True Love

Koda has an obsession with the chaise lounge in our library...whenever we can't find him, we always know to look there.  Today was no exception!



He had made himself a little bed of pillows and snuggled right in for a nap.  Man, is he gonna be upset when he finds out we are selling it and it won't be coming to North Carolina with us...the dog is seriously gonna have some separation anxiety!

It's Official...

We are moving.  We woke up on Sunday to this in our front yard...

Seeing the sign in the yard made me realize that this is really happening and we have a ton of things to do before we can leave.  Better get cracking!



New Countertops...or are they?

This weekend was set aside for transforming our countertops using Countertop Transformations, this really nifty epoxy paint kit that totally transforms the look of old laminate countertops to something that is not near as bad.  This was crucial for me, since I have hated our countertops since we bought the house; Jeff and I always just said that we would rip them out and totally gut the kitchen one day, but seeing that we don't seem to stay in houses long enough for that to happen, we decided we needed a really quick fix before the house started showing to potential buyers.

And here it is....Countertop Transformations!  http://modernmasterstransformations.com/

It is an epoxy paint that you roll on the countertops and then sprinkle with decorative chips to create a whole new look for your countertops.  Now, I will state that the process is not without its faults; it takes a long time to cure (meaning you lose the use of your countertops for about a week), the process is extremely messy (there were decorative chips all over the house) and the paint fumes made me feel like I was going to perpetually sneeze, but overall the results were amazing.

Oh, and we changed the sink and faucet in the kitchen at the same time, since I have always hated my white porcelain sink.  Now, we have a new stainless sink and kitchen faucet, all thanks to my wonderfully talented hubby who swapped them out himself...with only four trips to Lowe's in between!  Here is the replacement, much more to my liking.  Thanks, Jeff for battling with it...it looks amazing and you did an awesome job!



So, ready for the big reveal?  First, this was what the old countertops looked like...white laminate, awful and oh so hard to keep clean...

First we applied the epoxy paint and then immediately the decorative chips...this was the fun part, albeit the most messy.  Once the paint is rolled on, you only have 20 minutes to ge tthe chips on before the paint starts to dry; therefore you have to work quickly (which doesn't always equate to neatly).



Once the chips are in place, you have to vacate the kitchen and let the chips adhere to the paint for over 12 hours.  This was the most agonizing 12 hours for me, as I kept just wanting to touch the countertops to see how they felt.  Plus, the temptation to place something inadvertently on them was just too great.  We finally just had to grab Subway sandwiches and make our way downstairs with a RedBox movie.

On Sunday morning, we had to brush all the chips that hadn't adhered away, sand the countertops and then add a glossy protectant to the chips to seal them.  This also has to be done quickly, so we teamed up to get them sealed.  Then, you have to let them dry for 48 hours before you can even use them for "light use" (which I have learned means things less than five pounds).  And the kitchen is not totally back to normal for a full seven days!  I am slowly getting used to not having the use of my countertops, but after today, we should be able to start using them lightly.  Still, the change is radical, don't you think?

I am loving my new kitchen...hopefully potential buyers will as well!  Not too bad for a couple hundred dollars and a weekend's worth of labor.  You gotta love these do-it-yourself home projects (I know I do)...especially since the next house we buy is going to be exactly what we want, even if we have to build it.  No more remodeling in my future!



Can a Dog get a Milk Mustache?

Our dogs certainly can!  They absolutely love milk and have been getting it since they were both puppies.

I tried to get one of Koda, too, but the little bugger finished and ran away before I could grab the camera!



Staining, Staining and more Staining

Since our big decisions means that we are going to have to put the house up for sale, we decided that we better start working on all the projects we hoped to get completed while we were living there.  First on the list was staining the catwalk and banisters of our upstairs.  I really would have just left it; they were a light oak color and looked all right.  However, the people in the house before us (in their infinite wisdom) decided to try to stain them darker, did a crappy job and then quit a quarter of the way through.  This left them looking strange and it was always something that bothered me.  We were planning on taking out the spindles and replacing them with wrought iron ones, but with the house on the market and time of the essence, we decided staining was the more feasible (and economical) option.

So, we started on Friday, thinking (naively) that we would get the majoirty of it finished that night...boy, were we wrong.  It took all Friday night, all Saturday and even some of Sunday.  By the end, we were both frustrated and exhausted, but the results were amazing.  Here is what the railings looked like before we started staining...

And here is what they look like stained and gorgeous...

What a labor of love...for a house we are hoping to sell quickly!  Oh well, I guess you do what you gotta do to make yourself happy!



Changes they are a coming!

Well, I guess it is time to let the cat out of the bag...drum roll please...we are moving to North Carolina!  Yep, that's right.  I have accepted an Associate Toxicologist position at SciMetrika, which is a federal contract company that creates public health documents for the government.  The company is located in Research Triangle Park, so we are packing up and moving back east!  We are excited to be headed back to what we both know and love...the south.  Although we tried it out in Utah, I really just don't think we are meant to be westerners.  Especially with the culture and crazy laws in Utah...in North Carolina we will get a much needed fresh start and be able to call ourselves Tarheels! (it has a nice southern ring to it, huh?) :-)  Plus, we will be so much closer to friends, family and all our support systems.  After everything we have been and are currently going through, we deserve that.

My last day with the state is October 14, 2010.  I will miss the people that I have met and had the pleasure of interacting with throughout my stay (well, most of them anyway); however, state government is really not where I am meant to be.  It did give me a good variety of experience in a short time period and for that I will always be grateful; however, I feel like I am making the best long-term move for both my career and our family.  I guess that I can say that I made it three years, which is no easy feat for someone "not of the culture".

There are a ton of details to still work out, but here is what we know at this early stage:

• We will move into a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment for 15 months.  This will allow us to unload the Utah house (and the Georiga one too, if we are lucky) and save a ton of money.  Then, when the lease is up, we will move into the house of our dreams (we just have to decide what that dream is).
• We are going to have to downsize our life.  Going from a 3500 square foot house to a 1300 square foot apartment is going to take some time for all of us to get used to (dogs included).  Looks like we will be having a huge yard sale in the near future (anyone need any furniture?).
• Our Utah house is going on the market...the realtor seems hopeful that we can sell it in 8 weeks, so we are being positive and hoping for the best.  And, it looks like we may walk away after closing with more money in our pockets than we hoped (always a positive).
• Jeff will need to find a job in RTP...and quickly.  He is hoping to stay in the medical industry and has already been contacted by three recruiters, so I am confident that something is around the corner.

So, here's to a new start for the McNaughton's...more memories lie ahead to be made and I look forward to the chaos, stress and anxiousness that will be my life for the next couple of months.  Bring it on!

The Big 32

I am proud to say that I did not stress out about my birthday this year, quite possibly because I was in the middle of the most chaotic and stressful 2 weeks of my life (more to come on that later).  Anyway, I had a nice birthday which we celebrated long-distance (aka over the phone) with all our Florida family!  I got a ton of cool new things (see pictures below) and gobbled up a yummy Oreo cake which was to die for, especially since Oreos have been my weakness the past few weeks.

I got some nail polish from my sister (with names like "My Favorite Martian" and "Beach Dancin'")...

Some travel stuff for Ireland (a luggage scale, travel pillow and cute luggage tags) and the hunger game books from my mom and Mike...



Beautiful earrings from Jeff's parents...



A Waterpik from my brother (who obviously cares about the health of my teeth)...just kidding, Jim, I know I asked for one!

And, finally, tickets to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra on November 18 from Jeff. 

So, turning 32 wasn't nearly as bad as I feared it would be...in fact, I confronted it head on, survived, and am looking forward to the next big challenge.

In fact, I think my 32nd year is going to be one of the best yet (said with a wink and a nod)!