Toddler + Computer + Coffee =

...disaster, well not really, since the computer wasn't damaged in the process. It's kinda a morning routine here for Elizabeth to sit w/ me while I sip my coffee and check my emails. Well, that routine is ending from here on out. This morning she kicked my key board w/ such force it bumped my coffee cup and sent it flying off onto the floor of my bedroom. Huge splatter of hot coffee all over me, my chair, the floor and all three of my clean pants I had folded at the end of my bed. Isn't life w/ a toddler so exciting? Off to do laundry and get the apt back in order after being sick for two days. :o)

I've been meaning to blog...

Really I have :o) We've been up to a whole lot of nuttin' around here. Josh is applying for or talking to someone about a job just about every day. Just when we're about to give up and send him off to work at McD's we hear of another job somewhere that just sounds fantastic, but no one has hired him yet. He had talked w/ the job down in TX, but they could only promise him work through the end of the year w/ no benefits and no relocation, so we turned that one down. Then the job in Moscow, ID called and had him come in for an interview and they really liked him, but they have to wait until they get the funding to hire him. In addition to these we've had lots of "not a this time" or "not interested" answers as well as no answers at all. But, we know God has a place for us out there somewhere and we're ready and eager to go where ever He wants us.

We've spent the last month enjoying the last bits of summer. When Josh went to ID, the kids and I went to his brother's house to spend time w/ my SIL and her girls and Josh met up w/ us there. We took in a couple $2 movies, went to Ikea and the Puyallup Fair. The movies were great, we saw Up w/ the whole family and then Trish and I went out to see Star Trek w/ the babies during nap time, it was wonderful :o) Ikea was great of course and we got Eli some new bedding, as her tiny crib blankie was not sufficing anymore. The Puyallup Fair was not so great. Word to the wise...Free admission day is not that great of a deal when you can't do anything because of the masses of people in your way! Here is a pic of the highlight of our experience

$3 for an ear of corn...not pictured is the $5 soda!
Coming up this next month Josh and I will be taking in our first ever vacation alone. We are pretty excited and as a bonus the hotel stay is FREE! I won the KVOS "find Deb at the fair" contest back in August during the Lynden Fair and I won gift certificates to Shilo Inns and dinner at Anthony's. Since Shilo Inns and Anthony's aren't in the same locations we went out to dinner last week and I really enjoyed it since I have recently weaned Elizabeth and was able to eat whatever I wanted w/o having to worry about her allergies. I was fantastic!

My Design Style...

I've always wondered if there was a definition for my decorating style...you know like "shabby shic" or colonial or whatever... Well, sproost.com has a little quiz to help you figure out your style and I think they hit me spot on. Here's my results...

86% Rustic Revival

14% Nantucket Style

Rustic Revival You can take kid out of the country but you can't take the country out of the kid... or is your theme "you can take the kid out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the kid?" Either way you play it, you are one of the unique individuals who loves a mix of modern and country. The clean lines of the modern softened by rustic /vintage elements is the perfect mix in your mind. And can we blame you? You've taken the best aspects of two popular designs and mixed them in a manner that appeals young and old alike. A subtle background of white or light colors provides a nice canvas for all the wonderful flea market, eBay or garage sale finds as well as the classic modern pieces that you love.

Materials: The material palette for urban country runs the gamut because of the two extremes being mixed. On the countryside you see a lot of wood, woven rope, canvas and linen, rustic metals and wrought iron, cowhide and vintage leather. On the more modern side, you see acrylic, satin and polished nickel and chrome, glass, faux fur, refined leather, fiberglass and sleek woods. It's the mixing of these elements that makes the style work so well. Seagrass and other natural woven materials are often used for floor coverings. Concrete and natural wood floors are very popular, and work really well together.
Colors: When it comes to color, think light, casual and airy. White, pale gray or beige, khaki and sage; all of these colors make nice, subtle backdrops for Urban Country style. Think of the colors of natural linen, concrete, and if you'd like to go dark, use the dark brownish-black of iron or the deep burnt orange of rust. The key is to keep the spaces feeling open (go modern!) and yet warm (yay for rustic!), and by going light on the walls and major pieces and more color on the accents and accessories you can achieve this mix really well.

Nantucket Style Oh how you love the beach! Who doesn't, right? And so your dream home is either perched in your favorite beach town, or you've brought that favorite beach town into your house

If you are into decorating too you should check out the quiz at http://www.sproost.com/

Lazy Summer Days...

We've been keeping really busy around here doing nothing lately. Spent almost a week down in Auburn visiting Ben and Trish. Discovered my newest obsession...which may or may not require some intervention soon....but anyhoo, I'm speaking of IKEA!!! I have never ever been there and on a whim Trish and I decided to go check it out. Hoping to find curtains. Well, we didn't find anything for here, but my "wish list" for after we move is about a mile long. What we did find is a screaming deal on these little dish sets...

They were 99 cents!!! For the whole set...everything in that pic 99 cents! So naturally I bought four. :o) Tried to justify more to myself, but four was enough. Trish got four as well. My "one that got away" was this supper cute lamp that I thought would have been perfect if Gabe had his own little knight room, but he doesn't so I had to let it go. It was only $2.99 and oh so cute!

Thats enough about that...

We also celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary on the 14th by having a picnic at Hovander Park (where we were married), had a little birthday celebration for Zaccheaus' fourth bday and went to a little shindig for Ocean Card's fourth birthday the next day. We've really been enjoying our time with Josh home with us, but are eagerly awaiting him finding a new job. He's got a couple prospects on the horizon and is still looking for others. Please pray with us that he can find something by September. Our lease is up then and we will have to move anyways, so we're really hoping he'll have his new job by then. If you want more info on his job offers you'll have to contact me. Until then... Here's some pics of us having fun :o)

Downtown Seattle:

Hovander Park