Gluttons for Punishment...

Yep, that's us; Gluttons for punishment. At least that's what my Brother-in-law Ryan kindly pointed out to us when he saw our new home sweet home. Okay, Ryan's not the only one to tactfully tell us our house is a fixer upper. Other phrases I've heard people utter are are:
"loaded with potential" (a nicer way of pointing out all the hard work.)
"Oh Boy." (a noncommittal response.)
Or just plain silence. (If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.)

To be fair, most of these I heard coming from Shane or myself.

Yea, Shane and I weren't oblivious to the shape of the house when we bought. We decided we were up to the challenge because we're hoping to add a lot of equity with our reno projects. Speaking of our reno projects, would you like to see our to-do list?

Total kitchen gut
Major landscaping projects that will require the use of a bulldozer
Refinishing hardwood floors
Adding two bedrooms, a bathroom and a family room to the unfinished basement .
Carport conversion
New windows throughout the whole house

Oh look at the happy family. Will they still be smiling in a few months? Who can say.





The silver lining to the house is that the existing 1.5 baths are REALLY beautiful. I love them. Here is the .5 bath in the master bedroom.




And here's the full bath. I love this slate tile!




We also love that there is not a stitch of carpet in this house. It has the original hardwood floors throughout the home. The back room in this picture is an addition. It will be impossible to exactly match the hardwood floors without spending a small fortune, so we will be putting down travertine tiles in that room.



This kitchen no longer exists. All the cabinets have been ripped out (and saved for the laundry and storage rooms.) They needed to go; it was the right thing to do. Our new cabinets should be arriving any day now!

As you can see, the exterior could use some major curb appeal.

Oh boy, we are gluttons for punishment. At least the house has potential. Right....right? Anybody there?

My new love: Goody bags

My sister-in-law Anna, aka super runner,(Really, she came in fourth overall) managed the impossible today...

She convinced me to run a 5K.

I see that the above picture mentions a 5K walk, so I would just like to take this time to clear any confusion and say that I DID run. Thank you.

Below is Tracy, (Anna's sister-in-law) me, and co. at the finish line with our mini pumpkins they handed out instead of trophy's. I'd take a mini pumpkin anyday.

It was definitly worth it for the grab bag: TWO running shirts, pedometer, Hale Center Theater tickets and chap stick. Now that I know 5K's really aren't that scary, maybe I'll run a few more.

On the way home Shane said...next you can run a 10K!!! YEAH RIGHT is all I have to say.

Shampoo Free

I've always had a love/hate relationship with my hair. My problems are no volume and too greasy. I found this blog on treating your hair in a natural way and I think I might give it a try. It's really fascinating and informative. My mom has told me for years and years that baking soda and Vinegar are the best ingredients for your hair, and this blogger has researched why they are so great for your hair and gives other ideas like honey, herbs, avacado and more. If you want to save money or are like me and need hair help, check out this blog...it's really informative: http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html

Back Roads Montana

I realize I post a lot about Montana, but I just wanted to get another post in. Shane was on a Montana tourism site a few days ago and found this picture:

It's tiny I know, but that's as big as it would go without losing all the beautiful detail. The reason I think it's neat enough to post about, is because we took a picture in the exact same spot last last summer and the summer before as well. It's in Glacier National Park on Lake Mcdonald.

Below is our version of the same spot. We rode our bikes on a trail called Apgar and found this gorgeous landscape to take pictures. Apparantly we weren't the only ones with the idea.

The cast of characters is Aunt Amy, Cousin Kesler (center), Cousin Bridger and Avery.

Right now, our computer's screen saver is of the same picture, but with our family.
Just thought I'd share!

Huckleberries 101

I just love saying Huckleberry.....Huck-le-ber-ry. Rolls right off the tongue. I also love eating them like in pies, shakes, cream cheese and doughnut topping or over crepes, which is all the ways Shane and I had Huckleberries on our recent 2 week vacation to Montana. In August Huckleberries are in full swing and we took full advantage

Here are some interesting facts about Blueberry's little-known close cousin.

*Huckleberries are very similar to blueberries except smaller and a little more tart. They also have more antioxidents than Blueberries.

*Huckleberries are almost exclusively grown in the wild, they're pretty spoiled that way. They need the right altitude, moisture, cool temperature or else they refuse to grow. So...if you ever find yourself in a nursery asking for a Huckleberry bush, and they sell you one; know that you more than likely taking home a Blueberry bush.

*Huckleberries grow in the Northwest like Montana, Washington, and parts of Canada. Shane says he's had some on the Tetons and we heard from Grandma and Grandpa Hughes that they found some in Russia.

*The going rate for a gallon of Huckleberries is $39. Why are they worth so much? Because you have to fight the bears for them! That's right, bears love Huckleberries so watch out and have your bear spray close by. The pictures represent $117.00, or three gallons of Huckleberries. (please nobody check my math.) We hiked a mile or so up a mountain in the beautiful Jewel Basin and spent 4 hours picking huckleberries and we did not sell any of them! They are in my freezer as we speak, just sitting there being delicious and healthy... waiting to be made into a pie.

You can always tell a Huckleberry picker by their purple hands. Or in Shane's case, a purple tongue.

Beautiful You Makeup.

My talented sister-in-law, Cali, is striking up her own career as a make-up artist. She does a very beautiful job so I thought I'd giver her a shout-out. Also, if you click on her web address, www.beautifulyoumakeup.com and click on "before and after," you might recognize a couple of people.

Short update

We sold our condo a few weeks ago and have moved in with my mom and dad for the time being. I think this also means I will be putting my blog on hold until we can set up our own computer and get our own internet. I guess I can post a few random updates, but it's just not the same without pictures, and I'm pretty sure my parents don't want all my pics downloaded onto their computer... I mean they love me and all, but I thinking moving in with them is where they draw the line:) I will still be looking at all my wonderful friends and families blogs however.

Happy Summer everyone.