Friday, August 28, 2009

Homage to the Sloan Homestead

Matt and I took the kids and made a quick overnight trip to Columbia yesterday.

Just to take a shower.

Not really.
Matt was meeting some friends from college, but it doesn't make as good a story.

But seriously. At Matt's parents house they have the best shower in the world.
You scoff?
I think this shower might be the source of all our water shortage problems in the world.

Really.
Children in Africa don't have water thanks to what is happening at a certain house in Columbia, South Carolina.

It is like taking a shower underneath a fire hydrant.

Your skin actually squeaks like a tupperware container fresh from the dishwasher when you get out of the shower.

Also, the Sloan's have their water heated by the lava sources...so it is delightfully hot and tremendous.
It is like a day at the spa when you get the joy of staying at their house.

About a year ago, they updated the shower and we were all fearful of them replacing the showerhead with one that was more "water conserving" and "green" of which I am usually a fan.

Thankfully, they didn't fall for any of that nonsense.

The hydrant is here to stay and it stripped my hair of all impurities this morning.

I've never looked better.
It's much cheaper than a day at the Grove Park, I'll let you know.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

First Day of School

This morning, we all got up bright and early to go see our high school friends off to their first day of school.

I clearly remember the first day of school as ALWAYS being the best day of school. After that? Eh. Take it or leave it.

In my high school, we had this crazy attendance card system that the teachers had to use and we had to fill out these teeny-tiny cards in every class and they would put them in their books according to where you sat. If you were absent, they would turn the card over and LATER, mark you as absent. In theory.

None of my teachers followed the protocol and so I skipped class a few times. *cough*

Anyways. Enough about the beauty of the New York City Public School System. I mean, look how amazing I am now?

The point? We went to the high school this morning and a reporter snapped our picture.

Click here to see it

So fun! Matt is missing because he had both of our kids at the time. He's so good to me.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Brita

I saw this commercial last night while watching Mad Men.
Which if you aren't watching, you should be.
Not because it will offer anything of value to your life, it's just more dramatic television that is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Anyways.
The commercial made Matt look up and watch and he said, "Good one!"

That means: It was a good one.

You might want to make it full screen in order to see it well. Just a tip.

35 Completely True Things

I just read this somewhere else and just had to edit a few things in order to repost it. Enjoy!

1. There is a great need for sarcasm font.

2. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

3. Bad decisions make good stories.

4. How in the world are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
If you need to know, click here! fold a fitted sheet

5. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

6. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

7. The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again

8. A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

9. Was learning cursive really necessary?

10. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.


11. Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

12. Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

13. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

14. Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

15. What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

16. While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

17. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

18. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

19. I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

20. Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

21. If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

22. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

23. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

24. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

25. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

26. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

27. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

28. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

29. I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

30. Why is a school zone 15 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

31. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists. Except when I'm a cyclist.

32. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

33. It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

34. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

35. Changing the clock in my son's room so he thinks that 8 o'clock is really 7 is the most genius thing that I have accomplished in my adult life.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Whatever Happened to Designing Women?

If you are like me and need a little break from life, go back with me in time...



Thank you Dixie Carter. Thank you.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

My New Fave

I almost forgot to mention this!
One of favorite website is Woot.com. The premise of their site is that they sell electronics. One thing a day starting at midnight until its gone. The prices are usually pretty low and its a good time. Especially when they have a woot off! Which is when they sell one thing right after another.

They just started a new site: Kids.Woot, which will offer "high-quality, useful child-oriented products" in limited quantities in the Woot format. According to Woot, we can look forward to "everything from carseats to apparel to educational toys and games to non-educational toys and games."

Today's Kids.Woot is a LeapFrog Didj Ultimate Customization Pack with Free Game. It's $39.99. Shipping is $5.

YAY!!!

Asher Scaring the Crap Out of Me


Running the length of Matt's parents Lake House dock and jumping in. He is wearing a life jacket. But wow.

Welcome to four years old.

I'm Cody Seedy

I know it has been a few days since my last post, I had a major work proposal to put together at the last minute over the weekend and felt like it was finals week in college. Pretty much pulled all my resources together for four-straight days of work. Hopefully it will be worth it.

Here is a little something for your viewing pleasure.
The other night my kids were on a roll with entertaining us and handily enough, I had the Flip Video camera right there. I just edited it all.
It's only four minutes or so, but wow--my kids packed it into those four minutes.

Have a good time with this one.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Bo Knows

Last night, Ben and I were talking and he shared with me that he found an old family picture in which he was wearing a "crazy shirt" that said something like "BO Knows" on it. And then these words came out of his mouth...

"I don't even know what that means."
At this point the room sort of started spinning for me.
I mean, really? You don't know who Bo Jackson is?

For one thing...he might be the reason that I am IN advertising.




Bo-you don't know Diddley might still be something that I say in my head sometimes.
Right after this was when Jordans came out and the rest as they say is HISTORY.

I had Bo Jackson's rookie baseball card when I was little and thought I was the coolest in the world. We lived in Kansas City and LOVED the Royals for a small window of time.
I mean we were all about Bo Jackson and so was the rest of the world.

From Wikipedia:
"Jackson was the first athlete in the modern era to play professional baseball and football in the same year. He was the perfect spokesman for a shoe geared toward an athlete actively engaged in more than one sport at a time or with little time between activities to switch to sport-specific footwear."

He hurt his hip while playing football for the Raiders, did rehab and came back but never to full strength.
But his campaign remains in infamy.
AdWeek named the Bo Knows campaign as one of the best of the Nineties and it definitely endures.

And that ladies and gentleman is why Nike shoes cost $180.
For Toddlers.
Minimum.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

This American Life

I was listening to last weeks episode of This American Life (my all time favorite thing to listen to-I know...I'm a nerd) on NPR about reading the fine print and there is a great synopsis of the episode on the Consumerist today.

It is extremely relevant to listen to especially with the great health care debate swirling about these days.

Take a looksy!

Click here!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Let's Take the "Wait and See Approach"

I just heard from my dentist. Yay!
Two weeks later!
After he found a growth in my mouth!

I have been taking that as a sign that nothing was terribly wrong.
Well, actually the oral surgeon was on vacation.
And then they buried my films.
But anyway.

The oral surgeon wants to see new films in three months.
So he's not worried.
So I'm not worried.

Yay!

Shindig


During the summer in Asheville, the city puts on a weekly concert series of bluegrass and traditional clogging in downtown called "Shindig on the Green."

It is really fun and family friendly, particularly while downtown is under massive renovations and has been for the last three years. They have relocated to a baseball field and your kids can't GO ANYWHERE.

But it is really fun and relaxing to listen to the music, eat dinner and visit with friends while your kids can run around freely and dance.
It is a great reminder that Asheville is the perfect size city...where you can still trust people and your kids to have "small town" events but all the conveniences of a bigger city.

It was a great night-and the fact that we were out was definitely proof that our kitchen was nearing completion!
Lucy and Bennett were stealing a moment together over candy necklaces.


that's my girl. all sass.

my two men.

The Knauer's!
If Lucy and Bennett do end up marrying each other, there will be enough attitude
to power a city.

Aww. Newlyweds Andrew and Suze joined us!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Final Kitchen Pics

The kitchen is quasi-finished!
We still have a few lights to hang, but all in all...we are done!
Can you believe it?


Check out that hood! Woohoo!
I still have to put some things on the shelves, but I have to find just the "right" items first.

Mmhmm. Still loving the sink.
Also, take a look at the tile while you are looking at this picture...that's good looking.

Just look at all that countertop! It's a beaut...

I just picked this little gem up. I love the way it looks on the wall.

Look! You too can spend money at IKEA and have organized drawers!
I love this more than I probably should.

The Lazy Susan for the pots and pans comes in a close second.
Maybe I love it the best.

Oooh wait. I love this DRAWER. It is so big and fun to open.
Maybe I love this one the best.

Just kidding. This drawer is a little more fun than everything else.
Look at all of the pot lids in here!!
Also...I can fit our waffle iron in here.
Seriously? It's a little more than I can handle.


I will not be sad to say good-bye to all the drywall dust, the little tiny screws everywhere, the five-thousand pounds of cardboard boxes, eating out every meal, the appliances on our porch.
It hasn't been too bad.
I would do it again in a heart beat.
In fact, we will gladly offer our IKEA expertise to anyone who is interested.

For a small Swedish Consulting Fee.

Think This Kid is From Asheville?



From the PostSecret Blog

Friday, August 7, 2009

Read This Morning

I don't often do this, but it penetrated me so deeply this morning...

"I confess that I sometimes feel so inadequate to meet the crowd of needs that surrounds me. Like that little boy with the lunch basket (John 6), I feel that the loaves I have are so small and the fish, so few. How far will they go among so many?

And yet I know that you manifest power through the weak things of this world.

You used a barren couple past the age of childbearing to create a nation as populous as the sand on the seashore. You used young shepherd with a slingshot to slay a giant. You used a poor little boy with five flat loaves of coarsely ground barley bread and a couple of small fish to feed thousands.

Help me to see, Lord, that this is how you characteristically work.

Help me to see that I don't need the adequate bank account Philip recommended or the abundant assets Andrew hinted at. All I need is to place what I have in your hands like that little boy did.

Give me the faith to realize that you will bless what I give, no matter how small the loaves or how few the fish. No matter how meager the time or the talents or the treasures I place in your hands, you will multiply them.

I don't have much, Lord, but I give you what I have. Take my coarsely ground life and the small skills that accompany it. Take them in your hands. Lord. Bless them. Multiply them. Use them for your glory and for the good of others.

Help me to realize that you are the true bread of life. Whenever pangs of hunger grab at my soul, help me to see that the bread in other windows-no matter how seductive to the eye or sweet to the taste-is not what I should be eating. Train my spiritual palate to long for you. And teach me that you are my daily bread and all the bread I will ever need.

Lord Jesus, I have a friend who has never tasted such bread. Her name is __________. She has sampled from life's smorgasboard, tasted from all that life has to offer. But she is starved for something more. Starved for love. For acceptance. For forgiveness. For meaning and purpose.

Help me to lead her to you, Jesus. Prepare her heart so that I might be, as someone once said, merely one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread."

--Ken Gire
Moments with the Savior
p. 170-171

Thursday, August 6, 2009

A Few of My Favorite Things

Since I now HAVE a new kitchen, I am now FILLING the new kitchen with little odds and ends that make it mine instead of IKEA's. I haven't gotten very far because well...buying actual food to put into the kitchen has a higher priority. But I have managed to find a few things that I really like and put a smile on my face:


Canisters filled with straws, cookies, candy necklaces, gumballs, animal crackers and bag clips.


School clock.
The first day we had it up Asher was asking me over and over again when dinner was.
I told him, "When the little hand is on the six."
Time telling is just around the corner!


Apple and Pear salt and pepper shakers. They are the cutest things you have ever seen.
I couldn't leave them in the store. They had to come home with me.


They are also tiny.
For scale purposes, you can see how small they are next to a sippy cup.
So, I guess I will be refilling them often.
I might have just found the reason they were in the antique store.

Hopefully, we will have a hood for our stove going up this weekend!
Woohoo!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Real Quickly

Yes, Matt and Ben did fix the leak in the kitchen sink yesterday morning and I was able to move EVERYTHING into the kitchen last night.

It is amazing.

Now, we are onto clean up, install the hood, and decorate! Woohoo!

Monday, August 3, 2009

Everything and the Kitchen Sink

mmmhmmm. back off ladies. This one's mine.


But this one? Totally available.
Leave a comment here or at blogofthejohnson.com
You can get a date any time. Seriously.


That's my freakin' sink. Yes there is a little teeny eensy leak.
No biggie. It's just that Lowes closes at 8 on Sundays.
Not at 3am.

Junk Drawer?

Now I am on to organizing the kitchen.
Not really.
I am on to dreaming about organizing my kitchen.

I need to have all the hardware installed first. Then I can organize my kitchen.
I don't want to clean wood shavings out of cooking tongs.

So I have been reading up on the Unclutter blog on the best way to organize the kitchen and a question in my mind has risen up. To junk drawer or not junk drawer?

Is there a way around it?
Or can you organize yourself enough that you don't have a drawer that when people open it you find yourself saying, "Ummm...no it's definitely NOT in there. Don't worry about looking in there. No seriously. Please don't. Okay...." and then the awkward pause while you stand there for all the world to know that yes, you do indeed have a fire alarm in a drawer along with vacuum cleaner bags, a bulk pack of ear plugs, dried jasmine stalks, a chinese restaurant menu and a hot mustard sauce packet stuck inside of it. Not that I have experience with this or anything.

I have bought organizers for all the shallow drawers and the really big drawers. But I have two deep, not very wide drawers that I don't have a clear vision for and I fear that I will be right back to the fire alarm, vacuum bag scenario in no time.

Anyone have a good solution for this?
I saw some GREAT ideas on Unclutterer that I am definitely implementing.
Look for a Yard Sale post coming up next week.
I think most of what I own is NOT going to make it back into my kitchen.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

What A Difference a Weekend Makes

Maybe if you will remember back in May when my kitchen looked like this:



And then on Thursday it looked like this:




And then on Saturday it looked like this!


And tonight...


TONIGHT, well this morning...it is 12:54am and...


Matt and Ben are attempting to still hook up the sink to the disposal. They have been working on the dishwasher and the sink for 12 straight hours right now.

Ugh. For them.
I got to go IKEA again today because during cabinet installation, one of the doors fell from a height of seven feet straight onto the tile. I did my best to break the fall but there wasn't much I could do. I did manage to return about $70 of other stuff that we over bought so that was a bonus.

Also, the kids got to play for the first time in the kids "Smailand" at IKEA and immediately asked if we could ever go back to IKEA. Ummm, let's see...hopefully not anytime soon.

Now all that is left to do on the punch list:
Install all of the hardware on the cabinets
venting the A/C under one cabinet
install hood over stove
level stove
toe kicks
tile backsplash (maybe) and tile behind sink
finish up paint
touch up countertop sealer
caulk sink
level all doors and drawers
install organizers in cabinets
window treatments
transition strip
decorate!
clean the entire house including getting the carpets cleaned.

Umm. Yeah. So, I am sure that I missing about a million and one half things. Those are just the things that I can think of.
But cleaning my house and moving my kitchen back into my kitchen? I can not wait. We are so so so so close.
Tonight, I spot cleaned the grout spots off the carpet from when it got taken all throughout the upstairs about three weeks ago. Miraculously it all came up.

Anyone want to come clean carpets with me? When that happens...this project will be done. Officially.
Maybe.


Edit: I just got up for the morning, and learned that Matt was up half the night trying to solve the kitchen sink.
Apparently, we installed the bar initially on the wrong "holes" and had to take the entire sink off of the counter after he and Ben had gotten all of the plumbing correct with no leaks or anything at 1:30am.
We went to install the doors and learned of the wrong installation and had to start over. I went to bed at 3am and they were still at it.
I just read Matt's blog and he says there is a slow leak in the kitchen sink.
Good to know. Since I just used it.