Not Much of An Update

Well, the only thing that has been done in the last, oh, 10 days is the vinyl floors. The floors were put in the day before Thanksgiving. They were supposed to go in the Monday before Thanksgiving, so our appliances could be delivered on Tuesday. Needless to say, we had to push our appliances back another week. So, we will now be receiving the appliances this Tuesday. Since the floors are in, the appliances can finally be delivered.

Again, I'd forgotten what floor we chose since it was so long ago, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the floors. The floors are covered in cardboard to protect them while the house is being finished up.

I was hoping to win the lottery last night so I could push money at these builders to finish up my house. No such luck :)

Odds and Ends

We are getting down to the wire on the house.

Yesterday, the hubby and I installed our light fixtures in the kitchen/dining nook. Yes, we had the electrician install both. We hated them immediately, so we took them down and installed a couple of new ones. We made the right choice, as I'm completely satisfied with the light fixtures now.

Yes, very happy with these indeed. I love, love, LOVE the dining nook fixture. It's perfect.

What's left to do-

1. The floors
2. The countertops
3. Final plumbing, i.e. toilets and sinks

When will these get done? Your guess is as good as mine. We are having the appliances delivered a week from now, so the floors better be done by then. If they aren't, the hubby is going to have to throw-down. I'm having a hard time not being grumpy right now because we are so close, yet so far. Sigh. 6 months is a long time to not have a home, and to not have your stuff.

This was not our best decision in hindsight (i.e. giving up our disgusting, yet private rental), but hey, you live you learn.

Entries may be sparse until the house is done, as antsy-ness has given me a short attention span and writer's block. Until next time, hope everyone has a great Monday!

And All That Trim

Our project manager managed to tell the truth for once! 

He told us last week that the cabinets, doors, trim, and porch would be installed on Monday, and what do you know? They showed up on Monday. Shocking.

They did a fantastic job, I'm very pleased. All the colors and finish's we picked out, ummm, 7 months ago, look so good together. I'm very relieved about that one. The white trim made all the walls pop.

We were also pleased that the painters showed up yesterday. The painters painted all the trim and doors, as well as patching all the little dinged spots (If you look closely at the pictures, the walls are covered in little pieces of blue painters tape- those were the dings).  Today they are putting a second coat of paint on all the walls. So that will be done after today.

Hard surfaces, i.e. countertops and vinyl flooring, are scheduled to be installed on Monday. Appliances are 100% going to be delivered on Tuesday (since that's something the hubby scheduled) so those floors better be in on Monday. I told the hubby he's cutting that one close. I am sooooooooo excited for my new appliances. The timing better work out is all I gotta say!

Kitchen cabinets. We went a dark-stained maple, and I think they look fabulous.

Trim and windowsill in the living room.

Cabinets in the master bathroom.

My tub!

Trim and windowsill in the guest bathroom.

I love my kitchen!

Looking into the living room/kitchen/dining nook.

Looking from the dining nook into the great room.

Front porch.

The exterior is now complete!

Flying Into Chicago

It was a long weekend for me!

The hubby had Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off, so we finally got to spend some time together since we've been back. It was a movies, snacks, and lots of wine kind of weekend. And we had a great time!

But, back to reality. In house news, all the trim, doors, cabinets, and the porch were installed yesterday! After the workers left yesterday (an Amish crew from Cleveland- they were very interesting) I was left pretty much speechless. An incredible amount of work was done, it was unbelievable. Pictures will be up tomorrow. I'm that technologically challenged girl that never syncs her iPhone to her computer because it always deletes her playlists, so I email pics from my iPhone to my computer. This process takes forever, so they should be there by tomorrow :) And if anyone knows why my playlists always get deleted, please tell me! I've spent hours trying to fix whatever it is that does that. I always appreciate technology tips!

So, the hubby and I had one of the scariest experiences I've ever had on our travels back from Portland to Chicago, our layover city. We flew out of PDX in clear weather, which, unbeknownst to us, was soon to change. I snapped this cool pic right after leaving PDX:

It's kind of hard to see, but you can just make out the red and yellow ring in the middle. It's apparently called a glory, and is a visual optical illusion that's pretty rare to see.

But, back to my story. We ran into a major thunderstorm while descending into Chicago. I've never felt turbulence like that before, I was scared out of my mind! At some point, I feel the plane pulling up instead of descending. The captain's voice came over the loudspeaker and announced that the Chicago airport had closed when we were in the middle of our descent, and we were going into a holding pattern. A holding pattern is where the plane just circles above the airport. In a thunderstorm. It was basically pure turbulence for 20 minutes while we circled around in center of a storm. I completely lost my sense of direction, so that when the plane sped up (a ton!) I couldn't tell if we were going up or down. All I knew was that the plane sounded like planes do in movies when they are plummeting from the sky. I was gripping my seat so hard, my whole body was tensed. The guy sitting next to the hubby was saying the Lord's Prayer. The whole plane was silent. It was beyond creepy.

The extreme speed only lasted a few minutes, because soon we were above the storm and the captain was announcing we were diverting to Indianapolis. The hubby and I were uneasy about this, because the flight had already been delayed about 45 minutes due to this storm, and our layover in Chicago was only 2 hours. We really didn't want to miss our flight to Columbus. But... miss our flight to Columbus we did. We sat on the tarmac in Indy for 2 hours before taking to the sky and finally landing in Chicago. Along with thousands of other delayed and diverted passengers. The airport was. a. disaster. We waited in a seemingly endless line to reschedule our flight, but finally managed to get it changed. Unfortunately, there were no flights leaving that night, and we had to stay the night in the airport.

I will mention that by this time it was midnight, the dogs desperately needed a potty break, and the hubby and I hadn't eaten all day. We had planned on eating in Chicago hours earlier. We were so exhausted we couldn't see straight, but we had to leave security, let the dogs potty, and then go back through security to scour the airport for any food venue that might be open. We were lucky to find a venue to purchase sandwiches, fruit, and water. The dogs dined on turkey, bread, and melon, which I personally don't think they minded :) The airport was nice enough to distribute cots, blankets, and pillows to the thousands of people who were stranded in the airport, so we settled down for the night.

The boys behaved surprisingly well that night. They both went to sleep on and/or next to the hubby. I could not sleep, so I read a book and kept watch over the hubby, boys, and bags.

By morning, the storm had passed and we had no doubt we would make it to Columbus with no trouble.

The sunrise over Illinois

Needless to say, I was beyond exhausted when we finally reached Ohio, and even more so after our two and half hour drive back to Kentucky. It took about 2 days for me to recover (rest-wise) from this ordeal.

If I could manage to avoid airplanes for the rest of my life, I would. But, I can't do that. Sigh.

I'll be posting all the pics of the trim tomorrow! Happy Tuesday everyone!

I'm Back! With A Construction Update!

I'm back in Kentucky!

Well, technically, I've been back for 2 weeks now. But I am back on the Internet. After 2 weeks of being at the hubby's mother's house without Internet, we decided we couldn't handle it. I'm not sure how people ever lived without the Internet in the past. I'm joking, of course, but the hubby and I seriously couldn't handle it! The hubby pulled some strings, and ended up getting getting his mother free phone and Internet service for 2 months. This worked out well for our short stay here.

So, what happened on the house while we were out in Oregon? Surprisingly little. Yes, we were wildly disappointed that the only thing completed on our house the month we were gone was sheetrock and mud. The amount of productivity for a month's worth of time was shockingly little. Let's just say that if I was in charge of this project, everyone involved would be fired. But I'm not, so I digress.

Sheetrock in the dining nook/kitchen/great room

Sheetrock in the master bath.

Guest bedroom.

Garage.

Oh, and we also got the garage door put on while we were gone.

As soon as we got back and the hubby gave them a good butt-chewing, they decided to paint. He also called the people who were supposed to put the septic in a month ago, and got them to come out and do their job. The septic went in last Tuesday, and took all of our savings with it. Sheesh.

It was getting late in the day when I took these pictures, so pictures with better lighting will be sure to follow. It's hard to see in the photo, but the wall with the french doors is red and the wall in the living room is a darker taupe.

The kitchen wall, a medium taupe.

The bathroom color, a gold-toned taupe. Can you tell we like neutral colors?

The lightest nude color, which we put in all the bedrooms.

So here is the schedule the builder gave us, which we always, always take with a grain of salt.

Trim, cabinets, and lighting fixtures have all been delivered to the house. Trim (which includes all the interior doors) is scheduled to be installed on Monday. Cabinets are scheduled to be installed on Tuesday. The painters are also supposed to come back and do the final coat of paint on the walls on Tuesday. The electrician is supposed to be out there sometime Monday-Wednesday to put it in the light fixtures. Hard surfaces (countertops and vinyl) are scheduled for Thursday. The plumber should be there sometime after the hard surfaces go in to do the final plumb. Carpet will be the last item completed.

The hubby thinks we will be in the house the week after Thanksgiving.

I remain skeptical.

Trip Conclusion

OMG.

It's our last day here.

I honestly think this was one of the fastest month's I've ever had. I can't believe the hubby and I have to pack up and fly out tomorrow. I'm feeling a bit melancholic over everything. It would be different if the house was done, and the hubby and I were going back to our brand new home. But, it's not. So, I don't want to go back :) The good news? Looks like we are about 3 weeks out on the house getting done. I'm trying to remain optimistic on that one.

I've got some pictures to wrap up the last week or so of our trip. The little brother got married on Saturday. This went off without a hitch, and was a beautiful wedding. More on that when the pictures are done!

I snapped this adorable pic of Gizmo drooling over the hubby's breakfast. He couldn't take his eyes off what he couldn't have.

Pre-wedding manicure. My mom, my brother's fiancee, and I all got pedicures and manicures Friday before the wedding. It was nice to have a moment to relax amidst the wedding chaos. Plus, I loved the color I picked.

The hubby and I at my brother and his fiancee's rehearsal dinner. It was hosted at my parent's house, and it was nice to have a glass of wine and get to know the family we are blending with.

Fresh roasted pumpkin. Yum!

So, I made Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes yesterday. I was disappointed in how these turned out. The recipe is almost soufflé-like. There is very little flour in the recipe, and no fat. The cupcake is supposed to get a slightly done crust while have a custard-like middle. I guess I didn't get these done enough, because they are all custard. I'm not giving up on the recipe though, because I think once cooked properly, these will be delicious! Not that they aren't delicious, but they just aren't perfect. And we all know I like perfection!

Last night, my parents, my hubby, and I went across the street to my parent's neighbor/family friend's house for wine and hors d'oeuvres. As I was shutting the door to leave, this was the site I was greeted with. Not a single dog approved of us leaving for the evening :)

Hors d'oeuvres platter, plus homemade guacamole. My favorite!

I loved these rustic goblets my parent's friends had. What a cool idea! Might have to be getting me some of these!

So, time for some bad news. The hubby and I will be staying with his mother when we get back to Kentucky, and she unfortunately doesn't have Internet. It will probably be about 3 weeks that I won't have Internet (I know, in this day and age, right?) Anyways, I will be taking a sabbatical for an unknown amount of time. The good news? I'm revamping the blog so when I come back, it will look all shiny and new. Plus, I will be in my new house!

Fingers crossed that this time period goes fast.

And double crossed.

And then cross some more fingers.

***Update***

Last night before bed, I put the cupcakes in the fridge, hoping to save them. And save them I did! When I took one out of the paper wrapper this morning, a crust had formed around the custard. Yay! I'm happy to report these little portable pies are delicious! Turns out they just have to be refrigerated before serving. This is a very important step. I'd say refrigerate overnight before serving. Happy eating!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

So... our trip is coming to an end. I'm sooooo sad. The hubby and I only have 4 more days in Oregon, and then we head back to Kentucky. I can't believe this month went so insanely fast. It was a wonderful vacation, spent in basically another culture. The West Coast mentality could be considered to be on the complete opposite end of the behavior spectrum from a Southern mentality. I think sometimes I get stuck in a pattern of thinking, and it was refreshing to remind myself that the way life is in Kentucky is not how life has to be. I need to remind myself to hold on to my laid-back, easy-going side, and not get as uptight about the little things in life that really don't even matter.

I've got to do some baking while I've been here, and that I've immensely enjoyed. My mom had a couple of extremely ripe bananas that she was begging me to use. It's been awhile since I've been treated to homemade banana bread, and oh wow. You don't know what you're missing until it's gone. Sure, I've thought about banana bread. And chocolate chip cookies. And cupcakes. But I finally got to indulge my sweet tooth. Yum!

This chocolate chip banana bread is, sadly, long gone. It's been such a busy trip, I swear. I made this probably a week ago, and the bread only lasted a few days. The plan today is to make Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes with Whip Cream Frosting. Ambitious, I know. It's kind of miserable out today, with pouring rain, so I just might get this task done.

I totally used my recipe for Simple Banana Bread to make this banana bread, and then added about 2 cups of chocolate chip. Holy desert-a-licious! 1 piece was never enough, and then it became the self-control game.

Hopefully that's how the Pumpkin Cupcakes turn out! :)

Trip Update: 10/10/12

We've been on vacation almost 2 weeks now. It's been heaven! We've gone to a majority of our favorite restaurants, been to a Duck's football game, and seen a lot of people we've missed. Oh, and just so you know. I totally started this post yesterday, literally got yanked away from the computer, and never made it back. It's hard to blog when you never have time!

Last Saturday was the hubby's birthday, and also a home football game for the Oregon Duck's. My mom, being a season ticket holder, gave the hubby and I her tickets for Saturday's game against the Washington Huskies for his birthday. I drove up to Eugene on Friday night to spend some time with one of my oldest friends. The night that ensued only brings to mind the time we spent together when we were younger. I haven't had a night like that, oh, probably since my bachelorette party. And now I know why.  I'm not that young anymore, as evidenced by the 2-day hangover I was bestowed with after our night out. I made it to the game with the hubby, and I will only say he was less than sympathetic about my hangover. He did warn me not to have too much fun. Too much fun? Does that even exist?

Yes, yes it does.

I've been having a fabulous time in the kitchen. Tuesday night, I made a Bourbon Glazed Chicken, Spinach and Parmesan Basmati Rice, and Sauteed Grape Tomatoes. Delish! We called this a "freezer meal". I grabbed a bunch of things from my parents freezer to make this, I didn't have to get a single thing at the store. I think my parent's are well stocked for the apocalypse. I'm planning on doing some baking today, I found a recipe for Banana Cinnamon Swirl Bread that I'm going to try.

Also made yummy, yummy Snickerdoodles. They're all gone now :)

I always have an audience when I'm cooking, one of my observers usually being my dog. He likes to think he is a person, and sit at the bar when people are in the kitchen.

Gizmo adores sleeping on my parent's end tables in the living room. I know, not the best manners, but my parent's don't seem to mind.

On Sunday after the hubby's birthday, we had a brunch at my parents house. My brother and his fiance were there, as well as some close family friends and their parents. Two giant bottles of champagne were drank in mimosas, and we ate a ton of food :)

The hubby just had to take a patio heater to the next level yesterday. It hasn't been working for awhile, so the hubby took it upon himself to take it apart and figure out why. He battled a nest of bees with an air compressor, and in short, had a fabulous time killing insects with high-powered air.

We've also made a small trip to Portland to stay with some friends. It was a short, one-nighter which means we will have to make it back at some point to see more friends. Whilst we were in Portland though, we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants (Salvador Molly's) and lunch the next day at Mio Sushi. I've missed sushi so much. It's not nearly as... fresh in Kentucky.

We are halfway through our trip, I'm sooooo sad. Especially when the hubby and I hear that nothing has happened at our house. The hubby and I leave for a month, and the project falls apart. It figures. Anyhoo, I'm heading to the Oregon Coast tomorrow, and will be spending Friday night there. I love the coast :)

Cheddar and Jalapeno Biscuits

Well, the hubby and I have been in Oregon for a week now. We definitely needed the vacation. So far, we've had gorgeous weather, tons of Widmer Hefeweizen, a very tasty salmon, and plenty of sleep and good conversation. Time is flying here, I can't believe we are down 1 week on our trip! It's been a whirlwind.

One of the things I'm enjoying most about being home is getting back in the kitchen! I've helped my dad make several meals, including frying eggplant for eggplant parmigana, making a tomato-cream pasta dish, and baking cookies and biscuits for a family friend going through a difficult time. Baking was pure heaven on Wednesday. My parents gave me this recipe to make biscuits. I was a little hesitant, since I don't make a whole lot of biscuits. These turned out beautifully, however.

I was shocked to see that this recipe is from one of the blogs I follow. I did miss this post somehow, though. I think it was posted right before we left, and life was pretty much a blur of packing and organizing before we left ol' KY.  It's a small world. These biscuits had great flavor, and the light, crumbly texture is delicious. Two thumbs up from the West Coast!

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup polenta
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
6 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp jalapeno, diced
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour through cayenne. Stir in cheddar (reserving 1/4 cup of cheese) and jalapenos.
3. Make a well in the flour mixture. Pour the cream in the well, and mix ingredients together with clean hands. Mix just until the ingredients come together. Dough should be sticky and clumpy.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 3-4 times. Spread the dough out until it's 3/4 inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out round biscuits.
5. Place biscuits on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, placing biscuits an inch apart. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top of biscuts.
6. Bake 11-13 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: Simply Recipes