How Not to Build a Shower

As it turns out, a shower pan installed over a floor that isn't level eventually cracks. And tile installed over green board without a moisture barrier has the potential to cause big problems.

If you're lucky, your husband notices these issues before you have any water damage.

And if you're super lucky, your husband removes the cracked shower pan, demos the entire shower, and re-builds it correctly.

Thankfully, I'm in the super lucky category so this is what our shower looks after the old construction was removed and cement board (the actual type of board you're supposed to use in showers) has been added to two walls. The third wall is still open so J can do some plumbing work.

Although it's annoying to have our master bathroom out of commission for a while, I'm really excited to see the new shower come together! Here's our inspiration.

Just kidding.

It will really look like this.

Kidding again. That's Allie's dream shower.

Weekend Update

We had a beautiful weekend until tonight when it started raining. I'm actually glad it started raining because otherwise I would've spent the entire weekend outside and not gotten any laundry done.

I kicked off the weekend by giving myself a spring pedicure. J picked the polish color from the choices I had on hand... very spring-like.

Yesterday, I decided to plant some annuals in two large pots on the back patio. The little pop of color goes a long way towards brightening up the backyard.

We also picked up some extra plants from a friend who was putting in his vegetable garden. He grew his own plants from seeds and ran out of space to plant them all. We brought home three tomato plants (two are in pots not in the photo) and four cilantro plants? (our friend accidentally separated some of the plants from their labels, so we're not exactly sure what we planted - guess we'll find out soon!) We're pretty sure they aren't dog-eating plants or melt-your-tooth-fillings peppers so we should be okay.

Allie had a great walk this weekend where she had a record FIVE little girls in the neighborhood ask to pet her along the way (one of them petting her said, "her head is soft but her back is kinda spiky" - true statement). Then we took her along to pick up the plants from our friends and she got to play with their dog and little girl. And as if that wasn't enough fun already, she got to experience a car ride with the sun roof open for the first time. BEST DAY EVER.

We humans enjoyed it as well!

Cherry Blossoms

We were able to see the cherry blossoms in D.C. at peak bloom!

The photos tell it all...

Easter Recap

We had a great Easter yesterday! Our pastor's message was about the "total shock" of the resurrection. To help illustrate his message, he shocked the children (and congregation) when he opened up a large book (that had been hollowed out) to reveal real, live baby chicks during children's time. Nobody was expecting that to happen!

After church we made an Easter brunch of spinach & red pepper frittata and banana nut muffins.

We all spent most of the afternoon outside because the weather was perfect. The supervisor was hard at work while J mowed the lawn.

Cars were washed, laundry was done, and most importantly, relaxation in the sunshine was enjoyed.

Spring Traditions

Now that we live somewhere that actually has four seasons, I appreciate spring's arrival more than ever. Mid-way through winter I'm ready for the temperatures to warm up, the trees to start flowering, and "green-ness" to return.

Once spring finally arrives, I enjoy getting a fresh new haircut for the warmer weather. Here's my latest right after I left the salon.

 

 

My hair does not hold curls well at all - they fall fast. However, the style was still looking pretty good the next morning even though it had mostly straightened.

 



The next thing I can't wait to do in spring is get my herbs and veggies planted. The evening lows have still been a little too cool for planting, but I have my pots ready to go!

I'm really liking the new plant stand that J built for me. It gives me more surface space for my pots without taking up a good portion of our picnic table. This year I plan to grow peppers, cherry tomatoes, basil, rosemary, and perhaps a few more herbs to be determined.

Finally, I can't wait to start cooking with some good local produce. Our local produce place stays open for just a few hours on the weekends during the winter (mostly for CSA pick-up) and has a limited supply. As of last week, they are back to full-time hours and have started getting a larger variety of fruits and veggies. For Easter I plan to make a ham and potato frittata with red peppers, spinach, and basil - yum!

Happy Spring and Happy Easter!