Engagement

This post already melts my heart.  Yes I am already crying as I am typing.  Just kidding!  This was the best day of our lives by far.

Toddles proposed!  As you all can read, this happened January 20th 2013.  We had a fun weekend planned.  We headed up north to Aurora, IL to meet a good friend for lunch and see a Broadway musical The Music Man at the Paramount Theatre and finished off staying two nights in Oakbrook to shop away.  Little did I know Todd had something up his sleeve or I guess in his pants pocket...a ring.  

Todd and I met six in a half years ago and that changed my life.  My oldest brother Lance owns an auction and I clerked for him on sale nights.  There were so many men out in the crowd bidding away and my eye always went to Todd.  There was something about that man that just gives me butterflies.  I had to talk to him.  Who would of thought that would of been the hard part...talking.  Todd was a very shy man.  I pretty much had to twist his arm for him to go out on a date with me.  I remember when we just started talking, my friends and I took a trip to Vegas and I told my good friend Michelle that I will marry him someday.  I am sure she probably just thought the free drinks were getting to me, but it literally was love at first sight for me.  

Now here we are in Oakbrook, Illinois at J Alexander's, Todd down on one knee telling me (well kind of whispering to me...I think he was nervous :) that he wants to spend forever with me and that he loves me so much and asking me to marry him.  I was shocked.  So shocked that when he was on one knee I kind of thought he was tying his shoe and I asked, "What are you doing down there baby?"  Yes leave it to me to not know what is going on!  Of course I said yes and of course we both cried.  The server brought of a piece of cake with a candle in it and we blew it out and kept the candle in our keepsake box.  

We started looking at rings about six months ago and we found a ring we fell in love in with California.  It was an antique piece from the 20's.  Only problem the center stone was yellow.  Todd got pictures of the ring and met with jewelers and found a jeweler that would hand engrave every detail and duplicate that ring.  It is beautiful.  We have never been happier.

Makeup Room

Now I do not have all the pictures yet that I want to post but I am just too excited to wait.  Story of my life.  I have always wanted a makeup room.  Not a make out room, I already have one of those ;)  You know where you go make yourself pretty and everything is pink, frilly and ridiculously girly...that room.  This was a process.  I knew I wanted purple or did I...I picked out this purple color maybe like the worst purple for a girl my age...I am not 12 anymore.  Soooooo back to Home Depot and back to painting over the purple paint.  That was the biggest mistake, after that everything went super smooth!  Next and final color for the walls Bakery Box White.  It is a faint blue/green color and very pretty.  All of the trim is pink of course.  First room of the house to get crown molding!  The closet became my makeup room.  Where I curl my hair, straighten my hair, color my face pretty and paint my nails that one day will be long.  We chose Anthropologie wallpaper.  I fell in love with this wallpaper!  I am lucky enough to have Toddles to put it up for me.  Enough blabbing about the room here it is!  My rowing machine, couch and orchids will find a place in here too!

By the way Todd and I ARE ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chimney

You that beautiful fireplace that Toddles and I installed a few months ago?  You know this one.

Well it is about time we make our chimney just as quaint as our fireplace.  I know, I know, it is not a real fireplace, but it is still cozy.  I love those small projects that you start and finish in a day or two.  Not too many of those exist and when you think of one, you jump on it.  We stumbled on a sweet deal on the cobblestone type of rock we used on our pillars.  We still have leftovers so that is what we used on our chimney.  All together maybe a $200 project if that, not to shabby!  We also got both of our roofs replaced this week due to the storms.  Remember what our home looked like in the beginning...

Lucca before

Lucca in progress

It really does not look like the same home.  Todd and I are proud to have chosen such a lonely place and turned it into a quaint cutie!  Oh yea, back to the chimney.  Whola!

If you ever see smoke coming out of this chimney call 911.

It's my birthday

Ok, this is late.  But Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday Julia Marie, happpppy biiirrrthhhdayyyy tooooo meeeeeeee...cha cha cha.  Every year the nation stops and all turns to me to make my birthday the very specialist...ok well I am not that important but I do have the greatest boyfriend know to mankind.  Todd always does everything he can to make my day the greatest.  His soul is sweet.  So I was showered with presents, taken to Station 220 and got a trip to Starved Rock and a local b&b!  My younger brother Luke and his wife Becky joined us for dinner.  We enjoyed a seven course dinner with wine pairings.  Oh and I baked a cake for myself...I mean for Todd and I...strawberry cream cake anyone ;0)

Out with the old in with the new Patio

When we moved in we had all of this big hopes and dreams...and they are slowly coming true!  Not saying the storm was a good thing but we have treated out yard much better since it happened.  Since the fence blew away to never never land we figured hey why not tear out that ghettolicious of a concrete pad that is in the backyard and get a new and improved patio.  So Todd and I started prying and sledge hammering and using the tiny bobcat to tear piece by piece away.  We got all of the old sidewalks and all of the concrete pad loaded in our dump trailer (about 25 loads) and hauled down the street.  We had the concrete crew use some of our leftover cobblestones to outline the patio.  It looks gorg!  Now all we need is grass.  Three Dalmatians and a muddy yard does not agree with the house!

Stormy Weather

What a beautiful day to blog.  Fall is here, or at least it feels like it today.  About a month ago a crazy storm blew threw Lucca Forest.  It was kind of a Desperate Housewives moment.  You know when a tragedy happens and everyone floats out in their backyard seeing the destruction.  Although on my block it is mainly senior citizens.  But damn nice ones that have good hearts.  Everyone was nice enough to check on our bubby chubbies.  Luckily Todd and I were home and the dogs were in our basement with us safe and sound.

We had gotten home early that particular day.  We never get home early.  Luckily Melody was home, one of my childhood friends and all of us girls were getting together at a local wine bar.  As we pulled into the drive it started thundering and raining pretty good.  As I always remembered growing up mom and dad would never let us shower in storms, you know the lightning could strike you dead in the shower!  Really could that ever even happen?  Well I'm running late and I neeeeeed to cleanse my dirty little pores.  Off to the shower I go.  I had conditioner through my hair and look out the bathroom window...I was terrified.  You could not see anything besides leaves, debree and large amounts of hail.  I heard the hail pounding the side windows of our small brick ranch home.   I grab a towel and run out screaming!  Oh yes I am quite dramatic.  Todd, O'Malley, Zara, Lucy and I went barreling down the basement steps.  It lasted for maybe a minute,  maybe less.  Then it was just still.  So quiet.  This is what we came up to.

A very day for the forest.  A very lucky day for Lucca residents and our furry friends.

The BOX

You know those old homes that have the box where the phone book and phone goes, very handy!  Well guess what?!  I have that...now do not be jealous I will share photos with you.  Most people would cover it up and forget about it, not us.  I purchased some beautiful wallpaper from an antique shop, Todd made the box smooth and put it all together!  It turned out just the way we wanted it.  So cute is our little box.

P.S.  Our dogs are awesome