Sunday, December 14, 2008
Monday, December 08, 2008
Home Improvements
JT and I busted our asses this weekend fixing up our house. John has been working on the front yard for quite some time, and I must say it looks REALLY awesome right now.
I think once he gets really into something, he can get quite obsessed with making it perfect. This is a trait we share...
I woke up Sunday morning and found him outside fixing our NEIGHBOR's lawn. HAHAHA The part that connected our lawn to their lawn was a drastic difference... Our lawn is really nice, well kept, and healthy. Their area was dirt, rocks and weeds. So he got frustrated with it. hahaha... funny thing is, the neighbor from across the street saw he was doing this and offered to lend him a heavy duty weed pulling tool. HAHA I guess we're not the only ones annoyed of that house.
So my big project of the weekend was the fireplace. It had been bugging me for quite some time, and I finally got around to painting it. =) Here are the pix:
Before:
After:
So not only did I paint the fireplace white, I also cleaned all the nasty soot from the red brick fireplace and restored it's vibrant brick red color. Thanks to the internet, I did some research and came up with my own three step process:
1) Get a bucket of water and rags or a sponge and clean off the area as much as you can.
2) A lot of the soot gets stuck in the brick, so take a foaming bathtub cleaner and spray the areas with soot. let is sit for a while as you will see the soot in the foam. Wipe away with water and sponge.
3) Most of the soot should come off by now, but if not, this last step should take care of it. Wipe down all the bricks with a cloth dipped in household vinegar. The bricks will start to look brighter. Then get a clean bucket of water and wipe once more after you let it sit for a little bit.
I got pretty obsessed and spent almost all of Sunday by that fireplace...painting, washing, and vacuuming. So I ended up with bruised knees =(. But it was worth it!!
We also finally finished up painting the stairwell hallway, and JT also painted a wall in the garage.
I think once he gets really into something, he can get quite obsessed with making it perfect. This is a trait we share...
I woke up Sunday morning and found him outside fixing our NEIGHBOR's lawn. HAHAHA The part that connected our lawn to their lawn was a drastic difference... Our lawn is really nice, well kept, and healthy. Their area was dirt, rocks and weeds. So he got frustrated with it. hahaha... funny thing is, the neighbor from across the street saw he was doing this and offered to lend him a heavy duty weed pulling tool. HAHA I guess we're not the only ones annoyed of that house.
So my big project of the weekend was the fireplace. It had been bugging me for quite some time, and I finally got around to painting it. =) Here are the pix:
Before:
After:
So not only did I paint the fireplace white, I also cleaned all the nasty soot from the red brick fireplace and restored it's vibrant brick red color. Thanks to the internet, I did some research and came up with my own three step process:
1) Get a bucket of water and rags or a sponge and clean off the area as much as you can.
2) A lot of the soot gets stuck in the brick, so take a foaming bathtub cleaner and spray the areas with soot. let is sit for a while as you will see the soot in the foam. Wipe away with water and sponge.
3) Most of the soot should come off by now, but if not, this last step should take care of it. Wipe down all the bricks with a cloth dipped in household vinegar. The bricks will start to look brighter. Then get a clean bucket of water and wipe once more after you let it sit for a little bit.
I got pretty obsessed and spent almost all of Sunday by that fireplace...painting, washing, and vacuuming. So I ended up with bruised knees =(. But it was worth it!!
We also finally finished up painting the stairwell hallway, and JT also painted a wall in the garage.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
I went down to LA for thanksgiving and had a blast. It was my third Thanksgiving at the Tso's, but my very first as PART of the family. =) It's definitely starting to feel a lot more comfortable for me, although I am still not used to calling my new in-laws 'mom' and 'dad' or (in chinese)'mama' and 'baba'. Everyone in JT's family is so relaxed and chill so it's quite easy to fit right in.
For Turkey day, I made two side dishes - Recipes I got from Food Network.
Ultimate Potato Gratin by Tyler Florence
and a squash/zucchini casserole recipe my friend han had made before for a southern-style cookout. It was delicious!
I got a lot of positive reviews on my yummy, but fatty American style dishes. So JT's dad jokingly challenged me to cook some Chinese food next time. Little does he know, yummy chinese food is my SPECIALTY!! I'm now kinda glad I didn't pull out all the stops in attempting to impress JT's parents before getting married - because NOW I still have some tricks up my sleeve. muhahaha
It's also nice to know I am appreciated as I am at a comfortable state. Life can get tiring if you're always trying to be on top of things and pleasing everyone all the time. That's how you burn out.
So anyway, I did a ton of shopping and the highlight was I ended up with *Gasp* four new pairs of boots. But honestly, they were MUCH needed! I realized all my main boots are either cracked or totally old and messed up. So I thought...It's about time I treat myself to some nice stuff eh!? Isn't that part of the reason why I work so hard?!
So I got a pair of really cute cream and tan colored Charles David boots, a pair of comfy tan Nine West boots, some black sketchers, and these cute brown jessica Simpson Boots:
So I think I'm all set in the boots department for the next like.. 5 years (I hope). AHAHAH (no, I'm not one of those people who say "OMG that's SO outta season!") If I like it, I'll wear it till it breaks!
What else? I got some cute tops and sweaters, and a skirt. Honestly, I think Los Angeles has way more fashionable stuff than up north.
It was nice hanging with Margaret, Sherry n David, Marcus, etc. Gotta plan some more get togethers.
For Turkey day, I made two side dishes - Recipes I got from Food Network.
Ultimate Potato Gratin by Tyler Florence
and a squash/zucchini casserole recipe my friend han had made before for a southern-style cookout. It was delicious!
I got a lot of positive reviews on my yummy, but fatty American style dishes. So JT's dad jokingly challenged me to cook some Chinese food next time. Little does he know, yummy chinese food is my SPECIALTY!! I'm now kinda glad I didn't pull out all the stops in attempting to impress JT's parents before getting married - because NOW I still have some tricks up my sleeve. muhahaha
It's also nice to know I am appreciated as I am at a comfortable state. Life can get tiring if you're always trying to be on top of things and pleasing everyone all the time. That's how you burn out.
So anyway, I did a ton of shopping and the highlight was I ended up with *Gasp* four new pairs of boots. But honestly, they were MUCH needed! I realized all my main boots are either cracked or totally old and messed up. So I thought...It's about time I treat myself to some nice stuff eh!? Isn't that part of the reason why I work so hard?!
So I got a pair of really cute cream and tan colored Charles David boots, a pair of comfy tan Nine West boots, some black sketchers, and these cute brown jessica Simpson Boots:
So I think I'm all set in the boots department for the next like.. 5 years (I hope). AHAHAH (no, I'm not one of those people who say "OMG that's SO outta season!") If I like it, I'll wear it till it breaks!
What else? I got some cute tops and sweaters, and a skirt. Honestly, I think Los Angeles has way more fashionable stuff than up north.
It was nice hanging with Margaret, Sherry n David, Marcus, etc. Gotta plan some more get togethers.
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