Top 10 of 2010

Last year you may remember we posted our favorite songs of the year here. We decided to do that again this year.

Big Boi/Shutterbug
Broken Bells/The High Road
Delta Spirit/Bushwick Blues
Janelle Monae f. Big Boi/Tightrope
LCD Soundsystem/Dance Yrself Clean
Lissie/In Sleep
Local Natives/Airplanes
Mumford & Sons/The Cave
The Black Keys/Tighten Up
Trampled by Turtles/Victory

iTunes has extended the preview time for songs from 30 seconds to a minute and a half so you can actually hear what the song sounds like. Check these out, and let us know what you think!

Moving Christmas 2010

Moving Christmas 2010 from jvtubbs on Vimeo.

Busy.

With my U-Guide deadlines quickly approaching and Josh studying for his GMAT test, we haven't had tons of time to post but here are a couple things we've been working on...

The new entry light

and some thrifted frames.

The light we hung last Saturday during the blizzard because we were too excited to leave it in the box another day. The frames I purchased a while ago from the ARC Thrift Store for $1-3 each. Some of them had some interesting things in them, but I was only looking at the frame. I sprayed them all glossy black, and will eventually hang them in the stairway/hall upstairs.

Looking like Christmas...

Just like Taco Truck

Last Wednesday, after Josh and I had run out of food before Thanksgiving, we decided to find a good Mexican Restaurant in the Midtown Global Market. And we did. We had tacos and enchiladas from Taqueria Los Ocampo, and it was amazing. Can't wait to try some of the other places there soon.

Hmm, tacos.

Wish we had ice skates...

for our car. Last night we met Andy and Tine for dinner in St. Paul., and when we left at 10:45 it had already started raining and the roads were slick. We finally made it home by 1am!

Early in the trip we took 94 where we hit top speeds of 10mph before coming up on an accident that stopped us. It was at the top of a crest in the road, and after stopping on the hill, it was nearly impossible to get up it. We idled, with tires spinning, gaining speed and were one of the last cars to make it to the top. We got off the freeway and then navigated home on city streets through St. Paul, taking a bathroom break at Davanni's near St. Thomas.

The roads in Minneapolis were significantly better, so we were able to get up to 15mph. Our last obstacle was a small hill on the newly paved 50th street, a few blocks east of our house, that was closed off. I'm sure others were having the same trouble getting up it, so we jogged over the 49th to get all the way home.

Our side door...

...has never really been used much because the lock was very difficult to unlock from the outside and you needed a key to unlock it from the inside (I know, this kinda freaked me out).

 

We've had a replacement for it for a while, but in order to install it, Josh needed to re-drill the hole in the door. We got a keyless deadbolt, so it has a keypad and codes to unlock the door. Now I'm not so worried about getting locked out of the house.

And I thought I would just show this too. It's the edge of the door and you can see the poor paint job and the previous blue and yellow trim colors before the red.

Just inside the door is where we were finally able to hang the flashlight holder Bud made for us. We've had it for 3 years I think, but we wanted to wait until we had a permanent place for it before we put it up.

Mad Men style

For Halloween this year, we dressed as Greg and Joan Harris of my favorite show Mad Men.

While Josh is Away...

I'm going out with my friends! I asked my good friend Jen to the Hot Chip/LCD Soundsystem concert last Saturday. This is a picture of the HUGE disco ball LCD used for a couple songs.

This video is my favorite song of LCD Soundsystem's called Dance Yrself Clean. They're an electronic band and even have a guy on stage that syncs the lights with the music. We had an awesome time, it was a great show!

2010 Canada Hunting Trip

This morning (3:00am) I got back home from a week long duck and goose hunting trip with my Grandpa, Dad and Bailey the black lab near Margo, Saskatchewan.

We had a great time despite the lack of geese in the area due to excessive rain which wiped out most grains fields in the Margo area. We brought home 47 birds for the week (13 Canada Geese and 34 ducks including; Mallards, Gadwals, Pintails, Blue Bill, Golden Eye, Widgen and 2 Shovelers for Baily to train with).

The picture above is from the first goose hunt of the trip.

10/17/2010
We arrived in Margo at the house we had rented at around 12:30pm. We unpacked our stuff and went out scouting for a field to set up in for the next day. Along the way we stopped at Ducks Unlimited land and tried to jump some birds. We also stopped at "the corner" to sneak up on a flock of geese. We were unable to make our way through the brush in time to take any shots. We found birds in a field East and North of Margo were we would set up the next morning

10/18/2010
We set up at the field we had scouted the night before and barely made it back to our blinds before sun rise. The geese arrived in small bunches for the entire morning. We got 10 Canada Geese for day. The remainder of the day was filled with scouting for the next day.

The picture above is from this hunt.

Dad calling in a flock of Canada Geese.

10/19/2010
Against our cardinal rule "never set up where you haven't seen geese," we followed the advise of the fellow hunter and hunted an oat field were we had not scouted any geese. The cardinal rule proved to be true as we didn't see any geese the entire morning. We were able to get 2 Mallards because we set up with a pond behind us and a field in front.

After the unsuccessful goose hunt we started looking for a spot to set up the next day. We met some local farmers and made our way to a lake where they said geese we sitting... they were right! There were thousands of geese sitting on the lake. We hid in the car at the top of a hill and Dad and I got out and hid in weeds watching the geese. When they eventually got up we followed them to a field where we decided we would set up the next day

10/20/2010
We hunted geese in the morning and got a couple, but that was not the highlight of the day. We decided to cut our losses and stop hunting geese and switch to ducks. We drove south of Margo to a slew between two lakes (Usinneskaw and Whitesand). As we walked out into the slew we kicked up a bunch of ducks and because of the wind they came right back. It was absolutely crazy how many ducks were buzzing around. Grandpa and Dad didn't shot, they let me take them all. The ducks were coming almost too fast and often to pick one to aim at. After many missed shots I ended the session with 6 ducks including hitting 3 in a row. Dad and Grandpa both agreed that they had never seen anything like that before. We decided to set up there again the next day.

10/21/2010
We hunted the same slew in the morning and afternoon. It wasn't as crazy as the day before but we did very well. I got my second Pintail of the trip (I was excited any time I got a duck that wasn't prevalent in Southern Minnesota)

10/22/2010
Again, we stuck with a good thing and hunted the same slew. The morning hunt was highlighted by a great shot I had on a flock of three Golden Eye that were flying between the two lakes. I caught them out of the corner of my eye and grabbed my gun. Without thinking about it I aimed and fired one shot and down went the center bird. Dad ran out into the shallow water in front of us searching for the bird, it had dove and was trying to get away. He tracked it down 15 feet away from where it had splashed and reached into the water and grabbed the bird (he got his jacket wet in the process). I was extremely excited because I had been trying to get into a good position to get a shot at one for the last day and a half! I'm planning on getting the bird mounted so I can remember that shot every time I look at it.



Grandpa with the Green Wing Teal he shot in the afternoon.

The Golden Eye I shot at 9:30am

10/23/2010
We hunted the slew one more time. We were planning on hunting from 7am to 8:30am, but as time to pack up got closer I wanted to stay a bit longer and see if we could get one more bird. At 8:40am we got a Widgen. It was a great way to end our hunt.

We then went back to the house and packed the car and headed out on our 14 hour drive back to Minneapolis.

I had a great time on my first trip to Canada and can't wait to get back next year and get a Snow Goose!

Brickwork

 

Three weeks ago we hired a mason to repair the brick on the north side of the house. Most of it just needed tuckpointing (when they grind out the old mortar and replace it), but some of the brick were loose, so they relaid those. We were super happy that he had vintage brick that almost completely matches our original, and was willing to custom mix the mortar (pink, maroon, buff, brown combo) to match the existing mortar on the other three sides of the house. We'll eventually have to do the same on the other sides of the house and replace the buttresses on our stoop, but we were glad to get this side done before winter.

 Then last week we hired another mason to completely rebuild our chimney from the roof line up. Our original chimney's bricks were showing their age and it just was best to replace rather than repair.

With the rebuild we got a fancy limestone drip plate, critter covers and brand new brown flashing. This mason was also able to mix up a color similar to the bottom mortar to match. We love the vintage look of the pink mortar. Who ever thought we'd be so excited about our chimney and pink mortar?!

The Wedding (Behind the Scenes)

My New Job

This week, I started working full time again. I was hired at Cetacea Sound Corp./Marion Zoological in Plymouth and so far I'm liking it. The one thing I hate about new jobs is the learning curve. Even setting up your computer to the preferences you like can make a difference, but I think I'm catching on. I can't wait to learn more about the companies and start making a difference.

I'm Golden.

Yesterday for my birthday, I requested Josh plan a fun activity for us, so we went to the Walker Art Center. Neither of us had been (I've always been embarrassed to tell other designers this) so it was a new adventure for us. We didn't have time though for the Sculpture Garden, so that will have to be another time!

Macho.

Josh was looking very macho after he rented a power drill to get through the 14 inches of concrete and stucco of our foundation.

The last 2 weekends Josh and my dad have been installing our new furnace and central a/c! We're so excited to have brand new mechanicals in our house and can't wait to try out the air next summer.

This weekend they'll finish everything up and we'll be ready for the winter.

A Long Weekend

This Labor Day weekend was long for us! We got tons done here at the house. First, Josh took his last Friday off for summer hours and we installed the ceiling fan in our room.

It wasn't as easy as just attaching it to the wall. We pulled all the wires out going from the switch to the fan, and replaced them. Then added a new switch that controls the light and motor separately. Then we put up the fan. I'm so glad to have light again in there, and the addition of the fan is great too.

Then, we took it outside. We ripped out all the overgrown plants on the east side of our garage. It feels good to have all that junk out of there and now we'll be ready to plant there in the spring.

And the big finale for the weekend is our backyard.

We trimmed the 2 maples and birch in the yard and our yard looks twice as big. No more ducking under branches while Josh is mowing or playing with the dog. And...now we have some sun also. Hopefully the grass can grow a little thicker now.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together

After 2 summers of being in California, we were finally able to go the the State Fair again. The worst thing was that they don't even know what chesse curds are in California!

So I obviously had to get some. They were excellent. Josh and I also decided to try something new this year, so we went with...

The Deep-Fried Snickers. Healthy right?

Furniture Additions

Last week, we added some more furniture to our house. Christine and Ryan gave us the outdoor love seat from my Wist as a thank you for designing their print material for their wedding. I finally got it put together after about an hour and a half! Secondly, I found a credenza on good ol' Craigslist for the TV in the living room. It was actually like getting 2 pieces though, because we can use our coffee table as a coffee table again! The credenza is in the mid-century danish style, so it looks really good with the lounge chair and Selig table we also picked up on Craigslist.

Breezy Point Weekend

This past weekend Matt, Brie Janelle and I stayed at Mike and Ann's condo at the Breezy Point resort. We had a great time hanging out at the beech spending time together. Friday we ate dinner at Ernie's on Gull lake followed by miniature golf at Pirate's Cove. I was the big winner with three holes in one.

Saturday, Matt and I played golf at Deacon's Lodge, an Arnold Palmer design, in Pequot Lakes. We both played okay with our match coming down to the last couple holes (Matt 82, Josh 85).

Above is Matt's tee shot on the par 3 17th hole. Arnold Palmer included this hole on his "dream 18" holes that he has designed.

Above is my tee shot on the par 5 13th hole. It was one of my best shots all day.

Hello Sirin!

Tonight, we all got to meet Sirin for the first time! Ryan and Christine brought her over, and Sirin and Lucy got to play in the yard together. Sirin is such a sweetheart!

 This is the girls playing "Lady and the Tramp" with the stick! So cute!

Relay for Life

Friday night and into Saturday morning Josh and I participated in our first Relay for Life at the Fairgrounds in Albert Lea. As a team of 14 or 15, we spent the night walking in shifts.

Since Friday's forecast included a chance for rain, all the luminaries were set up in one of the barns and the effect was very powerful. You can see them completely lighting up the barn, and it made it quite warm in there too. They were glowing all night long.

I hope we have a chance to participate again!

Eat-In

Yesterday, our Herman Miller Shell Chairs came! We ordered the chairs from DWR almost 2 months ago and they are finally here. Now we can cook in the kitchen and eat in it too.

Now We're Cookin'!

Well I actually haven't cooked in the kitchen yet, but I could if I wanted! Friday we grouted the back splash and Sunday we were able to seal it and move our stove into the kitchen. We're so excited to have this big project almost finished. Last thing left is to paint the cabinet doors and put on the new knobs, but at least we can still function in there now.

Still in the Kitchen

Well, the stove isn't even in the kitchen yet. It's still sitting in our dining room while we finish the tiling on the backsplash.

Sunday we installed the microwave by ourselves. You can see in the picture the new oak countertops that we got at IKEA. I also finished painting the drawers and Josh put the handles on, and the upper cabinets on this side I finished painting this weekend.

We still need to tile which we'll probably do on Friday when Josh is home from work. Our new light fixtures will be delivered on Thursday, and I need to paint the cabinet doors yet. I can't wait to start cooking for real (not with a micro and toaster oven like we've been doing since we pretty much moved in)!

On a completely separate note, this is what Lucy has been doing all day while I work.

3 Years.

Since moving into our house, life has been pretty crazy. For our anniversary on Tuesday, I celebrated by heading over to the DMV to get my Minnesota Driver's license and plates. Then when Josh was home from work we worked in the kitchen. I'm not complaining or anything, because Josh and I rarely exchange any gifts. We just try to do something fun with each other. Working in the kitchen together was our present!

Since everything has been so crazy, we're having a hard time keeping up with posting, so everything will be a little delayed. You can see above, the floors have been refinished, and I painted the cabinets. Friday, our new appliances were delivered, and Josh took down the tile back splash. Saturday, my Mom, Dad and Shelby came up to help out. Dad and Josh installed the dishwasher and put on the new oak counter top with our new sink and faucet. I don't have the pictures off my camera yet for the latest changes, but we'll post again with more updates soon!

Happy Independence Day!

Even More Art Buddies

You may remember in May when I posted about Art Buddies. After the spring session was over that I participated in, the leaders of the program asked me if I would be interested in joining the Advisory Board. Of course I said YES! I love Art Buddies and I look forward to it every session, hoping I will be available to participate. We had our first meeting last night. I'll be helping with fund-raising and I've also agreed to take on the task of editing and labeling all the photos from the professional photographer after each session.

We've got wood!

That is, in our kitchen. We found it after spending 2 days ripping up linoleum and 1/4 inch plywood that was nailed down with 3 inch nails.

After seeing what we had to work with, we went to our local ACE to get some Krud Kutter. I had heard about it online and after using it, I seriously recommend it. It's an all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner for almost anything. First, Josh sprayed it on and let it sit for a few moments. Then he used a putty knife to scrape with the grain. After that, he scrubbed it with the rough side of a sponge.

When Josh was finished, I came through and washed up the residue with a big sponge and water.

The floor looks amazing right now, that is, for being covered up for so long. We had a guy come look at it to get a quote for refinishing it and he said we have maple in the kitchen, and oak in the rest of the main level. They should start refinishing the kitchen sometime next week!

Rock the Garden

In the whirlwind of moving in, Josh and I attended Rock the Garden on Saturday the 19th. The show was put on by The Walker Art Center and The Current, the radio station we listen to, in the sculpture garden next to The Walker.

We were able to ride our bikes up to the show, but we ended up not using our tickets. As you can see there were about 10,000 people attending. We found a great spot in the shade, on the grass, across the street where we could still see the stage. 

The bands playing were Retribution Gospel Choir, Ok Go!, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and MGMT and we had a great time seeing them.

The First Week at 5053

Well, we're FINALLY here. And we already have a makeover to show! This was the dining room before...

We had to prime the walls because of the dark color, but we may end up priming all the walls in the house for that matter.

And after! We changed out the light fixture for a George Nelson saucer. You may remember back to the Nelson cigar pendant that we bought a few weeks ago at the Room and Board outlet. This is part of the same line. And you're not seeing things, that is pink (well actually it's Coral Gables) and purple (Black Raspberry) on the walls. It looks fantastic with our robin's egg blue buffet.

The room isn't complete yet...I'd like to add some curtain panels and a FLOR rug, but I wanted to update everyone since we've been busy!