNa5ZQzFFNiRcgshNAZO0wp6Z7gLBacccu3t6aIb7NnVSWJglzCyXam66L3_wRLKBVTwRZGfW7g/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jY7-6qjE15nscp3cdevskKPIJZRP-1ORuNPo6gZXBy8ri187NRf6LPuBRHsnuJ7kjNa5ZQzFFNiRcgshNAZO0wp6Z7gLBacccu3t6aIb7NnVSWJglzCyXam66L3_wRLKBVTwRZGfW7g/s320/photo+2.JPG" usa="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sprinkles!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh44VwNwNpA2Ck35ezIWqw7ChZXtwJHGRTYpXDx7Xpr7P6WZLcsyKJSAf_doobmgZQyz15i-HYkYe8NLUrj1PDSNBaQcCBvAGzkwN5G6Em1Cmmgcpq7SnCA5wL8yysz6OeaYAWFH-ui58/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh44VwNwNpA2Ck35ezIWqw7ChZXtwJHGRTYpXDx7Xpr7P6WZLcsyKJSAf_doobmgZQyz15i-HYkYe8NLUrj1PDSNBaQcCBvAGzkwN5G6Em1Cmmgcpq7SnCA5wL8yysz6OeaYAWFH-ui58/s320/photo+3.JPG" usa="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spent an evening in SF watching The Bay Lights. It's an awesome <br />
light show that will be running on the Bay Bridge for the next 2 years <br />
every evening. <a href="http://thebaylights.org/">http://thebaylights.org/</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_Qsc7sf-HorAW_tYY3RWzz5lTDownv09hfXmNoaAfWLXPiNwu6Kbc6PmDpZLnWRvyoHk3iaVANMg1i4aN_z-BAfhNTXdTv-aLj65Z6HEn-IIfPVH7T0yghHZ3aNYMBq-tBZmNpP54U4/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_Qsc7sf-HorAW_tYY3RWzz5lTDownv09hfXmNoaAfWLXPiNwu6Kbc6PmDpZLnWRvyoHk3iaVANMg1i4aN_z-BAfhNTXdTv-aLj65Z6HEn-IIfPVH7T0yghHZ3aNYMBq-tBZmNpP54U4/s320/photo+4.JPG" usa="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hosted my grandparents and aunt & uncle for a progressive meal<br />
where we enjoyed asparagus and goat cheese soup at my sister's then a<br />
panini bar and delicious green beer for St. Patty's Day at our house! Such fun <br />
to see my grandparents before they head back to Arkansas for the summer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYr2m9ypoaLHaat_LOZh0oWWHuENcdHSF4UBKe24mK1NRiM0m8tWopTkcvewkEWGPg8S0BQHC8mBEHcQSI-wufMXUGkrErzPq_ctDaB_1QyjUmtoAH3XWp5-JjgpG5uanDC8gyjhY-2Hg/s1600/photo+4+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYr2m9ypoaLHaat_LOZh0oWWHuENcdHSF4UBKe24mK1NRiM0m8tWopTkcvewkEWGPg8S0BQHC8mBEHcQSI-wufMXUGkrErzPq_ctDaB_1QyjUmtoAH3XWp5-JjgpG5uanDC8gyjhY-2Hg/s320/photo+4+(2).JPG" usa="true" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom and I did some wedding planning/shopping on 4th Street <br />
in Emeryville. The shops there were so cute! We got lots of ideas for <br />
centerpieces like this beautiful succulent that was just clipped and <br />
placed in a large vase</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkH0N-1H1jTnyEehobuDhuJpeI-4ZAIiMXlCG1g0CtT8kmg1ee2CpI5VaqSUSxil7xpakaxmAWTSnSUkxRW6fq7kvK1J5tS_ANUebdon3b0s_9L-XrAPOrOYQ7toL3f_cikt-5zJIBM0w/s1600/photo+3+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkH0N-1H1jTnyEehobuDhuJpeI-4ZAIiMXlCG1g0CtT8kmg1ee2CpI5VaqSUSxil7xpakaxmAWTSnSUkxRW6fq7kvK1J5tS_ANUebdon3b0s_9L-XrAPOrOYQ7toL3f_cikt-5zJIBM0w/s320/photo+3+(2).JPG" usa="true" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I love this vase that adds a little color and the <br />
look of wildflowers freshly picked from the garden. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oi93tCswJDlRueUVIdyTTY3E31RlCsxwTRRu1jXrztmcDwLruHdlrgythtbk4RQC66UzC2vlpDJ90_JvyDtXpBBljQuftn6dSl2Xy9nCCG0FR1toGoo6cQQbD5FXs7ofX1QOtCpHbtQ/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oi93tCswJDlRueUVIdyTTY3E31RlCsxwTRRu1jXrztmcDwLruHdlrgythtbk4RQC66UzC2vlpDJ90_JvyDtXpBBljQuftn6dSl2Xy9nCCG0FR1toGoo6cQQbD5FXs7ofX1QOtCpHbtQ/s320/photo+2+(2).JPG" usa="true" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Went on a work trip to Louisville, KY where I <br />
enjoyed some delicious fish tacos and a grapefruit <br />
cocktail at this super cool restaurant. Check out the <br />
chandelier and the frames on the ceiling!</td></tr>
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That was a little bit of what happened in March! Now we're on to April which will hopefully be a very very productive month! Soon, I will post updates on our home improvement projets and a story about how our engagement photos went - not exactly how we planned, but it's all worked out!</div>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-24379052050929621172013-03-15T12:18:00.001-07:002013-03-15T12:18:51.750-07:00I hope that not all dreams come trueLast night I had one of those dreams that I desperately hope will not come true, that it was not a premonition or a hint of what's to come. But as it turns out, my dream was just trying to teach me a little something. And this is why:<br />
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It was the day of our wedding to say I was unprepared would be a understatement. All I had was my dress and the bridesmaid dresses and I think the guys wore suits and the guests were due to arrive shortly! As I scrambled around looking for someone to do my hair and pick out a nail polish color, I discovered that another wedding was going to take place at the same venue on that same day. So there were all these other mischievous bridesmaids for the other wedding running around trying to get my bridesmaids drunk hit on the groomsmen. How rude of them! <br />
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As time passed quickly and my nails and hair did not get done, I accepted I was just going to put on my wedding dress and not worry about anything else. When the time came to walk down the aisle, suddenly the dream turned into the wedding rehearsal, not the actual wedding. Thank god because I was not ready for the actual wedding, however all the guests were there and I was about to walk down the aisle to Marc in my actual wedding dress and he wasn't supposed to see it until the next day. So as my sister organized the bridal party in pairs to head down the aisle, Val ran around with me in search of my shoes and a beach towel to wrap around me to hide the dress. *this part I know will be true because these ladies are my rocks and I know will be so supportive of me on the day of and those leading up to the wedding!!!* <br />
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Of course, I couldn't find my actual shoes to wear so I had to sort through like 5 pairs of other peoples' silver shoes to find some that fit. Then, I realize I have no flowers, so I grab a "bouquet" of jalapeño peppers, because they're green and no one will notice the difference! (HA!) All the while, the guests are waiting anxiously to see the ceremony start (which is confusing because I thought this was just the rehearsal!?). I finally am ready so Kathryn leads the bridal party out and Val walks me down the aisle helping me walk in these crazy shoes that don't fit, holding my pepper bouquet and making sure the towel completely hides my dress from view. What a disaster!! <br />
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THEN, as I get closer to Marc, the guests and wedding party breaks out in song and the wedding party does this awesome dance routine and it becomes the best wedding ever! I've been trying all morning to remember what song it was, but I can't remember it. I do remember that it was a fun and very likable song choice and I was so surprised and happy that everything had worked out despite the disasters leading up to this moment.<br />
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Maybe that is my take-away from this dream: it doesn't matter what I'm wearing, how my hair is done or what the flowers look like, as long as my soon-to-be-husband and our closest friends and family are there waiting for me at the end of the aisle. That is, after all, what the day is all about, celebrating our love for each other and the lifelong journey we are ready to take together. So, I need to just take a step back and don't stress about the little things, I already know the most important pieces are in place which means it will be a very special day we will remember for ever. <br />
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Happy Friday!!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-53019274260926457142013-02-17T09:51:00.001-08:002013-02-17T09:51:42.800-08:00The Liebster!<div class="post-header">
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The Liebster award is given to an up and coming blogger who has less than 200 followers.</div>
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-RULES-</div>
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1. Post 11 random things about yourself.</div>
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2. Answer the questions that the nominator sets for you.</div>
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3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.</div>
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4. Nominate blogs that you love (also with less than 200 followers); Link them to your post and let them know they have been nominated.</div>
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I was nominated by Kaysie at <a href="http://www.chasersofkaysers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Chasers of Kaysers</a> <br />
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Kaysie is married to a former co-worker of mine who I have kept in touch with since moving on in my career. I always follow her blog and am so happy for them as they are expecting their first child, a baby girl, Preslie Kay Marie, in April! :) <br />
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<b><u>11 Random Things about Elizabeth</u></b>
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I am a serious hypochondriac. I'm talking self-diagnosing, WebMD App addicted, I couldn't name all the things I've thought I had over the years...(a few of my paranoia bouts included: diabetes, appendicitis, tonsilitis</div>
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I resisted the Twilight books and movies for the longest time. My sister read them very early on and worked hard at trying to get me on the bandwagon. It wasn't until this past year after a sick day and a Twilight marathon on TV that I finally gave in and read the books. And let me say, they are amazing! I am currently reading <u>The Host</u> which is written by the same author and it is so good also! </div>
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I can't wait to be a mom. I am one of those people who was just born to be a mother and I can't wait to experience every moment of it. I am not trying to rush into it at all! But in a few years, when we are ready, I know we will both welcome parenthood with open arms. </div>
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I want to set the record for youngest retiree... but from what I've been told, don't we all?! Don't get me wrong, I love working hard and bringing home money and living a comfortable lifestyle, but wouldn't it be great to just do yoga, go shopping, go to movies and travel the world for the rest of my life? I know, dream on.</div>
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I am going to be an auntie for the first time this year! Marc's older brother and his wife are having a boy and due on June 22! We are so excited and ready to be the "cool" aunt and uncle :)</div>
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I love watching Teen Mom and16 and Pregnant... Sadly, this is very true. It's a guilty pleasure of mine. I love the drama, but I also love the babies. Who doesn't love babies??</div>
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There are 209 days left until I get to marry my best friend. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him!</div>
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My <em>other</em> best friend got engaged last week and she is getting married this summer! I am so excited we get to plan our weddings together and share the journey of "wife-hood" and marriage. This is what we dreamed of when we were little girls and I am so happy for her!!</div>
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My sister sent out the bachelorette party save-the-dates this week and let me just say she is the most creative sister and the BEST maid of honor! The invites are hilarious and all the girls love them. It's going to be a great weekend!</div>
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I already purchased 2 bikinis for our honeymoon... Even though we aren't quite sure where we are going for our honeymoon, I couldn't pass them up! Now let's work on this bikini-bod so I look just like the models in those swimsuits :) </div>
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We need to get so many more things done around the house that I am so overwhelmed with it all! We need to paint the hallway, the window and door trim throughout, paint the front door, organize the office, finish furnishing the house, painting the bathrooms, re-tiling the master bath, painting the kitchen, buying artwork for these bare walls... the list goes on. Ah!!</div>
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<b><u>My 11 Questions from Chasers of Kaysers</u></b>
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1. How many siblings do you have?
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<strong>2: my older brother is 30. He got married this past year in Chicago to his amazing wife (my "third" sibling - the best sister-in-law I could ask for!) and my younger sister is 22. She was my best friend and most loyal playmate throughout childhood and still is the person I can go to with anything. When we are together, we usually end up laughing until it hurts :)</strong></div>
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2. What is one thing that you have done, that you never thought you would do?
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<strong>I never thought I would have a career in Sales. I was <em>extremely</em> shy growing up and was terrified of talking to people (on the phone or in person) so it was a huge shock to everyone in my family when my first job out of college was in Sales and so is my current job. It has really helped me to get over my shy-ness and branch out and try new things outside of my comfort zone. </strong></div>
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3. Makeup or no makeup?
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<strong>MAKEUP! I have been wearing makeup nearly everyday of my life since I turned 13. That was the age my mom allowed my sister and I to wear makeup. On my 13th birthday, she took me to get a makeover at Clinique where I learned all about what types of makeup I could wear and I have not gone back. In the 13 years since I started wearing makeup, I can probably count on one hand the number of days I have left the house without mascara...</strong></div>
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4. What is your worst habit?
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<strong>Interrupting. Marc does not hesitate to remind me of this. I am working on it desperately! I am really trying to become a better listener and not always but in with my own two cents...</strong></div>
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5. What is your biggest fear?
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<strong>The dark. Being alone in the dark. Being attacked in the darkness when I'm alone. Just thinking about it has me all freaked out right now... I do NOT do scary movies. They seriously give me nightmares and I do not enjoy the feeling of being terrified for hours on end when I should be sleeping. </strong></div>
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6. If you knew the world would end a week from today, what would you try to get done/see/say beforehand?
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<strong>Get married. Have a baby. Travel the world. It better be a long week! But those are all the things I want to experience in my life. If it were to end before I could do those, I would just be incomplete. </strong></div>
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7. What is your favorite snack food?
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<strong>Ice cream! I would eat ice cream everyday if it was good for me. My favorite is the <em>white</em> mint chip from Breyers. It is so refreshing and tastes like real mint, not the fake green stuff Dreyers has. </strong></div>
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8. How often do you wash your hair?
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<strong>Every. Single. Day. My fine blonde hair gets so greasy after one day and I do not enjoy going to work looking like a slime ball so I usually wash my hair every morning. Maybe 1 or 2 times a month, I will shower the night before and use dry shampoo in the morning before work. But this does not always yield the best hair day... Also, on those Sundays when I don't even change out of my pajamas, I obviously do not wash my hair which doesn't really count because I don't go in public anyways. </strong></div>
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9. What is your favorite movie of all time?
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<strong>This is a hard one. It depends on my mood. Right now, I will have to say Pride and Prejudice (the new one with Keira Knightley). That movie is just so soothing to me. I love the soundtrack too; whenever I am having a stressful day or am just feeling down, I listen to it and it always relaxes me. It's a great story about love and family and those are the two most important things in my life. If I am looking for a good laugh: Dumb and Dumber all the way!</strong></div>
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10. Do you believe in ghosts?
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<strong>Second biggest fear of all time... Ghosts freak me out. I guess the answer is yes, or else why would I be so afraid of them? I don't really like going to haunted houses or watching ghost movies - <em>What Lies Beneath</em> is to this day the most traumatizing movie I have ever watched. Let's just say I did not get into a bathtub for months! </strong><br />
<img alt="What Lies Beneath (2000) Poster" height="317" itemprop="image" src="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTI5NjkwNDMwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMzY2Nzg4._V1_SY317_CR6,0,214,317_.jpg" title="What Lies Beneath (2000)" width="214" /></div>
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11. Which do you like better: manis or pedis? </div>
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<strong>Pedis. I like to paint my own nails and usually the nail polish chips so soon after that a manicure is not really worth the money to me. But a pedicure is very relaxing and they usually last me a few weeks. Lately I have really liked getting Shellac manicures though because they last a few weeks and I love having nice looking, strong nails. </strong>
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<u><b>My 11 Questions for You</b></u>
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?</div>
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What is your favorite meal to cook?</div>
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Do you exercise? If yes, how often and what is your routine? </div>
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What is your favorite TV show? Movie? Book?</div>
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What was your favorite birthday party? What did you do? What made it so special?</div>
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How many kids do you want to have? Why?</div>
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If you got the opportunity to work and live in another country, would you? What country would you choose?</div>
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What is your favorite thing to do with your husband, fiance, boyfriend, friend, whoever? </div>
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Tell me about your family.</div>
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What is your favorite store to shop at?</div>
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If you had $50,000,000, what would you do with it & why?</div>
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<u><b>My nominee for the Liebster Award</b></u>
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<b></b><a href="http://thomasandalta.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Alta Marie at The Bills Family aka I love us</a>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-32390360789191014302013-02-05T14:19:00.001-08:002013-02-05T14:22:34.721-08:00Engagement Photos DOs & DON'Ts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This Friday, we are taking our engagement photos! I realize we've been engaged for a while now, but my sister and her bf bought us this photo shoot for an early wedding gift and we are finally taking them. </div>
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I have some fabulous ideas of how to make these photos turn out beautifully, so let's see if they work out! Maybe my DOs & DON'Ts will change <em>after</em> we take our pictures, but I like to set myself some guidelines...</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>DO: </strong></span></div>
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Bribe Mother Nature for beautiful weather at the location - Tilden Park in Berkeley</div>
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Use 1 FreeStyle coupon at a local Bumble and Bumble hair salon. </div>
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Get my make-up done at Bare Escentuals (only requires a purchase of $35 worth of product!) - I am thinking this can double as my wedding-day make up trial if all goes well?? </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">maybe a little less "smoky" eye, <br />
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Buy a few new outfits - our photographer suggested a fancy outfit and a semi-casual outfit. I am on the hunt this week for a few new pieces for both of us that don't match, but that "go" together.</div>
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Whiten teeth - I'm using the Pinterest whitener: brush with a mixture of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and toothpaste. (<em>p.s. this tastes nasty!)</em></div>
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Go to bed early the night before so we don't have puffy, sleepy eyes!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>DON'T:</strong></span> <em>for a little comic relief...</em></div>
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Make heart shapes with our hands</div>
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Pose awkwardly...</div>
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<img alt="Pinned Image" height="320" id="pinCloseupImage" src="http://media-cache-ec7.pinterest.com/550/3c/db/6a/3cdb6adb54f6a0ed9ca19158e7336ef5.jpg" width="212" /></div>
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Forget to wear a shirt</div>
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<img alt="awkward engagement pic!?! LOL!!!!!! Just thought you could use an extra laugh!!! How can u not laugh.... LOL!!! I dare you...." class="PinImageImg" data-componenttype="MODAL_PIN" height="320" src="http://media-cache-ec6.pinterest.com/192/c7/99/46/c79946b5217514d06d0e051bea73a1a9.jpg" style="height: 288px;" width="212" /></div>
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Kiss like Spider-Man & Mary Jane</div>
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<img alt="It's a monkey man of course! Not your typical engagement picture...I wouldn't want to do this..." class="PinImageImg" data-componenttype="MODAL_PIN" src="http://media-cache-ec7.pinterest.com/192/7d/13/e5/7d13e5be951f179df4983acc470f8b8d.jpg" style="height: 289px;" /></div>
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Hug a pole</div>
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<img alt="I Think They’re Handcuffed to the Pole" class="PinImageImg" data-componenttype="MODAL_PIN" src="http://media-cache-ec5.pinterest.com/192/1c/27/14/1c27144eefc51a1967a08be7eaccd962.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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If you want some more laughs, here's the link for 20 awkward engagement pics! <a href="http://www.photographyschoolsonline.net/blog/2010/20-awkward-engagement-photos/">http://www.photographyschoolsonline.net/blog/2010/20-awkward-engagement-photos/</a></div>
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Back to the <strong>DO's</strong></div>
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Use your imagination and picture Marc and I here: </div>
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<img alt="Pinned Image" height="266" id="pinCloseupImage" src="http://media-cache-ec2.pinterest.com/550/66/d8/94/66d894af5cf55d77615f22ca7514b967.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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or here:</div>
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<img alt="Pinned Image" id="pinCloseupImage" src="http://media-cache-ec5.pinterest.com/550/01/0e/17/010e175a0c394980da79bdea8ba23816.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Beautiful, right?!</div>
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Fingers crossed all goes well and we are feeling playful and have a good time with our photographer! </div>
Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-77287137485435862452013-01-21T12:12:00.002-08:002013-01-21T12:18:10.015-08:004 More YearsAs I watched a video recording of President Obama's Inaugural Address this morning, (we forgot to record it so thank God for internet!!) I could not help but to feel an enormous sense of pride for the country I am so lucky to live in. So many of the words he said rang true for me, but my favorite segment was toward the end where he went through a list of things we, as a country, have to accomplish before our journey is complete. These were his words:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began, for our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity, until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm. <br />
<br />
That is our generation’s task, to make these works, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every American."</blockquote>
It is so empowering to hear these words from the President. His delivery is like none other. These liberties are what seem like simple, given rights that each individual should have, but as a nation, we aren't there yet. I hope that in these next 4 years, under the leadership of President Obama, the United States comes closer to the end of the journey. I know that the journey will never end, there will always be another initiative, another goal, but I look forward to seeing the progress towards equality. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="350" id="il_fi" src="http://img.ibtimes.com/www/thumb/mainpage/337478-430350-.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="430" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/">http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
4 more years!!<br />
<br />
In case you didn't get to watch it live either, here is a link to the video, it is in 2 parts. You can also watch Beyonce sing the National Anthem on this site too, she was amazing, of course!<br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/21/obama-speech-video_n_2491827.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/21/obama-speech-video_n_2491827.html</a>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-6096475669031537262013-01-02T10:07:00.004-08:002013-01-02T10:07:41.128-08:00Looking back at 2012, looking forward to 2013<div style="text-align: left;">
2012 was a big year for us!! Especially the second half of the year, things got pretty crazy and time flew by.</div>
<br />
January: I turned 25<br />
<br />
March: Marc turned 26<br />
<br />
May: I started a new job! Marc proposed on our Caribbean Cruise!<br />
<br />
July: We began our house hunt!<br />
<br />
August: We put an offer on our house! <br />
<br />
September: We celebrated my brother's marriage to his wonderful wife in Chicago! Our offer for the house was accepted! <br />
<br />
October: We waited anxiously for short sale bank approval on the house... We found out we are going to be an Aunt and Uncle - Marc's brother and his wife are expecting a new addition to the family in June 2013! <br />
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November: We became homeowners! I picked out my wedding dress!<br />
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December: We moved in to our new home, hosted Christmas for the first time and threw a New Year's Eve party!<br />
<br />
<em>here's a little taste of how we rang in the New Year: </em><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwqLhdrfnfK7BeKyKj8H0iOcbRyRXWLgGeLkHe8kOm4aAHkzigBQI04aonE4wVMrLB2-o8kQnCeddS1psM5gbFgtS8helhCxYFnKD4HatCCY98ErYBuqd_egVJQd5LSP2yanKeM0zwXY/s1600/New+Years+Eve+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwqLhdrfnfK7BeKyKj8H0iOcbRyRXWLgGeLkHe8kOm4aAHkzigBQI04aonE4wVMrLB2-o8kQnCeddS1psM5gbFgtS8helhCxYFnKD4HatCCY98ErYBuqd_egVJQd5LSP2yanKeM0zwXY/s320/New+Years+Eve+2012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that is a statue of Captain Morgan - one of Marc's prized possessions <br />
that has taken up residence in our living room...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
2013 is a year we will remember for all time, it's the year Marc and I will be married. Something we both knew would happen between us pretty early on in our relationship, it was just a matter of time before we could actually make it happen. I am so lucky to have Marc as the person who I am going to spend the rest of my life with. He has always been so supportive of me and is continually encouraging me to set goals and reach for them. <br />
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2013 is the year <em>*fingers crossed*</em> that Marc's career dreams are realized. He has worked so hard and so long and it is time for all that to pay off! <br />
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2013 is the year I want to do many things to improve myself, to be a better person. To name a few:<br />
- through all the stress of the day-to-day, don't lose sight of what is most important: family & friends<br />
- learn to control my emotions <br />
- be concious of my words and tone of voice<br />
- focus on helping others when they are in need<br />
- spend more time with my girlfriends<br />
- spend more time outdoors and less time watching TV<br />
<br />
My sights are set high for 2013 and I am ready to live in the moment this year and focus more on the great things in life and less on the negative things. I am ready to just enjoy life, enjoy my family, enjoy my friends, enjoy the man I love. <br />
<br />
Here's to the end of a great year and a fabulous year to come!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-16714019546460216682012-12-19T15:47:00.001-08:002013-01-21T12:14:18.549-08:00Holidays: stressful or fun?Don't let that title mislead you too much, but my thoughts this year have really been around how the holiday season seems to be less fun than it used to be... <br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>As a kid, Christmas was one of the most anticipated and excited days of the year. All the magic of Santa and family and gifts really built up the joy of the season. </li>
<li>There aren't many little kids in my family. Little kids make {almost} everything more fun. Someday there will be more little kids... :)</li>
<li>In a serious relationship/marriage, it is difficult/impossible to please both people or both families. We both want to make sure we spend time with our own family as well as each other so that leads us to celebrating Christmas a grand total of SIX times. </li>
<ul>
<li>You see: my family alone has 3 Christmas celebrations (my mom's side extended family, my dad's side extended family, my immediate family) + Marc's family similarly has 3 Christmas's = 6 Christmas celebrations that will be had this year. That is A LOT of Christmas. <em>Do not for a second think that we don't want to spend time with our families, it is just a lot of traveling, eating, cooking, prepping, celebrating and "Merry Christmas-ing..."</em></li>
</ul>
<li>Christmas shopping. While I <u>love</u> buying gifts for people and giving them (I am a people pleaser and I like making people happy! Gift giving/receiving makes <em>most</em> people happy!) The less fun side of Christmas shopping for those like myself who waited until 1 week before Christmas to begin are: parking lots, traffic, long lines. Get the picture? Yes I know, this is entirely my own fault for waiting so long... but I have been so preoccupied lately with other of life's happenings. </li>
<li>I no longer get a "Christmas Break" of several weeks like I did during school. It's just wrong to think about how I have to go to work on December 26th... </li>
</ul>
So as to not let this post be a complete holiday downer, here are a few reasons why Christmas is MORE fun than it used to be...<br />
<ul>
<li>This year, we have 2 Christmas trees :) We have a mini tree and a full size tree in our house. I love the smell of them, decorating them, looking at them, snuggling by them .. insert Marc rolling his eyes ;)</li>
<li>Now that I am older and make more money, I can buy more useful and cooler gifts for people. Sometimes my frugal self gets in the way, but I try to not let it overwhelm me at this time of year!</li>
<li>The Jammie Fairy still visits my house every Christmas Eve. I LOVE the Jammie Fairy!</li>
<li>As my family has grown, so has the love that is shared during the holidays. This may sound cheesy, but I am very much a "the more, the merrier" type of person, and now that I have Marc's whole family and my sister-in-law and my sister's boyfriend to celebrate with also, the fun just grows with each person added!</li>
<li>Christmas music is the perfect antidote to a long stressful day at work. It is much harder to be unhappy while sitting in traffic for over an hour on the way home from work when I am blasting Christmas music. An entire month of Christmas music is a month of happiness :)</li>
<li>I get to have my immediate family over to <em>our </em>house this year on Christmas morning. This year, I am planning some special surprises to spice things up a bit. I'll be sure to post all about the 2012 Baldwin Christmas Games....!</li>
<li>Christmas movie marathons on TV. I love the movie <u><strong>ELF</strong></u>. It's hilarious!</li>
</ul>
Now, I'm off to continue filling my head with Christmas tunes and lights and cookies!<br />
<br />
Happy Holiday season to everyone!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-30328025317351363932012-12-14T13:47:00.002-08:002013-01-21T12:14:45.261-08:009 months til we say "I DO"I can't believe it, only 9 months to go! This morning when I noticed it was the 14th, I was thinking it was 10 months to go, but after some counting, I realized it's actually only 9 months! I swear I used to be good at math... <br />
<br />
Along the lines of wedding planning, this is what we have accomplished so far, surprisingly, Marc has been very involved in ALL of these choices (except for the dress and shoe choice of course!): <br />
<ul>
<li>Chose the venue: Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club</li>
<li>Set the date: 9/14/13</li>
<li>Chose the caterer: Affair to Remember</li>
<li>Decided on our color scheme: navy blue, coral, cream and green (aka the garden!)</li>
<li>Purchased my dress: from Glamour Closet in SF</li>
<li>Took my dress to my favorite seamstress: she is currently working her magic to make it shrink down a few sizes :)</li>
<li>Purchased my shoes: from SoleSociety.com (they will arrive in the mail today, maybe I'll share a picture of those soon!)</li>
<li>Selected our wedding party: 5 bridesmaids and 5 groomsmen</li>
<li>"Proposed" to our ring bearer: my cousin's little boy, he'll be almost 3 years old come wedding time</li>
<li>"Proposed" to our flower girl: Marc's little cousin, she will be 7 years old come wedding time</li>
<li>Chose the music/band: Marc's uncle will play at our ceremony and DJ at the reception</li>
<li>Selected our officiant: my uncle will perform our ceremony, he even got ordained online already!</li>
<li>Purchased our favors: I ordered them online today at theknot.com</li>
<li>Purchased our invitations: bought them at Michael's on Black Friday, we will print them ourselves</li>
<li>Selected a photographer for our engagement photos: my sister and her bf gave this to us as an early wedding gift! We will take the photos in January at a beautiful outdoor location.</li>
<li>Made a wedding website: we will share it when it is complete</li>
<li>Purchased Marc's wedding ring: got a sweet deal on Black Friday</li>
</ul>
WOW! When I spell it out like that, it feels like I've done a lot and I don't feel so overwhelmed by everything else that has been going on which has taken me from wedding planning. We still have lots of little things to do, but I'm so glad most of the main stuff is taken care of. Now that I have an entire room in the house to dedicate to wedding planning, let Wine Wedding Wednesdays begin!!<br />
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If you check out my "Weddings" Pinterest board, you will get a pretty good idea of what look we are going for! Here is a sneak peak of my favorite color sheme inspiration picture: <br />
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274 days to go!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-30703917864365881612012-12-11T13:39:00.001-08:002012-12-11T13:42:04.228-08:00Home Sweet HomeWe are officially moved in to our new home. Well, the home isn't new, but it sure is new to us! This weekend was one of the most exhausting, exciting weekends I have ever had. I am so amazed at how much we were able to accomplish in those 3 days (I had Friday off work to allow us to get some extra stuff done at the house before move-in day). <br />
<br />
<em>***Be prepared for a very long post.........</em><br />
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<strong>Thursday</strong> night, we headed over to Lowe's and finalized our paint color choices and bought the paint for our master bedroom, living room, dining room and family room. Then, we stopped by my parents house to borrow their suburban and painting tools in preparation for the painting marathon that would happen the next day. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">~ Friday ~</span></strong></div>
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Marc and I woke up early (8am is early for us)! I had a doctor's appointment then I grabbed some coffee and bagels for us on the way home. While I was gone, Marc made about 50 trips to load up my parent's truck with some of our belongings so we could take a load over to the house. By the time I got home, he was ready to go so we just ate our delicious bagels and I changed into my painting clothes and off we went. We arrived at the house at about 11. While Marc unpacked the truck into the garage, I opened all the windows to get some fresh air in the house and started washing the walls in the master bedroom and prepping the room for painting. We took down the blinds, the closet doors, etc. My dad rolled up on his trike (a super cool recumbant trike with a motor assist that he uses to get around town and ride for fun since he doesn't drive) and brought us some putty to fill the holes in the wall. Luckily he called us that morning and said he was headed to Home Depot and asked if we needed anything, he knows us too well! Meanwhile, I made 2 trips to my parents' house for tools and a vacuum. It's less than 2 miles away so it's a short drive. :) We began painting our bedroom a pretty grey-blue color and were hurrying since the carpet cleaners were scheduled to come at 3:00. I was the edger and Marc was the roller, we are a great team and got the room done just in time to clean out the room when the carpet cleaners arrived. My dad even rode his trike down to Wendy's to grab us some lunch which we enjoyed sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room. :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBbfcdj0GkJEbMzVPdXLEuadYoPtpfZ36XzrRK-PROh5APqSoGeh12T-tRH2ErKOvY3uwtjEJdDEEMO-BhpLruEqAt5HhACOPoJaOGkf_u42cz-ogI0A4VXYr1zMgHxQhqXUJeWzJ9dQ/s1600/painters+master+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img bea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBbfcdj0GkJEbMzVPdXLEuadYoPtpfZ36XzrRK-PROh5APqSoGeh12T-tRH2ErKOvY3uwtjEJdDEEMO-BhpLruEqAt5HhACOPoJaOGkf_u42cz-ogI0A4VXYr1zMgHxQhqXUJeWzJ9dQ/s320/painters+master+cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting the master!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The carpet cleaning really made a big difference, there are a few pet stains in the carpet as the previous owners had 2 small dogs. There are still a few stains that probably won't come out, but we are working on getting the smell out, I can't wait until the house smells like "us." The carpet cleaners were great until they dumped the dirty, gross smelling water out of their vehicle right onto our driveway... that was just rude. Marc said, "That smells nice." and the guy responded with, "You get used to it." Really? I'd rather not get used to the smell of sewer on my driveway, thank you anyways. End of rant. <br />
<br />
My dad headed home around 4 to get a few things done then he and my mom came back over and brought dinner (Los Panchos, yum!) and we were back to painting the living room. My parents were a HUGE help! We were able to finish painting the living room, which has vaulted ceilings! and the dining room. We finished up at about 11:30pm so we were all exhausted, but we are so glad we got it done. The living room is a light earthy green color, and the dining room is a medium brown color, it's called Cafe Ole, so that gives you an idea. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-K0ri0AishsOAzvsKGlccoQ2-DSE43QE3MR5uNXiWDpkOfDqJOba9JMlwkiwFBk4zKpH1mNG-3TousX4W6kT-1mjMVijWK6K7r7nryqKtJpPZQVRehQTSL8U0WR78yZChegDQQ3Xz_Js/s1600/painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img bea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-K0ri0AishsOAzvsKGlccoQ2-DSE43QE3MR5uNXiWDpkOfDqJOba9JMlwkiwFBk4zKpH1mNG-3TousX4W6kT-1mjMVijWK6K7r7nryqKtJpPZQVRehQTSL8U0WR78yZChegDQQ3Xz_Js/s320/painting.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at those vaulted ceilings in the living room!</td></tr>
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We finally got back to our apartment at about midnight where we quickly showered, climbed in bed and fell asleep to rest up quick for the next day. <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">~ Saturday ~</span></strong></div>
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Marc and I woke up at 7am to finish packing the apartment. We were literally RUNNING all morning to try to finish up and get another load of stuff into the suburban. We met his parents, brother and friend at the house at 10:30. They brought a 20' Uhaul with lots of furniture for us from his Nana's place and from his parents. It is really nice not to have to buy any furniture right off the bat, the house is full and we get to focus on making other small improvements to it instead of buying furniture. Thanks everyone!! Right after we all got there, my sister-in-law arrived to help too. While the boys all began unloading the Uhaul, the girls and I started in on cleaning, or should I say, bleaching the house top to bottom. Shortly after, my sister and her boyfriend arrived, carrying the cutest mini-Christmas tree as our housewarming gift!! We put them straight to work! Within an hour, the Uhaul and suburban were unloaded and the kitchen, bathrooms, linen closet and window sills were all clean and ready to be loaded. Like I said, our families are AMAZING! <br />
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Marc and I still had all our big furniture at the apartment that needed to be loaded into the Uhaul and I needed to do a final cleaning of the apartment before our walk-through at 2:00. Again, we were running around like crazy people trying to get it all loaded. I had no idea how much stuff can fit into a 700 sq. ft. apartment.... we filled the Uhaul again! I cleaned much too thoroughly because the property manager just opened one cabinet, the fridge and oven and then glanced at the bathroom and she was done. Did we really need to clean the ceiling fan, microwave filter and scrub on our hands and knees for days?! NO, we did not. <br />
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This is when Marc and I said our final goodbye to our first place together. It was a perfect place for us, but after a year and a half, we outgrew it and were ready to take on a new challenge together. We loved our time at Spring Meadow, but we were not exactly sad to say goodbye ;) that place was tiny! 700 sq. ft. is not enough for two strong-willed people, no matter how much love there is! So we closed that chapter and opened a new one on that sunny Saturday afternoon. <br />
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While we were gone, I left the rest of the crew at the house to do some more cleaning, line the kitchen shelves, etc. and my mom did a Subway run for everyone. By the time we got home, my mom, Marc's mom and my sister-in-law had completely unpacked our kitchen! Those women can work!!! After lunch, we unloaded the Uhaul from the apartment, Marc's brother and friend put our bed together, my mom raked the leaves, my brother tore out some overgrown plants from our porch area, everyone was busy busy busy all day long. We finally stopped working and ordered Chinese for dinner. Just as it arrived, so did our beautiful refrigerator, washer and dryer!! That fridge is amazing, it's a Samsung with french doors and the freezer on the bottom. Thank God for Black Friday or else we would never have been able to afford that thing!! That experience is a whole post in itself...<br />
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My mom and I decorated the mini-Christmas tree and set it up in front of the big window at the front of the house. It immediately makes the place feel like home :) We are going to get a full-sized tree too, but this one is so cute!! <em>Note the mini-rocking chair that Marc's dad snagged from our apartment dumpster, that place was a gold mine for goodies that people didn't want!! It wasn't actually IN the dumpster, people would just leave their unwanted things next to it for the taking. He said it's for "little Elizabeth" someday :) It's a keeper!!</em><br />
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After dinner, Marc's family headed home and mine hung out to watch a movie. We were in bed and asleep by 9:30pm after the longest 2 days of our lives! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>~ Sunday ~</strong></span></div>
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After waking up several times to the new house's noises, Marc and I were up for the day around 9. It took us quite a while to find towels and shower stuff... but when we finally did, we discovered the shower had a temperature limit on it. We toughed it through some luke-warm showers and headed out to Target to pick up a few essentials and some much needed FOOD! Sunday was spent unpacking random boxes of things we would actually use in the next few days. We did lots of laundry which was actually fun to do with our very own washer and dryer. My Grammie came over to see the house and brought us lunch and some homemade blueberry bread. She approved! A big deal if you know my Grammie... Marc and I washed some of the blinds out on the driveway so we could have some privacy at the front of the house at least for the night. Those blinds were so dusty!! And do you know what dust is? Skin. Other people's skin. That just grosses me out so bad we had to take care of it ASAP. My sister came over in the evening to drink some champagne and share some design ideas; she even let me borrow her Domino book, "her life" so I am sworn to protect it with mine! </div>
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That basically sums up a crazy busy weekend of moving, fun and excitement. We are SO glad to finally be living in our home and cannot wait for all the memories that are to come. We know we will be living there for a very long time. :)</div>
Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-86881012471467748102012-12-04T22:11:00.001-08:002012-12-05T08:20:07.946-08:00Packing our lives away!We are currently packing, packing and more packing! Or should I say, Marc is doing a lot of packing... :) It has been so nice to come home from work to another section of the apartment packed away in boxes. It is much different having his help this time compared to last time when I did most of the packing on my own before we moved in together. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnCjhQsyrU7jaTtdqrQDnkoWULdzeN4CZ7sflqyeZM9IRTZjG4dLue1elIxIOHO7O8vA7tGdEhNZQNvoR2TLU03jeH2Agq8VBvSlcZbgyzaBXqCwCHW6f6JjNqv75L1aBj91uk-JmrkM/s640/blogger-image-1258154029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnCjhQsyrU7jaTtdqrQDnkoWULdzeN4CZ7sflqyeZM9IRTZjG4dLue1elIxIOHO7O8vA7tGdEhNZQNvoR2TLU03jeH2Agq8VBvSlcZbgyzaBXqCwCHW6f6JjNqv75L1aBj91uk-JmrkM/s640/blogger-image-1258154029.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just one little corner of boxes, this box pile has <br />
tripled in size since I took the picture this weekend!</td></tr>
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Our official move-in date is this Friday!!!! December 7th! We are so excited it is literally hard to sleep at night. The house is finally empty from most of the sellers' enormous amounts of belongings. </div>
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It is amazing how much stuff people accumulate over the years...I think we have learned we need to do annual purging of our excess stuff that has not been used and either donate it or toss it so we don't end up like "Hoarders."</div>
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I hope to remember to take pictures of the house before we put our furniture in so we can see some before and afters and show our progress as we make it our home. </div>
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This is going to be a very busy week of packing, moving, painting, unpacking and relentlessly thanking those who are dedicating their weekend to helping us move. Thanks in advance to all of you!!! </div>
Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-82265046461622828622012-11-21T12:57:00.001-08:002012-12-05T08:21:08.175-08:00How I finally chose my wedding dressLet me tell you how absolutely amazingly fun wedding dress shopping was!<br />
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Spending great quality time with my best girlfriends, sisters, mom and future mother-in-law while trying on some of the most beautiful (and most hideous...) dresses I've ever seen while everyone oooh's and ahhh's, how could I not have a blast? Seeing as I've been fantasizing about shopping for wedding dresses since I could walk, and maybe even earlier, it was a dream come true! <br />
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I ended up trying on dresses during 4 separate occasions, spread out over 2 months. The first time consisted of going to 2 local dress shops with my mom, mother in law, sister (maid of honor), sister in law (bridesmaid), and best friend (bridesmaid). <br />
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I learned that I could identify very quickly exactly what I did NOT like! I would put one on, walk out and show everyone, stand on the pedistal for about 2 seconds and say, "Next!" And off I went to try on the next one. This came in very handy because during the first appointment I was able to try on probably 10 dresses in the first hour. I thought that was very good considering all the work to get into those things! <br />
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My amazing sister/maid of honor did a fabulous job at taking pictures throughout the day, I have SO many on my phone (which is on lock down for the next year so Marc can't catch any glimpses of THE dress)! Here are a few: <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVTwi1566weGAyRIrsj1hTOnYgFXKmdMRa_Hh6Y7Uqw2Wv2P1YZCDtt8jRyx7G8VJ6B4aJyIUUN3kaRg9Hf_4GsInKHUiVMh30SeDllyh_h_uHJFNtQFWHO3xRp8TbENbBWlfgfy3YF4/s1600/photo+3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVTwi1566weGAyRIrsj1hTOnYgFXKmdMRa_Hh6Y7Uqw2Wv2P1YZCDtt8jRyx7G8VJ6B4aJyIUUN3kaRg9Hf_4GsInKHUiVMh30SeDllyh_h_uHJFNtQFWHO3xRp8TbENbBWlfgfy3YF4/s320/photo+3.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pulling dresses" with my mama</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyQV6VWojreM5Iyh3f9jZI6YP2ZjfGdrh4DuKov-SvEWZQa-cZkgD9QA8KdCwYklmaJhgomTH9pVaCjJQYRpkWUEPOBO0VDyBJw8JihneCkPXDmmajhVV99QIHO5cvaAQymx2BIiUpWI/s1600/photo+4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyQV6VWojreM5Iyh3f9jZI6YP2ZjfGdrh4DuKov-SvEWZQa-cZkgD9QA8KdCwYklmaJhgomTH9pVaCjJQYRpkWUEPOBO0VDyBJw8JihneCkPXDmmajhVV99QIHO5cvaAQymx2BIiUpWI/s320/photo+4.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom, Kelly and Paula waiting patiently for me to reveal the first dress!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrRIhEnrrROJccrv-8y7xh4n1j6TI2Y2eprLPy9hHnOjpKvIiwj7hU8Q6oZ8zoVYBjQXEAhIttlQU4wr15zRh1dYUH8zRcl_5D5oHPO6ySXgqmPr1HdQ_tsLLYFDJZd4ZF7tUb9Ri8so/s1600/photo+5+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrRIhEnrrROJccrv-8y7xh4n1j6TI2Y2eprLPy9hHnOjpKvIiwj7hU8Q6oZ8zoVYBjQXEAhIttlQU4wr15zRh1dYUH8zRcl_5D5oHPO6ySXgqmPr1HdQ_tsLLYFDJZd4ZF7tUb9Ri8so/s320/photo+5+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Browsing with Vallie - "candid" shot :)</td></tr>
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After that day of searching those two stores, I <em>thought</em> I had my heart set on the ONE. <br />
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I went to David's Bridal with my future Mother in Law, we had a fun time, but still didn't find anything to top the ONE from before. <br />
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I had heard about this store in San Francisco, <a href="http://glamourcloset.com/closet/index.asp" target="_blank">The Glamour Closet</a>, that carries all sample dresses for discounted prices and since I only get to shop for my wedding dress once in my life, I knew I had to at least go there for fun. So this past Sunday, I planned to go there with my sister and 2 of my bridesmaids. However, before I went there, since I knew if I found one, I would have to buy it on the spot since they're all samples, I wanted to go back and try on the ONE on Saturday. If you're not confused, good job! :) So Saturday, my mom and Val and I went to try on the ONE from the first time and we loved it just as much! I just felt so happy and fun in it. So I told the consultant's I'd be back, I was just going to have some fun at the Glamour Closet but would be back to buy that ONE in a few days. <br />
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Boy was I wrong about that one!!<br />
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<em>***Side note about The Glamour Closet: One day about 2 years ago, my mom, sister and I were in SF and wandering down the street north of the Financial District in the Italian neighborhood looking for a place to grab some lunch,and we pass a wedding dress shop. We all three stop abruptly to gaze longingly at the beautiful dresses in the window and I announce, "I'm coming HERE when I shop for wedding dresses." We gaze some more, and continue our hunt for food. </em><br />
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So off we go to wait in line before the store opens in SF. We pull up to the shop and my sister reminds me that THIS is the place I said I was going to come back to someday when I got engaged. Isn't it so amazing how things just come full circle sometimes? Bless her and her superior memory! ;) Anyways, we were about 10th in line, so we were told it'd be an hour and a half before I would get to head into a dressing room. So we leisurely browsed and chose the allotted 8 dresses I would try on that day. The 8 we chose were of such a wide variety because it was going to be my last ditch effort to try on something "crazy" or different and see if I would change my mind and stray from the first ONE. At about the 3rd dress in, I was totally thrown off my guard when I fell in love with another dress and could do nothing but stand and stare in awe of how beautiful it was. Now this one was THE ONE. The ONE AND ONLY. As I turned to walk back into the dressing room to try on #4, I turned to my sister and said, "I think I'm changing my mind..." and her jaw hit the floor! I love my sister and her so suiting reactions to every fun and emotional moment! She had seen me run and dance and laugh in the first dress and was as sure as I was that my mind was made up from that moment. <br />
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I plowed through the next few dresses and went back to try on THE ONE. Veil and all, I was sold. The consultant asked me: "So, is this your dress?" and I turned around and looked at my best girls and said, "YES!" and both my sister and I burst into tears! We are such girls!!! HAHAHA! Even a random mother of a bride who was shopping there asked to take our picture while we were hugging, it was such a magical, beautiful moment. I thought it was something that only happened in movies and on "reality" TV, but I was so wrong. To all our amazement, I had changed my mind and chosen a dress that was COMPLETELY different from the other one and so much more beautiful! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjit74rubSdP8Daq_H5rOMwWu2NsG93O5BNlRPlUdcGa3aD2XZrtW9v0WEp6OOl8mpBYcMuYnJPbA6ERKS6Lguv7zCDjs_F3EXVWA9kGCEMDVCAZqTIo_OA12LaY-hHnUzB1a5i-B6eO_E/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjit74rubSdP8Daq_H5rOMwWu2NsG93O5BNlRPlUdcGa3aD2XZrtW9v0WEp6OOl8mpBYcMuYnJPbA6ERKS6Lguv7zCDjs_F3EXVWA9kGCEMDVCAZqTIo_OA12LaY-hHnUzB1a5i-B6eO_E/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surrounded by beauties! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbNLqX1dI-tMnDJQioAdm7yqv3Yqw1IpvHTRBmGkHexS2_RUDgJVIao1bmriSwMyQOxSdIHJXzUflzIBMP8K44R8tMcOWwkSY9eoFUtHAVOJkxGpTNxUpN6kevkKhtmmRUCvB2j1z2Ww/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbNLqX1dI-tMnDJQioAdm7yqv3Yqw1IpvHTRBmGkHexS2_RUDgJVIao1bmriSwMyQOxSdIHJXzUflzIBMP8K44R8tMcOWwkSY9eoFUtHAVOJkxGpTNxUpN6kevkKhtmmRUCvB2j1z2Ww/s320/photo+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I literally walked out of the store with a wedding dress!</td></tr>
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I forgot to mention, this dress was *before tax* under my budget!! Woo hoo!! and thank you to my lovely Mom and Pop for buying it for me <3 The only catch, is it's a sample size 12, so my "personal seamstress" is going to see if she can work her magic on it so I can avoid taking it to another seamstress! She's super talented so I'm sure there will be no problem, I have faith in her!<br />
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After I said YES, we marched off to celebrate over some champagne and lunch right up the street. Did I mention this is the same place my mom, sister and I went to lunch that day we first discovered the Glamour Closet? Well it is! Again, the universe meant to put us there... <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_20Yo1VokCrFvC-qf4NQ4xgSmU3YqJohS8D05zRUP4k3k6HjLaCkxE9ZV_6SV7O6yCnbFxiP2eDdxGU4Csjo8a51isHAqq7drfEO1bOfZc9HncPxAMwlNSVJlYh318emjcDvK_Vr9_bA/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_20Yo1VokCrFvC-qf4NQ4xgSmU3YqJohS8D05zRUP4k3k6HjLaCkxE9ZV_6SV7O6yCnbFxiP2eDdxGU4Csjo8a51isHAqq7drfEO1bOfZc9HncPxAMwlNSVJlYh318emjcDvK_Vr9_bA/s320/photo+5.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">delicious Sofia Coppola champagne that has held a near and dear place in my heart</td></tr>
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Since my mom wasn't at this appointment, I rushed home and tried it on for my mom and dad who loved it!! <br />
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That sums up probably my longest post ever, but it was such a blast I wanted to capture every detail! <br />
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No hints about the dress for another 297 days! Don't want Marc to get any clues except one: it's white!! :) <br />
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<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343968255439006100.post-2237841511454680912012-11-20T15:14:00.002-08:002012-12-05T08:21:20.094-08:00We are HOMEOWNERS!Marc and I are officially the owners of a wonderful 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1,700 square foot wonderful home! <br />
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After riding the Short Sale roller coaster for nearly 4 months, we survived the ups and downs and rounded the last bend this morning. Our Escrow Officer confirmed everything and the process is finally over.<br />
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I can't believe it has actually happened! <br />
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Now all we have to do is make sure the sellers (now our renters...well free renters) pack up all their stuff and move out by the agreed upon date of December 1st. Good thing Marc and Mr. Seller are buddies and Marc calls him frequently to check in and make sure everything is still on track. <br />
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The next step that Marc and I are planning to take is those 2 scary words.... JOINT CHECKING. It's the logical thing to do since we now own a home together and will be paying for everything together, why bother writing checks to each other each month to pay the other one back for the bills they paid...? But the details remain: When should we combine finances? How should we do it? Whose bank do we go with? Who should pay the bills? Should we still have separate checking accounts or credit cards for our own "private" purchases? <br />
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I'm totally open to suggestions on how to manage being first-time homeowners and gradually combining the other aspects of our lives in the months leading up to our wedding. <br />
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Such an exciting day! Another post to come about wedding updates - 298 days to go! :)Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11433530659441102749noreply@blogger.com0