The Master Bath Revamp!

The master bathroom is officially done - and I absolutely love it!  Here a few quick picks of the (pretty much) finished project:

Not quite finished but this shows off the tile work

Pretty much done - just needed the hardware on the sink and shower

I love the frosted door - it was my husband's idea.  It makes the space look larger.

What you can't see is a dimmer switch in the shower room.  It's perfect at night when you don't want to flip on the light or for "Sunday Spa Showers".

I'll post an updated picture soon.

Proud Owner of a 2005 VW Passat Wagon

So my sister pointed out that I haven't posted for a while...  that might be an understatement!  I've had this post sitting in draft form since June!  I think it's time to finally make the final edits and let it go live.

If you've been following my blog you know that one of my goals is to pay off debt.  Here's the first one!  My husband and I are now the official owners of a 2005 Volkwagon Passat Wagon aka "My Car".  The bank has been kind enough to let us drive it for the last 6 years but now it's finally ours!

And just incase anyone is wondering...  I LOVE my car - alway have.  If they still made a Passat Wagon it would be on my next car list without question.  It hauls everything I need, is incredibly comfortable, and goes just about anywhere in the snow and ice.  It truly is the perfect car for me!

Ruby Girl UPDATE

We made it without a trip to the vet - Yay!  After 4 doses (10mg) of Benedryl, Little Miss is back to her normal self.

All the pup-pups; Louis looking a little gray,  Ruby ready to play and Stanley cuddled up in his favorite blanket.
It's a ruff life for the Hammond Hounds.

Ruby Girl

Ruby & Stanley at the vet for a check up (Louis is there too... somewhere)

It's 11PM and I'm up past my bed time...  Once again, poor Ruby Girl as been stung or bitten by something.  This happened 2 years ago and her muzzle swelled up so much she looked like a toucan.  So, we took an unscheduled trip into the emergency vet (45 miles away).  I'm hoping to avoid that tonight.  It all started with a small bump on the side of her muzzle (about the size of a dime) and within 30 minutes the poor thing's whole muzzle was swollen.  With a call to the emergency vet to make sure she isn't allergic to Benedryl - I know that seems like an odd thing to check but we do have a pup (Louis) who is deathly allergic to it; enjoy the irony.  The woman on the phone said Benedryl was one of the drugs given at her last visit and there were no notes stating that she had an adverse reaction.  With an "ok" from the vet office I gave her 1/3 of a Benedryl in cheese and so far she's been sleeping soundly next to me as a type this.  Fingers crossed it helps, this little girl has had enough trips to the vet recently I'm sure she'd like to take a break.

Tulips - perfect for any home!

For those of you who love fresh flowers in your home but aren't sure what to do - maybe you're on a budget or just want something simple - here's my tip!  Buy tulips!  They are in season almost all spring & relatively inexpensive.  They come in a wide variety of colors & textures and you should be able to buy them by the bunch (1 bunch of tulips = 10 flowers) at your local florist* (or even your local grocer).  

Here's why I love them:  They design themselves!  I wish I would have snapped a photo of this arrangement when I first put the tulips this pitcher.  All of the tulips were standing straight up at attention.  But as they "settled in" they began to move and create a beautiful organic arrangement.  So simple but they to make a statement.  Now it's your turn to give it a try!  One last tip - cut the tulips at different heights so they have a little depth to begin with. 

These photos were taken 2 days apart.

*If you are looking for a specific color, height or look talk to your local florist - they should be able to find you what you need within a week or less.

Bathroom Revamp!

We've lived in our house for almost 8 years and in that time we've installed new floors, appliances, doors, trim, molding, remodeled a bathroom, converted an enclosed hot tub room into a craft studio - that's just inside.  The one area that has been neglected in all of this was the master bathroom.  It was always an after thought and not quite in the budget.  But this year it's top priority!  Thanks to my FABULOUS contractor it should be complete within the next two weeks - yay!  (My husband and I are currently sharing a bathroom; something we don't normally do and we're ready to have our own morning spaces back - smiley)  Here is a sneak peek at the new shower it started as a shower & tub unit.  I'll be sure to post photos of the finished project!

I survived - Valentine's Day!

I have been at the flower shop for a year now and have officially lived through every major holiday.  I "saved" the biggest holiday for last and I'm glad I did.

I knew Valentine's day was a BIG one in the flower biz but you don't really know what it's like till you live it.  Luckily, my mom had volunteered to help and drove up with her Suburban on Saturday.   Sunday we made the trip to Spokane to pick up all the flowers I had ordered in the beginning of January.  (I ordered a lot of flowers!)

First Stop

Packed full - just enough room for the case of wine we need to pick up!

We stopped for lunch at Spokane's Davenport Hotel and valeted the car - that seemed easiest with the suburban packed full of flowers and case of "love me to pieces" wine.  Then back to the shop to process everything!

roses, roses, and more roses!

The cooler is full!

PS:  Not all flowers and greens go in the cooler so this only a portion of what was in the suburban!

Monday the game began!  It was unlike any other holiday I'd been apart of - it was amazing!  For 4 days straight the shop was buzzing - we worked long days, created works of art to convey the senders feelings, and did it all with smiles on our faces.  

If you're wondering how many people it takes for our shop to make this Valentine's happen?  We had a crew of 8-12 on any given day.  It wouldn't have been possible without them!

We didn't have a chance to snap pictures of all our arrangement but here are a few of our favs:  

a centerpiece with a little "somethin', somethin'" (hard to see in the picture but there are 2 stings of little red heart lights  in the arrangement)

one of our "extra special" specials

We all survived and have officially recovered - it only took me a week to recover.  But I'm already thinking about next year!  I even have our specials named: Knight in Shining Armor, Prince Charming and Superman ;)

Can't wait to see what next year brings!  

PS:  When in doubt, send flowers...