I'M STILL ALIVE!!!!

I seriously can NOT believe that i haven't blogged since SEPTEMBER 15TH!

I've been gone before,

but not like this!

I have to admit, even in my absence, i have been READING all of your blogs.

unfortunately i just haven't blogged myself.

i have been:

A. too busy (excuse for sept and october)

 or

B. uninspired (excuse for November - present)

Wichita just doesn't give me the same skip to my step,

pep to my blog,

peanut butter to my jelly,

as DENVER did.

It's sad.

It's true.

I am learning to cope....

but!

A LOT has happened since my last post.

If I knew then what i know now...

ok I have no idea where I am going with that?

AHEM, let me get to the point.

a new blog is coming... and it is coming VERY SOON!

i'm working hard over here in my workshop,

&

I can't wait to unveil the new creation:)

Rush Hour?

Yesterday,  I was stopped behind this dude...

Does  the license plate read "i want on you?"

Really? Toyota Camry.

Maybe like a hot guy in a HUMMER...

and even that would be questionable.

when the light turned green I pulled up next to him & it was an asian man.

Reminded me of the guy from the hangover- & then the plate kind of made sense.

But let's be honest...

it wasn't the guy from the hangover

&

we are in the middle of kansas!
kind of weird?

I'm still confused by this public display of arrogance.

In other news,

 the House got painted last week!!!

I have succumb to the fact that it's yellow.

we picked out a light tan (sherwin williams, "pinenut")

except when i first saw the paint job i said-

OMG it's  yellow!

 Of all the things to go wrong-

 the exterior paint color is kind of a big deal!

**Commence internal paint struggle...**

should we repaint?

Does it look too country cottage-ish?

Are you kidding me "pine nut"? You really let me down!!!

You looked so tan on the 5 inch color swatch! Why the hell are you yellow on the house!?

All along I kept saying I wanted a "clean" look on the outside,

Tan house, white trim, dark red brick.

It was going to be great!

Then....

sunday afternoon,

we stopped by the house & ran into the neighborhood developer.

We were standing outside talking to her and that's when she said those 4 magical words...

"it looks so clean!"

 **cease internal struggle!!!**

that's all it took!

a little validation.

So here it is...

our clean yellow house*

*did i really just write a blog on paint color? where my kids at? where's my swagger waggon?

when did i go from 25 to 35?

MORE to come on the swagger wagon in the next post--

just like lady gaga promised her fans

at the mtv music awards

that she would announce the name of her next album

 i will announce the name of my next blog post...

"adventures in chi town"

house news!

The house is almost finished!!! We move in September 24th!

Here are some recent snapshots!

tin backsplash!!!

(I fought for this... i was actually advised against it!

Eat your words designer lady... eat your stupid words.)

once she saw this,

she conceded... as she should

THE outside lights!

We decided not to go with the fixtures on either side of the garage and just do can lighting-

We LOVE the way this turned out!

Indoor lights!!!

These are the first items that have really made the house FEEL like a home.

You can walk in at night and turn on the lights.

It's not a dark empty construstion site anymore!

We're So official!

On a side note-

I saw Kristin Cavelleri and Jillian from the bachlorette in Chicago this weekend!!!!

They were together-

at the VIP booth-

when they left we got the booth and took the obligatory picture with the "reserved" sign.

 HAHA, WE FELT Soooo cool...

A few Quick Questions...

Around work I like to call them QQ's... used in the following context:

"Hey, QQ."

see how much time that saves!

you should all try it. I'm really hoping it goes "viral"

the modern day LoL

1.

Is it really September Already?

This means that our wedding is in two months!

It hit me monday when we got a bed bath and beyond email saying...

 "only 2 months to go! make sure you've reigstered for all you need"

Seriously, i need to quit work and devote all my time to wedding stuff-

and start working out a lot more.

AHHHH!!!!

oh yeah and casey if you're reading this- get an outfit already! and a bow tie, stat.

2. 
Aren't kids supposed to ride in the backseat until they are like 12?

I saw a lady driving with her toddler in the front seat today. 

A big empty mini van and three year old tommy in the front seat.

WTF lady?

That kid  is not over the legal age to ride shotgun,

nor is he over the 60lb weight limit or whatever it is.

We were at a stoplight & she was behind me

so i decided to dramatically shake my head in disapproval.

I think we made eye contact through the rearview mirror,

please lady,
 It cannot be that hard to make him sit in the back seat.

don't you watch the today show?
even kia rides in the backseat.

3.

Why do i love intervention so much?

I'll tell you why, because every time I watch an episode, I feel better about myself.

Is that wrong?

*-*BuTterfLlieS*-*

OMG,

it's been so long since i posted and there has been so much to post about.

Let's start with the biggest news of the week...

well, crap!

There have been a few big headlines in my life this week & I can't chose the best,

PLUS- it's only thurday morning!

Ok, enough blabbing, seriously, enough.

First of all the deed is done- this week the

wonderful,

amazing,

 best friend ever,

 Ashley A. Kelly

booked the psychic for my bachelorette party!!!

You probably thought i was kidding when i posted a while back that i wanted a psychic

and if you were planning the party i probably wouldn't be getting one.

well... lucky for me,
Ashley saw my vision,

encouraged my dreams,

& she's making it happen.

It seriously gets me so excited for her future childern..

"mommy i want a pony"

The next weekend- BAM- Pony.

She's what i like to call an enabler, a dreamer,...

such a great quality most of us (myself included) are lacking in our adult lives.

So the night will be complete with palm readings, Tarot cards, & something about a magic wand or crystal ball... anyway I could not be more excited! Everyone will get a chance to chat with her, and then you can take home your own little eat pray love palm reader experience.

You'd think that would be the highlight of my week, right?

Well-

casey and i went by the house last night

&

we were totally unaware that they installed the granite countertops that day,

walked in,

turned the corner,

OMG, there they were.

It gave me butterflies.

To date,
 it's the most excited I've been about the house,
and I really think it was the element of surprise.
Not knowing what was waiting for us around the corner...
and i guess it's also the fact that the kitchen is really starting to look like a kitchen!

cabinet LOVE

Ok... long time no post on this cabinet progress!

They delivered all the material a few weeks back, that's when i posted about my excitement!

Then they broke a few on installation

and it took 2 weeks to order the replacements!

 if i've learned anything about myself through this whole process...

It's that i'm NOT a patient person.

no matter how hard i try to put things out of my mind and wait...

I CAN'T.

I just can't.

If i want it, i want it now.

it's my innerVeruca...

Anyway, after all the waiting...

They're here!!!!

(they still need hardware, but i can't decide on anything!)

kitchen

Guest Bathroom

Master Bathroom

3 panel door!

The Five K

Last week I signed up to run the corporate challenge 5K & um... it's this weekend,

(let it be known i did not volunteer for this task-

i was asked

& with being the "new girl" i didn't find it would benefit me to say no...)

then i find out the BIG BOSS LADY is also running in the event 

and....

she won it all last year!

Are you kidding me?

Sure, not only can she run this office, she's going to obliterate me in the 5k..

we are going to be wearing the same shirt,

 representing the same firm

and she's going to be out leading the pack while i'm somewhere in the back just hoping and praying to make it to the end before she has time to catch her breath,

 get a drink of water,

 accept her trophy,

 and then watch me finish the race...

What if she loops around like in the biggest loser when there is a weak link & the whole team runs back to the slacker so they can bring it in together.

What if she sees me there on sunday morning and is all like "let's run together?" then we don't place and everyone at the office is mad at me for holding her back from getting us more corporate challenge points.

Great... just great... i'm very worried about this!

In other news we got doors installed at the house!! I was VERY excited about it.

We went with the three panel doors like Tori and Dean McDermontt have in their house!

As we drove away from the house Casey says to me

"All i COULD think of  when i saw those doors ... oh no, I can see lora slamming these... "

Way to ruin the excitement!

&

I won't slam them!

In final news,

I want a psychic at my bachelorette party,

and maybe a tarot card reader...

SERIOUSLY!

At what age?

I was in the office last weekend and my boss was there with her 10 year old daughter.

They were moving her office into a new {bigger} one!

&

Her daughter would walk by with her hands full of stuff,

and then she would sprint back by on her way to grab another load.

Every time.

She ran back EVERY TIME.

I couldn't help but laugh to myself about my boss running back too... she didn't... but what if....

Makes sense

why walk?

when you can run!

It also makes me wonder at what point do we decide, i'll just walk.

No need to run.

I can remember running everywhere when i was younger, but i can't remember why i stopped?

So today, Friday, I'm going to pick up my pace....

i'm going to run from one place to another.

just hope i dont trip and fall on my face...

maybe that's why i stopped?

The fireplace

No cabinet pictures yet!

we went by the house yesterday and the they're being installed,

but nothing of great progress .

I'll post the pictures as soon as there is something worth seeing...

In the interim-

 they were working on our fireplace mantel which was a big surprise!

We really weren't expecting it at all!

So here is a picture,

it's not really even close to being finished but it gives you an idea...

It will eventually be painted white.

{which is a sin in this part of the country, people around here like their stained wood WAY too much, I have had several awkward encounters with people physically shaking their head when i tell them, "oh, all the trim will be painted white" such a waste of a good grain line... i know i know, but get over it people. }

&

this is the tile that will go around it.

(Marazzi: Le Pietre, Basalto)

In bigger news!!!

If you're booking a flight to Denver from kc for our wedding

southwest is having a sale- $59 each way!

What are you waiting for??? Go get 'em:)

 

Kitchen Cabinets!!!!

OMG,

they are installing our kitchen cabinets today.

Last night we drove by and there was a big semi in front of our house unloading a bunch of boxes-

 it was like christmas.... ony a REALLY GOOD christmas.

I can't remember the last time there was a semi-load of stuff all for me!!!

oh wait!

that probably never happened.

Check that off the "bucket list"

Wasn't there in the first place- but so cool!

Anyway....

Of course we went back a few hours later to check out all the presents.

& It was our cabinets!!!!

they were all boxer up... but we opened a few anyway!

&

They're amazing!

I couldn't be happier with they way they turned out and i can't wait to see them in the house!

Picking out Cabinets is actually really diffucult...

 all you have to go off of is one square cabinet door

you really have to use your imagination for how it would look in a rectangular style with a drawer above it.

Plus,  the doors come in so many different styles,

we picked out the style we liked, then picked out the finishes seperately.

basically, until last night I hadn't seen the "portico" style with the "antique white" finish all put together. 

Picture to come!!!

A night with Jason

Hello All!

Last weekend Casey & I spent an exciting night with his brother Jason!!

Before I met Casey I hadn't really ever been around a person with downsyndrome and I really didn't have a good perception of what downsymdrome was, or how a person with the condition acted.

Well that all changed when i met jason winchell...

he is the happiest, most engaging, sweet & loving person i know.

Over 4th of july weekend i promised Jason he could stay with us the next time he was in Wichita!
 (i'll admit I'd been drinking heavily when that promise was made... )
but all the same it's important to me that we start spending more "one on one time" with Jason.


 well,
HE didn't forget!
and last weekend when the whole family came in town jason had his bag packed & was overjoyed he was spending the night with his BROTHER!

Overall it was a great time! We picked him up saturday night and went to church- had a dance party in the car on the way- classic.

Anyway, at church, we needed to leave after communion so we could make their grandmas 80th birthday party.
Casey leaned over to Jason & said-
"when lora goes to communion we'll go out and get the car."

Jason replied-
"do you think she could get us a cracker too"

Can you imagine?
"body of christ"
"amen.& would you mind? I need two more. i've got people in the car- they'd like some too- thanks:)"

So funny!

After dinner we got blizzards, & Jason asked me why i wanted to marry his brother...

I said because i loved him.

Then jason said "i know that! but why!?"

Sunday morning we went to the zoo with the whole famiy-

Jason & my adorable (soon-to-be) nieces!!!

here are a few more of their pics from our day at the zoo

(stolen from their mom's FB)

With UNCLE CASEY

A day at the zoo wouldn't be complete without some kind of animal attack!

{damn goats}

and a newborn baby monkey....

Journey to Wallpaper?

I'm thinking about wallpaper for our kitchen "nook" 

.....

seriously!

Everyone says "DON'T wallpaper" because it's hard to put up, it starts to peel, it's hard to take down. 

BUT! 

wait a minute!

Sherwin williams has a brand called EASY CHANGE & it claims to come off super easily.

AND i'm obsessed with the idea of getting a big graphic pattern and doing just the dining room alcove.

We're young... It should be bright and bold! 

ANYWAY- while i continue to argue my point to casey (beg really) 

here are some pics i covet on my journey to wallpaper.

I'M BRINGING IT BACK! 

OK enough of that! 

This week they bricked the front of our house!! YAY! 

You have no idea how many different color bricks are out there and color combinations.

We wanted a "clean" look so we chose the darkest most consistent brick we could find. 

The house will be painted tan the current grey is just the color of the siding. 

(on that note- I keep wondering if they did grey siding because we chose tan paint-

 does the grey siding provide for a better base for tan paint? our neighbors siding was tan and they painted it dark brown- same theory?)

Tan with white trim and soffits & dark brick...