Not Your Mama's Door Handles.

I woke up about 3 months ago with a creative side. I know, I was scared too. All these ideas started popping in my head about cute little things to do around the house to put a little more ASHLYN in our home and a little less IKEA and TARGET. I started out slow with a few of my favorite books strategically left out here and there. I was still comfortable. Then I worked on center pieces for the dining room table. I was still comfortable. I pulled some color into the kitchen by stitching and hot gluing ribbons onto my plain white cooking canisters.



Like I said...baby steps.




And you know what? I was still okay!

I have had a love for antiques since I was a child. Something in me loves the idea that an object has a history just like we all do. I know totally corny right? Too bad! I love it. I have all kinds of small and large antiques that I work somehow into my self categorized "modern colonial" decorating style.

I was at Habitat for Humanitie's ReStore in town and found these super awesome old door handles.





I made an impulse purchase (3 handles for $2.99, whew big spender) and brought my new little project home to a confused hubby. It took me a few weeks to decide what to actually do with them because I knew they had to have a spot where everyone would see how great they are. Well this past winter I tried to make a headboard for the guest room. That ended up being an epic fail due to the fact that just the foam is $15 a foot and I needed about 10. I don't need a handmade headboard as much as I need a vehicle to get me to work to make more money for more projects.

BACK TO THE CRAFT. I really needed something to even out the wall weight in our guest room. Enter fun old door handles. I took just a scrap piece of wood that we had from one of our MANY other home projects and painted it white with the new Behr paint and primer in one. Then my wonderful manfriend (Joe) used a spade bit to drill holes for the handles to go through. Here comes the hard part. I had to pick out pictures of our nieces and nephews to go in the tiny picture frames I bought.



Harder than it sounds people. Then I used some ribbon we had leftover from our wedding to tie around the frames and attach to the door handles.



TA DAH! Okay so it's not without flaw and I might add a little somethin' somethin' later but it helps balance out the room and its a fun discussion piece.



Yet again...baby steps.

You can't see it very well but the front door handle is laying strategically on the dresser. There is a picture of the Portland LDS temple behind it and I thought it was a cute way to kind of just say "Enter" in the literal and metaphorical sense.

Puppy Halter Top

Joe and I don't have kids. We have decided not to even entertain the idea of kids until our late 20's early 30's, if then. We don't have any early morning puking or diaper rash but we are dealing with another problem... our dog Burklee.





Burklee Claire is our spoiled puppy. She tries so hard to be a good dog and not get into trouble. Alas, accidents happen, hoses get chewed up and dogs get sick. About 2 months ago Joe was scratching her back and found a few irritated spots on her skin. We took her to the vet and he said that she was having a reaction to her food. Not only did we change her food but she had one cosmetic change as well. Dr. Ronne had to shave the fur on her back. To make it all worse the spots turned to open wounds to scabs to scars. It sounds crazy but she is very self aware about her lack of fur. It's also difficult to take her in public because everyone stares at her spot. Heaven knows what they think we've done to this poor dog.



This last Saturday I just couldn't take it anymore. My parents were down for the weekend and I had my mom help make a little top for her. It took longer than I thought and I had to break the seal on the sewing machine but it turned out very cute. We sewed 1 yard of fabric inside out like a pillow case leaving four holes. We had two pieces come together and meet in the middle of her chest. We just attached them together with some velcro. Then we did two tummy straps so it would stay on when she walks around Petco or the park. I know it sounds like a crazy dog parent thing to say but she is so much more confident without her skin exposed.







Maybe I'll start a business making large dog clothes....Maybe not.

New Truck

I finally got my truck! I've wanted a new truck since the second I sold my last one. We've been looking for a few weeks at all different kinds of trucks. I brought home a few for the wife to look at and got a lot of "that's not sitting in my driveway" looks and conversations. Found this one up in Corvallis. It's a Dodge Ram 1500 short bed. I want to fix a couple things on it but I'm happy with it and Ash is uhh...accepting of it.

We took her out for her first adventure last night. Ash got home from her river vacation around 5:30. I had a need to try the truck out off the main road so I thought we could go make a fire and roast some smores. Burklee refused to be left at home so she got to come too. It wasn't until after dark that we realized that we were up in cougar country and a little golden retriever would be a fine dinner. We kept her close and only smelled burning fur a few times. Hopefully this weekend I can try it out again without Ash covering her eyes and begging me not to role down the mountian. Here are some pictures of the truck and the girls.

Labels or Love?

This blog used to just belong to me, Ashlyn. The title of the blog used to be Labels or love? The ultimate choice for most women. Does a girl choose a man that could let her down? Or labels, always available, always faithful. Well I chose both. I got married, and still follow and choose the labels.

Now, this blog will belong to Joe and I. We will both update the blog with adventures from our crazy home updating, travels and daily life. We have family here and there (mostly there) so this will also serve as our "not having to talk on the phone" blog.

We love pictures. I blame it on my poor memory and his lack of attention to detail in the present. A picture really is worth a thousand words so here are a few pictures to save you all the reading.



Joe and I got married September 5th 2009.



We bought a fixer upper home as a big Christmas gift that same year.



Without bathroom wall or door and all.



...yeah.



We have a golden retriever named Burklee.



She is not so little anymore, but just as cute.

We always have a project we are working on or saving up for. Right now it is the hall bathroom.



We hope to tackle it this summer. Well here on out we are up for fate's "grabs." We will keep things updated and we will see you all around.

Time Gone By

Okay, Okay, it's been months. I fail. I'm sorry. But I have been so busy! I have: planned a wedding, gotten married, moved, and bought a house! DEATH. So I don't really even have any pictures most recently. I know it's a shock a camera hoe like me but it's true.

However! Joey and I had our first married couple home made breakfast a while a ago. Here is what accumulated over THAT event.

We got a new waffle maker for the wedding!...We didn't know to grease it before the first use...



There was also a bacon problem. Whoops! Didn't grease that either. Our bad.



Results from the day. But Dang it the second round of both bacon, and waffles were mmm, mmm good!



Just another day of lovin and learnin.

Saturday Morning

I LOVE Saturday mornings!

Joey usually stays over and sleeps in my guest room and in the not so wee hours of the morning I run in and jump on the bed. He usually complains at first and then will pretend to go back to sleep. But I know his secrets...he can't sleep when he knows I am awake. Even now I am curled up in my bed under the comforter so he can't hear my avid 'click' 'click' on the keyboard. ANYWAY. We usually have some sort of fancy breakfast while rocking out to the sweet sweet sound of 80's classics.

Sometimes after our bellies are full of empty calories and sugar we will watch some cartoons or the occasional home shopping network crew trying to sell us things we don't need. After some digestion we go get ready and typically go our seperate ways for a few hours and get the "need to's" done.

But today....TODAY I have my last dress fitting and a make up appointment! We are almost to the end of all of this wedding goop. I must say I am extatic. I have tried to enjoy it all but only so much pleasure can come from so much pain. :-)

Theme for this mornings breakfast: Africa by Toto

Her Diamonds

I lost my faith in people on December the 2nd 2008. She took a part of me that day,

and I still hate her for it.

I miss knowing that people were good, and that they just do bad things occasionally. Now I think people are neutral. Sometimes they do good things, sometimes they don't. I miss my innocence and my optimisim.

No this isn't an emo cry for help. Writing it down in a semi-private way just helps me

to stop burrying feelings, which has become a habit.