Tricks and Treats!

Happy Halloween my friends!! In this house right now, its more like HOWLoween!! Baby Cash is doing awesome, and Sammy is his usual self, not wanting to share his toys or food, but sweet nonetheless. Lots has been going on around here, starting with our friend Ash and her contractor hubby Ken staying with us!!!! Ken has some crazy motivation, and decided he was going to re-paint our great room!! WOW!! This is a project I've been wanting to tackle for ages, but I am a shortie and I hate pulling out the ladder so its been on the back burner. Not anymore!!
Remember when I challenged myself to make over our living room a few months back? Painting over the peanut butter (yes thats really what the paint color is called... shoulda known better...) was a major priority.

This picture is pretty true to the color of the paint. Peanut butter, literally. And now... its going bye bye!!!!!!!! Ken has finished cutting in, and James and I are off to buy more paint (Behr Gobi Desert in Eggshell), and I think we are going to get hardware for our kitchen cabinets too!!! Ahhh! So much fun its killing me! I am in shock over how much the new paint color changes the room. The orangey (not a real word) oak cabinets are popping off the lighter wall color, and I sort of like them now?!! What has come over me!?
I love how a small change like new paint colors can steamroll into a mini makeover of a whole room!

In closing, I will leave you with a pile of cuteness in the form of new pics of Cash, and some old Halloween shots of James, Sammy and I.

Cash is growing FAST and will be 10 weeks old on Thursday. He loves laying in the sun and gnawing on rawhide chips.

Here is Sammy at our old house downtown 2 years ago. Our fence was wrought iron with flames on it for real! And James, being the 12 year old trapped in a 30-somethings body, loved impaling a pumpkin on the fence.

Our anniversary is November 11th, so one year we had a pimps and ho's theme party for it. Such a good time. These pictures explain it pretty well. Except they don't show James red pleather pants... Memorable, let me tell ya!!!

 

This was 2009, I was a saloon girl and James was a dead cowboy. He lost that awesome western hat that night. A worthy sacrifice. 

And we finish with 2010. We both had to work that morning, and everyone at work dressed up. My man LOVES painting his face. It gets better every year. 

 

As you can see, we have a dead chef, an 80's workout instructor, me - a ladybug, David Bowie, a panda, Taylor Swift, and Sean Waak (an old bartender). Good times, I love these people!! 

Hope everyone has had a safe and enjoyable Halloweekend!!! Be back soon with pics of our updated kitchen and great room!

An Impromtu Family Expansion

Call me crazy. I know it, James knows it, we are all ok with the situation. 
Remember back a few months ago when I posted about our fur baby Cruz? Well its been about 8 months now since Cruzie passed away, and we have had a lot of time to grieve and recover from our loss. Our agreement was to not get another puppy until:
A) We returned from our long trip to Canada

B) It was just worked out

Now everyone knows, life has a way of making you work, instead of things just working out.  Not many people know this, but we have tried to get 3 different puppies since we returned home and they all fell through.
But somehow last Wednesday the starts aligned, I drove 9 hours round trip with Sammy to Roseburg, and returned home with this little monster. 

World, Meet Cash!!!! 

He is an 8 week old Rottweiler/Pitbull mix, but we think he might have some boxer in him as well. We rescued him from a group called Saving Grace, located in Roseburg, Oregon. After James spotted him on a rescue website, we immediately called the shelter to find out if he was still available. Low and behold, he was the last in the litter and still there! After an all day adventure, we made it back to Bend around 5:30pm, (I left at 8am, ugh, long day), and started our new life!!

 

While Sam seems to be slightly skeptical, the boys are getting along extremely well so far. Cash was a little skinny when I brought him home, so I invested in some high protein puppy food to put some meat on his bones. He is VERY food motivated, I imagine he is still used to having battle his siblings for his share, so we are slowly working on that by making him 'sit' and wait for his food. We also feed him small portions at a time out of our hands, so he gets used to our scent on his food, which will help in the future with food dominance issues. 

We took a trip up to Hood River for venue hunting this weekend, and the boys came along. Cash got to meet my parents three Malteses, as well as Sophie. That was quite an experience, a 5 year old and an 8 week old puppy, but it was overall quite successful. 

 

As puppies do, he sleeps often, and bites anything he can get his mouth near. We've been keeping a toy nearby at all time so we can correct his biting by giving him something that's ok to chew on, and he is catching on super fast.  He is great at riding in the car, and is getting used to crate training. Potty training is coming along as well. 

Yesterday he got to play in the truck for a while as James and I prepared to take a quick bike ride. 

We are loving him!!! Don't get me wrong, it has been quite a ride already, but we are on the right track to raising an awesome pup! He still has to get two  more shots before we can really start taking him places (the parvo risk is still very high!), but the next one is next week, so time is flying already.
I'm just feeling super thankful that life decided to finally 'work out', and bring us the puppy we've been waiting for.

So what do you think of our little mush-mush? Adorable? Want to steal him? I figured. Hope you all are enjoying Fall and getting ready for Halloween!!! I want to be Nicki Minaj...

Thankful in Fall

Once again, the oh-so-wonderful Interweb has informed me that today is Canada's Thanksgiving. As you may have noticed from our frequent trips to Whistler, and our recent engagement on a white mountaintop in Canada, we are pretty big fans of our neighbors to the North.

Summit of Whistler

The wonderful weather phenomenon known as an Inversion

So here is an abbreviated list of things I am thankful for at the moment.

- Canada, and all the wonderful memories we have made there.
- Our hobby of mountain biking and all the amazing places it has taken us.

- James, the most incredible person I have ever met. He keeps a smile on my face and in my heart, and I love him more than anything else in this world.
- Sammy... oh Sammy. How could I not be thankful for you? My partner in crime, my best friend, and my furry son.

- My friends, you all make my world go round. I tend to surround myself with people who inspire me and make me happy, and you all exemplify that. Love you!!! 

-Of course, my family. My parents are amazing people who support me in my decisions, and love without judging. I am proud to be their daughter. And my little brother, Tom, and new sister Sophie. You two are amazing and I am so thankful to call you my siblings. You can always put a smile, or smirk, on my face. 

 

- My job. Many people can't say this about their place of employment, so I think it is worth mentioning. Not only do I love my job as it is described on paper, I love my co-workers, my bosses, the customers I get to encounter on a daily basis, and all the fun places I get to go while representing my company. GABF anyone?

There are many, MANY more things I am thankful for, but this list is pretty much a constant. Life is pretty damn good. And speaking of GABF, I was planning on doing a 'what I learned while on a bender in Denver' post, but that title pretty much explains it. The trip was wonderful and full of fun and beer drinking. Lots of beer drinking. We will leave it at that. 

Sammy and I are off today to do a little exploring in the woods, and a first DIY project for the wedding. It will also be used to kick off our fall decor around the crib! 

Stay tuned for fun and thankfulness!! What are you feeling thankful for this October day?

Hot and Steamy Pile of ...

Inspiration and excitement people!!!!!
Can I get a WOOT WOOT up in here?!!!!

Many things have been going on around here since we returned home from Whistler, where my handsome and wonderful hunk of man sauce proposed to me. So happy. So many things to do!!!
Here is where the issues begin.
I am leaving again (sad/happy face) on thursday for The Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado. Don't be fooled, I am SO excited for this trip, and the opportunities it presents me with. I even blogged about it once.
I am just so excited to start planning our special party, and this is a tiny block in my process!
But enough complaining about things that aren't real problems, onto the goods!

If you didn't catch my last post, I gabbed about some of the things that are inspiring me while moving forward in the planning process of our wedding. One oh-so-important thing I forgot to mention was my initial inspiration for the whole theme, which is woodsy and rustic, but chic and playful!

You may remember this picture from a few weeks ago when Sammy and I visited Tumalo Falls on our day off.

 

It is a carving James and I did back in 2008, when on a hike with Sammy. I love that we can still visit it, and plan on incorporating elements that relate back to this in many aspects of our wedding. 

In other news, I made a recipe off of Pinterest. 

I spotted in on Michelle from Decor and the Dogs page, and immediately repinned that shiz...  

It is called Tortellini Spinach Bake, and reminds me of grown up mac and cheese. The bomb digs I tell you. The recipe is available here, and I highly suggest you try it, tonight. 

Forgive me, but I have no pictures of our process. We had some friends over, and I was too wrapped up in wine and wedding talk to document for you. I do have a few tips though!!! 

James, being a chef, pretty much took over the sauce aspect of this. We may have added too much flour, because after baking the dish, the sauce had pretty much disappeared. I suggest going light on flour if you like a saucy dish. I also may have added too much lemon zest. The flavor was great and bright, but I am a cheese lover and it overpowered the creaminess I was looking for. Next time I might sub white cheddar for the Parmesan, since I like a sharper cheese flavor. Anyhow, between the four of use we managed to put down most of it, and I'm sure James will handle the rest while I work tonight. 

So whats new in your world bloggie peeps? Sorry for the random info dump, but I had to share the nonsense banging around inside my brain. Planning a wedding is like a sickness, and wedding magazines are the classiest smut I've ever laid eyes on. Seriously. 

Stay tuned for more GABF news! Wish me and my liver luck!

{Special Party} Early planning!!

So we are still on vacation...
and it is Ahhhhhhhmazing!!
But honestly, I am completely consumed with thoughts of our upcoming (in one year harharhar) wedding!!! Before James and I got engaged, we would talk about a future wedding, sometime, and I always referred to it as our 'special party'.

So without further ado, here are some inspirational pictures we are loving as we move forward with planning!!
(All images and sources available through my Pinterest)

Hood River, Oregon

This photo was taken at Cathedral Ridge Winery, located in Hood River, which is where James and I fell in love... We visit the city all the time, and really enjoy riding bikes around the area, visiting local microbreweries, and exploring the amazing Columbia River Gorge. Hood River is about a 2 and a half hour drive from our home, so it would be a slightly destination wedding. I grew up with Mt. Hood right out my bedroom window, and I would love to get married at the foot of it.

A Barn or Rustic Setting

Cathedral Ridge also has a sweet indoor/outdoor party space, but I think their guest limit is a little lower than our party will land. We want a rustic, forest, outdoorsy vibe, so an old barn or similar space would be ideal. We are planning a trip up there to check out some potential sites, and I am hoping to find a farm with an amazing barn, as well as a view of Mt. Hood.

Plum Purple, Foliage Green, and Rusty Fall Orange

 

 

Since we will be having a fall wedding (September 2012), obviously we will want fall colors. I have always loved Dahlias and Hydrangeas, so we are going off those colors. James wanted to draw in some fall-ish colors, thus the pop of orange. Plus I loooooove purple and orange is its natural compliment. I also love lanterns, and we will definitely be incorporating them into our wedding decor. 

 Centerpieces / Favors 

 

We just attended a wedding where guest took home succulents which were also used as decor during the ceremony. I LOVE this idea, but would like to take it a step further using small trees, which guests would be encouraged to take home and plant outside! Oregon is an easy place to grow plants (well the west side of the mountains is at least), and I love the idea of reducing our impact by planting some trees. I also think it would be fun to have guests post photos of the trees on flikr or something, maybe after a year? That might be asking too much... I love the earthy, natural textures of the burlap sacks on the pots as well. Definitely will be a do-able DIY project. 

Hair and Dress 

I have the most ahhhmazing hairdresser in Bend! I have a ton of hair, and she acts like its nothing. I have been seeing her for about 4 years, and she always does me right. I love this style above, and would like my hair to be soft and fairy-like. A flower hairband will probably make an appearance. 

 

This isn't my dress... but I am OBSESSED with the one-shoulder silhouette. If I find the right strapless dress, I have a sneaky little tip to upgrade the dress and make it one of a kind. So we shall see what direction this takes. But I love this dress... sigh. 

Reception

We want our reception to be fun-filled and reflect us as a couple. James tends to grow a mustache every fall in preparation for Halloween, so this fun straw would be perfect for us. I would also do a fat set of red lips for the ladies wink. Gotta represent! 

We also want a live band AND DJ, and hopefully we have friends who can make this happen for us. We also want to get a food cart to cater for us, less cleanup and more original than your standard wedding buffet...booooorinnnnggg!! 

Last but not least, we want to create a little area with some props such as a 2 person bike, an old door, and a box or two full of props for a photo booth!! We will have 2 photographers (friends, THANK YOU!), so it should be a fantastic moment of fun and silliness, just like James and I. 

I realize this is only a tiny morsel of the planning we will need to be doing, and we have only the bare bones of a budget set up but.... this is my dream day!!! 

And I can't wait to see what James and I can create to make our dream a reality!! 

Stay tuned for more planning, includes HEAPS of DIY projects. Remember, budget baby!!!! 

Any tips I need to know moving forward?! Help a girl out!!! 

The One

(via Pinterest)

Couldn't have said it any better myself Bob.

James and I went on a incredible hike on Blackcomb Mountain yesterday. These pictures are completely unedited. It was the most beautiful and surreal place I had ever been.

And he popped the question.

And I said YES!!!!!!!!

Let the wedding mayhem begin!!!
{I love you babe! Thank you so much!}

Scrapbook Initials

Quick and easy craft projects are my thing.
Time consuming furniture makeovers are also my thing.

I snagged these initials from Joann's, and wanted to paint them or something to add to our "gallery wall". Black is pretty much my favorite color, so they got a coat of black craft paint, and waited for the next step.

And waited.
And waited.
Until I received a wave of crazy motivation and finally fixed them up! I laid them over my chosen paper, and traced around with a pencil.

 

This paper in particular, was more difficult because it wasn't a solid sheet, so lots of little pieces fell off once they were removed from the larger piece. I just kind of moved them around until I liked the layout. 

 

A coat of adhesive and some dry time and they were looking cute! But the edges still had some overhang, so the utility knife cleaned that right up. 

At this point, I was considering being done with it, but the edges still showed some white where I had trimmed them up. I dragged out my markers to find a matching blue hue for touchups. Of course, it got messier than I anticipated, and I ended up coloring both the letters slightly different shades of aqua. When James saw it, he loved it, so my fail turned into a win.

I love that. 

After attaching some twine to the back with hot glue, I hung them from a shelf in our dining nook. 

 

I love the slight difference in their color, and the little extra details that raises them from your standard painted initial. 

Quick and easy crafts. Mostly. 

Any fun new projects out there? I'm itching for some fall, but other projects are currently in the way ; ) More on that later. 

Have fun friends!