Oh the places you'll go

In less than one week, I will be here:

{Boise Airport}

So I can make it to here:

{Minneapolis St. Paul Airport}

So that approximatley 20 hours later I can be here:

{Saarbrucken, Germany}

And see this incredible friend:

{Verena, my roomie from freshman year of college}

So we can get on a train and go here:

{Paris}

And most importantly to be reunited with this cutie, just in time for our one year anniversary:

{Mr. Cook, who else?}

So we can go here:

{Castellina in Chianti, Italy}

then here, you know just because:

{Rome}

So we can go here:

{No silly, not back home to our humble abode, to Madrid}

So that we can have one last night together in Frankfurt before Mr. Cook returns to tour, and I spend a few last days in Germany before coming home.

Our house, is a very very very fine house

With two pups in the yard- yes two!  Among other changes at the Cook residence, we've acquired another little miss.  Well I suppose we didn't acquire her, it was more like I saw her being given away in a litter of six other blue heeler/border collie mixes at a gas station and I couldn't resist.  We've been talking about another dog for quite a while, but my timing left Mr. Cook feeling a bit left out...no fear, I let him name her and I send pictures so I'm not the worst wife in the world.  And here she is, Jasmine, who I like to call Jazz, Jazzy Dog, or Jazzy Fay for short, because we all need a little variety right?

{believe me, I know}

And her and Clover dog get along pretty famously for the most part.  This was a big motivation for getting a second dog in the first place- Clover needed the company.  Or at least that's how we justified it to ourselves :)

{two, er, dogs in a pod}

Did you see that thing on the left?  No, not what the dogs were looking at- the table?!  I've finished re-finishing it!  And I'm pretty pleased with it.  Of course I did not document the steps, which I think is okay, b/c I'm not sure your Mr. would love the process I went through to get my new digs.  Pretty sure mine wouldn't be very happy if he new the deets, but it's okay, b/c like you, he only gets to see the end result.

 

{before, um Southwest?}

{after lots of sanding, ebony staining, black spraypainting the chairs and table legs, fabric stapling, and lots of pupper sniffering}

Did you see that other thing- in the before picture, on the left?  That crazy wood paneled fridge?   Even crazier, we bought it that way, it didn't come with the house :)  Although it's prior finish eerily matched the cabinets and the old look of the dining table.  A bit too matchy, matchy, scary country for me.  So what's a girl to do (besides replace the fridge valve- by herself?!)?  Fix it of course.

 

{see what I mean, scary match}

 

{oh, there you are, happy fridge complete with newly functioning water and ice in door}

And there you have it a little sneak into some of the projects I've been busying myself with.  Happy Tuesday, I'm off to lunch!

Around Here

It has been a whirlwind around the *new* Cook residence.  After living with Mr. Cook's best friend for the better half of a year, and moving back in with my parents while waiting to hear about our "short" sale, we finally have our first home!  There have already been many countless trials, but also some triumphs :)

Trial #1:  The prior owners took the water softener.  While it was upsetting, I wasn't too worried b/c it was listed in our disclosure and on the MLS...however, when they took the water softener, they didn't bother to re-connect the pipes.  Say hello to trying to move two households into one, with no running water = no toilet. 

Triumph, er solution, #1:  An improvised toilet, e.g. a bucket of water used to fill up the water tank of the toilet.  Classy, no...Necessary, yes.

Trial #2:  Blinds in my craft area were not adequately supported.  This delightful discovery was made at 5 in the morning, whilst in bathrobe.  Wanting to do some blog reading in my bathrobe I attempted to lower and close the blinds.  And I did, in a way, lower them.  They came crashing down with a thud.  Bonus = no broken blinds :)

{my seemingly innocent, nemesis}

Triumph #2:  Blinds tackled and wrangled while still in bathrobe, much to Clover's dismay.  Happy to say no more threat of indecent exposure to neighbors. 

Trial #3:  Welcome to the jungle, we've got fun and games!  Evidently the prior owners weren't very motivated to maintain their dirt lot of a backyard, look my very own meadow!

Triumph #3:  After nearly 7 hours in some of the only hot weather we've had this year, my dad and I weed whacked, raked and bagged 21 bags full of meadow.  At present there is industrial weed enemy all over the "yard" so no pictures of this accomplishment.  Now to determine when we will put a back yard in.  I'm thinking this is one project reserved for Mr. Cook, he'll be home by spring so plenty of time to install a sprinkler system and get some sod layed!

Stay tuned for more trials and triumphs (including my re-wiring of a $30 craigslist dryer, the replacement of the fridge valve in my other craigslist find so we can utilize the exciting feature of in door ice and water, and my update on a dining room hand-me-down) !

Studio Calico: Documentary Collection

After barely surviving two weeks without internet, I hit my blogs hard when it was up and running again...and I may have stayed up late one evening doing so.  But I am so glad I did.  Or I wouldn't have seen this beauty:

Don't get too excited, the hop is over.  But it was a really cool way to see all of the awesome ideas that Studio Calico's Design Team came up with using the new (so new it's not even available for purchase yet) Documentary Collection ...which I am freakishly obsessed with.  I like to think that I have fairly decent blog world karma- I read religiously, leave comments and er, do my best to keep my own blog updated (like I said fairly decent)- but I rarely expect to see my name pop up on a list of give-away winners...

And then I did!

And I may have freaked out a little bit.  Clover was very confused by the scene of my doing a jig in my comfies around the house.  It was a very happy surprise to find out that I was chosen as Davinie's winner (especially after a not so fun, very early morning trip to the dentist, which followed a pit stop at my favorite bagel shop only to discover no wallet- awesome- 2 cavities on an empty stomach = none good). 

Here's a glimpse of some of the goodies soon to be arriving at my *new* doorstep!

{fabRips}

{mmm...stickers!}

{Camera Shy}

{Holiday}

{Window Seat}

{Itinerary}

Can't wait to get my fun mail with my Partly Sunny kit- I am seriously loving being a Studio Calico subsriber, and it's saving us tons of unnecessary 'trips' to Archivers, Joann's and Michael's for supplies that sit.  Thank you Studio Calico's brainchild- April, for putting together cohesive kits that I can't wait to see every month!  Lots to document this summer with my new collection, and some sharing to do with this girl (whose karma should be a whole lot better than mine):

{Mother's Day '10}

Scrap World Cup Class

So only viewing Celine's work on the Studio Calico blog, I must say I am super impressed after checking out her blog!  She is fun, fabulous and fresh.  Definitely considering taking this class myself (a nice break from Praxis studying and house settling)!  So happy that Studio Calico's blog hop landed me on her page.  Check out the deets below:

hey you...


What will you do during the Soccer World Cup this summer?

Your husband is CRAZY about Soccer and you already feel anxious about the World Cup being the NUMBER ONE priority in the house?
Scared to be bored?
NO WAY! COME AND SCRAP WITH ME INSTEAD!
MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY AND TAKE MY ONLINE CLASS!
Come join me for my first 4 week class : you will learn many techniques (my favorites!), you'll be inspired by trendy color combos, you'll be in love with new sketches, and you'll participate in the most fun, colorful, technique workshop you've ever taken!
For 25€, you'll have access to :
· a private blog with workshops posted every Tuesday and Friday
· new color combos twice a week
· new sketches posted twice a week
· TWO new techniques posted twice a week
· inspirationnal posts posted every week
· my "soccer" and "non-soccer" thoughts and feelings (always in a funny way)
· what's going on during the World Cup with a different look to it : get to know the countries that participate in the World Cup
· VIDEO tips and techniques!
· access to a FLICKR gallery for you to post your beauties
· TWO live chats where you'll be able to ask your questions
· full supply lists of products used on my projects
and all this for a WHOLE MONTH!!!

And, the icing on the cake, for the BIG FINAL game, your last class will be a FULL mini album class because, hey! It's the WORLD CUP! :)
And you'll be able to order the kit if you want to.
Don't feel like you HAVE to watch the Soccer games, get READY TO SCRAP!
SCRAP World Cup online Class
SIGN-UPS until JUNE 10th 2010. BEGINNING OF THE WORKSHOPS : JUNE 11th2010. END OF WORKSHOPS : JULY 11th 2010.

*note from the editor: my html skills are not rockin' so Celine's super cute pictures and typography didn't    come across, so go visit her blog too.

A little of my everyday

I'm participating in Ali Edward's, "A Week in the Life" project.  I have always loved the way she documents her everyday and I have often found myself struggling with whether or not my story is really worth telling.  She does an incredible job of validating the documenting process, whether you are a mother, a wife of a single college student- the important aspect about telling your story is actually telling it.  And I'm finding it more important the older wiser I get to document my life as it is in that moment.  It may not be perfect right now but I want to remember these times and what we were going through. 

This is a little snapshot of life in New Plymouth right now.  I thought it would be silly to capture this, since I don't really live in New Plymouth, it is a temporary situation.  But all too true to form, one day after taking this photo Mr. Cook and I received a clean bill of health for our new home.  The appraisal is scheduled and documents are updated.  Closing is around the corner.  If I hadn't taken the time to document what I thought was unimportant I may have never remembered spring time in New Plymouth and the baby calves I got to pass everyday on my way home from class.

Nesting

I don't know what it is about me, but nesting is not only a hobby but a serious coping mechanism.  Thankfully there is an endless array of things to be organized, groceries to be purchased and cooked, and inspiring images to dream about. 

Mr. Cook and I are in what feels like the purgatory of home buying, stellar to be able to get such great deals in the market but also super disappointing to have only short sales and foreclosures as your options.  With that being said we *may* be getting close to actually getting our very first home.  The last time I saw this lovely abode was in November, when we put our offer in, so today our realtor took me back to get a refresher.  Problem: 3 hours to kill between interning at the high school and said meeting.  Solution: obsessive compulsive shopping at an adorable gift shop in Kuna, exploring our future 'town', and a blackberry margarita with an incredible friend (in a very similar boat) to take the edge off. 

Feeling very homey right now and so inspired by some incredible images, like:

{awe-struck}

Mr. Cook has a vendetta against all things headboard, I on the other hand am a huge fan.  Solution:  a super squishy, comfy, and inexpensive headboard (that I can change with my moods and plethora of bedding) to read against...seriously, we are old souls.

{gush}

Seriously, so un-necessary it becomes necessary, a garland of springy happy birds strewn about.  Pretty sure I would make a fabulous ceiling 'vignette' of these.

{swoon}

Oi vay!  This line, Liberty, makes me go bannanas.  I want one of everything in everycolor.  Seriously, an incredible combination of amazing pattern, color and genius.  Who doesn't need a fabulous filing box or a matching dress?

And I just cannot get enough of the Cecilia and Gunilla textiles from IKEA...my Mecca.

Happy Nesting!