I can't remember ever being without you

How many people get to say that they are marred to a movie star AND a president?! I think Reagan was so dreamy and this letter to his wife makes me adore him even more :)

Transcript

State of California
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
SACRAMENTO 95814



RONALD REAGAN
GOVERNOR


My Darling Wife

This note is to warn you of a diabolical plot entered into by some of our so called friends - (ha!) calendar makers and even our own children. These and others would have you believe we've been married 20 years.

20 minutes maybe - but never 20 years. In the first place it is a known fact that a human cannot sustain the high level of happiness I feel for more than a few minutes - and my happiness keeps increasing.

I will confess to one puzzlement but I'm sure it is just some trick perpetrated by our friends - (Ha again!) I can't remember ever being without you and I know I was born more than 20 mins ago.

Oh well - that isn't important. The important thing is I don't want to be without you for the next 20 years, or 40, or however many there are. I've gotten very used to being happy and I love you very much indeed.

Your Husband of 20 something or other.

clever title here

Last week has been super busy, so on the few nights I have come home, I’ve done nothing. I’ve attempted to read my book with the longest chapters ever..we’ve barely done any cooking. The one night I did cook, I seriously thought I was going to have to scramble for take out the meal looked so disgusting. I didn’t tell Preston I thought it was ruined/looks like the grossest thing ever so when it was ready, he gobbled it up. He ate it the next night too. It was the worst cooking experience. (It was orange chicken drumsticks, btw) I think it was the bloody drumsticks that made me want to barf every time I checked it in the oven. Ick. I also attempted to make monkey bread yesterday (the recipe below looks a lot easier than the one I used). I’ve never made the bread before but it looked yummy. Well, I failed at that too. They look like monkey turds. Huge ones. I didn’t get the whole folding, layering part. I need Pioneer Woman style recipes with pictures please. I did my normal cleaning laundry routine yesterday while P was fishing. I spilled the entire pitched of tea in the kitchen. It was a b**ch to clean. Pain in the butt. I swear.. You think I would’ve learned how, after failing to completely get up the spilled vodka at my parents house 10 years ago. (That’ll give any house party away.) I couldn’t get the sticky stuff up! I mopped twice with lysol and water. And then 6 hours later went over it about four more times with just water. My efforts at home have been less than successful to say the least.

I did finally finish my dresser. I also decided to spray paint the brass pulls flat black. Much better.

I loved the look of the pulls of this dresser. I think I achieved the same effect. Sorry for the crooked pictures.


I ended up distressing ours a little bit..a little on purpose, and a little due to me banging a few walls carrying it through the house.
I hung up a sheet from the set I’m using in our guest room to hide the washer and dryer. Those clip on curtain hooks are genius!


The previous owner left that wall hook. I spray painted it black to match the rod and furniture in the room. I’m planning on adding a few pops of red to go with the black and pale turquoise. I like the drapy length of the sheet so I don’t think I’ll hem it. It also leaves the option to use it as a sheet again in the future.

Preston’s cooking dinner tonight (thank God, right). Yummy.

I still can’t stop watching “Pretty Wild”. Isn’t that terrible? I actually watched it before work the other day. I never do that..I did clear the DVR yesterday morning and I think “Glee” has been so good lately. The performance of “Like a Prayer” at the end of last week’s episode seriously gave me goose bumps. Those kids are so talented! See the performance here. I also thought Sue’s “Vogue” was so fun!



Monkey Bread

Ingredients

3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube/Bundt® pan.

Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.

In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

Hope everyone had a  beautiful, productive spring weekend!

One Kings Lane

Juliska is on One King's Lane today! If you aren't a member, e-mail me and I'll send you an invite! It's the Hautelook for the home and 100% worth the daily sale e-mails!

loose ends – furniture, new legs and a book

It has been raining since I left work Friday night but Preston and I have definitely taken advantage of the perfect indoor weather! I finished up his nightstand.

From this:

To this:

  He loves. Said it looks brand new :) Yesterday I went to a few antique stores with my mom. We ended up spending most of our time at the second stop because the guy had to pull out the antique jewelry. We had a lot of fun trying on rings (that my fingers were too fat for!) After my $9 successful trip to the Salvation Army last week, my eyes were hurting from normal antique prices. I was in owl heaven though.

 

 

 

 

Back to my price tag shock- I found a few tables I really loved. But I honestly feel like I could find the same kind of love on Craig’s List for a lot lower price. And if a little refinishing is needed, I’m ok with that. So, I came home empty handed. (No owls at.all. That place had $50 owls?! Not my kind of owl.)

Aforementioned tables:

I also found a metal dresser that would be really special for a possible island or extra storage in our kitchen.

Have you ever seen a metal dresser?! It was really neat. White with pale yellow stripes. I’m not sure if it would go but it was cool. It really inspired me to find my own metal dresser to redo :)

   My legs came in Friday! They are just as amazing in person as they are in the pictures and they got here super quick! My mom had found some wood restore stuff and I thought I would try it on the piece before succumbing to restraining. Let me tell ya, it was magic. Scratch 3 isn’t perfect, but it’s a lot better.

Scratch 1 Before the magic 

Scratch 1 After the magic

Scratch 2 Before the magic 

Scratch 2 After the magic

Scratch 3 Before the magic

Scratch 3 After the magic 

After the restorer and two trips to Lowe’s for the right screws, Preston was eager finish ‘er up.

 

LOVE THEM. I’m still working on rigging the wires, but the tv is temporary so I’m not sure what we’ll end up doing with the cable box. Nonetheless, the legs are perfect. Just what we were looking for!

I know you can’t really see in the mirror, but I’m wearing this Gap sweater I was lusting over a few weeks ago. My mom knows me so well, she picked it out for me last week. I also got these jeans half off at JCPenney’s and am in love. They do stretch a little. I could’ve gone down a size probably, but the length and fit is perfect. (OMG self pant portraits are awkward, check back later and this picture may be gone.)

This morning P and I were up and finished painting the kitchen before lunch time. I won’t bore you with more “did they really change the color” pictures. But it looks just great :)

Thursday I finished “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein. I’m a pretty quick reader, but I finished that book in a week! It was SO.GOOD. The dog narrates the story of his life with his owner. It’s so good..and yes-it is like every other story with a dog, so be prepared. (If you’re not catchin’ what I’m throwin, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll fill ya in!) The owner, Denny, goes through some tough stuff like losing his wife and almost losing his daughter. It’s an easy quick read. Short chapters (<—love that). Either way, I highly recommend this book. The story’s uplifting, thoughtful and poignant throughout. I’m not sure what I’m going to read next. I think something girly and light. After “The Help” and this guy, my heartstrings are sore. Has anyone read “Chasing Harry Winston”? I’ve read all the Jennifer Weiner’s and Emily Griffin’s so I’m looking for a new chick lit author.

Well, I had this blue sample left when I thought we were doing the office blue. I put some up in the dining room, but I think it’s going to be too dark. I can’t decide. I’ll keep ya posted :) (See inspiration pics here.)Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, wet or dry!

Pomplamoose

I'm running out of creative post titles. I ran across this group last night. One of their albums is only $8 on itunes. Their videos are fun and Nataly's voice is so sweet. They cover Lady Gaga and Beyonce and I think they managed to make "My Favorite Things" hip again! (sis - you'll love their "La Vie in Rose")

Enjoy!

Paula Deen's Not Yo' Mama's Banana Puddin'

I can't get this stuff off my mind. I whipped some up on Sunday and Preston and I have been gobbling it up ever since. It's pretty yummy. I think about it before bed, in the morning, after lunch...after I just had some...

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding
courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients
2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies
6-8 sliced bananas
2 cups milk
1 (5 oz) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8 oz) package softened cream cheese
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz) container frozen whipped topping thawed

Directions
Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe from here

Sorry no food pic but Jamie and Bobby are equally yummy :)

 

wordless wednesday

I wish I had their life.

giving thanks when thanks are due

Thank you The Look for Less. I will be ordering this $7 tank from Old Navy. I hope it's long..fixable. I'm addicted to undershirts.

I also want these flats. (Thanks, LFL) Black or yellow? I wish they had navy..

Annabella Flat by Chinese Laundry $39.95

Thanks to Young House Love, and Preston's grogginess last night, he ok'd this color for our new front door!

I. DIE. I know not everyone will..but I do.

Thanks to EVERYONE for posting their favorite Lonny pics.. because it's saves me from having to go through the whole darn thing :)

hm. I'm liking blue...I still have a sample I got from Lowe's that we were going to try in the office. I think we'll try it in the dining. Not sure if we'll do above and below the chair rail or just below..I was nervous about doing such a bold color with our greige living room. But that dining room above peers into their griege hall/living...and it works right? And a HUGE bouqet of white carnations would look stunning smack dab in the middle of our dining room table! I really need to loosen up about decorating :)