Jackpot! (update)

So... I made the hole bigger.

I couldn't help it... I'm excited about the floor and I would tear it all up right now if I could but we're not at that stage yet.

Here's what I found:

1.) I can stick a pry bar under the last layer of junk and break up the layers of crap.

2.) The boards of the hard wood flooring appear to be twice as thick as the rest of the house... which could be really cool looking.

3.) For whatever reason, somebody laid down a sub floor and linoleum over the EXACT SAME linoleum. The only difference between the two patterns is shades of blue which could be caused by fading. Who does that?

Pictured: a piece of the oldest linoleum is to the far right (layer 4), and just to the left of it is the newer piece (layer 6).

Jackpot!

So almost a year ago Court posted about the demolition of the breakfast nook.

You would think that almost a year later the kitchen would be totally remodeled. Well you would be wrong. In fact, there has been no progress at all on the kitchen remodel. Zero. Zip. Zilch. But today I made a huge discovery.

Have a look:

Here's the road map of what you're looking at:
To the far right is the current rust colored stick on square tiles that are currently on our kitchen floor. To the left of that is the white linoleum flooring that the rust colored tiles are stuck to.
In the center is a hole. I made that hole today.

To get to the bottom of that hole I had to cut through:
1.) rust colored stick on tile
2.) white linoleum
3.) sub flooring
4.) white linoleum that looks like the other white linoleum above it
5.) another sub floor
6.) some kind of old flooring that is probably asbestos
7.) and yet another layer of sub flooring

and finally...

Hard. Wood. Flooring. Jackpot!

The flooring throughout the house is all hard wood and I hoped that the kitchen had hard wood flooring as well and my suspicions were confirmed. So depending on how good the floors look, we may not replace the flooring at all but rather just remove seven layers of old flooring when we finally do get started on the kitchen.

Update: This post is probably not interesting in the slightest to anybody but me. Don't hold this lame post against Courtney. Her posts are awesome.

Rainbow Bright Birthday

My mom was born exactly one week after me.... ok, well a few years before me, but her birthday is exactly one week after mine, which means we get to celebrate together!

This year our birthdays fell on Tuesdays, so the weekend between was the ideal time for a big family party. We went to planned a big meal, but everyone knows the star of the birthday meal is the cake! Now, I don't really like cake....and my mom really only likes the frosting, but we both love a fancy cooking project, so like it or not, there would be cake!

But not just any cake....oh no- We were taking on a Rainbow Cake! Layer after layer of bright colors, with tons of gooey frosting between them all. I had seen recipes and pictures all over the web, and figured even if it wasn't delicious, it would at least be a fun challenge.

And it actually ended up being pretty simple. We prepared two boxes of white cake, and split them into 6 bowls (about 1 1/4 cup each). Then we used gel food coloring to dye each portion.

My mom and I took care of the batter, while my aunt sprayed all the pans and washed all of our (many) bowls and spatulas. If you're going to take on a cake like this- I highly recommend having a "pit crew"!
We poured each batch into disposable cake pans, and cooked 3 at a time for about 25 minutes. Don't they look pretty already?

When they were done....and cooled...it was time for frosting! Since it was just plain white cake, we wanted to give it a bit more flavor, and decided on lemon frosting. To keep it easy, we used plain vanilla frosting, and just added lemon extract to it. (we did use a ton of frosting- almost three of the tall cans. Just mix the extract in until it tastes good!) Before we layered them up, we cut the rounded tops off to form a level surface. We learned later that it was helpful to flip each layer upside-down, so that the crumbs from the top didn't get in the frosting.

It turned out my mom had taken a few baking and decorating classes, so she was the designated "froster". We went with a fluffy look to cover up any of our mistakes....

All it needed then was a little star birthday garland, and it was time to party!

We had special candles with colored flames....it was a great little hint to what was hiding inside all that frosting! (we didn't tell our guests what kind of cake we made....everyone loves a birthday surprise!)

A quick couple of birthday wishes....


...and it was time for the big reveal!

Isn't it beautiful? A cake fit for a princess. Or a couple of princesses. Or a couple of princesses' pet unicorn!

It turned out exactly as I hoped....or even better...and it tasted just as good as it looked. A birthday well spent!

Stay-cation

When Dustin and I first moved to Pittsburgh, we didn’t really think there was going to be much of a climate shift. It’s a couple hours east of Columbus, but that shouldn’t really affect the weather, right? Well- let me tell you. It’s cold here. Like fridgid cold. But that’s not really the worst of it. The real problem? The sun- or rather, the lack of it. You see- everywhere else we’ve lived has been cold in the winter, but we at least had sunshine. So even when the thermometer seemed to be stuck on 17, the blue sky, and rays of sunshine pouring through frozen windowpanes at least gave you hope that Spring would indeed come again. In Pittsburgh? Not so much. The sun packs its bags around December, and doesn’t bother returning until late March (I heard it has a nice place in Boca).

(Notice the weather on my phone- if you can't tell from the camera phone pic of a camera phone...the forcast for the day says N/A over a picture of a grey'd out sun.

As in- the sun literally doesn't apply to Pittsburgh.)

You know people that complain about grey skies in Seattle? Or London? I don’t think they’ve ever been to Pittsburgh, or they’d realize how nice they have it. (then again...I’ve never been either of those places...why bother? I heard it’s so dreary.)

(Word. drawing by artist Wendy MacNaughton.)

So- since we can’t exactly change meterological patterns, we’ve done the next best thing: Every year we make it a point to save some vacation days for January. This way we can bail on the sleet and snow, and head for greener pastures (i.e. the tropics!) (We didn’t have this wisdom in Winter 08, so those few months were when we officially learned this the hard way.) In 2009 we visited Dustin’s parents in Florida, and in 2010 we were blessed beyond all reason with an invite to join friends in St. John. (Never did get around to posting that...but don’t worry, that’s why Golden Oldie posts were invented!)

This year, we were all set to start planning another trip. We had the days racked up, and were kicking around ideas on where to go, and what to do.....Puerto Rico was a strong contender...Belize was mentioned (as it is every year....someday!)...Florida was another possibility. We even got a generous gift of flight miles from Dustin’s step-dad. All we had to do was pull the trigger, and book the trip.

But for some reason, we couldn’t. Though we have certainly grown weary of the winter weather, a big trip right now just didn’t seem right. Maybe it’s because we went on the trip of a lifetime in September? Or because we are trying to save money for our kitchen? Or because planning something major right now makes me more stressed than not taking a vacation? I think it’s all of those. So we decided to stay put this year, and muddle (puddle) through the winter slush....

But just because we’re not flying anywhere exotic, it certainly doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of our vacation days! Enter.....the Stay-cation!

Dustin and I decided that we are still taking our week off (well 4 days....schedules got a little complicated), and we’ll be spending it in the winter paradise that is Pittsburgh (at a nice little bed & breakfast known as Chez Bowden...maybe you’ve heard of it?) It may sound a little lame, but we’re actually quite excited to have an extended time off together.

And what will we be doing on this Stay-cation? So glad you asked. Because we’ve made an itinerary:


We made a rule that just because we’ll be at home, it doesn’t mean we’ll act like we’re at home. So as much as possible, we’ll only be doing things you’d typically do on a vacation. This means no doctor’s appointments, no bill paying, no sitting on the couch watching The View in pj’s while folding laundry (I mean, unless that’s what you typically do on vacation....). Sure, it’d be nice to take advantage of this time at home with some big time productivity, checking off projects and getting to those boring tasks that never quite seem to get done during the work week. But that’s no fun! And vacations (and stay-cations!) are all about FUN! Yes- we included some things that seem a little like work- like painting, but we’re only doing those if we feel like it...no pressure. (And getting the car fixed doesn’t count as work because we don’t actually have to do anything, other than drive together for a few days.)

And you may have noticed that museums, zoos, botanical gardens and other typical vacation “attractions” are conspicuously missing from our list....But that’s because we decided we just don’t like that stuff all that much. But we do like to shop...and eat...and play games...and eat. So that’s what we’ll be doing! We depart tomorrow, (destinations: Lazy Town, and Fun Village). I’m so very excited!

P.S. If you’re wondering what “Find the BEEP” means, it refers to the random, completely aggravating chirping noise that seems to be coming from some place in our house. It’s not the TV. It’s not the smoke alarms. The refrigerator is suspect...but only because everything is a suspect at this point. It’s driving me bonkers, and it has to stop.

Game-changer

This little site?

Changed.
My.
Life.

Ok, I’m probably exaggerating a little, but still- why did no one tell me about CraigsEasy?!?! (probably for the same reason that I hesitated to share....because I want all the good stuff for myself!) In the past, I used Craiglist only if I was looking for a specific item. It was just too hard to search in general. Too many links, too much clicking...it takes forever. But now.....I can browse around to my heart’s content. Which might be a lot! (to Dustin’s shagrin. Is it the money that bothers him? Or having to meet strangers in dark alleys to exchange goods? Hmmmmmm.)

Here’s our latest Craiglist find- an antique stool from a doctors office.

We’re using it as an end table in the guest bedroom. It’s a little lonely right now, but with a few days of browsing around online, I’m sure I’ll find something to jazz it up. (By the way- we’ve made a lot of progress in this room since we last shared pics, and I’m so excited to share the finished result with you....just as soon as it’s...finished.)

Until then....Happy hunting!

2.7.

If I were forced to choose my favorite holiday, it’d be a pretty tough call....

I do love New Years,
And of course Halloween,
Forth of July is up there,
And even Labor Day deserves honorable mention (even if it’s just because it happens to be our wedding anniversary).

But I’m not going to pretend like my birthday doesn’t rank right up there with the best of ‘em.

I’ve wondered for a while if my birthday would lose its luster as I got older. I mean, it’s all well and good for kids to have lavish parties, but should you really continue to make a big deal even after you hit the quarter century mark?
And (surprise, surprise!) I say YES. I think birthdays should always be looked forward to, and celebrated, regardless of the age. I’ve yet to hit a number that I dreaded (I know...call me in a couple of years), so I’ve tried to make the most out of each one, even if there are less and less milestones that accompany adulthood.

So 27 may not be traditionally associated with any big benefits, but I bet there are some big things in store nonetheless.

27 great things about being 27:

1. I have time before my ten year high school reunion.
2. I still get carded with semi-regularity.
3. I’ve lived in the suburbs, the city, the BIG city, and the middle of nowhere...And learned what’s a good fit for me.
4. I have a job- nay- career I love.
5. I’m still three and a half years younger than Dustin.
6. I have a handful of friends that have known me since “childhood”...and still talk to me!
7. I still smile like a seven year old when I get out my sparkly nail polish.
8. I get to be a wife, an older sister and an aunt...but also a younger sister, a cousin, a niecem and a daughter. (and a grand daughter!)
9. I can rock some fashion fads, and skip a ton of them too.
10. I have a cute little house.
11. I can celebrate the decade-iversary of my favorite age (seriously, seventeen was sweet!)
12. I have a husband that keeps me young, and helps me grow up, depending on what I need in the moment.
13. I still mostly understand high school slang.
14. I have three years till thirty. (Not sure it’s enough...but I like how the numbers work out).
15. I’ve given up on pretending to like things just because I feel like I’m supposed to.(Example: Hiking. Not a fan!)
16. I still get to have tons of child-like fun with my friends- movie marathons, girl’s nights, sleepovers, game nights and dance parties, but I don’t have to agonize of my current crush, my parents silly rules, or mean girls from my class.
17. Twenty-seven is odd. Like me.
18. I know at least 3 cute ways to wear my hair (and at least 6 that just don’t look good on me).
19. I can party all night long.
20. I don’t have to party all night long.
21. I’ve practiced four musical instruments, learned seven types of dance, studied another language, played three “sports” (shutup...bowling is a sport. Especially if you earn a varsity letter in it), and still have a mile long list of things I want to try....
22. It sounds way more sophisticated and worldly then twenty-six, but not as boring as twenty-eight.
23. My bones are still growing!
24. I’ve gotten to travel enough to get a taste of what’s out there, and get inspire to see more!
25. I’ve grown accustom to being bad at things sometimes, and have become way less scared of failing than I used to be.
26. I have (a statistical average of) 53.8 years to go....(meaning I’m just over 1/3 of the way in!)
27. I’m loved and blessed more than I can imagine possible.....and have what is sure to be another exciting year ahead of me!
    

New Year, New Look!

A little over a year ago, our little corner of the internet got a facelift...and while it was enough to make this little bloggie feel fresh and pretty for a while, it was soon itching for another round of nips and tucks. Because while I loved the simplicity of our design, it didn't exactly feel like "us".

I wouldn't go so far to call it "Old and Busted", but...

So I set about performing an overhaul. Mercifully, this round didn't include (a ton of) html coding...I focused on the color scheme, font styles, and overall look, rather than the technical ins and outs of it all. My goal was to blend our styles and have the design reflect our personalities a bit more (some brighter colors, whimsical details, and little personal nods- like "stitching" borders for my fashion background, and graph paper for my math loving husband).

Here's a shot of the work-in-progress:

And a little bit further down the road.....

And now the finished product!

In addition to the new header, sidebar buttons, and pics, we've also added an "about us" page, as well as a link for new visitors. I'm still fiddling around with it a little, but so far....I'm smitten. And hopefully the new look will lead to even more fresh content, and fun posts: Because everyone knows, if you get a cute new party dress, you have to show it off!

I hope you love it as much as I do...let me know if you find any major glitches or problems! (Oh- And if you've viewing this in a reader, please click through and see what all the fuss is about!)

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{Golden oldie} Happy Halloween!

Lately (always?) it seems like life has been going at warp speed. You know, places to go, people to see, food to eat.....I can’t really complain, because it’s almost always fun stuff, but I get frustrated when my blogging can’t keep up with the doing. I’m always behind, trying to organize thoughts, edit photos, and find time to actually put down the words to remember our super-fab life (ha!).

So we’re implementing a new regular feature here on Bowdenisms....Golden Oldies!
These posts will be your cue to hope in your way-back-machine, to a simpler time...Or maybe just an earlier time. I hate to have good stuff go undocumented, so this will be a way to ignore the rules of timeliness, and dive into the memory banks (or computer archives) to feature that which went unsaid. (Otherwise known as, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one blogs about it, did it really happen?”)

First up in our historical adventures is.....

Halloween! (See? Currently irrelevant....and yet perpetually fun!)
It goes without saying that I love, love, love a costume, so Halloween is always a fav. Someday I’ll have to take you down the memory lane of costumes....but for now we’ll just focus on this year (believe me...that’s plenty).

Last year I slaved over an alien robot outfit, and while it probably should have taught me a lesson, it really just inspired me to create something just as good (or better!) this time around!

I had been toying around with the idea of Medusa for a while....I’m not usually a “wig person” (my Halloween philosophy is that costumes should be pretty...not gross, scary, or particularly smutty, thus wigs, fangs, and skintight polyester-satin dresses are typically out), but I thought it would be an interesting to try to make a hairpiece....plus the look would allow me to play around with makeup, which is always fun! (While I wear almost no makeup everyday, I LOVE an over the top special occasion look.) So I bought this renaissance wig-






a ton of fake snakes, and some bright green hair extensions from the dollar store, and set about creating my masterpiece. I actually conned my mom into helping (oh how I love to rope other people into my overambitious plans!)- she and I tried every possibility under the sun, and finally settled on a low side ponytail (or, snake-tail). It took FOR-EV-ER, but I loved how it turned out. Then, after perusing you-tube for instructional videos, I had crafted a toga and my look was (almost) complete. Googling for makeup ideas led me to the technique of pulling fishnets over your face, and then applying make up, which gives the look of scales. Really cool.



Now the only task left was convincing Dustin to wear a costume. He comes from the “I won’t anything that is too hot, too itchy, too tight, too loose, too bright, too boring, or any fun at all” school of costuming, which makes it exceptionally difficult to dress him. So I came up with “swamp thing”, which allowed him to wear regular clothes, and add a hat (which I covered in left over snakes). Not bad, considering the constraints.

After all that effort, I really didn’t take very many pictures....but here’s what we ended up with:




(Note- the superman tshirt is one of Dustin’s old costumes that I made. “Clark Kent” works around most of the “I hate costumes” rules...)

And please take a look at our friends Mike and Lindsey’s incredible costumes. They went as a geisha and a goth/punk...I LOVE the enthusiasm, and it’s even better that they were able to pull it off using entirely stuff they already owned!

So Costumes 2010 were a rousing success! But wait.....there’s more.....

This year at work, there wasn’t going to be a costume contest....and I just was not okay with that. So I started my own! And if you initiate a costume contest...you pretty much have to dress up (not complaining!). But after all that effort on my wig, I was realizing that perhaps a heavy head of hair and snakes, and a full face of makeup, wasn’t going to be the most practical choice for a workday.

You know the solution, right?
Make another costume! Yay!

Somehow I got my heart set on being an owl... and I found some great ideas online. I followed this tutorial, which is GREAT....but they may have underestimated the time (or overestimated my skills)....My poor mother (yes, she got mixed up in my madness again) helped me sew “feathers” for an hour or two before we were forced to reevaluate, and come up with a more executable plan.

Do you know the solution this time?
Ruffles!!

We changed the design and pressed on, eventually making one heck of a dress! I crafted a mask, added cape-like wings, and I was in birdie-business! (click the photo to see me in all my feathery glory.)

And since it’s all about the details- witness my owl nails, and ring!


So there you have it....Halloween 2010. Better late than never!

OH- and if you’re wondering....no, I didn’t win the costume contest (It’s poor form to take the prize at your own game!). But I did make a pretty sweet trophy for the winner.

Wouldn't it be nice...

Last year I had high hopes for my New Year’s Resolutions....

I chose bold words to serve as my overarching goals for the year. Did it work? In a word: nope. While I may have stumbled into demonstrating some of those characteristics, it was a little too broad for me to really intentionally execute them all. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the ideas...I think those words will probably guide me subconsciously throughout my life. But I think I might be more successful with smaller resolutions. I’ve stumbled upon some ideas online, and found that I’ve been inspired by simple goals, and yearly plans broken into chunks.

Kate Spade has some great examples of things that are totally do-able....

Katie, of Bower Power, shows how to divide goals up over the year:

And Jane at Lox Papers has some fun, inspirational goals, that range from little to big:

So for my resolutions this year, I’ve decided to unveil a new goal each month. Yes, they're "resolutions" but they're also just little wishes..."wouldn't it be nice if I....." Less pressure, more fun! I’ve mapped out what I’d like to do this year, but who knows where things will take us, so I’m leaving some wiggle room to switch it up in later months. To kick off our first month....

I know it’s completely cliché to have a “work-out” type resolution for January (I can barely even watch TV without being bombarded for P90X infomercials, gym membership offers, and diet program testimonials), but it’s probably cliché for a good reason. The twist this year? I’m not making promises to work out every single day, or lose X number of pounds etc. Instead, I’m trying to focus on moving just a little bit more than I usually do everyday. Taking the stairs? Counts. Playing dance video games? Counts. Walking to the bar for happy hour? Totally counts. So some days are more activity filled than others....the point is I’m trying. I have high hopes of checking out a local dance class, and putting our Groupon for yoga to good use....But in the meantime, I’m trying to incorporate some type of exercise into my typical life. My hope is that these little efforts will become second nature, eventually building to a lifestyle full of unintentional “exercise”.

Oh- and if I get totally skinny as a result? We’ll call that a bonus. (I mean, I wouldn’t be sad if my February resolution can be “Show off my super hot bod”....but I’m not holding my breath.)

In with a bang!

Ever since I was little, New Year's Eve has been one of my favorite holidays. I know a lot of people think it's over hyped, but I just love it. Each year we do something different, but in our seven years of celebrating together, we never hosted a party.....But this year we decided to do it up! It wasn't a huge shin-dig, but it was full of people...and things...that I love.

We decided to keep it low key, but of course at the last minute I got excited to decorate...(of course!) We had the backdrop already, so I expanded on the theme and grabbed all the shiny objects I could find, to create a festive tablescape.

The plan was to have everyone roll their own sushi, so we needed a plastic tablecloth to work on- and after that, I was free to go wild with the decorative doo-dads down the center...Would you believe the runner is aluminum foil?

In fact- everything except the white table covering was stuff I already had on hand. The animals got to go on parade, vases and glassware came out of hiding, and some left over Christmas and new year's decorations got pulled out again. Add a few bowties, and our table was ready to party!

But with all that fun on the main table, the food had to find another spot....TV trays to the rescue! We managed to jam all the delicious treats on there buffet-style. It was a smorgasbord complete with at least five different dipping sauces. Because that is what I look for in a menu!

And the sushi was a big success...

I wish I had pictures of how it all came out...let's just say some rolls were better than others (and mine we always the "others"). But even when they weren't perfect, they still tasted good!

But as much as I loved the food (I mean, there was crab rangoon...so you know I loved the food!) New Year's Eve parties to me, have always been about the decorations, and the accessories! So I made another buffet- of fun!

People showed restraint until midnight...but when the ball dropped, so did the manners, and it was a free for all at the table. We cranked the music, flipped on all the lights, and the famous photobooth was back in business!

And I cannot even begin to tell you how much fun it was. But I think these pictures can give you a glimpse....

(yes- those are sparklers in that photo...in my dining room. All in the name of fun, right?)

We snapped pics, and danced, and sang, and laughed for hours, and I'm so glad to have captured some of the ridiculousness.

I probably took a hundred photos, and each one makes me laugh a little harder than the last... but this series might be my favorite:

(I had enough to make a flipbook).

It was an absolute blast....and our house was an absolute disaster....

...and I'm absolutely thrilled to celebrate for another entire year with this man:

Happy 2011 everyone!

For Edie, With Love

The blogging world is a strange place..... At its worst, it can be reminiscent of high school, with its cliques, mean girls, popular crowd and outsiders. The landscape can be tough, full of insecurities, judgment, and surface level relationships. It’s a vast open network, with fleeting moments of connection, and at times it can feel like you’re yelling out into the universe, never to receive a response. It can be a selfish activity, centered around constant self promotion and bragging. A fake world of managed perception, where anyone can craft the perfect persona.

But at its best, it is a community. Full of support, advice, encouragement, camaraderie, inspiration, laughter, and friendship. Many of the blogs I read, I’ve never met the writer. Who knows how I found each one, or why I chose those out of the thousands of sites out there, but each spot on my google reader represents an online friend....whether they know I’m a follower or not. I recognize their kids, I remember their stories, I refer to them as if they were more than just the creator of words on a page- because to me, they are. Reading the stories of these “strangers” has become part of my life, and though in many cases we’ve never exchanged even an email- we’ve shared much more than that.

I don’t know when I first stumbled on to Life in Grace, but do remember feeling an instant connection with Edie, and roaming through her archives to learn more about this woman. In some ways, she and I don’t have a lot in common....she is a mom, a home school teacher, a former doctor....nothing that I can relate to. But her heart....it is kind, fun, and full of the same kind of love I aspire to show others.

I’ve come to love Edie’s recipes, and crafts, and little stories about he everyday life. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and her faith is inspiring. She is far more diligent and gifted in writing than I, so it’s tough to pick a favorite post of hers, but I do have one that I connected with instantly. It was written over a year ago, shortly after I first found her site. Edie describes the Stages of Blog Friendship- something I had begun to experience but never articulated.

And that very day I decided to take our bond from “smitten” to “head over heels”. I emailed her and thanked her for sharing her life with this crazy, unseen audience, and told her that though I don’t “know” her....I do appreciate her.

In the world of blogging- Edie is a popular girl. She has friends from all corners, and I certainly don’t have the same connection with her that some of her “real” friends, or even her Blissdom buddies do. But I care about her all the same, so when I heard what happened, I was devastated for her and her family.

Edie, you are cared about farther and wider than you can even imagine. Your words have brought joy and wisdom into the hearts of many, and the legacy of love that you have built in your life will last far longer than any earthly damage. Thank you for sharing your heart with us.

Smile!

Did you think we'd go to all that trouble, and not have some more fun with the homemade photobooth? Of course not! We still had a few weeks to go until New Year's, but the dining room-turned-studio was begging for another round of fun.

So when two of our very best friends came over for dinner, we put the backdrop to good use once again.
and again.....
and again....
I might never take it down. Who needs a dining room anyway? This is much more fun....