Family Week will continue...

Okay, I know that I have stretched the Family Week stuff out WAY too long, but I promise it will continue. I only have two more left for crying out loud!

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I have LOTS of pictures of both Sara and Kev, so it is extra tough for me to narrow them down.

Be excited though. The rough drafts for both of them is in my mind, so the next posts I do will be their loving tributes!

Hooray for the soon-finished Family Week! Or year.

I'm in love...

I LOVE CHRISTMAS. Have I mentioned that before? Because I do. I love everything about it, especially my Christmas tree!

I couldn't decide which way looked more magical... I also LOVE this little arrangement, even though it makes my pictures in a weird spot on the wall. I suppose I could take them down...but I'm lazy. This is the nativity that we grew up using. My mom gave it to me for our first married Christmas, and my sisters are totally jealous. I can't decide which is my favorite, the donkey with one ear, the cow with one horn, the wise man without a foot, or the shepherd who has had his head has been glued back on.

Basically I'm really sappy and love how sentimental this is.

New purchase this year: glittery little red candles that match our red balls on the tree.

Unfortunately they are replacing these...

If you take one thing from this post, let it be this: candles in a storage room in Arizona is never a good idea.

Okay, you are either going to think I'm a freak or be totally jealous here.

So perhaps all of the presents that go under our Christmas tree match the decor. And since there are only two of us, all of Philip's presents are wrapped in gold, and mine are all wrapped in red, and they obviously have the opposite ribbon on them.

This brings me to another thing I'm loving on right now:

My adorable Philip.

Didn't he do a good job wrapping my red presents? He even put the ribbon on himself. And he secretly likes that I'm a freak about things matching, and he also secretly likes that all of our decorations are glittery, so at any given point in December we have glitter somewhere on our faces. Or maybe he hates that, I don't remember.

He also bought me new wrapping paper last night at Costco, even though he often tells me I have too much.

(It's the red and silver snowflake one which is totally reversible and is plain silver on the other side, how useful is that?)

When I got home from work today he asked me if I had looked at this receipt:

apparently I bought patent pu & pee.

We laughed and laughed and laughed.

These were also waiting for me when I got home from work today...

Yes yes my friends, I'm in love.

More pictures than you could ever want...

We are done!!! Like I mentioned previously, we have finished our house for the most part and we had a party to celebrate our work!

Our yummy smorgasbord of treats last night... before we ate our way through it and it wasn't as pretty.

So I will now be taking you on our little journey as home owners.

We bought our condo while we were engaged, 2 1/2 years ago, and when we really had no clue what we were doing. When we first walked through it, I wasn't that impressed, but as we looked at more and more that day, we decided that this was our best bet. So we made an offer, and it was rejected. Waah. Luckily for us though, the offer that was accepted fell through, so they called us back and told us it was ours if we still wanted it!

The pictures that I have of it all old school style are from our final walk through, so the girl was almost moved out, only essentials were left...like her tv and iguana.

(Oh, and pretend that we don't look like we are like 12, and that we are still that skinny!)

Living Room Before:

After!

Things we've done:

painted,

carpeted,

Base boards, casing around doors and windows, and crown molding,

new blinds,

Scraped popcorn ceilings and had them retextured and painted,

changed all outlets and switches to look pretty and make sense,

new ceiling fan, &

digital thermostat.

View into the Kitchen from Living Room Before:

After!

Things we've done:

Clorox Wiped down every square millimeter that this small monster could have walked on, breathed on, shed on, or even looked at.

Kitchen Before:

After!

View from Kitchen into Dining area and hallway before: After!

Things we've done:

painted (twice),

tiled,

painted cabinets,

new appliances,

new ceiling fan,

outlets and switches, &

molding

Things we still want to do:

New kitchen sink...sigh.

Front Bathroom Before:

TaDa!

Things we've done:

ripped out mirror, medicine cabinet, counter top, and vanity,

had those walls retextured,

painted,

installed new vanity,

new light fixture,

vent fan,

outlets (that's a given at this point right?)

hung mirror, towel rack and cabinet, &

new shower curtain rod that doesn't slide down the wall and destroy our drywall.

Extra Bedroom Before:

(but unfortunately after she had taken down all of the Betty Boop paraphernalia...not kidding)

AND...my favorite AFTER!!!

And just so you know, I've been told that pictures don't do this room justice, so just know that it's even cuter in real life.

This is probably my favorite part of our entire house:

Things we've done:

painted,

carpeted,

scraped popcorn ceiling and whatnot,

molding (of course),

new blinds,

ceiling fan,

got rid of a light switch that didn't make sense having,

closet door knobs (ha ha),

new AC vent, &

made it my own.

And finally...Our Bedroom Before:

This room, as well as the living room, had this HORRIBLE attempt at a faux finish, and the carpet had changed color where furniture wasn't. Also, take a look at the bathroom...can you say crappy motel bathroom? That's what it looked like. I hope that you can tell in the pictures.

Hooray for After!

And perhaps I'm in love with this bathroom. Things we've done:

. painted (twice),

. molding,

. carpet,

. blinds,

. ceiling fan,

. AC vent,

. switched electrical stuff,

. bathroom stuff got same treatment as front bathroom, everything ripped out and retextured and replaced with pretty stuff,

. new towel ring, towel rack, and toilet paper holder that all match.

. Things we'd still like to do:

. new shower door.

. We also changed out all of the door handles and hinges because they were really ugly. And even though most people wouldn't notice, we think it totally classed it up.

And I know this isn't pretty, but guess what aren't cheap? AC units. Here's our new one.

Thanks for coming on our tour! As you can see we've done lots to our house and made it feel like a home, not just a place that you bought that an iguana used to live! And, if anyone has any questions about handyman work, we are practically pros now!

. Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!

House stuff...and being Thankful

Hey Friends!

First and foremost, THANKS TO EVERYONE for all of the birthday well wishes! Yesterday and Sunday and Saturday (clearly there was a lot of celebrating) were so fantastic!

And perhaps now I'm not having a identity crisis about turning 23. Thanks for the help.

So, I will talk lots about that soon, but first I have a very important announcement to make.

Remember when my house looked like this?

Well we are happy to announce that our house is ALMOST done! And by almost I mean RIDICULOUSLY close! It only took 5 months, amazing huh? Not quite.

So, in celebration of making our condo into something we love, we are having a party!

And guess who is invited?

EVERYONE!!!

Especially our out-of-town friends, family friends, married friends that we haven't hung out with in ages, ward friends, e-friends and blogging friends!

So here are the details:

IT IS TOMORROW NIGHT,

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21st,

STARTING AT 6-ISH,

TO WHATEVER TIME WE WANT-ISH,

THERE WILL BE DELICIOUS FOOD.

Seriously anyone that wants to come totally can, and if you would like to,

please e-mail me at princessmel_87@hotmail.com

so I can give you directions and whatnot.

And now for the disclaimer, I created my e-mail account when I was in 8th grade and have never changed it. I don't currently think that I am a princess, but the 8th grade Mel was sure that she was. And if you think mine is lame, ask my sister-in-law Natalie what hers is. :)

Also, we don't want to seem as if we are thinking our house is better than anything else in the world (it's a 900 sq. ft. condo for crying out loud!), we are just excited to finally be done, and would like people to see it when things look fresh, and when our house is totally clean!

COME TO OUR PARTY!!!

My Mom

So you guys have all met my mom right?

Have I told you that she is the nicest person in the entire world?

Because she is.

So get this, yesterday I was feeling a little under the weather so she brought me some amazing cheesy potato soup, and a little loaf of amazing banana bread. Then, because she is amazing, she told me that my house was cute, and offered to pat me.

(Growing up in the Jones home, being pat by my mom was a cure for anything. If we were feeling sad or sick or tired or scared or ANYTHING, she would sit on the side of our beds and pat us until we fell asleep.)

Then this morning I read an e-mail that she sent me yesterday that told me she was happy that I was born. I might have teared up a bit.

My mom's the best. I can't wait to try to be a mom like her someday.

School's Out!

Philip has finished his first

semester of Pharmacy school!

That means:

a) we are 1/11 done with school for him

b) he is off until after Thanksgiving, so our house just might get done and we get to hang out lots

and c)

I don't have to have this texting conversation with him for at least another two weeks:

M: How much longer do you think you'll be?

P: Probaby an hour

M: Do you want dinner or should I eat by myself?

P: Go ahead and eat

M: Waah.

I suppose things will be better when I start school so I'll have to study my life away too, but right now, it makes for some very boring nights.

Hooray for somewhat small landmarks! Have a good weekend kids!

Family Week Intermission Again...

I promise I will continue with Family Week, and this time the intermission will be shorter.

.

I got tagged by my adorable friend Melissa Lundquist, and even though I've boycotted tags before, Melissa is the nicest person in the world, and I would give her one of my legs if she asked for it, so the least I can do is continue this little game of tag...

So here goes, six random things about yours truly:

.

1. When I ride in the passenger seat, I only buckle up if the driver does. Well truthfully, I for reals don't ride with anyone but Philip and my sister Sara, but if I got into an accident with either of them, I would like the same fate as them. None of this one person survives business, that makes for people feeling guilty and whatnot.

(And just so you know, both of them almost always buckle up. See?)

2. I'm a sucker for charities, and tear up every time a see a comercial or ad for the Smile Train, where for only $250, you can give a child a smile, and a second chance at life. Snifffff, not joking, google it and you will be convinced.

.

3. I'm always somewhat nervous that fish tanks are going to crack and spill out on me, and that fish might touch me in the process.

.

4. I think that limos are hilariously tacky. Which adds to the hilarity that this very one has been parked in our complex parking lot for the past week or so.

And this morning it was getting cleaned when I left for work, which I also thought was hilarious.

Sorry for the bad pictures...

5. I'm secretly, or not so secretly now, REALLY stressed out about living off of student loans come February. I know that people do it all the time, but I'm somewhat of a control freak when it comes to financial situations, and this whole thing just might give me an ulcer.

.

6. I kind of want to own a ribbon store someday. Either that or just have enough money to buy extra large bolts of every color and width of grosgrain, rick rack, satin, and sheer ribbons, along with extra cute polka dots and stripes.

Yeah, it might be easier to own a ribbon store.

.

So that is ME! If you want to learn more random facts, feel free to click here.

.

And I think I'll keep this tag thing going. In honor of Family week, I tag Mom, Chris, Aly, Jake, Sara and Kevin. Have fun bloggers!