Santa Barbara Day Trip

Yesterday we spent the day in sunny Santa Barbara for our good friend Danielle's birthday.  It was the perfect weather for visiting the chalk art festival at the mission and wine tasting on the urban wine trail on State Street.  We finished the day with dinner & dessert at Opal Restaurant.

Cheers to a beautiful day & great friends =)

~ Heidi

Growing Up: The Dog Years

We've had Riley for about 9 months now ... feels like a lot longer!  He turned one year in February (or so we think) and he is just as much puppy as the day we got him!  He usually minds his manners, but gets excited in groups of people and embarrasses us with his "ungentlemanly behaviors."  He still loves to chase Steve, but a squirt bottle has really helped to squelch that habit ... have I mentioned how much Riley HATES water??? 

He is enjoying his new yard, though we discovered just how much of a digger he really is.  He is also discovering a new habit of sitting by the door to be let out & then sitting by the door to be let in and then repeating this pattern several more times.  A real joy.  But his favorite thing is lying in the sun; indoors or out.

And yes, he still fetches things around the house & occasionally chews up an object or two.  The most recent victims were two large buttons of unknown origin and a felt mouse that used to be enjoyed by Steve.  Now, just a carcass.  Poor mouse & poor Steve.

He is a bundle of playfulness & cuddles and though he may drive us nuts sometimes, we love him to death.  Pets just have that effect on us, don't they?

Go give your pet a big hug!

~ Heidi

The New Digs

Eric and I have officially moved to the suburbs!  Our first week in the new house was a bit rough as we laid awake in bed listening to the sounds of silence (where was that soothing freeway noise?) and wondering what we would do on a Saturday night in Upland (we were told about the "local watering hole" down the street in Old Town ... oh boy), but we made it through and are really enjoying our homeowning, suburban lifestyle as of late.  We're still working on the house and that will probably forever be a work in progress, but it has come a long way since closing escrow a month ago.  After many long nights and a handful of weekends sanding, cleaning, taping, painting, and eating delivery pizza ... our house finally looks like home.  I became a regular at Home Depot and I'm pretty sure the paint guy tried to hide after spotting me for the 15th time asking for yet another sample, but it was well worth it.

So without further ado, here are some pictures of the process & final product (for now).  Enjoy!

~ Heidi