labels

i like to label things. it must be the teacher gene or something, but life feels a little simpler when things are labeled. i wanted to label kenze's new toy bins with little chalkboard labels but couldn't find them anywhere. i wasn't really up for another DIY project, but i thought why not? at this point it is a drop in the bucket. 

DIY chalkboard labels:

(spray paint and labels from paper zone, colored chalk fred meyers)

labels, chalkboard spray paint, chalk

 first, spray labels allowing them to dry for 24 hours before use (i did two coats)

next,  write and stick

(it would have been easier to place them first, i smudged the chalk when i was placing them)

maybe i'll use the rest for a little chalkboard in her room?

ol' mcdonald had a farm

halloween is just around the corner. i love halloween. the colors, the costumes, the candy.

mackenzie is going to go trick or treating this year for the first time...after much deliberation between costumes, we've decided on a cow. ellie (the dog) is a chicken and justin and i are to be farmers. it's gonna be great.
here is a peek at some of the potentials...

option 1 "scuba-kenze"

option 2 "paper bag-kenze"

final decision "cow-kenze"

family

a few years ago i met my sister. let that sink in for a minute.

and this weekend we were visiting her and her cute family in california.

at the house

(the cousins minus jordan, he's too big for that table)

(they had such a ball together. jason, kenzie, peyton, jeremy, and avery)

(the backyard was a hit)

(painting pumpkins)

(just to prove we did more than take pictures of the kiddos)

(look at miss peyton. what a kissable face. i did in fact smother the poor child with kisses all weekend.)

soccer game

(jeremy kicking the ball, he made two goals. i think he was trying extra hard since he had the biggest fan club at the game)

 (mackenzie at half time)

(jason drawing pictures in my planner during the game. he gave me three notes that said i love you on them. what a sweetie!)

 

pool:

(this is my sister teri and her husband rob. i had to crop the pic because they were in the hot tub and i don't know how she'd feel about me posting bathing suit pics of her on my blog. so now they look naked. )

kitchen remodel begins!

a few friends have cautioned me that i really might lose my marbles if i went ahead with a kitchen remodel pregnant, with a toddler. but i couldn't picture it getting any easier waiting until i had two little ones roaming around. so this weekend we began, what i hope will be, a great kitchen remodel.

the first part, i was convinced was the easiest. i mean, all we were doing was pulling down the old stuff. i was gone this weekend when justin began. that wasn't an oversight or an accident. and other than justin almost losing a leg, and having to put up new walls in half the kitchen, i think it went well.

we even plumbed in a utility sink and set up the ping pong table to hold things. it feels like we are camping. kinda.
anyways, here's the pics...

BEFORE:

packing up the kitchen...

nasty old sink, that is what it looks like scrubbed!

nasty old floor. worse color ever. it is hard to tell here, but there definitely was a tint of pink in it.

dented  dishwasher, it actually made the dishes dirtier.

counter tops and back splash. this tile is everywhere in my house. it must have been on special. who does white tile, with white grout?? obviously a man who never plans on cleaning it!

the yellow beast. i seriously will miss this thing. it had a great oven too! i can't wait to show you our new one, we tried to keep it the same style.

the original cabinets. i can't say here what they smelled like, but if you've been over, i've probably told you.

PHASE ONE: DEMO

tearing out the walls (unplanned)

empty

the injury

the old kitchen

next week, floors installed...pics to come.