Holiday Hiatus

We are still alive!  Just buried in the Holiday hoopla.  Heather with her house, Jody with her school and everything else in the mix....you know us.  I am sure all of you can relate.

We wanted to wish you all a very Happy New Year!  We hope you survived Christmas and are preparing your resolutions and getting ready to start fresh for 2013.

Heather and I will be on a little "Holiday Hiatus" but will be back after the New Year with more on the Venture!  

We hope you are holding your littles a little longer and a little closer these Holidays.  I know we are.

Thank you to all of our readers for visiting us this year.  2012 has been quite the AdVenture.....with many more to come!

Cheers!

 

Heartbroken

Where does one begin? 

There can't possibly be words big enough, strong enough or caring enough to express the grief, sadness and pain we feel for those that lost their babies, their mothers, their spouses, their friends last Friday.

Jody and I will never be the same.  We shouldn't be the same.  Our nation should not be the same.  We ask that the precious little lives that were taken not have been taken in vain.  Please take the time to make a difference.  Let's start addressing gun control and the mentally ill in our nation.  While we weep for those that will not hold their children again...smell their hair again...smile with them again....laugh with them again; let us not forget the parents that are right now living in fear of their own children.  Did Adam Lanza's parents try to get him help?  What were their options?  Did they have the health care coverage to pay for psychiatric help?  We know that his mother pulled him from school when he was young.  She must have known he needed extra care and attention.  Was it provided?

Thankful Much?

I know that you Blog or Facebook frequenters out there have seen a lot on this theme but what is Thanksgiving without a gratitude shout out?

I would have to say this is one of my favorite songs right now and so fitting for Thanksgiving!  Who doesn't want to spend Thanksgiving at HOME with family and friends.



At the beginning of this month I really wanted to write a letter to everyone I was grateful for,letting them know just how much I appreciated them all.  A LOFTY goal to say the least.  I may still pull it off but I am pretty doubtful.  For you readers today I thought I would do some quick "Thank You" notes Jimmy Fallon style.  Here is my rendition. 

Thank You, Poli-Sci teacher...for teaching me right out of EVER thinking of politics as a career path.

Thank You, wine...for making me feel sophisticated WHILE intoxicated.

Thank You, Heather...one of my best buddies in the whole world and calamitous partner in crime.  Someone I can always say "It could always be worse" to and be proven wrong every time.

Thank You, neighbors....for leaving your Halloween decorations out all through November...making me feel just a little less bad about not decorating much for this so neglected holiday.

Thank You, Days of Our Lives...for entertaining me while I work each day and for giving me just one more embarrassing skeleton in my closet.

Thank You, full time school/part time work/full time mom/entrepreneur status...for reminding me each and everyday that doing things backwards is REALLY REALLY hard!

Thank You, sweater weather....for hiding those five pounds that I keep "swearing" I am going to take off.

Thank You, kid kin-x and blocks...for gracing my floor with your presence each and every day.

Thank You, laundry pile....for providing a place for my kids to hide while playing hide and seek and a bed for my doggy fit for a king.

Thank You, hats...I have gotten a lot of use out of you the last few weeks.  I promise I will give you a break...soon(ish)

Thank You, scarves...for keeping me on my toes.  I have yet to figure out just how to wear you, but I will.  I am always up for a challenge.

Thank You, "Because" and "Actually"...the two favorite big words that come out of "B's" little mouth.  You help her get away with so much..for that she is grateful.

Thank You, inappropriately early Christmas music...for hitting the radio while we are still coming out of our Halloween candy comma. 

In all seriousness I truly am grateful for so much.  I am so incredibly blessed with an amazing family, kids, hubby, friends.  I have so much....life is good.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope it is a great one for all of you.

Fab Find Friday

Sometimes I think that I might just have the best job in the world.  As the Marketing Director for an Architectural Firm, there are certainly days when I want to pull my hair out - usually when we are trying to meet crazy deadlines on proposals or explaining fact-based info. to the creative minded (herding cats I tell ya).  But, then there are days that I get paid to play!  Some of the research that I have to do, I would gladly do for free!  My Fab Find today is one of those things.

Have you heard of Houzz.com?  If not, jump over now:

HOUZZ

Serious!  Don't wait.  You need to see what you've been missing.

They describe their site as "Home Design, Decorating and Remodeling Ideas and Inspiration (Kitchen and Bathroom Design)". The best way for me to describe this site is to say that it's a combination of all things good on Pinterest, Google Images and HGTV's site. 

You can search over 800,000 designer photos and save them to your own design ideas books.  The site is super user friendly letting you search by styles, spaces, products and key words.  There's lots of great professional articles and comments by other users.  And, the collection of photos is truly astounding!

Here's a peek at some of the photos in my idea books that I am using as inspiration on our new home remodel project (oh, yeah, that's STILL very much happening):

 

Traditional Dining Room design by Chicago Photographer Cynthia Lynn Photography
 

Contemporary Kitchen design by Chicago Design-build Airoom Architects-Builders-Remodelers
 

Contemporary Kids design by San Francisco Media And Blogs Lucy McLintic
 

Contemporary Living Room design by Austin Architect Cornerstone Architects
 

Contemporary Living Room design by Vancouver Interior Designer Claudia Leccacorvi
 

Eclectic Bedroom design

 

Can I just say that I am absolutely in LOVE with that first photo?!  I'm moving into that house....in my dreams!

 

Check out Houzz.  It's a fun fab find!

 

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