Utica Utopia

This part of the year is filled with holidays, family and friend gatherings, traditions and, well, shopping. I have to admit that the shopping is the most fun and most frustrating part of the season. Attempting to find something one wants/needs and isn't too expensive is always an adventure. However, this year I started early so as not to break the bank when it gets down to the wire. Yes, that's right. I made a budget and I have already planned out about 5 or 6 of my Christmas gifts this year. Others are still processing and in due time will find their way to my "secret" hiding place.

Common Thanksgiving traditions include, but aren't limited too, turkey, stuffing, jellied cranberry sauce, bread rolls and pie. Some families may throw back bottle (or two) of wine, break the wishbone, watch football and fall into deep tryptophan naps, however, Tulsa has yet another tradition for Thanksgiving night. We fill our bellies and scurry down to Utica Square for "Light's On". All the trees are embellished with over 700,000 twinkling lights and Santa is in town for caroling and the countdown. The 40-year "Light's On" tradition has been on my tradition list for over 10 years! Nothing beats walking around Utica with the lights on and a cup of coffee.

Utica Square is closer to my home and I don't know if that is dangerous or harmless. I guess we will find out this very busy shopping season. It's hard to pass up a walk-by of the ever-changing Miss Jackson's windows and, again, the cup of coffee and outdoor shopping.

Even with these attractive, tempting windows, I must always keep in mind, 'tis the season for giving and not buying for oneself's closet. I should probably go to therapy or something, but the only therapy I know of is "retail therapy" and that doesn't seem to be a long term fix for anything.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I'm getting extremely anxious for Christmas because that means friends and family gatherings, homemade Christmas Eve pizza and presents. Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season with family and friends. And may all your nights be filled with cheer (or cheers)!

turkey trot

While discussing holiday plans with a friend one day, we decided to look into any runs (races) that would be happening when she was in town for Thanksgiving. We landed on the Turkey Trot 5K starting at 9 a.m. on Black Friday. Seeing that I have proactively planned out many gifts in advance, I don't know that fighting the crowds on Black Friday in hopes of finding that perfectly cheap(er) gift for someone on my nice list is ideal. (Yes, I have a naughty list too and let's just hope you didn't land on it this year. Only time will tell.)

On top of this run/race being a distraction from the shopping, it helped worked off a couple hundred of the gazillion calories I consumed on Thanksgiving.

The Turkey Trot is also the kickoff for the BOK Center WinterFest which is a month long event that includes ice skating, concessions, a holiday mart and carnival rides. I have never attended the BOK Center WinterFest until now. I would like to return for some ice skating before the month is up.

Brooke and I would like to thank our wonderful moms for their support in our running efforts. They drove us there and stood out in the 30 degree weather from start to finish. They also attempted to catch some photos of us in action-- hard task to accomplish when we are flying by at lightening speeds!

Brooke and I both obtained awful side stiches while we were running. If you look closely, my fingers in digging into my side in attempt to subside pain as I cross the finish line. I blame the cold weather and, of course, quick feet. We both finished in under 30 minutes.

And we are done. Mom, thanks again for being there. You're the best! After the complaining of stiches and cold lungs, we walked to the car with our heads held high...we were proud!

We plan on doing this again next year (I think. Right, Brooke?) and we hope many more will join us. Thanks again Brooke for doing this with me!

glitterrr!!!!

The holidays are the perfect time to deck your home out in sparkly decorations. Since I didn't move into my house until December last year, I opted to not get a tree and just use some garland around the fireplace. In other words, my decorations were sparse. This year, I'm preparing for a tree and all the trimmings. One problem...I don't have the ornament collection I would like to have, nor the money to drop on ornaments to fill the tree. While I can't guarantee my tree will be filled this first year, I'm making ample effort to fully decorate...on a budget! I purchased some ornaments at TJ Maxx--I never walk out of this store empty handed. One day I was browsing through a Ballard Designs catalog and found these oranments and knew I wanted them.

With a $15.00 price tag + shipping and tax, they would set me back about $25.00...for ONLY THREE!! What?! These pinecones fall off my neighbor's tree and I can pick them up for free. For those who think I stole them, I didn't. They were rightfully in my yard and on my driveway, therefore, making them mine.

Receipe Ingredients:
Pinecones, picked up in my yard while raking leaves and my neighbor's pine needles = FREE!
Glitter = $5.00
Fake Snow (not in the can) = $2.50
Craft Glue, I used Modge Podge I already had at home, but it's about $3.50
Foam Paint Brush, I already had these too, but you can get a single brush for cheap = $1.00.
String, or some form of thread, I bought a sliver thread = $2.00

After tearing a paper sack and spreading it across the table, I gathered two bowls and a plate to put all my ingredients on. Here is my spread.

Start by unwinding string. You need enough to in and around the top layer of the pinecone and tie a knot, then tie a knot at the top so you can hang from your tree.

Next, brush the craft glue on the "scales" of the pinecone. Naturally, pinecones hang down, but you can paint whatever side of the scales you want depending on the look you're going for.

After the scales are good and covered with glue, hold the pinecone over the bowl of glitter and spoon on generously. The snow is optional, again depending on the look you're going for. I did some with glitter and some without. The sole reason I saved the snow until the last step is because I didn't want it to be more snow than glitter. 

When you have the coverage you like...mine look like this:

Place on another torn up paper sack and let dry overnight.

When your Christmas tree gets placed properly in your home, hang from branches with the string and watch them sparkle and shine.

I made 10 pinecone ornaments for about $14.00 and I have left over ingredients to make more when I find more pinecones on my property. Enjoy!

movie date night

Blake and I treated ourselves to dinner and a movie last night. It was wonderful. We haven't been on a dinner and movie date night in a long time it seems. As a matter of fact, I don't even recall the last movie I watched in the theaters. Our date went a little something like this:

Dinner.
We landed on Zio's Italian Kitchen. I also can't recall the last time I ate at Zio's either, but it was just as I remembered. We each got an appetizer and shared a main course. It was romantic--just like Lady and the Tramp. We slurpped on spaghetti until we kissed while eating the same noodle.

Okay. I lied. It was nothing like that because we didn't get spaghetti, meatballs or rudely slurp our noodles. But it was nice to just sit, be served (by a nice waiter--those are hard to come by nowadays) and enjoy dinner conversations and laughs with Blake. Being the gentleman Blake is, he paid for dinner and we were on our way to the movies.

Movie.
The evening feature we attened? Due Date. With a couple good reviews from family and friends and no real chick flicks to drag Blake in, we "agreed" on Due Date.

Don't read any further if you don't want details revealed, although I'm not a very good movie spoiler, I would hate to upset anyone.

The movie was downright hilarious! I don't remember one part of last night where I wasn't laughing. Looking back, it's very similar to the Hangover. Men Boys on a quest to get home in one piece for a life changing event. Where as Hangover was for a wedding, Due Date was for a first-born birth. No explanation needed really. Peter (Robert Downey Jr.) is tormented on a cross-country drive from Atlanta to L.A. Hollywood with an uncanny Ethan (Zach Galifianakis). These two characters managed to make a lifetime of memories on the highways and at the pit stops. While realizing dreams (or nightmares) really do come true, they promise to call e-mail and keep in touch. Sunny, the dog, is a constant laugh throughout as well. If you have a furry companion, there is good probability that one of their weird habits is played out by Sunny. I suggest everyone see this movie, even if you wait until it comes out on DVD, it's a must see. At least in my opinion.

Blake-
Thank you for a wonderful date night. Only next time, it will be chick flick and you will enjoy it.
Love,
Me

a year's worth of "before & after"

I have so much to be thankful for this holiday season. First and foremost, I am extremely blessed to have a family who loves me unconditionally (even when I slip and fall). My family is supportive of every ambition, dream and the occasional nightmare! I also have a great group of friends. Even though many do not live close to Tulsa anymore, I'm lucky that I can pick up the phone and pick up right where we left off. I have two little puppies who live with me. I'm thankful for their "protection" and warmth at night when we fall asleep. I'm also quite thankful that last year, I was able to purchase my first home. Another reason to be thankful for family. If it wasn't for them, I would not have accomplished the drastic changes made to the place. As of October 21, 2010, I have owned my house a full year! It's been a long road and besides the constant seasonal decor change, I think I'm done with renovations (aka) "before and after" projects. This means, I will need to occupy my time with other "before and after" projects. I know I will be posting these upcoming projects, but until then...I thought I would share the last year of my life in my first home.

Around 5:00 p.m. on October 21st, I crossed the threshold into my first home. No. Not carried across the threshold in someones arms, but with my own two feet, I leaped across the door jam and planted my feet right where they belong.

Little did I know that when I purchased this dusty treasure, I would want it near perfect before moving in. Previous to my December 19th move in, I renovated (in no particular order) the kitchen, dining room, living room, master bedroom and bathroom. I also attacked the ugliest front porch and fake-flower-filled landscape.

Kitchen befores: 

This is the view of the main part of the kitchen. Aren't those curtains wonderful? Ewwww....

  

 

Wonderful wall paper border and ugly red paint job. Pictures don't show the detail left on the cabinets...cat hair, dust and peeling paint. Absolutely gross. I don't know where or how I saw the potential in this place, but I did.

Kitchen afters:

  

 

 

The kitchen became a dream for my first home complete with stainless steel appliances, glazed cabinets and a wallpaperless walls.

Living and Dining room befores:

 

 

 

Again with the hidden potential and wallpaper. It's going to be a recurring theme throughout the post. Before tackling the wallpaper in the biggest room in the house, I had the hardwoods refinished throughout the house and then stained darker. The dining room, again with the wallpaper plus a filthy, dusty chair rail and chandelier.

The living room is the biggest and most utilized room in the house. It needed to be cozy. Enough said. Currently, fall and Thanksgiving decorations adorn the fireplace making this room an ever-changing room.

 

Besides the baskets on the wall in the dining room, I am not completely finished with this. My dream is to have a pub table that expands with (matching) chairs. Yet, I can't seem to find one that I love for a price that I love equally as well. And I can't move on with this post without thanking my Grandma Dixie for lending me the table, chairs and bakers rack.

 

The master bedroom was simple and easy...until we reached the west wall. Whoever lived here before me, or before them, put a layer of wallpaper over the wallpaper. I know, right?! Next time you're going to do a job halfway, think of those who follow in you and what they will have to go through to "correct" your job to their liking. Finish it and do it right the first time. Stepping down from my soap box...now.

 

After the corrections were made, paint was applied and then applied again because I didn't like the way the first color turned out. The color I ended up falling in love with was chocolate brown. I always thought I would hate to have a dark room, but I really love it. I like to play with the decorations. For instance, I have changed the comforter 3 times and I like to change them so I don't get bored. And...here is the "final" product, that I'm sure by the time this post goes live, it will have changed.

 

 

Oh and I added a photo of my proudest innovation moment. I found a window cover from an old house, turned it sideways and it now is home to many necklaces and scarves behind my bedroom door.

Moving on to the hallway and bathroom. Let's start with the hallway. Covered in metallic, leafy, paper. The good news about this wallpaper? It took about 7 minutes to remove all of it! I don't know why it just peeled right off, but I was happy and I'm not complaining.

Seeing that the hallway isn't wide enough to place furniture in, I decided to decorate the hallway with old family photos. Each photo frame is matted with wallpaper removed from the pre-renovated house.

The bathroom was painted an awful red color with some striped natural colored wallpaper. It didn't feel like much of a bathroom. The mirror was about 8x10 in size and housed the only storage for the entire bathroom. The sink was cracked and if you ran the water hot enough, you would see the crack grow up the side of the bowl. Aren't these sinks made to handle this kind of heat and use?

Finally, a bathroom I can primp and pretty myself in everyday. I am constantly looking and adding antique and unique hand mirrors to the space above my window and heater closet. It's only a matter of time until its full.

 

After I moved in, I decided to take a break from renovations. That is until some friends decided to come visit me and I needed to provide them with a place to stay. The befores...more wallpaper. Another room's potential covered in Laura Ashley flowers and topped off with a border.

 

As wallpaper peeled off, blank canvas was revealed. Paint was necessary. What color? That took some testing and much thought. Creating a place of comfort for yourself is easy - you know what you like, want and how the designs you choose make you feel. Creating a home away from home for guests is an entirely different animal. I thought about what most of my friends that would be staying would enjoy. One word came to mind: Anthro. I'm still in need of wall art and maybe a make-shift head board (unspoken thoughts have not been released, but I'm excited to find what I'm looking for and will keep you posted).

 

And this is what I call home. My nest and place of retreat. A dwelling place...with a porch to watch the world from. And I thank God everyday for this humble little abode that I get to call home. Paint color might change, decorations will come and go, but this will always be my first home and for that, I am thankful!