The Shoe Chronicles

Who Doesn't Love a Makeover?

2011-01-30T22:44:00.001-07:00

After years of the same old boring pre-loaded blogger settings, I have decided to give the look of The Shoe Chronicles a little facelift. I know, I know...she's only going on 4 years old, but in internet terms, that's pretty old. Imagine how some of today's favorite websites would look if they hadn't been updated in 4 years. I rest my case.

Normally I would have something amaaaazing to talk about, but I'm straight up tuckered out from working on this all day long! That being said, I'll leave you to admire my handywork and let THAT do all of the talking. LOL!!

Please feel free to leave any comments/suggestions you may have in the comments section.

Here's a Juicy Tid-bit for Ya!

2010-09-18T17:45:00.025-07:00

If you were out shopping for a new, designer-yet-affordable accessory and you saw the tag line "Born in the Glamorous U.S.A.", how would you interpret that? For me, it means that the product I am holding in my hot little hands was not only conceptualized by a fellow American but more importantly, produced and assembled by my fellow Americans in our "glamorous" United States of America.

Being the frugal bargain hunter I am, I don't make purchases of "expensive" accessories like, ever. When I do, I find the need to incessantly research the best price for the object of my retail lust. My taste for accessories such as shoes, handbags, belts, and costume jewelry is a combination of current trends, classic lines, use of materials, and on a certain level, brand. I have an acute awareness that an accessory or pair of shoes can become subliminaly more attractive or less fashionable based solely upon the presence of a widely recognized label, or lack thereof.

While I pride myself on being able to make my personal fashion statement predominantly with no-name clothing, bargain basement footwear, and anonymous accessories, I can honestly admit that I would straight up throw my frugal shopping philosophy out the window faster than you can say "Jimmy Choo" for the perfectly priced pair of designer pumps. I admit it; I have no shame! Though recently, I unknowingly allowed the power of the brand to bring me to an uncomfortable place...

At first, and quite honestly up until today, I felt great about my decision to drop a few bucks on a super cute velour wristlet by Juicy Couture. After all, it was "Born in the Glamorous USA", right? WRONG-O! While out shopping this afternoon, I found myself curiously tallying just where all of these designer handbags are being fabricated. Michael Kors...China. Cole Haan...China. Guess?...China. Juicy Couture...China. Yes, CHINA! What happened to "Born in the Glamorous USA"?

It appears that since the Juicy Couture brand was acquired by Liz Claiborne Inc in 2003, the tag-line in the logo changed from "Made in the Glamorous U.S.A." to "Born in the Glamorous U.S.A." in an effort to "clarify" that it is the brand that was born in the U.S.A., not the actual product itself. Phew, I'm so thankful they made that crystal clear, but the more I think about it, I must be the only dodo bird who didn't realize the obvious message that the new tag line conveys.

Since I wasn't 100% certain that the item I'd purchased was "Made in China" (but born in the U.S.A. mind you) I had to do an obligatory tag check when we got home and there it was in baby pink text. Sonofabitch was made in China. I couldn't be more pissed. Well, that's not true. I would've been more pissed if this discussion were over a pair of shoes.

So there I sat, on my hand-me-down sectional sofa, looking at the very wristlet I was so excited about, trying to decide just what to do. Do I keep it? Do I sell it? Do I give it away? Do I throw it away? What do I dooooo? The pros and cons for each path of action are virtually equal. I tell you, if I had the option, I would pack it right up and ship it straight back to Juicy in a heartbeat. But alas, this is not an option as I am far outside of the parameters of the return policy.

Then I had to ask myself...how could I be so stupid? Am I really that impressionable as to take a logo tag-line a face value and acutally believe it? Well, the thing is, now that I know that Juicy Couture products are made in China I have been quickly scouring the internet looking for forthcoming evidence of the truth. Save but a few entries on fashion forums and Yahoo! Answers, there is no place where this information is readily available. It would seem to me that I may in fact not be the only one who misinterprets the tag-line.

Now I had to take my research in a different direction...from price comparison to origin disclosure. First stop was Juicy Couture. When going directly to the website's "about" section, there is a fancy little graphic and a two sentence description, if you can call it that, detailing what Juicy Couture is "all about". Are you ready for it? "Once upon a time in a land far, far away called Pacoima there were two nice girls who liked stuff. Juicy Couture swept the land and they lived happily ever after." What, for the love of all things pretty, does that mean?

Corny wannabe-trendy creation story aside, my research didn't get me far. I was able to quickly determine that there's not very many online retailers that disclose the country of origin of their products. This is a real problem but a topic for another day. What it really boils down to isn't just a matter of non-disclosure or the fact that an increasing number of products now bear the "made in China" tag. It is 100% about what I feel is a gross misrepresentation of the current origins of a very popular brand.

We're all living in a time of cautious spending. If your family hasn't been directly affected by the staggering economy, you personally know someone who has been. It doesn't take a genius to understand the direct correlaion between the "Made in America" label and the people it takes to make that label a reality. Many Americans, myself included, have made the conscious effort to buy American more exclusively and I think retailers can see this trend growing year-over-year.

I find it deplorable for any corporation to take advantage of hopeful Americans who are trying to do their part to stimulate a dying economy. On the technical side, Juicy Couture has done nothing wrong. Its the moral and ethical side that really pisses me off. Juicy Couture and parent company Liz Claiborn Inc are fully aware that "Born in the Glamorous U.S.A." leads the consumer to believe that this is a fancy way of saying "Made in America". You know it. I know it. THEY know it.

Well, I can't make a post without revealing to the world one of my newest pairs of shoes. Though I've owned these for a few months now, the weather in AZ has been a little too warm for boots and the outfit that goes with them. I can't wait for the chance to wear Jessica Simpson's "Camera" boots!

**NOTE: Proir to legislation brought upon Juicy Couture by Proctor & Gamble, the logo read "Love P&G" (as seen in the "made" logo). Now, the logo reads "Love G&P".

Urban Decay = Suburban Hooray!

2010-03-09T13:32:00.014-07:00

Cosmetic manufacturer Urban Decay has partnered with Ulta Beauty to offer one of the best gift-with-purchase promotions I've seen in some time. With any $20 Urban Decay purchase, you'll receive not one, but TWO deluxe sample size 24/7 Eyeliner pencils (*while supplies last, of course). A "deluxe sample" is traditionally 1/2 the size of the full-sized product. At $17 each, these eyeliners aren't exactly at the bottom of the cosmetic affordability scale. Then again, they don't hold anything to Sisley-Paris Kohl Perfect Eyeliner at $53 each.

Living a ways outside of the "city", I have taken to more than my fair share of online shopping, a claim I'm certain Dameone will be quick to confirm. There was no exception this time around when I received an email from Ulta advertising this promotion. I was clicking through the enitre Urban Decay line of products, trying to decide which items were missing from my makeup collection (concealer and a pencil sharpener) when I stumbled on a little disclaimer about this gift-with-purchase: that I was not allowed to pick which colors my new eyeliners would be! I wasn't too pleased with this, since Urban Decay offers the 24/7 Eyeliner in 22 amazing colors. While many of them are suitable for my skin coloring, there are more than a few that would look posatively dreadful on me. Relying on some stock clerk at the Ulta warehouse to grab whichever two eyeliners are at the top of the pile is a risk I was simply not willing to take.

I had the chance to go into the "city" yesterday and while I was there, I hit up Old Navy and Ulta. I got a super cute dress during the Old Navy Sunny Dresses & Skirts sale before meandering two doors down to Ulta just to see if maybe I'd be able to select colors for the Urban Decay GWP. Sure enough, I could! I tried a couple colors of concealer, which I'm glad I did in person because the color I had in mind from the website turned out to be far too light for my lovely mocha-colored skin. I decided on Urban Decay 24/7 Consealer in "NSA". At $17, I was still short of the $20 minimum purchase so I grabbed a Grind House pencil sharpener to push me over the edge. For the GWP, I went for colors that were not only unlike anything else I had in my collection, but also colors that I wouldn't ordinarily spend money on. That criteria in mind, I selected "electric", a bright aquamarine, and "lust", a deep purple with subtle silver sparkle.

This wouldn't be a Shoe Chronicle post without reporting some new fab pair of shoes that I have acquired. The latest addition to my already amazing footwear collection is the UGG Australia Sweater Knit Scuffette in "cream". These are quite possibly the most comfortable slippers I have ever placed my foot into. I normally have trouble getting slippers to stay snug on my feet but these go on and stay put thanks to a substantial helping of sheepskin fleece. I promise you, if these slippers had a proper sole, I would be wearing them to work everyday!

(**as always, click on pictures to see the images full-size**)

'Coon Eye Update

2010-02-24T11:09:00.008-07:00

Hi y'all! I'm back with the much-anticipated update on my ongoing trial of Peter Thomas Roth's Power K Eye Rescue.

So, let me start by saying that as much as I intended to use this eye gel everyday, the reality of my ridiculous work schedule kind of got in the way. I was fairly religious about the daily application for about the first 2 weeks, but that kind of tapered off to my current regimine of 5 times per week.

In the beginning I think I was using a bit too much of the gel becuase the area under my eyes was terribly dried out. After a few days of using moisturizer in combination with reducing the amount of gel I was using, that skin was back to normal. Here's some images taken 1/28/10 and 2/22/10 to show the "progress" of the treatment:

(**reminder: click on the pictures to see them full-size**)

I'll continue to use the Power K Eye Rescue until the jar is empty and I'll update you along the way. I thought it was most important to get a few images out there before the weather warms up here and I start to get a suntan and then the contrast between my dark circles and the rest of my face is compromised.

On a side note, I got myself THE CUTEST pair of boots to keep my feet warm in the frigid temperatures of the tower. Combine these boots with my super cute alpaca ear flap hat and glittens, and I'm a sight for sore eyes, that's for sure! Next time I'm all suited up I'll be sure to take a picture to share with everyone! Oh yeah...these are Rocket Dog "Chestnut" boots in color "bark".

Racoon Eyes Anyone?

2010-01-20T15:37:00.022-07:00

Wow! It's been a full year since my last post, and for that I apologize. But it's got me thinking...I wonder how all of my faithful followers have possibly managed in the absence of regular doses of my witty humor and outstanding taste in footwear. Hmmm...I shall ponder the effects of my neglect at a later date.Peter Thomas Roth "Power K Ey e Rescue" . I have used PTR in the past with great success. They offer an amazing line of products with high concentrations of glycolic acid, which is great for battling acne while simultaneously offering some anti-aging benefits. As per the the printing on the jar, PTR Power K Eye Rescue is an "eye treatment for dark circles and fine lines. With: vitamin K in liposomes, anti-oxidants, vitamin C, green tea, kijic acid, co-enzyme Q-10 encapsulated in caviar-like beads, citrus bioflavonoids, and arnica".

Lately I have been aware, now more than ever, of the imminent aging of my skin, especially the skin on my face. This led me to (not so) slightly obsess about the area around my eyes. My bitter reality with my dark circles around my eyes is that unless I take both preventative and restorative measures now, they'll only get worse and I'll be forever self-conscious; a future that I simply can not accept.

In recognition of this, I started my quest for the perfect eye cream. A quest which has proved to be a much more difficult task than I had initially anticipated. I was expecting to march into Sephora, tell the skin care expert to give me their best eye cream for dark circles, toss a big fat wad of cash at the cashier, and sprint home to erase my dark circles in a single application. That's a fair expectation, right? Yeah, not so much.

Out of respect for a dear friend of mine I have been trying to give rival beauty retailer Ulta a fair trial as a possible alternative when my beloved Sephora isn't available. I can't help but scrutinize the competition and in my mind, catalogue their shortcomings. Hey, I'm a Virgo...criticism is what we do best (but understand that criticism is a paver on the path to perfection and, after all, most Virgo's are perfectionists)! During a visit to Ulta last week, I approached a sales person near the skin care area to ask her recommendation to address my problem. While she was not very knowledgeable about each specific product that was offered at Ulta, I was able to walk away with a key piece of information...Vitamin K is essential in the repair and prevention of dark circles.

When I got home that evening, I started more research into this Vitamin K thing and that's when I stumbled on

I can't be certain that I've chosen the "best" in eye creams, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share my experience in a real-time trial of Peter Thomas Roth's "Power K Eye Rescue". As any of my olive-skinned, allergy suffering compadres will tell you, dark circles are the bain of our existence. No matter what we do, they don't seem to go away and covering them up is next to impossible, unless of course you don't mind the obvious appearance of concealer. Throw in allergy season, and fuggedabouit!

I took some "before" pictures to serve as a reference point for the months to follow. CAUTION: this post contains graphic images of under eye darkness. Viewer discretion is advised.

I used an application technique that I learned while working at Canyon Ranch; using your ring fingers, take a small amount of the product and dab it around the eye area. The thought process behind this technique is that the ring fingers are the weakest and least dexterous on the hand thus minimizing the possibility of causing damage to the delicate skin around the eyes. Upon initial application, I noticed a cooling sensation that subsided after about a minute. There's a distinct feeling of tightening, and combined with the cooling, is quite refreshing. I plan to use the entire jar before forming my official conclusion as to the treatment's effectiveness.

I am very interested to hear everyone else's experiences with the skin care products you love and the ones that were utter disappointments. Please leave your comments for all to see.

Bob Harper, Will You Marry Me?

2009-01-17T11:36:00.010-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I am a huge fan of the show The Biggest Loser (couldn't tell by looking at me, but whatever). I really enjoy watching these "contestants" overcome their struggles with weight and food. I used to think that the methods of the show weren't exactly healthy until I recently discovered that the show is filmed over a 225 day period. Anyway, enough about that.

My absolute favorite part of The Biggest Loser is the trainers, Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper. Jillian is famous for being a bit of a hard ass on her contestants but make no mistake, she doesn't raise her voice unless her peeps are slacking off and are in need of a little....motivation. They all hate her for it at the moment but thank her tremendously in the end when they're fit and healthy. Bob, on the other hand, is credited with being the "nice" trainer, mostly because I think no one has ever heard him use a swear word, not because he is any less demanding in the gym.

I happen to have a bit of a crush on Mr. Bob Harper. There's just something about the combination of his gentle demeanor, charming southern accent, rock hard body, and arms full of tattoos. Mmm mmm mmmm. What has pushed my crush over the edge was Bob's recent display of passion for what he does.

Now, there have been many "comments" on the NBC website about Bob's behavior in this segment. For those of you who do not watch the show, the contestant that he was being hard on displayed a very poor attitude throughout the entire week and one point, in a one-on-one interview with the producers, even admitted that she had no intentions of trying as hard as the other contestants.

On the subject of Bob though, I can completely appreciate his frustration with the contestant's lack of drive. I mean, these 22 people were selected out of millions of applicants and for any of them to not give 110% effort is just insulting. I support Bob’s motivational method in this case. She was clearly capable of completing the 30sec sprint and need someone to push her beyond her thoughts of “I can’t” and “I’m trying my hardest”. She could do it and was not trying her hardest. That’s how she got and stayed fat in the first place. Yeah, I said it. She just needed someone to believe in her; to show her that they are as invested in her success as she is.

You're Gonna Love My Nuts

2009-01-05T02:25:00.009-07:00

Ahhh...the makers of ShamWow! are at it again. This time with a "revolutionary" "new" product idea called the Slap Chop. Below you will find the 3min infomercial for your viewing pleasure.

We're gonna make America skinny again...one slap at a time!

I Was Tagged and I Failed...B-A-N-D BANNED!

2009-01-05T01:36:00.007-07:00

Wow, I totally suck! I got "tagged" by my girl Gretchen a looooong time ago and just now realized it. Though this is completely Christmas related, I am going to complete it in hopes that it will redeem me in the eyes of Gretchen's gypsy heart.

Favorite Christmas Movies:National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Story
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Santa Clause The Movie

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Five Things That Happened Yesterday:
I ate a yummy taco salad for dinner

I watched someone eat over 1dz Oreo brownies

I wore my PJ's under my work uniform

I watched the Cardinals win a playoff game (stranger things HAVE happened)

I only drank 1 cup of coffee

Five Things to Look Forward To:
Seeing Jenny and the kids

Getting a new car

Going to Rocky Point

Going to Cozumel

Going to Peru

Five Things on My Wish List:
A new car...well, make that a car that works

A new pair of shoes (c'mon...did you really think I wouldn't ask for shoes???)

A laptop bag that looks like a purse

The Furi knife sharpener

A new wallet

Five Things I Love Most About Christmas/Winter:
Spending time with family
Christmas lights
Drinking hot chocolate

Christmas music

Wearing a scarf

Five People I'm Tagging:
It's far too late to keep this one going...so my fellow bloggers, you are able to capitalize on my failure this time...you won't be so lucky next time. MWAHAHAHAHA!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-19T15:16:00.004-07:00

Hello all! With the holidays fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to share with you my favorite Thanksgiving commercial. I hope you find it as funny as I do!

What A Cheeky Bugger

2008-09-23T17:03:00.007-07:00

Yeah...so, ok...I was on the phone yesterday, chatting up my BFF about her super cool new car. Being the busy-body that I am, I was pacing around my dining room...back and forth...back and forth. During one of my trips toward the front door, I glanced out the front window. Since my neighborhood is still sparsely populated, I take notice when someone walks down the street. So there I am, gazing haphazardly out the window while listening to the details of BFF's most recent purchase and there he was...strolling by in all his biblical glory. No, Jesus did not pass by my front window. It was what I can only assume was my neighbor...STARK FREAKING NAKED!!! When I first noticed him I thought to myself "Ha! That's funny. That guy's shorts are totally the same color as his skin and he totally looks naked!!" Theeeeeen, as he continued his glorious stroll up the street I was able to catch a glimpse of the rear view, the full moon. I nearly dropped the phone I was laughing so hard! I mean, WHO DOES THAT?! Who walks down a neighborhood street, well ANY street for that matter, NAKED?? Now mind you, it wasn't like he was covering himself and scurrying around like he locked himself out of the house. Nope! It looked like he was headed down to check the mail or something (no pun intended). I was seriously the strangest, funniest thing that has happened to me in a while.

Only in Laveen...

Does Anyone Know This Girl??

2008-09-17T14:03:00.001-07:00

Kids Say the Darndest Things...

2008-08-31T14:47:00.004-07:00

Mole Freckles!

One Night In Paris...France, that is

2008-08-27T16:18:00.004-07:00

Sometimes I think of how lucky I am to work for the airlines. Well, maybe not lucky but whatever you want to call it. Tomorrow I'll no doubt be singing a new tune, but for now I'll just go with this. My "luck" as we'll now call, has taken me all over the world and most recently it resulted in an amazing one day trip to Paris. What started as a "what if" conversation one slow Saturday morning at work turned into a whirl wind trip across the country and the Atlantic Ocean with 5 friends.

Since my super-fantastic airline does not yet fly directly to Europe from Phoenix, we were forced to trek to Philadelphia, PA to catch our connection to Paris...except the all non-stop flights from Phoenix to Philly (that would get us there in time to fly to Paris) were full so a connection in Boston was in our future. Overnight flight Phoenix to Boston, then an early morning shuttle flight from Boston to Philadelphia.

Once in Philly, we had just enough time (10 hrs total) to head downtown for sightseeing and cheesesteaks then right back to the airport for the flight to Paris. We arrived into Paris early the next day and hit the pavement hard. In our 30 hours on the ground, we visited the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Avenue des Champs-Elysees, the Louvre (ok...so just the outside cuz it was CLOSED), and Notre Dame...then back to the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe to check 'em out at night.

We made it back to the hotel just after midnight and stayed up until after 2am recapping our amazing travels. After a long "nap", we were back to Charles de Gaulle airport and eventually Phoenix. Our short few days were packed with story after story...far too many to tell here. Pictures were plentiful and you may check them out here, and here, and here, and here.

Oh, and for those of you who are wondering if I sauntered around Paris in my high heels du jour, the answer is no. I opted for the more sensible yet still fashionable SKECHERS Bikers-Straightaway.

World, please welcome baby Kaitlin Donna

2008-07-27T09:53:00.007-07:00

I would like to take a moment to welcome the newest addition to our family...Kaitlin Donna. She joined us at 8:39a on Saturday July 19th weighing in at 8lb 4oz. Mom and baby are home now and doing well.

And since this is my favorite cousin's new baby, who is also a shoe aficionado, I thought these were perfect for the occasion. (No, these are not a joke...they're manufactured by a company called Heelarious...and hilarious they are!)

OMG...my blog is LAME-O

2008-07-10T11:14:00.010-07:00

So, when I started this blog I was thoroughly expecting to have some ground-breaking, ultra-inspiring things to write about. You know, use this as my chance to put my insane wittiness on the Internet for allllll to read. But here I sit...in my bed wearing a frock that could be loosely described as a night gown with the worst bed head ever agonizing over the stunning realization that my blog is totally LAME-O. WTF?! How did this happen? I mean, I'm pretty sure I am an interesting person, and I know for damn sure that some funky shit happens in my life.

I suppose this is as good a time as any that I mention to all of you that I had a near-death experience on a little trip I took to San Diego back in May. And by "near-death experience" I mean "near-death experience". Our travel group was small...just 4 of us...and our plan was to attend the Red Bull Air Races (I know...but we're all self-proclaimed airline geeks, so its ok). Well, that was the plan. Since there's little difference between the qualifying heat and the final race, we decided to fore go Saturday's festivities and instead head to the beach. A short train ride up to Encinitas later and we were at the 7-eleven stocking up on the necessary booze to make for a relaxing afternoon. Why is it that I need to continually remind myself to travel with a bottle opener? Anyway, 6 Coronas, 4 Sparks alcoholic energy drinks, and 1 bruised hand later (yes, from opening the beer) and this group of overworked, underpaid airline employees was ready to head back to San Diego.

(photos below by Michael Hamann)

The next few hours were thoroughly uneventful; train ride back to San Diego, bus ride to the hotel, showers for everyone, then off to dinner and partying in the Gas Lamp District. We ate at a great local brewery called Karl Strauss. Food was good...beer was great. From there we meandered to The Shout House to enjoy the dueling pianos, then Rock Bottom Brewery for live music and a hip hop DJ, and ended the drinking binge/bar hopping at Hennessey's for more live music.

Our stroll out of the bar to find a cab to get us back to the hotel yielded a different brand of excitement. In an effort to score the cheapest and fastest cab ride possible, we immediately vacated the over-crowded Gas Lamp District in favor of a less crowded street to hail our chariot. Since we were suddenly in a desolate area of downtown, finding a cab proved a little more difficult than we initially anticipated. So...we walked...when out of no where BOOM! A loud bright explosion detonated about 100 yards up and across the street from where we were walking. Almost immediately following the blast, the street was eerily silent then followed by the sound of sirens coming from every direction. We attempted to approach the first responding officers to let them know what we saw, but they were more interested in clearing the area in the event of another blast. So, we picked ourselves up by our drunken bootstraps, hailed a cab and went back to the hotel.

The following morning, just for shits and giggles, one of my travelling companions decided to check the internet to see if our little encounter made the news. And waddya know, it did...read this. Needless to say we were a bit freaked out and super thankful to be alive. Thinking back to the night before, if one of my travelling companions hadn't gone to the restroom just prior to leaving Hennessy's, we'd all probably be dead right now, or at the very least nursing some nasty wounds. We were in the best possible position when the bomb went off...under a part of the federal court house that is built over the road, much like an overpass, thus shielding us from the shrapnel. Being good citizens that we are, we contacted the local police to inform them that we were witnesses to the blast. So, instead of spending that afternoon taking in the finals of the Red Bull Air Races, we had some nice one-on-one time with a few choice federal agencies.

As a knee-jerk, post-traumatic stress induced reaction, I promptly purchased a shiny new pair of shoes. After all, I deserved them, right? I mean, it is the most natural thing to do following a pipe bombing...DUH. So, here they are...Juvett by ALDO.

The First Annual "Tower Tear-it-Up"

2008-05-11T16:44:00.004-07:00

A few weekends ago, a group of girls from the tower got together and decided that we needed to hit the beach - just the girls. Our original plan was to head to Puerto Vallarta, but since the flights were unusually full for this time of year, we opted then to drive to the nearest beach - Puerto Penasco, MX (Rocky Point to the AZ locals). We stayed in the most amazing condo I've ever been in at Las Palomas - 1600 sq ft of modern luxury.

Since we all agreed to abide by the creed of "What happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico", all I can say is that we had a wonderful time. We got to relax, enjoy many cocktails, and swork on our tans.

That is all.

Home Improvement Week at the White House

2008-04-02T12:52:00.009-07:00

One of these days I'm going to turn on the television only to find that Dameone has blocked HGTV from me. But honestly, I can't resist the temptation to attempt home improvement projects! This week was particularly busy in the home project area. I managed to tackle flooring in both the main bathroom and the kitchen. Here's before and after pics of the bathroom and an after only pic of the kitchen:

We also hired Elite Sunscreens to come out and install solar screens on our house. For those of you who are outside AZ, solar screens are installed on the outside of the house to block sunlight from penetrating the windows. In the summertime, these screens can reduce our cooling costs greatly which in turn will reduce our overall impact on the Earth. Here are the before and after pics of the outside of the house:

The Most Anticipated Blog Update of the Year

2008-01-27T12:43:00.018-07:00

So I know you're all thinking "Hey, I wonder if Jessica ever moved into that house she and Dameone were building." Well, the answer is "YES!" and we're all moved in and finally settled. Getting unpacked took quite a bit longer than I expected. We got about 90% of everything unpacked within the first week, but that nagging last 10% has taken us nearly 3 months!

Moving day was quite the interesting adventure. As you all know, it like hardly ever rains in AZ...except on the day that any descendant of my mother's has an important event planned (wink, wink). I haven't seen it rain this hard since Gretchen's wedding (those that were there know exactly what I'm talking about). For the move we decided that we could probably handle moving the boxes and some small furniture ourselves and then hired movers to come get the rest the following day. Here are some pics of us getting our truck loaded up:

Rain...

Sunshine... (It's a little difficult to tell, but I promise you...it was raining HARD. The slight flooding that you can see was the result of about 1 hour of rain.)

Our closing was scheduled for 1pm, so we stopped loading at around 1230pm and headed over to our NEW HOUSE!! We had our final walk through and then had to wait for the loan to be funded and recorded before we could get our keys. While we waited, our realtor, Dameone, and I went over to Applebee's for lunch. The only reason my nerves didn't take over my appetite was because we'd been working so hard all morning. Sure enough, just after we gave our food order, we got the call from the bank that the house was ours. Since the service at our new neighborhood Applebee's is less than speedy, we were forced to enjoy a nice slow lunch. Maybe it just seemed that way becuase I was dying to unlock the front door of MY house!

After lunch was over, we stopped by the sales office to pick up our keys:

That's goofy Martin, our K. Hovnanian sales rep. Super nice guy...but super goofy! Oh, and I'm totally aware that I look like a ragamuffin...but hey - I just loaded up a moving truck...in the rain!

And what would a new home be without a little champagne??? (there's nothing like drinking the good stuff straight from the bottle)

After we took a few moments to enjoy our new empty house, we unloaded the moving truck and my friends helped me put up some ceiling fans and paint the living room. You'll get the interior tour next time around.

Move-in Day is Here!!

2008-01-06T12:05:00.002-07:00

I know I said that I was going to update everyone "as soon" as we got our closing day. Well, I got a little busy and forgot to tell you that we're closing TOMORROW (Monday, January 7th)!! I can not even begin to tell you how excited we are about taking the next step in our lives.

As soon as we get moved in and settled I will post another update, with pictures, of the finished product!

Happy Birthday RJ

2007-12-22T07:38:00.001-07:00

I wanted to take a moment to wish my nephew RJ a very Happy Birthday! Dameone and I love you and miss you very much.

Happy Birthday

First There Was Paint, Then There Was Cabinets!

2007-11-19T12:59:00.001-07:00

Well, I can't help but do another update today. My parents came up to Phoenix for a car show and while they were here I took them out to see the progress on the house. I was just as surprised as they were! OK, well probably not since the last time they saw the place it was a dirt lot.

We pulled up to the house and noticed the exterior paint job is about 80% completed and then went inside to discover that the walls had been painted, the cabinets were installed, and all of the light fixtures are in! Holy Moly!!

Here's a couple of quick pics to bring you up to speed (don't forget - click on the picture to view full-size):

In case you are wondering, yes our home is two-toned. It's a little difficult to see how the color scheme comes together, so if I get some better pics I'll put them up asap. We're still no closer to knowing our closing date. When we know, you'll know!

Alright, I better get back to work. He he he...

Yes...Another House Update

2007-11-13T17:20:00.001-07:00

So, since the last time I posted, a few more things have happened with the house:

1. the holes in the floor have been repaired!!

2. stucco has been applied to the exterior

3. the interior walls were dry-walled and textured

4. the banister was installed on the staircase

5. the back "yard" was block-fenced in

6. the garage door was installed

7. the sliding glass door was installed

I think that just about covers everything. The community has begun work landscaping the "courtyard" right in front of our house and there's pictures of that included below (Don't forget - you can click on the photo to see the full-size file!):

We found out this week that due to safety concerns with the building of this type of home (courtyard style) we will not be able to occupy the home until all of the adjacent units are done with any scaffolding that may be necessary as a part of construction. This just means we'll be moving in January instead of December. No biggie.

That's all I have to report for now...hugs and kisses!!

You Have A Hole In Your WHAT?!

2007-10-24T21:31:00.001-07:00

It has become evident to me now that I am not the faithful blogger that I was hoping to be. You know, the kind that has some fun, witty story to share every couple of days just baiting you, making you want more. Nope! That's not me. So, I've resigned myself to the fate of just the casual blogger that I've turned into.

For those of you who know me, which would be everyone that reads this blog (yes, all 13 of you), you know that I am rarely at a loss for words. I guess this house-building thing has me a bit too self-obsessed lately. To keep it short and sweet, here is the latest update:

The exterior of the home has been enclosed with the "Arizona standard" of styrafoam and chicken wire. This prepares the surface to accept the stucco that will later be sprayed on.

We decided to try to be a little "hi-tech" and ordered pre-wiring for surround sound in the living room. This required that we attend a frame/pre-drywall inspection so that we could verify the placement of the speaker connections and such. When we arrived and started the inspection, my attention was immediatly drawn to a suspicious looking pile of dirt next to what appeared to be two holes in our slab in what will become our kitchen. Here, have a look:
I was so distracted by the unsightly pile of rubble inside our new home that I found it extremely difficult to concentrate on the inspection. I sure hope D was paying attention, cuz I sure wasn't! Come to find out, during a routine test of the water lines and drain system, an under slab leak was discovered. Suspecting that the leak was coming from an intersection of several drains, they drilled in creating the rectangle-shaped hole. When they discovered that all of the fittings were intact, they opted to snake a camera through each line to isolate the leak and what they found was a wooden stake was driven straight thru another section of drain, thus the creation of the second, prefectly square hole. The picture to the left is what was fished out. So, construction has come to a screeching halt until the structural engineer can come out to verify the repairs are within code.

That's it for the house update. I really don't have anything else going on in my life right now. Work is good and I spend time with my friends when I can. I am really looking forward to moving into our new home then taking a break from working like crazy. Since today was a work day for me, it was dress shoes all the way...Jessica Simpson Abba in black suede.

Progress Report

2007-10-04T10:53:00.001-07:00

Vacation is over and I'm back to work now. Work, work, work...that's all I ever seem to do these days. At least I have a job I love and the work is for a worthy cause - our new house! Since my last post, lots of things have happened. The slab was poured, and framing began. Here's a look at the progress that has been made...

So, this is how the progression of the above photos works: The first pic is of the slab (taken Monday, but slab was poured last Thursday). The second pic is of the first day of framing, which was Wednesday. The third pic is of the second day of framing, which was Thursday. I've been informed by a source close to the build (and confirmed by picture message) that the rest of the framing was completed today and the roof is completely covered!

I can't even begin to say how completely shocked/thrilled I am at how this build is progressing. I was able to go out to the property yesterday to take some interior pics:

The first pic is of the dining room/kitchen. See that pipe sticking out of the slab? OK, maybe you don't, but that would be the power supply for our new ISLAND!! The second pic is of the stairs and the third pic is taken from the garage looking through the stairs into the kitchen/dining room.

So, that's all for now, but as I have more progress to report, I'll pass it along! I think that may mean you'll hear from me sometime next week!! Till then...

Moving...A Game The Whole Family Can Play

2007-09-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

So, I pretty much learned this week that moving is one of my least favorite activities. Fortunately for me, this move was not mine and my friend hired movers to not only do the heavy lifting, but to do ALL the lifting.

Now that the move is over and done with, I can look back and honestly say it was a bunch of fun. A lot of work, but a whole lotta fun! The move started on Wednesday with a rather lengthy trip to Home Depot (the first of like 10 over the last 2 days) to pick up paint, a doggie door, and a ladder. (Note to self: when planning a paint project, purchase the paint prior to the day in which you plan to use it.) Well, the stop at the paint department did not go as swiftly as planned no thanks to a flippin' contractor who just had to order 20 GALLONS of paint...all in different colors. I thought there was "Home Depot PRO" for just this reason. Well, once the guy behind the paint counter could breathe long enough, we placed our order and went about to collect the rest of the items left for purchase. TWO HOURS later, we were back at the new residence with everything we needed to turn her house into a home.

So, the agenda for the day was to include the installation of 4 ceiling fans and paint in 3 rooms. An easy enough task for a couple of home-improvement novices and two new homeowners. Well, OK, I guess it wasn't that easy since we ended the day only having installed 3/4 of one fan and got 1 3/4 rooms painted. The 2-hour Home Depot run certainly did not help our already cramped work schedule, and to keep things in the spirit of "this was fun", we won't talk about the other things that set us behind. Here is a couple pictures of the one room we did manage to finish on Day 1 (Paint Color: BEHR Light Topaz in Eggshell finish): *click on photos to enlarge

Day 2 of the move hoped to be a bit more promising. The old place was all packed up, it was a beautiful 80 degrees outside, and the movers were prompt and helpful. Once most of the old place was packed up, another friend picked me up and we headed over to the new home to hurry up and paint the remaining room before the movers arrived. We took what we learned from Day 1 and got that room painted up in about an hour and a half (and if I do say so myself, it looks the best of all the painted rooms - pictures to come shortly). By the time we finished the painting, the movers were mostly finished unloading. Finally, it was time for pizza and beer!

After our 30-minute "union sanctioned" lunch break, we were back to work to try to knock out as much unpacking as we could do. Kitchen...done. Upstairs Bathroom...done. Owner's bedroom...done. It felt so good to see that stark-white empty house transform into a home in just a few short hours. Oh, and in just a few months, that's gonna be me and D!

Yeah, you read right...a FEW months! The latest update from the builder projects our completion to be sometime in December. We just can't believe how quickly things are moving along. While I was out in the area, I snapped off a few shots of the progress they've made just since Monday (photo's taken Thursday 9/20): *click on photos to enlarge

The first picture is a shot taken directly across the street from where our new home will be. Look, the frame for the slab is down! The second picture is looking back at our lot to the homes that will share a "courtyard" with us. Where will my house fit, you ask? Well, you've gotta remember that these are patio homes, so no one has a traditional yard - only a patio - and believe it or not, our home will fit in that dirt lot where you see the guys working.

My Mom and Dad are coming up tomorrow for a visit, and you know my Dad with his camera! I imagine that he'll get some fantastic shots of the lot and the whole community for me to post up here. Oh yeah, my shoes for this post...well, what else do you wear when moving other than utility shoes? YES...I not only own, but I also wore a pair of hiking shoes (Columbia "Black Rock" hiking shoes).