1.01.2012

Welcome 2012

I love the New Year. I especially love the celebrations that surround this time of year because from as far back as I remember, these festivities have always included friends and family.

The last several New Year's celebrations have all included wonderful gatherings, big and small. In 2010 our dear friends Gregg and Elisa were married on December 31st - and celebrated their first wedding anniversary last night. (Happy Anniversary!)

This year I wanted to take advantage of the three day weekend, so I found a little cabin on the Oregon coast so we could get away from house work, animals and....well, just everything. I was so tempted to send an invite out to all our friends and find a cabin that fit everyone that wanted to make it a getaway. But I also felt like it would be nice to have some downtime with my hubby and just escape for a few days.

Since I was little, I've been a visitor of the Oregon coast. Some of my favorite memories are here. As a kid my grandparents would rent a house in Cannon Beach. Cousins, aunts and uncles would all gather for a weekend with the family. We built sandcastles, played cards, and ate lots of food. It's the foundation of great memories.

For our getaway weekend, I rented a little house just south of where I always stayed as a kid. It's a very old little cottage on a secluded stretch of beach. It has the most beautiful fireplace and is so warm and cozy, I sort of want to stay till next year. But tomorrow, the real world awaits us.

It's nice to know that there's a little stretch of world that we can run away to whenever we need it. And next time, we will definitely add our family and friends to the celebration. This place is too peaceful not to share.

12.29.2011

Holiday Treats

Since I can remember, my favorite thing to do when opening Christmas gifts, is try to wear them or use them. As a little kid I would immediately put on a new sweater, ski goggles, Rollerblades, or even ski boots and wear them nonstop for the next day or week or more. I'm sure it was a little ridiculous, but still fun for me. And probably a little fun for the gift giver...

As a grownup, it's really no different. This year for Christmas, I got a super awesome pair of Hunter boots from my hubby....
and a fantastic gift from our family across the pond. This little garlic shredder works really well with mashed potatoes. You can't really see in the picture, but this is a handmade, ceramic dish that has all these little spikes in the middle of it. You rub a garlic clove across the plate and Voila! instant mashed/shredded garlic. I love kitchen gadgets! Especially cool ones invented by the Brits.

9.13.2011

Plumbing

The bathroom has been gutted, re-plumbed, re-wired, re-framed, and re-configured. The sheetrock has been hung and the tile is now complete. And now, for the most exciting part.....
...We can officially shower and go to the bathroom in our new bathroom!

I really wanted to write that previous sentence in all caps, mostly because I'm beyond thrilled that I don't have to pee in a bucket in the basement anymore!