Football season is in full swing, which means when he's not at work, my husband's rear end is superglued to the couch with the remote in one hand, a beer in the other, and both his phone and ipad working overtime to report moment by moment updates for each the players on his fantasy football team.
My life has been kind of nuts as I recently moved to a new role within my company. Between training my replacement in my old role, and trying to learn everything there is to know about the new brand I work on. Quite the stressful season!
Now that RJ is glued to the TV or at work, and I'm finally getting the hang of the new role, I want to pick up my 2012 New Year's resolution again and get to working on some pinterest inspired around-the-house projects.
Yesterday I spent the day redressing some walls that I painted a couple of months ago. I hung curtains, did some fall decorating, and even worked on a holiday gift for my sister-in-law. It was a great day!
I'll post photos soon!
About Me
- EKJ0nes
- With a cute husband and adorable boxer dog by my side, I'm the happiest I've ever been.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Fifty Shades & Fencing
I'm happy to report that after my long hiatus, I am mostly still on track to finish a few of my 2012 resolutions!
My "24 Books in 12 Months" resolution is probably one of the best I've set for myself, because reading gives me such a great escape. My most recent read was the amazingly suspenseful and smutty Fifty Shades trilogy. As I sit at my desk, I can't help but wonder what Christian and Ana are doing now. This is the one thing I hate about reading... missing the characters when the book is complete! I probably sound like a nut job, but every so often my mind still wanders to James from A Million Little Pieces. I hope he is okay. :)
AND, we are almost finished with our backyard fence! :)
My "24 Books in 12 Months" resolution is probably one of the best I've set for myself, because reading gives me such a great escape. My most recent read was the amazingly suspenseful and smutty Fifty Shades trilogy. As I sit at my desk, I can't help but wonder what Christian and Ana are doing now. This is the one thing I hate about reading... missing the characters when the book is complete! I probably sound like a nut job, but every so often my mind still wanders to James from A Million Little Pieces. I hope he is okay. :)
AND, we are almost finished with our backyard fence! :)
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Paint the Town
Over the past two weeks I've been honoring my new years resolution to actually get moving on some of the home improvement projects I've been pinning on Pinterest.com!
Here are some before & after pics of my kitchen (yes, I need chairs)!
BEFORE: I have dark cabinets, a dark chair rail, no counter space, and light blue/boring beige painted walls. I tried to go with a "wine" theme ... but its really not working.
AFTER: I left the chair rail color alone, but went with green/pretty beige paint, a chalkboard corner, new hardware, and bought a small shelf rack for the microwave.
Can you guess which part my hubbo chalked?
I cut the fabric into one big long string and wrapped it around the letter. I got this wreath at Michael's for ~$5.
Here is the letter chewing culprit! Don't let naptime fool you!
Here are some before & after pics of my kitchen (yes, I need chairs)!
BEFORE: I have dark cabinets, a dark chair rail, no counter space, and light blue/boring beige painted walls. I tried to go with a "wine" theme ... but its really not working.
AFTER: I left the chair rail color alone, but went with green/pretty beige paint, a chalkboard corner, new hardware, and bought a small shelf rack for the microwave.
Now I have my hallway taped off for another pretty beige color. I'm waiting until Wednesday when RJ leaves for New Orleans (SEC Tournament!) to paint the livingroom area.
I'll keep updating with before & after photos! I'm so excited to finally start personalizing our home!
I also made a wreath!
You're going to think I'm nuts because I started with an old pair of Wacoal shapewear from my days as a Certified Bra Specialist at Dillard's! I am pretty sure I could never fit into this pair, anyway. Plus, I didn't have any yarn to wrap my "J" in, and as you can tell from the photo, my pooch chewed part of the letter, so paint wouldn't work anyway.
Here is the letter chewing culprit! Don't let naptime fool you!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
ESCAPE!
Escape is the title of this post for 2 reasons...
#1. My 2002 Ford Escape broke down while I was driving home from work today. One second I was driving along just fine, merging into the left lane to pass an SUV, and my car suddenly feels like I had switched into Neutral. Except that I hadn't. When I pressed on the gas, the engine revved but didn't accelerate. Flashback to 2004>Nissan Maxima>Transmission>Expensive. Since I was in the left lane, the only thing I could do was merge onto the left hand shoulder.... of I-71/I-75 Southbound.... at the top of the cut in the hill/curve.... during rush hour.
Even at 25 years old and married, my first instinct was to call my dad! Instead I phoned the hubby at work whom told me to keep my seat belt on and call roadside assistance. I don't know about you, but I cannot deal with car situations like this without crying. The poor dispatcher thought I was hurt in a wreck and about to send an ambulance until I pulled it together to tell her I just needed a tow!
Keep your fingers crossed that tomorrow I find out it is a minor inexpensive fix. That silly car.
Did I mention RJ totalled his car two weeks ago!?
#2. A lost dog escape! :(
This evening while letting Lexi the boxer out on one of her late evening backyard potty breaks, RJ noticed she was excitedly running up and down the street side of the fence. As you may remember from previous posts, she's been getting out. (Note to self: post pictures of your ghetto fabulous fence fixes so that one day you can look back at "humble beginnings.")
Come to find out, there's a little yorkie dog without a collar walking down the sidewalk by his lonesome. RJ jumps the fence (classic) and picks up the well mannered gentlemen. He's not a puppy, and he's groomed. I can't help but think there's a scared old lady worried sick about him! We named him Louie for the evening, put up FOUND signs on the stop signs around our street, and broke out Lexi's old puppy crate for the evening. He's snoozing now, poor old fella.
I'm not sure what to do here, really.... I posted on Craigslist and Petfinder.com, and will call the Boone County Animal Shelter tomorrow. We just couldn't leave him out in the cold!
Luckily for Escape Situation #2, Escape Situation #1 gives me a reason to work from home tomorrow until we figure out the transportation issue. I hope Louie's momma and daddy call for him soon!
Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!
#1. My 2002 Ford Escape broke down while I was driving home from work today. One second I was driving along just fine, merging into the left lane to pass an SUV, and my car suddenly feels like I had switched into Neutral. Except that I hadn't. When I pressed on the gas, the engine revved but didn't accelerate. Flashback to 2004>Nissan Maxima>Transmission>Expensive. Since I was in the left lane, the only thing I could do was merge onto the left hand shoulder.... of I-71/I-75 Southbound.... at the top of the cut in the hill/curve.... during rush hour.
Even at 25 years old and married, my first instinct was to call my dad! Instead I phoned the hubby at work whom told me to keep my seat belt on and call roadside assistance. I don't know about you, but I cannot deal with car situations like this without crying. The poor dispatcher thought I was hurt in a wreck and about to send an ambulance until I pulled it together to tell her I just needed a tow!
Keep your fingers crossed that tomorrow I find out it is a minor inexpensive fix. That silly car.
Did I mention RJ totalled his car two weeks ago!?
#2. A lost dog escape! :(
This evening while letting Lexi the boxer out on one of her late evening backyard potty breaks, RJ noticed she was excitedly running up and down the street side of the fence. As you may remember from previous posts, she's been getting out. (Note to self: post pictures of your ghetto fabulous fence fixes so that one day you can look back at "humble beginnings.")
Come to find out, there's a little yorkie dog without a collar walking down the sidewalk by his lonesome. RJ jumps the fence (classic) and picks up the well mannered gentlemen. He's not a puppy, and he's groomed. I can't help but think there's a scared old lady worried sick about him! We named him Louie for the evening, put up FOUND signs on the stop signs around our street, and broke out Lexi's old puppy crate for the evening. He's snoozing now, poor old fella.
I'm not sure what to do here, really.... I posted on Craigslist and Petfinder.com, and will call the Boone County Animal Shelter tomorrow. We just couldn't leave him out in the cold!
Luckily for Escape Situation #2, Escape Situation #1 gives me a reason to work from home tomorrow until we figure out the transportation issue. I hope Louie's momma and daddy call for him soon!
Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Lovin' Feb So Far
I realize I haven't been keeping up with regular posts like I thought I would when I started this blog... but 2012 is not about feeling guilty, so here goes...
I can't believe its February 5th! Where did January go?
My "24 Books in 12 Months" challenge is going better than expected! I'm 100% in love with Suzanne Collins' series of The Hunger Games.
I'm thinking if I can keep this up, "52 Books in 52 Weeks" will have to be a 2013 resolution! Next up on my reading list is The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and I'd like to explore the books of my favorite TV ladies, Bethenny Frankel and Ellen Degeneres.
The hubbo started a "Biggest Loser" challenge at his work this week, and even though I've been in one at my office for quite a few weeks, I've found it so much easier to have self control when my partner in crime is participating also. The night before his initial weigh in we went out to our favorite dive bar, The Dugout in Burlington, for wings and fried anythings and later stuffed ourselves silly with ice cream! It was fabulous! I believe RJ was successfully plumped up for his big day!
We've started excersizing with more walks with the pooch... which might seem like a mild start, but it definitely beats standing on the back porch and using a laser pointer to make Lexi run around the back yard and get her energy under control! Today we walked for over an hour into a nearby neighborhood and discovered it led to a new housing development that makes our street look like the city dump! It was fun to walk and talk with RJ, hopefully it will be a new habit!
One of my big goals this year is to have all of my credit card debt paid off by my 26th birthday in June. So far, we are on track! Recieving our federal tax refund this week definitely helped.
Another unexpected financial boost was the $$ we recieved from our automobile insurance company after the hubbo got in a wreck a couple of weeks ago. Obviously, this was not something we wanted or expected to happen, but it kind of turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We have been talking about buying a new car for a while now, but wanted to wait until my car is paid off. His 1998 Toyota Avalon had been paid for, but this is what it looked like after his wreck.
It turns out it was a "total loss." We debated on going to the Toyota dealership since we qualify for a family discount, but it turned out that my in-laws knew of a mechanic whom had an older car for sale. We decided to purchase the older car for a great price, and plan to use it until my car is paid off and we can put some money aside. I also think it would put us in a great position if we hear a radio or TV ad for a "this weekend only" type of deal. Do us a favor and let us know if you hear of any BOGO deals, k? :)
My NY resolution to work on Pinterest-inspired projects has taken a back seat recently to my work schedule. Its an exciting and stressful time, for sure. Here is a fun shot of the front of my building, gearing up for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London!
I hope to get back into home projects soon! We had someone come out to provide an estimate on replacing our backyard fence. Anyone I've spoken with in the past 6 months is probably aware of how badly we need a new fence! The current fence is over 20 years old and is falling apart. My cute pooch has figured out how to knock out the weak boards and loves to run amuck throughout the neighborhood. I like to think she's fairly well behaved, but she always thinks its a game when we're trying to get her to come back inside. She has bounds of energy, and the only way we can catch her is to have her chase us into some poor neighbors backyard and tire her out. You cannot begin to imagine how embarrassing this is, especially if the neighbor is home.
The estimate for a new fence turned out to be an astronomical $3500, and that is even with us cutting corners and putting a chain link instead of a privacy fence on the side where our neighbors house connects (we are on a corner). I spoke with my brother, Adam, and he and my dad agreed to travel up one weekend in the next few months to help us with a DIY version. We're going to build the fence in phases, the first phase will fence in the street side and front gate sides of our backyard, for a material estimate of ~$550. Much cheaper than the fencing company, especially because Adam and Dad are willing to be paid in hugs and gratitude. :)
I will be sure to post before and after photos when that glorious weekend occurs!
Well, I'm off to get ready for a Superbowl party at our friend Gil's parents home...... who is playing again?
I can't believe its February 5th! Where did January go?
My "24 Books in 12 Months" challenge is going better than expected! I'm 100% in love with Suzanne Collins' series of The Hunger Games.
I also had a fabulous time connecting with my inner comedienne while reading Tina Fey's Bossypants. I recommend it to everyone!
I'm thinking if I can keep this up, "52 Books in 52 Weeks" will have to be a 2013 resolution! Next up on my reading list is The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and I'd like to explore the books of my favorite TV ladies, Bethenny Frankel and Ellen Degeneres.
The hubbo started a "Biggest Loser" challenge at his work this week, and even though I've been in one at my office for quite a few weeks, I've found it so much easier to have self control when my partner in crime is participating also. The night before his initial weigh in we went out to our favorite dive bar, The Dugout in Burlington, for wings and fried anythings and later stuffed ourselves silly with ice cream! It was fabulous! I believe RJ was successfully plumped up for his big day!
We've started excersizing with more walks with the pooch... which might seem like a mild start, but it definitely beats standing on the back porch and using a laser pointer to make Lexi run around the back yard and get her energy under control! Today we walked for over an hour into a nearby neighborhood and discovered it led to a new housing development that makes our street look like the city dump! It was fun to walk and talk with RJ, hopefully it will be a new habit!
 |
| Lexi resting at a nearby historical cabin |
 |
| Lexi snoozin' after a walk! |
One of my big goals this year is to have all of my credit card debt paid off by my 26th birthday in June. So far, we are on track! Recieving our federal tax refund this week definitely helped.
Another unexpected financial boost was the $$ we recieved from our automobile insurance company after the hubbo got in a wreck a couple of weeks ago. Obviously, this was not something we wanted or expected to happen, but it kind of turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We have been talking about buying a new car for a while now, but wanted to wait until my car is paid off. His 1998 Toyota Avalon had been paid for, but this is what it looked like after his wreck.
My NY resolution to work on Pinterest-inspired projects has taken a back seat recently to my work schedule. Its an exciting and stressful time, for sure. Here is a fun shot of the front of my building, gearing up for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London!
I hope to get back into home projects soon! We had someone come out to provide an estimate on replacing our backyard fence. Anyone I've spoken with in the past 6 months is probably aware of how badly we need a new fence! The current fence is over 20 years old and is falling apart. My cute pooch has figured out how to knock out the weak boards and loves to run amuck throughout the neighborhood. I like to think she's fairly well behaved, but she always thinks its a game when we're trying to get her to come back inside. She has bounds of energy, and the only way we can catch her is to have her chase us into some poor neighbors backyard and tire her out. You cannot begin to imagine how embarrassing this is, especially if the neighbor is home.
The estimate for a new fence turned out to be an astronomical $3500, and that is even with us cutting corners and putting a chain link instead of a privacy fence on the side where our neighbors house connects (we are on a corner). I spoke with my brother, Adam, and he and my dad agreed to travel up one weekend in the next few months to help us with a DIY version. We're going to build the fence in phases, the first phase will fence in the street side and front gate sides of our backyard, for a material estimate of ~$550. Much cheaper than the fencing company, especially because Adam and Dad are willing to be paid in hugs and gratitude. :)
I will be sure to post before and after photos when that glorious weekend occurs!
Well, I'm off to get ready for a Superbowl party at our friend Gil's parents home...... who is playing again?
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Motivate Me
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VoGoKtzWPw)
Tomorrow is MLK Jr. holiday and I get the day off. Today I decided I would use this free time to work on one of the many pinterest pins I've been wanting to do. I spent a good hour or so going through my pinterest boards and making project lists and materials needed lists, etc. Unfortunately, I have so many ideas and projects that I don't even know where to start or what to focus on!
I'd like to use the metaphor "train of thought" to describe my internal experience this afternoon, but I think my "train" floats in the air and the carts aren't connected. I am so frustrated!
When I think of printing and framing these super cute printables for my kitchen (http://overthebigmoon.blogspot.com/2012/01/fun-kitchen-printables.html), I get caught up in what color I'll eventually want to paint the walls and chair rail, and would I want to paint the cabinets too? I like the dark wood, but if I want to purchase more cabinets for storage and counterspace, I don't think I'd be able to match it exactly. Plus, I probably don't even need more storage, I just need to clean out and organize the cabinets I already have. I wish we had a "bar" or something downstairs to move all of RJ's beer steins and shotglasses into. Speaking of RJ, since he got that awesome drill for Christmas, I wonder how hard it would be to move the refridgerator... he could drill a hole in the wall to feed the water line through, right? Then I start to google electrician rates and how much it would cost to move the oven to the other side of the kitchen. Ugh, don't even get me started on retiling the floors.
Then all the sudden, I don't want to start on the printables, because there is so much work to do!
I'd like to get new blinds for the bedrooms, but when I think of working on any of the bedrooms, I get frustrated because no matter how I decorate, I really want to replace the carpet! Replacing the carpet is in no way a higher priority than getting a new fence installed so Lexi can play in the back yard and we don't have to worry about her getting out. I know its ridiculous, but in my mind, I shut down the idea of getting new blinds because I can't afford a new fence!
I'm having a hard time focusing on what I CAN do vs. what I WANT to do.
As I look back over my multiple lists, the only ATTAINABLE bulletpoint for my day off:
- paint fingernails
I'll let you know how it goes.
EDIT: I've decided that I need to quit whining about what I like to call "first world problems" and chat also about what is going on in my life. :)
2012 has been great so far. Besides the hubbo and myself being sick for over a week, a lot has transpired! My brother, Matt, got married in Minneapolis on New Years. My dear old dad officiated the ceremony!
We celebrated RJ's 26th birthday! In honor of my resolution to craft it up in 2012, I attempted making a Liquor Bouquet. Obviously, it didnt turn out as awesome as some of the photos I had seen on Pinterest, and I decided to call my experience "Craft Time at AA" because I used wine corks and liquor.
ALSO!!! I found my long lost old camera which held photos from :
My engagement weekend in Chicago; Labor Day 2010:
Photos of an event I ran at work with Cesar Millan:
And a seminar I attended in Vegas:
Tomorrow is MLK Jr. holiday and I get the day off. Today I decided I would use this free time to work on one of the many pinterest pins I've been wanting to do. I spent a good hour or so going through my pinterest boards and making project lists and materials needed lists, etc. Unfortunately, I have so many ideas and projects that I don't even know where to start or what to focus on!
I'd like to use the metaphor "train of thought" to describe my internal experience this afternoon, but I think my "train" floats in the air and the carts aren't connected. I am so frustrated!
When I think of printing and framing these super cute printables for my kitchen (http://overthebigmoon.blogspot.com/2012/01/fun-kitchen-printables.html), I get caught up in what color I'll eventually want to paint the walls and chair rail, and would I want to paint the cabinets too? I like the dark wood, but if I want to purchase more cabinets for storage and counterspace, I don't think I'd be able to match it exactly. Plus, I probably don't even need more storage, I just need to clean out and organize the cabinets I already have. I wish we had a "bar" or something downstairs to move all of RJ's beer steins and shotglasses into. Speaking of RJ, since he got that awesome drill for Christmas, I wonder how hard it would be to move the refridgerator... he could drill a hole in the wall to feed the water line through, right? Then I start to google electrician rates and how much it would cost to move the oven to the other side of the kitchen. Ugh, don't even get me started on retiling the floors.
Then all the sudden, I don't want to start on the printables, because there is so much work to do!
I'd like to get new blinds for the bedrooms, but when I think of working on any of the bedrooms, I get frustrated because no matter how I decorate, I really want to replace the carpet! Replacing the carpet is in no way a higher priority than getting a new fence installed so Lexi can play in the back yard and we don't have to worry about her getting out. I know its ridiculous, but in my mind, I shut down the idea of getting new blinds because I can't afford a new fence!
I'm having a hard time focusing on what I CAN do vs. what I WANT to do.
As I look back over my multiple lists, the only ATTAINABLE bulletpoint for my day off:
- paint fingernails
I'll let you know how it goes.
EDIT: I've decided that I need to quit whining about what I like to call "first world problems" and chat also about what is going on in my life. :)
2012 has been great so far. Besides the hubbo and myself being sick for over a week, a lot has transpired! My brother, Matt, got married in Minneapolis on New Years. My dear old dad officiated the ceremony!
We celebrated RJ's 26th birthday! In honor of my resolution to craft it up in 2012, I attempted making a Liquor Bouquet. Obviously, it didnt turn out as awesome as some of the photos I had seen on Pinterest, and I decided to call my experience "Craft Time at AA" because I used wine corks and liquor.
I also made a Beer Pong table for my love's birthday out of plywood, henges and spray paint. Here it is in our basement:
We celebrated my Dad's 56th birthday in Lousiville with a game night! Here is the cupcake situation, and a photo of me and the hubs!
My engagement weekend in Chicago; Labor Day 2010:
and the decorated desk I came back to at work:
Photos of an event I ran at work with Cesar Millan:
And a seminar I attended in Vegas:
Photos of a cute haircut I had forgotten about (no clue why I'm holding a canvas):
and the birth of my nephew, Caleb :)
After finding these photos, I realize that blogging is going to be a great way to document my life starting this year! I'm so excited for 2012!
As a NY resolution, I plan to read 24 books in 12 months. I was going to go for 52 books in 52 weeks, but decided to make it a little more realistic for myself! I loved The Hunger Games and look forward to the 2nd & 3rd book in that trilogy. Right now, I'm midway through Tina Fey's Bossypants. So far, so so good.
I'm feeling much less frustrated than I was while posting about my indecisiveness on the project front. I'm sure there's a lesson to be learned there.
I'll sign off with an adorable photo of my favorite pooch, Lexi!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
2012 Will Be One for the Books
January 4, 2012
I want 2012 to be a year of completing projects, attending to unfinished business, and just saying NO to procrastination. Like most things in life, accountability is the best motivation, so here is my first blog (ironic that I waited until the 4th day of the year to actually begin?).
Now its not like I have an unending list of projects around the house to complete, because I generally never get around to actually making a list! This year will be different. I'm sure everyone has heard of http://www.pinterest.com/, this is where my inspiration comes from. I have a whole board of projects to try, home improvement projects to begin, party ideas to implement, etc. Here we go!
So far this week, I've been working on scarves made out of old t-shirts (the hubbo has plenty of old t-shirts that he will never wear again), and I purchased all the materials to make RJ a new beer pong table. I'll have to take photos to post before and after ideas.
Bring it on, year!
I want 2012 to be a year of completing projects, attending to unfinished business, and just saying NO to procrastination. Like most things in life, accountability is the best motivation, so here is my first blog (ironic that I waited until the 4th day of the year to actually begin?).
Now its not like I have an unending list of projects around the house to complete, because I generally never get around to actually making a list! This year will be different. I'm sure everyone has heard of http://www.pinterest.com/, this is where my inspiration comes from. I have a whole board of projects to try, home improvement projects to begin, party ideas to implement, etc. Here we go!
So far this week, I've been working on scarves made out of old t-shirts (the hubbo has plenty of old t-shirts that he will never wear again), and I purchased all the materials to make RJ a new beer pong table. I'll have to take photos to post before and after ideas.
Bring it on, year!
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