I know, I know. I've been BAD. I've been slacking on updating my blog.
Sorry, life has been super hectic lately. Hectic in a good way, but still insanely busy!
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So, May 15th weekend, my Aunt Julie came to visit me. We did the town right! We hit the King Tut exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center, toured Ikea's Store (quick run through), dined at Six Feet Under with a breathtaking view of the city, and then dashed off to a friend's Birthday party.
Saturday, I woke up slightly hungover (thanks to the late night party) but Aunt Julie (who has a liver of steel thanks to her gin and tonic nightly regimen) gave me a quick hangover cure, and off we went to the MA Home Tour. WOW! Although I was a modern home virgin last year (which makes your first year the best ever and none can top it), this year was still amazing! We saw 2 homes designed by my favorite architects - TaC Studios. If I ever get some serious money going on, I'm going to hire THEM to design a new one (or fix my existing house)! On their website click East, Ashley, or Kendall. The Kendall one is their own home, and it's lovely (was featured in Metropolitan Home Magazine this year also!) The reason I love TaC Studios SO much, is that they design AMAZING homes, but they are "realistic" and "livable" not the fluffy millionaire stuff that is so completely out of reach for the middle-income family. Sure I love walking around someone's 5000 sq foot, fine-art decorated, plush, home, but would I ever really enjoy LIVING there? Seriously. Who cleans it? I would go nuts. I like the smaller sized, realistic homes for myself. But for eye-candy, yes yes yes - go on the MA Tour!
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Other architects were Dencity Designs, BLDGS, Tamara Bickley Design (her own white house was on the tour, and hot damn that was a lovely pad. I would never leave it - there's no need, everything is there!), Lightroom Studios, Carlson & Mosley, and Inman Green Condos.
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Saturday Night we stayed home, and grilled some steaks and fish - chillin' on the porch. Sunday I had to drive Auntie Julie to the airport, and then Matt and I checked out the last 2 homes on the tour that we missed the day before. Amazing. I could just look at those homes all day long.
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Then it was back to the grindstone at work. My boss came in for a visit and he kept us very busy. Although, it was stressful too (As we were making a lot of cut-throat decisions and dealing with some idiotic issues), so I coped with 3 happy hours last week. Sheesh. I'm getting a steel liver now ...
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BTW was happy to see my fave Tequila was featured in the June 2009 issue of Metropolitan Home Magazine: Gran Centenario Rosangel Tequila (Reposado) infused with Hibiscus. I sip this during Happy Hour, it's lovely.
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Matt of Zazen Photo, was at "Get Coffee" on Saturday afternoon, for a "Meet the Artist" during the live musical performance of "Ruff Sacks" - a local band. Very fun.
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Sunday we watched the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, and sipped some celebratory Champagne. Then it was off to the mountains to visit the folks. We had a nice dinner with our folks and some of their new neighbors. It was lovely.
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Monday we finally got to take Sport out to the side stream by the lake. He doesn't "swim" in the deep water, but he will run along the rapids, and rocks as long as he has a place to tough the bottom. It was hilarious watching him run around after a ball in the little rapids (rapids to him, but just a current to us). so funny! We wore him out, let me tell you!
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This morning, after catching up on some sleep, I finally bathed that dirty dog. Poor Sport. He wakes up and it's oops - into the tub. At least now he has all day to sleep and relax while we are at work.
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That's all for now, talk to you all later!

Cry me a shower

Click for Before and After Photos

The Master Bath is finished. The bill has been paid. I'm now officially broke. Lessons learned? I do better with managing the project if I have time to plan. This "involuntary remodel" was forced upon us due to the leak and impending roommate. So, I did not have the adequate time to plan and figure out how to cut costs. Thus, this project got a little out of my control and I'm not too happy with the final figure. The total cost of the tile alone was 3 times what I had estimated when we first measured. I'm still fuzzy on how that happened, but he had receipts to prove it. However, Tile Guy did a GREAT job, we are happy with the results, and Matt LOVES the new shower door. So, ok we had to fork over some extra cash, the end result is worth it right? right? I'm waiting for this to sink into my disbelieving head.
Things I wish I had done earlier on:
-Measured for the difference in the vanity height.
-price-checked cabinetry for the vanity with Ikea. I did check Home Depot/Lowes, but I forgot about Ikea. damn.
-price-checked the granite versus Corian, etc.
-asked the workers to just un-hinge and remove the door to the bathroom so it wouldn't have been scratched up so damn much.
-perhaps I should have just bought the tile myself up front instead of letting them do it?
-I wish we could have kept the old shower door - just in case, we maybe could have used it instead of spending money for a new one?
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ok enough analyzing. it's all done as my hubby says. I have to just let it go and live with it. I do have a new bathroom to enjoy after all.
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counting down the days to the "Age of Aquarius" party.

Multi-tasker Extraordinaire!

Photo Credit We had 2 thanksgivings - sort of. Matt's sister's hubby's family (say that one 3 times fast) - wanted to go to Golden Corral for the big lunch, but I vetoed that, and then they decided on Cracker Barrell. What we didn't know is that they don’t take reservations. So, everybody has to be there, in line, when they open at 11am. Then they put you on a list. But wait - they won't "activate" your party until all the people in your party are there. Then once you are "activated" you get put in the official "waiting list" until they can seat you. We had 12 people in our party. Thankfully, we were seated around 12noon, and it was a nice day high of 65, so it wasn't terrible to be waiting outside. The service was great, the food was great, and I was full. mmm.
I thought perhaps we'd go back to Rachel's house, or to Matt's mother's house afterwards, but we all just hugged and then went home. I had made a pan of Baklava for them, since Brad (Matt's stepdad) loves it so much. They took the pan home with them. - So then we went home, walked the dog, finished framing photos (we had taken a photo a long time ago of Erika and her Dad together, so we framed one for each of them). Then we drove over to feed Chris & Mina's fish and cats (since they were outta town). The third/last pan of Baklava went with us to Erika's house for the big meal. We were told to arrive around 4:30pm. I was not sure what the dress code was, so I wore heeled boots, jeans, and a nice sweater, and styled my hair pretty . Turns out that was fine. - They had 3 ovens in their kitchen (huge house) - turkey, asparagus, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, 2 gravy boats, dry stuffing, wet stuffing, macaroni and cheese, baklava, homemade zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, cranberry sauce, I cannot remember what else.
Lots of red wine and a drink called the "old fashioned" - I guess it's their signature drink or something. Everybody loved the Baklava of course, and all the guests helped clean up the dishes and I helped put away the leftovers into tupperware containers. Then we played SCRABBLE down in the gameroom/bar area. Nice. Erika's stepmom is a stupendous Scrabble player. Then we went home to bed around 11pm. I was TIRED. and full.
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Friday I worked from home - and put up the tree and Christmas decorations. I couldn't put up my ornaments yet, as I needed to buy new lights for the tree. Matt had to go IN to work, but he came home for a bit for lunch. we fed the cats and fish again, Then later that night it was the Castleberry Hill Art Stroll, so we went downtown. he treated me to a nice SUSHI dinner, and then we strolled around the art galleries. We stumbled across some new places we hadnt' been - Star (a bar/jazz club/etc), and the Besherat Gallery. Mon Dieu it was breathtaking. Everything in that gallery was just beautiful!!! The gallery ITSELF was a work of art, complete with plexiglass stairs, and gorgeous railings, lighting fixtures, etc. I was blown away. THIS is my new favorite gallery in town now! Then we closed out the evening at No Mas for some chips/salsa and I had a diet coke so I could sober up to drive us home. Whew! Free wine at gallery's is/are nice, but DAMN it can hit you like a ton of bricks. Matt had a margarita and got the free bracelet with it. It's a wooden bracelet with saints on it. Very cool. then home to bed.
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Saturday, we went to Lowe's to price out a new front door (it was way way way too expensive, but good to get an idea), and then we bought christmas lights for the tree and porch. We are going to string icicle lights along the porch again, but that's it. I don't usually do outside lights - too much work. Saturday afternoon, we fed the cats and fish again and then drove to IKEA to pick up my closet (I'm getting the PAX Birkeland - if you want to look it up). Long story why. Basically, we are getting a roommate for the "Zen room" and because of this, I need to get all my clothes OUT of the roommate closet and into a new place. So, we installed this white 78" closet along the wall (between the bathroom and the green guest room). I also got the nifty slide-able shoe racks, so now all my shoes have a new home! woo hoo! Our friend Jeff has a truck, so he was helping us bring all the boxes home. We took him out to a local pizza place (Vintage Pizza) as a thank you for driving us and unloading my boxes from IKEA. Then our new roommate prospect came over to hang out. he's super nice. Anyway, we ended up watching Star Trek : Nemesis Movie on TV - one I had not seen before. I cooked up some kung pao chicken also. It was a nice evening.
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Sunday I started working on the closet and by Monday night it was all done.
Monday I finished addressing/stamping the Christmas Cards on my lunch break and mailed those out. Also mailed all the pkgs I had wrapped up for Christmas gifts. I think that is all done except for maybe 2 gifts?
Now it's time to get ready for the Craft Fair! We are having a work Craft Fair in the Activity Center next week. I am going to be selling some of Matt's prints in 5x7 and 8x10 sizes, and also some larger pieces for $150-$300. 10% of the proceeds go to charity. I cannot wait to see people's reactions. Good practice for the business and maybe we will make some $ too?
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I'm going to Stretch class tonight, cannot wait. WHEW! Now I am tired. talk to you soon!