A Walk Down Memory Lane

It's hard to believe we have lived in our fixer upper for more than 9 months! Shortly after moving into our home we went from a family of 3 to our newest addition, Jocko, who is almost 10 months old.  Though we have years of work ahead of us, it's always fun to take a walk down memory lane. 

Below you will find some before and afters of our living room.

Originally, the living room was separate from the kitchen and there was a bar facing toward the living room. In addition, all the walls had textured wall paper, two ceiling fans hanging way too low and popcorn ceilings in all of the house. 

Same view of above today... still work to do!

Another before picture with the 1970s bar.

The removal of the wall and bar was a process.

Not only did we remove the wall and bar, but we had to install a large beam in the ceiling as it was a load bearing wall.

                                        

 Our parents removed all the wall paper.

The original color of the Adobe brick fireplace was too dark and out dated so I white washed it. Surprisingly, this was not a hard process.

I'm still in love with my barn wood console hutch! Now it's time for my Dad to create the perfect art piece to hang above it.

We also removed all the flooring in the whole house a installed hardwood everywhere except for the bedrooms. Thanks to Creative Flooring in Clovis for the beautiful floors!

It wasn't until about month 6 that we had lighting installed in the living room. I must say, it was worth the wait because the canned lighting is wonderful!

Dogs have settled in just fine!

Last but not least... A Flashback to 10 months ago... Wow! Things can sure change.

The to-do list continues in the living room, but it's always fun to look at the progress. 

DIY Farmhouse Bathroom on a Budget

I wish there were more pictures of the "before", but our guest bathroom has made a transformation on a small budget. As always, I did not want to put  a lot of money into a bathroom when we have plans to remodel. However, the remodel is at the bottom of our remodel list. This has led to some DIY projects and attempts to take the bathroom out of the 70's and into modern farmhouse era.  

When we purchased the house the bathroom was fashioned with redish-orange blinds, dark wood cabinets and the original 1973 mirror.  Simply removing the mirror, painting the cabinets and changing the blinds made a world of difference.

Before pictures

Three layers of linoleum ......

After -  DIY shelf was made from old wood in our garage and galvanized pipe.

Simple word art is a perfect way to keep the farmhouse theme.  I live by and remind myself each day to be thankful for all we have.

The Home Depot special added some much needed light in the bathroom.

The old cabinet door is gone  and replaced with a  basket, towels and soap under the sink.

TJ Maxx is an inexpensive way to accessorize 

A big challenge was how to hang the bathroom towels since the bathroom was so small. Galvanized pipe was the perfect solution.

Small touches of Christmas completed my little project.

Total cost was less than $75 to change the outdated '70's look until we check this project off our list of to do's.

My Old Stomping Grounds

While attending college at Fresno State, I was looking for the perfect job with flexible hours that accomadated my school schedule and had a steady income. After speaking with my parents, they recommended I look into a restaurant job. With no experience, the Elephant Bar took a chance with this newbee and hired me on as a hostess; shortly thereafter becoming a waitress.  I spent the next three years of my college life at the Elephant Bar meeting lifelong friends and developing lifelong skills. Although I've moved on after graduating from Fresno State, there are many fond memories of the past and it's exciting to share the current Elephant Bar’s latest and greatest items on their menu. Not only did I get to visit my old stomping grounds at the Elephant Bar, but my BFF and I enjoyed a great night of drinks and dinner.

Elephant Bar is located in the Villagio Shopping Center in River Park. Recently, they launched their new menu. They have kept some of the favorites but have added some new craft cocktails, wine and brunch cocktails. In addition, they now have a scratch kitchen… Which I love! 

To start off the meal, they have a light and tasty Quick seared Ahi-tuna appetizer. The appetizer is semi glazed, served rare over fresh mixed greens. 

For dinner, we ordered one of their signature dishes, Teriyaki Chicken. The dish is served with wok chared vegetables and a choice of white or brown rice. (I always had it with brown rice).

 

Next, we split their Chicken Marsala served with with hearty mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach and a Marsala Wine Sauce. 

 

 Annie and I never miss an opportunity to try a new cocktail, tonight it was the Jungle Colada which will leave you swinging in the trees!
We ended our evening of beverages with the Tito's Mule in a copper mug with a lime wedge dressing. 

Growing up in our house no meal was complete without dessert.  As you know, tradition runs deep in my veins and we weren't going to leave without a something sweet on our lips. 

   The Gooey Butter Cake was decadent!

The Cookie Ele Mode OMG!

Thank you Ann for a great night.

The Real Housewife of Fresno

Check out Elephant Bar on Facebook, IG and on their website.

Our Elephant Bar experience was a provided to me in exchange for this review. As always, all opinions expressed are honest and my own.

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

We just finished Halloween and here we are with the holiday season upon us.  Christmas is just around the corner and I have barely begun to think about outfits for the kids, pictures, presents or decorating the house. We recently visited HGTVs Santa HG at the Fashion Fair Mall which allowed me to check one of the items of my to do list for the Christmas season. 

  Santa and his workshop came alive as we toured HGTV Santa HQ 

Christmas 2016 at the Fashion Fair Mall welcomes HGTVs Santa HQ for the first time and they are excited for the 21^st century winter wonderland. 

The children are welcomed by a Naughty or Nice O'Meter where the children put their names in the computer and wait to see where their names pop up on the naught or nice list. 

 

Giada showed up on the Nice List.

An elf selfie is another feature of the Winter Wonderland. Snap a selfie and watch yourself in an elf video which can be emailed to you for a keepsake.

While the kiddos are watching their elf selfie video, parents can take a peek at the DIY experts and learn some tips and tricks of festive DIY crafts and gifts inside Santa’s Workshop. 

Elf Ray Vision, who would of thought?! Get the inside scoop with an IPad and state-of-the-art technology and app that allows you to see Santa’s helpers.

I was able to capture a photo WITH smiles!

Once we finished our Elf Selfie and DIY cheer, Jocko was ready for his own photo inside the workshop. 

 

He had all of Santa's helpers smiling as he put on his charm.

As if all of this isn’t enough, every 20 minutes there is a light show with all the favorite holiday tunes. To wrap up the experience, a family photo opportunity is available just before the kids meet Santa. 

 

And… 

 

In the end, Santa is waiting for the main moment of HGTVs Santa HQ. Photo Time!

The HGTV Santa HQ experience was a provided to me in exchange for this review. As always, all opinions expressed are honest and my own.