It's Remodel MAYHEM...AGAIN...

I feel like I am ALL over the place lately!  We are in full swing of "gettin' it done" here at Gray Gables and our house is a MESS!  



I am slowly losing my patience and trying to meet everyone needs as they hit me- which is a LOT since I have my Dad here and Hubby and three major projects taking shape. 

Friday night..late night we dove into our Dining room project.  Last week I had my Dad come over and texture my walls for me to match my living room (which still has the original walls).  Hubby and I cracked open the paint cans and got to work- and boy was that a project!  We started around 11:00 p and finished around 4:00 a. WHOA!  But, it was done!  (well, it did need a second coat the next day...but mostly finished)

Then, Saturday night we put the kids to bed and go to work on the furniture - since I have Jacobean style furniture that was from the late 1880's it was amazing to clean off the dust and find pieces that were still looking great! (A Craigslist buy that I begged for after we bought the house) We got everything set up and the rug that I had in the pole barn down and all that is missing is the chandelier!  It looks great and I am so happy! 

Sunday I had the BIG job of dusting the coffer-ed ceilings.  They are dark mahogany and were nothing short of filthy! I have been saying for the past year that I was decorated for Halloween and this was our Haunted house! (it was getting old!)  They turned out amazing and I am so happy with the end result...although it was SHORT lived- as Sunday's project included tiling the kitchen floor (some more of it- cause it still is not done) and everything from the kitchen was haphazardly placed in my fresh dining room....eek

The best part is that while tile is going on in the Kitchen, my Dad is finishing Jason's (and partly his) drywall project that was started in my laundry room- which means that everything from the laundry room has to go into the kitchen.  Basically there is shit everywhere- making me feel like I am getting ready to lose my mind!

AGHHH... At least my lights twinkle to make me feel bright....

What are you doing to prepare for the holidays?  

What are some big projects that you have taken on recently with a crunch time coming up? 

Happy Holidays from Gray Gables...

~Kel

My, how times have changed.

grow up

phrasal verb of grow

1. 1.

   advance to maturity; spend one's childhood and adolescence.

   "I grew up in a small town in Michigan"

There comes a time in your life when you have to Grow Up.  Now, we all know that this has to happen, but how many of us really want to?  

Then...once you have done the grow up part...there comes the realization that life used to be so good for you...what happened? 



I am having that moment...right now!  I get these emails-  I am inundated with them due to the holidays, and I get the bke email: "Tis the season- 60% off.  Wow, I opened only to be reminded of days past...and the sadness that is associated with mourning that time of my life.  

I look at the clothes, the cute handbags and the jeans...all over the $100 dollar mark and think to myself.."Sure, that shirt is so cute but...really...$102 dollars cute?  Uh no.... I could buy 4 shirts for that amount."  ....EEK!  Did I really just think that?  


What happened to the days that I would spend $100 on a pair of jeans without even blinking? Or that Coach purse (which was the popular brand around when I WOKE UP) for over $100?  It was no big deal. And those days were not that far in the past either. 

What happened...well, let me tell you..my priorities shifted and I was no longer on the top of the list. SCARY! I used to have name brand this...name brand that... I would fork over big money and to be honest, it was not always quality either...(name brand)  My Silver jeans were easily in the hundreds and have since been replaced by Seven7 jeans from Groupon that I have managed to buy for $10 a pair. Bargain hunter anonymous is what is needed for this old gal!

This is a far cry from that girl who would not bat an eyelash..right!  Now, I am so super conscious of how I spend and making my dollar stretch that I feel like a plain, old, cheapskate!

Now, my children...on the other hand wear Oshkosh (yes, I do frequent the outlet, which is about an hour away for beginning of the school year shopping) and Levi brand jeans, which are $35 a pair; gap clothes and once upon a time they were deck out in Gymboree. Shoes are always where Hubby and I seem to splurge on both ourselves and our kids. But...that is where the buck stops! It is crazy to think that life has changed SO drastically in just a matter of about 5 years or so. 


Yuck!  

I want my name brand jeans that cost as much as a great set of calphalon pots and pans...I want that handbag that costs as much as a new light bar for over my island...  See..there it is, those priorities that have caused a major shift in our household..not to mention those kids we have!  I don't think I have ever bought so many pairs of PJs until recently..when my oldest outgrew all hers and then we have this twinning thing going on where our girls want to dress alike...all the time...EEK!  Mama don't have it like that ladies! (L.O. is on hand me downs still...thank goodness!)

What are some things that you DO splurge on? 

 What are things you hold back on buying? 

What are some things you used to pay top dollar/had to have money for?  

What caused the shift?  

How do you justify your purchases? 

I splurge on stuff for our house... I think that biggest thing lately is Christmas stuff.  I just feel like I have a vision of what I want stuff to look like and it still hasn't taken shape. I have been holding off on buying stuff thought until we get better sales. (holding back!)

I justify my purchases with the old questions:  Do I NEED it -or-  Do I just WANT it?  Is it worth it? Can I find a better PRICE?

Being a grown up is hard work and man...the sacrifices just don't stop!

Please share! 
~Kel

Gray Gables Gab

Friday, December 5th 2014

Hi all!

Well, I seem to be full of Celebrity gossip these days...maybe I always have been but lately it seems that I am pulling my poor Hubby into this gossip...Thanks Hubby for listening!  He suggested that I change up my format and add a GAB post to my blog once a week...so I can UNLOAD....

It's all good. I appreciate Hubby for putting up with my fantasy world!  Now I know I can share here and kind of disappointed that I did not think of it!

Anywhoo...here goes..

Topic #1- Let's talk Bill Cosby..

Oh my gawd....seriously what is going on with all these woman.  I don't really know what to think because I have not been in their shoes, but I find it odd that after ALL those years they choose now to come out and talk about rape and roofies.  I don't want to discredit them, but it seems like this should have come to the forefront before the man was in his late seventies...right?  There is so much talk about how people are now not fans of Bill Cosby and how an abused woman holds her grief in...I get it to a degree.  I also heard the story of the woman who tried to take legal action and was paid off, so I am not discrediting their stories...but what do they have to gain at this point and time?  Bill Cosby has done JELLO commercials for years...he has stayed in the spotlight for all this time...WHY NOW?




As for the fans turning their back on Bill...remember people, we can't confuse BILL COSBY with Healthcliff Huxtable- they are not one in the same.  I am sure that Bill is paying for his sins...if this is true. (see what I did there...I am not siding with anyone!)

Please share your thoughts and perspective here, because I would LOVE to hear it!!

Topic #2- Upcoming Movies- I am all in!

1. Dad's Army- This is a WWII comedy where Catherine Zeta Jones plays a reporter.  A group of hapless volunteers are in search of a spy as glamorous journalist, Rose Winters, played by Zeta Jones, is sent to Walmington-on-Sea to write about the exploits of the Home Guard.






2. Bone Tomahawk- a Western Horror movie.  The movie starts Kurt Russell as a sheriff who, with Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, and Richard Jenkins- set out to rescue a group of captives from a band of cannibalistic troglodytes.






3. The Nice Guys- The story, set in the 1970s Los Angeles, follows a private eye (Ryan Gosling) and a hired leg breaker (Russell Crowe) who must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star.  Kim Basinger appears in the film also, as a chief justice with dubious interests.






4. The Blunderer- a psychological thriller based on the 1954 Patricia Highsmith novel starting Jessica Biel who plays a jealous wife who meets an unfortunate fate.  **This movie was shot in Cincinnati, Ohio!  Go OH- IO!





5. Wild- based on Cheryl Strayed's bestselling memoir stars Reece Witherspoon who hikes more than 1,100 miles alone on the Pacific Crest Trail, trying to defeat the elements while being chased by memories of bad life decisions and a stale relationship with her mother.  (c'mon...anything with Reece Witherspoon- Yes Please!)




Topic #3- Surprising news

From People.com

Did you know that Cameron Diaz (we love her cause her name is Cameron.) is engaged to Benji Madden.  Love me some Madden boys!   I guess there are rumors that she is sporting an engagement ring.  The two are not confirming...but I would marry him Cameron! 






Topic #4- Speaking of Marriage


I am part of the generation that started watching reality TV and now...I am hooked.  But, in the beginning, it was The Real World and Jersey Shore that tuned me in every week...sadly!  So, I think that I need to give a Congrats to Snookie and Jionni!  They finally...tied the knot on NOvember 29th.  I am happy to watch Snookie & JWow and see how much these two girls have grown and happy to see Nicole so HAPPY.



Topic #5- Real World


Sad news about Ryan Knight from Real World: New Orleans.  He was found dead on November 27th in Wisconsin.  No known cause of death yet, but he was only 28 years old.  Condolences go to his family!





Topic #6- TV world
Oh, it's Christmas time and that means HOLIDAY movies all over the place. (except last night...the line up was WEAK!)

Here are some of the movies on TV and TV shows that have my attention:

From Sheknows- Blog spot!  Thank You!

Lifetime Holiday Movie Schedule:

Friday, December 5, 2014

10P     Crazy for Christmas

Saturday, December 6, 2014

8P       Wishin’ and Hopin’

10P     Dear Santa

Sunday, December 7, 2014

12A     Wishin’ and Hopin’

2A       Dear Santa

9P       The Red Tent

Monday, December 8, 2014

1A       The Red Tent

Saturday, December 13, 2014

8P       The Santa Con

Sunday, December 14, 2014

12A     The Santa Con

7P       Wishin’ and Hopin’

Monday, December 15, 2014

1A       The Santa Con

8P       Christmas on the Bayou

10P     Love at the Christmas Table

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

12A     Christmas on the Bayou

2A       Love at the Christmas Table

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

10P     Dear Santa

Thursday, December 18, 2014

2A       Dear Santa

Friday, December 19. 2014

8P       A Nanny for Christmas

10P     The Merry In-Laws

Saturday, December 20, 2014

12A     A Nanny for Christmas

2A       The Merry In-Laws

The Red Tent- Lifetime December 7th and 8th at 9:00 pm.
The Red Tent is a movie based on Anita Diamant's novel, Tent, and spins out a feminist supplement to several key chapters of the Old Testament.  The heart of the story imagines the life of Jacob and Leah's daughter Dinah, who merits only a brief mention in Genesis.  Here we see her as a  competent midwife who, after a tragic romance and estrangement from her family, winds up in Egypt.

Thanks all!

Happy Friday!

 with ~Kel

Kid Update... Mom @ Gray Gables here

Yesterday something happened...a Milestone in our home that I want to document and share as well. 

My Kiddo! 

My fabulous five year old LOST her tooth!  It had been loose since before Thanksgiving and we honestly can not believe it didn't fall out sooner..but she came home yesterday from school...off the BUS with a Tiny Pink tub that held her very small tooth!  She was beaming with excitement and could not wait to tell her Dad! 

I guess the story goes...she was in school...after Gym getting a drink of water when it fell out and was "flopping around in my mouth" so she raised her hand and told her teacher the news.  She got to go to the Nurse's office (which the school nurse if my Aunt) and get a treasure box for her lost tooth, to keep it safe until she was able to put it under her pillow for the Tooth Fairy. 

There were phone calls to Nana and Papa and talks about what the Tooth Fairy looks like- but we nestled that tooth in its treasure box...in its TOOTH PILLOW under her pillow...a place she was sure to feel the Tooth Fairy lift when she was trying to get that tooth...and she awoke today to glitter all over her room/bed/pillow... and a $1 bill covered in GLITTER! 

I am so surprised by the excitement!  She was not thrilled on her first trip to the Dentist last year and I thought for sure she would be the one who would shy away from loose teeth and such things...but she embraced this and can't wait for more teeth to fall out...EEK!

So, Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014.. my Kiddo lost her first tooth!  Congratulations kid!  I am so proud of you and love your enthusiasm!!

~Kel

Love notes of yesterday..

As many of you know by now...if you read my Blog, I have been married to my Hubby for Eight years.  That is a considerable amount of time. (Let's face it, I am just glad we made it past that seven year mark...looks like your stuck with me Hubby!) But, that is only Married years... We have really been together.... wait for it.... wait for it... for thirteen... Now that is hard to believe!  (Yes, we seriously were dating wHeN we bought a house together....) 

But, time has flown by and with that we have had our share of Changes! 

I mean...seriously, take notes... when they say "A baby changes everything" GUESS what people... THEY MEAN IT.  That was the biggest hurdle we had in our marriage.  It was bad.. Let's just put it out there.  






I mean there is this person...you have to take care of, no sleep...money is tight because formula is outrageous... diapers are scary and you would never believe that you could go through a whole pack in one day..until YOU DO!  Then there is the whole NO SLEEP...did I mention...NO SLEEP- oh my goodness!  I know that I was told on more than 1 occasion to get my sleep now before Baby...but seriously.... It rocked my world, that is FOR SURE!  



My babies were not even bad. I mean, I think I would rather NO SLEEP than when you reach that four month mark and baby sleeps but wakes up through the night...UGH.  It brings back memories that is for sure.  It is so hard to be asleep...awake....asleep. It messes with a person's MOJO !  

Our Zombie Kids...

Our Zombie Kids...

With this BIG change...comes a change in your relationship with your spouse...a change in your Marriage because basically for the first year...or so.... you walk around like a couple of ZOMBIES!  You are both just going through the motions of life. 

On a side note...IT GET'S BETTER! It really does...it just takes a couple..years. But don't focus on THAT...just focus on the IT GET'S BETTER part! 

The only thing is...then... you are pregnant again... But, good news...with Baby #2 it is so much better than Baby #1- it is almost like you know what to do..wait.. maybe because YOU DO! Hooray.

Really, I am making this sound terrible and it had it's moments...but it was fascinating...obviously because I did DO IT AGAIN after all!  I am in that stage of my  life where my oldest if in school, my youngest doesn't really need me anymore...Ugh Three!  And I miss those nights, rocking these precious girls to sleep in the antique rocker, in the dark. It had moments that I knew then I would never get back...which is what kept me going.  Guess what...I can't get them back and it is sad... But, at least I enjoyed them when they were happening, because even though I was zombie-fied....I would not have traded it for the world... Lack of sleep and all. (That is saying a lot kids...I LOVE SLEEP) 





Besides kids, your relationship goes through ups and downs.  It is strange but sometimes I feel like I don't even know the person standing beside me and I know he sometimes feels the same.  

We get lost...

Sometimes we just need to be alone to figure things out...sometimes we just need each other and to almost date again. Kind of like we have to Get to Know One Another after all these years spent together.  Odd.

But, there are money hardships that happen... then parenting styles, which is a trigger at the Amstutz house!   There are times when we are so busy with work and kids and this old house that we seriously seem to disconnect from one another. 


Then...this happens:

Love note from Hubby 12/3/14

Love Notes... They are rare, but when they are given/received...they are the little things that can make it all better.  Sometimes it is just knowing you are not forgotten that can change your whole day.

There is no secret that holds all the answers to keeping your relationship going- Lord knows I wish there was... I think that in my own home, it is just the little things that keep us going. It's making Hubby lunch and remembering to throw in a Granola Bar because sometimes he needs the extra "perk" that it helps him with.  Or, remember to pay that speeding ticket he got that was due...TODAY... And even just making sure his beloved work clothes are clean and ready to wear. 

Maybe we are just simple people too.  But, having a night out with him is a dream, one that we experience every great while and it is so worth it.  TO date my Hubby all over again is like Groundhogs day and I know that person I will end up with...doesn't stop me from wanting that first date....again.  Hmm... that is weird...

What do you do to keep the romance alive when LIFE happens?  What are your secrets to connecting with your spouse?  

The way I figure it...I have a few more years of Home Remodeling...which is a big stress producer btw... and with that my Hubby gets BUSY...like he disappears...BUSY- so if it takes leaving a love note in his car before he heads to work.. or on the juice that I know he will drink when he gets home...I'm game!

We both working for the same GOAL...This house!  L O V E

Tips are always welcome...encouraged and loved!!!


Thanks all!  Happy Love Noting!

~Kel

The HOLIDAYS are the times when you are SUPPOSED to MISS people...right?

Yesterday was kind of out there for me. 

I mean, I have been suffering from migraine for five days now...going on six (stress...weather?)  and I was just kind of down and out.  Plus, we have the SICKNESS that has inhabited our home.  Feeling like crap all around here.  



But, then, something strange happened.  There was a person who popped into my head...I was thinking of her all day for some reason or another and at the end of my day, she posted on Facebook that she had the WORST DAY EVER.  Strange that she was on my mind.  I guess...not though. We are coming to the Holidays and the realization that this year I will not have a Work Christmas party to get in order or have to decorate the Office (unless you could my home office)  or even have to buy holiday cards/gifts for fellow employees.  

I work at HOME...

my employees are virtual and live half way a crossed the USA. Kind of crazy, if I can say so myself!

After wishing my friend a better day, and letting her know that I miss her and was thinking of her...it kind of way weighting heavy on me.  I guess maybe the fact that I ran into a woman who works where I used to over the weekend on our trip to see Santa might have triggered some of this feeling also. 

My friend is a person who is like a twin to me.  We are not the same age but we grew up in the same neighborhood...which is not by work.  We went to the same High School...she even was bff's with the girl who owned the house I grew up in before we lived there- freaky!  Plus, her Dad is a retired Police Officer...My Dad is a retired Firefighter and I worked for 9-1-1 for said Police jurisdiction.  Weird..right! 

So, maybe it is natural for me to think about that old job...those people I worked along side of for five years and miss...eek I said it...can't take it back now.. MISS them, miss the parties that I always felt SO awkward at...MISS the gifts I would get for those co-workers and MISS the holiday ...uh Cheer...Ba Hum Bug that would echo through the halls!

But, holidays are the times you are supposed to MISS people...right?  

I mean, that is the time of the year when the rest of the Family get's together and when someone is missing..it just naturally happens.  Or seeing something that triggers that memory of what once was...makes you remember something positive about that moment and therefore the MISS begins...

Everything is as it is supposed to be...that much I know, but I will always miss those who are no longer with us...and those who I have left behind.  

You might be behind but you are never forgotten.

Happy Holidays to my Old Peeps at MMO and of course to those who have been in and out of my life!  

May the lights twinkle and the merry surround you and your family during this time! ;)

~Kel

Christmas at Gray Gables... Things are happening inside...

Gray Gables... A work in Progress...

Well...it finally happened...  No, I am not talking about the SNOW (seriously, it is all gone already)...Christmas threw up on good Old Gray Gables!  I managed to beat my own personal best this year and ALL our Christmas stuff was UP (inside) before Turkey Day...

I know that many of you don't know ME- but let me tell you...this is ODD!  I am NOT a slacker...I have just always been pretty adamant about the fact that Christmas should not happen in a house until AFTER Thanksgiving...and usually...I wait until the long weekend of Thanksgiving to get the ball rolling.  That being said, I have no excuses...I honestly do not know what happened.  A mild concussion????

I don't know if I have shared in a while, but here is a picture of the island that the Amish made for us!  They used doors from our house and trim from the Spitzer building, where the original owner (man who had house built) worked.  Kind of sentimental!

Kitchen coming together at Gray Gables.

As you can see, we are still "working" hard at this little dream of ours.  We have a To-Do list that is as long as Santa's list of good boys and girls!  It has been hectic and crazy, stressful and there are so many days where we just need to walk away- but then something else gets finished and we get a little clean up and BAM...a tiny accomplishment is met!  

That is the crazy part. 

Well...that and the fact that people can not believe that it is not done yet... That is annoying to say the least.  This is truly a Labor of Love.  I mean that in the most earnest of ways.  We are trying to raise a family, both of us work full time and when we do have time to put into this house...my Hubby more so than myself...it seems like something else goes to hell and the house gets "Sidetracked" here and there.  It never fails either!

Or...we get sick.  Or...the car breaks down.  Did I mention that this is not what my Hubby does? He is a mechanic.  This house has been a battle for him...and I feel like he gets a harsh critic- which is not fair.  I am so proud of him and what he has learned to do and what he does and harboring all the stress that has come with this project.  I guess it is the end of the day things that matter...when you look at your life, your accomplishments..what you have that put everything into perspective for US.  

We love this old house... 

We love the country (like) adventure that is OUR backyard.  We love how happy our kids are!  That is the kicker, isn't it!!!

So, today, I am trying to motivate.  I know there are a lot of people out there with "Fixer Uppers" who get discouraged, stressed out and beat up!  Hang in there.  We are not doing this for anyone but US.  This is not a Museum, this is OUR HOME and I, for one, will not lose sight of that.  We are going to make things work, put our love, sweat and tears into it and be grateful for the task that we have been handed. I, personally, feel so lucky and blessed to have this big old house, to try to find its story and also create my own within these walls. 

Please share your story!  Share your pics and let me take a part of your adventure as you do mine!

Thanks all!

Happy Christmas Decorating and Fixer Upping!!

~Kel