HUGE!!!

Sully is just huge. The proof is in this picture. I am actually pretty impressed that I got the picture. He was trying to get a bug on the outside of the door.

How Many Have Your Name?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 101 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Family

My great uncle Darrel passed away last week. He was my maternal grandfather's brother. My mother, two sisters and brother were able to make it down for the funeral. It was great to see everyone again even under the sad circumstances.

Back - Aunt Diana (mom's older sister), Aunt Cindy (mom's youngest sister), Me, Mom
Front - Aunt Carma-Lee & Uncle Russel (mom's brother and his wife)

Back - My sister Sherri and me
Front - Great Aunt Blanche

I was also able to see my Great Aunt Blanche. She is 88 years old and still as ornery as ever, of course most the time it is all in good fun. I hope to be as lively as she is when I am her age! She is really doing great. She still lives on her own but her daughter is just down the street if she needs anything. She used to make the best cheese and fudge. I am so lucky to have her as my Great Aunt - she is such a great example.

My New Room - Sort Of

Today was the big paint day. The coral orangey color is out and blue is in. I had originally planned to paint my entire bedroom but once I finished the accent wall there was no reason to paint the rest. The gray I had picked out for the rest of the walls is just slightly darker then what I already had. Maybe someday I will paint the darker color (like when I plan to sell the house and move) but for now I am VERY happy with the results.

Before

After

I was a little worried about mixing the check fabric with the silk but I like the contrast. I also made the coral orangey colored pillows. I love them and they were so so easy. The headboard as it turns out is for a King size bed. But I am going to use it anyway. I like the way it sticks out on either side. I am also very happy with my garage sale night stands. They cost $10 for both. I had to paint them but it was worth it. So anyway let me know what you think of my new room - sort of.

Sully Strikes Again

Lets start with a little background. I have not put Sully in his crate at night for almost 2 weeks. He has had free run of the family room and kitchen. He has done wonderfully until this morning. Picture it - It is 5:00 am, I just crawled out of bed, I come into the family room to feed Sully and this is the first thing I see. I stand there for about 30 seconds trying to figure out what in the world Sully has gotten into this time.

I take a few steps forward and I see exactly what it is.

He actually ate part of my couch. Clearly at 10 months old Sully is not quite mature enough to be left out of his crate alone for an extended amount of time. I wonder if while eating the couch his little puppy brain ever thought it was a bad idea. I could really use the help of the pet psychic - anyone know what happened to her? Lets just say that I was not happy with Sully this morning and I was ready to give him away. But really how long can stay mad at a face like this?

He is so lucky that he is an adorable dog. My plan is to use the fabric from a pillow to fix the couch. Sully was kind enough to not destroy the trim so I will be able to use it again. It will not be perfect but at least it will be better then looking at a piece of wood.

Sully's Pillow Incident

This dog tries my patience on a daily basis. Saturday my sister Sherri came over to use my Cricut. He was not happy that we were in the craft room and not in the family room with him. So he decided to take a pillow off the couch and outside to "have a little fun". Well I should have known something was not right when I did not hear any noise coming from the family room. When Sherri was getting ready to leave Sully had something hanging from his mouth. I knew instantly what it was. I looked on the couch and no pillow. I went outside and this is what was waiting for me.

Sherri was nice enough to stick around and help me clean up the mess. It was dark, chilly and starting to sprinkle AND we had to dodge dog poop. It was not a fun experience. Sully was trying to play with the stuffing so he got put in the house. He had a look on his like - why are you keeping me in here when all the fun is out there. He is lucky he is so darn cute!

He actually tore the pillow apart at the seam - which is amazing. And I had a pillow form that was the perfect size - which is also amazing. I was able to repair the pillow in no time. Hopefully Sully learned his lesson...

This ain't your Grandma's Pressure Cooker

For those of you that have not seen them recently. They are safe and awesome! When used properly it will not explode. Everyone needs one. I use mine every week. Multiple times a week when I remember to take things out of the freezer. Unlike a Crock Pot you cannot put anything frozen in a Pressure Cooker. Don't let that scare you away. Things cook so fast you can't even believe it. I cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 6 minutes. Veggies cook in 3 minutes. And I have been trying things I never would have attempted to cooked before. I have made a pork loin and corned beef & cabbage. Both turned out amazing even though I had no clue what I was doing. You can even brown your meat in the pressure cooker. If you have one (you know who you are) be adventurous and use it. If you don't own one consider getting one. You won't regret it I promise.

I finally finished it!

Toni and I were driving down a dirt road one day and what do I see laying on the ground - this headboard.

We picked it up, I brought it home and there it sat in my garage for about 5 years. Well I finally decided 2009 now was the year to refinish it. So out came my mouse sander and I got to work. It took a couple days to get all the old paint off. I had originally planned to stain it ebony, but that did not work. Who knows how long it lay in the desert before I came along and rescued it. So Plan B it was - I grabbed the black paint and this is the finished project.

I love how it turned out! I can't wait to bring it into my bedroom. But before that can happen I have to paint my room. I have been trying to pick out a color for my room for about a year now so I'm not holding my breath it will be anytime soon. Although Presidents' Day is in a couple weeks maybe I will paint my room over the 3 day weekend. And Dan you can have your sawhorses back now - I bet you never thought you'd actually get them back.

Sully then and now

This is Sully at 8 weeks old. He was 8 pounds when I brought him home. I think quite possible the cutest Rotti puppy ever!

This is Sully at 9 months old - I think he is about 70 pounds now. Still the cutest Rotti puppy ever!

Sully and rocks

Sully loves, loves, loves to eat rocks. I truly don't understand this fascination. I was concerned at first that it might hurt him in someway but clearly it has not. I thought he would out grow this but he continues to eat them on a daily basis. Here is a picture of the many rocks and wood pieces I have taken away from him in the last 8 months. And yes, the baskets are full.