Let's Get It Started

Brad and I recieved a generous gift from our grandparents while they were in town a couple weeks ago. It was a beautiful brand new white, round table with leaf from the "As Is" section at IKEA for $175 because we need a new table when we move into the Cherry Lane apartment. Right now we are mooching off of our really generous landlady by using her spare one.

At IKEA, my favorite place in the world besides the D.C. Temple, Ocean City, and Home, the Chairs that match our table were $50 each and we had to put them together, not only that, they really didn't look like they would be very sturdy and hold up to the pressure from our butts, so we wanted to look on craigslist and ksl.com for some chairs to match.

I was talking to my mom on Monday as I was surfing the Internet, and that is when I found these:

This lady that lives past Salt Lake was selling them for $40 dollars each. They retailed for $245 each. They are solid wood and the cushions are sturdy and comfortable. So, Brad bought all 4 she was selling, she met him in SL, and he took them home in little old Pedro (our car) because there is no way that I would actually fit in there with all the chairs too.

When Brad brought them in I got really excited. I started cleaning them right away. I took my Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (best thing ever) to the pink permanent marker on them and it came right off, including the barbecue sauce, green marker, brown paint, and old peanut butter. Once I was done scrubbing away at them they looked beautiful, except the cushions we a little too stained for my liking.

So, me being the home decorating visionary that I am, decided to sand the chairs down and paint them white to match our table. Also, that old fabric just needed to go, so I went and picked out a very rich, Frenchish, thick canvas fabric from Wal-Mart of all places to re-upholster the cushions. A man that Brad knows from the upholstery shop at BYU is more than likely going to do it for us for a cheap price.

So, yes, when this is all said and done the chairs will probably end up being about $55 dollars each including all fabric and painting materials. But, that's okay with me because I love, love, love beautifying my home and turning something old into something new. Stay tuned for the end result!

Eyebrow Waxing= New ME!

Call me crazy, but I feel I look like a new person when I get my eyebrows waxed. It's pretty painless and inexpensive. I just love it. It makes me feel more feminine and like I just spent a day at the spa.

But on top of all the eyebrow waxing goodness, I actually got my hair dyed, cut, thinned, and styled. How super exciting! The best part about all of this is I got it all for $50 from a top salon in the Riverwoods shopping center. How do I justify such an expense? Well, it's a birthday/ end of the year/ got straight A's this semester present.

I've realized that every time I get my haircut that the stylist always comments on how thick my hair is, like I don't already realize how much of a coarse, curly mess it is. One of my favorite parts is when they thin my hair. I see huge globs of my hair being ripped out of their thinning sheers, and it feels so satisfactory to me because that means less I have to deal with.

Once there done, and it's all over the floor, it feels good to see all of the hair gone. About 1/2 pound, it feels like, just taken away. I feel like a new person. So does everyone love getting their hair done as much as me or do they run an hide for fear the stylist isn't going to do it the way you want it?


Oh, PS- My stylist was from Seattle, and it made me think of the Gottula's and that I NEED to get my plain ticket to see them!

Moving....AGAIN!

It's official. We cannot stay in an apartment for more than 9 months....Hopefully that trend will end!

We have found a better and cheaper place to live. It is about a 5 minute walk from where we are now, and is still in the same ward(BIG plus). We love this ward, and we definately did not want to leave anytime soon. It is a basement(that's the only thing we can afford).

PROS:
Large bedroom, bathroom and kitchen
Small(very!) 2nd room which can be used for an office and/or a nursery
495 a month!!!
Internet, electricity, water, etc. all paid for
gorgeous yard

CONS:
No living room
Solution: Huge bedroom and kitchen, with room for dining. No biggie.
No washer/dryer
Solution: Laundry mat! Once a week, for about 1.5 hours and 5 bucks, it will all be done!
cable not included
Solution: Comcast Basic Limited. 10-15 bucks a month, just the basics

yep thats right, only 3 cons with 3 simple solutions. Even when we add the money for laundry and cable, we are still saving over 100 bucks a month. We are so blessed to have this in our lives. We will be initally painting the rooms there starting the day we get back from CO this May. Hopoefully all will be ready for us to move in around Mid-May. We shall be done with 939 Cedar Ave as of May, 31st(officially). Hopefully Sis Arnold can sell the place by then.

So, Life is exciting. and wonderful. and Happy. and great. and I love my wife. And I just wanted to say and again.

Brad Has Herpes

Leslie's viewpoint:
Herpes Zoster that is, which is the latent form of Varicella- aka chicken pox. So, in cultural terms, Brad has shingles. Adults die more easily of chicken pox than children- scary. Here is a genius moment for Leslie and a perfect time for her to share all of her Public Health knowledge-- Brad had this weird bumpy rash on the side of his abdomen. He showed me, and because I'm taking infectious disease this semester I told Brad, " I think you have Herpes." But he said it wasn't painful, so I wasn't exactly sure. Well, it doesn't get any better, he decides to go to the health center, and sure enough- it's herpes zoster. My first diagnoses, and I got it right!!! Look out Kramer (episode where he acts professionally for medical students so they can diagnose him based on his symptoms he describes--in that episode, he had gonorrhea).

Don't worry Brad has great big horse pills that he has to take 4 times a day, and he is dealing with the mild pain that he's experiencing right now just like a man- whining and complaining the whole time- just kidding. Brad's a real trooper. The sad part about this is you're not supposed to get shingles until your in your 50's and 60's. So, poor Brad is balding and has shingles...sad day!

Brad's viewpoint:
So a couple of days ago, maybe Monday, I noticed a small rash on the side of my abnormally large belly. At first, it wasn't a big deal, I know that I am hot-cold sensitive which tends to give me rashes, also on my abnormally large belly. I didn't pay much mind to it until it continued and developed into a nasty looking rash. It didn't hurt, it just looked gross. Wednesday, Leslie tells me "I think you have Herpes." I thought...isn't that an STD? How could I get that on my stomach? So I go to the wonderful Student Health Center, pay 15 dollars to see a Nurse Practitioner. I tell her my symptoms and she gets up to take a look at it. The second I pulled my shirt up, she stopped, midway from me and her chair, and said "I know what that is. Its easily diagnosable." She didn't even need to look at it close up! Anyway, its Herpes Zoster, aka chicken pox for grown-ups. Although I don't remember chicken pox hurting this much.

She said that my prescription will stop it from growing further and that it will take maybe 2 weeks to fully heal. Dang! Since I got to the doctor quickly, she said that my recovery will probably be quick. Woohoo! The past couple days I've noticed one end of the rash healing and "crusting over" while the other end is still in full swing. It now hurts, but only when pressure is applied to it. This morning I accidentally scratched it pretty bad while trying to move the covers, and I thought my intestines would fly out of my abnormally large belly. Wow. I never want to scratch it again. Ever. So that's life with Herpes. I can't imagine getting this on my junk.




DON'T KEEP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE A PICTURE!!!

eww....