Productivity

Yesterday I was super-productive all morning while the new window and sliding door were being installed. I holed up in my office with my supplies: Diet Coke, blanket and gloves (it was in the low 50s in here while they were working), and my list. I was able to check numerous things off, including sending out invitations for my very first real party - a baby shower for Jord's sister Meagan. I also started sifting through the information to start an Alpha Gam Junior Circle for the Quad Cities, something I've been wanting to do since the moment we moved. There are other items that I accomplished as well, but I won't bore you with the details.

Picture window has finally been replaced

The installation guy came to find me when they were done and asked me to sign something after I looked at their work. To my horror, they had installed a sliding door that opened on the opposite side. I tried to point out the mistake, but his lack of English was a problem. I frantically called Jord to make sure he had ordered it correctly. Long story short, we ordered it one way and they ordered it from the manufacturer another way. So now we have to wait for another few weeks for the replacement to come in and be installed. The picture window looks great though!

Christmas 2010 Wrap-up

Sledding at Duck Creek Park

What a whirlwind! Christmas festivities started on Thursday with baking goodies. I was charged with bringing cookies to the Cunnick's house on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately the cookies I attempted to make, twice, did not turn out. So onto plan B with Sarah making cake balls, which were a big hit. I had ordered an assortment of six dozen treats from Southpark Bakery as I knew I wouldn't be able to provide enough homemade cookies for the Collins gathering. So there was a good mix! Sarah and I were able to step away from the kitchen for sledding with Luke, which only lasted two trips down the hill - once with Baca and once with Sarah. Then over for dinner at the Maus'. We have a tradition that's developed over the last couple years to spend December 23rd eating enchiladas over there. So delicious, and we managed to bring home a handful to enjoy. Sarah, Jord and I ended up at 11th Street Precinct and had a little too much fun.


Opening presents at Granny & Baca's house

Friday morning was spent at my parents' house opening presents with Luke. It was a nice change to be able to sit and enjoy the moment, instead of squeezing everything in on Christmas day. We received so many amazing gifts, and I can't even decide which is my favorite. I added to my collections of both cake plates and champagne glasses, and of course Jord has more loot for his Cubs room. We left there to get home to do some cleaning in preparation for Christmas morning brunch, recovered from the previous night, and assembled the cookie platter. We made it over to the Cunnick's and were the first to arrive. Because of the snow, we were missing the Strangs and Uncle Pat. More potatoes for us! It was very quiet, and a much different dynamic than in years past. Uncle Pat had my name in the drawing, so he had sent his gift in the mail - a lovely piece of his artwork. Can't wait to get it framed and find the perfect spot for it! We were too tired to make it to midnight mass, so we were home early and in bed by 10pm.


Cookie tray for Cunnick's gathering

Christmas day arrived and the chaos began. We cleaned a bit before 8:30am mass, then made it back to get the cooking started. Actually, we didn't have much to do as my dad was bringing the food - ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus. Of course we had an abundance of bread and leftover treats. And the liquor! Aunt Sarah and Uncle Will couldn't make it to town, so we were with Grandma for about four hours. So the  cocktails were flowing and the meal went as well as can be expected. We herded them out and left for Jord's family Christmas at his Grandma's house. Stayed a few hours, then over to his mom's to open gifts. Enjoyed a bit of quiet time over there to round out the day.

Artwork from Uncle Pat

Sunday brought lunch at Olive Garden, another Maus family tradition. I love how most of the traditions revolve around eating! Then back to our house to do some more hosting. Mamie along with Uncle David and his family stopped over to watch the Bears game and see the house. We spent the afternoon snacking, and I even tried a new recipe - cheesy sausage won tons. Before we knew it, the weekend was over and we were exhausted. Good thing I have the whole week off from work! Jord is in the office and busier than ever, so he doesn't get a break. But I have a whole list of things to accomplish so hopefully I can keep on task and get things done while he's working!

Chandelier for the Den

Our chandelier collection is growing. I found the perfect light fixture at Almost Paris for the den and it was installed at the end of last week. The crystals reflect beautifully on the yellow walls and create just the look I intended. I didn’t find lighting in Chicago for the kitchen or hallways as I had hoped, so I’m still on the hunt for a few more pieces. I’m one step closer to having ideal lighting throughout the first floor!

Chicago

Our first trip back to Chicago! And what a weekend it was – we crammed a lot into about 30 hours. The first stop was IKEA in Schaumburg. I had been making a list for the past few months of IKEA items, so that was a must. I found almost everything that I was looking for and then some. After a few hours of browsing, we were off to lunch and then downtown for more shopping. At last, we made it to Sarah’s apartment and were able to relax a bit and check out her digs. It looks so cute! We bickered about where to go for dinner, as always, and ended up a bar called Four Shadows to round out the day. 

Brunch at Tavern on Rush

Sunday morning brought mass at Holy Name Cathedral and brunch at Tavern on Rush. Then a little downtown shopping on Michigan Avenue. Of course Jord had to stop at Trader Joe’s – that was the one request he had, plus I needed to stock up on champagne. He had left us to do that, and saw Vince Vaughn along the way. He tried to get a picture but wasn't quick enough.

Our treat for the car ride home - Sprinkles cupcakes

We made it back to Davenport just in time for Tootsie’s birthday dinner. She's coming over tomorrow morning to supervise the installation of the attic insulation. It was a productive weekend and this week promises to be the same! Just a few more Christmas gifts to purchase and we'll be all set for the hectic holiday to commence.

Tis the Season

Thursday night we had a small gathering. Some of my mom’s co-workers from Adams Elementary stopped by for a cocktail and to get a tour of the house. We had a couple hors d'oeuvres paired with a festive drink – champagne mixed with apple cider and garnished with a cinnamon stick. I was trying to recreate a concoction I had at Maggiano’s about this time last year, although I was off the mark a bit. It was tasty though! Jord and I were stressing all week to prepare, trying to get little projects done. Now I feel like we can relax a bit, although Carpenter is still working on some things that I hope will be complete by next week. Once he’s done, Jord will meticulously finish the painting. We have to remember that this is the season to spend time with family, not worry about the little details of our house! Although it is gratifying to see how far we’ve come in just three short months.

One of the tasks I was determined to finish before our little party was wrapping presents. It really completes the look of the Christmas tree! I had procrastinated a bit, so on Wednesday night I had quite the chore ahead of me. I was done in a snap, and remembered how much I love gift-wrapping. Even though I hadn’t stocked up on Christmas wrap, I had enough to make each present different from the next. I will definitely be making a stop at Paper Source this weekend in Chicago to stockpile their wrapping paper!

Lonny

The new issue of Lonny has been released! I always love browsing through this online magazine, although it doesn’t take the place of Domino or Blueprint. This mini issue details holiday topics throughout, including special tricks to decorating for the season and tips for a successful festive soiree. Amazing, per usual! I’m especially swooning over Lulu Powers’ home. Her new book is definitely on my Christmas wish list!

My collection of cake plates

On another note, I have a new obsession. Check out Sweet & Saucy Supply to see for yourself. Sarah introduced me to this website – she won an item from the online shop through a giveaway on Green Wedding Shoes, an incredible wedding blog. I have a small collection of cake plates and hope I can add some from this beautiful variety.

Weather Permitting

The weather halted my plans for the weekend. I had been looking forward to spending Saturday in Iowa City, being Sarah Dougherty’s assistant at the annual What a Load of Craft event. Then I was going to head over to the Strang’s condo to see their Christmas décor, Marcia’s themed Country Christmas vs. Kelly & Molly’s P. Diddy White Party Christmas (Meagan serves as a floater between the two), and stay the night to enjoy some crafting and boozing. It was too good to be true, and the winter weather kept me in Davenport. All wasn't lost and it turned out to be a great day, beginning with breakfast at Harlan's - trucker special, of course - and shopping in the East Village with my mom. I ended up spending way too much money at one of my new favorites, Almost Paris Antiques.

Today we had to get back on track. Last week I kept reality at bay and didn’t work on any projects. Now that Christmas is looming and we’ll be having more guests, I made a priority list and we got to work. Carpenter installed three of our fifteen new doors last week so Jord will start the process of painting those. He braved the bitter cold to do some chores outside, so I kept his honey-do list to a minimum for the day. I was busy with painting in the basement – the base of a table that we bought at an estate sale, the base of a stool we bought at yet another estate sale, and the frame of a broken mirror found in my parents’ garage, among other items.

We have a bevy of activity coming up. The picture window and sliding glass door should be installed in the next couple weeks, the attic insulation is being completed next Monday, Carpenter is going to finish replacing the doors and will work on the under-sink cabinet in the kitchen. I have the Junior League Christmas party on Tuesday and will have some of my mom's Adams co-workers over for cocktails on Thursday. Next weekend I’m going to Chicago to finally see Sarah’s apartment, now that it's furnished, and get some Christmas shopping done, a task that I normally have accomplished by now. Plus, I have a growing IKEA list of household items. Hopefully everything fits in the car for the ride back!

New Wheels

I guess we’re Honda Civic people. We bought a Civic Hybrid a few years ago, and it’s seen us through many a road trip. My parents generously lent us a car for the last few months during our transition, but last week it was determined that we needed to get our very own second car. The old blue Toyota Camry – the one that I drove throughout college and our first couple years of marriage, then Sarah inherited as she went off to college – finally bit the dust, so Sarah needed a reliable car in Chicago and she took over the car I had been driving since August. I knew the day would come sooner or later! After all, it was the 1989 model. Jord and I test drove some vehicles – VW Passat, Honda Insight, Accord and Civic. After weighing our options, we decided to lease a 2011 Honda Civic. I liked the Insight, but they only had a base model, excluding all the bells and whistles. So the Civic won us over yet again! I thought it would be weird for us to have identical cars, but mine is a divine shade of navy, plus it has more power since it’s not the hybrid version. I really want to have an SUV, contrary to my green ways, but that will have to wait a few years.

The Quarterly

Picture submitted to AGD, although
they cropped it for The Quarterly

My picture was in the recent publication of the Alpha Gamma Delta Quarterly. I was entered into a drawing to win an Apple iPad for paying my annual dues by September 1st. I won and they sent me the device back in August. Although I haven’t used it's full potential, it’s proven to be a handy gadget. Headquarters asked me to send in a photo of myself using the iPad for the magazine. It took numerous outfits and several photo shoots to come up with this, the best of all the bad shots – it’s awkward to pose for such a photo. I thought it appropriate to show my ISU spirit as a shout out to Rho Chapter. I didn’t realize that the new issue was out until a co-worker brought it over this morning. Come to find out, there are a couple Alpha Gams at my workplace!

Santa Express

This weekend we braved the weather and went to the North Pole via Boone, IA. We’d heard about the Santa Express and had to take Luke, being the train fanatic that he is, and decided that all eleven of us, including my immediate family, Mamie and the Strang girls, must accompany him on this train ride. Although it was a long day of travel, we had a delightful time, with highlights including listening to dad and Mamie's stories about their old family road trips, lunch at Hickory Park in Ames and watching Luke's expressions throughout the day. I think this will be a day he'll remember for years to come!

Deck the Halls

I’ve been itching to adorn the house for Christmas, but restrained myself until Thanksgiving passed. This week ended up being hectic as we’re in search for a car, so that delayed my decorating plans by a few days. Now it’s truly decked out for the holiday season. Although our apartment decorations didn’t go quite as far as I had hoped, it certainly is festive. My strategy was to go full-blown in the living room to have high impact, especially since we don’t have window treatments yet and all passers-by can see right in. The room is much improved as my mom found a huge mirror for a bargain at an antiques shop. It fits perfectly on the mantle and gives that extra touch that we needed.

Check out the 360 view: