House Stuff & Our first holiday as homeowners!

I love love love love love love love love love love love and am totally obsessed with my pantry.  I painted it while Bill was at work, it looks awesome!

And it was Thanksgiving, three for me, two for Bill.  Yes - I had three Thanksgivings.  I really am not a fan of Thanksgiving, I find Americans to be so hypocritical in the thinking and advertising and marketing of the whole thing it kinda makes me sick.  And on a personal level, I'm not a fan of any Thanksgiving food whatsoever.  Regardless, we had Thursday at Tom & ManDee's in Michigan City with Vasso, Geo and the girls, then Friday I went to my folks per my usual Xmas decorations and dinner with my family, then Sunday we had Thanksgiving at Georgeanna's.  She is an excellent cook and her turkey was by far the best!

 Here we are!  Next year though, Bill and I will be hosting, and I will ORDER a smoked turkey :)

John & Kadima's Wedding

This is a pretty late post:  I believe in earlier posts I had mentioned that I was asked to be John and Kadima's officiant of their wedding.  It was a hot August 31st setting up the park for the wedding - talk about DIY!  
The day of the wedding, September 1st was misty and rainy, but the weather held out all day and night for the wonderful day!

Homeownership - Week 1

Wow - I can't believe its only been a WEEK since we moved!
Really?  Wow!  Well, here is an updated picture of the bathroom - we totally rocked it:

It looks Ah-Mazing and we love it!
Lenny is having a hard time adjusting.  He got into the fridge - twice, and after I put baby locks on it, and then he got into the freezer.  I don't have time to run to Target, so here is hoping that packing tape holds!

Lenny also needs a major attitude adjustment - he hasn't been nice to people in the past, and I really hope he's nice when people come by tomorrow!  Bill and I disagree on all of this, of course, but I really think he needs to be on anti-anxiety meds....yes, for my dog.

We Bought a HOUSE!!!

Yes, its true!  Our (expensive) dreams are coming true!  We finally bought a house - which is something we have always wanted.
We closed on Friday, and started installing floors and painting right away.  YEA!

I'm so sad to say farewell and so long to my lovely Ukrainian Village and my wonderful friends and neighbors.  No one will be luckier then Bill and I to have had such wonderful friends and neighbors who were always there in our times of need, or a beer, or a party, or just to have a conversation with. I will always covet our friends and the times we have had.

Now we move onto Logan Square, with a yard, garage, 2 decks and a TON of work that needs to be done.....here we open the next chapter our our book.

Can we just have this house already?

Well, summer came and went.  No family trip to Milwaukee, no Julie & Bill trip anywhere, nothing.
I guess its fine - we have both been working super hard, and we are waiting - 10 more days to go - until we know if our house is 100% ours.

 The Bathroom will be the first big remodeling project when we have the money - its pretty lame.  I hate that tile! However I do like that little bench thing in the shower - but there is no storage at all in the bathroom, so the linen closet will temporarily be housed in the pantry in the kitchen.

 Master bedroom - converted from an attic.  It has a neat deck off the back which is a perfect extension of the bedroom, but the FIRST project is tearing up the carpet.  We STILL don't know what is underneath, but we will find out!  Also building a closet!  Its neat though, I really like having it as a private space.

 My favorite - I LOVE the kitchen!  I love the simple dark marble countertop and we will paint this coral color Turquoise!  I can't wait!!!  And Vasso's butcher block table will be perfect in here as an island.

Bedroom off the kitchen, AKA PANTRY.  This will be a great pantry - It will be awesome and BRIGHT!

Summer, oh summer.

I feel like at least 60% of this blog is about how slowly or quickly life is moving by.  Its pretty lame.  So I'm just going to enjoy the 100 degree days we have had, hide my sadness of summer being half over (ahem) and be looking forward to everything else.
Coming up:  Mackie, Amy, Mom, Dad, Joshie and Sammie and heading to Milwaukee on Friday for an old fashion Ford Family trip!  It should be super awesome, I'm stoked.  We're going to the Sprecher Brewery for a tour, then to Art Smart's Dart Mart Juggling Emporium, not because I juggle but because its rad, then to Maders Restaurant for lunch.  Then on Sunday Mackie, Mary-Frances and I are taking our first ever girls trip!  We're going to to Wisconsin, and heading to Lake Lawn in Delevan, WI.

I wish Bill and I could afford to go somewhere this year, but once again its out of the question.  It sucks.

Anyway,  here are some thing that have happened this summer, all in photos, of course.

 My CSA from Angelic Organics - Yum!

 Some crazy chick on the back of a motorcycle on the Kennedy - WTF!

 BINGO with my neighbor friends - super fun!

 Lenny and Olive, cute as can be!

 Grilling with my neighbor Kyle - July 3rd 2012

 The loves of my life - my gorgeous, happy and healthy tomato plants!

 The most awesome pretzel ever at Genes Sausage Shop in Lincoln Square!

 Cute Face Lenny Alevizos!

 My first encounter with fancy ass doughnuts from Do Rite Donuts.

 Lex - looking dapper.

 Bill at Pitchfork.

 The good old Roseanne Family.

Planning meeting for Women In Film - the events I'm planning.

WBEZ

I'm writing this only because I wasn't allowed to tag this photo on Facebook.  I have been a High Fidelity Member of WBEZ for at least three years, if not more.  And I never utilize my membership - not once have I used the member card, which is basically buy one entree, get one free at tons and tons of restaurants, or do any of their fun events.
Well, I asked Mackie to come along with me for a tour of the station (for High Fidelity Members) and she agreed!
And here we are: