As if I Haven't Had My Fill of Cabinets...

Last weekend Glen Eyrie had a garage sale to unload some of their old furniture and random supplies. I convinced by friend Megan to go check it out with me during lunch on Friday. Just convincing her to go on this treasure hunt was no easy task. I believe her response, even as we were walking to the garage sale, was something along the lines of, "I don't need any treasures."

I was pretty thrilled to find a cabinet for $10 that would fit perfectly in my bathroom. I've been looking for something like that since move-in day and all the ones I liked were $100+. No thanks. The hand-me-down, make-shift, storage thing my roommate gave me would work just fine. She needed the extra storage at our townhouse, but now in her new bathroom she didn't need it anymore.

My bathroom, on the other hand, has been a complete disaster area since day one. Not only is it small, but it's a complete mess due to lack or organization and lack or storage. How does one acquire so many toiletries anyway? My bathroom seems to be busting at the seams with soaps, gels, creams and a few things that frankly, I have no idea what they are used for. Yes, the cabinets and drawers under the sink are completely filled and yet, I was still in desperate need of additional storage. Out of control, right?

The cabinet did need to be repainted, but after the month-long kitchen cabinet saga, what's one more?

I painted the whole thing white and then painted a coat of left-over bond coating that was left over from my kitchen cabinets in a box.

It turned out pretty great if I do say so myself.

And now, my bathroom feels clean and organized for the first time...well, ever.

So what about my friend Megan? I'm so glad you asked. Ms. I Don't Need Any Treasures may or may not have purchased a PIANO. It was $50. No, for real. I may have had a slight hand in pushing her toward the purchase. It wasn't until the deed was done and we were heading back to work that I let her realize we had no way of getting her new treasure back to her apartment, or even let her remember she only has a one bedroom apartment that is pretty full already.

No worries though, within an hour of being back at work she had devised a plan to get her treasure home. The whole thing was just too easy, like it was meant to be or something...

In fact, it was so easy she decided to push her luck, return to the garage sale on Saturday, and purchase treasure #2. How can you expect a music major to pass this up, especially when it has a $12.50 price tag? It's just not possible.

Officially Out of Excuses

I love the idea of running and it would be awesome to be one of those people who can just wake up on any given day and run 3 or 4 miles without it being any big deal, but the truth is, when it comes to actually physically running, I am not so much of a fan. I just don't get how this is fun. It's so boring and by the way, what is this "runner's high" people keep talking about? Is there any chance they are confusing it with cardiac arrest?

A few months ago I was talked into entering a race in the fall. To be fair, it didn't take all that much convincing. You can ask my parents, despite my best efforts for practically my entire life, I am not athletic! The problem is I just love the whole competition aspect of athletics. I love trying to out due myself (or at least the guy next to me). I love trying to see how far I can really push my body. Plus, it's nearly impossible for me to do anything half way. If it's worth doing, then it's worth doing with excellence. That being said, since I agreed to run this thing, I might as well really give it my all, invest some time, and go for it.

For the last few months I've been pretty faithful about using my pretentious gym membership. I love the classes and I can feel my strength and endurance growing every week. However, I learned a long time ago there is simply no substitutions for just getting outside and running. You can do as many Zumba classes as you want, but it doesn't make you ready for a 5K, with obstacles, in the mud, in Colorado. Did I mention there is no oxygen here?

I knew I had to start running, but how can you expect me to run without first doing some research on running plans? If I don't have a plan I could be doing it all wrong. Obviously it's going to take about a week's worth of research to find the right one. Then I needed at least another week to find the right iPhone apps so that I could track my runs and get an audible coach training me. Oh, and how am I supposed to run without one of those sweet arm bands to hold my iPhone? You can't expect me to hold it, and you can't expect me to just go buy an armband without researching them to death. You wouldn't want me to over pay for it or get one that will fall apart after the second time I used it, would you? Plus, I have small arms so I need to get one that will fit right.

Well, Saturday it arrived, the new iPhone armband, and with it I came to the end of the road with my excuses. Not to worry though, I still had a few excuses up my sleeve to get me through the weekend, but here we are at Monday and that stupid armband was just sitting there on the kitchen table making me feel all guilty and worthless. So today was the day. Today, I started.

I would love to tell you it was awesome, that it felt great, and that I found my new favorite hobby. No, actually, I felt like I was going to die about half of the time. Plus, one of my apps didn't record my run properly so I have no idea how far I made it. But no pain, no gain, right?

I just have one question. At what point does this start to become fun?

Team Leach

By far, the best news of my day was the release of Swing Your Sword, a book written by Mike Leach in response the scandal surrounding his firing in December 2009. Mike was the football coach the whole time I was at Texas Tech and I love the guy. Don't get me wrong, he is totally crazy but the fact that you just never know what he will do (or say) next was part of his charm.

Check out the USA Today article about the book. An email from Sally Post, the Director of Communications and Broadcast Media, is quoted in the book's excerpt. Sally was my boss when I interned in Communications and Marketing for Texas Tech. I almost fell over when I saw her name.

We can only hope Leach will do a book signing in Colorado...and that if he does, he can learn from the mistakes of Timmy Touchdown's people (meaning brother Robby and company) so I can actually buy the book at the event (if my Dad had not already pre-ordered it for me) and wait in line somewhere a little classier than Sam's Club.

Thanks for the memorable wins coach! There is a strong chance my wedding day will fall second to that one time we beat #1 ranked Texas!

Wreck Em Tech!

One [Wo]Man's Trash...

A few months ago I was having dinner at my friend Sarah's house and everyone was really impressed with this awesome dresser she refinished and was using in her dinning room. Turns out she bought it at a junk yard in Denver. One thing led to the next and because we are all constantly looking to save a few dollars, before we knew it, me, Sarah, Kaci, and Mandy were standing over the calendar and planning a trip to Denver.

Yesterday was the day we picked and at 9am we met up, along with a few other friends, to make the 40 minute drive north in hopes of finding a few new pieces for our homes. I had no idea what to expect from the whole experience and as I set my alarm clock the night before, I had a million questions running through my mind.

• What does a junk yard even look like?
• Am I going to look like one of those kids in National Geographic rummaging through piles of garbage?
• My last tetanus shot was after that one time I gouged my eye with mascara. I think that was in the fall of 2009. Is it still effective?
• What do you wear to a junk yard?
• How much should you pay for something at a junk yard?
• What if I run into Tim Tebow?

After all, the only visuals I have for a junk yard are those few scenes from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's timeless classic, It Takes Two.

So for those of you, like me, who would have no idea what to expect from a junk yard visit, everything was pretty dirty, but semi organized into piles. We quickly found when it came to pricing, it was a lot like this one time I went to Mexico in that nothing is marked with prices and everything is negotiable.

As much as I love Hobby Lobby, I was excited to find some unique pieces for my house that don't make my living room look exactly like every other living room in the neighborhood. Usually great conversation pieces are acquired through world travels and life altering adventures. Since I have very few of either of those, I resort to HGTV for inspiration and junk yards for uniqueness.

originally $15 each and we got them for $10 each...master negotiators.

Unfortunately the plan of having unique pieces kind of bombs when you go to these junk yards with your closest friends. At least my pieces will be unique with my work friends. Kaci, Kim and I all got matching windows for $10 each. Kaci and Kim are going to use theirs as displays at their craft shows. I'm going to refinish mine and use it as a headboard for my guest room/office.

Sarah and her treasure, a sign she is going to refinish and display in her living room

Next up on the tour of Denver junk yards was this place. It was more of an antique warehouse than a junk yard, but it was much cleaner and the items were easy to find and sort through. Plus, you didn't have to watch your step or wonder about prices.

Unfortunately though, this meant the prices were just a tiny bit steep (insert sarcastic tone). However, it did make me feel good to find that a cleaner version of my $10 window was $35 at this store. Up until that point we really had no idea if we found a bargain or were getting totally ripped off.

We did manage (and by "we" I mean "me") to find one reasonably priced item. These cabinet doors were only $5. Once they are refinished they will look awesome hanging on the wall with a verse or something on them. Again, mine would have been so unique, but I'm pretty sure every single one of us bought at least one and I think everyone except for me already knows exactly what crafty masterpiece they will make of it.

Mandy and her $5 bargain

Can anyone tell me what these are? They were at both places and I still have no idea why I would want these or what they are used for. My best educated guess is something with boats.

After a long morning in the heat, it was time to head to Park Meadows Mall for some lunch. To say I hate the mall is the understatement of the year. Most of my friends talked about how they would love to have more time to shop or money to spend on clothes. I have plenty of time and a pretty generous clothes allocation in my budget, but I still can't seem to find this joy they speak of. I'm glad there won't be money in heaven, mostly because that means there most likely won't be malls.

After lunch and a few mall purchases, we loaded up our treasures and headed back to Colorado Springs. I don't know if any of us were ecstatic with our finds, but I would count it a memorable experience and a morning well spent with great friends.

La Cocina

After I finally finished my kitchen cabinets, I knew the next step in creating my Mexican kitchen was to paint. I am a neutral kind of girl. I could paint the whole house tan and be totally happy with it. But I'm young, single, and I have a house that I can decorate any way I choose. This is not the time for Better Homes and Gardens and play it safe with earth tones. This is the time to go a little crazy.

After googling photos of Mexican kitchens for weeks, it was time to go to Home Depot for some paint samples. Usually this only takes two trips and two samples. This time, not so much. After four trips to Home Depot, evaluating countless color swatches...

...and trying five paint samples (including experimenting with faux finishes)...

...a decision was made. To be honest, I wasn't even close to 100 percent sold on it, but it was as close to my vision as we were going to get.

This is my kitchen before the painting project.

Growing up I was told that something is better than nothing, but in the case of the baseboards in my kitchen, that is simply not true. The baseboards were terrible, cheap and reminded me of something you find in an office building.

I'm not sure if I am going to leave the kitchen baseboard-less or add baseboards later on (hopefully something unique like tiles) but either way the existing baseboards had to go.

Thankfully they came off easier than expected.

Finally, it was time to start painting. Most of the time it seems the prep work takes twice as long as actually painting. First up was the blue paint above the cabinets.

before the blue:

I had to get a little creative with the light. I needed to take it down, but didn't want it to dangle for fear the weight would snap the wires. The wrapping paper holder and cook books did the trick just fine.

after the blue:

The light above the sink hasn't worked since move-in day. The thing is totally ugly, but it would be nice if it worked until I developed a game plan for replacing it with something a little more Mexican, and eye appealing. I bought some new bulbs and reworked some wiring and vow-la! I was probably more excited about the light then I was the whole paint job.

My freshly painted Mexican kitchen!

Just to recap the transformation of my kitchen so far....

move-in day

microwave install, new dishwasher, and refinished cabinets

removed base boards, freshly painted walls and a working light above the sink

I can't decide if I want to take a break from the kitchen and move on to the living room, or continue the kitchen transformation.

Still on the to-do list for the kitchen: painting the ceiling and trim white, shopping for (and hanging) accent pieces for the walls, purchasing and installing new light fixtures and a new fan, finding and hanging curtains for the windows, and re-doing the backsplash (I'm thinking about doing stainless steel).

What do you think?

Joseph and My Little Tough Mudders

A little background before I start my story. Last weekend a few of the guys at church decided to race in an event called the Tough Mudder. This thing is ridiculous. It was a 10 mile race up a ski slope that included 23 obstacles, which consisted of carrying logs up the slope, crawling through pipes in freezing water, scaling walls, and running through a field of live wire with 10,000 volt shocks, just to name a few. The boys think I will be joining them next year, but we'll have to see about that. Check out my friend Kacy's blog to see pictures of our guy's competing.

Fast forward one week and it's my Sunday to teach the kiddos at church. The lesson was on Joseph and how he had to "hang tough" and have faith through quite a few really difficult situations. The children's minister asked Matt, one of the guys who raced in the Tough Mudder, to talk to the kids about his experience and how he and the rest of the guys had to "hang tough." Matt showed the kids pictures and told them all kinds of stories. Then he setup obstacles around the room for the kids to participate in their own Tough Mudder. They were so pumped! Ever wonder what your kids do in Sunday School...well, here it is folks.

My little Tough Mudders with their team bandannas on, ready to start the race. For those of you who are wondering why I put bandannas on them, I say, why NOT put bandannas on them? AJ is in the blue hat. His only concern was if he would have to run through live wire. We told him no, and he actually seemed disappointed.

First obstacle, climbing under chairs. It wasn't but 30 seconds after I took this picture that two of my girls looked at the obstacle then looked me dead in the eye and without saying a word just shook their heads no. We had to make some modifications in order to get them to crawl under the chair, meaning I had to pick it up so they could walk under it.

Second obstacle, everyone on your team has to touch Matt's hand.

Last obstacle, racing across the room with boxes. The girls were much better at teamwork but the boys were better at the competition aspect.

My little Tough Mudders

The Tough Mudder was a hard act to follow, but with the kids at least a little worn down it was easier to get them to pay attention to the lesson. I was asked to cover the whole story of Joseph. Yeah, 14 chapters in 20 minutes. No big deal. Basically the kids got the CliffsNotes version...Joseph was the favorite son, brothers wanted to kill him, thrown into a well, sold into slavery, worked for Potiphar, Potiphar's wife told a lie about Joseph, lie put him in prison, interpreted dreams, interpreted Pharaoh's dream, second in command of Egypt, feast and famine, starving brothers came to Egypt, family drama, Joseph saves his family, Joseph is a tough mudder. I was actually making great time when one sweet little girl stopped me.

Sweet Girl: Dani, what was the lie?

Me: What lie?

Sweet Girl: You said the guy's wife told a lie about Joseph and the lie put him in prison. What was the lie?

Me: Oh, Potiphar's wife. Umm... She said he did something that he didn't do.

Sweet Girl: What did she say he did?

Me: Umm...(turning bright red)....umm....she said he did something really bad.

Sweet Girl: Well what was is?

Me: She just lied about him.

Is six too young for the sex talk? I think so. Seriously, how do you answer that question for a six year old? Someone tell me. I sure hope these kids torture the other teachers like this. Eventually the sweet girl gave up and I was able to move on, but by the next day I made several mental notes of some pretty great responses just in case this comes up again.

Option #1: It's bad to lie. It gets people in trouble. Just don't lie, about anything.
Option #2: Boys, the takeaway lesson here is to not marry a crazy woman. Repeat after me, "Don't marry someone who is crazy." Girls, don't be crazy.
Option #3: Josiah, remember last summer when you kept asking your mom why you couldn't walk around alone at the park which led to her explaining what a child molester is? Ok, well, Potiphar's wife lied about something kind of like that so kids, if you really want to know, have 6 year old Josiah explain it to you after class.
Option #4: Who wants a snack?
Option #5: You know, you should ask your teacher next week about that. I bet he/she would LOVE to answer your question!

So there you go parents, ever wonder what your kids do in Sunday School? Well, we dress them like gangsters, make them run around like crazy people, and then teach them about sex. And you thought your biggest concern was not having their name tag...