How to Build a Cornhole Set

So, we moved into our new home about four months ago, and I feel like it's finally time to show off our new pad and host a party. This upcoming Saturday we decided to combine hosting a friend's birthday and football party into one GIANT celebration. There will be friends, football, grilling out great food, and lots of games, including cornhole. Now, I like cornhole, but I'm just really bad at it. I can't throw straight, or maybe I just never had my own cornhole set on which to practice. Enter Rob. Rob decided, at my suggestion, that he would build us our very own cornhole set to use for future get-togethers at our residence. He printed off the ACA regulation instructions at one of the following websites, like here. Then, we went to Lowes to buy the supplies, which was around $50. In the meantime, I ordered our cornhole bags off of ETSY because you can choose a variety of colors and patterns. After much discussion, we decided to go with UT orange and Grey, which looks fantastic together (and it's the same colors as the new UT uniforms). It took a couple of hours to cut and build the boards, and another evening to paint them. I'd recommend painting the tops of the boards all white as a base color, before applying your actual colors. This will help the colors to look bright, and you won't need to apply so many layers of colored paint. Also, choosing a unique pattern or design can spruce up the look (I saw some awesome boards with the chevron pattern). Below are some photos for your viewing pleasure. All in all, if you have the skills and tools to build your own cornhole set, it's more economical and I treasure them more knowing Rob built them.

Building of the frames

One board complete. Just add retracting legs to the base.

Final product: Our paint colors and design (we just inverted the colors)

Looks pretty sleek and stylish :)

There are so many wonderful colors to choose from in this ETSY store (we went with the solid Orange and Grey, DUH!) And of course, these bags are up to ACA regulations as well with correct weight, size, stitching and material).

I'm so excited to try out the new set when the cornhole bags are delivered tomorrow. Time to step up my game!! Happy Playing!

Extreme Renovation: Porch and Patio Edition (Part 2)

So, once we had the porch done we still had no where to put our outdoor fire-pit, our grill, and the wood patio furniture we received for our wedding. We knew when we were doing the screened porch we would eventually add in a paver patio, but we decided to tackle the project much earlier on than we both expected. So, again, here is how the outdoor space originally appeared.

Looking out from the house

During the digging process

Rob using a rented mini-excavater 

More views

Endless digging

They had a planter bed up against the house filled with pea gravel and monkey grass, an over-sized trampoline in the yard (inhibiting the grass from growing), and virtually no place to safely put the grill or fire-pit  Rob read some instructions online and next thing I know, we're building a paver patio! Thanks in advance to Ken Rather and Joshua Landreth for all your help with this project. It was the most strenuous thing Rob and I have ever attempted. Ok, so first we had to dig down 7-9 inches to start our base. The clay was so compact in this area we decided to rent equipment for the weekend (THANK GOD!). It would have been near-impossible to do this by shovel. The mini-excavator was able to do the hard-core digging for us but we still had plenty of shovel work, and wheelbarrow towing to displace the dirt. We filled it with six-inches of gravel (lots of shoveling) followed by lots and lots of sand (more shoveling). 

Gravel

Finished with sand on the first day

This creates a nice base for the paver patio and allows water to drain from it rather than to pool in areas. We saved alot of money by getting the sand and gravel from a nursery, rather than buying bags of it from Home Depot. Then, you level everything, compact it, start laying your border and lay your patio pavers. We chose to go with the half basket weave design and I LOVE IT! Finally, we filled the cracks with sand grout. 

Viola!

Planter bed

Added hanging baskets off the porch and planted red petunias 

Gorgeous zinnias!

We planted two pink dwarf azaleas and two flowering hostas surrounded by numerous orange zinnias in the bed up against the house. We arranged our patio furniture around the fire-pit in the center, placed the grill in the corner and set out some mosquito-fighting tiki torches (thanks Sean Ellis!). I got the awesome outdoor pillows covers, including pillows, from a garage sale this past weekend all for $6! Can't wait to host a barbecue!! What do you think of the outcome?

Great view!

I love this patio....

Are the pillows awesome or what?!

Love seat in front of the planter bed

Fire-pit centerpiece

Ready for guests!

 I'm so happy with the outcome, but we definitely didn't know what we were getting into. So glad we were able to finish it and our hard work paid off.

Extreme Renovation: Porch and Patio Edition (Part 1)

Super excited to show everyone how hard Rob and I have been working to transform this house into our home. I hope you all enjoyed the kitchen blog, and now you'll see the next big project we attempted this past weekend. The back room off the kitchen/living room was originally a sun room dungeon for lack of a better term, and the previous owners had used it as a playroom for their 2 kids. It had 5 windows (2 ft by 1 ft) that were about five feet off the ground, so it let in very little light. The room had no heating or air conditioning, and had so many problems with the initial construction I can't even name them all. It had standing water in the walls, mold in the carpet, extreme water damage, unsafe electrical outlets, crooked beams and that's just to name a few issues. We decided before we even bought the house this room had to be completely demolished. We went back and forth between converting it into a sun room or just keeping the roof and turning it into a screened in porch. Because there were so many issues with the structure we just decided it would be better for our budget to convert it to the latter. Here are the photos of what the room looked like at the time we toured the house.

Standing at the back garage door looking at the dungeon

Standing at the back corner of the yard (the window on the far right is the kitchen window)

Another view from the other corner of the house

View standing at the back french doors looking into the dungeon

Another view inside the room

These next few photos are of the demo/building process. To save some cash, a coworker and I demolished the drywall, took out all the insulation, pulled up the carpet and Rob and I took off the siding to be reused inside. Next, we hired a contractor and crew to take down the walls and set the frame. When the walls came down, so much light came through the french doors into the house. It was incredible and really brightened up the whole downstairs. The building crew put in a railing, put up the screens, installed the door and put up soffits in the ceiling. We were glad the recessed lighting was able to stay.

Great crew!

Walls coming down! 

These final photos were after Rob pressure-washed the carpet glue off the cement slab, and painted it with a slate gray apoxy. Then, we purchased a nice 4-piece patio set on sale at Kroger to fill the space, installed my flat screen TV in the upper corner of the room (can't wait to watch some Tennessee Football games back here. GO VOLS!), filled it will both living plants and an artificial palm ($3 at a garage sale, Woo-Hoo!) and installed a Hampton Bay outdoor ceiling fan to keep the area cool during the summer months. 

Beautiful oasis in the back yard :)

Flat screen TV and cushion storage doubles as additional seating

It couldn't be more perfect!

Everyday after work I come out here and enjoy the patio with the kitties. They LOVE the outdoors, especially watching the bird feeder. Jack can't wait to be let outside the porch :) Quite the transformation I'd say!! 

New House: Kitchen Transformation

Well, we've finally moved into our new home, and boy, are we both exhausted! I've decided we will never move again, and we will just continue updating and adding-on to our existing house. I'm so happy everything is starting to fall into place, and soon I'll be able to relax and get back to the normal life. I've learned some very important things during this move/renovation process and have decided to share it in hopes that others will learn from our experience. First and foremost, make sure to find good, reliable help. This sounds like a no-brainer, but even a good recommendation doesn't guarantee someone is a good worker. Rob and I weren't able to do the interior painting ourselves because Rob had an emergency appendectomy and couldn't lift anything for two weeks. He's feeling much better now, but kinda a downer on the whole reno/move in general. We decided to push the move back a week and called in reinforcements, anyone from hired help to friends and family. The painter turned out to be not-so-great, but we had such a good turn out of friends and family that most of the boxes had been moved to the new house before the professional movers picked up the heavy furniture. We also managed to clean and fix everything, which is saying alot considering the condition of the house (several friends inquired if our house was a foreclosure lol) So, if you're considering a move in your future definitely expect delays as they will happen! Don't stress or fret because usually there is nothing you can do to help move things along any faster. We managed to move everything in on Friday and by Saturday evening the majority of the house was unpacked. Crazy, I know! This is why it's imperative to have reliable help, as well as being prepared for the lengthy unpacking stage (unless you are like Rob and me, and we got it done in a week). We probably overdid it this weekend, and are paying for it this work week for sure! I'm trying to remember to take breaks and enjoy my new home, but Rob and I both are do-ers and there are tons of things to do!!! I promise to have some before and after photos of our home soon, but I'd like to get it picture ready and box-free before I start to share. Here's a sneak peak for stopping by though :)

The first photo below is the original kitchen when we bought the house. We didn't like the cabinet color that was paired with the gorgeous quartz counter tops and stainless steel appliances, so we decided to use a Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation kit.

Original Kitchen

Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations: Espresso shade. We bought two kits, but only ended up needing one kit for the size of our kitchen.



We also decided to mount our new microwave over the stove in order to leave more counter space open. We added new hardware to the cabinets, hidden hinges and a gorgeous new Moen pull-down faucet. We had the paint tinted to an Espresso shade and through a quite lengthy time-consuming, nerve-racking process, we ended up with the following results...

I think we did an AWESOME job turning this into an updated, modern and snazzy kitchen. The counter tops compliment the new cabinet shade beautifully, and the kit was only $70 at Home Depot. If you are patient you too can have an amazing cabinet transformation (boy, do I have NO patience, so I literally have anger, sweat and tears in this project). The work was definitely worth the finished project, though it might be awhile before I tackle the bathroom vanities :P

Stay tuned for more house updates/reno projects!! You won't believe what we did to the back porch...

Movin' On Up!

Wow, is it May already? It seems like just yesterday I updated my blog, but in three months so much has happened! First and foremost, Rob and I put an offer on a house and it was accepted! Our close date is the end of this month too! So much to do, pack, sign, and get in order within 24 days :-/ Rob and I are very excited for this next step in our lives, although things around the house have been alittle chaotic. We've already packed half the house that is full of unused space, such as in the spare bedroom and office. Rob splurged on a rider mower this weekend (haha!), and is super excited to mow his very own lawn. I'm sure after a year of mowing the front and back yard he'll wonder why he wanted to move from our condo in the first place. I'm also anxious to share the renovation and revamp process once we move into our new home, so make sure to check back often to see before and after room transformation photos. In the meantime, because of our latest residential acquisition, our Alaska cruise has been rescheduled indefinitely while we recoup some of our financial assets. In its place is a group trip to Pompano Beach in August, whereby we can lounge at an oceanfront condo with our bestest friends for a week of fun in the sun. Not too shabby!

I've also kept up my bootcamp routine with the Knoxville Beauty Hunters since the end of January. I'm still as excited to go as when I first started, and I'm so glad to have found something I enjoy. Since late January, I've lost 15lbs and my physical and mental outlook has drastically improved (and just in time for bikini season!). I've forged new friendships, and couldn't even imagine my life without this wonderful group of girls. This past weekend, I joined the Knoxville Beauty Hunters and ran in the inaugural 5K Glow Run, as well as volunteered for the Rev3 Triatholon. We all got decked out with pink and neon glow sticks, and had an awesome group turnout for the night race!

Check out our new pad below, and a quick shot from the race:

Home sweet home in 24 short days!

Beautiful Pompano Beach vacation come August...

The Knoxville Beauty Hunters all pinked out for the Rev3 5K Glow Run (I'm on the front right side)

Healthy Lifestyle Choices

As I've gotten older, I've come to realize I'm not looking for any fad diet, or to lose weight, or to be skinny for summer. I've always wanted more. I want a lifestyle change from the way I live my life, including exercise, diet, sleep, and mental growth. I originally joined the Knoxville Beauty Hunters group to get in shape before Rob and my's cruise vacation in mid-March. I wanted to look great in my new bikini, and be fit for the summer. Since I joined the KBH circuit training group almost a month ago, I've seen amazing results. Not just in my overall fitness and well-being, but also in my mental and spiritual attitude. I eat healthy, which makes me feel better physically. I attend 2-3 KBH classes a week (60 minutes each), interval run at least once a week for an hour, and walk for 30 minutes after lunch everyday. It takes great mental strength to push hard and past what you think you're capable of even when you're exhausted. As Sarah the Beauty Hunter says, "The only thing holding you back is yourself. When you think you've had enough, push harder. When you brain says QUIT, show it otherwise. If it hurts, it means you're changing it. If it were easy, everyone would be have abs/be fit." In the end, it gives me such an accomplished feeling to know I pushed passed what my brain thought was possible. Most nights, my muscles are so sore that falling asleep is as easy as breathing. And I dream. I don't know when I stopped dreaming exactly, as I've always been a light sleeper. But, between two cats, a queen sized bed, too many covers, and not enough air flow I've always woken up throughout the night. Now that I work out regularly, I may get up once to use the bathroom (from hydrating so much!), and otherwise I'm hardcore REMing it :) It's FANTASTIC! I sleep better, deeper and wake up more refreshed, ready to face the day. I owe it all to Sarah for showing me what I've been missing in my life. Enough of these temporary seasonal changes and New Years resolutions, it's time to make a permanent change. The best part about it is the classes are FREE! All shapes, sizes, ages and athletic levels participate so no one feels singled out or out of place. I literally look forward to every single class because of the "workout high" I get from busting my butt. If you're interested in more information, check out her website HERE, she's the bomb-diggity! I have four more weeks before our cruise, and I'm so pumped about my results, I may even post some before/after photos. AHH!

On a side note, Corbin turned the big 1 on Saturday and is just cute as a button. Of course Auntie M and Uncle Roarbert were there to celebrate and shower/spoil him with gifts galore. I can't believe they grow up so fast, but I'm blessed to get to see them often. He's crawling/standing, recognizing people, pointing to things he finds amusing, and he's such a quick learner! He figures out his toys before I can, and he knows when books are flip books before me! LOL I'm definitely going to be his crazy aunt ;)

This is actually Sarah, The Beauty Hunter, in an ad for Under Armour!

Motivation!

I use this chart from time to time LOL

Corbie's first bday!

Check back soon to see some results unveiled...maybe...:)

Get Busy Livin'

Hi y'all! Thanks for stopping by my blog to read the first post this year! And why haven't I been blogging more? Cause ain't nobody got time for dat! I've been busy living life, working, spending time with family and friends, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 

Here's a quick recap of the highlights for January: Earlier in the month, our group of friends all headed up to Indiana for a mac-daddy ski trip. Problem was the weekend temperatures hovered around 60 degrees. There was zero snowboarding :( but the trip was filled with wine tastings, laser tag, water parks, and late nights celebrating or visiting the local casino. The following weekend, Rob and I went to Florida and shacked up with his dad to visit Rob's grandfather and other relatives. It was a very sweet trip and I'm glad we got to spend time with loved ones. We also had a fabulous date night at the Daytona pier that turned into a screwball comedy complete with a seafood dinner and drinking/driving go carts. Last week, I joined a free boot camp for women and I'm busting ass to get beach ready by March (did I mention we're cruising the Caribbean?!). I feel like I have to share how wonderful it is be apart of this group of women, no glam, all hard work and sweat working toward a common goal. Check it out here. Finally, tomorrow is my dad's 60th birthday! This is such a great accomplishment/milestone and my heart feels as though it could burst from happiness. Life is Good. No, Life is GREAT!

Next month is Corbin's 1st birthday (he's my adorable nephew), and I can't wait to see him again. It saddens me that he lives in Nashville and I only get to see him once a month, but it makes the visits bittersweet. Corbin definitely triggers a bit of the baby fever in me. AHHHHHHH!! He's the only child to ever make me want to have one of my own, but don't worry...Rob and I are holding off with kids for awhile. Duh! We just got married. We're still in the honeymoon phase and enjoying just ourselves. I treasure this time we get to spend together with not a care in the world...