Starting the Year off with Some Apt. Additions

ambience: someone like you - adele

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, y'all!

So I haven't get on here much lately due to the football and holiday seasons... however, I will have LOTS of free time for a while!

This Christmas was a very adult Christmas indeed.  First off, my sister Lauren is ENGAGED!  It was our first Christmas with all of us, including our boys on Christmas day. 

Secondly, this year my main focus for presents, were things for the apt., including a bath console and spice shelf that I have been needing and wanting seems like FOREVER.  And last week, I finally got around to putting them up!

First up was the spice shelf!  About a month ago I tried to put up another shelf that I got from Target, however my ignorance coupled with cheapness of the shelf ended up with a sloping shelf.  So I threw the shelf away and stared at screw holes in the drywall above the stove for months.

Finally, new stainless steel Pottery Barn spice shelf and jars in hand, I got some help from a neighbor Sam, finding the studs in the wall, and installed my brand new shelf!  This allowed me to clean out some wall cabinet space by filling my new spice jars with my spices. 

I still need to fill the last jar with something colorful and maybe add a picture above the jars!  Bath console post and pictures to follow!

belgium.june.2009

ambience: lily allen

when i went to rome, i knew it was a once in a lifetime experience to travel abroad and enjoy the world, that i would probably never get to do again... until i came home and lauren wanted to go to europe... so we decided to take a little trip.. to visit her bf jake in belgium..

and so we went..

we went to amsterdam..

where we took a bike tour, ate at an outdoor cafe overlooking the canals, played an oversized game of chess outside the hard rock cafe, went to the heineken brewery, and saw a legitimate dutch windmill.

also, i almost crashed my bike into a tree outside of a cheese farm, and lauren confused madam tussaud's with a brothel.

then, we went to london..

where we rode the london eye, crossed tower bridge on a double decker tour bus, ate fish and chips in notting hill, and gazed up at big ben from the banks of the thames.

we also couldn't figure out how to turn the lights on in our hotel room and had ourselves an amazing traditional english breakfast at the corner pub.

then, we looked around brussels, since we were already there..

we went to the cinquantenaire, ate at a cafe in the middle of the main, historic square, visited the mannequin pis, ate belgian waffles with ice cream and chocolate on top, and enjoyed the life of a belgian.

also, we ate at a mexican restaurant, twice; and lauren realized that yes, europeans use the same numbers we do.

we also took brief stops in le mont st. michele to see the beautiful island cathedral and medieval town, and luxembourg to see lily allen perform.