It's almost a done deal

After looking at the house last night with Casey and Toby, we decided that we were going to move in come August!!  I am SO excited!! We are getting a GREAT deal on monthly rent for the amount of space this house has.  The owners are still in the process of moving stuff out, but she is allowing Casey and I to come in a couple weeks early and clean/re-paint...that way when it comes time to move it, it will be ready!  We brought Toby over so she could meet her and he LOVED the backyard.  I can't wait to just open the door and let him run and potty on his own :)  BIG BONUS!

Here is a sneak peak into our new rental:



Dining Room - we get the plants and two side cabinets




Kitchen




Top deck




Huge fenced in backyard





Our BIG kiddie pool :)



View from the front

I can't wait to get in there and start making it OUR OWN!  More pictures to come in a month or so once we get settled!

Upgrading Homes Continued...

Last Thursday I told you all that we were going to look at a house on Friday.  It was a very nice house - hard wood floors, garage, unfinished basement, fenced in back yard, decent space...really everything we were looking for.  However, I just didn't get that good feeling inside when we were there.  Something was off and just didn't feel quite right...it felt more forced than just meant to be.  We negotiated a couple times with the agent the owner was using and it just didn't seem to be going our way. 

Casey and I have been very optimistic throughout this whole process...we like the place where we are at now; it feels like home, we have been here for awhile, and we are comfortable here.  We just would like space for Toby, garage for cars and bike, and just more storage.  If it is meant to be that we move out at the end of our lease term, then it will happen, if not, then it just wasn't our time to move out.  We were both kind of giving up, it is getting towards the end of our "looking" period and close to our decision time. 

Then....

I got a call today on my way home from a lady who saw our Craigslist ad - Casey posted a very cute ad online with pictures of us and Toby describing what we were looking for.  This lady called and seemed very sweet and started to describe her house to me.  It sounded promising and in a good area, so I called Casey and decided to go look at it by myself after work.

To my surprise, I think I feel in love!!! It was great!  It is a split level home - the upper level had an open kitchen/dinning/living room area, three bedrooms, and 1 1/2 baths.  The lower level had a den with a wood burning fire place, laundry room, extra storage room, and doors to the garage and the back yard.  There was a great deck area off the kitchen with had a huge gas grill - which they would leave for us along with their current patio set.  It looks over a fenced in back yard that has a nice shed and a sun bathing kiddie pool - yes that's right a big sized kiddie pool that she used for sun bathing...I love it!

It has a two car over sized garage with built in shelving and tool storage built in.  The den area is so nice downstairs...seems very cozy with the wood fireplace - I can see that being our movie area :)  The door to the outside downstairs even has a doggie door - probably too heavy for Toby since she had 3 bigger dogs - but still, PERFECT for pets.

We are able to paint any of the walls, knock things out that they put in if we want, really we would have free range to do what we want almost as if it were our place. 

I am extremely happy that this lady decided on us.  She said our craigslist ad sold her on calling me...thanks CAS!  I think this is going to turn into something amazing...but it's not set in stone yet.  We will see, but lets just say things are looking great!  This could be our future home for the next few years...AHHHHH!!!!

To be continued...

Osage Beach Outlet Shopping Spree

At the lake they have a FABULOUS outlet mall and I try to go there every time I head to the lake.  They have great stores - a wide variety for all age groups -  and really awesome discounts.  I like to go to Coach, Banana Republic, J.Crew, Gap, Famous Shoes, Fossil and some other stores that I normally don't go to here in St. Louis because some of their price tags scare me off.  At the outlet, almost EVERYTHING is discounted, so it is amazing!

Casey and I both found some great finds!  I also made a mini wish list - thinking Christmas, anniversary, etc...gotta plan ahead :)

The nice thing about the outlet is they have different items than in the regular stores and on the website.  While trying to find pictures for this post, it was difficult to locate the exact items I bought in several cases.  However, the ones depicted below are VERY similar.

Here are some of my finds from the Outlet:

1. Military Jacket - J.Crew  2. Denim Shorts - GAP  3. Light Washed Denim Jack - GAP  4. EOS Lip Balm  5. Vintage T-Shirt - GAP  6. Reversible Belt - GAP  7. OP Swimsuit - Walmart

Here is something on my wish list...hint hint to someone if you are reading :)

Casey got some new Adidas sandals from Famous Shoes, sweet shades from Fossil, and some clothes from GAP. 

Overall, I would say it was a successful shopping trip for the both of us.  We also split a snow cone - coconut/strawberry...YUM!

TEASER Morning

Good morning all!  I hope you all enjoyed the weekend...Casey and I spent our weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks with some great friends and had a blast!  We got to lay out, swim/ride water toys, eat good food, go shopping, and were surrounded by close friends.  I will have to show you some of my fabulous finds from the infamous Osage Beach Outlet Mall...LOVE IT!  Casey and I agreed that it was a good thing I don't live anywhere close to there...I would be in some debt if I did :)

This morning was such a TEASER...ugh it was not nice.  First off, I was exhausted from the weekend and two softball games that I played in last night - not to mention SORE too!  Then it stormed last night which = Toby spazing out, stepping all over me in bed, hiding under the covers, etc.  So when my alarm went off this morning, naturally I turned it off and feel back asleep like I do most mornings; however, this morning I ended up staying asleep a little bit longer than I usually do - by 20 min or so.  I woke up in a frenzy because I knew I overslept...I got up and rushed to get ready, didn't even take Toby potty since I was running so behind, and drove into work.

When I pulled into the garage at work, I noticed that it was unusually empty for this time in the morning.  I also noticed that the lights were out in the garage.  I just figured the power was out from the storm and didn't really think any of it, so I parked and walked down the stairs to the building.  As I was walking down I passed a co-worker who said the power was out in the building as well - it was hot since the air wasn't working and dark, and of course, we can't work.  So I went inside and took the stairs to level 5 where our office resides...not so happy about that on days like this when they elevator doesn't work. 

I got upstairs and 4 peoples were in an office which was lit by the window.  As soon as I walked in one of them said..."Oh we forgot to call Evanne".  REALLY people...I have been working here two years and they forgot about me...not nice.  They had called everyone else in the office to let them know the power was out and they would notify them when it came back on.  They got to stay in their warm beds under the covers and sleep in a little bit, but not me.  I was a little bummed to say the least.

Since the power was out, there was nothing for me or anyone else to do.  They said it could take up to 2-3 hours to come back on, so since I don't live all that far away they told me to go home.  I thought "ok this will be nice to go home, get some more sleep and relax for a couple hours, and still get paid :)"  So I drove back home and Toby was of course super excited that I was already back. I went upstairs, got in my PJ's and laid back down in bed.  It was SOO nice to be back in bed and I could have definitely fallen back asleep...but within 5 minutes guess what I hear...

RING RING! My phone was ringing, and of course the power was back on at work.  Are you kidding me!! I was just told to come back home and was getting all settled back in bed.  Not going to lie, I was a little frustrated!  But, I really didn't have a choice, I was supposed to be at work anyways just like every other week day.

I got up, got ready AGAIN for work, and came in.  Ugh what a morning.  I am going to definitely need coffee to get me through this day.

I hope your work week is off to a better start than mine!

Upgrading Homes

Sorry for my inconsistency in blogging recently.  It has been a little crazy at work - my boss is out for the week.  Things on the home front are a little hectic at the moment too.  Casey and I have been looking into upgrading our home from our current town home to moving into a rental home.

 We really enjoy where we live now, so we aren't too worried if we don't find a place.  However, we would like to be in a rental house for several reasons:

1. More space for storage and my crafting "stuff" - nicer way of saying it than Casey :)
2. A yard for Toby - right now we take him out on long walks which is fine, but it would be FABULOUS to have a fenced yard to let him run around in
3. Garage for cars, the bike, and Casey's tools

 The whole process of looking for a place, filling out applications, getting approved, etc is VERY exhausting.  I don't like the wait between filling out the application and getting accepted - always nerve wrecking!

Casey and I came across a place we think we will really like.  It is in close proximity to where we currently live, which is convenient for both of our jobs and Casey's school.  We are going to view it tomorrow and hopefully everything will work out. 

We are getting a little discourage because we have applied some places and it seems we keep getting beat to the punch.  I am trying to look at it optimistically ... this is a sign from God that we aren't supposed to live here.  He has another plan for us that is better than what we are currently pursuing and everything will work out the way it is supposed to, whether we find a place or stay where we are.

So, I have high hopes for this place tomorrow and I hope it all works out.  If not, then it's not meant to be.  However, keep your fingers crossed :)

On a side note, Casey and I are going to the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend to hang out with some good friends of ours.  I hope the weather is nice and we can get some good sun bathing in!  I made my friend a Summer Essential Pouch (see tutorial HERE) as a little "thank you" gift for hosting us at her place. 

Have a great Thursday!  Hopefully I will have good news to post tomorrow!

Summer Tote Bag

Since I have been out of town, it seems like I haven't posted a tutorial in FOREVER.  It's time for one...

A couple weeks ago I posted about a Summer essentials pouch that I made.  At the time, I had planned on making this tote bag to go with it, but then I got caught up in other things and didn't have time...until now. 

This bag is PERFECT for bringing items to the pool or beach - towels, sunscreen, phone, sunglasses, etc - or a good weekend/overnight bag for those quick spontaneous weekend getaways we all secretly love to take every now and again.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

 Main Canvas Fabric

  Lining Canvas Fabric

Eyelet Kit

Rope

Basic Sewing/Measuring/Cutting Materials

Cut the following pieces from your fabric:

1 piece main fabric (zebra print) 22" wide X 44" tall

1 piece lining fabric (cream) 22" wide X 44" tall



folded in half

 

true size

 1 piece main fabric 8" wide X 5" tall - inner pocket

1 piece lining fabric 6" wide X 6" tall - outer pocket 

Start with pocket pieces.  Take your main fabric piece and determine where you want to make your division (to create two pockets).  I measured my i-phone to determine where I would place my division.  Make one smaller pocket for keys/phone/lip stick and one wider one for other necessity items.

Take your pocket and pin along the sides to hem 1/4".  Pin down the middle of the pocket where you wish to place your division.  Hem the top part of the pocket first.

Once the top is hemmed, you can "kill two birds with one stone" with the next step.  Instead of sewing the remaining hems and then pinning it onto your lining fabric, I pinned the pocket on the lining fabric first - this way, you can sew the hem and the pocket onto the fabric all at the same time.  The downside is you have to dodge and remove all the pins while sewing. 

Measure in about 9" from each side and about 7" down from the top for the placement of the pocket. 

Repeat these steps with the outer pocket (lining fabric).  Hem the top first, then hem the sides and bottom while sewing the pocket to the outer fabric.

Measure in from the sides and from the top for placement of the pocket.

 

Line up the main and lining fabric pieces to start forming the bag.  I decided to have my outer pocket on the opposite side as my inner pocket.  To do so, lay your main fabric piece face down with the pocket at the top.  Then, lay your lining piece face up with the pocket at the bottom.

Hem the ends first. Do so by double folding the top 1" with each fold - total of 2" hem. 

Once the ends are hemmed, fold the fabric in half with the lining on the outside and the main fabric pieces meeting on the opposite side.  Pin the sides together and sew.  Don't worry about hemming the sides...since you are sewing this inside out, the rough edges won't show on the outside.

This next step is optional, depending on what type of base you want for your bag.  I decided to try the square base...I pinched the corners of the bottom in to form a triangle and pulled them down 2".  Sew across the top of the triangle. 

Almost done!!

Front of the bag:

Inside of the bag:

The handles are the last step.  First measure the placement for each eyelet.  You will have two on each side of the bag.  Measure 6" in from the side and 1.5" down from the top.  Mark with chalk.

Cut a small circle where you made your mark.  It is better to cut the circle too small than too big.  Cut only ONE circle.  This will help double check your placement and enable you to line up your eyelets. To double check my chalk marks after the first eyelet was in place, I lined up the top of the bag and marked with chalk through the opening of the eyelet onto the opposite side. 

Now to attach the eyelets...  I have never used an eyelet kit before this project, and let me tell you I struggled a bit.  I did some research before taking this on and found some helpful advice.  When using the kit, it tells you to hammer the pieces together, creating one of the pieces to bend and hold it in place...this did not happen for me.  Fortunately, I found a tutorial for a bag with similar straps that explained an alternative route in case of this problem - I was glad to know it was a common mishap.

If the hammer tool provided in the eyelet kit doesn't work, take a pair of pliers and bend over the access tube part of one of the eyelet pieces and hammer to flatten over the other piece.  This will hold the eyelet in place.

Now that the eyelets are all in place, take your rope and cut two pieces to thread through the sides of your bag.  Thread one piece through the two eyelets on the same side of the bag and secure with knots.  For some reason I was thinking I needed 4 pieces of rope, not 2, so I accidentally cut 4 even pieces...brain freeze!  I ended up tying 1 piece through  each of the eyelets and then tying a knot between the two pieces of rope that laid on the same side of the bag at the top to form 1 handle per side.

VIOLA!! A beautiful fun tote bag for the summer!

Casey and I are going to the lake this weekend, so this is PERFECT timing for this tutorial!  Doesn't the zebra print just make you feel fun and summery and ready for a wild time :)



Gifts for Pops

I really kind of slacked on the gift giving this Father's Day and I feel really bad about that.  Having the vacation threw me off...I was so concerned about prepping for that, I didn't prepare for events after the trip well enough.  Father's Day really isn't about the gifts though...it's about the time you spend with your dad and show them that you appreciate all they do.

Dad played golf with some buddies in the morning and he got two birdies...GO DAD!  Then I went to his house for the afternoon/evening and had some delicious brisket that my dad had smoked all day long...so good!  We watched the end of the US Open where a 22 year old from Ireland CREAMED everyone with a score of -16 for the tournament...pretty amazing!

I made some fabulous brownies with whipped icing on top for my dad.  They were delicious!  To add a little something extra, I made some brownie topper signs that said Happy Father's Day and #1 Dad using my Cricut.  They turned out pretty cute.

I etched a frame that I had around the house with CALIFORNIA JUNE 2011 and put a picture of dad and I from our recent trip.  Not much, but something fun to remember our time out of town together with family!

I hope my dad had a great Father's Day!! I know I was glad to spend some quality time with him on this special day...I always enjoy our time together :)  Love you pops!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all those dads out there! They deserve a day of appreciation for all the repairs they make around the house, how they help us bloggers out with pictures and crafting projects, and being there for all their families when needed.

My dad is amazing! He works hard everyday and is someone I look up to very much. We enjoy sports and building/creating in our free time, so when we have time to participate in these activities together it is great!

When I was little I would cry when I couldn't go to his softball games...I loved seeing him play! He was my coach all the way from t-ball up until high school.  He helped me perfect my catching by throwing me pop-fly balls in our backyard...he would take me to the batting cages and give me advice to help perfect my swing.  Once he was no longer a coach, he was my biggest fan and helped cheer on my team from the stands.  I hope to follow in his footsteps and continue to play until I can't play no more!
In school, I loved when I got creative assignments in science, math, or history where we would have to build a diorama or create a replica of something...I always turned to my dad to help me.  One of my favorite projects was in math - we had to replicate our bedroom with the exact dimensions.  I imediately went home and turned to my dad to help me draw a "blue print" and then create a mini bedroom.  It was so much fun and we had a great time working together in his shop with all his cool tools. Working with power tools when your younger is the coolest thing - and well I still love it now! His passion for building and wood working has definitley rubbed off on me and is a big inspiration in my crafting to this day.

My dad is amazing and all his hard work goes without the appreciation it deserves. Love you dad and thank you for being a loving, caring, and giving father!

Happy Father's Day everyone!

Love Letters

Our trip was amazing and Casey and I both had a great time.  Before we left, I was having a little anxiety for a couple reasons:

1. it was our first big vacation together
2. it wasn't just "our" vacation - it was for my family as well
3. Casey isn't a huge fan of vacations
4. I worry about everything...can't help it

#3 was the most important to me.  I wanted to make sure Casey had a good time on this trip and would have a good vacation experience to remember.  Before we left, I put together some Love Letters for him; they were for our 3 phases of the trip:

1. the beginning in Pasadena (wedding/family time)

2. trip from Pasadena to San Diego

3. last day on vacation - the end of our first vacation journey

I thought these would be a good reminder along the way that no matter what we did this trip for us and we love each other and just a constant reminder of how happy we are in our relationship.

I also planned a fun little plane activity for him...I made a crossword puzzle about our relationship and journey so far as a couple.  He did fairly well with the questions so I guess he passed the relationship quiz :) 

I wasn't hardcore and didn't spend hours on end trying to fit all the words together exactly right.  I used a little cheat from online and found a "create a crossword puzzle" tool that helped me out.  You can find these anywhere, and if you want to be very official you can order them to be printed and sent to you.  Otherwise, you unfortunately don't get the puzzle results.  However, I found a little "loop hole" if you will. 

I enlarged a PDF of the puzzle that was created based on my questions and answers and was able to re-create the grid in Excel.  I had to count out the squares per line and the numbers were too fuzzy to read...so, I had to take my own quiz first to find out where all the clues went to.  It was fun and I was able to create a key at the same time.

Some example clues are...

Our first date

Where we camped at last year

Our favorite foods/songs/etc.

Qualities we admire in each other

Goals in life as a couple

He loved the puzzle and thought it was a fun, cute idea.  Of course they weren't all that hard of questions, but it is a nice memory to have which sums up our first years together.

Here is Casey hard at work on his relationship homework for the trip on his little plane tray table :) 

These little things are not a whole lot, but go a long way.  I think it is nice to be reminded of the reasons you are together, why you are in love, and know that you have an awesome crafty gf that sometimes goes crazy with this stuff but your sig. other wouldn't have it any other way - they just don't always admit it, but lets be real, they all love the craftiness especially when it is focused on them.