For Mom...

It's Nancy! Anyone ever see Sewing with Nancy? OMG. I'm picturing my Mom busting a gut over this one, and it's making me laugh. Hi, Mom!

Junk y'all sent me.

Catching up on some photos you peeps submitted today...

Here's one David sent in of Little Michael and a bunch of girls feeding some goats. It would be a cute photo if someone's butt weren't hovering over LMG's head.

Roman sent in some photos from his parents' house in Moscow. Pretty, but no snow for me, Thanks!

It got into the 60's here in Houston this week, and that's more than cold enough for me.

This one wasn't sent to me, but I forgot it was on my phone. It's Mike pretending to be a cowboy.

Garret texted me the other night about some hottie at Kroger. This is the photo I got. LOL! Poor Garret. He tries and tries to get stalker shots for me, but he can't seem to get them. I don't think he's very good under pressure.

My friend Laura posted this on Facebook. It's a PT Cruiser jeans jacket she snapped at PetSmart! That is SO classy. And I totally want one.

Jim snapped this one by his house in Montrose. How did I not know there was an Al's Meat Market and Restaurant in Montrose??? Who wants to go try it out with me???

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Susan Boyle is singing on the Today Show as I type this. I will not be buying her cd. And that's all I have to say about that.

Texas City is Classy

Sorry, Sam, I know it's where you are from. And I know you have more taste than this. However... I direct everyone's attention to another website today. I was perusing the Houston real estate website the other day, and came across a gem of a listing. It cracked me up enough to submit it to yet another blog - Swamplot. It's a Houston architecture/snark blog, and I'm proud that my entry got featured. Go take a look - and don't miss the comments. Make some yourself! They are the best part! http://swamplot.com/meanwhile-way-out-there-in-texas-city/2009-11-19/

Kitchen

Posting a little late this morning... but here are some before and afters of my "soft remodel" of my kitchen. The budget just didn't allow for a total gut, but I think what I did do is a vast improvement. Here's what it looked like when I moved in.

"Before" - with their stuff in it. I'm having wallpaper border flashbacks.


"After" - New counters, appliances, backsplash, paint, door handles. Not a major re-do, but it made a big difference. I'm not a big fan of the saltillo tile, but can't afford to replace it, yet. I've had people love it, I've had people hate it. Saltillo is an either/or proposition, I guess. Still need to get rid of the ceiling fans. And I'm fighting with Sears to get a stainless replacement storage door for that wall oven. They sent the correct oven door, but the wrong one for the drawer underneath.


"Before" - Makes my eyes bleed. That tile was BAD.


"After" - Excuse the mess on the porch out the window! I'm loving my new stove, though. Got a steal on that thing, and it is nice. There's still some blue tape spots on the walls where they need to do touch ups.


"Before" - tchotchkes galore! And big heavy drapes on the inside and porch windows blocking the light.


"After" - much brighter.

A few more views:

Karlene and Mom - I told you the wallpaper was gone from the cabinet! I still need to get the glass shelves back up and all my dishes/wine glasses back in. I think it will look good. They still have to put in a protective coat over the paint so the dishes won't scuff it all up.

I may actually use my table in this house!

Another view.

And a last look at the new Jenn-Air.

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Mmkay. That was my lunch break. Back to work!

Coupla befores and afters

Ok, ok. I have been waiting for the peeps to come do all the touch ups and cleaning and hanging of towel bars, etc. to do final shots. But they delayed another day on that stuff, and I can't take it anymore. So here's a look at a couple more rooms... in befores and "sort of" afters.

Before. I think I posted this one before. LOVED that tile. But it gets SO much better...

Here it is with all their stuffs in it. Egad! It's pink! There are bunny slippers being suffocated under the clothes hamper! Somebody help them! That bird is going to swoop down off the wall and eat their ears off. I would say that that big fluffy pink tub pillow looks comfy. But I still won't be replacing it. Or the pink carpet on the toilet seat.

And here's a sort of after. They still have to come clean, but I guess you can't really tell from little photos. The doors need handles and junk. But you get the gist. I'm pleased. Hard to believe that's the same tub. These pictures aren't really great - I'm still figuring out the new camera. That black line around the tub is actually a black and brown granite that matches the sink surround. It's got a diamond pattern in it that looks cool, but you can't tell here.

Looking back the other way. I kept the cabinet, but replaced the doors and hardware.

My new marble shower. I finally got to use it, and I likes it. And the coolest thing in there is the Sharper Image mirror/speakers that plays songs off my iPhone while I'm gettin' all clean. Thanks to my realtor for that - it was a housewarming gift since he knew I was remodeling.

Butch wants to go for a swim! Actually, that storage unit over the toilet belongs in the other bathroom. But the other bathroom has been gutted down to the studs over the last couple of days, so it's in here for the time being. Can't wait to get the plantation shutters in there - but I'll have to. Prolly until January.

Butch is over it.

Here is one of the befores of the tv room. This is some borrowed furniture the listing agent put in here after the other peeps moved out.

But I've got the photos from before they moved out! Wow. Not horrible, I suppose, but a little too country kitch for me. With a dash of modern lamp in the corner. You could sit in that chair and not be seen for days. I also like the posters over the doors, and a screen blocking lord knows what over there on the left. That plant was actually left behind and is on my back porch. Although it's a little droopy, now.

Another "sort of" after. I still am uncertain about furniture placement and wall stuff in here. And those window treatments need to go, but the bid I got was WAY too much, so I have to think about that. Helen is glaring at you with her shining eyeballs.

Looking back the other way. My camera sux. If I had the flash on, I got dust spots. If I left it off, I got blur. I really need to bust out the instruction manual, I guess. It has like a zillion settings, so I'm sure I'm doing something wrong.

Another angle. Pictures still need to go up.


And yet another. I got both kitties in this one. Helen is trying to figure out how to best attack that ship. I realized after I put it in here that it has lots of string. Helen eats string. The ship may be doomed if I don't find another home for it.

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So that's that. The kitchen is pretty much done, too, sans that one back splash tile. And then they had to pull my new stove out again today because something wasn't fitting right. Hopefully I'll get some before and afters of in there by the end of the week.

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I've gotten a few photos from y'all the last two days, but I'm savin' em up. Because right now I'm going to bed. Nighty night.

Squirrel screwing with Helen

I can't remember if I ever posted this. Did I? I forgot I had it on my YouTube account. Enjoy. Hoping to have some good before and after shots for y'all tomorrow. The cleaning crew is coming Tuesday to clean up the master bath and kitchen and they will be done! Yay!

Habitrails aren't just for hamsters.

This weekend was Stephen's 5th birthday party. Sharon made him this awesome cake. More on the party in a bit, but first...

My realtor managed to salvage the "before" photos from the original listing on my house - which I actually never saw. It was originally listed more than a year ago, and those photos had all their furniture in it. Groovy. Gives me the opportunity for some "before and after" photos for you. Here's the "before" of my office. It was a bold red with heavy gold curtains, and had a Woodstock for Dummies vibe.

And after I painted it this week. That's Willy Wonka on the screen. The new version, not the original. Much like the room. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with that window, except that...

I know these curtains won't be going back in. They are already on their way to curtain heaven.

Now, back to Stephen's partay. It was at WonderWild, a new kiddie party place in the Heights. It was a kid's dream (and kinda sorta mine, too).

I wasted no time jumping in to play bowling for kiddies on the big bouncy slide.

Then I made a beeline for the habitrail. It rocked. If you look real close...

You can see a hamster at the very top.

There was a kid powered train that ran around the place. Here's Alex taking a whirl.

Mike loves playing in big tubes.

There was a giant trampoline thingy. I got on it for about 20 seconds before realizing it is a big death trap. There were literally kids flying around like popcorn. I wanted no part of an elbow to a small child.

I think some of the parents enjoyed themselves more than the kids. :-)

See? Popcorn. Please note the face plant child in the orange. I was outta there.

There were some hot ladies in attendance.

Karen attacked poor Alex in the habitrail.

He survived to slide another slide, though.

In one of Susan's brighter moves, she decided we should do the slide backwards. This created hair issues. Here, we see how it exposes my male pattern baldness.

Then, in a tangled heap at the bottom, I had to help get Susan's hair out of the button on her sleeve. I think I nearly broke my neck sliding upside-down into that "soft" wall.

Juggling balls.

I need some of this furniture for my house.

Mike liked riding the horsey. And there's me, Geoff and Karl in the back.

My idea of heaven. A hot tub full of balls!

Believe it or not, this photo was NOT my idea.

The proud parents.

They brought Stephen in ahead of the crowd to get a good look at his bug cake.

He's thinking about how to get at one of the bugs...

Like this fella, who is supposed to be a walking stick. But just gave me giggles.

Mom FINALLY looked away, and Stephen went in for an ant. Oddly, one of the spider eyeballs went missing early on, but nobody would fess up.

Stephen got so excited he blew out the candles before anyone could sing Happy Birthday to him!

As soon as the candles were out, the kids went in for the kill! That cake was seriously a hit.

The birthday boy got first dibs on the bugs, though. He chose a caterpillar.

Karl got the crawdad.

And Sarahi got the ladybug!

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And that, folks, along with some more painting and cleaning at my casa, was my weekend. :-)