Happy. Holidays

Good morning everyone! I couldn't sleep with so much on my mind about work and the holidays so I figured I could blog!  I am pretty proud of my holiday decorations this year.  Many people think that I am crazy that I already have out all of my Christmas decorations.  The holidays come sooner and sooner every year and the time flies by faster and faster.  We are already at the week of Thanksgiving!  Crazy! What is even crazier is that it is suppose to be 65 on Thanksgiving day!  This year I have to work the night before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving night, and Black Friday night.  I was worried about our Thanksgiving meal this year since I will be working and sleeping, but I have it all figured out!  Shout out to the new Hyvee in Springfield MO for their pre-made Thanksgiving meals!  I will be picking up our meal tomorrow that includes Turkey breast, rolls, gravy, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and cherry pie all made up and ready to go!  All I have to do is reheat it!  After all that work we will be heading to Kansas to hang out with Justin's family for a few days and then right back to Springfield and back to 3 more days of work!  I am going to need some serious caffeine in the next several days!  Here are pictures of my two trees this year.  Yes, I said two.  We doubled our square footage with the new finished basement so that means double the trees.  (And I had one from when I lived in an apartment by myself) Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Upstairs tree

Candy tree

Basement Saga.

Well after almost a year of work the basement is finally done!  Just a little reminder of what the basement looked like before:

Before...

Several months ago I volunteered our basement for a wedding shower for our good friends Heather Bazan and Chris Mullis.  I had no idea how close we would be cutting it at the time.  Thanks to great family and friends we were able to make it happen.  We were working right up until our guests started arriving but we did it! 

I love our new floors and rug!

Bathroom # 3

Both of our old couches came in handy until we get the ones we really want.

Our first night hanging out in our new basement just the two of us! 

We still have plenty to do to make it the way we want it but the main things are done!  Now we are moving on to decorating!  It is amazing the time and money and energy we have put into this place!  It was definitely worth it! 

Vacation. Memphis. New Orleans 2011

Many months ago we were thinking about where we would like to go on vacation.  We decided to drive to our destination so our only requirement was that it was only a 12 hour or less drive.  So with that in mind we decided on New Orleans.  In the last few weeks before vacation we decided it would be best to make a pit stop in Memphis to split the drive in half and to check out Beale street as well. 

Memphis: 
We stayed at the Westin which is right across from the FedEx Forum where the Grizzlies play.  I am not an NBA fan but still kind of cool.  Beale street was really fun!  We ate at Rendezvous and had possibly the best brisket I have ever had.  Yummy!!  We also got to see the Peabody which is a famous hotel where they have ducks that walk through the lobby.  We didn't see the ducks but it was still a very cool building.  We also got to hear a ton of good music!  Some of these bands should already be famous!  We also got to see the Coyote Ugly bar.  I am a fan of the movie so I had to see it! It was actually very similar because they were singing and dancing on the bar.  haha

New Orleans:

What a place!  I had a whole list of things that we wanted to see and do while we were there so we hit it hard when we first got there.  Our first night we decided to eat at Hardrock because neither of us are seafood eaters which is the majority of food in New Orleans.  We were still able to find places to eat though!  We had a good meal and then went to Cafe Du Monde for beignets.  This also on the top list to do while in New Orleans.  It was yummy! Then we walked along the river for a little bit and hit some decorations stores on the way back to the hotel.  We stayed at the Omni Royal Crescent which was one block from Canal street and 2 blocks from the French Quarter.  Our hotel was cool because it had the old architecture style and a real New Orleans feel to it.  There was a roof top hot tub and lounge area that was really cool at night!  We went up there and took some pictures and enjoyed some time in the hot tub.  The views were awesome as well! 

Thursday we got up early and went to the Audobon Aquarium.  That was also really cool and we saw some really fun animals.  There was an Otter that Justin decided if Louie were another animal he would be an Otter. :-)  Then we walked down Bourbon street and found a place to eat for lunch.  We ate at Arnaud's Remoulade and it was tasty also! We had mufaletta's and Po Boy sandwiches!  Then we took the street car all the way from Canal street through New Orleans!  The Garden district was so beautiful!!!  So many homes that would be dream homes!  This is where some of the celebrities that live in New Orleans live.  It rained on and off while we were there but we managed to avoid it for the most part.  Then we went back to the hotel for a break then back out again to take the Ferry over the Mississippi.  Justin loved this because we got to see alot of industrial type boats.  Definitely a guy thing!  :-)
Then we went back and got dressed up to go to a nice dinner.  We ate at Cafe Giovanni which was amazing!  The meatballs were as big as my hand!  They were huge!  That was my favorite meal!  Then we went to Harrah's Casino to try our luck at the slots.  No luck! :-)  I had to have some Pinkberry frozen yogurt while I was there, which did not disappoint!  Then we walked the river again and had a romantic evening. :-)  Such a good time with my hubby! 

Friday morning we had scheduled to go on an airboat tour through the swamp where we would hopefully see some gators!  We sure did see them!  Unfortunately I had started feeling congested and started to feel sick on Thursday night so Friday morning it was in full swing, but I made it through and still had fun! 

The tour guide had such a crazy swamp man accent!  They feed the gators marshmallows!  So crazy! They love them!  Oddly enough they were kind of cute! We didn't see any giant gators but they said they usually only come out at night.  We went back to the hotel and I got some much needed medicine.  Later that day we went down to Bourbon street which was our first time to make it down there to check out the night life.  It was crazy dirty and stinky! We would be walking along and get a big smell of sewer or trash.  We went to a few places and had the signature New Orleans drink and had a Lucky Dog from the hot dog vendor which was also on my list to do.  Yummy hot dog!  We also saw several odd people who were doing things for tips.  There was a girl posed in the middle of the street with a bike and dressed in white and had her face painted and a trumpet.  Also there was a man dressed in gold with his face painted gold who would stand perfectly still.  We only spent a few hours walking around and then had enough and went back to the hotel.  It was fun!  Just really dirty! I think Canal street was more my style. :-)  With all the shops! 

The next day we were suppose to stay another night but decided to make the 12 hour drive on Saturday rather than Sunday so we could have a day to relax before work began again.  Overall we had a great vacation, but there is something to be said about having your own home and all of the comforts of your home including our bed! 

The basement story

Well it has been a long time since I have done a post.  I have been waiting so I could post pictures of our basement.  We are still in the process of getting everything done.  We FINALLY have dry wall!  We hired it done and they were here for about a week.  It is all done now and this last weekend we did all of our painting.  We were finally able to agree on a flooring and that will be delivered tomorrow.  It seems all we do anymore is work and work on the basement!  I am looking forward to our vacation at the end of July!!!!

Before drywall

Bathroom in progress

Bathroom in progress

Drywall in progress...

The painting is done!!!! 

Painting is done, now we just need flooring! 

More pictures to come!  

Alive.

Yes, it's true.  I have not fallen off the face of the blogging world.  Life has been one crazy whirlwind lately.

We are still working on the basement.  I was way off base when I thought we would be done with everything quickly.  There are so many little details to get done before you can get to the good stuff like actually having walls and a floor.  I can't even imagine what those people go through that build a house from scratch.  Justin has been working downstairs on plumbing, electrical, and more framing since my last post.  I am starting to get anxious to just get it done and finished, but doing it right is the most important thing right now.  I am most excited because if all goes as planned we should be able to get the drywall done in the next month!  That will really make it look like more of a living space and make it more real!  Flooring would be the next big thing and we have decided to go with bamboo for the basement and at the same time we will be replacing our carpet upstairs with the bamboo as well.  That is the plan and of course it is subject to change. :-)

Next up is getting rid of more stuff!  Before the wedding we got rid of a ton of random stuff that was just lying around taking up space in Justin's house.  We arranged with the Council for the Blind to come pick up a whole truck load.  We have quickly accumulated more stuff to get rid of and believe it or not I think we will have another truck load to donate.  We are going to try to sell some of the bigger stuff on Craigslist and if it doesn't sell it is going to charity! 

One of my new favorite things is to play around on a newer site called Pinterest.  It can be so addicting!  They have a ton of awesome DIY ideas for decorating and also have tons of fun recipes.  I just made one today.  They are Nutella cookies.  They are very tasty and pretty much taste like brownies.  Here is a picture:

Oven: 350
Bake: 7-8 Minutes

Ingredients:  1/2 cup sugar
                    1 cup all purpose flour
                    1 Egg
                    1 cup Nutella

Mix all together and form into 1 inch balls.  Take a glass cup and press down firmly then bake.  Yummy!
You should try them! 

Back to work tonight after 6 days off! :-(  Saturday we are going to celebrate my best buddy Mel being done with her Chemo treatments by having a Wigging out party.  Everyone has to wear fun crazy wigs!  I will post pics later! 

I am no Lindsey Vonn....this is true.

One of the few times that I was standing. :-)

Such amazing views!  These mountians were not messing around!

Me, Mackenzie, and Bayli outside at the Keystone ski lodge.

Me, Bayli, and Marci outside while it was snowing.

Me and Marci

Colorado was so much fun!  The mountains were so pretty!  We stayed at Keystone Ski Lodge with the Water's family.  I have only skied once before and that was in KC so it doesn't really count. :-)  I had a lesson on Friday and it went ok.  I still ended up falling several times and the instructor recommended that I take the lift back rather than ski down the mountain like normal people.  So I took the ride of shame down the mountain.  Oh well!  Saturday I was not sure whether or not I was going to attempt to ski again, but at the last minute decided to go ahead and go for it.  We went all the way to the top of the mountain which is 3 1/2 miles high.  We decided that I would probably be able to do the easiest run down the mountain which is called school marm and is a green.   We realized this was a bad idea after I fell about 100 yards into the run.  I fell all the way down the mountain.  No seriously....I did. :) It took me 3 hours to get all the way down the mountain!!  (But I did finish, even though I considered quiting many times.)  God bless Justin and Marci for sticking with me and starting and stopping so frequently.  I was so bad even the little 4 and 5 year olds were going around me!! Ha ha ha.  (I can laugh now, but it really wasn't funny at the time.)  Even though I had a terrible experience getting down the mountain it did not totally turn me off to skiing.  I would like to try again, but many many months from now.  Justin and I were so sore when we left we could barely move!  We decided I just needed more practice, confidence, and less steep hills.  Overall we had a great time and made some great memories! 

March. Madness.

These words mean a few things to me:

1. Bye Bye husband!  Basketball madness will be on all day and all night!  I know that I am in for more than I bargained for this year since this is my first married march madness.  I don't know how much basketball I can take.  We shall see!

2. Work has been crazy!  We are short handed right now so we are all picking up extra shifts.  This is great for my paycheck but bad for my sleep schedule. 

3.  Our social life has also been madness.  On my off days we have been very busy.  My family visited last weekend and this coming weekend we are going to Denver Colorado to visit Justin's family.  I am excited but a little nervous how I will do snow skiing.  Hopefully I do not break a bone! 

4.  Spring is here!  This gives us a taste of what summer will be like right around the corner.  I don't know about anyone else but after blizzard weather this winter I am ready for some sunshine! 

Love my new bedroom decorations!! 

Living. Room.

For most of you the last time you were in our living room it was either white or white with a few sample paint colors we were trying out.  Here is the new and improved living room of the Wolfe's.  I have a few more things I want to do with it before it is complete but I am loving the way it looks so far. 

The newest addition: White curtains from the Pottery Barn and our wood blinds!

See Louie peeking in the background.

Another new addition from Mrs Melanie Blair!  Super fun! 

Next post will be pictures of the new and improved bedroom!  I ordered our new duvet from http://www.serenaandlily.com/  I am excited for it to get here! I hope it gets here before my mom and Rodney get here on Friday. 

One more thing!  Friday is mine and Justin's 6 month wedding anniversary!  How crazy!!! I can't believe how time flies!  I love that man! 

DIY

I am obsessed with HGTV and fixing up our house.  Not that it needed fixing up but when Justin purchased the house 3 years ago it was brand new and everything was white.  I have taken over the house one room at a time!  I started with the kitchen before we were married.  I just recently did touch ups on the kitchen and have perfected my edging on textured walls and ceilings thanks to some creative thinking and Lowe's.  :-)  We hired the living room to be painted since it is a larger space and where we spend most of our time.  We were going to hire someone to paint the bedroom as well, but I felt more confident in my painting skills and decided to take on the task.  I spent last Friday painting the bedroom "milk chocolate."  While I painted my husband was in the basement working on framing the walls of his new Man cave.  It took me 8 hours to paint and I finished at 1:45 am on Saturday morning.  It turned out great!  

We then decided that maybe we had too much brown going on in our bedroom.  Brown walls, tan floors, brown furniture, brown curtains, and a brown duvet.  Obviously I like brown.....but it is a bit much!  :-)  Shopping time!  Justin agreed that I could use our state tax return to purchase a new duvet and linens to spice up the bedroom with some color.  The verdict is still out on which duvet I will pick!  I ordered some swatches of fabric and they should be in soon!  I will post pictures of our new and improved bedroom once we actually purchase the duvet and get everything settled. 

This Friday my husband and I plan to work on the basement together.  I am not sure how much help I will be since I am not exactly a master contractor. :-)  It should be a great learning experience for me as long as I don't injure myself in some way, which is always possible with me. :-)  We are looking forward to getting the basement finished so we can start enjoying it!  Hopefully this time next month it will be finished!! 

Next week will be a busy week as I work 4 12 hour shifts, but we are looking forward to my mom and stepdad coming to visit for the weekend!! 

Random. Thoughts.

I am currently obsessed with HGTV.  I will pretty much watch anything that is on at the moment but my top shows have to be: House Hunters, Property Virgins, Income Property, Holmes Inspection, and anything else about houses or home improvements.  This might have a little to do with the fact that we are continually doing things to change our house and make it better.  We also have a full unfinished basement that we are currently in the process of finishing! I really cannot wait until we get everything perfect the way we want it.  At the first of the year Justin and I made a list of wants and needs for our house and I LOVE when we get to cross some things off.  However it is a very long list so it will be awhile before it is complete. 

This weekend my friend Heather will be going to try on wedding dresses for her wedding that will take place in December of this year.  I am excited to go and watch her find the dress of her dreams.  I am also looking forward to remembering myself trying on wedding dresses for the first time, which was not that long ago! 

Tonight I had to get naked in front of a complete stranger! :-)  haha.  I went to my friend Melanie's house to get the airbrush spray tan.  It was really pretty cool and less awkward than I thought.  I am a pretty modest person so I was kind of nervous when I went over.  The lady was very professional and brings in a pop up tent and then just gets right down to business.  Three minutes later I am tan!  I look like I did when I got back from my honeymoon in Jamaica! 

Today was Presidents day and my husband had the day off.  Although he spent most of the day doing homework it was still nice to have him home on one of my days off!  This week I work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night.  It will be a long three days but I hope and pray that they will be good nights at the hospital and I will have good patients! 

Short and Sassy.

I did it! It is a done deal!!  I am now minus 10.5 inches of hair! I am so excited that I finally accomplished one of my lifetime goals!  I love my new hair style and so does my husband. (Thank goodness)  Thank you to everyone that came and supported Melanie and Locks of Love.  What a great organization!  I know they will do great things with our combination of over 45 inches of hair!  Thank you ladies! 

Locks. Of. Love

As many of you may know by now, and for those of you who do not, one of my best friends has recently been diagnosed with stage 3 breast Cancer.  This came as a shock to everyone that someone so young could be diagnosed with something like this.  Melanie has a ton of support from her husband, family, and friends.  She recently started chemo and as most of you know with that comes losing your hair.  This Friday January 28th Melanie along with myself and two other friends will be shedding our locks for love! Melanie wanted to donate her hair before she loses it all in the next few weeks.  I have always wanted to donate my hair and now seemed like a perfect time as any.  I am very excited to do this and happy to show my support to my dear friend Mel!  I know that everyone does not have an extra 10 inches of hair to donate so to show your support to breast Cancer patients and survivors all around the world I think it would be awesome for all the ladies and any brave men to wear pink this Friday January 28th!!! Who is with me??? 

Birthday Weekend.

What a great birthday weekend!  Thank you to all family and friends for the cards and gifts!  I love them all!  Who doesn't love a 3 day weekend of birthday celebrating?  Friday I had an amazing time with my husband and a delicious meal at Flame downtown.  Thank you to Kari for letting me borrow her fun black dress for the occasion!  Saturday was a day full of shopping with Katrina and Kari for a care package for my friend Melanie.  We had a good time gathering all kinds of things that will come in handy for her in the next couple of months.  Saturday night I had a great time with friends at Maria's downtown for some more birthday fun!  We took up two big tables with about 20 people!  Who knew I had 20 friends!  :-)  Sunday was a day of shopping and another birthday dinner!  Goodness!  I had many good meals this weekend!  Time to hit the gym tomorrow! :-) 

Birthday week.

Ah, its that wonderful time of the year!  The time of my birth! :-) haha  I have always loved my birthday!  This year is my 27th birthday.  While I am sad to see last year go, I am also lookingforward to what this year has in store for me.  This will be my first birthday as a married woman!  My husband is taking me to Flame on Friday night and to a movie.  Flame is our favorite restaurant and since we didn't go there on New Years Eve like we normally do we decided to save it for my birthday.  Saturday we will celebrate with Friends at Maria's, another one of my favorite places!  The theme of this weekend seems to be yummy food!  I am for sure looking forward to it!  3 nights of work then time for birthday fun!  Bring on the food and the presents! :-) 

A new year, a new blog.

So its 2011 already and I have now been married for 4 months as of today.  Last year flew by when we started off 2010 with an engagement.  The next 9 months were a blur including wedding showers for myself and close friends that were also getting married.  Our wedding day was everything I had dreamed and went by so fast.  We had a fantastic honeymoon in Jamaica, and then we arrived back to reality.  I began my career as an RN and began my career as a wife.  So far, both are going great! :-)  Marriage is everything I had hoped it would be, and more.  I am not just saying that either!  Becoming an RN was scary at first, but I take it one day at a time and as the months have gone by I feel more and more confident in myself. I learn something new everyday, and that is why I love nursing!   I work the 7pm to 7am night shift and only 3 days a week.  That was an adjustment at first, but overall I love the people I work with, and it is nice to not have to deal with as many doctors. :-)  My husband and I are slowly making his bachelor pad a home!  I took over one room at a time. (hahaha)  Our current project is finishing a full unfinished basement to make it a "mancave" for my husband, and of course a workout room for me!  I am new to blogging but I feel that it is a great way to keep family and friends updated on what we are up to in 2011.