Saturday, January 22, 2011

Mini Documentary The Sartorialist

I check his blog and this was made on a day of one of his shoots while walking around.

The Sartorialist

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Happy Birthday Ella!

Ella,

Today is your 4th birthday! Can you believe it?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLA!

Do you remember your first birthday? Aunt Katy and I got to be there for it!

This wasn't for your first birthday but you were pretty little eating some pizza with Mom and Dad! Then Dad put you on Charlie, you looked a little surprised!











































You could also do somersaults with a little help from Dad.



It was also great to see you this Christmas! We had fun staying at your house!


























I think you and Mattingly were having fun watching Madagascar! :)













Ella and Mattingly enjoying the lights at the zoo!

I hope you have a great day and you have a good weekend Birthday celebration! Hope to see you soon!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLA!

Love you Ella!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Christmas 2010 (version House Tour and Best Christmas Ever)

Hey now, let's just take a trip back in time. How about a month ago from today even?

One month ago from tonight Katy and I were two days into our new house! Wow, really?! Yeah, definitely, something to smile about.

















This is Katy and me in front of our new house before we closed Friday afternoon.

Well, okay okay. We had stuff in the house and slept there but more or less it was a space in need of organization. However, that afternoon we were blessed enough to be able to buy our first home, thanks to the sellers Bonnie and Chuck and especially our realtor who took us house hunting a dozen or more times over the span of ten months!

But Christmas was only going to get better. Jim and Karen flew in the night we moved out of coincidence and as I worked the weekend the Magnuson and Chapman crews were able to get us moved in.

It was a Christmas to remember. Moving, moving into our first house, Christmas with plenty of family in Minnesota and traveling to Chicago to have another Christmas with the RLDischinger family.


















Here's a closer view of the front of our house.
























If you went through the front door and looked left, this is what you'd see.


















If you went to the left and turned around you'd see our dining area, the front closet and front door and a peek into the kitchen.


















Here's your full peek at the kitchen. It will need a teaspoon of magic in there but we've got a fridge, a stove (that seems to work) and a dishwasher (well, no, that doesn't work.) Anyhow, this will not be a cosmetic change like most of the house but it'll happen in due time and is something Katy and I look forward to! And maybe even with help from Mr. Magnuson, Josh, Bob, Dad, Mark, Eric, anyone!
























And here's the bathroom. We've already stripped the wall paper and painted the walls roasted nuts. It's a nice dark chocolate. There's a plan to get a new, smaller sink in there along with a medicine cabinet, mirror and light fixture.


















Our bedroom is mostly laid out but we'll paint some day, clear off our dressers and put some pictures up.


















Here's what is our second bedroom. Right now it houses what we haven't organized or aren't sure what to do with yet. Eventually we'll get a bed and some other furniture in there.



















Our third room will serve as our office with a desk, computer, files and a little spot with books, a comfortable reclining chair and a light to maybe get some reading in.

So, that's our house! It's been about a month and it's been pretty good. It doesn't and won't come without its challenges in decisions, finances, remodels and more but it's pretty nice so far!

Well, we moved in and all of a sudden it was Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which Katy and I enjoyed at Bob and Deb's with Jim and Karen, Josh and Laura, Bop and Nana and Bob and Deb. We opened presents on Christmas Eve and enjoyed homemade korv and more!
















































I worked a few more days and then we were off to Chicago and Eric and Emily's house for the Best Christmas Ever; with an itinerary, family, Christmas, adventures, shopping, snowshoeing, New Year's, food, Cemitas Puebla, presents, trains, limo rides with pictures, flannel sheets, aromatic hand soap, heat and more!


I know Megan mentioned this in her blog too but it was pretty fun to just have the three Dischinger kids hang out before Mom and Dad got there. That must have been the first time in history we had done that and it was a good time.












































































































































































































































It has been a great Christmas. Ultimately, it has been a great month in the blessings of buying a house, moving in, starting new in a new house and a new year and getting to spend Christmas with both Magnuson and Dischinger family.


And here are the new pictures of painting in progress and some of the final product, just making progress really.



















Bathroom painting in progress; just edging the ceiling to go.



















The bathroom is done. It was a challenge to get a good picture. We have a small bathroom and there's not much to see but there's the color.



















The three living room colors. They were all supposed to be a lighter tan. The one on the right prevailed.



















Here's the progress.



















Another look beforehand.



















Here's the final product for the most part.



















Another look at some decorating. Mostly paint and curtains on our 10 foot window!