Dishwasher!

When it rains it pours, right?! With all the renovations going on, the last thing we needed was one more project in the mix. But, in our family, we like to keep the stress level high! So, after dealing with the old dishwasher not washing dishes effectively and having to put towels under it while it was running, we decided to bite the bullet and get a new one! My husband researched and we decided what we wanted. He pulled out the old one (pictures to follow as soon as I get them off my camera) and we went to pick up a new one. Guess what? None in stock. UGH. We ordered one and they said it would be delivered a week later (TODAY!), so I was the "dishwasher" for a week. It actually wasn't too bad-of course, we intentionally held back a bit on the cooking & baking to save some work. Tonight we will be installing it! I say "we", but it will most likely be hubby! I'll be his assistant :)

So, without further adieu, here is our new LG Stainless Steel Steam Dishwasher! I am super excited to try out the steam function!

YAY for clean dishes!

Outdoor Fun!

With a new deck, I envisioned lots of family meals "al fresco" and entertaining family & friends. That meant we needed some furniture! We had a small round dining set out on the back patio, but I wanted to leave that one there. We have a wicker set that I placed on the new deck. So, I was on the lookout for the perfect dining set for our spacious new deck. I wanted something that would seat at least 6 people and I didn't want any puffy cushions as they would get rained on (and this summer we have had more rain than ever!). I found the perfect set for us at Sam's Club! It's called "Carrington". We love it!
It came with the dining table, 6 chairs and an umbrella base. So, we needed a large umbrella and guess what? Sam's had one of those too!

Then, we picked up this little baby...

I mean, seriously-what is a party without the perfect margarita?! LOVE it! So far, we've made smoothies, slushies, coffee coolattas, and come to think of it we haven't even made a margarita yet?!

We are loving our new outdoor "room" so far! Now if only the weather would cooperate a bit it would be just perfect :)

Another Project!

Since we have a gorgeous view from the front of our home, we decided to have an 800 square foot deck built on our house this summer. We also installed french doors for easy access to the deck. Here are a few pics of the project in progress...

Here is the view from the stairs-the trim is incomplete in this picture as the doors had just gone in that day.

And another...

And here is the view from the ground...

Now I need to take some pictures of the finished project! We are excited to get it stained, but have to wait until Fall.

More pictures to come!

New Outdoor Lighting!

We bought several outdoor lights a few years back in anticipation of staining our home. We bought 2 large ones for the front of the house, 2 for the garage, 1 for the side entrance, and 2 large post lamps for the driveway. We found them at Home Depot-they are the Hampton Bay Rustic Bronze Lantern collection. Well, we finally got the house stained this summer, so up they went! We love them!

Now, I need to find before & after pics of the house!

Closet Organization

I finally organized my closet! Well, actually I organized it back in February, but am just getting around to posting it. It was a sad sight before. I went out and bought a ton of skinny hangers and a hanging shoe rack and went to town! What a HUGE difference. It's so organized now-let's hope it stays that way (so far, so good!).

This is what I saw before when I opened the door (yikes!).

Here is the after view...

Here is a view of one of the hanger racks with shelf above. I found the adorable brown suede "baskets" at Bed, Bath and Beyond after Christmas on clearance for pennies. They had Christmas sayings on them, so I simply turned them backwards. I have hats, scarves, and gloves in them.

And here is another "after" shelf photo...

And this is my favorite part of my closet! This shoe rack was 3 pieces put together and it hangs on the door...LOVE it!

Onto more organizing efforts...

Newest Edition to our Cleaning Supplies...

I've been eyeing this beauty for some time. This weekend, we finally bit the bullet! Her name is "Pronto" and boy, does she do a great job. Pronto is a stick vacuum with a rotating head and she has a removable hand vac. LOVE her more than words can say. With 2 highchairs and a dog with an ever expanding waistline, it was time to get something that can quickly do the job.

With the steam mop and this little beauty, here's to clean floors!

Dishes, Dishes and More Dishes

Ok, anyone who knows me knows how much I love dishes! Nothing makes me happier than a beautifully decorated table...LOVE it! I own about 6 sets plus lots of chargers, holiday-inspired, you get the idea. Well, now let's change that to 7! I have been looking for a simple, white pattern to change up appetizer plates a la Katie (www.hyperhomemaker.blogspot.com). Seriously, Katie is my idol! While on our Sam's adventure this weekend, I saw this beautiful embossed, flute pattern service for 4 for TEN BUCKS. No joke! So, 2 boxes came home with us! My husband thinks I'm crazy, but I think he secretly loves a beautifully decorated table as much as I do!

...off to find a place to store the off-white service for 12 that this set replaces...

Our New Baby!

Isn't she pretty?! She is even prettier in person. This weekend we went to Sam's Club. We have been wanting to get an enameled cast iron dutch oven. Well, when we saw this 6.5 quart beauty for only $38.44, we figured there was no time like the present (for a present)! She has a lifetime warranty and cooks beautifully. My husband made a chicken curry that turned out beautifully and she cleaned up like a charm. LOVE it!

Our Newly Decorated Bedoom!

We have been thinking about redecorating, or basically "decorating" our Master Bedroom for quite some time. We bought new bedroom furniture about a month ago and I was debating over which bedding set to use. We have like six sets-the hoarders that we are! Nothing was really inspiring me until I came across a bedding set from Linens N Things in a circular sent to my e-mail. I saw it and immediately knew it was the one-thus I was inspired! So, off I went to pick it up and found the coordinating window treatments-had to have them. Then, we went and picked out paint at Lowe's-chose Valspar Oak Moss. We are so happy with the way it turned out-we LOVE it!

Here is the "Before" picture...


And the "After" (it was dark when I took these)...

Organizing the Pantry

Our pantry was so full there was literally stuff hanging out in the entryway on the floor. I have been meaning to organize it for quite some time now, but with 16 month old twin girls running around time was not on my side. Until this weekend. We had a holiday weekend (Patriot's Day) so when the little ladies were napping my husband & I were working up a sweat! I wanted to take before pictures, but since the camera was upstairs where the girls were sleeping, we opted to stay as far away as possible! Here are a couple of after pics so I can remember how it looks and hopefully keep it that way!

I did a full inventory with a spreadsheet-you wouldn't believe it if I showed you-so hopefully I can clean this sucker out! I told my husband that, God forbid, there was a national emergency and we were unable to leave the house, I swear we could live out of our pantry for a good year or two!

Oh, and here are before & after pictures of the "mini pantry", which is a cabinet in the kitchen where we also store food (I'm beginning to think we have a hoarding problem).

The Free Knife Set Has Arrived!

Our "free" knife set arrived today! I haven't tried them out yet, but they seem really nice. I'll keep you posted...

New Cookware!

We have been wanting to get some new cookware for a while now. The cookware we had was nonstick and had little flakes coming off on the bottom-not good! So, I did some research trying to find something that was nice, but not so expensive that if something happened to it I'd be devastated! Then, I saw Rachael Ray's hard anodized cookware and fell in love. It's a good weight (not flimsy, but no so heavy I can't pick it up), fairly inexpensive, and the selling point for me: the orange handles! Our kitchen is a tangerine color, so it coordinates well. Rach's cookware was a good fit for me because she actually got me cooking more! I used to get intimidated with cooking and was unsure of my capabilities, but after watching 30 Minute Meals on Food Network I gained some confidence. I'll admit it-Rachael is a bit much these days with her gazillion shows on food network, her talk show, her multiple endorsements, etc., but I still love her! And we got a great deal on this set...Amazon had it for $149.99 with a $20.00 rebate and a FREE 3 piece knife set that was valued at $99.99! So, we scooped it up! We got the cookware set today and the knife set is on it's way!

Now I want to get the oval saute pan and oval pasta pot, the silicone tongs, tools, well-I guess the whole line!

Ok-time to figure out what to cook tomorrow night! YAY for new cookware (and YAY for Rachael Ray)!

My New Cutting Board!

I have been wanting a bamboo cutting board for quite a while and we came upon a great deal at Sam's Club. It's "Tru Bamboo" XL Oval Chop Block that was originally around $40.00 and we got it for $19.00! http://www.trubamboo.com/bahama.html

I've used it several times and love it!

After 2 years, we finally have a microwave!

About 2 years ago, our microwave died on us. First, the handle broke off and then it just stopped working. Andy wanted to get a new one, but I was afraid it would be one of those projects that never quite gets finished and we would be stuck with a big gaping hole in the wall above the stove. So, I kept telling him we should wait. Plus, I was pregnant with twins and couldn't stand the thought of the mess. Yesterday we decided to go for it! We went to Lowe's and picked out our new GE Profile microwave, brought it home and Andy immediately started working on it. After 4 hours, it was completely installed! Great job Honey! And now, for the first time in 2 years, I present to you the Ginka Family Working Microwave!!

Now, what to do with it? It's been so long since we've had one!The first picture is the old broken microwave. The second picture is the removal, third is the open space and the final picture is our new baby. Bring on the microwaveable goodies!!