This Old, New, House

Remember this post? The excitement, the fear, the naive laid back attitude?

Well, all those feelings are the same, except for...

We did it.....We bought a house.

I know, right?!?

Some of you already know, but we're too excited not to share it again and again. We don't close until mid-July, so it's not 100% done, but we've had the home inspection and signed the final offer so it's (hopefully) only a matter of time!

We actually found another house a while ago that we really liked, and we put an offer in. We got through the home inspection but were unable to reach an agreement with the seller. (Oh, how diplomatic I am. The seller was stubborn. And he lost!) So we walked away, sure that we would find another house. And so we kept looking. And looking. And looking. And more than once I was positive that we made a huge mistake, and we'd never find our house. We looked at nine houses one evening (yes, nine!) and by then end, I was hopeless, and Dustin was hungry. (Read: hopeless) Then a few days later we had another nine on our list. We breezed through eight with nothing feeling quite right, and again I began to doubt our decisions. Would we ever find something? Was I being too picky? I was starting to convince myself that I liked things, just to stop the feeling of disappointment. But then we went to our ninth and final house of the day.

And it was the one. We made an offer right then, and couldn't be happier with how things are turning out. I hate to be that girl-but it was pretty much one of those "God opens a window" kind of situations.

Speaking of windows....Wanna take the tour? (Oh, bad segue, I am totally that girl now!)

Isn't it cute?

Some main floor highlights- living and dining room, plus a sunroom. Yep, a sunroom! For we are fancy.

And here's where you can sleep when you come to visit! (We'll not in that weird toddler bed, we'll buy you something pretty.)

Did I mention there's a backyard? No more front stoop sitting, or driveway grilling. Kind of bitter sweet...I guess.

So that's a sneak peak of our new little home. I promise there is more (like those little luxuries- a kitchen, a bathroom etc.) but you will have to come see for yourselves! How about August? I'll pencil you in the calendar. A calendar that I will hang in my NEW HOUSE!

Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails...

It's time for another Bowdenisms Shout Out!

This time, it is a Congratulations message to Jay and Rachel! Their baby boy Trey Douglas was born almost two weeks ago (a week late, but worth the wait!) We finally got to meet him last Tuesday, and he is stunning! I’m so excited to have a baby close by that we can hold and play with all the time. It satisfies my desire for little-chubby-cheek-munching, but comes with none of the parent-type responsibilities. Love it!

We had planned a Welcome shower, but things with a third baby get a bit crazy, so we had a mini celebration during our typical American Idol get together. I brought my latest art project:

And Rachel brought something she's pretty proud of:

Trey is an absolute darling. I fawned over him all night. But Dustin still found time to practice his skills:

So, many congratulations and best wishes to the growing family. Dustin and I are so happy to be a part of your lives!

P.S. Be sure to check out Jay's musings here. However, with scrumptious new babies in town, (not to mention 2 older Mitlo delights) it may not be updated as frequently as it once was. And I don't blame him one bit!

Gotta Dance!

First off? Nailed it. I am a soothsayer.

In related news....
America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, Top Chef, Survivor, Biggest Loser, Real Desperate Housewives (of the OC and NYC), The Bachelor[ette]. Clearly I love me some reality show competitions. (alright, you got me, the "housewives" shows aren't exactly a competition....unless you count their constant desire to out-sass, out-shop and out-skank each other; which should totally count.)

BUT- Tonight! Is epic! For it is the return of perhaps my favorite reality series of all. (Yes, to a true tv lover like me, it is little like choosing your most beloved child, but hey...life isn't fair, and I love this show, so there you have it.)

Tonight! Is the premiere of season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance (if you were watching Idol close enough last night, you may have noticed special spotlight of last year's dancers. It was the best subliminal plug ever. Oh Fox...you have reeled me in and you know it!)

For those of you not as well versed in the sheer brilliance of this competition, allow me to present your crash course in the details of the show, and the multitude of reasons it is awesome:

Host- Cat Deeley. She is my tv idol. There are not enough web pages in the world to list all the details of her awesomeness. She's like a thousand feet tall, completely gorgeous, with amazing hair. Witness:

Look at those legs! And bouncy locks!

I want to be her when I grow up!

Plus, she wears the most ridiculous, but somehow beautiful outfits. Exhibit B:

Why does this not look like a Halloween costume?

Or if it does, why do I like it anyway?

But perhaps the thing I like about her best, is that despite her clear superiority in every way, she still seems like she could be your friend. She truly admires the contestants, and really seems to appreciate her role in the whole spectacle. Plus, she has the funniest accent (she calls Judges "jijiz"). How can you not like that?

She has mastered the 'come hither' look.

Sassy, not snobby.

Judges- Speaking of jijiz, let's talk about Mary Murphy.

Talk? No, let's SHOUT!

Mary is the reason for the euphemism "train wreck". Her energy, enthusiasm and sheer madness puts Paula Abdul to shame. She has a trademark scream, smiles with every last one of her teeth, and when people do well, her critique consists of giving out imaginary tickets on the "hot tamale train". Oh, how I love her.

The feeling is mutual, I just know it.

Music-
They have every type of dance you can think of, so naturally they have an incredible mix of music. Each night is a melodic surprise, with everything from Mr. Bojangles from Fosse, to Apologize by One Republic to Gravity by Shawn McDonald.


Performances- Oh yeah....the dancing. Despite all the other amazing aspects of the show, the true reason I tune in every week (and save them on my DVR for repeated viewing) is the incredible talent of the dancers. they do things I could only dream of doing (and oh, do I dream!) and make it look effortless.

But it's not just the dancing. It's the entire production. The choreography is spectacular, representing every genre of dance imaginable. Wade Robson, Shane Sparks and tons of others are always dreaming up new routines, which range from dramatic, to wild, to hilarious, to sensitive. This varied spectrum, combined with the costumes, the lights, the props, makes each couple minute routine a memorable part of the whole.

The show has inspired me more than I should probably admit. After all, are most viewers moved enough to sign up for hip-hop lessons? or to push the furniture out of their living room to practice turns? Or to ask their stylist friends to outfit them for their dance class? Probably not. But I am nothing if not passionate, and I refuse to be ashamed of my latest hobby. Even if it was spurred on by Fox Reality. (hey- at least it wasn't COPS!)

So, while you're waiting with bated breath for the newest episode, I leave you with two of my favorite performances of last season.

"Robot Guy" from auditions. So, so cool.
Lauren and Pacha dance to Fuego by Pitbull. Dustin and I practiced for weeks. Well, we could have, but it probably wouldn't have mattered.

And if all of that failed to inspire a passion, perhaps this will do the trick.
Oh, I can hardly stand it!

Because you know you care a little bit...

This guy is winning it all:Mark my words.

Artistic Insecurity

Perhaps some of you are wondering how this whole thing turned out...

Well...I had big dreams. I wanted to come up with something GENIUS, and ASTOUND the internet with my AWESOMENESS! (like I said....big dreams!) But I'm worried I may have fallen a bit short of my lofty goals. I liked my idea, and I almost like the finished product, but I get nervous when I think that five people are going to have my designs in their homes. What if they don't like them? What if everyone elses' are better? What if, what if, what if...?

Being an artist (a word that feels like a stretch when referring to myself) is a strange role, because art is such a subjective thing. Even if I loved my creations, someone else could hate them. And it's tough to remember that aesthetic styles aren't better or worse, just different. That fact is especially hard to keep in mind when your faced with the work of such talented people.

But I'm glad I did it. It's good for me to stretch my "creative muscles" and try something new. And I am thrilled that I will soon have a compilation set from five other brilliant designers. So congrats to all of the participants. I truly can't wait to see what everyone came up with!

My girls. Love them or hate them. Good or bad...

They are mine.

And that is something to be proud of.

"M" is for the many things...

In honor of Mother's Day (if you haven't called your mom yet....do it NOW!), the fabulous pregnant women in my life (Shout out to Shayne and Rachel!) and a beautiful baby I FINALLY got to meet in person this week, I have compiled a few fun baby-related finds.

A couple of my favorites....

The Wheel of Responsibility is great for settling diaper change fights.

On a similar note, On/Off duty pillowcases alleviate nighttime arguments. (I'd probably find a way to glue mine down in the permanent "off" position!)

And for your wee little man: Pee-Pee Teepees.

Check these out (and tons of other cute things) at Spoon Sisters. Found via whoorl/parentdish.

On the home decor front: I love these posters by Robin Rosenthal. They're great for kids rooms, but are still very sophisticated and modern.

These "Alternative Motivational Posters by Right Brain Terrain aren't necessarily designed for kids, but I love their messages and think they'd look great in a child's room.

These are two of my favorites:

Enjoy your Mother's Day!

Excuses, Excuses

So, uh....it's been a while. In no particular order, I give you my attempt at justification...

Reasons I haven't posted in the last couple weeks:
work
work
softball
house hunting
work
trip to cincy
work
visit with parents
young life
work
happy hour
shopping
work
work

hmmmmm....sensing a theme?

Reasons I will probably continue my unofficial leave of absense:
work
work
bachelorette party
work
young life
baby shower
work
wedding
work

Hope you all are doing well. When I finally get my head above water (or pried out from under my desk!) I promise I'll tell you all about the awesome things that are happening here.