Do We Stay Or Do We Go?

I debated what to post about tonight; so many things yet so little time.  You have to give me credit though; this is three posts in three days.  At this rate, I will be at 100 posts this week!  Yes, this is a milestone; perhaps we should celebrate with cake! 
 
On this episode of the saga of the house...
 
I think I mentioned we were working in the yard this weekend trying to get some things cleaned up from winter while enjoying the first nice weekend we have had in a while.  While we were working out there, we started discussing some of the possible projects for the yard.  A few of these projects are things we were talking about last fall before we were even discussing putting the house up for sale.  Some of the projects are things we have been talking about since we bought the house, but have evolved over the last year. The discussion of the yard projects brought us around to discussing other possible projects.  I think a run in with one of our neighbors, whom we actually enjoy a lot, got us thinking.  Our neighbor told us he was sad when he saw the for sale sign go up in our yard because he enjoyed having us as neighbors.  I was a little sad when I heard that.  While there are a few people in the neighborhood we wouldn't mind having move out, for the most part we enjoy the people.  I think no matter where you go, there will always be a crazy neighbor or two. 
 
We decided to come up with a list of possible projects for the house that would prolong its liveability for us.  Some of the projects are more pressing than others.
 

1.      Fix the small leak in the basement foundation/determine if the foundation could hold extra weight from a second story expansion

2.      Repave the driveway (which will probably have to be partially torn out to repair the foundation)

3.      Install an exhaust fan in the bathroom

4.      Scrape and repaint the exterior trim on the house

5.      Clean and re-stain the deck.  If you don't have the patients to do it right, I recommend getting this done professionally.  You might remember we did this last summer, and it now looks terrible.

6.      Reside/Rebuild the garage.  The siding is from the 80's and is pretty much just rotting away at this point. 

7.      Install new counters in the kitchen.

8.      Replace the cabinets in the kitchen.

9.      Figure out the heating/cooling issue in the attic and have it fixed. 

10.  Expand the front landscaping.

11.  Work on the side landscaping.

12.  Put a garden in.

13.  Create a paved patio on the side of our deck where no grass grows.

14.  Have the siding redone with vinyl siding.

 
These are the major projects we have come up with for the house.  Right now, we are in the processing of getting quotes for a lot of these things.  Do you think we have lost our minds? Don't worry, some days we think we have too.  Our plan at this point is to leave the house on the market through September and just see what happens.  We have one month left on our subject to sale offer, and haven't had anyone through our house in a couple of weeks.  Who knows, someone may come along next week and decide our house is exactly what they have been look for and buy it on the spot. 
 
However, sometimes it is best to be happy with what you have rather than constantly wanting more.  We tried to take a step back this weekend and really be grateful for what we do have.  While it may not be our dream home in regards to some things, it is a good home.  I think once we start to do some work to it and really personalize it, it will start to feel more like our home. 
    
 
 

 

Something To Keep Me Busy

As of next week, Andrew will be occupied for a few week with some training for work which means time for me to work on some projects.  I have been building up quite a list knowing he had training coming up in May.  Most of my projects involve things I have found on Pinterest, of course, and a few things around the house I have been meaning to do for a while but haven't gotten around to.  In the whirlwind that was/is listing the house and house hunting things have been a little busy and projects have been put on the back burner.  But have no fear, spring is here which means so is project season. 

On my outdoor project list is getting my annuals put in pots.  My grandmother always said not to do it until after Mother's Day, so that is the advice we stick with in my family.  So, flowers wont be happening this week or weekend, but I will be collecting supplies.  Here are a couple of the projects I will be working on:
 

I am pretty excited about this herb garden tower idea. 

  

Source: marthastewart.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Better than your average flower pot!  I'm adding some design

 

Source: krysanthe.hubpages.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Not sure what color to paint these yet... something bright!

 

Source: iamtrend.com via Natalie on Pinterest

This project has been on my list for a while.

 

Source: kenziehand.blogspot.com via Natalie on Pinterest

I really would like a larget water feature, but until we can decide where one might go, I can settle for this. 

 

Source: bhg.com via Natalie on Pinterest

 

A trumpet vine, perhaps?  We already have the planted, so I would just need to do the trellis part. 

Source: howdoitcom.tumblr.com via Natalie on Pinterest

 

 

As if the outdoor projects weren't enough, there are a few things I want to get done inside as well.  The bookshelf that I converted into my coffee center is in need of a paint job.  It is currently a baby blue color and doesn't really match with the red and black we have going on in the kitchen. 

 

Also, our front porch is wood paneling, and I have wanted to paint it for a while.  Tonight while cruising pinterest, I found a way to fill in the lines so you create a smooth surface to paint and it looks like drywall. 

  

Source: bejane.com via Natalie on Pinterest

This project sounds like it will take a few days, so I might want to get an early start on that.  In addition to these projects, we also have several people coming to do quotes on all kinds of work on the house in the coming weeks.  More on that later. 

All Good Things Must Come To An End

Sadly, the end of my three day weekend is coming to a close, and I am back at it tomorrow.  Andrew was off on vacation this past week, so I didn't get a ton posted on here.  Normally I post when he goes to work, so my posting window didn't exist last week. 

Here is a quick rundown of what we were up to this past week: 

Monday kicked off with pretty much a total meltdown from me.  Have you ever had the feeling that things are just building and building or you're stuck on a train that is barreling down the tracks and out of control?  Yeah, that was kind of me last week.  A combination of not knowing what is going on with selling the house, my schedule being jacked because Andrew was on vacation, probably a crappy day at work, and not really feeling like I had a clear direction in life all kind of came crashing down.  Thank God for my wise mother who is always there to talk me down from my cliff and tell me everything will be alright.  Sometimes, you just need a good mom hug and a chat to put things in perspective. 

On Tuesday, you probably saw my post about drawing a line in the sand when it comes to getting healthy.  We have some healthier meals on the menu this week and my plan is to extend my workout times this week and add it some weight/strength training.  I did some additional weight work on Thursday during my workout and still feel the effects of that, so that is good. 

I did end up getting my hair chopped off on Wednesday and got it highlighted and then got lowlights put in because the highlights didn't do what they were supposed to.  I will probably do another post on that later this week with photos, so you can all check out the new hair.  Or, you could all just have dinner with me and see for yourselves! 

I took the day off on Friday, and it couldn't have been needed more, and we took a day trip.  We were intending to go to the Hoover Presidential Library, yes this is our idea of a fun day trip, but we made a few other stops along the way.  We saw a sign for Fireside Winery while we were driving along I-80, so of course we had to stop.  We sampled some wine and picked up a couple of bottles for our collection.  On our way back from the library, we had to stop at the outlet mall in Williamsburg.  I can't drive by without stopping for some shopping.  I had to assure Andrew we weren't going to go in to every store while we were there.  I didn't have the money for that kind of shopping, but there have been a few things on my list to look for.  We both got some new shoes.  I scored some new red flats from Bass for $16, and got a pair of sandals to replace a few pairs that have seen better days. 

Source: bocshoes.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Andrew got a pair of black casual/dressier black shoes and now owns more shoes than he ever has; my shoe disease is spreading. Other than my shoes, I think Andrew scored a bulk of the loot on the trip. We of course had to hit up the kitchen stores and the Coach outlet before we left. No, I did not purchase anything at the Coach outlet. Yes, I was tempted to buy several things since they were having a 50% off sale. There wasn't anything I was 100% sold on, so I wasn't going to purchase anything just because there was a sale.

Saturday was too nice to pass up being outside, so we were responsible home owners and got some things cleaned up in the yard and finally got the front lawn mowed. Things look so fresh and lively now that there has been sunshine for a few days. All my tulips are up now, and several of them are starting to bloom. My peony bushes are coming up out of the group and should be blooming this year. I think we got pretty lucky and had everything come back from the winter, so we shouldn't have to replace anything. While we were working in the yard, we discussed several projects to do. You might be asking, "why are they discussing projects when their house is on the market?" Yes, we had the same thought. However, at this point we are pretty convinced that we aren't going to get our house sold before our subject to sale offer is up. Yes, we realize this is still a month away. Our plan is to leave the house on the market until September when the listing period expires and take it off at that point. There are a lot of larger projects we can still do to this house that will make this house livable for us long term.

So, there you have it, our week in review. A little busy, a lot emotional for sure. But, hopefully things are on the upswing for us now. I promise to do a better job posting this week because there is lots to post about: the hair cut and color saga, some new spring wardrobe items I can finally post about since it is nice enough to wear them, some new beauty items/new beauty regimen, an updated project list, my projects for while Andrew is gone... there is quite a list, so stay tuned this week!
 

I Draw The Line Here

I have drawn a line in the sand and reached a point of no return.  At least, I hope I don't return.  I think I mentioned last week that I have been sticking to my workout plan of Tuesday and Thursday after work workouts on a pretty regular basis for a while.  I think I also mentioned I hadn't really noticed a change in the way things were fitting and how I was feeling.  Today, for whatever reason, I decided to step on the scale in the locker room while no one was around just to see where things were at.  Holy Houston we have a problem.  I thought for sure that scale was busted, so I checked on ours at home.  I wish I could say both of them were busted, but I don't think that is the case. 

This past weekend, I started looking at some healthy smoothie recipes for some alternative snack options.  I'm still narrowing down some options, but hope to have a list of ingredients together before the weekend.  As much as I hate to say it, I also need to but my carbs down.  While I like bread, pasta, and potatoes, they like to cling to my thighs a little more than I would like.  Thank God for the Pinterest health and fitness category because I have been able to find all sorts of good things.  As much as I want to kick and scream over some of the things I know I need to do, enough is enough. 

I'm not happy where I am at with my health.  I would probably collapse if you asked me to climb anything more than a flight of stairs.  OK, that might be a slight exaggeration, but only slight.  I seriously need to get moving.  Thirty minute workouts twice per week aren't cutting it anymore.  I wish I liked to run, but I don't so that goes out the window.  I probably need to get my butt back in my sculpting class I was doing on Monday's at work with the teacher that is actually a body builder. 

Lucky for me in the food department, I actually enjoy most of the foods I "should" be eating.  I love fruits and veggies, yogurt, nuts, fish, squash, etc.  I love them all!  My goal for the remainder of the week is to come up with a diet that I can actually stick to; non of this unrealistic nonsense.  I will not be eating one slice of toast as a meal, sorry dudes.  I may even investigate some kind of detox or cleanse to get started.  Do any of you know of any good ones? 

My other goal is to add another day of workout to my routine and perhaps lengthen the ones I am already doing.  Normally, on Thursday after I do cardio I throw in some weight work.  I think I'm going to keep the weight work on Thursday and expand it as well as throw in weights on Tuesday. 

So, there you have it; it has come to me drawing a line in the sand.  No more buying clothes because the ones I have don't fit.  If I get off my butt, they will fit just fine.  I'm not sure how I got to this point other than a combination of a lot of bad things: stress, bad eating habits, being a lazy butt, stress, food...  

To Chop It Or Not To Chop It

My hair that is. Tis the time of year where I have an internal battle about my hair. I tell myself I should keep growing it out because I like to be able to pull it back and I like having it longer so I can do things with it. The problem with that line of thought is that the only thing I really do with it on a day to day basis when it is long is throw it in a pony tail. While easy, it is maybe not the most stylish thing in the world. The chop is side of my always wins out and tells the other side to back off. My hair when it is long is a mop. My hair is thick; no I'm not complaining about this, and heavy. The longer it gets, the more mop like it becomes. At least when my hair is shorter, it kind of has some volume to it. When it gets long, I can just forget about any kind of volume for my hair.


I kind of have my go to styles for when I chop it off. It is pretty bad when even my stylist said to me the last time I was in there "Are we cutting it all off the next time you come in?" I responded no, but in the back of my mind thought yeah, we probably will. In the spring I like my hair to feel light and airy. Of course with the weather lately, it has probably been prolonging my urge to cut my hair off.

The last time I grew my hair out was for the wedding, and that was a little over a years worth of growing it out. I don't think I have made it to a year at this point. In fact, I know I haven't because I think I got it cut before we went to Green Bay last September, I think.


Here is the other wrench in my plan; I have been pondering highlights. I have actually never done anything to my hair, other than a perm; gasp. I have never colored or highlighted my locks. That isn't to say I haven't thought about it over the years. Everyone always told me not to start until I had to. I do have a few grey hairs now that like to show their ugly selves. Andrew, of course, loves to point them out. In turn, I point his out and also point out since getting married he has acquired a few more. Do you suppose there is any sort of connection there?


I have always loved auburn hair and been totally jealous of redheads. Yes, Julie, I'm speaking to you. My friend Julie, whom I know reads this blog, has the most gorgeous red hair that I have probably been jealous of since 8th grade. I'm thinking I might experiment with a highlight/lowlight situation this next time around. I need something different in my life; this might have to work for now. Here are some ideas I have collected:

I would kind of just like to have everything about her hair... the cut and color are amazeballs!

 

Source: google.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Source: statigr.am via Natalie on Pinterest

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Natalie on Pinterest

I will of course keep you all up to date on my decision.

Half Way There

But, the only prayer I'm living on this week is that I make it through Friday without going postal. You guessed it, another not so great week this week! I'm really starting to see a pattern. I'm going to blame it on the weather. Frankly, I'm sick of rain. I know we need it, but seriously I have had enough now. I have also had enough of the dogs waking me up in the middle of the night from the thunder. Yes, we have a thundershirt. No, it does not work for Buddy. I want sun and warmth, not rain and cold. If I wanted dreary weather all the time, I would live in London or Seattle, but I don't for a reason. Silly me bought some new maxi dresses thinking spring and summer were around the corner. What a cruel joke that was. There is no way I'm busting those puppies out yet only to freeze my nay nay's off. Of course, the temperature gods at work clearly haven't figured out how to turn the heat down because every day I go into work I wonder if I should be wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

In the housing news, there really is no news. We haven't had any second showings come from the open house this past weekend. We had one showing on Tuesday this week, but that didn't result in anything. I know this house has some quirks that you either love or hate and it will sell when it is time to sell. In the mean time, I HATE uncertainty and that pretty much describes life right now. We never know if we are going to get a call for a showing, we don’t know if we are going to be moving or not, we don't know if we are going to get the house we put an offer in on, I have posts out for jobs I don’t know if I'm going to get an interview on. Yes, I know that last one was on a different subject, but along the same lines of current uncertainty. I realize life is filled with uncertainty, but some of us deal with it better than others.

Now, there are several bright spots in life right now. The Green Bay Packers season schedule is released tomorrow night with dates and times for games. Hello Green Bay! Again, I wish I knew if we were moving so we could determine the affordability of going to a game. Have you bought tickets to an NFL game lately? Those bad boys aren't cheap, let me tell you. Also, Clay Matthews just signed a new long term contract extension with the Packers ensuring he will be around for several more years. This brings joy to my life knowing I can continue to watch that eye candy on TV. More importantly, he is a great player!

So, we have a few more days left in this week and then Andrew is on vacation next week. We have talked about trying to get away for a few days. I think I need to get out of town for a few days.  In other good news, the Planned Parenthood Book Sale is this weekend!  Yay books.  Of course, I'm not sure who I'm kidding with that excitement because I can't tell you the last book I read.  Sadly, since I graduated from college my motivation in that department has been lacking.   I have finished a book here and there, but certainly haven't read the volumes of books I thought I would be reading.  People tell me about books they are reading all the time, and they sound really interesting and like something I would enjoy reading.  However, I just never get around to reading them.  Why, you ask?  Probably because I spend most night browsing Pinterest or reading blogs. 

I guess I also haven't really given you guys an update on the workout situation in a while.  I have been regularly working out two days each week after work, so I am pretty proud of myself for that.  Could I be doing more, yes.  From time to time I also catch a Zumba class at work on Friday's, but that is kind of hit or miss and should probably become more hit than miss.  I haven't even stepped on a scale lately to see if any of this working out is paying off.  I can't tell you based on how my clothes are fitting, it really hasn't.  We have our health screenings at work starting in May, I'm kind of afraid to see what they say...   

 

  

The Week In Review

This past week wasn't exactly review worthy. In fact, I would rather just forget about it to be honest. Work was a week of one thing after another last week, and I'm not sure I want to know what this week has in store for me. Hopefully, this week means some of my coworkers decide to step in and do some work so the rest of us don't have to pick up the slack for them. As you can tell, I'm not much for slackers. I especially wasn't happy this past week when I was at work hours beyond everyone else and there was still work to do. Can you tell I'm frustrated?

We had a couple of showings this past week, but neither resulted in an offer. Both potential buyers didn't like the idea of having to go through one of the bedrooms to get to the bathroom. There isn't much to do about it either. At one point, we talked about creating a hallway in that room so the bedroom and bathroom were separate, but that would cut the window out of the bedroom. I guess we just haven't found the right buyer yet. We had an open house today and had several people through the house. Here's to hoping we get a second walk through this week, and maybe an offer! We have a little over a month left on our subject to sale offer, assuming someone doesn't come in and buy it outright.

One bright spot this week; spring flowers! The peony bushes are starting to come up, our daffodils are blooming along with our hyacinth, our tulips are coming up, and today I noticed our hostas are coming up! Our house smells like spring with some hyacinth and daffodils in the house.

Last night, with Andrew's screwy sleep schedule, I decided to watch a movie while he crashed after dinner.  People have been talked about Pitch Perfect, and don't ask me what I was waiting for on this one.  I stinking loved that movie.  Of course, I don't think there is a single movie with Rebel Wilson in it that I haven't liked; that woman cracks me up.  I haven't laughed so hard since the last Medea movie I watched. 

Tonight, I will leave you with the recipe I made for dinner which was a hit!

Source: thecheesepusher.tumblr.com via Natalie on Pinterest

I added some rotisserie chicken in since no meal is complete in my mind without meat.  Andrew could live on pasta alone, but I need a good steak from time to time. 

As we head into a new week, I hope this one is better than the last.  I would like at least one piece of good news this week.  Who has something for me?