Pumpkin Party

Last night I had a little pumpkin party by myself. I figured it was one of the last nights I could carve the pumpkins out front so I picked up some carving utensils and got to work while watching Hocus Pocus on TV. It's not Halloween without Hocus Pocus - It still cracks me up that Sarah Jessica Parker is one of the Sanderson sisters. But back to pumpkins. Drew bought three pumpkins a couple of weeks ago, and while we usually carve them together we just didn't have the time this year. Not to mention, usually I get all excited about carving and half way through I'm frustrated or tired of scooping out the insides. So this year I decided to go the semi-easy route. In pumpkin one: I poked a bunch of holes and after seeing it lit up, I think I need more.

I actually used Drew's power drill to start the holes and then went over them with one of the carving tools (and still ended up breaking the cheap tool in the process).
Pumpkin number two: I attempted to carve an "R".

Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as great as I expected (it's a little skinnier than I'd like), but I guess that happens when you carve free hand. Pumpkin number three is still uncarved. I was tired of carving by the end of the second one and I have broke half the tools. If I have some extra time tomorrow I might try to carve something quickly, but at least two of them are finished.


Lexi of course wants nothing to do with the pumpkins and wasn't much help :) She did seem to enjoy Hocus Pocus, however.

One quick note, for the first time, I decided to cut the bottom of the pumpkin off instead of the top and it was so much easier to scoop out the insides. I had a lot more room to dig around and while I was poking pieces through from the outside it just landed on the plastic bag underneath. I didn't have to scoop the pieces out later. As you can see, the pumpkin sits nicely on the front porch, right over top of the candle. I will definitely do the same thing next year.

Feels like Fall

Just as it's starting to feel like Fall outside, I've started to spruce up the house with some Fall decor. Last weekend I worked on adding a little Fall to our lanterns: a few leaves, a pumpkin and an acorn and they were good to go.

Once again, I can't get the image to flip!

It helped too that everything Fall related is 40% off at Hobby Lobby right now. I've been wanting to add something homey to our front door, but haven't seen anything I like, or that isn't too expensive. I opted for a wooden "R", some black spray paint, and orange and black ribbon. After a bit of primer, and the spray paint I came up with this:

I decided to use a magnetic hook instead of an over-the-door hook, to keep the door from getting scratched. Drew suggested putting some of the felt pads you put on the bottom of chairs on the back of the R to keep it from making marks on the door if it swings from the wind or the door being opened and closed. 

What is great about this door decor is I can update the ribbon as the seasons change. Plus, I can always tie on a little acorn or bell to jazz it up a bit for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, the whole thing cost me less than $10.

And yes, that is an angel to the left of the door. One of Drew's friends left it on our porch as a joke and it's way too heavy for me to move myself. I need to get the dolly to move it to the back, somewhere! It's a little creepy out front. Drew suggested putting a costume on it, but I thought that might be a bit inappropriate - it is an angel!

Blog Stalker

Over the weekend I had one request... I wanted to attend a book fair and meet two bloggers who I follow pretty religiously. I know, dorky, right? I've been following the blog Young House Love for quite some time now. I originally came across the blog way back during wedding planning mode when I was looking for wedding DIY ideas. Through my search I landed on the blog and read all about how they (Sherry and John are the bloggers) hosted their wedding in their backyard, which included re-modeling their backyard, cooking for all the guests, creating the invitations, centerpieces,etc. etc. It's very impressive. Eventually, I moved on and found some other sites. Then, through playing around on Pinterest I came across the site again. Around that same time I read about bloglovin, a site where you can sign up your favorite blogs and get a compiled email each night that lets you know when the blog(s) is updated. This was around the time that we moved or were planning to move so needless to say, I was hooked on Young House Love.

Additionally, I think I found myself  relating to the authors a lot as they originally started blogging to share their kitchen remodeling stories with their family and friends. Overtime their site has become one of the top DIY sites. It's also turned into their business. Over time both John and Sherry quit their jobs and work full-time on the blog. They aren't experts. They are just two people who aren't afraid to try new projects in their home and write about it.

Okay, back to the book fair. Drew agreed to get up early (I picked him up from the airport at midnight and it was definitely after one before we went to bed) and join me. I should mention, that when I read they were doing a book tour for their DIY book that comes out next month I figured they would hit the bigger cities and never make it to here. Low and behold this was their first stop! In addition to handing out and signing books, they shared a PowerPoint presentation. Luckily, we arrived early and got a seat. While I don't think Drew was thrilled be up early and at a book fair, he was quite surprised by how many men were in the room. And, I think he enjoyed the presentation and learned some fun tips. I definitely heard him laugh quite a few times.

Since they were running out of books and I already pre-ordered mine on Amazon (supporting the hubby!) we didn't stick around for the book signing portion. But.... that didn't stop me (or us) from inching our way up to the front to talk to them before they left the presentation room. Thanks to some nudging from Drew (who said I was being too polite) we made our way up and had a short conversation with them. I had seen on Facebook the night before that John tried Skyline, and so my stalker/journalistic self wanted to find out his impression. He liked it. I then continued to have a conversation with Sherry about her Skyline and general thoughts of Cincinnati, etc. Drew asked them if they ever get tired of doing projects and then he took our picture. I know, I am a total nerd. And the picture is quite blurry. And not my best look.

Not to mention, I felt quite stalkerish. I told Drew on the way to the book fair that while I have never met these two people before, I feel like I know them. I read their stories and have watched their videos they post. Now I have a picture with them and they have no idea who I am. I guess that's just how things work out. Overall, it was a fun morning and I am looking forward to my book arriving soon. In the mean time, I will continue to read Young House Love and try to be a little bit more creative with our home.

Big News

Big news, means big changes when it comes to the Rothmeelers. The news actually revolves around Drew. He got a job with Amazon as an Area Manager! We are both very excited about this opportunity as it came out of the blue. He actually applied last year when he returned from Iraq. The company didn't have any opportunities available so we forgot about it and he decided to get his real estate license. Last month a recruiter for Amazon called and asked if he was still interested and would want to interview. Using it as a learning/practice experience he said yes, why not. He interviewed and a couple of days later he was offered a job. The company offers great benefits, pay, and above all, they know he is in the military and may need time off here and there for drill. Let me tell you, that is HARD to come by these days. That was one of the things that was nice about Drew being his own boss and making his own schedule.

Another unique thing about the job is he works four 10 hour shifts a week, so he can continue to do real estate on the side.

There is one catch... the job isn't in town. However, considering what we've been through, it's totally doable - which is why we are excited. Drew and I have been through a lot, and through it all we've learned some important things about our relationship. We know how to communicate with each other and therefore we communicate very well. We trust each other and we support each other. We're also very comfortable on our own and have learned to be much more grateful of the time we share together. We also realize that we are young and it's important to take these types of chances or try these new things while it's just the two of us. We do see a family in our future and we want to be as financially prepared as possible. Why not have a little fun and live a little crazy right now :)

Oh yea, I should add, we/I am not moving :) Our new home will continue to be our permanent home.

26.2 miles...shoeless

I know I usually write about things going on in my/our life(s) but I came across this sports article and I want to share.

Two years ago I did the Flying Pig half Marathon and it kicked my butt - okay, technically it made my hips ache in pain and thighs and calves turn to jello, but you know what I mean (you can read all about my experience here). My excuse: I didn't train enough. I didn't do long runs. I didn't practice hills. And, I haven't done a marathon since - full or half. Although I did consider running last year's race, but it was the weekend before our wedding, and I thought I might get a bit overwhelmed with the training.

Flash forward to today. I came across this story about a guy who ran the Baltimore Marathon in flip-flops! I can hardly wear flip flops walking around for a couple of hours before getting crazy blisters or sores - y feet ache for him! I should also mention, he finished the race in under 3 hours and came in 29th place out of 3,024 finishers. The thing is, he isn't the first runner to do something crazy for a race. I remember seeing runners run barefoot, and whether or not they did the half or the full marathon is in different. It cannot be comfortable!

You can read the full story here and find out what he says about running another race in flip flops.

Maybe this year I will lace up my running shoes again. If this guy can do it in flip flops, I can at least do the half...

Hanging up our dancing shoes

Wedding season has come to an end in the Rothmeeler house. Since November of last year we have attended three weddings and hosted our own. Now, I realize that is not that many, as some of our friends have attended double/triple that amount, but for us, it is the most either of us have had in one year. As of right now, the next wedding is in February.

A little reminder of the weddings:

Josh and Renae - November 10

Ours May 19!

 

Stephany and Dan - September 22

Drew walking the bride's mom down the aisle

  

Lesley and Nat - October 13 (Isn't the flower girl adorable?! And, yes, they brought me a g-free cupcake)

 

*ughh I still can't seem to get the spacing and pictures correct. I was really hoping to add a lot more - oh well.
**Many of the pictures are courtesy Gayle Rothmeeler - Life Through the Lens Photography

Cincinnati is Special

I have been working on another blog post, but it's causing me some issues as I try to load pictures. In the mean time, I came across this article, thanks to a friend on Facebook. It's the top 10 surprising things about Cincinnati from a non-Cincinnati native. It's a fun read. I actually didn't know about #8 on the list, the Gothic cathedral.

You can read the article by clicking here. Beware, if you are like me, you will be craving Skyline at the end :)

Party Planning = Deadline

There is nothing like planning a party when your house is a disaster. Last weekend marked Drew's 29th birthday and we thought it was a perfect opportunity to have some friends over to the house and celebrate. It also meant having a deadline to get the house in order - which seemed like a perfect plan until it meant spending the last couple of nights up until all hours of the day. We made the decision to have a party about 2 weeks prior to the party. Originally that seemed like plenty of time, until we looked at the calendar and realized our weekends were already jam packed leading up to the party. Drew was out of town for Army training and would leave a again for a day and a half, I had a baby shower/former work get together, we had a wedding (which Drew was a groomsman and also meant a rehearsal dinner Friday night), family gathering in Ripley at Drew's uncle's farm (pictures to come), as well as the usual work schedule. Needless to say, we didn't have as much time as we had hoped to get things together. Luckily when Drew wasn't working he was at the house cleaning.

We did get a decent amount of the anesthetic (painting, pictures hung) jobs done prior to all of this, but we have lots of "grand" plans that we want to accomplish. Unfortunately, we didn't have the time. We had to focus on organizing and cleaning. We figured people will understand if not every picture is hung or room is properly lit. For example, our garage looked like this:  

 

The good news is, it is currently cleared out and can fit two cars inside. We did some tweaking to the dinning room. I think the last time I wrote we were planning to put the re-painted china cabinet in that room. Well, after moving it in there we decided we thought our other cabinets would look better in there and moved the china cabinet to our living room/empty/still trying to decide what to do with room, room. Drew also finally acquired the dinning room table and chairs he got from an old neighbor friend years ago. Add a couple of pictures to the wall and the dinning room looks like:

We still have a couple more things to hang, including a large mirror to go on the wall across from the wall with the pictures. Our living room/empty/still trying to decide what to do with room, room cleaned up as this:

Eventually we are planning to see what it would cost to knock down that wall to the left. The other side is our family room, which would then create one large room. The downside is we think the wall is a weight baring wall, so 1. it could get pricey and 2. we need to make sure the contractor is a legitimate/well experienced contractor. Speaking of the family room, this is where we relax after a long day and watch TV.

We just recently moved the couch to this position. I like it better along the wall where the blue chair currently sits, but Drew likes to watch TV straight on (whereas I like to lay down and watch it sideways). A couple of weeks ago we finished the bedroom, ie. hung the curtains. I don't think I ever posted a picture, so here is the "final" product. *ps. The coloring still doesn't look right in the picture. The walls are not purple. They are a grey color. It also looks really small/warped. Weird.

 I'd eventually like to get a large standing mirror to lean against the wall, but we have plenty of time for that. We still need to paint the bathroom the same color as the bedroom, but I am not in any rush. Maybe in the winter? The guest bathroom. We haven't done anything to this other than I hung up an old shower curtain and towel, and put stuff in the cabinet. Guest bedroom number one is ready for guests. Again, other than filling it with furniture we didn't do anything.

Second bedroom: AKA Drew's ironing room. I didn't take a picture of that because it's just a room with an ironing board. Pretty boring. Bedroom number three is now an office.

For some reason this picture won't turn the right way!

The basement still needs some TLC. Drew has A LOT of ideas for this space. Once we decide how we want to repaint it and what Drew's grand plans for the bar consist of we'll hang some pictures. Until then, it is extremely useable and cozy. Perfect for having friends and family over.

I think that covers most of the house, other than the kitchen and bathroom on the main floor. As you can see from the pictures Lexi is enjoying all of the space. She practically photo-bombed every picture! The former owners also seem to like what we've done to the space. Drew told them to stop by on the night off the party and they thought the colors in the living room made it look larger. They were also amazed by how large the bedroom looked. The entire time they lived in the house they had their bed on the other wall and never considered putting it on the wall we chose. We laughed as Drew and I disagreed about which wall to use and I eventually gave in and we used his idea :)
* I have no idea why some of the pictures look warped, or are different sizes. I think my camera is getting old and tired

Family Comes First

I started this post back on the 26th, but just didn't have the heart/motivation/desire, etc. to write. My uncle (dad's brother) Tommy passed away suddenly on Sept 13 at the age of 65. Now, it's almost a month later and I am just taking the time to share the event. My uncle's death was hard on me for a number of reasons. It was unexpected - and I had just seen him not to long ago laughing, joking and being his usual self; Drew was out of town; I felt helpless because there wasn't anything I could do; and above all, it's been a long time since someone close to me has died. Last year, one of Drew's soldiers was killed in a motorcycle accident shortly after returning from Iraq. I remember it was emotional, but I never had the chance to meet him personally so it didn't quite set in the same way. I will say, the day of my uncle's passing I left work early and had dinner with parents and brothers and it made a world of a difference. I am so glad I did. It helped to spend time with my dad not only to support him, but to see that he was doing okay. Sure, he was upset, but he was strong and sharing fun stories about his brother.

When it came time for the visitation and burial I was grateful by the support from family members. Drew got his flight changed and was able to come home early for the funeral, both of his sisters came to the visitation, and my mom's brother, sister and sister-in-law also showed up, as well as friends/co workers of my parents. Seeing so many familiar faces of both friends and family reminded me just how lucky I am. Not only have I grown up surrounded by loving and supportive family and friends on my mom and dad's side, but I married into a loving and supportive family circle as well. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.

I know I could have skipped over this event to post more upbeat, happy stories, but it didn't seem right. Plus, it feels better to share and reflect on the good things that I took away from my uncle's death. He was a great man and will be missed. I know he is with my grandparents, looking down and watching over his family.