tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34899736204268686702012-01-06T23:09:21.087-06:00Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-84421850831051673732011-12-04T12:55:00.000-06:002011-12-04T12:55:00.176-06:00

Last winter my deck was left vulnerable to our harsh weather. We didn't finish construction before winter hit and staining before the construction was finished didn't seem to make sense. However, since we are done with the structure of the deck and quickly moving into the winter season I decided it was time to hurry up and weather-proof the deck. Cleaning the Deck Because the wood has been

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-27804657146568334292011-11-12T12:48:00.000-06:002011-11-12T12:52:33.883-06:00

After we finished the deck railing we took a long break due to the heat. Meanwhile, we hadn't gotten any stairs built and the deck was built over the existing stairs from the porch. While my brother (at about 6'2") kept claiming we didn't really need stairs, I was dreaming of the day I could get off and back on my deck without feeling like I had stumbled onto an obstacle course. Building

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-40315193917997763942011-11-05T16:26:00.000-05:002011-11-05T16:26:46.044-05:00

The space needed art that was smaller and horizontal. So I've focused several posts on my bathroom in the past few months. By now you are probably able to glance at the images with the green paint and automatically classify the posts as bathroom updates. Everything from an overview of the complete makeover to short updates. My latest update is something I'm so happy with. Before I've

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-84025811268733860912011-10-28T17:35:00.000-05:002011-10-28T17:36:02.049-05:00

We've all seen the pink fire trucks, the sports teams toting pink reminders and the information about hundreds of fundraisers nation-wide. October is breast cancer awareness month and one of Tulsa's own, Judi Grove, challenged Tulsa bloggers to turn the web pink this month. In 2007 Grove faced a breast cancer scare. She decided that there was a need to raise awareness in the community about

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com01700 S Union Ave, Tulsa, OK 74107, USA36.13950134676873 -96.0113524273037932.984519346768735 -101.06506342730378 39.29448334676873 -90.9576414273038tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-25532614251384812162011-10-08T17:06:00.001-05:002011-10-08T17:06:11.256-05:00

Over the past couple of years my side yards have been sadly neglected. They've provided some headaches in the fall when piles of leaves as tall as the fence blow into them and they are so shaded that almost nothing will grow. Say hi to Ollie! A few months ago my aunt helped me come up with a cohesive plan to make my yard a mini-paradise. I started pulling together the side yard to the west of

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-8482794939646932692011-10-01T15:44:00.000-05:002011-10-01T15:44:24.587-05:00

These plants used to create a screen between our yards that was roughly three feet deep. A couple of weekends ago I heard the persistent sound of a chainsaw. I decided to investigate. Although I have a "not great" view of some of my neighbors' yards, the neighbors next door on the side where my kitchen is have a bunch of plants along our fence line. The plants had become rather overgrown and

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-33400047508969827322011-09-10T14:26:00.000-05:002011-11-12T12:55:21.050-06:00

A few months back I posted the first in the series on building a deck. Last May I had no idea this project would take over a year, but here's the next step... Decking: After the foundation is complete you have to lay the decking (basically the floor of the deck). Laying the decking is a fairly quick process that requires a lot of power tools and screws. Dad bought tan screws since they would

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-90674824465477901172011-09-05T21:44:00.000-05:002011-09-05T21:44:11.737-05:00

I forgot in the craziness that was July and August to celebrate on of my anniversaries as a homeowner. August 1st marked two years since I moved into my house. My life was so hectic back then (not that it is less hectic now). Since I didn't get a chance to take notice of that momentous occasion I decided to celebrate 2 years + one month with this post going through some of the changes from the

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-83217849789300597272011-08-20T20:35:00.000-05:002011-08-20T20:35:21.014-05:00

I own a coffee pot, but it's stored in one of the cabinets over the fridge. The ones where you keep things you never use. The only time it gets taken out is when I have company who depend on their morning coffee. I'll drink tea year-round though. During my recent visit to Colorado my friend Amy and I visited the Celestial Seasonings plant for a tour. Check out these cool teapots they had on

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-76648875799424252752011-08-15T10:23:00.001-05:002011-08-15T10:23:00.888-05:00

I've been noticing turquoise lamps in a lot of the home magazines lately. They are generally the perfect accent piece for the room. And seeing how perfect they look made me want one--just not enough to shell out $50 (or more) to get one. Before So I started thinking about the lamp in my office. It's a great lamp, but the color/design doesn't necessarily mesh with the rest of the room (or my

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-75080692491682667232011-08-10T22:12:00.000-05:002011-08-10T22:12:06.906-05:00

Over a month of 100+ degree weather might be too much even for me. I commented the other day that I'll admit it's too hot outside when walking from the building to my car results in my earrings getting so hot they burn my skin. So imagine my excitement when after five days in Colorado (with summery weather in the 80s and 90s) I return home to our 109 degree weather. And a broken air conditioner.

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-38953764969154463622011-07-21T08:24:00.001-05:002011-07-21T08:24:00.689-05:00

I've posted before about the swamp next door that breeds mosquitoes and makes my yard miserable. I've also posted about possible solutions on my part for eradicating pests, especially mosquitoes. Can you then imagine my excitement when I came home from Arkansas a couple weeks ago and saw my neighbor in her back yard CLEANING THE POOL!? Apparently during my week vacation she had someone drain

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-45717764373112992552011-07-18T21:40:00.000-05:002011-07-18T21:40:22.640-05:00

I've thought about putting up a bird feeder in my backyard. I already have the bird bath and the birds, I even put out a hummingbird feeder (although it seemed to attract more bugs than hummingbirds). However, I'm fairly certain a bird feeder in my backyard would attract a different sort of visitor than my grandmother's feeder apparently does... Of course, if there's anything left the

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-87999583603417869132011-07-07T09:11:00.001-05:002011-07-07T09:11:01.367-05:00

Over the snow break I took the opportunity to start updating the look of my desk set. The last time my mom and I painted the desk and chair was in middle school--maybe earlier. I started with the chair since it's a smaller project. I wanted to change the soft green look to something a little bolder. The stylin' look Mom and I gave my chair in middle school. The Fabric... I started by

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-38154633277225661472011-07-04T17:39:00.000-05:002011-07-04T17:39:20.959-05:00

I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a wonderful Independence Day and to thank our troops who ensure our right to freedom of speech, religion and to live in peace. I welcomed in July 4th this year by praying my power would come back on. My street lost power (along with about 200 other PSO customers) yesterday afternoon. Not only did that mean no A/C during one of the hottest times of year,

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-29049368157861145282011-06-22T21:27:00.000-05:002011-06-22T21:27:11.088-05:00

In an earlier post I showed you the perfect porch table I found for just $60. I mentioned that I finally broke down and bought some chairs despite the expense, but I still had some plans for my back porch. Among those plans were cushions for the new chairs. And since I plan to have company over to enjoy the deck I wanted to complete the look. When I began looking, however, I discovered that seat

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-83533935929115217742011-06-17T18:08:00.000-05:002011-06-17T18:08:37.336-05:00

For Christmas my grandmother gave me a gorgeous little decor set for my bathroom. It's taken me months to get it all set up (not because it's difficult, just because I haven't taken the time to do it), but I think it's perfect for the space: The set came with the mirrored tray, glass domes, candles and some stones. I think I want to use clear stones instead of the ones included in the set, but I

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-3082567793660342272011-06-10T14:42:00.000-05:002011-06-10T14:42:18.807-05:00

Well, if you saw my post about Creepy Crawlies a while back you may be wondering what my status is. Is the house even habitable? Well, the short answer is yes. But continue reading for details on the battle. Mother Nature Pest Control came out to spray for ants in March. Ever since then I have noticed fewer and fewer bugs inside. Unfortunately, the irritating little buggers that stayed moved

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-86315188982825912412011-06-05T09:00:00.000-05:002011-06-05T09:00:15.514-05:00

One of the selling points of my house was the front door. It's gorgeous.  Solid wood with a beautiful design. There were only two problems with it. The design allows for some hairline cracks that let my heat and A/C escape and the outdoor weather in. There was no window or peep hole. Both are pretty easy fixes, but the peep hole was a priority for me. Not having a window is actually pretty

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-89492070203821521512011-05-27T21:52:00.001-05:002011-05-27T21:54:52.100-05:00

So those of you who grew up in tornado alley know the drill. Find shelter, hide in a room with no windows and no exterior walls, bring a mattress, pillows, etc. Or head to the front porch to see if you can see anything. The storms on Tuesday reminded me that I really have no "tornado hide-out" in my home. All the rooms have windows and my only closets with actual doors are tiny or on exterior

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-77337482245366173982011-05-23T14:37:00.000-05:002011-05-23T14:37:42.593-05:00

So it's been nearly a year since I found this awesome porch table on sale at Target. Since then I have been hunting for chairs. The table isn't very usable without seating so I wanted to find a set of outdoor chairs that matched the table. I also wanted cast iron chairs because they last, my mom has a set that she's had for at least 15 years. Unfortunately most of the sets I like are $40 per

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-83418607253308425772011-05-08T16:14:00.000-05:002011-05-08T16:14:38.534-05:00

I'll admit, there have been a few times when I've heard something late at night and felt nervous. I get up, grab my giant flashlight (perfect for clobbering an intruder) and peer out my windows. It's always been my imagination though. FACT: It took me a few weeks to realize that sound I thought might be someone trying to get into the garage was actually Oliver snoring.On Easter, however, I had

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-27610753494302600282011-04-14T23:24:00.000-05:002011-04-14T23:24:46.763-05:00

Well, maybe not famous, but he was featured on the blog Design to Inspire a few weeks back. The blog has a weekly "pets on furniture" feature, check it out. Oliver is the last picture in this particular post. Of course, you can also see the picture in this post about my couch's updated look.

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-5481585702825697802011-04-05T08:08:00.000-05:002011-04-05T08:08:01.111-05:00

Well, I'm jumping in again. Somehow the warmer weather encourages me to spend exorbitant amounts of money on plants for my yard despite my distaste for actual gardening. Something New This year I have a few plants that need replacing (whether my lackadaisical watering habits or survival of the fittest is at fault is still up for debate) so I bought a couple of new bushes and a yellow forsythia

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-6016546148255883202011-03-30T19:06:00.000-05:002011-03-30T19:06:20.200-05:00

Black spot that caught my attention. I've spent the last few days trying to decide what to post about next. Today my question was answered. I was in the kitchen when I noticed a black spot on the ceiling of my laundry room. My first thought was that a wasp had gotten in, not fun, but nothing to panic over either. A closer look, however, revealed that the spot was actually a crowd of small,

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-9296956773870289772011-03-23T09:10:00.001-05:002011-03-23T09:10:00.593-05:00

Remember a few weeks ago when I talked about my bathroom upgrades? In that post I mentioned one project I wanted to do--adding more shelves to one of the cabinets. Well, I did! You all wanted to see what I put in my bathroom cabinet, right? Picture this tall cabinet without the second or fourth shelves. When I bought the house this cabinet had exactly three shelves (one of those being the

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-15388541830563194142011-03-02T20:15:00.000-06:002011-03-02T20:15:02.273-06:00

I've been trying to come up with possible ways to add bookshelf space to my house. Right now I have three boxes of books sitting in my attic because I didn't have space on the bookshelves. And I'm starting to double up rows of books on the shelf space I do have. One space that I could put a bookshelf is in my bedroom. I would need something narrow that would go with my light wood furniture and

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-57026340790919162162011-02-27T17:36:00.000-06:002011-02-27T17:36:31.319-06:00

I've been thinking all weekend about what to post about, and I had several ideas. But when I woke up this morning I was welcomed by this: This tree was a gift from a friend from book club who was moving to New York. She didn't have room for a hibiscus tree in the car so I happily claimed it. Until recently the tree has seemed pretty happy, but has mostly just been some scraggily branches with

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-61411333162868539842011-02-24T08:33:00.001-06:002011-02-24T08:33:00.538-06:00

The lighting makes it difficult to see, but the vase is yellow with orange and green spots that pick up the same colors in the coasters and flowers. When I bought my new coasters I started rearranging my living room trying to find the perfect place to display them. Since the coasters had orange accents I grabbed an orange perfume bottle from my collection, but still needed something to fill

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-90021617975005715962011-02-20T12:23:00.001-06:002011-02-27T17:37:30.820-06:00

For Valentine's Day I bought myself some flowers. I stopped in Reasor's and they had that slap you upside the face display right by the produce, so I decided to treat myself since I was already there. I bought an orchid (that I hope I can keep alive) and some tulips that look a little like the ones in the picture above. A Short History Lesson Tulips have never been my favorite flower, but they

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-67756254513237236612011-02-13T19:36:00.000-06:002011-02-13T19:36:38.291-06:00

When I bought my house there was only one room that I knew I couldn't stand. Check it out: Bland, huh? With that white color palette not only did the room feel like it belonged in a hospital, but check out that ugly magazine rack/toilet paper holder in the wall. I'm pretty sure it used to be a space heater (my grandma has them in the bathrooms at her house), but when I moved in it was just an

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-19795556666668372262011-02-04T15:22:00.000-06:002011-02-04T15:27:13.223-06:00

So before Tulsa was shut down by the blizzard I invited friends over for Saturday evening. Being unable to make it into the office this week I've had some time for a few projects on my list. Check out my new centerpiece: I bought the tray for $10 at TJ Maxx. Originally I meant for it to be in the bathroom, but it didn't fit the space. The stones and candles were items I already had around the

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-3681603626742590762011-02-01T13:05:00.001-06:002011-02-04T15:18:20.042-06:00

I figured since snow is on everyone's minds today I would share a few pictures from Tulsa. Breakfast in a Blizzard is Snow Ice Cream. Someone did not make it safely out of the neighborhood. Despite the car serving as a warning, Spencer decided to try to make it to Wal-Mart for milk and other necessities. Braum's was OUT of milk last night when I went. OUT OF MILK, they're a DAIRY store!

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-43191326045691104152011-01-30T23:10:00.001-06:002011-01-30T23:17:06.512-06:00

This last month has been a whirlwind as we slipped into the final weeks of preparation before our annual fundraiser at Dillon International (where I work). I'm afraid I haven't had the time to write! Tonight I thought I'd share a couple of lessons I learned about pets and a photo of my newest acquisition. Our Lunar New Year fundraiser includes a silent auction. I won a couple of items, including

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-18068068481232175162011-01-16T18:21:00.000-06:002011-01-16T18:21:40.935-06:00

On Thursday I left work a little early for a special date. My old college roomie was coming through town and wanted to hang out for a little while. As a special bonus she had her daughter, Hailey, with her. Hailey was a little fussy after being on the airplane all day. Last time I saw Steph was in Seattle back in August and Hailey wasn't born yet. It was so much fun to show Steph the house

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-77472763412721237902011-01-13T20:38:00.000-06:002011-01-13T20:38:00.707-06:00

I joined into a pact (of sorts) with a group of buddies around the start of the year. My friend Ashley Daly stepped up and encouraged us to join the website LoseIt.com. On Lose It you can set a weight loss goal, record your food intake and exercise activity and "weigh in" periodically. The site graphs your calories, weight loss and other information so that it's easy to keep track of. But the

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-56233185138241483892011-01-07T21:36:00.000-06:002011-01-07T21:36:15.257-06:00

Ollie enjoying the sofa. Don't the new cushions just make it look like you can sink into the couch and relax? The new cushion covers are here! They arrived Thursday afternoon, just in time for me to update my couch's look before my book club gals came over. My initial thoughts: The section on the right is slightly heavier than the one on the left. I love, love, LOVE the pattern. Saffron

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-31593502663905782052011-01-03T23:03:00.001-06:002011-01-03T23:03:00.594-06:00

You can see part of the garage on the left. Does anyone understand the purpose of a garage door that doesn't open automatically? Is anyone really going to take the time to park, open the garage door, pull in and shut the garage door? Or the reverse of that just to go anywhere? And what if it's raining? You might as well park in the drive and make a dash for it, you'd probably stay drier. One

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-69465929578110174792010-12-30T17:17:00.000-06:002010-12-30T17:17:27.254-06:00

I ordered the cushion covers for my new sofa cushions! I got my living room sofa for free when my grandparents sold the family cabin, and for the most part it's great. It's comfy and it folds out into a double bed. However, the cushions for the back of the sofa are about an inch thick. And they don't match my decor. Current couch cushions. My solution was to go buy Euro size pillows (the ones

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-51822929526690931612010-12-26T19:10:00.000-06:002010-12-26T19:10:00.383-06:00

So as I've mentioned before, my yard was a mess when I bought my house. I think it's come a long way since then, but I'm still gradually adding things. I spent Christmas at my grandmother's house with my mom's family. We open gifts on Christmas Eve, a process that always devolves into complete chaos as we attempt to keep everyone opening gifts in an orderly manner. Generally this means that the

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-45232891464817146832010-12-13T06:44:00.002-06:002010-12-13T06:44:00.255-06:00

Okay, so I've been promising for a while now to show off what I've done to decorate this year. Since I'm finally done here's the post! Story Behind the Tree Last year a friend, Grace Grothaus (awesome local artist, check out her stuff here) finished a show that included several full-size Christmas trees. Since she didn't need 7+ trees after her show she gave me one! I collected ornaments from

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-52463666658892437272010-12-08T20:51:00.004-06:002010-12-08T20:55:38.463-06:00

I mentioned in a previous post that I bought the lights for my bar area. Beautiful red glass globes, they will set off my kitchen perfectly! At that time, however, I was still looking for an electrician. Last week I got a couple of recommendations and took the first step to getting this project finished--I called them. Out of the three electricians I called only one returned my call and we met at

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-35979576886637163912010-12-02T23:14:00.000-06:002010-12-02T23:14:00.170-06:00

Not my garden, but hopefully what will be growing next spring! I've said it before and I'll probably say it again. I am not a gardener. However, I love the look that pretty plants give a home and so I keep trying. I took advantage of the extra time my extended weekend gave me to plant the iris and daffodil bulbs that I've had for a few weeks now. I have no idea how they'll look when they bloom

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-70424793216023202812010-11-26T22:19:00.000-06:002010-11-26T22:19:01.685-06:00

I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving! This year my dad and I celebrated here in town with a wonderful meal (Dad claims our turkey was the best he's ever made, it was pretty delicious) topped off with an apple pie. We started a pot of turkey soup with some of the leftovers (you can see it simmering in the crock pot behind my beautiful pie). I loved the opportunity to use my kitchen and my

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-27716528325239614722010-11-16T15:24:00.003-06:002011-10-01T16:24:54.703-05:00

When I started this post it was May. And to be honest I expected my deck to be done in a month, maybe two. I thought I could cover the entire process in one post. Now that it's November we're finally reaching the final stages of building the actual structure of the deck, although it will probably be next year before the project is truly complete. Since building a deck is much more complicated

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-25206226092764225512010-11-13T16:20:00.000-06:002010-11-13T16:20:01.038-06:00

I highly recommend them!  This weekend my brother Garrison came out to help my dad do a few things around my house. While my dad worked on the deck, Garrison climbed up on the roof and cleaned out my gutters (a job that I would be way too nervous to do myself). He took a leaf blower up on the roof and just worked his way around blowing the leaves out. Of course, that's just one of the ways my

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-18450964035523712842010-11-09T20:57:00.001-06:002010-11-09T20:57:28.729-06:00

Last month I used the first of my new mortgage coupons--and paid about $50 less for my monthly payment. I used the last of the old mortgage coupons back in September and kept waiting for the Bank of Oklahoma to send more. When they didn't I joked that I must be done paying my mortgage. Boy that was easy! Of course, I knew I still needed to make my payments so I began trying to track down the

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-44705005978676736482010-11-04T13:05:00.006-05:002010-11-08T21:15:29.276-06:00

Earlier this week the TYPros Sustainability crew held a short lesson on Winterizing Your Home. I’ve been a member of TYPros for almost three years, but I have actually attended very few of their events. This one, however, appealed to me because it was relevant and I thought it would make a good blog post. Short Rabbit Trail Before I talk about what I learned let me talk a minute about the

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-36300497938145033422010-10-31T19:40:00.000-05:002010-10-31T19:40:35.743-05:00

In honor of Halloween and the fall season I wanted to take a minute to share some of my fall decorations! My Fall Centerpiece.  After Halloween I'll put the cats away. The pumpkins stay out until Thanksgiving. Most of my fall decorations are courtesy of my mom. Whenever I'm looking for holiday decorations I usually check with her first since she has all sorts of things she doesn't use

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-67984443997761578222010-10-28T18:49:00.001-05:002010-10-28T18:49:00.766-05:00

Right after I moved in a friend gave me Joanne Liebeler's "Do It Herself" as a housewarming gift. For a first-time homeowner the book does a great job at explaining how a house works and why the things you can't see are so important. For me this was especially useful since (for the most part anyway) I had no idea how a house worked. The author uses simile to compare a house to the human body. A

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-30619668505587235532010-10-23T18:05:00.000-05:002010-10-23T18:05:25.207-05:00

So today at Lowe's I saw these: I specifically like the red ones. I was reminded that I really want to install some lights like these in my kitchen over the bar: The lights would hang from that wall section. I would need to hire an electrician though, so I need to figure out how much this "little" project would cost. Don't you think the accent lights would look awesome? My kitchen is mostly

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-82780951643540160182010-10-19T21:59:00.007-05:002010-11-09T00:30:10.181-06:00

The neighbor boy kept offering suggestions on how the dig. He told me he could dig my hole in no time. So as many of you may know, fall is the best time of year to plant trees. So on Saturday I visited Southwood Nursery looking for a tree for my back flower bed. I needed something that doesn't grow more than 10' tall and didn't cost too much. I found a "Kathy Ann Batson" Holly for $25. This

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-4076071904311851732010-10-15T18:05:00.000-05:002010-10-15T18:05:06.625-05:00

At the fair last week there was that section where you can try out a wide variety of mattresses. After a full work week and walking around the fair for two hours those mattresses are very tempting. Things like this tend to happen: Now that said, I've wanted to try out a TEMPUR-pedic for a while. I've seen all those commercials (as intended) it made me curious. You know what I discovered? I

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-91546913185604511252010-10-12T12:55:00.002-05:002010-10-13T22:04:40.194-05:00

I hate cleaning floors. Almost more than I hate cleaning toilets or dusting. That said since buying my house I've been a little befuddled on how to clean the floors. Growing up we always had carpet and tile floors. Those are fairly simple to clean, you either vacuum or you sweep and mop with Pine Sol or bleach. But now I have hardwood floors. I'm afraid chemicals will damage the wood. And while

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-87039966010962691672010-10-02T22:35:00.001-05:002010-10-02T22:36:26.431-05:00

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home. My kitchen was a big part of the reason I bought my house. I love the miles of counter space, the huge two-section sink, the dishwasher. I do not love my cabinets. The previous owner redesigned the house and did a wonderful job, except with the kitchen cabinets. I’ve got drawers that won’t open, cabinets that are useless because of their size

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-31247945525800165572010-09-24T08:02:00.007-05:002010-11-05T13:31:56.657-05:00

The finished project. Trying to keep a garden alive in the 105 degree summer heat is nearly impossible, especially when neither you nor your husband have a green thumb. After a few months of coming home and seeing our pathetic weeds, we decided to do something to make our home have more ‘curbside appeal.’ That is when Ryan decided to build a pond. I was excited and all for it...until

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-78931905537679465662010-09-17T08:31:00.002-05:002010-09-17T08:31:00.651-05:00

I love getting free stuff. I also love redecorating. When I can do both? AWESOME. Check out the changes to my office! Free lamps, pay attention to the shelf and photos. Free shelf, perfume bottles from collection and framed print of "The Kiss" (also free, thanks Ashley!) New lamp from Ashley!

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-19488096007769321382010-09-14T22:21:00.002-05:002010-09-15T00:22:59.338-05:00

Anyone who pays the bills knows how frustrating it can be to open an unexpectedly high bill. Plus the fluctuation throughout the year makes it difficult to plan your budget--something I've been trying to work out since I bought my new car a couple weeks ago. Me and my newest purchase! Since I now have another monthly payment I decided to start looking into regulating my utility bills. But

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-48210820625637205832010-09-01T19:04:00.009-05:002010-11-09T00:29:28.702-06:00

A few days ago I came home for lunch to this: Mountain of tree limbs in my front yard. Needless to say I was a bit taken aback at first--until I realized that AEP must have finally returned to cut down the trees they marked for removal back in March. Being proactive. Preventing another disaster like the ice storm in 2007. I can appreciate that. That doesn’t mean that watching them shear limbs

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-12248808859643769922010-08-24T19:35:00.003-05:002010-11-09T00:30:45.908-06:00

I got my gas bill on Saturday and (as usual) cringed at the thought of yet another bill to pay. Can you imagine the amazing feeling of opening it to see “Amount Due: $0.00”?  Of course, it’s not that I didn’t use any gas in the past month. My water heater, stove, oven and furnace all run on gas. Out of those the furnace is the only thing I haven’t used lately. So, let me explain how I’m getting

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-60089119833586044692010-08-19T00:09:00.000-05:002010-08-19T00:09:26.289-05:00

This month we have experienced mind-blowing heat in Oklahoma--as well as many other areas of the U.S. Until this past weekend the temperature in Tulsa had been well over 100 degrees for almost three weeks straight. It's amazing how nice 90 degrees can feel. That said, 90 degrees really only feels nice when you're outside. When it's 90 degrees INSIDE all you want to do is collapse naked in front

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-76117100935884679692010-08-03T08:15:00.003-05:002010-11-09T00:31:11.967-06:00

This weekend my dad and I got started on another project from my list. We picked up a couple truckloads of free mulch from Tulsa's Greenwaste Site and started rescuing my flowerbeds. In Tulsa, the city shreds greenwaste such as tree limbs or debris to create mulch. Anyone willing to come out to the Greenwaste Site can pick up as much mulch as they'd like for free. This was great for my budget

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-78728932905139572642010-07-26T19:29:00.001-05:002010-07-26T19:31:53.102-05:00

Often your neighbors will define whether your neighborhood is an enjoyable place. When I was five I befriended our elderly neighbor next door. Her back fence butted up against my backyard and I recall having several deep conversations with her. Or at least they seemed deep to a five-year-old. Now I've got my own place and most of my neighbors are great. On the left is a plumber's family. At

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-70668058335199167332010-07-20T12:15:00.002-05:002011-03-30T19:07:32.412-05:00

A few days ago I watered one of my kitchen plants. Apparently I over-watered it because suddenly I was waging a war against the colony of ants evacuating their "home." This wasn't the first problem that I've had with pests since moving in, so I decided to share some natural remedies I found for problems with insects. While my battle with the ants required a more immediate weapon (I relied on

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-60803272198887697812010-07-12T23:07:00.000-05:002010-07-12T23:07:22.017-05:00

A few months ago I was hunting for the perfect piece of furniture for a long wall in my living room. I knew exactly what I wanted, a credenza in a mid-century style that was good quality and in my price range. I searched several furniture stores without luck--until I drove by an eye-catching store on 15th Street with an awesome sampling of furniture and decor out front. The store was called Joz

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-71461567144849796772010-07-09T12:00:00.001-05:002010-07-09T12:00:01.377-05:00

I've been on plenty of vacations since buying my house last August--I even went on one the same week I moved into the house. However, this last week was the first time I left my house unsupervised during a longer vacation. Usually I'm not much of a worrier, but for the first time I understood the concern many home owners feel leaving for an extended vacation. Dozens of thoughts were flying

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-76723853600182374662010-07-01T12:00:00.009-05:002010-11-09T00:31:37.272-06:00

So I've been thinking since I started planning to build a deck that I should buy a table for my patio. However, I wasn't willing to spend $200+ on a furniture set and I didn't find anything I wanted to buy on Craigslist or at any of the stores I looked at. Then I went to Target (one of my favorite stores) and I found this table for half off. You can see a sneak peek of my new deck in the pic!

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-87585993259591206022010-06-27T14:55:00.006-05:002010-11-09T00:31:54.085-06:00

So I came home on Thursday and found this waiting for me: I finally broke down and bought a hammock for my backyard last weekend, less than a week later there it was! So I ran outside, put all the hammock stand pieces together and then came back in and cracked open the box. That's when I realized the pieces that attach the hammock to the hammock stand were missing. Grr...no enjoying the hammock

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-87588308632456709922010-06-19T06:30:00.005-05:002010-11-09T00:32:24.806-06:00

One of my favorite parts of owning a home is that I can follow through with all the decorations, projects and ideas I have. For example, my backyard is getting a major overhaul this summer. Dad and I are building a deck (with the help of my brothers). I'm adding a small retreat with a hammock and bird bath, building a flowerbed and adding stepping stones to the side yard. I'm a creative person,

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-83242453017550630362010-06-13T15:30:00.003-05:002010-11-09T00:32:48.957-06:00

OK, so you know how to buy a house with no money for closing. You know how to make sure house payments will fit into your budget. Now, I'll talk about the process of finding your home and making it yours! First things first, you must get pre-qualified! Don't be afraid to talk with several mortgage companies, but wait until you're ready to buy to request an estimate because the companies will

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-855836850237437602010-06-08T22:58:00.003-05:002010-06-10T10:53:23.174-05:00

They said it was the time to buy. Record low interest rates. The tax credit. A buyer's market. My only problem was that I had no money saved to use as a down payment at closing. Most lenders expect that the buyer will pay for 20% of their new home's total cost up front. Even with an FHA loan you needed money to close. (For first-time home buyers FHA loans are often recommended instead of a

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-21535891082649957842010-05-29T19:01:00.000-05:002010-05-29T19:05:57.130-05:00

I rented at two different places once I moved back to Tulsa. I loved my apartment. It was small, but it had the space I needed. Not to say that at times living there didn't irritate me. My neighbor kept weird hours, sometimes his alarm would go off for an hour at three in the morning. I can sleep through almost everything, but the constant beep of an alarm clock drives me crazy. When I moved to

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489973620426868670.post-14704207478336333922010-05-26T10:57:00.001-05:002010-05-26T10:58:46.546-05:00

I've been brainstorming for a good topic to blog about for a while. A friend of mine recently suggested blogging about being a homeowner as a single woman in my 20's. I thought, "What a great idea!" So far I don't know of any other blogs written BY first-time homeowners ABOUT owning a home. I'm hoping that I can be a resource for others as I share my experiences owning a home in the Midwest.

Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08079540443285375018noreply@blogger.com0