EVER HAD WATER DAMAGE?

It all started with a dripping sound at 2:30 in the morning. My husband woke up to water coming from the ceiling. We had NO idea where it was coming from. We turned off the water to the house, soaked every towel in the house to clean the floors, and patiently waited until the morning for the plumber to come.

Fast forward 12 hours…and YES, the water was still coming down….take a look:

Verdict?

Hole in a pipe in the 2nd floor laundry room…which was replaced, water turned back on, and life began again. Damage was done to hardwood floors in the kitchen, kitchen ceiling, walls and lower level.  The water traveled through the walls and also had poured out through the recessed lights in the lower level.  Half of the ceiling, carpets, etc were torn out…

So now, we move on…

It’s now been a few months, and the work is almost complete.  Welcome to the journey…house overhaul! Stay Tuned!

By the way…need a referral for an excellent plumber here in town?

Roberts Heating, Cooling and Plumbing 515-202-0851 .

Tell ‘em Amber sent ya!

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If you live in Des Moines and you haven’t seen Jake Boyd’s photography yet, you’re missing out. We came across Jake and his photos on Twitter, and we can’t believe what we see! Mad talent!

We especially appreciate his talent shooting Des Moines architecture. We’ve never seen anything like it.  After seeing his work, we knew he needed to be featured…so here goes…

Let’s Meet Jake:

Jake Boyd Photo

How long have you been in business? Right now it’s just a hobby

Describe your business… I shoot anything and everything in the Des Moines area.

What makes your business unique? I take more of an artistic approach with my photos. I try to use angles/ideas that you don’t normally see. I also work with photos in Photoshop to ensure the best quality.

Who is your typical client/customer? Anyone who needs photos taken. I prefer architecture.

Where can we find you? You can follow Jake on Twitter (@jakeboyd) or visit his website at http://www.jakeboydphoto.com.

Take a look at some of Jake’s work

Thanks Jake, for letting us see your photos! You do amazing work…best of luck to you. To order prints from Jake’s collection, visit his website at JakeBoydPhoto.com!

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Today marks a progressive day in the state of Iowa. I’ve invited Tanya Keith, owner of Simply For Giggles, to join us with a guest blog on her experience today. For more info on this ruling, click here. It’s just one more reason it’s great to Live In Des Moines.

I’ll admit it, when I moved to Iowa in 1992, it was a little against my will. I was excited to be together with my soon-to-be fiance, but Iowa? Let’s just say growing up in New Jersey, I didn’t give Iowa a whole lot of thought, but if I had, “progressive Midwestern state” would not have come to mind.

What better time than now, when faced with a shortage of workers, and needing to become more competitive economically, to present Iowa as a 21st century state? The caucuses could not have done any better for positioning Iowa as a forward thinking, revolutionary place that the world should be paying a little more attention.

Iowa had already attracted my sister in law, Barb, back to Iowa from Chicago about a year ago. She was stuck in traffic and saw a billboard advertising Iowa’s “rush hour” as a business man getting rushed by his kids in the driveway. We love having her and her partner Betti here where they can watch our kids grow up and be more involved in their lives. But when they moved here, I wondered if they would struggle to be welcomed back to Iowa as a lesbian couple in the same way we talk about welcoming young Iowans back after they’ve seen the outside world.

Today, I got my answer, and I am thrilled! I’m tired of trying to explain to my daughter that while Betti loves Barb the same way I love Barb’s brother (Dad to my daughter), until now they couldn’t get married. I told her that it didn’t make any difference to us, or to her status as flower girl, but the truth is, it makes a huge difference. They already had been committed to each other for years, they don’t need a commitment ceremony, they need a marriage, and now it can be theirs, and ours to enjoy for them.

It’s another great day in Iowa history. Iowa has become the 3rd state in the nation to legalize gay marriage, and the timing couldn’t be better. For Iowa, this decision isn’t about whether you agree with the politics, it’s about presenting Iowa as a place that’s modern, progressive, and tolerant. A place that will welcome a young Jewish entrepreneur from New Jersey as well as an Iowa raised lesbian returning from Chicago. Betti and I will spend the day gloating to Washington and New Jersey, our respective home states. States that can only say they are progressive.

You can follow Tanya on twitter @TanyaKeith

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