Res Life

Justin spotted a beautiful pair of swans in the Res this morning!

Open Invitation!

Just wanted to post this blurry pic of the view of the guest bedroom from the hallway since Justin left it out of his update. Guests are welcome!

Outdoor Update

After clearing the yard of the many crab apples that fell when the tree came down, I am less sad to see it go.

It was gorgeous out today, with a hint of fall in the air and I spent some time in the yard after work. I can't believe that it's already the last official weekend of summer.

Five bug bites and some OFF later, I walked down to the edge of the reservoir in the backyard. I hadn't really ventured down there yet because there is a lot of brush that needs to be cleared out, but I wanted to see if I could catch a glimpse of the heron that we have seen hanging around down there. It was there! But apparently it is camera shy. After I came in to grab the camera and went back out, it was gone.
Here is where it usually lounges.
I think that there are some animals that like to chomp down trees that live in the area.
And we might have some blueberry bushes! They look like blueberries, but to be safe, I wasn't doing any field research. What do you think? Because of all the rain this summer, the fungi have really been thriving. We have our share of mushrooms.
I hope there are some more days like today left in the summer!

Yard with a view.

I can't let Lori have all the fun here, so I (Justin) will be making today's update post.

Since next weekend we are taking a much needed break from home renovation, we had to get a lot done today.

First on the list was to move the location of the wiring for the eat-in-kitchen light. Now all we need to do is find a light that doesn't cost $300 (ahem*lori)

While I was building Lori's mega-awesome double-bin compost container, Lori worked on getting the guest room ready.

And to save the best for last, one of my requests since moving in has finally come true.

While making one of a MILLION trips to Home Depot/Lowes, my dad made some good use of his chainsaw to get rid of the crap apple tree!

Now all thats left is to get rid of the Pine tree and i'll be satisfied with the back yard.

Little By Little

Sorry for the gap in posting! We weren't as productive through last week, but I have some updates from this weekend.

The bathroom has been mostly finished for a while. We tore down some wallpaper and put a fresh coat of paint in there until we are able to totally rehab. You love the pink and blue tile, right? It's kitschy?

I'm trying to convince Justin that we need a new vanity, but (thankfully) he is keeping us focused on the kitchen.

Another big accomplishment this weekend was the near completion of the half wall. Justin and his dad got the hole all sheetrocked up and ready for muddin'. It's so fun to watch all the progress! The backyard needs to be mowed... On top of that bird bath is the mirror that I'm in the process of rehabbing. Two coats of spray paint and it looks (almost) brand new! In other yard-related news, our butterfly bush has its first bloom!

Bedroom pictures should be up tomorrow - we finally found the most perfect shade of pale blue/grey!

Weekend Work

I wish that I could take the rest of the summer off from work to make my house look pretty.

We got a lot done this weekend.
After the brush dump trips we focused on more demo in the kitchen and getting the bedroom painted.
I'm still wavering between two colors in the bedroom. I was going for a light grey-blue, but the more I look at it, the more I'm not really feeling the grey.
What do you think?



Justin's father, Steve, has been coming up on the weekends with Nancy, which has been a HUGE help. We are so lucky to have his expertise and his help.
Here they are finishing up some of the demo between the kitchen and the living room.


We opened up the header at the top of the pass through and took out another piece of the wall that goes into the "working" kitchen. I can't wait until the kitchen is done. The below view is from the kitchen - we need some mantle inspiration too - that needs a facelift.
















Thanks to everyone who came this weekend!!

I can't wait until all the renovations are finished and we can throw a huge party!

Yay Yardwork!

Today I really felt like a home owner.

This morning we cleared out a little bit more brush in our backyard in efforts to improve our water views. And that plus everything that was ripped out of our front lawn last weekend made for 3 trips to the brush dump. Thankfully mom let me borrow the truck.


On the way home from the the dump we went to Home Depot. That's when it started to sink in that I actually own a home.

.Justin also tried out his new lawn mower today. I wanted him to get a push one that doesn't use gas, but since he'll probably be doing most of the mowing I didn't press the issue.

I really love the smell of fresh cut grass.

Welcome to the Jungle

This year, inside. Next year, outside.

That is what we have been telling ourselves. The house really needs a paint job, and the landscaping in the front was overgrown and out of control.

Then, my absolutely fabulous Aunt and Uncle swooped in and upped our curb appeal by about 10million points.

Underneath all that overgrowth and weeds there were acutally some flowers!

Here's a before and after. If you click on the picture for actual size, you can see how much work they really did.

Thanks to them both - and to my sister - who found out that she actually doesn't mind spreading mulch. I hope she comes back next spring!

Welcome to Suburbia

We've done it. We're living the American Dream of homeownership.

We closed and moved on the same day and after a little legal hiccup, we were officially declared the owners of a 3bdrm/1bath ranch.

After a weekend of cleaning and tearing down wallpaper, (OH the wallpaper! Now when I say the previous owners went overboard with the wall paper, I am not exaggerating. She even wallpapered the outlet covers and the closet doors.) we are starting to feel settled in.

First on the agenda was a little demolition!

This wall and bookcase separated the living space from the eat-in-kitchen. Without the wall the entire space is brighter. We also removed that awesome light fixture over the dining space. After everyone who helped with the move hit their head on it at least twice, we decided it was time for it to go.


This is just part of the kitchen renovation, which is already underway. The kitchen is original to the house, which was built in 1954, so it is most certainly time for an update.



A HUGE thank you to all the friends and family who came by this weekend to lend a hand and check out our new digs. We feel truly blessed to have such fabulous families who are willing to help out.



You could say we got a fixer-upper. We are continually being told not to rush. Not to wear ourselves out. Enjoy the process. So, I decided to blog this little adventure we are on to share the joy of the process.

Any suggestions and/or thoughts are more than welcome!