Lokis Thoughts: The Power of Dreams

I've dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas. They've gone through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind.


~Emily Bronte

I like dreams. I run faster, I chase cool stuff, I get all the best treats. Sometimes, I wag my tail in my sleep. That's one way you can tell that I'm a happy dog.

Bathroom Saga- Day Two

And the renovation continues. A lot of the work today was under the floor, in the walls. All things that I can't really see. In any event, there were some pretty fun things to see today.

This is what the cabinet looks like without the crazy blue sinks. I like it better already. It's a neutral style in addition to being white so I think it'll work with a wide variety of styles for the counter and sinks.

Without the counter, this what the inside of my side of the cabinet looks like. Makeup, hair products, curling iron, and a little bit of drywall dust. We'll have to give everything a good once over when things are finished.

This is the wall of the shower. Where the cans are sitting is the shelf that we're adding. I'll be able to fit so many bottles of shampoo and shower gel up there. Not that I have that many. Well, I kind of do. It's going to be great. We had a few inches between the edge of  shower basin and the wall of the room, so this was our solution. I'm a fan.

This is the new shower basin. It's great! Although the picture is on its side. Can't quite get it turned the right direction. If you tilt your head a little bit, you get the idea. You probably don't have to tilt your head. I did if it makes you feel any better. The room feels bigger already.

Tomorrow- the electrician comes. Finally, we'll have some light over the bath tub!

Goal Progress: Goal 58

Goal 58: Renovate Master Bathroom

That's right, we started the bathroom renovation this week. You can see some of the very first pictures of the space here. We took these right after we moved in. Even before we signed the papers, the millions of pages of paper, so that we could officially own the place, we knew those stylish blue seashell sinks had to go. We also knew that a bathroom renovation completely exceeded our DIY expertise. Anything involving plumbing and electricity requires professional knowledge. At least it does in our house.

We found a contractor that we liked, that Loki liked, and that some friends and our realtor recommended. We worked out a budget and a plan, and we made some decisions about the placement of new lights, and what walls needed to go. Basically, we had a linen closet that we didn't need. What we need is light and a little extra space in the shower. As of today, we're making great progress.

Day 1 was demo. Tuesday night, we moved ourselves into our guest bathroom, and got everything unnecessary cleared out of the bathroom. Then on Wednesday, the guys got things started. Here's a peek at what our bathroom looked like last night.

This used to be the shower. In the morning it was a 3' by 3' square. Everything's been pulled up, and the new wall you see is in place so that we can have a 60" shower basin. Hello room to stretch!

I don't know what any of the stuff in this pile is. That's why we aren't doing this ourselves. Loki wasn't allowed in the room while the work was going on. He was very interested in sniffing out the details of the progress. Then he was interested in chewing on an unattended 2 x 4. He didn't get to have that for very long. You can also see in this picture that the vinyl flooring is gone.

This is our bathtub. We're not changing the tub itself- garden tub with jets can definitely stay. But we are having the tile around the top and sides replaced with the tile that we use in the shower to tie it all together. Just enough to keep things coordinated. And I do like it when things are coordinated. 

The blue sinks are gone! This change will be one of the biggest impacts we have in the space. I cannot wait to see how it all looks with a clean, sleek, modern counter. We're keeping the existing cabinetry. It's in good shape, it's white so it'll go with everything we have and are bringing in. Plus, getting a new cabinet would have blown the budget.

Because everything had to come out of the bathroom, the toilet gets to live in our bedroom. Not permanently.

So Day 1 was a big day. Lots more updates to come. It's going to be an interesting three weeks.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ok, I know that not everyone likes this holiday, but I think it's fun. I like taking the time to let the people I love know that I love them. I think we could all stand to do that more often than we do. If it takes a Hallmark holiday to remind me to take that time, I'm ok with that. So whether you buy into the whole chocolate hearts, champagne and roses routine, I'm sure you have someone who means so much to you, that you want to let them know.

Someone asked me last week to think of something that I'm grateful for, something that makes me happy. My first thought was about the big guy. Since it's Valentine's Day, it's a good time to share what I wrote about him. Because I was writing this as a response to the question- I got wordy. You're not shocked, I know. So here's what I had to say about all the people that I'm grateful for this Valentine's Day.

I'm grateful that I get to spend my days with a wonderful man who supports and encourages me in everything I do. I couldn't have taken on some of the challenges I have if he hadn't been my own personal cheerleader. I'm grateful to have such a fantastic partner building the life that we want, for the family that we want.

I'm grateful for my parents and for all that they continue to do for me, and for us, every day. Their love and support is priceless. I wish they could be closer geographically, but I think the distance has actually helped me appreciate all we have together and all that they do.

I'm grateful for our friends and family. I sent out a silly request on Facebook to some close friends and our families (his & mine) to like a page I just created for work so that we can build our numbers and get the FB URL we want. It was late last night and almost everyone has already liked it. I was floored. I seriously started to cry checking the page. They continually surprise me with their caring and the time they take for us. We're incredibly lucky.

 I'm grateful for a job that provides challenges and opportunities for me to grow professionally. Having a job at all right now is something to be valued and appreciated, let alone one that you get to truly enjoy.

I'm grateful for a happy & healthy dog waiting patiently for me to come from work. Seeing that tail wag when I walk through the door makes the day's little annoyances go away.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! May you find yourself surrounded by love today, and everyday.

Super Bowl Sunday: At Least My Menu Was a Winner

Even though his team wasn't in the game, he still took the time to celebrate with friends.

I have to admit, I had a blast getting ready for this party. For the first time, I got to use this cookbook:

It was a Christmas present from my mom. :-) Here's what I love about this book. It gives you a checklist of everything you need for a variety of parties. Holiday parties, dinner parties, theme parties. You get a timeline of all the things that need to be done, from sending out invitations to centerpieces to signature cocktails. There's tips on decor, and a complete menu plan. It makes it super easy to put together a great time. Of course, one of the parties listed is the Super Bowl party.

I didn't do all the things listed as far as decor goes, but I was all about the menu. I won't be posting the recipes, as I'm sure that would put me in violation of some copyright laws. I tend to avoid violations of that nature. Really any nature. I'm what you might call "risk averse." Which is a business-school way of saying I'm a big chicken. It's true.

But I will tell you what was included in the menu:

• Sugar-and-Spice Pecans
• Jalapeno Bean Dip
• Paninis with Chorizo, Green Chiles, and Cheese
• Chili with Chicken and White Beans
• Jicama-Citrus Slaw
• Signature Drink- The Kickoff

We also had some of the Big Guy's pulled pork, and some of your standard party appetizers like a veggie tray, shrimp, and chips and salsa. You'll never be hungry at a party we host. That's just how we roll. Oh, we also had rolls, to go with the chili.

I spent most of Saturday cooking. The pecans, the chili, the bean dip, the slaw were all done the day before. Everything else was prepped (veggies cut, spices measured out, etc) and ready to go. It was so nice to have time on Sunday to enjoy getting ready rather than trying to get everything done at the last minute. It freed us up to do things like buy a George Foreman grill. We were stoked about the paninis, until we remembered that we don't have a panini press. Quick trip out to the store, and voila! Problem solved.

And with so many new recipes, I feel like this puts me closer to where I should be with the goal for one new recipe a week. Maybe we make that an average of one new recipe a week. A few more of the parties from this book, and I'll be right on track!

In the meantime, Loki's got some training to do. The Colts might need him next year.

Perspective

Whatever is true
Whatever is noble
Whatever is right
Whatever is pure
Whatever is lovely
Whatever is admirable
If something is excellent or praise worthy
Think about these things

~ Philippians 4:8