Wow time FLIES!!

So I know it's been almost a year since this bad boy was updated, and oh so much has happened! I got this fancy smartphone for Christmas last year and don't know why I never thought to check for a Blogger app! So here I am, engaged, doing whatever and blogging from my phone! If only it was this easy to post a blog for my work.

I was asked to be the Social Networking Specialist for Paul Mitchell the School Salt Lake City maybe like 4 months ago. I LOVE every minute of it! I thought to myself that since I actually had time at work now to update the schools social networking (i have been doing it for a while but 4 months ago i was officially in charge of it all), that I would find time in my personal life to update this. Well for the last 4 weeks I've really been focusing on organizing my time. Then I found this app and now all is perfect and easy.

One other reason I really want to focus on my personal blog is because almost a month ago I found out that one of my best friends is moving. To Australia! I want my blog to be current cause it's an easy way for her to stay up with my life. Plus with the wedding 5 months away, I would really like to share with everyone the planning process and how we keep to the budget (which will all be another post).

So welcome back to in My shoes. A story of the crazy fun times, adventures, condo remodel and wedding planning that is me, Candice!

the list of things i want DONE!

I don't like "to do" lists, but sometimes I think that if I don't write things down I forget what all I want done. I also think that if I put those things out here on the WORLD WIDE WEB I will be more accountable for the things that I do daily and getting things done! I bought my condo May 20, 2010 and it was pretty much turn-key. Minus a little paint on the walls, nothing else NEEDED to be done. True it wasn't my style, but it was nice-ish. I know I spend way too much time watching HGTV and DIY, but I feel really good about the projects that I have done thus far and the things that I have in mind for the next...3 MONTHS!! SHOOT.. 3 months to finish all I want done!?! It's ok, there isn't much left...



3:finish installing closet shelves
3:hang headboard
3:finish painting the trim in the bedroom
3:Paint the bathroom cabinets
3-4:tile the bathroom counter top
3-4:get a vessel sink & tall faucet for bathroom
6:install pullouts in bathroom cabinets
3:tear down giant kitchen cupboards
6:new tall kitchen faucet
3:finish off trim in kitchen(buy/paint)
3:finish painting kitchen/ceiling
3:paint living room walls, trim & ceiling
6:build/buy living room ottoman/coffee table
6+:build/buy living room furniture (can be added over time)


I realize that is a lot of things to do in 3 short months, so I think I will split the list into 3 months and 6 months. (goes back and puts either a 3 or 6 by each task) I love staying busy! Everything is coming together so well!! It is so fun to add my style and my touch to the place I call Home! Thanks for your interest! Love, Cand

a Storm to Catch up!

What to do with all my holiday free time?? Update my blog! (and probably finish painting SOMETHING!) It's only Tuesday and I have NEVER had my job canceled due to the weather... Now I have all day today and tomorrow FREE! I'm not going to lie, it's kind of nice to actually have a holiday vacation. Usually we are closed Thanksgiving DAY and Christmas DAY... this year Christmas Day is on a Saturday, so that means Night School (attends Mon-Thurs) don't even get any extra time off for it. Oh well! 

So now for the small recap, let's see... last post was in July so:

August: We were so fortunate that we were able to get a visit from Angus Mitchell! He is a funny guy! The school picked him to come visit for winning the FUNraising competition.

We also have a Paul Mitchell the School Lagoon day every year. It is SO much fun!! It's fun for my students to see Adam outside of his quiet zone that he is usually in when he comes into the school.

September: Very Busy Month!! At School we had what is called Caper Kickoff. That is when the students kick off their annual contest to win a trip to Vegan in February for a 3 day training with all the Paul Mitchell Schools. Every year there is a different theme for kick off and we all dress up! It's pretty fun!  

Then came the concert i waited about 17 years for...CLAY WALKER!! I first saw Clay back in 1993 with some of my extended family. This time I went with my friend Jesica. It was the BEST CONCERT EVER!!

 Every year at Paul Mitchell all the Schools go out at the EXACT same time on the day chosen as FREE HUGS DAY. It's a very powerful thing to think that every school does it all together. Part of the Paul Mitchell culture is to be a daymaker. It means just that, to make peoples day. And what a better way than to spread the love and give free hugs!

 Have I ever mentioned that i LOVE my job?? I am so LUCKY that I get to spend time making people smile EVERYDAY! Just yesterday I made a girls day when her hair got cut a little too short (2 inches on top) .... I was able to lighten the mood and make her feel better just by changing the color and telling her how girls with short hair are lucky cause they can wear amazing HUGE earrings and get away with it. I'm pretty sure she was going shopping on her way home to get some giant hoops! I realize that I am only to October, but even I am getting a little board... More to come! Love you ALL!! -Cand

oh July, where did you go??

So I realize that so many things have happened in the month of July! I was going to start the month off with a fantastic BLOB about the festivities that took place for the 4th in a little place I like to call Snowville Utah. Yes, I call it that because that is the name of the town!

I believe that it had been approximately 15 years since I had attended the 4th of July Celebration in Snowville, and boy was I in for a treat! You see, my grandparents were asked to be the Grand Marshall(s) of the parade and I was very excited for them. I think that they are the only ones over 70 who hadn't been the Grand Marshall of the Snowville Town Parade.



We got there just in time to see the parade lining up at the church (a block away from my grandparents house). The Parade would then go around about a 4 block area and end back at the church. about 4 minutes after the Parade started, we saw my Grandparents coming down the street!! After them, we had a few other town members and a couple of old vehicles that were later displayed in the church parking lot for their own little car show!



Then there was a small pause.. we could turn around and still see the fire truck (the county came out for this part, Snowville only has an Ambulance) was still about at the beginning of the route... about 6-10 min later we started to see the 2nd half of the Parade. The Morgan, of Morgan Dairy, were handing out little things of milk to EVERYONE in the town! SO after the small intermission came the rest of the Parade, ending with none other than the fire trucks! Including the intermission it's possible that the parade was 15-20 min long, but that could be pushing it.





After the parade our family just sat on the side of the road chatting for a good 25-30 min before we decided to move to the lawn! The rest of the days activities were dinner at the park, followed by a Dance entertained by the local band and ending with Fireworks. Oh yes, the parade began at 4pm... no longer enough to do a full day of celebrating! We did not stay for the dancing and fireworks, we went to my sister Alison's and had our own.






Aren't my Grandparents just so Cute!! Oh, and Mollie's is only the best Cafe EVER!! Should you EVER drive to Bosie ID, just before you leave Utah take exit 7 and stop in for a bite!!

Oh, I almost forgot about my FAVORITE float!! Apparently one Family that lives in Snowville took a trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and decided they needed to continue the CELEBRATION!! The rest of us were just confused...




More of the rest of the month to come! Hopefully Facebook will let me load all the rest of the pics from the AMAZING 4th of July festivities!!

Our NEW Home!

So many things are happening around the condo since I last posted... First of all, we're all moved in! We've been here for about 3 weeks now and LOVING every minute of it! After the first week was over that is... Adam's little brother ended up staying in the Apartment Complex that we used to live in. However, the new unit he was moving into wouldn't be ready for FIVE DAYS after we were moving out... [Enter All thoughts from July 2008; 3ppl in a 1 bedroom...] Luckily he had drill from 7am until 6ish pm, and was asleep by the time I got home from work. He was able to move out on Friday the 4th, but here's a sneak of what the condo looked like until then: (i took this with my phone cause i didn't want anyone to think i was creepin')

BEFORE:

you can't really tell but the person sitting by the window is Daniel, and that black thing to his right is his 47" flat screen. He lived out of that box to the right of our TV and everything else he owned was in our storage unit downstairs...

I have plenty of projects to keep me busy while I'm not doing something Paul Mitchell related! As I said in my last post, there is A TON of painting that needs to be done! I also worked on ripping out all the contact paper from inside every drawer and cabinet in the place!! It left a little sticky so I put that self adhesive non slip stuff down in its place. I love that under the fancy "i can't decide if i am a faux wood or slightly leafy pattern" was a lovely white with green ivy print, it reminded me of my aunt Shelly circa like 1998ish!

The actual wood below, for the most part, is in really good condition. I'm still thinking about what will happen with all that wonderful cabinetry...pretty sure i'll just re-paint it. But not before a nice sanding takes place!! They look like they have 30 years of paint on them, oh wait.. they do!

I have nearly finished the bedroom area. The shower/toilet area is all finished (including the trim) and it looks GREAT!! I also bought a new shower head for the shower and to assist me in coloring hair, should I ever need it.. I really like it, but the water pressure in this place is HORRIBLE!! It's not just the double shower head that makes it that way either... I'm going to have to investigate things to help it.

BEFORE:

Oh, and that lovely three sconce light fixture above the mirror is no longer.. it turns out when you can't get it to be straight, you should stop and take a break instead of just unscrewing it and screwing it back on a bunch of times until the wire inside snaps and it's no longer useful. You can't really tell but they had the towel rack above the toilet which I think is a waste of wall space so I moved it!

DURING:

AFTER:

The last picture was taken inside the shower room before I put the door back on. I LOVE the contract in the paint that Wendy McKenney picked out for me! Friday I put the door back on the shower room after 2 weeks without it, and i HATE it!! I am going to have to look into alternative options that are simple to install but still allow privacy. It was very nice of the previous owners to update the hardware on the bathroom cabinets but I hated it. I am so glad they didn't feel the need to put it on all the kitchen ones too!! I filled in the holes that the hardware left and when I paint the cabinets, no one will ever know that they were once there! Now the bedroom looks like a completely different place than the before picture. I haven't quite finished the ceiling and such but when I do, I will then retake the picture at night time for a better comparison to the before shot.. but here's what it looks like now!!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

We don't have any furniture in the bedroom yet. We will be getting a low profile bed frame and some side tables to go with it. Since we won't need to put a dresser out in the bedroom (cause i am tearing out the wall in the closet, taking off those AWFUL mirror doors (they will get a second life don't worry, you'll see) and building in a closet organizer... let's just be honest...BUYING a closet organizer and putting it together/placing it in the closet) i think that i will also be getting a sofa-like table to go against the wall to the left of the bed. For like my jewelry boxes and maybe sometimes my laptop..

Here is a little glance at what the living room looks like now.. MAN, if I would just update this thing more often, i wouldn't have to cram so many things in one BLOG!!

AFTER (but not finished):

I apologize for the crappy phone pics, but I generally have my phone on me at all times! And although my camera is with me wherever my purse is... if I don't stop what I am doing and get it out to take a picture, I get distracted and 3 days later.... well you get the idea!! We still need to pick out a paint for the walls and hang up the TV. The TV part should happen this week! Oh and about that small Facebook post about painting the blinds... it was SUCH a good idea until we got them hung up in the living room and realized that they are just a foot too short for the window. I found a great place online last night that makes custom blinds for super cheap! I ordered ones for the big window and also ones for the little guy next to the front door. I'll get some pictures taken now so that I don't have to use my phone right before I rip them down.

On a non Condo related note, Adam and I have been together for 4 years now! We have so much fun together! Even this whole time I've been blogging, he is sitting next to me on the couch playing some 360 game... We were just saying how we LOVE lazy Sundays!! There is nothing like sleeping in and spending all day together! I played around with the features on my camera to get the perfect shot of the Stargazers he got me and this is what I ended up with:

I LOVE THEM!! It's amazing what the settings alone on your camera are capable of, when most of us just turn it on AUTO cause "that should detect the best settings...right?" Sunset mode did all this for me! Happy Anniversary Adam!! Thanks for the 4 best years!!

moving on..

The time has finally come that we move on. As many of you know,(who am i kidding anyone who reads this knows EVERYTHING about me!) Adam's youngest brother Daniel has lived with us for a little over a year now. It has been a lot of fun living with "THE BOYS" and all but the time has come to move on.

It all started back in late February when I asked my oldest sister, who conveniently works in home loans, to pre-qualify me. At the time I didn't really know what it took to qualify for a mortgage. I thought that you had to have like 7 credit cards and possibly a car loan and something from RC Willey's on payments to EVEN qualify.. Little did I know asking her what i could do in the next few years to prep for the qualification process would turn to looking for the perfect place!

So some time passed and I didn't think about it like it was actually going to happen. I would randomly browse some websites and look at foreclosures and what not, but never really looked at anything too closely. By this time it was about the last week of March. I would talk to my other sister, who just bought a house in February, about the cute places I saw online and how nice it would be to have a place of my own... And that TAX CREDIT, who could forget about that!! Well during that week I went back and forth quite a bit on if I thought I was really ready for this. It's a really big STEP! Maybe if I just waited a few years I could have a nice down payment saved or even have a better idea of what it would take after the papers were signed...

So I called my sisters friend Aime who works for City Homes Salt Lake. I talked to her about what I wanted and where I would like to live. I told her what I would like to pay monthly and then set up an appointment to go to her office and look at some listings. This happened on Thursday the 1st of APRIL. My Appointment was for the following Monday. I went to the office to talk to Cody and we picked out a few listings that I would like to see in person. I began later that week meeting with Chris to VIEW properties!

I fell in LOVE with the very first one I looked at! Everyone I saw after that would make my rating for it go higher and higher! I was so EXCITED! Drawing up remodels (rearrangements) for it with my sister, and talking about all the fun things that could be done with it. There was another one I saw that first day that I really liked too. It didn't have hard wood floors, and it only had one bedroom, but it was a really GOOD size and very open. It was definitely 2nd on my list!!

So back in February, the rules changed for which properties could accept FHA Loans. FHA loans are Mortgages that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The FHA operates loan plans for investors and purchasers of rural property, and provides low-rate mortgages to buyers who make a down payment as small as 3 percent. Which in the end means that not only can I put less down, but when I sell it the buyer can get my same INTEREST rate! Definitely a plus!! So it turned out that a lot of condo complexes didn't bother trying to get approved for FHA loans. It's kind of a lot of work, but ends up being easier to find buyers in the long run. So that first one that i LOVED wasn't actually FHA approved... but the SECOND one was!!

Here are some pictures of what it looks like now.. ALL WALLS WILL BE PAINTED!!

So here we are, on the 25th of April. I've been officially UNDER CONTRACT since April 16th and as long as everything goes as planned (and stated in the contract) I will SIGN the papers on May 25th and it will OFFICIALLY be mine on the 26th!! Yeah, that is exactly ONE MONTH from now!! Adam and I are VERY ready to have our own place!! So, I have a lot of painting to do, and it needs a new dishwasher... But other than that it's move in READY! I can't wait to finally PAINT and actually feel like where I live is my HOME, and I can't wait to LOVE WHERE I LIVE!! Please ask me about the AMAZING TEAM that got me a place I LOVE, that is the perfect size and in the perfect LOCATION in just over a MONTH!!