The inspection for the house got done of Saturday and Chris and I (and little "Gweta", too) went over for the walk-through. The inspector said that overall the house was in great shape. He pointed out a few minor things to keep up on and watch out for. The biggest thing on the ol' inspection […]
As a home cook, there are several little things you can do that will make a big impact on your food. If I had to pick my top 3 small things that make a big difference, they would be (in no particular order): 1- Use a meat thermometer to not only safeguard against serving someone […]
We are moving in just a few short weeks and soon our apartment will be filled with boxes and stripped of our personality. As exciting as it is to move into a new place--our very first house--this apartment will always be special to us. We brought Greta home here. I'm sure years and years down […]
We got ourselves a fixer. We are under contract with the home of our dreams and the closing date is set for March 31st. We know that some people dream about building their own home with every upgrade you can get, we dreamt of a home we could get our hands a little dirty in. […]
If you are selling your home yourself and someone wants to come see it, set the appointment quickly and then confirm it with their realtor. Then double confirm it the day of. Have your car running, but never leave without shaking the potential buyers' hands. Put on a nice friendly smile and tell them how […]
I know you are dying to know what I am wearing today. You probably wonder everyday, don't you? Today, I am sporting extremely fashion-forward black leggings. Maternity ones (I'm not even pregnant). Hot-t. A plain black t-shirt that I cut the neck line to make it a scoop neck back when I didn't care who […]
Once you have kids, everything changes. How many times have you heard that? Yeesh. It is true. But, I feel like it is also a given. I guess everyone wants to sound smart. Except when I forgot this and surely sounded foolish: When we put an offer in on the short sale in Eagle […]
1. I gave into my summer fever and my hair caught some light last night at Salon 21 with Stacie. I almost canceled 4 times because I was so nervous but, turns out, I love it. (And I loved talking about The Bachelor, The Kardashians and how Jon Gosselin is now a Pennsylvania construction worker […]
(Name that movie) There have been some inquiries about this blog and where we are headed. I don't know what initiated it all, but I have made up my mind about some things blog related that I gotta share. This blog is about us. This blog is about our life and all the things we […]
I am hooked on 'em lately. We have always been rip-off-a-paper-towel-and-fold-it people. Even if we are having company over (tacky tacky tacky). Chris loves to cook (no surprise there) and he LOVES to cook for lots of people, so we have friends over for dinner at least once a week. Suddenly, I am completely embarrassed […]
Err, on a shelf. It's one of those things that I have talked about for several posts. Oversized letters. A long shelf above our bed. A canvas or two propped on top. I assure you, as many times as you heard about it, Chris has heard about it MORE and I thought about it even […]
Today, I finally found the strength to make the clock in the bathroom read the correct time. Once I saw this new clock (on the right) at Ikea for just $9.99, I knew it was just the motivation I needed. It is frosted glass tinted a sort of Seafoam. It's square and it mimics the […]
A lot. It's only 7 years old, but needs some love. Good thing love IS our middle name. We have been through this twice before, and this one is a short sale so we are trying not to get too excited until we have the keys. But we are getting a little excited. Right. Now. […]
Two days ago, it was warm and sunny. I opened the windows in our house. I cleaned until things squeaked. Greta and I went outside. We met Chris for lunch. When the weather is warm, I get the urge to exercise and highlight my hair a la Penelope Cruz or my awkward self circa 2006. […]
It's my latest painting that I thought I finished this morning, and even blogged about it. And posted it (you quick readers may have got a glimpse at the first "finished" product). And then I saw the post and it didn't feel right. So I deleted it. Put more time into the painting and it […]
We're nearly two months in and instead of waiting for the end of the year, we thought it would be good to evaluate ourselves more frequently. Remember when you were 9 and your goals were grow your hair out, stop biting your nails and brush your teeth every day? Just me? Those were easy to […]
Before After Ha! While you may not be able to see a huge difference in the above pictures--trust us, it looks very different in person. Soft, warm, relaxing...all things a bedroom should be. Not convinced? I'll show you a few more pictures as I give you a tour of our in-progress bedroom (Oh, and those […]
I asked Chris this question as we were finishing up dinner. He said: "You. Watching Greta learn new things. Being with family. Providing for my family. Making a good meal. Those few minutes before we go to sleep when we cuddle. Relaxing." And then he asked me. And I […]
That's right, we actually had microwaveable hot pockets for dinner one night this week. See the menu on the right side of this page? The one that Julia so fervently updates each week? Well, it usually ends up being about 75% accurate. Maybe less. See, I'm a realist. No matter how much planning you do […]
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Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
