Monday, July 28, 2008
Birthday Shenanigans
I have not dropped off the planet...birthday weekend was a blast and I will edit this post with photos when blogger decides to cooperate again. My portfolio for NWP is due on Thursday and marching band season has begun so my free time has dwindled to almost none. I shall return!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Fun in the Sun! Part 2
Here are a few more shots of Harbourtown and the Hilton Head Island Light
My lovely hostess and me and the water. We had a great time together and I miss her already!
We also went to the Salty Dog Cafe on South Beach (also on the Island). We were in search of t-shirts but found SO much more! This is Jake, the original Salty Dog.
We ventured on to Savannah in search of Paula Dean's house and then the mall. Again, one objective leads to an even better find.
There's an amazing bridge from South Carolina to Georgia. And once we got onto River Street, it was beautiful everywhere we looked!
A view of Savannah from the bridge
How GORGEOUS is this riverboat?!
One of the most interesting places we saw in downtown was the Savannah Candy Kitchen. John Deere Green taffy was being pulled.
There was lots of shopping and we found so many neat things! We never found Paula Dean's restaurant and we almost missed the mall entirely due to navigating difficulties and that it closed at 9 and we didn't make it until 8:30.
However....
We did manage to find a Bojangles. There isn't one anywhere near Ashley's apartment or her work or anywhere on Hilton Head Island! It took a trek to GEORGIA to find one, but after our long day it was the BEST Bojangles ever!
A wonderful trip to a beautiful place.
My lovely hostess and me and the water. We had a great time together and I miss her already!
We also went to the Salty Dog Cafe on South Beach (also on the Island). We were in search of t-shirts but found SO much more! This is Jake, the original Salty Dog.
We ventured on to Savannah in search of Paula Dean's house and then the mall. Again, one objective leads to an even better find.
There's an amazing bridge from South Carolina to Georgia. And once we got onto River Street, it was beautiful everywhere we looked!
A view of Savannah from the bridge
How GORGEOUS is this riverboat?!
One of the most interesting places we saw in downtown was the Savannah Candy Kitchen. John Deere Green taffy was being pulled.
There was lots of shopping and we found so many neat things! We never found Paula Dean's restaurant and we almost missed the mall entirely due to navigating difficulties and that it closed at 9 and we didn't make it until 8:30.
However....
We did manage to find a Bojangles. There isn't one anywhere near Ashley's apartment or her work or anywhere on Hilton Head Island! It took a trek to GEORGIA to find one, but after our long day it was the BEST Bojangles ever!
A wonderful trip to a beautiful place.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Fun in the Sun! Part 1
Blogger is presently only allowing me to do so much with it. So I will be posting in segments. Enjoy!!
This past weekend I went to Hilton Head, SC to visit with my friend Ashley. We met in college and have managed to stay in touch in the last few years. Since it's summer, it was time to make it down to visit her!
Ashley works at the local newspaper, The Island Packet. She's a copy editor and page designer. Basically, she has a really cool job.
Friday I spent most of the day shopping at the Tanger Outlet centers while Ashley worked. When she got home we got all dressed up to go to this bar we saw in the newspaper. We quickly learned a lesson about judging the bar by it's name.
Clearly we were thinking Martini's would be a sophisticated classy piano-type bar. We were sadly mistaken.
We ended up at the Outback down the street from this joint. We had one drink and went home. How sad...but it was such a good adventure!
Saturday, we headed out to do the tourist thing. There's a great lighthouse on Hilton Head Island, so Harbourtown was our first stop.
Of course even the shops there were incredible! The yacht club is situated in the center and the boats were beyond belief. We were told one boat required 120 gallons per hour to run!!
This past weekend I went to Hilton Head, SC to visit with my friend Ashley. We met in college and have managed to stay in touch in the last few years. Since it's summer, it was time to make it down to visit her!
Ashley works at the local newspaper, The Island Packet. She's a copy editor and page designer. Basically, she has a really cool job.
Friday I spent most of the day shopping at the Tanger Outlet centers while Ashley worked. When she got home we got all dressed up to go to this bar we saw in the newspaper. We quickly learned a lesson about judging the bar by it's name.
Clearly we were thinking Martini's would be a sophisticated classy piano-type bar. We were sadly mistaken.
We ended up at the Outback down the street from this joint. We had one drink and went home. How sad...but it was such a good adventure!
Saturday, we headed out to do the tourist thing. There's a great lighthouse on Hilton Head Island, so Harbourtown was our first stop.
Of course even the shops there were incredible! The yacht club is situated in the center and the boats were beyond belief. We were told one boat required 120 gallons per hour to run!!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
A New Adventure Ahead!
Tomorrow (Thursday) I am heading from Writing Project at UNCC to Hilton Head, SC to spend the weekend with my friend Ashley. Rest assured my camera is packed! Here's to a great trip to the beach!
While I am away, new kitchen counters will appear (so I'm hearing). Check back and see how they look!
While I am away, new kitchen counters will appear (so I'm hearing). Check back and see how they look!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Details and Demolition
A few more details in the master bathroom make it totally FINISHED! I am so excited about having a full room in the house completed!!
A much anticipated towel ring makes this space look like we live in it. This shows a better picture of the light fixture also.
The rug matches our blue towels. The cabinet has been stained and I added new knobs to the doors and drawers.
And what's a gorgeous bathroom without a great shower curtain? This shower curtain is from Bed Bath and Beyond
I dressed up the dining area with some drapes from Target
Demolition has begun on the kitchen counters!
testing out the glue
the tile we have for the counter is not what's being "tested"
The counters had a 1inch face that we removed around the edges. The formica on top will be removed as well. Good things are happening!!
A much anticipated towel ring makes this space look like we live in it. This shows a better picture of the light fixture also.
The rug matches our blue towels. The cabinet has been stained and I added new knobs to the doors and drawers.
And what's a gorgeous bathroom without a great shower curtain? This shower curtain is from Bed Bath and Beyond
I dressed up the dining area with some drapes from Target
Demolition has begun on the kitchen counters!
testing out the glue
the tile we have for the counter is not what's being "tested"
The counters had a 1inch face that we removed around the edges. The formica on top will be removed as well. Good things are happening!!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
NWP is Consuming my Life!
That pretty much sums it up. I have done more writing and exploring and talking about theory in the last 4 days than I have since graduate school. So far during the institute I have realized that I really miss being in school, and starting the MA in Curriculum and Instruction has a new freshness after this first week. I have met some really incredible writers/thinkers/teachers who are just as excited about the classroom and its possibilities as I am. This is shaping up to be a great experience! I may get brave and start sharing some of my writing here as the Institute continues.
We had dinner tonight with Johnathan's mother and he helped hook up a computer. Sometimes it's nice to have a tech guy in the house. Speaking of the house, Steve came and stained the cabinets in the master bath so that's the last of the installation/labor stuff. Hooray!
Our new project in the house will be the counter tops in the kitchen. We have a tile that is a black/white/gray granite type finish that we want to accent with a black glazed backsplash. Pictures will be posted as soon as we get started. I can't wait!
We had dinner tonight with Johnathan's mother and he helped hook up a computer. Sometimes it's nice to have a tech guy in the house. Speaking of the house, Steve came and stained the cabinets in the master bath so that's the last of the installation/labor stuff. Hooray!
Our new project in the house will be the counter tops in the kitchen. We have a tile that is a black/white/gray granite type finish that we want to accent with a black glazed backsplash. Pictures will be posted as soon as we get started. I can't wait!
Monday, July 7, 2008
The Big Reveal: Master Bath!!
So here it is, in all its highly anticipated glory: THE MASTER BATH!
But first, you must see the picture before the update (it was truly angelic before we started). Really, there were CHERUBS in the border!
We pretty much replaced everything. We started with gorgeous Carolina blue paint and white crown mold. I LOVE chocolate brown with that shade of blue, so of course we went that route with the other colors. But before that, we replaced the light over the sink.
We put ceramic tile over the top of the shower so the curtain rod wouldn't put holes in the wall.
I also went with a really pretty mocha tile for the counter top, and a new sink. We are putting new knobs on all the cabinets but we want to stain them first so that isn't quite done.
Another view of the counter, and if you look in the bottom right corner of this photo you can catch a glimpse of the ceramic tile floor.
The blue towel on the counter is by Biltmore for your Home. We went with this brand when we got married in Giver Green and Ivory. We still have those for the guest bath but wanted Tavira Blue and Satire Tan (you can see the color palette through the Belk website) for this room. They are super soft and pretty durable.
You may laugh at this next one, but we also bought a new toilet for this room. I like its design, and it is so-called "high performance" (no suggestions on the meaning, please!). You can see the tile floor better in this one and the baseboard we installed.
Let me know what you think about our new bathroom! Once we get the cabinets stained, the knobs installed and the shower curtain and towel rack up there will be more photos!
Oh, and happy anniversary to Matt and Erin.
But first, you must see the picture before the update (it was truly angelic before we started). Really, there were CHERUBS in the border!
We pretty much replaced everything. We started with gorgeous Carolina blue paint and white crown mold. I LOVE chocolate brown with that shade of blue, so of course we went that route with the other colors. But before that, we replaced the light over the sink.
We put ceramic tile over the top of the shower so the curtain rod wouldn't put holes in the wall.
I also went with a really pretty mocha tile for the counter top, and a new sink. We are putting new knobs on all the cabinets but we want to stain them first so that isn't quite done.
Another view of the counter, and if you look in the bottom right corner of this photo you can catch a glimpse of the ceramic tile floor.
The blue towel on the counter is by Biltmore for your Home. We went with this brand when we got married in Giver Green and Ivory. We still have those for the guest bath but wanted Tavira Blue and Satire Tan (you can see the color palette through the Belk website) for this room. They are super soft and pretty durable.
You may laugh at this next one, but we also bought a new toilet for this room. I like its design, and it is so-called "high performance" (no suggestions on the meaning, please!). You can see the tile floor better in this one and the baseboard we installed.
Let me know what you think about our new bathroom! Once we get the cabinets stained, the knobs installed and the shower curtain and towel rack up there will be more photos!
Oh, and happy anniversary to Matt and Erin.
July 4th Antics
My parents did (almost) finish the master bathroom this weekend. Check for a post about it in the next...umm...5-10 minutes! I can't stand to keep it to myself anymore!
In other news, I spent July 4th with my family, my husband and my favorite David. Here's a picture if the two of us on closing night of the LHS production of Grease.
We were shooting fireworks that Johnathan brought us from his work trip, and believe me we know all the safety rules. My mother, David and I were standing on the driveway while Steve and Johnathan shot the fireworks in the field. There was a pretty one that flew into the sky...and some moments later attempted to end my life:
It literally fell right next to me (it actually hit my CR-V). Talk about scary! What would have happened had it caught my hair on fire? I've already experienced a head injury recently (a band trophy fell off the wall and put a bump on my head and caused major embarrassment!), and have definitely had my fill of that.
Later on, David and I got into some mischief with Mom's cement "pet" donkey. It's a garden statue (I guess?) and we have BIG plans for it someday. Look at the terror we caused!
Firecrackers: check!
Obligatory Sparkler: check!
Saturday Johnathan and I went to his family's place on the lake to celebrate his cousin's wedding. An enormous tree had blocked Hwy 150 so we sat in traffic for a while. We killed the time taking pictures (or "cheese" ing as Kayleigh would say)
We had a nice time at the lake and enjoyed our holiday very much. Sunday we bummed around the house and David joined us for dinner and an SVU marathon.
I had to go to bed earlier than I wanted because the Summer Institute of the National Writing Project began at 9am this morning at UNC-Charlotte. More on that in another post later on in the week!
We hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend!
In other news, I spent July 4th with my family, my husband and my favorite David. Here's a picture if the two of us on closing night of the LHS production of Grease.
We were shooting fireworks that Johnathan brought us from his work trip, and believe me we know all the safety rules. My mother, David and I were standing on the driveway while Steve and Johnathan shot the fireworks in the field. There was a pretty one that flew into the sky...and some moments later attempted to end my life:
It literally fell right next to me (it actually hit my CR-V). Talk about scary! What would have happened had it caught my hair on fire? I've already experienced a head injury recently (a band trophy fell off the wall and put a bump on my head and caused major embarrassment!), and have definitely had my fill of that.
Later on, David and I got into some mischief with Mom's cement "pet" donkey. It's a garden statue (I guess?) and we have BIG plans for it someday. Look at the terror we caused!
Firecrackers: check!
Obligatory Sparkler: check!
Saturday Johnathan and I went to his family's place on the lake to celebrate his cousin's wedding. An enormous tree had blocked Hwy 150 so we sat in traffic for a while. We killed the time taking pictures (or "cheese" ing as Kayleigh would say)
We had a nice time at the lake and enjoyed our holiday very much. Sunday we bummed around the house and David joined us for dinner and an SVU marathon.
I had to go to bed earlier than I wanted because the Summer Institute of the National Writing Project began at 9am this morning at UNC-Charlotte. More on that in another post later on in the week!
We hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The Living Room
This is the living room when we purchased the house. Again, yellow walls.
The living room is the biggest space in the house. Note: it's hard to take the before photos because of a lack of light. When we were living in the rental, we had one purchase: a coffee table. The coffee table is by Broyhill and has a glass top (amazing!). We loved the matching end tables but didn't have the space (or money) for them at the time.
Big news: we went back to the Broyhill outlet where we purchased the coffee table and found the end tables for $49 each. Steal!! So of course we bought them (2). With the money we saved we also purchased a sofa table, so we FINALLY have a matching set of furniture! Check out these photos of the tables and the living room.
My husband HAD to have a giant television. Please try to ignore it.
The best part about having these tables is that we finally have a place to put our photos. The sofa table is where I'm displaying wedding photos. The coffee table actually has a coffee table book full of photos from our beloved Alma Mater. How I miss Chapel Hill!
We still have a loveseat we haven't moved into this room. I'm also searching for a bookcase, because anyone who knows me understands that a bookcase is essential for my never ending accumulation of books. One of the reasons I love the TV stand is because it has shelving for the satellite receiver, dvd player, etc.
Oh, one more thing: check out the ceiling fan! I LOVE it for this room. It's probably my favorite part of the living room. The assembly on it was...well...an adventure. Enjoy!
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