Guest bathroom reno - the big items

After seeing the bathroom completely bare, it's nice to do some screen shopping and pick out what's going to go into that nice, spa-like bathroom.

The biggest piece that's on order is the tub.

I wanted a deep soaking tub that would fit in the 5 ft. space without breaking open any extra walls. There were a couple less expensive options, but they had poor reviews, mostly about cracking within a year of install. Some were probably not properly installed with the required support, but still, I wanted a good, quality tub. Kohler has always been a trusted name, and although we didn't go with a Kohler toilet, we knew they produced great quality products at affordable prices. Plus they've got great customer service. After pages and pages of tubs, I decided on this one, the Kohler Archer K-1123-LA-0. It's a 19 inch deep tub and with the low stepover height and the unique overflo drain, you can get a full 19 inch soak with minimal water drainage. Not to mention the armrests and lumbar support. The tub will be delivered by Home Depot next week! The drain was a separate purchase. Little on the pricey side for hardware, but hopefully worth it! I went with the brushed chrome finish. Most of our home is brushed nickel, but Kohler's brushed nickel looked more brown-yellow than what I like. Brushed chrome is more like stainless steel. I'm looking forward to soaking in this one!

We've got a small nook in the guest bath due to the linen closet and the guest bedroom closet. It's a space that's 11 inches deep and about 30 inches wide. We found this great piece that fits perfectly! Lancaster Floor Cabinet - Espresso, BBB. Since we're changing the vanity size from 42 inches to 46 inches and adding this across from it, we won't be losing any valuable storage space. I love the glass door too. It's a surprisingly sturdy piece for the price. DH said it was pretty easy to put together.

We looked all around for a new vanity, but couldn't find one we liked for a reasonable price. We had already found out our vanity was 2 pieces and made of solid wood, so we decided to try a DIY craft project - staining. So far, we've done 3 coats of Minwax Polyshades One Step Stain & Polyurethane in Bombay Mahogany. It's just brush it on, wait to dry, lightly sand and repeat. Pretty simple, time consuming, but since we're saving the vanity, we'll have some extra wiggle room in the budget. I've still got to make the final decision on the tile, but I'm pretty sure we're going with this granite vanity top for our freshly stained vanity, Home Depot's Pegasus 37 In. Beige Granite Vanity Top With White Bowl. We're also looking at Lowe's Style Selections 37"W x 22"D Desert Gold Granite Vanity Top and will make the final decision after the tile is chosen. They're both pretty much the same - it'll probably come down to price and which one is in stock. Please don't look at the Lowe's choice, that pic on their website is terrible.

Planning on putting the vanity together Sunday. Look for some before and after pics soon.

Guest bathroom reno - demo!

I'm sure you've been wondering what we've been up to as far as home DIY projects. Well, DH had off from work on Friday and this is what I came home to.

DH had a lot of demo time that day. Saturday morning, we finished the demo. Yes, even the ceiling came out. DH was cutting the tape around the edge and since we were going to scrape the popcorn ceiling off, move the light and add a vent, we just decided to tear it down and start the whole thing from scratch.

In case you didn't catch our before, here it is in it's dated glory.

The only things that are staying are the toilet which is new anyway and hopefully part of the vanity which I've been trying to stain to match an espresso piece that's going in there. The mirror will go in our master bath for now.

Next blog I'll show you the new soaking tub that's on order along with some of the new pieces and colors! Untill then, here's why you should wear eye and nose/mouth protection while doing demo - DUST everywhere!

New layout

August is just about gone and it's time for a fall-inspired layout. Bring on the cooler weather!

I'll get around to changing out the title bar pics from Hawaii and the Bahamas this weekend hopefully. Enjoy Rufus' end of summer haircut. Excuse the quality, that's what you get with camera phones!

Before - big baby bear

And after - Afro!

Grandmom's birthday!

Today was my Grandma's 84th birthday. She is so sweet. We went over after work and had pizza from Pizza Hut and my mom made her fresh pineapple upside down cake. With the Alzheimer's, my grandma could have celebrated her birthday any day, but any day she's excited when people come over and visit her. We got her flowers and a card and she kept reading the card over and over again, enjoying it every time. Have you seen that Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day? I've found out that with beginning Alzheimer's, it's not so much the person affected that suffers, it's the people around them that worry about it. She's just as happy as can be every day, every thing is new and special. And she can't remember the struggles or pains. We also brought her a recent photo of me, DH and Rufus - she kept going over it naming each person. Rufus of course was with us at the celebration. She just loves him! She asks what his name is often and I tell her to think about it, she knows him. After a short pause, with her hands in fists beside her like she's about to ski down a slope, she says with energy, "RUFUS". Like she's won the prize. I just love her!

We had already lit the candles on the whole cake and sang Happy Birthday. If you know my grandma, you know she wanted a second piece! We lit the candle again and sang again. I think we sang Happy Birthday about 8 times that night. There's a few more photos from the night over at flickr.

Weekend recap - dinner and movies

Friday we watched Gran Torino. This movie had great reviews and acclaim from critics, which from my experience, when critics like a movie and it gets a lot of awards, I usually don't like it. I'm usually watching a movie for entertainment, not life lessons or learning. Gran Torino did have life lessons and while I thought it was ok for the most part, we didn't like the ending.

Saturday we had dinner plans at Angell and Phelps Cafe. Most have heard about Angell and Phelps chocolate, which is divine, but not too many know about their restaurant. We had been there before for lunch and enjoyed it, but had a $25 restaurant.com gift cert to use so that's why we decided to try it out for dinner.Most of you that know me, know I usually don't comment on our dining experiences unless they're really good or really bad. We got there around 6pm. Got front row parking (there was only 1 other table of people in the place). Ok, it's early I thought. They sat us at a 2 seater table right next to the entrance. Neither of us like being stared at, which is usually what happens when someone walks in the door and there's a table right there, so we asked to move. The server was hesitant about it for a sec, but moved us anywhere we wanted. We just moved 1 table over, but it was a 4 seater. Maybe they wanted to be prepared for the big rush. Joking.

The menu on Restaurant.com and restaurant's website were much different than at the actual restaurant menu. I asked if we had pages missing (as there were actually blank pages through the menu), the waitress said many people make that comment to her, but no, that was what they offered. She asked if there was something particular I had seen on their website and she said they should be able to make it if I wanted, but I couldn't remember exactly what was on that menu, so we stuck with what was on the menu in front of us. There were only 6 entrees on actual menu: filet, salmon, chicken picatta, catch of the day, greek stuffed chicken, crab cakes, plus 1 special and a few sandwich options. Website had 15 entrees plus sandwiches (yes, I counted). Soup or salad with the meal were $2-$3 additional. The websites said salad or soup were included with meal. Usually I don't mind paying extra if I want a salad, but it's the point that we chose to go here based on their menu and gift cert offering ad on restaurant.com and their website. We both thought the waitress did not seem to be interested in being there. I would have probably been a little cranky had I been working and it was that slow. Maybe she had things going on, I understand, no judgement there.

Looking past all the initial issues, maybe the food is soo good they just need a few items and maybe people eat later than 6pm. No, the food was just not good, mine tasted like frozen prepared food (I had greek chicken and DH had catch of the day, mahi mahi). The fish was overcooked, rice tasted like instant Uncle Ben's, and my mashed potatoes were pasty. (yes, maybe I've been watching too many cooking shows, I do pick up on pasty potatoes - means they were either over cooked or over worked).

I usually don't complain, but this was not even worth staying for. Definitely not worth the price. Music (recorded, playing on a speaker right above our head) was loud, even though there were only 2 other tables when we got there, and I usually don't mind the music at restaurants. I do not want to be one of those people that gets annoyed at the music level in a restaurant, maybe I just noticed it because everything else was so not good, I was trying to think of a positive. The only high point was the chocolate that came with the bill. It was delicious cream mint. I love Angell and Phelps chocolate, as overpriced as it may be. 1 or 2 pieces just work for me. While we're on positive notes, the bread before the meal was ok also. At the end, we had no problems using Restaurant.com certificate, but we will not eat at Angell and Phelps again.

We've still got credit for restaurant.com, so we're going to try 2 other places. Hopefully that goes better.

On to better things - saw Julie and Julia with some friends Saturday night - Loved it! Didn't love paying $9.50 for 1 person for 1 movie (plus $4 something for a SMALL cherry coke), but oh well. Theatre movies cannot be fully enjoyed for me without a cherry coke. Brings me back to my childhood. Let me tell you that when we got to the movie, it was packed. We turned the corner to look at the statium seating for 4 seats and we saw a sea of gray. I really think we were the youngest people in there! I'm thinking most of those people watched Julia Child on tv, so were seeing the movie because of her. The girls I went with on the other hand, were not familiar with Julia Child at all. I guess the movie did a great job at bringing different ages together to enjoy a wonderful light-hearted movie. The previews were not light-hearted at all - they were about a serial killer (The Lovely Bones, which is also a novel), a crazy step dad (The Stepfather) and some other similarly creepy storyline. I probably won't be seeing those, but what I will be seeing again is Julie and Julia. But with the price of movie tickets, I'll likely wait for the rental. Until then, I've added the book to my list.

Doggy treat recipes from Rufus' 3rd birthday

On July 26th Rufus turned 3. I still can't believe it! Of course we had a birthday party :) We technically can celebrate his birthday on both the 25th and 26th because of the time he was born (if you missed that story, check it out here).

This year's theme was Hawaiian island. We had all sorts of leis and luau food for the people including DH's special smoked pulled pork, a tropical chicken salad and pineapple upside down cupcakes for the people. Everyone loved it all. We ended up with 20 people and about 15 dogs. Of course I didn't get any photos of the treats, I barely got to taste any of the food! Will work on that for the next party. Photos from the party will be up soon!

With the price of store bought treats and the questioning of ingredients, I love to bake treats for Rufus at home. We used to have a great doggy bakery in town, where we got his 1st bday cake, but they've since moved. For Ruf's birthday this year, we had a nice array of easy treats. I love easy treat recipes, ones with all natural ingredients that can be found in most pantries. And I wouldn't give my dog anything to eat that I wouldn't eat (or at least try) myself.
I've had a lot of requests for this 1st recipe. It's from a dog cookbook titled 'Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way' by Mark Beckloff and Dan Dye which was actually a gift from my aunt for Ruf's 2nd birthday.
Here's a photo my MIL took while we were singing Happy Birthday to Ruf with the candle on his pupcake

It says it makes (2) 8 inch cakes, but I made cupcakes (or pupcakes) and it made about 12 total. (I made 2 batches, recipe below is for 12 pupcakes or 2 8 inch cakes)

PAWSHAKE CAKE
(2) cups whole wheat flour
(2) teaspoons baking powder
(1/2) cup honey
(1/3) cup unsalted peanut butter (I used chunky)
(1) large egg
(1) cup skim milk
(1/4) cup chopped unsalted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
Spray baking pans with nonstick vegetable spray and dust with flour (or insert cupcake liners).
Stir together flour and baking powder and set aside.
In large bowl, cream together the honey and peanut butter with an electric mixer or wooden spoon.
Beat in the egg and milk.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
Pour the batter in the cake or cup cake pans (about 1/3 way full if making cup cakes).
Sprinkle the top with peanuts.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the top comes out clean.Cook to room temperature.
Store in airtight container for up to 3 days, or wrap well and freeze for up to 2 months (thaw before serving).

Can be frosted with this frosting (we skipped it for the party, may be too messy for 20 or so dogs at once!)
(1) 8 oz. package low-fat cream cheese, softened
(3) tablespoons carob powder (usually found at health food stores)
(1) tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.

Another great and easy treat we had was dehydrated sweet potatoes. You can make them in a dehydrator, but I've found it easier to make in the oven. Preheat oven to 250 deg F. Wash and peel sweet potatoes, microwave for a minute or two to soften, slice approx. 1/4-1/3 inch thick slices, arrange single layer on cookie sheet, bake for about 2-3 hours, or a little longer for crunchier treats, checking often to make sure they're not burning.

We also had these two types of treats which came from this website. I loved that I could just throw everything together in my Kitchenaid mixer!

Chunky Peanut Butter Molasses Cookies
4 cups whole wheat flour2 cups oatmeal
½ - ¾ cup chunky peanut butter
2½ cups hot water2 Tbs molasses
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).
Mix all ingredients together, adding more hot water if dough is too sticky. Knead well. Roll out to ¼" and cut into shapes with cookie cutter (I used a dog bone shaped cutter, may want to roll out a little thicker than 1/4 inch so they bake up a little thicker, some of our thin ones burnt). Bake on greased cookie sheet for 40 minutes (or until lightly browned). Turn off heat and let cool in oven overnight (we skipped this too, baked them the day of the party, they cooled for 6 or so hours on racks).

Savory Peanut Butter Biscuits with Cheese
1 cup flour
½ cup milk
2 Tbs peanut butter
2 Tbs grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp baking powder (I forgot to add this and they came out like discs, but everyone still loved them!)
1 egg white
1 Tbs chicken broth
Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Mix flour and milk until lumpy. Add Peanut butter and chicken broth. Mix parmesan cheese with first four ingredients. Add egg white. Mix well or until it has the consistency of pancake batter. Add baking powder. Pour onto cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray, in 3-inch diameter blobs. Cook until golden brown. Serve cool.

More treat recipes to come in future posts. For now, happy baking!

Take your dog to work Day!

Today was 'Take your dog to work day' here in the US (or maybe international?). Rufus loves his daily nap time at home while I'm at work, so he went in with me after work until 5. He naps a little while at work, but always has to be supervising and knowing everything that's going on. Here are a couple examples

First, napping. This is the view I saw if I looked under my desk (I had to crouch under to take this pic)

Next - the supervisor

Business trip

DH is out exploring the world, well the west coast at least. He's been in Colorado Springs, Seattle now and will end up in St. Louis, MO.

This is the view from his hotel room in Colorado Springs. The mountian with the snow is Pike's Peak
This is a view of downtown Seattle from atop the Space Needle - I think he was 520 ft. up here.
It was a beautiful clear day - not to common in Seattle.
Mt. Rainier in the distance covered in snow. It's an active stratovolcano in the Cascade Mtn range.Another shot of the skyline - I love skyline photos.

Next up is St. Louis and the Gateway Arch
As always, more photos are available on my flickr site

Tonight's girls night at my house - chick flicks, playing puppies, popcorn, and homemade pizza!

Ready for the weekend!

My original goal was daily blogs M-Th, but since I haven't really been active since, gosh, March, my new goal is weekly blogs. I think I can handle that. Today's a short one though.

Cubs game tonight! Enjoy some photos from our last game. We won't see fireworks tonight, since that's a Saturday night special. Tonight's promo is Geovany Soto Bobblehead Giveaway (1,000): Presented by Daniel Legal & Fantastic Fridays, Ladies Night & Kids run the bases post game.

Off to the game! Have a great weekend :)