It's getting better all the time....

Before:


Almost complete!


Crime scene:


Spa scene:


Fab floor:

We are nearing the end of our bathroom remodel! All that's left is to mount the new mirror, install the toilet, baseboards, and paint. Hmmmm. I guess there's still a good amount of work left. Anyways, all the work with the contractor is done. We have had a great experience with our contractor and would highly recommend Scott Bishop to all of you Knoxville folk!

We're recycling the original mirror by having it cut down, remounting it, and trimming it out with some fancy moldings from Lowe's. I love our sinks and faucets and find myself just dragging my fingers across them every time I walk by. I feel like a Kohler commercial. That's actually my surprise education in this process. I thought you had to go to a fancy fixtures store to get higher end sinks or faucets. Lowe's will order anything that is made by a company that they carry. It's not a higher price, it's just the price they would charge you if they had room to shelf and sell it in the store. So, we picked out our sink, tub, and faucets from the Kohler or American Standard websites, gave Lowe's the number, and it arrived in about a week. I know for a fact that we saved over $200 on our tub alone. I never bothered to check with the fancy store on anything else.

You may have noticed that our shower head looks a might small. Jeff and I are somewhat at odds on this one. I prefer a shower head with a hose, so that it's easier to clean the tub with- I personally despise cleaning showers. Jeff wants one of those giant rainforest heads, but we can't find one that comes with a hose. I know that they make hoses that you can attach to the shower head, but I've done that before and it drips water everywhere when you take unhook it. Any ideas??

A little laugh for your day

I got out of the shower this morning to find a very impatient dog sitting on the two top steps by the baby gate. Butt on one end, front paws on the other with a look that could best be interpreted as "if I don't go out now, it's YOUR fault". So off I go to let him out.

I return to put on my clothes, go to open the door to Mad's room and am greeted with the early morning aroma only a farmer could appreciate; POOP! As I approach, I realize it's not all contained. Mad has taken to recent exploration "down under" and has wiped the found contents all over her crib, bumper, sheets and clothes. As I pick her up, and she says, "Stinky", I realize this is a full bath rescue. I strip her clothes off, fling them into the 2 hour sanitary cycle of my washer, and run the water in the tub. As I bathe her, I formulate my strategy for complete amelioration of all things stinky. I deal with the diaper, gagging all the way mind you, drain the water from the tub and place the redheaded troublemaker in a matching diaper. I then proceed to untie all 12 ribbon ties on the bumper. I take off the sheet and mattress pad and wipe down each individual spindle of the crib. I thank God for hot running water, sanitary cycles on washers, and power- whether it is renewable or not.

I call my mom for a little restitution from her years as a parent. She seems vindicated.

I hang up the phone and deal with Mad's running nose. I congratulate myself for buying an extra box of Kleenex at Target yesterday and place it in her room. I go to change my snot and poop covered shirt and return to find half the Kleenex pulled out and scattered all over the floor.

I then check the clock and realize it is only 8:30. I punt on anything else productive being done today, and have given myself an hour of knitting therapy. I thank God, YET AGAIN, for Sesame Street.

Let's Bake

(imagine Alton Brown saying the title a 'la "The Next Iron Chef")

I'm a bit of a chocolate snob. There. I believe in dark chocolate and lots of it. I found a deal for 35% off Ghiradelli and went to town. I have cocoa powder (baking and drinking versions), baking chips, and baking bars. I AM ready for the holidays. Although I would have bought this anytime of year, truth be told. The summer after my junior year in college, I lived in Switzerland and had a Lindt chocolate factory so close, that the night air had the sweet scent of chocolate permeated through it. I even had the opportunity to tour a chocolate factory and see how all the bars were being made. But, the Venezuelans! My favorite chocolate has so far been from this South American country. Maybe it's the sisterhood of coffee beans nearby, but I'm telling you those folks understand how to roast a bean!

I digress..... back to Alton and the holidays ; "Let's bake!"

(recipes to follow over the holidays)