tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22690417188836632852011-07-07T16:06:16.178-05:00Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.comBlogger811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-49830567382428316502010-07-25T17:06:00.003-05:002010-07-25T17:09:26.703-05:00

Hey Y'all!!I have been toying with a new blog for...well, it feels like forever! I have finally decided just to bite the bullet and launch the new site! It isn't perfect...but well, I don't seem to be making any progress with it so, here it is! The Art of Livinghttp://ladysartofliving.blogspot.com/Hope to see you guys there! Visit often and leave comments!!

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-63893450989162735212010-06-30T08:00:00.008-05:002010-07-22T20:59:09.599-05:00

I'm back! Well...I am and I'm not. I am working on a totally new blog and I hope to get you the address and start posting to it ASAP. However, I wanted to take the time today to wish my WONDERFUL, amazing husband..Happy Birthday!! New Orleans carriage ride, May 2010

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-41622835780459227812009-11-08T14:37:00.006-06:002009-11-08T15:18:46.404-06:00

So..I'm a bad blogger, I know. I would love to devote more (or any) time to my blog but the truth is, extra time is something that I just don't have! I know that you are most disappointed but hopefully I'll return to the blogging world one day. For now, you are all more than welcome to follow me on Twitter!

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-13136908392686647592009-10-01T17:00:00.001-05:002010-07-22T20:59:59.370-05:00

Well, we haven't had things in place for a month and I have already redone the guest bathroom. I did not change much but I did switch things around a little.First of all, the entire house needs a fresh coat of paint. As far as we can tell most of the house still has (or did have) the original paint and as the paint is basically white and flat and several years old, it just looks dirty.So, one

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-30453827580445502172009-09-26T08:46:00.008-05:002009-09-27T18:32:26.936-05:00

Before we moved away from the old house our neighbor put three old dining room chairs out by the curb. Being the “see potential in anything” person I am I grabbed them! (So the chairs were free) <!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-81605121451470738652009-09-26T08:20:00.004-05:002009-09-26T09:50:50.700-05:00

Happy Saturday morning!So, here are some thoughts I have been having lately… …are three to four diet cokes too many for one day? …if I cut down on my diet coke intake, how will I stay awake? (and don’t say get more sleep…that just makes me late to work..ha) …who actually reads my blog? Google Analytics is really cool but I would like people to comment too! …school is really getting in

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-90828070091209035752009-09-19T08:40:00.006-05:002009-09-25T18:13:15.359-05:00

If there is one room of the house that I am guaranteed to spend time working in each weekend it is the laundry room. So from day one giving our new laundry room a make-over was high on my to do list.I started out by using Kilz 2 over the murals previously painted on the walls. Then, I went to town with Behr Indoor Satin paint in a Valspar gray (Stratus 335-3). In general, we use flat paint on

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-55417872686004630642009-09-18T15:48:00.005-05:002009-09-26T08:42:02.847-05:00

In our quest to make our house a home I have spent quite a bit of time focusing on The Master Bedroom (more pictures to come soon). We are loving our new bedroom furniture but I am having an issue and I need your help! Our dresser came with a mirror however (as you can see in the reflection) we decided to use our dresser as a TV stand. That leaves us with this mirror...So call us crazy but we

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-46895856700877441262009-09-17T09:00:00.000-05:002009-09-17T09:00:06.832-05:00

I can not believe that our Zoë is a year old! In some ways she acts older and in others I am reminded that she is still very much a puppy. From what I have heard, larger dog breeds take more time to reach full maturity so, we should still have some puppy time left.Zoë is such a sweet dog. She loves people and always wants to be the center of attention. Training is going well. She pretty much

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-8360350917540723622009-08-23T18:58:00.004-05:002009-08-24T18:43:30.870-05:00

This past weekend we made a day trip down to Cleburne. We always love going and taking the dogs because they have so much room to run and play. The extra room also allows Blake to work on training Zoë. It is so much fun to watch her do what she was born to do.

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-34633270991315692962009-08-23T18:56:00.004-05:002009-08-24T18:35:15.893-05:00

Blake and I started this weekend off by having my cousin, Karli, over to spend the night. It was my last Friday off before classes start and Karli’s last weekend before starting school. We had so much fun. Karli got a six week old puppy, Hunter, the week before and she wanted to bring him. I figured our house is practically a zoo anyways so, why not? The three dogs had fun. Hunter was not

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-48720573688405073112009-08-16T20:42:00.005-05:002009-09-26T08:43:38.379-05:00

This project was truly a project of opportunity - no planing involved.Last year, my mom, cousin (Stacy) and I had a garage sale at my house. At the end of the day, Stacy had a picture frame that had not sold and for some reason I decided to keep the frame instead of sending it to Goodwill. So, for more than a year I have had this frame but done nothing with it. It has even been in my own garage

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-74163264719928148322009-08-15T21:24:00.005-05:002009-08-15T21:40:28.143-05:00

Saturday, August 15th, my smart, wonderful husband graduated from UTA...again. Blake has spent the last 14 months in a Masters of Science in Information Systems program at the Fort Worth campus of UTA. I am so proud of him! Gaining an advanced degree is such an accomplishment! Not to mention doing it while being married, taking care of two dogs, working full time, moving and completing a

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-46958620976898958542009-08-01T14:09:00.004-05:002009-09-26T08:44:30.137-05:00

We are working diligently to make our new house a home. Each week we hang a few new pictures and unpack a few boxes. Blake is working very hard on the garage. Everything is really coming together. Right now we aren't buying anything new for any room except The Master Bedroom. So, I am having fun decorating the rest of the house with things we already had. Here are a few pictures... The "Reading

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-65485785186161419912009-08-01T13:52:00.002-05:002009-09-26T08:45:12.666-05:00

So, what have we been up to these last few weeks? Well, a little of this and a little of that. Mostly school, work, more work, unpacking, cleaning, organizing and a little decorating. Oh...and fixing all the things that keep breaking - the truck windows, the hot tub, the couch...you get the idea. It's been an interesting last few weeks.Despite everything else that has been going on, we have

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-60072710848379184042009-07-17T07:14:00.006-05:002009-07-18T09:26:13.195-05:00

I have been thinking and thinking lately that I need to post something about the new house. But, I am just not ready yet. So, I will just give you a quick update on the house and then move on to the other things going on in our lives. We are mostly moved into the new house. This is a rather odd statement as our garage is still FULL of boxes. However, all the things we need on a day to day basis

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-50367299025632816542009-06-30T08:23:00.002-05:002009-06-30T08:28:36.021-05:00

Today is my wonderful husband's 26th birthday! We are in a new house and he is almost done with graduate school...life is good! Blake is spending his birthday at work and then at class...bummer. Tomorrow night we will go out to dinner to celebrate and then Friday we are doing one of our favorite things, going to a Rangers game! Happy Birthday, Blake! Last year on Blake's 25th Birthday!

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-69184203968699620392009-06-29T07:05:00.000-05:002009-06-29T07:10:29.967-05:00

After much stress moving and only a little stress house hunting, then after a month in Cleburne with the parents (which was so much fun minus the 1hr 15min commute to work), we are finally in our new home! I am so excited about so many things related to this house: the short commute to work (for me), the safe neighborhood, the THREE bathrooms and more grass for the puppies - just for starters. I

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-22267219228609785312009-06-24T07:29:00.007-05:002009-06-25T07:18:01.396-05:00

Blake, Zoë, Vega and I have been very well entertained in the month that we have been with the parents. Last year my parents built The Shop. Who knew a big, hot building could be so much fun?! The main activity we embark on while spending time in The Shop is building/glazing pottery. My parents started taking pottery classes in Fort Worth a couple of years ago and they are getting very good!

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-8689541716626346972009-06-23T07:45:00.000-05:002009-09-26T08:45:12.666-05:00

I found this great mirror on Etsy. I really wanted it but I was not excited about the $119 price tag.Then, I went to a garage sale and found this mirror. I paid $15.I decided to use the Etsy piece as my inspiration and I got to work fixing up my garage sale find.So here is my finished product! Blake added a shelf to the bottom and I painted it black! I paid $6 for the paint. I am very happy with

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-5265706857567863222009-06-21T21:19:00.000-05:002009-09-26T08:45:12.666-05:00

Well, we have now been with the parents for three weeks. If all goes well, we should be in our new home next weekend! I can't wait to post pictures!I am sure this will surprise most of you...but I can be a very impatient person. So sitting around waiting to get into the new house has been killing me. I feel like I am wasting time. Time that I could other wise spend unpacking or decorating.So, I

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-63551044535088425372009-06-10T11:37:00.004-05:002009-06-10T11:59:37.076-05:00

In January of 1996, then Governor George Bush attended a function in Cleburne, Texas. My dad was also in attendance, met now President Bush and this picture was taken.After being given this picture, my Dad came home and stuck it on the mirror in my room. I won't tell you how old I was in 1996 but lets just say that I was too young to be in charge of what turned out to be a very special picture. I

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-8308689819689696662009-06-03T21:16:00.006-05:002009-06-03T21:28:36.472-05:00

We have been here with my parents for five days now. I am not positive as to who is enjoying our visit most but I have a feeling it is Zoë. She has new friends to play with, room to run and a house full of people who love her. Here are a few pictures - she is such a pretty dog!(see the white stuff on her nose,she was helping grandpa with his potterybut that's for another post)

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-75716418806016423622009-05-26T11:12:00.007-05:002009-09-26T08:45:30.450-05:00

This weekend I decided that it was time for a sewing project. A few weeks ago I was in JoAnn's and saw this ready to sew tote bag. Let me just say that I did not make this tote bag in a hour (as it promises) nor did my mom and I find the instructions easy to follow. However, I did make the bag in less than a day, which is a first for me. This project also allowed me to avoid something I hate,

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-24952703577514588052009-05-04T08:09:00.006-05:002009-05-13T13:46:20.327-05:00

It's offical. Our house has sold. We are past the option period and (hopefully) there is nothing standing between us and our close date (May 29) - well except a house full of stuff that needs to be organized, packed, etc. Who knew two people could collect so much in only two and a half years!So, where are we going now? That is a good question. I think we are technically homeless. However, we have

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-16366136185378933572009-05-03T19:55:00.005-05:002009-05-03T20:23:13.895-05:00

Hi all. Long time, no post...sorry about that. Things have been very busy around here lately. Hopefully I can come up with a proper post soon. Until then, here is a quick overview of what we have been doing lately.Last weekend I went to spend several days in Cleburne (aka the Swine Flu capital of Texas). While I was there, we celebrated my Mom's birthday...and she received this sweet

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-7326210991673266602009-04-19T21:26:00.010-05:002009-04-19T21:49:36.530-05:00

This past weekend I was invited to attend the Evening of Excellence at the JW Marriott in Orlando, Florida. The Excellence Award is a very prestigious award given by my company and I was very shocked and excited to be one of this year's recipients.The company paid for Blake and I to spend the weekend in Orlando - we even got a free upgrade to first class on the flight home. Saturday night was the

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-48041004881656686802009-04-04T20:50:00.007-05:002009-04-11T14:12:11.862-05:00

(I know, another puppy post but if you knowme, you know it's only to be expected!)Last weekend, when we worked on the grass, we also cleaned up the yard. Blake cut out a dead branch from one of our trees and gave Zoë a piece of the branch. She spent all day chewing on the branch, playing fetch with the branch and so on. It leads me to ask the question, why did Blake and I buy just buy dog

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-51515708785049186392009-04-04T20:49:00.003-05:002009-04-06T16:54:42.334-05:00

Vega has a new morning routine. In our pre-Zoë world, Vega loved to be outside. Now, Vega loves to be anywhere Zoë isn't. In the mornings, Zoë goes outside and Vega quietly disappears into the house.The other morning I found Vega's hiding spot - under the covers of our bed. She plays possum. I think, she thinks, that if she is still enough we won't notice her and will just leave her there

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-60956183326361909472009-04-02T19:37:00.011-05:002009-04-05T16:12:07.080-05:00

Almost a year ago, I blogged about the Brick and Grass Adventure of 2007. Well, after all that hard work our grass decided to get root rot and die. By the end of last summer, half of our back yard was nothing but dirt. Not fun for us or the dogs - especially when it rains. So, this weekend we bit the bullet and started once again. We rented a tiller, purchased more sod and went to work. I am so

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-42115391861351182472009-04-02T19:06:00.004-05:002009-04-02T22:39:10.483-05:00

I am a bit of a blog stalker. Aren't most bloggers? I frequently read the blog of total strangers or friends of friends I don't' really know. It's addictive.The last week or so I have been visiting My Charming Kids more frequently than normal - me and 200,000 other people. Guess I am in good blog stalking company.My Charming Kids is the blog of Jennifer McKinney. Jennifer's son Stellan has

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-90744123634483523892009-03-29T19:38:00.013-05:002009-03-30T21:35:54.063-05:00

At the beginning of the month I blogged about our new plan to eat out less by planning and preparing our meals in advanced. Well, the month is now over and I have been pleased with our progress. Yes, we have eaten out on occasion over the last 30 days but in general we have significantly cut back on our restaurant expenditures!The key, in my opinion, is to match your plan with your lifestyle.

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-53604101195912156882009-03-29T15:58:00.003-05:002009-03-29T16:01:04.532-05:00

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-51064847938884038382009-03-26T11:37:00.003-05:002009-03-26T16:20:45.464-05:00

Being joyful at work. It shouldn't be that hard...right? I love my job. Well, actually, I love about 60% of my job. Unfortunately, it's the other 40% that gives me job security (thank you Enron and Sarbanes Oxley).Lately, I have found it so difficult to get motivated and be productive. I haven't even enjoyed organizing things (gasp). I have also noticed that a bad mood (usually mine) can spread

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-76290655994455783462009-03-25T09:45:00.002-05:002009-03-25T13:04:01.198-05:00

A Blog I love.The Nesting PlaceI just found out about this blog recently. It has some great ideas. I love decorating (or thinking about decorating) my house and this blog really inspires me!A Website I love.EtsyThank you Emily! (Emily told me about this website a while back.) It is so much fun! I would love to sell some of my creations on Etsy someday. For now, I will have to be content with

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-69049820659739691982009-03-22T14:29:00.002-05:002009-03-22T14:44:47.546-05:00

Saturday morning we started planting spring flowers. I love this time of year. Archie's Gardenland is wonderful! It is expensive but the selection and quality are great. I like to go to Archie's and get ideas, pick up a few things and then buy the majority of my items at Lowes or Home Depot. I said I was not going to plant much this year - the squirrels dug in my pots all last year. I also

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-75301197746489210262009-03-09T15:51:00.000-05:002009-03-09T15:51:19.461-05:00

Last week we hired a painter to fix the trim on the outside of our house. Oh the joys of owning an older home. This was not one of those projects that would get a "wow" from the before and after pictures, however it was necessary and I am very happy with the results.I am the most happy about the removing of an old, ugly awning from the side of our house. I forgot to take a before picture and the

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-82502292963813793622009-03-08T19:16:00.000-05:002009-03-08T19:16:00.674-05:00

Eastern Red Bud

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-52658657937332175682009-03-02T19:02:00.002-06:002009-03-03T18:39:54.553-06:00

Blake and I have formed the very bad habit of going out to eat...all the time. This is such a bad habit for so many reasons. We tell ourselves that because we both work full time and are both in school, that it is okay to spend the money (and calories) eating out - it's really our only option, right? No! At the end of last week we decided that it was time to put a stop to it! So, Sunday I

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-46815267573042967462009-03-02T18:24:00.001-06:002009-03-02T18:30:15.617-06:00

My little brother came over this weekend wearing these (see above) as shoes. I don't know about you, but I had never seen anything like them before. He says they are very comfortable - like being bare foot. I think they are goofy. Have you ever seen anything like these before? Maybe they are the cool new thing and Blake and I are just no longer cool.

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-50678151824620449482009-02-23T20:16:00.002-06:002009-02-27T14:29:13.163-06:00

I have been so busy with school and work lately that I have had to all but abandon any projects that I might have been working on. However, a couple of weeks ago I just really needed to satisfy my project craving. I decided to make a flower arrangement. It was fun, easy and it allowed me to be a little creative!

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-33907185995555483152009-02-21T10:42:00.003-06:002009-02-21T11:00:27.205-06:00

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-85365405074506835412009-02-07T10:17:00.005-06:002009-02-07T17:12:40.712-06:00

Yesterday, Zoë had a consultation with our vet regarding when she should be spay. The vet said, I had never heard this before, that when the adult canine teeth start to come in then it is time to get spayed. Well, both of Zoë's adult canines are on their way in (even though the baby teeth were still firmly in place). So the vet wanted to go ahead and spay her that day - as well as pull her top

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-19671974547768098382009-01-29T09:29:00.003-06:002009-01-29T09:32:23.446-06:00

http://whitneycarolinedesigns.blogspot.com/2009/01/its-great-giveaway.htmlVisit this link and find out how to win one of these totes! It is such a cute blog!

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-10079229119191554812009-01-23T17:38:00.006-06:002009-01-23T18:50:04.683-06:00

Well, our little <!--[if gte mso 9]> 1024x768 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-63298523709710173862009-01-18T17:09:00.003-06:002009-01-19T11:30:09.153-06:00

As most of your know, I am a list maker. Lately, my project to do list has become a little out of control. However, I resolved to finish my mirror (done!) and start two other pieces: the dog's cabinet and the printer stand before the spring semester. Therefore, I am proud to announce that school starts Tuesday and I have started and finished both the dog cabinet and the printer stand!! I used

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-39671593350278516922008-12-31T11:28:00.013-06:002009-01-01T10:10:11.381-06:00

Not too long ago, Blake and I were lucky enough to take possession of a dresser that had been Blake's grandmother's. That dresser came with a mirror that until now hung on our wall untouched. This Christmas break I decided that it was time to have some fun with our western theme by adding some bold colors via our "new to us" mirror. I started by painting the entire mirror teal. I then sanded

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-26379106054770014362008-12-30T13:00:00.001-06:002008-12-30T13:00:00.578-06:00

December 30, 2006

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-20086895100684082052008-12-27T15:33:00.005-06:002008-12-27T16:14:45.629-06:00

Hello, All! It seems like such a long time since I last posted. This has been a week of relaxation and family and I am happy to say that there is more to come. Blake has been able to take a few days off here and there over the Christmas break. I am lucky enough to work for a company that gives me over a week off for Christmas - I don't return to work until January 5!This Christmas was so much

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-65167050611439646142008-12-06T08:00:00.000-06:002008-12-06T08:00:01.267-06:00

Christmas 20071. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper and big bows!2. Real tree or Artificial? My family always had a real tree growing up, however Blake and I have had an artificial (pre-lit) tree for the last two years and it really is the way to go!3. When do you put up the tree? The Day after Thanksgiving4. When do you take the tree down? Before New Years5. Do you like eggnog?

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-16637901997797089702008-12-03T07:00:00.001-06:002008-12-03T07:00:00.850-06:00

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-92132015941463622592008-11-30T14:25:00.007-06:002008-11-30T17:35:50.732-06:00

We had a great Thanksgiving and a relaxing weekend. The Sunday before Thanksgiving we had lunch in Cleburne with our parents. Then, Thursday we headed to my aunt and uncle's house in Grandview for Thanksgiving dinner.The Friday after Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. This year was no exception. The one thing I don't understand is how a couple who is coming up on two years

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-58774990292206051072008-11-13T18:33:00.006-06:002008-11-14T07:57:33.698-06:00

This has been an "interesting" week, and by interesting I mean frustrating and patience testing. I had a work conference in Bethesda, MD this week. So, on Tuesday morning I woke up at 3am to make a 6:30 flight out of DFW. After a dangerous and frightening drive to the airport (thanks to the rain) I was checked in by 5am. Our group, I traveled with four individuals from work, boarded the plane

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-11107045683959816712008-11-09T14:16:00.014-06:002008-11-09T15:43:13.182-06:00

This has been quite a weekend. As I type this, I am surrounded by sleeping bodies - exhausted from all the excitement. Why am I not enjoying a wonderful Sunday afternoon nap as well? Good question!Friday night we spent the evening doing some much needed cleaning and rearranging. We moved the furniture from the den into the office and vice-versa. I really like the feel of the new den (formerly

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-28088244999387858932008-09-28T12:38:00.003-05:002008-09-28T12:52:58.842-05:00

Saturday night we went to a party in celebration of a good friend's birthday. The theme was 1970's and several couples more than out did themselves. Blake had been growing a beard since our vacation back in August and he kept it a few weeks longer than originally planned in order to complete his 70's look. It was a fun night. Happy Birthday Kylene!

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-24062084236115495332008-09-27T13:12:00.000-05:002008-09-28T13:23:58.283-05:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-47775960829663426362008-09-20T14:35:00.009-05:002008-09-20T15:13:46.072-05:00

Friday night our Sunday School class held an event, Dinner for 6 & Bowling. It was a lot of fun. We broke into groups for dinner and then met up at Main Event for bowling. It is a good way to get to know people since your dinner group is usually fairly small. Blake and I hosted a group at our house and I took it as an opportunity to decorate for fall.The concept of Dinner for 6 is that the

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-9517307071759695442008-09-15T12:05:00.003-05:002008-09-15T12:25:24.257-05:00

I apologize for the delay since our last post. Blake and I have started back to school and as a result the blog has suffered. I am taking two classes this semester (my first attempt at this) and between August and December Blake will complete three classes. Needless to say, we are very busy and we envision that no progress will be made on any fun projects between now and Christmas. I hope

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-90041800746502396972008-08-10T16:30:00.008-05:002008-08-10T17:08:23.703-05:00

Friday was my last true off Friday before school starts. So I took advantage of having the house to myself for the day and worked on The Living Room, a project that has been on my to do list for what feels like forever. The first step in my living room refresh was The Chair. Then, last weekend I made a flower arrangement to "soften" the room.This past Friday I started off by making five

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-8424796074183669602008-07-27T19:31:00.003-05:002008-12-09T14:40:14.176-06:00

On Sunday (of my weekend in London) we toured the British Museum, which is not remotely British. Well, there is a section on British history however the museum is so large (and poorly designed) that we never found it. What we did see however, was The Rosetta Stone, several Egyptian mummies, pieces of various Greek Parthenon sculptures and much, much more. In fact, the museum contained so many

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-23344115955369066752008-07-21T18:10:00.017-05:002008-12-09T14:40:15.100-06:00

Well, after a lot of hard work and almost as much fun I am finally home! I worked long hours during my two weeks away and so it was only fair that I was rewarded with a trip into London for the weekend. Friday afternoon we headed to our hotel, the London Grosvenor House – a very nice Marriott hotel across from Hyde Park. My room had a distant view of the London Eye and Big Ben. It was wonderful.

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-6533124547435905832008-07-14T21:40:00.004-05:002008-12-09T14:40:15.610-06:00

While fixing one of the other leaks, I had to shut our water off at the meter. Well, ever since then the water meter box has been full of water. Not knowing exactly what the problem was, I called the city. They determined that it was just seepage and not a leak. When the seepage never stopped I called them out again telling them that it was definitely a leak. This time when they came out they

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-38162304850608676152008-07-10T14:54:00.004-05:002008-12-09T14:40:15.922-06:00

My trip to England started last Sunday night, July 6th. Traveling for business is not half as glamorous as those who have never done might think. However, having said that, my trip to the UK started with just about the best travel perk a company could provide – a seat in Business Class on an international flight. It was wonderful. My direct flight from DFW to London Heathrow started with

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-73209672767232919372008-07-01T09:14:00.001-05:002008-12-09T14:40:16.277-06:00

After several weekends of travel, holidays and final exams we were finally able to find some time on Saturday to get some work done. We were determined not to spend our entire Saturday working so we didn’t make much progress on the dresser but hey, it’s something. Blake began by using a few pieces of wood we already had to turn the first row of dresser drawers into a shelf. He also made a new

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-59051704123549415252008-06-20T08:00:00.001-05:002008-12-09T14:40:17.249-06:00

When we purchased our home we had very little grass in our backyard. A large tree had previously stood almost in the middle of the back yard ensuring that virtually no grass could be grown. It is our best guess that the first owners of our home, who built in our house in the early 1940’s and lived there until it was passed to their niece in the early 2000’s decided that it would be a good idea to

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-13037764965416204092008-06-17T08:00:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:40:19.159-06:00

I have finally gotten to work on the chair! Just after Christmas I started this project by removing the old fabric from the chair. As you can see, the upholstery was tacked on with many brads. It was not the most fun I’ve ever had and my hands were cut up fairly badly by the time I was done but at least it was off with the old! I enlisted my mom, who is much more crafty and talented than I

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-19602058182654101792008-06-14T13:49:00.004-05:002008-12-09T14:40:19.637-06:00

I just want to say sorry, it has been a while since our last post. Projects and blogging have been put on the back burner for Blake as his class is in full swing. I love having projects to work on. I love it so much that I usually don’t have just one in the works. Right now I have no less than three projects in process (two larger and one smaller project) and that does not include yard work

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-61995739248204773412008-06-04T20:01:00.006-05:002008-12-09T14:40:19.793-06:00

Since I have started back to school, I decided that it would be interesting to keep track of the whole experience in a new blog. Leigh and I will continue to update this one, but if you are interested in what is going on in the world of school, business and technology, feel free to check it out. It is still a work in progress so hopefully nothing breaks. www.blakewsmith.comAnd no, I didn’t start

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-58465213275128881652008-05-26T21:30:00.008-05:002008-12-09T14:40:20.491-06:00

As the spring semester is over and I will be school free all summer, I have a long list of projects that I can’t wait to get started on. One of my first projects will be to spruce up our living room by recovering a rocker that was given to us by my mom and recovering/making some new pillows for our couches – with the overall goal of working some color into our living room. Blake purchased our

Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18147013002258151877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-73540271983052679332008-05-19T18:37:00.005-05:002008-12-09T14:40:21.121-06:00

There seems to be a reoccurring theme in our projects…Another pipe broke this weekend, but this one wasn’t as hard to replace. Apparently when the sprinkler system was installed they did not use Schedule 40 PVC. So the PVC that was used is very thin and brittle, but I am not quite ready to dig up the entire yard to replace it. I guess I will keep doing it piece by piece as I break them.Leigh

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-46698922972573055542008-05-12T21:41:00.001-05:002008-05-12T21:44:22.621-05:00

Sorry that we haven’t updated in awhile. We have been very busy. This weekend we were able to do a few things around the yard. I installed some more edging for a flower bed, but still have more to go. Luckily I didn’t break any water lines this time. I also dug up some plants that we had around our laundry house. We didn’t like them very much so figured we could plant something else in their

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-37137386696963986272008-04-22T21:05:00.004-05:002008-12-09T14:40:21.804-06:00

The day started out promising. We went to several places to pick up our supplies for the day. We bought lots of flowers, some new flower pots, a few tools and some metal edging. Leigh was going to spend the day planting all of her new flowers in the pots and I was going to install metal edging for some of our new flowerbeds. The flower pots turned out great. Leigh did a wonderful job as always.

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-28439139985880449782008-04-17T21:52:00.006-05:002008-12-09T14:40:22.301-06:00

!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in After all of the shelving and everything was torn down out of the garage, I decided that my next step would be to run electrical and insulate all of the walls. Since there will be power tools running, I have decided to go with 20amp breakers and 12-2 wiring. I will run a 30amp 10ga wire from the main breaker to supply

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-18657677480119956612008-04-14T20:44:00.004-05:002008-12-09T14:40:22.455-06:00

Well, sorry for the delay in updates, but we haven’t had time for much of anything these past few weeks. Last weekend I had a great time at TMS. I went with a friend from work that is a big Nascar fan. It is good to go with someone who knows what they are talking about, even if you can’t hear a word they are saying because of the noise.Me with Jeff Gordon's DuPont ChevroletThis past weekend, we

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-24299969170561473252008-04-03T20:45:00.004-05:002008-12-09T14:40:22.632-06:00

The original builders of the house were very big into gardening and had at least one greenhouse that we know of. It was torn down at some point, but the slab was left right in the middle of the backyard. It is probably an eye sore, but I have gotten used to it I guess. Instead of tearing it out, we thought it would be a nice place to turn into a sitting area. Leigh had the idea of building an

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-35618459397134710342008-03-31T22:17:00.004-05:002008-12-09T14:40:23.381-06:00

The house came with a single car garage that won’t hold much more than a mid size sedan. We tried it for a little while until I built a workbench. Once that was in the garage there was no more room for a car. I decided it would make a better workshop than a garage so I got to planning. My dad had built a workshop before, so I decided to model it off of that. Pegboard walls, sheetrock ceiling,

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-37297734759179612262008-03-24T21:18:00.008-05:002008-12-09T14:40:24.031-06:00

When we purchased the house, the inspector mentioned that there was a roof leak in the garage, but he couldn’t tell at the time if it was old damage or not. After doing some work in the garage, we came to the conclusion that it was continuing to leak and cause damage to a ceiling joist.If I stood in the garage with the lights off, I could see a lot of light coming in near the damaged area. From

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-15013835162478728082008-03-22T18:04:00.004-05:002008-12-09T14:40:24.422-06:00

After we finished all of the painting, we needed to furnish the room and add window treatments. Leigh and her mom worked very hard to sew curtains that would block out all of the sunlight. They used a pretty thick fabric that also helps the room stay a little cooler during the summer months. When we want sunlight we can still pull the curtains back. They turned out great! I had the bright idea

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-14260741226394449492008-03-20T17:48:00.008-05:002008-12-09T14:40:25.398-06:00

We decided that one color for the sunroom would be too easy, so we went with three. Since we were going with the western theme, we decided to go with dark brown walls with tan and off-white accents, with the ceiling matching the tan on the walls. Unfortunately the walls are sectioned off so there was a lot of taping involved. The ceiling is also grooved, so after rolling it we had to come back by

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-87162334133585693012008-03-15T18:15:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:40:25.784-06:00

Our first major project to the house was to redo the sun room on the back of the house. It was an add-on by one of the previous owners. The room is 12’ x 12’ with the ceiling just under 7.5’. One of the walls is the original brick exterior, and the other three have very large windows. The window screens were originally on the inside of the house, because the windows can open towards the outside

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269041718883663285.post-64607025165811442282008-03-15T17:21:00.002-05:002008-03-21T12:45:05.224-05:00

Being homeowners is a lot more work than we really anticipated, especially when the house was built in 1942. Luckily a lot of the house had been redone. It is now up to us to finish what previous owners had started. As we work on projects and things around the house, we will try to keep you up to date with specifics and pictures. Since we have lived here a little over a year already, we will have

Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09936977305563794453noreply@blogger.com1