Monday, October 19, 2009

Our new home!!

Welcome to the Pearsons!!!! While we were in Iowa, we were greatly anticipating any news that may come with the house we had in escrow. It was a short sale, so needless to say, there are many unknowns, ups, downs and straight up disappointments that come on a daily basis. We prayed and prayed that this would be the house God would give us... and sure enough---He is faithful and provided an "above and beyond" gift that we did not deserve. The house was built in 1988 and the previous owners bought the house in 2005 and started a complete renovation in 2006. They did not cut any corners on high end materials including 42" rustic alder wood cabinetry throughout the home, 5 1/2" panel Brazilian Cherry wood floors, wrought iron spindle staircase and cherry wood steps, granite countertops throughout kitchen, built-in office area and every bathroom... it's just a dream come true!! We would have never been able to do a $100,000 renovation, so we are SO thankful that someone else did it and we were able to buy it! I know this market/economy has caused much devastation in so many ways, but in this case, buying a home we wouldn't normally be able to buy was a giant blessing. 

Here is the entry---and you are being greeted by our sweet, 11 year old, gorgeous Pit Bull, Marli. Chance has raised her since she was just a few weeks old. I am now a proud step-mother and she is a shameless mama's girl :)


Tis the season... I plan on changing this arrangement with the seasons :)
Living Room Sectional... very comfy.
From behind the couch looking towards the front door..
One of my favorite views of the inside... you can see all the beautiful details..
The dining room and my housewarming gift from my mom... I was DYING for this chandelier and couldn't wait to put it up. It was fairly inexpensive (comparatively) but shipped in 1,000s of tiny pieces... We put it together in shifts and took probably 8-9 hours total. Totally worth it. And when I was out of town, shooting a wedding, Chance and our friend, Scott completed the installation and even put it on a dimming system!! Wahooo!! Sexy mood lighting!
I love green and navy together :) And these mugs??? Casual china from Macy's that Chance and I originally registered for, but I kinda had a small heart attack when I saw the price... around $25 PER MUG! I know, you register for things you wouldn't normally buy for yourself and of course my life is contradictory in so many ways... (Chance would now remind me of my latest camera upgrade and how much it cost us) But you know... perspective is everything. So, I immediately thought of starving children and took the mugs off the registry.... and I was totally ok with it. 1 month after we got married, I was doing some GOODWILL shopping (for photography props) and walked down the dishes aisle. Lo, and behold---a set of 4 before my eyes. Same brand... straight from Macy's. $1 each. I shrieked and ran to the checkout counter like someone was watching me and about to steal them out of my hands. 


Part of the kitchen and view into the dining room.

Long view of one side of the kitchen... the built in office in on the end by the sliding glass door..
The undone fireplace room.. the fireplace is to the left :) and that is the door to the laundry room.
I love exposed brick... and we're a little premature on our Christmas decorations.. I put them up to show Chance and get his approval and ended up leaving them for now.. We want to really do this place up for Christmas, so I'm sure I'll take more photos when we do!
The undone guest room.. and attached bathroom (not pictured)
The master bedroom!!
The sliding glass door to the back patio and our patio furniture "end of the season" deal we got at Home Depot. In the back yard, though not quite finished, we have a lime, grapefruit, orange and pear tree!!!!
Of course, this is all a work in progress, but with as much character is in this house already through the renovations, it is easy to give it a clean, polished look! We are so grateful and welcome visitors!! :)

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Our Trip to Iowa!

We had an absolute BLAST in Iowa visiting Chance's family. They live just steps from the lake in Okoboji with a pool out from and their boat docked right on the water! We toured the super character-filled lake town, bough sweet corn from a pick up truck on the side of the road, shucked the corn and had a family BBQ complete with a very serious bean bag tournament. We ate fried cheese curds more than once, bought Okoboji souvenirs for the fam back in AZ, ate cotton candy (well, that was just me), cruised on the boat, pulled right up to the infamous Barefoot Bar for some refreshments and jumped off the boat into the less than bath water feeling temps. We also spent an evening touring the town of Spencer, IA, where Chance grew up! AND---we got to go into the house he grew up in!! That's how the midwest rolls--anybody lets you into their home--and this was for a good cause.. So, I was prepared with my camera in hand and snapped some photos of us and the house!! More to come soon!

For now---this is what we did in our spare time. Relaxed at the pool with our niece, Avery. She's a fish and loves to be tossed! Chance first demonstrates his stealthy backflip, then Ave shows us a variety of her poses... both in the pool and out!






my favorite!!









My hot sister in law, Misti... dang guuurl. 
Dan, Avery and Misti:
Connie, Avery and Chance:

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Hamburger Throwdown:

Any Pearson Throwdown is characterized by 5 main components: Taste, Presentation, Creativity, Competition and Good Company.
Competition and Good Company is mandatory---Taste, Presentation and Creativity is what we are judged on.
And even though you can't taste these, use the descriptions and your imaginations to decide and VOTE for your favorite on the right hand tool bar!!
Meet the competitors...
First, Mick McGinty, an All-American artist by trade, creating in such varieties of mediums as oil, watercolor, acrylic, pencil and finger paints. He got his start as an artist at Knott's Berry Farm, painting oil portraits of children who would not sit still. He is that good. He raised a family in Southern California, married the love of his life, and is now a proud grandfather of 4 grandchildren. They call him Papa. Claiming to be an amateur in the kitchen, let's see what his artistry skills bring to the table... literally.
Kerry McGinty, the wife of the All-American artist and 1,000 women wrapped in one. She has held such jobs as a gift shop clerk, an X-Ray technician, a video artist, women's ministry leader, rotary notary, some type of paper/forms processor at Arizona State, H&RBlock (don't ask... she hated that one) and now a realtor and assistant to KaceyLuvi, Creative Productions. She is competitive, mean and ready to win. Let's see if she rises to the challenge.


Chance Pearson, the blessed husband of KaceyLuvi, Creative Productions. Born and corn fed an Iowan, Spencer..to be exact. 14,000 people in the city he grew up in makes it hard to believe such greatness could arise out of such a town. He was the star running back of his time. Spencer Tigers, #33, the 517th member to pledge into Phi Psi at Arizona State University and now 30 year old District Manager of Core Concepts Personal Training. He has big muscles, but an even bigger heart. He's a lover, not a fighter. But today, he came to win. Let's see if his creation is as big time as he is with his luxury Harkins Theatre cup.
Kacey... the even more blessed wife of Chance Pearson, the Spencer Tiger transport. She is pleased to have married someone like her dad... steady, consistent and faithful. Kacey has come to party. She is ready to win, don't get me wrong, but the social aspect of this Throwdown is the most important part to her. However, she brought her A game. She graduated with self-proclaimed Social Honors from Azusa Pacific University and self-proclaimed Slacker Honors from Arizona State University. She is no dummy and plays to win.


First off, we have Chance Pearson's burger. A mix if hamburger, turkey sausage and Lipton Onion soup mix atop a bun smothered with a homemade aioli. The aioli contained mayo, garlic, basil, extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste. The final garnish was the cucumbers, sliced to perfection. He named it:

"CoolAsA"

Next, the pizza burger, created by Kerry McGinty. I can't even start to list the ingredients, but the bottom line was, it tasted just like a pizza on a burger. However, she put so many ingredients within the meat (including a homemade pizza sauce) that the burger hardly kept itself together on the grill. Better luck next time on presentation, Kerry. She named it:

"Pizza... Question Mark"

Kacey clearly took a risk on her double decker burger. Each patty was covered in spreadable Brie cheese (a Kacey Pearson favorite) and a grilled Peach ring. Few ingredients. Big flavor. So she thought. She named it:
"The Fruit Loop"

And finally, Mick McGinty's burger. The one we were mysteriously anticipating for it's creativity and artistic expression. Mick, being the all-american that he is, put together this perfect swiss, bacon and mushroom burger. It looked like it was ready to be on the expo line. He named it:
"Ring Around the Mushroom"

And in the end... dessert. 4 perfect banana cream pies in a cup. Possibly the most delicious thing ever created.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The new house we are praying to be ours!!!

The Kitchen (minus the fridge)

Built in office off the kitchen:


Kitchen sink and 42" Rustic Alder Wood cabinetry:

Little Reading area :)

The Dining Room waiting for my pretty chandelier to be hanging :)

Main living room:

The Grand Entry:

Downstairs Bath:
Another entry shot:

Downstairs Guest Room/aka the Man Room

Laundry:


Wood Stairs... yummy.

Master Bath toilet/shower room:

Master Shower:

Master Bedroom:

Master Bathroom:

Upstairs Hall:

Upstairs Guest bath:

Upstairs Guest Bedroom:

The cozy fireplace room off the kitchen:

Extended view:
2 car garage with lots of storage space:)
Please pray for us as we are just weeks away from closing!!! Possibly sooner! We are thrilled to have our offer accepted and to be moving towards the goal. We will keep you posted!!