Sunday, May 18, 2014

Yard and garden addition

This project started in the beginning of May.  We wanted to add some planting beds around the house and expand our garden.  I am happy to say that after 3 weeks of very hard work, it's done!
We rented a tiller to help us break down the grass.  I hand cut all our existing beds and new beds to make them all look nice again.  We also raked up the old mulch and used it to fill in parts of our yard.  
The supervisor came out to make sure we were doing a good job.  

We tilled the beds and put some landscaping tarp down the first weekend.  Then it rained a bunch and not much got done.  

Then I started working on building the new garden box.  

I got it all done during nap times this week, all by myself!!!! i have to say, i'm pretty proud! I never build anything this large by myself.  I know how to do it, it's just that it's nice to have a helper to hold things while you drill.  But hubby was traveling and I was determined :)

PB and I picked out some bushes together too to go around our air conditioner.


We had 6 cubic yards of mulch delivered.  

PB got in on the action by helping us fill the new garden box one bucket at a time.
IT'S FINISHED!!!!!!! we had the most beautiful weather this weekend and we got it all done! My whole body hurts.  Tomorrow I will be doing nothing lol The garden boxes are all set with tomatoes, zucchini and herbs.  The whole new garden box is all herbs.  Hubby has been making herb popcorn and we are obsessed.  Now that all the yard work is done, I get to focus on the kitchen which hasn't started yet.  

Monday, April 28, 2014

The start of something big

Hubby and I moved into our house about 6.5 years ago.  When we looked at the house we liked the layout and it didn't need any work but we both didn't love the kitchen. There is a ton of counter space which is great. We like to cook together and we quickly found out that the layout we have doesn't work for us at all.

Hubby will occasionally say that "it's the year we are doing the kitchen." On Wednesday last week I told him IKEA had a sale that was ending over the weekend just a few days away.  He asked me if i thought I could draw up plans so we could go Saturday morning. I was a little worried but spent the next two nights and nap times with the IKEA planner. 
My Mom came over too to make sure I was thinking of every possible thing.  She is awesome at this stuff and we had a great time putting the final touches on. She even caught that 10 inches I was missing! Fat finger error in my favor, we will now have a bigger pantry! (If you do this yourself bring in a fresh eye to measure and double check everything!)

Saturday morning we were at the store ordering everything!!! The sale as 20% off!!! Too awesome to pass up! While we were there we found out countertops were also 20% off so we picked those out too!!!! I am beyond excited. I can't believe this is finally happening!
Of course we have nothing else figured out.  We are moving plumbing and some electrical.  We want to do some of the project ourselves but need help of a contractor for some things.  I still have to call him and line it all up.  
The new layout is so exciting to me! I have been thinking about it for the last 6 years and came up with 2 possibilities.  The first idea that I was totally sold on just didn't fit in our house.  The second layout works much nicer in our space and I'm going to have space for bar stools!
I look forward to the day when we sit in the living room and this kitchen isn't our view anymore.  I know it is going to be a long, hard road that will start when they deliver everything in a few weeks.  We have to assemble every cabinet.  We are also doing new floors throughout the first floor.  I am beyond thrilled to get to finally make some decisions.  It's only been a dream up until now! 

Monday, March 31, 2014

Butler's pantry makeover

We have this little nook between the kitchen and our front room/playroom.  We had 2 IKEA kitchen carts with a table cloth for the last 6 years. It's only 45 inches wide and 27 inches deep. Opposite of this space is our half bathroom.  When we started this project we thought we were going to completely finish it.  We decided that we are going to redo the kitchen this year and all the floors downstairs!!!! So we didn't fully complete this project yet.  I have been wanting to add cabinets here since we moved in 6 years ago!!
This is the before.  The cleaned up before LOL Usually there is a TON of crap sitting on top! 
We cleaned the space out and had an outlet added at counter height.

Then while Hubby was out with PB...

I ripped the carpet, carpet pad and moulding out.  I used a circular saw and surprised them with getting this part done.  PB was super impressed.  

I added some leftover cork from our basement redo.  


And this is where we decided we were going to add the finished counter top when we redo the kitchen and floors.  We wanted to be able to take out the bottom cabinet and kegerator so the new floors could run under there.   


We stuck a top from one of our old kitchen carts on the cabinet.  Now we can use the space! The cabinets hold all our wine and champagne glasses.  The one over the kegerator hold all Hubbys beer glasses!! Now I have extra space in my kitchen!! That has been really exciting.

My mom and I are going to start measuring and planning the kitchen.  These are IKEA cabinets and I plan on doing an IKEA kitchen too.  I can't wait to start the next step!!!!

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Moon cupcakes for PB's birthday party

PB had his birthday party at a local science museum.  He chose a space theme so I wanted to do fun cupcakes to go with the theme.  That's where Beantown Baker's Oreo Cupcakes came to my rescue. Oreos in the cake and the frosting! YUM!!  I used a buttercream frosting instead and mixed chopped oreos in there to make it look more like the moon.  I ordered the american flag toothpicks on amazon.  

PB was super excited with how they looked but the best part is how delicious they are!! The kids and adults were having love affairs with these cupcakes.  Get in your car and get these ingredients and make these cupcakes!!! And make them for some friends, they will love you forever!
Birthday boy loved them!
Here is a peek at the food table.  I made homemade mac and cheese and we had a pretzel tray and veggies.  

These are the favor boxes.  I made the rockets in Illustrator and downloaded a free spacey font.  I really love going somewhere for a party.  We did it last year and just ordered all the food. Making the food was a little bit more work but worth it.  I love cooking for people!

Monday, March 24, 2014

So i fell off the internet again...

Well I did it again.  I totally disappeared.  To be honest, I haven't been doing many projects.   I haven't made anything.  We have done a few things around the house, one project I want to share. I wanted to pop in and say hi, everything is ok and I have just been enjoying my family.

Since I disappeared...
Christmas happened.  This is from our christmas card.  

In January I was totally occupied with getting our Disney trip organized and Birthday parties planned. 

We did go to Disney in the beginning of Feb.  It was amazing.  What a wonderful trip.  I hadn't been there in 20 years.  It was so fun and it was a surprise trip for PB, he does not like surprises.  We told him we were going to Tampa and then told him when we landed at 3 am. We had a flight cancellation and there was a flight 3 hours from when we found out at dinner the night before.  We had nothing packed and we shoved everything in the suitcases and ran out the door with dishes still on the counters.  We did make the flight.

We were "those people" in Disney with the matching shirts. I did some interfacing mickey heads and did numbers on the back.  It was a birthday/anniversary trip so PB had a 5 on his back, JB had a one on his and the Hubby and I had 10's on the back of our shirts because we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary at the end of Feb.  The boys wore matching outfits everyday.  I am obsessed with them in matching outfits!!!

JB turned 1 right after we got back from our trip.  

I did a Mickey party.  Nothing super fancy.  I did not go overboard like I usually do :)

2 weeks later PB turned 5.  He had a space themed party at our local science museum. I made cupcakes that looked like the moon.  I'll share those, they were super yum!

 
This is today right now as I am trying to type this post.  I think these little snuggles is why I haven't been on here in so long.  This sweet little snuggler just loves to be with me and I love it.  I don't get much done in the day when he is awake and when he is asleep, PB wants to do things with me alone.  My house is a mess, I could really use some reorganizing but that all can wait.  They are only this small once.  Hope you all are well.  I am going to try to try super hard to get the few things I want to share up here.  :)
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