Super Mega Post

So yeah, it's been a month, plus. Sorry! I blame my laptop this time- my hard-drive finally got so full I couldn't download pictures anymore. In fact, it was so full, I could no longer copy&paste or even run Photoshop- that's bad. Anyways, thanks to a new hard-drive (installed by a sweet hubby who got sick of my whining), I'm now armed with 600GB of empty space, so that should last me another couple months. Now, on to the fun!


Part 1: The Kitchen
It's done, it's done!!! Phew what a whirlwind couple weeks. We decided to plow through and get everything done as quickly as possible- a slightly painful approach- but life with 3 humans and 3 dogs and no kitchen is not pleasant. So here's the laundry list: We knocked out the hanging cabinets between the kitchen & den to open it up (there was an existing bar, but it was basically unusable), had a carpenter build new doors & new drawers (with glides!!! a major improvement over the old wood-on-wood design), tore out the old tile countertop & replaced with granite (Kashmir Gold) & a travertine backsplash, new sink & faucet, and (finally) replaced the old cooktop. After some rewiring to add new switched outlets, Travis installed some sweet LED undercabinet lighting & a purty new LED spot above the bar. We're REALLY happy with how everything turned out and feel good about getting enough "bang for the buck."
Ok, enough talk- here are the before & after shots:

When we moved in. Fantastic hardware, plaid wallpaper, old appliances, tile countertops- and completely filthy. There was an immediate mini-fix-up to replace hardware, repaint the cabinets, and update a couple appliances (like the 1960 oven). And lots of cleaning. LOTS.

(seriously, there were handprints on the ceiling!)




And, tada! The new and improved kitchen. yeah, side-by-side doesn't look nearly as impressive... in pictures at least-oh well!!

Here's a comparison of the other side, where we knocked out the hanging cabinets:

This really made a huge difference in how open the kitchen feels. You can actually see the TV from the kitchen now! And it makes the den much brighter. SO glad we finally did this!



Part 2: Ashley's Bridal Shower
The clock was ticking- loudly- during the kitchen remodel because my mom & I were hosting a bridal shower for my (very) soon-to-be sister-in-law Ashley at our house a week later! Eek! But everything came together and we had a wonderful party!  For those that don't know the story, Travis proposed over a game of Scrabble, so I made tiny chocolate Scrabble tiles to decorate the table and the chocolate mousse desserts. Ashley has some fabulous style, so we showed off some yummy "something blue" stilettos as the centerpiece.  But this may be my favorite part- we framed some of the dress designs my grandmother had sketched when she was young (and stuck in bed due to asthma).  Many, many thanks to Mom & Arlene for their help! And yes, Ashley got to keep the Tiffany boxes... and the martini glasses inside them. :) We're so incredibly excited to be adding Ashley to our family! Just 23 more days to go until their wedding- we can't wait!

The lovely bride-to-be, Ms. Ashley Lauren.

All the goodies.

Yummy Marc Jacobs centerpiece (something blue... and borrowed! haha!)

One of my grandmother's dresses, drawn in 1939. (something old!)

And lots of somethings new!

Being the terrible Scrabble player I am, this was the most advanced play I could pull together. :)

Part 3: Lil Longhorns
We took a quick trip to Dallas for more wedding-related fun: Ashley's bachelorette party & a bridal shower. While we were there we stopped to visit with our friends Tommy & Audra and their adorable little boy Jack, who is just 3 weeks younger than Sierra. Being the good Longhorns they are, they have some tiny orange duds for Jack, so we had to get some cute pics of the Lil Horns. Photographing 2 babies is hard enough, but add in a bucket full of toys, 3 dogs (their 2, Max & Albert, plus Zoe), and 2 impending nap times and it's a serious challenge.

Next up: Sierra's first Texas game!!! Whooo!! :) And walking- that's pretty cool too..  ;)