Home Improvement

Remember when I had that big internal debate about paint?

Well, I did it. While ago too.

And I looooove it!

The flash may drown out the contrast, but the recessed wall there is a slightly lighter shade than the rest of the wall.

And it's the same shade as the one in our dining room:

Still love it. Lessons learned: 

• Painting with two people makes things a lot easier.
• Plastic drop clothes aren't that great. Buy the canvas ones.
• Martha Stewart Paint isn't the greatest. 2 coats were needed on every surface painted, the colors looked slightly more blue when finished then when on the wall as a sample, and I had to go back to buy more, because again, the coverage wasn't fantastic.
• Paint makes everything look awesome.

Maybe a few of you noticed that awesome little sofa table in our living room. Kudos for such a keen eye. A few weeks after I finished painting, and after a looong hard week, I was perusing craigslist on a slow Saturday at work, when I came across this beauty:

Antique. English. Wood. Marble top. 80 smack-a-roos. I was all over this and fast! I kid you not, I have been picturing a table like this in my mind's eye since the minute we moved in here. I was over joyed to find it. 

And while Arthur liked it the way it was, you might have noticed that I really don't care for brown.

To the Paint!!!

This was after 2 coats of Behr paint and primer in one, in the non mixed, white as white can be semi-gloss. I paused there and thought that maybe I wanted to keep it there. You know, "rustic."

And then I remembered that I don't do shabby-chic/things that are cutesy/anything with a saying on it and that  my heart stops for contemporary and modern design. 

So I continued to paint. And behold:

Le project fini!

I will admit, I couldn't stop staring at it for like, the first few days.

It's a beauty.

And you know what my favorite thing about it is? The handles. They're not the originals, as I discovered when I took them off to paint, and saw the original imprints themselves...but I love them just the same. They're like dimples on a baby's face. How can you not say, "That handle is adorable." I know I can't.

One more, just to get the overall effect.

Now I'm looking for a lamp. Something big. Bold. Funky. Maybe like this:

Expensive West Elm Lamp. Figures.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Places to get a badass cheap lamp? Do tell.

Oh, and we painted our coffee table blue. Bright friggin blue. I like it! No one else has said anything yet, but you know, I don't care. I'm the only person I know with a blue coffee table.

Surprise!

So, I might have mentioned that my parents both turn 50 this summer. Unfortunately for them, both of their birthdays fall on other important family events-- Ian graduated on my dad's birthday, and Harrison will get married on my mom's.

So, I decided to throw them a surprise party NOT on either of their birthdays to show them a little love. Because 50 is a big deal. And you shouldn't have to share it with someone's graduation or wedding.

It turned out great, and I was very fortunate to have our good family friends the Hazens loan out their house to host. Because my apartment will not hold more than 10 peeps.

Mom's Initial Reaction

Out of focus, but this is a better surprise face.

This is my Dad lighting the two candles on their cake with the coolest lighter EVER-- it's shaped like an automatic weapon. Only at the Hazen's.

The Birthday Kiddos.

And I have to brag on myself for just a minute. I really wanted to send out a cool invitation...so I designed one myself, using Adobe Illustrator. This is how it turned out.

I'm super proud. I'd like to take an Illustrator class to further my skills because this was just plain fun.

In the past week...

I've done the following:

*transformed my hair with something called a Brazilian Blowout, in a quick 5 hours, on my day off.
*become really excited about meeting the new young couple in our ward, and failed to introduce myself twice. (Dang Nursery!)
*Nearly collapsed in Nursery out of exhaustion.
*Driven around town to repair Arthur's glasses which snapped after a child head-butted him, in Nursery.
*Become more familiar with the bathrooms in my life, since I've caught a stomach bug that really doesn't sit well after every meal. So fun.
*Worked a full and crazy week, and felt drained by the end of every day.
*Lived out of a suitcase, back and forth between my home, my parent's home and the house where we are pet sitting.
*Not slept in my own bed for over a week.
*Gotten up at 2 and 4 am on various nights to let the puppy pee. So fun.
*Spent evenings reading, hanging out with family or taking late afternoon naps while Arthur is on set.
*Threw my parents a surprise party with about 30 guests.
*Excessively lied to successfully surprise parents.
*Spent one day at my own home, which felt like vacation, despite needing to desperately be cleaned.
*Successfully picked out a pattern for a dress to wear to brother's wedding.
*Unsuccessfully have found fabric to make said dress out of.

Exhaustion has set in. T-minus 2 days till I can go home, and sleep in my own bed. T-minus 2 weeks until Arthur stops filming. T-minus 2 weeks and some change until wedding madness can be over.

So, I think I get my life back in like 3 weeks.

Harrison's Birthday

My brother also celebrated a birthday not too long ago. He's 22 now. Here are some things I enjoy about him:

well.....gee... there's something....

just kidding.

Harrison is really great at:

motivating us to do the right things. he's a pusher-- and I mean that in a good way. Ian and I would be less accomplished individuals without him.

dedication. Harrison does things, and does them well, even if they're hard. I still think he has a tapeworm, that I have lovingly decided to call Ed, that helps him keep so skinny, but until I'm proven correctly, let's just say that his workout regimen, while not as intense as my father's, is inspiring.

his cute fiancée. I like her as much as, (if not perhaps more some days) than him. She's a major plus. Cute new sister! Woo!

Being cool. Harrison has been cool since he was inside the womb. Seriously, I know, I went to school with him. Other people would tell me, "Oh you're Harrison's sister." And he went by just Harrison. There was no need to clarify whom they were talking about. I recognize that the cool factor is a gift, as sometimes he keeps the rest of his family members in the cool zone, by correcting us on our uncool ways. Someone has to do it, so it might as well be him.

His quirky sense of humor. I'm starting to think more and more that I wasn't nearly as blessed with the humor gene since Harrison got home from his mission. He's for sure funny-- it's just hard to explain how he's funny.

Happy Birthday Hermano!  

Arthur's Birthday

Arthur turned 28 not too long ago, and while we celebrated with lots of friends at our pool, I don't have any pictures yet.

Last year's birthday, 27.

Here are just some of the things though that I love about Arthur:

That cute smile...still the same now,

as it was then:

His general happy attitude: while I am mostly grumpy especially in the morning, he is always happy, and thus always surrounded by lots of happy people. He makes friends where ever he goes, and loves to serve others around him.

His wealth of knowledge on just about everything. Including Cichlids. (hahaha) Arthur has an inquisitive mind and is always learning.

Figuring things out from the get-go.

His drive to do a little more, a little better, all the time. Arthur is always on the lookout and often gets great jobs, internships and opportunities. He's such a hard worker, especially with the creative things he loves!

Directing at the beach

Doing a great Mr. Incredible impersonation.

How much he loves me. :)

Happy Birthday sweetheart! I love growing old with you!