Lone Star Living

I recently visited my friend Andra in Dallas, TX (don't mess with it, by the way). Despite her birthright, she is quick to remind me she's not FROM Texas, so let's just get that straight right here. One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to Southfork Ranch. More on that later this week.

When I sat down to stop thinking about marketing or home improvement for 5 minutes, I realized a former roommate lived in Dallas.


(circa 2000)

AND a former co-worker!



It was catch-up time.

Enjoying Tillman's Road House in Oak Cliff with Sandra, her delightful husband Kevin, who I met for the first time. They've been married 6 years!





Fun times with Andra's friends.




Hilarious Dallas sights. In Idaho, the equivalent would be 'Senator Larry Craig Scenic Byway'.



4.99 shoes. Most recently known as 6.99 shoes. Yes, you get a full pair.



In my case, you get THREE pairs.



Dinner with ex-Tea Tron, Jeff.



Downtown Dallas.






Andra, Tank and I also went to Unleashed, the new indoor dog park. It was as close as I can imagine to dog heaven. Despite what you may think, it was not hell for me, I made a few friends.









Thanks to all my great friends who made it a great trip! I can't wait for the next one!

It's official. We are drywall masters.



Thanks to a very important invention called the 'Drywall Lift.'


We even got a chance to demo part of this new house.

90 Years Young

My grandma turned 90 on May 23rd. To celebrate how awesome she is, my mom and her 4 brothers and sisters organized an amazing weekend party in her hometown- McIntosh, MN 56556.

Great weather, lots of laughs and LOTS of birthday cake.

From the Other Side of Idaho

My aunt Carole and Uncle Carl live in Spokane and spend a bit of time in the Idaho panhandle (Couer D'Alene, Sandpoint, etc...), but last week, they checked out a whole different part of the state- my neighborhood.

We had a great time during cocktail hour on the front porch...



and visiting Targhee...





and opening a great big bag of housewarming gifts!



Carole's superior shopping skills uncovered a much needed accessory for the front door that just happened to depict the Teton range!

Their little terrier Sophie lost out to Lefty. Sorry Soph Dawg.



Thanks for making the drive- we can't wait for the next visit!

TPS Reports

My office has been a bit mangled lately. I needed to get all my marketing gear organized and create some storage so I could better concentrate on work.



Yuck!

What's behind door #2?



Maz cut some shelves for me and I went to town with the power drill.




I also tested out creating a 'magnet wall' using Rustoleum Magnetic Primer and repainting with the same color of the walls. It works fairly well with a light magnet for small notes.



More on this project later, when I finish the magnet chalkboard in the kitchen.



Ta da! Everything is filed & stored. Productivity ensues!

Project-ing

Project (verb): to engage in a planned undertaking for the benefit of personal organization, efficiency of daily activities or property value.

Lots of projecting happening here lately. Jay built a wonderful compost bin and cold frame for us last weekend.

Ready for plants!

I finished staining our front porch- not an ounce of stain left in the bucket! This required lots of ladder acrobatics and I hardly whimpered at all on the top rungs. (Still a little scarred from the scaffolding.)

Happy Projecting!

SPROUT!

I went to water my dirt today and instead I found...



Sunflower sprouts!


And Poppy!

I just planted these seeds last Friday and had no idea they would push up so fast. Jay said he was not surprised, but I have never planted from seed before. Very exciting!

The Black Eyed Susans and Daisies have yet to appear, but I am hopeful for an appearance soon.

We also received some beautiful pre-ordered trees last week through a program with the Teton soil conservation district. They are looking forward to their permanent homes!

Northern Jungle

Some people rescue labradors, stray cats, children in Africa... I rescue house plants.

My latest conquest was this beaut reduced for quick sale at MD Nursery in Driggs. It was overgrown in it's sad little plastic pot. Despite a stare down from a sickly Wandering Jew, I picked up the Calathea and ran.



When Catherine and CD visited, they gave me a beautiful Schefflera, one of my favorites. It was healthy, but it's home was a bland, temporary basket. It too, was bursting at the seams.






I dressed up terra cotta pots with some paint and hauled my bag o' dirt out to the garage. It was there, that my plants were officially rescued.

Power Tooling

Maz and I treated ourselves to a brand new power tool- thank you IRS!






I am really excited to have a circular saw to make shelves and start organizing all this awesome storage space that we have. Stay tuned for project updates!