Handy Manny

Dave and I finally started some more home improvement projects. We (actually, I should say, Dave) installed curtains in our bedroom. We are now DEEP sleepers! Our room is pitch black at night-it's heaven! Our room still needs paint, but that will happen another day.

Dave also installed this t.v. in our bedroom, hiding the cables and everything into the wall. I have to admit...I was impressed!

On Labor Day, we made painted our laundry room all purpley. No before pics of that, but here's the after picture.

The purple is certainly cute, right?

While we were making a mess...we decided to paint Kate's bathroom. The previous owners were blind (we think). Aside from the pukey green color choice, they also painted everywhere they shouldn't have (on ceilings, light fixtures, etc) and failed to paint in those places that they should have (behind the toilet, around the mirror, all the way down to the floor boards, etc). This is the before:
And...sorry, no after photo yet. I just finished painting today, and there's still tape, paint cans, and a mess in there! Dave also ripped the ugly mirror off the wall, and we got a cute new one to hang; you'll have to see that later. One thing at a time.

We've also gotten a bid to install new hardwood floors. After receiving the estimate, however, we're kind of second-guessing the whole thing; maybe after a few months of saving.

I'm also trying to hold back my excitement for Halloween! It is absolutely my favorite time of year (Christmas doesn't count). Dave set up our Spooky town village, which Kate loves. Every time we get a visitor, Kate wants to show them "her" Spooky town by turning on all the lights and gadgets that go with it.

It's a little bit of a sight for sore eyes, but it's fun for a month or so.

I wasted an entire afternoon highlighting items I wanted to buy for a Halloween party out of an Oriental Trading catalog. I, soon after, realized I had no guest list to go along with my party and, sadly, decided to drop the whole thing ( I did this same thing last year too). At some point (when Dave and I actually have friends) we will have one freaking awesome party due to the many years it has been in the making.

The whole costume part of Halloween is become less and less exciting. Being an elementary school teacher, I'm forced to come up with a new costume idea each year. Instead of being a fun thing, I find myself stressed out over it year after year. After a trip to Target the other night, I've finally figured out which alter ego I'll be taking on this year. Are you ready for this...Little Red Riding Hood. I know...lame, right? I wasn't dying to be a storybook character, but I saw a little red cloak hanging on the rack and thought, "Hey, that would be easy." All I need is a little basket to carry and we'll call the whole thing DONE.

Last night Dave and I tried out the Log Haven restaurant up in Millcreek Canyon. I was so excited when we got there because the atmosphere of the place is totally fun. You're up in the middle of a forest with waterfalls flowing behind you as you eat, it's all log cabin-y, and it almost felt like Christmas with the cold bite in the air, and lit fireplaces. It definitely makes for a romantic dinner experience. Anyway, as the meal got going, the salads were wonderful, and that was pretty much it. The service was really slow & crappy, and the food was not good at all. There was also a box elder bug that kept finding it's way back to our table top, which was a little creepy and unappetizing, and some mosquito that kept buzzing in my ear. EESh! Anyway, super disappointing. Dave said he'd never go back. I would love to give it another try if they could just do something about the food and the service. Oh, well; another restaurant checked off the list.

Kate's been a snuggle bug lately. She's gotten good at saying, "I love you" lately without prompting or warning. Although she probably says it more frequently to her daddy, I still melt every time she says it. There's nothing more sweet than hearing those words from your two year-old.

Aside from being a princess, Kate is also learning a thing or two about being a pirate. She's got two boy cousins who are obsessed with pirates and Indiana Jones. She's gotten really good at make-believe, and I'm glad to see her taking on new genres. Lately, however, she loves to turn objects into swords and use pirate-like language. We've tried to talk to her about how we shouldn't hit people with our swords, or say words like "kill". She hasn't caught on just yet, but hopefully soon.

Anyway, that's the latest.