My grandma came into town to help take care of my mom who had surgery today (she is doing okay). After getting my mom settled back in at home, my grandma starts coming down with shingles!
Then, Justin and I go to grab dinner, and on the way back home, we get in a wreck after some girl (who is not paying attention -- and "thought she was in the right lane") turns into us.
My grandma's shingles are now spreading pretty badly, so tomorrow morning we are waking up early to take her to the emergency clinic so that she can get some medication.
And, I have a brief due on Monday.
Serenity now, serenity now. Please let this weekend get better . . .
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Houston Restaurant Week.
Here are some pros and cons from the places we enjoyed during Restaurant Week. While the food has been great, I have definitely gained a few pounds!
Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse
Pros:
Gravitas
We didn't eat off of the RW menu at Gravitas. We are rebels, I know.
Pros:
Pros:
Cons:
Pros:
Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse
Pros:
- Mac and Cheese (my heavens, this stuff is pure gold)
- Mushrooms
- Tasty steak (of course)
- Phenomenal croissant bread pudding (no raisins, delicious caramel bourbon sauce)
- We had reservations, but we still waited over 45 minutes for our table. In full disclosure, we requested a specific server, but still . . .
- Feeling extremely full after over-indulging.
Gravitas
We didn't eat off of the RW menu at Gravitas. We are rebels, I know.
Pros:
- Great scallops
- Good bread pudding with a nice caramelized crust on top
- Took forever to get drinks
- Food was decent, but nothing spectacular
- Super loud inside (this is nothing new there)
Pros:
- Eating with Meagan and Jeremy
- The decor was great:
Cons:- None of the food was worth mentioning in the pros
Pros:
- Great dinner salad with avocado dressing (and hunks of avocado) and bacon
- Delicious steaks
- Mediocre bread pudding
- Valet parking took forever
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Donations.
We donated tons of clothes and (my shoes) to Goodwill this weekend. The huge box behind the bags was also filled with goodies.
It felt great to clean out our closet and some bins that were under the bed. I tried to convince Justin that for every piece you donate, you get to replace it with something new. He didn't buy it. Heck, I would even go for a "every 5 articles you donate, get 1 new" type deal. But I doubt he will go for that either.
Along those lines, J. Crew is having an extra 20% off final sale items + free shipping through Wednesday . . .
It felt great to clean out our closet and some bins that were under the bed. I tried to convince Justin that for every piece you donate, you get to replace it with something new. He didn't buy it. Heck, I would even go for a "every 5 articles you donate, get 1 new" type deal. But I doubt he will go for that either. Along those lines, J. Crew is having an extra 20% off final sale items + free shipping through Wednesday . . .
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Bedroom Update.
So while our bedroom is far from being done, we accomplished getting it painted this weekend! As you will see, we went through a bunch of grays to find the perfect color.
Thankfully for people like us who can't make a decision based off the little paper paint swatch from the store, Benjamin Moore has new pint sized samples available for $6.99.
In the picture below, we tried Pigeon Gray (the lighter gray/blue color on top and again on bottom), Deep Silver (the darkest swatch), and Silver Fox (the small more brownish swatch right by the headboard and right next to the window). All colors are Benjamin Moore.
Once we got the colors up, we realized Pigeon Gray and Deep Silver were too blue. We both loved Silver Fox, but it was too close to the headboard color -- and I wanted more contrast.
We got three additional samples, which we put over the previous ones. The swatch by the headboard over Silver Fox and Deep Silver is Sterling Silver (the color we ended up choosing). The swatch over the lower Pigeon Gray is Silver Dollar. We also tried Stormy Monday, which is not pictured, but it is very close to Silver Dollar.
Here they are again in different light. The big swatch on the left is Sterling Silver -- we wanted to be sure that was the right color.
Here's a shot of the room in progress.
And as always, a picture of Riley helping us with the project. His nose was under the paper.
Once the floor became to uncomfortable for our helper, he moved to the bed.
After the first coat -- love it! (Excuse the ladder.) Both of our windows are open, so the opposite wall is getting good sunlight in this picture.
Here is the bed against the wall. It is just as I hoped it would turn out. And, sorry for not making the bed -- I didn't feel like it.
Our duvet cover hasn't arrived yet, but we should receive it next week. Here is a swatch of it, our headboard, and the paint. I am digging it.
I am thrilled with the way it turned out! Our bedroom is fairly large (13.5' x 18') not counting our sitting room, so this darker color really helps it feel more cozy. I can finally see it coming together. I can't wait to get it all completed!
Thankfully for people like us who can't make a decision based off the little paper paint swatch from the store, Benjamin Moore has new pint sized samples available for $6.99.
In the picture below, we tried Pigeon Gray (the lighter gray/blue color on top and again on bottom), Deep Silver (the darkest swatch), and Silver Fox (the small more brownish swatch right by the headboard and right next to the window). All colors are Benjamin Moore.
Once we got the colors up, we realized Pigeon Gray and Deep Silver were too blue. We both loved Silver Fox, but it was too close to the headboard color -- and I wanted more contrast. We got three additional samples, which we put over the previous ones. The swatch by the headboard over Silver Fox and Deep Silver is Sterling Silver (the color we ended up choosing). The swatch over the lower Pigeon Gray is Silver Dollar. We also tried Stormy Monday, which is not pictured, but it is very close to Silver Dollar.
Here they are again in different light. The big swatch on the left is Sterling Silver -- we wanted to be sure that was the right color.
Here's a shot of the room in progress.
And as always, a picture of Riley helping us with the project. His nose was under the paper.
Once the floor became to uncomfortable for our helper, he moved to the bed. 
After the first coat -- love it! (Excuse the ladder.) Both of our windows are open, so the opposite wall is getting good sunlight in this picture.
Here is the bed against the wall. It is just as I hoped it would turn out. And, sorry for not making the bed -- I didn't feel like it.
Our duvet cover hasn't arrived yet, but we should receive it next week. Here is a swatch of it, our headboard, and the paint. I am digging it.
I am thrilled with the way it turned out! Our bedroom is fairly large (13.5' x 18') not counting our sitting room, so this darker color really helps it feel more cozy. I can finally see it coming together. I can't wait to get it all completed!
Pure Design.
I love the HGTV show Pure Design. Samantha Pynn hasn't designed a room that I haven't coveted. I say all the time "I wish Samantha could come and help us with the house." Here are some inspiration photos:
The photo wall in this living room is amazing.
Simple, modern, clean bedroom. The fabric on the chairs is great!
The pillows in this kitchen seating area are so fun.
The following pictures are from an episode that really inspired our bedroom. (Pictures to come later.) The homeowners had a very large bedroom, but Samantha divided into zones and turned it into a "luxurious boudoir." I have tried to carry that same "divide and conquer" idea in our bedroom.
We fell in love with the bed when we saw it on this episode, and went out an ordered it when Crate and Barrel was having a sale. There wasn't a great picture of it on the Pure Design website, so you'll have to stay tuned for seeing close ups in our room.
I love the desk in this room (and I recently bought one off of craigslist that is waiting to be painted white). And Samantha is a fan of the Jules tables from Crate and Barrel -- she has used them in several rooms. I am also a big fan (you can see them in our living room here).
I love the wallpaper and the chairs in these dining rooms.
This living room is lovely and seems so livable.
Love this bedroom and the trellis fabric on the chairs in the seating area (with the Jules table).
Okay, this is the last room. I love the gray and punches of pink!
The photo wall in this living room is amazing.
Simple, modern, clean bedroom. The fabric on the chairs is great!
The pillows in this kitchen seating area are so fun.
The following pictures are from an episode that really inspired our bedroom. (Pictures to come later.) The homeowners had a very large bedroom, but Samantha divided into zones and turned it into a "luxurious boudoir." I have tried to carry that same "divide and conquer" idea in our bedroom.
We fell in love with the bed when we saw it on this episode, and went out an ordered it when Crate and Barrel was having a sale. There wasn't a great picture of it on the Pure Design website, so you'll have to stay tuned for seeing close ups in our room.
I love the desk in this room (and I recently bought one off of craigslist that is waiting to be painted white). And Samantha is a fan of the Jules tables from Crate and Barrel -- she has used them in several rooms. I am also a big fan (you can see them in our living room here).
I love the wallpaper and the chairs in these dining rooms.
This living room is lovely and seems so livable.
Love this bedroom and the trellis fabric on the chairs in the seating area (with the Jules table).
Okay, this is the last room. I love the gray and punches of pink!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
5 things . . .
5 things I am thankful for . . .
1. Dreyer's Slow Churned Yogurt Blends in tart honey. I love Fage with honey, so this is essentially my favorite snack in dessert form.
2. That tomorrow is Friday and the office is having my favorite breakfast -- Einstein's bagels!
3. The "Cheating Death" segment on the Colbert Report. My favorite part is the intro to the segment where he is playing chess.
You can see more Cheating Death clips here.
4. Houston Restaurant Week. Sadly, we have only been to one place so far (Vic & Anthony's), but we have plans for next week. I will be back with reviews of all of the tasty food (and my ever growing waistline).
5. Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment. I previously blogged about the un-tinted version here. My review is still the same, but this one has an added bonus -- I love the sheer tint.
1. Dreyer's Slow Churned Yogurt Blends in tart honey. I love Fage with honey, so this is essentially my favorite snack in dessert form.
2. That tomorrow is Friday and the office is having my favorite breakfast -- Einstein's bagels!
3. The "Cheating Death" segment on the Colbert Report. My favorite part is the intro to the segment where he is playing chess.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Cheating Death - Diabetes Dogs, Chocolate Milk & Swearing in Pain | ||||
| ||||
You can see more Cheating Death clips here.
4. Houston Restaurant Week. Sadly, we have only been to one place so far (Vic & Anthony's), but we have plans for next week. I will be back with reviews of all of the tasty food (and my ever growing waistline).
5. Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment. I previously blogged about the un-tinted version here. My review is still the same, but this one has an added bonus -- I love the sheer tint.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Riley + Pillows.
I have been a bad blogger recently, but I have lots to share . . . so bear with me! In the meantime, here is Riley modeling our new pillows for the daybed in our office.
I guess the mattress isn't as comfortable as the top of the middle pillow on the bed -- or it's Riley way of giving us his stamp of approval of the pillows.
I guess the mattress isn't as comfortable as the top of the middle pillow on the bed -- or it's Riley way of giving us his stamp of approval of the pillows.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Bathroom Renovation Update.
So I realize I have done a lot of talking about some fairly minor renovations we wanted to do in our bathroom (see e.g., here), but we finally made some real progress last weekend!
Here is a (not a very good) before picture. As you can see, there were 3 large mirrors spanning the length of our vanity, which is about 10 feet long. That has to be some kind of record for the longest vanity, doesn't it?
Here is a better shot of the wall-o-mirrors when we were playing around with the idea of 3 smaller mirrors.
Last weekend, we took the plunge and pulled down the mirrors. While our main goal was to pull those suckers down, we also wanted to make sure we didn't end up with a bunch of little mirror pieces in the process. Justin had the great idea to put contact paper over the mirror to help keep things together if there was any breakage.
Thankfully, we only had one crack throughout the whole process, which I thought was pretty impressive. Justin put shims up at the top of the mirrors and then just slowly worked the mirrors off the wall. I think this "slowly but surely" technique was really the way to go to prevent breaking.
Here is the first mirror down (and my super handsome husband)!
For some reason, I got a kick out of Justin's outfit. While there really is a lot to comment on here, my favorite was his old pair of dress shoes. When I asked why he chose those over his usual tennis shoes, his response was "they're leather, they're old, and they're comfortable." Well, there you have it.
Here are 2 out of the three mirrors down! You can see the one crack where the blue painters tape is.
And it wouldn't be a home improvement project without the help of Riley. He enjoyed laying on the contact paper backing. I love his curled-under paw.
Here is one of the new mirrors up:
And here are 2 out of the three mirrors and a sneak peek at one of the sconces.
Of course, we still have a way to go with getting the wall patched and smoothed, repainting the bathroom, and getting the sconces wired.
Here is a (not a very good) before picture. As you can see, there were 3 large mirrors spanning the length of our vanity, which is about 10 feet long. That has to be some kind of record for the longest vanity, doesn't it?
Here is a better shot of the wall-o-mirrors when we were playing around with the idea of 3 smaller mirrors.
Last weekend, we took the plunge and pulled down the mirrors. While our main goal was to pull those suckers down, we also wanted to make sure we didn't end up with a bunch of little mirror pieces in the process. Justin had the great idea to put contact paper over the mirror to help keep things together if there was any breakage.
Thankfully, we only had one crack throughout the whole process, which I thought was pretty impressive. Justin put shims up at the top of the mirrors and then just slowly worked the mirrors off the wall. I think this "slowly but surely" technique was really the way to go to prevent breaking.Here is the first mirror down (and my super handsome husband)!
For some reason, I got a kick out of Justin's outfit. While there really is a lot to comment on here, my favorite was his old pair of dress shoes. When I asked why he chose those over his usual tennis shoes, his response was "they're leather, they're old, and they're comfortable." Well, there you have it.
Here are 2 out of the three mirrors down! You can see the one crack where the blue painters tape is.
And it wouldn't be a home improvement project without the help of Riley. He enjoyed laying on the contact paper backing. I love his curled-under paw. 
Here is one of the new mirrors up:
And here are 2 out of the three mirrors and a sneak peek at one of the sconces. 
Of course, we still have a way to go with getting the wall patched and smoothed, repainting the bathroom, and getting the sconces wired.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wonderful Birthday Weekend.
On Friday night, Justin took me to Brenner's Steakhouse. They have the most delicious smoked cheddar macaroni and cheese. They serve it in a little sauce pot . . . I could have eaten the whole thing by myself, but I was nice and shared with Justin.
During the day on Saturday, Justin and I worked on some of the bathroom projects I have mentioned previously. Stay tuned for a post detailing our work. It is looking better! Our families came over during the evening and we enjoyed a great meal at Backstreet Cafe.
Then we came back to our house to open presents! Note the super cute Amy Butler paper in the lower right corner that Justin wrapped a couple of my presents in. He is good!
Of course, Riley was right there assisting me with opening all those presents.
I got some awesome things . . . including some house decorating items that I can't wait to show off once I get them displayed. And I got a great belated birthday present a few days later.
Then we had RJ Goodies cake, a tradition for over 20 years!
Thanks to all for making my birthday special. It was wonderful getting to spend time with everyone.
During the day on Saturday, Justin and I worked on some of the bathroom projects I have mentioned previously. Stay tuned for a post detailing our work. It is looking better! Our families came over during the evening and we enjoyed a great meal at Backstreet Cafe.
Then we came back to our house to open presents! Note the super cute Amy Butler paper in the lower right corner that Justin wrapped a couple of my presents in. He is good!
Of course, Riley was right there assisting me with opening all those presents.
I got some awesome things . . . including some house decorating items that I can't wait to show off once I get them displayed. And I got a great belated birthday present a few days later.Then we had RJ Goodies cake, a tradition for over 20 years!
Thanks to all for making my birthday special. It was wonderful getting to spend time with everyone.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
A Big Thank You.
Dear Judge,
Thank you a million times over for granting our motion for summary judgment in full today. It was the best news I have heard in quite some time. So great, in fact, some of us had to apologize to the others in our hall for shrieking in delight after reading your order.
I would like to say I am going to miss drafting all those briefs for you, but really and truly, I am looking forward to a little bit of a break after billing over 500 hours in the past 2 months.
Thanks to you, I can now have a life again. I no longer have to worry about being out of state for a 2 week trial at the end of the month. Instead, I can think about going out of state for a lovely vacation!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Emily
Thank you a million times over for granting our motion for summary judgment in full today. It was the best news I have heard in quite some time. So great, in fact, some of us had to apologize to the others in our hall for shrieking in delight after reading your order.
I would like to say I am going to miss drafting all those briefs for you, but really and truly, I am looking forward to a little bit of a break after billing over 500 hours in the past 2 months.
Thanks to you, I can now have a life again. I no longer have to worry about being out of state for a 2 week trial at the end of the month. Instead, I can think about going out of state for a lovely vacation!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Emily
Sunday, August 2, 2009
I Love Banana Republic.
I received a friends and family coupon code for 30% off at BR from a listserve I subscribe to.* It was only good in stores from Friday (7/31) to Sunday (8/2). I realized today that it was about to expire, but before I ran around town looking for stores that had my items in my size, I called customer service to see if they could do the searching for me.
The customer service lady told me that my items were available online for purchase, but when I told her I had a coupon good for in-store purchases only, she gave me an online coupon code so I could, in her words, "shop from the comfort of my own home and not worry about going to the store"!
How awesome is that? I love good customer service.
I'll be back of a recap of my birthday weekend soon!
* Does it offend anyone if I end my sentences with a preposition? When I am writing briefs and other important formal documents, I change them to the "proper" way, but I figure this is my blog and I can make up my own rules. Right? If not, then replace the first sentence of this post with the following: "I received a friends and family coupon code for 30% off at BR from a listserve to which I subscribe."
The customer service lady told me that my items were available online for purchase, but when I told her I had a coupon good for in-store purchases only, she gave me an online coupon code so I could, in her words, "shop from the comfort of my own home and not worry about going to the store"!
How awesome is that? I love good customer service.
I'll be back of a recap of my birthday weekend soon!
* Does it offend anyone if I end my sentences with a preposition? When I am writing briefs and other important formal documents, I change them to the "proper" way, but I figure this is my blog and I can make up my own rules. Right? If not, then replace the first sentence of this post with the following: "I received a friends and family coupon code for 30% off at BR from a listserve to which I subscribe."
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Austin Recap (finally).
Meagan did a timely recap of our Austin trip here, but I am a slacker and just now getting to it . . . almost 2 weeks later. We had a great weekend of eating, lounging by the pool, and seeing our friends' babies.
We stayed at Barton Creek and the grounds there are gorgeous.
We've stayed there several times and every time we are there, Justin takes pictures of these houses. Maybe one day . . .
Notice the little putt-putt course in the bottom left corner. We played about 2 holes, got tired of being terrible, and played a winner-take-all final putt-off. Justin and Meagan tied for first, I got second, and well Jeremy got last.
Where we hung out for most of the day on Saturday . . . the pool!
I have no idea what he was doing:
Meagan and I were talking by the side of the pool the night we got there, and all of a sudden we see this sight. Amazing.
Good picture of Meagan and Jeremy (our culinary experts for the weekend). Clearly, this picture was taken after the day at the pool.
Now on to the cute babies . . .
It was so nice to catch up with Zach and Carrie and getting to see Porter. He is so cute!
The next day, we got to see another sweet baby, Ruby. She is just precious. It had been way too long since we had seen David and Emilia, and it was great visiting with them (and Ruby)!
(photo: rubyalbina.blogspot.com)
Our trip to Austin was wonderful. We had a great weekend -- it was so nice to get away and forget about work for a couple of days!
We stayed at Barton Creek and the grounds there are gorgeous.
We've stayed there several times and every time we are there, Justin takes pictures of these houses. Maybe one day . . .
Notice the little putt-putt course in the bottom left corner. We played about 2 holes, got tired of being terrible, and played a winner-take-all final putt-off. Justin and Meagan tied for first, I got second, and well Jeremy got last.Where we hung out for most of the day on Saturday . . . the pool!
I have no idea what he was doing:
Meagan and I were talking by the side of the pool the night we got there, and all of a sudden we see this sight. Amazing.
Good picture of Meagan and Jeremy (our culinary experts for the weekend). Clearly, this picture was taken after the day at the pool.
Now on to the cute babies . . .
It was so nice to catch up with Zach and Carrie and getting to see Porter. He is so cute!
The next day, we got to see another sweet baby, Ruby. She is just precious. It had been way too long since we had seen David and Emilia, and it was great visiting with them (and Ruby)!
(photo: rubyalbina.blogspot.com)Our trip to Austin was wonderful. We had a great weekend -- it was so nice to get away and forget about work for a couple of days!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Bath Stool.
I took a little break this weekend from working (I have a brief due in the Sixth Circuit on Thursday) to get my hair cut and to do a little shopping for the house. More pictures to come of the goodies, but here is one of my faves from the weekend . . .
A little stool for the bathroom (it's the Newbury from Restoration Hardware). I usually sit on the counter with my feet in the sink or stand to do my make-up. I didn't know what I was missing. Sitting down the last couple of mornings has been so nice! Only downside is, I tend to linger a little longer since I am comfortable, so it takes me a little longer to get ready.
We got it on sale too. Thanks to the bath sale, it was 20% off. Now we just need to complete the bathroom renovation I keep talking about. I have it all planned out now, I just need my handyman (aka Justin) to get busy taking the mirrors down.
More posts to come after my brief is filed! I need to recap our quick trip to Austin (in the meantime, you can read Meagan's recap) and share my great craigslist find and other house progress.
A little stool for the bathroom (it's the Newbury from Restoration Hardware). I usually sit on the counter with my feet in the sink or stand to do my make-up. I didn't know what I was missing. Sitting down the last couple of mornings has been so nice! Only downside is, I tend to linger a little longer since I am comfortable, so it takes me a little longer to get ready.
We got it on sale too. Thanks to the bath sale, it was 20% off. Now we just need to complete the bathroom renovation I keep talking about. I have it all planned out now, I just need my handyman (aka Justin) to get busy taking the mirrors down.
More posts to come after my brief is filed! I need to recap our quick trip to Austin (in the meantime, you can read Meagan's recap) and share my great craigslist find and other house progress.
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