44.Trim my personal tv consumption to 2 hours a day or less

This is just something that is just happening over time. When J and I get home one of us makes dinner and the other feeds Lil'D. Then we play with Lil'D, give him a bath and give him his bottle. At this time we have channel 126 on BabyFirstTV. It has all kinds of great learning shows. This time at night it plays classical music and images of a cartoon mobile or a photo that a child has colored, focusing on different elements up close. Once Lil'D is in bed for good, which is about 8pm, that is when we turn on the tv. We are have been turning everything off at around 9:30 every night. The weekends are a little different, but we are definitely not watching tv all day like we used to. We don't have time. So, yeah, the TV monster is under control!!

Document Sink & stuff...

My officemate & I come up with the darndest things. We have a server at work and everyone's My Documents folder is linked to the server, so that when you log off or shut down it backs up that folder. PJ asked me about it and I explained this to her. She wanted to make a folder with all her personal kind of stuff. I told her to re-name My Documents to My Document Sync. She re-named it My Document Sink. I cracked up. She funny!!

I have a lot of people in my life that can't really spell. "Senior" designer can't spell at all. Sometimes I giggle under my breath at some of his trys. Cieling really gets on my nerves!! CEILING, people!!!!! The other designer here that I used to assist can't spell either. PJ does ok. The one thing I was really good at in school was spelling. I can usually spell anything (within reason of course). I also consider myself pretty good at grammar, that is when I am writing out proposals or emails for clients. I'm pretty loose on my blog. This is MY journal and you people just have to deal with it. All 3 of you!!!!! ;)

We had small group tonight at our house. It is temporary until PK have adjusted to new baby Lil'R. He is only 4 days old. This is their 2nd so they will probably bounce back like pros!!

So after small group we did a little show and tell. The Intimidator/Sarge brought over Guitar Hero. THAT GAME IS SO AWESOME!! I don't know why I love it so much. I couldn't get enough of it. I really hate that, because it means we have to buy it. Guess the easter bunny will be coming to see me!! I didn't let Sarge leave until 9:30pm. It was so much fun though!!!

Lil'D is getting into a naughty phase. He has been so easy up until now. We haven't really had any challenges with him. He has always been so agreeable with anything we do. Slept through the night at 4 months, eats when he is supposed to , goes to bed when we put him in his crib, those kind of things. Last night was the first time, but tonight when he has his last bottle of the night he drinks about 2-3 ounces and then pushes the bottle away and wants to get down or stand up. He does it in a fussy way, almost restless. Like he wants to settle down but just can't because he has to stand up one more time. Then, when I get maybe another ounce or 2 down him, I put him in his crib and give him his pacifier. He either rolls over immediately or waits till I'm out of the room and pulls up on the crib rails, starts to cry and his pacifier falls on the floor. We have been letting him cry for about 5 minutes. Then we go in and lay him back down and put his pacifier in his mouth. He whines just a little, but falls sleep soon after. It isn't out of control yet, but it is frustrating knowing what to do and how. So, hopefully it doesn't get worse. But if it does, we will just deal.
-Until tomorrow

AAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

I just spent almost 45 minutes writing a post and I lost the whole thing...must have said something I shouldn't have.
I'm frustrated now. The post will never be seen again! It was long too. I was venting about something. Me being a worrier, a friend that I have that is such a hard friend to have, what I did on Monday and today and all about my new master schedule. I have to go to bed now. I couldn't get all that out the way I did originally anyway. So, goodnight.
-Until tomorrow

Weekend Re-cap

Saturday, J & I did all of about nothing. We have been working on getting the house organized every weekend that we felt we needed a break. Lil'D was climbing up on everything. First, the couch, then the coffee table, then he figured out he could pull up in his crib. What a beautiful sight to see my baby boy standing up waiting so anxiously for me to pick him up after his nap. He discovered all the fun things in his room that he could pull himself up with in his room to. Then he got brave enough to fall back on the floor just to do it all over again. He would look at the floor and either belly flop to get down or just push back and sit on his bottom. He couldn't stay on his bottom and he would just roll over backward and "bonk" on the floor with his head. He would just look over at me and giggle. It is so hard to just let your baby fall. But, he has got to learn, right? I, of course, softened his fall if he was going to hit something and oh alright, I caught him a few times because I just couldn't stand that slight little "bonk" that the floor makes. It's not hard, but he's hitting his sweet little head. He's tough though and I have to let him be tough sometimes. He is so proud of himself though. Once he stands up he just stands there and entertains himself, hitting the surface of whatever he is holding on to, bouncing up and down (he looks like he's dancin') and saying "BUH....BUH!!!"
On Sunday, we put Lil'D in daycare for the first time at church. We went to the 8:15 service. I know there are only 3 kids at the most at that time. I knew that I had to do it sometime. So, now was the time. Plus, one of my really good friends serves in the nursery at this time and that always makes me feel better. But the main reason for not putting in the nursery was because of illness. Lil'D has had 5 colds since he was born. The last one was a big ol' meanie. We had to give him antibiotics and his cough was so bad. At his daycare during the week, those little ones just pass sickness back and forth to each other. There are only 6 kids including Lil'D. Once one of them get it, then all the parents and siblings get it. It never ends. So, when my Lil'D is well it is so hard to put him in the nursery at church. I really needed to put him in so that he wouldn't get separation anxiety when he got older and he needs to get to know all the kids at church. It's so hard to get connected. Especially with me being shy. The MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) meets on Tuesday mornings at like 10am. I can't go to this at all, no choices involved. I just don't understand how they could exclude mothers who have to work. I don't mean to sound like I'm whining, but ok I am. The one thing about having Lil'D was that I didn't really know any women with children and everyone told me "when you have the baby, you will get to know tons of moms." Well, I hardly ever see the Moms at Lil'D's daycare. We drop off and pick up at such different times. Even when they are there, they are ready to leave as soon as they get their little ones. My small group leader has a 2 1/2 year old son and a precious 1 day old baby. She has been a super blessing to me in times of need and when I have questions. I see her at least once a week! Also, my friend Sarah Jean. She used to be the receptionist where I work, we hardly ever get to see each other because we have such busy work schedules. We had lunch last week and she brought her precious Lil'B with her. Lil'B is 1 1/2 and she is a handful!! Those are the only Mom's in my life right now. I'm not the kind of person that can just go out and meet moms because I'm just so painfully shy. It's like a disease when in the moment.
Anyway (sorry about the derailment on Moms), Sunday afternoon, J went to the movies. I didn't go because everyone wanted to see Blades of Glory. If it has Will Ferrell in it, it is just too painful for me to watch. Stupid comedy is just not for me. I went shopping with Lil'D and we had a great time! After the movie and shopping we went to the hospital where PK were. (PK are my small group leaders, we go to their house every Wednesday night and have bible study) They just had their baby, he was only 10 hours old. So sweet!! The true test was given...seeing a newborn didn't make me want one...yet anyway.
I also found out that my dear friend Amy Jo is pregnant!!!! Answered prayers!! Praise the Lord!! She is 9 weeks along!! She is going to have a halloween baby.
So, after eating dinner, feeding Lil'D, giving Lil'D a bath and putting him to bed, J and I relaxed for the rest of the evening. Where did the weekend go? Same place they always go...fast! Boo
-Until tomorrow

Nothing exciting...

Nothing exciting happened today. I got off work at 11:15 and went to the Chiropractor. My shoulder is tingling. Hopefully the chiropractor will do some good. I ran some errands, went home and picked up the house. J brought Lil'D home and we all ate dinner. It was just lovely family time! We gave Lil'D a bath, fed him and put him to bed. He was so tired. He went up and down the hall at least 2 times tonight and that just wore him out!
J had a soccer game at 9:50 and didn't get home till 11:30. Time for bed!!
-Until tomorrow

24.Choose and take vitamins

Yeah, they arrived today!! I just ordered them yesterday. Super fast delivery!! I ordered them from iherb.com. Here are the two I am taking:

Rainbow Light, Just Once, Women's One Multivitamin
Women's One Multivitamin delivers complete, energizing nutritional support designed to balance and protect the female system, with:
Research-Backed Multivitamin Protection - customized to go beyond the minimal support afforded by 100% of the Daily Values to deliver protective potencies.
Iron and key Bone-Supporting Nutrients - such as magnesium, vitamin D, boron and calcium in carbonate and citrate/malate forms to support easy absorption.
Nourishing Women's Botanicals - featuring dong quai, soy isoflavones and red clover, plus high-potency B vitamins, energizing green foods and wholesome vegetable concentrates for overall vitality.
I haven't been very balanced with my diet so I need this stuff!! I hope to balance my diet better here in the near future!

and

Country Life, Maxi-Hair
This is a dietary supplement that nourishes hair, skin and nails. Ever since I couldn't breast feed anymore, my hair fell out in a couple of places. Hopefully this will help those spots grow faster. I am also a chronic nailbiter. I can't grow my nails out to save my nails. My skin needs help too. Lil'D has been touching my chin and I got 3 breakouts last weekend!

Today just flew by...

I am so surprised how today just flew by. I woke up at 5:45am, got myself ready, then got Lil'D ready and fed him his bottle. We left at 6:55am and got to daycare at 7:10. I got to work at 7:30. PJ was back at work today, maybe that is why the day went by a little faster. She made me laugh so hard at myself today I was crying. I called a vendor and was listening to their automated answering options and it said his name. I repeated his name to PJ while I typed in his extension. His last name ends with -burn. When he picked up the phone I said, hi (his name here), this is EllieMae at (my company name here) the last part of my companies name is Expo and I said Expurn. He asked me if I could hold for a second. PJ and I started busting out laughing. I couldn't stop till I was crying. When he came back on the phone I had to apoligize to him and pulled myself together. It was at about 4:00 and I told him I had the four o'clock giggles. Tears were literally coming out of my eyes. Of course, PJ didn't help the matter by mocking me. It was a fun time.
So, I left work at 4:30, picked Lil'D up at 4:50 and got home at 5:10 or so. I had a pot roast that had been in the crockpot all day. It didn't turn out well at all. The recipe called out for only 1/2 cup of water. I put in a cup because it just didn't look like enough, well a cup wasn't even enough. It burned and the meat was really dry. So much for my To die for crockpot roast. I also realized it called for a beef roast and I had a pork roast. Oh well, what do you do?
I rushed and did a quick pick up of the house. We had small group at our house because our small group leader's wife is pregnant and was due yesterday. She still hasn't had the baby.
Everyone arrived at about 7pm. I had to play with Lil'D in his room because I didn't want him to be a distraction during the video. After the video was over I gave him his bottle and he went right to sleep. He literally rolled over and went to sleep as soon as we put him in his bed at 7:45 or so.
-Until tomorrow

84.Finish crocheting Lil'D's blanket with a hood

I started this project when I went home to Texas for New Year's. I finally completed it. Lil'D loves it. He likes to be covered with it every night we lay him down to go night night.
I picked a design that had a hood on it for the Wednesday nights that Auntie E babysits him. When we walk back from their house it is usually a little cool and I wanted the hood to cover his little head in the night air.

I'm really tired...

For the past two days I have been really tired. I think my body is fighting off a cold. J has a cold and is all stuffed up. I just hope that Lil'D doesn't get it! I also have not been drinking enough water. It is amazing how just drinking enough water can make you feel so much better. My head has been hurting on and off all day. If I would just take the time to drink enough water I would probably feel better.
PJ, my officemate, has been sick yesterday and today. It has been pretty quiet in my office. Usually we get silly at some point of the day. Sometimes we laugh till we cry. Not that we goof around all day, but we just banter back and forth all day about random things or about what we are working on and sometimes it's just really funny what we come up with. I miss her, it's really super quiet without her.
I have made dinner two nights in a row now. Last night I made a recipe called Chicken Breast Implants. I cut some breasts in half and stuffed them with feta cheese. I coated the chicken with ritz cracker crumbs and then I baked them. They were really good!
Tonight I really didn't cook, but I prepared the marinade last night that the meat sat in until this evening. J grilled it and heated up some real mashed potatoes and gravy that we bought at the grocery store deli. So, I really didn't cook tonight, but I prepared the meat. Counts for something. Tomorrow is crock pot day! I'm making To die for crock pot roast. We will see if it is to die for.
I fed Lil'D while J heated up the potatoes. He sat and ate a cracker so quietly while J and I ate.
We ran to Wal-mart tonight for a few things, gave Lil'D a bath and fed him. I also clipped his nails. They grow so fast. While J holds him and feeds him his bottle, I clip his nails. He just sits there and watches me. After he finishes his bottle, we take him into his room. I lay him in the bed and J turns on his humidifier and music. I kiss him goodnight and give him his pacifier and blanket. J tells him goodnight and turns out the light. We close the door and off to sleepy land he goes!
-Until tomorrow

68.Paint and install chair rail in the guest bath

J worked really hard on the bathroom this weekend. It is freshly painted, we put up chair rail and new baseboards!! J also installed new flooring. It really looks great! I will post a before and after photo soon.

64.Baby proof the living room & Lil'D's room

It has actually been baby proof for a month or more. I just haven't taken the time to post it.
We bought a gate that blocks off the kitchen/dining room area from the living room. We also have a gate that blocks the hallway if we need it. All the electrical outlets have been taken care of and all the areas with wires are hidden. We use pillows in a lot of places, when he figures out how to move pillows we will have to come up with something else for the wires.

Weekends go by too fast...

This weekend J and I worked on the guest bath. We painted last weekend and this weekend J replaced the flooring. The flooring that was there was hideous. We got a box of peel n stick vinyl on sale at home depot for $17. It looks really great!! Yeah. J did such a great job. He is really tired. He also put up some chair rail molding and new baseboard. My new bathroom looks wonderful!!
I did a few odds and ends like putting pictures on the wall and painting some shelves in other areas of the house. We don't have much more to do and our weekends will be free! I look forward to that time. Time for bed.
-Until tomorrow

65.Print out 8x10s for living room, frame & hang

I printed all the photos that I had scanned, framed them and hung them. I will post a picture of this soon.

78.Make 3 meals in one week

I finally did it! I made 3 meals this week!! Here is what I made:
Monday: Spagetti
Tuesday: Chinese chicken salad & steamed red potatoes
Friday: Crockpot Roast
Yeah!! Me!
I am finally getting the hang of this cooking thing. It's all about planning and time management

Lil'D has a big head...

So I left work today at 3pm, picked Lil'd up and met J at home. We took him to his 9 month wellness checkup. He had to get his Hepititus B shot. He was such a good boy. Although, since he left daycare early and didn't get his afternoon playtime he was so hyper for the 20 minutes we waited for the doctor.
Lil'D weighs: 21 pounds 12 ounces
Lil'D's height: 29 2/4"
Lil'D's head: I can't remember the measurement but his head is in the 95 percentile! HE HAS A BIG NOGGIN!!! :)
The doctor said that he is a perfectly healthy baby boy!!
He also got his toe pricked to check for anemia. Negative.
He didn't even cry when he got his shot. He was so brave. The nurse said that he has a high pain tolerance.
After the doctor's appointment we got everything ready for small group. Tonight we had a potluck so we brought Lil'D. It was a late night for him. He was a little on the delirious side he was so tired. He made it though. I thought for sure that he would try to fall asleep after about 8:30, but he just kept fiddlin' with whatever. He was good though and I enjoyed him being there with us.
Time for bed!
-Until tomorrow

Back on track...

Ok, I have been a little off track for the past week. So...I will resume blogging tonight!! I have posted some new photos at Everything Lil'D. The website is running really slow and I'm not sure why. I also have some items to check off on my 101 list! I will try to get those done tonight!!
I'll post more about my day tonight!
-Until tonight

59. Choose fabric, sew curtains and install for kitchen

So, I found these great cafe curtains at Wal-Mart. They are so cute. They are perfect for the kitchen. I had to cut about a foot off of the bottom panels and then hem them all properly. They turned out great! It took me about 2 1/2 hours to cut and hem them all. Here are some photos:

The kitchen window before:

This is the kitchen window after:Yeah...I didn't have to make them from scratch!!

41.Charge, load and use my Ipod

I downloaded songs last night and then loaded them into my Ipod on tonight!!! Yeah. It's all charged up and ready to use! I only used up half the memory. I have to download more songs.

Baby steps...all the time

I get on a roll, like Sunday evening when I was cleaning like a fein, and today I thought "I'll just go, go, go and finish cleaning tonight." Well it never fails, life happens and gets in the way of my cleaning list. This is what I planned to do:

• Clean master bathroom from top to bottom
• Clean guest bathroom from top to bottom
• Fold all the clothes that were washed on Sunday

Well, needless to say, it didn't happen. I even got off work today at 3:30pm. Let me tell you why it didn't happen...

First, the traffic to get out of the area where I work took 20 minutes. By the time I was well on my way home it was almost 4:00. So, I decided to run by and get Lil'D. He was napping. Pam & I talked for a good 20 minutes and he didn't move. I had to finally talk to him and coax him to wake up. He was hungry of course, he had went to sleep at 1:30. (rough) I gave him his bottle and we finally started home at 4:45. J had to go to his parents house after work because he had to fix the tire on his truck because it had a nail/screw in it. He left as soon as I got home. Lil'D and I went for a walk. We started at 5:15 and got back at 5:45. It sure didn't feel like 30 minutes. It felt like an hour to my legs. I am so out of shape. So after we got back home. I fed Lil'D, he had rice cereal and corn casserole. Yummy. J got home at about 6:20. He made steaks for us for dinner. I played with Lil'D while he grilled them. We all sat down at the table and ate dinner. Lil'D ate Apple Strawberry puffs. Once we got the kitchen all cleaned up we realized we hadn't gotten a birthday present for one of the kids at daycare. Actually, we had to get 2 presents. Big Brianna's 4th birthday is tomorrow, and Connor's 3nd birthday is on Wednesday. I call her big Brianna because there is a little Breeana. What are the odds? Anyway we ran to Target, got presents, got home, fed Lil'D and put him to bed at 8:15. I felt so bad for getting him to bed that late. He is very resilient though. I am probably taking that for granted. I gues 45 minutes isn't so bad. I always try to get him in bed by 7:15 or 7:30. So, Lil'D is finally in bed at 8:15, J tells me about how he has to get up at 4:30 in the morning and leave at 5am. He and his coworker have to drive to Calexico. So, he wants to got to bed at 9:15 or 9:30. I figure it's really too late to start a cleaning project anyway. And I have just been going and going since I got off of work at 3:30. I deserve some brainless, me time! We watched The Apprentice and ate a few girl scout cookies...yum! Now, it's time for bed. See why I didn't get my cleaning done. I'm going to stop setting myself up for feeling so bad when I don't get things done that I want. During the week, it just doesn't work that way. You'd think I know that by now. Tomorrow is going to be the same...J isn't going to get home until 6:30 or 7. Lil'D and I will be playing hard!!!

-Until tomorrow

A Wonderful Spring Day!!

Lil'D woke us up at 8am. We got ready for 9:45 church. After church we ran a few errands: bank, grocery store & lunch.When Lil'D went down for a nap, we started the curtain rod project. The last bracket was very frustrating for J. The window frame was in the way. He, as always, made it work.I was super motivated!!! I started cleaning up the dining room. It was just full of this and that everywhere. J had to go to his parents house to take care of a nail in the tire. He waited till Lil'D got up and took him with, so he could get some grandma time.While the boys were gone, I got the entire kitchen, laundry, dining room and part of Lil'D's room cleaned up. J called me at 6:30pm and told me he was on his way home. I started dinner. I made pizza burgers. I put mozzarella cheese on top of a hamburger bun, topped that with browned meat and pizza sauce mixed together, put more Parmesan cheese on top of that, then added pepperonis. Popped it in the oven for 15 minutes. We all sat at the table for the first time as a family!! Lil'D had banana oatmeal. Yummy! We got Lil'D into the tub after that. J gave him his bottle and got him into bed at about 8:15. I cleaned the kitchen and separated all the meat from Costco. I feel like I accomplished alot. That makes me feel really good!!Gotta get to bed, tomorrow morning is going to hurt!!-Until tomorrow

Errands, Errands, Errands

Lil'D woke up at 7am this morning. We all got ready and were out and about by 10am. We went by church to help J's Dad put out the easy ups for service tonight. Lil'D got to see his grandma for a bit. J and I went to IKEA and COSTCO.We had to get a curtain rod from Ikea. This is for my kitchen window.At Costco we got diapers, wipes, bulk meat and water. Necessities.When we got home Lil'D took a nice nap. I started getting ready for the movies tonight.Lil'D got to stay with Andrea for the evening. J & I went to dinner with everyone from our small group and then to the movies. We saw Wild Hogs. It was ok. Definitely not worth $10.50. It was a renter. It was a fun night out with friends though.-Until tomorrow

Happy Birthday to me

Today is my birthday and it was a wonderful birthday! I got off work at about 12:15. My best friend Chica took me to lunch. We went to El Pescador. I had a calamari sandwiche. YUMMY!
After that I went to Marshall's. I found the purse I wanted! That is what Jeremy wanted to get me. I found some books too.
J had a soccer game tonight at 6:30. My brother called me to wish me a happy birthday. We talked for almost 3 hours. Lil'D was such a good boy. We played with books and cups while I was on the phone. He fell asleep while he drank his bottle. I changed him and put him to bed and continued the phone call with my brother. Earpieces are awesome!! I am so back into being a multi-tasker. We got off the phone at about 8:30. I enjoyed some "me" time reading a book. J got home with Rubio's for dinner! I had a crispy shrimp burrito. It is my favorite. It is also my last one!! Starting Monday my bad eating is OVER! I asked for the time change for my birthday (hee, hee), I am so spoiled, I always get what I want!
Monday...my workout is so on!! I am going to start out walking, then running!! It will be 9 months on Friday. It is so time, to make the time, to get this baby weight off!!
Another year down, I can't believe the age I am. Where did the time go?
-Until tomorrow

6. My Grandmother

My Grandmother turns 95 this year in April. She was born in 1912. Isn't that amazing? Lil'D even got to meet his great grandmother! That was such a blessing!

So sorry to slack...

I just had to take a little break from the computer!! I have been blogging like a fein!! I did wonderfully in the month of February, which means it can be done!! I didn't get on the computer all weekend!! Wa-hoo!
I have had a wonderful, wonderful weekend!! On Friday at work, I started taking St. John's Wort. It has changed my mood completely!!!! When I got home I cleaned every corner of Lil'D's room. All of his toys have a place, all of his clothes have hangers or a place in the drawers. There are no bags with clothes that don't fit anymore or don't fit yet. EVERYTHING has a place. Yeah!
This weekend was nice. I did a quick clean through the house. Not everything is clean like it should be...but one step at a time! I even took some time to work on Lil'D's curtains. I really dislike making curtains from scratch!! It's really hard to get them straight. I'd much rather work with a pattern or an existing pair!
Lil'D took a lot of naps this weekend. I am so glad. I really want him to get all better. He has a very nasty cold. His cough sounds horrible. He's a trooper though. He is such a happy little guy to have such a bad cold.
I may take the whole week off from blogging...this Friday is my birthday! I am perpetually 29!!!
-Until tomorrow

40.Go a whole day without being on the computer

It must have been all that blogging everyday. This weekend I didn't get on the computer at all! Yeah-me!

57.Go through all of Lil'D's clothes and purge things that don't fit

I just kept going and going and going!! His clothes are all sorted! I plan to keep them that way!

47. Post to my blog for 1 month straight

I posted every day the month of February! Yeah, me!!

I have blogged every day this month!!

I am so happy that I accomplished this goal! I will try to do this every month!
I had a pretty good day today. I didn't get to work until 8am...late. I tried not to let that bother me. "Senior" designer was doing a proposal last minute. It was kind of a crazy morning. I'm glad I stopped to get a cappuccino this morning. I didn't eat breakfast till 11:30. I started on more revisions to MustardStone Club. I will post this job later today. I think I will also take a picture of the revision plan I am working on with all the red ink.
I picked Lil'D up. His cough is just really horrible. When I got home I got together his food and toys. We took him to Auntie E's at 6:05. J & I had dinner at Rubio's. We got to small group at about 7:05. We watched a video about forgiveness & holding grudges. It was a really good discussion.
We picked up Lil'D at about 9:20, fed him and put him to bed. His poor little cough. My heart just breaks when he coughs it's so bad.
J & I prepared everything tonight for tomorrow morning. J starts his new job, and has to be there at 7am. I have to get up at 5:30am.
Gotta go to bed...
-Until tomorrow

Andy Kitchen #2

This is a different house that the Andy's had us remodel. This particular design is very contemporary. This house is just incredible! The view of the ocean is so breathtaking it is undescribable!!
Here is a before photo:

Here is the after photo of that view:

Here is another before of another view of the kitchen:

Here is the after photo:

Here is the before of the entertainment center in the kitchen:

Here is the after photo of the new entertainment center:The veneer used in this job is Hawaiian Koa. It is very exotic and rare. We also used a high gloss polyester finish on all the doors. This finish is the best there is! It's like a finish on a car!

Here are the drawings for this job:

Hope you enjoyed this one!!

Doesn't it just blow your mind to know that this client has 2 beautiful homes. It's just crazy!

5. My Brother

This is my little brother. He lives in Dallas. I am 8 years older than him. We had a really fun childhood together. He and Lil'D got along really great when I went home for New Year's. Lil'D just loved him! I am so blessed to have him as my brother.

4. My Mom & Dad

My Mom & Dad live in Texas. They live about 2500 miles away. They come to visit often, but it's just never long enough. My Mom & I talk on the phone everyday. My Dad & I email each other. My parents are really great! They have always been there for me when I need them! I am so blessed to have them as my parents!

February is almost over...

Can you believe it? Thursday is March, that is so unbelievable to me. This year is just flying by at super speed. Today was just an average day at work. I continued to do the revisions for MustardStone Club. "Senior" designer was in when I got to work, he was in a meeting and then he just disappeared. Apparently, he thought he had an ear infection and he was going to the doctor. It turned out to be the pressure in his ear from going to Montana. He called and told me he wasn't' going to be back at the office. Darn!
5 o'clock finally came and when I got home Lil'D turned around and couldn't get to me fast enough. My baby boy loves me, what a wonderful feeling!
I fed him Oatmeal & Bananas. J grilled steaks. They were so yummy...the steaks that is!
We played beach balls with Lil'D. Actually J and I played with the beach balls and Lil'D watched with amusement.
Lil'D went to the doctor today because a week ago today we noticed a rash on the back of his arm. It didn't go away so we got him to the doctor. I thought it was ringworm. I was wrong, it is eczema. So, J had a list of items that the doctor told him to buy.
We have to bath him with an oil bar soap.
Once he is clean and still damp, he has to be lathered down aquaphor. (It's kind of like Vaseline)
Then on the actual rash we put Hydrocortisone.
The doctor also gave us some eye drops because the cold is making his eyes cake up really bad. That was a challenge to get those in without him rubbing his eyes afterward.
We played on the floor for a while. I got him to sit up for about 30 minutes. I usually stack toys for him and he knocks them down. J made sno-cones. He went to Wal-Mart today and they finally had the sno-cone flavors that we like...cotton candy!! Anyway, I gave Lil'D some shaved ice. He made the funniest face. I put some in my hand and he kept touching it and putting his hands behind his back. It was funny. We finally put him to bed.
J and I were watching American Idol, but it was just really boring. We watched King of Cars. It's almost time for bed!
-Until tomorrow

Craigar Kitchen

Here is another job that I did. We did this client's entire house. We started with the kitchen.
Here is the before photo of the kitchen. This house was such a dump!!

Here are the plans for the kitchen:

And here is the after picture:
This kitchen isn't as fancy as some. It is a maple wood door, painted "Jasmine" yellow. The countertops are Celedon Green granite. The floor is Babinga Cherry. Behind the armoire are two Subzero refrigerators. To the left of the armoire is a cappuccino machine, like in am/pm & 7-eleven stores. The client is able to dispense cappuccino, chai tea or hot chocolate. This was a fun appliance to find, purchase and put into the design. On the island you will see a tray of food. Under that tray is a plasma tv that raises up and down and it also swivels so that you can see the tv wherever you are in the kitchen. The client picked the mural painted under the hood. The clock on top of the hood is the clients as well.
We did this client's whole house.
More to come of the Craigar Residence...

Mondays...

Monday mornings are just so hard. I don't know what I'm going to do when it's time for J to leave for work at 6:30 on Thursday morning. I just may die!
I stopped for coffee this morning. I got a lot of odds and ends done early when I got to work.
"Senior" designer finally came in at about 1pm. He had lots for us to do. He got back into town last night at midnight. He was ready to go.
The floorplan he gave me has so much red ink on it, it looks like he had bled all over it. I had to make revisions to the plans. This was for MustardStone Club in Montana. Last week was my first time working on this project, 3 other assistants had already worked on it. It was just a mess. PJ, my officemate, had been working on it, so it was a little better off that when the other 2 were working on it. It is just always best to let one person do the entire project because everyone has their own drafting style in AutoCAD. Some people just don't care and are not very detailed.
So I spent a good 3 hours on it and I probably only got about 25% done...maybe.
I picked up Lil'D and got home at about 5:45. I fed Lil'D rice cereal and some peas. He eats anything. I have to fed him rice cereal because he needs the iron.
We went to Target to get some baby food and some Pepto Bismol for me. My tummy was a little upset from my lunch today.
Lil'D still has a cold. He went right to sleep tonight.
What a sweet, sweet boy.
-Until tomorrow

Lil'D's first band concert.

Lil'D let us sleep in this morning. We were going to go to the farmer's market but I decided that Lil'D really needed to get a good nap in.
We went to my niece's honor band concert at Symphony Hall downtown. It started at 3pm and ended at about 5pm. Lil'D was really into the first band, he slept through the second band and was awake for my niece's band. He was such a good boy. Not a single peep. His cough medicine ran out at the very end and he started coughing a little.
We ran by the grocery store and then home and Lil'D ate and went to bed.
He was really tired with the cold and all.
I didn't feel so good tonight. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!
-Until tomorrow

Super, Busy Day!

We got up this morning, fed Lil'D and headed to the zoo. We have a membership to the zoo and we are going to go every Saturday morning. There are some really tough hills to walk. That will be good for me! We look at a few of the animals. We found a new area that we had never really seen before. Turtles and lizards. We also made a pass through the children's zoo. Lil'D saw birds, racoons, goats, sheep, pigs, bugs and an otter. We were all tired. Lil'D fell asleep on the ride home. Lil'D took a nap when we got home, I got a headache and took a nap myself. I had a headache when I woke up.
We went to church at 5:15. My headache just wouldn't go away. After church I got to see my friend, Sunrise! She and her family moved to Japan a year ago. Her husband is in the Navy. It was so wonderful to see her!! She got to see Lil'D for the first time.
A bunch of us went to dinner together. We went to El Torito's. It was a very nice visit.
Lil'D was an angel! It was his first time to sit in a high chair at a resturaunt. He just took everything in. The floor, the ceiling, the ceiling fans and all the colors. He is such a good and patient boy.
Poor thing had been coughing all day long. By the time we got home his nose was running pretty bad. He had gotten a cold. It was inevitable. Little Bree has a cold in daycare. It was just a matter of time.
Lil'D fell asleep on the way home and we just put him to bed as soon as we got home. After a while J checked on him and Lil'D was having a hard time breathing. So he woke him up and did the snot sucker on him. He was upset after that and we couldn't get him to go back to sleep. Turns out he was hungry. As soon as we gave him the bottle he was out.
Time for us to be out.
-Until tomorrow

TGIF

I was so motivated and efficient today!
I got tons of work done in 3 1/2 hours! I put together a to do list that I am going to print out at the end of every day. It really made me stay on task!
I left work at 11:15. I worked on the bedroom when I got home. I put on our new bedding that my Mom & Dad bought us at the swap meet. It is really nice! I love the way a freshly made bed looks! I didn't quite finish everything I wanted. I still have tons of pictures to hang. J worked on the office/guest bedroom. It was just exclusively and office, but now since he has a new job he won't be spending so much time in there.
We picked up Lil'D together. He was so happy to see us both!
J had a soccer game so Lil'D and I played really hard!
I put him to bed at about 7pm. He was exhausted.
I worked on my blog. There are always changes I'm making. It is like a canvas and I am the artist. It's just never quite right. I love my blog(s).
-Until tomorrow

3. My precious Son, Lil'D

Lil'D was born June 6, 2006 at 9:04pm. He was 8 pounds 3 ounces and 20 inches long. My life has completely changed since we have been blessed by his presence in our life! He is such a joy. My priorities are where they should be and he makes me a better person everyday! He is so good to us! He is happy and bubbly all the time! It has been and will be such a joy to watch him grow and mature and become a man of God. He has also made me a stronger woman and I strive to be the best that I can be for him!!
What a wonderful, wonderful blessing he is!!!!!

Good day...

I let myself sleep a little late this morning. I got up a 7am. I got to work at about 8:30. "Senior" designer was gone today. The day flew by. I worked on change orders. I picked Lil'D up and got home at about 5:45. I fed him and played with him. We gave him a bath and then put him to bed. He was really tired! He is such a cutie! J and I watched Survivor and CSI. I also worked on my new blog called EllieMae's Blessings. I decided to make this blog to remind myself of all the good and wonderful things in my life! I think it will be a wonderful blog!
Time for bed.
-Until tomorrow

2. My sweet husband, J

J and I met on October 30, 1995. This was my first day of work at my former company. I had to go through some computer training before starting at the company. J had to go to that training as well. He had transferred from the California store to the Texas store. He was Department Head of Installs and a Project Manager. I was going to be a Kitchen Designer. After about an hour or two of class my computer crashed. The only available computer was next to him. He was a crack up and made me laugh the whole time. We really got to know each other and became good friends. Everyone from work would go to a dart bar after work and play darts. It was really a fun time. For Christmas J game me my first set of darts. We went on our first date around December 21st or so. We went to the movies and saw Father of the Bride II. We yapped and yapped and yapped the whole night. I instantly fell for him. He was so much fun and I just felt so comfortable with him. We were attached at the hip after that, and were always together. We went everywhere together and the whole company knew about us. I knew at the beginning that this was the man I was going to marry! We moved to California in August 1996. J was born and raised here and wanted me to live there. It was a really beautiful place. We both transferred with the company. I had the time of my life! There was so much to do and see! On December 6th, 1997, J proposed to me! We got married in Texas on June 6, 1998. We went to DisneyWorld for our honeymoon! It has been a non-stop adventure with him. There is always something going on in our life and we have so much fun together. We can laugh together and just be ourselves and I have such wonderful memories of all of our times together. There are many more to come and I look forward to all of them.
He is the love of my life. He is the most wonderful husband I could ever have asked for. He is my soulmate and my life companion. I wouldn't want to spend my time with anyone else. He is so very special to me and treats me like a princess! He is a Godly man and I am so very blessed to have him!
A few things that I know about J that I'd like to share:

• His favorite color: Clear
• His favorite food: House special chicken at Pick Up Stix
• His favorite snack: Milk & Cookies
• My favorite quote by J: "This car is wide."

1. Knowing my Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ

This is the best blessing of all. And the most important!
A few verses that get me through the day:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" -Proverbs 3:5-6
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" -Matthew 11:28
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."
-Revelation 3:20
Notice in the picture that there is not a door handle on the door. That is because Jesus cannot open the door for you. YOU have to open the door for him and invite him into your heart of your own free will!
I am blessed to have a personal relationship with my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. I am so glad I have him in my life EVERYDAY!

Andy Job

I thought I would post another one of the jobs I have done. This project...the Andy job...was my first kitchen that I designed with "Senior" designer. First, he gave me this rendering that our inner office artist did as a concept design.

"Senior" designer then gave me the room layout with measurements.

Then I do the space planning, appliance specs, and all cabinet details.


These drawing plus even more details of each cabinet including interior details, radius' and special requirements needed were sent to the manufacturer. I remember staying till 9 and 10pm putting all the detail into each and every one of these cabinets. At the time I was assisting one of the other designers here at the firm. I really wanted to work under "Senior" designer because of his creativity and positive attitude. I finally finished all the drawings and it was being manufactured. It was delivered to Tempe, Arizona. There was not a single mistake on the entire order. I am so proud of this job. Here is the before photo...

Here is the after photo:

Here is another photo that shows some of the detail that went into this job that you can't see unless you are in the room and can open every single cabinet door. The tall armoires are refrigerators and the area that the arrow is pointing to is a dishwasher...

I am so very proud of this job. It was a lot of fun to figure out and it was a really great challenge. "Senior" designer told me that if I could do the drawings for this kitchen, I could do the drawings for any kitchen. I have been his design assistant ever since. I wouldn't have it any other way! I don't need to be out front selling and being in charge of the job. I like being in the background and doing all the technical work!! I can sleep at night!!

Just thought I would share!

Not a good day...

I woke up late this morning...6:30. I couldn't get my hair to look right. Then, nothing I put on looked right. I left the house angry at the world. I got to work and just got into MustardStone world and just finished those elevations for that kitchen. I didn't feel good AT ALL. We celebrated Chica's 30th birthday at work today. I didn't even eat any cake. "Senior" designer was nowhere to be found. His wife came in today and told me just to go home and not to overwork myself. He will be going to Montana to the MustardStone project and I have to have the rest of the drawings done and the pricing. Tomorrow is gonna stink. So I went home and I got a headache on the way home. I took a nap. It just didn't help my headache.
J went and got Lil'D. He was all smiles when he got home. He was just a box of giggles. What a sweet boy! I fed him Applesauce Oatmeal. He is also practicing eating finger foods. I give him a Strawberry Apple Puff and he picks it up and puts it in his mouth. It's the cutest thing. Sometimes is sticks to his chin and I have to help him get it back in his mouth.
He was really tired tonight. We gave him a bath and put him to bed at 7:30. We noticed a rash on his arm during his bath. I'm not sure if you get food reactions in the form of a rash on the arm. He had Banana Apple Strawberries yesterday, and that is the only thing I can think that it is.
J & I are watching American Idol.
-Until tomorrow

58.Choose color & paint backsplash in kitchen

J and I went to Home Depot on Sunday. I picked Deep Garnet. It looked very, very pink for the first 2 coats. But now it is beautiful. J put on the first coat Sunday night. He put on the 2nd and 3nd coat yesterday. He finished the 4th coat today. I came home and it looks so beautiful! I love it!!

Before:

After:Before:

After:

Happy President's Day...

Traffic was awesome this morning. It was the rain and the wind that was a pain. I started on a different project today. I am going to do the technical drawings for a project called MustardStone Club. It is a 5000 square foot condo in Big Sky, Montana. This project has been floating around at our office for a couple of years now. I think their almost at the drywall stage. "Senior" Designer is going to the jobsite on Thursday I have to have the kitchen plan and elevations done and also the contract for all the cabinetry we are providing and installing. I didn't get a whole lot done today because I had to play detective. I had to figure out which plan was the most current and get the floorplan approved by "Senior" Designer. 5 o'clock finally came! I got home and played with Lil'D for awhile, fed him and fed myself. I got ready and went to see a friend I used to work with. We had a nice visit. I had to get back home and put Lil'D to bed. He is sleep now. J & I are watching old In Living Color episodes.
-Until tomorrow

Day of rest...

Got up this morning at 7am and fed Lil'D. We played for a while and he got really tired. I fed him some cereal and then he was ready for a nap. We didn't make it to church this morning. Time just got away from me. We went to the grocery store and used the buggy bagg for the first time. Lil'D got really tired of sitting up. This is a good way to get him used to sitting up more. I had a baby shower to got to at 2pm. I got lost of course, my directions were wrong. It was fun. J & I relaxed for the rest of the evening. Lil'D went to bed at 7:30. We watched the Amazing Race and The Apprentice. Time for bed already.
-Until tomorrow

Fun day...

We woke up at 7:45. Lil'D got fed and then got a bath. We got ready to go to the zoo.
Lil'D rode in his new carseat today. The weather was incredible. It was 85 degrees.
Lil'D got to see the giraffes. J & I are going to try to go to the zoo every Saturday morning to get a good walk in on the weekend!
After the zoo, we got home and picked up the house a bit. J took a nap and I watched a couple of tv shows that I had DVR'd. ER & CSI. Lil'D took a couple of really good naps today.
Tonight J & I went to Target & BabiesRus. We used the "buggy bag" for the first time. It works really great. It lines the seat in the carts at the store. It's cushioned and it buckles Lil'D in. He was getting tired though. We got dinner and went home. We fed Lil'D and put him to bed. At BabiesRus we got a breathable mesh bumper for Lil'Ds crib. He loves to snuggle his face up against the fabric bumper. That is one of the causes of SIDS. Babies breathe in the breath that they breathe out. The new bumper is really thin, but it keeps his legs out from in between the slats.
J & I watched Invincible. It was a really good movie!
I can barely keep my eyes open. I'm ready to go to bed!
-Until tomorrow

Headache...

I worked 7:45-2:30 today.
I went home and took a nap.
We picked up Lil'D and got dinner.
Lil'D went to sleep on the way home.
Lil'D and I played hard tonight.
I was exhausted!
He went to bed at 7:15.
J had a soccer game.
I took a nap on the couch.
I STILL HAVE A HEADACHE!
BOO!
-Until tomorrow

Work, Work, Work

I went to work, I worked, I left work.
Lil'D was a delight tonight!
Not much to write about
-Until tomorrow

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Woke up, got ready, and went to work. Worked all day. I gave everyone valentines with sweetarts. I left at 4:45 to pick up Lil'D. Valentine's Day is so much fun. Lil'D's daycare lady, Pam made these beautiful cards with his hand prints inside. It was so neat! It's so much fun to get things like that now. And the valentines to Lil'D from the other kids is cute too!!! I love being a MOMMY!!
J had candles burning when I got home and gave me the cutest cat. It's the one from Hallmark. It is adorable! He also gave me a beautiful ring. It has a pink heart stone in it. It is beautiful.
Lil'D was kind of a crab tonight. Pam said that he woke up really early from his afternoon nap. He was super tired tonight. With all the scootin' around he does during the day he is just wiped out at night.
J & I played with him, gave him a bath and put him to bed.
J & I had Baja fresh for our Valentine's dinner. It was yummy.
We watched the Apprentice from Sunday and American Idol.
-Until tomorrow

I was stood up today...

"Senior designer" was supposed to meet me at the office at 7:30am. He finked on me AGAIN! Sometimes it really annoys me. I worked all day today. My parents left at about noon. I was tired when I got home.
J took me to Wal-Mart. I wanted to find a pattern for the dress I am going to make for the company costume party in March!
Until tomorrow

Back to work

I was the only one out of my Mom, Dad & J that had to go to work today. I got in at 7:30. At around 1:30 I call "Senior designer" and asked if he was coming in and if I could leave at 3. He told me I could leave now!!! Wahoo! I called Mom & Dad and went and picked them up and took them to La Mesa. I had a hair appointment in the area and wanted to beat the traffic. After my hair appointment we went and picked up J. We had to run to Babies R Us and get some diapers. We all went to dinner at the Panda Buffet. It was really yummy! MMMM coconut shrimp!
Afterwards we went home and we were all tired. Time for bed!

Rainy day

It started raining today. So we decided to go to the only indoor mall (that I know of anyway) in town. My Mom & Dad bought me some beautiful clothes for work. They are so wonderful!!!! J almost didn't survive the crowds. We got to the mall at 11am and left at 3:15pm.
I took Mom & Dad to the grocery store, then we all went to dinner and sat down to watch the grammys. Mom helped me hem my jeans. It is late...time for bed. I'm the only one that has to get up and go to work tomorrow!!
-Until tomorrow

All about the swap meet

We got up at 7am this morning, got up and went to the swap meet. We stayed there till 1:30. We got all kinds of great deals. I got 3 t-shirts for $10, Incredibles backpack for $10(for Lil'D), king comforter set for $30, & a travel bag for $8. It was a good time!
After the swap meet we went to Applebee's for lunch. I had the parmesan shrimp combo. It was wonderful!! YUM-MY.
We went home and unloaded the car and let Lil'D play for a while. He is such a good shopping buddy. We went to Wal-Mart, Mom & Dad had some things they needed for the trip home.
We got home at 8:30. I gave Lil'D a bath and fed him and put him to bed.
We are watching tv now.
-Until tomorrow

91.Make bedding for our room, including 2 decorative pillows & bolsters

So my Mom & Dad and I went to the swap meet today. I can't believe I found this. I got a comforter, bedskirt, 2 shams, and 3 decorative pillows that include a bolster. In a Cal-King, for the lovely price of $30.00. It is a simple champagne color. The bedskirt is not all that attractive, but hey I paid $30 for it, I'm not complaining. The cats can accidentally catch their claws on this and hopefully not cough a hairball up on it and it doesn't matter!!! Yeah, I love the swap meet!!! I don't have to make one now!! i could never make one for this price either.
I'll post a photo soon!

Shopping, Shopping, Shopping...

We overslept this morning. It was all Lil'D's fault. He didn't make a peep this morning. I just happened to wake up and he was awake and just playing in his crib. What a sweet boy. I got him ready and took him to daycare. My Mom and I got ready and went to breakfast at IHOP. Then we went to IKEA. We stayed there for about 2 1/2 hours. We went to Sephora after that. It was packed. I have a gift certificate that I wanted to use. We left after 30 minutes. I found out it would be best to make an appointment. We picked up Lil'D and then went to The Container Store. Lil'D loved it. He just looked at all the different shapes and colors. He fell asleep after an hour and a half. We went home after that. I fed Lil'D sweet potatoes and peaches. We had more shopping to do. My Dad was on his way down to stay the weekend!!
Mom, Lil'D and I went to Ross. We combed the whole store. My Dad was finally minutes away after driving all day. He started the drive down at about 2:00pm. He arrived at 8:45pm. It took him about 7 hours to drive down. He said it was farther that he thought when he got here. Lil'D tryed to stay awake but was out at 8:30. Dad parked the truck in front of the house. I gave him the tour of the house. He really liked our new place better that the old place.
J had to leave at 9. He had a soccer game at 10 tonight. I cleaned up the kitchen and we sat and talked for a while. They decided to go to bed at about 10:30. I brought the laptop into the bedroom and here I am. Jeremy just got home and I'm ready to go to sleep now. I am beat from the past two days with Mom.
-Until tomorrow

Motivated!!

Lil'D woke me up at 5:40 this morning. I fed him his bottle and got him ready to go. Mom & I took him to daycare and went and got coffee. Today, my Mom helped me finish up the closet I have been working on since I moved in. I emptied the rest of the boxes, hung up all the clothes that I still can't wear yet. I only have 1 more box to unpack that's it. I organized everything neatly on the shelves above. It is beautiful!!
J cleaned out the office. He broke down the old desk that he has been using and shoved everything else in the corner. We went and got the mattress and box spring from storage, picked Lil'D up from daycare and I set up the bed in the office.
We went to the mall to check out prices on new car seats for Lil'D. We also had dinner at the food court. We got back home, played with Lil'D, fed him and put him to bed. We watched Survivor. We are off to bed now.
-Until tomorrow

67. Take rocking chair to my in-laws

We took the rocking chair over and traded it for our mattress and box springs for the guest bedroom!!! Yeah!!

74. Organize master closet

I spent the whole day on the closet. My Mom was here and kept me going! Yeah, the closet is finally done. I have tons of storage space now!!

My Mom is here!!!

Went in to work today at 7:30am. I got all my main stuff done today. "Senior" designer wanted me to gather plans, pictures, etc., for a job we did 7 years ago for a kitchen contest. 7 years ago the company was not using computers. Everything was hand drawn. I searched and searched and found the plans. I really got lucky. I started pulling everything together at about 11:30 and completed everything at 2:30. I left work, picked Lil'D up, picked up J, dropped off Lil'D at Auntie E's and J & I headed north to pick up my Mom. We got to the truck stop at about 5:30. We went to eat dinner at Souplantation. They had cream of rosemary potatoe soup and it was the best I've ever had!!! After dinner, my Dad wanted to get a few more miles up the road. He was heading a couple hundred miles north. Mom came home with me! We got to the house at about 9pm. We went and picked up Lil'D, fed him and put him to bed. We stayed up and watched Lost. I'm sure we will go to bed here in a few minutes...
-Until tomorrow

Usual day...

Woke up the usual time, left the house the usual time, got Lil'D to daycare at the usual time, I got to work at the usual time. Today was just like all the other days. I worked, I drove home.
J & I went for a walk with Lil'D. J made dinner, I fed Lil'D: Carrots & Bananas were on the menu tonight. J & I had steak! Lil'D and I played for a while. I stacked his cups and he knocked them down. I put them far away and he pulled himself to them. Then we played flip Lil'D upside down. He laughed and laughed! I think I wore him out. We gave him a bath, then fed him his bottle. To bed he went at 7:45. He goes to bed so good! I cleaned up the place and sat down for some brainless tv. We watched American Idol and House. Time for bed now.
-Until tomorrow

Mondays just hurt sometimes...

Everything went as usual this morning. I talked to my Mom. She & my Dad had to take his truck to a dealership to get his JakeBrake fixed. They told him it would take the rest of the day and they would call him at 10am tomorrow. So they got a hotel room and rented a car and went out exploring the town they were in. Obviously they are going to be a day late. They were going to be here by noon tomorrow. They are going to be here now on Wednesday at noon. I can't wait to see them!!
At work I have turned in the orders for the Kitchen, the bar, the butler's pantry, the office, the powder rooms and the guest baths. I am almost done. I really need to sit with "Senior" designer and get him approval on the rest of the designs. If I don't do it now, the changes will have to be done later.
I was supposed to get a haircut but traffic was just too bad to get there. I wasn't in the mood to face it. I rescheduled for next Monday.
J & I went for a walk. It felt really good and J and I got to discuss things that we haven't had time to talk about. After our walk, we fed Lil'D. He seems so exhausted lately! It must be all that army crawling he is doing.
-Until tomorrow

Super Bowl Sunday

Today was a very nice day. Here is a list of all I accomplished:
1. Woke up at 7am, fed Lil'D
2. Took shower and fixed hair
3. Church at 8:15. We actually sat in service, Lil'D slept the entire time.
4. J & I went to the grocery store
5. I semi-organized the desk, the dining room, the living room & Lil'D's room.
6. We watched the super bowl with friends
7. I cleaned everything up!!

I also finished something new...101 in 1001. I have added a link in the sidebar to 101 in 1001. I have made a list of 101 items and I have 1001 days to complete them. I have posted the list and am ready to get started!! I love to do lists!
Time for bed!
-Until tomorrow

Ready to go

Ok. My list is up and I'm ready to go. I already have several in progress!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Woke up this morning at 8am. Lil'D was kind enough to sleep a little longer for me to get a shower in. J had softball practice at 8:30. He walked over. I got Lil'D ready, put him in the new jogging stroller and we were off. We walked to the softball fields. I did a couple of laps while they finished up practice. J and I walked back. It was a perfect day for a walk. 70 degress and not a cloud in the sky. Once we got back we took showers and made a trip to Wal-Mart. I needed more fabric for the curtains. We got chinese for lunch. We put Lil'D down for a nap and started cleaning up. J mopped the kitchen floors and vacuumed. I entertained Lil'D when he woke up from his "cat" nap. We gave Lil'D a bath and put him to bed! I cleaned the kitchen and J cleaned the bathroom!! We ate dinner and watched National Treasure.
-Until tomorrow

TGIF!!!!!

I woke up and went to work thinking that I was going to leave at 11am. Then, my Dad calls and asks if I could handle driving about an hour an a half to meet him and pick up my Mom. It's way better than three hours! My Dad is hauling a trailer out to California and had wanted my Mom to come and I would pick her up in Barstow. That would take like seven hours round trip. Crazy. So Dad rearranged his route and is going through a town closer. It will take me three hours round trip to get my Mom. She is going to stay with me while my Dad delivers a trailer and make some sales calls in Northern California. My Mom & Dad will be here at about noon on Tuesday. I decided to stay at work today until 5pm to make up for the hours I will miss on Tuesday. I got home at 5:40. I started on Lil'D's curtains. J had a soccer game. I played with Lil'D, fed him and put him to bed. I worked on the curtains till my back couldn't handle it anymore. J got home as I had sat down to rest and watch a little tv. Time for bed!
-Until tomorrow

List & Category is complete...

Spirituality
Pray every morning
Pray every night before bed with J
Memorize the books of the bible
Read the entire bible in 120 days
Read the entire bible again but in 90 days
Read online devotion every morning at work
Memorize 1 scripture per month
Attend 5 church functions in one year

Marriage & Family
Renew wedding vows on 10 yr aniversary June 6, 2008
Watch a sunset with J
Go to a coffe shop and drink the entire cup there with J
Stay a night in a hotel with J
Go on a date with J 2x in 1 month (just me & him)
Make a living trust with J
Start a family tradition
Celebrate Lil'D's 1st b-day with a party at our house
Start a savings for Lil'D
Get Shadow spayed

Health & Fitness
Drink 8 glasses of H2O/day for 1 week
Loose 10 lbs
Loose 20 lbs
Loose 30 lbs
Loose 40 lbs (goal)
Choose and take vitamins
Exercise at least 3x per week
Go to bed at 9:30pm at least 2x for one week
Ride bikes with J on the weekend
Floss twice a day for 1 month straight
Brush my teeth after lunch for 2 weeks straight
Start and complete Slim in 6
Start advanced Slim in 6 Video collection after Slim in 6 is complete

Personal
Send out Christmas cards on Dec 9, 2007
Send out Christmas cards on Dec 9, 2008
Put together a reading list and read all the books that I own
Don't bite nails for 2 weeks straight
Get up a 5am for 5 workdays in a row
Get up at 5am for 2 weeks in a row (excluding weekends)
Get manicure once nails have grown out every month
Get back into pre-pregnancy clothes
Go a whole day without being on the computer
Charge, load and use my Ipod
Complete a jigsaw puzzle (not online)
Have lunch with 3 friends
Trim my personal tv consumption to 2 hours a day or less
Complete a daily regiman list
Type out all of my childhood memories before I forget them.
Post to my blog for 1 month straight
Iron & hem clothes that need it
Moisturize my legs for 3 weeks straight
Create new 101 list once this one is completed

House & Home
Make & follow weekly menu for one week
Make & follow weekly menu for two weeks
Make & follow weekely menu for three weeks
Finish up cleaning schedule and follow it for 1 month
Put another coat of paint on Lil'Ds mural in his room
Sew curtains for Lil'D's room and install
Go through all of Lil'D's clothes and purge things that don't fit
Choose color & paint backsplash in kitchen
Choose fabric, sew curtains and install for kitchen
Organize entire kitchen, including pantry
Organize my entire desk area, including files
Choose placement and install hooks for my bags
Decide what to put above dining room shelves
Baby proof the living room & Lil'D's room
Print out 8x10s for living room, frame & hang
Organize coat closet
Take rocking chair to my in-laws
Paint and install chair rail in the guest bath
Organize guest bath
Hang pictures in master bedroom
Paint headboard mural in master bedroom
Choose fabric, sew & install new curtains in master bedroom
Paint & organize master Bathroom, caulk shower also
Organize master closet
Get rid of old dishwasher in backyard
Clean back patio & yard
Clean out refer/freezer 1x every 2mos
Make 3 meals in one week
Organize laundry area
Help J get the office completely organized.
Catalog all our DVDs & CDs
Organize all our backup disks of photos

Creative
Complete Chica's wedding album on Shutterfly
Finish crocheting Lil'D's blanket with a hood
Crochet an afghan
Make my own dress for the Viva Rock Vegas party at work
Take photos of a day in my life
Create my own piece of art
Complete Lil'D's scrapbook of his 1st year
Finish my vacation collages to include carribean cruise, OR trip, AZ trip, & New York
Make bedding for our room, including 2 decorative pillows & bolsters
Paint 2 chairs Mary Engelbreit style
Design & make a purse
Organize budget & bill paying

Travel & Entertainment
Take a vacation the last week of June 2007
Go camping
Go to Disneyland
Go to Magic Mountain
Go to museums in Balboa park
Go to the flower fields
Go to New York

Hello February...

This morning was crazy. We had a big meeting happening at 10am and I was rushing around as usual doing last minute stuff. The meeting went well. The bad thing was I didn't eat breakfast, and by the time the meeting was over it was already noon. I broke down and got Taco Bell. I had a Taco Salad.
J & I went to Wal-Mart when I got home. I bought fabric for the curtains in Lil'D's room. We watched a little tv and it was already time for bed. Today was a pretty uneventful day.
Except at daycare, Lil'D army crawled a little. J said he saw him. I just have to be ok with missing those moments.
Time for bed...Goodnight
-Until tomorrow

Here are the catagories that I have come up with...

House & Home
Family Life
Health & Beauty
Sports & Activities
Financial
Spiritual
Creativity & Entertainment
Travel
Relationships
Misc.
Career & Experiences

Starting my list...

I started my list yesterday...here is what I have so far:

1. Celebrate Lil'D's 1st b-day with a party at our house
2. Send out Christmas cards on Dec 9, 2007
3. Send out Christmas cards on Dec 9, 2008
4. Make a living trust with J
5. Put together a reading list and read all the books that I own
6. Drink 8 glasses of H2O/day for 1 week
7. Don't bite nails for 2 weeks straight
8. Get up a 5am for 5 workdays in a row
9. Get up at 5am for 2 weeks in a row (excluding weekends)
10. Make & follow weekly menu for one week
11. Make & follow weekly menu for two weeks
12. Make & follow weekely menu for three weeks
13. Loose 10 lbs
14. Loose 20 lbs
15. Loose 30 lbs
16. Loose 40 lbs (goal)
17. Choose and take vitamins
18. Get manicure once nails have grown out every month
19. Exercise at least 3x per week
20. Finish up cleaning schedule and follow it for 1 month
21. Take a vacation the last week of June 2007
22. Go to bed at 9:30pm at least 2x for one week
23. Put another coat of paint on Lil'Ds mural in his room
24. Sew curtains for Lil'D's room and install
25. Go through all of Lil'D's clothes and purge things that don't fit
26. Choose color & paint backsplash in kitchen
27. Choose fabric, sew curtains and install for kitchen
28. Organize entire kitchen, including pantry
29. Organize my entire desk area, including files
30. Choose placement and install hooks for my bags
31. Decide what to put above dining room shelves
32. Baby proof the living room & Lil'D's room
33. Print out 8x10s for living room, frame & hang
34. Organize coat closet
35. Take rocking chair to my in-laws
36. Paint and install chair rail in the guest bath
37. Organize guest bath
38. Hang pictures in master bedroom
39. Paint headboard mural in master bedroom
40. Choose fabric, sew & install new curtains in master bedroom
41. Paint & organize master Bathroom, caulk shower also
42. Organize master closet
43. Get rid of old dishwasher in backyard
44. Clean back patio & yard
45. Clean out refer/freezer 1x every 2mos
46. Make 3 meals in one week
47. Organize budget & bill paying
48. Pray every morning
49. Organize laundry area
50. Pray every night before bed with J
51. Memorize the books of the bible
52. Read the entire bible in 120 days
53. Read the entire bible again but in 90 days
54. Read online devotion every morning at work
55. Renew wedding vows on 10 yr aniversary June 6, 2008
56. Get back into pre-preganany clothes
57. Help J get the office completely organized.
58. Complete Chica's wedding album on Shutterfly
59. Finish crocheting Lil'D's blanket with a hood
60. Crochet an afghan
61. Make my own dress for the Viva Rock Vegas party at work
62. Watch a sunset with J
63. Ride bikes with J on the weekend
64. Go a whole day without being on the computer
65. Charge, load and use my Ipod
66. Complete a jigsaw puzzle (not online)
67. Go to a coffe shop and drink the entire cup there with J
68. Go camping
69. Stay a night in a hotel with J
70. Have lunch with 3 friends
71. Take photos of a day in my life
72. Go to Disneyland
73. Go to Magic Mountain
74. Create my own piece of art
75. Catalog all our DVDs & CDs
76. Organize all our backup disks of photos
77. Complete Lil'D's scrapbook of his 1st year
78. Trim my personal tv consumption to 2 hours a day or less
79. Complete a daily regiman list
80. Memorize 1 scripture per month
81. Type out all of my childhood memories before I forget them.
82. Post to my blog for 1 month straight
83. Floss twice a day for 1 month straight
84. Brush my teeth after lunch for 2 weeks straight
85. Start a savings for Lil'D
86. Go on a date with J 2x in 1 month (just me & him)
87. Finish my vacation collages to include carribean cruise, OR trip, AZ trip, & New York
88. Make bedding for our room, including 2 decorative pillows & bolsters
89. Start and complete Slim in 6
90. Start advanced Slim in 6 Video collection after Slim in 6 is complete
91. Paint 2 chairs Mary Engelbreit style
92. Attend 5 church functions in one year
93. Get all of the Barn job ordered at work
94. Organize & Purge files at work
95. Organize office & J's closet
96. Go to museums in Balboa park
97. Start a family tradition
98. Iron & hem clothes that need it
99. Go to the flower fields
100. Design & make a purse
101. Go to New York

Goodbye January 2007

Can you believe it? Today is the last day of January. Where did the month go? It is crazy how time flys sometimes!
Today I continued my saga through the Barn project. Of course I didn't get to do what I had planned to do. The bar was supposed to be completed and sent to the manufacture. It didn't happen. "Senior" designer and I have a meeting at 10am tomorrow at our office. The project manager, the electrician and the lighting engineer are meeting with us. Lighting is a whole other world in addition to cabinetry. I know simple basics. I am learning, slowly. The problem is...I don't always design a lighting plan. Only some projects. So when you spend all that time planning it out, learning the ins & outs you don't do another one for another couple of months and you forget. I do cabinets ALL of the time. Lighting only sometimes. So, today I was putting together a specification package of all the appliances in the Barn house. Wee, fun. Copy, Copy, Copy...staple.
Tonight our small group has been cancelled due to the leaders son being sick. A couple of us are going out to eat at Fuddruckers. Lil'D is at Auntie E's. She couldn't wait to see him. Gosh, I love her! She is such a huge blessing to have!!! and she loves Lil'D too!
Off to eat we go!
-Until tomorrow

101 in 1001

I found this challenge while I was doing my nightly blog reads. I really want to do this!! Here is what the dates will be if I start February:

Start date: Feb 1, 2007
Target date: Oct 27, 2009

Barn Residence...

Click on the image to see it larger!

This is the Barn Residence that I have been working on since I got back from maternity leave back in September. We have been working with this client for almost 2 years now. The house is being built as we speak. As I said in the previous post, they are about to "place" the concrete foundation. I am most proud of this job.

Click on the image to see it larger!
Here is the rendering of the kitchen. The veneers that are going to be used are Block Mottled Macre & Tropical Olive. There are no handles, only channels where you can grab the doors or drawers with your fingers. The soffits above the cabinets are veneer as well. This kitchen is going to be amazing when it is completed!!!


Click on the image to see it larger!
Here is the kitchen floorplan specifically.



Click on the image to see it larger!
Here are the kitchen elevations.
I'm done with all the details needed to email the plans to the manufacturer!
Off it goes!!
I left work today at 4:30 to pick up Lil'D. Usually J picks him up, but when it's raining J likes me to pick him up. Lil'D had peas and applesauce for dinner. J & I picked up the house a little. The electrician is coming tomorrow to install my new range and microhood!! Yeah me!
It's time for a snack and to relax and watch American Idol.
-Until tomorrow

Plain old Monday...

Today was just an ok day. I worked on Barn for the majority of the day. I am working out details so that it can get ordered. My goal was to send one area a day to order. But that goal won't start until tomorrow. Here is my goal list to order Barn:
-Tuesday (1-30-07) KITCHEN
-Wednesday (1-31-07) BAR & BUTLER'S PANTRY
-Thursday (2-1-07) FAMILY ROOM ENTERTAINMENT CENTER
-Friday (2-2-07) OFFICE
-Monday (2-5-07) MASTER BATH
-Tuesday (2-6-07) POWDER ROOMS & GUEST BATHS
-Wednesday (2-7-07) LAUNDRY ROOM
-Thursday (2-8-07) WINE CELLAR
-Friday (2-9-07) HIS CLOSET
-Monday (2-12-07) HER CLOSET
-Tuesday (2-13-07) MASTER BEDROOM ENTERTAINMENT CENTER -Wednesday (2-14-07) OUTDOOR BBQ
-Thursday (2-15-07) INTERIOR DOORS

That's the plan. It will take 2 weeks to get all these areas ordered. After the orders are placed, the cabinet manufacturer sends us the working drawings for approval, then they go into fabrication. We've got a long way to go on this project...and the client wants to move into their new house in September. The concrete is being "placed" this next month. I don't think September is realistic. For our sake I hope the building of this house gets behind!
I left work at 4:40 and got home at 5:05. I was going to walk but realized it was getting darker faster because it was cloudy. So J & I made a trip to Costco. We needed water and formula. I was really hungry so we got Taco Bell for dinner. BAD, BAD, BAD!!!! I did nothing for the rest of the evening.
Nothing meaning, no house cleaning or projects that needed to be done.
I fed Lil'D squash and applesauce. He was a good boy!! J & I sat and played with him for a while. Then it was his bedtime. J & I just relaxed for the rest of the evening. I watched a little of the Miss America Pagent. It was really kind of boring.
Time for bed!
-Until tomorrow

Wonderful day!!

J let me sleep in a little this morning. Lil'D woke up and about 7am. J got up and fed him and played with him. I got out of bed at 8:30. Lil'D was all smiles. They were having a wonderful time together. I fed him his breakfast: rice cereal mixed with bananas.
I set up the projector and started to trace the Padres logo on the wall. After tracing, I took a little break. We went to pick up a prescription and a few items at the grocery store. We also got lunch. After lunch I painted the logo. Lil'D took a nap. I managed to get all the color in, first coat anyway. Accomplishment!! J & I picked up the house a little and sat down for some family time and rest. Lil'D was all over the place. He spent some time in his Baby Enstein Discovery Center, in his pillow corral playing with all his toys, and napping in his crib.
I gave him applesauce for the first time today. He absolutely loved it.
Here is a list of all the vegetables and fruits he has had so far. The astericks represent his very favorites:

• Squash
• Carrots*
• Peas
• Sweet Potatoes*
• Green Beans
• Bananas
• Applesauce*

Still to come:

• Pears
• Peaches
• Apricots
• Prunes (don't know about this one)
• then comes meats mixed with vegetables (yummy :))

His palette is getting bigger. He is really a good eater. He never turns his head away from anything. What a good boy.
After putting Lil'D to bed at around 7:45, J & I just relaxed. We watched the SAG awards, part of You're the One that I Want (couldn't stand to watch the whole thing), and then The Apprentice.

Ok, time for bed

-Until tomorrow

Pretty!

I prettied up my blog today. I finally figured out how to add a custom banner! I love my blog now! It is just as I imagined...girly. I am a girly girl. I love pretty flowery pink things!!
So this weekend is already flying by. I spent the day finishing up the bolt mural in Lil'D's room. Tomorrow I will paint the Padres logo. I will finish it!
We also had a family birthday party. It is J's oldest brother's birthday. He is about 10 years older than J. We also went to church at 5:15. J and I sit in the cry room. There always seems to be people who really shouldn't be using the cry room in there. This lady came in with her daughter who seemed to be around 6. The little girl smacked on apple slices almost the whole time. It was so hard to concentrate. I tried not to let it bother me. Afterall, I was at church and who knows why the lady was in the cry room. It was just annoying.
I watched the following movies while making changes to my blog:
Jerry Maguire
Cocktail
Summer School is on right now (it's really lame so far)
Ok, time for bed!! I supposed to be in bed by midnight. I'm a little late.
-Until tomorrow

I did it!!!!

So yesterday when I got home from work, J & I went for a walk with Lil'D. We walked for 25 minutes. Yeah...one new year's resolution started!! J just kept feeling worse & worse as the night went on. This morning J felt so bad he was going to go to the doctor. He discovered that the wrong doctor was on his insurance card. Some doctor that was like 4 hours away. He called and changed the doctor, but they told him he had to wait 5 days. Insurance companies are stupid! J rested all day, took cough medicine, ate chicken noodle soup, drank gatorade and orange juice. He called me at work at about 4:15 and asked me to pick up Lil'D. He didn't want to pick him up sick and spread his germs to the other kids. I left work at 4:30, picked up Lil'D & got home at 5pm. It was still very light outside! I changed really fast and went for a walk before it got dark!!! Yeah, me. I worried all day about how I wouldn't be able to walk for the next couple of days because J is sick. The reason for that is because I'm not going to walk by myself at night. I'm going to leave work at the same time tomorrow and Thursday I think so that I can walk.
I also cleaned the bathroom afterward. Then, I fed Lil'D, ate dinner, gave Lil'D a bath, fed Lil'D again, put Lil'D to bed and sat down and watched a little tv.
It's time for bed.
-Until tomorrow