Who Will Turn Your World Around

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
-Maya Angelou

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there. Some are placed in our lives to learn from. Some are there to love. Some are there to support. Some make a bigger impact than others, and some become your Best Friends Forever.

I met Tamara when I was eleven, in 1993 -- sixth grade; I met Shanna when I was fifteen, in 1997 -- tenth grade. They are two people I simply cannot live without. They are, without a doubt, my Best Friends Forever. They are the rocks I can lean on, the inspiration I can look up to, the shoulders I can cry on, and the voices to make me laugh. We are extremely close friends and they are two people that have definitely turned my world around! I.Heart.These.Girls.

We've loved, we've always laughed, we've cried, we've listened, we've moved, we've supported each other and we've realized that no matter what, we will always be there for each other. Just as we were this weekend -- nearly fourteen years later.

We all met up in Brooklyn, New York (where Shanna currently lives) to support Shanna at the release party of her new EP: Coming Undone. I flew into New York from Ohio and Tamara took the train up from Maryland. We were all so excited for the occasion and, of course, to be together!

Shanna has the most unbelievable voice! Her charisma, her lyrics, her character, her love of music, her beauty, everything about her is simply incredible! Her show at The Living Room on Saturday night was absolutely fantastic! And that doesn't even do it justice. It was incredible, amazing, inspiring, and it was so wonderful to be there together to support her! We had a wonderful, (short) time together, and while we didn't take many photos, we are already planning on doing it again soon.

Congrats to Shanna on the EP release! Extraordinary work!

Ribbon Cutting

Today, one of the black plastic tarps that blocked the entrance to our kitchen and prevented dust from escaping all throughout our house was removed. It opened the kitchen up even more and allowed Brian, Jack, and I to see a view we hadn't seen since the project started. We are just thrilled with the results! 

We were slightly apprehensive when we decided to do our kitchen renovation project. Now, there is not one doubt in either of our minds that we made the right decision. We have come so far in the short three and a half weeks that we have been renovating and the outcome has just been outstanding! This kitchen has already made this house our home, and the addition of the renovation of the bathroom is simply the icing on the cake!

Latest Renovation Photos!

(And yes, folks, you'd better believe that I will be finding a 3' pair of scissors and some red ribbon to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of our kitchen.)

Floors, Flus, and Flakes

(In that order...)

This week began with the laying of our new hardwood floor. Monday and Tuesday were loud days full of banging and sanding and compressor machines going on and off. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were quiet, fast days of staining, and staining again. Luckily, the flooring company took all the guesswork out of what stain to choose from because they made the decision themselves based on a sample of our existing floor. We are extremely happy with the results, and other than the apparent scent of fresh wood stain in the air (and the unfortunate timing of needing do laundry in the basement but not being able to access the basement), we cannot wait to check the floors out! So far, they look fantastic and really bring the room together. It's beginning to feel like we're nearing the home stretch of this kitchen remodel! We have continued to update our progress via photos here.

Unfortunately, this week has not only been full of floors and (not so much) fun, but also fevers, fatigue, and (WARNING: Stop reading if you are grossed out by words that describe bodily fluids...) phlegm. (Sorry.) On Tuesday morning, Brian and I both awoke with some seriously achy bodies, and it wasn't because of our weekend rendezvous in Vegas...at all. (We're tame people, folks. Obviously.) I have never felt so weak in my life, and the only satisfaction I had was when I was curled up in the fetal position in bed. We had both come down with some strain of the flu virus and have been battling it since. Other than feeling extreme exhaustion, Brian seems to have kicked the flu to the curb quite successfully. I, on the other hand, have not. After a second doctor's visit today, it appears that my little viral flu friend has morphed into a bacterial bronchitis friend. Lovely. I have never had bronchitis before, but, trust me, it's not fun. Jack has been unbelievably sweet and caring, laying his head on us as we sit on the couch, and generally giving us less trouble than we can really handle. What a considerate puppy! He knows we don't feel well and we are extremely thankful for his patience as we try and get well sooner rather than later. Hopefully, this time next week will find us feeling even better!

Last, but certainly not least, the snow gods have once again dumped nearly seven inches of snow on us, allowing my dear husband to have a go, again, at his new snow toy...twice! Despite having the flu! (He's a trooper, I tell ya!) We are thankful for the fluffy flakes that have blanketed our yard and are itching to go out and play as soon as we feel better. With the 8 degree Fahrenheit high temperatures we are expected to have for the next few days, we know the snow will be around for quite some time while we recoup in the warm, toasty indoors! (As will our floors...)

We're hoping our flus will not...

Viva Las Vegas!

The city of lights. Sin City. The entertainment capital of the world. The city that, by all definitions of the phrase, 'doesn't sleep'. What happen here, stays here...unless you have a blog!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, we're talking about Las Vegas, Nevada! Our recent weekend rendezvous!

Brian had a work conference that had him staying in Vegas from Tuesday of last week through the weekend. And you bet, when the opportunity arose for me to join him, I hightailed it out of Ohio and headed to the much brighter, warmer, and louder city to meet up with him and enjoy the weekend out of town! (You really can't beat 'work vacations'.)

I left Columbus on Friday morning and arrived in sunny Las Vegas that same morning. Brian was busy at his work conference...doing what he was supposed to do...while I rested up at the hotel. I figured with the three hour time difference and all I might as well catch up on my zzz's. (Did I ever mention I'm not the greatest nap taker in the world?) Nevertheless, when Brian finished his show we met up at the Luxor, where he had been staying all week, and mapped out our evening. We decided to check out the swanky new hotel and casino called The Cosmopolitan which opened only three weeks prior to our arrival, and go from there. We had been told about the grandiosity and luxury that this hotel encompassed but it was something that could only really be witnessed by being there in person! The energy, the excitement, the extravagance that this hotel boasted completely outdid itself in our opinions! Everything from the meticulous details of the decor to the names of the restaurants were so stylish and superior compared to some of the older casinos, and the entire atmosphere really left one feeling young, refreshed, and rejuvenated! It quickly became one of our 'go to' places to hang out. (Um, yeah, technically we were only there for three days...)

Nevertheless, that night we had dinner at STK, a steakhouse at The Cosmopolitan, and grabbed a drink at the Book and Stage while we awaited the Fitz and the Tantrums to perform. However, since my napping skills did not prove to be my specialty in grade school, and since I was still on the east coast time (aka, three hours ahead), I literally hit a wall at around 9:00 pm. (The glass of wine at dinner probably didn't help...) And just as I hightailed it out to Las Vegas that morning, we hightailed back to the hotel to get a good nights sleep. We had a busy rest of the weekend planned anyway and both wanted to be well rested. I don't remember anything but my head hitting the pillow and drifting off to la-la land! (Clearly, I wasn't born to party...)

The next day, Gary, Jackie, and Maya, wonderful friends of Brian's that went to college with him and their lovely and extremely talented and funny daughter, picked us up from the hotel and took us out to Red Rock Canyon where we were able take in a bit of Vegas 'off' the strip, go hiking, and enjoy lunch in the smog free, smoke free, alcohol free, noise free wilderness of Nevada. (It was a national park, folks. We didn't just drive to the middle of nowhere and plant ourselves on some rocks. There was some thought put into it!) It was a beautiful area, and for some of us who have grown up on the east coast and are used to east coast mountains (ah hem, me) it really was stunning to get a little taste of what 'out west' looks like. It has a completely different feel. There aren't many trees that prevent you from seeing far distances when you are in the heart of the area like I noticed with the east coast. There's a barren no-man's land that goes on for miles that makes you feel like it hasn't been touched since Native Americans traversed through it before you see large, beautiful peaks protruding from the Earth. It's really a beautiful area, and we really enjoyed being able to spend some wonderful quality time with some wonderful friends! And, on the way back from Red Rock Canyon, we got to stop at the infamous Las Vegas sign and, of course, get our picture taken!

That night found us energized from the 12+ hours of sleep we I got from the night before and the great outdoors, and since we had planned to see 'O' by Cirque de Soleil at the Bellagio, we fancied ourselves up (to our standards, not Vegas standards) and headed to the Bellagio. We enjoyed a fabulous sushi dinner at Yellowtail! One of the sushi rolls that we selected was called the 'Popping Spicy Shrimp' roll. O.M.G. It was fantastic! It was akin to a flavor explosion in your mouth...literally. Watermelon pop rocks were one of the ingredients rolled together in the sushi to perfect the 'popping' of the roll. I kid you not! As crazy as it sounds, it was absolutely delicious. Brian and I both agreed!

And the show! The show! Absolutely marvelous! The superior talent and exquisite thought and preparation that go into each and every production from Cirque de Soleil is beyond belief. It is inspiring, stunning, imaginative, and completely beautiful. The show was well worth the ticket price and, without a doubt, one of my highlights of our entire weekend!

And, since The Bellagio was right next door to our new fave hotspot, um, The Cosmopolitan, duh, we headed over there again to see if we could manage to keep ourselves awake to see the band who was also playing again that night! Fortunately, we managed to stay awake and enjoyed a fantastic show with an energetic, upbeat, awesome band! Their stage presence was just captivating and they played a great selection of songs!! We were having so much fun that night and it was only 10:30 pm! (Early by Vegas standards!)

We managed to play a few rounds of roulette at The Cosmopolitan before we decided to take our game playing a bit closer to home. We took a cab from The Cosmo to Mandalay Bay which is connected to the Luxor so that we could walk back to our room when we were ready. We met the most grounded cab driver who took us back to our hotel. He spoke very highly of his wife, and love, and told us in the simplest of terms that he believed, 'family is the most beautiful organization created by human people.' It was powerful, thought provoking, and really quite pleasant after leaving a place that doesn't really scream 'family' all the time. We enjoyed our cab ride back to the hotel and thanked our driver for his insightful revelation!

The next day we enjoyed lunch with Gary, Jackie and Maya again before I had to head back to Ohio. It was an incredible trip! It was so much fun! And it was absolutely wonderful to be able to get away to such an exotic place for the weekend. We will surely have to plan something like this again!

Rubbish

Yesterday was our weekly trash and recycle day. I placed the recycling bin and garbage bin out at the end of our drive on Tuesday night. (After Jack and I played in the snow.) When I arrived home last night it was dark and I saw the garbage bin lid at the end of the drive, but no bin...

I thought, perhaps it was brought in already? But why wasn't the lid brought in as well?

I looked in the garage. No bin.

I looked on the side of the house. No bin.

I looked in the back. No bin.

I went inside, walked upstairs, and took a bird's eye view.

I found this laying sideways completely across the street in a lane of oncoming traffic:

And I laughed a little before I started realizing that it was probably quite frightening, not to mention dangerous, for the driver(s) that had a trash bin just step out right in front of them mid cruise.

We can add another trip to Home Depot to the list. Our home away from home at the moment!

28 Years Young

And snow still makes me giddy! It makes me want to run and play and fall and laugh, and it does! Especially since we have a puppy who gets just as excited, probably even more, about snow that wants to play with me! There's just something so magical about it! I may be 28 years old young, but when it snows I feel like I'm 8 again. And I love it! 

We received about five inches of snow yesterday and as soon as I returned home from work, Jack and I got my snow gear on, and we went outside to play in the snow! It was fluffy and soft, powdery and white, and it was definitely entertaining! That is, until I threw the ball and it landed on the roof...and stuck there because the roof is covered in snow...

In non-snow related news, our kitchen is coming along very well! We haven't run into any major hangups (knock on wood) and we are in the middle of getting things patched up, covered and sanded down so that the first coat of paint can be painted on at the end of this week. Our flooring should arrive towards the end of the week as well and should start being laid at the beginning of next week. I cannot believe how far we have come in just seven (seven!) days of real work! It's incredible to witness the transformation first hand and we have thoroughly been enjoying the journey to our new kitchen!

We will continue to update our progress in photo format here.

Until then, Happy Snow Days!

Boys and Their Toys

When we awoke this morning, we were surprised to see that two inches of snow had fallen and gently covered our lawn and driveway. It was a wonderful thing to wake up to on a Saturday morn!

Since we moved in, Brian and I have both shoveled our driveway. Individually. (I think we had an inch or so each time.) It's really not bad, and for some of us who absolutely love to shovel snow, ah hem, me, it's really a lot of fun! The time that I shoveled the drive, I think it took about 40 minutes. I was excited to get out there and start shoveling. Brian was excited too, but for other reasons...

When we moved into our new home we inherited a used snow blower. Brian has been itching to get that thing revved up and used since he found out about it. Boys. (I think he has secretly been snow dancing and praying to the snow gods for a massive amount of snow since November 13.) Nonetheless, the two inches on the driveway that we saw this morning was a good enough reason!

And, exactly eleven minutes later, our driveway was clear of snow, Bun, Pup and I were still warm and cozy inside the house, and Brian was headed to our next door neighbors house to clear his driveway off too! (I'm proud to say that I married a good samaritan!) It was a delightful start to our weekend, and, on behalf of Bun, Pup, and myself, (and anyone else that will be using the driveway), I would like to personally thank Brian for the magnificent job he did! Thanks, Brian!

BANG!

Yes, we're starting the new year off with a BANG! Literally! We've decided to give the go ahead to our contractor to renovate our kitchen. We're removing a wall and adding an island, along with new cabinetry and countertops! It is all very, very exciting! And a wonderful way to start the new year off!

On Sunday, we removed all of the items that we had in our kitchen cabinets, drawers, and pantry: dishes, flatware, bowls, platters, pots, pans, food, etc. We left our living room available for our kitchen storage and are, once again, living amongst boxes and bags! (Pup and I have had to get a bit more creative with our play time since space is limited, but it's been fun!) I think Brian and I were both slightly apprehensive on Sunday while we were repacking the kitchen that we literally unpacked only 50 days ago. It felt like there were so many unknowns, so many unanswered questions. However, once all was said and done (and packed), we started getting excited about the possibilities of our new space.

AND, once the demolition started yesterday, we became even more excited! It is evident that we made the right decision for us. Our cabinets and appliances were all removed yesterday. Both exits to the living room were taped off to prevent dust from filtering through the house during the demolition and construction of the kitchen, the majority of the flooring was removed, and a small make-shift kitchen was created toward the back end of the dining room.

There's no turning back now, folks. 2011 has come in with a BANG! A big bang!

(Click the image below to see more photos of the progress of our kitchen renovation.)

Hogmanay

In Scotland, Hogmanay (pronounced hog-ma-knee) is the celebration of the last day of the current year and the beginning of the new year. It is known to last through the night of the thirty first of December and into the wee hours of the morning of the first of January. Sometimes it even lasts through to the second day of January! Though we weren't in Scotland, and didn't celebrate for two days straight, we had a group of lovely friends to ring in the New Year with and were full of Scottish love for all our fellow Scotsman!

We celebrated New Year's Eve this year with a lovely dinner and night out at Bernard's! Once the clock struck midnight, we attempted to bring in the new year with a bit of dancing, but found that everywhere we went was packed to the rim. So, we made our way home and decided to start the new year off with a good night's sleep!

Happy New Year, Everyone! And Welcome, 2011! It's going to be a fantastic year!