I covet

It's been awhile since I've posted an "I Covet," but ever since I pinned this little flowery number, I can't stop thinking about how adorable it is. Wouldn't you have to agree? Maybe with these shoes? Yep, love it.

The Before: Bathroom

It feels like many moons ago that we gave our bathroom a little facelift. I don't call it a remodel because structurally, the only thing we changed was the mirror cabinet. But dang, the little changes we took on made a world of difference. When we started, we didn't realize how much of an undertaking a simple "facelift" would be, but it was still so worth it - the bathroom finally feels clean! But let me count the reasons this old bathroom had to go.

1. The wallpaper was dirty and dinghy. It was splitting on almost every seam and on the black wallpaper, they masked the cracks on the seams by coloring the wall with sharpie. Clever? Yes. Classy? No.
2. The vanity was also dinghy.
3. The mirrored racetrack lighting was just not pretty.
4. The outlets only worked when the lights were on. 
5. The mirror cabinet didn't open well without a yank, which always made me think it would shatter in my hands. 
6. The chair rail looked weird around the outlet. (As you can see above)
7. The ceiling was wallpapered. I mean, that's less of an aesthetic problem and more of "pain in my rear for trying to get it down" problem. 

So I'll just let you soak in what we were up against. One of the many things I took away from this experience: I will never, ever use wallpaper. Seriously, it's the devil.

Like the hole-in-the-wall toilet paper holder?

Under the wallpaper, we were surprised with many years worth of paint. Pink, orange, and even some purple flowered wallpaper!

 

The original floors are great. The dirty vanity on the other hand, not so great.

This is after the first layer of wallpaper was off. Then we had to do 1-2 more rounds of scraping and sanding! I wouldn't wish this process on my greatest enemy.

Coming soon: The Finished Bathroom!

Happy Birthday, Sissy!

Richelle, I hope you had the best birthday ever! Between working, taking care of Kam and going back to school full-time, you deserve the best birthday ever. Here's to all the good that lies ahead. Love you more!

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Many a years ago, I came to work and found a bottle of Trader Joe's Yellow Thai Curry Sauce on my desk. Normal people might think, "why the hell is there thai curry sauce on my desk?" But I thought, "hell yeah, I have some tasty-lookin' thai curry sauce!" Low and behold, it was from Kathryn, who was trying to enlighten me of the marvels of Trader Joe's - particularly this sauce. Since then, it's become a staple in my cupboards. Typically, we just cook it with some chicken, add a bell pepper and serve over rice. But the other night, I wanted to get a bit more adventurous...

So we made sauteed the two bell peppers and an onion, adding water chestnuts toward the end. In the meantime, we had some diced chicken cooking in another pan. We added the chicken when it was done, then poured in the thai curry sauce. Then to give it a bit more volume (I love leftovers), we added a half a can of coconut milk. Cooked it until it was bubbling, then let it cool a bit. Then I threw it on a big leaf of iceberg lettuce and we had some mighty fine thai chicken lettuce wraps on our hands. Yes, they were messy, but I happen to think that sometimes the messiest of foods is the best. Because let's not kid ourselves, have you had Memphis-style BBQ nachos? (I just had them and was once again amazed by their deliciousness.)

Saying Yes to the Dress

We've been engaged for two weeks and we're on a roll! Date: September 7th, check. Location: check. Desserts: check. Cake: check. DJ: check. Photographer: pretty much check, just need to make it final. And dress? CHECK. Well, I have to go back and make the official purchase, but I can't stop thinking about the winning dress (I was torn between two), so I'm taking that as a sign that it's the one. Plus, it's the one that made my Mom cry, so that's gotta say something. And boy, it's so hard to not tell Joe anything about it! I just keep telling him it's bright pink with poofy sleeves :)

Now just a few more logistics and details and then I'm hoping the rest is smooth sailing. I'll just enjoy the company of my lovely fiancé and all of the family and friend time that engagement brings!

P.S. I'm not holding the winning dress - just a photo that Stephers snapped as I was browsing!

Must be something in the air

In my whirlwind trip to Memphis, I was able to fit in a couple visits and much needed catch-ups with my dear friend, Danielle. The last time we saw each other was the day that she and Michael got engaged in Seattle and little did I know, I'd be engaged a few short hours after taking this photo. Crazy, right? What other major life will happen the next time we see each other?!

At any rate, I got the full rundown of wedding planning and school and I caught her up on our home projects and the like. It's hard to believe that she's been there long enough to be just months away from earning her PhD. I say this time and time again, but seriously, time flies.

So great to see you, D! Looking forward to the next visit and what it might bring :)

Whoa, wedding.

I find it refreshing that Pinterest has normalized wedding planning, even before you're engaged. (Right? Please say yes.) Because I'm not gonna lie, I've had a wedding pin board for quite some time so I have a bit of a jump start. While unintentional, I've gravitated to the same colors and overall look and feel for our big day. Who knows how it will all turn out, but these are a few of my inspirational pins - a citrus color palette and backyard appeal. Oh my goodness, this is happening!

 

He asked, I said yes :)

It's official: we're engaged! After a weekend away in Memphis, I came home to the surprise of a lifetime. (It seriously puts my revenge surprise to shame!) A house filled with roses, balloons and streamers with little notes chronicling our 3+ years that led me through our house. The final note led me to open the door to find my sweets who promptly got on one knee and popped the question. At that point, I was a blubbering mess, so thank goodness my part only required a simple, "yes!" Because that's all I could get out. Needless to say, I'm still on cloud nine - I get to marry him! And we get to spend the rest of our lives together. How did I get so lucky? I guess it's something I'll be asking myself for the rest of our lives.

I love you, Joe! You + me = awesome for eternity. (Too much? :))