Easter Card for Elder Pizzey

It has been so fun to have my baby brother on his missions. I love reading his emails and letters and reading how already he has grown so much! He is serving in Salt Lake City South mission. He got out of the MTC last week so hes in his first area. He covers 2 stakes! And the 2 stakes are within blocks of each other!!! That just blows my mind! He says it needs some cleaning up, so him and his companion are working hard to do that! He's very pumped to work hard and has a excellent trainer and they just click! I just love it!

I also love writing letters (aren't letters so much funner than emails) and sending cute things. Blake always loved my cards and would tell me at birthdays / Christmas he would get excited for them. So while he's on his mission I've decided every little holiday deserves a card! So here is our Easter card, with a photo picture instead. Its in girl colors... but it is Easter... what can you do!

1/4 Century club!

(Yes, this is me as a baby... and no my dad is not 16 here)

I sort of feel like I've been 25 for at least the last 3 years, so this wasn't as big of milestone and others would feel. The reason for that is because with my work I work with a lot of clients who are trusting me and spending quite a bit of money. They are usually 90% of the time older than me, and many times ask my age or judge me at first cause I look young (or really am young.) So since I started in the industry almost 4 years ago I've been telling clients I'm 25! haha, its just a little white lie... but mostly a business strategy. So this day is a long time coming!

But it was a great birthday (Jordan spoiled me) and nice to reflect on all the things I've learned over my 25 years on this earth. Trust me I still have lots to learn, but I like to say that I'm honestly 25 now, and I feel it... and it feels good!

So here are the 5 main things I've learned (that I can think of off the top of my head) in my 25 years on this earth ;)

- Not everything goes according to plan. I'm a planner, and especially over 2009 I learned that my plans don't always unfold. So I've learned to be more accommodating and roll with the punches. "When given lemons... make lemonade!"

- Family is the best, I have lots of wonderful close friends that I love so much! But nothing beats family, and I'm so grateful to have mine close by!

- I thought I couldn't love Jordan more than the day I married him... wrong! Every day I love him more and more! I love as we grow older and make experiences together, we only get stronger!

- The love that I have for my daughter is the best feeling in the world! And its taught me to see a glimpse of what my Heavenly Father feels for me! I love watching her learn and grow and she cracks me up on a daily basis. I just love being a Mom

- I love to create, whether its at work or at home. To make something beautiful just makes me smile, and to helps clients make there homes beautiful gives me such joy as well! I also love dealing with clients and people. I love to read people and see the different approach I should take to deal with them.

Reno Update #2

Well here are the updated Reno pictures. I keep putting off getting these on my blog because I wish I had more to show to give more of the "wow" factor. But the fact is until I find a wallpaper that I like and wont cost me a arm and a leg, and once we get some more time and money... we are sort of at a stand still. SO... I might as well show the progress over the last month.

What has changed since the last pics: Paint, back splash in kitchen, window covering in kitchen and living room, and FINALLY I got pictures up. I just saw no point in doing that until we painted. Excuse the lack of closet door in the front entrance, I have so many ideas to make my front hall cute, but we are having trouble finding a closet door for the odd shape that these old closets are (its very annoying since Avery's favourite thing is to wear our shoes lately) so hopefully we find one soon.


Drapes from Pier 1, first place I looked and they were perfect. They had all my colors in it, it was really quite strange how perfect they were since they suited my style too! And hopefully one day I'll get rid of the IKEA furniture and have some much nicer... but that is down the road!

Didn't Jordan do a good job on the back splash?!?! He keeps looking at all his imperfections (which I don't see) but I've been so impressed at the wonderful job he's done!

Left on the list:

- WALLPAPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Baseboards

- New Doors

- New light fixtures

- Crown molding to finish off above cupboard

- front entry closet and door

- figure something out with front entry paneling

AND.... I'm sure I'm missing something. Everyone with old houses knows it never ends!

Update on my little A

Not that anyone really needs an update on my munchkin, but I haven't blogged about her lately and just looked on my camera and saw a couple comical pictures. So here are some recent randoms.

This is Avery Valentines morning getting a little package from Mom and Dad. She was quite excited and loved it all, she is kissing her pink poodle here.

Playing ball and quite excited about that!
She always has snack after nap, I cannot remember what she was doing here, something silly... maybe singing?!

I just love this picture, it cracks me up for some reason.

Her favourite past time, putting on our boots or shoes. Sometimes its cute, and other times its annoying!

Her favourite to put on, her pink boots. Hiding from me cause she knows I'm going to take them away (not cause I'm mean, cause they were dirty and I just cleaned the house!)

Avery seems to be adjusting quite well to me working part time. My girlfriend watching her Thursday and Friday says she plays great with her son and eats good! So I'm happy about that, makes leaving her easier! She is till adjusting to napping at there house, hopefully that works itself out.

And Saturday she has so much fun with Jordan! They went and bought a sled last week and walked around the field with it and she was happy as can be. I came home Saturday and she was wearing her winter boots and tutu! So of course she was in heaven, those are her favourite things to wear! I wish I got a picture but by the time I grabbed the camera she was done with that! And so far work is great! Busy and back doing what I love :)

Patience in Decorating

So I had this thought since many times during the day I have decorating thoughts pop in my head, that maybe I'd share them on my blog! So who knows how often I will do this, but I'll try and give you some tips I've learned or picked up along my own decorating travels or while helping others.

So tip for today: have patience when looking for that certain Piece! Sometimes when accessorizing or adding those finishing touches to our homes we get impatient an even though we know that certain piece we are looking for we just want to finish and get it now! So we might see something that is similar or sort of along those lines... and just get it cause then we've finished off our house! But... that piece is out there, I promise you. Whenever I do decorative consults and we come up with a piece that will work in a specific spot I tell them, not just wait. Do lots of looking around and just wait! Its hard I know, it may take a week (depending how diligently you get out to look) and it may take 6 months, but you'll find it! Its sooo much better having patience and waiting, than getting some half a$$ (excuse my french, but there's the dollar signs so it doesn't count, haha) piece that just doesn't cut it and then... 2 months later you find that perfect piece. Especially if your on a budget, your husband will say "well you already got that vase 2 months ago, you can't just replace it with that, we can't afford that!" Big example of that is I wanted something on top of Avery's shelf in her room, I just waited and then went to my aunts cabin one weekend at pigeon lake, and this adorable stuffed giraffe (that is too cute to play with, so its an accessory) was there in this cute store in pigeon lake! I would show you a picture but Avery's napping right now.

What reminded me of this little advice was I was out with my wonderful Nana (who probably inspired me to go into the field I'm in) and she helped me finish some floral arrangements in my house. She is very good at floral arrangements, and I've had this vase and slowly added arrangements to it (every time Jordan comes home he says "there's more stuff in that vase every time I come home") haha but just needed a bit more and couldn't figure it out. So we found some perfect fillers that I never would have thought of, and it looks so cute! Also I wanted a unique frame for a cute picture of Avery to go on a shelf in our room, and after lots of looking and waiting I found just what I was looking for at Winners last week.

Also while I was out with my Nana and Mom this week, my mom had one of those moments too. Shes been looking for something to go beside her fire place, they moved in last summer! And low and behold.... she found it this week! And its perfect!
So be patient because its worth it!

So I've convinced Jordan to conquer the back splash his weekend, so even though we've painted and hung pictures and all that since I last posted reno pics, I'm waiting till the back splash is done so there will be more to show. I guess these pics show the pait color, I went dark and love it! I was sort of freaking out when we started, but since its dried I just love it!

And I'm going back to work next week, I start Feb 18! I will work Thursday, Friday and Saturday at is super great store down town called "Posh Interiors." Its close to home and they are soooo willing to work with me being part time and being a mom and giving me a set schedule. And I'll be back working with clients doing what I love, so wish me luck!

Happy Valentines Day, enjoy time with your sweetie this weekend! I'm looking forward to it :)

Doppelganger

You facebook friends have probably seen all the doppelganger stuff going on this week, I just think its so fun! I love seeing other friends celebrity pictures and who people have told them they look like. Some I've thought myself and some I think "oh, you totally do look like that person!" I've always had sort of a obsession I guess you would say with this concept... and without thinking about it. Like I watch a movie and say to Jordan "doesn't she / he look like so and so." Usually he agrees and sometimes he think I'm nuts. But it my eyes I'm always right!

So for the fun of "doppelganger" week, I thought I'd post the 3 people I've been told I look like. They are in order from the one I've been most told I look like to least. And again, I'm not saying I think I look exactly like these women (I wish) but that this is what people have told me! Let me know you celebrity look alike, its just too fun!

1. I've been told her quite a few times, probably when I was skinnier and have my natural hair color (red.) My friends in highschool Lauren and Lindsay Sellar would tell me this on a regular basis.

2. Amy Adams I've been told a couple times, but mostly by Jordan. If we ever see a movie with her in it he will say that a few times thru the movie.

3. Isla Fisher, I've only been told I look like her once by my cousin. I see it a little, but she has brown eyes which I definitely don't, even though sometimes I wish I did! I love brown eyes, so much that in grade 9 I had brown contacts

And... there is a 4th. I don't like to think I look like her, but I had to post it since my Dad tells me I do ALLLL the time! He thinks its a good thing, but shes an actress that either looks really cute... or really ugly! My Dad always tells me I look like Drew Barrymore! No one else has told me, but since my dad has told me that so many times I'll put a pic of her up.

Phase 1 - Reno pics

I have hesitated putting these pics up because even though we have accomplished so much on these Reno's so far... there is so much more to do! And I felt like there would be more "wow" factor if I waited till all the finishing pieces were done. Well I'm not sure when all of that will be accomplished, basically when we have the time and money... for sure in the next 6 months. And we've (mostly Jordan ) has been working so hard and all the BIG things are done, so I decided to share some pics.
So keep in mind over the next 6 months paint, light fixtures, back splash in kitchen, window coverings in living room and kitchen, WALL PAPER (can't wait for that), baseboards, and new doors. PHEW! Nothing right?! Probably accomplish that in one day... yea... no! So that is why I'm sharing now. Enjoy!

Bathroom before

Bathroom after, didn't do much. Just painted with leftover paint from the basement suite and new mirrors. We'll gut it in a couple years.
Living Room before - hate this wallpaper SO MUCH!

Living Room Before and Front Entrance

Living Room after - just new arrangement and carpet

Living Room / Front Entrance after

Living Room After (Kona sun tanning)

Dinning Room before

Kitchen / Dinning Room after

Kitchen before

Kitchen after

Kitchen before, soooo retro!

Kitchen after

Yay! Looking good, and sooo much more functional!