Keeping Busy: Wallpaper and Paint

Hi everyone! How's everybody doing today? We hope that this blog update finds everyone doing great and hopefully enjoying some spring weather! Stuart and I just wanted to say hello and give you a little update on what we've been up to the past couple of weeks. As I mentioned in our last post we had a little break from the Legislature that we used to get some wedding planning and work around the house done.

Our biggest project by far was stripping the wallpaper in our bedroom and then painting the room white. I helped with some of the wallpaper removal and painting, but it was mostly Stuart. He did a great job! I took a few pictures of the project that I'm posting here. Things never got too hectic or out of hand, but the bedroom was a DISASTER during the process as you will note from the pics.

Beginning of wallpaper removal project. Total chaos.

Stuart doing a great job (and happy too!!) with the wallpaper.

Me lending a hand. (I had an unfortunate wedgie in this picture

which is why it's only from the waist up:)

Stuart rolling some paint. Notice that I am watching

the Barefoot Contessa on Food Network while he's painting. Not a bad deal:)

Ironically, I don't have a picture of the finished product to post although we ARE done painting!! I'll work on that and post it at a later date!

Stuart moved into his house in October of 2008 and since then he and I have been working on little things to make it our own. The more time that's passed, the more we've done. Although we've already begun our home projects I don't live with Stuart yet. I've kept my place that I've had since I first came to Topeka for law school in 2005. It's a cute, huge apartment that's in a building that was built in 1883 . It's a great place, but that's a whole other blog post!!:) Stuart's place is also great and we're very lucky to be living there. His house is a very unique mid-century style house that we're enjoying updating and living in. I'm planning to move in with Stuart sometime this summer when we have more downtime from work. I have to say that we're both getting very excited for the move, although I am going to miss my old apartment!

We did a few other things over our break to help feather our nest and I'll post more on those later. I just wanted to say hello to you all and use this opportunity to give kudos to the boy and his undying dedication to wallpaper removal and painting before the opportunity got away from me:). We hope that everyone is doing well!!

Hotel Reservations

Hi everyone! How's everyone enjoying spring so far? Stuart and I have a little break time from the legislature right now, but we've been keeping busy with wedding planning and home improvement projects. Stuart (that dear, sweet boy) has been stripping wallpaper in our bedroom, which I helped with a little bit, and I have been looking for bridesmaid and mother of the bride dresses among other things. Our weather has been a mixture of gorgeous, humid, cool, sunny and rainy-- about par for the course in Kansas this time of year!

I wanted to let you all know that we now have a block of rooms reserved under the Bell-Little Wedding at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka. Our block is reserved for two nights, Friday, September 10th and Saturday, September 11th. We figured that most of our out-of-town guests would be arriving on Friday and leaving Sunday. The rate for each night is $89 for a standard room with two queen-sized beds. Once (and if) our block gets filled the hotel will continue to honor the room rate on an availability basis. In order to receive the group rate reservations need to be made before Friday, August 20. Here is the phone number to the hotel: (785) 431-7200 and a link to their website: www.capitolplazahoteltopeka.com. I think that you will have to call the hotel to set up your room reservations under our block.

The Capitol Plaza is a nice hotel in a very central location in Topeka. It's close to both the Statehouse, our house, and the place that we are thinking about holding our rehearsal dinner, to which we are inviting all of our family and out-of-town guests on Friday. It's a place where Stuart and I would enjoy staying and would feel comfortable having guests stay. It's a little ways to our wedding location, but really so is any hotel in the area.

There are several other good options for accommodations in Topeka. One of those options that Stuart recommends is the Lake Shawnee campground for those of you who are coming out in an RV. Here is a link to the website: http://www.snco.us/parksandrec/lake_campground.asp. It's both close to Topeka and to Stonypoint Hall.

If you have any questions about either of these places or if you want to know more about other options please let us know and we would be happy to help you find a good place to stay. We want you to enjoy your time here in Kansas!

Topeka, Kansas: The Biggest Little City in the World Today (This is not an April Fool's Day joke.)

My cousin Ashley just informed me that today, instead of seeing the bright, multi-colored Google logo at the top of the page when she tried to google something, she saw a different bright, multi-colored word: Topeka. That's right everyone, Google has officially changed its name, (for today at least), to Topeka. How crazy is that!! No kidding, although it is April Fool's Day. Check it out for yourself!! http://www.google.com/