Rearranging....

Well now that most of the projects are wrapping up (or so I thought) we have been trying to pull out house back together. But I just kept getting hung up on the placement of furniture. My sister Kami has 'the eye' and I kidnapped her on Sunday to come redo our arrangement. She space our furniture, when we lived in the upstairs of our house, perfectly. As shown in the picture, that has been seen many times, below.

I had our couch next to some built in shelves, but it was just too heavy in that corner of the room.

And the table behind the couch was just okay.

Well in 30 minutes Kami (pronounced like Amy with a K., Remember that name, she's going to be famous when we start a staging company) transformed our home.

Flipping couches around, angling chairs, unrolling carpets, widdling small dolls out of wood. You name it she did it! And I am in awe. I would have never placed furniture where she placed it, but some how after she does it, it's like... How did I not think of that, it was just meant to be there.

She even convinced me to keep a rug I thought might be too loud.

Then she put a painting over the mirror and made this side table complete. It always looked like it was missing something. (This side table is my next project. It was given to me by a family I nanny for, and I want to put silver leaf on it.)

So it looks like this. (I cannot remember where I found this picture. So if anyone knows let me know so I can site it and give them credit.) Kami's (Amy with a K. Keep up with me) next stop was the built in shelf unit. That I have hated for as long as we have lived here.

My pathetic attempt to decorate, it is much better here then what it was a year ago, bleak.

Kami's vision which will be complete after pictures are developed, and those 2 cream frames are painted black... There might be something else but I'm not sure. Kam, (that's what I call her. Like aim with a K. I think your getting it ; ) ) I'll call you tomorrow to check. Now to the bedroom.

Our sad little dresser top. A stolen picture from my mom. Even though she said I could borrow it, but now denies it. And sand from out honeymoon in the Bahamas. It just needed something more. So perhaps you remember this nasty mirror from our bathroom. That Drew literally with his two hands ripped from the wall. Well I cleaned it off and found a new home.

A perfect resting spot for my perfumer. It's like I have my very own Nordstrom.

Of course Kami came in and adjusted everything.

Even put my perfume at a perfect angle. For a final touch she even found a perfect home for our H that my friend Carly made for me.

And just as quickly as she appeared, she was gone... In a whirlwind of style and grace... Thanks Kami for finally making our house feel adjusted. In other news I got my peg board hung and bathroom organized.

Finally some method to the madness. Now all I have to do, after all said projects are completed, is paint this rocking chair. I think I found the perfect blue.

Another Martha Stewart special... Should be just delightful.

So much to do....

Soldier Hollow Classic...

We went to the Soldier Hollow Classic Sheep Dog competition today, in Midway! It was so much fun!

We started off the day with the Splash Dog competition. There were amateurs and professionals. It was so fun to watch!

These dogs were having so much fun, they kept trying to run back up the stairs to do it again!

It was incredible how far some of these dogs could jump! The furthest jump of the day was 24+FT!!!!

The Sheep Dog Competition was what we watched next, and it was the main event!! This sheep dog competition is the biggest in the WORLD! We watched a handler from Norway, and New Zealand.

5 sheep are released at the top of the hill, and the handler and dog are at the bottom next to the post. When the sheep are released the handler sends her dog up to the sheep via the edge of the trail so as not to scare the sheep. Then the dog has to bring the sheep own and through certain gates.

Then they have to push the sheep back up the hill, and get them through two other gates, then back down the hill. The Dog and handler then, without touching the sheep, have to split the 5 sheep in to 2 different groups, and maintain them in a large circle. After a certain amount of time, they have to circle the sheep up again and get them into a tiny corral. All of this is done under 13 minutes, with using whistle commands! It is so remarkable how smart dogs are!

This man in the last 15 years has been in the finals every year!

He hasn't won every year, but has his share of victories! He worked with his dog so well! It was like art!

This woman and her dog did so well until it came down to getting the sheep in the final corral.

All of the sheep that have gone through the competition.

Before this competition non of these sheep have ever been herded by dogs. So they don't know anything about what is going on, it is totally up to the handler and the dog.

Next we watched dog agility. All of the dogs in this show were dogs that have been adopted from shelters.

This dog was just starting his training and could already high jump 50 inches.

This little pooch was a cocker spaniel poodle mix, just like my dog Maggie! She was so cute, and knew how to stop, drop and roll. She looked so much like Maggie, I loved her!

Our final event we watched was a Duck Round Up. This was for amateur dogs. The real competition was for invitational dogs, meaning they had to qualify at other events to be asked to compete in this event. The duck round up was for anyone who wanted to try there hand at the round up.

It was such a fun day, I had no idea we would stay as long as we did! It was just so captivating how well the dogs were trained, and how well they knew their whistle commands! I highly recommend this even for anyone in the area. And if you buy your tickets at the Homestead or Bank of the West you get $2 off entry!

Swiss Days

Drew and I just got back from the Midway, Swiss Days!

It was so fun! I headed up by myself and Drew joined me after work.

Just a picture of a Midway gas station. My absolute favorite country I have been to is Switzerland.

It was so majestic and quaint. This is a picture of the city I stayed in Zermatt. You can't tell me there is a prettier place on this planet!

Swiss Days was almost as fun, just no little boys in their lederhosen herding goats down cobblestone streets!

They had so many cute shops, I thought these hand made motorcycle 'rocking horses' would be so cute in a little boys room!

I would put signs like these in a cabin. Something about the colors I am always drawn to.

Drew and his GIANT scone! I thought we were going to have a repeat of Disneyland, where Drew had so much fun he threw up! We seem to be good so far! Ha!

We watched this lady make and carve candle for 20 min. It was amazing how accurate she was with knowing how much wax to get on the candle to have all of the colors coordinate.

It was fun to watch the candles grow as she was dipping them.

Her hands were so steady! It was real talent!

Some of them are a little too cheesy for me to own, but I did love the pumpkin candle!

I can't wait to decorate for Halloween!

HAPPY SWISS DAYS!!

Well we got a blog! As much fun as we have describing to everyone on the phone what we are doing we thought we would help out those of you who are more "visual learners"! We hope you enjoy!