Hello - I'm alive:) I have so much to blog about but just have no time. Probably this weekend you will see MANY updates!
job updates
interview updates
apartment updates
austin updates
summer updates
oh the list goes on and on and on :)
check back this weekend!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Apartment - updated!!
Although I am uber bummed about not going anywhere special for spring break we got a TON done on the apartment. As you know, the pelmet box situation was not very fun - but now it is up and looking fabulous! We also rearranged furniture and bought a new bench/chair that eventually will have color coordinated pillows behind it to help it look more appealing to sit on and blend in nicely. Total seating went from 4 at the beginning of the week to now 8!! (2 on the bench, 2 on the ottomans that can be pulled out).
We still have no pictures on the wall and will start hunting for something soon, but don't you love it? I do! I think the colors look great together and now we can start really decorating! My plan is to use the curtains leftover fabric (2 huge king size pillow cases and still the fitted sheet) to make pillows for the couch/bench and I have some of the coral left also for a pillow and I bought the cool swirly coral/white fabric for a pillow too. My laptop won't be there forever, just until I find a mini table/desk to put it on. Also, my mom is bringing me my sisters old lamps that I will probably do something funky on the lampshades. The table between the couch and chair is the new one I bought and because we put it on an angle is serves as a perfect sized table/place to display frames on the back side/and on the front side a place for my books.
Today I went out and found the rest of the material I need for the guest room/master room. The master is being done in yellow, black, and gray. Here is the pelmet box with the gray curtains behind it - haven't put it up yet. Poor quality but the flowers have bright yellow in them.
Then I bought this fabric to recover a chest that my dad made (mom painted it black and is bringing in 2 weeks). Kind of funky but still cool. And I still have the yellow/gray/white fabric for the pillows that I think/hope still looks okay once its all put up and together. The master bedding is just white (white duvet, white pillow shams) and then the furniture will be black. Decorations will be black/white photos and these cool black shelves I ordered awhile ago but they won't go up until the bed is set up (more on that below).
Then in the spare room we are planning on making it kind of beachy-ish. Not like flip flops and stuff but just different shades of blue and with the palm tree bathroom it will kind of all go together. We are planning on putting up ALL of our pictures from the old apartment that we have taken and blown up from trips we went on. We didn't want to throw them out but they don't exactly mesh with the rest of the apartment so that's why we opted to make it kind of islandy in the spare room. The fabric was hard to find because I did not want umbrellas or hibiscus flowers all over it so I settled on this. Floral, but kind of cool to look and it reminds me of the ocean with the gradual change in colors. No curtains in this room because Derrick has an L-Shaped desk he bought and it runs along the window. Poor lighting/cell phone picture but it starts as blue at the top and gradually changes into teal at the bottom.
It is definitely feeling homey. Next on the list is a TV, mattress has been ordered (a great friend works for Sealy so we got BEYOND an amazing deal on a mattress so we are waiting for it to be shipped to Austin and then delivered... about 4 more weeks but I would wait a year for the prcie we got!), and Derrick is making the bed frame. Very simple, black, no headboard (we have something cool we are doing for that too). Then I need a dresser for the bedroom (looking on craigslist/goodwill currently so we shall see what I find) and a small table for the spare room to put by the futon for a clock/lamp. Other than that I think we got most of this place kicked out!! Now for the small decorations that, as I read in many magazines, come along as you are out and about. I don't want to force anything like small decorations - just find it as it comes.
We still have no pictures on the wall and will start hunting for something soon, but don't you love it? I do! I think the colors look great together and now we can start really decorating! My plan is to use the curtains leftover fabric (2 huge king size pillow cases and still the fitted sheet) to make pillows for the couch/bench and I have some of the coral left also for a pillow and I bought the cool swirly coral/white fabric for a pillow too. My laptop won't be there forever, just until I find a mini table/desk to put it on. Also, my mom is bringing me my sisters old lamps that I will probably do something funky on the lampshades. The table between the couch and chair is the new one I bought and because we put it on an angle is serves as a perfect sized table/place to display frames on the back side/and on the front side a place for my books.Today I went out and found the rest of the material I need for the guest room/master room. The master is being done in yellow, black, and gray. Here is the pelmet box with the gray curtains behind it - haven't put it up yet. Poor quality but the flowers have bright yellow in them.
Then I bought this fabric to recover a chest that my dad made (mom painted it black and is bringing in 2 weeks). Kind of funky but still cool. And I still have the yellow/gray/white fabric for the pillows that I think/hope still looks okay once its all put up and together. The master bedding is just white (white duvet, white pillow shams) and then the furniture will be black. Decorations will be black/white photos and these cool black shelves I ordered awhile ago but they won't go up until the bed is set up (more on that below).
Then in the spare room we are planning on making it kind of beachy-ish. Not like flip flops and stuff but just different shades of blue and with the palm tree bathroom it will kind of all go together. We are planning on putting up ALL of our pictures from the old apartment that we have taken and blown up from trips we went on. We didn't want to throw them out but they don't exactly mesh with the rest of the apartment so that's why we opted to make it kind of islandy in the spare room. The fabric was hard to find because I did not want umbrellas or hibiscus flowers all over it so I settled on this. Floral, but kind of cool to look and it reminds me of the ocean with the gradual change in colors. No curtains in this room because Derrick has an L-Shaped desk he bought and it runs along the window. Poor lighting/cell phone picture but it starts as blue at the top and gradually changes into teal at the bottom.
It is definitely feeling homey. Next on the list is a TV, mattress has been ordered (a great friend works for Sealy so we got BEYOND an amazing deal on a mattress so we are waiting for it to be shipped to Austin and then delivered... about 4 more weeks but I would wait a year for the prcie we got!), and Derrick is making the bed frame. Very simple, black, no headboard (we have something cool we are doing for that too). Then I need a dresser for the bedroom (looking on craigslist/goodwill currently so we shall see what I find) and a small table for the spare room to put by the futon for a clock/lamp. Other than that I think we got most of this place kicked out!! Now for the small decorations that, as I read in many magazines, come along as you are out and about. I don't want to force anything like small decorations - just find it as it comes.
New camera!!
After a lot of waiting I finally have all of the pieces I need to take some pictures with my new camera:) I got the camera over a week ago but then had to order a memory card. It had to be a special "class" to make sure that it would be fast enough for if/when we want to take video with the camera. I also figured this will be my camera for a pretty long time and I still want to go on some awesome vacations (ie African Safari, Europe) and plan to take tons of pics so my memory cards holds over 3600 pictures... I think I can handle that:) PS... if you are ever looking for anything electronic or an accessory to go with it always check newegg.com. I know Derrick has an account but you don't have to have one to use it. I got my memory card for $44 and on Walmart.com it was almost $150!
So, I love my camera. It even sounds cool. It makes all the clicky sounds and I can take up to 6 pictures per second which is awesome. I'm still learning and I bought the book D3100 for Dummies online so I am gathering information and I just need to start playing around with it to learn the best. The best part about this camera is what everyone told me: it is a great transition camera. It still allows you to use it as point and shoot but also has pre-set functions where you can pick the shutter speed or aperture but it will pick the other areas to help you and then it can also go fully manual... focusing and all. So I plan to work up to that because I know that is when you can really get creative and take some awesome shots. I problem right now is I'd have to whip out my book, go to the right chapter, read it a couple times, adjust everything, and by then the photo would be gone.... practice makes perfect though I guess. Eventually I'll probably take some photography classes but until a new job comes about, my dummy book is good enough for me.
Here's some of the pics I've really like. Mia has been my prime subject - shocker:)
Me and my new camera
Sweet Mia in the morning
Dandelion on our walk
City view on our walk
Mia again
UT baseball game over spring break - I love the sky
One more of Mia:)
Now I want to get some editing programs and start playing around with that too:)
So, I love my camera. It even sounds cool. It makes all the clicky sounds and I can take up to 6 pictures per second which is awesome. I'm still learning and I bought the book D3100 for Dummies online so I am gathering information and I just need to start playing around with it to learn the best. The best part about this camera is what everyone told me: it is a great transition camera. It still allows you to use it as point and shoot but also has pre-set functions where you can pick the shutter speed or aperture but it will pick the other areas to help you and then it can also go fully manual... focusing and all. So I plan to work up to that because I know that is when you can really get creative and take some awesome shots. I problem right now is I'd have to whip out my book, go to the right chapter, read it a couple times, adjust everything, and by then the photo would be gone.... practice makes perfect though I guess. Eventually I'll probably take some photography classes but until a new job comes about, my dummy book is good enough for me.
Here's some of the pics I've really like. Mia has been my prime subject - shocker:)
Me and my new camera
Sweet Mia in the morning
Dandelion on our walk
City view on our walk
Mia again
UT baseball game over spring break - I love the sky
One more of Mia:)
Now I want to get some editing programs and start playing around with that too:)
Friday, March 18, 2011
Mia update - one of a kind
Today Mia had what was supposed to be her final vet appointment -- to clarify everything and make sure she was still doing fantastic. The vet and his techs fell in love with her immediately (I definitely spruced her up with her pigtails and a spray of some Chanel perfume.... judge... whatever). The vet was impressed with her and was so happy to see how loving she was (as opposed to salivating and crying last week). He wants to extend her antibiotics another 2 weeks just to be on safe side. She is currently off of Previcox which is an anti-inflammatory and pain med. If we see any sign of her being in pain she will go immediately back on it but right now she is on day 4 of being off of it and doing great; last week on day 4 she was going in for immediate surgery. He also took a urine sample of her to double check how everything is. If she was all clear we could finish up the meds and be done. If not, we would need to finish up the meds and come back for another urinalysis to make sure we don't stop the meds too soon.
He called with the urinalysis and although it looks 300 times better than last time it is still not perfect pee (haha). So we will continue the Baytrill for another 2 weeks and then take another urine sample and hope the entire infection is gone.
The CRAZY part! Our vet called his specialist that he usually refers people to to see if she would have any insight for medication or other ideas. He told her everything and asked if she had ever known a dog to have such a severe UTI to be swollen shut not once, but twice. Her response... NEVER. She talked to everyone in her practice (all specialists) and NONE of them had ever heard of this. They are all stumped and no one really knows what to do other than kill it with antibiotics. If things do not improve they suggested an ultrasound to double check on stones and a special scope to check her linings to ensure no cancer or anything and then steroids for a couple months. Gosh I hope I just have a one of a kind puppy:)
In my opinion if she is a "rare" and "one of a kind" puppy shouldn't they use her as topic to write about and I get all of these vet bills for FREE!?!?!? :):):)
He called with the urinalysis and although it looks 300 times better than last time it is still not perfect pee (haha). So we will continue the Baytrill for another 2 weeks and then take another urine sample and hope the entire infection is gone.
The CRAZY part! Our vet called his specialist that he usually refers people to to see if she would have any insight for medication or other ideas. He told her everything and asked if she had ever known a dog to have such a severe UTI to be swollen shut not once, but twice. Her response... NEVER. She talked to everyone in her practice (all specialists) and NONE of them had ever heard of this. They are all stumped and no one really knows what to do other than kill it with antibiotics. If things do not improve they suggested an ultrasound to double check on stones and a special scope to check her linings to ensure no cancer or anything and then steroids for a couple months. Gosh I hope I just have a one of a kind puppy:)
In my opinion if she is a "rare" and "one of a kind" puppy shouldn't they use her as topic to write about and I get all of these vet bills for FREE!?!?!? :):):)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
**Warning**
Do not post a "how-to" until you know it will work!! Eeek!!
My post on the pelmet box turned out beautiful. Yesterday I cut up the king size sheets, sewed them, and even added a boarder ribbon to the box. We had them all set up, ready to go, and ... well... they won't hang on the wall. Here is what we have figured out:
1. the how-to will work if you make it half the size -- mine was too long/heavy so it needed too much support
2. buy a decent curtain rod - not anything crazy fancy but I bought a crappy metal one knowing no one would see it and that also presented problems
3. If you don't plan on putting curtain behind it, only make the ends like a cm deep (if possible) so it can lay flush up against the wall and be hung on nails
4. If you plan on making the big one like mine you will need a top for it.
So... what did we do? Well I cried because I spent 2 days on this and was so proud of if and the colors look great together. Derrick came up with a solution. Off to Home Depot we went at 8pm... he bought a huge sheet of 1/4 in plywood and had it cut to the dimensions before but also added a top - 15x5. He grabbed scrap pieces of wood for free to screw all of the sides together with rather than buying the little hingey/hook together thingys (whatever.. you know what I mean) and then 4 metal shelf supporters to hang on the wall. Since all of the measurements are the same the PLAN is to hang the curtain rod first, then all of the fabric/batting can be unstapled and then re-stapled perfectly onto the wood. We can then hang the metal shelf supported and then drill the pelmet box into those. Hopefully it will go up today and I can post a picture. The good news... if this all works out I will have only "wasted" $7.50 on the foam board which I intend to keep and use for my pelmet boxes that don't have curtains behind them. We spent $14 on all of the materials at Home Depot (9.97 for the plywood and .94 for each shelf hanger).
Wish us luck!
**PS -- update on Mia --- she is still doing great. She is down from 4 to 2 meds and still doing wonderful. She is back to being the cutest kid (I mean puppy) on the block because she got groomed yesterday and got new pigtails put in:):) Love her!
My post on the pelmet box turned out beautiful. Yesterday I cut up the king size sheets, sewed them, and even added a boarder ribbon to the box. We had them all set up, ready to go, and ... well... they won't hang on the wall. Here is what we have figured out:
1. the how-to will work if you make it half the size -- mine was too long/heavy so it needed too much support
2. buy a decent curtain rod - not anything crazy fancy but I bought a crappy metal one knowing no one would see it and that also presented problems
3. If you don't plan on putting curtain behind it, only make the ends like a cm deep (if possible) so it can lay flush up against the wall and be hung on nails
4. If you plan on making the big one like mine you will need a top for it.
So... what did we do? Well I cried because I spent 2 days on this and was so proud of if and the colors look great together. Derrick came up with a solution. Off to Home Depot we went at 8pm... he bought a huge sheet of 1/4 in plywood and had it cut to the dimensions before but also added a top - 15x5. He grabbed scrap pieces of wood for free to screw all of the sides together with rather than buying the little hingey/hook together thingys (whatever.. you know what I mean) and then 4 metal shelf supporters to hang on the wall. Since all of the measurements are the same the PLAN is to hang the curtain rod first, then all of the fabric/batting can be unstapled and then re-stapled perfectly onto the wood. We can then hang the metal shelf supported and then drill the pelmet box into those. Hopefully it will go up today and I can post a picture. The good news... if this all works out I will have only "wasted" $7.50 on the foam board which I intend to keep and use for my pelmet boxes that don't have curtains behind them. We spent $14 on all of the materials at Home Depot (9.97 for the plywood and .94 for each shelf hanger).
Wish us luck!
**PS -- update on Mia --- she is still doing great. She is down from 4 to 2 meds and still doing wonderful. She is back to being the cutest kid (I mean puppy) on the block because she got groomed yesterday and got new pigtails put in:):) Love her!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Random thoughts - again:)
I love random thoughts... and I have so many that I try to just jumble them all together for a random blog day.
Here goes...
I had my first interview today... it went really well. Next step - they want me to come to their school and teach a 45 minute lesson on anything I want to a group of kids I don't know. No, I'm not nervous. I don't really get nervous about that kind of stuff... I like how I teach and hope to show them the best side of me on that day. Haven't picked a date and when they do I will keep everyone posted.
Derrick and I both bought a promotion a couple weeks ago for a wine delivery. We got a %60 voucher to use. I used mine last week and it arrived today. We are currently enjoying our first bottle:) Derrick ordered his today so we have 6 more bottles on the way.
Yum!
I have 2 songs that I currently love. One of them is actually a commercial (I know.. I'm silly) for a grocery store... my beloved and previously blogged about HEB. Well a country singer made up a song/video for it about loving TX and I love the song. Enjoy . I mean come on ... what other state can have a commercial/grocery store song written about it!?!!?
The other song I love is a Christian song and I have heard it on a lot of the blogs I follow. It is so empowering and makes me feel so much closer to God when I listen to it. I know I am always close to him but this song makes me appreciate everything I have when I listen to it. Listen.
On Sunday we went downtown for brunch (bottomless mimosas for $7 - YES PLEASE). Austin is so wonderful and always surprises me. There was a parade that day that was 15 renegade bands that came together just to march through the streets and perform. They came right by where we were eating and it was fabulous to enjoy.
I got my new camera... waiting on all of the tools to arrive to begin practicing:)
Lastly, Derrick and I have started running a lot. We love the trail by us -- it's challenging and convenient. My favorite part... there is a section that every time I run through it a swarm of yellow butterflies come out. It is awesome. They just flutter all around me and then go on their way. I like the feeling that comes over me every time.
Here goes...
I had my first interview today... it went really well. Next step - they want me to come to their school and teach a 45 minute lesson on anything I want to a group of kids I don't know. No, I'm not nervous. I don't really get nervous about that kind of stuff... I like how I teach and hope to show them the best side of me on that day. Haven't picked a date and when they do I will keep everyone posted.
Derrick and I both bought a promotion a couple weeks ago for a wine delivery. We got a %60 voucher to use. I used mine last week and it arrived today. We are currently enjoying our first bottle:) Derrick ordered his today so we have 6 more bottles on the way.
Yum!
I have 2 songs that I currently love. One of them is actually a commercial (I know.. I'm silly) for a grocery store... my beloved and previously blogged about HEB. Well a country singer made up a song/video for it about loving TX and I love the song. Enjoy . I mean come on ... what other state can have a commercial/grocery store song written about it!?!!?
The other song I love is a Christian song and I have heard it on a lot of the blogs I follow. It is so empowering and makes me feel so much closer to God when I listen to it. I know I am always close to him but this song makes me appreciate everything I have when I listen to it. Listen.
On Sunday we went downtown for brunch (bottomless mimosas for $7 - YES PLEASE). Austin is so wonderful and always surprises me. There was a parade that day that was 15 renegade bands that came together just to march through the streets and perform. They came right by where we were eating and it was fabulous to enjoy.
I got my new camera... waiting on all of the tools to arrive to begin practicing:)
Lastly, Derrick and I have started running a lot. We love the trail by us -- it's challenging and convenient. My favorite part... there is a section that every time I run through it a swarm of yellow butterflies come out. It is awesome. They just flutter all around me and then go on their way. I like the feeling that comes over me every time.
Yee haw! R-o-d-e-o
Derrick and I love us some rodeos. They a fun time and if you haven't been to one, you are missing out. Yes, sometimes it looks like they are mean to the animals and I wince when they rope the calf from across the arena, but you just have to remind yourself -- cowboys love animals. Animals make them who they are. They know how to rope things correctly so it doesn't injure them and the animals always just get up and keep on going. no worries!
Well I bought Derrick tickets to the rodeo and Dierks Bentley for Valentine's Day. We went last night and it was a blast! Best rodeo we have been to and it definitely surpassed all of my expectations. It was AWESOME. HUGE! BIGGER THAN BIG! (It was in TX... are you surprised?). It was a giant carnival; a state fair; a production - and I loved it. Unfortunately we didn't get to experience as much as I would have liked to because we left a little later than planned and then, after 25 minutes of driving and only 3 minutes away I realized... I FORGOT THE TICKETS. Turn around... drive back... the show started at 7 and we got there at 6:45. Not much time for seeing the sights, we headed straight to the arena.
Now, rodeos are very patriotic and pretty religious. They pray before the event, they always talk about the men at war and love the American flag. That part always makes me so happy to be there... to be surrounded by people who love their country and love God... and love to see some cowboys get beat up by animals!!
On the events for the night was bare back bucking horse (they have to stay on for a certain amount of time and then are scored on that), ride a horse --> lasso a calf --> get off the horse and pin the calf down in record time, saddle back bucking horse (same as above but with a saddle), little kids come out and hold on for dear life to a sheep until they fall off --> the longest to stay on wins a rhinestone belt buckle, a team of 2 --> one lassos the neck of the calf, one the feet, in the fasted time. ride a horse --> lasso a calf --> ties up its legs --> make it stay for a minimum time all in the fastest time, cowgirl barrel racing, and the best part... BULL RIDING. All of this in 2 hours!
Sorry for the blurry pics... when I go back next Saturday, the 26, for the finals I will have my new camera and hopefully be able to get better action shots.
Me at the entrance before heading in
Look at all the rides! And carny food!
Bare back riding - the 2 guys in red help the cowboy get off and then lead the crazy horse back into the right area
All the cowboys waiting to ride
He missed the calf which is why the calf is so far away from him
All the little future cowboys/cowgirls
Us >
Then there was 20 minutes break and Dierks Bentley came out!!
He was great and the night was awesome. All of this for $25 -- can't beat it:):)
Well I bought Derrick tickets to the rodeo and Dierks Bentley for Valentine's Day. We went last night and it was a blast! Best rodeo we have been to and it definitely surpassed all of my expectations. It was AWESOME. HUGE! BIGGER THAN BIG! (It was in TX... are you surprised?). It was a giant carnival; a state fair; a production - and I loved it. Unfortunately we didn't get to experience as much as I would have liked to because we left a little later than planned and then, after 25 minutes of driving and only 3 minutes away I realized... I FORGOT THE TICKETS. Turn around... drive back... the show started at 7 and we got there at 6:45. Not much time for seeing the sights, we headed straight to the arena.
Now, rodeos are very patriotic and pretty religious. They pray before the event, they always talk about the men at war and love the American flag. That part always makes me so happy to be there... to be surrounded by people who love their country and love God... and love to see some cowboys get beat up by animals!!
On the events for the night was bare back bucking horse (they have to stay on for a certain amount of time and then are scored on that), ride a horse --> lasso a calf --> get off the horse and pin the calf down in record time, saddle back bucking horse (same as above but with a saddle), little kids come out and hold on for dear life to a sheep until they fall off --> the longest to stay on wins a rhinestone belt buckle, a team of 2 --> one lassos the neck of the calf, one the feet, in the fasted time. ride a horse --> lasso a calf --> ties up its legs --> make it stay for a minimum time all in the fastest time, cowgirl barrel racing, and the best part... BULL RIDING. All of this in 2 hours!
Sorry for the blurry pics... when I go back next Saturday, the 26, for the finals I will have my new camera and hopefully be able to get better action shots.
Me at the entrance before heading in
Look at all the rides! And carny food!
Bare back riding - the 2 guys in red help the cowboy get off and then lead the crazy horse back into the right area
All the cowboys waiting to ride
He missed the calf which is why the calf is so far away from him
All the little future cowboys/cowgirls
Us >Then there was 20 minutes break and Dierks Bentley came out!!
He was great and the night was awesome. All of this for $25 -- can't beat it:):)
It's pelmet box time
Tonight I began my journey of decorating the apartment -- via making stuff and becoming crafty:) The problem and issues I was having is I have NO patterns... but I have this "vision". Unfortunately sometimes things I have in my brain don't always turn out the way I want:) Throughout the past months I have hunted blogs and found tons of inspiration ideas. Tonight, I began my voyage of making a pelmet box. It actually took about an hour and Derrick and I BOTH love how it turned out:) It is EXACTLY what I envisioned and I have to hand it to Derrick.... he fully trusted me with this and just let me go, make mistakes, and was there for suggestions. I have step by step directions and pictures to follow if you feel like the challenge:)
First step - gather materials. Duct tape $5, Foam board (3 pieces at $2.48 a piece at Wal Mart), Fabric (JoAnn's on sale ... $7 but didn't use all of it - the rest is for future projects), Fiskar quilting kit (best creation EVER - this made it so easy for me to cut - from JoAnn's with the 40% off coupon... about $17), staple gun + staples ( $15), batting for fullness ($7 - twin size bed size will make 2 pelmet boxes)
Next, measure the foam board to the correct size. My dimensions were 78 inches wide, 15 inches tall, and 5 inches deep. The boards were 30x60 so I didn't need all of the 3rd board - you can see that in the picture.
Then, cut the pieces - the Fiskar rotary knife saved me -- it was so easy:) Then line up and DUCT TAPE it together... no joke! I did front and back to reinforce it.
Add the batting on top - I didn't perfectly measure. I just cut along the edge and it didn't fit end to end but it still turned out and because I love duct tape so much I taped the ends down for safe keeping.
Next comes the fabric time. Measure out the fabric BUT take note... the fabric will be LARGER than the board. Although I knew this and thought about it all along I still did the original measurements first. Ugh... and on the pink side. Lesson learned. There is a slight "irregularity" in the pelmet box in the end due to this error but it makes it unique:) Look closely and you can see the black line.
After learning my lesson I flipped it over and did the markings on the other end. I cut, then ironed (I think I did that process backwards but it worked out).
Then I laid the pelmet box face down on the fabric lining it up so I could pull up both ends and remember the ends aren't on yet.
Then I pinned up the fabric pulling it tight enough to make it look nice.
Next came staple gunning - very loud ... poor Mia was scared.
Once it was all stapled I showed it off and the sheets came in today for the curtains so here is a sneak peek at what it will hopefully look like tomorrow when I finish.
Last part - add on the side pieces for depth. I needed 5 inches for my curtain rod to fit behind. if you aren't using a curtain behind it (I plan on no curtains in the spare room so it won't be nearly as deep) then your ends wouldn't be as big as mine. We did major duck tape surgery to hold the ends together, then cut the fabric to make it fit around the edges. Pinned and stapled away.
Finished:)
The problem... how to hang it??? The blogs I saw had different ideas. One didn't have a pelmet box as deep so she bought picture frame hangers and hung them on the back and hung it from nails. Another made a back piece with cardboard and a flap and nailed it into the wall from the back end. Derrick and I came up with a GREAT idea but you will have to wait and see what it is:)
First step - gather materials. Duct tape $5, Foam board (3 pieces at $2.48 a piece at Wal Mart), Fabric (JoAnn's on sale ... $7 but didn't use all of it - the rest is for future projects), Fiskar quilting kit (best creation EVER - this made it so easy for me to cut - from JoAnn's with the 40% off coupon... about $17), staple gun + staples ( $15), batting for fullness ($7 - twin size bed size will make 2 pelmet boxes)
Next, measure the foam board to the correct size. My dimensions were 78 inches wide, 15 inches tall, and 5 inches deep. The boards were 30x60 so I didn't need all of the 3rd board - you can see that in the picture.
Then, cut the pieces - the Fiskar rotary knife saved me -- it was so easy:) Then line up and DUCT TAPE it together... no joke! I did front and back to reinforce it.
Add the batting on top - I didn't perfectly measure. I just cut along the edge and it didn't fit end to end but it still turned out and because I love duct tape so much I taped the ends down for safe keeping.
Next comes the fabric time. Measure out the fabric BUT take note... the fabric will be LARGER than the board. Although I knew this and thought about it all along I still did the original measurements first. Ugh... and on the pink side. Lesson learned. There is a slight "irregularity" in the pelmet box in the end due to this error but it makes it unique:) Look closely and you can see the black line.
After learning my lesson I flipped it over and did the markings on the other end. I cut, then ironed (I think I did that process backwards but it worked out).
Then I laid the pelmet box face down on the fabric lining it up so I could pull up both ends and remember the ends aren't on yet.
Then I pinned up the fabric pulling it tight enough to make it look nice.
Next came staple gunning - very loud ... poor Mia was scared.
Once it was all stapled I showed it off and the sheets came in today for the curtains so here is a sneak peek at what it will hopefully look like tomorrow when I finish.
Last part - add on the side pieces for depth. I needed 5 inches for my curtain rod to fit behind. if you aren't using a curtain behind it (I plan on no curtains in the spare room so it won't be nearly as deep) then your ends wouldn't be as big as mine. We did major duck tape surgery to hold the ends together, then cut the fabric to make it fit around the edges. Pinned and stapled away.
Finished:)
The problem... how to hang it??? The blogs I saw had different ideas. One didn't have a pelmet box as deep so she bought picture frame hangers and hung them on the back and hung it from nails. Another made a back piece with cardboard and a flap and nailed it into the wall from the back end. Derrick and I came up with a GREAT idea but you will have to wait and see what it is:)
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sweet picture
Happy spring break to me!!! I am fully enjoying day 1 of my spring break. Started off with a great breakfast cooked of eggs benedict (sweet Derrick) then we went for a great run through the hills in Austin. Followed by some errands, poolside with a daquiri, some hot tubbin, and now getting ready to head to the Austin Rodeo!! We cannot wait! Dierks Bentley is playing and I will be taking plenty of pics:)
On a side note... on Saturday there was a TX Teacher rally downtown. One of my sweet kiddos made this sign and her mom sent it to me.
Isn't that the sweetest:) Makes me feel good!
The rest of the week itinerary: interview tomorrow (wish me luck), then .... who knows! Doing more fancying up of the apartment and just enjoying a full week together!!
On a side note... on Saturday there was a TX Teacher rally downtown. One of my sweet kiddos made this sign and her mom sent it to me.
Isn't that the sweetest:) Makes me feel good!The rest of the week itinerary: interview tomorrow (wish me luck), then .... who knows! Doing more fancying up of the apartment and just enjoying a full week together!!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Salami
Yes, I should be teaching right now but it is the the day before spring break and my kids are working independently right now while sitting with their stuffed animals that they got to bring to school. I HAVE to post the best thing a child has ever said .... an insight into the world of Kindergarten and how a 5 year old hears and interprets things.
As many of you know Japan was hit with a tsunami today. Most of my kids came in very concerned about how they could help and how scary it was from the pictures they saw. One of my students came in late and as soon as he walked in he said:
"Ms. B!!! Did you see the SALAMI that hit Japan!?!?!".
With a smile and giggle and lots of holding back extreme laughter I commented on the TSUNAMI that hit Japan.
Good ol' salami.... what a great Friday this has become:)
PS -- all you "lenters" out there --- no meat today!
As many of you know Japan was hit with a tsunami today. Most of my kids came in very concerned about how they could help and how scary it was from the pictures they saw. One of my students came in late and as soon as he walked in he said:
"Ms. B!!! Did you see the SALAMI that hit Japan!?!?!".
With a smile and giggle and lots of holding back extreme laughter I commented on the TSUNAMI that hit Japan.
Good ol' salami.... what a great Friday this has become:)
PS -- all you "lenters" out there --- no meat today!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
The fabric
I have been on a mission to get this apartment looking like we had envisioned our condo -- homey. I want the apartment to have the look and feel of a home. I really feel the best way to do that is through little table lamps rather than over head lights. The over head lights are so bright and give off the fluorescent light look to me. It is amazing to me how much curtains and things on the wall can help an apartment look so much better.... unfortunately I don't have anything up yet because we are taking it slow and want it all to mesh well, not like a first apartment where you kind of take what you can get and go with it.
So on Monday I ordered my material for the curtains in the living room. I got this great idea from another blog to order a King size sheet set and you can use the flat sheet for the curtains (already sewn all on edges :) ) and the pillowcases for pillows. The lady on the blog actually did this in a nursery and used the pillowcases as a changing pad cover and made a valance with the fitted sheet. Here is what I ordered. I love the funky shape and I think they will be plenty long for me to leave them bunched on the bottom to add more depth.
I bought them from overstock.com for $39.99 - the whole set!! And Free shipping!! I got the Pacific Blue (navy blue) ones -- l-o-v-e:)
For the next pieces of fabric I have the same picture 3 times, each piece is labeled. Sorry, didn't feel like taking 3 separate pics.
Over the curtains I plan to make a pelmet box. I saw on another blog (love those blogs) that the lady just used a piece of foam board (like poster board but sturdier with foam in between). She cut it in the shape she wanted, DUCT TAPED IT TOGETHER, cut batting to fit for some dimension, and then staple gunned the fabric on top. Perfect:) I wanted something bright to go again the dark navy blue and something solid colored since there was a pattern already. I thought I was SOL but low and behold... there it was -- just what I wanted:) it looks kind of burlap-ish but it's not ... just the look of it. This looks really pink but it's not -- promise -- it is more orange and 100% coral.
Then I bought this AMAZING fabric which JoAnn's has in TONS of colors. I am obsessed. I plan on buying it still in blue, yellow, green, and orange but for now... it's just the coral one. I know it looks pinky but it really is more orangey ... definitely coral - just like the pelmet box material. I am going to cover my current pillows on the couch that are tan suede and chocolate brown leather (came with the couch) probably with the navy blue pillowcases. I am going to make probably just 1 maybe tubular pillow or 2 small square pillows in this funky pattern of coral and white swirl:)
Lastly, this is the fabric I bought to make pillows for the master bedroom. I want the colors to be gray and yellow, and this was perfect. I love it. It is hard to see but it is yellow background with white cherry blossoms, little dark pink dots in the center of the flower, and gray stems. Simple - yet really pretty. Now I just need to find some gray and yellow fabric to use as curtains, which is proving to be more difficult than I thought.
So... that's it! can't wait to get started over the weekend and next week is spring break so I hope to have them done!!
So on Monday I ordered my material for the curtains in the living room. I got this great idea from another blog to order a King size sheet set and you can use the flat sheet for the curtains (already sewn all on edges :) ) and the pillowcases for pillows. The lady on the blog actually did this in a nursery and used the pillowcases as a changing pad cover and made a valance with the fitted sheet. Here is what I ordered. I love the funky shape and I think they will be plenty long for me to leave them bunched on the bottom to add more depth.
I bought them from overstock.com for $39.99 - the whole set!! And Free shipping!! I got the Pacific Blue (navy blue) ones -- l-o-v-e:)For the next pieces of fabric I have the same picture 3 times, each piece is labeled. Sorry, didn't feel like taking 3 separate pics.
Over the curtains I plan to make a pelmet box. I saw on another blog (love those blogs) that the lady just used a piece of foam board (like poster board but sturdier with foam in between). She cut it in the shape she wanted, DUCT TAPED IT TOGETHER, cut batting to fit for some dimension, and then staple gunned the fabric on top. Perfect:) I wanted something bright to go again the dark navy blue and something solid colored since there was a pattern already. I thought I was SOL but low and behold... there it was -- just what I wanted:) it looks kind of burlap-ish but it's not ... just the look of it. This looks really pink but it's not -- promise -- it is more orange and 100% coral.
Then I bought this AMAZING fabric which JoAnn's has in TONS of colors. I am obsessed. I plan on buying it still in blue, yellow, green, and orange but for now... it's just the coral one. I know it looks pinky but it really is more orangey ... definitely coral - just like the pelmet box material. I am going to cover my current pillows on the couch that are tan suede and chocolate brown leather (came with the couch) probably with the navy blue pillowcases. I am going to make probably just 1 maybe tubular pillow or 2 small square pillows in this funky pattern of coral and white swirl:)
Lastly, this is the fabric I bought to make pillows for the master bedroom. I want the colors to be gray and yellow, and this was perfect. I love it. It is hard to see but it is yellow background with white cherry blossoms, little dark pink dots in the center of the flower, and gray stems. Simple - yet really pretty. Now I just need to find some gray and yellow fabric to use as curtains, which is proving to be more difficult than I thought.
So... that's it! can't wait to get started over the weekend and next week is spring break so I hope to have them done!!
Regress
This morning Mia woke me up at 5am, which she hasn't done in awhile, and I took her out. She was squatting, grunting, whining, and mini-barking while trying to go the bathroom. Immediately I knew something was wrong -- she seemed to have gotten worse from the night before. The night before I had called the vet and he had said to come by today and pick up some new, stronger meds. Well, after the hour that I was up I knew she was in pain. So I planned to go into school and get a half day sub to come at 11:30 so I could go home and be with Mia.
I called the vet at 7am and left a message with the receptionist. The vet had suggested yesterday to start new strong meds AND also go back on an anti-inflammatory/pain med to help her feel more comfortable, but I had said I didn't think that helped her too much because she wasn't in pain yesterday. Well, this morning when I called I asked if they could also have that filled for me by 11:30 when I got up there. She said she would have the vet call me at 8:30 and leave a message if anything changed.
When he called me and left a message he said he was happy to fill both of the prescriptions but did want to talk to me. I called him at 10:00 when my kids went out for recess and he seemed to think the meds would work and there was no need to bring her in. If the meds didn't work then I could bring her in and we would move onto the next step.
Well, when I got home at 11:30 she was in bad shape. I had tears in my eyes and I knew something was terribly wrong. She had tipped her water bowl all over the kitchen and her food was everywhere too. She never does this. She wasn't excited to see me and she was just very scared and in so much pain. I put her in the car and off we went. Even though the vet said he didn't need to see her, I think he did. She was in so much pain on the drive she was salivating and foaming at the mouth, throwing her head back and howling, and just moving all around to try and get comfortable. I cried the whole way there -- she was acting like she was dying,
When I got to the vet apparently I looked bad enough that they put me right into a room (even though earlier they said they had no spaces - I'm glad they took us right away:)) She had a really low temperature and had lost half a pound. The vet came in and immediately felt her bladder - AGAIN it wasn't emptying. He didn't know what it could be but he took her immediately, had me sign a consent form, and said he was going to sedate her. She was in too much pain and he wanted to put in a catheter and get in there and figure out what was going on.
An hour later he called and said she was coming out of the sedation and doing well. He drained it all but she was VERY SWOLLEN. There were no stones in her bladder and he also inflated her bladder with air to see if there were any tumors (which are EXTREMELY rare, especially in young dogs) and there were no signs of a tumor, which was my biggest fear. All he can think of is her bladder infection is SO SEVERE that she just keeps becoming inflamed and swollen. He was going to call a specialist and fill her in and if in a couple days we don't see improvement with ALL of her meds then we will contact the specialist. He called her for a 2nd opinion and also to bring her up-to-date just in case.
So, Mia is now on 4 different antibiotics. Some are given twice a day, some once a day, some a whole pill, others one and a half, and one of them is a liquid form. No joke, I wrote a list of all of the medicine names and the times she needs to take them. There are WAY TOO many pills, but whatever makes her feel better:)
As soon as we got home she drank a ton, and peed a lot - which made me happy. For the past day and a half it was turning more into a trickle so this is good. She is sleeping now on her pillow and seems more content.
Isn't she sweet? She needs a bath, bad, but we will save that for Derrick:)
I called the vet at 7am and left a message with the receptionist. The vet had suggested yesterday to start new strong meds AND also go back on an anti-inflammatory/pain med to help her feel more comfortable, but I had said I didn't think that helped her too much because she wasn't in pain yesterday. Well, this morning when I called I asked if they could also have that filled for me by 11:30 when I got up there. She said she would have the vet call me at 8:30 and leave a message if anything changed.
When he called me and left a message he said he was happy to fill both of the prescriptions but did want to talk to me. I called him at 10:00 when my kids went out for recess and he seemed to think the meds would work and there was no need to bring her in. If the meds didn't work then I could bring her in and we would move onto the next step.
Well, when I got home at 11:30 she was in bad shape. I had tears in my eyes and I knew something was terribly wrong. She had tipped her water bowl all over the kitchen and her food was everywhere too. She never does this. She wasn't excited to see me and she was just very scared and in so much pain. I put her in the car and off we went. Even though the vet said he didn't need to see her, I think he did. She was in so much pain on the drive she was salivating and foaming at the mouth, throwing her head back and howling, and just moving all around to try and get comfortable. I cried the whole way there -- she was acting like she was dying,
When I got to the vet apparently I looked bad enough that they put me right into a room (even though earlier they said they had no spaces - I'm glad they took us right away:)) She had a really low temperature and had lost half a pound. The vet came in and immediately felt her bladder - AGAIN it wasn't emptying. He didn't know what it could be but he took her immediately, had me sign a consent form, and said he was going to sedate her. She was in too much pain and he wanted to put in a catheter and get in there and figure out what was going on.
An hour later he called and said she was coming out of the sedation and doing well. He drained it all but she was VERY SWOLLEN. There were no stones in her bladder and he also inflated her bladder with air to see if there were any tumors (which are EXTREMELY rare, especially in young dogs) and there were no signs of a tumor, which was my biggest fear. All he can think of is her bladder infection is SO SEVERE that she just keeps becoming inflamed and swollen. He was going to call a specialist and fill her in and if in a couple days we don't see improvement with ALL of her meds then we will contact the specialist. He called her for a 2nd opinion and also to bring her up-to-date just in case.
So, Mia is now on 4 different antibiotics. Some are given twice a day, some once a day, some a whole pill, others one and a half, and one of them is a liquid form. No joke, I wrote a list of all of the medicine names and the times she needs to take them. There are WAY TOO many pills, but whatever makes her feel better:)
As soon as we got home she drank a ton, and peed a lot - which made me happy. For the past day and a half it was turning more into a trickle so this is good. She is sleeping now on her pillow and seems more content.
Isn't she sweet? She needs a bath, bad, but we will save that for Derrick:)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
updates!
Oh Happy Tuesday everyone! Although my class is up in kahoots because spring break is right around the corner (3 more days... but who's counting... all of us!) I am in good spirits. The sun was shining and it was 80 degrees outside today... I know mom - not "so pretty" snow but instead "so pretty blue skies and short sleeve shirts and shorts"... just sayin'
Here are some fabulous updates on my life as it stands
- went to the lady doctor yesterday. I have to say I kind of have this weird obsession with finding the right Dr... the person I feel like I click with. I mean c'mon... it's like a crazy fast-moving date when you go that Dr. and in my opinion, if I'm not comfortable with the person in a conversation, they have no right in my personal business - you know? So my last lady Dr was a male -- my first experience with a male and I swear by it now. I feel like they can't judge you (c'mon... you know we all wonder/compare.. don't lie... you do it too) and males are just crazy laid back. So my last Dr was fabulous. I spent a lot of time with him because I had surgery back in '08 that he performed on me and I had to go visit him every 3 months. We got to know each other ya know? So when I told him I was moving it was very bitter sweet for me. I actually contemplated flying back every year for my annual (I mean... it'd be cheap since I fly for free) but I realized that might make me a bit.... neurotic? So, it took me 8 months to find a Dr here. I did some research, asked around, and found the greatest Dr out there. He is fabulous. Seriously, at the end of my check up I actually said "wow... I've never had a Dr do it that fast! You were awesome!". He said no one has ever thanked him before... I think we are on the "next level" now :)
- My new camera should be here any day now! My mom bought my sister and I new cameras for our birthday and although my bday isn't for another... 4 months.... I ordered it and shipped it here. I asked around, did some research (just like with my dr) and bought a Nikon D3100. It got great reviews from people I don't know and my actual friends! Can't wait!
- Mia regressed today... poor girl. She is peeing normal (no more blood - yes I am still inspecting it frequently) but is going SO often I feel terrible for her. I called the vet and they are upping her antibiotics to something even stronger to kill all of the severe bacteria in her little ol' bladder. Poor baby... wonder if Derrick will buy her something else?? (ps... in case you didn't know, he went to the pet store and bought her her favorite toys because he felt so bad for her - he is so sweet)
- Derrick is still skiing out in Lake Tahoe and enjoying life. Lucky dog:)
- I am still debating on my summer plans. Initially I wanted a full time nanny job to possibly carry over into the fall. The problem is not coming across nanny jobs - that has been pretty easy for me thanks to some parental help in my classroom:) The problem is that the long term jobs know I am a teacher and have been laid off, but they also know that teaching is my passion and I will go back as soon as I get a job offer. So they are not wanting to commit to me because of the unsure fall season. So now I am considering hosting/starting/running a summer camp with 2 other women. It would be educationally based, and include art (the one is a professional artist), swimming (I am lifeguard certified), mini field trips, weekly library trips, cooking, etc. An awesome day camp brought to you by... your one and only:)
So... yea that's my life. 3 days and counting until a week off. We are heading to the Austin Rodeo next Monday and I am so excited! Then not sure of our plans the rest of the week... maybe a quick little excursion somewhere?? Mexico, Bahamas, Dominican ... oh the possibilities are endless!
Here are some fabulous updates on my life as it stands
- went to the lady doctor yesterday. I have to say I kind of have this weird obsession with finding the right Dr... the person I feel like I click with. I mean c'mon... it's like a crazy fast-moving date when you go that Dr. and in my opinion, if I'm not comfortable with the person in a conversation, they have no right in my personal business - you know? So my last lady Dr was a male -- my first experience with a male and I swear by it now. I feel like they can't judge you (c'mon... you know we all wonder/compare.. don't lie... you do it too) and males are just crazy laid back. So my last Dr was fabulous. I spent a lot of time with him because I had surgery back in '08 that he performed on me and I had to go visit him every 3 months. We got to know each other ya know? So when I told him I was moving it was very bitter sweet for me. I actually contemplated flying back every year for my annual (I mean... it'd be cheap since I fly for free) but I realized that might make me a bit.... neurotic? So, it took me 8 months to find a Dr here. I did some research, asked around, and found the greatest Dr out there. He is fabulous. Seriously, at the end of my check up I actually said "wow... I've never had a Dr do it that fast! You were awesome!". He said no one has ever thanked him before... I think we are on the "next level" now :)
- My new camera should be here any day now! My mom bought my sister and I new cameras for our birthday and although my bday isn't for another... 4 months.... I ordered it and shipped it here. I asked around, did some research (just like with my dr) and bought a Nikon D3100. It got great reviews from people I don't know and my actual friends! Can't wait!
- Mia regressed today... poor girl. She is peeing normal (no more blood - yes I am still inspecting it frequently) but is going SO often I feel terrible for her. I called the vet and they are upping her antibiotics to something even stronger to kill all of the severe bacteria in her little ol' bladder. Poor baby... wonder if Derrick will buy her something else?? (ps... in case you didn't know, he went to the pet store and bought her her favorite toys because he felt so bad for her - he is so sweet)
- Derrick is still skiing out in Lake Tahoe and enjoying life. Lucky dog:)
- I am still debating on my summer plans. Initially I wanted a full time nanny job to possibly carry over into the fall. The problem is not coming across nanny jobs - that has been pretty easy for me thanks to some parental help in my classroom:) The problem is that the long term jobs know I am a teacher and have been laid off, but they also know that teaching is my passion and I will go back as soon as I get a job offer. So they are not wanting to commit to me because of the unsure fall season. So now I am considering hosting/starting/running a summer camp with 2 other women. It would be educationally based, and include art (the one is a professional artist), swimming (I am lifeguard certified), mini field trips, weekly library trips, cooking, etc. An awesome day camp brought to you by... your one and only:)
So... yea that's my life. 3 days and counting until a week off. We are heading to the Austin Rodeo next Monday and I am so excited! Then not sure of our plans the rest of the week... maybe a quick little excursion somewhere?? Mexico, Bahamas, Dominican ... oh the possibilities are endless!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Wanna go for a walk?
...was the question Derrick asked me on Wednesday... the day I finally had nothing major going on and I just wanted to come home and unpack.
My response "no, not really". His reponse, "c'mon! I found this great trail right by the apartment Mia and I walked today. I still can't figure how to access the greenbelt but this is a nice trail. 10 minutes.. 15 maximum and we will be back".
That was a 5:00pm.
We got home at 7:10 pm. It was dark. I was starving. It did not take 15 minutes!
We headed out on the trail he initially walked but then when we got the ending point where he turned back last time he said well if we go this way we will just loop around, wanna do that? Alrighty - he seemed to know fully where we were. Well let me tell you -- we got L-O-S-T. And we were on the greenbelt the whole time (from the boy who couldn't figure out how to get to it... we found it.. easily). We ended up on the other side of the greenbelt without ever crossing over, then over by a Toys R Us, then walking in circles, and finally started asking people. No one knew where our apartment was but they got us back to Taco Deli, the little taco joint right by where the condo was which is about a mile away from our apartment. When we got back there Derrick opted to run back to the apartment and get the car to come get Mia and I. It was too dark and there would be too much traffic for Mia to walk back. That was sweet of him:)
But... whenever Derrick asks you to take a walk with him ask if you are going exploring... or on a walk... 2 VERY different things!!!!
My response "no, not really". His reponse, "c'mon! I found this great trail right by the apartment Mia and I walked today. I still can't figure how to access the greenbelt but this is a nice trail. 10 minutes.. 15 maximum and we will be back".
That was a 5:00pm.
We got home at 7:10 pm. It was dark. I was starving. It did not take 15 minutes!
We headed out on the trail he initially walked but then when we got the ending point where he turned back last time he said well if we go this way we will just loop around, wanna do that? Alrighty - he seemed to know fully where we were. Well let me tell you -- we got L-O-S-T. And we were on the greenbelt the whole time (from the boy who couldn't figure out how to get to it... we found it.. easily). We ended up on the other side of the greenbelt without ever crossing over, then over by a Toys R Us, then walking in circles, and finally started asking people. No one knew where our apartment was but they got us back to Taco Deli, the little taco joint right by where the condo was which is about a mile away from our apartment. When we got back there Derrick opted to run back to the apartment and get the car to come get Mia and I. It was too dark and there would be too much traffic for Mia to walk back. That was sweet of him:)
But... whenever Derrick asks you to take a walk with him ask if you are going exploring... or on a walk... 2 VERY different things!!!!
My name... butchered
Remember one of my older posts when I said my name was going to be used for a tv show as the Kindergarten teacher? Well, so far it is still holding out and my name is still being used!
The other day the dad who is writing the show stopped by room to drop off his daughter and told me a quick story about my name.
This past month he has be out in LA doing casting calls and auditions and the past week was the auditions for the children in the show. One of the lines they had to audition included my name! He said he could not believe how many different ways there were to pronounce my name. I said he had no idea!
All day long his daughter (who got to view some of the auditions) thought it would be funny to call me by a different pronunciation each time she asked me a question. It was pretty funny but also pretty cool to think of all of these kids practicing my name to get a part in a show!
The other day the dad who is writing the show stopped by room to drop off his daughter and told me a quick story about my name.
This past month he has be out in LA doing casting calls and auditions and the past week was the auditions for the children in the show. One of the lines they had to audition included my name! He said he could not believe how many different ways there were to pronounce my name. I said he had no idea!
All day long his daughter (who got to view some of the auditions) thought it would be funny to call me by a different pronunciation each time she asked me a question. It was pretty funny but also pretty cool to think of all of these kids practicing my name to get a part in a show!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Our new apartment - still a work in progress
This whole apartment situation happened crazy quickly. Last Tuesday we found out our condo was falling apart... we sought out our other options and decided this was a nightmare/headache/terrible situation and got out. We headed out for the day on Saturday to look for a place to move into within the next 7 days. We had to be out of our current apartment by March 7, but Derrick had planned to go skiing leaving on March 4 so for him the sooner the better (he couldn't go skiing unless everything had been moved in - only fair). Some people told me a couple of names of places and we knew we wanted to be in the relative location of the condo we were supposed to get. We love the location. 5 minutes to downtown, 4 minutes to my school, direct access to the greenbelt (hiking trails and just awesome area) - yep we knew what we were looking for.
We went to the first place at 10:00 - as soon as they opened. We really liked it and they had an immediate move in -- as in Monday morning! I was set to do it but of course, Mr. lets-look-around vs. Ms. this-is-good-why-waste-the-time... yep I lost. We went to 4 more places ... 2 of them were not nearly as nice... the other 2 were ridiculously expensive. So we ended up getting the original one we went to ... the first one ... the one I initially said.
We decided to move in on Monday. Nothing was packed... the current apartment was a disaster. We got the UHaul on Sunday and loaded it up -- everything except the bed (which we planned to trash... it is so old and I don't think I have ever bought a new mattress). I also kept out the food and 3 days worth of clothes for the work week since we were planning on moving the stuff in on Monday but not fully living there till Wednesday when the utilities could be hooked up. I still had school on Monday so Derrick had planned to just do the whole move in by himself. Isn't he wonderful!?! He got everything moved in on Monday and when I got home I helped him move in the only remaining thing -- the couch. He had already started unpacking boxes and everything!
After we unloaded the couch we quickly dashed off to return the UHaul. We hit terrible traffic and I had an appointment with the HR for my district on my next steps for losing my job (mostly just some papers - nothing too informative). On Monday during the day I called the utility places and got them to put everything into my name on Tuesday, but everything was on so we could live there. So straight from my meeting we headed up to the old apartment and loaded up my car with everything left. We came back, unloaded the car, and actually made dinner:) Officially spent the night there on Monday night.
Tuesday morning I woke up to head to school and realized one vital thing I forgot... the shower curtain. Hahaha oh well! I washed my hair under the tub faucet and sat in the tub and washed my body the best I could with the running water through the faucet. Luckily I wasn't stinky or sweaty from the night before.
We love it ---- 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, bigger living room than what we are used to, smaller pantry but we made it work, and still a small kitchen which I guess is expected in an apartment.
The grand tour - the before pictures... over time I will post the afters:)
The view when you walk in - living room to the left, master through the door straight ahead, dining to the right, kitchen to the right, and there is a hallway to the left before the living room where the 2nd bathroom and bedroom is
living room - empty and in need of more furniture/decorations/curtains
kitchen with laundry room through the door
spare bathroom - thanks Nikki for the curtain
spare bedroom - futon mattress is being used as our bed currently -- all of the little piles are Derrick's things that he isn't sure how to organize yet. He plans on putting an L-shaped computer desk along the wall by the window and build his "ultimate" computer
master bedroom - so master like isn't it? hahaha - air mattress underneath the futon mattress while we wait for our new bed to come in. I got these really neat shelves from JCPenney that I plan on using as our new nightstands
master bathroom with a garden tub (which I thoroughly missed and love) and my HUGE closet to the left which is still so much a disaster I cannot even thing about showing it yet. I want to change the bathroom to a black/white theme to kind of blend with the gray/yellow in the bedroom I plan on doing
entertainment center area that will soon have a big tv in the middle slot. Not sure what we are putting at the top spot and the bottom section has storage ottomans that I have blankets, DVD's, and photo albums in and will double as extra seating:) - on sale at Target $16.99
the wall that needs help! The table is new - Target on sale for $39.99 - originally $59.99 - whoo hoo! It is really a cool table because it fits into the corner with 2 huge shelves but if you want to put it on an angle there is more shelving behind the "back" - I stored some stuff back there that I will want in the living room but not all the time. The plan is the put a cool lamp on the top of the table and get a funky chair/ottoman to fill the space and some neat artwork/pictures to fill the way.
We went to the first place at 10:00 - as soon as they opened. We really liked it and they had an immediate move in -- as in Monday morning! I was set to do it but of course, Mr. lets-look-around vs. Ms. this-is-good-why-waste-the-time... yep I lost. We went to 4 more places ... 2 of them were not nearly as nice... the other 2 were ridiculously expensive. So we ended up getting the original one we went to ... the first one ... the one I initially said.
We decided to move in on Monday. Nothing was packed... the current apartment was a disaster. We got the UHaul on Sunday and loaded it up -- everything except the bed (which we planned to trash... it is so old and I don't think I have ever bought a new mattress). I also kept out the food and 3 days worth of clothes for the work week since we were planning on moving the stuff in on Monday but not fully living there till Wednesday when the utilities could be hooked up. I still had school on Monday so Derrick had planned to just do the whole move in by himself. Isn't he wonderful!?! He got everything moved in on Monday and when I got home I helped him move in the only remaining thing -- the couch. He had already started unpacking boxes and everything!
After we unloaded the couch we quickly dashed off to return the UHaul. We hit terrible traffic and I had an appointment with the HR for my district on my next steps for losing my job (mostly just some papers - nothing too informative). On Monday during the day I called the utility places and got them to put everything into my name on Tuesday, but everything was on so we could live there. So straight from my meeting we headed up to the old apartment and loaded up my car with everything left. We came back, unloaded the car, and actually made dinner:) Officially spent the night there on Monday night.
Tuesday morning I woke up to head to school and realized one vital thing I forgot... the shower curtain. Hahaha oh well! I washed my hair under the tub faucet and sat in the tub and washed my body the best I could with the running water through the faucet. Luckily I wasn't stinky or sweaty from the night before.
We love it ---- 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, bigger living room than what we are used to, smaller pantry but we made it work, and still a small kitchen which I guess is expected in an apartment.
The grand tour - the before pictures... over time I will post the afters:)
The view when you walk in - living room to the left, master through the door straight ahead, dining to the right, kitchen to the right, and there is a hallway to the left before the living room where the 2nd bathroom and bedroom is
living room - empty and in need of more furniture/decorations/curtains
kitchen with laundry room through the door
spare bathroom - thanks Nikki for the curtain
spare bedroom - futon mattress is being used as our bed currently -- all of the little piles are Derrick's things that he isn't sure how to organize yet. He plans on putting an L-shaped computer desk along the wall by the window and build his "ultimate" computer
master bedroom - so master like isn't it? hahaha - air mattress underneath the futon mattress while we wait for our new bed to come in. I got these really neat shelves from JCPenney that I plan on using as our new nightstands
master bathroom with a garden tub (which I thoroughly missed and love) and my HUGE closet to the left which is still so much a disaster I cannot even thing about showing it yet. I want to change the bathroom to a black/white theme to kind of blend with the gray/yellow in the bedroom I plan on doing
entertainment center area that will soon have a big tv in the middle slot. Not sure what we are putting at the top spot and the bottom section has storage ottomans that I have blankets, DVD's, and photo albums in and will double as extra seating:) - on sale at Target $16.99
the wall that needs help! The table is new - Target on sale for $39.99 - originally $59.99 - whoo hoo! It is really a cool table because it fits into the corner with 2 huge shelves but if you want to put it on an angle there is more shelving behind the "back" - I stored some stuff back there that I will want in the living room but not all the time. The plan is the put a cool lamp on the top of the table and get a funky chair/ottoman to fill the space and some neat artwork/pictures to fill the way.
Poor Mia
As if I didn't have enough going on this past week between moving, looking for jobs, interviewing for nanny positions, tutoring, and meeting with the guy who is doing my taxes (and charging me a ridiculous amount), Mia got really sick and we have had to monitor her and visit the vet a couple times.
On Monday we moved in and we anticipated Mia being very stressed out, like she was when I moved into the first apartment in Austin. Well she did great! She wasn't stressed or anything. Tuesday morning, around 3:00AM she woke up me and was whining like crazy. I took her out and she was walking around with her tail between her legs whimpering. I thought okay... now she is stressed out. Maybe she thought we were just visiting and now she knows we are living here.
When I left for school I told Derrick about it and he said she did that most of the day but didn't whimper anymore. When I got home and the more I watched her I noticed she did have her tail between her legs, but she was also squatting and straining so hard. I was a little worried and googled the symptoms. It said if she had any traces of blood then she probably had a UTI -- well low and behold and thank god for her hairyness but there was a little on her in her "special area". So we got in the car and headed to the vet in the middle of rush hour traffic. It took us 40 minutes to get there but thank goodness we went.
When we got there the vet immediately said, "this isn't a UTI... her bladder is full". Apparently with a UTI or a bladder infection the bladder is always empty because just like humans, you always feel the need to go. Well... hers was 3 TIMES THE NORMAL SIZE. Not good. She asked us when she last went and we thought she was going whenever we took her out but we weren't for sure .... it could've been over 24 hours ago.
So they took her back for an X-ray to see if she had any blockage like stones or crystals and tried to insert a catheter to drain her bladder. Good news was there were no stones or crystals... bad news - they couldn't get in the catheter. I guess it is very hard to do on females, especially if they aren't sedated. Somehow they drained her bladder half way and sent a sample off to be tested which would take a few days. For the time being they gave her 2 sets of medicine - one to treat a UTI if that is what she had and one to treat her pain (she was in a lot - poor thing) and bring down the inflammation. What they were thinking was her bladder infection got so severe that she swelled herself shut... *OUCH*. If she didn't go throughout the night enough, not just dribbles (yep we had to watch) then she would have to come back in in the morning for immediate surgery to insert the catheter and drain it fully.
Luckily by the time we got home after 30 minutes Mia began peeing - THANK THE LORD!. We had to put up the baby gate in the kitchen and keep her in there. Normally she would whine behind the gate but she was in so much pain she just laid there, would stand up, go pee, go lay down, go pee, go lay down - etc. In 10 minutes she went 15 times:( Poor thing.
We are now going onto day #5 and she has barely any blood in her pee anymore (yep... we have to check it) and she even went ALL NIGHT last night with no peeing. Our walks are another story... she squats every 30 seconds and as unenjoyable as it is for me, I can only imagine for her. We got back the results and it really was a UTI so they kept her on the same antibiotics but because hers was so bad they gave her a different medicine to get calm down her bladder and slow the urges.
Sweet Mia - just lounging... don't mind the laundry or mess in the background, unpacking/organizing comes in phases
What an eventful week we had! Derrick left yesterday to go skiing for a week with friends in Lake Tahoe. I have a ton to do for the apartment, researching jobs, talking with potential nanny positions, and doing report cards (4th quarter is ALMOST HERE - OMG - 10 weeks left). I took off on Monday for a Dr appointment and opted to take the whole day because I'm not sure when I will get out and I could use a day. The following week is spring break.... still not sure if or what we will do... might be a last minute thing:)
Shew... on a side note -- we LOVE our new place. Pics to come but just know... we have a lot to do with decorating and stuff!!
On Monday we moved in and we anticipated Mia being very stressed out, like she was when I moved into the first apartment in Austin. Well she did great! She wasn't stressed or anything. Tuesday morning, around 3:00AM she woke up me and was whining like crazy. I took her out and she was walking around with her tail between her legs whimpering. I thought okay... now she is stressed out. Maybe she thought we were just visiting and now she knows we are living here.
When I left for school I told Derrick about it and he said she did that most of the day but didn't whimper anymore. When I got home and the more I watched her I noticed she did have her tail between her legs, but she was also squatting and straining so hard. I was a little worried and googled the symptoms. It said if she had any traces of blood then she probably had a UTI -- well low and behold and thank god for her hairyness but there was a little on her in her "special area". So we got in the car and headed to the vet in the middle of rush hour traffic. It took us 40 minutes to get there but thank goodness we went.
When we got there the vet immediately said, "this isn't a UTI... her bladder is full". Apparently with a UTI or a bladder infection the bladder is always empty because just like humans, you always feel the need to go. Well... hers was 3 TIMES THE NORMAL SIZE. Not good. She asked us when she last went and we thought she was going whenever we took her out but we weren't for sure .... it could've been over 24 hours ago.
So they took her back for an X-ray to see if she had any blockage like stones or crystals and tried to insert a catheter to drain her bladder. Good news was there were no stones or crystals... bad news - they couldn't get in the catheter. I guess it is very hard to do on females, especially if they aren't sedated. Somehow they drained her bladder half way and sent a sample off to be tested which would take a few days. For the time being they gave her 2 sets of medicine - one to treat a UTI if that is what she had and one to treat her pain (she was in a lot - poor thing) and bring down the inflammation. What they were thinking was her bladder infection got so severe that she swelled herself shut... *OUCH*. If she didn't go throughout the night enough, not just dribbles (yep we had to watch) then she would have to come back in in the morning for immediate surgery to insert the catheter and drain it fully.
Luckily by the time we got home after 30 minutes Mia began peeing - THANK THE LORD!. We had to put up the baby gate in the kitchen and keep her in there. Normally she would whine behind the gate but she was in so much pain she just laid there, would stand up, go pee, go lay down, go pee, go lay down - etc. In 10 minutes she went 15 times:( Poor thing.
We are now going onto day #5 and she has barely any blood in her pee anymore (yep... we have to check it) and she even went ALL NIGHT last night with no peeing. Our walks are another story... she squats every 30 seconds and as unenjoyable as it is for me, I can only imagine for her. We got back the results and it really was a UTI so they kept her on the same antibiotics but because hers was so bad they gave her a different medicine to get calm down her bladder and slow the urges.
Sweet Mia - just lounging... don't mind the laundry or mess in the background, unpacking/organizing comes in phases
What an eventful week we had! Derrick left yesterday to go skiing for a week with friends in Lake Tahoe. I have a ton to do for the apartment, researching jobs, talking with potential nanny positions, and doing report cards (4th quarter is ALMOST HERE - OMG - 10 weeks left). I took off on Monday for a Dr appointment and opted to take the whole day because I'm not sure when I will get out and I could use a day. The following week is spring break.... still not sure if or what we will do... might be a last minute thing:)Shew... on a side note -- we LOVE our new place. Pics to come but just know... we have a lot to do with decorating and stuff!!
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