New Dishwasher

We got our new dishwasher! Yesterday I shared how we ordered our new dishwasher online and were going to get it delivered, but decided to pick it up instead. It just happened to be raining cats and dogs yesterday with 20 mph winds when we wanted to pick it up, so we had to wait for the rain to clear.

Well, we kept checking the weather, and at around 6:30 pm or so, it looked like the rain was going to slow down. So we loaded the old one up into the truck and got ready to go to town.

After we got a few groceries, we went to Lowe's and got the old one dropped off (They take your old appliance to recycle at no extra charge). Then we loaded up the new one in the truck, and brought it home!

We were lucky that the rain completely stopped when we got to Lowe's, so we were all clear and dry for the drive home.

Trent got it out of the box and brought it inside. It's nothing too fancy, another portable dishwasher, since we don't have a hook-up for one in our kitchen yet.

But, it's brand new and it hasn't leaked at all yet, which is an improvement! It's very similar in style to our old one, but I think it looks a little better since it's new. It's all white, too, so it also makes the kitchen look a little brighter, I think.

I even took Before and After pictures to compare:

Before:

After:

Better, right?

I stayed home today and got some laundry and dishes done, then ran the first full load with the new dishwasher today. So far, so good! 

Eventually we hope to redo the kitchen and get all set up for a built-in one (preferably stainless), but until then this should serve us just fine. We are just glad that's all done, and we don't have to worry about the old one leaking anymore.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Rainy Days and Mondays

So it's not Monday - It's Saturday, but it's a rainy one today! April showers bring May flowers though, right? I'm just popping in while we're at home watching the Cubs game. We were supposed to get our new dishwasher delivered today (I ordered it online from Lowe's a couple of weeks ago, and it just came in), but they weren't able to deliver it until Wednesday. That didn't work for us, because we are both gone during the week working. SO..the plan was to go to town today to pick it up instead.

So right now we're still at home, waiting for the rain to slow down so we can finally pick up our dishwasher. (It's been pouring for hours now) I'm ready to get a new one, since our current one has been leaking every time we run it. It gets the kitchen floor soaking wet, so we have to put a bazillion towels down in order to run it! It's a rollaway dishwasher, too, as is the new one, since we don't yet have a hook-up in our kitchen for one.

Meanwhile, I've also been waiting for a nice day to plant these wildflowers that I got in the mail recently:

Did anyone else sign up on the Cheerios website to get wildflower seeds? It's part of their Bring Back the Bees promotion. I thought it would be fun to do!

Trent's dad just tilled up the garden last weekend for us, but since then it's been pretty rainy and chilly, so we haven't been able to plant them back there yet. I'm still itching to get some flowers for my pots, too. 

Next week, we leave for Ohio on Thursday! Trent will be a groomsman in his cousin Aaron's wedding. We are super excited to see everyone again and hang out for a few days. 

Ok, continuing to wait for the rain to slow... will keep you updated!

Yard Work Has Begun

Hey all! So yesterday turned out to be such a nice day that we were able to finally get a little work done in the yard. It was so nice out, sunny and in the lower 70's.

I got my mulching done in the flower beds. We had 6 bags, which was just enough to get the beds looking all fresh and cleaned up. I also raked out a bunch of leaves from the side yard. I got the job done all by myself, and I was worn out by the end of it!

So afterward, I sat out back on the patio and watched Trent start on his mini project - he's making an outdoor bar out of supplies and reclaimed wood that we already have on hand.

First he built a floor out of some plywood and some boards we had laying around.

Then he took the door frame he built for our wedding, set it on top, and attached it to the floor.

It's going to be kind of the framing for his bar. He's so handy and creative! He didn't even have plans, it's all just an idea he had in his head.

This is where it's at now. He is going to add in the doors and backdrop from our wedding, too.

I love that those items from our wedding are going to be repurposed into something fun for the backyard area. Trent has been wanting a bar back there for a while, so this will be his own little mini tiki bar out there.

There is still some clean-up and more work left to do in the yard. I need to pick up some flowers for my pots and plant them, and we will probably try a garden again this year, even though last year a lot of critters got in there and ate our plants! 

We also have to pick up some small rock to clean up both side yards. We plan on adding rock to the east side of the house, since we haven't done much with that side yet.

Meanwhile though, a lot of our plants are growing back in the yard, and the peony bushes have been growing. They haven't bloomed yet, but they are getting there. And the lilac bush in the backyard is also in bloom. I don't know that I've ever shared pictures of it on here before. But the flowers are so pretty:

They also smell so good, and they seem to attract a lot of bees and butterflies. The bush separates our yard from our neighbors' - it's right in between.

Yesterday was definitely a beautiful spring day and almost felt like summer! It gets me excited to work on more projects around the yard, and work on the house more this year. Because Lord knows, we have a LOT of work to be done!

Trent's Birthday Weekend

Happy Sunday all, and hope you've been having great weekend! Yesterday was Trent's 33rd birthday, and we celebrated yesterday, and now are hanging at home today.

We went out for dinner last night with my mom and dad, to Driftwood Pub, a new restaurant by the river in Davenport. It's changed names a few times over the years. We actually went here for our rehearsal dinner in 2015 when it was called Waterbar.

We sat out on the patio, and it was a little chilly, but the food was good, and you can't beat the view. 

Plus, take a look at Trent's "Shrimp-Wrecked Bloody Mary," which they say is both a drink, and an appetizer! I didn't try it, but Trent said it was pretty good.

We stopped at a friend's house in Davenport for a short time after, then went back home. Trent has yet to get his present from me - we know what it will be, but I'm letting him pick out the one he wants.  So I'll be sharing more when we get it!

In the mean time, we've been watching a lot of Cubs games lately, and we picked up some mulch, so I'm waiting for another nice 70+ degree day to put it all down in my flower beds. Will it be today? We'll see. :)

I also have to get some flowers for the porch, but again, I'm waiting for nicer weather.. summer can come any time now!

Springtime Fun

Happy Good Friday, everyone. I have the day off today, so I finally got a day to sleep in and a few extra moments to blog.

I know, I know. I haven't posted at all yet this month! So let me sum it up for you. It's April! Which means spring is finally here, and here in the Midwest it's been creeping up, slowly but surely. We had a couple of weeks of nothing but cloudy skies and rain for a while. But there have been some nice days here and there, and we're finally starting to see the trees bloom and flowers popping up! This weekend is Easter, so we're hoping for nice weather for the holiday.

We haven't gotten a lot of home projects done lately, since we've been pretty busy during the week with work, and on the weekends. Trent was in Cleveland a couple of weekends ago for his cousin Aaron's bachelor party. We're headed to Ohio next month for the wedding, and can't wait! 

His family all got together last weekend for the annual "Run for a Reason" 5k, in honor of Trent's cousin's son who passed away in 2013. Trent and I both walked, and each ended up medaling in our classes! I got the bronze and Trent got the silver!

Even though there weren't a whole lot of people there, we were still proud of our medals. :) 

After the race, we all went out to eat at the Stockade in Galesburg and stuffed our faces at the buffet. There were about 15 of us, with some of Trent's Ohio family even making it down. It was a great time.

Wednesday night, we went to the Eric Church concert at the iWireless Center in Moline. We saw him for the first time several years ago at the fair, when he wasn't quite as "big" as he is now. And now he's "Holdin' His Own" on his own tour! Ha. Ha.

The concert was great. We both loved it and we had pretty good seats. Though, I don't think there was a bad seat in the house! His stage wrapped all the way around so he spent some time on each side, which was pretty cool.

You can tell he is all about his music and he loves what he does. It was a great concert!

Sunday is Easter, and we'll be staying around here again this year. Probably just going across the street to Mark and Sandy's for lunch and the annual kids' Easter egg hunt. It should be another fun weekend.

Happy Easter everyone!

Travel Tuesday: 5 Places on My U.S. Travel Bucket List

I noticed recently I hadn't done a "Travel Tuesday" post in a while! I wanted to get back into the swing of things, and I had plenty of time over the weekend to write one, so here's another Travel Tuesday for y'all. This week's post is about places that I've never been to, but they are all on my Bucket List to visit.

I always say that living in Illinois, it's so cool when you get to experience a different part of the U.S. and see a different landscape every once in a while. Something other than flat lands and cornfields! So taking trips out West or seeing the East Coast are always really fun to get to experience.

That said, here are 5 places that are on my U.S. Travel Bucket List. I hope to get to experience them all someday.

1. The Grand Canyon

Image from here

Talk about a change of scenery! I wouldn't mind seeing a sunrise or sunset here, would you? It seems like such a "grand" place, it's no wonder they named it what they did. I've never been to Arizona, but someday hopefully I will get to see it and experience this magnificent sight.

2. Las Vegas

Image from here

I am happy to say that I am planning on going here this summer with my mom and sister! We are planning a "Girls trip" to Vegas in late August. I can't wait! Neither my sister nor I have ever been, so what better time to explore Vegas than now, right?


3. New York City

Image from here

I've been wanting to see New York City up close for a long time. We all see it on TV and in movies all the time. One day I hope to visit the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and Times Square! Definitely one for the Bucket List.


4. Napa Valley

Image from here

One thing I have on my Bucket List is literally to "Drink wine in Napa Valley." It's kind of the wine capital of the country, right? And it looks so picturesque! Like a place you can just spend a whole week at, visiting different vineyards and wine tasting along the way.


5. Los Angeles

Image from here

I just want to visit L.A. and experience it all at least once! Shop on Rodeo Drive, see the Hollywood sign, all of the beautiful palm trees, and darnit, I want to put my hands in my favorite stars' hands, and not just at Planet Hollywood. :)

So what places are on your Bucket List? Do tell!

Recent Drawings

Happy Sunday all. It's been a low-key weekend for me, and I had some free time, so today I'm sharing a few of my recent drawings. One of my resolutions for this year was to draw more, so I finally got out my sketchbook, and sometimes, though not as often as I might like, I'll do a quick sketch or two. These are some recent ones.

Growing up, most of my inspiration came from magazines. I was inspired by fashion ads and magazines, mostly, and also drew a few houses or interiors here and there. 

Now it's Pinterest. Art that I like, fashion photography, prints. All things I've gathered on Pinterest and if you search for them, you can probably find the inspiration for all of the images I've drawn here.

Inspired by an Elizabeth Mayville painting

This summer, I'm going on a trip to Vegas with my mom and my sister. So I decided to draw the Vegas sign. :)

Most of these are really quick drawings in my sketchbook, 20 minutes maybe. They're definitely not perfect, but after not drawing for years, it's nice to be back at it again, and it's something I hope to continue.

Every once in a while, I'll see a photo or print that I like, and I make sure to save it for a future drawing idea.

I've drawn other things in recent days, too. From fancy cakes, to a bridge and skyline, a hot air balloon floating through the stars..but these are some of my favorites. 

It's kind of fun to put a pencil to paper again, even if it is just quick little sketches.

Weekend in Iowa City

Hello, and happy Saturday! Last weekend was Chelsea's wedding, a good family friend, and it was about an hour and a half away from us in Iowa City. (Just a short drive from the Quad Cities) We stayed there for the night and got to hang out there a little bit over the weekend. Haley and Dan came down from the Chicago area, and Mom and Dad made it out as well but didn't stay the night.

Our hotel was in Coralville, and the wedding and reception were just short drives from there which was nice.

The wedding and reception were both beautiful, and we had a great time. The reception was at Bella Sala. It was so nicely decorated! Chelsea has great taste. :)

The table decor was also super pretty. There was baby's breath at the center of all the tables, and the bridesmaids' bouquets were also baby's breath, and were stunning!

The next day, we decided to explore a few places in the Iowa City area. Haley and Dan went with us to Hurt's Donuts. We'd been wanting to go there, and had heard good things about their donuts. :)

They have donuts there with super creative and fun names, like the "Jesus" donut, and the "Bart Simpson." (That's the one in the back, far left corner in the above pic by the way. It's covered in Butterfinger pieces.) We had to sample some, so we got a 6 pack, and Trent got a Maple bacon donut, too.

It took us almost a full week to finish the donuts we got, but they were pretty good! Just a little too sugary to eat all in one setting. :)

Another place we decided to try was Zombie Burger & Shake Lab, downtown Iowa City. It's another fun restaurant, that's basically like an upscale fast food burger and shake place. You can kind of customize your burger - you choose which style of burger you want, then they have different options, all with zombie-themed names like "28 Days Later" and "Dawn of the Dead."

The food wasn't too bad, but we had to wait a long time to get it. This place is BUSY! The line was almost out the door, and there weren't any actual tables left when we were there, so we sat at a "bar" style table off to the side of the ordering area. It is a popular place, that's for sure.

Since I'm a vegetarian, I got the veggie burger and I just got their classic option, but got it in a Double. It was way too much for me. Haha. I only ate about half of it. I thought the veggie patty was just ok. But the fries were awesome!

We didn't try any shakes, but if we go next time, I'd probably just go to try a shake. They have some pretty cool looking ones that they make with different kinds of cereal.

And of course, when you're in the Iowa City/ Coralville area, you have to do a little shopping. 

We went to Coral Ridge Mall and killed a couple of hours, then went to the Von Maur at River Landing that just opened a few years back. I had never been to this one but had been wanting to go! I tried on some dresses there, since I'm in need of a dress for another wedding in a couple of months, but didn't have much luck. I did like a couple of tops though, that I ended up getting.

I didn't think the dresses I tried on were really "dressy" enough for a wedding, especially when Trent will be wearing a tux. :) I did get the two tops on the right, though. A sweater/cardigan, and a one-shoulder top that will be cute for summer!

So that was our little Iowa City weekend trip. It was fun exploring the area, and we did have pretty good weather when we were there, too, which was nice.

This weekend is more low-key. Trent's going out tonight with a couple of friends for a "guy night," watching some fight (WWE type thing?), Haha. I will most likely be watching movies on Netflix and hanging at home by myself. A little romantic comedy night for me I think. Who's with me?