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House Remodel: Midway Point under contract

March 26, 2012 by Heather Lucier Stanley Comments Off

4th Week Under Contract


We discovered our new house to be in mid-June the weekend I returned from New Zealand. We put it under contract on July 18, 2011.

Here is a summary list of the blogs Pre-Contract and at the midway point under contract, from early July 2011 up through mid-August 2011:

Pre-Contract
1. Our Dream Home: We Got It!
2. How did we get our dream home?
3. Why did the builder split the existing structure into 2 residences?
4. Why did Alan fall in love with this house?
5. What design ideas did our realtor suggest for the bathroom?
6. How did the builder design the kitchen?
7. When did I start taking a HUGE number of snapshots of the house?
8. Which friends and relatives saw the house first?
9. What is the one thing I really liked about the house early on?
10. During the remodel process, which room did I enjoy seeing the most?
11. What did Alan want removed from the office?
12. In which room did the builder fill in the most windows?
13. Which room makes the house feel like a tree house?
14. When and Why did we hire an Interior Decorator?

First Week Under Contract
15. On what date did we put an official contract on the house?
16. What were 3 major interior design decisions the 1st week under contract?
17. What color did I want for the exterior of the house?
18. What did the exterior of the house look like the 1st week under contract?
19. Whose window trim and baseboard trim did I copy?
20. What does the builder love to provide in each remodel?
21. Which building material did the builder use for all the interior trim?
22. How are the two sun porches coming along?

Second Week Under Contract
23. What surprised me the most the 2nd week under contract?
24. Let the paint experimentation begin
25. The granite and an old door are installed
26. The additional arch
27. The unsexy things that make a house better constructed
28. Bring on the sample testing of the green exterior paint
29. Interior wall color: I got my gray
30. Character and more character: What Lies Beneath
31. The Entertainment Center is built
32. The kitchen and bathroom tile are installed
33. The sun porch floor tile is installed

Third Week Under Contract
34. How did the 3rd week under contract start?
35. The dog doors are installed
36. The laundry room tile and drain are installed
37. Taping for painting
38. The area between the front planter and house is made less permeable
39. Selecting a fence stain color
40. What color should the attic vent be?
41. The interior trim color is sprayed on

Fourth Week Under Contract
42. The plywood ramp is removed and the sprinkler system is being installed
43. I see gray paint
44. The gray stone dining room wall
45. Scoping out house numbers in the new hood
46. The bathroom fixtures are installed
47. The nails are puttied and I notice the crawl space
48. The master bedroom fire alarm and ceiling fan are installed
49. More ceiling fans are installed
50. The house exterior is being primed
51. The kitchen sink, faucet, and soap dispenser are installed
52. I see the hardwood floor again
53. I see Pistachio green
54. Navy pops into my head

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Switzerland: Snow Skiing Vacation

March 15, 2012 by Heather Lucier Stanley Comments Off

I love Switzerland. To learn more about my 1st Switzerland experience:

Grindelwald
01. Lodging in Grindelwald for the serious skier
02. Lodging in Grindelwald for an authentic Swiss spa
03. Where To Try Fondue or Italian Pizza in Grindelwald
04. Jungfrau mountain – Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe
05. Jungfrau Ice Palace
06. The Sphinx
07. Jungfraujoch – The Crystal

Wengen
08. From Jungfraujoch to Wengen
09. Lodging for a short walk to the Wengen-Männlichen aerial cableway
10. Wengen: A quaint village
11. Elvis sighting
12. Karl Molitor: A brief visit with a ski legend
13. Wengen, Switzerland Panoramic View

Grindelwald II
14. Lodging in Grindelwald for the most picturesque view

Interlaken
15. Hotel Oberland in Interlaken, Switzerland
16. Glacier Water
17. Lodging in Unterseen in an authentic Swiss chalet
18. Lodging in Unterseen at a hotel with whimsical decorating
19. Unterseen, Switzerland: A Dream House and goats perching nearby
20. Christmas Decorating at Hotel Beau-Site
21. Walking around Unterseen and Interlaken
22. Christmas Decorations Around Interlaken
23. Lodging in Interlaken to feel the Victorian Era
24. Lodging in Interlaken to be near a Japanese garden
25. Japanese Garden in Interlaken
26. Afternoon Walk in Interlaken
27. Dinner in the Hotel Metropole, Interlaken
28. Trip to Schilthorn: Before boarding the first cable car
29. The first cable car: To Gimmelwald
30. The second cable car: To Mürren
31. The third cable car: To Birg
32. The fourth cable car: To Schilthorn
33. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
34. Schilthorn View
35. Hotel Alpenruh Restaurant – Lunch with a View
36. Descent to Stechelberg
37. Paragliding in Interlaken
38. A Swiss Folklore Show and Dinner

Zurich
39. The Swissôtel Zurich is Pampering
40. Zurich City Tour
41. Zurich Entertainment and Art
42. Zurich Christmas Market
43. The train, the train
44. Water, cheese, and chocolate

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Exploring Ireland: How To See A Lot and Have a Blast

December 10, 2011 by Heather Lucier Stanley Comments Off

Sanctuary Ski Club: Ireland 2011 Trip Group Photo

Alan and I did a survey tour of Southern Ireland with the Sanctuary Ski Club. We started in Dublin, headed Southeast, South, and Southwest, ending in Shannon. I recommend this tour if you can arrive in Dublin and leave from Shannon.

One thing to note: The JFK Homestead may be closed. The relative of JFK who have us the tour said he was closing it for renovation. I did not catch a reopening date!

Enjoy my blogs about Ireland. One of my best European experiences so far.

Day 1:

01. Guinness Brewery Tour in Dublin, Ireland

Day 2:

02. County Wicklow and Glendalough Monastic Settlement
03. Dublin and Fallon & Byrne

Day 3:

04. Dunbrody Ship and Kennedy Homestead
05. John F. Kennedy Arboretum
06. Waterford and Arthur’s Day

Day 4:

07. Jameson Irish Whiskey
08. Cork
09. Blarney

Day 5:

10. County Kerry View
11. Irish Coffee at The Red Fox Inn
12. Ring of Kerry
13. Muckross House in County Kerry

Day 6:

14. Dingle in County Kerry

Day 7:

15. Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in County Clare
16. Cliffs of Moher and St. Brigid’s Well
17. The Burren National Park
18. Bunratty Banquet – The Grand Finale!

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How I Traveled to New Zealand on a Budget

November 17, 2011 by Heather Lucier Stanley 3 Comments

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In May 2011, I was elected as Secretary for the Austin Skiers Executive Committee, and shortly thereafter, Holidaze Ski Tours offered two spots on a New Zealand familiarity (FAM) Trip to the Texas Ski Council. The Texas Ski Council is comprised of 15 clubs and each club has approximately 12 board members. Of the approximately 180 board members across Texas, I volunteered to take one of the spots to New Zealand and I got it. From June 12-June 17, 2011, I was in New Zealand on a FAM Trip.

The purpose of a FAM is for the FAM participant to familiarize him/herself with the hotels, ski resorts, and other attractions and write a summary report to the Texas Ski Council. The Texas Ski Council has a detailed process for choosing ski locations in future ski seasons. The summary report for this particular FAM will be considered in the bid process for the 2012-2013 ski season.

A FAM Trip is a working trip and spouses are not invited. A FAM Trip is not a free trip. Board members pay for their own airfare – perhaps discounted, perhaps not – and the tour operator’s wholesale tour cost.

New Zealand FAM Trip Blogs:

Day 1 Auckland
1. Mt. Eden
2. Auckland hotel inspections
3. Auckland bus tour and Mission Bay stop
4. Auckland 3 mile run, happy hour, and dinner

Day 2 Auckland and Waiheke Island
5. View from the Sky Tower at breakfast
6. Ferry Trip to Waiheke Island
7. Waiheke Island Wine Tasting
8. Waiheke Island Olive Oil Tasting
9. Lunch at Mudbrick

Day 3 Queenstown
10. Hotel Inspection of Novotel Queenstown
11. Queenstown 3-5 Mile Run
12. Full Moon from Skyline Observation Deck
13. Kiwi Haka Maori Show and dinner

Day 4 Coronet Peak and Central Otago
14. Coronet Peak
15. Central Otago Wine Tasting

Day 5 Queenstown
16. Queenstown Hiking
17. Queenstown Hotel Inspections

Day 6 Queenstown, Shotover Jet Boat ride, and Arrowtown
18. Queenstown 10 Mile Run
19. Shotover Jet Boat ride and Arrowtown

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55 Posts on our 1st Home: Moving on

August 25, 2011 by Heather Lucier Stanley Comments Off

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55 Posts on our former home: A neat package of photos and writing.

Here are the 55 Posts in order:

01. A New Adventure: Putting our house on the market
02. The Sunny Spot
03. The Tiled Entry
04. The Front Patio
05. The Side Bar
06. The Breakfast Nook
07. The Black Stair Railings
08. The Main Bar
09. The Front Dining Room
10. The Breakfast Nook/Kitchen View
11. The three glass balls of art
12. The Cooling Kitchen
13. The gray guest room
14. The Blue Bathroom
15. The back living room
16. Phoebe in the World Market Leather Armchair
17. The back patio
18. View from The Back Living Room
19. The Back Living Room Entertainment Center
20. The master bathroom
21. View from the master bedroom
22. The island print
23. The Master Closet
24. View from Alan’s office window
25. The workout room
26. View from the workout room
27. Stairs
28. Upstairs Hallway
29. Upstairs guest bathroom
30. Plantation Shutters
31. Pressed Flowers
32. The Front Living Room Entertainment Center
33. The Fountain and The Front Yard
34. The Front Door and The Back Door
35. The Laundry Room
36. The Pantry and Storage Under The Stairs
37. The Garage
38. Alan’s Office
39. 8 Interior Colors
40. 40 Home Improvements in 11.5 Years
41. 10 Realtor Recommendations To Sell Our House Quickly
42. 24 home stager suggestions to make our home more inviting
43. The videographer
44. Our house is listed and sold: 13 items our buyer bought
45. Selling most of our possessions: 6 Places To Sell in Austin
46. Empty Rooms and Walls: It will be an easy move!
47. The Attic
48. The Paper Shredder
49. 1st Cleaning for the new owner
50. Dogs Relaxing Where They Can
51. 7 Big Items that we are keeping
52. Celebration
53. 1 Thing I learned from selling our house
54. 1 Thing I Will Miss When We Move
55. 1 Thing I Look Forward To When We Move

Enjoy!

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Personal Travel – November 1999 – October 2000 – Year 1

June 27, 2011 by Heather Lucier Stanley Comments Off

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Alan and I started dating in early November 1999. Within 3 weeks of dating, I was assigned to a 2 1/2 month PeopleSoft ERP (a.k.a. accounting/management software implementation) project, from late-November (November 29) through mid-February (February 11) in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

The first place that Alan and I visited together was Florida, related to my career. Instead of going home one weekend, I decided to fly Alan to Florida. He had been to Florida before and had some stories to share. His lobster fishing story was quite funny and he still had the lobster tails in his freezer. We had a relaxing weekend shopping and hanging out in Ft. Lauderdale together.

The second place that Alan and I visited together was Las Vegas, related to his career. I had been to Vegas before for an aunt’s wedding in 1992, but from 1992 -1999, Vegas had changed. In fact, every time I go to Vegas, a new hotel has been built or a new restaurant has opened. It is the city of novelty.

We took 7 trips together that first year:

01. Florida for a fun weekend where I had been working most recently
02. Las Vegas for Alan’s company’s annual meeting
03.Tuscon, Arizona for an AT&T sales incentive trip
04. Kansas City for a mutual friend’s wedding
05. Las Vegas for my 30th Birthday
06. Marceline, Missouri for Alan’s grandparents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary
07. Hermann, Missouri for Oktoberfest with some of Alan’s friends from Kansas City

Surprise Airline Bump in Memphis

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Dating – Heather and Alan – First Two Years

June 26, 2011 by Heather Lucier Stanley Comments Off

Early dating

Alan and I dated 2 years before we got engaged. This seemed like an appropriate amount of time for me personally. I did not want to rush into anything. After one failed marriage, I wanted to be absolutely certain that Alan was the person with whom I wanted to spend the rest of my life. A good way to know if somebody is that person is to spend a significant amount of time with the person, getting to know him/her and his/her family. Alan has an amazing family. Alan’s family and his grounded and sincere group of friends proved that Alan is a good guy.

Here are the high points in the First Two Years:

1999 – 2000 – Dating, Year 1
01. Personal Travel – November 1999 – October 2000 – Year 1
02. Our Dogs – Joey and Phoebe
03. Fun Around Austin I
04. Football I

2000 -2001 – Dating, Year 2
01. Personal Travel – November 2000 – October 2001 – Year 2
02. Homeowners
03. San Francisco – Heather
04. Waverunner
05. Mom and Dad

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29 Years in 29 Days – 190 Photo Journey

June 24, 2011 by Heather Lucier Stanley 1 Comment

29 Years Old in Norway


Well, The Big Photo Project is moving forward rapidly. I really wanted to get 29 years of photos organized before I left for New Zealand and I did it. The topics and links to 29 Years in 29 Days:

Baby To 18:

01. Baby
02. Art
03. Grandma’s
04. Fall
05. Boston
06. Peter Pan
07. Investor
08. Softball
09. First Car
10. Cat
11. The Basement
12. Sweet Sixteen
13. Best Friend
14. Running
15. Dating I
16. 80′s Travel
17. Senior Year
18. Free Spirit

College Freshman To Norway:

01. College Freshman
02. Saint-Flour, Cantal, Auvergne, France
03. Short Hair
04. The Big Question
05. Arthur Andersen
06. Homeowner
07. 90′s Travel
08. Girlfriends
09. Texas CPA
10. Dating II
11. Norway

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College Freshman To Norway – 11 Years in 11 Blogs

June 12, 2011 by Heather Lucier Stanley Comments Off

Michigan Union

I just finished writing Birth To 18 in 18 days – Isn’t that a wild thought? Now, I’ll start blogging about being a college freshman up through my trip to Norway.

Here are the topics for the 11 blogs:

01. College Freshman
02. Saint-Flour, Cantal, Auvergne, France
03. Short Hair
04. The Big Question
05. Arthur Andersen
06. Homeowner
07. 90′s Travel
08. Girlfriends
09. Texas CPA
10. Dating II
11. Norway

Let’s revisit my 20s together.

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Birth To 18 in 18 days – Isn’t that a wild thought?

May 24, 2011 by Heather Lucier Stanley Comments Off

Mom, Dad and Heather

The Big Photo Project moves forward. Yet not as originally planned.

Most immediately, I had planned to organize and write about The Story of Alan and Heather. However, shortly after I made the plan, I felt I should contact many friends and family to tell them about The Big Photo Project and my intent to stop using Kodak Gallery. A few weeks ago, I asked friends and family from the most recent years of digital to download any special photos from Kodak Gallery before July 1, 2011.

It is easy to get burnt out organizing photos when one is such a prolific photographer: What to keep? What to discard? Quality over quantity? Happy moments only?

I highly value authenticity in myself and others. However, I’m leaving out the ugly stuff in this version. Therapy is for the ugly stuff. A memoir for money is for the ugly stuff. A private journal is for the ugly stuff. A blog for no pay can be real, but does not need to be raw.

Lighthearted and lovely is the goal of The Big Photo Project.

I like to read happy thoughts because if a person reads happy thoughts, happy thoughts should prevail. Attitude is everything. I will re-read my blog and I want to read about the happy stuff over and over. Reading about the bad stuff over and over is being cruel to oneself.

My personal motto is: work hard on the bad stuff in therapy, learn from it, and move on as best as you can. Learning means acknowledging and not repeating the bad stuff.

Here are the titles of the”Birth to 18″ blogs:

01. Baby
02. Art
03. Grandma’s
04. Fall
05. Boston
06. Peter Pan
07. Investor
08. Softball
09. First Car
10. Cat
11. The Basement
12. Sweet Sixteen
13. Best Friend
14. Running
15. Dating I
16. 80′s Travel
17. Senior Year
18. Free Spirit

Come follow me on my happy journey.

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