tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73331287362520519812024-03-16T03:08:34.456-04:00homevolutionFrom land to house to home:
Adventures in building our bungalowJesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-67194799345296002642016-08-09T21:23:00.003-04:002016-08-09T21:23:56.597-04:00Visit me at homevolution.co!I've moved from Blogger to Wordpress, and homevolution.blogspot.com will not longer be updated. Please come visit me at: <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://homevolution.co/">homevolution.co</a></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hope to see you there!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-75761675367742090492014-02-24T13:26:00.000-05:002014-04-11T13:45:19.116-04:00Holy &*%$ - I built a table!Ok, guys, I am really proud of myself for this one. I built a table. A serious, giant dining table. And it actually turned out well.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoomRuqrthYEngNf45KTrDaJNKCXbKfDbYnw-HaW_fcP-LAACzSmfHxurig90oahtJKfETiWpNZBINXS7bxW0l6W1XU7gZPrfsKaGdl6zPyGX_kFsTYk_AMMSHz-_Po4oG85udYRzBF-h/s1600/Untitled2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoomRuqrthYEngNf45KTrDaJNKCXbKfDbYnw-HaW_fcP-LAACzSmfHxurig90oahtJKfETiWpNZBINXS7bxW0l6W1XU7gZPrfsKaGdl6zPyGX_kFsTYk_AMMSHz-_Po4oG85udYRzBF-h/s1600/Untitled2.jpg" height="640" width="440" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-furniture/963087.jsp" target="_blank">Anthropologie photo</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
You might be thinking <i>Isn't your blog focused on this home DIY kinda stuff? Aren't you supposed to be doing these things? </i>And the answer is yes, I am 'supposed' to be, but at this stage, I'm a total wannabe, and I have pretty much no experience and no idea what I'm doing. We only moved from our condo to our house a couple months ago, and this was the first big project I tackled. You might also be thinking, <i>umm but you already <a href="http://www.homevolution.co/2013/12/diy-crate-coffee-table.html">built another table</a> - so why is this one such a big deal? </i>Well, that coffee table was easy peasy. It basically just involved screwing together 4 pre-assembled crates, so it was about as simple as any furniture build could be. This table, on the other hand, involved working with raw lumber and using multiple power tools. Totally hard core! (At least for me, though I'm sure several of you are laughing at my newbie-ness).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XbN30aoovCchEOdXe19fKnwmGo_CkahVB8HdqH5AfTstIO_R7THNQR0oG9ZXh3-QzfTZ0Y_h8GWSq8i_X96jVw0hJT8IEvF4K24ffYre7rnz9Y93acckWTlkcflFfCA9pZl4XdxyN2VI/s1600/IMG_1539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XbN30aoovCchEOdXe19fKnwmGo_CkahVB8HdqH5AfTstIO_R7THNQR0oG9ZXh3-QzfTZ0Y_h8GWSq8i_X96jVw0hJT8IEvF4K24ffYre7rnz9Y93acckWTlkcflFfCA9pZl4XdxyN2VI/s1600/IMG_1539.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp16KprvQJoUoKIyD751O1FN508oWp9J58BM9gIBY-sGyhCyeqb-tdBAlLaV6B26vxfFyYEpiiD-WBxYgAFQSjGVcvgDffLRiIx3RH0JLGlCn8ynrZrO7UCXpwyONU1rdbLnrPnIWiQC0F/s1600/IMG_1546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp16KprvQJoUoKIyD751O1FN508oWp9J58BM9gIBY-sGyhCyeqb-tdBAlLaV6B26vxfFyYEpiiD-WBxYgAFQSjGVcvgDffLRiIx3RH0JLGlCn8ynrZrO7UCXpwyONU1rdbLnrPnIWiQC0F/s1600/IMG_1546.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It should come as no surprise that I used plans from the queen of furniture building, <a href="http://ana-white.com/" target="_blank">Ana White</a>. This is called the <a href="http://ana-white.com/2012/06/plans/fancy-x-farmhouse-table" target="_blank">Fancy X Farmhouse Table</a>, which was inspired by the <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-furniture/963087.jsp" target="_blank">Anthropologie Modern Farmhouse Table</a>. I'm not going to share a step by step process, since you can just take a look at the actual <a href="http://ana-white.com/2012/06/plans/fancy-x-farmhouse-table" target="_blank">plans</a>. The estimated cost listed was $65, but I was skeptical that would be the case for us here in the (expensive) DC area. To my surprise, I actually spent less than $60 on lumber!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpvdpmdQ2U6O6tXe6m4QP53xog2MDXzcogxfc2wOzKbggwrupHTo7dZV0zsSQrVBGIB-Ns9UkYyZ7rreS4bRh-USyuG8X65Fmx-L4TmdKaIQ86P2YmhyLdpNiAykrVXkDsM2uytgBbpzZ/s1600/IMG_1547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpvdpmdQ2U6O6tXe6m4QP53xog2MDXzcogxfc2wOzKbggwrupHTo7dZV0zsSQrVBGIB-Ns9UkYyZ7rreS4bRh-USyuG8X65Fmx-L4TmdKaIQ86P2YmhyLdpNiAykrVXkDsM2uytgBbpzZ/s1600/IMG_1547.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
Overall, the process went pretty smoothly. I built it over the course of a week, starting one weekend, doing a few minor things during the week, and finishing up the following weekend. This could be completed in a single weekend though, especially if you know what you're doing already! At the end of the process, I spent some time beating the table up a little bit, so it would look like an antique with some history. Then, I used Minwax PolyShades Espresso Satin Stain.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3-OeSNcZ7HXuHoN_HmnvnEXqSv0fbyfoRbWRQrHlwgv0G_HlMtQDsbENIQsoRGTkvRwQevZqhgo4PT0HqEVLbpZHsinHxYK2KIe54OpGbPUGEhhGZn48IJmJtfTPPXoj201A_-0S7Klq/s1600/IMG_1545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3-OeSNcZ7HXuHoN_HmnvnEXqSv0fbyfoRbWRQrHlwgv0G_HlMtQDsbENIQsoRGTkvRwQevZqhgo4PT0HqEVLbpZHsinHxYK2KIe54OpGbPUGEhhGZn48IJmJtfTPPXoj201A_-0S7Klq/s1600/IMG_1545.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
This was the first time I used a compound miter saw, the first time I used a Kreg Jig, the first time I used a nailer... you get the picture. These are the tools I used (with affiliate links), in case anyone else is shopping around. With the exception of the drill that was a gift (and is amazing!), I picked out all of these because they were low cost and had high reviews - so they're good for beginners who don't want to spend a ton. I've been happy with all of them so far!<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V5Z6RG/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000V5Z6RG&linkCode=as2&tag=homevolution-20" target="_blank">Hitachi C10FCE2 10-Inch Compound Miter Saw</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DYFISG/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001DYFISG&linkCode=as2&tag=homevolution-20" target="_blank">Kreg Jig K4 Pocket Hole System</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EJW1ZY/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000EJW1ZY&linkCode=as2&tag=homevolution-20" target="_blank">WEN 61720 3/4-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00519EUCE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00519EUCE&linkCode=as2&tag=homevolution-20" target="_blank">PORTER-CABLE C1010 Heavy-Duty 1-Gallon 135 PSI Max Quiet Trim Compressor</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001K31KOQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001K31KOQ&linkCode=as2&tag=homevolution-20" target="_blank">Black & Decker QS900 1/4-Sheet Sander</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RLR0EY/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002RLR0EY&linkCode=as2&tag=homevolution-20" target="_blank">DEWALT DC970K-2 18-Volt Drill/Driver Kit </a></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUf1-ogWgB1nQOunm0nRwGEBTcVMTFLgjrbe8JcKJx61d6tYcJN5qeVJQAPjpOVN1DilDL_7HwmlOIdhl2SBYYbOV7rA9cl8Me5y6l24Th7cF7oQXWakro865eAt2eWzaiiMUMGwpRq9_k/s1600/IMG_1540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUf1-ogWgB1nQOunm0nRwGEBTcVMTFLgjrbe8JcKJx61d6tYcJN5qeVJQAPjpOVN1DilDL_7HwmlOIdhl2SBYYbOV7rA9cl8Me5y6l24Th7cF7oQXWakro865eAt2eWzaiiMUMGwpRq9_k/s1600/IMG_1540.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrh9aGhOH1EszOMiwagXijIMuflXu43hGaTwL25Pn-cCRVOpveZHJKPK5HlfZ-t7NeBarnj-7-BRJi_CR7FzpPzrn4xfaXFWx5f_jq9XMdpbtR1a8zi6OIeZLCKpo4v1FfWRm0zXd3jL2/s1600/IMG_1548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrh9aGhOH1EszOMiwagXijIMuflXu43hGaTwL25Pn-cCRVOpveZHJKPK5HlfZ-t7NeBarnj-7-BRJi_CR7FzpPzrn4xfaXFWx5f_jq9XMdpbtR1a8zi6OIeZLCKpo4v1FfWRm0zXd3jL2/s1600/IMG_1548.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Have you ever built any big furniture? I was excited to try, but I was definitely worried it was going to turn out crooked or wobbly! This was definitely a big confidence booster once I saw the end product was actually sturdy & usable!<br />
<br />
**<i>Update:</i> I've received a few comments asking for a link to the full directions. It's listed above in the post, but in case you missed it, here's the link: <a href="http://ana-white.com/2012/06/plans/fancy-x-farmhouse-table">http://ana-white.com/2012/06/plans/fancy-x-farmhouse-table</a><br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-26530359325236620972014-01-28T18:00:00.000-05:002014-01-28T18:00:05.273-05:00{How much does it cost?} Site Work<i>Warning: </i>If you are not currently considering building a house, this post is probably going to be a big ol' snoozefest, so you might not want to bother reading any further! But if you <i>are</i> thinking about building on your own lot, I'm hoping this will be helpful. We couldn't find much info on this kind of stuff before we dove into the process, and personally, I would have liked to hear others' experiences!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGC4qc2qFDeK_um8xY2j181z_bEn-Li2id_tcjtmShRud2-9CraRZtaveFwO6MHpuKblyRyCFp4KNnIfeFIVD_0Rydia8LufVMDpb5w8EHgYhMfAbg2dRGzAxxHX2s3mv0z-GFPWmjzga/s1600/Downloads4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGC4qc2qFDeK_um8xY2j181z_bEn-Li2id_tcjtmShRud2-9CraRZtaveFwO6MHpuKblyRyCFp4KNnIfeFIVD_0Rydia8LufVMDpb5w8EHgYhMfAbg2dRGzAxxHX2s3mv0z-GFPWmjzga/s1600/Downloads4.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
Financially, the scariest part of the building process was definitely the site work. We knew the cost of the land we were buying. The price of the house was set - we picked out of floor plan and options, and then the price was final. But we did not know the price of the site work - we got an estimate, but it was only <i>an estimate</i>, and we had no idea what sort of surprises might be uncovered along the way. If you read some of my other posts a while back, you might remember that we were actually under contract for another property first - after some initial investigation, there were some concerns and we were told there could be some major issues - possibly<i> $150k in additional costs</i> level issues - but there was no way to tell until they got underway. That scared us away from the first one (luckily that was enough to allow us to back out), but we were definitely nervous about potential issues with site #2.<br />
<br />
Now that it's all over, I thought it would be helpful for any other potential home builders out there to share the budget vs. actual comparison for all of our site work - but with a major caveat: your site work costs may not look anything like this. <i>At all.</i><br />
<br />
Every site is different and needs different tasks done. Each builder includes slightly different things (the price of our house included everything in the actual structure including the foundation, but not things like excavation for the foundation or even little stuff like the use of a dumpster or portapot - we had to pay for all of that with out site work costs). Every jurisdiction requires different things (our county is particularly anal). Every area has different prices (our area is particularly expensive). We've been told, for example, that around $75k is typical - so our budget definitely ended up a lot higher than we expected!<br />
<br />
Here's the breakdown of all the things that were included in our site work budget, along with the actual cost comparison (ignore all the weird colors from the color coding scheme I was using):<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial,sans,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup><col width="284"></col><col width="95"></col><col width="95"></col><col width="95"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Site Work</td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Budget </td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Actual </td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Difference</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Site Clearing (brush removal, trees, stumps, etc) </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$12,500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$12,500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Regular Silt Fence -@ $2.00/lf </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$1,000</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Super Silt Fence -@ $5.50/lf </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$2,068</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$568</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Construction entrance</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$2,500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$2,500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Install sewer line</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$12,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$12,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Install 1" K-Copper Water Line from water crock to house </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$2,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$2,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Sewer Availability Fees </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$23,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$7,750</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$15,250</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Water Availability Fees </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$13,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$14,400</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,400</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Excavate basement (Additional charges will be incurred if exceeds 1 day)</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Backfill House & Rough Grade </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$950</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$950</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 2px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Dirt Removal -$200/Load </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$15,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$8,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$7,000</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 2px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Install Two Culvert Pipes as shown on plans </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$6,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$3,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$3,000</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 2px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Clear brush for easement</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 2px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Final Grade </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Removal of Silt Fence After House is Completed </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$100</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$100</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 2px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Rolloff/Dumpster Service ($500/pull)</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$3,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$2,500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$500</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Maintenance of Silt Fence Damaged During Construction </td><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$75/Occ+Mat </td><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">N/A</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Additional stone if needed later during Construction </td><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500/load </td><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">N/A</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Pump Out Basement Water </td><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$350/Occ </td><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td><td style="background-color: #f9cb9c; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">N/A</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">TOTAL</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$95,050</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$70,768</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$24,282</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-left: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Engineering</td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Budget </td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Actual </td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Difference</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Topographic Survey </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,750</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,750</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Lot Grading Plan </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$3,650</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$3,650</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Tree Inventory </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$800</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$800</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Geotechnical Investigation </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$2,500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$2,500</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Printing, copying, delivery </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$328</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$328</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Sewer easement processing </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$100</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$100</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Flagging of Clearing Limits </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">House Building Stakeout </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Sewer Easement Stakeout </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$300</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Wall Check </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Misc</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$1,000</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Final House Location </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Building Height Certification </td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$500</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">TOTAL</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$12,200</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$8,928</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$3,272</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-left: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Other</td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Budget </td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Actual </td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Difference</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">County permit/site review fees</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$2,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$2,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$0</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Hardscape/landscape</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$10,000</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">N/A</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="4" style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;"><div style="max-height: 68.08984375px;">
$3,326</div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Driveway</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$5,250</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Walkway</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$6,480</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Seed lawn</td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="background-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,596</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 2px;"><td style="background-color: #b6d7a8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Portable Toilette -Vendor will bill owner directly ($85/month)</td><td style="background-color: #b6d7a8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$1,080</td><td style="background-color: #b6d7a8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$595</td><td style="background-color: #b6d7a8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$485</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #b4a7d6; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Contingency</td><td style="background-color: #b4a7d6; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$4,920</td><td style="background-color: #b4a7d6; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="background-color: #b4a7d6; border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">TOTAL</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$18,000</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$15,921</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$2,079</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-left: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc; border-right: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Total</td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Budget </td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Actual </td><td style="background-color: #9fc5e8; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: center; vertical-align: bottom;">Difference</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">GRAND TOTAL</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$125,250</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">$95,617</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">-$29,633</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Luckily (ok, that's an understatement - more like <i>hallelujah! hooray! wippee! woohoo!!!</i>), we ended up under budget. About 30k under budget!! I always here people say that with big projects like this, you pretty much always end up over budget - so here's proof that doesn't always have to happen. A large piece of this was that we had anticipated paying an extra $15k fee to the county for the sewer connection, but it turned out that it had been paid by a developer decades ago so we were off the hook. There were only a handful of items where we went over - the largest of which was hardscaping/landscaping, and that part was actually under our control. Since we made those decisions at the end, we knew we were under budget and had some extra wiggle room - the biggest cost increase there was deciding to get a stone walkway and covering our concrete front stoop in stone too.<br />
<br />
So there ya have it. We were very happy with how everything turned out! And don't worry, I don't have any more posts planned for the future that involve posting spreadsheets!<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-1009407552567752272014-01-27T18:00:00.000-05:002014-01-27T18:00:04.578-05:00Sprucing up a boring officeI don't see many blog posts on offices, do you? I'm not talking home offices or the sleek/chic/whimsical offices you might find in creative industries - but the plain, old, traditional kind of office where you're issued ugly, functional furniture that might be rivaling you in age. That's the kind of office I work in. Not to make it sound like a horrible place - I love my job; it's just lacking a little on the decor side of things (as I think many offices are, despite what the blog world might portray!).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5r4vpqXoC0DnVNVxf-RTj9JLgU-ORiuFBjWLL4-pfYxpaiNH0RZGPbXlczG3EGZAyXZoh99ux2D0zmEg_Akc-mD3hig7kGqpJm6z2ZYBG9zNRLp7l3SmOKY_f3h_LFNgY6EGMxjky4TW/s1600/IMG_4127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5r4vpqXoC0DnVNVxf-RTj9JLgU-ORiuFBjWLL4-pfYxpaiNH0RZGPbXlczG3EGZAyXZoh99ux2D0zmEg_Akc-mD3hig7kGqpJm6z2ZYBG9zNRLp7l3SmOKY_f3h_LFNgY6EGMxjky4TW/s1600/IMG_4127.JPG" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
When I moved into my most recent office this past summer, I knew I wanted to get right on that. I moved from a shared office with a window to a private office with no window, so decorating seemed especially important - the space was all mine, and I didn't have a view to help make it cheerier. I did a few things right away, then completely slacked and haven't done anything else. One thing in particular that I wanted to do was 'upholster' the top desk cabinets with fabric, but who knows when I'll get to that. So the space is far from perfect, but it does help to show that a few small touches can make a boring office a little less bland.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-N_ryvqR067Jj9M5lrGtqTIzTNGhOBqMSfN_iGW_5othMDz_E0KdM0xuN8PJXX7jXRCYWZMechoXrMR350lQJdPjRzG1XOPCfVUyLRsaiitEvdkOornu7MSTVKmEcwlxRLWaAx_eN7Lvp/s1600/IMG_4968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-N_ryvqR067Jj9M5lrGtqTIzTNGhOBqMSfN_iGW_5othMDz_E0KdM0xuN8PJXX7jXRCYWZMechoXrMR350lQJdPjRzG1XOPCfVUyLRsaiitEvdkOornu7MSTVKmEcwlxRLWaAx_eN7Lvp/s1600/IMG_4968.JPG" height="640" width="522" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I made a couple quick throw pillows to stick on my desk chair.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfovWcjhE2GX7zdYgwnrCXjqQJj0bth913tg37-rkg7FOBEo7be-8qg7TxO76xhOl0Pk2jCisCpWf_POJHiJVKS2Y9zUN3z1N63pldA88o6OcXKiEM9Zt_bgS2dwWox4vk-5OMvTGkeYe/s1600/IMG_4126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfovWcjhE2GX7zdYgwnrCXjqQJj0bth913tg37-rkg7FOBEo7be-8qg7TxO76xhOl0Pk2jCisCpWf_POJHiJVKS2Y9zUN3z1N63pldA88o6OcXKiEM9Zt_bgS2dwWox4vk-5OMvTGkeYe/s1600/IMG_4126.JPG" height="548" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And I made this 'rug' using outdoor canvas, a fabric drop cloth underneath to make it thicker, and some turquoise trim at the ends.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-vZKzgj65skh_nUw_j4G-POTxUDqTpFGkOk54heyV8dZLkI_KxGfCH3ZVYSOMQWrM8PeYgY9rReYpek8hlCZArvXPJwosErV0kHv0dNUkiYhd9hT8ZESSjCpkLn79zwJw8OgXmXbrwjt/s1600/IMG_4128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-vZKzgj65skh_nUw_j4G-POTxUDqTpFGkOk54heyV8dZLkI_KxGfCH3ZVYSOMQWrM8PeYgY9rReYpek8hlCZArvXPJwosErV0kHv0dNUkiYhd9hT8ZESSjCpkLn79zwJw8OgXmXbrwjt/s1600/IMG_4128.JPG" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />
The giant plant was gifted to me several years ago by someone who left our office, and it had been gifted to her by someone else previously so I think this thing is 10+ years old. I don't know what kind it is (does anyone else know?), but it is such a hearty plant! It's even thriving in my windowless office after a half year. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUo_FbFtaQ3XfoK0Z_SsLmI87zHTPAoSeZqPSMk4FQexQ6oKcAUtiYZN60tsEYk7Ld_QWW6cfrMR5_xXv4rbOA6wVVADfiGPoDoHdYhAYBZCmo1uKUFKpIG4Zea3hoBPu1_iNvJh-0hlL/s1600/IMG_4963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUo_FbFtaQ3XfoK0Z_SsLmI87zHTPAoSeZqPSMk4FQexQ6oKcAUtiYZN60tsEYk7Ld_QWW6cfrMR5_xXv4rbOA6wVVADfiGPoDoHdYhAYBZCmo1uKUFKpIG4Zea3hoBPu1_iNvJh-0hlL/s1600/IMG_4963.JPG" height="640" width="518" /></a></div>
<br />
I got these city postcards with a Birchbox last summer. I spray painted these old frames in glossy white and used navy scrapbook paper as mats.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtOL4FtkkgR4HIvq599TOIOQ6QG3qlsEV95wm5L_0B1MgS3IDiHy92_Hq42wmrv51iuY23zDSo-fgUe5lMxXEso7eoduJQpV9yXM2RF-lbtBsXXO4neSUDAsdE7evMWvjsrQRy2gq09k3/s1600/IMG_4964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtOL4FtkkgR4HIvq599TOIOQ6QG3qlsEV95wm5L_0B1MgS3IDiHy92_Hq42wmrv51iuY23zDSo-fgUe5lMxXEso7eoduJQpV9yXM2RF-lbtBsXXO4neSUDAsdE7evMWvjsrQRy2gq09k3/s1600/IMG_4964.JPG" height="604" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I know some of you must work in similar offices. Do you do much do decorate?</div>
Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-19262630744034364122013-12-31T10:43:00.000-05:002013-12-31T10:43:44.448-05:00A Belated Merry ChristmasWell it's a little late to be posting about Christmas decorations considering it's NYE, but at least it's still December, right? I went small scale on the decorations this year since we moved in so recently - it seemed a little mixed up to go crazy for Christmas when we don't have more important stuff in the house yet (like a real dining room table, for instance!).<br />
<br />
The front door just got a simple fresh wreath (on my deer wreath hanger!) and fresh garland strung up around it. I also wrapped some faux garland and added a bow to the lamp post by the front walkway, but that was it for the exterior.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM3ha5DbGcB0NVJ4alUfSTzPoHdYdXRh-5Gum0aIDn5XAMGMGEV8PWoFCHCBjRzJzYy1upWYYkQSoN4m_aM1UE2lIoM9Gxh4cFEb6h-1U5-SzXtdwrvQcAXWWSXsAQMCzUALNreaw8ke0/s1600/IMG_1520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLM3ha5DbGcB0NVJ4alUfSTzPoHdYdXRh-5Gum0aIDn5XAMGMGEV8PWoFCHCBjRzJzYy1upWYYkQSoN4m_aM1UE2lIoM9Gxh4cFEb6h-1U5-SzXtdwrvQcAXWWSXsAQMCzUALNreaw8ke0/s640/IMG_1520.JPG" width="458" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I have plans for massive Christmas trees in the family room because of its high ceiling, but this year we decided to get a little guy that we can plant in the yard to commemorate our first Christmas in the house. Some of the trees grew rapidly up to 40-60 feet (eek!), so we decided on this little blue spruce that grows very slowly and never turns into a behemoth. The tree came in a plastic bucket, so I just wrapped some burlap and a ribbon around the base.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvR6fJ_5JJFUD4oUVHBD0pFbdL6TpCP75gUCckaxy-wIAhORnTOVHn5AKBX3Yi4wX_E4v35GKBbI9B8LH6XjTmqj5JgqhTKnK2-CL_zSqB35Sy0HPjyXyFGySMiOMGelzETA03AswjBqjQ/s1600/IMG_1484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvR6fJ_5JJFUD4oUVHBD0pFbdL6TpCP75gUCckaxy-wIAhORnTOVHn5AKBX3Yi4wX_E4v35GKBbI9B8LH6XjTmqj5JgqhTKnK2-CL_zSqB35Sy0HPjyXyFGySMiOMGelzETA03AswjBqjQ/s640/IMG_1484.JPG" width="414" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The tree was mostly old red and gold glass ornaments.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePTdhK8ngfPw5SO7AV9xuBv-m6SFZD6Eyl2LseUc9MVK5nLFGw9iV27a2i1uQWpOf0JhcfGbOCyjOWp13ekXC75NCyi0JFdUtvOiVciQuLGBDniv5EAeHdG67Y3jflrg9OGdSHsM5KTeA/s1600/IMG_1495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePTdhK8ngfPw5SO7AV9xuBv-m6SFZD6Eyl2LseUc9MVK5nLFGw9iV27a2i1uQWpOf0JhcfGbOCyjOWp13ekXC75NCyi0JFdUtvOiVciQuLGBDniv5EAeHdG67Y3jflrg9OGdSHsM5KTeA/s640/IMG_1495.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxnTUUyKV3nJM53rjyntt-uOKniuCzq1ylVb41MINdIzD1G8ejbghF0ZOw8mKWD96EoqMx8OscaCVFsNvbUd9kKmpT1kn2npJlEaH3XXAd2IvKjZksRrUnYy9cxWhSe5JLUWkh0a034PX/s1600/IMG_1500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxnTUUyKV3nJM53rjyntt-uOKniuCzq1ylVb41MINdIzD1G8ejbghF0ZOw8mKWD96EoqMx8OscaCVFsNvbUd9kKmpT1kn2npJlEaH3XXAd2IvKjZksRrUnYy9cxWhSe5JLUWkh0a034PX/s640/IMG_1500.JPG" width="462" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our mantle is just a rehash of what we put up in the condo last year, except that now it's actually a mantle and not entertainment center shelving, and I also got these cute gold deer - on sale for $5.99 at Michaels!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WNz8Pb9x7RSExccQxDtdjMO1G-CPk-KMulFXATW8ft-URftUtKJr1j4LjwHz89rqOHV1uhzQuGo9ibLbE51A-Pj8arQiDEHP5SzFDtVxShUncjU-Rr6Ikkr8iRVGY_i9H83g5AZg_s8F/s1600/IMG_1485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WNz8Pb9x7RSExccQxDtdjMO1G-CPk-KMulFXATW8ft-URftUtKJr1j4LjwHz89rqOHV1uhzQuGo9ibLbE51A-Pj8arQiDEHP5SzFDtVxShUncjU-Rr6Ikkr8iRVGY_i9H83g5AZg_s8F/s640/IMG_1485.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXX0BfoulbDhPShthEVB6h8l6xQWtyDE002kgf2krIMeCTnmAJiqUmbaB1Wo9a_gRCkdxO9WZY2iLa0FsQ-kcW_8XNExG43FrubhRZkjOWDSY8B-jSuymXhizTZPVd2LfNKoNY1_xZNom/s1600/IMG_1489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXX0BfoulbDhPShthEVB6h8l6xQWtyDE002kgf2krIMeCTnmAJiqUmbaB1Wo9a_gRCkdxO9WZY2iLa0FsQ-kcW_8XNExG43FrubhRZkjOWDSY8B-jSuymXhizTZPVd2LfNKoNY1_xZNom/s640/IMG_1489.JPG" width="472" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A-VSykN9GEJmj40RHYFSKu_9SOik921AZRvviVyDI2llpFy807LMHV2H4W8YUYOBwhsPOhIbYr5AuVII5W3eccVdhE9wtWW95ByR45zuQeZ3qHBfIF45-9bOijS6BuvXCfqz1yRGPJYE/s1600/IMG_1492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A-VSykN9GEJmj40RHYFSKu_9SOik921AZRvviVyDI2llpFy807LMHV2H4W8YUYOBwhsPOhIbYr5AuVII5W3eccVdhE9wtWW95ByR45zuQeZ3qHBfIF45-9bOijS6BuvXCfqz1yRGPJYE/s640/IMG_1492.JPG" width="450" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
With all the bare walls in the house, I decided to string up some ribbon to hang the Christmas cards on one of them. I cut out a 'Merry Christmas' sign on my Silhouette using adhesive vinyl. This was taken a while back when we hadn't received all the cards yet - a third ribbon really would have been useful!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQNNCEl0pgOLdjrqUWxn0P8aez1aLbzlY7B09IqY19aMzARLswKx3b-UhIqNOv3TYE5QH_JZbihxT1A3aCfKuVFEzGtvLKI7ARIW1SboqjS_Rd6gZsIn6F1piQEq6v9VqDftDJLQvtVOI/s1600/IMG_1503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQNNCEl0pgOLdjrqUWxn0P8aez1aLbzlY7B09IqY19aMzARLswKx3b-UhIqNOv3TYE5QH_JZbihxT1A3aCfKuVFEzGtvLKI7ARIW1SboqjS_Rd6gZsIn6F1piQEq6v9VqDftDJLQvtVOI/s640/IMG_1503.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
On the kitchen island, I put this old little mini tree.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVjzd4FXYyXFiSRD85ulR4eFMwyhZZgHc4nrKw9naGh3mTHAa0j3pbfU0X3kIGEwf0FiA5vB5Y7s-4W8JIpjImi7wmIiVKl8nxPGCzFPZ-XwBM0P4yEHwNbsxEVffuJquHa-pQYGy9lW4/s1600/IMG_1514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVjzd4FXYyXFiSRD85ulR4eFMwyhZZgHc4nrKw9naGh3mTHAa0j3pbfU0X3kIGEwf0FiA5vB5Y7s-4W8JIpjImi7wmIiVKl8nxPGCzFPZ-XwBM0P4yEHwNbsxEVffuJquHa-pQYGy9lW4/s640/IMG_1514.JPG" width="464" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
In the dining room, I hung gold & silver ornaments from the chandelier.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvnsmVS-icCXjLu5bGPQMbOFHBacvriJo9YHhzY3sA_88XvMBXFqHRk1CW12KgBYMVgmn2z43G8dECnmIf9HdVhc62Gi2KP5nL3LxuWZzMdVViHKGO5nTCWhdW8XrSi0aAYGnKcIriQLV/s1600/IMG_1510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvnsmVS-icCXjLu5bGPQMbOFHBacvriJo9YHhzY3sA_88XvMBXFqHRk1CW12KgBYMVgmn2z43G8dECnmIf9HdVhc62Gi2KP5nL3LxuWZzMdVViHKGO5nTCWhdW8XrSi0aAYGnKcIriQLV/s640/IMG_1510.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I created this simple centerpiece with white and gold glittery branches and bright red berries in a glass vase. Of course, I forgot to get a picture when the table was actually set up with a tablecloth, so you can see the crease of our fancy plastic folding table in this pic!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJfQROr101geRYR-h5NcElnBmWblaNZzmqafUa8YvLPReTks9iAug9KcVcX8f339khC1O5E5dWGnDzdmA9QfrPm6Tdp_POuHVgzIPUoRkv5mnEjoh9rUfgdfvHG3jc3k6luX8r-r6t7dQ/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJfQROr101geRYR-h5NcElnBmWblaNZzmqafUa8YvLPReTks9iAug9KcVcX8f339khC1O5E5dWGnDzdmA9QfrPm6Tdp_POuHVgzIPUoRkv5mnEjoh9rUfgdfvHG3jc3k6luX8r-r6t7dQ/s640/photo+2.JPG" width="458" /></a></div>
<br />
The last piece in the dining room was a vase with some fresh pine branches from the yard to the bar cart - although they looked a little more rough than I had hoped!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEbs0wMbLpJa3mhVuFbNRW_AGdLtxJKvAOhJGbF58XVzr6ap1KXWIK1fWKxW6FQeEF3rL_TDtv4yaToZOGTmdkw7qpV21MHZn3Cr9sqP7MIdCiFJYH0GlRPyyKrzJZMbzfuhrDYWPUBGr/s1600/IMG_1511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEbs0wMbLpJa3mhVuFbNRW_AGdLtxJKvAOhJGbF58XVzr6ap1KXWIK1fWKxW6FQeEF3rL_TDtv4yaToZOGTmdkw7qpV21MHZn3Cr9sqP7MIdCiFJYH0GlRPyyKrzJZMbzfuhrDYWPUBGr/s640/IMG_1511.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Unfortunately, we didn't have a white Christmas (that's rare in our area), but we did get an early snow a couple weeks prior. I wish it would've stayed snow covered longer to hide our straw & mud yard! </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRqdJrg7zFM3jQOBnM6bJK-W7PVidA0CfYB-7qznQz9oq7EHwbpB19LySqBx2XnJ1mK6xIrF0iDDxd1opA_KFEpM40LQXxUSTMCaSO5-hsFJrCH-n5bzAqcrDYjEee9uF0yvbvce4exP0/s1600/photo+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRqdJrg7zFM3jQOBnM6bJK-W7PVidA0CfYB-7qznQz9oq7EHwbpB19LySqBx2XnJ1mK6xIrF0iDDxd1opA_KFEpM40LQXxUSTMCaSO5-hsFJrCH-n5bzAqcrDYjEee9uF0yvbvce4exP0/s640/photo+(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We hosted Christmas dinner for 15, and it was so nice to be able to fit all those family members comfortably in the house! How was your holiday? Did you do much decorating this year? Have you ever planted a Christmas tree in your yard?<br />
<br />
Have lots of fun celebrating the new year tonight!<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-16684139269286515472013-12-19T20:07:00.001-05:002013-12-19T20:07:24.615-05:00{DIY} Crate Coffee TableWe're slowly starting to get more furniture to fill up the house, and I built my very first piece! This coffee table (that I spotted <a href="http://www.handimania.com/diy/wine-crate-coffee-table.html" target="_blank">here</a> ages ago and have planned to make ever since) was a great starter piece - considering I have absolutely no experience building anything beyond Ikea furniture, this was surprisingly easy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfqd4jScdUE_Q6Ix8N-F0FFI0lnbSDha4R9LPqzXlpLl-W07V72F9xjIN1uW795VOZzv03pZpNwDFKCecBDgk8Q5ctnP_hZ09Nr0NtVYM3w_fN6KiT9YhR8K4w3JQ5hNxL4EfZNquxyuT/s1600/IMG_1475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfqd4jScdUE_Q6Ix8N-F0FFI0lnbSDha4R9LPqzXlpLl-W07V72F9xjIN1uW795VOZzv03pZpNwDFKCecBDgk8Q5ctnP_hZ09Nr0NtVYM3w_fN6KiT9YhR8K4w3JQ5hNxL4EfZNquxyuT/s640/IMG_1475.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><u>Supplies:</u><div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>4 crates (I used <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-18-in-x-12-5-in-x-9-5-in-Wood-Crate-94565/203153338#" target="_blank">these</a>), </li>
<li>4 furniture legs (I used <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Foster-Decorative-Millwork-6-in-Parsons-Ash-Table-Leg-2656/202287717#.UrOKbtJDt-4" target="_blank">these</a>) </li>
<li>Wood stain (I used Varathane in weathered gray), brush/applicator, & cloth</li>
<li>Polyurethane </li>
<li>Sander and sandpaper</li>
<li>Thin sheet of MDF*</li>
<li>Jigsaw*</li>
<li>1.5" screws</li>
<li>L-brackets</li>
<li>Screwdriver</li>
<li>Drill</li>
<li>Decorations for center of the table (in my case: plastic plant tray, potting soil, succulents, & stones)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
*I used the jigsaw to cut the MDF, which I placed in the center of the table as the base of the little garden, but you could easily improvise this step if you don't have a jigsaw.<br />
<br />
Start by sanding the crates (the ones I ordered really needed it), then stain them. Once they've dried, arrange them in the pattern you'll use for the table but upside down, so the top of the table will be completely flat. Use the L-brackets in the center of the table, and screw all the crates together. Once all the crates are securely attached, add the legs. My legs had screws sticking out of them, so I drilled a hole in the table slightly narrower than the leg screws, then screwed them on. Flip the table so it's upright. Cut out the MDF so it's slightly smaller than the hole in the middle, then attach it in the middle of the table - I put mine where the first slat in the crate ended, so it was a couple of inches down.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_evv5vBdFpqo4YS0neypmGGhYoWmrbbl47_zMgD6tUuaHyVxdXofxZwKMiY-utamhvS476Van3UbWp_AQmF4blwErlh2Oh45F0EwgjgsUO2gbWZKqStm48rJQnyRRZV2yCXCa23TQWb_G/s1600/IMG_1477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_evv5vBdFpqo4YS0neypmGGhYoWmrbbl47_zMgD6tUuaHyVxdXofxZwKMiY-utamhvS476Van3UbWp_AQmF4blwErlh2Oh45F0EwgjgsUO2gbWZKqStm48rJQnyRRZV2yCXCa23TQWb_G/s640/IMG_1477.JPG" width="638" /></a></div>
<br />
There are tons of possibilities for what you could do with the center of the table. I chose to make a little succulent garden - I planted the succulents in a round plastic planter tray that happened to fit perfectly in the table, then filled it in with stones. Unfortunately, most succulents are toxic to dogs & cats, and our critters have a tendency to get into everything! I'm planning on covering them with a glass cloche (but currently have a casserole dish over top of them; pretty fancy!)<br />
<br />
I know I didn't get very specific directions and the lack of pictures doesn't help, so please let me know if you have any questions!<br />
<br /></div>
Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-1733428339405282772013-12-11T08:00:00.000-05:002013-12-11T08:00:06.303-05:00{Photo tour} Move-in day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I posted a <a href="http://www.homevolution.co/2013/12/video-tour-move-in-day.html" target="_blank">move-in day video tour</a> already but also wanted to show you some photos from the day we moved in. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here's the outside, with our lovely straw and mud yard and lack of any landscaping! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLmI-G_X3Sj2MApPDIgYRLV6jlPiYD5lqSv-vkJEAQDajCOZ3HEoEdkTeLYk9y0gqhzfTirjkZxfTKiwQvEBo97WHPx8EDnj5tsQLeVuhanlwlj9PcPgiFuIvaxnbz32kNK-eN54eOJ4m/s1600/IMG_1423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLmI-G_X3Sj2MApPDIgYRLV6jlPiYD5lqSv-vkJEAQDajCOZ3HEoEdkTeLYk9y0gqhzfTirjkZxfTKiwQvEBo97WHPx8EDnj5tsQLeVuhanlwlj9PcPgiFuIvaxnbz32kNK-eN54eOJ4m/s640/IMG_1423.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>2-car garage:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvbDOYUho3z_f5_lUOFyJFLSy1vA6Wp93bbw5tWkpqJlDOCOZDyOdSWeGVWnWmjtCAi7wIEZ8QlU-pe-TihGZgyQfJAJwstfdVejdAjQQ_h33S6_zynUblroxbZlF7kxWIYm0cWxQXpnn/s1600/IMG_1426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvbDOYUho3z_f5_lUOFyJFLSy1vA6Wp93bbw5tWkpqJlDOCOZDyOdSWeGVWnWmjtCAi7wIEZ8QlU-pe-TihGZgyQfJAJwstfdVejdAjQQ_h33S6_zynUblroxbZlF7kxWIYm0cWxQXpnn/s640/IMG_1426.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Laundry room - thankfully we got a washer & dryer installed within a couple days.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMN-KktiXyw9zMtnref3exz1NVA1i-IvMwPrSb5cGmwUK10YxFe19cxtxcc4bDIZXXXc4dcKYsH43P6JT5i2j544FHQTBWbu-xp7rWJ5_-Dap46gNJ__v5OMvdhmzxip6cBPDV0OMtyfXI/s1600/IMG_1430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMN-KktiXyw9zMtnref3exz1NVA1i-IvMwPrSb5cGmwUK10YxFe19cxtxcc4bDIZXXXc4dcKYsH43P6JT5i2j544FHQTBWbu-xp7rWJ5_-Dap46gNJ__v5OMvdhmzxip6cBPDV0OMtyfXI/s640/IMG_1430.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
Pantry:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTq8_8E09mYhb_6WTj6bBN2hUYh9NZULCAuCnsu1JfZGv2hYuxLsNJpsaG7W652RckslNqphwZx934QjXujtyepOSpmWI88Ui1px8AB6gBg6ZbWdeXBQGNu_4WkaM8keZ6xPVo9j4MnIOG/s1600/IMG_1431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTq8_8E09mYhb_6WTj6bBN2hUYh9NZULCAuCnsu1JfZGv2hYuxLsNJpsaG7W652RckslNqphwZx934QjXujtyepOSpmWI88Ui1px8AB6gBg6ZbWdeXBQGNu_4WkaM8keZ6xPVo9j4MnIOG/s640/IMG_1431.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
Kitchen, viewed from the garage entry/pantry/laundry area:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDskQr7UBRiRDAOXGadL31GTOagj2Pp4HCZ1dyJPFeflf6OSkFRmImpY0fWfZD-Mh1_y1qHkGlNhOgMoar1RBbodRRdJHVMdGzZkKeIR9AWSOW-ICAEo-rfeWh1Nv10BilmKV8W8D45U_/s1600/IMG_1432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDskQr7UBRiRDAOXGadL31GTOagj2Pp4HCZ1dyJPFeflf6OSkFRmImpY0fWfZD-Mh1_y1qHkGlNhOgMoar1RBbodRRdJHVMdGzZkKeIR9AWSOW-ICAEo-rfeWh1Nv10BilmKV8W8D45U_/s640/IMG_1432.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Kitchen, viewed from the family room:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyn1EMqduzdFDWgRvco7c81e0B_Xbc5I9fzsW0O_nwZftDEJbRMbobsr2Vo0qemK73FXUls0z-OI9nPz-UKh_fltrB7FIsbpYaQuPFrbLErXTuqHuLQgnh8Asm7AhHxi81Xar4BwoF-Mq/s1600/IMG_1433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyn1EMqduzdFDWgRvco7c81e0B_Xbc5I9fzsW0O_nwZftDEJbRMbobsr2Vo0qemK73FXUls0z-OI9nPz-UKh_fltrB7FIsbpYaQuPFrbLErXTuqHuLQgnh8Asm7AhHxi81Xar4BwoF-Mq/s640/IMG_1433.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Family room:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRdAa-QODL5HfSKvxVPFZmUo4uStYoS6en94PANXOEM4w3YRMWsdb-cdZru8dKYOwtSLOiLyvd7EOF99imDTvuuHNRBklx9oAC4PyG1z1uSgMPcqW-rsigBolacalzy7JiOEIl9s1NUhl/s1600/IMG_1434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRdAa-QODL5HfSKvxVPFZmUo4uStYoS6en94PANXOEM4w3YRMWsdb-cdZru8dKYOwtSLOiLyvd7EOF99imDTvuuHNRBklx9oAC4PyG1z1uSgMPcqW-rsigBolacalzy7JiOEIl9s1NUhl/s640/IMG_1434.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Back of the family room:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1Sg3uf5FR69Mskfurk_Ip5lRlkbkApOLNdWg63EwITp1zO4nBju88Snb-MaihLh-JpCi5s76lfKeacMdZkoavoJiWFGHLuUh77EBAljN_OGln_tGVazF3kphUIW3UCrQMw3NMtJL4qRR/s1600/IMG_1437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1Sg3uf5FR69Mskfurk_Ip5lRlkbkApOLNdWg63EwITp1zO4nBju88Snb-MaihLh-JpCi5s76lfKeacMdZkoavoJiWFGHLuUh77EBAljN_OGln_tGVazF3kphUIW3UCrQMw3NMtJL4qRR/s640/IMG_1437.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Dining room:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_53rrIYp7WUNL-mQZkeHJHAXBjU6NjheFcP61WvlnGNiCG1ZQ_MljpD6hNmrjgISNzqHssEjIOZ5eoNozBRmtrvWGSbG0H4q6hgorDcjc4lG5e5wEjehAh9lricsA9T4iFeOtfLTw9IP/s1600/IMG_1438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_53rrIYp7WUNL-mQZkeHJHAXBjU6NjheFcP61WvlnGNiCG1ZQ_MljpD6hNmrjgISNzqHssEjIOZ5eoNozBRmtrvWGSbG0H4q6hgorDcjc4lG5e5wEjehAh9lricsA9T4iFeOtfLTw9IP/s640/IMG_1438.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
Foyer:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKIPo3uhv0pWL9FYGV3veSPx2iL-8zrjD_ey1ruywV-ibGcr0HQ-rD7byi2E2e1E_5xIJ5V7WJyLcAcRtRYvl0wKO7uGBCGGR1JiU1LLeuacUCFOVjQgMIynzGOn-mzBtlMI7qhEQXp1y/s1600/IMG_1439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKIPo3uhv0pWL9FYGV3veSPx2iL-8zrjD_ey1ruywV-ibGcr0HQ-rD7byi2E2e1E_5xIJ5V7WJyLcAcRtRYvl0wKO7uGBCGGR1JiU1LLeuacUCFOVjQgMIynzGOn-mzBtlMI7qhEQXp1y/s640/IMG_1439.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Living room & foyer (and door to basement on the left):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtfle8v2VCXOpNpG6DAfejy0nvqvaOkytNmBR9-FKADkLC1ltHW7n23BSPNbMhCgpQ6pqVHOvsQif8_G03Y7p83UwlfQWz1C7spWsEJ4NFw6bGazopc1fYzYIDmE7A1aZzCnB7C_UB7rH/s1600/IMG_1442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtfle8v2VCXOpNpG6DAfejy0nvqvaOkytNmBR9-FKADkLC1ltHW7n23BSPNbMhCgpQ6pqVHOvsQif8_G03Y7p83UwlfQWz1C7spWsEJ4NFw6bGazopc1fYzYIDmE7A1aZzCnB7C_UB7rH/s640/IMG_1442.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Powder room:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholYeKFmZjzqeP8go6qFjzy-y2QJ7EHGPARfSSvZ3R04KLVKlzS-TMcRTgT0bEX5oYKHCHLADo4v4dodq7c9WgFH6juMLkUMvUhW2koi0E-vDSrD3foA_f3VE00uf3YAlewRVTFlMjIFCJ/s1600/IMG_1444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholYeKFmZjzqeP8go6qFjzy-y2QJ7EHGPARfSSvZ3R04KLVKlzS-TMcRTgT0bEX5oYKHCHLADo4v4dodq7c9WgFH6juMLkUMvUhW2koi0E-vDSrD3foA_f3VE00uf3YAlewRVTFlMjIFCJ/s640/IMG_1444.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
Study:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58X-UtleScDgiKwOeU2AAHDRjFOi1gZ39ts9x2N_vCP9s2E1cZl_2yMuVAWzyxX5k4EQmshz9gcHzegGD2ZLthgSUC_mTM6HYlb_D-e-hitYeAloKL2kAtrixwIRnfQj3Xyqr39b8Ub15/s1600/IMG_1445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58X-UtleScDgiKwOeU2AAHDRjFOi1gZ39ts9x2N_vCP9s2E1cZl_2yMuVAWzyxX5k4EQmshz9gcHzegGD2ZLthgSUC_mTM6HYlb_D-e-hitYeAloKL2kAtrixwIRnfQj3Xyqr39b8Ub15/s640/IMG_1445.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
Family room & kitchen, viewed from by the study:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMaF7t6A6jqHnhxmtisbiMb6CZdEVH-1_eOAeoj7JsGJHgmTwEJ-iHFIzhq5_QDB-LZx_B0kmphzr5IPBgVQNut29ocsGHM4IX_MGjtrCY89D6s7DqWB_vTrJTL5bpid37gABX2AOgoRw/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMaF7t6A6jqHnhxmtisbiMb6CZdEVH-1_eOAeoj7JsGJHgmTwEJ-iHFIzhq5_QDB-LZx_B0kmphzr5IPBgVQNut29ocsGHM4IX_MGjtrCY89D6s7DqWB_vTrJTL5bpid37gABX2AOgoRw/s640/IMG_1447.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Basement:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFf8lsJaA8e4xq5Aw1jFdik9tBOcgq0s-HgU3Pbc9eindqIh0_WBKeiFwf0GkD-022P1YJczjRQgR5CM_aHfEYNeSaytkHMkMmi6cm0j9H1rpP56tAaMrdH8YxkWdaZjniDCCFd-LOUsPc/s1600/IMG_1449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFf8lsJaA8e4xq5Aw1jFdik9tBOcgq0s-HgU3Pbc9eindqIh0_WBKeiFwf0GkD-022P1YJczjRQgR5CM_aHfEYNeSaytkHMkMmi6cm0j9H1rpP56tAaMrdH8YxkWdaZjniDCCFd-LOUsPc/s640/IMG_1449.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
View of foyer from upstairs:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8nY4-gWK63TBhQFeXknHGit1X6Iu9kWuRBB2JvJjt2ArTCjmm9goObeeSLz67EAcjvqVE4e3aA848CNLTiUlygGEkN34EkJMiOKQj-vfyCmzLRgudpS9i6Dc7j5SLyuc_DGz67zrwmfD/s1600/IMG_1452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8nY4-gWK63TBhQFeXknHGit1X6Iu9kWuRBB2JvJjt2ArTCjmm9goObeeSLz67EAcjvqVE4e3aA848CNLTiUlygGEkN34EkJMiOKQj-vfyCmzLRgudpS9i6Dc7j5SLyuc_DGz67zrwmfD/s640/IMG_1452.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
One of two upstairs bathrooms that basically look alike:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09-iRYDuD6X3Y7GaCgWJ10V-vX_LUU6NCDZqi8zhTQtW7nQUWqkQVg8qft71mDlMvwTifYu-6SbeSf5ojLS-gToW1RFfWZoCG_To5JTHB5r-gw7W_-sCH6PdYHyJNjcKGahBip2kxB4Jd/s1600/IMG_1454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09-iRYDuD6X3Y7GaCgWJ10V-vX_LUU6NCDZqi8zhTQtW7nQUWqkQVg8qft71mDlMvwTifYu-6SbeSf5ojLS-gToW1RFfWZoCG_To5JTHB5r-gw7W_-sCH6PdYHyJNjcKGahBip2kxB4Jd/s640/IMG_1454.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
Upstairs hallway, looking into master bedroom:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiot08CLXK4SfYxfTUlcctcj28E-y4EchD9I6NtliOhz3XpVxdc0dxiWMFjIiRCQ5n11taUvazhIenQ8vu2Bh6jKzSOAdiB9mCakOWnGx9suej6OUYer0gvPWe2_D6PkU9v3xllXWQETw9/s1600/IMG_1457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiot08CLXK4SfYxfTUlcctcj28E-y4EchD9I6NtliOhz3XpVxdc0dxiWMFjIiRCQ5n11taUvazhIenQ8vu2Bh6jKzSOAdiB9mCakOWnGx9suej6OUYer0gvPWe2_D6PkU9v3xllXWQETw9/s640/IMG_1457.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
View of family room from upstairs:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHrW0AaoTZ95ACjbkE0AUWudvY0HoKJCi326g3_ZHDFA-mG0WbSqAwQf3EZiRYqcO5bdBjuoZloKIep4I-3pmaJ_5xulu1QmpAcPSV4Xb1Pi8Fy8IUHJHhb8D1HdJuMKQ1fH0vtoagrb0/s1600/IMG_1458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHrW0AaoTZ95ACjbkE0AUWudvY0HoKJCi326g3_ZHDFA-mG0WbSqAwQf3EZiRYqcO5bdBjuoZloKIep4I-3pmaJ_5xulu1QmpAcPSV4Xb1Pi8Fy8IUHJHhb8D1HdJuMKQ1fH0vtoagrb0/s640/IMG_1458.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
One of three bedrooms that look very similar:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVcb3oZd7RRShIY1bdUbw8EN8gXtmtdlA5PXWtVDCRiKxLhIUXTChXxlbIYRNko2KTQgiTmSzwUXpvKBNjCNoabSO7Z_U1nkOlhhyTczCYBmPT8T4ShWEHXQZ08PlSW1hkY9jXSKFhL-F/s1600/IMG_1461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVcb3oZd7RRShIY1bdUbw8EN8gXtmtdlA5PXWtVDCRiKxLhIUXTChXxlbIYRNko2KTQgiTmSzwUXpvKBNjCNoabSO7Z_U1nkOlhhyTczCYBmPT8T4ShWEHXQZ08PlSW1hkY9jXSKFhL-F/s640/IMG_1461.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
Master bedroom:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCe60qU_hadSNPuEG0eoZv7DJx9YjmHJHTsH7dmRqjH0ZQg-uk_F5x5QHHu4iYY9b7XzXMOvsMVdyoUU3IKPkHl9gX3FwX8O6Yih-4A6RuRW0-C4n58nwEV9b-U4i6LFAR2UkyztkDMdY/s1600/IMG_1462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCe60qU_hadSNPuEG0eoZv7DJx9YjmHJHTsH7dmRqjH0ZQg-uk_F5x5QHHu4iYY9b7XzXMOvsMVdyoUU3IKPkHl9gX3FwX8O6Yih-4A6RuRW0-C4n58nwEV9b-U4i6LFAR2UkyztkDMdY/s640/IMG_1462.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
One of two master closets (this one is mine):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KFQFVo7rzfdV0yDlzRKDVRn8d9IXQmeWK_FxVuBLnVtBNjuMbpZ-Y4ZZjesHO-Ixaj1-BYjJRAQMpnKTvMT4Kj1ChuItsoGzU-b0IjmyaLg2-JFTaTuNbaN25l50AT_VPkHNAmECIu5-/s1600/IMG_1463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KFQFVo7rzfdV0yDlzRKDVRn8d9IXQmeWK_FxVuBLnVtBNjuMbpZ-Y4ZZjesHO-Ixaj1-BYjJRAQMpnKTvMT4Kj1ChuItsoGzU-b0IjmyaLg2-JFTaTuNbaN25l50AT_VPkHNAmECIu5-/s640/IMG_1463.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
Master bath:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyF-4CW1DCG4sVkcPPCOLHWbSnkMOGD1NvDPLgzw123oeC17XqwYgRGfisIfl4m1UEEVjNdyDQmjmpZXor9Kvaq_hfR62ukjMTfuKBZxYQh81dWUms4Nu6DV3LW5I2Atts6XPeJ3IbpmXe/s1600/IMG_1471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyF-4CW1DCG4sVkcPPCOLHWbSnkMOGD1NvDPLgzw123oeC17XqwYgRGfisIfl4m1UEEVjNdyDQmjmpZXor9Kvaq_hfR62ukjMTfuKBZxYQh81dWUms4Nu6DV3LW5I2Atts6XPeJ3IbpmXe/s640/IMG_1471.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-18829305355102791572013-12-10T08:00:00.000-05:002013-12-10T13:15:27.191-05:00{Video Tour} Move-in day!Alright, guys. This is my first video tour. And it's, um, a little rough. Super shaky video + super awkward me didn't exactly equal an Oscar-worthy film, but for better or worse, here it is! (And if that introduction made you less than thrilled to watch, skip down to the unnarrated, shorter video or to Smokey's video - he seems to like the house!).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Full, narrated house tour...</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zHnqSc2RNRw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Shorter, unnarrated house tour...</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/M-xAQl__56o/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M-xAQl__56o?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M-xAQl__56o?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Smokey's first time unleashed in the house...</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/tUVsoSM_8AQ/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tUVsoSM_8AQ?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tUVsoSM_8AQ?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
I have lots of photos from move-in day to share too but haven't sorted through them yet. It's also starting to look a little more lived in now with our random selection of furniture - dining room chairs but no table, living room chairs and coffee table but no sofa...<i>fancy! </i><br />
<br />
Have you ever moved into a much larger house without much furniture? How long did it take to feel semi-done?<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-60204985232961638892013-12-02T13:26:00.001-05:002013-12-02T13:26:26.090-05:00We've moved!After so much planning and so much waiting... and some more waiting... we're finally in the new house! We got the keys last Wednesday, spent our first night there on Thanksgiving, and have been slowly making progress with moving everything and unpacking over the last few days. We've got boatloads to do and still don't have internet access (ahhh!! So disconnected from the world!!), so I just wanted to do a quick post to announce the move and ask you to please bear with me as we try to get settled. I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends and stuffed your face full of turkey and treats!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXxkc0oJBFviDjypHjPhRxd1J9aKr-wJ4I4pXn9bxbHFybbVLHgYOocSc77A6c9DSCHg8la_KOtTaoxqN2irmfKI1a8Tsoz99woKzSAVCTUpPBWlkfRyyYac_fuiiz_2Y1ApMpKH3uuAx/s1600/moved.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXxkc0oJBFviDjypHjPhRxd1J9aKr-wJ4I4pXn9bxbHFybbVLHgYOocSc77A6c9DSCHg8la_KOtTaoxqN2irmfKI1a8Tsoz99woKzSAVCTUpPBWlkfRyyYac_fuiiz_2Y1ApMpKH3uuAx/s640/moved.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-88458656743210678542013-11-01T12:00:00.000-04:002013-11-01T12:00:06.215-04:00Living Room FurnitureWe are so, SO close to moving in! I know, I'm way overdue for a house update. Strangely enough, now that it's so close to being finished, I haven't been taking pictures. As it was being built, I felt like I had to document what it looked like at each stage since it was constantly evolving. Lately, I just haven't been worrying about it, since I know I can just get pics next time!<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto; width: 600px;">
<div style="position: relative;">
<br />
<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/living_room_furniture/set?.embedder=8659725&.svc=blogger&id=102356168" target="_blank"><img alt="Living Room Furniture" border="0" force="1" height="481" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/vBQou5zX2Qce2UTvGCt9g/cid/102356168/id/DOuQuoFC4xGI-4OMzSGTQA/size/c600x481.jpg" title="Living Room Furniture" width="600" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<small><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/living_room_furniture/set?.embedder=8659725&.svc=blogger&id=102356168" target="_blank">Living Room Furniture</a> </span></small></div>
<div style="margin: 0px auto; width: 600px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><small></small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing?.embedder=8659725&.svc=blogger&id=65106523" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">World Market cream sofa</a>; <a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing?.embedder=8659725&.svc=blogger&id=87919800" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Accent arm chair</a>; <a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing?.embedder=8659725&.svc=blogger&id=65106174" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">World Market distressed coffee table</a></span></div>
</div>
<br />
In other news, we've started getting serious about all the shopping we need to do. We are basically starting over from <i>scratch</i>. We moved in together eight years ago, so not only is everything we have getting a little old/boring, we were poor kids just out of college at that point, so it is most definitely time for an upgrade! We're bringing our bed (even though I want to upgrade that too, I figure the upstairs can wait a bit for a refresh), but we need to get everything else! So the question we've been asking ourselves lately is: <i>What big purchases we need to buy right away so we can live comfortably? </i>Currently, that list includes:<br />
<ul>
<li>Washer & dryer (the only major appliances not included with the house - already purchased during a Columbus Day sale)</li>
<li>TV (yes, this is a 'need right away' item for us, sad as that may be! Also already purchased during a Columbus Day sale)</li>
<li>Sectional for the family room (picked out - will post about that later)</li>
<li>Stools for the island (the island is going to serve as our temporary table since I want to build tables for the dining room and kitchen - also already picked out)</li>
</ul>
<div>
So now that we have a plan for the must-haves, I started thinking about the less-important-but-fun items. In particular, the living room - this is the formal living room in the front of the house that probably won't get a ton of use. That presents a dilemma, since it's the first thing people see when they walk though the door so I want it to be pretty, but I don't want to spend a ton since it's definitely on the 'less important rooms' list. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Amazingly, ALL of <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/" target="_blank">World Market</a> furniture is 25% off right now. Umm... perfect! That wonderfully timed sale has helped me decide what I *think* our living room furniture is going to be. I whipped up this quick little mood board on Polyvore to see how it all looks together, and I'm feeling pretty happy with it. Clearly, this is a basic mood board with the major furniture only, but I'm not ready to start thinking details yet (or rugs - does anyone else <i>hate </i>buying rugs? So hard!).<br />
<br />
I knew I wanted a white couch and had spotted this one a little while ago, but it was more than I wanted to spend. At 25% off though, I can handle it! I was less decided on the chairs - I knew I wanted something with blue or gray tones, but that was about it. I decided to go with these solid fabric chairs since they'll allow me to play around more with pillows and mix things up for the seasons - although I definitely want to add some nailhead trim down the sides of them! I had no ideas on a coffee table before yesterday, but immediately fell in love with this hammered coffee table that brings in amazing texture. Those kinds of global chic pieces that feel a little exotic are exactly why I love World Market so much! (and no, this isn't sponsored by them!)<br />
<br />
Beyond still needing to figure out all the smaller details, we also need to install hardwoods in this room. We only got hardwood in the standard areas since it was so expensive to upgrade the flooring in any extra rooms through the builder, but we want to at least put them in the living and dining rooms pretty quickly. In the meantime, this white couch with the white carpet and almost white walls is going to look a little, um, white! But picture it a few months after we move in with medium toned hardwoods, gray walls, a rug, and some throw pillows and such... I'm digging it!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
P.S. Have you tried making mood boards on <a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/home" target="_blank">Polyvore</a> yet? The fashion side of it is old news, but the addition of the home stuff is pretty new - it's super easy to use!<br />
<br /></div>
Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-90106271761411525642013-10-29T18:00:00.000-04:002013-10-29T18:00:13.837-04:00{Getaway} Weekend in AshevilleA couple of <strike>weeks</strike> months ago (where did the fall go?!), I surprised Bryan with a getaway to Asheville, North Carolina for his 30th birthday. One of my best friends lives in Charlotte and has been telling me what a great little city Asheville is for years, but I always figured I'd just go whenever we end up planning a girls weekend down there. I hadn't thought about it as a possibility for this birthday getaway until I stumbled across the fact that Asheville is known for its breweries. Charming, laid back city + mountains + driving distance + dog friendly + BEER = perfect spot to take the hubs!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5dCAmPTXMhSGXTQVpdE6us-aB2keMWfKOHFtBhdNxngdmRvfhnyMh7Y3caCF1Z4J356cPy0Z1HeXV7IDIGNtKafM7E1ivxyYPICKTRqDQ64JgfLkZJKSC1fZxSkELVz0Xg2p5ymVhknp/s1600/IMG_1221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5dCAmPTXMhSGXTQVpdE6us-aB2keMWfKOHFtBhdNxngdmRvfhnyMh7Y3caCF1Z4J356cPy0Z1HeXV7IDIGNtKafM7E1ivxyYPICKTRqDQ64JgfLkZJKSC1fZxSkELVz0Xg2p5ymVhknp/s640/IMG_1221.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
"Weekend getaway" is kind of a misnomer - we actually took the trip Wednesday evening through Saturday because of plans on Sunday morning (plus we got to be away for his actual birthday on Thursday). The drive from Northern Virginia is nearly 7 hours, so to break up the drive a little and save some cash, I decided to camp out a night on the drive down at <a href="http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/hun.shtml" target="_blank">Hungry Mother State Park</a>. The name made me giggle, until I learned that it's named after a story about a mother who collapsed from hunger. Her child went to go find help, exclaimed "hungry mother" when she found people, then they came back to find the mother dead. So...yeah... the name is actually really depressing.<br />
<br />
We arrived at the campground Wednesday evening, made a campfire, enjoyed some dinner, s'mores, and pumpkin ales, then called it a night. We left early the next morning, when the lake was still blanketed in fog so we really didn't see much of the park.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKP31OvmAAQQaZ73tqZ23a8d7hsyVvOqlQQHHdF3uMCV60dQRPO_1Lmz2URyLjS1-m5rMIh7JTqhhG-EIdH95L5jTpNOreJ8albTWI7CQ01BBU-JqnJ7sVtDf92zTxxRDDkrEiyIONf6Y/s1600/Asheville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKP31OvmAAQQaZ73tqZ23a8d7hsyVvOqlQQHHdF3uMCV60dQRPO_1Lmz2URyLjS1-m5rMIh7JTqhhG-EIdH95L5jTpNOreJ8albTWI7CQ01BBU-JqnJ7sVtDf92zTxxRDDkrEiyIONf6Y/s640/Asheville.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Camping at Hungry Mother State Park</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We finished up the last couple hours of the drive on Thursday morning (crossing from Virginia to Tennessee to North Carolina - does that surprise you too, or is my geography just that bad?). We checked in at the <a href="http://www.aloftashevilledowntown.com/" target="_blank">Aloft in downtown Asheville</a>. Aloft hotels are amazing when traveling with a dog - not only is there no pet fee (so rare!), but they also give you dog bed and bowls to use free of charge, and this particular one also included a treat from a local doggy bakery and had a convenient dog walk area on the 3rd floor. Even if you don't have a dog, I'd recommend this Aloft - it was in a great location right downtown and the people were amazing. We got a free upgrade to a mountain view room with a balcony (we had paid for the cheaper city view), and they gave us two free drink coupons to use at the bar with a happy birthday note to Bryan.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4A3O9c4oxURdCakMKXhDfxxN86VCyx3z4QX9OWYtOmbWX91e92DwUBlXpYbw2CpET9ya6PEmQgEUy4KkKrox4tVVtYUp1jvK0_CeEg7axJ_WkPsLzAlL6gsR9oKYZHlnzoZO1aYhqOR6o/s1600/Asheville1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4A3O9c4oxURdCakMKXhDfxxN86VCyx3z4QX9OWYtOmbWX91e92DwUBlXpYbw2CpET9ya6PEmQgEUy4KkKrox4tVVtYUp1jvK0_CeEg7axJ_WkPsLzAlL6gsR9oKYZHlnzoZO1aYhqOR6o/s640/Asheville1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View from our room at the Aloft</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After we checked in on Thursday, we started wandering around the city. We had lunch at <a href="http://mellowmushroom.com/store/asheville" target="_blank">Mellow Mushroom</a>. I generally try to avoid chains when traveling, but they had a large outdoor patio where Smokey was welcome and the birthday boy thought pizza for lunch sounded good. They even gave him a some honey drizzled dough for dessert that was shaped like a mushroom as a birthday treat.<br />
<br />
After lunch we wandered down to the <a href="http://www.riverartsdistrict.com/" target="_blank">River Arts District</a> to go to the <a href="http://www.wedgebrewing.com/" target="_blank">Wedge Brewing Company</a>. The Wedge was another spot with a lot of outdoor space where dogs were welcome. We enjoyed a few beers and played some yeti-themed cornhole, while Smokey got to relax outside with us - definitely a brewery worth checking out. That night we took it easy, and spent a good chunk of it watching the (depressing!) Ravens-Broncos game at <a href="http://www.hannahflanaganspub.com/" target="_blank">Hannah Flanagan's Irish Pub</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTUuInDH0W05uUcOIsChmCfOS05OGOJFvOC1IckqqkdFJM2lVefIYIp2B20EszAo-3bnD9ID575L530-OLv_1owZ8QJKXExqn2wBam4BVRKluqOtDivzP_vIPL9VFuTFBQ2Xxp2XMPexW/s1600/Asheville2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTUuInDH0W05uUcOIsChmCfOS05OGOJFvOC1IckqqkdFJM2lVefIYIp2B20EszAo-3bnD9ID575L530-OLv_1owZ8QJKXExqn2wBam4BVRKluqOtDivzP_vIPL9VFuTFBQ2Xxp2XMPexW/s640/Asheville2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An afternoon of pizza & beer left us with a tired pup in the evening</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Friday morning, we had breakfast at <a href="http://twistedcrepe.com/" target="_blank">Twisted Crepe</a> (yum!), then went to the <a href="http://www.biltmore.com/" target="_blank">Biltmore Estate</a>. It's a stunning place to visit, but it's pretty expensive, especially if (like us) you just want to take a quick peek around the house rather than making it an all-day event (which you certainly could if you wanted). If you plan to go, buy your tickets online at least a week in advance to get a discounted rate. Admission also includes a tasting at the winery, although since Bryan's not into wine, we just stopped in for a minute and I bought a bottle rather than making him sit through the tasting (considering it was his birthday and all...).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56Xh8gKYi9Z0n40cL4AbqDE4h6UWtBk5vmA8atvEC_Cz-Pw9EqgeEZlmKzKjeY6eLvOQT2MBDHwSpGHHAcw6qkOs-E6PZzaaOHmH67VgvL78l363wRi8PYJTycn5Q_RXvfDPU9bVJEg17/s1600/Asheville3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56Xh8gKYi9Z0n40cL4AbqDE4h6UWtBk5vmA8atvEC_Cz-Pw9EqgeEZlmKzKjeY6eLvOQT2MBDHwSpGHHAcw6qkOs-E6PZzaaOHmH67VgvL78l363wRi8PYJTycn5Q_RXvfDPU9bVJEg17/s640/Asheville3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The grounds of the Biltmore (no photos allowed inside)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We spent some much appreciated post-Labor Day time at the Aloft pool in the early afternoon before heading to the next brewery. This time we went to <a href="http://www.burialbeer.com/" target="_blank">Burial Beer Co.</a> This brewery had just opened a few months prior but was already a great one to visit. Outdoor space, complete with cornhole, was available here too, and dogs were even welcome inside the brewery. For dinner, we went to <a href="http://www.curatetapasbar.com/" target="_blank">Curate</a>, a tapas bar that was highly recommended (for good reason!) by my Charlotte friend - definitely my favorite meal of the trip! On the short walk back to the hotel, we stopped at <a href="http://doubledscoffee.com/" target="_blank">Double D's</a> - a double decker bus parked permanently on Biltmore Ave - for dessert.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXikD70i3TzPHMQRdWWCkhBQoXHNRFRc79dK2-rAPWY-wBhOadL6X1I_aEFH1Wi0UtW9kc-lTVYENTY39gTFZ9OemoqkMXqoqW34JI4SJiXmpo_s9dUEciYow7HWct6LbZ_R8gLiW4dGX/s1600/Asheville4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXikD70i3TzPHMQRdWWCkhBQoXHNRFRc79dK2-rAPWY-wBhOadL6X1I_aEFH1Wi0UtW9kc-lTVYENTY39gTFZ9OemoqkMXqoqW34JI4SJiXmpo_s9dUEciYow7HWct6LbZ_R8gLiW4dGX/s640/Asheville4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Drinks, dinner, & dessert with some extra relaxation in between (sorry for the grainy phone pics here)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Saturday, we left the city and went to <a href="http://www.chimneyrockpark.com/" target="_blank">Chimney Rock State Park</a>. I figured we'd do a hiking day on the way out, and Chimney Rock was <i>sorta, kinda</i> on the way home and easy to tackle in a short time period. Most of the trails involve a lot of staircases, so it wasn't really true hiking, but the rocks and the views were amazing, and it was perfect for a quick dose of nature and exercise before our long drive home.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ryi4Q-_Ub82OXViiwUkx2Rdlo73_TPrShrmpjvjauvEgYEz7lLzQ8LK-lEOUXwn2IYjgt9oC1lnzsCtDk06acijYpBrO868HGOFnxl9IvSg83ciFGNh9TVzLpghNttjDwbhKotcO1wZd/s1600/Asheville5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ryi4Q-_Ub82OXViiwUkx2Rdlo73_TPrShrmpjvjauvEgYEz7lLzQ8LK-lEOUXwn2IYjgt9oC1lnzsCtDk06acijYpBrO868HGOFnxl9IvSg83ciFGNh9TVzLpghNttjDwbhKotcO1wZd/s640/Asheville5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chimney Rock State Park</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Asheville was a great place to visit for a little getaway, and I'm ready to go back again! I love its artsy, hippie vibe, and there's lots to see & do. It was so easy to walk everywhere (particularly helpful when brewery hopping!), and it was great that we were able to bring Smokey along almost everywhere we went (seriously, he even got invited to come in when we stopped at a drugstore!).<br />
<br />
Have you been to Asheville before? Or on any fun getaways recently?<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-80510319183204633032013-10-09T21:32:00.000-04:002013-10-09T21:32:26.134-04:00{DIY} Etched Glass Dog Treat JarI just got a Silhouette Portrait. It's my new toy. I've been seeing discount packages offered on various blogs for a while now and have been tempted every time I see a new offer, so I finally pulled the trigger and got one. The deal this time was a <a href="http://www.silhouetteamerica.com/glass" target="_blank">glass etching bundle</a>. The deal is over now, unfortunately, but if you're interested in getting one in the future, just keep your eyes open for the packages offered on a lot of craft/DIY blogs (not mine - I'm not an affiliate; I just think the discount blogger packages are the best deal!).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIc8FDbjlHgqlFJpg2Wjy5P2G6g5cpYyltYTnsZc_lXFWW077MnC-G9kyK1Ae0dk0n9qQRHkLIOTXyY4yOIjDx6SyI9RUNaE2FCH8HUbKkboTjR7EbdCxVbzaNR30OCxbUZ2Gb8wquGEab/s1600/IMG_1389b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIc8FDbjlHgqlFJpg2Wjy5P2G6g5cpYyltYTnsZc_lXFWW077MnC-G9kyK1Ae0dk0n9qQRHkLIOTXyY4yOIjDx6SyI9RUNaE2FCH8HUbKkboTjR7EbdCxVbzaNR30OCxbUZ2Gb8wquGEab/s640/IMG_1389b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I used to get slightly irritated when I'd see great projects that involved using a Silhouette when I didn't have one, so if I'm doing that to you now, I'm sorry! It <i>is </i>possible to do this without a machine; it's just a little more time consuming and the quality of the end result will depend on your cutting skills. I'm impatient. And sloppy. Which explains why I'm loving the Silhouette!<br />
<br />
For my design, I used <a href="http://www.dafont.com/honey-badger.font" target="_blank">Honey Badger font</a> and downloaded this simple <a href="http://www.silhouetteonlinestore.com/?page=view-shape&id=31185" target="_blank">bone graphic</a> from the Silhouette store. I've had the treat jar for years (it was a flour canister in its past life before Smokey joined the family), but I'm pretty sure it's this <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/86130100/" target="_blank">$3.99 Burken jar from Ikea.</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdllUVdD77Sy_dje-or7w_bLLpNdNBLYANVpp4crroDxA7QvIanz8Ianc2X0zYYCgNsk8vryBtZvwmVoKh0_i2QzeYx5Op6q6x1BsA40P3uPoghI64-z4qleeJWxtMopTOABnyyqFb5qaT/s1600/IMG_1377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdllUVdD77Sy_dje-or7w_bLLpNdNBLYANVpp4crroDxA7QvIanz8Ianc2X0zYYCgNsk8vryBtZvwmVoKh0_i2QzeYx5Op6q6x1BsA40P3uPoghI64-z4qleeJWxtMopTOABnyyqFb5qaT/s640/IMG_1377.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>If you have a Silhouette...</i><br />
Create your design using the Studio software, then print it out on <b>stencil vinyl</b>. Use <b>transfer tape</b> to apply the design to your glass, and smooth with a credit card or the <b>scraper tool</b> to ensure it's on there nice & smooth. Remove the transfer tape. Liberally apply <b>etching cream </b>over the design and let sit for 30-60 seconds. Scrape off the extra cream, and stick it back in the jar since you can reuse it. Wash off the glass, then remove the stencil.<br />
<br />
<i>Without a Silhouette...</i><br />
So, warning, I haven't tried this, but I think it would work. If you have tips, I'd be happy to update this!<br />
Create your design using software of choice (Microsoft Word would work just fine, or draw it if you are more artistically inclined!). Print the design, then trace it onto <b>contact paper</b>. Use <b>scissors or a utility knife</b> to cut out the design on the contact paper, and apply the contact paper stencil to your glass, smoothing it with a <b>credit card or scraper tool</b> . Liberally apply <b>etching cream</b> over the design and let sit for 30-60 seconds. Scrape off the extra cream, and stick it back in the jar since you can reuse it. Wash off the glass, then remove the stencil.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheV0mFcCwnlft5qDYZBQY3SJU1bViH0L0R8oKSwon-8mPQCA3IMR2yl0rqa4XdHBgg_9kllp_TQFYT_cK9hWFl1bwUmkTaDFZAfR-Yoq7ogt_7cTEZWewA-xSaOXBVf6YZ8W1YcKl_TewY/s1600/IMG_1366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheV0mFcCwnlft5qDYZBQY3SJU1bViH0L0R8oKSwon-8mPQCA3IMR2yl0rqa4XdHBgg_9kllp_TQFYT_cK9hWFl1bwUmkTaDFZAfR-Yoq7ogt_7cTEZWewA-xSaOXBVf6YZ8W1YcKl_TewY/s640/IMG_1366.JPG" width="482" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I'm really happy with how it turned out! Once we move and have a giant pantry, I'd love to get a ton of these glass jars to label for pretty pantry organization! The etching shows up better in person than it does in these photos. Also, I had no idea how smudgy the glass was until I uploaded them. Oops. But I wasn't about to go through another photo session taunting the pup any further.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0xdSZkPNi6kuSsZAIaeAZYmhyvHxgrk6ZNFN3oX_2i7TuBVqobr1993P7deNWMyBWZWxfesgXkbdOZlNwIrSVckutMPROXO53W7tjFD65n952f80tU3CQdmcQ1VmDn_9yDA0fZYUMxvrZ/s1600/IMG_1368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0xdSZkPNi6kuSsZAIaeAZYmhyvHxgrk6ZNFN3oX_2i7TuBVqobr1993P7deNWMyBWZWxfesgXkbdOZlNwIrSVckutMPROXO53W7tjFD65n952f80tU3CQdmcQ1VmDn_9yDA0fZYUMxvrZ/s640/IMG_1368.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrBetodj3DIm8cIZpEZKc3jyZJJ0MYwVgjCHanWIAsVI2H_lgTuxHzYaCty9KGdXTTNATvK9pl7c596GmKVJoPVrVcpHHRJaIf1V6JXo0bk-FfP4ttIuOMWscK-AwbuivHLuyOBxEIHfs/s1600/IMG_1379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrBetodj3DIm8cIZpEZKc3jyZJJ0MYwVgjCHanWIAsVI2H_lgTuxHzYaCty9KGdXTTNATvK9pl7c596GmKVJoPVrVcpHHRJaIf1V6JXo0bk-FfP4ttIuOMWscK-AwbuivHLuyOBxEIHfs/s640/IMG_1379.JPG" width="510" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9Sf4BTIz4jWI-bmxRE_on-y2hnYZoDHax2ytuzvJauMG_lLXT2UC57PQpD_KMXUWGhYVOWlmTsYwZLBxsGzEqpWSghJvtkpbvVi6122p6yM0ssEDjGMD_BJTlYfaPgyOZGpRr0eXbb6s/s1600/IMG_1384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9Sf4BTIz4jWI-bmxRE_on-y2hnYZoDHax2ytuzvJauMG_lLXT2UC57PQpD_KMXUWGhYVOWlmTsYwZLBxsGzEqpWSghJvtkpbvVi6122p6yM0ssEDjGMD_BJTlYfaPgyOZGpRr0eXbb6s/s640/IMG_1384.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Seriously, can I please have a treat now?"</div>
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-64989711435426063312013-09-30T21:40:00.000-04:002013-09-30T21:40:34.768-04:00{DIY} Gold & Chalkboard Flower PotsBack in May <a href="http://www.homevolution.co/2013/05/uk-2013-part-2-london-lake-district.html" target="">when we went to the UK</a>, we had a cookout at our friends' flat. We used some fresh herbs they had growing out back, and I decided I finally needed to get around to planting my own. On my first shopping trip after we got home, I saw some herbs for sale in the grocery store and snatched up every single kind they had. The only problem: I didn't have confidence that I'd actually be able to keep them alive for more than, like, two weeks (<i>plant serial killer</i> - guilty!), so I bought the cheapest little terra cotta planters I could find. Shockingly, my herbs have actually lasted! Since it seems the herbs are here for the long term, I decided to give my basic pots an upgrade with chalkboard paint and gold Rub 'n Buff.<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEN1_yiduhcG9eLoP9VFPT7cFDvCtIw8HLSTlipI9X-5k3OpaEe6sjvAeNwaqzyhzIfSKQODrXbEDGl1DyZsENTo89aZCAuJffqcbkGk_1cUDQxQBdiPc77ImAVzx5rqzL1Ryvs6zASp_/s1600/IMG_1356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEN1_yiduhcG9eLoP9VFPT7cFDvCtIw8HLSTlipI9X-5k3OpaEe6sjvAeNwaqzyhzIfSKQODrXbEDGl1DyZsENTo89aZCAuJffqcbkGk_1cUDQxQBdiPc77ImAVzx5rqzL1Ryvs6zASp_/s640/IMG_1356.JPG" width="484" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>I should probably start this by stating the obvious here: it would be easier to paint the pots <i>without </i>plants in them! But since I wasn't about to try and transfer them, I just held the pots carefully and the plants really didn't get in the way. (Although my floppy cilantro was slightly annoying... but only slightly!). Here's what the pots looked like before (along with a photobombing kitty).</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMlBc_6HgxZbmZkMFDh4uOIUxXsFpaiIF6Lk4n58wk5nc4tPKt882haRpUwVVCyO4ECjjIEjOCxlSgELdDXEObDP9LfvABmIXQNCQ48m1KHLDefYbN7oStEdbIOkRI4XCxjopxl78_GZ7/s1600/IMG_1349.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMlBc_6HgxZbmZkMFDh4uOIUxXsFpaiIF6Lk4n58wk5nc4tPKt882haRpUwVVCyO4ECjjIEjOCxlSgELdDXEObDP9LfvABmIXQNCQ48m1KHLDefYbN7oStEdbIOkRI4XCxjopxl78_GZ7/s640/IMG_1349.JPG" width="446" /></a></div>
<br />
Chalkboard paint and Rub 'n Buff are two things I feel like I see everywhere (not necessarily together) and I always love the look of them, but somehow I was a complete newbie to working with both of these materials. <i>Spoiler alert:</i> they're both really easy to work with. No issues whatsoever.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mW3rRqm3NkQbU1HBFW-f09j3ZS772tXqyBq4d_BdAXMvcVUaDutnYI9E5D8Zfoy6dZozbO5PoWa6Dc4T5efOzxttfv2QczlU48C7Q9eQ_NCEwmJs5sOWcNZclgnelgUv-Dn8JszMbKE0/s1600/IMG_1363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mW3rRqm3NkQbU1HBFW-f09j3ZS772tXqyBq4d_BdAXMvcVUaDutnYI9E5D8Zfoy6dZozbO5PoWa6Dc4T5efOzxttfv2QczlU48C7Q9eQ_NCEwmJs5sOWcNZclgnelgUv-Dn8JszMbKE0/s640/IMG_1363.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I started by painting the bottom portion of the pots with chalkboard paint. I waited an hour for them to dry, then applied a second coat. The coverage actually looked good after 1 coat but the bottle stated that 2+ were recommended, so I did a second layer just in case.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt6g840fh42-qOFAQG8358TmXEQ2ChFOAdeeDRjAiBhrW4q4v8sfC2Iqt1ohPafzUkAE2qnfVYnreUCDvzxpp2PClJv2eMa0zXHWSfZabCp73TIb8cphPAjUCxsOHhXUv_vgsgWN4sC_p/s1600/IMG_1351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt6g840fh42-qOFAQG8358TmXEQ2ChFOAdeeDRjAiBhrW4q4v8sfC2Iqt1ohPafzUkAE2qnfVYnreUCDvzxpp2PClJv2eMa0zXHWSfZabCp73TIb8cphPAjUCxsOHhXUv_vgsgWN4sC_p/s640/IMG_1351.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After another hour of dry time, I applied the Rub 'n Buff around the rim (yep, I rub 'n buffed the rim - how dirty does that sound?). A little goes a long way, and it's very easy to apply with your fingers. One coat was all I needed. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I let the pots dry overnight, then conditioned the chalkboard paint by lightly rubbing the side of a stick of chalk all over the surface. After that, I wiped off the chalk then went ahead with writing on them. As you can see, I was super creative with the chalk (or not).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgPFXICEUrAk8J9jZmKNlZZ9FFJCOmSA70i_-QDZOuo-ezz019MDs9QSxuK8qqetVheC0ojKKr0659EBstZ_OAmoIB2t2_ayL6PkvvL5eP98_J1y04wc057MHXYzGzfi-7vAWkiRbugNB/s1600/IMG_1359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgPFXICEUrAk8J9jZmKNlZZ9FFJCOmSA70i_-QDZOuo-ezz019MDs9QSxuK8qqetVheC0ojKKr0659EBstZ_OAmoIB2t2_ayL6PkvvL5eP98_J1y04wc057MHXYzGzfi-7vAWkiRbugNB/s640/IMG_1359.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now, let's just hope I didn't jinx myself! Fingers crossed that I can keep my herbs alive for a while longer!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJiGOHKhNDZmLhZprOjTdK6z3xwPEptbAtSFAm7S2MeNDnibeqj8MCKPw-OQonKgHkYA3gdJ3L-hGVEAK9fKWxwargWsxWPOTlh3oRte-j3wBzwNQDRkljIFF7j7F3tYyHZ7FFVXbPgBv/s1600/IMG_1353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJiGOHKhNDZmLhZprOjTdK6z3xwPEptbAtSFAm7S2MeNDnibeqj8MCKPw-OQonKgHkYA3gdJ3L-hGVEAK9fKWxwargWsxWPOTlh3oRte-j3wBzwNQDRkljIFF7j7F3tYyHZ7FFVXbPgBv/s640/IMG_1353.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
Have you done any simple upgrades to stuff you have around the house lately?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-51539095335034426902013-09-26T18:00:00.000-04:002013-09-26T18:00:02.351-04:00{Recipe} Beignets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Phew, it's been one of those weeks! Since I haven't been posting lately, I thought I'd give you this quick recipe post. And by 'recipe' I mean link to someone else's recipe, along with a rather ugly photo I took since I hadn't originally planned on blogging about these. But even if the photo is ugly, these suckers are tasty!!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9D2Iptu-uYysNCXaEQ1sVkxv9X-F6TDjq9dp6zCV4nm6HTF_YLYyQR_whlLB3blYtUI81LNaN47x5nzajCQ9Y_-TiDZPd5Eaeldt5M8xfuZsbjMAbGogcCBSpbKG4I4AnmOKNYYGsTcF/s1600/photo+(25).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9D2Iptu-uYysNCXaEQ1sVkxv9X-F6TDjq9dp6zCV4nm6HTF_YLYyQR_whlLB3blYtUI81LNaN47x5nzajCQ9Y_-TiDZPd5Eaeldt5M8xfuZsbjMAbGogcCBSpbKG4I4AnmOKNYYGsTcF/s640/photo+(25).JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>A few weeks back I was in the mood to make some full-on indulgent sweets, and I told Bryan to pick something from my <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jdeares/tastiness-desserts/" target="_blank">dessert pin board</a>. He had just been to New Orleans for a bachelor party, so *shocker* he picked beignets without hesitation. I was a little intimated by them - not only was I a deep frying virgin, but I had no thermometer to check the temp of the oil - but they were surprisingly easy to pull together.<br />
<br />
Here's the <a href="http://www.seededatthetable.com/2013/02/11/new-orleans-beignets/" target="_blank">recipe I used from Seeded at the Table</a>.<br />
<br />
A few things I learned: This recipe makes a boatload of beignets, and they don't stay fresh for long (day-old donuts, anyone?), so you might want to cut the recipe down if you're not making them for a gathering. Second, if you don't cut down the recipe, make sure you have a <i>really</i> large bowl for the dough to rise!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRrZQKImb1T6kk3VuBWxn5Uf6OJKtuVctQRXRK3zN2MHfhEEbiaLSK01Wh3M-nLqKkAe2OmwlHh4F_r7quvGoUBAGu4tS3BQdCasPOmzCGr_tN-pu0qeJv8BR5U-HHKdiIFGI75zo1mDC/s1600/photo+(26).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRrZQKImb1T6kk3VuBWxn5Uf6OJKtuVctQRXRK3zN2MHfhEEbiaLSK01Wh3M-nLqKkAe2OmwlHh4F_r7quvGoUBAGu4tS3BQdCasPOmzCGr_tN-pu0qeJv8BR5U-HHKdiIFGI75zo1mDC/s640/photo+(26).JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I think these would be great to bring to brunch at a friend's or to make for breakfast when extended family is visiting!<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-23077920457682876942013-09-18T00:00:00.000-04:002013-09-18T00:08:01.426-04:00{Recipe} White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake (with Greek yogurt!)I finally got bit by the fall bug last weekend. I usually get really excited about each new season, but I'm a summer girl at heart, and as September rolled around this year, I was feeling kind of bummed that I didn't make the most of my summer. No beach trips. Only a handful of days at the pool. A lack of tanned skin and sun-kissed hair. I kind of wanted to rewind to July. But last weekend as the weather started feeling cooler, I finally accepted the inevitable, and suddenly felt like I desperately needed pumpkins and mums on the patio and some sort of pumpkin baked goods in the oven. A few hours after that feeling initially stuck, and I was chowing down (at an embarrassing rate) on this cheesecake. Although the quantity I ate was a bit <i>excessive</i>, the use of Greek yogurt in this recipe helps to make it a healthier dessert (at least compared to regular cheesecake!).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k3MeX4Bs3i0b6eBHX-vkGrP-shqUEg5WnL1afLuJENJemX1GDeJ_jGoOlcb-IBx6DDsV7Bs26Wr4B-rCb0wff24iTGkXqtfmVRpdsPmf6s-Kx5oQ1YshEOaENMq9QBXnw_C4foezJbcX/s1600/IMG_1342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k3MeX4Bs3i0b6eBHX-vkGrP-shqUEg5WnL1afLuJENJemX1GDeJ_jGoOlcb-IBx6DDsV7Bs26Wr4B-rCb0wff24iTGkXqtfmVRpdsPmf6s-Kx5oQ1YshEOaENMq9QBXnw_C4foezJbcX/s640/IMG_1342.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I used a modified version of <a href="http://slimpickinskitchen.com/2012/10/greek-yogurt-pumpkin-spice-cheesecake-w-a-chocolate-cinnamon-swirl/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>. I urge you to take a look at that one - it's more detailed and sounds delicious, and the things I modified weren't necessarily by choice (c'mon, local grocery store - why don't you have cinnamon chips?!). Since I did do a few things differently though, I've listed my recipe below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSi1AJAaCdv7N3mviv5kKMRIiQLnL55qVQ8XL2rKjOYvAAhXHclNks50Rpl2q6eoQgD0pYODWxc7q7cZRXseh0j57e0U2P2MUdQHbwYV2g_tj04cukvgh6II3toGVnvC7hRaJ59Nd7oq_/s1600/IMG_1336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSi1AJAaCdv7N3mviv5kKMRIiQLnL55qVQ8XL2rKjOYvAAhXHclNks50Rpl2q6eoQgD0pYODWxc7q7cZRXseh0j57e0U2P2MUdQHbwYV2g_tj04cukvgh6II3toGVnvC7hRaJ59Nd7oq_/s640/IMG_1336.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
<ul>
<li>8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese</li>
<li>2 tbsp. granulated sugar</li>
<li>2 tbsp. no-calorie sweetener</li>
<li>1 tsp. vanilla extract</li>
<li>1 pinch sea salt</li>
<li>3/4 cup + 1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt</li>
<li>3/4 cup pumpkin puree</li>
<li>2 egg whites</li>
<li>1 tbsp. flour</li>
<li>2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice</li>
<li>1 graham cracker pie crust</li>
<li>1/2 cup white chocolate chips</li>
</ul>
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, sweetener, vanilla, and sea salt until smooth. Gradually add 3/4 cup of yogurt, pumpkin, egg whites, flour, and spice. Pour the mixture into your pie crust. Heat the chocolate chips in the microwave in short increments until melted (mine took a little over a minute total). Mix 1/4 cup yogurt with the melted chips. Add dollops of the chip mixture on top of the cake, and swirl around the top with a toothpick to give it a swirly effect (I kind of botched that part!). Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Let cool, and refrigerate until ready to serve.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGJfNt730ZWcK2NzKsDcRYftPzFVQwi3F26UCGWcRW9DOLWK0n2_dfSqPMgV5ggOUkYhjatSGgWLluc-gUv1g7fzelGyLWgNT5FH1yJrENbDVHCegc34O8s13tfgwlslk0j8apv2unm4C/s1600/IMG_1344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGJfNt730ZWcK2NzKsDcRYftPzFVQwi3F26UCGWcRW9DOLWK0n2_dfSqPMgV5ggOUkYhjatSGgWLluc-gUv1g7fzelGyLWgNT5FH1yJrENbDVHCegc34O8s13tfgwlslk0j8apv2unm4C/s640/IMG_1344.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Have you started making any pumpkin recipes yet?<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-67012922718729648592013-09-17T19:00:00.000-04:002013-09-18T17:10:09.072-04:00FMS Photo-A-Day Summer Wrap-up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Guess who hasn't done a monthly photo-a-day wrap-up since <a href="http://www.homevolution.co/2013/06/fms-photo-day-may-wrap-up.html" target="_blank">May</a>?!? <i>Oops. </i> In an effort to get fully caught up and avoid doing several of these in a row, today I'm presenting you with this post that is chock full o' photo vomit. 92 pictures, 3 lists of prompts. A jumble of far more photos that anyone could wish to process. But I like having these as a record and it keeps me accountable - and believe me, I need it, since I'm not staying on top of this so well!!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3svzKo3i5uXrlW9zQjvm9JBKwr8kzHxvR2JYPRS4hSUi7yBdUmNDqxmFizsDzyICp3SviLVLptM7h_2ux1j-cYq3dKGPkM37BYwJVJo4Ie_WDD0Az-Jm0JpL0e3bk5KTjt0AU3Iq-U-HR/s1600/June.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3svzKo3i5uXrlW9zQjvm9JBKwr8kzHxvR2JYPRS4hSUi7yBdUmNDqxmFizsDzyICp3SviLVLptM7h_2ux1j-cYq3dKGPkM37BYwJVJo4Ie_WDD0Az-Jm0JpL0e3bk5KTjt0AU3Iq-U-HR/s640/June.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June photo-a-day pictures (in order from #1-30)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iksab3ckKHNYZFDITg7fUET4pcy8TdKZRBBofM9lrNW5n63EULcBeC6mg80qjmuVOTEZCd6v9cQEyVw5Kk3qAJZUaDMiv4WjNQtkOUHDlCKJWyigvexoABdvF4pD2jv9DbpybUy-FjJn/s1600/JUNE-PHOTO-A-DAY_zpsda153a55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iksab3ckKHNYZFDITg7fUET4pcy8TdKZRBBofM9lrNW5n63EULcBeC6mg80qjmuVOTEZCd6v9cQEyVw5Kk3qAJZUaDMiv4WjNQtkOUHDlCKJWyigvexoABdvF4pD2jv9DbpybUy-FjJn/s400/JUNE-PHOTO-A-DAY_zpsda153a55.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpl_Z6IoaqFXKX5etQkDmisGu0bnZIjaba2d21mIi099YtwQUkBdSkMciDs2QJzxyW4DdFQ1IWBt9otWdOiJG1xV7iBvQIrCfwhj_O38t20ewzcM2lsjr5pK8zz6CZuPoizdWMMX805Hrp/s1600/July.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpl_Z6IoaqFXKX5etQkDmisGu0bnZIjaba2d21mIi099YtwQUkBdSkMciDs2QJzxyW4DdFQ1IWBt9otWdOiJG1xV7iBvQIrCfwhj_O38t20ewzcM2lsjr5pK8zz6CZuPoizdWMMX805Hrp/s640/July.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July photo-a-day pictures (#1-31)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaMT0kFB_jHvXoPUI_lWlKSz7dd5InFLyA1mryNYTTim2f7TDDexqCJzOPh82fyGJ8U46CwM0xEUT3ilJx_YUx5tUmEw0op0qO_QVagHXrM1BleXHklJzgW6Czhx9dJDNo2QI-e2Ya9uJ/s1600/JULY-PHOTO-CHALLENGE-LIST_zps36fb58b0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaMT0kFB_jHvXoPUI_lWlKSz7dd5InFLyA1mryNYTTim2f7TDDexqCJzOPh82fyGJ8U46CwM0xEUT3ilJx_YUx5tUmEw0op0qO_QVagHXrM1BleXHklJzgW6Czhx9dJDNo2QI-e2Ya9uJ/s400/JULY-PHOTO-CHALLENGE-LIST_zps36fb58b0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMi4BZto4iOtZVoFBK_5vWSDPDwRKwRF_SG-8ataFadd-K1qZUC7Og4BBFtDURql23-5OsHAzkMdfYWF8He94QaxyqWqDDzG3MA8pfurQzn9PQXmFegEiKv9Uz3kTXjYMX0XT7f6nexP8s/s1600/Aug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMi4BZto4iOtZVoFBK_5vWSDPDwRKwRF_SG-8ataFadd-K1qZUC7Og4BBFtDURql23-5OsHAzkMdfYWF8He94QaxyqWqDDzG3MA8pfurQzn9PQXmFegEiKv9Uz3kTXjYMX0XT7f6nexP8s/s640/Aug.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">August photo-a-day pictures (#1-31)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz01XMwpLyLCfiggv8oFUURTAx30XQF91AFvGDkeLcqRZiBabF7K-4qfNsyvHAaILzImYi5I-1hopKLS9OC8K9EM5MYxhXAXmJgwxchHE72irQa25apxo-aLOtYsMxNkwaFpavfYDs0Oye/s1600/zAUGUST-photo-a-day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz01XMwpLyLCfiggv8oFUURTAx30XQF91AFvGDkeLcqRZiBabF7K-4qfNsyvHAaILzImYi5I-1hopKLS9OC8K9EM5MYxhXAXmJgwxchHE72irQa25apxo-aLOtYsMxNkwaFpavfYDs0Oye/s400/zAUGUST-photo-a-day.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I got so behind in August (and September) that I gave up posting on Instagram. I didn't want to inundate my poor followers' feeds with a month's worth of photos, so I just stored all the belated photos privately and have just started back up on Instagram with today's photo. Hopefully, I'll stay on track better now!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Learn more about the challenge </span><a href="http://fatmumslim.com.au/april-2013-photo-a-day-its-time-to-have-a-bucketload-of-fun/#" style="background-color: white; color: #b28520; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">, and follow me on Instagram </span><a href="http://instagram.com/jdeares" style="background-color: white; color: #b28520; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@jdeares</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">! Anyone else doing a photo a day challenge? Are you doing a better job with it than I am?!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-77245750593757345792013-09-12T17:00:00.000-04:002013-09-12T17:00:06.521-04:00{Recipe} Evil Jungle Prince: A Thai Coconut Curry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I love Thai food. And I love Hawaii. This is a Thai dish that brings back memories of Hawaii, so it's a pretty perfect combination in my eyes. Plus, who can resist a name like Evil Jungle Prince?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLzqIIj70CICYE1AvJ9jJHn5nUaxzd5Ctbrgp70iZhhZV5tjGbPj6VOd_RMlZ2euaVN-SNjJJISlTH0Bclp65IyiAzvTSoAHLMLw9A2l0SiStnwFlupIxN-fHymsHg3AqwN6tSLya-E6m/s1600/IMG_1323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLzqIIj70CICYE1AvJ9jJHn5nUaxzd5Ctbrgp70iZhhZV5tjGbPj6VOd_RMlZ2euaVN-SNjJJISlTH0Bclp65IyiAzvTSoAHLMLw9A2l0SiStnwFlupIxN-fHymsHg3AqwN6tSLya-E6m/s640/IMG_1323.JPG" width="518" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Evil Jungle Prince was created at <a href="http://www.keosthaicuisine.com/menus/lunch/entrees.html" target="_blank">Keo's</a> in Waikiki, which I've been lucky enough to visit several times when traveling for work. EJP was my go-to dish, and in the back of my mind, I always thought I should try to make it at home. I saw several different variations of recipes online (like <a href="http://thai.food.com/recipe/evil-jungle-prince-with-chicken-312991" target="_blank">this one</a>, <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/shrimp-evil-jungle-prince-488285" target="_blank">this one</a>, and <a href="http://tollerfood.blogspot.com/2008/07/thai-curry-aka-evil-jungle-princess.html" target="_blank">this one</a> to name just a few) and created my own version using a combination of them. Unfortunately, it's been a couple of years since I've had the dish at Keo's, so I can't speak to how well this compares to the original, but I really enjoyed how it turned out. If you like Thai coconut curries (or <i>love, love, love</i> them like me!), it's worth a try. Here's the method I used, but this can easily be switched up based on your preferences...<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
<ul>
<li>1 tbsp. vegetable oil (though I think you could skip the oil to make it healthier)</li>
<li>1/2 lb. shrimp (or other meat, or no meat, whatevs)</li>
<li>1/2 cup chopped cabbage</li>
<li>1/2 cup baby corn</li>
<li>1/2 cup bamboo shoots</li>
<li>1/2 cup straw mushrooms</li>
<li>A few small red chili peppers or a few shakes of red chili flakes</li>
<li>1/2 stalk of fresh lemongrass or 1 tbsp. lemongrass paste</li>
<li>2 kaffir lime leaves or 1 tbsp. lime juice</li>
<li>3/4 cup coconut milk (I used a reduced fat one)</li>
<li>1 tbsp. brown sugar</li>
<li>2 tbsp. sriracha</li>
<li>1 tbsp. red curry paste</li>
<li>1/4 cup fresh basil (preferably sweet Thai basil, but regular basil works)</li>
<li>1 tbsp. fish sauce</li>
<li>Jasmine rice</li>
</ul>
Heat the oil and cook your shrimp, veggies, lemongrass, and lime leaves for a couple minutes on medium high heat. Add the coconut milk, brown sugar, sriracha, and curry paste and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for a few minutes, then add the basil and fish sauce. After a couple more minutes, remove from heat, and serve over rice.<br />
<br />
Although the ingredient list is kind of long (anyone else get easily scared away by long ingredient lists?), it's totally customizable, and it's a quick meal to throw together. Most of these ingredients were all stored together in the Thai section of my grocery store too (including canned baby corn, bamboo shoots, & straw mushrooms; sriracha; curry paste; fish sauce; and rice), so it was easy to grab what I needed. Next time I'm going to try omitting the oil and throwing everything in the pot at once rather than doing the staggered cooking I described above. I have a feeling this one's going to be in pretty regular rotation at my house!<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-52860892833319403932013-08-30T17:00:00.000-04:002013-08-30T20:47:44.122-04:00{Fashion} Stitch Fix #1Guys - there's a new love in my life. And his name is Stitch. Or <a href="http://stitchfix.com/sign_up?referrer_id=3156807" target="_blank">Stitch Fix</a>, if you're feeling formal. Have you heard about it yet? I think I may have been slow on the uptake here, since I just learned about it in the last couple of weeks but it seems to be all over the place.<br />
<br />
<i>If it's new to you too, the concept is this: </i>you create a style profile - your preferred style, your sizes, your preferred mix of business/casual/dressy, even a link to your Pinterest style board... anything that helps indicate what you like to wear. You pay a $20 styling fee, then your 'stylist' (doesn't that make you feel fancy?) sends you a box of five hand-picked items. Keep what you like, send back what you don't in the pre-paid envelope. If you keep anything, the $20 fee goes toward your items, and if you keep all 5 things, you get 25% off everything.<br />
<br />
Here's what I got in my first Fix, courtesy of my stylist, Miranda...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayweY0z_ivBLirvK2_BF8RATT-MfFN4x48EAIWd7G4eIBIp959i4P3CkGRQ4LyafHTosj_bbCRC0bk3VY_n_danhqQGWhH3cRx-754M3gsJ0LXjKOe7YaepepQraGDthyphenhyphenMiwOWz0NF-uh/s1600/IMG_1171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayweY0z_ivBLirvK2_BF8RATT-MfFN4x48EAIWd7G4eIBIp959i4P3CkGRQ4LyafHTosj_bbCRC0bk3VY_n_danhqQGWhH3cRx-754M3gsJ0LXjKOe7YaepepQraGDthyphenhyphenMiwOWz0NF-uh/s640/IMG_1171.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I opened my box, and the item on top was this necklace - the <b>41Hawthorn Metal Bib Necklace</b> in gold. <i>So. In. Love. </i>Immediately, I knew this was a good idea.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpkK1CttO4MvLJ0HbxxqN8b3G3gfxd_UB5xfjOOR-5lJ2lydreCc11f0FN1x8A2S2Dg2S8tZ4CML268HrLeGDrTWq6QI6FzNIYM9yH-AO2kbyoNOz_Jj6Rntv5A-Jhlb13Hs0vEpogpB7/s1600/IMG_1157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpkK1CttO4MvLJ0HbxxqN8b3G3gfxd_UB5xfjOOR-5lJ2lydreCc11f0FN1x8A2S2Dg2S8tZ4CML268HrLeGDrTWq6QI6FzNIYM9yH-AO2kbyoNOz_Jj6Rntv5A-Jhlb13Hs0vEpogpB7/s640/IMG_1157.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
With all of the clothing items, they include a card with two different styling looks. Since the lighting in my condo is so awful and I don't particularly want to go do a fashion shoot outside in front of the neighbors, I'll just show you the style cards for my items rather than photos of them on me (sorry these are so fuzzy!)...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtigD9lMywpp75x6YuHIfICwDEnFdjaQibGgv96O75roEEqoMcvsfRfY09u6HoYtjlRspYmto7OMyaZG-I1RVIwlGQL3UMMvijQa1J9I-WR4noMaXaFT2BG8vBgm6FBJ-VLJYarS95NCN/s1600/IMG_1161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtigD9lMywpp75x6YuHIfICwDEnFdjaQibGgv96O75roEEqoMcvsfRfY09u6HoYtjlRspYmto7OMyaZG-I1RVIwlGQL3UMMvijQa1J9I-WR4noMaXaFT2BG8vBgm6FBJ-VLJYarS95NCN/s640/IMG_1161.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I really love the <b>41Hawthorn Bixby Ladder Blouse</b> - the pic isn't very flattering (can a photo be unflattering to a shirt? Apparently so.), but in person, it's a great pattern and a great fabric, and perfect for both work and fun, as they have demonstrated so nicely on this card.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDiFC6WyDQzrHI9PjPSk_moTmBuZKQ4nfhpBxe5d9L9iiEyBbay9HQ5B2LnOOQlsLaQNQOepSLDsz7f_x0gHc2s4S5tYUilp5yrOVu_trjx6v4hLXRfgKo7V0CZ09DQeAhQBLDeiZ1G_d/s1600/IMG_1162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDiFC6WyDQzrHI9PjPSk_moTmBuZKQ4nfhpBxe5d9L9iiEyBbay9HQ5B2LnOOQlsLaQNQOepSLDsz7f_x0gHc2s4S5tYUilp5yrOVu_trjx6v4hLXRfgKo7V0CZ09DQeAhQBLDeiZ1G_d/s640/IMG_1162.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The <b>Natural Life Bowman Hi-Lo Tank</b> was fine - it's a comfy, basic item but not terribly exciting. While this is something I could get plenty of use out of, I'd prefer to spend my Stitch Fix money on things that are more fun.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkZeV3P-t9C_xrUVf4L9pvzZoM_oU87og7KUwDR1kyrRIBFBs58zSXF_8BFHL0sW0xCEE_xkFFSvcdezy1cIaQndY-5Cq0GBIpG1K2s5vctBGGbwOGS0czISuYC4YpZm4JCj6Iz6VqlJ0/s1600/IMG_1163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkZeV3P-t9C_xrUVf4L9pvzZoM_oU87og7KUwDR1kyrRIBFBs58zSXF_8BFHL0sW0xCEE_xkFFSvcdezy1cIaQndY-5Cq0GBIpG1K2s5vctBGGbwOGS0czISuYC4YpZm4JCj6Iz6VqlJ0/s640/IMG_1163.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
When I first saw the <b>41Hawthorn Addison Striped Cardigan</b> folded up in the box, I wasn't too impressed, but when I picked it up and put it on, I loved it. It looks great, and it's sooo soft and cozy! I have a feeling I'm going to be wearing this a ton in the fall.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuwR5dAYQ-u_HLEKLNiTv0C3_UBTxx5QrjOOYbEDinChyphenhyphentLuZgMm2Y_wINt7rNDqeiubdoyZafBEfgPqTzHGcb72E-09DkyLl5kzVEvyaR-VGuWgumzX_E8X1gidx2W1qDHcCv_DY9GwG/s1600/IMG_1164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuwR5dAYQ-u_HLEKLNiTv0C3_UBTxx5QrjOOYbEDinChyphenhyphentLuZgMm2Y_wINt7rNDqeiubdoyZafBEfgPqTzHGcb72E-09DkyLl5kzVEvyaR-VGuWgumzX_E8X1gidx2W1qDHcCv_DY9GwG/s640/IMG_1164.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Finally, the <b>Sweet Rain Marigold Chambray Skirt</b> is cute, but I'm not crazy about it and I don't see myself wearing it that often since it's more of a daytime piece but too short for work. It would be good for a something like a weekend lunch date though.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><b>Conclusion: </b></i>I couldn't bear to part with the necklace, blouse, or cardigan (apparently I have a thing for 41Hawthorn), but was willing to send the tank and skirt back. Then I looked at the price sheet - since the 2 items I didn't like as much were on the cheaper side, it only cost a tiny bit extra to keep them because of that 25% discount (and coincidentally, they happen to go well together). So yeah, <i>I kept all five!! </i><br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i>
Curious about the pricing? I was too, since I am usually inexplicably cheap with clothes. I specifically requested to keep the prices on the low end, and the prices for these pieces were in the $28-$48 range. That's still more than I typically spend, but I feel like it's worth it - shipping (both ways) is free, there's the 25% discount possibility, it's so convenient, and it's just so fun. You can sign up to automatically receive monthly fixes, but (for the sake of my wallet!), I'm going to avoid that and will probably order them every couple of months.<br />
<br />
Another nice perk is that referrals earn you $25. The links in this post include my referral code, just in case any of you want to sign up and contribute to my Stitch Fix fund ;)<br />
<br />
Have you tried <a href="http://stitchfix.com/sign_up?referrer_id=3156807" target="_blank">Stitch Fix</a> yet?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3riOy8YyN9S0O_RGZ_ZYFqFufdipFHHk_RA4WUTfy_VWjETrDUtoc8Z3-6e94sTpk_jhnLIylucyd2aInRkZYg_yyDc-tGpz-duQGVXKOCd6s-aE44eeFlB8JyzYxYwkpQZjRXgERkme/s1600/IMG_1167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3riOy8YyN9S0O_RGZ_ZYFqFufdipFHHk_RA4WUTfy_VWjETrDUtoc8Z3-6e94sTpk_jhnLIylucyd2aInRkZYg_yyDc-tGpz-duQGVXKOCd6s-aE44eeFlB8JyzYxYwkpQZjRXgERkme/s640/IMG_1167.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-87452782998306902272013-08-28T18:00:00.000-04:002013-08-28T18:00:03.180-04:00A Visible BackyardOne of the most exciting things about moving to a house from a condo is that we'll have a yard. Although I'm excited to have a space for outdoor entertaining and that kind of thing, my immediate focus is on having a yard for Smokey to run around in. We take him out for walks several times a day and on various "adventures" (he knows that word - don't say it around him unless you want to activate the puppy cyclone!), but it's so rare that he actually just gets to chill outside. On his lazier walks, the poor little guy always tries to plop down in the grass to sunbathe and avoid coming back in, but I'm always in a rush get back to work or whatever I'm doing. No question, he's going to LOVE having a yard and not being so leash-dependent.<br />
<br />
But before we can Smokey let loose on his own, we need a fence. And before we can get a fence, we need to make way for the fence. You might remember that our backyard was previously in <a href="http://homevolution.blogspot.com/2013/06/house-update-webs-tubs-bricks-puffiness.html">jungle status</a> - as in, not possible to see more than a few feet into it. This past weekend, we started trying to fix that (which you may have known already if you follow me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/homevolution.blogspot" target="_blank">facebook</a> or <a href="http://instagram.com/jdeares" target="_blank">Instagram</a>).<br />
<img src="https://sphotos-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1006337_10102103115641244_365625721_n.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>First, let's take a look at some more before pics. Now don't get me wrong - I love nature. I thoroughly appreciate this beautiful, green loveliness, and would happily trek through a lush forest like this on a hike. But for a (smallish) backyard? <i>Not so much.</i> If we had a few acres, some wild space like this would be great, but with a half acre (and much of that in the front yard), we want our full backyard to be usable space.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTJ71LcrqjNu2YJZZe4GrxEmeShGDTl44qToe15b1NXw5ofjwzm8tGGRel4sUoc20fs96o-55QOpxLPMUZqKZtOOtHssjoWHwx4LP0n1IY2vXvBex93pnPV81UB2Z_MbRfPrCxrrX-HbV/s1600/Downloads13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTJ71LcrqjNu2YJZZe4GrxEmeShGDTl44qToe15b1NXw5ofjwzm8tGGRel4sUoc20fs96o-55QOpxLPMUZqKZtOOtHssjoWHwx4LP0n1IY2vXvBex93pnPV81UB2Z_MbRfPrCxrrX-HbV/s640/Downloads13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Last Saturday, my father-in-law came over to start helping us tame this beast - armed with a pickup truck, a chainsaw, an axe, and a selection of loppers/clippers (since our own selection of outdoor tools is currently nonexistent).<br />
<br />
I knew this wasn't exactly a one-day project, so my expectations for how much we'd be able to accomplish were pretty low. But the difference is pretty impressive, isn't it?! We still have plenty more to do (like getting rid of those giant fallen trees and taking the rest of those brush piles to the dump, for example), but you can actually see into the yard now!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYBSbKbvdxYp4gX02KAjINtKpacumatKtdZXd9s8HIB1Ch72RlA_3wEIGXNP7lDT64p_lP2Yh2-T6lg7CBnLTvU83tueD5JpIxH954RzfhniZh206JETpsHcAgVy-Z6rz8rW9krskePu_/s1600/Downloads14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYBSbKbvdxYp4gX02KAjINtKpacumatKtdZXd9s8HIB1Ch72RlA_3wEIGXNP7lDT64p_lP2Yh2-T6lg7CBnLTvU83tueD5JpIxH954RzfhniZh206JETpsHcAgVy-Z6rz8rW9krskePu_/s640/Downloads14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
A few things I learned during this process:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>The bugs at our house like me, and only me. No lie - I got at least 60 bug bites. Next time, I will remember buy spray!</li>
<li>I like watching my hubby play lumberjack. Who knew that man could wield an axe so well?</li>
<li>Our county dump gives out free mulch! Not that we needed it yet, but that will definitely come in handy. Is that common - do you know if your county gives mulch away for free?</li>
</ol>
<br />
Yard work is a new thing for us, and we were definitely feeling it the next day! Have you done any big projects in your yard lately?<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-70672582690227946192013-08-20T08:00:00.000-04:002013-09-21T10:17:35.392-04:00Homepolish Interior Design {10% off coupon code!}Have you ever used an Interior Designer? I haven't. They're so expensive, right? And if you can find a good deal, well, there might be a reason for it. I've seen interior design consultations on deal sites before - but the portfolios of the ones I've seen are always SO traditional (like maybe I'd use them if I was designing a country club? I'm guessing design school may have been a few decades back?). But now there's a site that puts those problems to rest.<br />
<br />
Enter <a href="http://homepolish.com/start?p=iknowjessicac109" target="_blank">Homepolish</a>: offering accessible, affordable, quality interior designers - starting at only $50 for an initial one-hour, in-home consultation. Check out some of their gorgeous work, and <b><i>scroll to the bottom for a coupon code!</i></b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Homepolish Interior Design Decorating Portfolio | HomePolish_painting_ny_summit-road74017976" height="426" src="https://cloudinary-a.akamaihd.net/homepolish/image/upload/c_scale,g_south_east,l_homepolish_logo_2_white,o_80,t_hp_shot_horizontal,w_150,x_15,y_15/HomePolish_painting_ny_summit-road74017976.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In L-O-V-E with this light fixture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Homepolish Interior Design Decorating Portfolio | HomePolish_room_design_new_york_city_financial-districtad123619" height="434" src="https://cloudinary-a.akamaihd.net/homepolish/image/upload/c_scale,g_south_east,l_homepolish_logo_2_white,o_80,t_hp_shot_horizontal,w_150,x_15,y_15/HomePolish_room_design_new_york_city_financial-districtad123619.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Experiencing a major couch crush</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Homepolish Interior Design Decorating Portfolio | HomePolish_interior_inspiration_new_york_city_greene-street18e706f5" height="426" src="https://cloudinary-a.akamaihd.net/homepolish/image/upload/c_scale,g_south_east,l_homepolish_logo_2_white,o_80,t_hp_shot_horizontal,w_150,x_15,y_15/HomePolish_interior_inspiration_new_york_city_greene-street18e706f5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really love this bedroom's soft neutrals & gray wash bed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Homepolish Interior Design Decorating Portfolio | HomePolish_decorating_nyc_east-65th68a83876" height="426" src="https://cloudinary-a.akamaihd.net/homepolish/image/upload/c_scale,g_south_east,l_homepolish_logo_2_white,o_80,t_hp_shot_horizontal,w_150,x_15,y_15/HomePolish_decorating_nyc_east-65th68a83876.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light & airy living room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Homepolish Interior Design Decorating Portfolio | HomePolish_interior_inspiration_nyc_murray-hill78978d59" height="426" src="https://cloudinary-a.akamaihd.net/homepolish/image/upload/c_scale,g_south_east,l_homepolish_logo_2_white,o_80,t_hp_shot_horizontal,w_150,x_15,y_15/HomePolish_interior_inspiration_nyc_murray-hill78978d59.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such fun use of color</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Homepolish Interior Design Decorating Portfolio | HomePolish_decorating_new_york_north-11th-streeteb17a269" height="426" src="https://cloudinary-a.akamaihd.net/homepolish/image/upload/c_scale,g_south_east,l_homepolish_logo_2_white,o_80,t_hp_shot_horizontal,w_150,x_15,y_15/HomePolish_decorating_new_york_north-11th-streeteb17a269.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romantic bedroom, complete with cuddly kitty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Homepolish Interior Design Decorating Portfolio | HomePolish_room_design_ny_north-11th-street2fb1b0c0" height="426" src="https://cloudinary-a.akamaihd.net/homepolish/image/upload/c_scale,g_south_east,l_homepolish_logo_2_white,o_80,t_hp_shot_horizontal,w_150,x_15,y_15/HomePolish_room_design_ny_north-11th-street2fb1b0c0.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bold color + subtle stripes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Homepolish Interior Design Decorating Portfolio | HomePolish_decorating_new_york_city_financial-district7f3b1000" height="427" src="https://cloudinary-a.akamaihd.net/homepolish/image/upload/c_scale,g_south_east,l_homepolish_logo_2_white,o_80,t_hp_shot_horizontal,w_150,x_15,y_15/HomePolish_decorating_new_york_city_financial-district7f3b1000.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How fun is this wallpaper?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Homepolish Interior Design Decorating Portfolio | HomePolish_affordable_nyc_greene-street06b500df" height="426" src="https://cloudinary-a.akamaihd.net/homepolish/image/upload/c_scale,g_south_east,l_homepolish_logo_2_white,o_80,t_hp_shot_horizontal,w_150,x_15,y_15/HomePolish_affordable_nyc_greene-street06b500df.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An amazing space to begin with - the neutral decor lets the room be the star</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Gorgeous, right? And guess what, Homevolution readers can <b>get 10% off </b>by signing up with <a href="https://www.homepolish.com/?p=iknowjessicac109" target="_blank">this link</a> or by entering promo code <b>iknowjessicac109</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Currently, they only serve a select set of metro areas (DC is one of them, hooray!), but they're growing all the time. Check the website to see if they're available in your area!<br />
<br />
<i>Disclaimer: </i>Contains affiliate links.<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-33708401567112884622013-08-18T08:00:00.000-04:002013-08-18T08:00:04.834-04:00{House update} Feeling like a real houseWow, I'm behind on the house updates! I left off <a href="http://homevolution.blogspot.com/2013/06/house-update-sheetrocking-n-rolling.html">here</a> - in late June, when drywall had just been installed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a6iPPR-Y836sa2N5Z-Ik_mJWUcVNo7qrskpTSJUzL_CpmWixmLRwBi3gbKynZH99jL_Y0uQf_YK3GoTWUyiMOZwgVQabZdHP2MlGqBBHz1etG9oGGv07qnt66UH4t5ZFTPQlHCJviohV/s1600/pt+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a6iPPR-Y836sa2N5Z-Ik_mJWUcVNo7qrskpTSJUzL_CpmWixmLRwBi3gbKynZH99jL_Y0uQf_YK3GoTWUyiMOZwgVQabZdHP2MlGqBBHz1etG9oGGv07qnt66UH4t5ZFTPQlHCJviohV/s640/pt+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>In late June/early July, the drywall was taped and spackled, so we had these nice bright white stripes and spots all over the walls and ceiling. The siding that had been delayed for ages finally got put up, the interior doors were delivered, and they started installing the trim.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gcLVM9rx9191b3_4kobGw2i_kW1vU67npBbUVgSXbXTv68dEfqOVwfVtgZs4Zk18F5puGHN0NnDUZ_-3qPjKNt4htxPS5Gj9zKQrfA9OzeAnU-qXI8NtDAPtcmVbNJCyDxhZFxCfoMpz/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gcLVM9rx9191b3_4kobGw2i_kW1vU67npBbUVgSXbXTv68dEfqOVwfVtgZs4Zk18F5puGHN0NnDUZ_-3qPjKNt4htxPS5Gj9zKQrfA9OzeAnU-qXI8NtDAPtcmVbNJCyDxhZFxCfoMpz/s640/6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
In late July, the walls were painted and the stair balusters were added. Light fixtures and ceiling fans went in, and we could finally go see the house at night! We got a garage door, and all the cabinets were delivered (which pretty much took up the entire family room!).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6Nu8glGb7UgEQwWLPWiQmRjhvAYpAHSpjMODJB0GPofop4xpec1ST-9T8E2s7oQ45MJ3jTuwG56Grn7aoDMEF1KxadIRfTI29Gl501CHYEL4hcNE0t020Qe-TMXtq18UCzRvAMU8M3XH/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6Nu8glGb7UgEQwWLPWiQmRjhvAYpAHSpjMODJB0GPofop4xpec1ST-9T8E2s7oQ45MJ3jTuwG56Grn7aoDMEF1KxadIRfTI29Gl501CHYEL4hcNE0t020Qe-TMXtq18UCzRvAMU8M3XH/s640/7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
In the beginning of August, the cabinets and tile were installed, followed by the countertops. We also got our fireplace mantel, security system, and thermostat & HVAC units.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcae3wD_ZFrczrkCx7KCZmMdDSPIDiUHllhx34zxtnvd9B5jH0Rbapagl8EIk6FCfA9jraRavNYR_HgHh0oC1tCJ4gzh82EHoO6L_2zJvYrgjSJ46ruxQrZuogjLFh0zIGSJW8qnbBANY/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcae3wD_ZFrczrkCx7KCZmMdDSPIDiUHllhx34zxtnvd9B5jH0Rbapagl8EIk6FCfA9jraRavNYR_HgHh0oC1tCJ4gzh82EHoO6L_2zJvYrgjSJ46ruxQrZuogjLFh0zIGSJW8qnbBANY/s640/8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Most recently, it's just been some random little things - mirrors, laundry sink, toilets, door stoppers, new locks, towel bars and toilet paper holders... that kind of stuff. The hardwoods were delivered, so they should be going in soon. In my mind, the floors are the last 'big' thing - otherwise, it just seems like a lot of little odds & ends that need to be finished up. We're definitely getting close!<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-26297128085154068222013-08-17T08:00:00.000-04:002013-08-17T08:00:05.413-04:00Budget Laundry Room RenovationOur condo's laundry room (or more accurately, tiny laundry <i>closet</i>) has been in sad shape for quite a while. We had a giant hole in the wall from when someone came to investigate a leak. We never bothered to fix it since it's so tucked away (you have to walk through my closet in order to get to the door to the laundry closet). Before moving, we just planned to fix the hole and slap on a fresh coat of paint. Turns out, it needed a full-blown renovation, but we were able to complete it for about $50 and minimal time, so it worked out for the best!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGZ3v8jJtdWiKd-j02ggZm55ystMEFG6bSjXqkEyCTWGGUqcVlgkr5B5I2XxRqTHxDlymzkZZFeUUN581-MBSPdi7jbAEt_BIHgt_3yOKypl2zOg7IKfZGy0E2vnyHz8DnKKVS4CXSUl0/s1600/New+folder+(2)4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGZ3v8jJtdWiKd-j02ggZm55ystMEFG6bSjXqkEyCTWGGUqcVlgkr5B5I2XxRqTHxDlymzkZZFeUUN581-MBSPdi7jbAEt_BIHgt_3yOKypl2zOg7IKfZGy0E2vnyHz8DnKKVS4CXSUl0/s640/New+folder+(2)4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Not a true before, but just imagine a giant hole in the wall and (rotted) baseboards in place</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<a name='more'></a>I started getting ready to do the drywall repair, and after clearing out the little shelving unit and junk we had stored back there, I discovered the laundry closet was in worse shape than we thought. The baseboards had <b><i>rotted </i></b>out in the corner where that old leak was. Eww! No question - those had to be ripped out. In addition, the floor (which was old & ugly anyway) was also coming up in that corner. You guessed it - we had to fix that too. I was not happy about this discovery initially, but it turned out to be a good thing - very low budget, not that much effort, and a big improvement to the room.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Step 1: Drywall Repair</b></div>
<div>
First, I started with the drywall. This is the hole that we were dealing with - it was 11" x 14". (And we lived with it for years! What we were thinking?!) The drywall repair was easier than I thought it would be (although admittedly, I did a messy job). </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXNwHs4DSK83lMQSzx4CchBDVacZvmaylOW8KKlj9PjJLVAQ5HF7zM9Ky0439SnRFduh9i6ri9CdqKRwDg4S8RMin-xLsixt22lDugoYtzFaz7SI-cmeaKRSAwXmRyzc0KHEpaNwIQf_K/s1600/New+folder+(2)2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXNwHs4DSK83lMQSzx4CchBDVacZvmaylOW8KKlj9PjJLVAQ5HF7zM9Ky0439SnRFduh9i6ri9CdqKRwDg4S8RMin-xLsixt22lDugoYtzFaz7SI-cmeaKRSAwXmRyzc0KHEpaNwIQf_K/s640/New+folder+(2)2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Drywall repair - Our massive hole, my messy job fixing it, and the nice & smooth shot after sanding</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The drywall is easy to cut with a utility knife and a straight edge - it breaks right off after you score it. Use joint compound to hold the drywall, then apply drywall tape - I used basic paper tape). Here is where I made my mistake - the taped joint compound should be allowed to dry overnight. Then, apply a second coat of compound over the tape (if you do it when the first layer is still wet, the tape sags and your lines will be visible. Oops). After the second coat is dry, you just need to sand it smooth (and it's much easier to sand than wood).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Step 2: Paint</b></div>
<div>
Let's take a look at the state of our walls before the paint, shall we? I knew the walls were stained, but with all the junk we had stored in there, I didn't realize how bad it was. Wowzers, that is just embarrassing. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4s-Y2lB4VX6yrT6lCs_HPxXZ4ZrH7m1up4Uy8NPwpGSvW2ASh-5fRhXzknv4e2KtbEn3S2way2l9PE_0L4gjUT0gndo4Xa1hPXGM07JkCM-VKa-oGjNvB_T97yzSKb1KHlvgCEmy2p2q/s1600/IMG_1136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4s-Y2lB4VX6yrT6lCs_HPxXZ4ZrH7m1up4Uy8NPwpGSvW2ASh-5fRhXzknv4e2KtbEn3S2way2l9PE_0L4gjUT0gndo4Xa1hPXGM07JkCM-VKa-oGjNvB_T97yzSKb1KHlvgCEmy2p2q/s640/IMG_1136.JPG" width="572" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A fresh coat of paint made a world of difference. I painted it the same light-gray-almost-white color that I painted the rest of the place in preparation to rent it out, although it looks darker in here with the lack of natural light. Since we had leftover paint, it was no extra cost!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Step 3: Floors</b></div>
<div>
For the floors, I wanted something that would be inexpensive and easy - especially considering the water heater and stacked washer/dryer unit were in the way and I was not about to remove them. Vinyl peel and stick tiles were the perfect solution. I wouldn't consider them for a more visible space, but for this tucked away closet, they were perfect. I bought <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/203591267?productId=203591267&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&cm_mmc=hd_email-_-PP_OMS_Ord_Conf-_-_PP_OMS_Ord_Conf-_-pip_203591267__W217159168#.Ug6RiNLvvG4" target="_blank">these</a> - $34 for the case of 45 square feet, which was much more than we needed. They really are like giant, thick stickers - you can cut them with scissors, and to install them you just remove the backing and plop them down. I tiled the whole floor in about an hour after work one evening! I was even able to get them around (and just under the edges) of the water heater and washer, so there's no evidence of my cheater method.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So like I said, they're not exactly dream floors, but they make a world of difference for $34 and and hour of labor, don't they?!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4R2m2MKKVfp9CImWipvuXtb2L1cEYX0Yt1lGex1OYJi8jsM-O2GB3hjq_qSod6mUAWx_QCEr6B8Vcrp8VXl1iCiBGjor7oBp-xSvA6lR4g6pxHOoMhOd-WZY6FS4Ro1j4bkkf1g9Fs6nC/s1600/New+folder+(2)3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4R2m2MKKVfp9CImWipvuXtb2L1cEYX0Yt1lGex1OYJi8jsM-O2GB3hjq_qSod6mUAWx_QCEr6B8Vcrp8VXl1iCiBGjor7oBp-xSvA6lR4g6pxHOoMhOd-WZY6FS4Ro1j4bkkf1g9Fs6nC/s640/New+folder+(2)3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Step 4: Baseboards</b></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-5rwvUwN8TCAqsACl66gIufM8ER6eBIjOjqErQJoRpWwJI3FZSita_L3BJmTRxxJQ1WpJw54Ys8HB9f2qofDylahi-AxR6lnLlEn5IVclteeQYNuVWuuHFIA38OVTS49rDNayH15ic1Q/s1600/photo+(22).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-5rwvUwN8TCAqsACl66gIufM8ER6eBIjOjqErQJoRpWwJI3FZSita_L3BJmTRxxJQ1WpJw54Ys8HB9f2qofDylahi-AxR6lnLlEn5IVclteeQYNuVWuuHFIA38OVTS49rDNayH15ic1Q/s400/photo+(22).JPG" width="300" /></a>As my pre-paint picture gave away, I actually ripped out the old baseboards prior to painting. And I didn't take a picture of them either. Those nasty things just had to go ASAP. They came out pretty easily using a combination of a screwdriver and back of a hammer for leverage (we don't have a crowbar) and my hulking strength (or puny arms, whatever).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I bought new baseboards at Home Depot for what I think was about $15. Then I got to ride home like this - my junky little convertible from college may not have much space, but it's excellent at transporting weird/tall/long objects! After some sawing, painting, nailing, and caulking, the new baseboards were in, and I no longer felt like creepy crawlies were going to come out from the gaps at the bottom of the wall to get me (yes, I actually had this fear).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sidenote - I hate the yellowish paint color on the baseboards, which is extra noticeable against the bright white caulk. That's the color of all of our trim, doors, etc., and we haven't bothered to change it. Looks like formerly white paint that's yellowed after decades of being in a smoker's house. Uggggly. But at least not rotten anymore!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwEuWxejBfJdJKVLHA72YYxh7bLU6aBTzXHQqhtoRYO0tMoQ_NwHfqqnJHK3LB5H8HQ6OjyUsy7V8A7_MyeSc8Q5g1Va4fGOoJ8fJBNGW5hwlXU_f84jLVxqqKZSjJTC8jAgkxagKa-vT/s1600/photo+2+(13).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwEuWxejBfJdJKVLHA72YYxh7bLU6aBTzXHQqhtoRYO0tMoQ_NwHfqqnJHK3LB5H8HQ6OjyUsy7V8A7_MyeSc8Q5g1Va4fGOoJ8fJBNGW5hwlXU_f84jLVxqqKZSjJTC8jAgkxagKa-vT/s400/photo+2+(13).JPG" width="348" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Step 5?</b></div>
<div>
The one thing I'm still contemplating is buying a new washer/dryer unit (which would make the total cost of this reno just <i>slightly </i>over $50...). All of our other appliances were new when we moved in, except for the washer/dryer. It works, but it's old & slow, so I'm on the fence about whether we should shell out the cash for a new one before trying to find renters.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, the space is looking about a million times better... it may not be winning any design awards, but at least it no longer looks like it should be condemned!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Have you done any home updates lately?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-24295450851760299482013-08-16T09:43:00.001-04:002013-08-16T09:43:58.528-04:0030-day Fitness ChallengeI just started a new fitness challenge involving a combination of running & hot yoga. It was totally unplanned, and it's not an actual structured challenge...but somehow I found myself jumping into a hardcore (at least for me) fitness commitment. Does that ever happen to you? You're busy with life, not doing a good job of working out or eating healthy or whatever, then - <i>boom!</i> - without even thinking much about it, your life suddenly seems to be revolving around a whole new routine?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurMbiZE2R4PeQr4Xk2IE2zDK8so6e23gDVZ29MW852sjGT2qmN6S8fozvVIL7yHfMV_quEVGhmXbjSpAK28C8lYB3YIV88S9R_ey-Bt_yEU2riz2gYJhKl4OSYu-erPoEXd5b_-o4AiFi/s1600/Downloads12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurMbiZE2R4PeQr4Xk2IE2zDK8so6e23gDVZ29MW852sjGT2qmN6S8fozvVIL7yHfMV_quEVGhmXbjSpAK28C8lYB3YIV88S9R_ey-Bt_yEU2riz2gYJhKl4OSYu-erPoEXd5b_-o4AiFi/s640/Downloads12.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ak8.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/1329886/preview/stock-footage-slim-athletic-girl-in-silhouette-practicing-yoga-on-the-beach-at-sunrise.jpg" target="_blank">via</a>/<a href="http://i2.wp.com/alexloves.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ws_Girl_Running_1680x1050.jpg" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Bryan has run several marathons (and longer!) in the past, but he's never been very consistent or structured with his training. He has another marathon coming up in October, and this time he actually decided to follow a training plan that has him running 6 days a week. I haven't been doing a good job of working out lately, so after watching him run so much, I started feeling like I seriously needed to get my butt off the couch.<br />
<br />
I always use <a href="http://runkeeper.com/" target="_blank">RunKeeper</a> when I run and thought I might try out one of the free training plans on there (the app is free and there are a few free training plans, although most of them have a fee). After debating between picking a plan that would help me increase my 10k pace and shooting for something longer, I decided to sign up for the <a href="http://runkeeper.com/fitness-class/running-half-marathon/20" target="_blank"><b>beginner half marathon plan</b></a>. Not gonna lie - I'm nervous about it. Will my knees be able to handle it? I don't know. But a half marathon is something I'd love to accomplish, and now seemed like as good a time as ever to try. The plan also seemed doable - 4 days a week, with 3 shorter runs (3-4 miles initially, up to 5 miles later) and 1 long run (starting at 5 miles then gradually increasing up to 13 miles over 16 weeks). For the first month, it's all distances I know I can handle, so I thought I'd give it a shot.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79i4jXswigahyiW_gw3PaomidAAPrBxBS4ErNuzMegIHBb4IoOS64BHqf9wxXo8e3_k0pBgwi_MvSqRQwWAFq5AcsHLRX5Tjcu4qZzxannT1tTFHyEb976qtRZjU9Q13sRSZ6kERqV8H6/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+8122013+93425+AM.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79i4jXswigahyiW_gw3PaomidAAPrBxBS4ErNuzMegIHBb4IoOS64BHqf9wxXo8e3_k0pBgwi_MvSqRQwWAFq5AcsHLRX5Tjcu4qZzxannT1tTFHyEb976qtRZjU9Q13sRSZ6kERqV8H6/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+8122013+93425+AM.bmp.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Shortly after I decided to start the running plan, I saw a LivingSocial deal for <a href="http://bikramyogafairfax.com/" target="_blank">a Bikram yoga studio</a> that's super close to my house & office - $29 for 20 classes. That's a pretty amazing deal to begin with, but it gets even better - Living Social had a coupon code for $10 off and I had a $10 bonus sitting in my account. That means I could get <i style="font-weight: bold;">20 hot yoga classes for $9</i>! If I were to buy a package of 20 classes at this place, it would be <i>$300</i>!! How could I pass that up?!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="330" src="http://bikramyogabenefitsinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/bikram-yoga-poses-chart.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=lwJXOBg5FSbMJM&tbnid=AUKMHFFdZHa5dM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbikramyogabenefitsinfo.com%2F&ei=aeUIUu6QLtTyyAHxhIDgBQ&bvm=bv.50500085,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNFO7K6NcLbsDL5TLIJYbiyyYWlXWA&ust=1376401119931354" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But there was one catch - all 20 classes needed to be redeemed within 30 days. That would normally be a pretty big commitment for me, even if I wasn't planning on running too! Of course, at that price, it would be logical to buy the deal and not use all the classes, but why let them go to waste? Instead, I decided to take it on as a challenge - complete all the yoga classes in 30 days while sticking to the running plan during that period too. Here's my challenge by the numbers:<br />
<ul>
<li># of days: 30</li>
<li># of hot yoga classes: 20</li>
<li># of hours of yoga: 30</li>
<li># of runs: 18</li>
<li># of miles to run: 71</li>
<li># of total workouts: 38</li>
</ul>
<div>
Yikes, that's a lot for me! And I jumped into this with bad timing too - I could have started either a day earlier or 2 days later to avoid our anniversary or Bryan's birthday. But since I refuse to work out on those celebratory days, it gives me only 28 days to squeeze in all of those workouts. Eek!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIYynV3Ute9f5xnNSgWgF_z30sEp93S1JWblYDL7pJH_7DT9WUPRS8p2B6H9pWYcS6QT4xlJMolV3MsjGl37TLXdexrxoUVh9-yplTH7cjLH2UTOdGVQb6QlofnPeLU4kW0dxFsOQFsTy/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+892013+13338+PM.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIYynV3Ute9f5xnNSgWgF_z30sEp93S1JWblYDL7pJH_7DT9WUPRS8p2B6H9pWYcS6QT4xlJMolV3MsjGl37TLXdexrxoUVh9-yplTH7cjLH2UTOdGVQb6QlofnPeLU4kW0dxFsOQFsTy/s640/Fullscreen+capture+892013+13338+PM.bmp.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I don't plan on sticking to this calendar exactly, but I thought I needed one to help me keep on track. So far, so good... I've already made it through the first week, so here's hoping I can stick it out through the next three!<br />
<br />
Are you working on any new fitness goals lately?<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-38342818084661165312013-08-01T17:00:00.000-04:002013-08-01T17:00:01.687-04:00{Drip, drip} New bathroom faucet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The bathroom faucet in our condo has been leaking for a while. We figured out a special on/off trick to make it leak <i>less</i>, but that only made it go from a continuous stream to a steady drip. So, "fix leaky faucet" was high on our pre-move to-do list. After doing a little research, we discovered that we needed a replacement cartridge that is nearly impossible to find, while replacing the entire faucet would be a 15-minute, $30 project, so we decided to replace rather than fix. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEp2-0ymisRzfWqvMcPmWyTDH57chjbH0Ub7RmvLZqLDDxfNdwZoMplTBsMiw0yxCN59TlEXz3H_nabYkwpSKvbcQdNxRzVucFThJT6aJestFKmFe_xJLgHGbjD6DSopBMUCp3HRD64zwo/s1600/IMG_1112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEp2-0ymisRzfWqvMcPmWyTDH57chjbH0Ub7RmvLZqLDDxfNdwZoMplTBsMiw0yxCN59TlEXz3H_nabYkwpSKvbcQdNxRzVucFThJT6aJestFKmFe_xJLgHGbjD6DSopBMUCp3HRD64zwo/s640/IMG_1112.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See all that water pouring out? The faucet was off!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Have you ever replaced a faucet? This was my first time, and I was surprised at how simple it was. Turn off the water valves under the sink (<i>you do not want to forget that part!!</i>) and unscrew everything (first the metal nuts for the supply line, followed by the plastic ones that hold on the faucet). A basin wrench is suggested for unscrewing the big plastic pieces, but in our case, it was really easy to unscrew these by hand - so the only tool we needed was a regular adjustable wrench to disconnect and reconnect the supply line.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMi0sjo9ICuHg9hIxkwspdn_6pZy6Monb0N7fl4SzTYVrR8QdlF1A4MWuVgKCOlMA-kEc5192zWOiBVyOb7ALQXrG8UigJwuuVEJLB0ApE-rDkBIUO0LANYPRUYqb0pKgBgwnW164IJKm/s1600/IMG_1119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMi0sjo9ICuHg9hIxkwspdn_6pZy6Monb0N7fl4SzTYVrR8QdlF1A4MWuVgKCOlMA-kEc5192zWOiBVyOb7ALQXrG8UigJwuuVEJLB0ApE-rDkBIUO0LANYPRUYqb0pKgBgwnW164IJKm/s640/IMG_1119.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Remove the old faucet, and you will have a lovely set of holes in your counter like this...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wdx6w17_1rsFyeStD3mMnAvYzAN01YkWpfeQPYZ2O28yb9ZulvBPymltPGQAzSlqdeixyKICEQivRZ-iSmdiWkk_qTcdxXdtbrC8gnzHLbC-zVjBVYqVum4LdUsIG-m61FVTuh5qRS_T/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wdx6w17_1rsFyeStD3mMnAvYzAN01YkWpfeQPYZ2O28yb9ZulvBPymltPGQAzSlqdeixyKICEQivRZ-iSmdiWkk_qTcdxXdtbrC8gnzHLbC-zVjBVYqVum4LdUsIG-m61FVTuh5qRS_T/s640/IMG_1125.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Then it's time to stick on the new one. Apply a little plumber's putty around the base of the new faucet (it's like clay for grown-ups - I even made a clay snake to press around the base. Fun times.). Plunk the faucet down, then do all the former steps in the reverse - screw on the big plastic things, screw the supply lines back on, turn your sink valves <span style="font-family: inherit;">back on, and <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 16px;"><i>voilĂ </i></span></span>, you've got a new faucet! Easy peasy!<br />
<br />
Ours looks awfully familiar, eh? I'm not in love with chrome, but considering our shower fixtures, lighting fixture, towel rack, and toilet paper holder are all chrome (and in good condition), we decided to stick with it. We weren't too excited about any of the lower priced chrome faucets, and at $29 <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Glacier-Bay-Builders-4-in-2-Handle-Low-Arc-Bathroom-Faucet-in-Chrome-7032EC-A8101/202043750#.UfrDQNKkonY" target="_blank">this one</a> was our favorite style of the cheap bunch, even though it was nearly identical to our old one. Unfortunately, there is a reason it was cheap - the first one we got still leaked! Just a tiny drip, but still...not good. That probably should have scared us into choosing another model, but we just exchanged it, and the 2nd one is drip-free (at least for now).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qKpoLFg4rkI1jbUwufgyFcmjeTBwq6e4pJE-zSyyrZcPfQv7WZZ_gfnxeXahchr71PD4npojTXWOj4D6I4OzCUx5Gj9DHUtGuVuesyP2goCWnH2L-qr6ILH75S3AgxFii4mFSDUatTga/s1600/IMG_1127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qKpoLFg4rkI1jbUwufgyFcmjeTBwq6e4pJE-zSyyrZcPfQv7WZZ_gfnxeXahchr71PD4npojTXWOj4D6I4OzCUx5Gj9DHUtGuVuesyP2goCWnH2L-qr6ILH75S3AgxFii4mFSDUatTga/s640/IMG_1127.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New faucet #1 - can you see the little drop of water coming out to taunt us?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other piece that we hadn't even planned on was changing out the sink drain. Our old sink drain had a nice rusted look that made it appear dirty even when it was just cleaned. Somehow it never occurred to me that the drain was separate from the sink and could be easily swapped out, so this wasn't in our original plans to update, but a new drain actually came with the new faucet. <i>Score!</i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpU6JdzsXKIEJTaF0-m4TcPiRCa7n6GvG5a21RsCaagXgH0Ksjei1mBBacg6V-OH8dwPApLa-AuekpgiYQSf6tANbsIZw2kvcfShI-DBdLK3Mnj0bNydRYfuKMrr3Sg4MMy4G0TQdJxyp/s1600/IMG_1130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpU6JdzsXKIEJTaF0-m4TcPiRCa7n6GvG5a21RsCaagXgH0Ksjei1mBBacg6V-OH8dwPApLa-AuekpgiYQSf6tANbsIZw2kvcfShI-DBdLK3Mnj0bNydRYfuKMrr3Sg4MMy4G0TQdJxyp/s640/IMG_1130.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for displaying this grossness, but I forgot to take a pic before we removed (and broke) the old drain - you can see all the rust on the remaining piece of the drain on the right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Changing the drain was more difficult that changing the faucet. The steps are fairly straightforward again, but this involves removing some of the pipes under the sink, and in our case, it was really hard to disconnect them. Apparently that's a common problem - the guy in the how-to video that I watched even had to break out a hack saw. Luckily, I didn't have the patience to watch the full video <i>before </i>I got started, or I might have been scared off from doing this! In any case, <strike>we were</strike> Bryan was finally able to get the pipes off, and then I was able to put in the new drain pretty easily. Here are Mr. Faucet & Ms. Drain looking all shiny & new! (and drip/rust free!)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMICOtpaBKzULvcXSr5iekCRbV5quBooD2gk7k0cg-P5p2sqZiO5QLh4YJXY0CBIAv2s4CQmgqaKVx3Lr6VRN3G-a3x_-t3WgCOKpe6HiVVImx23j83Xvk79hrGtZXIOrIxOtqBxqt1zZ/s1600/IMG_1132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMICOtpaBKzULvcXSr5iekCRbV5quBooD2gk7k0cg-P5p2sqZiO5QLh4YJXY0CBIAv2s4CQmgqaKVx3Lr6VRN3G-a3x_-t3WgCOKpe6HiVVImx23j83Xvk79hrGtZXIOrIxOtqBxqt1zZ/s640/IMG_1132.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
And yes, I realize we sound awfully boring with our condo updates so far. First, it was "well, we had to get a <a href="http://homevolution.blogspot.com/2013/07/i-think-microwaves-possessed.html" target="_blank">new microwave</a> but didn't want to update the rest of the kitchen, so we just got basically the same microwave we had before," and now it's exactly the same situation with the bathroom faucet! So yeah, pretty dull... but these are just budget updates to get the place in an acceptable state to rent out - not choices we're making to beautify the place for our own enjoyment.<br />
<br />
<i>So who reads Young House Love? Everyone? That's what I thought. (Personally, I'm slightly obsessed.) </i><i>They just <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2013/08/in-hot-water/" target="_blank">posted</a> today about putting in the same faucet! I drafted this post yesterday but had to add a little note to highlight my excitement about having famous faucet buddies!</i><br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7333128736252051981.post-6456518411255264572013-07-26T18:00:00.000-04:002013-08-01T16:30:33.187-04:00I think the microwave's possessedHi there! Yes, it's me, I'm alive...just <i>missing </i>from the blog world for most of July. <i>Oops</i>. Work's been crazy busy, and then we've gone into full-on 'gotta fix up the condo' mode to get it ready to rent out when we move. I really didn't think we had that much to do... but somehow the list keeps multiplying, and although I've started like 10 different projects, barely anything has actually gotten checked off yet.<br />
<br />
Today I thought I'd just do a quick post on something we weren't originally planning to update before moving - the microwave. All of our kitchen appliances were brand new when we moved in 7 years ago. They're boring, basic black appliances, but they all work fine and still look new(ish), so we hadn't planned on messing with them...<b><i>until the microwave started turning on by itself. </i></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk06GCyHqxuraPOvM32cwSuPr3tRQ6fzuU7o5OFnvh-GS13yBhLYD1vY6rHdwydeCHZ7AG5OxtMmeGVaq9_HgiYVTWZO9qChAgnoSlwIaQZrIFJclt7OrWll5y_PGm9GLBi1jUGLYneMpa/s1600/photo+(21).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk06GCyHqxuraPOvM32cwSuPr3tRQ6fzuU7o5OFnvh-GS13yBhLYD1vY6rHdwydeCHZ7AG5OxtMmeGVaq9_HgiYVTWZO9qChAgnoSlwIaQZrIFJclt7OrWll5y_PGm9GLBi1jUGLYneMpa/s400/photo+(21).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a>Whenever it turned on, none of the buttons would work (including that all-important 'cancel' button). Open the door, and it would stop... until I'd shut it and it would turn right back on again. This didn't happen every day, but it happened a few times before we started feeling the need to shut off the fuse whenever we left the house. Of course, we wouldn't always remember ('Honey, did you shut off the microwave fuse?' isn't exactly part of our usual routine), and then I wouldn't be able to stop worrying that the microwave would turn itself on for hours and everything would be up in flames by the time we returned.<br />
<br />
We had a black GE Spacemaker. We bought a <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Spacemaker+1.5+Cu.+Ft.+Over-the-Range+Microwave/8235215.p;jsessionid=B0B219B16F1E992EE1F0E02CDDC8693A.bbolsp-app01-134?id=1168043626761&skuId=8235215&st=spacemaker%20microwave&cp=1&lp=7" target="_blank">black GE Spacemaker</a>. How boring is that? But it matches the rest of our appliances and was on sale for $179, which is pretty cheap for an over-the-range microwave (and at least they had updated the model so it didn't feel like we were getting <i>exactly </i>the same one!). Sorry for the grainy pic, but at the speed I'm going lately, I figured I should just go with it... and I accidentally deleted my only 'before' photo thinking it was an extra 'after' photo (so clearly the difference isn't mindblowing anyway!).<br />
<br />
Although I wasn't terribly excited about this unplanned purchase, it is very nice to have the new one installed so that we don't have a fire hazard of epic proportions in the middle of the kitchen!<br />
<br />
Have you ever had an appliance that suddenly went psycho on you? How long has your microwave lasted? It still felt like a 'new' appliance to me, although I guess 7 years isn't <i>that </i>bad for a smaller appliance like a microwave?<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15365760944479953956noreply@blogger.com6