"How sweet it is" bridal shower

My very good friend and coworker Rebecca is getting married in September, so we threw her a work shower this month.

There are 9 of us in our department, and Rebecca will be the final gal to get hitched. I figured out that we have around 132 years of marriage experience between us. Isn't that cool? So, I thought a theme celebrating the sweetness of marriage would be fun for us all.  I used cupcakes and bright colors throughout. (For you Cricut users, I used this as an excuse to pick up two new cartridges for all the decor - Opposites Attract and Sweet Treats.)

Plus, Rebecca loves cupcakes, so I went with that. "How sweet is is" was born.

(She's going to be such a beautiful bride, right?)

We had a dinner at a local cafe (which coincidentally is my favorite place). For you locals, you must go to Cafe Fresh. Now. They have yummy food and bake delicious cupcakes.

Because we were celebrating the sweetness of marriage, I asked all my coworkers to bring me a photo of their wedding days. I framed them in inexpensive black frames and lined the area with them. I think everyone enjoyed looking at each gal on her big day, from 1976 to 2007. =)

We ate and drank, of course.

(I could honestly eat those pickles and the hummus everyday.)

And, we even had two "big freakin' cupcakes" for dessert - chocolate and carrot. (They easily served 5 apiece.)

Since it was a small group, I also wanted to make a small favor. 

For each gal, I made honey butter like Darby's.

I thought it was a "sweet" gift that most people would use. (It's awesome on toast.) I just put it in a small jar with a piece of scrap fabric and a tag. (I also made a cupcake placemat for each setting.)

There are many fun games to play at showers. (Unless you are anti-game, and then you won't like any of them.) But, since it was a dinner, I just created a personalized trivia game about my coworkers. I asked every person to send me their:

• wedding year
• wedding month
• wedding colors
• favorite or funny wedding memory

I combined these and made a 20-question quiz. Questions included: 

• "How many of us used red as a wedding color?"
• "What month is the most popular for us to get married?"
• "Who used aqua and peach for her wedding colors?"
• "Whose husband woke up the day of the wedding with strep throat?"
• "Who forgot her marriage license at home and had to send someone home to get it during the ceremony?"
• "Who cried all the way down the aisle?"

I think everyone enjoyed playing the game and got a kick out of the answers. The winner received homemade strawberry jam.

I forgot to take a picture of the gift, but we went together and got Rebecca a honeymoon gift package.  Rebecca and her fiance are avid travelers, and heading to Peru on their honeymoon. So, we gave her a "Just Married" tote bag. Inside, we put a personalized album for wedding or honeymoon photos, a Lonely Planet Peru guidebook and a Visa gift card to use on their honeymoon.

And, even though this is by no means a flattering picture of yours truly, I think it's hilarious. I totally have crazy party-planning eyes, don't I? A coworker took this right before Rebecca arrived and I was taking a final look. Unfortunately, I have a feeling I have these crazy eyes most of the time at work. ;)

I really enjoyed planning details for this party. When you are celebrating with a close friend, I think that is always the case. I hope Rebecca thought it was sweet, too.

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Clean, classic and practical bathroom

With all things bathroom on my mind, I thought I'd share some of my bathroom inspiration. I'm still optimistic that the bathroom will be our first finished project.

Before I get to that, let's take a look at what we have to work with. Our new house only has one full bathroom, so it has to be practical. That means that the claw foot tub has to go.

(Sigh.) I hate being practical.

But, we need a shower/tub combo. And, I took a shower in a claw foot tub/shower while we were on vacation. It was claustrophobic with all that curtain. And, even if I had enjoyed it, there isn't vertical space for the circular shower rod because of the roof line (top right of photo).

So, that decision was made. The tub was listed on Craigslist. Hopefully someone buys it soon.

We are planning to keep the layout pretty much the same. It's just practical. We have lots to do, and the budget can't swing a full redo of the layout. Plus, it's probably the best set-up, considering a gigantic radiator takes up so much usable space.

So, I've tried to find inspiration from bathroom on the small(er) side. It's not going to get any bigger, after all.

I have found that I'm overwhelmingly attracted to white bathrooms, with beadboard. I also like sconces instead of an overhead light. (This took some explaining to Ryan, who just didn't "get it.")

So, in all fairness, the bathroom below isn't small. (At least not by my definition.) But, it's pretty. And, I really like the way they built in storage next to the tub. That may be happening in our bathroom.

BH&G

This photo displays the bead board running up to subway tiles in the tub. Ryan couldn't visualize it.

And, because of the lack of space, I like the concept of adding shelves to the top of the bead board.

I love this bathroom, especially the floors. I actually picked out floors very similar to this, before we realized that the hardwood floors are in good shape. So, that's good news, but I still enjoy these hexagon beauties.

Coastal living

I love the boards on the ceiling of this room. Since the room is small, I think we could really pull this off. I think it would add some interest and make the room appear larger. Ryan, however, hasn't signed on to this.

And I really enjoy these light fixtures. Especially the one on the ceiling.

Now, what you may have noticed is that nearly every photo is of some version of a pedestal sink. Not practical for us. We need some storage and there truly isn't any room for it with a pedestal. I don't like it, but I know it's true. I've thought about it every which way. And, Ryan's parent's offered us a lovely vanity, so we'll be using that.

But, I think there are ways to make the bathroom have a similar feeling to those above. Bright, clean, airy. I plan to keep a lot of what we have in our current bathroom - the Ballard Designs shower curtain, the green wall color and towels and the San Francisco photographs from our honeymoon.

Here's what I'm planning to add. 

Moline bath by newlywoodwards on Polyvore.com

Click the link above to see the sources. I'm thinking that I'll paint the vanity white, add bead board and subway tile and vintage-looking lights. I like the vintage-looking faucet as well, but I haven't seen it in person.

What do you think? Any suggestions?

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Do you get it?

Silly bands. On our 10-year-old cousin's wrists.

Enlighten me, friends. 


(And when did I become so far out of the loop? Is 26 when you begin feeling old?)

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Renovation progress report - week 3

It only took 3 weeks, but it's happened.

I didn't take a single house photo during the entire week. Ryan did work on several projects, including pulling out nails in the dining room and kitchen. (This is almost done after HOURS of hand-breaking work. His hands were so sore.) I also spent a little time pulling up staples.

The outside pretty much looks the same as last week:

As an aside, we tried to get rid of our railroad ties - for free - on Craigslist. Someone came, grabbed a few and stuck them in the truck. Promised us they'd be back to get the rest. And never showed up.

Which leads me to my:
Rant of the week. 
People are very inconsiderate. I get TONS of emails asking to see the free (railroad ties/freestanding shower/cabinets). Then, they say they will come to pick it up at a certain time and never show up. So here I am, driving to and waiting at an empty house (no Internet) for some bozo to stand me up.

Annoying.

We decided to give things away for free so that it would be quick and easy. And, sometimes it is. (The cabinets had two no-shows before we found our new friend.) But, the number of people who say they are coming over at a certain time and don't show up bothers me.

So, my PSA - if you say you are going to meet a person from Craigslist to buy or get something free, please show up. Or call.

It's just about being considerate. That is all I'm going to say about that. You can call me Emily Post from this point on.

On a  positive note, we did get rid of the kitchen cabinets and the bathroom vanity. And, we got rid of the shower from the depths of hell, which was tucked in a corner of the basement. A really nice gal came, took it apart and hauled it home.

I told her she'd probably need a gallon or two of bleach. But we gave it away for free so I feel no guilt.

Someone's got gas
But it isn't us. Supposedly, the gas is (finally) going to be turned on tomorrow. Which is approximately 24 days after we closed (for those who are counting). And, this was with consistent action to try to get it turned on. We had a contractor in an hour after closing to get the ball moving. It wasn't his fault.

It took a minor act of God. And, me having a minor meltdown. (Trust me, my meltdown could have been worse.)

To make a long story short, I am a pretty persuasive person. And, Ryan typically asks me to take care of things that involve people. So, I've been the go-between with all the contacts at the city. It takes some give and take. Without getting into too much, I met my match and my persuasiveness rendered useless. And, what I learned is that sometimes you have to play the game. And, sometimes you cannot win, even if you this (or know) you are right.

All in all, I'm thankful that we are finally getting our gas turned on. But, it was not an easy or a pretty process.

Daydream believer
So, this week - the kinks are getting worked out. And, when our home is finished, all of the nasty phone calls, the sore hands and the dusty clothes will be worth it.

No checklist changes this week.

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Yes I can - salsa

You know I had to do it. First, Jenny makes zesty salsa. Then, Sara. Ryan loves salsa, so I had to try the zesty salsa from Ball's Complete Guide to Home Preservation.

And, it didn't disappoint. Check out the recipe at Anything Perfect. Or get the book. I made 9 pints, which should last us a week or so. ;)


On the canning agenda:

Pizza sauce

Pickles

Pickled zucchini

Salsa

Tomatoes

Pepper jam

Pickled yellow peppers
Zucchini salsa (thanks to Amber Waves of Grain, this was added to my list)
Jam
Preserves

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Heard it through the grapevine

The intent of this post is to prove that my true calling in life is to be a concert photographer.

I had the chance to see Credence Clearwater Revisited over the weekend. It's actually the second time I've seen the band, and both times I am reminded of the sheer number of classic hits that CCR recorded. And, the fact that people from age 6 to age 96 know these songs. It's amazing.

Did I mention the concert was free? On a bug-free, warm and breezy night on the Mississippi? It was really a gorgeous evening. (Ryan's totally jealous that he was out of town. He wanted to go.)

Can you name 5 CCR songs? Here are a few, for all you trivia folks:

• Proud Mary
• Midnight special
• Looking out my back door
• Down on the corner
• Hey tonight
• Who'll stop the rain
• I heard it through the grapevine
• Suzie Q

If you get a chance to see them in concert, do it. It's fun to hear all the songs and sing along - you should have heard all the voices singing around us.

And, as an aside, we also saw the great Ozzie Smith at a speaker's series on Sunday. It was kinda neat to see the Baseball Hall-of-Famer in person. I still remember seeing him flip on the field at Busch Stadium as a kid. Seems like a really good guy, just like I remember.

A few famous encounters of my weekend.

Tell me about the best concert you've heard/seen.

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Yes I can - strawberry margarita preserves and strawberry jam

Over the weekend, I had a little can-a-palooza. I ended up completing almost everything on my canning agenda. I ended up with a crash course in canning - and a hot kitchen. I'll share the results on the blog over the next few weeks.

I'm going to start with what I'm probably most excited about - strawberry margarita preserves. Both of my Jen(ny) friends - Jenny at Anything Pretty and Jen at Notes from the Heartland - mentioned Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving. So, of course, I had to check it out. The first recipe that peaked my interest was this one:

Yeah, you read that right. The recipe calls for tequila and orange-flavored liquor. Fun, right?

So, I tried it out. Relatively easy, although I worried about the gel being done, since it doesn't have pectin in it. However, it turned out pretty good and tastes great. This is definitely a try-er. It made 7 pints for me.

Since I had TONS of strawberries leftover, I decided to use the pectin I had to make jam. I just used the recipe in the pectin box. It called for crushed strawberries, lemon juice, pectin and TONS of sugar (around 7 cups). But, it also made a lot of jam. I ended up with 8 half-pints and 2 pints. So, some of you out there may be getting this as a gift. (SURPRISE!) 

I haven't tried it yet, but I don't know how I could have gone wrong. So, I'm considering both of these a success.


On the canning agenda:

Pizza sauce

Pickles

Pickled zucchini

Salsa

Tomatoes

Pepper jam

Pickled yellow peppers
Zucchini salsa (thanks to Amber Waves of Grain, this was added to my list)

Jam

Preserves

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Fall is here?

Okay, it's not. Obviously. In our neck of the woods, we've been dealing with major heat advisories, stickiness and sunburns. And, more stickiness.

But, try telling that to my pumpkins.

They are totally ready for fall.

Can you blame them? Fall is awesome.

And, I actually had to pick five of them last week. I probably could have waited, but they were 100 percent orange and I have an irrational and paralyzing fear that someone is going to steal or destroy them.

I know. It's ridiculous. Welcome to my husband's world.

Why am I so scared, you ask? Because everyone who sees the pumpkins, LOVES THEM. The neighbors, the dog walkers, the school kids (we are right by a high school). And, the pumpkins are behind our garage where anyone could swipe one.

And, I'm also a bit afraid some punk high-schooler is going to smash the pumpkins. Or, that someone's going to think the Woodwards' house is his personal pumpkin patch. So, I have to check them a few times a day. When I saw a few skateboarders behind the garage after school one day, I had to go behind there and stare them down to make sure they were not messing with my pumpkins.

Yeah, I'm that person.

Totally normal.

But now I have several fabulous and perfect pumpkins just waiting for September. Because I cannot pretend to be normal when displaying pumpkins in August. But, I can totally bring them out at midnight on September 1.

Right?

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Renovation progress report - week 2

Despite having a nice little vacay and partay, we made some progress in week 2. Remember when I said that most of the demo was behind us? I lied. 

(Please forgive the blurriness. I couldn't figure out why my camera wouldn't focus. Until I went to the camera store and they politely told me that I had the autofocus on manual instead of auto. Uh.... duh. I felt like an idiot. Especially since I have a week's worth of blurry photos.)

Week 2 brought more demolition, some ups and downs and a little beautification.

The power and water

Listen. Do you hear that? It's angels singing. 

Or maybe just the hum of power tools and ceiling fans. That's right, friends. The power has been turned on. And, while most fixtures don't work, some do. So, we'll call that a success.

It took cutting through a little red tape, but we've got electricity. And we made the electrical inspector happy by being (mostly) up-to-code. We're so very 1930. 

Although, it's still really hot because we don't have air conditioning, most ceiling fans don't work and the windows don't really open. Oh well, we'll get there.

The water was turned on, too. Which was great until we realized spigots weren't working. And until the ceiling of the kitchen began to flood from the upstairs plumbing. The joy was short-lived. Ryan and his dad will be working on getting the house up-to-snuff with plumbing so we can turn the water back on.

We hope week 3 will bring a gas check and boiler check so we can get the gas turned on.

The bathroom

Remember when I said the bathroom was pretty empty? Apparently I lied again, because Ryan demoed a little more. The plan wasn't to go down to the lathe. But, down to the lathe we are. And, there's something about this old lathe that makes me happy. There were at least two more layers of plastic-y tile underneath the plaster, which is odd.

What doesn't make me happy is that Ryan now knows that the plumbing upstairs hasn't been updated. (Everything downstairs in copper, but the upstairs is the original galvanized piping. It needs to be replaced. Which is a pain.)

The good news is that the ceiling is in really good shape. I can actually just get to painting it. You know, after we clear out all this garbage. Did I mention it's REALLY hot upstairs?

The kitchen and dining room

Ryan ripped out all the ceramic tiles and cement board this week. My snail's pace wasn't fast enough for him. He had almost everything out in a few hours. It would have taken me days. 

Now, there are approximately 652,786 screws to remove. No exaggeration. The installers literally placed a screw in the cement board every centimeter. No one can say they weren't thorough. 

Ryan broke two bits trying to get the screws out. Which pleased him. But, they'll come out eventually. Then, we have to figure out how to fill the holes. In the beautiful original hardwoods. I think that covering these floors should be a capital offense.

Exterior
Ryan spent Sunday morning cleaning the gutters. He realized this was necessary when it was down pouring and nothing was coming out of the downspouts. It was just spilling over the tops. And, the trees growing in the gutters may have given him a clue, too.

Now, the gutters are debris-free.

We also spread 3 tons of dirt around the house so the water will flow away from the house instead of into the basement. (Novel idea.) Next time, remind us not to do this on the day with the year's highest temperatures. I helped with about 25 percent of the dirt before I realized that it was HOT and that job STINKS. (You should all be feeling bad for Ryan, now.)

But, also remind me never to drive Ryan's death trap of a truck to get the aforementioned dirt. I.almost.died. (You all should be feeling bad for me, now.)

After all the dirt was spread (yes, it took all 3 tons), I transplanted some perennials from our yard (iris, lilies and hosta) and covered it all with cypress mulch. Once the plants take to their new home, I think it will look great.

And, at least the house looks like someone cares now.

Although all the bushes are still thrown in the backyard. Still figuring that out.

I originally wanted to paint the foundation before planting anything, but it's already August and I needed to move the plants. So, I'll just paint the foundation later. Once we figure out how to get the outside water spigot working so I can power wash everything.

And, who wants to see the most recent checklist? (It's not much change this week, but a few things have been updated.)

Thoughts?

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Love & BBQ

We were excited when we found out that Ryan's best man and friend, Brian, popped the question to Jessi. Brian and Ryan have been friends for ages, and it's always exciting when your friends find the right person. We're excited to share their big day with them in December.

But, before then, it's important to have showers. Very important. We were lucky enough to have a coed shower before our wedding, which was lots of fun. It also gives the guys a chance to be involved, which is unique. We offered to host a shower for the bride-and-groom-to-be, and we decided that August would be a great time. (Mainly because our house isn't large enough to host many people indoors, and also because BBQs rock.)

We had a great time, with friends, food and gifts. And, I even snuck in a simple, gender neutral shower game. (And, as an aside, do you know how hard it is to find a shower game that is gender neutral? Ours was a "honey-do" list. If you are interested, here are the guys' version and the girls' version. The guys had to guess how Brian would answer and the girls had to guess how Jessi would answer.)

I wanted the decorations to be simple, summery and festive. So, I went with mason jars and flowers - sunflowers from the farmer's market and black-eyed susans from the yard. They turned out really cute on the blue tablecloths.

Ryan made smoked pork and I made baked beans, corn on the cob and other garden-fresh sides. Of course we had s'mores for dessert.

I always enjoy the spectator sport of opening gifts. But, it's especially entertaining when a guy is involved.

(And, as an aside - I officially want one of these Longaberger wine coolers.)

All-in-all, a productive night. And, by the end of the year, 2 of the 3 of these boys are gonna be hitched. ;)

And the obligatory shot of Ryan and I. (Thanks to Betty for taking all these photos and sharing them with me.)

We're really happy for you, Jessi and Haarzy! Thanks for letting us play a little part in celebrating your upcoming union.

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