Doesn't this cake...

look absolutely yummy? I made this Saturday before my parents and brother came over for dinner. It's actually a red velvet cake (from a box! *gasp*) with cream cheese icing and I just cut up some fresh strawberries for color and cuteness. We also had a shrimp dish Bishnu made that was delicious but sadly, I didn't take any pictures of it. Maybe one day I can get him to write down the recipe and I can post it on here. I swear, that man should have went to culinary school...he is such a wonderful cook! And I am one lucky wife! It sure does take the pressure off of me since I don't have to cook every.single.night. And we work very well together in the kitchen...no shoving or jockeying for space. Saturday night reminded me that we really should cook together more often.

Tonight 'the girls' came over and we carried, shoved and pushed Bret's desk downstairs to my designated scrapbook area. It is so nice just to see it sitting down there instead of on our front porch and I'm already feeling much more motivated. I still need storage for my tools and supplies but hope to find some of them at Goodwill and/or yard sales. I've already found a small spice rack to store small embellishments and flowers. Hopefully I'll have the same luck while searching for bookshelves, cases and the like.

I've added a couple of frames and our clock to the space above the mantel for now. It isn't what I want above the fireplace ultimately but it does go a long way to make the living room feel more home-y and comfortable. I'm on the lookout for smaller clocks to make a sort-of vignette of clocks on the wall. Actually, what we REALLY want above the fireplace is a wall-mounted flat screen tv. But as I mentioned several posts before, we don't really have an extra $900 - $1000 laying around (and if we did I can think of several other important things it could go towards first! lol) so this will make do! The frame on the right has two pockets and will hold wedding memoribilia. The two picture frames on the left hold pictures of Jonah (left is more recent - 2yrs. and right is 1 yr. pic). Those three items and the clock (Target) were all wedding gifts. :o) I love that I am finally able to use some of those wonderful things we received! Hopefully I can find a dining room table soon so I can finish up the dining room. All that has happened in there so far is the pretty blue paint - wish me luck!

Ta ta for now!

On this day one year ago...

we got married! It's hard to believe it has been one year already...We had already lived together for one full year when we got married and already had a 13 month old. It was stressful, nervewracking and wonderfully beautiful! I love everything about our wedding and wish that we had someone record it. I have many more pictures from our wedding day but sadly this is the only one that I've scrapped so far. Unbelievable, isn't it?! Honestly, I'm so nervous to scrapbook our wedding pictures (I'm afraid I'll royally screw them up) that I haven't even touched them yet. I keep setting a month that I'll get started on them and then that month will come and pass by - oh well! They WILL get done...I just have to work up my wedding mojo again. :o) And speaking of my wedding scrapbook, if you attended my wedding I would love to hear what your favorite part of our big day was! This is something that I would like to add because it was so difficult to speak to all of our guests at the reception and it would be nice to hear what everyone's perspective of our day was. You can email me at ckunwar@oak.edu or leave me a comment here! Thanks!

Ta ta for now!

This cat...

absolutely hates it when I sing. Now, I know that I am not a terrible singer. I took singing lessons as a child and was good enough to be in the Pike Central Swing Choir (no, they don't swing while they sing. college-level choir here, peeps) for 3 years in high school...I just don't get it. Ever since she came home with Bret and Dad she has nipped and chased me around the house if I even hummed loudly. Which of course I did sometimes just to tease her... :o) It really is strange. It must have something to do with the tone or timbre of my singing voice because she doesn't react to loud or high pitched music or anyone else singing, for that matter! It is just crazy, I tell ya. So anyways, tonight as I'm home listening to music and catching up on my blogs and whatnot I start to belt out 'Cowboy Take Me Away' by the Dixie Chicks and Glendale jumps up from the dining room floor (Her domain and she does a right good job of holding down that floor. Unless she tries to get up and a claw gets stuck...then there's a problem...) and RUNS toward me. Now, Glendale does not usually run. I don't really think you can tell from this picture but Glendale is slightly overweight. She and Jonah weighed the same amount for a bit and she usually doesn't run for anything. Except food. Anyways, I look up to see Glendale running at me from the dining room, belly and fat bags swaying from side to side and I freeze. Because at that moment I remember exactly why I stopped singing out loud at home. Glendale flys onto my chair and proceeds to walk slowly forward, never taking her eyes from mine. I, of course, am terrified. She has claws. And she knows how to use them. I still have the scars on my forearms to prove it!

If Glendale could talk this is how the dialogue would have went:
Glendale: Did I give you permission to sing?
Me: *stuttering* No-no ma'am.
Glendale: *with condesencion*Did you not learn your lesson the last time you tried this?
Me: *whispering* No ma'am.
Glendale: I think you had better re-think what just happened here.
Me: Yes ma'am.

And then she proceeded to sit down by my feet and stare at me. Not lying. I went back to my computer screen and re-started my music. And promptly started singing quietly without thinking. The next thing I new she nipped my ankle hard and had jumped up on my lap with her ears back. I froze. Again. *sigh* And then I thought, "Hey! She's MY cat and if I want to sing I'll do it in my own dang house whenever I want to!" And promptly pushed her off! I'm not going to let a cat dictate what I will or will not do in my own house and I certainly am not going to let her know that she is the dominant female around here.

Now if I could just get the courage to start singing again...

Isn't he sweet? I absolutely love this picture of Jonah that Bishnu caught the other night on his camera phone. I know it's dark and a little grainy but hey, camera phones aren't the greatest. Look at his little cars and trucks - don't they just make you want to squeeze him to pieces?! The night Bishnu took this I was running around the house trying to clean and didn't even realize he was lying down on the floor. He ALWAYS lays down on the floor when he is tired and ready for bed so I slowed down and bent over to ask him if he was ready but found him like this.
There are some days when the no's, go's, hitting and random terrible two-ness just really gets to me and I'm not sure I'm going to make it to bedtime. But there are other moments and days when he will run to me with open arms or tell me "I wuve you" and just melt my heart into little pieces. Looking at this picture reminds me of all of that and how truly lucky I am. :o)

Wow! It's been almost a week since I last posted...but it's not my fault! I promise! Our internet connection at home has been terrible this past 5-6 days. We will have a connection for about 2 hours and then *poof!* it's gone. Bishnu has been working on it at home and trying to figure out but nothing has worked for an extended period of time.
We went up to Indy this weekend for a bbq at Brea and Stephen's house. Actually, Bret, Jonah and I went up to Indy. Mom and Bishnu had to work and Dad had already decided to go to a dinner/fundraiser for an old work friend. And as usual when Bret, Jonah and I are out together, people assumed that he was Jonah's daddy. *sigh* Dang Bishnu's schedule! Anyways, I'll see if I can get some pictures from others that were there (Bret forgot his camera) and post what I can.

We're searching for a twin size bed for Jonah. I've been pricing them online (cripes! they're expensive!) and of course I would love to get the one from Pottery Barn that they feature with the bedsheets we're getting Jonah but we also wouldn't be able to pay several bills after buying it soooo...I've been trying to find one that is made out of unfinished wood so I could do what I wanted to it but I'm not having much luck finding one of those either. Wish me luck and cross your fingers for me!

And on my last note - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAGGIE! *smooch* Hope you had a good one!

Ta ta for now!

Seek and Find Consignments

Several weeks ago Mom, Bishnu, Jonah and I were in Evansville for a shopping day when we came across this nifty little consignment shop, Seek and Find Consignments (http://seekandfindconsignments.com/). The shop itself is located a little out of the way of the main E-ville shopping region but it is worth the extra gas. Their website doesn't have nearly half of their invitory posted but has just enough to give you a taste of what treasures lay waiting inside their store. They only take items that are in very good shape and carry great furniture. The way they price items is a little different - the item is given a price when it first enters the store. A month later that price is slashed by 15%. After 2 months it is cut by 30% and cut 50% after 3 months. If it still hasn't been bought by month 4 it is donated to charity. I don't know about you guys but that is a pretty good deal considering some of the items in the store are brand new...The day we were there I spotted a cute little table and matching chair that would be perfect for my scrapbook space and I'm praying that it is still there when I go next. I highly recommend all of you (all 2 of you!) to at least go and visit this shop. You just might find something that suits your needs. Just don't go and buy my table and chair. :o)

I am lusting after...

this beauty. The Canon EOS DRebel XT. Isn't it beautiful? I think it is. Bishnu and I have been talking about getting another digital camera since ours bit the dust last year. We already have a
wonderful film camera that my Mom gave us when she upgraded and I love it. I really do. I love using film and getting the negatives...there is something so wonderful about having them developed that way. It's like you're still paying a bit of a tribute to the early years of photography. But we want a digital camera. I feel slightly like I'm out of the loop by not having one and wanting one. And it would make sending pictures to Bishnu's family so much faster and easier. But, unfortunately, it will probably be awhile until we get this. It is definitely out of our price range right now and unless someone sends us some surprise money we will not be able to get this until Christmas. That is my goal. To have this sucker by Christmas. *sigh* So for now all I can do is look. And watch for a sale. And sigh. Oh well. We are trying to reduce our debt right now and it's not going so well. With the economy in such a downward spiral and gas prices rising it is hard to imagine that we'll be buying any extras anytime soon. Bishnu has been watching the job ads - we have been planning on him finding a better paying job after he finishes up this summer and then he found out that the Sunoco he is working at will be closing due to I-69. We'll see what happens...

Ta ta for now!