Friday, July 9, 2010

Paint Picking is NOT My Strong Point

As the nesting stage continues I seem to be getting more and more projects going (Derrick loves me a lot right now). We have lived in our current house for about two years and I have looked at this wall paper everyday. I am done. There is no way I can let Baby Girl come home and see this with her precious little eyes. And I am not really a fan of this green either. I have seen it in other homes and it looks good, but it looks very dingy here (partly because it is very stained and needs to be freshened up). Derrick gave his high school basketball coach a call – he moonlights as a painter now that he is retired. He has agreed to repaint for us – Woot! Woot!

The green...



The wall paper...



He has already put primer all over the walls and he painted a little patch of Porter Paint’s “Willow Gold” on the wall so I could give it the approval. Nope. It is just not going to happen. I knew that I did not want a yellow on these walls. We are painting the foyer, living room and hallway this color and it is just too big of an area for yellow. Do not ask me why I picked a paint that has “gold” in its name. I should never be allowed to paint shop alone. I then went over to Sherwin Williams and picked up some “Ramie”.

Here are the two side by side. “Willow Gold” is on the left and “Ramie” is on the right.




I think “Ramie” is much better for my area. I am so excited to see what it looks like finished!!! Now I have to find a paint color for my dining room. I want something that coordinates since it is all one open area but I am not sure how dark I want to go. I want a brown with a little bit of green undertone. I am thinking about a color called “Sawdust” that is in the same family as “Ramie”. Or maybe one called “Dapper Tan”. Knowing me I will end up picking a color called “Shoe Carnival Green” and be upset when it turns out looking like a neon lime. I better ask Sherwin. Or I can continue to call my friend, Brooke, or my sister, Katie, between 6:30am and 7am to make them get out of bed to look at online pictures. I feel really bad about that afterwards (that is plural because it happens at least twice a week – not always about paint but about some unforeseen catastrophe that can only be rectified by early morning phone calls).

I did actually finish one project this week. I had a bit of a melt down over our hall closet. I couldn’t find a spot for Baby Girl’s wash rags and towels. Not that I have bought any yet, but I know that I eventually will (I think I am going crazy worrying about random things like wash rag placement). Anyway, check out my hall closet and you will understand why I am stressed.



I am sure I will regret posting that. Especially since my wax warmer is right there front and center with no lid on it. Nice. So I found some baskets on sale at K-Mart this week and I thought I would do a little reorganizing. Which means I grabbed a bag and loaded it up for the Good Will. I kept the wax warmer. My eyebrows need it more than they do. Here is the finished closet…




Now, who knows how long it will stay looking like this. As of right now everything has a home and there is an empty basket for Baby Girl’s wash rags and bath supplies. I believe I will sleep easier tonight.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Deer Hunting with a Chevy Equinox on the Fourth

Oh! We had an eventful Fourth of July!!! We went to visit my parents and ended up hitting a deer on the parkway. A big deer. We somehow managed to hit it three times and do “significant” damage to the Equinox according to the collision shop. Thankfully, we were both okay and so is Baby Girl. It was, however, quite an ordeal. Because it was a holiday weekend we had to wait for about two and a half hours on the side of the parkway until Danny from the tow company could come pick us up. Derrick freaked out that someone would drive off of the road and hit us due to rubber necking so he made me sit on a hill on the opposite side of the guard rail.







He stood watch the entire time…such a good husband. I tried to get him to come sit with me so we would both be safe but apparently he is into that whole “Me man…me make fire…me keep preggy wife safe” thing.



By the way, everyone on the road that day should send a thank you note to my counter part, Elizabeth, for getting me this handy dandy fan that sprays water. It is seriously the only thing that kept me from shedding all my clothes off right there in front of God and everyone.



Not that many people stopped to ask if we needed help. I was a little shocked since I am clearly pregnant. We even had a state trooper drive by and we didn’t even get a sympathy wave. A nice lady did stop and tell Derrick that the ticks were really bad this year and I should be careful laying in the weeds. I am sure she was chugging a big glass of ice water that I would have much rather had than the tick advice, but I guess some heartfelt tick concern is better than nothing.



So after Danny got there he took us to the airport to rent a car. This is after he refused to go back and get the deer carcass for some homemade jerky. I can’t turn down a dare and my sister had triple dog dared me to ask him if he minded strapping it to the car for me if I poked it with a stick a couple of times to make sure it was really dead. Danny didn’t think it was as funny as we did. I think he wanted to call the Game Warden on me. So anyway, we rented the car and made it to my parents in time for the holiday!



On the actual Fourth, we got to see the neighborhood parade. All the kids decorate their bikes, four wheelers, golf carts and such and ride them through the streets. It doesn’t draw a huge crowd so our family had to run up and down several streets to stand at different intersections to make it look good for the kids. Derrick didn’t really feel the need to run around the mountainous streets so he just sat and watched the truck while I ran around with my Mom and Aunt Sue.



Let me just tell you, they made it sound a lot easier than it actually was. Once while they were cheering I thought about laying in a ditch that I am pretty sure had some water flowing through it. But then I remembered about the ticks and decided to eat candy off the streets instead. And I managed to get a few pictures of the cousins in the parade.

Hannah and Emily grabbing candy...



Eli trying to drive his tractor on the road as opposed to off the road. Luckily bot parents were there to assist...




Poor fella. His little tractor couldn't catch up with the parade...



Abbie and Chase...


And of course there had to be a moonshine wagon. No Eastern Kentucky parade is complete without one...






And also some pictures of the deer in my parent’s back yard. I feel really bad about the one we hit. Of course all of these guys decided to show up and make it worse on me.



I could feel there little eyes watching me in fear that I would try to take them out with the truck. Okay, maybe it was just my inability to get the lighting right on my camera...




Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Fourth of July!!!!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Getting Schooled (Chaney's and South Warren)

Last night Derrick and I made a quick run to Chaney’s Dairy Barn again…which seems to be a Wednesday night ritual for us here lately. Very soon I will be able to teach a class on all the flavors they have to offer. Quick picture of the ice cream.


Derrick’s Big Red Rumble (white chocolate ice cream with red velvet cake and chocolate shavings - seriously one of the best things I have ever eaten)…




And my Jersey Brittle (it had crunchy peanut brittle and a praline sauce!)…




Oh, this could become such a bad addiction.




Mine melted before I could eat it all and I had to dump it into a cup. I really did make a mess of myself and sweet Hubby threatened to give me a quick hosing off and he actually had the means to do so...




So after that threat I don’t feel bad about posting this…



He is going to kill me…




Afterwards we ran across the street over to South Warren (the school where he will be teaching and coaching next year). It is HUGE!!! Everyone always talks about how big it is going to be and Derrick told me tonight that it is actually the biggest school in the state. I couldn’t get any pictures of the whole school because of all of the construction trucks, but I did get some of the gym.




Here is the entrance…




The cafeteria (complete with basketball goals – Derrick is in heaven!)…




The Gymnasium…





I made Derrick go stand in the middle of the gym. He looks so small in this big room!




Derrick’s office (complete with a sign for his restroom just in case he forgets what is behind that door)…




Also, they have the ladies room up and running. Thank goodness.




They still have a lot of work to do. I volunteered to help, but he doesn’t seem to think they need me.




Right down the road from South Warren is where Baby Girl will eventually go to school…



It is such a nice area and I cannot wait unitl it is all finished!  For the first time ever I am looking forward to the first day of school!!