tv mounting 101

kdavis 2 Comments

with phillip moved into the condo (how exciting!), we needed somewhere for his tv to go.  i already have a sizable flat screen in the living room, so it seemed the perfect place would be the guest bedroom.  now, if you’ve ever visited the condo, you know there isn’t a lot of space.  i mean, we have it perfectly decorated that not one more piece of furniture can really be purchased, which just means that if we can’t expand horizontally then we go vertical!  yes, that’s right, we decided to mount the tv on the wall in the guest room so that it wouldn’t have to sit on a crowded entertainment unit.

while the idea of a mounted tv sounds thrilling, the actual process of getting that thing hung became another item on the bucket list that i never knew was there.  and because i didn’t want all my fans to miss out on the fun, i invited kyle and kari over to assist/watch/laugh.  you know, help us create proof that the tv once was not hung and now is affixed perfectly to the wall.

so, in order to mount a tv, you obviously need the proper tools, right?  right!  first things first, the wall mount.

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the tools to get the job done.

a positive attitude accompanied by lots of enthusiasm.

and last but not least, very full glasses of wine.  cheers to home improvement!

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what IS that?!

kdavis 1 Comment

this past weekend phillip and i made the relaxing sunday drive up to alpharetta for the 4:30 p.m. service at north point community church.  we arrived just as the music was starting, so we wiggled our way through to the middle of a row to snag some chairs.  a couple worship songs later we seated ourselves to listen to andy’s message.

about ten minutes in, i found myself distracted by an odd sound.  i wasn’t sure if perhaps the audio was acting up in the auditorium or if it was just my imagination.  the noise carried on for about another five minutes when i suddenly placed what it was:  someone in the row behind us was eating!  yes, that is as absurd as it sounds.  i mean, when you’re hungry you gotta eat, but can it not wait until the program is finished?

i nudged phillip to get his attention and whispered as quietly as i could, “do you hear that sound?  is someone eating in here?”  he pondered the question for a moment and then very sneakily stole a glance behind himself.  he leaned back in and answered, “the man behind us is actually chewing gum.”

WAT.  his gum chewing was that loud, you ask?  yes.  i kid you not, it sounded like he was right behind my ear, flapping his mouth around all wide and open and everything as he smacked on that chewing gum.  now, i don’t have anything against gum in general.  i like to chew a stick when i need to quickly freshen my breath or need something to help keep me awake on a long drive.  i totally get it, but to be chewing gum that loudly in such a quiet setting seemed unreal.

there’s a time and a place, and i like i said, even though i don’t necessarily have any qualms about chewing gum in church, at least have some manners about yourself and keep it down.  after we identified what the disturbance was, i realized how distracting it had been and that i’d missed about five minutes of the message trying to locate it!

gum chewing may be a habit and may seem acceptable wherever, but if you must, i implore you to be aware of your surroundings and be considerate to those near you.  i mean, that’s just how i feel.  anyone else out there smell what i’m stepping in?

roasted tomato bisque – fancy!

kdavis 2 Comments

despite the fact that it feels like the best of spring right now in georgia, i wanted a meal that was comfy and cozy for this december night.  i was fully prepared to just make breakfast for dinner (because late twentysomethings are allowed to do that still), but i reasoned with myself that something a little more substantial would probably satisfy my appetite a bit better.  i looked far and wide through my cookbook and online and finally came across this roasted tomato bisque recipe by chef jeff mauro of the food network.  his focus is typically sandwiches, but a good sandwich can always be accompanied by a good soup.  the more the merrier!

this recipe is very straightforward, and after following the instructions, i can testify that they are accurate and true.  the roasted vegetables in the oven will bring wonderful smells to your kitchen as will the soup as it simmers on the stove top.

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i paired my steaming bowl of bisque with a rich and savory white cheddar grilled cheese.  but wait.  what would this lovely dinner be without the perfect glass of wine?  incomplete, that’s what!  i couldn’t go wrong with a bottle of green fin white table wine direct from the local trader joe’s just down the road.

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the soup has the slightest kick to it because of the crushed red pepper, but it is divine.  by some miracle, i managed to not oversalt it, which is always the key with a good soup.  as i took bite after bite, i was prepared to eat the entire pot until i remembered i’d probably have a stomach ache afterwards.  there is such thing as too much of a good thing!  this recipe is an absolute must if you are a soup lover, so go get that immersion blender and sherry and get to work!  Živjeli, moji prijatelji!

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something special

kdavis 1 Comment

of the gifts for me under the tree this year, one of my favorites (among many) is a necklace designed by a girlfriend of mine.  i was in awe when i unwrapped the tissue paper – a simple necklace with character, it is perfect against a solid blouse or, as i am wearing, on something with more of a subtle print.

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the prism pendant is unique and, i think, will easily be a conversation starter.  it’s classy and simple and intriguing all at the same time, so don’t be surprised if you see it on me a lot.  i tend to wear out the pieces i love, which probably isn’t a bad thing.  🙂

as i wore it around town while running errands, i smiled as i realized that i know the person who created this necklace.  i know how much work and creativity she put into it, and that’s pretty special if you ask me.  a thoughtful gesture like this necklace is one that will last a very long while and will be something i look forward to wearing often.

pedicures for everyone!

kdavis 2 Comments

with most of us home in birmingham for the holiday, it was a no-brainer that getting pedicures yesterday at the nearby foxy nails & spa salon would be a family affair.  dad and clark needed their nails trimmed and mom and i needed new color on our toes.

with dozens of chairs on either side of the salon, the front desk attendant quickly seated us at four together over on the right.  we all slipped off our shoes and slid back into the comfy massage chairs.

clarky boy is not amused.
everybody wave!

dad doesn’t get pedicures often, so it was a sight in and of itself to watch him get the massage going at exactly the right speed in exactly the right spot.  i’ll let your imagination run wild with this scene, for we hardly are ever a quiet bunch!

once our feet were soaking in the piping hot water, our technicians got to work quickly.  mom, clark, and i indulged in the spa pedicure while dad went the ultra relaxation route with the foxy deluxe pedicure.  how fancy!  nails were clipped, legs were massaged, feet were rubbed, and we all slowly sank into pedicure heaven.  see how happy everyone is when we’re all together?!

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technician derek finished off my pedicure with a couple sparkling coats of opi’s let your love shine – i just had to have something glamorous for ringing in the new year!  we wiggled my flip flops back on and i went to sit under the dryer so that the perfect pedicure could settle.  (i apologize for the poor picture quality – it was a balmy december day in the ‘ham!).

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since dad’s pedicure package included some more treatments, he enjoyed the last few minutes of pampering while clark got a quick manicure to clean up his fingernails.  i’m sure you can picture the mounds of fun we all had as we chatted and people watched and enjoyed some good family time together.

after about an hour of fun, our time at the salon was all done.  dad’s feet looked fresh, clark’s hands were rejuvenated, and mom’s toes were prettily polished in opi’s ro-man-ce on the moon!  all in all, a lovely afternoon that, as usual with our family, was anything but average.

you get a jewelry dish & you get a jewelry dish!

kdavis 3 Comments

like many of you fellow creative minds out there, i have been racking my brain the past couple of weeks to try and decide what to get some of the special ladies in my life.  i didn’t really have much of an idea until i came across a post from a pinterest link that just seemed too good to be true.  it looked straightforward, it looked darling, and it looked like something i could actually do myself!  with that confidence, i was off to the local binders art store to stock up on the goods and see what kind of magic i could make.

ready to go, i cleared the dining room table to create some work space, pulled up the instructions, and tore into the supplies.  what would i be attempting to make?  these precious little jewelry dishes!

now, i’m not going to repeat the steps here, for i want the original geniuses elsie and emma to get all the credit.  their instructions are so easy to follow and so accurate that the whole thing is just about stupid-proof.

i will say, though, that i do have some tips from my personal, novice clay knowledge, and they are as follows:

  • make sure you’re not working on a precious surface.  i would never have done this craft on the beautiful wood surface of my table, so i used a flat board (basically tough cardboard) that i have lying around the house for an occasion such as this one.
  • be sure to use a good amount of white clay so that you have enough material to create a whole, sturdy dish.
  • don’t be shy with the colors!  one of the dishes had, i think, six different colors in it, some more than the others.  it all depends on the desired effect.
  • if you want more mixing of the colors to come through in the final product, then yes, as suggested in the original post, pull the ball of clay apart and smoosh it together a few times to get them all intermingled before you roll it out.
  • unless you absolutely want to be like a real artist, there’s no need to buy a little clay-cutting knife like the wooden one you’ll see in my pictures.  any ‘ole knife will do ya just fine.
  • the gold gilding, in my opinion, is a must!  it helps finish the sides nicely and bring a little pizzazz to the dishes.
  • also necessary is the glaze.  i did two coats on mine and i loved the dishes even more after coating them and making them shiny.

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this craft is simple, inexpensive, and quick.  with so many color combinations it was fun to decide which to pick for each girl so that the dish would match their personality perfectly.  a great Christmas gift, birthday gift, or even bridal party gift, this craft is sure to please.  amusez-vous!

mmm, halos!

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in an effort to get a jump start on the tried (and tired) tradition of resolving to eat healthier with the new year, i’ve decided that if temptation is out of sight then it is out of mind.  so, while cruising the local publix this past weekend, i returned the santitas chips, velveeta cheese, and can of ro*tel back to their shelves with much discipline and instead opted for something more natural and, overall, healthier for the body:  halos!

you may be familiar with halos because of all their cute advertisements lately.  for example, take my favorite commercial airing these days.

gaaaah, i about died when i first saw it!  now, it may be true that the target audience for halos is your average six year-old, but that doesn’t mean that we adults can’t enjoy them also.

i toted the five-pound box of citrus treats back to the condo and got to work.  i figure the easier i make it to eat well the more i will do it.  so, having healthy food in the house is step one.  step two?  make those halos even easier to enjoy by pre-peeling them!  getting those excuses out of the way will help hold me accountable to whatever wellness goals i may have.  the big question, though?  how long will it be before i give in to the stash of oreos in the kitchen?  keep your fingers crossed for me!

 

the great debate: which time zone is the greatest?

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okay, folks, i am going to settle the argument once and for all:  the central time zone is the grandest time zone of all and masterfully reigns over all others.  now, if you were to ask my sister-in-law kari, she’d vehemently disagree until the sun goes down.  seeing as how she has lived all her life in georgia, all she knows is the eastern time zone.  poor thing!  if only i could show her the light.  perhaps this post can do just that?

growing up in birmingham, i spent my entire childhood drinking the central time zone kool-aid, so to say.  our favorite primetime shows came on at a reasonable hour, which meant i got to go to bed in a timely manner to get my recommended eight hours of sleep before waking to a new dawn for a pleasant day at school.  sounds poetic, right?  yes, that’s because it is!  the central time zone is such a lovely place because you get your day started a touch earlier to keep up with everyone on the east coast yet you aren’t expected to keep your day going until those on the west end theirs.

you get home at six-ish, have the perfect amount of time to kick off your shoes, hop in your jammies, and then settle down into dinner while reading or watching survivor or whatever else it is you like to do on your weeknights.

wait, though.  what about the weekends?  oh, yes, football and all things sports start earlier in your day, but then you aren’t up until one a.m. trying to stay awake as the san diego state aztecs march onto victory.  you’re snuggled in bed before the clock strikes midnight so that you can rise rested from your slumber to do it all again.

over in the eastern time zone, everything starts when it really should be your bedtime.  yes, i might be a late-20 something saying this, but i think it’s safe to say i’m past the very short part in my life when i was eager to go out with friends and single-handedly close the clubs down myself.  i like getting done with work and having a few hours to wind down before i think about having to go through the daily grind again, just a few winks of sleep away.

if the local government would just be a lamb and move atlanta into the central time zone all would then be right with the world and every Christmas dream i’ve ever had would have come true.