Save A Life in October

Today's post is not about frames or DIY. I wanted to talk about my dogs. I know, I know, not everyone is a dog lover. Maybe you are on "team cat" but that doesn't mean you should stop reading this post. This post is really about something near to my heart and doesn't discriminate against any of my animal friends. Its about all pets in general.

We have all seen those sad commercials during the holidays. You know the ones, showing sad, abused, neglected pets. They are so moving they make my ten year old niece start bawling and turn her head. I don't know how many people really donate to them, but I do know they are asking for donations for a good reason. There is a huge pet over-population problem in the USA. 

I watched my neighbors over breed their pit bull for a puppy income. I was volunteering at my local shelter at the time. I couldn't tell you how many wonderful dogs went through that place in a week. Some off to new homes but most off to be euthanized. It was extremely hard to watch. 

In February 2008, my husband and I had been looking for a dog. We had walked through that same shelter many times but hadn't found "the one" yet. We thought we would stop by on our way to a movie and see what new dogs they had received that day. We were ready to leave but decided to walk back through one more time. We were almost out the door when my husband pointed out a happy puppy chasing his tail. He was so entertained by his tail he didn't even notice us. He was oblivious to the cold concrete floor, chain link walls and miserable barking dogs around him. We took him to the play yard and it was all over. We missed our movie and came home with a new family member.

Meet Koda (AKA: Koda Bear)
He was born November 7th 2007. He was dropped off at the shelter when he was a few weeks old. He was alone. No litter mates or mother were with him. His past is unknown, but I like to think it was a happy one considering how happy this dog is.

This dog has the biggest personality I've ever seen in a K9. He is super smart but can be very stubborn. I have taught him 20+ commands. These include the basic obedience commands, take a bow, jumping through a hope and high five, just to name a few. Here he is in his "awkward" teenager stage.

And all grown up.



Koda had been getting into trouble while we were at work so we thought we would get him a friend to entertain him. Not realizing, that only leads to two board dogs instead of one. Hahah! So back to the shelter we went, looking for a dog that was around his age. (6 months) We found a dog we liked but when we took them to the play yard they ignored each other. That was weird to see. Koda loved dogs and played with everyone at the dog park. The shelter was about to close but on our way out I spotted a unique looking, scared dog with a big scar on her shoulder. She was curled up in the corner trying to avoid the aggressive dog she was with.

The next morning we came back to check her out. I brought her to the play yard where Koda was waiting. They ran to each other like they were old reuniting friends. It was sweet. They instantly started playing together and are now inseparable.

Meet Korah (AKA: Sweetness)
She was born January 20th 2008. She had a sad beginning. She was removed from a resident by Animal Control when she was six months old. She had horrible burns on her neck from a bark collar. She was chained to a tree and had been hit by a car. She had to have surgery on her shoulder that left a scar six inches long.

At six months old.

All grown up.

Adopting a shelter dog has been the best thing we have ever done. They have added love and joy to our lives in a way nothing else could. Sure, they are not pure breads but they are beautiful, healthy and incredibly intelligent. They are family members who protect my home and never flake on me when its time to go running. I am so happy we were able to save these amazing animals from being put down. 

Please ALWAYS adopt from a shelter or rescue group! You will find wonderful mixed, as well as, pure bread animals needing good homes. October is the best time to find your perfect pet as many shelters have discounted prices for Oktoberfest. Our local shelter has adoptions for $25.00! Save a life and bring home a pet in need today. 

Run from the HEART

My sister-in-law dropped off this pretty present for me yesterday.

She made me the cutest cupcake card and scarf I've ever seen. She even made the box it came in. That's talent people!  She said it was an "October present." She is such a thoughtful person and I'm so happy to have her in my life!

Why all the pink you ask? True, I'm not that girly but I always rock PINK in October. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and for some people its the only month that it will be on their minds. They think about it once a year and that's only because of the advertisements. I wish I could be those people. I wish it didn't haunt me everyday. Its a hard subject that I am way too familiar with and I am afraid my family is having to go through it again. 

I watched breast cancer destroy my Mother and take her life. I am watching my beautiful Aunt wrestle with this horrible disease as I speak. I have watched the Mothers of my friends fight for their lives. Some to win and some to lose, leaving their children motherless. Too many people are having to feel this pain and my heart breaks for them. 

So on Sunday October 19th I will be running. Running for my Mother. Running for my Grandmother. Running for my Aunt and the Mothers of my friends. For all the brave women fighting for their lives. For all the amazing women who were ripped away from their families too soon and lost the fight. For the children who are watching their mothers bear this struggle. For the husbands who are now widowers. For the motherless daughters who are like me. We might not know how to cook or sew or plant a garden. We might not have anyone to teach us these things or anyone to call and answer our questions, but its okay. We will figure it out because we are strong. We are strong like our mothers were and they would want us to keep running. Out run this cancer! Do your breast exam's, eat healthy and get off your bum and exercise! This is how we can stay one step ahead.  

Please join me Sunday, October 19, 2014 for the 16th Annual Komen Inland Empire Race for the Cure® at the Promenade Mall in Temecula, CA. 

Register HERE

"Susan G. Komen® remains committed to fulfilling our promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever through empowering people, ensuring quality care for all, and energizing science to find the cures.  Susan G. Komen® is focused on reducing breast cancer incidence and mortality within the next decade with increased emphasis on finding solutions for disparities in breast cancer across populations.  With funds raised by Susan G. Komen® Inland Empire, community grants will be made to support evidence-based strategies and promising practices to reduce disparities in breast cancer mortality in the Inland Empire"

 "Here in the Inland Empire, up to 75 percent of the funds donated remain locally in Riverside and San Bernadino Counties to fund important breast health services and programs.  The remaining 25 percent of each dollar donated funds the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Award & Research Grant Program. In fact, next to the U.S. government, Susan G. Komen is the largest funder of breast cancer research in the world." 

(image found here) 

The counter pops

We said goodbye to our old, cracked, laminate counter tops this week. Lets take a look at what they used to look like, but don't stair too long, they will burn your eyes. 

We decided to remove them ourselves to save the $200.00 they were going to charge us. We removed them the night before so we wouldn't have to go without counter tops for very long. It was easy. Once we scored the caulking they lifted right up. We were able to pull out the bolts and drag them outside. 

The next morning the truck arrived with our new kitchen addition on the back. 

The Installer laid down some particle boards to accommodate the seam and give the counter top a lift.

Next, he put the sink in position to be raised up. 

Then he brought the counter top in, piece by piece making minor cutting adjustments where needed. 

Here is the seam before he worked his magic on it. 

He added adhesive and broke for lunch while he waited for it to cure. 

After he sanded and polished the seam, it disappeared right before my eyes. 

He drilled out a hole for our faucet.

The sink was raised and set into place. 

They are glorious! I wasn't sure what the final product would feel like since my sample was a 2"x2" square but they feel solid and heavy like stone. They are matte but still shine. I love how I can easily see any dirt that needs to be cleaned up, because lets face it, having a counter top that disguises dirt is not a counter top I want to be preparing food on. They might be a little more work but I will know they are clean. That speaks volumes to the "clean freak" in me. 

My awesome husband installed the garbage disposal and new faucet.

I am loving the undermounted sink. Its so easy to wipe dirt and crumbs right into it. 

Next on the list:

• Build shelves to even out the cabinets and backsplash. 
• Clean, sand, prime, paint the cabinets.
• Add quarter round moulding to finish the floors and base cabinets. 
• Install new hardware.
• Install the range microwave.
• Install the backsplash.
• Decorate walls, shelves ect.
• Give you some REAL photos that does not involve my camera phone. 

Hope you have a great weekend!

Amber

Thrifty Thursday

It felt so great to go thrift store shopping Tuesday! It has been FOREVER since I have been shopping. I was trying to be good. Anything I brought home would add to this giant-mess-of-a-house we are living in, but I needed my fix and couldn't resist the temptation any longer. Here are my finds... 
(You get a sneak peak of our new floors and base board too)

This abstract painting.

I found this wooden gazelle, because everyone needs a wooden gazelle. Believe me when I say, finding one with its horns still attached is a rare find.

These candle holders will look great after a good cleaning and polishing.

I liked the cork on these votive candles. 

This wooden plant stand. Yes, I like wooden stuff. 

I loved this photograph of the train tracks by the beach. 

I already purchased some candle holders but these had me as soon as I turned them over. What an awesome homemade gift from dad in 1936. Awe, it made me think of all the awesome wooden things my father has made for me. I hope someone else is still enjoying them 70+ years later. 

I can't wait to use these items as I redecorate our house. When I say "redecorate" I really mean: drag all my belongings from the garage and put them back in their places. It might still be a few weeks before I get to do that. We had an unseen hang up with finishing our floors. That was a sad realization but we hope to be back on track by next weekend. I hope you all have a great week!

Stay Humble
Amber

Kitchen Picks

I have made a few decisions for my kitchen update. And with decisions comes the fun part...shopping and purchasing! 

We have purchased a Houzer Eston Series undermount sink.  This thing is 18 gauge stainless steel and 9"deep. The one we have now is only 5" deep. This doesn't make me jump up and down to wash the dishes by any means, but the extra depth will be welcomed! 

The faucet we purchased is a Giagni Fresco stainless steel pull down faucet. It comes with a matching soap dispenser, but we have decided not to install the soap dispenser. I read multiply reviews for different brands of soap dispensers and none of them seemed to last. People were complaining about having to replace them every few years/months. I am worried that overtime it will break and I will be left with 1.) A useless soap dispenser 2.) An empty hole in my counter top if I decide to remove it. 

We are in the process of having our counter tops replaced. We took advantage of a Home Depot Labor Day sale. 10% off any special order counter top and labor. They also gave us the "5% Lowe's match" discount after some persuasion. We have chosen Corian in Glacier White. 

(image from HERE)
I know what you are thinking...WHITE? ARE YOU CRAZY? The answer is, yes, we are going with white. No, we are not crazy. Let me tell you why. 

Corian is nonporous, so stains cant penetrate it. Even if there was a hidden spot of something (lets say spaghetti sauce) that didn't get wiped up right away, it can still be scrubbed off. Lets say, I spilled my wine and some went under the microwave and sat there for days, weeks, even months and caused some discoloration, it can be stripped out with a water & bleach concoction. Corian is white all the way through the counter, so if we meet a spot we cant remove, it can be lightly sanded out. 

Having laminate, we have always been in the habit of keeping hot things on the stove or a trivet. We always use a cutting board when chopping things so I know those wont be issues for us. We don't have children to damage them and our dogs are not allowed in our kitchen (until we are asleep, and they sneak in looking for crumbs.) I have read great reviews on them from people who have had them for 5+ years so we think they will be the perfect fit for us.

I was looking for a fun pendant light to go above my kitchen window. I found quite a few I loved but when I took the light down to paint, I discovered this little problem.

There is a ginormous hole for the lighting box fixture that is already in place. The top of a pendant light would not cover this without some rewiring and drywall installed. That's a road I don't really want to go down, and the more I thought about it, the more I didn't like the idea of something hanging down blocking my view out the window. 

So the old light is staying. But I did freshen her up with a new coat of white paint. I know, its nothing fancy and still has an 80's vibe, but I'm hoping it will blend in and not be noticeable. 

We have also picked our cabinet colors. The tops will be going Olympic One True White in a satin finish. The great thing about this paint is 1.) it is paint & primer in one (even though Ill probably end up using a separate primer to increase durability) 2.) its scrubbable and durable 3.) it has a mildew resistant coating 4.) life time warranty 5.) low VOC 6.) it is acrylic formulated for better durability and adhesion. 

For the tuxedo look, we are painting the lower cabinets Olympic One Volcanic Ash in a satin finish. 

We have purchased the Duluth Pull from Restoration Hardware for the drawers. I am still on the hunt for knobs to go on the cabinet doors.

We picked up A Samsung Over-the-Range Microwave on sale at Best Buy over the Labor Day weekend. The microwave we have now is on the counter and wasting valuable space.

So that is what we have going on so far. As soon as the counter top is installed I can move onto painting the cabinets, installing the hardware and the tile back splash. There is a light at the end of this long, never ending tunnel. 

I hope you have a great week and weekend! We will be busy installing our flooring this weekend. Cant wait to end this concrete living!

Amber