old bones

Posted on 6.18.2012 by sarah

This handsome man turned the Big 8-years-old this past Wednesday! Actually, it’s his “made-up” birthday. I found Boston in the middle of a highway, tired and smelling like manure in April of 2005. At that time, the vet examining him said he was around one year old. I put up fliers, called the police in the area but (to my luck) no one claimed this yellow lab, whom I named Boston. His nickname “Bones” came from my father. I walked him into my parents home after I found him, with a fused broken back leg and ribs showing; his nickname stuck. Luckily, my parents are compassionate people and let me keep him. He was a wild “puppy”, which played a large role in my decision to take up running. Thank you Boston!

Since our chance meeting, he has been by my side through good times and bad, through a masters degree, five state moves, and so much more. It’s been a hard life!!

This birthday was pretty low-key. We got him a “durable” toy that made it longer than most, a bone, and a treat that helps with arthritis… It pains me to think he’s the equivalent of 56-years-old in human years.

I’m so fortunate this crazy man found his way into my life. Happy Birthday Boston; you’ve helped me more than you know.

grilled salmon & avocado cream sauce

Posted on 6.15.2012 by sarah

I was on a high school friend’s blog, The Food Driven Life, the other day and had to try another one of her recipes. I love salmon, served anyway I can get it. This recipe looked like a great summer treat. The warm salmon paired with the cool avocado sauce reminds me of putting jeans over my tan skin, during those summer nights growing up in Wisconsin. Weird analogy, probably. Anywho, it’s a fabulous, easy, quick meal, perfect for the summer, and healthy to boot!

Recipe

2 salmon fillets or 2/3 pound of salmon
1/2 avocado
2 Tbsp light sour cream
2 Tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp light mayo (optional)
2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp water (optional)

Prepare the salmon by drizzling 1 Tbsp of lemon juice over the salmon and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to your liking. Heat grill to low-medium – you want to cook it slow. Grill the salmon 7 minutes on each side or until orangy-pinkish.

In a food processor, combine the avocado, sour cream, yogurt, mayo and lemon juice. Mix until creamy.

Stir in dill and optional water.

I omitted the mayo in mine but added the water for perfect consistency.

Spoon cream sauce over salmon and serve.

This is a fun summer treat which I will be sure to bring out throughout the summer months! Enjoy!

dry bar & wallpaper

Posted on 6.13.2012 by sarah

I’ve been rather excited for this project and reveal! But oh so nervous to make a decision on what to do with the space and to-do-it-myself! I’ve been conjuring up ideas for this space for a while and procrastinated on actually putting it together even longer. There were so many times I wanted to call up an expert to put up the wallpaper, but I didn’t … and I’m happy I didn’t!

One of the reasons we bought our house was the love for the built-ins. In our living room, we are reinventing one of the built-ins as a dry bar.

Here’s the original, before we moved in:

We first wanted to add a backsplash to the space. We played with a couple ideas of putting the backsplash throughout the space or just at the base. We found a great backsplash with a lot of different grays and stainless steel and decided we would do the base only. This seemed like the best option for the space and for what we were trying to accomplish. Then I was on a mission to find a fun pattern or paint color for the shelves. I first tried Benjamin Moore Dragonfly AF-510 but it was hideous. So hideous I didn’t even take a picture.

For the backsplash, we bought the tile from Floor & Decor and the grout in Snow White from Home Depot. We decided to give the task to the pros and paid the door installers $75.00 to install the backsplash. Worth. Every. Penny.

Once that was done, it was my turn. I ordered the wallpaper and had to wait about a month for it to come in! Crazy! But it gave me more time to stress out (a little bit more) about what the heck I was thinking when I decided to DIY the wallpaper.

This was the weekend though: Wallpaper 101!

Tools I used:

Scissors
Soft wall brush
Flat tool (to smooth out the wallpaper)
Tape measure and ruler
Level
Pencil
Premixed, undiluted, clear vinyl adhesive paper
Utility knife

I referenced the Schumacher Screenprinted Wall Paper Instructions.

Start by preparing the surface for wallpaper. There was paneling within the shelves so I filled it with wood filler, sanded the area, and painted the surface with primer. I washed off the surface with soap and water before applying the wallpaper.

Once the surface is prepped, cut the wallpaper to size. Leave about 2″ on each end to adjust for trimming. I left a little less just because I wanted the pattern to continue from each shelf, seamlessly. I put a “T” for top on the back of each piece and indicated which shelf I wanted each piece to be placed. (i.e. TA, for Top Shelf Piece) I recommend marking the wallpaper; it was such a time and sanity saver! Take the time, I’m telling you!

Apply wallpaper paste, being careful to cover all the edges. Fold each end of the strip toward the middle, paste sides together, aligning edges carefully so they do not dry out. Roll the folded strip as you would a loose newspaper, again being careful to keep edges aligned. Allow the folded and rolled strips to “relax” for 2-3 minutes. (this may vary with the type of wallpaper you are working with.) Do not skip this step. Also, make sure to immediately wipe off any paste you get on the front side of your wallpaper. This will eliminate any chances of the pattern getting ruined.

After letting the paper relax, bring to the wall and hang. Carefully smooth air pockets, wrinkles, or excess paste from center of the strip towards the edges using your flat tool.

Trim excess at floor and ceiling with a utility knife: use a new blade for each cut. Be sure to wipe off any excess paste from the surface of the strip with a damp sponge immediately. Any residual paste may cause damage to the printed surface.

Repeat the procedure with the next strip, sliding it into position with the edge butted up against the preceding strip. Do not overlap seams.

And Repeat. Repeat and Repeat. Full coverage pattern “book” (adhere) in about 10 minutes. (Again this will vary depending on your wallpaper.) Yes, I did the cabinets, too!! It’s so fun to see the pattern continue to each area. Success!

I used this picture for inspiration to organize my glassware: found on Pinterest.

Here’s the before and after together!

And close-ups.

This was a great project, and if you are looking into wallpapering something yourself… Do It! I takes a little time but the wallpaper is forgiving and you’ll do great!

I think I’ll have a little vino to celebrate my accomplishment.

chihuly and the dallas arboretum

Posted on 6.11.2012 by sarah

I had one of those fabulous, successful weekends, where there was lots on the to-do list and lots more that got done! I started off the weekend by joining some friends at the Dallas Arboretum and marking off another 33 before I’m 33 goal! Yay! We wanted to get out early, before it got too hot to do anything outdoors, which meant I was out the door (on a Saturday) before 8:30 am. This was new territory for me; I loved it and may continue to get up early! So many people out of their home before noon, who would have thought?!? Ha ha.

The Dallas Arboretum had Dale Chihuly’s amazing glass work on display, so it was even more exciting to see his work amongst all the beautiful foliage. We walked around the park oohing and ahhing at the wonderful sculptures, glass, and plant life.

We also considered that Chihuly’s inspiration may have come from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. If only that was the case… “the strawberries taste like strawberries, and the snozzberries taste like snozzberries”. It made us extra hungry for a great lunch, which Kameron and I had, but Amelia spent her lunch warding off all the elusive birds. Besides the crazy birds, we had a terrific time catching up with each other, surrounded by an amazing background.

All-in-all, it was a wonderful spot to visit, and I plan to go back soon! Here’s a couple extra shots that I really enjoyed!

I’ll leave you with one last photo with a little artistic flair?!? Can you see us?

I hope everyone enjoys exploring their own cities!

family room progress

Posted on 6.04.2012 by sarah

We’ve been really enjoying our Texas spring; we have to, because the Texas summer is next. In between the beautiful weather, we have been working on the family room. I wanted to share some of our progress.

Here’s the original.

Then, I painted the paneling Benjamin Moore AF-130 Truffle here.

Then I painted the fireplace here.

You would think it was all done, right?

No… we decided to do some renovations, like taking down that paneling I painted!?! Just look at what we found!

Scary! Then, we opened the door from the entry way. It looks like it should have been that way! So much more open and inviting!

We found a kitchen “butler window” in the process of taking down the paneling and drywall! Crazy!?!

We also took down the pillars in the kitchen… then the drywall was put into place!

It looked so open and airy! We decided with all that destruction, why replace the old, leaky sliding glass door, too!

It all came together nicely! I painted the walls Benjamin Moore Early Morning Mist 1528 and have plans to paint/stain/tint the wood beams and some day get reclaimed barn wood to put over them. The lighting needs to be addressed, too!! It’s progress. I also have my eye on a big map for the wall as well! I’ll keep you posted!

In the kitchen, I still want to get long drapes, art on the walls, and a new light fixture.

Progress comes in all shapes and sizes! It’s been really fun revealing our! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

happy birthday otie!

Posted on 6.03.2012 by sarah

We celebrated our youngest’s 5th birthday this weekend. Yes, the cake has a “six” candle; after looking at pictures and doing the math, we figured out he’s actually five not six – oops! I’m a bad parent.

I do remember the day we went and looked at the future Otis. He was running amuck with his puppy mates, and they were all so adorable. Paul instantly fell in love with Otis and I his adorable fat sister. We took him home that afternoon with a toy from his childhood and said goodbye. Since then, we still send them our family card each Christmas. Though he has been threatened to be sold or given away several times, he’s been such a entertaining and lovable part of our family, I couldn’t imagine life without him. Below is a couple pictures of Otis then and now.

Otis’s celebration started by us getting all the party supplies!

Then, the guests started to arrived.

We served hot dogs and hamburgers. After dinner, we had Otie blow out the candle… he was a little nervous about it, so I think Boston licked it (Boston’s fine).

We exchanged presents and enjoyed the rest of the event just the way Otis likes it, Chil-axin’.

Happy birthday, Buddy!

long weekends

Posted on 6.02.2012 by sarah

We had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend with Ms. Anna Grace at the front and center. It was her baptism weekend so we traveled up north to Columbia, Missouri.

We wanted to bring the boys, so we made the 9 1/2 hour journey by car. It was adventuresome, and we even picked up a turtle that was making it’s own journey across the highway.

We got in late Friday night and woke up Saturday to cinnamon rolls and two wild boys.

The baptism went smooth. It was just trying to get the family picture that was a little more difficult. But it was a success!

After the baptism, we had the whole afternoon to grill out and enjoy the spring/summer weather.

I spent the afternoon taking pictures around the lake!

It was such a fun weekend to get away, and we enjoyed being outside with the family, kids, and chaos. She looks innocent, but we all know better. Ha.

The boys were rather tired from all the activities.

Goodbye Missouri, Welcome back to Texas…

coffee grinders

Posted on 5.25.2012 by sarah

Our coffee maker, which we use during the week, broke down, so I’ve been doing some diligent research on which coffee maker we should invest in to make our mornings happy.

We had the Cuisinart DGB-650BC grind and brew thermal 10 cup programmable coffee maker with a thermal carafe. Unfortunately, we’ve already exchanged this guy once. The grinder decided to stopped working after about a year. We also replaced the carafe because it would leak every time we would pour a cup, but the new carafe did the same thing. No love. This past week the coffee maker started leaking water, so I figured it was time for new design altogether. It’s been hard.

I decided to downgrade and convert to a simpler coffee maker. It’s like those TV’s with both a VCR and DVD in them. It sounds like a great idea until one of them breaks, and now you need to get an external DVD player, too. I went with the simple Cuisinart DTC-975BKN Thermal 12-cup programmable coffee maker. This guy just makes coffee with grounds, in a 12-cup glass carafe. It works perfect. It pours perfect. And for $40.00 less, I was a big fan.

But now I’m down a coffee grinder. I needed one that would work well with a coffee maker and a French press to grind coffee beans accordingly. Plus, I didn’t want to spend more than $40.00 for it…

These are some of the options:

Bodum Bistro is so cute and compact! It comes in various colors for $34.99. The downfall is that it makes only 2 cups of beans and has no type of external container.

The DeLonghi KG49 coffee grinder $39.99 – makes 4-12 cups and shuts off automatically. It also has a removable ground coffee container for your freshly ground beans.

The Cuisinart Grind Central Coffee Grinder $29.99 – a handsome little guy that claims to grind enough beans to make 18 cups of coffee. It also has a removable container with lid to store your grounds which is also dishwasher safe.

Lastly the Intelligent Coffee and Spice Grinder by Toastess $39.99 – Grinds 2-12 cups of coffee and spices too.

Honestly, they all are great. They all have a one-touch feature to work those beans, and most have a retractable cord making it as compact as possible! I really wanted the Bodum grinder for the cuteness factor but decided on the Cuisinart grinder for practical reasons. Plus, I liked the ability to remove the container from the grinder. Grounds can be messy so any way to reduce the mess, I’m in! The grinders are a little on the big side, but for the price I think it works great!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!

givin’ blood

Posted on 5.23.2012 by sarah

This Sunday our church was having a blood drive after the service, and I was so excited to donate!! Not only is it for a good cause (I ~~saved~~ helped three people) but yes, it was my number ONE on my 33 before 33 list! I honestly thought I wasn’t going to be able to donate because I answered “yes” to having had an aspirin within the last 48 hours! But luckily I was good to go!

If you haven’t donated, make sure to wear warm clothes. I was in a dress and super cold! After going through the registration and questionnaire, I was set to donate. The phlebotomist said I didn’t have that great of veins, which is always great to hear as a first timer.

“Did anyone ever tell you, you have small veins?” Nope, this is my first time donating! I’m real excited and a little nervous.

“Okay. You’ll feel a stick and a burn.” Okay. Wow, is that a 16 gauge? “Yes, it’s big.”

And I start.

Meanwhile the husband registered, did his questionnaire, and got hooked up. He started about 5 minutes after me and finished about 10 minutes before me!

I was told “I’m not a bleeder”, which is funny because I always wondered where my patients got the notion to say “I’m a free bleeder”. I chuckle everytime I here it! After a while of slowly bleeding out (ha ha, that sounds gory), they gave me a glove to squeeze hoping to speed up the process.

It worked well considering my “small veins” and “slow donation” situation. I’m sure many have donated before but I’m glad I have and will probably do it again. Maybe I’ll try my left arm next time?!?

we got a pool!!

Posted on 5.21.2012 by sarah

Ever since I told Boston we were moving into a house, on his wish list has been a pool! We didn’t want a real one (don’t tell Boston) but we’ve been hunting for a little pool for him to enjoy especially before it heats up. We got one this weekend at Dollar General, though a little too small, he absolutely loved it! We’re on the hunt for a bigger one but this will have to do.