Summer Days

Oh, how I love the summertime! It is finally warm in the North Country and the pups can spend plenty of time outdoors enjoying our new backyard. The new puppy, Gaius, is learning all the tricks of the trade from Tyberious and we couldn't be more pleased. At this moment, we are also taking care of Charlie and Lucy so our house is very full or puppy playtime and excitement. Definitely a blast this long weekend!

I have taken the opportunity this summer to spend time around the house with my husband getting things settled and turning this house into a home. We have made some decor decisions:  furniture has been rearranged; artwork has found a home on the wall; items are being sorted and organized... progress, friends, it is so delightful. We are completing projects around the house and I am confident that by the end of summer our home will be complete.

My most recent project was to create a personalized chalkboard for the kitchen. We purchased the chalkboard spray paint, a wooden Y, a small dowel, and a nifty plank with the bark still on the sides. I taped the board so the bark wouldn't get paint on it and spray painted the rest of the plank with the chalkboard spray. While that was drying, my husband cut the dowel to make a little ledge for the chalk to sit on and I sanded painted it and the Y white. Once all the paint was dry, I hot glued the Y and ledge onto the chalk board and fastened a saw toothed hanger to the back. The little chalkboard fits wonderfully in our kitchen and is a nifty accent to our evolving decor. I am proud of my little craft project and have also begun to work on homemade french memo boards. Hopefully this bit of inspiration lasts for a while and we can really feel at home.

For now, we are just enjoying summer days.

Happy Independence Day, friends! Take time to celebrate and remember; have fun and be safe.

So Close!

We are down to the wire, folks.

I am a nervous wreck; every minor concern or superficial blemish around the house is now a glaring, ugly, horrible nuisance that must be rectified before my husband gets home. Circumstances that I have lived comfortably with for months now seem to be absolutely unacceptable and in desperate need to readjustment. For instance, during a puppy play session weeks ago, one of the dogs knocked the doors to the entertainment center off the track and broke the latch; it didn't bother me then but I am now frantically trying to contact the manufacturer to order replacement parts. I know my husband probably won't even notice these minor discrepancies but I just can't have him coming home to it. Not on my watch.

To give you an idea of what I have accomplished in anticipation of his homecoming:
Reorganized and cleaned all the closets (with the help of my lovely and talented twin sister)
Picked up all the poop (Thank you, Stinkin' Dawg Waste Disposal!)
Cleaned the carpets (Stanley Steemer took care of that and tossed in a free deodorizer spray)
Oil change for my car
Cleaned out the garage
Reactivated the cell phone
Reactivated car insurance
Coordinating with friends and family for his surprise :)

What still needs to be done:
Scrubbing the kitchen
Swiffer the hardwood
Deal with the clutter
Replace lightbulbs in outside lights
Order replacement parts for entertainment center
Clean the office
Oil change for his car
Serious vacuuming for my car (lots of dog hair)
Decorating for his homecoming

So, if you need to find me anytime in the interim I wish you luck. We are so close!

If you give Shannon a hammer...

Setting up your new home can be a fun, challenging, comical experience. I believe that I have discovered the one instance that will meet all of these criteria at once. "Where do you think this picture should go?", I ask sweetly with a slight hint of pleading. This is really just my way of saying, "I can't handle the bland walls anymore! I can't hang these pictures by myself and I need your help. Your opinion is relative and I simply need an extra set of hands. Please and thank you." If it was up to me, then we would have knocked out all the picture hanging in a day or so, but for the sake of my husband's sanity I have chosen the inchworm path and hang only one or two every few days. I will now detail the picture hanging experience...

Step 1: Ensure the situation is appropriate. If a game, ESPN, or video game is lighting up the television screen then you need to consider cost-benefit analysis before proceeding. If you have just finished a meal, got back from a few short errands, or you are asked, "Sweetie, is there anything I can help you with?" then leap at the opportunity! Do not stop and look, just go go go! You wouldn't want to lose a precious opportunity such as this.

Step 2: Choose one or two pieces to hang. You may wish to enlist the help of your spouse for this task. Choice is a powerful determinant in an individual's likelihood for cooperation and quite possibly enjoyment.

Step 3: Collect the necessary tools. I have found that the following tools are often required: hammer, nails, tape measure, level, pencil, scissors and 550 parachute cord. The last two items are optional and can be considered situationally dependent.

Step 4: Find the right spot. This shouldn't take long, but be prepared to compromise.

Step 5: Ensure the spot is centered. Using the tape measure, ensure that the spot you have chosen is centered and does not conflict with any other important items (outlets, phone hookups, ledges, etc).

Step 6: Measure the space again and secure nails to the proper location. This is the trickiest part of picture hanging because it involves multiple sets of hands and mutual cooperation. If hanging multiple pictures or one of those complicated numbers with the multiple hanging rings, then use the tape measure, level, and pencil you need to make sure that the pencil marks are level. Once you are certain that the pencil marks are adequately placed, use the hammer to place the nail. Watch your fingers.

Step 7: Hang the picture. Now all you have left is to place the picture, wire, rings, or 550 cord onto the nail. Once placed, use the level to ensure that the picture is hanging straight.

Step 8: High five. This step is probably the most important because it indicates completion of the task, mutual success, and demonstrates appreciation for a job well done.

So, friends, it is important to remember that if you give Shannon a hammer then expect at least 8 steps to follow.