some Christmas photos.. We had a very nice Christmas Holiday.. I had 10 days off but sure didn't feel like it.. it was hard to get back but in a way, it was nice to get back to my "routine"... For Christmas this year, we did the usual dim sum with the family but instead of dinner at Cheng Goos, we had dinner at my uncle "Chef Liao's" house.. he just bought a house 10 min from us so I wasn't going to complain:-)... After dimsum, the kids, my parents, John/Jessica, et al came over to open gifts at our house.. what total chaos.. Before I could finish handing out the gifts, everyone was already litterally ripping into their presents..haha.. it was a lot of fun.. i got some crate and barrel serving dishes, BR Gift cards, PB gift cards, a sewing machine I bought for myself:-), some candles, my fav of all time "Kill Bill"...both of them... an orchid plant from my mom, and a bunch of others..wow, I did p retty good..hehe.. anyhow, after that we all headed over to Chef Liao's house for dinner, mahjong, etc... there were over 70 people there I think throughout the night.. awesome food.. great to see everyone too..

The tree..

I hate photos..

Present opening frenzy...6 months to prepare, 6 minutes to open:-)

Nothing for me?? Poor Stanley

"Beef on weck"!!. I've never been so impressed by a sandwich.. so impressed I was compelled to write about it.. I've heard of this sandwich from my coworkers but never in the mood to try it.. so finally yesterday I ran out of ideas and took a walk to the Buffalo Deli with my coworker.. Kimmelwick or beef on weck or wick..depending on who you ask is a roast beef sandwich dipped in au just with a horseradish/mayo spread all on a Kimmelwick bun which has toasted caraway seeds and pretzel salt.. sooo good.. can't remember the last time I've said that about a sandwich..haha..

Read more about this sandwich: http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060802/NEWS/60802004/1051

We are 4 gifts away from finishing up our Christmas Shopping!! happy dance.. This weekend I also got a console table that I've been wanting for our upstairs hallway.. its a little bare upstairs so this will be nice.. I love to buy furniture but unfortunately or maybe fortunately this house doesn't really need a lot of furniture.. so heres the console we just picked up from Pottery Barn:-).... need to dress it up a little..

I also placed an order for a sewing machine today.. Yep after 3 years of wanting one I finally made the decision to get one.. It wasn't much and if I hate it I guess I can pass it onto someone else who wants to give it a try..haha.. Now i can sew Stanleys' chewed up toys and hem my own pants .. i hope.. and pillows.. this year its scarfs since I took up knitting and next year everyone is getting pillows! hehe.. My mom promised to come to over and help me thread it.. then we'll see how this goes.. exciting;-).. dont' expect me to make my own clothing or anything close to that anytime soon.. I'm thinking simple - tablecloths, pillows..anything that requires 4 lines of stitching or less in a straight line.. that'll be me :-)

It finally feels like Christmas!! Brian and I went with Aunt Ruby this Sunday and got our trees.. 7 foot fresh noble firs.. they smell so good:-) Nothing like a fresh tree.. We brought it home, had some lunch then went off to get some lights, etc for it.. didn't find the sage green matte balls i've been wanting 2 years in a row. sigh..oh well, so we did the gold tree again. It looks awesome. We also got all of our out of towner's Xmas gifts, wrapped and ready to go. I think this is the first year we've had a tree and gifts ready to go this early -still not done but we're waaaaay ahead of where w'ere usually at:-).. so overall a great weekend, got lots accomplished and I'm excited to just sit back and enjoy this holiday!

Turkey Day came and went.. Finally back to work after 5 days and its actually not that bad.. I think I was beginning to get a littled tired of staying home:-)... We had a great Thanksgiving as usual.. I stayed home on Wed and baked a cheesecake - pumpkin .. Thursday - Turkey day, got up early to go to dimsum with the whole family at Jade Garden.. then we all headed over to Chef Liao's to check out his new house followed by dinner at Goo Goos.. I made a honey walnut, pear salad, my cheesecake and a fruit salad.. we had turkey, prime rib, egg rolls, chow mein, sticky rice, mashed potates and gravy.. brocolli salad and my salad.. lets see.. oh and some barbecue pork and barbecue ribs.. chinese style of course;-) I think we had close to 30 people.. I was hoping for leftover turkey but it was almost all gone:-(.. so we'll wait.. Christmas I might have to have Goo Goo make 2 turkeys..hehe.... so after dinner, Brian and I went home to relax..but the turkey didnt kick in so we went and did the midnight Madness Sale at the outlet mall up north.. INSANITY! never , ever will I do that again.. took us an hour to get off the exit.. had to park at the casino.. a line to get into the Banana store.. no thanks.. so we took off , got home around 2am..went to bed:-).. shopped on Friday and Saturday instead..

And what a way to end the holiday week - SNOW!!! yes, woke up to snow yesterday around 8am and it snowed all day.. I LOVE snow.. not sure what it is but makes me so happy to see it:-)I think we got close to 4inches when it was all said and done.. yes, 4inches isn't a lot but in Seattle, thats like 10 feet... Stanley had a blast slipping and sliding in the snow.. We hit the grocery just in case;-) but the roads cleared up enough for me to go to work today.. we'll see about tomorrow..another storm is supposed to come through tonight - Can't wait!

a very productive weekend..we finally got 2 chairs for Brian's "tv room" upstairs.. and its starting to look pretty cozy in there.. may have to claim that room as my own..hmmm...hehe..
So next is a rug, an ottoman coffee table, then Brian will need to figure out a way to get cable upstairs and he should be set:-).. We've been wanting to do that since last year so I'm glad we finally got the chairs.. we really wanted a couch but there was no way we were going to get a couch upstairs plus this is more versatile in case we want to turn that room into something else down the road.. And now that we've moved some things around ,I'm inspired to redo the hallway upstairs too.. a half moon desk I think.. and we've got to hang our family photos.. its only been 4 years since we got our wedding photos back ;-)

I can't believe how this year has just flown by.. I think I say that every year but seriously..we are 2 weeks away from Turkey day!! exciting.. same plans as every year..having dim sum, then mahjong then dinner with the whole family - question is do we do the dinner down south or up north this year.. north would be nice..less of a drive for us so we'll see. I think I'll do my usual and make a pumpkin cheesecake:-) for the chinese/american turkey day... turkey and eggrolls - where else do you get that.

Happy Halloween!!.. We got lazy this year and didn't do a pumpkin so I'm reposting the one we did last year since it turned out so nice;-).. haha.. Not doing much tonight. Just going to go home, and wait for the little trick o treaters. Stanley won't be happy I'm sure but he'll be okay
This is my 2nd day back in the office after a whole week of global meetings and dinners, events, etc.. glad to be back actually - back to the routine, the norm..

What a relaxing weekend!! Lots of family stuff, ran errands.. thats the way I like to spend a weekend:-) Boring probably to some people but really nice to me.. Saturday we had lunch with my family then had John, Jessica, and Stitch over for dinner... Sunday helped out my uncle in the morning then Brian and I ran to JoAnne fabrics and I found the fabric for my cushions! Wooohooo..only 8 months later and the best part.. it was 50% off;-).. nice.. and I learned to knit.. off the internet! got to love the internet.. If I dont' give it up its scarfs for everyone! hehe... its actually kinda therapuetic to knit.. same stitch over and over again.. but also satisfying to see your progress... we'll see how long this lasts.. I think I did crochet about 2 years ago.. that lasted half an afghan.. never did finish:-) but... I'm about a third of the way towards my first handmade scarf.. so that wasnt too bad.. apparently if I buy bigger needles it'll go faster..hmmmm

Last month has flown by... not exactly been a great month.. work is stressful, home is stressful.. can't wait until this is all over and things go back to normal:-( Until then I will try my best to be positive. Stanley had his 1 year birthday over the weekend..amazing - I didn' t know if I could deal with him! haha.. but he has been so good.. he has free run of the house now and has done a relatively good job.. He's all in all a great dog and we're lucky:-)... Weekend before last I went to a tupperware/housewarming party with some girls .. I didn't know people still did these but we had a good time.. got some tupperware to organize my pantry. Hopefully I wont' get hooked - who knew but tupperware can be pricey! Last couple of weekends, Brian has been spending a lot of time over at my aunts new home.. he and John have put in a new bathroom for them... she's very appreciative and I'm glad we were able to help! her new home is looking awesome..

This coming Saturday, Brian says he promises to put in my garden..hmm..how many times have we heard that now? hehe.. oh well, whenever... Oh and this Sunday, a lady who used to live in our home in 1940 stopped by to say hi.. She's so sweet - she brought old photos and gave us more information about how the home used to be .. basically not a lot of changes other then the new bathroom upstairs and losing its basement.. but she's very pleased with everything we've done and I'm glad:-). She's going to stop by again with her daughter so she can see where her grandparents lived.. how neat.. a little piece of history

Fall is definitely in the air.. The temperature outside has taken a dip since about a week ago..we're looking at low 60s for highs now.. windy, lots of trees turning, leaves falling... more rain.. We had a great summer but I'm excited that Fall is here as well. I love this time of the year.. get out the sweaters, boots.. the holiday season. Maybe I will once again attempt to work part time at Pottery Barn so I can save some money on furniture..hehe.. I say that every year but work gets busy, life gets busy...
As I mentioned we're taking a little break from the home improvement and jsut doing little things here and there.. have to pay off the bills we've racked up first;-) but we do have plans for more plantings, the veggie garden and of course the bedroom!

But the year has really flown by.. John and Jessica get married in about 10 months.. seemed just like yesterday when we said it was so far off and not so much anymore.. the whole family is so excited for them.. can't wait.. it should be one good party!

Been busy couple of weeks.. Wrapping up yearend reviews at work plus Brian's parents were in town:-) We had a great time.. ate out a lot, shopped a lot.. and now its back to normal and back to the grind. Not a lot happening.. got a rug that I've been wanting for a long time for the dining room.. and I'm loving it! it definitely adds some color into that room. Next I want to redo the master bedroom. Not sure I like the way its set up and definitely want to change the color so we'll see if Brian's up to the repainting. We also spent some time this weekend at my aunt and uncle's new house.. - our new neighbors.. I think Brian's going over there next weekend to help them remodel their guest bathroom.. just putting in a new sink, mirror and floors.. so not a huge project. Some pictures of the rug from the Pottery Barn website.

Brian, Aaron and John got back from their camping trip and what a trip it was.. They took off Friday evening and got home laaaattte on Sunday. They basically did a 4 day trip in 2 days. Sunday night, everyone was starting to get a little worried when 9pm rolled around and no word from teh boys.. bears, canoes, I don't know.. it didn't sound so good.. but they did call finally and got home around midnight. They looked exhausted but sounds like it was a great trip and the photos are amazing! I want to go too but not sure I will try to summit Desolation Peak. But a speedboat to the campsite would be fun:-) Enjoy the pictures!

First campsite.. beautiful..

canoeing to the campsite.. 20 miles away.

Ahh..finally.. Desolation Peak 6100 feet up - where Jack Kerouac stayed for 60+ days

Some photos finally! Brian tearing down the neighboring fence.. I think they put up over 500 boards with 5 nails a piece by hand! YikesOld Fence.. we kept a small amount of the boards for the veggie garden that will be added shortly.. or Brian tells me.. he told me that last year too..hmm.. I swear I'll grow lots of organic veggies and save us lots of money:-) New Fence - looking nice.. 6 feet.. no way the dog can escape now.. Its kinda sad though. Stanley can no longer stick his nose through the cracks to say hi:-(


And Kitchen.. ahh the kitchen.. what to do say other then that it took 8 months to fully "finish".. now trim, sliding door, paint is all in and it looks good:-)

Its Friday!! It has been a "looong" couple of weeks.. Review season at work is just killer.. All these meetings, paperwork, questions have really gotten me down.. Been sick the last week too but had to work through it:-( I'm starting to feel better but still quite achy all over.

But the weekend is here and Brian, Aaron and John are off to desolation peak or something to camp for 2 days so its just me and the dog.. it'll be nice to have the house to myself.. going tomake some cards, clean up a little, cook, and just relax.. well not all weekend.. My mom, aunt, are coming over on Sat so we can hit up the outlet mall then back to my house for dinner.. I think Jessica and Jamie will join us.. I think we may attempt to grill..

Been too lazy to post pictures but will soon.. I think the house is pretty much done for now - at least no more big projects. I think Brian has some crown work to do in the bathroom and some trim painting but we are set. the kitchen is done, the fence is done, upstairs is painted and the bathroom:-) It looks awesome and we'll be taking a little break from this house stuff until at least next spring or summer.. We are still going to put together my veggie garden but thats not a huge project:-)

This weekend Brian and Aaron and John are off camping.. forgot where they were going but they need a canoe in order to get to their camp site. sounds like fun if they don't run into any bears.

Its been a busy couple of weekends for Brian and Aaron.. Last weekend they put in a new fence for the backyard and theres still the side yard to do. That'll be a little harder since we need new fence posts.. This weekend Brian got his wisdom teeth pulled but luckily it didn't bring him down too much:-) He was already feeling better on Saturday so he and Aaron started the painting .. the upstairs, stairwell and downstairs hall are all down! and it looks awesome of course - amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do. Next is the kitchen. We have it all taped, caulked and ready to go. Don finally put in the finish work so now we can paint. They thought they'd be able to get to it today but the stairs took a lot longer then expected so next weekend is the kitchen.. then the inside of the house is pretty much done - except for crown in the bathroom which Brian is struggling with. He put up the ones in the kitchen and forgot how he did it..hehe.. If I don't get too lazy I'll put up some photos. This will be a looong week.. have to work all day Saturday for this yearend review stuff but oh well. Glad we're being proactive and getting it done.. Oh and Markane is back in town. Welcome back Markane:-) and Elaine comes into town on Saturday.. fun fun

Well after much thought we decided no deck for now.. waaaay more money then we had expected even to do it ourselves.. so we're moving on and working on the fence I think thsi weekend.. instead we're going to landscape and fill the backyard with color and plants:-) Can't wait.. Stanley seems to be doing better..still shedding but his skin is definitely more healthy and he's as playful as ever. I went to doggy class for the first time last week and boy did he embarass us.. haha.. apparently he only sits for treats so the trainer instructed us to use a pinch collar and what a difference... We had such a pleasant walk the other day because of this collar!

This month has been pretty hectic.. 2 weddings, housework, Lavender festival, BBQs.. yikes.. but the summer is going by really fast so much enjoy this weather while it lasts:-)

Will upload pictures later but the bathroom is done and operational:-) has been for about a week now.. it looks awesome and sooo much nicer then what we had.. The toilet was set just in time for the 4th BBQ at our house.. thank goodness. With 20 people, it would have been a pain to share just 1 bathroom in our master bedroom.

So next on the list is the fence, awning, and possible deck. I think Brian and Aaron are going to start on that this weekend.. I will be at the Lavender Festival so wont' be much help:-( Stanley is still balding and we don't know what to do.. We'll just give it some time and see how he does. If he doesn't improve by next month, its back to the vet.. He still acts normal, eats, sleeps, does not itch.. they've ruled out all the ugly diseases so thats good.

Oh and Brian has decided to take up rock climbing. He went for his first climb last week and I think he climbed 40 feet or something..but he loves it so far. I dont' think I will be joining anytime soon..

We are moving again with the bathroom!! Brian ran into some minor problems with the drywall so we were a little delayed.. then Aaron came into town and the tile work has began and will probably finish by end of day today:-) They worked all day yesterday then we hit Chef Liao's for dinner then back to work until about midnight..yikes but I have to say it looks AMAZING!! So professional.. especially the sub tiles.. some photos...

Woohoo! I won 2 ebay auctions in a roll! Yipee.. I got these 2 McCoy Floraline white vases.. I've been collecting these for the last 2 years:-) ..I dont know anything about the history of these but I just love how they look.. pretty inexpensive too..I usually pay about 15 to 20dollars a piece for these .. The green ones are a lot less. I thought I heard somewhere that they used to be used for delivered flowers.. like FTD..etc.. who knows. They're just pretty..simple, clean lines This one I won about 3 weeks ago... last minute bid:-)

This one I won today..

Can't believe its already Thursday. Monday we couldn't work on the bathroom..had grandma's birthday dinner..we ate so much food at my uncles:-) so on Tuesday Brian continued with the drywall and yesterday he put on the first coat of mud.. sounded like it was pretty fustrating for him but I think he's finally got a hang of it so tonight is sanding then 2nd coat of mud.. Tomorrow Brian is off to Jimmy's for a guys night so it looks like the bathroom won't be done before Aaron gets into town:-( Oh well.. Poor Aaron will be stuck helping us tile I think..hehe

Stanley is also going back to vet on Sat.. He's taking his antibiotics and handling it okay but still losing lots of hair and getting more bald spots:-( makes me so sad. I hope he's okay..... and crazy as this may sound but we're thinking of getting another dog.. a friend for Stanley.. a smaller dog.. a lap dog:-).. we'll see.. wait, I said Stanley would be the last dog I get ...hmm...

and finally got a chance to upload some photos.. Brian's new truck and wisteria blooms:-)

Lots of progress this weekend.. the drywall is now up and we are set to mud and tile:-) Next weekend we tile.. I think the floor is going to be a hex tile in a natural stone color (with a bunch of color variations in it).. and the tub is being surrounded by white subway tiles. the room will be painted khaki I think.... thats what we have in mind so far but it'll change I'm sure:-)

Some pictures

No wonder its taken 6 months:- insulation goes up
vapor barrier going up with the help of Johnny

drywall.. starting to look like a room again

The bathroom remodel is back on track! So far, Brian has poured down some sort of concrete to "float" out the floor..whatever that means.. then he put hardiboard down and last night, he moved the outlet and switches and started insulation and tonight I think he's finishing insulation and starting on drywall:-) which means that this weekend we can tile..yippeee.. after that, it'll be pretty close.. trim work, detailing, installing fixtures and we should be done!

This Sat we have to go to the vet too.. poor Stanley has some skin problems and losing hair in patches:-( So sad.. I feel horrible but he seems to be acting normal.. playing, eating, sleeping so not sure whats going on. He seems to sneeze alot which could mean allergies.. man dogs are just like humans. So hopefully the vet can diagnose and treat it. I hate to think that he's itchy and in pain all the time.. poor guy..did I already mention this is the last doggee I get?? haha.. well nothing against Stanley but it is stressful..especially for someone like me who worries about every little thing:-)

Its time for a new phone and what do you know, the phone I've been eyeing now comes in 4 different colors!! It was meant to be! Theres the basic black then these 3! Yes, color phones have finally made it to the US.. so now the problem is I like them all.. I definitely want one of the colored ones but not sure which one.. leaning towards green or orange. Markane thinks the green is more "me".. I tend to agree... especially this sage green but the orange is so bold.. and blue.. sigh, decisions, decisions.... well I have 2 more weeks before I can order( I have to wait out my SPrint contract) so maybe it'll come to me before then:-)

Just got back from Vegas..another company meeting out of the way!! ... Its been really busy lately with work, home and this crazy meeting that happens every 6 months but its over. Right before I left, we hired a plumber/electrician to reroute the bathroom and install the sconces.. that worked out well. So now its all up to Brian. While I was gone he went ahead and put together the new vanity and it came out AWESOME..better then we thought so going well so far. This weekend Brian patched in the floor and cleaned up the rest of the plaster and took off the casings for the windows. I think he's going to set the hardiback boards or whatever they're called today then its on to drywall and tiling! .. its finally getting done:-) We also bought Aaron's tickets last night and he'll be in Seattle 6/28 to help us do the fence and deck.. it'll be done probably by end of summer so I guess we won't get to enjoy it much this year but next year it'll be great. .. some pics that Brian sent to me while I was in Vegas...

Can't believe the weekend is already over:-( Sat we went over with Elaine and Ace to Uncle Tom's cabin on Hood Canal.. what a beautiful area.. Took the ferry over the morning and got home around 9pm... would have stayed longer but we had to get to Stanley.. got some togo from chef Liao's and watched some really funny movie with Sarah Jessica Parker - Family Stone or something like that till 1am.. then Sunday we got up, cleaned the hardwoods and went out to run some errands.. Costplus had a big sale so I picked up the bench seats to match the Balau table I bought last year.. some pictures of course:-) This week should just fly by. My peers are coming into town and we have all day HR meetings until thursday.. then long weekend! Woohoo... too bad the weather isn't looking real nice but oh well.. won't stop us - John and the kids are swinging by Sat to grill out. should be fun

Just got back from a 5 day trip to Indy.. wish it were under better circumstances but we're back and back to the grind.. Came back to 500 emails and a todo list .. fun stuff. Took me all morning just to go through the emails.. now I am working on answering them. It was a lovely 79 degrees out today so i took a break, went to the market and got a dozen apricot colored tulips for my desk.. I was hoping they would cheer me up and make the day go by a little faster - not:-(

Oh well.. so tonight we are going to grill out and enjoy the weather and the the beautiful plans/trees.. this is my absolute favorite time of the year.. the wisteria is in full bloom..

This next month will be a little crazy. We have Flyback so I am headed to Vegas once again for our regional meeting which means 3 days of no sleep and 16 hour work days for me.. got to love it.. thank goodness it only happens twice a year.

Mondays are soo tough:-(.. but we had a good weekend..pretty relaxing. Friday our couch was picked up to be fixed so I was home early - took Brian's new truck out to Marysville to hit the outlet mall..didnt' find much..then went to Chef Liao's for a late night dinner..brought home more leftovers then will fit in the fridge - as usual. Saturday we did more shopping (I didn't realize that I had donated most of my summer/spring work clothes..oops).. found a couple of things so we called it a day.. John and JEssica came over for a crab/steak dinner.. followed my molten lava cakes... so decadent - must not make more then once every few months but it was worth it.. Sunday, spent the day cleaning. Brian did all the windows and I hit the bathroom.. Stanley didn't help much. Oh I also got my new stamping table.. not the one I was originally going to get but we liked the look of this one more plus it was bigger..
and Brian and I are now officially hooked on Vietnamse coffee.. If you've never had it..boy don't start because it is addictive.. its basically a coffee press that you use with vietnamese coffee which has chicory in it.. it drips into a cup filled with condensed milk..then you swirl it all up and dump into another glass filled with ice..soooo good. I bought the press on Sunday and made 3 cups - tasted just like the one at Thanh Brothers:-)

slow day in the office.. so different then yesterday.... anyhow, no word yet from the dealership and we're getting a little fustrated..would like to take care of this and get the car home.. I couldn't find a picture of the granite blue one but heres a pic of the Chevy Colorado...

Went shopping this weekend found this table.. who says you have to go to Ikea for cheapy tables.. this one is solid wood and under 200bucks.. perfect for stamping and other crafts.. I wouldn't feel too bad if I accidentally hit it with a hammer while doing eyelets:-).. I think we're going to stop by and get it this weekend.. Well once again time sure flies. we've been in our house now for over a year.. just amazing. I would say that Fall used to be my favorite time of the year but spring is now.. all the flowers blooming, nice sunny weather for BBQs.. got to love it:-)

What a fast weekend..as usual.. Saturday we spent the day looking for trucks. Stopped at Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota.. Brian finally chose the Chevy Colorado in a granite blue. I personally liked the Toyota Tacoma but Brian felt it was a little too carlike.. the interior was so nice.. too nice.. guess he wanted a "truck truck"..hehe.. So the Chevy Colorado it is.. He got it with some sport package thingee magigee...who knows.. It arrives on Tuesday. We traded in our little Honda Civic.. kind of sad about the whole thing. I didn't think it would be but its my first car and such a dependable little car.. never had any problems aside from new tires and brake pads its served us really well.. good gas mileage.. made me almost think about keeping it.. but realistically what are 2 people going to do with 3 cars.. oh well..I offered it to my mom but she didnt' want a 2 door. Well, thank you my little Civic DX with no AC , nada.. you have been a great car and I personally will miss you:-( I hope you find a good home.

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day..must have been at least 70 degrees so we ran errands then worked in the yard and finally got the weeds pulled.. awe, the joys of home ownership

So Brian's back in from Indy:-) and he got me my pancake mix.. woohoo.. And we've decided to go ahead and get Brian his truck.. I think he wants a Chevy Colorado extended cab or something like that. Of course I'm trying to find the lowest price I can online.. but this weekend we're going to head out and take a look at a couple and maybe do a few test drives. I'm not a big fan of trucks but it should come in handy and its time to say goodbye to that Civic..I'm sure poor Brian didn't fit in very well at the job site driving around his little silver 2 door civic..hehe.. He wants a truck like all the other boys.. ;-) I also got my PB tables a nd they are nice.. a little bigger then we thought but thats only because we've never had nightstands..
weather is suppose to be really nice this weekend so that means weeding! fun fun.. our yard is now overrun by weeds.. might try to do some grilling too.. yum..

So i probably had one of my weirdest HR experiences yesterday:-(.. but its over now and I'm glad. Nothing much going on this weekend.. Brian flies out tomorrow morning for Indiana so its Stanley and me. I plan to hit Ikea on Saturday to grab some more curtains for the upstairs bedrooms.. Brian has agreed to repaint our bedroom khaki - right now its a buttery yellow.. its nice but I'm tired of it:-) I thought he was going to kill me for even asking.. I also finally picked up the book Marley and Me from Amazon.. Everyone has been telling me how great it is.. its a story about the world's worst dog and the owner... hehe.. will probably make STanley look like an angel when this is done. I also picked up a cast iron chicken fryer.. haha.. I was watching Paula Dean make fried chicken.. had to try it.. John and Jessica will be guinea pigs.

so maybe not a whole new bedroom set.. what fun is it to match;-) so I just picked 2 of these up online from Pottery Barn..we'll start from here and see what else we find.. Nice and simple and on sale:-) The funny thing is right now we have 1 of these but in a distressed lighter color.. Brian brought it with him from Indiana I think. We're going to move that one and use these 2 so they match..

Rainy weekend:-( couldn't work outside so we went out to dinner on Friday and met Matthew:-) He's very nice and they look so happy together.. Sat, we did some work around the house, then over to Wai's to help her look at her house then onto Cutter's for happy hour.. really good food. Half off sushi and half off appetizers.. I think we'll be back.. Today I had an employee send me a gift basket with 2 bottles of wine.. so nice of him.. not necessary but it was definitely a nice gesture. This should be a slow week so i can catch up at work.. We also moved the bedroom around which has now turned into we need a new bedroom set.. so new bedroom set, and new living room set for the upstairs room..haha.. this never ends.

K, so I'm over the floor scratches..we will do the rest of the home but we'll do a stain. Seems like the stain seems to conceal the doggy scratches much better.. Yes, I'm just a tad obsessive about this whole thing. This weekend we're going to try to work in the yard. Brian was suppose to get my garden ready but since we're doing the grand lanscaping thing, going to put if off.. Lili is in town with her new fiancee so we're going to the Cheesecake Factory tonight to meet him and see her of course.. I also signed Stanley up for puppy classes so he can learn some good manners.. it'll make everyone happier I'm sure. thats about it. Brian and I have pretty much decided that we will be going back to Maui in August/Sept.. our 4th anniversary and me turning the big 30!! yikes.. time sure flies. I have no problems turning 30 but boy married 4 years??!! can't believe that. .. guess we've been in this house now for over a year.. anyhoo, should be fun. WE liked the Maui Prince so much that I think we'll go back there.. or the other option would be the Wailea and go big..we'll see.. no more road to Hana is all I can say. I guess we could have gone to Asia or Europe or something but Brian doesn't have a lot of vacation and I HATE to fly.. and Maui is almost 6 hours..yikes.. but it'll be worth it.. Next week Brian is going to Indy to see Nan.. I"m glad he'll get to go home to see family..wish I could too but Mike's gone, Amy's gone, Traci's gone at work.. and then theres Stanley.

my poor floors:-( Stanley has managed to scratch them all up already..sigh.. oh well, the joy of having a dog:-) Now I'm not sure I want to do the downstairs since little Stan will just scratch them all up anyhow.. I may have to get him some doggie booties. someone at work told me they work..we'll see.. kinda sad to put socks on a dog..hehe. but the good thing is that it helps them with traction.. he's always sliding and falling in the house.. Anyhow, Don was by and put up the window casings and 1 door casing so more work still to do but thats alright since we're able to use the kitchen.. Thats about it for now.. we have some major plans for our yard but not sure we can fit it all in this year.. waiting for Aaron to come out to SEattle to do the fence which will be nice. Stanley somehow managed to squeeze through a broken board the other day and got into the neighbors yard.. scared the heck out of me.. they have a very mean big dog - he would have been eaten up but thank goodness for that long tail (it was sticking into our yard so I grabbed a hold of it and got him back).. yikes...

Here are some photo's of the upstairs hallway and the 2nd bedroom. The Fir floors really look great :)