Let the Games Begin!

In the spirit of the Olympic games, check out the athletes’ London digs…

I, for one, was glad to hear that they’re accommodating gangly legs with longer beds.  Haha.  The article is worth reading if only for a few interesting facts to satiate any Olympic cravings you might be having. 

And for those who love a good trip down memory lane, be sure to visit my bro’s post.  It’s a tear jerker—at least for dorks like me.  Poor Liam…he has to hang out with an Olympic-crazed mother all day!  Oh, and it turns out Kristi Yamaguchi (I’m pretty sure this dates me…) is in Colorado Springs this weekend for an Olympic kick-off party.  After all, we are home to the Olympic Training Center, which is only a few blocks from our house.  There will be dancing in the street of Tejon tonight!

Go Team USA!!

Our Narnia Lamp Post

You’ve heard me mention it before.  We have a Narniaesque lamp post that just begs for Mr. Tumnus to pop over for a chat.  Where is a good faun when you need one these days?  Alas, I doubt he’ll be popping by anytime soon, but just in case the situation ever arises, I thought it high time our little lamp post got a good sprucing up. 

My original cry of “take it out take it out take it out” never came to pass, because when Matt and my dad checked out the wiring, they found that it connects to our detached garage wiring—meaning if we dug up the post and buried the wires, it would eliminate our garage electricity.  So no go.  While I strongly disliked the witch hat effect from day one, I got really fed up when it became a headless lamp post due to an overly ambitious game of bocce ball.  Witches, headless horsemen lamp posts, mystical fauns…things were getting creepy! 

Thankfully, Matt was able to order a new topper for our post through Lowe’s.  (Why this took us months to do, I’m not sure…)  Still, I felt like the matte black paint job could use an update, as several parts of the post were beginning to rust or flake.  After doing a smidge of research online (can googling really be called research?), I did a light sanding of the post using 80 and then 120 grit paper, wiped it down with a degreasing agent (laundry detergent works well, and it’s already on hand), spray primed, and then spray painted using Rustoleum’s oil rubbed bronze.  By the way, consider this a plug for Rustoleum!  I am disappointed every time I use another brand of spray paint, but Rustoleum has yet to let me down.  I highly recommend it!  Home Depot carries the best selection of colors and seems to beat all other prices. 

Here’s our post looking all country church in its white primer…

And while it was difficult to capture the true color, here she is in her chic coat of oil rubbed bronze—ready for a night on the town backyard.

I’m very pleased with the final result and feel like it really gave our backyard a boost.  And I love that it only took a few cans of spray paint, so we didn’t shell out too much cash for a post that I have a less than stellar relationship with…but if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right? 

Thus ends the tale of our lamp post.  For the record, I think this was the first DIY project I’ve tackled since Liam’s birth.  It feels good, but it definitely took some planning, as I had to work on it during his naps.  Let’s just say that I’m learning to complete tasks in smaller chunks.  I’ve found that setting small daily goals for myself is a great way to accomplish things without overwhelming myself.  I feel productive and enjoy the creative outlet, but it leaves ample time in my day to hang with Liam. 

For those of you still reading who want more than lamp posts for eye candy, here ya go.  *WARNING—PHOTO OVERLOAD!  I had a hard time choosing…clearly this is my first child…*

We started using cloth diapers last week and it’s going well so far!  Call me biased, but aren’t those colorful diaper covers cute?  Hmmm…might be worth writing a post about cloth dipes someday.  If you’re interested in learning more about cloth dipes, leave me a comment.  Cheers!

Summertime Snippets

A few random items that I’ve been meaning to post…

1.  Check out my amazing brother’s yoyo skills!  He won the Ft. Wayne talent show—better known as “Famous in the Fort”—on Monday night and was interviewed on TV.  Here’s the video.  For a few more juicy details, head over to Ross & Leah’s blog.

2.  I just finished reading a memoir, Surprised by Oxford, by Carolyn Weber.  Absolutely fantastic read!  Her writing is peppered with references to all sorts of classic literature, which of course made this English teacher’s heart swoon.  Also, I’m in the middle of listening to The Story of Beautiful Girl, by Rachel Simon.  While I haven’t finished the book yet, rest assured that the unique storyline and writing will captivate you.  Grab a blanket and glass of sweet tea, and head outside for some delicious summer reading!

3.  With new-parent exuberance, Matt and I loaded Liam in the car yesterday evening and took off for a quick trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.  Unbeknownst to us, the zoo closed at 6 pm and we didn’t arrive until 5:30…as it was beginning to rain.  Undeterred, we dashed to the nearest animal exhibit—the giraffes.  Sadly, they had just been herded inside, and as soon as we arrived the heavens chose to unleash on us.  We snapped a few photos before braving the rain once more on our way back to the car.  As you can see, Liam didn’t miss a beat—haha!

This kid definitely seems to take after my narcoleptic tendencies—he can sleep through almost anything!   *Did you notice that Liam is wearing his official “I’m excited to go to the zoo” onesie?  And don’t worry—while it looks like the giraffes are stampeding in the first photo, they were actually quite mild-mannered.*

Hope you are enjoying summer and making the most of each day! 

Exterior Upgrades

Since moving into our 1947 home nearly 2 1/2 years ago, most of our time has been spent updating the interior.  While we did update the exterior stucco last fall, the yard has been…quite another story.  It’s by no means finished, especially the back, but we made some huge strides when my mom visited a few weeks ago. 

Before…



In progress…





After…



We realized that in order to make progress in the front yard, we really needed to be ruthless.  As in, we had to eliminate much of what was growing in the huge front beds—because there was a LOT growing, but unfortunately, it lacked continuity and instead was a mass of confusion. 

After digging and cutting away, we planted several common boxwoods, along with some feathered grasses for height.  With some help from my dad, we added mulch.  In addition to the beds, we added sod to a bare patch in the front lawn.  As it turns out, that spot has always competed with our maple tree, plus we realized that our sprinkler system was skipping over that section, so it wasn’t receiving adequate water.  Dad and Matt adjusted the sprinklers, which allowed Matt to take a much needed break from watering it manually.  The sod seems to be taking great, and it looks fairly integrated with the rest of our lawn.  Let’s hope we can keep it alive!

The best part though, is that we added an Adirondack chair to the front stoop, so now we have a place to soak in the sun while sipping mimosas. 



Well, at least that’s my morning fantasy.  Haha.  Hasn’t happened yet… Mom also insisted on buying us some potted flowers, which add a nice bit of cheer and color.  Thanks, Mom! 

Now, if only I had a great DIY solution for those blasted railings.  I need to do some research on how to either replace or temporarily fix them.  While much of my frustration lies in their appearance, they’re also a liability.  Our 89 year old neighbor came over yesterday, and when she climbed our stairs, I feared she would fall as she clung to those rickety rails!  Yipes!  Note to any and all visitors: DO NOT USE THE BRAHAM’S RAILINGS!  THEY ARE A HAZARD AND NOT A HELP. 

Has anyone else been enjoying the great weather and working outside?  As a brown thumb, I’m always intimidated by the prospect of working outside, so I really appreciate all the work my hubbie and parents put in while I hung out with Liam.  Speaking of the little guy, here are few recent photos.  How about those smooshy lips, eh?  Enjoy!