Suck it good!

The dirt that is!!!

When Joe and I purchased our house over 5 years ago,  Joe for our first Valentine's Day purchased for me something we needed so bad,  a dust buster.  Yes I know go ahead and laugh.  But the first year we moved into our house we were house poor and only purchased gifts for each other that were needed for the house.  

So more than 5 years ago Joe purchased to Dirt Devil Kone dust buster for me.

It was great because it was modern looking, which means it was easy to hide and it worked well. 

So about 1 month ago... the suck started to go.  =0(

I started looking for a new solution and was getting frustrated because there was nothing really that I loved especially for the price.  For a normal Dirt Devil or Black and Decker hand held, I was looking at 50-100$ for something I really did not like and for ok reviews.  

Then last weekend we went over to our friends house and there I saw they were owners of a Dyson Handheld vacuum.  I asked about it and both of them (included the male) stated that they loved it.  

I came home and researched it online.  

We have a big Dyson which we love! 

 But I just could justify spending the mach money on a handheld vacuum.  

So I was talking to the hubby and he suggested using some of our points for it as some of our points were going to expire soon. 

 So I bit the bullet and did just that.  

I headed out to run errands with my friend last weekend.  

She purchased a rehearsal dinner dress and me... I got a Dyson.  

 WAHOO!!!!

It is happiness in a box!

Suck it good... dirt that is =0)

We'll meet in Paris! and then again in Rome!

So as many of you know if you read my blog, 

Joe and I are going to Paris and Rome in the Fall/Winter. 

I am so excited because I have never been to either place.  

I am also so excited because I have been told there are both romantic places and full of history!

I was talking to my friend in the UK about this trip, and she said

"Why don't we meet in Paris?"

OMG!!!

So excited.  

One of my best friends and me (with our men) in Paris!!!!!

This just makes the trip even more worth it!

We even were able to get reservations at the same hotel.

Watch out Paris..... Here we come!

Please someone pray for our husbands.  

Then my in-laws were talking about how on their European Cruise they are going to be in Rome, and they will be there for 1 day while we are also there.  

So we'll meet you in Paris.... and then again in Rome....

Going Green!

So I have been looking for something to help store items that I have accumulated over the years.  

I had been keeping these is shoe boxes, but now that we are doing a good summer cleaning thru the house, I knew I needed to come up with a better system.

I had 3 or 4 shoes box full of stuff from our wedding and honeymoon- cards, programs, pictures, etc.

Then I had a couple other shoe boxes filled with cards/picture from special occasional- our friends birth announcements, wedding invitations, Christmas cards, birthday cards, anniversary cards, etc.  

So when I walked in to HomeGoods the other day I say these green storage containers that I loved. 

I purchase two smaller ones and 1 larger one.  

Then I went to work on going thru the boxes and purging.  

I ended up getting rid of 1 trash bag of stuff.  

Then I was able to use two smaller boxes.

1) Wedding Stuff

2) Cards/Pictures

 I loved that all of the boxes have a little space to label what is in it.  

I still have one large box which I am planning on hanging on to right now because I am sure I can come up with something. 

Good Luck Charm...

Saturday I was running errands with one of my friends and we ended up at the mall. 
After making many little kid related shopping-  oh how I love her almost 3 year old daughter.
She call me Aunti lala.
She can not make the "r" out in Laura
Love it!!!
 

I made a comment as we walked by Banana Republic that I had multiple gift cards that I need to spend but never found anything there!

My girlfriend urged me to go in, even though I was not really in the shopping mood,
stating she might just be my good luck charm. 

Boy was she right, I walked in and immediately gravitated towards two pieces

1) Tan and Orange Summer T Shirt Dress

2) Boat Sweater

I took both to the dressing room and 5 minutes later I was out the door with my new purchases.  

Thanks good luck charms =0)
Maybe I just need a three year old to tag along every now and then!

A new fav!

I am a planner, I plan!

So it took my best friend completely off guard when she presented me with ideas for my birthday and I just blanked.... I think my exact answer to her was "Wow that email was overwhelming, why don't you surprise me!"  

She immediately called me knowing 2 things:

1) I love to plan 

and 

2) I am not the "surprise" kind of person.

In her exact works "What have you done with my Laura?"

I explained that work was just busy, life was busy, and really I just wanted to see her for my birthday and I would be happy doing anything!

The next day she emailed me back stating that I needed to be ready to go Saturday morning at 8:45 am.  

So on Saturday morning we woke up and got our stuff together.

Stuff she advised me to bring:

Book

Swim Suit

Purse

We started driving and I was super excited. 

We drove passed cornfield- no not going corn picking.

We drove pass wineries- nope no wineries.

We drove pass a small air station- nope no private jet 

Then we turned into the small town of Casanova Va which I totally laughed because of the name and before I knew it we were are Polor Spring Spa!

My gift- a whole Spa day for the two of us!

We had massages, facials, body treatments and pedicures!

OMG amazing.  In between we were allowed to relax either in the Spa lounge or by the pool.

Of course I was by the pool with my Fifty Shades of Gray! With a Mojito in hand.  

Apparently I started a trend because after I ordered mine, all the other ladies wanted one.

=0)  very refreshing on a warm but breezy day

We also had an amazing lunch which came from the Restaurant which is on the Manor House, which I did not know but apparently is an awesome restaurant.  

The only things that made is more perfect was that I was with one of my best friends!

This spa was awesome!  I have been to a couple of spas and I am a spa snob because to be honest they are expensive.  First, this spa was a lot more affordable, and more quaint.  I was disappointed with RedDoor and also Landsdown feeling it was just an overpriced massage, but this was an experience.  We arrived at 10 am and did not leave until 5:30 pm.

What an amazing day.....I will definitely be back!

4 Dogs + 2 people

This weekend was the first weekend in 6 weekends that we did not have people in our house

 (besides ourselves) so we were really looking forward to it!  

Then our friends asked us if we could dog sit their two dogs for one night... we were like sure!

Then our other friends called because she going to be induced early and they needed us to also help watch their dog.

So dog party at our house!!!!

4 dogs + 2 people

Sleeping was very interesting!

All and all it was a very good weekend and I do not know who was more tired (after multiple long long walks)- Joe or the dogs. 

Man Desk

Part of our energy this year is making our house more functional.

We found while we loved our living room, it was totally not functional.

I blogged previously, after one night of drinking and watching Shark Tank, Joe rearranged our room.

We loved it but it was missing something on the far wall.

After much consideration, we decided to make this a desk that way we could conduct all of our "living" on the main floor and not have to run up and down the stairs.  

Looking for a desk was not easy. 
First, I thought we would try to match the browns of the current wood but that proved to be too hard.  Then  we both wanted different things in a desk. 
I wanted it to fit in with the rest of our furniture as we may not always live in this house and Joe wanted something big enough  and make of good wood that he could spread out all of his stuff on it.  

As we looked everywhere, and yes I mean everywhere, we both loved the idea of a little hutch and decided that going with black finish was the best options because all our furniture in our bedroom is black, as well as the new guestroom, and all of the basement furniture.  

After looking everywhere, we headed back to Belfort Furniture in Dulles.  

We went in and were out with our desk in our car in less than 30 minutes.

It was heavy but both Joe and I carried it upstairs and but the legs one which took all of 5 minutes.  

WAHOO!!!

Our new living area!

Joe is in love with his new man area and I now need to find something to will do as a better chair. 
For right now we are just using the leather cube that went with our leather chairs which actually works well but I think we need something more long term.