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Staycations just aren't cutting it right now and I'm itchin' to get away to some far-off, tropical island. Our back patio, complete with artificial rain courtesy of Sexy Nerd's ingenuity. Also, could the builder have placed our neighbor's windows any more obnoxiously close? If you would like to have your writing featured on my blog, including a link to your site, please send me an email . It can be a new post or old, whatever makes you happy, as long as it fits in with my site. Recipes, funny stories, decorating advice, and beauty tips are all great options. And, here's the best part: Be sure to include an AdSense code linked to your account in the guest post. That's right. You'll be earning affiliate income from my website. Can you believe it? Ahh, that relaxing vacation feels closer than ever now.

So Fresh, So Clean

Let's be honest. The best blog posts are the ones that border on TMI, wouldn't you agree? If you know me in real life, (I'm looking at you, family members) please discontinue reading this immediately. (Seriously. If you have or have ever had the same last name as me, now is the time to scram!) Today started out well. I woke up a little before my alarm went off and got an early start on my morning. I ate a healthy breakfast of oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit. I found just the right outfit to wear to work. I even had time to do some online (window) shopping before leaving the house. It was going to be a great day! Everything at my office seemed fine. I clocked in and started reviewing insurance claims. It didn't take long, however, to realize that something was not quite right. There was a funky smell. And, yes, it was coming from me! I'd had all that extra time before leaving the house. I had showered, washed my hair, brushed my teeth, done my make-up, and al

Bad Real Estate Photos

After waiting 3 months from our latest floor plan change, we finally received our quote from the builder today. I asked if it was at least in the ballpark of our budget and he said "sort of". Oh, it's just ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS OVER BUDGET. Sexy Nerd is diligently reworking our design to lower the cost. Many drastic changes and many hours later, he has saved an entire $9,035. While he scrimps and saves, I'm browsing real estate listings. My search hasn't been very reassuring, to say the least: This is the most terrifying cozy mountain lodge I've ever seen. What did they spill on this carpet?? It's so hard to choose the perfect flooring. Let's just get them all! Apparently, this broken TV (computer monitor?) comes with the house. Flamingos and tropical fish in the middle of the desert? Sure. I don't know if it quite fits the 1.3 million dollar asking price though. This is on every listing

Custom Bathroom Ideas

While designing our custom mountain home, our biggest fear has been that we might build something boring. I mean, we don't want to end up with a crazy, zero resale value house, but what's the point of going through the hair-graying experience of building if we're just going to end up with something everyone else has already done? The design process has taken a looooong time for this house! There are 3 bedrooms and each is connected to its own bathroom. We still have a few tweaks to make before finally breaking ground, but here are our bathroom floor plans so far: Guest Bathroom/Mudroom Bathroom   I'd like to have a stunning mural behind the shower, framed with real curtains. The floor to ceiling window is going to be stained glass, which will reflect in the mirror across from it. Guest Bathroom/Hallway Bathroom Whether you have the door open or closed, it's impossible to see the toilet from outside the bathroom. There is going to be a river rock s

Open Shelf Decorating Ideas: Sand and Sprinkles

Open shelves and glass cabinet doors are popular right now, but the stress of keeping them tidy can be a deal breaker. A great solution is to create a display that won't change often. Think fine china instead of everyday dinnerware. Cookbooks instead of your go-to coffee mugs. My favorite idea ever? A delicious wall of candy and sprinkles! We're going with an all-white kitchen in our new home and a colorful display like this will be perfect ...as long as I put everything out of reach. I had to take a break from posting this to go grab a cookie! Feeling sentimental? How about a wall of sand, each jar a reminder of a fun vacation. As soon as we're done building our mountain dream home, I'll be dreaming of a beach house. (Who am I kidding. I'm dreaming of it now!) These neat photos, along with scrumptious desserts, are from bakerella.com .

Boss Quote of the Day

Hmmm...do I dare risk the job I love to poke fun at my boss? Yes. It's just that funny. Here she is throwing my painstakingly organized charts to the ground, while grinning like a Cheshire cat. I put them away shortly after taking this photo. She has since pulled them all out again, several times. Anyhoo... My boss was trying to tell us about a movie sequel that is coming out, but couldn't remember the name of the movie. She said "They made the 1st one a few years ago. 4 or 5 years, I think it was. It's based on a book." Knowing her, my first guess was correct. Waiting to Exhale. The only thing I remember about this movie was that I snuck out of bed to secretly watch it after my parents rented it. 5 years. 15. Whatever. My boss continued. "It was written by a black author. Oh, what is her name? I saw her on Oprah. Uhh... Toni Braxton ! That's who wrote Waiting to Exhale. And now Toni Braxton is working on a sequel." I laughed so

The Waterfall House

A while back, Sexy Nerd and I had the opportunity to purchase a unique house in our dream neighborhood, Glenwood Hills. It had a charming bridge to the double front doors, incredible views of Albuquerque, and an interior practically glowing in natural light, but also a few flaws. The cosmetic fixes, such as a new kitchen, new bathrooms, new walls, new everything, we could tackle, but there were also severe structural issues. After much debate (and finding the skeleton of a bat inside the house), we decided it wasn't a good fit for us. Still, I wonder if we made the right choice. We drive by it sometimes and see that the new owners are slowly destroying it, little by little. They cleared every living thing from the yard, leaving just a wasteland of hot dirt, and replaced the garage doors with ones that are super-boring. The house is crying out for a modern, contemporary face lift - boring garage doors are all wrong! We should have just purchased it. I mean, where else are you go

Is it Albuquerque or Everywhere?

Monday, June 15 Albertsons grocery store Despite their marketing claim of "3s a crowd", there were only 2 cashiers open at Albertsons, resulting in a choice between a long line and a slightly longer line. I opted for the latter, as it was the express lane. You know those stereotypical seniors who ramble on about everything, Grandpa-Simpson style, just to have someone to talk to? That was the express lane cashier. My ice cream was frozen when I put it on the conveyor, and melted by the time it rejoined the basket. Yes, I do like ice cream. No, I do not want to discuss the other flavor options I passed up or how I decided upon this one. That's a great story about how you won at the casino last year even though you hadn't been paying attention to the slot machine as you played because it was only $20 worth of quarters which you'd happened to be carrying and were just happy to be able to get rid of because of their weight in your pocket and I can believe you wer

My Salad Has a Secret (Ingredient) You'll Never Guess

There's a crazy wildfire burning and we're getting the smoke and even some of the ash here in Albuquerque. Sexy Nerd and I have been stuck inside every night for the past week and have been advised not to run our swamp cooler or open our windows. It is HOT! To compensate, we're being extra lazy lately. Ahh, what could be more relaxing than kicking back with a big glass of iced tea, a cool salad, and a magazine? But, did you know that the tasty salad you're looking at has a SECRET? Are you intrigued? That big, crunchy, delicious crouton in the corner? It's not a crouton! Photos like this aren't going to make me any friends at Tastespotting. It's actually fried tofu ! Now, if you're anything like Sexy Nerd, you're thinking that this new information is just about the most revolting thing you've ever heard. As you can see from the photos, even Kitchen Pig wouldn't endorse this one. But hear me out! Tofu takes on the fl

Random Phone Photos, Displayed Randomly

So, I went to see Ira Glass speak at Popejoy Hall. He was excellent, but the highlight of the day had to be the man standing in line ahead of me for the parking shuttle. Why, yes, that is the most professional-looking shirt with pigeons that I've ever seen. There is the teensiest baby bunny living in the parking lot at my office!!! I was a minute late clocking in (I'm never late) because I spent so much time adoring him. Don't leave your To Do list where Sexy Nerd can find it.  I was able to cross everything off in a single day of errand-running...except that. It's the wrong time of year, Sexy Nerd. Thank goodness (for both of us!) that my window wasn't rolled down.  This bird will not leave my car alone. He flies up to it as soon as I park and spends most of the day admiring his reflection in the mirror and tinted window. Apparently, my office has morphed into some sort of wildlife habitat. He's cute, but there's poop e

The 4 to 5 Day Weekend

Sexy Nerd never gets to spend 4 days relaxing at home. Over the weekend, however, that's exactly what happened. He tidied up our patio, did some telecommuting (because even during a holiday weekend, he misses his job.)(Also, he's insane.), rearranged his cactus collection, did laundry, hosted a barbecue for my parents (though one of them stood us up), caught up on his schoolwork, and watched hours and hours of racing. Then, he was bored. There was nothing left to fix or build or dismantle. In fact, he became so bored he got the itch to buy a new house, rather than wait to build our own, simply for the sake of having something to do. The plans are out to bid, Sexy Nerd. Be patient! (Truth be told, I actually really like this house . Isn't it charming? It would be like living inside a Mexican restaurant.) When it was finally time to return to work this morning, Sexy Nerd was thrilled. He got up, stepped into the shower, and... ...discovered our hot water heater had di