February 26, 2012

Confession: I Lied to My Nana

Yes, it's true. I lied to my Nana. Many times in fact. In my defense it was for a very good reason. Not to mention, it was sooo worth it. Check out this face of pure shock as she walked in the door...


SURPRISE!!! 


Still shocked about it all, but pretty pleased to have all her close friends there to celebrate her 80th birthday. It took a while for her to take it all in.


After realizing my mom, Aunt Donna, and cousin Gail had all flown in from out of town for the party, we got her with one more surprise...my cousin Bobby.



I think after so many surprises she began to look over her shoulder, a bit leery of what was to come.

Here's my Nana with her grandkids and daughter-in-laws. 



What a fun party it was!

February 25, 2012

A Retro Redo

Since we've been in Alton, I've started a new hobby...antique shopping. There are some great buys out there and it's a thrifty way to get high quality furniture for a fraction of the cost of buying new. At first Kyle thought it was just a bunch of "old crap", but I think I've convinced him that it's a good way for us to fill in the missing pieces of furniture without having to spend a lot.

About a month ago, while meandering through an antique mall with Nana, I came across these danish modern chairs and I just couldn't get them out of my head. The ugly, lime green "pleather" had to go and reupholstering them seemed a bit overwhelming, but again, in order to save money it had to be a DIY project. For just $50 a piece, we bought 2 of these chairs and began to make them our own.



Kyle immediately began ripping out the hundreds of staples while keeping the existing material intact for us to use as a template. While taking the chairs apart we found out they were made in 1967.

We searched around for a funky fabric that would fit the retro style of the chair without making it look old. We finally ordered a fun upholstery fabric online for half the price I saw it for in the stores and we're thrilled with it. My mom and I cautiously recovered the chair, learning as we went. A few hours later we had a new chair and we couldn't be happier with the results.

What do you think?





A side by side of the before and after. One chair down, one to go.


You could say that we just love our new chairs and can't wait to put them in our new home (wherever it will be).


February 17, 2012

Drug of Choice

When I get tired, sick, stressed, or just need some alone time I slip into the tub. It's most definitely my quick fix for any ailment or life trouble. It somehow fixes everything, even just for the time being.

warm water + a good book + a glass of wine = happy heidi

While we lived on the island, baths weren't an option mainly because we only had a tub for one semester and I wasn't sure about the cleanliness of the water. Not to mention, sitting in a steam-filled bathroom submerged in hot water was my last thought after sweating all day. I sure hope wherever we end up next, or after that, or for good, we have a nice tub. It's got me thinking about my dream bath tub. What about some of these? They look pretty nice...






February 14, 2012

L-O-V-E

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

We have no special plans today...Kyle is studying, I'm teaching, and dinner will be at home cozied up by the fireplace. No fancy meal, expensive date, or festive holiday needed for us to celebrate our love for each other. As long as we're together, we're happy. That's one thing med school will teach you.

Do you have anything special planned?

February 13, 2012

80 and Counting...

Today my Nana turned 80. What an accomplishment.

If you're reading this in the morning with your coffee or O.J. or perhaps in the evening with some wine or cocktail, please raise your glass to many more years of service to others and a continued source of love and joy to our family.

Happy Birthday Nana! You're one of kind.

(This photo was taken after church and breakfast on Sunday. We thought we'd tie the balloons to her wrist like a little kid as she walked around. Embarrassment is enjoyable at any age.)

February 9, 2012

Nothing to Show

One week in Arizona...

Dinners with friends, laughing with family, meeting new babies, trying new restaurants, revisiting favorites, indulging, a Super Bowl party, selecting fabric, shopping for antiques, Mom's birthday, bowling, playing with the dogs, golfing

                                                                                                        ...and not one picture taken!

We had a great time back home, as always, and I guess we were so busy having fun we forgot to take even one snapshot to remember it all. Oops!