Our new house

Tanner and I bought our first house! It's about a 10 minute drive from where we both grew up and where our parents still live. We are excited to have our very own place! It needs a little bit of work, but we are so happy to have it! :)

Here I am on our closing day. (Side story: I signed all the closing paperwork 'L Layton' which is how I sigh basically everything. Well... This is not my whole name and was not acceptable. The next day I had to re-sign ALL the paperwork 'Lindsey B Layton'. So if you sign on a house, learn from my dumb mistake and sign your FULL name)

Here are some pictures--a few 'before and afters'. I'll do my best to post more pictures as we do more.


Here is the front. The double glass doors are weird, but we have curtains from the inside. We are in the process of painting the trim red. We are also going to do a white picket fence in the front and put a path up to the door.


Here is the front. Those tacky bricks are going... don't worry.


One of our favorite parts of this house is the fabulous storage.




This is a closet in the hallway. In the hall way there is also a broom closet and built in cupboards.


Here's a pantry in the kitchen.



Inside.


And outside.


Here is the master bathroom.

Before...

And after.

Here are some before and after pictures of the kitchen.

After living in a house without a dishwasher for 2 years I vowed that my next home would have a dishwasher. This house didn't have a dishwasher, so my wonderful husband and father-in-law put one in. Yesterday they took one of the cabinets they took out and cut it down to fill the 10 inch space by the dishwasher. They did an AMAZING job. I'll post when it gets installed.


Here's the before and after of the other side of the kitchen.

This is one of the decorations above the cupboards. I had a hard time finding something red I liked for this jar, but love the way these little apples look!

Here's the living room.


Before 2 walls were white and one wall was tan. We painted 3 walls tan and one wall red. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I am just in LOVE with red these days!


Before

After

Here is Tanner hanging out. Don't mind the mess. That mirror I got at a thrift store for $8 and I painted it black.

In the master bedroom there is a double walk in closet! I'm in love!

We are loving it and look forward to making improvements.

** A couple people asked about my license getting suspended. I got a photo radar ticket for running a red light turning left at Country Club and University July of 2009. I sort of avoided it for 8 months. I finally paid the ticket in January, but didn't get signed up for traffic school. They sent me a paper in June saying my license was suspended until I went to traffic survival school. I can only get one ticket in the next year without getting in trouble... So I've been driving EXTRA carefully lately.**

How much longer...

School has started. I am a certified, ASU graduated, Summa Cum Laude, fun loving, children loving teacher. But I'm not REALLY a teacher, see. I don't have a teaching job.

I have been praying that things would work out. All along I have felt like things would be okay, but... my hope is starting fade... I am trying to stay positive, but it gets harder with every passing day...

I went to college, did well, and what did I come out with...? Nothing but thousands of dollars in student loans.

Copy Cat

Yes, I am a copy cat. Lauren does this thing on her blog where she posts "Things Lauren is Happy About".

This post is:
Things Lindsey is Happy About!
(Thanks Lauren)

1) I'm a college graduate!

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from ASU! I now hold a bachelors degree. I also got my teaching certificate last week, so I am a real teacher now. It feels G.R.E.A.T. for anyone who is now in school, hang in there.

This picture made possible by my brother Brad.

On the way to graduation. That face is because I am NOT looking forward to putting on the ugly hat.

With Tanner, the ugly hat, and my empty diploma case (they mail the REAL diploma later).

Seriously though, those graduation caps are attrocious! I mean we're graduating from college--this has required a good amount of time, energy, work and money--doesn't that deserve better?! I mean they should give us the cutest hat ever invented, not that ugly piece of junk. I don't think anyone looks good in those (well, except Afton at high school graduation)

Camille, thanks for being my graduation buddy and sitting next to me!

Thanks family for being so supportive and making the sacrifices to be there (especially you Brandon!). And thanks for dinner at Chevy's afterwards.

2) My little brother Connie (his real name is Austin) got his mission call!

He's going to Omaha, Nebraska and leaves July 1st.

This is just me, my sis-in-law, and my nephew Brig. Love him.

3) Lisa, one of my former roomates, got married!!!

This is the old roomies at the cheesecake factory after her bachelorette party.

Here she is at her reception. She was beautiful! And VERY skinny! I think my bones alone make me fatter than that!

4) My brother is cute and took Brig on a lawnmower wide. I love this picture.

5) Tanner and I made collages!


Here's the one I made for Tanner. My favorite part=the picture of bottles of mayonaise. He told me that just seeing the pictures of the mayo made him feel gross. Haha.

Here's the one he made for me. It's really funny. My favorite part='recycling: rest in peace'.
That's funny because it's true. I really don't recycle. I'm the opposite of green (what does that make me? Red? And I'm totally fine with that).

6) my birthday is this Thursday. And guess what the universe decided to give me... The season premier to So You Think You Can Dance!!!!!!! Thank you universe!


7) There's a new addition to our family! Any guesses as to what it might be? I'll give you a hint: it's NOT a baby/child/fetus/anythinglikethat.

Sorry it took so long!

Yes, I know it's been a while.  Sorry.

I am now a married woman.  That there is me and my husband.

I figure it's HIGH time I update this blog of mine.  So here are some wedding pictures.

{in a strange order.  For some reason my computer is being difficult and it's easier to just post them out of order.}

Tanner went to get the garter, but pulled out a dinosaur {Stegron} instead.

Stegron is a plastic dinosaur that my friend Seffen and I pass back and forth as a joke.  Steffen is on his mission, so I didn't see this coming AT ALL.

As you can see, I was laughing so hard.  

Thanks to everyone who made that happen :o)

Cutting that cake.  {That my sister-in-law made. I love how it turned out!}

Me and two of my BEST friends: Chelsie and Camille

The formerly mentioned best friends decorated for me and it turned out like a dream!

All of it was just so fun and fallish.

One more shot of the beauty...

 

Here's all my family--immediate as well as extended.  And a few friends as well.

I usually despise kissing pictures, but I just love this one!

Me and all the girls.

Boy acting tough and me in obvious disgust...

The nieces and nephews.

Outside the temple right after we got married!

The first picture of us married-fresh out of the temple.  And check Tanner's stance; he looks like he's ready to conquer the world!

Nice...

My parents have a picture JUST like this from back when they got married.  My brother and photographer {that's one person, not two} decided we needed to get one just like it :o)

No comment.

Man, my husband is a hottie!

One of my favorites.

... A sweet little moment...

My handsome husband again.

That's me!

And me again with my nice bouquet.

A up-close shot of the back of my dress.

And we left through a tunnel of sparklers!

It was a dream come true!  I dare say the best day of my life {despite how cliche that is, it truly was...}  Thanks a MILLION to everyone who made it happen.  All the help I got from so many people really means a lot to me.

The End

** Photography compliments of my brother**