Our First House: Breakfast Area (so far)

Before we moved in.

Removed the wallpaper border, added a pendant light.

Removed the tile floor and began the painting process.

New floors. Painted walls.

Added a new breakfast table.

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Mirror…installed! Next I need to select some bright patterned curtains for this window to add a touch of color.
(Notice the dog puddles on the ground and all the floor mats I’ve always got scattered throughout this area in a desperate effort to keep the dogs from dunking their faces then spilling all their water all over the floor.)

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Our First House: The Kitchen (so far)

Before: outdated and full of oak.

The evil that lurked overhead, in the process of removal.

Look at all that headroom now!

Removed the wallpaper border. Installed some pendant lights and a few can lights.

Painted the ceiling (and other things, with help)

Ripped out the tile floors

This is what the house looked like while the new concrete overlay floors were being installed. The first step in the process was to sand the existing floor down to smooth it out, and the process kicked up so much concrete dust that we’ll be cleaning it out of corners and crevices for a long time.

And a close-up.

New floors!

My favorite handyman, hard at work.

Picked up some antique seltzer bottles for a great price on Craigslist and added a copper pan I scored on sale from an etsy shop.

B primed the first bank of cabinets for painting. (They’ll all be white, so this is kind of a preview of what’s to come.)

Starting on the second bank of cabinets.

New granite countertops!

And a new sink and faucet!

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#ThisJustHappened

Mixed Metals

I try to be a strong, supportive, level-headed, and rational wife to this man.

And most of the time I actually think I come decently close to hitting the mark, but today was not one of my better days. I woke up feeling tired, faced a long and grueling day of challenges at work, and came home with a stomachache and the beginning of a migraine. Then I accidentally scratched my own chin and made it bleed so I had to sport a bandage on it for the rest of the evening.

Observe the meltdown:

C: (interrupting conversation) I’m sorry, but I’m going to just say it because I’m feeling weak. I absolutely hate that you have to be away from home so much right now!

B: But sweetie, I thought you were okay with me taking this job!

C: I was, and I still am. And by tomorrow I’ll be able to deal again, I’m sure. But I can’t be steel today. (tearful blubbering)

B: Awww sweetheart, it’s okay.

C: I’m aluminum! Weak, bendy aluminum! With a bandage on my chin! I’m gross!

B: (laughing) You’re not gross; you just have a bandage on your chin.

C: I scratched myself, with my own hand, and now I’m wearing a bandage on my face! That’s as pitiful as it gets!

Laughing, B gave me a hug, a kiss on the forehead, and the promise that no, he won’t ever replace poor pitiful me with a better version who doesn’t have a bandage on her chin, which made me feel (mostly) better.

Perhaps tomorrow I’ll be steel again. Anyway, my face should be healed enough by then that I can ditch the bandage, and that counts for something at least.

Downton

 

Fashion Advice

E: Can I ask you a fashion question?

C: HAHAHAHAHAHA! HAAAAAAAAAA!!! Can I fail you miserably?

E: I need a PRACTICAL take on something.

C: Oh, in that case…

(and later)

C: For $30 compared to the original price, either way you’re already ahead.

E: Of course that alone made me question…maybe it’s that cheap because it’s hideous and I look like Chewbacca in it. Chewy’s winter collection. Hahaha! It’s h(insert chewbacca noise)t.

European Vacation, 2012

Selected photos from our Grand European Viking River cruise in 2012. (Clicky clicky!)