Progress!

It has been a long Monday! 

I've started to re-do the old bloggity blog here...so please excuse me while it is transitioning:)

I'm also starting some fun, Pinterest related projects soon!  Just as a preview, more specifically...these things:

This fun "BOO" Halloween decor, from here :

Also, I'm dying to try this, from here :



More updates on those as I get the projects underway.  I am totally excited about doing home decor stuff again, cooking fun new things, reading fabulous new books, and sharing it all here for you!  Good night!

A Fall spruce:)

Good Morning! Happy Saturday!  Top of the October to you!

LOL - ok I am done.  I'm very excited for fall!  I love fall.  Well, I love it when it's not rainy and gross every day of our lives.  Stupid rain!  But hopefully in the next few days fall will emerge all cool and beautiful:)

Truth:  I love writing my blog.  But, since I haven't been reading (like...at all.  Seriously, I've bought books but haven't read any!) I don't want to blog because I haven't had anything to blog about regarding why I set my blog up in the first place!

Action:  I'm changing the blog a bit.  I'm still going to include reading because I love it.  LOVE IT.  But it won't be all about reading.  It'll be about life and and love and the house and the books I'm reading.  Maybe if I take the pressure off reading, I'll do it more?  Who knows?  Life is a learning experience, right?  We make resolutions or goals - try to achieve those and then have to tweak the goal to make it more successful.  So over the next few days or weeks, I'll be changing the blog - changing the goals, and probably start posting more about life. 

Review:  Let me know what you think of it as I'm changing and when I'm done!  Cheerio!

Freakin' Floods!

Even before the whole "earthquake" or "hurricane" or "massive rain storms", our basement here at our lovely town home flooded.  Thats right, it flooded BEFORE all that natural disaster stuff.  August was one of the rainiest months Bel Air has ever had - before Irene hit.  Half of our basement one rainy Sunday morning was 1/4 inch deep in water:(

We had the plumber come out and take a look, and our sump pump had failed, which was a blessing, because that means insurance will pay for the damage.  But still, it stinks!!!

We had ServPro come out and rip out carpet and they put these huge fans and humidifiers down there...

    

Yeah, its a mess down there!!  Isnt it?  We got everything settled, pick out new carpet and all that, had the sump pump fixed and were all ready to clean this mess up when....

not the earthquake....not the hurricane....but....

THE MASSIVE RAIN that happened two weeks ago from Lee once again found a way to get water into our basement.  OY!!  Now, this time, our sump pump was working, whereas the first time - it didnt even turn on.  So...not only did that fail that first time, but there was something else happening that was letting water into our basement.

Turns out we have some huge crack in our foundation on the outside of our house, and our neighbors drains are draining INTO the ground next to that crack (not their fault, btw, the drains were buried before we all moved in - I'd like to thank whichever idiot did that!)

So now, we have to have a waterproof company come out and look at the crack, which btw, empties into our basement BEHIND that brick wall there in the last pic on the back wall.  Which means they are going to have to smash out my beautiful brick to fix the problem.  It also means that THIS part of the process is not covered, we will have to pay for the work.  Double Oy.  Triple Oy.  It's a good thing I'm working now;)

So that has been our lives the past month!  Has the rain hurt anyone else?  I'm sure it has since it's been everywhere!  I'm so ready for fall - cool temps, crisp sunny days:)

See ya, Irene!

Well - you may be wondering if I will even post again in this sweet little blog of mine and I am here to say YES! 

We were hit by Irene this weekend - living right outside Baltimore.  We didnt get hit as bad as NC or up in New England - it's like Irene backed off for the middle of her journey.  Now, having said that, our house was out of power for 48 hours.  Our town has been crazy, with half of the homes and businesses and street lights out.  Our first day of school with the students was supposed to be Monday, schools were closed.  Then today again they were closed.  Our power came back on at 9am - Praise the Lord!  And I bet that tomorrow, we will be in school again! 

Update on life?  Well summer is winding down, I started my job as a school counselor!  I love it so far, the staff at my school is awesome, and I can't wait to meet all the kiddos!  I feel that as I settle into my new and permanent routine - I'll get back to reading more and working on the house. 

Right now I am reading One Day - its out in the movies and I am an avid read-before-see kinda girl, I just started that one and so far is pretty good!  My next will probably be Sarah's Key - I hear that is awesome.  I also started Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I didnt get far, I think that one will be  slow read.  It is interesting though - it's just not a gobble in up in an evening sort of book.

I'm still looking for good book recommendations so keep commenting or email them!  I'll be back and better then ever this fall!

Hope everyone is doing well and fairing well after Irene!  Leave your stories or comments here:)

Long time....

No see?  Summer is lovely.  It's winding down now.  I officially have 8 days of it left before I go back to work.  This is my first permanent full time job in 3 and a 1/2 years?  Isn't that crazy?  I went out of work in April of 2008 with mono - which kept me out of work for a year.  Thank you Jesus for disability and unemployment!!  Then I was in grad school and couldn't work.  Then I worked in long term sub jobs.  Now...it's all paid off!  All my hard work for my Master's - finally I have a job!  I'm so excited!!

Tomorrow is our yearly girl day trip to Ocean City, MD.  I go with two of my dearest friends - Katie D and Crystal C.  It's always a good time when we go too, a good de-stressor!  Perfect way to celebrate our end-of-summer-good times!

I've been writing my school counseling program, so I haven't had a lot of time to read.  Tomorrow at the beach I am starting:



I'm going to start it and see how I like it.  I've heard mixed reviews.  I'm the type that if the book doesn't catch me in the first few chapters - I skip it!!  Review to come...

Still no improvements in the house.  I've been too busy helping mom 3 days a week, since she won't have the help once I start work, I'm trying to help her as much as possible.  I have a feeling when I start work and everything settles down (late Sept probably!) I'll get back into decorating and reading like a bandit!  Plus, we'll have a little more funds for me to use for decoration;)

I can't believe summer has flown by!  It's been a fun one.  I am so looking forward to fall - sweaters and jeans and boots and back to school and our yearly Disney trip.  I love it so much!