I am so impressed with my kitchen so far, and the hard work that Jeff is putting in. Here are a few pictures of the tile work and granite work he has done. The cabinets are all up, but many of the doors are still not in. Also, he ran out of tile and grout, and I just got him some more, so please note that it is not all complete - but you'll get the general idea!
There are a ton of pictures here, so I have put them on a little slide show.
I cannot believe that we got a call this morning from Home Depot - our kitchen is in!
Can you believe it? More than one week ahead of schedule. How does that happen? Everything is in except for some of the cherry end panels, that wouldn't go on until the end anyway. And we are still not even ready with the plumbing in there anywhere.
This may mean that within two weeks my house could be back to normal! Is this true??? Am I dreaming???
Here are a few pictures of the (almost) completed family room. Thanks, Dad, for all of the hard work. He did the ceiling, built the bookcases, painted them (and the walls and trim) and scrubbed the floor over and over and over for us (hint: never put in a new floor before everything is finished!).
Doodles would say that I watch too many HGTV and TLC Home Decorating shows, but you know what? Sometimes, the great ideas just pay off.
I bought the following lamp base (2 of them) for $4.99 each, and then I found the lamp shades elsewhere for $7.99 each. I wasn't sure how they would look together, so I shopped for some trim to try and dress them up.
What do you think?
The final result:
I wonder what else needs some trimming. Just give me a hot glue gun and watch out!
I am thinking that I need a mirror above the fireplace - ooh, which we finished in black granite. Maybe I can trim that...LOL.
Oh - what about my new drapes? I made the tie backs with tassels myself!
Okay - We want to submit E's picture for a few baby contests. Not for the fame or recognition - but for the college scholarship money, of course. Please leave your choice number in the comments.
Though I really love #4, I don't think it shows enough of her for the contests.
If you haven't been to Glam.com, do check it out. It is the number one destination on the web for fashion and beauty. And I am a proud member of the network.
I have never used a Kodak, except for the throwaways, and the Easy Uploader Software has crashed on me numerous times since running it, but the camera is magnificent so far. You cannot find a digital camera with a high rate of optical zoom (digital zoom sucks, and is all grainy) even close to this price, so that is why I went for it.
And Best Buy was very nice about it. The camera was on sale, but I found it on another site for $25 less. I told them about it, they looked up my purchase history, looked up the site, and gave it to me for that discounted price. I was thrilled!
So here are a few pics of the kiddos I snapped in the last few days. I have Johnny, Joey, and Elizabeth. I will taking pics of Caci at b-ball this weekend, and Justin - when he is ever home and picture-worthy!
So, we needed a heater of some sort for Caci's room, because when we did the addition, her return air vent was blocked up. So in these last few mornings, we have noticed how utterly cold it has been in her room.
Jeff remembered how Home Depot had these cute electric fire-places that were heaters, and that there was a small white one, and it was on sale for $348. So , we decided to get it. And guess what? It was on clearance for $198.
Got it!
Done!
Then he looked at a huge one that was cherry with black granite. Jeff asked the salesman how much that was. It was originally $798, marked down to $648, then $348. So he decided to take that one too for wither the dining room or the master bedroom. Now- here is the good part. The salesman said that the floor model was the last one. Jeff noticed some nicks and dings to it, so he asked if they would discount it at all. He was hoping for 10% off. He was stunned and couldn't pay for it fast enough when he told him that the store manager said to take $150 off. So it was the same price at Caci's! He definitely could not pass that deal up!!!
I opened an very unexpected e-mail last night to find that my writing about makeup is so loved by one of the sites I contribute to, that they have decided to re-do my contract. And in the contract there are two noteworthy items. My commissions went from 2 % to 10%, and my pay was increased by 10 times. 10X!
I am so thrilled to be earning my own money - like money I would be paid for leaving the home and the kiddos and working 8 hours a day. Except, I do it from home, any time of day I want, even in my jammies if I so please. And I only put in 8 - 10 hours per week!!!
I am so damn sick of constantly fighting with my kids. Why do I even fight with them???
It should be that why we (hubby & I ) says goes. Shouldn't it?
I am sick of being given 100 questions by my kids. Why do we have to go? Why do we have to eat now? Why do we have to take a shower? Why can't I stay out/up later? Why? Why? Why? And then when I tell them why, they get so argumentative - I CANNOT STAND IT!
So I have made a New Years Resolution. No fighting with the kids. I will tell them once (well maybe twice) and that is it. And if they ask why? I will simply say that I am the mother and that is how it is going to be. I figure if I do this long enough, they will eventually know what the answer is and stop asking (arguing) with me.
A few of you have asked for some pictures of the quick dining room we threw together before the Holidays.
I like the neutral colors, and the light fixture.
I need to get window treatments (blinds & curtains) and a real dining room set. We are just using what we had and painted a hutch black for now. Ooh - and I would like some wide crown moldings installed by the ceiling. And I want to turn the closet into a vent-free fireplace - forgot about that too.
He came home late Wednesday afternoon, and he swears he is my child. All clean cut and stuff.
Could it be?
No, it can't be.
Really?
Is it you Justy?
Looking all grown up and possibly even older then 15?
MY B-A-B-Y!!!
I have always had a rule for my kids. If they are not drinking, doing drugs, or having sex, I won't care about their hair or the clothes they wear. (Though I do draw the line at piercings and tattoos.) So, what do you think he is doing?
I have been not so dedicated to posting in the last few weeks, but now that the holidays are over and we are sort of back to a normal schedule, I should get back to posting more regularly.
So if you have missed us, sorry!
We missed you too!
So here is a quick family update:
Justy is back in a full arm cast. We thought it would be cut down today, but the one bone is not creating new bone as fast as the other, so it still need extra protection. Hopefully in two weeks he will get his wish and only be casted up to the elbow.
Doodles is the last of us to have had the stomach bug. She still has the lingering headache that accompanied it and didn't go to school today. She made basketball though, of course. And she is so totally looking forward to the High School Musical Concert tomorrow night.
Jon-Jon was to the doc today too. He has a bad ear infection in one ear. The good news is that he is very good taking his medicine and it has been almost a year since his last ear infection - when it was a double one, the day before we got on a plane to Florida. (Which I can't believe was a year ago already - it seems like yesterday!)
Joe-Joe has chapped lips right now - exciting, I know. So, he is currently obsessed with the petroleum jelly. He is finding new places to apply it and smear over. I keep finding greasy piles of it everywhere you would think he is two. Oh yeah, he did smear a whole jar of it on the bathroom cabinets when he was, yeah, just about two.
I am obsessed with baking lately after getting my new stand mixer from my parents for Christmas. I don't remember baking to be so fun! We have cookies galore in the house. Seriously, I think I have to send some in to the teachers at school or deliver plates to the neighbors. That is how much we have!!!
Okay - after that lengthy post about ...did you really miss us that much???
I can't believe that Christmas has come and gone already and that tomorrow is New Years Eve already. A new year, again - already??? Where does the time go?
We have no big plans. Hubby and I were talking about it, and I think the last time we went out on New Years Even was when we were in Disney World for 96/97. Yes... ten years ago! I was pregnant with Johnny, and we were on vacation with my parents. I think we may have had a party once or twice for the celebration sometime in the last ten years, but none too eventful, as I cannot remember them. I think New Years Eve is basically over-rated on a whole.
Well, I hope everyone had a great holiday and here is to a Healthy and Happy New Year!
Hours from going CRAZY. Making cookies. Wrapping presents. Getting the kids in bed. Wrapping presents. Cleaning up the kitchen. Figuring out what else I need to get before Christmas. Wrapping presents.
Try not to go too crazy!
Oh - I almost forgot, I have one less thing to go crazy about. Justin is in the clear. His bones are finally growing together and making new bones ! YAY! No more appointments for two weeks!
And maybe I should try and write out my Christmas cards that have been in a tote bag that I brought to Justin's last surgery. You know the ones I was thinking I would have a chance to do them then - which I have basically forgotten about until now. Will they even get there in time?
Should I just forget everything and just go CRAZY now???
So, when the Doctor comes in and expresses that she is afraid to look at your X-Rays, should you be worried?
And worry even more when she says she will be right back?
Well, Yes.
And.
Yes.
When she did come back, she gave us a big thumbs up. His bone has finally managed to stay in the same place for the last five days! Yippee! And if it continues to heal this way and looks the same on his X-Ray next Wednesday, then it is (or should be) smooth sailing from there.
Justin was so relieved, as was I.
I am finally feeling into the Holiday spirit.
And I am finally going on a marathon Christmas shopping spree tomorrow.
So, I have just realized that it is like...two weeks until Christmas. Actually - less than. Two weeks from right now, all the mayhem will be over.
And guess what? I have not even purchased one single solitary present yet. I have been a bit busy with Justin and his arm and multiple Doctor appointments and surgeries - and then Caci's (yes, Joey & Johnny too) basketball. And school. And work. And life.
Maybe we should just keep busy... and maybe the kids will forget about Christmas... yeah, there is an idea.
It is no wonder that he hasn't broken anything in the past. After watching this, I guess we should feel pretty fortunate that he just broke his arm in two places and his wrist.
Thank God for that!
And I got an apology from Justin for his language in the first clip. So to you, I apologize too.
Well this glossy mag is basically called The Beauty Expert. And this mag's head writer called upon my expertise a few months ago for information on some cult beauty products.
You see, she saw one of my posts on that, you know, that other blog I write, and obsess about (gotta write some good stuff, gotta get some good ads, gotta review some great products, gotta get the readership up!). And she wanted to use some of the quotes I gave in my post for her article.
I agreed to let her use it. She asked me all crazy things about my other blog, and it's demographics, and traffic, etc. And she wanted to let her readers know that I was sort of an expert because I have some experience, with the blog, and why with all the beauty product testing and such - I am an expert. And the product she was quoting me about had become one of my favorite products of all time. I swear by it. I use it everyday before I put on my makeup. It is awesome, I tell you! So yeah, I am an expert on this beauty product.
Well, I was quoted in the magazine this month, the December 2006 Issue (on new stands today) in the cult beauty products article (on page 224). Goodie!
But.
What is quoted in the article is not even about the product that she asked me about. Not even the same damn product! And a fact checker even called me to confirm what I had said and verified my blog's address and name spelling and such. And then she e-mailed me what was to be included. And that was correct!
Hmmm.. in the actual magazine, they got my name, age(unfortunately) and where I am from correct, but there is no mention of my blog anywhere and I am totally misquoted.
WTF???
And I was asked by this same publication, for which I had to sign a confidentiality agreement for, about working on something for them, and getting paid. But if they are going to print what they want to print and cater to their advertisers, would I want to even be involved in the process? (Oh yeah, the $$$)
Anyway, Joey thinks I am a star because my name is in a magazine that we bought at the checkout counter in the Big Y. And if that's good enough for him, then that's good enough for me - in some strange sort-of way.
Well, I guess that was worth it alone!
And I should be happy to have at least been noticed by a major publication like Allure in the first place.
I can't believe that they would have been 17 already if they made it past their first and last few hours of life.
My twin baby boys.
I cannot believe that we have never been to their place of burial since we buried them. Oh - I think I may have tried to find them in the part of the cemetery that is reserved for the littlest of Angels - as they call it. I think I made an attempt at finding them when my Grandpa died in 1992.
It is quite sad that I never want to go there or to look back at what could have been.
Would they have been healthy if the Doctors could have been able to save them? What hardships and disabilities would they have had to endure? Were Jeff & I strong enough to handle it? Would I have still wanted to have Johnny & Joey - assuming that it was in God's hands that I were to raise 4 children and only had Justin and Caci? Was it a blessing in disguise? I could not imagine my life without the children that I have now. They are my world!
It is so very sad that we have moved on in life, and never even placed a marker at the twins grave. They are buried together and at the time they died, the size of the foot stone that was allowed would not fit both of their names and date of birth/death on it. I wonder if they have lifted the restrictions on that?
Maybe I should be strong enough and get a marker with at least their names on it to remember them by. Or would it bring back too many memories of the devastation of it all - all of the what ifs?
I think I have made my New Years resolution. I think that all of the kids are old enough to handle it and they should be a part of choosing it.
It is the least I can do for the twins that made room in our life for the children I have now.
I love you, Jeffrey and Joshua. Born and taken to heaven on November 18th, 1989.
cast of characters: mom - me (39) hubby - my husband (48) justy - my oldest boy (15) doodles - my only girl (11) jon-jon - my middle boy (9) jo-jo - my baby (7) pow-pow - my dog (4)