Here she is!

Gisele Gioanine, in the blanket I made!!! Thanks for sending me a picture Kelly!! This made my day!

Welcome Giselle!

Congratulations to Adam and Kelly who welcomed their new daughter Giselle to the world on Friday.

Adam and I go WAY back...all the way to preschool! I can remember going to his birthday party...probably when I was 5 years old. Adam also happens to be one of Andrew's very best friends.

I spent a few months this summer knitting a blanket for Giselle. I started it way back in May on my trip to Wisconsin. It turned out really well despite this crappy picture.


Congratulations Adam and Kelly! Hope you enjoy the new addition to your family and I hope Andrew and I get to meet her very soon.

boyz club gone bad

It would appear I spoke too soon about our friendly old neighbors. When I came home last night I entered the yard to find tree branches laying on our lawn. I assumed maybe Andrew had done some tree grooming again while I was gone. But once I got inside Andrew informed me that he was not the one who cut the tree branches. Um.... so that means....some crazy person came into our yard and cut branches off our tree and left them laying in our yard.....

Andrew suspects Jack considering he is the one who we borrowed the tree trimmer from and he is obsessively working on our immediate neighbors yard. Supposedly he was back there all day bringing in soil and flowers and such....parking in our lot to unload his car.

I suppose I shouldn't jump to conclusions. Maybe it wasn't Jack. But if it was I feel disappointed. I liked Jack and I thought it was sweet that he liked to spend time with Andrew. Now I think he might just be a batty old stalker. Owning a home brings on such weird emotions of possessiveness and protection. From someone stealing our mail to cutting down our trees...I feel equally violated. We had such a quiet few months in our home and now it feels like just one thing after another has been happening to make this experience bitter. I hope this isn't a trend that continues for much longer.

Andrew's new boyz club

Here's Andrew.... cleaning up our neighbor's yard...with his 2 new friends.



That's our neighbor Tim in the green sweat pants.

The other guy is Jack. He lives on the other side of Tim. He has lived in his house for 60 years...since he was 5 years old.

They are both very sweet neighbors.



Jack has an old golden retriever named Sam who is 14 years old. Every day Jack walks Sam past our house and tries to catch Andrew out in the yard or on the front porch. We've learned some great stuff from Jack, such as the fact that the previous owner used to be on our roof all the time...indicating that we should be able to get on our roof without a ladder. Turns out we can get on our roof, which is a great relief since we were tired of being at the mercy of corrupt contractors.

Jack asked Andrew to join his raquetball group, made up of 4 guys...the youngest 60 and the oldest 82! Andrew talked his way out of it. I think he should give it a try.

Week of Sept. 17- Sept 24 Recap

Saturday Sept. 17 - Andrew and I found a sale going on at the end of the street; an old building that used to be a grocery store. We are directed towards the basement and it was like a fantastic treasure hunt! Tons of old tools and other assorted junk! I was in heaven! Here's what I got for $12:

• many, many plastic bins to hold our nails, screws, nuts and bolts etc.
• 1950s retro furiture legs in original packaging
• two old screen windows
• an artists lamp
• three iron things that look like miniature stair cases for an intriguing industrial vignette

That afternoon Andrew and I did some gardening. I planted hostas I got from someone at work for free and Andrew hauled 40 bags of dirt and manure to level out the yard and reseed the lawn.



Later that day I finished my first project for my interior design class. It was a Color Project. We were each handed a piece of fabric and we had to make a monochromatic scheme and a complementary scheme. I did a very fine job if I do say so myself. My project is currently hanging in the hallway at school and I think I will find out my grade tomorrow morning.



Thursday Sept. 22 - The first official dinner catered by the Bob and Andrew Restaurant. My dear friend Bob has teamed up with Andrew for a dinner party idea where people pay to come to a really REALLY good dinner made by Bob and Andrew. The first party was a smashing success! The food was awesome!!



Friday Sept. 23 - Last, but not least, my little stepbrother Danny (I think he's 23??...) shows up on my doorstep at 11 pm. He is on his way to Fort Collins Colorado to try out life in the real world. It was great having him stay with us for a couple days and I am very excited for him. If there is one thing I can learn from Danny it's how NOT to worry. Nothing phases this kid. He flies by the seat of his pants without a care in the world, something I wish I could do more of. His little visit brought back lots of memories of when I moved to Missouri back when I was 23; in my own little red truck (you can see his big, red truck in the background); with all of my belongings in the back. Things turned out pretty darn good for me and I hope they turn out even better for Danny. You have a good heart Danny...follow it and you'll be just fine.

P.S. Thanks for all the good thoughts for my cousin. She had surgery today and it's NOT cancer!!! =) Blessings back out to all of you.

Gratitude!

[Maggie, Summer 2005]

Got home from school around 7:30 tonight and quickly sat down at the dining room table to a fabulous chicken ceasar salad prepared by Andrew. Andrew was busy telling me about the several gallons of Edy's ice cream he bought on sale that was in the freezer (a HUGE reason for gratitude!!) when I took his hands in mine. He looked at me confused and I spontaneoulsy starting saying a "grace" of sorts. "Thank you for this yummy salad; thank you for our dog and cat; thank you for letting me go to school; and please keep our families healthy." Andrew was a bit speechless since we never say grace together. I was a bit surprised too since I ususally feel self-concious about saying grace. Not today though... I have lots to be thankful for.

School rocks!!! I can't believe I waited 6 years for this! I am having lots and lots of fun. Digging through fabric samples with lots of other girls, laughing, talking and helping each other with our first project. Laughing until I cry in my drafting class with my new friend Amy (HI AMY!). Chatting with my Graphics Design teacher about the philosophy of grading students on creativity.

My new job is good too. I work with really nice people and I am learning a lot. It is tiring but it really couldn't be any closer to what I was looking for.

I got fired up with all this gratitude after getting an email from my mom this afternoon about my cousin. She just spent the last couple years battling breast cancer only to find out that it may have spread to her lungs. It's pretty upsetting and I am worried for her and the rest of my family. But it also reminds me that I should appreciate everything I've got right now.....because it might not be here tomorrow.

So I'm writing my thanks here in black and white so I can remind myself what's important when I'm feeling like a spoiled brat. I'm thankful for my home with Andrew, Kula and Della. I'm thankful for my family and I hope they all stay healthy. I'm thankful for all of my friends in St. Louis and all my other friends living far away. I'm thankful for new friends and all the new opportunities to find happiness.

Please spend a second to remember what you are thankful for (shout it out people!) and send a quick jolt of good energy to my cousin.

Peace out!

Sumo

Well a schedule finally seems to be falling into place, although it is a difficult schedule. I've gone from 9 hour days in the cushy corporate world to 12+ hour days in the student world. Which explains why I haven't had much time to write here. I'm just too tired.

This isn't meant to sound like I am complaining. I LOVE my classes! They are so much fun and I feel way more alive than I have in a long time. I knew that going to school and working part time would not be easy and I knew I would have to make sacrifices. So far it is all worth it.

The worst part of my schedule is the impact on Andrew..... He never sees me! And when I do finally get home I'm ususally so exhausted I'm not much fun to be around. He is a trooper though and is as supportive as ever. Thanks sweetie!

Today was the first day we have had all to ourselves since I started school.


We decided to go to the Missouri Botanical Garden Japanese Festival. This year's speciality was Sumo wrestling. I was worried it might be boring but it was really fun to watch. The two men are from Hawaii, Fats and Tyler. Tyler is the larger one...550lbs. I didn't know anything about Sumo wrestling so it was really interesting. I hope they come back again next year.


And of course we went to see the Taiko drummers which is my favorite every year. LOVE it!

When I get a regular job again and have some free time I would love to find a way to join the local Taiko group. If you ever have the chance to see a group perform I highly recommend it.

Time to read about the history of Greek decorative arts. Hope you are all well.

student

It's official. I am now a 'student'. And if anyone was thinking that I was going to have more free time now that I quit my full time job..... I think that is very far from the truth. In fact I will have less free time....and it is a bit overwhelming.

Still no news on the new job.... it's making me crazy because I have no sense of how much time I will have to do school work and if it will be the "right" time...like when the drafting studio is open.

School is EXPENSIVE. I spent mucho dinero today on lots of art supplies....UGH. I need that job to start soon.

I'm excited about my classes just feeling stressed about figuring out this new schedule and how to manage my time. Needless to say my blogging might be light for awhile...until I get settled in with the new life.

Who knows....maybe I'll get tired of blogging now that I'm out of that nasty cubicle. Blogging was my escape from a job I hated... and now I don't need the escape anymore...I'm too BUSY! Hopefully this won't be the case. But for now I barely feel like I have time to read about Mesopotanian furniture.

New 1/2 Bath

Well my week off between my old life and my new life certainly flew by and it certainly didn't feel like a vacation. I was in overdrive mode to do lots of house projects before our housewarming party on Friday.

My biggest accomplishment was working on the half bath downstairs. Unfortunately I forgot to take "before" pictures back when we first moved in!! I always remember about 20 minutes into the new project.... Oh well, trust me...it was ugly. Dark forest green ceiling and walls; gold fixtures; gold, hollywood lighting about 1 inch from the top of the 9 ft. ceiling; yuck, yuck, yuck.

Andrew's dad helped us with the fixtures last weekend and Thursday and Friday I worked on the painting.

I got my inspiration from the Weego Home logo.


Taping took me 3-4 hours.....


The color is on



Taking the tape off...


Touching up...



The final result!!

Transition

Well, that must have been the fastest week of my life! Time flies when you are quitting your job, looking for a new job, saying goodbye to friends and celebrating change.

Thanks to everyone at my old corporate job! For all the complaining I did over the years I really did work with the NICEST people and I was very lucky. They took me to an awesome lunch on Friday and presented me with lots of school goodies! Notebooks, paper, pens, crayons and such. So cute! Everyone also had such kind, supportive things to say about my big decision to go back to school. I really appreciated everyone's good wishes. Thank you!

Last week I was also busy finishing our linen closet in our guest bedroom (because Andrew's parents were arriving on Friday). I added more shelves made out of scrap wood I found in tha basement and I also added doors. Here is a before and after shot.




Andrew's parents arrived on Friday afternoon and kindly waited for me to race home so I could be there to show them our little pride and joy.

THANK YOU SO MUCH MARK AND LYNN!! Andrew's dad did an AMAZING amount of work on the house.


Securing our floor joists, securing the cement under our fireplace, fixing our bathroom sink, installing a new light fixture. We had MANY trips to Home Depot. Too many trips! Poor Lynn was stuck comforting Kula from the big storms we had and I forced her to watch multiple episodes of Debbie Travis.




It wasn't all work and no play however. We introduced Andrew's parents to our neighborhood pizza joint, had a fun trip to St. Charles and Lynn brought me some great old photos of Andrew's family to scan into my computer.


Andrew and I had a lot of fun and were very sad to see his parents go.
Thanks again Mark and Lynn! We miss you!

Apply Yourself

[Mikaela; 22nd Annual Schrembs Family Pool Party, July 2005]

So I managed to apply for two jobs last Thursday. I was very proud of myself because the week before I was paralyzed with fear at even the thought of filling out an application. Now it's Monday and I'm paralyzed with fear that I haven't gotten a phone call yet. ACK! I need a job people! The more time that passes the more panicked I become....and the more fearful I am of having to get a job that I really hate out of desperation.

I'm trying to hold it together...really, I am.

My goal is to apply for at least three more jobs today. I just finished one application that I will drop off after work. I am going to finish another one online this afternoon and then stop at another store after work and hopefully pick up an application, fill it out and turn it in before I leave the parking lot.

Tomorrow will entail calling the temp agency I used to work for after the last job I quit and considering other places that I can apply. Ugh.... I knew this would be the most stressful part of this process. I should have started earlier.... It is really difficult to keep my spirits up at this point. I need to know that I will have income coming from somewhere!!!....it's frustrating not knowing where. Worry, worry, worry....

Jen Gray keeps me going.

Kate Spade

This is what I got for devoting 5 years of my life to corporate america...



A nylon Kate Spade handbag.

It was kind of funny really. My five year anniversary was July 31 and I resigned August 1. My boss sent out two emails within two hours, one saying congratulations and the other saying good-bye. (I made sure to pick out my handbag before I handed in the resignation letter.)

Since I didn't need a grill, silverware, an alarm clock, stereo or camping equipment the only thing left was this handbag. It came in a fancy green box with a white cloth bag to put the handbag in! This must be some important handbag I've never had a bag for a bag! And I'm not quite sure what all the fuss is about over a nylon bag...but I suppose it felt nice and fancy anyway.

I actually really love bags (ask my mother). For WEEKS I have been dreaming of two vintage clutches at my favorite antique mall. One white, beaded crocheted, and the other black crocheted. My only dilemma was spending $40 for them. Then Saturday night Andrew and I stopped at the vintage store down the street from our house and I found these two bags.



The black one is almost IDENTICAL to the one I was dreaming for. A little smaller and without a side panel but otherwise the same. Here is a close up of the black bag.



The white one is nothing like my dream clutch but it had a fancy clasp and a sweet little chain handle. Both of these purses would only cost me half of the dream purses. After some deliberation I went for it.

Lo and behold...the universe doesn't like me. I go to that antique mall today...and gosh darn'it the dream purses are 50% off!!! ACK! It was tough to recover from...but I'll have to live with what I got. Is the universe trying to teach me a lesson to be patient? Or a lesson on being happy with what I already have? Probably both I'm assuming but I sure do miss my little white beaded clutch....

chaise lounge chair

[by Julie Meredith, of www.etui-etui.com]

I have a lot of design ideas that pass through my head from time to time but my mind usually criticizes them before they get very far. Yesterday, for the briefest moment standing in the shower I had the image of a chaise lounge chair in my head. Now I wasn't really sure why I was thinking of a chaise lounge chair in the shower but it seemed like an interesting idea for a brief moment. But a second later it seemed like a ridiculous idea. Who would want to look at a picture, painting or card with a crappy, cheap chaise lounge chair on it? What would be the point? How silly of me. I must suck at design.

Do you know what I found that afternoon? A card with a picture of a crappy, cheap chaise lounge chair on it. So the good news is....not all of my ideas suck...and maybe I can design something. The bad news is....someone beat me too it (my mind's other reasoning for never wanting to try anything...someone must have done it already, and done it better than I could).

How bizarre though....this episode with the lounge chair. Is this a sign from the universe? A sign for what exactly? That I suck, or that I don't suck... Or that maybe there is at least some hope that I won't suck at design. Maybe a sign that I need to trust my instincts? Or a sign of congratulations for trusting my instincts and taking a step in the right direction?

I suppose I'll never know.

I'm still feeling happy and excited this week, although things have gotten busy. Lots of filling out job applications (but not really submitting them), knitting baby blankets, measuring chairs for slipcovers... Too much to do. I hope I can give you some more home improvement shots soon. Stick with me.... have a seat on the chaise lounge chair.

What's next?

Q: What are you doing next? {thanks for asking Alex…I wondered if anyone was curious.}

A: I am signed up for 4 classes at Saint Louis Community College at Meramec.
1. Interior Design 1
2. History of Cultural Environments ( basically the history of furnishings)
3. Architectural Graphics (drafting)
4. Graphic Design 1

I will also be looking for a part time job because I obviously will still have bills.

The idea is to “try” these things that I have been interested in for YEARS to see if
1. I enjoy it?
2. if I am any good at it?

The outcome might be I like interior more than graphic; or I like graphic more than interior; or maybe I won’t like either one. If that is the case I will cross that bridge when I come to it….but I’m assuming I would go to graduate school to follow up my bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources. We’ll see. I’m still hoping and praying that somehow I will just stumble upon the career of my dreams and all will be right with the world.

BIG news

It’s here... (although it looks awful in this picture! I need a new camera.) The couch we ordered all the way back in April is finally here! It is such a strange process to order a piece of furniture, dream about it for 14 weeks and then have it appear and look totally different than how you remembered it. Actually it doesn’t look that different, the color just looks different. I was thinking more off white and it’s a bit more yellow. Surprisingly it matches the color my mom and I selected for the fireplace really well.

It’s not as comfortable as I remember…but good enough, at least it’s deep. When Andrew sits in it he looks huge and the couch looks like it was made for midgets. Bob says it looks like a couch that would be purchased by people who know what they are doing, because he would never know where to buy a couch like that. I guess that was a compliment?

Now really, the “BIG news” is not the couch.

Today I submitted my resignation. I have 2 more weeks left in corporate America!

I feel relief and terror! It has actually been really nice today. I have gotten many, many well wishes; “I’m proud of you”; “Follow your dreams” and it has felt good to finally be able to tell people and see and hear their excitement for me. I needed that.

Last week was ROUGH. I was on my very, very last nerve. Insecure, fragile, overly sensitive, doubtful, sad, scared, etc, etc… Andrew is the most patient, calm and understanding human being on the planet! If it weren’t for him this transition would not be possible. Thank you, Andrew.

And a SUPER big thank you to all of my friends who have been gently pushing and supporting me through this decision over the last 6 years. You all have incredibly strong shoulders! And I am blessed to have friends with such big hearts.

So… now that the worst is over (what I hope is the worst at least…) and the decision is made I will hopefully come out of my depressed hiding and get on with being excited and busy. There has been lots going on in the house and lots of things to share so stay tuned.

Eat it up

I'm back! Did you miss me?

I had a fabulous time back home in Buffalo. My nieces are super, SUPER adorable and I could eat them up! Maggie was so good to me and let me cuddle with her lots (Mom was super jealous...sorry mom =) )


There were other highlights besides the nieces, believe it or not. On Friday my mom, Aunt Rose, Aunt Mary and I went to see a Frank Lloyd Wright house called Graycliff.



It is the summer home he designed on Lake Erie for the Darwin D. Martin family. (Mom and I went to see their Frank Lloyd Wright home in the city (of Buffalo) last year. ) The house is still in a lot of disrepair but it was fabulous anyway. I really enjoyed seeing this house....I think I just liked the house the most out of the 3 I have visited...I could see myself living there and being comfortable.

Now it's back to working on my own house. We have a few weeks before Andrew's parents arrive and I think we are gearing up for a house warming party soon. I need to sew curtains and hang more pictures and pick out more paints.

Here is a glimpse of the yard that I took last week from one of my studio windows. Look at that grass grow!

On the road again

[Mikaela, Kelly and Maggie; Renaissance Festival Sterling NY 2005]

I'm hitting the road again. This time up to my hometown of Buffalo to visit my two cutie nieces and the rest of my extended family. Be back on Tuesday.

Camping with love

Well, after a rough start (sick dog, sick Sara, sick Andrew) we made it to Wisconsin in one piece and had a very relaxing and wonderful weekend. I love Wisconsin! Everytime I go there I am so relaxed.

Congratulations Keith and Shaili!


What an awesome wedding. So simple, sweet and beautiful. It was a little hot, somewhere in the 90s, but the park was the perfect location. I got to see lots of old friends that I haven't seen in quite some time (Hi Dave and Janine!). And I met new people too, like Alex and Rebecca. Go check out their website. They just started a non-profit organization and are doing some really awesome work in Africa.

I actually ENJOYED the camping (stop laughing Denice!). No, really, I did. The fresh air, the stars, the moon, the raccoons, campfires, mashmallows. There is something about camping that just makes you feel good. I didn't have a care in the world. I think I should camp more often.

As usual I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I wanted. We decided it was safer not to take the camera on the Wisconsin river but I wish I had. It was so gorgeous and we had a blast. The water was so much fun.


Now we are back and I have a couple days off to do whatever I want!! I think I'll start with making some toast.

Wedding in Wisconsin

Andrew and I are off to Wisconsin this weekend to attend Keith and Shaili's wedding.

I am looking forward to: celebrating Keith and Shaili, knitting in the car, roasting marshmallows, meeting new people, using our tent for the second time, floating on the Wisconsin River, soaking up the sun, taking pictures, breathing the fresh air, and hopefully feeling relaxed and carefree.

Hope everyone has a relaxing weekend of their own. Be back on Monday.

Press On

[Red Rocks, Denver Colorado; May 2004]

Press on:
Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance.
Talent will not;
Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not;
Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not;
The world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Press on!

~Calvin Coolidge