tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1534398008230000902024-02-20T00:28:09.617-07:00Little Pink HousesThis is our house. Pink brick, yellow and green trim. It's old but charming...like us!Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.comBlogger981125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-1415993106605776592016-05-31T17:04:00.003-06:002016-05-31T17:04:45.836-06:00A Tale of Two Purses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodWipBwgbCFM0jKLMNeIbeGGupioMycuicmJkt9HmWYXbUcGV6LOXP7hVVoumg78gZkxoVY64feYpu0mgXuMbgKleJNcrpB5iYw9tZv3LmKN4P1D-A6BXM1RmPD-JqAblrXPX-fS4Tr0/s1600/IMG_7632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodWipBwgbCFM0jKLMNeIbeGGupioMycuicmJkt9HmWYXbUcGV6LOXP7hVVoumg78gZkxoVY64feYpu0mgXuMbgKleJNcrpB5iYw9tZv3LmKN4P1D-A6BXM1RmPD-JqAblrXPX-fS4Tr0/s400/IMG_7632.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A purse is sort of a necessary evil when you're a mom. When you're a single girl, you can shove your ID and debit card in a pocket or slide them into your phone case. You can bring a small wallet on a strap and call that a purse. But when you're a mom, you have to be ready for your own needs and your kids' needs at any given moment. Which means you have to be a walking doctor's office, drug store, snack cart, school supply, hardware store. In other words, your purse better be up to the task.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But like most areas in my life, I come to a crossroads where two conflicting parts of my personality stare each other in the face: do I go with practical? Or do I go with cute? Deep down I'm a very pragmatic person. Seriously, it's probably one of my defining characteristics. For better or worse, I'd much rather be practical than creative, I'd much rather be sane than impressive. But a purse is also a statement piece for a woman, so do I choose form or function?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well last fall, my fashion side won out. I had seen a fantastic black and white polka dotted purse while browsing at a department store. It was easily twice as much as I normally budget for a purse, so I let it go. But a few months later, I spied it again, and then again, and it seemed to be calling me. So on a vacation whim (you know, because being on vacation justifies shopping for things that are normally seriously out of your budget), I bought it. The reason I held back for so long was because, despite this purse being ADORABLE, it only had ONE compartment. Well, one compartment, a small zippered pocket inside, and a couple of very shallow slots for credit cards inside (like who is going to just keep credit cards in there without a wallet?). But if there's anything I like more than cute, LOVE more than cute, ADORE above just about anything else, it's purses with compartments and pockets. It's actually one of my major joys in life. So to give in to a purse with really only one main compartment and no way to divvy up my things into neat, controlled spaces, it really had to be a cute purse. And it was. Is. Is cute. Is very very polka dotty and cute! But still very very impractical.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After about 8 months with this bag (and it looks as good as the day I bought it -- must be the $$$-- and I have somehow survived not having all the pockets), I went to lunch with a girlfriend whose purse was replete with amazing compartments and pockets. And I realized this had gone on long enough. I needed a better purse! But I didn't want to abandon this cute polka dot one altogether. So I decided to assign it my "winter purse." And I set out looking for one with a lot more organizational talents.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eureka! This weekend, I found a smashing deal for a genuine leather (not pleather!) purse at TJ MAXX with OH, SO MANY POCKETS! It may not be quite as stylish as the polka dot. I may not have people stop me on the street to say how cute my handbag is. But it's not hideous. It's rather fun. And the pockets will more than make up for it not being a beauty queen in an evening gown. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is the lady in question:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSysOkgj1-o0VjgMqSaZxX1AuuQE_oIXd1Fl12PgRePxLLbWW17mVT2mWb36S4WiHQWmzdmncFQ6_J7W0B84XaxEka2XXMbCaZDFDMkc4Ihk927cUuy1ffV8dOQmLZPDbKQtGNBVa42jQ/s1600/IMG_7628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSysOkgj1-o0VjgMqSaZxX1AuuQE_oIXd1Fl12PgRePxLLbWW17mVT2mWb36S4WiHQWmzdmncFQ6_J7W0B84XaxEka2XXMbCaZDFDMkc4Ihk927cUuy1ffV8dOQmLZPDbKQtGNBVa42jQ/s400/IMG_7628.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Observe:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A phone pocket</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZ3xLafbwOgSGyVviw0MvC7MIe8XL_K_OcLAEOpTABBNyLpPB5Wj-hHgAl2D3zTVQyP6uFf0GUxhbR8fBT3WiI9Jbr39uHG0ut8sAo2FuIWoecuNtLlGQ_1-HmCvO7JYUbgaVVMN69fo/s1600/IMGP7231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZ3xLafbwOgSGyVviw0MvC7MIe8XL_K_OcLAEOpTABBNyLpPB5Wj-hHgAl2D3zTVQyP6uFf0GUxhbR8fBT3WiI9Jbr39uHG0ut8sAo2FuIWoecuNtLlGQ_1-HmCvO7JYUbgaVVMN69fo/s400/IMGP7231.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A receipt pocket</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxJ3qv_EDO0E169KJ969Hqoo3ln60zYBDc-tj-nVnouD9KWQtZ_KQV_CJY6jCLQyODTs0_jTsmrQRPzNr7HUnLdJEfIDMnXD85MFqmeHHgayhVS4kkXnkOxOHGtgWyXF0PF78htru28w/s1600/IMG_7636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxJ3qv_EDO0E169KJ969Hqoo3ln60zYBDc-tj-nVnouD9KWQtZ_KQV_CJY6jCLQyODTs0_jTsmrQRPzNr7HUnLdJEfIDMnXD85MFqmeHHgayhVS4kkXnkOxOHGtgWyXF0PF78htru28w/s400/IMG_7636.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A key pocket</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A pocket for sunglasses </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpde77MykUAj3-u_YqVp_M7XZnpjlgvcmfvPOew7kZPz3Gd4h7tKmgtphxUCGeWi5-8I4Qyk7e-Rk-cJNyN8PHQhuBc5FfevsiqyjP3iGYf72ho5yXDvBjwuVmsxu4gBf2OqSQRA6sC8/s1600/IMG_7638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpde77MykUAj3-u_YqVp_M7XZnpjlgvcmfvPOew7kZPz3Gd4h7tKmgtphxUCGeWi5-8I4Qyk7e-Rk-cJNyN8PHQhuBc5FfevsiqyjP3iGYf72ho5yXDvBjwuVmsxu4gBf2OqSQRA6sC8/s400/IMG_7638.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A main compartment WITH zipper! Wallet, Check book, pen. Check!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO2wPBLhSLsk_yWjR-RjxgEPtBSFhoHUnRwiVFJxNV2hQd3NpLNVMD-YmwHN3zqYhv076zS_aJ_BOeCmNUlG-1hRCy_nbUSM9sT1auQkjIEWPXiACDf0U4R6WmBOcdlGWouaE864lujs/s1600/IMG_7639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO2wPBLhSLsk_yWjR-RjxgEPtBSFhoHUnRwiVFJxNV2hQd3NpLNVMD-YmwHN3zqYhv076zS_aJ_BOeCmNUlG-1hRCy_nbUSM9sT1auQkjIEWPXiACDf0U4R6WmBOcdlGWouaE864lujs/s400/IMG_7639.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A snap-close side pouch for my lipgloss, nail file, gum ....? Whatever I want!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And in the other side pouch....all my kids' crap. Emergency band aids, emergency pads, emergency fruit snacks. Why is everything with them an emergency??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And that doesn't even include the inner zippered pocket and two pouches for pill containers, business cards, coupons, mints, hair ties, sandwiches....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm just about in ecstasy now. Excuse me while I go swap purse stuff and sigh with happiness a lot. </span><br />
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<br />Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-70641304009735864692015-07-14T17:11:00.000-06:002015-07-14T17:13:56.347-06:00The Best Diet I Ever Did (Part 2)<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you read my <a href="http://1895house.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-best-diet-i-ever-did-part-1.html" target="_blank">last post</a> on my all my best diets, you're probably here to find out more about my favorite one. It's called the 5:2 Fast Diet. Just so you know, I'm not being paid by them or anything like that. I just love it! And I know that at some point almost everyone I know will want to lose weight. And there are a lot of diet ideas and fad diets around, so it's good to know when there is one out there that might work for you! And this one really works for me.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVC_VuDBD-st_JOgek2uvNX_1wKpssdGFCr3ilmOt04b8bMlQ5_hSNb2lj5NKenHY1P_qQ2zjqBW-VsEL_gMJ1Jqx9ASqwZHPl-qOTf3-rZUE3eRyL1XhC1pTVvh0bPLP0PlznOCRowE/s1600/fasting+diet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVC_VuDBD-st_JOgek2uvNX_1wKpssdGFCr3ilmOt04b8bMlQ5_hSNb2lj5NKenHY1P_qQ2zjqBW-VsEL_gMJ1Jqx9ASqwZHPl-qOTf3-rZUE3eRyL1XhC1pTVvh0bPLP0PlznOCRowE/s320/fasting+diet.jpg" width="208" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First let me say, I'm not an expert. And unlike my last two diets, I didn't even read the book for this one. So forgive me if I get the details wrong. But what I know is that the 5:2 Fast Diet is based on the idea of intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting means you vastly reduce your calories (though in this case you still eat) a couple of days a week and eat normally the other days. Specifically, this diet calls for you to eat 500 calories a day (600 if you're a man) 2 non-consecutive days a week and to eat normally for 5 days a week. Hence the name: <a href="http://thefastdiet.co.uk/" target="_blank"> the 5:2 Fast Diet.</a>. If you're Muslim or Mormon, your idea of fasting is more like nothing to eat, no food or drink, during the set period of time. This is not a complete fast like that. The fast days are highly restricted calorie days. But The 5:2 Extremely Restricted Calorie Diet just doesn't have the same ring to it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The background is that as early humans, we were hunter/gatherers. There were times of plenty and times of scarcity. Early humans would hunt and catch an animal and feast for a day or so. And then food would run out. They would eat berries and roots for a day or two until they caught meat again, and then they would feast. Over time, our bodies began to expect there to be times of feast and times of famine. And as long as the times of famine weren't long, our bodies wouldn't freak out. In fact, in preparation for the extra calories needed to hunt, our bodies would ramp up our metabolism, burning stored fat! Modern-day dieting tends to use long periods of calorie restriction. This either causes starvation mode (where our body begins to store fat thinking that we will soon starve if it doesn't) or our bodies burn up muscle for calories. The 5:2 fasting diet uses our biologically embedded reaction to short bursts of food deprivation</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> by burning fat on the lean days and not hoarding it when food is plentiful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, what are the nuts and bolts of it? You eat 500 calories two days a week, not in a row. And on the off days, which are 5 days a week, you eat normally. This doesn't mean pigging out. But it does mean you don't restrict. You try to stick to a "normal" diet of about 2000 calories (women. men = 2400). It leaves this up to you, but I also recommend NOT exercising on the diet days. There's no need to, and it'll just make you hungrier. There are 5 other days of the week you can get your exercise in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I first heard about this diet from Big Daddy, who had heard about it on NPR. I told my mom about it, and then promptly forgot about it. Well, I guess my mom decided to try it because a month later my mother, who has a super hard time losing weight (and has to diet for weeks to lose a single pound) told me she had lost 9 lbs in a month! Naturally I was intrigued. So I put it to the test. I was a little hesitant to eat 500 calories. The thought of it brought me flashbacks to the horrors of the HCG diet. But I was desperate enough to give it a try. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And what do you know? Not only did it work, it wasn't hard at all! I lost weight and didn't gain it back eating normally 5 days a week. (That was the biggest shock to me. I fully expected to lose weight the first fasting day and then gain it all back by the next fasting day. But I didn't!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think the key to doing the 500 calorie days and not suffering is three-fold: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) Prepare ahead of time by buying low calorie foods that you will eat. If you don't have the low cal foods on hand, you will eat what IS on hand and you will fail. (This also means hide/throw away anything that's going to sabotage you).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) spread the calories out throughout the day. So instead of 3 square meals like I did on HCG (with no fat and only certain veggies and fruits), I'll eat smaller calorie items every hour or so, and what I eat isn't nearly as strict as HCG. Here's a sample of a diet day:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Breakfast:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 hard boiled egg - 75 cal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">herbal Chai with 1 TBS lowfat milk and Truvia. 13 cal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">snack:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 clementine - 35 cal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Coconut light yogurt - 90</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">water - 0</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lunch:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 serving Beefy Mushroom Soup - 60 cal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup mixed vegetables - 30 cal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crystal Light - 0 cal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">snack:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 apple - 35 cal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Baby Bell cheese - 60</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 diet Mt. Dew - 0</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">dinner:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 bagel thin - 50 cal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 slices mesquite roasted turkey breast - 25 cal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cucumber - 12 cal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">water -0</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">snack:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup raspberries - 20</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ______</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">= 505 calories</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, it's light eating. But it's not starving. And the biggest thing is KNOWING IT'S JUST ONE DAY! And that tomorrow I get to have a cinnamon roll for breakfast if I want. Or a bowl of popcorn. Or a couple slices of pizza. I cannot tell you how liberating that thought is! And besides, you can do anything for <i>one day</i>, right???</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) The other thing I think really helps is to</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> eat at least 1 thing you really like on your fast day. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example, I like cheese. Cheese is pretty high calorie, but a little cheese isn't too bad. I can have a Baby Bell for 60 calories or a Laughing Cow wedge spread on a cucumber. I also like green olives, turkey breast with some Laughing Cow cheese smeared on it, raspberries with a drizzle of dark chocolate, and coconut light yogurt. So I make sure that I leave one of those for the time of the day (usually about 3-4 pm) when I'm really craving something yummy. I also drink a LOT of water. If I drink 8 oz of water with every meal, it helps me feel fuller.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So how have I done on this diet? I lost 5 lbs the first month. I know that doesn't seem like a lot. But I had reached the point in my dieting career (i.e.getting old!) where nothing seemed to work, and where no matter how much I exercised (3-4 times a week), and no matter what diet I tried, I just wasn't losing any weight. Well, I finally lost weight! And it was pretty easy. I I won't lie-- don't love the fasting days. But I <span style="font-size: x-large;">LOVE </span>the 5 other days of normal eating. For me, the constant food restriction over the last 10 years has left me with a very guilt-ridden relationship with food. Before this diet, I couldn't remember a time when I could eat something somewhat decadent without feeling horrible afterward. Emotionally horrible. Like food was my enemy and I was going to have to fight against this enemy I couldn't get away from for the rest of my life. It's an awful feeling I'm sure a lot of you know too well. So this diet, which has allowed me to eat normally on the off days (without gaining the weight back in between!), was so incredibly liberating I can't even describe it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have lost 2 more lbs since then, and I'm now back down to 5-6 lbs lower than when I got married, only 1 lb above my Super Awesome Dream Weight!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still give myself the safe zone (a 3 lb range to stay in). As long as I am within that range, I don't do 2 days of fasting. I'll do 1 day, or I'll do 2 days of restricted eating, but more like 700-800 calories (which seems so easy now). And that's enough to keep me in the safe zone. And the other days--fried chicken, fries, pie, ice cream, chips and guacamole, even pasta, something I haven;t eaten guilt-free for over 10 years! Of course I don't eat all these things on the same day. But an occasional extravagance doesn't cause me to gain weight like it used to, and I actually get to ENJOY it and not feel guilt-ridden about it. THAT alone is worth so much to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know dieting is a very individual thing. For some people, serious calorie restriction just isn't an option. It's too terrifying, too hard, brings up bad memories, makes them shaky, weak or moody. But for me, the relief and joy of UNrestricted eating 5 days a week is well worth the 2 days of restriction. And I feel like it's healthy too. Like my body was made to eat this way. Like my body instinctively understands what I'm doing and everything just clicks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, that's my story of the 5:2 Fast Diet. You can buy the book on Amazon. Or read more about it <a href="http://thefastdiet.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>. But feel free to ask me any questions if you're curious about anything I haven't mentioned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Thanks! And good luck with whatever diet you try!</span><br />
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<br />Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-41453812914891724652015-07-12T18:00:00.000-06:002015-07-12T18:06:42.994-06:00The Best Diet I Ever Did (Part 1)<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been meaning to write a post about this diet for a long time. If you follow my blog, you'll know this isn't the first time I've written about a diet. I've written about two others as well. And they both suited their purpose at the time. But a new time calls for a new diet, and this is my favorite one so far. I'm really excited to share it and see if it suits anyone else. It's called the 5:2 Fasting Diet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First a little background: I grew up thin. I never had to think about dieting or eating right growing up. I was vaguely aware of my mother being on diets off and on through my teens, but I never gave it much thought. I assumed I'd be skinny forever. I just ate whatever I wanted and was fairly active (there was very little TV and no other kinds of digital distractions back in the 80's and early 90's,) and I stayed thin. Then my mid-20's hit and suddenly I noticed some fat around my waist. Not a biggie, but some clothes that used to look good no longer did. When I got married at almost 28, I would still have called myself slender, but I was a couple of sizes up from my college weight. And by 2 years into my marriage....well, I looked at some pictures of myself and was shocked. I had gone up 4 sizes and gained 20+ lbs from my college weight. It was time to start a diet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But having never done one, I had absolutely no idea what to do. I had no concept of food restriction, no will-power built up to resist food, and although I grew up eating vegetables and whole grains, I didn't have a strong grasp on what eating healthy was like (mostly what NOT to eat). So my first diet was Weight Watchers. And it was a complete paradigm shift for me. For the first time I understood what an appropriate portion size was -- and it was a LOT smaller than what I had been eating. I became aware of how obscene the portion sizes in restaurants were (yet how we'll eat them because they are in front of us). I started to see which foods were pretty much ALWAYS on the naughty list and began to learn how to eat some of my favorite foods on occasion by cutting calories elsewhere. I trimmed calories by avoiding fatty sauces and toppings, no second helpings, setting my portion sizes out before eating, and by changing the types of desserts I ate. Truly, Weight Watchers gave me my first really practical look at eating appropriately. It was a really good education in eating and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't ever dieted or hasn't dieted successfully. There's no starvation, no all-out food restriction. In fact you get to eat a lot of foods you really like...as long as you realize it will mean not eating something else you like later. I exercised too during this time, but I think it was the food changes that worked the most. The weight loss was slow, but steady. I lost 4 sizes in 6 months. I got down to my weight at my wedding. And because they have a really good maintenance program on Weight Watchers, I kept it off for over a year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then came kids 1 and 2. Although I didn't gain a ton of weight with those pregnancies, and most of it fell off pretty easily afterward, I was left with an extra 5 lbs after Baby 1 and another 5 after Baby 2. And because they were back to back (I literally got pregnant with Baby 2 two weeks after I stopped nursing Baby 1), I had been either pregnant or nursing for 3 straight years. I.E. I was eating whatever I wanted that whole time. It was so ingrained in me to eat that way that I had forgotten how to restrict. This time around Weight Watchers was really hard for me. I found myself losing 1 lb here and 1 lb there, but then I'd gain it back the next week. I seemed to be able to maintain, but not to really lose weight. I just couldn't stick with it long enough to see a lasting result. And I felt like I was ALWAYS dieting. It was so frustrating! So it was time for something more extreme. Something fast and effective. Enter HCG. This was the diet craze right about the time I was desperate to lose some weight. And after seeing a couple of friends lose huge amounts of weight very quickly (between 15-45 lbs in a month), I decided to go for it. You can read about that journey <a href="http://1895house.blogspot.com/2010/03/hip-fat-meet-my-new-friend-hcg.html" target="_blank">here</a>. But suffice it to say, even though it was super super hard, I lost 18 lbs in 2 weeks and was very happy. I was 7 lbs lower than my weight at my wedding, my lowest weight since my early 20's! I quickly went back to my Weight Watchers maintenance routine and kept the weight off. (I know a lot of people who did HCG and gained the weight right back. I didn't, and I completely attributed this to learning how to maintain on Weight Watchers) .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then came Baby 3, and this one did a number on my body. I was 6 years older than I had been with my first pregnancy, and I think those years made a huge difference. I gained 3x more weight with this baby than the first two, and it did not fall off easily like it had the first two times. I was up 47 lbs! So after I finished nursing, I looked around for a diet. I tried Weight Watchers again, but the quick-fix HCG diet had made me impatient. The thought of constantly restricting for 6 months was depressing. I wanted something that would work faster, even if it was more difficult. Not HCG difficult--the thought of going on that diet again was terrifying! But something that worked faster than 1 lb a week. That's when a friend suggested the <a href="http://1895house.blogspot.com/2011/08/visiting-florida-metaphorically.html" target="_blank">South Beach diet</a>. I bought the book (written by a cardiologist, with a lot of solid science behind it), and read it cover to cover. I was enthusiastic about the claim that you could lose 8-14 lbs the first two weeks and then 1 -1 1/2 every week after that and that it was healthy for your body. Although it's a bit more extreme than Weight Watchers (no carbs or sugars the first two weeks), it was not nearly as hard as HCG. And it was successful: I lost 8 lbs the first week. I then went to phase 2 (adding in fruits and 1 serving of whole grains per day), and continued to lose 1 lb per week. Eventually I got down to a comfortable weight, slightly lower than I'd been at my wedding, and was pretty happy. I'd keep a close watch on carb intake, emphasize lots of vegetables and only whole grains, and go back to Phase 1 of the South Beach diet every so often when my weight went up. But I gave myself a 3 lb range I called my "safe zone" to stay in As long as I didn't go higher than the safe zone, I let loose a little (Phase 2 or 3). But if I went above the safe zone, back to Phase 1 (no carbs). I managed to keep around my comfortable weight for 3 years doing the South Beach diet. Going back to phase 1 was not fun. But it worked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually, though, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was so sick of always dieting, always feeling like I had to restrict myself, constantly craving pasta and sweets, and always feeling guilty guilty guilty about everything I put in my mouth that internally I kind of gave up.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I began to cheat more and let loose too often. Of course, my weight began to hover more around the top of my safe zone than the bottom. And if I splurged too many days in a row, I was above it instead of inside it. Soon I slipped 1 then 2 then 3 lbs above the TOP of my safe zone. I hated to go back to Phase 1, but I knew I had to. But when when I did, I got a much poorer result. First 6 lbs in two weeks. And it lasted a shorter time. The next time I went to Phase 1, I only lost 4 lbs. Then eventually I lost only 1 lb after 10 days of strict carb restriction! That surely wasn't worth it at all! So as I saw the 4th lb above my safe zone show up, I knew I needed a new diet. Simply "trying to eat well" wasn't cutting it anymore, and Phase 1 wasn't working anymore either. I was too prone to cheating and oh so sick of "eating right." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's when I found out about my new favorite diet: The 5:2 Fasting Diet!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be Continued......</span></div>
Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-81346629368064587142015-06-01T21:50:00.000-06:002015-06-01T21:50:28.526-06:00A Couple of Updates<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I actually have a follower or two, it seems. Woot! And he/she/they have requested updated pictures of my white-washed floor redo. So I figured I do a post on all the latest updates on Little Pink House III. Here goes...</span><br />
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1) Back when we refinished our hideous oak floors, we opted to do one room in a white finish. We were too chicken to do the whole house, so we just did the office. We ended up loving it! I'm not wishing we did the whole house or anything, cause it's a totally different look, but I love that one room. Here's how it looks:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It looks like natural, unfinished wood in these pictures but they look way more white washed and beachy in real life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) The Loft. It took a loooong time. But we finally turned our super tall, elevator shaft of a bedroom into a bedroom with a sweet loft. First it was just a 16' ceiling. Then it was a slab. Then it got carpeted. And it stayed a carpeted, floating slab, 8' up in the air for nearly a year. Finally we got someone to build us a railing (thanks Dan!) and a stairway up to the loft (Thanks, Orsen!). And voila, the loft!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Before:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Midway Through:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Up Top: (TV left out of view)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Stairs:</span><br />
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One of the very first things we tackled was changing the stair configuration. Although the big sweeping Gone with the Wind look didn't bother me, it bothered Big Daddy. He said it was too Falcon Crest. And I had to agree that, practicality-wise, they were a nightmare. They started 2 inches inside the front door so you'd come in and immediately trip on the bottom step. And then as they curved around, the treads ran right across the big picture window on the porch. Such an odd view as you walk up to the front door! And then, as the curve passed the corner, they left a triangle of space that could not be reached. Naturally it was all dusty and full of trash and, at one point, growing vines out of it? So it was Gone With Falcon Crest and in with Craftsman Delight! Here is the before and after:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijntjsBPfThgRsb1KOlGAJGQ3RttYBO38WBHBFh7gZ0jJD0mg9C2fLVY3Yf-ZsKRAn8teUKBo3GNp2uZulsAbKq0rx-MsZsZ8ABHA1MIT0Ywqv45WnfuuViA0ns_rXMQ-jyeyhu7NZki0/s1600/entry+main+stairway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijntjsBPfThgRsb1KOlGAJGQ3RttYBO38WBHBFh7gZ0jJD0mg9C2fLVY3Yf-ZsKRAn8teUKBo3GNp2uZulsAbKq0rx-MsZsZ8ABHA1MIT0Ywqv45WnfuuViA0ns_rXMQ-jyeyhu7NZki0/s400/entry+main+stairway.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gone With Falcon Crest stairs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqp_hkPrm4f8kcisCUytHtgvhTluODpuVEL6hPX3lkC4k2t-DMaUoX_jJ_XpE85TOhHz7GCsV7NkkAJLDp8F6RlSfQl71dhRQr_KBdNVlsYUsygwwuv6durGYrySv5cwJKNYdwQGEwh4/s1600/front+porch+window.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqp_hkPrm4f8kcisCUytHtgvhTluODpuVEL6hPX3lkC4k2t-DMaUoX_jJ_XpE85TOhHz7GCsV7NkkAJLDp8F6RlSfQl71dhRQr_KBdNVlsYUsygwwuv6durGYrySv5cwJKNYdwQGEwh4/s400/front+porch+window.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The view of the treads from the front porch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The strange vine growing from the unreachable corner</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSAz4dpafCIX9jOqvjS-wG_pdiCgWm64PZIJeV_6LnFStKfemHgSOZ8wXZmrZZ8U_STqMSk6-dkCh2TEgfuHdsPhMea6TL2ELecFL0_HNQGDFSqSEi6ihWvSCL7xueHVI7Dv_vsl2D9g/s1600/new+stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSAz4dpafCIX9jOqvjS-wG_pdiCgWm64PZIJeV_6LnFStKfemHgSOZ8wXZmrZZ8U_STqMSk6-dkCh2TEgfuHdsPhMea6TL2ELecFL0_HNQGDFSqSEi6ihWvSCL7xueHVI7Dv_vsl2D9g/s640/new+stairs.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) And finally, the deck! When we bought the house, there was a hint that there had been something off the master bedroom. There was a door...to nothing. Just a sunken set of cement steps and a pile of rubble beyond. But it looked as though there might have been a patio or something. The house we rented 2 moves ago had a hot tub off the master bath, and we loved it. So we decided we would use this space off the master at this house to put in a deck and hot tub. Timing was perfect because right when we were ready to start the project this winter, my neighbor was getting ready to sell her hot tub. We bought it, moved it over, and had a deck built around it. Not only is it awesome to have the hot tub, but the view out our bedroom is no longer an eyesore. Win-Win! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LCti1t1zSz3fTAiBLxJKO7DVph0L05poQbK2yiFcJa8NewkqBOD056qfnRgOWcI7LMzeeRe4YvfZnsHDsolunX5LQYGrkVsLHfsoMRJUtnd-yJ6QbmWvSan6lFShaBu5yUZPE4fXCAs/s1600/exterior+hot+tub+spot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LCti1t1zSz3fTAiBLxJKO7DVph0L05poQbK2yiFcJa8NewkqBOD056qfnRgOWcI7LMzeeRe4YvfZnsHDsolunX5LQYGrkVsLHfsoMRJUtnd-yJ6QbmWvSan6lFShaBu5yUZPE4fXCAs/s640/exterior+hot+tub+spot.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9J6ejux39ak6WOq2vsYS3XT_NEX2MURbPTFb6Fn5jRVd4XtUfHsM1Ez6oKg5gjE7M0lwLEkuDaWJ3vd-HQU7P467pTd4pS6OeO7bFM5RT2bhy2avJLi8KeK9JprfeZvOgQB3qQNB6dMM/s1600/IMGP6141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9J6ejux39ak6WOq2vsYS3XT_NEX2MURbPTFb6Fn5jRVd4XtUfHsM1Ez6oKg5gjE7M0lwLEkuDaWJ3vd-HQU7P467pTd4pS6OeO7bFM5RT2bhy2avJLi8KeK9JprfeZvOgQB3qQNB6dMM/s640/IMGP6141.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a few more updates to do....the master bedroom, the kids' rooms, the main floor bath, the laundry room, and a few more. So tune in later this week. Hopefully I'll get to some of it. :)</span></div>
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-79297017699542212312015-02-26T13:59:00.000-07:002015-02-26T14:00:06.452-07:002015 Oscars Wrap Up!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This week was the 2015 Academy Awards! And guess what? I'm not going to talk about the movies. I never do! (But this year saw hardly any of them for some reason.) I AM going to talk about the gowns, the real reason I watch the Academy Awards. And the 2015 red carpet show didn't disappoint. In fact, I'm kind of disappointed that it didn't disappoint. I had a harder time than usual picking the Worst Dressed nominees. Everyone was so well dressed for once. Well, except for Jared Leto. But I'm getting ahead of myself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first category up for discussion is...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Blush-Worthy</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtNJRR7JRcJLDQZXDOrqwptortNom9yo54Pqj-UJ22YVfEd3rh74SlH8FsKbGBBdoaQ6hFZWmAkl3cHFVKGr-T_oXo_3u43Bo2YhUX9THHMX2A41u-MVzaU1163UDP_yK9FTIrAvekvw/s1600/oprah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtNJRR7JRcJLDQZXDOrqwptortNom9yo54Pqj-UJ22YVfEd3rh74SlH8FsKbGBBdoaQ6hFZWmAkl3cHFVKGr-T_oXo_3u43Bo2YhUX9THHMX2A41u-MVzaU1163UDP_yK9FTIrAvekvw/s1600/oprah.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Oprah - </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was good. Not great. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Kind of a boring color. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Good cut, it fit her well. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But just nothing that wowed me. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And considering she could afford to wear anything in the entire world, it was a titch disappointing. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhpNe_V_im3_xMtUtXblTytHKZDANKdCikFRgs3IAly1dy4txicfO-v0YbUL4VicoNPNQxVaHIXBbTf3EJ9cN83yOGMnqmLiOqz_uCYK8KMIH2NeypLeCmTzVL03uxs88765sUaC6sjo/s1600/jennifer+Aniston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhpNe_V_im3_xMtUtXblTytHKZDANKdCikFRgs3IAly1dy4txicfO-v0YbUL4VicoNPNQxVaHIXBbTf3EJ9cN83yOGMnqmLiOqz_uCYK8KMIH2NeypLeCmTzVL03uxs88765sUaC6sjo/s1600/jennifer+Aniston.jpg" height="640" width="430" /></a></div>
At <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">first glance, I thought Jennifer Anniston’s blush gown
was boring and blah.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But on closer
examination, it turned out to have amazing beading, cut in different directions
to create a lot of texture.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And it fit her PERFECTLY.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It actually ended up
reminding me of Marilyn’s quintessential “Happy Birthday Mr. President”
dress.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And I loved it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXv47g4r5EsI9HxdfNzc1Gjk8wIB9785mZMxob7X0J2vi1FEIp_HxmPWF4zyiqIez3lwqEdgBtdMuXRUPCXwl08owrg4nqhI4qk5lsnOHbbZQOAwiBtME4nvcbw_y9qBSu869GDjlhuY0/s1600/kerry+w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXv47g4r5EsI9HxdfNzc1Gjk8wIB9785mZMxob7X0J2vi1FEIp_HxmPWF4zyiqIez3lwqEdgBtdMuXRUPCXwl08owrg4nqhI4qk5lsnOHbbZQOAwiBtME4nvcbw_y9qBSu869GDjlhuY0/s1600/kerry+w.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Kerry Washington.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">HATED IT!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I thought the cut was
very unflattering on her.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She has very
narrow shoulders and the strapless top just accentuated that.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The fabric made her look flat-chested
too. The skirt and top were made of wildly different fabrics, like someone just threw them together. And the embroidery on the peplum…I was having flashbacks to my mother’s
bedspread from the 80’s!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No, not a fan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">J-Lo. Ok, it’s an
absolutely gorgeous dress. It is! Long, sparkly, full, princessy. BUT…once you’ve done the incredibly low, blew-the-socks-off-the-world neckline, you kind of can’t keep doing
it. It gets so predictable after the 8<sup>th</sup>
or 9<sup>th</sup> time, you know?
So sorry to say that, Jenny! Other than that, I loved her dress. It's what an Oscar's dress should be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lupita Nyongo has been one of my favorite dressers for the
last 2 years in a row, and this year was no different.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The pearls were a surprise.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Even though the pearl ropes were kind of heavy around the shoulders, it was such a unique look that I had to applaud it. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Beautiful!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I wouldn’t go as far as to say best dressed, but definitely in my top
10.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lady Gaga.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ok, don’t
freak out, but I loved it!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Not the
Aquaman gloves.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Y</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ou know she HAD to
get her weird in somehow. But the dress?</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I really really loved it!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I give
her props for really dressing up appropriately and doing something fun-normal for the Oscars, yet wearing a dress that was still a stand out, fashion-wise. (And who knew she could sing like that?!?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Reese Witherspoon. I
liked it. Well-fitted, classic. But just….nice. Ya, “nice” is the best I can say. (Also a little reminiscent of Julia Roberts black and white Oscar winner.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Julianne Moore. She’s
a rather straight-shaped woman. And this dress
didn't really help with that. But the
dress itself was so beautiful! I loved
the drop-waist sash look. And the dark
blue (black?) detail was such an unexpected surprise. Oscar dresses tend to be so monochromatic. For originality alone, I give her a Best Dressed nomination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: start;">Adrian Brody. I really can’t believe I’m saying this about a tux, but I love what Adrian did with this! The stark black on white color blocking was such a nice change from the usual </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">black, black, and more black tuxes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anna Ferris. Princess, movie-star, sparkle. What more is there? It was amazing! Best Dressed Nominee.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Green With Envy</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Emma Stone. At first
I saw this dress and thought…really? I
mean, straight, long sleeves, high neck.
I found the shape a bit underwhelming.
BUT…then she turned around and there was this beautiful low back,
backless really, and I loved it! And the simple shape really grew on me the more I looked at it. And the texture was so interesting. Plus
the color was amazing. E's Fashion Police
called it “Mountain Dew” and that surely has something to do with it. Haha! Along with her red hair and lips….gorgeous!! Best Dressed Nominee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Scarlett Johanson. Normally
I am not a fan of the emerald green
dress. But this dress fit her like a glove.
Like a perfectly tailored, vivid, sexy, classic, amazing glove. No, I didn’t love the necklace, which turned
out to be part of the dress. I agree
with Kathy Griffin that it looked like seaweed.
But I forgive it because everything else about the dress, the shoes, the
jewels and the hair was amazing.
Definite Best Dressed Nominee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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O<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">ctavia Spencer.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">This
is my favorite dress she’s worn. The pale blue color is just perfect and the dress itself
is well-designed, not at all a tent made just for a curvy lady.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">Anyone could wear this style, and I appreciate
that.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">David Oyelowo. I have
to say, I really loved his tux! Not only
was the rich dark red a welcome surprise, but the cut was perfect. Am I
really saying this about a suit??...Best
Dressed Nominee!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Rosamund Pike wore a red, lacy dress that blew everyone
away.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But for me, not so much.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Something about the bodice or waist made her
body look grotesque.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I can’t explain
it.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And the front slit looked odd to
me.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I just didn’t love it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">Nicole Kidman.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">I kept going back and forth about whether I liked this dress or not.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">I liked that it was different.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">I liked the red sash.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">But there was something about it I couldn’t quite put my finger on that was throwing it off.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">And then I realized it:</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">Crystal Barbie.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">She had a dress from the exact same fabric!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">I think Nicole stole Barbie’s look.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Naomi Watts.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I love
an unexpected dress.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And this one with
the silver and black onion cell pattern did it for me.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(You know what I’m talking about, right? 9</span><sup style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
grade biology?</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Come on!)</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I can’t say I love the weird sports-bra back on it, but
the fabric, color, and pattern are refreshing and it fit her beautifully. Her hair and make up were also the best they've ever looked. Best Dressed Nominee!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Marion Cottiard. Polk
dots? Are you kidding me?? Heck yes! Again, so unexpected and so
interesting. The back was a little bit
odd. You can look up a picture and see
what I mean. But I forgive it because it’s
just such a fun fabric and such a unique style to wear to the Oscars!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Worst Dressed Nominees</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Meryl Streep.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’ve
said it before and I’ll say it again.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just because you are a lady of a certain age does not mean you have to
wear a boring pseudo-suit.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just ask
Helen Miren!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No really, ask her,
Meryl.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Jared Leto.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don’t
usually spend much time on the guys.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A
tux is a tux.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But this year I have a few
on my list.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And unfortunately this one
makes it into the worst dressed category.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I loved the color. But I hated EVERYTHING else.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It looks like it was made for my 9 year old
nephew and Jared stole it.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Way too short
in the wrist and ankle, way too small in the thigh. The hair….UGH, the
hair!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And the white shoes…I want to
cry for him, Argentina.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kiera Knightly. I thought
her Golden Globes dress was bad. (And it was).
But why, WHY would she do ugly again??
I can’t even begin to describe the hideousness. Wait, I can.
It starts with the frumpy cut, has some cursive scribbles in the middle, and ends with the flowery fabric. YUCK.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jessica Chastain. I
can’t say <i>why</i> I hate this dress but I
do. From the first moment I saw it I
hated it. Maybe it’s the sparkly tank top layer? Or the dowager draping? Something about the fit? Or the navy with her coloring? I certainly don’t think the trumpet look is suited to
her figure. Anyway, I can’t quite say exactly what it is. I just hate it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So those are my highlights of the 2015 Academy Awards gowns etc. And here are my final picks for Best and Worst Dressed...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">BEST DRESSED GOES TO....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">ScarJo! (With a very close call honorable mention to Emma Stone)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While WORST DRESSED has to go to... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jesus Leto and his sized XXS Napoleon Dynamite tux. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And there you have it, folks. What did YOU think of the 2015 Oscar's red carpet?</span></div>
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-21428690726891147192015-02-03T22:13:00.000-07:002015-02-03T22:13:19.990-07:00Disney Cruise - A Low-Key Mom's Take<div class="MsoNormal">
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Disney Cruise Wrap-Up 2014<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, we just got home from our 2014 cruise aboard the Disney Wonder. We cruised Dec 7-12 around the Western Caribbean, which consisted of two stops—Cozumel and Castaway Cay—and two at sea days, plus an evening and morning on embarkation and debarkation days. Because taking a vacation with kids is so challenging, being aboard a massive floating hotel miles and miles from the comforts of home makes this type of vacation that much more of a challenge. You can’t just run to the Walgreens and grab those 10 things you realize you forgot. So I thought I’d write a post for any parents out there planning a Disney Cruise. I know there are already a few informational posts about Disney cruises out there, but I wanted to take a slightly different angle on mine. Although I really like to be organized and prepared, and we certainly wanted to get the most out of our cruise, we are definitely more hands-off, low-key parents. Some of the posts I read prior to sailing left me feeling like I had to pack a jillion things or my cruise would be a giant disaster. Or else I felt confused and scared about all the activities we needed to plan and participate in, lest our kids end up feeling deprived and traumatized. In the end, though, I realized that a lot of the packing suggestions people made were for things I ended up not needing or was glad I passed on. And, if I’m really honest, there were several activities we skipped….and we didn't even miss them. So here below is my low-key version of how to prepare for a Disney cruise without making yourself crazy! <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Ship – Not all ships are alike. We chose the Disney Wonder by default. It happened to be the ship going around the time we wanted to travel (early December) in the general vicinity we wanted to travel (Caribbean/Bahamas) from the port we found most easy to travel from (Miami). It is not, however, the biggest, fanciest, or most up-to-date ship. Some of the other ships like the Fantasy and Magic have a few more features, play areas, updated technologies, etc. that the Wonder doesn't have. I don’t think it’s a huge deal, but I might have made a different selection had I realized not every ship is the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Port – I like Miami best because it’s very easy to get in and out of. It’s only 20 minutes on the shuttle/taxi from the airport to the port. Port Canaveral is a lot more complicated to get in and out of, requiring at least 45 minutes. Just a note, I’d HIGHLY recommend flying into Miami from the western US the night BEFORE just to be safe. Arriving after 12pm puts you at risk of missing the cruise if you have flight delays. And the boat will NOT wait for you. (Ask me how I know. It's a sad, sad story.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Date – Early December (when we traveled) can be a great time. Prices for airlines and cruises are low and airports are uncrowded. But the weather in the Caribbean can be spotty. On 2 separate cruises in early December, we’ve had 1-2 days of colder weather (60s) and the rest was nice -- in the mid 70’s. Summer and early fall are also hurricane season. So just keep weather patterns in mind. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Deck – I haven’t stayed on lower decks before (4 and under), but I can tell you that most of what you want to do is up higher. I’d recommend decks 6-8 as being the easiest to get to restaurants, pools, and theaters without too many stairs/elevators. Central on the ship is also best, though we’ve had no problems with either the bow or aft ends of the ship, other than having to walk further to the things at the other end of the ship. The bow end is much quieter when docking and departing. You WILL be woken up by the engines on the aft end no matter what floor you’re on when the ship docks and departs, so if quiet is important to you, choose the bow end. NOTE: Be careful of what is above and below you when you book. A room under the arcade or above the engines can make for a bad night’s sleep. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Cabins- ADJOINING! After researching online, reading reviews and help pages, and finally speaking with our travel agency, Small World Vacations, we determined that for our family of 5 (with two parents who really value a good night’s sleep!) the best and least expensive option was to book two adjoining rooms rather than a fancy suite. The suites cost about 3x as much as two adjoining rooms. So our travel agent found us a cruise that had rooms on a good deck (6) that had doors which opened up to each other. This was a brilliant situation! Our kids stayed in one room (6516) and we parents stayed in the other (6518). The rooms themselves are built to be divided into two sections—the queen bed on one side, and then a curtain pulls across and the couch on the other side flips over all James Bond-like to a fully made twin size bed! And above it, a fully-made bunk pulls down from the ceiling. Both these beds can be put away during the day so it’s just a couch. The room steward will set them up at night for you while you’re at dinner so when you come back, the kids’ beds are ready to go. Then after putting the kids to bed, you can close the door to your own room (NOT theirs—or you’ll be locked out from that entry, having to go through the hallway) and have peace, quiet, and privacy. Perfect! So if you have more than four in your family, or even if you have four and just want some privacy, I highly recommend getting adjoining rooms. They’re difficult to spot on a booking website, so don’t be afraid to call their toll free number or a travel specialist who can find the adjoining rooms.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Embarkation – Between 11:30 and 12:30 is the slowest time. We had NO lines. We just walked into the check-in room, got ushered to the next available attendant with zero wait, and 5 minutes later we were checked in. The line to register kids for the clubs, however, was longer so we did it on board.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Luggage – VERY IMPORTANT TIP for first-time cruisers: Once you give up your bags at the curb outside the ship, you will not see them again for 4-5 hours! They generally show up between 3-5pm outside your room door. If you arrive very early, your room might not be ready too. So it is a good idea to pack a backpack with swim suits, sunscreen, shorts, flip flops etc. that you keep with you. If you’re still wearing travel clothes (like sweaters and jeans) you’ll want to peel them off ASAP and hit the pool while you wait for your room to get ready and your bags to arrive. You’ll regret it if you miss your first day of laying by the pool because your swimsuit was MIA, and you'll feel silly in winter clothes in the fine Florida weather while you wait and wait and wait to see your bags again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dinner – My husband and I have always cruised freestyle (Norwegian and Celebrity) and so we were not familiar with the whole “dinner seating” thing. We didn't know how flexible the dinner seating times were. Do we show up EXACTLY at 5:30? Sometime between 5:30 and 8? Or can we mosey in at 5:45 or 6 and expect the same dinner service? We found out after arriving late the first night that you ARE expected to arrive at, or very close to, your assigned dinner time. The dinner seating time is not a suggestion or a time range. And if you share a table with another family, as we did, you might find yourself WAY behind their meal if you’re late. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Also keep in mind that the venue for dinner changes each night. The Animator’s Palate is the most fun, with paintings on the walls that change throughout the night. Be sure not to schedule your adult dinner nights or a buffet night when you are assigned to this room. (Your wait staff stays with you even when you change rooms, so they will get to know you well.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dinner Seating - We chose the early time. Even though with the time change it was only 3:30pm , mountain time (our body time), the kids adjusted to the new time pretty much immediately and 5:30 was perfect. It left us time to go to the shows after dinner and still get them to bed at a decent hour. I've heard that this is also a more busy dinner/show schedule, though, because of all the little kids. So if you don't have little ones, you might want the later dinner seating.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We also chose to be seated with another family. I wasn't sure if we’d like this or hate it. It turned out to be really fun. The other family had a daughter the same age as our oldest. I think they try to arrange it that way because several other families around us were seated with people who had kids close to their age. This gave our kids someone new to talk to at each meal. And after the initial awkwardness of the first night, we looked forward to seeing the other family at dinner and around the ship. We shared tips and experiences and it was fun to see a familiar face on board. And of the 5 nights, we only dined together 3 of them because either they or we had adult dinners, massages, or other things planned at dinner time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Food – Disney knows kids. The menu options for kids were very typical: chicken nuggets, pizza, mac and cheese, etc. And they did mix it up each night. They also provided a vegetable or fruit at each meal (broccoli, carrots, apples), and you can ask for substitutions/extras of these if your kids prefer. They also had vegetarian options that my kids often chose such as penne with marinara. But if your kids are more discerning, do not be afraid to order them something from the adult menu. My kids love steak, chicken, and fish, so they ate from the adult menu sometimes. There are also Mickey Mouse ice cream bars available for dessert EVERY night, which my kids loved. If your child has a food allergy, please know that the ship is FASTIDIOUS about tracking this. My son has a very mild nut allergy (he gets cold sores) and yet every food item was checked and double checked until I had to tell them not to worry so much! Your waiters stay with you each night even though your dining room changes, so they will be all over your food preferences and needs if you let them know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Breakfast – We realized on the last morning of the trip that you can eat in the dinner dining rooms as well as the buffet. But the dining rooms serve essentially the same things as the buffet. You just get service at the table as opposed to doing most of it yourself at the buffet. You also get freshly made toast in the dining rooms (where it has been pre-toasted (i.e. cold) at the buffet). I think we would have eaten in the dining rooms every morning if I’d known that!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kids Clubs - This was the area of most apprehension to me before we left because I couldn’t find much information about it. I didn’t know if you had to sign your kids up ahead of time (you don’t). I didn’t know if you had to choose your time slots ahead of time (you don’t). And I didn’t know if it would be horribly crowded and our kids would be turned away (it wasn’t!). So let me explain to you how the kids clubs work: From ages 3+, the kids can choose to go either to the Oceaneer’s Club, which is just a general play area with a big play structure and a stage and costumes and toys. Or they can go to the Oceaneer’s lab. It’s similar, only there are a lot more interactive activities there. The kids do things like make flubber and bake cookies in the Lab. The two clubs are on the same floor, only a few feet away from each other. You can take your kids in ANY TIME, from 7am to midnight and leave them as long as your conscience allows ;). The workers scan the kids' bracelets and your ID card and make sure they match. Then off you go with your wave phone (so they can call you in case of a problem). It's that easy! (If your kids are in the club during a meal time, know that they won't go hungry. Meals ARE offered within the club--but kids are not forced to eat. You may want to prep the kids before you leave on whether or not they should eat while there.)</div>
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There are a few times that are called “open play” where the kids aren’t officially checked in or out. I would only recommend leaving older kids there during this time. But other than that, you can check in your kids, keep your wave phone with you, and go enjoy adult activities or quiet time in the stateroom. The club/lab was never over-crowded. They’re VERY fastidious about hygiene, making the kids immediately put soap on their hands and go wash when entering the play areas. The bracelets they get when they register for the kids clubs allows the employees to know exactly where they are within the Club/Lab so you can easily find them when picking them up. Either parent, if registered to the child, can drop off or pick up, but only one parent is allowed into the Club/Lab at a time to find the kids. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I wanted to make a note about registering. We did not pre-register our kids for the kids clubs online. We also opted not to register them at the dock check-in because there was a huge line. In fact, we didn’t get around to registering them until the next morning. And this was not a problem. They had a table set up outside the Club where they registered all three kids and gave them their tracking bracelet. The older kids got yellow (meaning they were of age to check themselves in and out of the club, if the parents allowed it) and the 3 year old got blue (meaning she had to be checked in/out by a parent). They put a lock on the bracelets to keep them from falling off (and they cost $12 for a new one if they’re lost) but we removed our daughter’s because she has a sensory issue and it bothered her at night. It stayed on fine without it. They will let you keep the bracelets as a souvenir at the end of the cruise, but for $12 a piece. Otherwise, you have to return them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Wave Phones- these are full sized cordless phones that come 2 to a room. You can use them to call each other on the ship or to get calls from the kids clubs. We hardly ever used them 1) because we were rarely separated from each other and 2) they were big and bulky 3) they were NOT user friendly. But they are there if you have a larger party or you plan on doing separate activities. And we only ever got one call from the kids club on it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Character Meetings – These tended to be very crowded with long lines, and almost always when we were already on our way to get somewhere. So we told our kids they could each pick one character they could meet and the rest we’d do on a case by case basis. We ended up with good ones of Mickey, Minnie, and Stitch. The princess lines were always insane, but we did get one with Belle in her Christmas clothes because I think no one knew who she was! You could spend a LOT of your time on the ship waiting in line to meet characters, so you might want to set a limit. (Also, there are no recent princesses on the ship. Belle was the most recent. No Frozen or Tangled, <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">L</span>)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Shows- I was really worried about not getting seats at the shows. On other cruises, you had to go 20-30 minutes early to get a good seat. But the staggered dining means staggered show attendance, and we always got seats up front (albeit on the side) by showing up 5 minutes ahead. The shows varied. Some were good, at others we were bored stiff (the word-for-word reenactment of Toy Story our kids loved but we hated, for example). But you need to go to at least one or two so you’ll know if they’re your thing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Adult Areas - Palo was AWESOME. We had brunch there one day and dinner on the last night of the trip. Both were delicious. Brunch was really more of a lunch with a few breakfast items thrown in. The chicken parmesan was to die for, and it’s not something I would normally order. But our server recommended it and I could see why—melt in your mouth! Definitely splurge on at least 1 meal in Palo. Or, alternatively, if your family is dining at a table of your own, check your kids into the Club around dinner one night and just eat at your assigned table without the kids…free! Granted it’s not as quiet or as fancy as Palo, and the food isn’t quite as good, but it’s a pretty close runner up if money is tight. And the kids will get fed at the clubs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Adult pool area was nice. It’s about the same configuration as most cruise ships—a rectangle pool with two hot tubs at one end. But the décor is nicer and it’s very quiet. They have live music there at various times too. Note, kids can walk past/through the pool area as it is on the same deck as the other 2 pool areas. It’s not cordoned off or anything. But we never had any issues with kids coming in there. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Phones/Computers/Wifi - If you haven’t cruised, just know that your phones/tablets will be pretty much useless on a cruise. You will not get a cell signal except at port (and overseas you’ll pay $$$ for roaming charges if you try to use it). There is wifi aboard the ship, but it’s also very expensive. We bought the biggest package so my husband could communicate with work (it’s by the mbps not the minute) which was 1 GIG for $79. But within 5 hours it was all used up! Turns out your phone/ipad/etc. is constantly downloading updates and other stuff behind the scenes that eats up your bandwidth FAST. So if you do elect to purchase wifi, first go into your settings and turn off ALL automatic updates. The customer relations desk can tell you how. Otherwise you’ll waste your money. But anyway, just don’t plan on using phone/internet very often. (Another reason to bring a watch!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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What To Bring:<o:p></o:p></div>
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There were a few things I found very helpful from reading other posts before I left and I want to point them out here:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">1) </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">Lots of s</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">unscreen!</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you have good weather, and you’re out at the pool/beach every day, you can go through a bottle of aerosol spray sunscreen per day for a family of 5.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Sunscreen is easily $20-25 in the Caribbean, so this is something you will want to pack plenty of.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Buy it in the off-season for about half the price of summer and save until your cruise.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Or use the old-fashioned lotion for a fraction of the price and way less luggage space as the spray-on kind.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2) </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Warm clothes.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> This may seem crazy...you're probably saying, "but we're cruising the Caribbean. In July!" But I haven't been on a single cruise that I didn't freeze at least part of the time. Not only can </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">every month of the year hit a spot of bad weather, but at sea the nightly breezes can make anyone chilly.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Also, most common areas such as restaurants are air conditioned like meat lockers.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Our kids ALWAYS wore their hoodies to dinner and most of the time in the rooms we changed into yoga pants and sweats.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Don't forget a dressy cardigan or shawl for the ladies for dinner (Palo is FREEZING) and hoodies/long pants for everyone just in case.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">3) </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Magnets.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> Many people dress up their metal stateroom doors. Y</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">ou don’t HAVE to dress up your door.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">But about 1/3 of the doors do have decorations, so if you’re in the mood, bring some magnets from home or some pictures your kids colored of Mickey Mouse, or a big family photo on copy paper, or some other way to identify your door.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It’s a fun way for your kids to be able to identify their room among the identical doors in the hallway.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Our magnets were weak and wouldn’t stick, so bring strong magnets and tape just in case!</span></div>
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<span style="font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">4) </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A lanyard.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">This is a necklace with a flat plastic rectangle hanging from the bottom which can hold an ID or a room card.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">VERY helpful!</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You don’t always have pockets (swim suits, sun dresses) and you don’t always want to carry around a backpack, wallet or purse.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Just having a small passport wallet with a neck strap or a lanyard allows you to bring the one thing you DO always want to have with you (your “Key To the World”) and your ID for going ashore.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">They sell these at Office Max and such stores.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I HIGHLY recommend having one for each person over 12.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">5) Nightlights.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We have small children and they always sleep with a light on.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Traveling, it’s easy to forget that.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You can leave a bathroom light on all night, or just bring a couple of cheap plug in ones.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We put one in the bathroom and one behind the TV (where there is an outlet hidden)</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">6) The Disney Navigator App.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">This is a free app.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Download it before you arrive.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Once you are on the ship, your phone will use the ship’s wifi</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">to run this app during the whole trip (though your phone is pretty much useless for everything else once you depart the port).</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It will tell you what’s going on at all times, show you a map of the ship, etc.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You’ll never lack for something to do or get lost with your app close at hand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">7) </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Fancy clothes.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Some cruises have a true formal night, some have a dressy night.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">But either way, there will be a couple of occasions (Palo included) where you will either be required to have, or wish you had, a nice dress, shirt and jacket, and long pants/dressy shoes.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Palo does require long pants and a dress shirt </span><span style="text-indent: -24px;">for the man</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">8) </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A watch.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I almost never wear a watch, I mostly just use my cell phone.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">But having a watch on the ship is a really good idea.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Since you can’t use your phone to make calls, and wifi is super expensive, you will find yourself leaving your phone turned off in the room pretty quick.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">And without that, you will always be wondering the time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">9) </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">A waterproof “wallet” box.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">They sell these in outdoors/camping section at nearly every store.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It’s a small 4x2” square clear plastic box for storing IDs, money, even a smaller cell phone, so you can take it to the pool/beach without worrying about water damage.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Ours had a clip, so we clipped it to the inside of our beach bag. </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It was nice to know those things were safe and dry poolside/at the beach and that they weren't going to fall out of a pocket. They're even pad-lockable. </span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">10) A small pharmacy.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">This is probably one of the more crucial things to bring.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I filled a pill bottle with a couple each of adult and child versions of : cold medicine, Advil, Tylenol, allergy pills, Tums, and melatonin.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">(Also Dramamine if you’re sea-sick prone).</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Nothing is worse than being on a trip and not having the meds you need.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You can get a few basics on the ship, but if you have a sick child in the night, you don’t want to be getting dressed and wandering all over the ship to pay an arm and a leg for some aspirin.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Also bring a few band-aids for scratches and blisters caused by sandals, flippers, and coral.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">11) Ear plugs.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Although there were only 1-2 occasions when we could hear any neighbors making noise for extended periods of time, there was one night where the heavy swaying of the ship caused everything in our room to squeak for hours on end.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Ear plugs saved my sanity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">12) </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Games.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We had a lot of downtime on at-sea days, and there isn’t much to do as a family on cooler days or when you’re all swum out.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We brought Uno, Scattergories, cards, dice, and Taboo (all of which pack small) and were glad we did!</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">They do have 1 or 2 spots on board with games, but they were all taken on those days.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">13) Sunglasses for EVERYONE.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">This might seem obvious because we adults usually bring them.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">But we might forget our kids.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">And though my kids never need them at home, all of my kids asked for them at the beach where it was quite bright.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">So we ended up buying pricey ones.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you have them already, bring them.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">14) Split-style suitcases – The beds have room underneath to store slim suitcases, but if you bring a large one that the top zips off of, it won’t fit and you’ll have to take up valuable closet space.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">BUT, if you bring the kind of suitcases that zip in the middle with half on either side, they can be opened in half and slipped right under the bed.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Not only is this great for getting them out of the way, but then you can pull them out like a drawer to store dirty laundry in as well.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2 of our 3 suitcases were this type and next time ALL of them will be. That one regular suitcase was such a nuisance in the closet!</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">15) </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Zip Lock baggies or a waterproof swim bag.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I bought one at The Container Store and brought a couple of spare (large) zipper bags.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">These are VERY helpful for carrying around wet suits when you transition from hotel to ship or ship to airplane.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Our suits were not dry for the trip home, so I’m glad I brought them.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">They were also good for exploding toiletries (inevitable it seems!)</span></div>
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Things You DON’T Need.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"></span> Extra Storage -I read lots of people say they felt they needed to bring contraptions for extra storage—shoe organizers and such. Personally, I felt there was plenty of room for clothes and shoes. Each room (at least in Ocean View category) has shelves in the closet, a dresser with 3-4 drawers, a large vertical trunk with 4-5 shelves, a desk with two sets of 5-6 drawers, and two bedside tables with a drawer or two. We didn’t even end up using all the drawer space. There were also two sides in each closet for hanging clothes, and plenty of room on the closet floor for shoes. I wouldn’t waste suitcase space on extra storage unless you’re a huge clothes horse!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> Clothes line/pins.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I saw several people suggest bringing these.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">But the shower has a clothes line that can be pulled across and we were able to hang the whole family’s swim suits up to dry in one bathroom.</span></div>
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Pirate clothes. Don’t hate me, but I put this in the not-necessary category! Ok, about ½ the ship brought extra pirate clothes for the Pirate party. But I just want to say, you don’t <i>have </i>to attend the pirate party. And you don’t <i>have</i> to dress up. You won’t feel like idiots if you aaaahhhrrrren’t dressed to the 9's. So I’d leave this up to you. If you’re the type who just loves to dress up, go ahead. Bring some extra pirate clothes. All they give you is a bandana. But for me, it was one thing I just didn’t have energy for in the days before the cruise, and in the end, I didn’t regret it. It was fun seeing the other families who did dress up, but we weren’t by any means the only ones who didn’t. And my kids didn’t complain. I might have picked up cheap eye patches from the dollar store, but going to the trouble of making ripped up shirts and pants and sashes? It wasn’t for me. So don’t feel pressured if that’s not your thing. (And honestly, aside from the fireworks, I didn’t think the pirate parte was all that fun anyway. Am I a Disney Scrooge??)</div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Sand toys.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We hauled quite a few buckets and shovels with us for our day at Castaway Cay only to discover that they sell them on the island for about the same price we bought them for at home.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Wish I’d saved the room in the suitcase for other stuff.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Like more flip flops!</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you want to bring a shovel or two, g</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">o ahead.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">But there will be places to buy the bulkier items like pails and castle molds.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> Pillowcase/t-shirt souvenir.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Ok, don’t hate. But I saw several suggestions to bring a pillow case, picture frame, tshirt, or other such object to drop off at guest services and have the cast sign it (which they do for free and deliver back to you on the last night).</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">This was another thing I felt pressured to do but just couldn’t get to it.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">And you know what?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">No regrets.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Really, what am I going to do with a t-shirt signed by pretend princesses and guys in mouse costumes?</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Am I a horrible cynic? Maybe.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Perhaps if I’d done it, my kids would be begging to sleep in that t-shirt every night, or kissing that framed pillowcase.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">But I just couldn’t see the point and my kids aren’t complaining about what they didn’t know they could have!</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Princess dresses/costumes.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We actually DID bring these along because we already had them, but there wasn’t an official occasion to wear them and our daughter never did wear hers.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We did see little girls dressed up as princesses and occasionally a little boy in costume either at dinner or in the clubs, but don’t feel like you have to have them.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Beach towels.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It is tempting to bring your own towels so you’ll be easy to identify at the beach/pool, but don’t waste the luggage space.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Disney has very large beach towels (covering the whole lounge chair!) free for your use both on the ship AND on shore excursions. They’ll have a pile you can take one from before you exit the ship.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You do not want to lug damp towels around from day to day or on your trip home, so just use the Disney ones.</span></div>
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Other Things to Know:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Drinks- Unlike every other cruise line I've been on, Disney does NOT make you pay for soda pop! You don’t have to buy a drink package unless you’re drinking alcohol. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Last check out on the last day is 9:30am. Most people rush to get off the boat around 7-8, but if you have a flight later than 11, take your time. You don’t have to go to your assigned breakfast (can you say 6:15am??) Have breakfast later at the buffet and then leave the ship when the lines to go through customs are smaller. Keep in mind, though, that all breakfast is put away at 8:30. If you sleep too late, you’ll miss it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You also don’t HAVE to put your bags out the night before disembarking. Although you have that option (to put your bags in the hallway by 11pm and get them off the baggage carousel the next morning at port) you don’t have to do this. Packing up the whole family the night before can be stressful. So we opted to pack 2 of the 3 suitcases with everything we knew we wouldn’t need and leave one in our room. That way we could pack up pajamas, toiletries, etc. in the morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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DO keep your “keys to the world” for disembarking. I thought we wouldn’t need them and chucked them in the room’s trash. But they do like to check you out as you leave the ship, so keep them on you where you can easily get to them. I had to run back to my room and fish them out of the trash!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Getting off the ship isn’t hard, but the line to get off is busier in the early morning. You just scan your key card and you’re done. THEN, you have to go through customs. So once you exit the ship, you find yourself in a giant warehouse style room with several baggage carousels. It’s pretty much chaos. Before you even look for luggage, have one member of your party get in the customs line. THEN find your assigned carousel, get your luggage, and meet them in the line. You’ll save time and stress that way. On busier cruises we waited 45 minutes to get through customs!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ok, that’s about all I can think of! I have to say, as far as family vacations go, this one was probably the best. Disney really knows how families work. The service on every part of the ship was fantastic. Our room steward not only made cute towel animals, but he dressed up our kids’ stuffed animals and did funny poses with them so that my kids were excited to see the room each night after dinner. The food was good (buffet) to fantastic (Palo). We got excellent massages, spent plenty of time doing fun activities with the kids and had adequate time with just each other in peace and quiet. If I could change anything it would be to go at a warmer time of year. But other than that, I have hardly anything negative to say about this trip. My only advice as a parent is don’t feel like you have to do and see EVERYTHING. There is plenty to do. Enough to run yourself ragged. But you and your kids will both survive if you skip a night at the restaurant, opt out of a princess meeting, or chill in your room instead of going to a show. So just remember…being with your family is the important part. Relax and have fun!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-31734247397563953022014-11-17T21:42:00.000-07:002014-11-18T10:24:27.123-07:00Before and After - The Master Bath<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now for another really dramatic change…the master bathroom. When we bought this house, the master
bathroom was carpeted (EW), had super icky barf colored granite counter tops, really ugly cabinets, and only one vanity.
The other vanity was..... in the closet!
Yes, IN the master closet. It was
the strangest set up. There was a giant
garden tub in the corner, which we would have liked to keep, but we needed the
space to move both sinks into the bathroom.
The shower and toilet were also decrepit, so we got rid of those.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here are the before pictures, including (3rd pic) the sink in the
closet shot…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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NASTY CARPET AND GRANITE</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamKVrVs4YBQoOsXF7b_lwn7bbXEMqjjuStyKMUdg2Ktt_YiFoica2H50K3tibufYKi_DZLyEC-qIkIVSRWZXJOoCW8PlE6lLcbMJIaNOOFiTLd11wXuKIlhbtSFGd7KgidY1gxKF3B_4/s1600/master+bath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamKVrVs4YBQoOsXF7b_lwn7bbXEMqjjuStyKMUdg2Ktt_YiFoica2H50K3tibufYKi_DZLyEC-qIkIVSRWZXJOoCW8PlE6lLcbMJIaNOOFiTLd11wXuKIlhbtSFGd7KgidY1gxKF3B_4/s1600/master+bath.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DARK CAVE OF A SHOWER</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPkow_PbFnZMj7K3rz0M7bYFz1E6nremcCjm_6ekBvWRfxF435LEOG6Zlo76pjIR-_-n3L76av12tEAd6-ITg2PoNZZf8ubloPNer1Ki3gloDlhEujmJAB4icbYs4vTMHDEV5qzx3nIs/s1600/master+bath+shower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPkow_PbFnZMj7K3rz0M7bYFz1E6nremcCjm_6ekBvWRfxF435LEOG6Zlo76pjIR-_-n3L76av12tEAd6-ITg2PoNZZf8ubloPNer1Ki3gloDlhEujmJAB4icbYs4vTMHDEV5qzx3nIs/s1600/master+bath+shower.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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SINK & VANITY IN THE CLOSET!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0B39UuLxFx9mcGibY6VML_ViZ-l5YpI9xrLjDM2uHGm0zBcZmhkXwk-sjdsAe6lpVZnmLVCo_LTHuGY5sjMnEsdpNHgsu9Pj5JLXddLRjm9sJ5HtbwcQu8Ffd3JWgoUPg44vb6NAlNw/s1600/master+closet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0B39UuLxFx9mcGibY6VML_ViZ-l5YpI9xrLjDM2uHGm0zBcZmhkXwk-sjdsAe6lpVZnmLVCo_LTHuGY5sjMnEsdpNHgsu9Pj5JLXddLRjm9sJ5HtbwcQu8Ffd3JWgoUPg44vb6NAlNw/s1600/master+closet.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we remodeled, we wanted a little more space in the
shower to put in a bench, so we bumped that out 12”. We got all new tile for the floor,
backsplash, shower, and tub surround. And
I have to admit I went a little bit nuts in here with the tile. But
the biggest reason was that I couldn’t find a bathroom style I liked. Or that we both liked. I had scoured Houzz for months and finally
found one picture that had sea glass next to creamy beige limestone, and it just
looked so clean and beachy. So that’s
what we went with. We did the same style
of white shaker cabinets as the kitchen, but with a beautiful glittery
Silestone called “Stellar Snow” for the counter tops. It was
in our last house and we LOOOVED it. It
has all these little flecks of glass in it plus some mica for sparkle. It gives this sort of glittery effect. And because it has the specks, you absolutely
cannot see dirt or water rings on it.
It’s awesome! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Silestone "Stellar Snow"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the floors we got a dark brown linen tile in a 12x24
size. On sale, woot! For the shower (bottom half) and tub surround
I picked out this amazing modern striped tile that was 10x31 (weird size! Also, crazy expensive). Above that and around the sinks and tub I picked
out a 2x4" sea glass subway tile. (In
retrospect I should have paid more for that.
I found what looked like the same tile at 3 different stores and went
with the cheaper one. But once it was
installed I realized that it was only painted green on the back, not green all
the way through. So in the places where
the tile layer’s saw chipped the back of the tile, you can totally see the
color disappear. LAME. You only see it if you’re really
looking. But I see it every day when I’m
brushing my teeth and it bugs. So if you’re
going for a colored glass subway tile like that, make sure you check that it’s a solid
color glass.) </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">O</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n the shower floor I
splurged and got a gorgeous four tone glass mosaic tile. It had to be hand set, so it wasn't cheap,
but it was a really small area, and it was sooo beautiful! So I went for it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tub we got was pretty standard. Long, but not wide. It’s also not a whirlpool tub because after
having two of those, we realized that we never use the jets and they’re a pain to
clean (mildew gets in the jet cavities and is so hard to get out!). We can both fit in this tub, and that's all that really matters. And hopefully someday we'll get a hot tub in case we really want to luxuriate in a bubbly bath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, the walls were pained a creamy neutral called "Shoji White", we got squared sinks, Ikea faucets, a new high flow
toilet (screw the ecosystem! Haha. Just
kidding), new lighting, and we were finally ready to go!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p>And </o:p>here are the final afters….</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDK0HL8DCEJ_sSQfwvu1-dj0lKL6g7l4Xg5hCH6McnKl-scSRT00jNFN1cvemqdsVqQAFYZ0v2sOj5Ny5IgNScYpfYGbeRhEzf3AHzQpuxiHUCXNI_Nn5EwH1Y21iKDJIObdS5ElvhHr8/s1600/IMGP5812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDK0HL8DCEJ_sSQfwvu1-dj0lKL6g7l4Xg5hCH6McnKl-scSRT00jNFN1cvemqdsVqQAFYZ0v2sOj5Ny5IgNScYpfYGbeRhEzf3AHzQpuxiHUCXNI_Nn5EwH1Y21iKDJIObdS5ElvhHr8/s1600/IMGP5812.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkHTh9opy4g4Vc8T2_c083BmUxCFSPpMLX6wz7SlhBrRv_z9Ja4tCfNC38_aXPyFb6U_Iv_bdy7vA5LF6HSKm3YhsuCoqZSda6yu0W6wIHFrIfGdieyZi7c4xLHWYyccus4IFZO9LYfg/s1600/IMGP5413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For dramatic effect, here is the before and after shot.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vlrs0obT7IXBoQz52f-g9LD60SutS_Kj_x7R2tbOILryzYq4rqSfb7lrKBRTs-QvzObsWQMRXG6V3V4IiLTn65VUXegc7QwzsxU8YeDeLfdLfhnqHvstp7A495Os6dPCLln1Q9k0BTY/s1600/master-bath-b-and-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vlrs0obT7IXBoQz52f-g9LD60SutS_Kj_x7R2tbOILryzYq4rqSfb7lrKBRTs-QvzObsWQMRXG6V3V4IiLTn65VUXegc7QwzsxU8YeDeLfdLfhnqHvstp7A495Os6dPCLln1Q9k0BTY/s1600/master-bath-b-and-a.jpg" height="640" width="436" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think?</span></div>
Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-18734087396863168222014-11-11T22:02:00.000-07:002014-11-18T09:35:35.435-07:00Before And After -- Pippa's Bathroom<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pippa’s bathroom is next up on the tour. Her bathroom used to be a jack-and-jill just
like the one between Beck and Daphne’s rooms.
But we turned the connecting bedroom into a laundry room, so now she has
a bathroom of her very own. And it might
be my favorite bathroom in the house.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We chose a retro hexagon black and white tile for the floor. We painted the vanity white because, like the other
bathroom upstairs, we didn’t have money for a full renovation. That, and a bit of paint on the walls, plus a new toilet,
faucet, and a good solid cleaning and this bathroom definitely became livable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I didn't take before pictures for some reason that I can't fathom. So the only ones I have are from when the demolition had already started. You can't see much in this pic, but to the left is the sink, through the doorway to the left is the tub, and across from that (to the right) is the toilet. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje90k8CkiZ9REmP1e6U7TCXovPXVlH_28UX4QlRSYyuvkvwRXK4QaIJW4N5DgD-cL4lbUI6FWpTj5rA1_L3Q0rz0l2GSu77lqY_fi7C5kb4hhnSnYCtrMtmrqaCsmMgO0_YIPDtmRtp9M/s1600/IMG_0530-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje90k8CkiZ9REmP1e6U7TCXovPXVlH_28UX4QlRSYyuvkvwRXK4QaIJW4N5DgD-cL4lbUI6FWpTj5rA1_L3Q0rz0l2GSu77lqY_fi7C5kb4hhnSnYCtrMtmrqaCsmMgO0_YIPDtmRtp9M/s400/IMG_0530-001.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is the toilet nook (toilet already removed).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here is the old vanity before it was painted, but with the new tile already in...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStVo40UCrYKhcHOQoCfYhd6TL5DnN1pi-H_-H9SuH_55_0vbxva2N8DvCQchyphenhyphen9QM9zHI70uF_3X2vqY0W8lXDvQDJRSVSLwRgPjASKhbLtHQnSgJI5gpVykSuPRSUHfdt1-KpojK8_w4/s1600/IMG_1639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStVo40UCrYKhcHOQoCfYhd6TL5DnN1pi-H_-H9SuH_55_0vbxva2N8DvCQchyphenhyphen9QM9zHI70uF_3X2vqY0W8lXDvQDJRSVSLwRgPjASKhbLtHQnSgJI5gpVykSuPRSUHfdt1-KpojK8_w4/s1600/IMG_1639.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here are the after shots...</span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNABUZTnlS_t-SL7gb0alHxA8oEm5lO4TxR-IVDJVj22lgfsRf_TjEh70lajQICtF5bOqjPsMsJXQZv3uKiV9cYLWuH2TDFlfk5EQVBHiDl2A-Avb5lFHxqrpgjSDU2c3BXcd3wLCDRE/s1600/IMGP5779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNABUZTnlS_t-SL7gb0alHxA8oEm5lO4TxR-IVDJVj22lgfsRf_TjEh70lajQICtF5bOqjPsMsJXQZv3uKiV9cYLWuH2TDFlfk5EQVBHiDl2A-Avb5lFHxqrpgjSDU2c3BXcd3wLCDRE/s640/IMGP5779.JPG" width="424" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhRC20YafwYRhnsHbh5edg13Pak2WVM55qLabGetT5ypT7yTILm4ytToTBb1fEOxfxPiRwAdCj9lLCnAVd_7Tty_IUq9kM06whJ1Oiubr83mpaJyOFjxqDXLuG8LbqZ4qj42dML38nEo/s1600/IMGP5783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhRC20YafwYRhnsHbh5edg13Pak2WVM55qLabGetT5ypT7yTILm4ytToTBb1fEOxfxPiRwAdCj9lLCnAVd_7Tty_IUq9kM06whJ1Oiubr83mpaJyOFjxqDXLuG8LbqZ4qj42dML38nEo/s640/IMGP5783.JPG" width="424" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3bfGiY-ai9F2hhgsSyV4yYD9G43-r7dQitWyK5A2KcGPxklKDLs8gIuacSTBQdith59vtN7B5pp8k1oNuKkL8Bf8G__T0O-hLKM3xFe2_fJqsbTPMXTkzKe0ed1foRmNmpLr0Zbo_0I/s1600/IMGP5784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3bfGiY-ai9F2hhgsSyV4yYD9G43-r7dQitWyK5A2KcGPxklKDLs8gIuacSTBQdith59vtN7B5pp8k1oNuKkL8Bf8G__T0O-hLKM3xFe2_fJqsbTPMXTkzKe0ed1foRmNmpLr0Zbo_0I/s640/IMGP5784.JPG" width="424" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her light...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yYyacL56omOLW9s1svwVDlcjbRUmyPK4p4DJKx9Q9-C43IiU_sj75gkYNuyScTHNa_vR79lvbBRIi7lzFce3xs69ltJm9P_d_NuI-uPmK2OzFZS4JDTojSZQldBeTtMrpCXZYr_ijtM/s1600/crystal+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yYyacL56omOLW9s1svwVDlcjbRUmyPK4p4DJKx9Q9-C43IiU_sj75gkYNuyScTHNa_vR79lvbBRIi7lzFce3xs69ltJm9P_d_NuI-uPmK2OzFZS4JDTojSZQldBeTtMrpCXZYr_ijtM/s1600/crystal+light.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her sink....</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCouxgHPDzbKPqvcPcoZR895fKt6iPxYL5pzn_78XH0ghV_0LoTlmi320HOIypn8l8XUtK8jS5WJlJthbJcP9PRnbtbV63wRGcGBPq0P4joBw8H-ldtlHiZsDUhaEokJSJpqXt0MrCGRo/s1600/IMG_1672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCouxgHPDzbKPqvcPcoZR895fKt6iPxYL5pzn_78XH0ghV_0LoTlmi320HOIypn8l8XUtK8jS5WJlJthbJcP9PRnbtbV63wRGcGBPq0P4joBw8H-ldtlHiZsDUhaEokJSJpqXt0MrCGRo/s1600/IMG_1672.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So...what do you think?</span></div>
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-42883918951965452442014-11-06T16:09:00.001-07:002014-11-18T09:33:05.951-07:00Before And After - Jack And Jill Bath<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">There are two bathrooms
upstairs on the kids’ level. One is a jack-and-jill bath between
Beck and Daphne’s rooms. This may not be as dramatic of a change
because the room is actually only partly renovated. But at least we
got rid of the horrid carpet (in a bathroom, yuck!) and replaced it with 24x24" beige linen tile (which we got on close out for $2/sq foot!). We replaced the toilet, which was so discolored and disfigured from either fire or fireworks or bombs being set off inside that it couldn't be cleaned or repaired at all! We painted the
vanity white, and added brushed nickel hardware. And we got new lights and sink hardware. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Someday we’ll
remodel it completely including individual mirrors, a smaller vanity with a
space in between (there’s nowhere to hang towels!), and a really cool hexagonal
sea glass backsplash (already purchased). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">We will probably add a new tub surround, too. (You can't see the tub, but it's on the left of the picture behind that door. And it's just your standard molded plastic surround with sliding doors.) But for now, here’s how the new bathroom looks…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsgN2b5zeoYn5fZllvRvgNkTPuq6mXaUo14dl66tRUcYUwbmXauvbwRN_yxfBazDDZ781SuFGI_jQCPjEeTOczwYSjIUjtN12gjMoI2z4k0n7jhVd6j4DEG2Ced9casJkN4EqYj2fvXw/s1600/b-and-a-jack-and-jill-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsgN2b5zeoYn5fZllvRvgNkTPuq6mXaUo14dl66tRUcYUwbmXauvbwRN_yxfBazDDZ781SuFGI_jQCPjEeTOczwYSjIUjtN12gjMoI2z4k0n7jhVd6j4DEG2Ced9casJkN4EqYj2fvXw/s1600/b-and-a-jack-and-jill-1.jpg" height="640" width="436" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Someday when we finish the updates in this room, I'll post pics again. </span></div>
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-23014820385006848642014-11-05T20:47:00.000-07:002014-11-05T20:47:49.266-07:00House Renovation - Bathrooms Before And After<div class="MsoNormal">
I think today I’ll do a bathroom tour. Our house has five, FIVE, bathrooms. And before you go thinking how luxurious my life must be, I have to remind you that all FIVE bathrooms need to be
cleaned. That’s 7 sinks, 5 toilets, 3
tubs, 4 showers, and all that tile flooring with the associated GROUT that my children have free rein to pee in, on, and around, as well as dropping and spitting toothpaste, mouthwash, boogers, and other worse things. I despise cleaning tile flooring. That is, I despise cleaning grout. But only slightly less, I detest scrubbing bathtubs and
showers. Toilets I don’t mind. I know that seems weird. But it’s the grout, the mildew in the corners
of the grout, the unreachable spots in the tubs and showers that give me fits. But enough about this sordid aspect of the
topic. Suffice it to say that cleaning five bathrooms blows. Now...let’s move on to the
transformations!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bathroom 1: I’ll
start with the basement bath because it was so shockingly horrible before, and
so lovely now. We nick-named it “The
StarTrek bathroom” when we bought the house because of the weird rounded shower
enclosure and nooks. It reminded us of
something from the original 1960’s Star Trek TV show set. </div>
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But we tore out every speck of that
bathroom. It has now made a successful leap
into the 21<sup>st</sup> century. And I give Big Daddy full credit for this
one. He picked out everything himself,
from the tiles to the layout to the furnishings. He wanted a spa feel since this is the guest
bath, being closest to the guest bathroom.
And it turned out absolutely stunning, I think. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-39226238403378319792014-09-23T22:00:00.001-06:002014-09-23T22:00:54.828-06:00Before And After - The Kitchen Edition!I know everyone wants to know what we did with the kitchen. And it's probably one of the most dramatic changes, both cosmetic and structural. When we bought the house, the kitchen was a dark cherry, very traditional, with Tiffany lamp lighting and orange and brown splotchy granite. There were swirls, and grapes, and twists, and all kinds of ornateness on the cabinetry. From a distance, it looked like a very beautiful kitchen.<br />
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And it probably was...once. The cabinets were solid wood, no veneer or particle board. There was a 48" fridge (which start at $8000, FYI), two dishwashers, a gas stove, two ovens, and a trash compactor-- and not a single one of them worked! Every single appliance was trashed. And when I say trashed, I mean one step shy of being condemned to hell. The fridge was stained inside, missing shelves in both fridge and freezer, missing the ice machine entirely, and the whole insert of the water/ice maker was gone, leaving a gaping hole where the dispenser should be. Both dishwashers were missing one or both dish racks, and both had char, CHAR!, inside, like something had been lit and left to burn in there!<br />
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The trash compactor we won't even speak of. Such filth is not to be imagined. And the poor cabinets, on closer inspection, were dented, scratched, and foul beyond all reason. Even a cleaning crew would not have been enough to induce me to put anything in them. The one thing that appeared to be unscathed was the vomit-colored granite. Uh, no. The island was a strange angular 's' shape. The Tiffany style lights were coated in 11 years worth of grease and grime (and were plastic to boot). And the whole kitchen was very very dark. Just not a lot of light coming in. The only thing I liked was a recessed highboy (dish hutch). It was clean and in nearly perfect shape. But there was no way to save that, so we decided the only thing to do was to rip it all out. We were going to throw the whole kitchen away because I didn't think anyone would want a kitchen like that. But I listed it on Craigslist and within 15 minutes had a dozen texts and calls. One guy wanted it so badly he came that night, in the pitch dark (no lights in the house worked) and removed it then and there, piece by piece. <br />
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Our new plan consisted of white cabinets in a very plain shaker style, taking away the eat-in dining room and using that whole area as kitchen space. We would move the dining area into the adjoining room (formerly the family room). The kitchen layout would change a bit to allow a large 5x3' island with no sink or stove in it that would seat 5. <br />
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The biggest structural change was on the wall where the dish hutch was. Behind it was a full bath. A FULL bath, with a bath tub...right off the main hallway and kitchen. Like, who takes a bath there? "Oh, I'm just going to wash up while all the neighbors walk by and then walk out into the kitchen in my towel. Laalalaalalaaa." Bizarre. And the dish hutch intruded 2ft into that room, about midway, creating a sort of old fashioned key shape to the room. So we decided that niche would be knocked out and the bathroom would be split in half. One half would become a powder room, and the other half would become a hidden walk-in pantry. <br />
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Work began at once and pretty soon the entire room was a big mess....<br />
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But after the construction was done, the rooms made a lot more sense. The construction choices had been difficult because they were all theoretical (in terms of the sizes and positions of the rooms, etc.), so it was a relief to see them framed in and to realize they would be functional.<br />
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Soon the floors were patched and refinished, the room was painted a beautiful shade of mellow aqua blue ("Copen Blue," by Sherwin Williams,) new trim was installed and painted ("Mistaya"by Kwal), and then the cabinets began to arrive (this is 5 months later, FYI). Next a new window was put in, and pretty soon the space was recognizable as a kitchen. That was the most exciting time for me. You can't know (at least I can't) just from imagining it or seeing it on paper how a room will feel--how the space will work--until its there in 3-D. And now I was beginning to get an idea of how my new kitchen would function. I had spent literally hundreds of hours over the last 9 months (not to mention in abstract over the last decade) imagining and planning my dream kitchen. I just can't explain the thrill of seeing it finally begin to come a reality!!<br />
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Next we got the counter tops measured and ordered (a special SPECIAL thanks to my old friend Matt for the amazing Silestone counters. They are gorgeous!!!). We choose Silestone because A) I despise granite. That busy, splotchy look, not to mention its ubiquity here in Utah, have always been a total turn off to me. And B) marble and granite require more care. They have pits and have to be sealed to prevent germs from getting caught in those pits and other nasty things I don't want to think about. So the smooth, germ-resistant, indestructibility of quartz was definitely the direction I wanted to go. And this "Tigris Sand"sample I picked up at the Home Depot was exactly the beachy color I wanted to warm up the crisp white of the cabinets and backsplash. <br />
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Speaking of the backsplash, that was a fun decision. I'd already spent loads of time at the tile stores when I chose tile for the floor. This time I actually knew exactly what I wanted: white penny tile. I knew before we even started that I wanted penny tile somewhere in the house. But I quickly rejected it as a floor tile because of the amount of grout there is. (Can you say stains??) So the kitchen backsplash seemed the perfect place. Only, once it was in and they asked me what grout color I wanted, I did have a moment of panic. White was too stark (and too easily stained). And it also made the white tiles sort of disappear. I found tons of pictures on Houzz and Pinterest with grey or charcoal grout. But again, the contrast was very stark and actually made the grout look it was dirty. So I made a snap decision to match the grout to the counter tops--that sort of warm, sandy color. Then I just crossed my fingers and hoped that it would turn out well because grout is not something you can change later! And, fortunately, I loved how it turned out. It allowed the white tiles to pop and really catch your eye. <br />
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Where the full bathroom once was, there was now a hidden, walk-in pantry. I had it painted a nice sunny yellow, then I painted on the quatre-foil with a stencil. My sweet father-in-law and husband spent the better part of a day hanging the obnxious Ikea shelves I got for it. But in the end, it was such a good architectural decision to take out the bathtub and put in this pantry!<br />
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So, finally, a day before we moved in (most of) the appliances were put in. We ended up having to chuck the 48" fridge we'd hung on to for months, hoping to fix, because it was too expensive to fix. But we'd designed the kitchen around it, so we had no choice but to replace it with a fridge the same size. Fridges, in case you are not aware, tend to run in the $1500-2500 range for a nice, stainless fridge. You might pay $3500 for the top of the line 36". But once you go up to a 48", the price takes a giant leap and starts around $8000!!! But we scored by finding a great scratch and dent store in SLC where a practically new 48" stainless Kenmore was purchased for the bargain price of $3500. Still a big pill to swallow, but we got most of our other appliances there at 50-70% off, so we saved a bundle in the long run.<br />
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And then, it was moving day. Although we had no ovens, and the range hood was (and still is) not hooked up, pretty much everything else was ready for us. So without further ado, here it our new kitchen!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17pfr6jUFXOUwucFjEQ5QvJpC1Ue8JpqAOTMF3-jLWDPirOVl16Afbkmy0n9EVpvcC6HmIGNnNEFOeeP7EpI3xEhY7wTAq0-RyW9QvY_QOWvqxQyDtfkjiJ-Q10oaWxyTcAoelCqhoUY/s1600/main+view+wider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17pfr6jUFXOUwucFjEQ5QvJpC1Ue8JpqAOTMF3-jLWDPirOVl16Afbkmy0n9EVpvcC6HmIGNnNEFOeeP7EpI3xEhY7wTAq0-RyW9QvY_QOWvqxQyDtfkjiJ-Q10oaWxyTcAoelCqhoUY/s1600/main+view+wider.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a><br />
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For dramatic effect, here are the before and afters:<br />
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Here are a few close ups of the details....<br />
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White leatherette bar stools.<br />
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Simple, shaker-style cabinetry with stainless steel pulls<br />
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Open shelving for display pieces</div>
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A handy desk area<br />
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Seeded glass pendants<br />
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Cool digital/analog double ovens</div>
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I still have a few things to do. I need to make the window seat cushion and the roman shades for the windows. But it's 98% finished and I love it!!<br />
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If you stop by, tell me what you think!<br />
<br />Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-68668396151581986542014-09-05T14:29:00.000-06:002014-09-05T14:29:47.778-06:00Before and After - The Family Room!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So last week I spotlighted the libarry/music room (i.e. formal living room). And right next door is the family room. It's time to see how that turned out....<br />
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You may remember that when we first bought the house, the formal living room was only barely separated (by one pillar) from the room next to it. They were using that room as a formal dining room. But since Big Daddy and I are very informal people, we quickly decided to wall in that space to become our new family room, and to make the adjoining room (formerly their family room) into our dining room. So first we had to tear down the wall separating their family and dining rooms and put one up to separate the formal living room with our new family room....<br />
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Before the wall went up...<br />
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After the wall went up...<br />
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We built in these half walls to give the new family room some definition from the hallway...<br />
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Next we tore out 2/3 of the other wall...<br />
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Originally we left part of the wall up. That gaping hole in the ceiling is where the spiral staircase came down from the 2nd floor hallway. We planned on rebuilding it, but we didn't know if we'd need part of the wall for support or not...<br />
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Eventually, though, we decided that if we did need it we might as well build that wall fresh, so we tore the whole thing down. <br />
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Once that wall came down, and the new wall went up at the other side, we looked at that space and thought, "That is going to be the world's smallest family room! And how much sense does it make to have a tiny family room in a nice spacious house? It's the heart of the home. And, like this, it wouldn't even fit our 3-person sofa." So......<br />
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BAM! We knocked that wall down and bumped the whole room out another 10 feet.<br />
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The three french doors (2 windows and a door actually) at the back of the room became a large picture window (repurposed from the front of the house). And the room began to look like it might be a good size. But it's so hard to tell with 2x4's and particle board! We hoped the scale would work out in the end.<br />
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The action slowed down for a couple of months and it seemed like forever before the roof got put on. Every time it rained or snowed (this was Jan-April) I rushed over to make sure there were tarps up and nothing was leaking into the house and onto our freshly installed hardwood floors! And then suddenly one day there was a roof, four walls, windows, and drywall. Then the new HVAC got piped in, insulation was sprayed in, electrical was installed, and finally it looked more like this:<br />
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Next we had to figure out what to do about the beautiful coffered ceiling from the old dining room. It was gorgeous (minus the burgundy paint, of course). and we wanted to carry it through to the new addition. But that trim had been custom made, 18 years previous, and we had little hope of finding the exact same trim to copy on the other side. So we thought about ripping it down to create continuity. But lucky for us, our contractor had a fantastic finish work guy who came over and said he could match it exactly. So after new support beams were put in place to carry the load of the 2nd story, the coffered ceiling was put in. And it looked PERFECT. I painted it the same shade of blue as the kitchen (Copen Blue by Sherwin Williams), and voilà!<br />
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The rest of the room got painted the same Siberia color as most of the main floor. We added a super plush grey carpet (SmartStrand Silk by Mohawk. It feels like rabbit fur it so soft!) so the kids would have a soft place to roll around and lounge.<br />
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The last touch was remodeling the columns and trimming the half walls. Because the old columns had to be cut into to add/remove walls, and because they were more ornate than our taste, we had our trim guy wrap the old ones with a more simple, Craftsman style. I love how they turned out.<br />
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So here are the final before and afters. Sadly, I didn't take a single picture of the family room before we started working on it from straight on. So you really have to adjust your perspective to see the transformation. (Pretend you're standing at the left of the top picture looking towards the 3 doors.)<br />
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(The wall to the right was the open space before, and the little jog in the wall on the right is where the room used to end. Straight ahead there were 3 large windows/doors. And to the left, the open space used to be a wall. Can you picture it now?)<br />
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This is the view from the dining room and kitchen...<br />
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Before...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SQs7ljishESy289SHA6OtJdU-KyDh0gq997YzXVq9UafkMB6TAyHgkp59hTOgQ2jBDDCEn2j1yaYtTNhVhFVdmiGzpNxYyEoXxCA5gUXI-Z2SBgJiG7iwwNMEIIi07XE5o5-bw5R18M/s1600/dining+spiral+stair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SQs7ljishESy289SHA6OtJdU-KyDh0gq997YzXVq9UafkMB6TAyHgkp59hTOgQ2jBDDCEn2j1yaYtTNhVhFVdmiGzpNxYyEoXxCA5gUXI-Z2SBgJiG7iwwNMEIIi07XE5o5-bw5R18M/s1600/dining+spiral+stair.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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After...<br />
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This is the view from the far side of the family room looking back toward the hallway.<br />
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Before...<br />
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And this is the straight on view of the family room. <br />
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Mostly I used bright red and aqua for my accent colors. I love that combination! I had the pillow covers made on etsy because sewing a square is way over my head. I hope you like how it turned out. <br />
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Leave a comment when you stop by!<br />
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Next up: The Dining Room!<br />
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<br />Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-58954763865853658722014-08-27T11:53:00.000-06:002014-08-27T11:53:12.495-06:00Before And After - Living Room RenovationThe room that first won me over to this house, the one that really took my breath away (despite how nasty the house was as a whole) was this room--the formal living room. The pillars give it a regal look. The height of the room was amazing. The wood floors, though in need of repair and new stain, made it feel vast and expensive. Huge windows flooded the massive room with warm light and turned the oak floors into a puddle of gold. And the fireplace....well, I'm not really into mauve faux marble, but the mantle was lovely. I could see its potential as a real showpiece.<br />
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The only problem with this room, as it stood, was that it was a big formal living space attached to a less-formal living space (our future family room). Who needs two living areas joined together? How would we define them and make each it's own purposeful space? We decided to wall in the family room and make the formal living room (a space I find ridiculous in this day and age) into a music room/library. <br />
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The construction began almost immediately...<br />
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And soon there was a wall. Then it was painted. We chose "Siberia" by Kwal, a warm grayish-beige color. Then the pillars were redone in a more simple craftsman style (the updated style was actually wrapped around the old one), and voila! The new music room/library! <br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Well, sort of. We haven't bought a piano yet. And we haven't put up the wall-to-wall bookshelves yet. Right now it's a holding tank for all the furniture that doesn't have a home. But at least the space is defined. And the fireplace looks amazing now! And someday soon we will have that library and (hopefully a baby grand) piano.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2kaBwP3iCvW1MAgKqyDXNVaX1-RXXCP_IK7jN6TNbCNmY0Ah7NGxw0ziC6Qx7y9me-pR0VEfSMynNDQ643RSr-tD7f6yU9ZC7cDjoHGXmyKeJHmZAcyTvHT-axlwFTfOklfOCwMOoMY/s1600/living-room-2-before-and-after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2kaBwP3iCvW1MAgKqyDXNVaX1-RXXCP_IK7jN6TNbCNmY0Ah7NGxw0ziC6Qx7y9me-pR0VEfSMynNDQ643RSr-tD7f6yU9ZC7cDjoHGXmyKeJHmZAcyTvHT-axlwFTfOklfOCwMOoMY/s1600/living-room-2-before-and-after.jpg" height="640" width="464" /></a></div>
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The Fireplace</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyH0DMOGTb0zzxvO6JL6PRVMDdbwQw5vIG4JT-uZAB6L5-cx66g5WHLSlIHp2xux2gxDBdiibLnmfo5xQe73Iz3gqA7n_-iW9oEISF3GFMMVlC3DxMk086eMautrZaDX90J-rAQNzv1nM/s1600/fireplace-before-and-after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyH0DMOGTb0zzxvO6JL6PRVMDdbwQw5vIG4JT-uZAB6L5-cx66g5WHLSlIHp2xux2gxDBdiibLnmfo5xQe73Iz3gqA7n_-iW9oEISF3GFMMVlC3DxMk086eMautrZaDX90J-rAQNzv1nM/s1600/fireplace-before-and-after.jpg" height="640" width="428" /></a></div>
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Herringbone marble was used for the new tile surround. Carerra was a little too grey and cold for me, so I picked this warmer tan and beige and cream colored herringbone tile called "crema marfil." It came in pre-made sheets and was a little less expensive than the Carerra.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipndO61kk6p2hYA02jPPCK4JNpIng9nxE0DS02avUfAwa97qEXsSv_GOs327p59zup7GeejQpTqKdloK9hNyUD87nXzZerDdbFnRW0xGL1w2DFlqIgGOrUTLr5vFGo71yPLp88xdgKEPw/s1600/IMGP5432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipndO61kk6p2hYA02jPPCK4JNpIng9nxE0DS02avUfAwa97qEXsSv_GOs327p59zup7GeejQpTqKdloK9hNyUD87nXzZerDdbFnRW0xGL1w2DFlqIgGOrUTLr5vFGo71yPLp88xdgKEPw/s1600/IMGP5432.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"> The new hearth was made of slabs of the same gorgeous Silestone ("Tigris Sand") that we used on the kitchen counters, so it tied in beautifully with the other fireplace just off the kitchen. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhW-PAu7am2Y1g3PB2a-4cSxZb4vzataPJUiEXEpuoghaCbHdE_s5iDflQAJBt3ARbOnizRZiFlfhbgVSsNEJSGTyr_d3VatTNIk9feebiK4R9R9Wav5TeqrHekInaBqZn9xY-J8BhKrk/s1600/IMGP5439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhW-PAu7am2Y1g3PB2a-4cSxZb4vzataPJUiEXEpuoghaCbHdE_s5iDflQAJBt3ARbOnizRZiFlfhbgVSsNEJSGTyr_d3VatTNIk9feebiK4R9R9Wav5TeqrHekInaBqZn9xY-J8BhKrk/s1600/IMGP5439.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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We kept the mantle as it was and will have gas installed in the fireplace at some point. I think it turned out lovely!<br />
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I'm not sure when we'll finish decorating this space as the music room/library, but I'll post some more pictures when we do.<br />
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<br />Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-11582193125554294652014-08-10T23:52:00.002-06:002014-08-27T12:00:11.907-06:00The House Is Done!!! So...ahem...I'm embarrassed to realize that it hasn't been the 3 or 4 weeks I thought it had been since I last posted. Nope, it's been 3 MONTHS. Uh, sorry about that. So here's your update:
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We moved in June 1.<br />
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The house isn't done.<br />
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The house probably won't be done for a long time.<br />
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The important things in the house are all done.
The things which did not get done are just "frosting" not "toilets." In other words, the house is very functional and we can live without the things that didn't get done until such time as more money materializes out of thin air.<br />
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The things that did not get done are: the garage doors (still bent up, 2 of 3 won't open), the bog (someday it will be a beautiful waterfall and pond), the landscaping (we did a little bit, but there's still 80% to be done), the loft (it's there and carpeted but no railing and no stairs/ladder), the spiral staircase (hindsight tells me we should have left it in and remodeled it, but instead it's just gone and will someday be replaced), the back deck (outside the master there used to be a patio but now it's a pile of rubble. Very attractive), the garage (the shiz-covered walls bear the last remaining signs of how nasty this house was before, floor still unstained), and the entire exterior (more on that in a minute). And there are a dozen or so loose ends such as missing closet doors, a range hood that's not vented, etc. I know it may seem like a lot didn't get done, but the list of what DID get done is even more impressive. So overall we feel like the house is in a good place and we are loving it.<br />
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We are not loving the new over-sized a/c bill to go with our new over-sized house.<br />
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We also didn't love the various plumbing issues that cropped up when the city's irrigation water main sprung a leak under our park strip or when my yard maintenance guy accidentally hooked the irrigation water pipe and culinary water pipe together causing, oh, about a million gallons of culinary water to dump down the irrigation pipe for a month. And no, that's not an exaggeration. When they guy came to my door to tell me our water usage was high, he didn't mention that it was literally ONE MILLION GALLONS high. I won't show you the bill that just came for that. I will give you 3,358.20 hints. But let's keep this post positive.<br />
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Moving on to the awesome parts, I'm about to start doing a room by room before-and-after series. It won't be daily, but hopefully at least several times a week. Here's the first one....
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<a href="http://1895house.blogspot.com/2014/08/before-and-after-exterior.html" target="_blank">House Exterior Before and After!</a><br />
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If you check it out, please leave a comment and tell me what you think!Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-5709609093510267902014-08-10T23:48:00.000-06:002014-08-27T11:59:51.265-06:00Before-and-After -- ExteriorOk, so it's finally time for a few before-and-after shots! You've all waited so patiently. And here's the first one: the exterior.<br />
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So this was our house when we bought it:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBV0S_ezd-Qm0Dj4z-MqSScJvbQMbJlt3hCvhxmqtEg4EbtXA-1qwFHDojBsvmbXowq4UDfZGya88Rf-cGHnz0bqG5kn5IH7PRDt22hqyewk8c2fne9c8TFO683t-o5cxfC1T1dbIAik/s1600/exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBV0S_ezd-Qm0Dj4z-MqSScJvbQMbJlt3hCvhxmqtEg4EbtXA-1qwFHDojBsvmbXowq4UDfZGya88Rf-cGHnz0bqG5kn5IH7PRDt22hqyewk8c2fne9c8TFO683t-o5cxfC1T1dbIAik/s1600/exterior.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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Hard to even see the house, huh? It's nearly covered by the big plum trees, and bushes, and Chinese elms. I can't remember just what exactly made me decide I wanted to see the inside! But for some reason, we called the realtor. And the rest is history!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYu709AJRtebxDD0ro4Pz4ZPXwOBGBdJK9QRv_Oek2nFyV8AaLnvv3Vsu4ZzmnpCPwRx3qbn1xB0Ys5k-ncFPuX9pm1nwlU6iX4IEhOcE9749a5Mg7M6GNf0mqZDoRJUU6mQ_gqSBiDw/s1600/exterior+turret.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYu709AJRtebxDD0ro4Pz4ZPXwOBGBdJK9QRv_Oek2nFyV8AaLnvv3Vsu4ZzmnpCPwRx3qbn1xB0Ys5k-ncFPuX9pm1nwlU6iX4IEhOcE9749a5Mg7M6GNf0mqZDoRJUU6mQ_gqSBiDw/s1600/exterior+turret.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Overgrown is a good way to describe it. Weeds, weeds everywhere! Those dang Chinese elms start up and grow to 10 ft tall in a few weeks, so imagine 7 years of being left to grow. But the lawn, of course, did not flourish. Big Daddy does not look happy about the amount of yard work he is in for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSuyjDs_DXh3FhgGNVLfFkQl4C6kXOoALY_0QATrMecjhPdyPzXx4vRKOD231-UTbPkCPvAM8sjdR9y6V-6NVyx_R4y7F7rzdcJp0UiJUJq50eIyJLxX0IAOcNqxFj6clymPlO2GlTLY/s1600/exterior+front.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSuyjDs_DXh3FhgGNVLfFkQl4C6kXOoALY_0QATrMecjhPdyPzXx4vRKOD231-UTbPkCPvAM8sjdR9y6V-6NVyx_R4y7F7rzdcJp0UiJUJq50eIyJLxX0IAOcNqxFj6clymPlO2GlTLY/s1600/exterior+front.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
Yikes.<br />
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And the backyard looked like this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGm_W3DkfcNzeTQEdyiahRWaN4CNWr_4c-OU1LsB3SC9M-Ft4MjR9vTkUNtXWJU_5MandjHHC3cjz892uE4rLlPK1T5vjeiu9HC8_tUsFKRUmCxABZ94PIOCEqBBgvnqwY-DU9Zr5LgsQ/s1600/exterior+back+patio.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGm_W3DkfcNzeTQEdyiahRWaN4CNWr_4c-OU1LsB3SC9M-Ft4MjR9vTkUNtXWJU_5MandjHHC3cjz892uE4rLlPK1T5vjeiu9HC8_tUsFKRUmCxABZ94PIOCEqBBgvnqwY-DU9Zr5LgsQ/s1600/exterior+back+patio.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
More overgrown shrubs and bushes...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZscH5keBbOPycpqlbP95LVsoXE9OFuKcdy0JTHe4_C-DVZd9yv3toPSVi2bjZFhJ7xQGaC4Ogp-C2QncISpvzJXGaboTgitfy3YA9pLAEhSO2aVMuB68pzbe3uCHZN1PguMbRChB_i0/s1600/exterior+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZscH5keBbOPycpqlbP95LVsoXE9OFuKcdy0JTHe4_C-DVZd9yv3toPSVi2bjZFhJ7xQGaC4Ogp-C2QncISpvzJXGaboTgitfy3YA9pLAEhSO2aVMuB68pzbe3uCHZN1PguMbRChB_i0/s1600/exterior+back.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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More weathered paint and weedy cracks in the cement. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuYwLmcupGo-RbWgpoQyrtkfqVvXEWFJi8u3XuXfIOcdP7nvcgN0mUZaAHpMKfwUrAcIBv7GidkdqZ1WYSmHbKkwj4XDeQdpBBZoq2Xmd_C3GeJMdmpOsRlyZG1Xg_m040D25IpQP1bw/s1600/exterior+water+feature+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuYwLmcupGo-RbWgpoQyrtkfqVvXEWFJi8u3XuXfIOcdP7nvcgN0mUZaAHpMKfwUrAcIBv7GidkdqZ1WYSmHbKkwj4XDeQdpBBZoq2Xmd_C3GeJMdmpOsRlyZG1Xg_m040D25IpQP1bw/s1600/exterior+water+feature+2.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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And, of course, The Bog. What was probably once a lovely water feature had grown so thick with algae that Daphne actually thought it was grass and tried to walk across it! And...fell in. Up to her thighs in nasty, brackish water. </div>
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And off the master bedroom, the one-time....? Patio? Who knows. Now just a pile of rubble and a crooked, rotted column.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2PC5Xf5FIHiZu0-cSZzmcjMP6AUCuVsRSvpvCVv1HFxz8TnGBHSz-PBi0l65NeCrjmjf4G5ZUjoZofXKb-BFjr7FtwwXn2J_e7S0OlfEu8FkL_9wbZLCZRQ32aoM_ApzAmA-K6PN2aE/s1600/exterior+hot+tub+spot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2PC5Xf5FIHiZu0-cSZzmcjMP6AUCuVsRSvpvCVv1HFxz8TnGBHSz-PBi0l65NeCrjmjf4G5ZUjoZofXKb-BFjr7FtwwXn2J_e7S0OlfEu8FkL_9wbZLCZRQ32aoM_ApzAmA-K6PN2aE/s1600/exterior+hot+tub+spot.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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So that's what we fell in love with. Somehow we looked at that house and thought, "Yep, that's the house for us!" But we were both somehow overcome by the same vision while looking at this house, the same dream of what could be. So we took the plunge.</div>
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Not long after having our offer accepted, you may remember that we had our architect friend Aaron Inowye of Inowye Design draw up a plan for us to turn our 90's monstrosity into a pseudo-craftsman-Cape Cod-ish thing. The design looked like this:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYfDtHl3NYTeiOcE5cLHnJe96DUlZOtZXO9_sY9sEQ2OeCfTE6SqkhcjxRze6w4mCBKKoRD-2he3uf6sqM04GhFGMYoPeq4V83b5M1IsC5TlDhfVGvmceTcXTWiDYTxnO4r3-O9v7Lv0/s1600/Elevation-+Front+Perspective.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYfDtHl3NYTeiOcE5cLHnJe96DUlZOtZXO9_sY9sEQ2OeCfTE6SqkhcjxRze6w4mCBKKoRD-2he3uf6sqM04GhFGMYoPeq4V83b5M1IsC5TlDhfVGvmceTcXTWiDYTxnO4r3-O9v7Lv0/s1600/Elevation-+Front+Perspective.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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It included covering all the stucco with hardie-plank, adding wood shakes to a few sections, lowering the peak on the turret, expanding the porch, adding a few decorative gables, and putting on thick white trim wherever possible. So the house would go from this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBV0S_ezd-Qm0Dj4z-MqSScJvbQMbJlt3hCvhxmqtEg4EbtXA-1qwFHDojBsvmbXowq4UDfZGya88Rf-cGHnz0bqG5kn5IH7PRDt22hqyewk8c2fne9c8TFO683t-o5cxfC1T1dbIAik/s1600/exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBV0S_ezd-Qm0Dj4z-MqSScJvbQMbJlt3hCvhxmqtEg4EbtXA-1qwFHDojBsvmbXowq4UDfZGya88Rf-cGHnz0bqG5kn5IH7PRDt22hqyewk8c2fne9c8TFO683t-o5cxfC1T1dbIAik/s1600/exterior.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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to this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYfDtHl3NYTeiOcE5cLHnJe96DUlZOtZXO9_sY9sEQ2OeCfTE6SqkhcjxRze6w4mCBKKoRD-2he3uf6sqM04GhFGMYoPeq4V83b5M1IsC5TlDhfVGvmceTcXTWiDYTxnO4r3-O9v7Lv0/s1600/Elevation-+Front+Perspective.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYfDtHl3NYTeiOcE5cLHnJe96DUlZOtZXO9_sY9sEQ2OeCfTE6SqkhcjxRze6w4mCBKKoRD-2he3uf6sqM04GhFGMYoPeq4V83b5M1IsC5TlDhfVGvmceTcXTWiDYTxnO4r3-O9v7Lv0/s1600/Elevation-+Front+Perspective.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, none of this exterior stuff happened. We spent so much money and time on the inside that the exterior had to get put on the back burner. Someday we'll have money again, like maybe just before our children graduate high school, and we can use their college funds to fix up the outside. But for now the exterior looks about the same.</div>
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We did manage to cut down the huge plumb tree blocking the front, killed off some of the weeds, and we added in sod (hooray!). But the rest of that will have to wait too. Anyway, here's what we're living in today...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNGioAqHYZjkFnXiKG4ilyg-O5UBq4BA0gv2saeqv_b7zIoVC0gayJaqyZz7vWoQ6S6YzIpaUPRqONKntG9eoOms0IhA8gH4i3T3IVJSgzqtoFTeM1m4sZE_wUC3exjngakZVZujrqi4/s1600/IMGP5359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNGioAqHYZjkFnXiKG4ilyg-O5UBq4BA0gv2saeqv_b7zIoVC0gayJaqyZz7vWoQ6S6YzIpaUPRqONKntG9eoOms0IhA8gH4i3T3IVJSgzqtoFTeM1m4sZE_wUC3exjngakZVZujrqi4/s1600/IMGP5359.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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BEFORE AND AFTER:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceNRB0cOCoaOHIloO62amU7fPRRPW1ox2GaSM_y_S4mOEvL0WE73QxTa5z4i15uSbjjgXvC7vuY9r-FlbqMsmf5hBMDGmq_AIeVe3uq5UZ_o1bjvliECVAXVs4VWMXOJbSSsqonAUajM/s1600/before+and+after+exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceNRB0cOCoaOHIloO62amU7fPRRPW1ox2GaSM_y_S4mOEvL0WE73QxTa5z4i15uSbjjgXvC7vuY9r-FlbqMsmf5hBMDGmq_AIeVe3uq5UZ_o1bjvliECVAXVs4VWMXOJbSSsqonAUajM/s1600/before+and+after+exterior.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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The front porch doesn't have the nice pillars and such from the drawing yet, but there's a new door, new porch lights, some batten board to cover up where the old window used to be, and a fresh coat of paint.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZ16RscmcKMZzOnK382MMgcmDfo2ItaZoBvwc4k1TtESSzlX-TjD2i7J0lBdPPnxVsEqBxrcaG_qqEzBkONioSTahIe1rONnICHk9E9neVovleo6j6tH1jSi1U4-BSNfoRDIP2wWEORc/s1600/IMGP5361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZ16RscmcKMZzOnK382MMgcmDfo2ItaZoBvwc4k1TtESSzlX-TjD2i7J0lBdPPnxVsEqBxrcaG_qqEzBkONioSTahIe1rONnICHk9E9neVovleo6j6tH1jSi1U4-BSNfoRDIP2wWEORc/s1600/IMGP5361.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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BEFORE AND AFTER:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Rpwt4QpbJYVqE0Vd6Ews1AzAeiiwXxZn9WgSdtHYRVHEuAVhs608yCBGbHvB8_3_Wqq9kEfzZmRFiCFSz4AMdnhI6i-hc3v29ZzS7ADXL8BBQqsCuyMyTrhs6azGUQuXpL_b4odvmC8/s1600/exterior-porch-before-and-after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Rpwt4QpbJYVqE0Vd6Ews1AzAeiiwXxZn9WgSdtHYRVHEuAVhs608yCBGbHvB8_3_Wqq9kEfzZmRFiCFSz4AMdnhI6i-hc3v29ZzS7ADXL8BBQqsCuyMyTrhs6azGUQuXpL_b4odvmC8/s1600/exterior-porch-before-and-after.jpg" height="640" width="430" /></a><br />
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We built on a covered porch on the back, so there's a nice shady spot to sit in the afternoon and evening. And the 1 ratty old door + 2 windows to the back yard became 2 new French doors and 1 window. Here's the new patio space:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17KDdHzt5nGjliu7RI6xbmrl7fWu_Vfp_8EpLpE0xFIMhus8cCcr8_dvwAbNiTTR8-KNr38U_66c-xjO1trv9h4GuiN9i2wKWOFUrOXSaUdcvj1q1qqGPOP_GF2tRpfP367CGPYrEqsY/s1600/IMGP5363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17KDdHzt5nGjliu7RI6xbmrl7fWu_Vfp_8EpLpE0xFIMhus8cCcr8_dvwAbNiTTR8-KNr38U_66c-xjO1trv9h4GuiN9i2wKWOFUrOXSaUdcvj1q1qqGPOP_GF2tRpfP367CGPYrEqsY/s1600/IMGP5363.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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The backyard and The Bog have been slightly thinned out. You can see some of the water now if you look really closely. Well, not the <i>water </i>water, but the algae on top of the water. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRfpWVg18Gas1fB6ElYSyiWjWtqmE9WNNegWaGGKay5tE4WliSxq-GPtsP0I-mwE3MuxZTH1H28Z6iNcwCI_jaaWisXEOevxIaDckiMsvfEQZYUwuubDW_3ECwLbBaLjcNv8grL1T2xk/s1600/IMGP5364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRfpWVg18Gas1fB6ElYSyiWjWtqmE9WNNegWaGGKay5tE4WliSxq-GPtsP0I-mwE3MuxZTH1H28Z6iNcwCI_jaaWisXEOevxIaDckiMsvfEQZYUwuubDW_3ECwLbBaLjcNv8grL1T2xk/s1600/IMGP5364.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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BEFORE AND AFTER:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnN5uXatAdA6eUL4kf1-jNhul6WhW_G0erMOvTg0h4QtlY__bKdu74iv_MCMDdx9Jv_BCjWhuwZlQEXAXFBi_v4Yq5AM9H8XllTJpikwJDwvSomx-pSZzEqt3Jm29HfY-2K7fTRtqI6Q/s1600/bogbeforeandafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnN5uXatAdA6eUL4kf1-jNhul6WhW_G0erMOvTg0h4QtlY__bKdu74iv_MCMDdx9Jv_BCjWhuwZlQEXAXFBi_v4Yq5AM9H8XllTJpikwJDwvSomx-pSZzEqt3Jm29HfY-2K7fTRtqI6Q/s1600/bogbeforeandafter.jpg" height="640" width="476" /></a><br />
I don't know...that probably doesn't look any different to you! I swear, it's way more dramatic in real life. <br />
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The exterior in the back looks the most different. There is an addition sticking out where it used to be flat. The second 3-panel window/door/window combo is gone in place of just a large picture window (the one from the front of the house as a matter of fact). And you can see where we brought the roof line across to create the covered patio here. (Well, you can kind of see it behind all those Chinese elms shoots!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4ct0Vwga-OqvBwGmsMnmkkiLrlxe65DT_Ic_od0hboVNfDtxm34RhMIvuwuCdYqHV_AQWL9M2DPXLl8dqdCQA18r6kzGLlWJtRlW94HpFk65azBr5DGbz9eu8G78JIVQ_Lj8nUOTM0Y/s1600/IMGP5368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4ct0Vwga-OqvBwGmsMnmkkiLrlxe65DT_Ic_od0hboVNfDtxm34RhMIvuwuCdYqHV_AQWL9M2DPXLl8dqdCQA18r6kzGLlWJtRlW94HpFk65azBr5DGbz9eu8G78JIVQ_Lj8nUOTM0Y/s1600/IMGP5368.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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BEFORE AND AFTER:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AuyTosXFunE3NZPBy6wJFTOq57516RM0_jl_fZTAkb96GUc8RprVZuKVKlPtDuFzWPQZVEtw2zj7ZrOeqNs1UNNdS2Z6LclKIR952mQmurgM2-_tqdjM35h3yPv6dW1iOPHp2EyFZRc/s1600/exteriorwestbanda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AuyTosXFunE3NZPBy6wJFTOq57516RM0_jl_fZTAkb96GUc8RprVZuKVKlPtDuFzWPQZVEtw2zj7ZrOeqNs1UNNdS2Z6LclKIR952mQmurgM2-_tqdjM35h3yPv6dW1iOPHp2EyFZRc/s1600/exteriorwestbanda.jpg" height="640" width="441" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaxS5LMAmZPa9n4tnLxozHQ2FFu4lcdVLoU4WiEJ27cWux5mBRrrNc8AaUPZzq4LxaadhYjCAS1fZTtwIKAIyCZ7BrTlYgmkbfRY78f0Mz7IFGB7TCmWB73AV2TXWf3IorK-TfGPDCHs/s1600/exterioreastbanda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaxS5LMAmZPa9n4tnLxozHQ2FFu4lcdVLoU4WiEJ27cWux5mBRrrNc8AaUPZzq4LxaadhYjCAS1fZTtwIKAIyCZ7BrTlYgmkbfRY78f0Mz7IFGB7TCmWB73AV2TXWf3IorK-TfGPDCHs/s1600/exterioreastbanda.jpg" height="640" width="414" /></a></div>
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So that's the exterior. Right now it looks a lot like the house did in the beginning. (Original pic from late 90's below. Minus the peach stucco, Thank Goodness.)</div>
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Then...</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZKetzzPXqhfG7FnwDKKdehEi3nLWKnqeU2nsjB3hqNIjRP5WlroTRdSYjILf6XbtDcN1c5B5tZOEE4GjkdCGsNyGHrYzpf9TVoMG4ksKG9IkQG3FqXC0tgkv2i8TIupu44G5VgU_jHE/s1600/exterior+beachwood+house+1996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZKetzzPXqhfG7FnwDKKdehEi3nLWKnqeU2nsjB3hqNIjRP5WlroTRdSYjILf6XbtDcN1c5B5tZOEE4GjkdCGsNyGHrYzpf9TVoMG4ksKG9IkQG3FqXC0tgkv2i8TIupu44G5VgU_jHE/s1600/exterior+beachwood+house+1996.JPG" /></a><br />
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Now...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uoSJWY4LNltxQfo54yRjQsKe5eBOHzlEFJktuVa3uw36TNo8HfdzkAf2WertmTRMrqLUz2rXWWuxEpby8TCjdlNRnJDKOI3wHMDndNdjnBvfTRqlmvUgs4EZg6qvrSzXgQlK1AWQQW0/s1600/IMGP5359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uoSJWY4LNltxQfo54yRjQsKe5eBOHzlEFJktuVa3uw36TNo8HfdzkAf2WertmTRMrqLUz2rXWWuxEpby8TCjdlNRnJDKOI3wHMDndNdjnBvfTRqlmvUgs4EZg6qvrSzXgQlK1AWQQW0/s1600/IMGP5359.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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Someday we'll do the whole Cape Cod/craftsman thing. Probably right about the time that stucco becomes super popular again with our luck. But for now the house is going to stay pretty much like this. </div>
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-85372601369042621592014-05-02T10:23:00.000-06:002014-08-27T12:01:20.076-06:00Let There Be Light!<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'd think designing and decorating a house would be so much fun! And for some people--people who are really decisive--it probably is. But you know what? A lot of the choices I've had to make for the house have been more stressful than fun! For one thing, I'm not super in tune with my style. That is to say, I know what I don't like. But I don't always know what I DO like until I see it. And I often have to see it in context to know if I like it. And sometimes I like a couple of different things that are nothing alike--like I really like modern, but I also like antiques. So then I'm confused! I also worry about making a really important choice and not knowing if it's the <i>right </i>choice. Trying to choose paint colors, for example, nearly gave me a nervous breakdown. I was so sure I'd end up hating what I chose! And carpet...what if it didn't end up matching the walls? Or the furniture we need to put in there that we haven't even bought yet?? Even the tile...there were so many beautiful choices, but tile is so expensive that it took so much of the fun out of it. And then there was the whole<a href="http://1895house.blogspot.com/2014/04/tile.html" target="_blank"> grout issue</a>.... But now it's time to choose lighting, and I'm actually really enjoying it! For some reason these choices don't seem nearly so life and death. And somehow I seem to be honed in on what I like more when it comes to lights. So here are some of the lights I've picked...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first thing I chose, I actually picked last summer before I ever even found this house! I was on the Parade of Homes tour in SLC and saw a house with the most lovely white kitchen.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDRmdhwhS3-xoT7YkONkIail4u2F9XMPiAJQJtHDGXnKX50_HFf-3NEl0HooaVfRM_6RQI5baVDd8pJbIKT-ddKHdcpOePDdBQaKUipOoTc8QOwsl6OzplrlooY7hX_PqvxSiZbmybGw/s1600/gorgeous+kitchen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDRmdhwhS3-xoT7YkONkIail4u2F9XMPiAJQJtHDGXnKX50_HFf-3NEl0HooaVfRM_6RQI5baVDd8pJbIKT-ddKHdcpOePDdBQaKUipOoTc8QOwsl6OzplrlooY7hX_PqvxSiZbmybGw/s1600/gorgeous+kitchen.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In it were these amazing aqua seeded-glass pendants. I FELL. IN. LOVE! I took several pictures just in case I ever needed them. So flash forward a few months later when we discovered and bought Little Pink House III, and I found out I was going to be able to create my perfect white kitchen (just like the one in the picture); I knew I HAD to try to find those blue pendants! So I searched and searched through pages of pendants on google and....I found them! They were at Ballard Designs. So as soon as they had a sale, I swooped in and bought 5: one for above the kitchen sink, one for above the window seat, and 3 for above the island. And I've held onto them since December! Finally they're installed. And they're so lovely, don't you think??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GuuD0uJIsXxvMs5JuwBmf7Cp4fkL5b8Te2wv1MjmMqmoWAaxUXlAxSN931voK9NQgFideSPNLSPzdrlTJR4uhC3AlzQh93bSFmqu05NPZ6rcdHGhTn_aDNe10VniBBaTieKKiT6jV7Q/s1600/IMG_1455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GuuD0uJIsXxvMs5JuwBmf7Cp4fkL5b8Te2wv1MjmMqmoWAaxUXlAxSN931voK9NQgFideSPNLSPzdrlTJR4uhC3AlzQh93bSFmqu05NPZ6rcdHGhTn_aDNe10VniBBaTieKKiT6jV7Q/s1600/IMG_1455.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second light I chose, I also chose way back in December, though I just finally ordered it last week. In fact, I think it was the first thing I actually decided to buy for the house. When I saw this chandelier, I knew it would look stunning in my master closet. So when it was due to arrive last week at the new house, I waited with baited breath. Only I didn't see it the day it was supposed to arrive. Or the next day. The third day I was about to do a tracking search on it, but then I found it...installed in my office! Whoops, I have no idea why the electrician thought it went there. But it looked so nice, I let it stay and ordered another one for my closet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJi6awx7kOpB0TYb0zQ65gXPwn-qgn6VbaOVkbw2hokvbRnHFMXabUZgM5W2WOvAf1DkvLy3xcZLVNNshKIlXfuaKma_RxD5bHk4C1IV8Cjj_BvO9TkL0iFtm46MK3p9jQ2sZ1yr4sRnc/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJi6awx7kOpB0TYb0zQ65gXPwn-qgn6VbaOVkbw2hokvbRnHFMXabUZgM5W2WOvAf1DkvLy3xcZLVNNshKIlXfuaKma_RxD5bHk4C1IV8Cjj_BvO9TkL0iFtm46MK3p9jQ2sZ1yr4sRnc/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the light I got for most of the rest of the rooms in the house--this white linen drum light. It looks more golden when turned on. But you can see it below turned off, along with the vanity lights that will go in most of the bathrooms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4tvLs4JOhdszfrSfkAlVov56hRBlr4jzRQhQZxyU3O4jwyBmu18XlSFTMKAs3zryMGTgKpf5iR8TKZJmNpPft6hkQc67FPVQPJUGVR7-oMkPT5-TWUO6Fi8BYM_fLJqRra247FOavW4/s1600/IMG_1448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4tvLs4JOhdszfrSfkAlVov56hRBlr4jzRQhQZxyU3O4jwyBmu18XlSFTMKAs3zryMGTgKpf5iR8TKZJmNpPft6hkQc67FPVQPJUGVR7-oMkPT5-TWUO6Fi8BYM_fLJqRra247FOavW4/s1600/IMG_1448.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVQv_oRhdeflrktBUy_tBy602iPxemyINQNAqRZ_s3fMFjRKluLYafeBALfz4DJ1wzcJWwfYHmWznZSd-_qVtVCxv6XW8a8979JlVe7fdEIJ2lLz1pFvb-lT2eOhP0Yl8_dxDEIDIlII/s1600/IMG_1453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVQv_oRhdeflrktBUy_tBy602iPxemyINQNAqRZ_s3fMFjRKluLYafeBALfz4DJ1wzcJWwfYHmWznZSd-_qVtVCxv6XW8a8979JlVe7fdEIJ2lLz1pFvb-lT2eOhP0Yl8_dxDEIDIlII/s1600/IMG_1453.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here it is turned on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a more flush mounted version of the drum light that goes in some of the more utilitarian areas, like the pantry and laundry room.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaGoVi89wKlDlep54-fx2TtWO6ydx1y03DUSQGUYHPeYUigmP5iA4I_aJfYFDAfPYLTH72SusSLN4UpD6eqO2to0-1bU9DWEDDU94RF7HVcWTGKYvZzselhkBBCUA1ZFotDqmLSTJ-FI/s1600/flush+mount.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaGoVi89wKlDlep54-fx2TtWO6ydx1y03DUSQGUYHPeYUigmP5iA4I_aJfYFDAfPYLTH72SusSLN4UpD6eqO2to0-1bU9DWEDDU94RF7HVcWTGKYvZzselhkBBCUA1ZFotDqmLSTJ-FI/s1600/flush+mount.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The guest bath has this ceiling light and this vanity sconce:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBZlZxaAL8SRuElNPEOmPLiRwpaLiYzfRIi9paAtH8hUfd3HZvGYPGX4gYMdjS-P-H2MqfQnShEqsL_P4XbeyLfS18JUsaRPJMCfHy_ETXCjLHqIQLDtqfRrM2yr73hc87KnNofeb77U/s1600/allen+roth+flush+mount.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBZlZxaAL8SRuElNPEOmPLiRwpaLiYzfRIi9paAtH8hUfd3HZvGYPGX4gYMdjS-P-H2MqfQnShEqsL_P4XbeyLfS18JUsaRPJMCfHy_ETXCjLHqIQLDtqfRrM2yr73hc87KnNofeb77U/s1600/allen+roth+flush+mount.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQA7GFkd5bfrQwE1I6kN6otpy154N9E3ZlcqbyQ8yBtQKL-HyAxcWNLXNAZhe-cra0zichJlAACxe6ABGMM1TbDDHR7hDgP4_LNp63oFC_44K210AHaHEDvFfp2B9llO4Sz-BTEBXQjk/s1600/IMG_1285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQA7GFkd5bfrQwE1I6kN6otpy154N9E3ZlcqbyQ8yBtQKL-HyAxcWNLXNAZhe-cra0zichJlAACxe6ABGMM1TbDDHR7hDgP4_LNp63oFC_44K210AHaHEDvFfp2B9llO4Sz-BTEBXQjk/s1600/IMG_1285.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And the outdoor lights are going to be these pewter lanterns. (Did you know that at least 98% of all outdoor lights look like lanterns of some kind? It's true! Unless you want some really ultra-modern tube or something, lanterns are IT.)</span>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzoUmE3YtlK-lTHCzz27wrL0QySCF-ivdXBYbSC1_vA8Uy3uxUH-FaLUcL-BjEcu6R81pR-z3D4rI7ZDChoBremyVgYXtRXL5WbjKmJQ2ooDvoeruqOoeUN9U0PhnYrM9kQYLKU8LGWU/s1600/TransGlobe-Lighting-Outdoor-Wall-Lantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzoUmE3YtlK-lTHCzz27wrL0QySCF-ivdXBYbSC1_vA8Uy3uxUH-FaLUcL-BjEcu6R81pR-z3D4rI7ZDChoBremyVgYXtRXL5WbjKmJQ2ooDvoeruqOoeUN9U0PhnYrM9kQYLKU8LGWU/s1600/TransGlobe-Lighting-Outdoor-Wall-Lantern.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pippa's black and white bathroom got this girly crystal vanity light...</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ChGY8QyyEtGDWbwQ2HQaXxDjrkOuZZSrkYGMrQ5HUiQtADGH7GT17FdXZ57WBi5o9StCXbJKVdmWzS-_i0DDJMW3Nv7Jj6dImp7gN6C_wPGx09gLw7QKm85t5ip1Dn40YaaFmLoMDN4/s1600/crystal+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ChGY8QyyEtGDWbwQ2HQaXxDjrkOuZZSrkYGMrQ5HUiQtADGH7GT17FdXZ57WBi5o9StCXbJKVdmWzS-_i0DDJMW3Nv7Jj6dImp7gN6C_wPGx09gLw7QKm85t5ip1Dn40YaaFmLoMDN4/s1600/crystal+light.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(From Lowe's mix-and-match collection. You choose any bar you want with any light covers you want. I love it! Though I think it needs smaller light bulbs).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This will be the chandelier for the dining room.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighyphenhyphenn1FB754gZ7f1S8QKm4r9WmO860_0BCDR_yF36uqEZOoRUADXLRu_d0RIpFYtBEB5OUMFHLadWtfnel-ZbtMPKIUpDY8k6vbFT9fZPnuhes16ohw6D8QizVSapQiQMOf7PnFUMpoy0/s1600/capital+lighting+chandelier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighyphenhyphenn1FB754gZ7f1S8QKm4r9WmO860_0BCDR_yF36uqEZOoRUADXLRu_d0RIpFYtBEB5OUMFHLadWtfnel-ZbtMPKIUpDY8k6vbFT9fZPnuhes16ohw6D8QizVSapQiQMOf7PnFUMpoy0/s1600/capital+lighting+chandelier.jpg" height="342" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the giant brass chandelier in the entry that we took down</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> will either be spray painted turquoise </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and put back up </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(if I have my way) </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAh4uf3mlCSCXjf244K3EbWrrKnT2-t2qj0xkt-DkXByz1yXQgtGqqSM_5Kz3l2ulMzYtEiIyRf-aFjaiJJoUJkp27Y0-K5nc-dHXfqpZMexdCuDLW2e81ngCqQypJ29DQE1kw8CmYFY/s1600/4660204749_a3ddc592bb_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAh4uf3mlCSCXjf244K3EbWrrKnT2-t2qj0xkt-DkXByz1yXQgtGqqSM_5Kz3l2ulMzYtEiIyRf-aFjaiJJoUJkp27Y0-K5nc-dHXfqpZMexdCuDLW2e81ngCqQypJ29DQE1kw8CmYFY/s1600/4660204749_a3ddc592bb_z.jpg" height="320" width="305" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">or replaced with something else (If Big Daddy has his way). Maybe something like this. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWu-G1CU6pwaB1Y8XK5nJMCdyKiW1iSlzqxddVlEMe2AVwXlA_idyxd0vx3y49UJXZ51ps6q9tV_nAqr0lYcujz5K2bCWLS0PvWmk1MW_esnlmA_x7HuptOhHpCMfoVu783b7t6rudRSs/s1600/Fortune+9-Light+Chandelier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWu-G1CU6pwaB1Y8XK5nJMCdyKiW1iSlzqxddVlEMe2AVwXlA_idyxd0vx3y49UJXZ51ps6q9tV_nAqr0lYcujz5K2bCWLS0PvWmk1MW_esnlmA_x7HuptOhHpCMfoVu783b7t6rudRSs/s1600/Fortune+9-Light+Chandelier.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But who wants to spend an extra $700-1000 on a chandelier?? Not me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rest of the lighting is all recessed lighting. When we bought the house they were this awful yellowed plastic. Now they're pure white. I really wanted stainless steel cans but the lighting guy looked at me like I was asking him to build me a space ship to Neptune when I suggested that. And even though I assured him that they do exist, when I came to the house one day, they were all put in....white. So I guess I'm getting white!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also had dusk-activated lights installed along the stairways and hallways for the kids at night. I'm very exited about that since our current hallway lights are plug-in nightlights that always seem to go missing! These lights are built in. They are that blue-ish LED color, though, which I'm not in love with. I'll have to see if they can change them out for normal warm light. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, that is the lighting for the new house. What do you think?</span><br />
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-60320332826994229132014-04-22T22:44:00.001-06:002015-06-16T08:48:42.014-06:00Wood Floors<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello again! So, the remodel is coming along really well. For the most part. One of my favorite developments of late is the hard wood floors. Little Pink House III already had hardwood floors on the main floor. You can see them best in this picture:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70GQcN9dTLeTgs2So71Bq0Hyi0X6rErZSrj_dPVnBe3pEzVLIkBsW9vA6ivdrO26yvYZ7FpHafeueT5dcDuCW3CJnJ91MZ8WG8wvLRSfrAHeWYPJKXytX1AYBtUn14lupa6Ysc5lfliM/s1600/living+family+rooms.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70GQcN9dTLeTgs2So71Bq0Hyi0X6rErZSrj_dPVnBe3pEzVLIkBsW9vA6ivdrO26yvYZ7FpHafeueT5dcDuCW3CJnJ91MZ8WG8wvLRSfrAHeWYPJKXytX1AYBtUn14lupa6Ysc5lfliM/s400/living+family+rooms.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kind of the ubiquitous (i.e. ugly) golden oak color of the 90's. But, surprisingly, they were in pretty good shape (miraculous, really, considering the state of the rest of the house). They weren't the trendy wide planks. Not even the mainstream medium planks; they were the traditional, even old-fashioned, skinny planks of red oak. But they were not terribly scratched or dented. And skinny red-oak planks are at least pretty classic. So we decided to refinish them rather than rip them out and start over.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Our flooring guy, Josh, and his crew came over and patched some spots that had to be cut to fix pipes/vents, filled in holes from the previous island configuration, added wood to the office and new dining room, and removed hardwood from the old half of the enlarged family room (where we will put in carpet). </span><br />
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Next we got to choose a stain. Right now über dark floors are very a la mode. (Meaning "of the fashion" not "with ice cream" in case you thought we were going to serve ice cream on them. :) (Although, now that I think of it, my floors are covered in ice cream often enough that you could use either meaning really). So that was our first thought--VERY dark. Espresso dark. But then we've also seen a few examples of floors done with a grey stain. Sort of Cape Cod beach house looking. It was intriguing. And after every person we know with dark wood floors had told us that dark wood floors are of the devil (dirt-wise) we though maybe grey might be a better option. Or a lighter brown. Yes, indecisive is a good word for us. So we had Josh paint us a bunch of swatches:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2AqZDHSp6dCukuTIWc-ZBiVMHiU92ySRD9rQHgdekRtQU-tCHHeqREI4dIDSXAedmeO1BrXzXM7-SWzJkWCc9zUc4jB0THRIOd6AnaGaV3H3FNoeEnaGewe7nCH19rsfXD3QWz3itXA/s1600/floor+swatches+labeled+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2AqZDHSp6dCukuTIWc-ZBiVMHiU92ySRD9rQHgdekRtQU-tCHHeqREI4dIDSXAedmeO1BrXzXM7-SWzJkWCc9zUc4jB0THRIOd6AnaGaV3H3FNoeEnaGewe7nCH19rsfXD3QWz3itXA/s1600/floor+swatches+labeled+(2).jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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Immediately, we both decided we hated the grey. It was very blue and brown. Red Oak is a very grainy wood with a lot of light and dark variation. And it seemed that the light spots turned very blue but the dark spots kept a lot of their brown. And overall, instead of seeming beachy like it might on hickory or maple, it just looked hideous.</span><br />
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The two lighter brown stains were...blah. Safe, practical, and super boring. They look the same in this picture, but the one on the far left "spice brown" is more cool and the one 2nd to the right "dark walnut" is more red. </span><br />
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The white glaze was thrown in on a whim. And we both were immediately intrigued by it. It also carried a sort of beach house look, but somehow more clean and modern. And Josh The Floor Guy said that white is surprisingly good for floors in terms of not showing dirt. Probably the best of all of the colors, he said. So that made us even more interested in the white. But it also tended to look just a little bit unfinished. And we worried that people would wonder if we even had the floors stained. We also wondered if we had the balls to carry off something that bold and unconventional. Hmmm...it warranted some thought.</span><br />
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And then there was the black "Ebony". Although we were both immediately drawn towards it because all the pictures in our minds and on our Houzz accounts had dark wood floors, it was VERY dark. And very cool, not a warm espresso color. And then there were all the horror stories about every speck of dust and every crumb of any kind standing out like dandruff on a priest. So we just weren't sure.</span><br />
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A day or two later, Big Daddy had gone to lunch at a local favorite called The Dodo. And as he looked down at their floors, he realized they were the exact size and type of wood as our floors, and the color was PERFECT. So he snapped a picture, we sent it to Josh, and Josh made up a concoction all his own to produce a lighter warmer shade of brown than the Ebony, but darker and more dramatic than the medium browns. With 2 parts Spice Brown and 1 part Ebony....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqobrmR8U8thdRcmqk9JmAVJcwpj-x08gjz57Knt9LK4sH1k15RZqlPlMW-dY3hbTaWLE_5n2hb20m7X3h_jfM7wHolbuYWFrODyPfdQLTQxIPeKWZ3R50jb9nAClczb1uMwr1Ln-D1E4/s1600/IMG_1344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqobrmR8U8thdRcmqk9JmAVJcwpj-x08gjz57Knt9LK4sH1k15RZqlPlMW-dY3hbTaWLE_5n2hb20m7X3h_jfM7wHolbuYWFrODyPfdQLTQxIPeKWZ3R50jb9nAClczb1uMwr1Ln-D1E4/s1600/IMG_1344.JPG" width="400" /></span></a><br />
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We saw the swatch and loved it. It looked just right to us. So we gave the go ahead. And within a couple of days, our hardwood floors were done! One thing to note, we also used a water-based clear coat, not polyurethane, because poly is quite yellow and we wanted to keep the color cool. We also chose a high-gloss because we like shiny things! (And the water base is not nearly as glossy as polyurethane).</span><br />
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Behold! Spiced Ebony!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be perfectly honest, we both expected it to be a bit darker. So when we first saw the finished floors, we were like, "....um...?" But the more we look at it, the more we like it. It's light enough to be classic and timeless, but dark enough to be striking. I can't wait to see how it looks with furniture!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And one surprise... </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxY4F9dwQEbZBfRC5yv5pvIGIvYJ-7WN3ojwT6mLp-ab-7mlKS8gicF3mjoXpyp0rRwvi8We7kqXnTxcGQN6ACHrQaUW2ARglfk9r38ngefRN9NnAMiI8iV8PM4oOslvh8OnA1EF8sQB4/s1600/white+glaze+floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxY4F9dwQEbZBfRC5yv5pvIGIvYJ-7WN3ojwT6mLp-ab-7mlKS8gicF3mjoXpyp0rRwvi8We7kqXnTxcGQN6ACHrQaUW2ARglfk9r38ngefRN9NnAMiI8iV8PM4oOslvh8OnA1EF8sQB4/s1600/white+glaze+floor.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WHITE!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We chickened out on doing the whole house, but we both liked the idea enough to do one room in it. So Josh built in a threshold piece to divide the entry from the office and put on the white glaze. And we love it! Way more than I expected to. In fact, now I kind of wish we'd done the whole house in it! Ha! Oh well. I do love the color we chose. And now I know that in some future world where I refinish or install wood floors again (NEVER), the white glaze is beautiful, and I don't need to be such a wuss!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the whitewash. It looks kind of like natural, unfinished wood, but a bit cooler in color. Love it!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuY1HaADWKJycNu2C4tgDon5lw6kW8jZAtsa4Shu46psWvreL2AQvWiZrmpQb2EKj4O8HVs_E7xS_nH7vHIN_Vqc5KW2PK3VjxEBVTGuK1E0SAc4GRglSu25tbSeGEutD4EREt7NbVwRc/s1600/IMG_3051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuY1HaADWKJycNu2C4tgDon5lw6kW8jZAtsa4Shu46psWvreL2AQvWiZrmpQb2EKj4O8HVs_E7xS_nH7vHIN_Vqc5KW2PK3VjxEBVTGuK1E0SAc4GRglSu25tbSeGEutD4EREt7NbVwRc/s400/IMG_3051.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up? Carpet!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">** I've added some pictures later, after the remodel was finished, at the request of some readers who wanted more pictures of the finished product.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you stopped by, leave a comment! I'd love to know what you think.</span></div>
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-15354861822146166692014-04-08T09:24:00.001-06:002014-04-08T09:28:04.108-06:00Tile!!I hate grout. Hate it with a <span style="font-size: x-large;">burning passion</span>. If you've ever had tile, you'll know that grout is a complete nightmare. It is always dirty, so hard to clean, rough, stained, traps dust and spills.....I'm not even close to being a germ-o-phobe, but the thought of what is down in those cracks gives me the heebie-jeebies. And then there's how it looks. Even though I steam clean (AKA sterilize) my floor regularly, nothing seems to make it <i>look </i>better. I've tried everything! Bleach, Lemi-Shine, even scrubbing it with Comet and a toothbrush. But it still always looks grimy and stained. Tile is also cold. And really hard underfoot. So when we bought Little Pink House III and began renovations, I was pretty determined not to have any tile in it. But, the alternatives were wood (not good in wet areas like bathrooms) and laminate flooring (ew!). So I decided to take another look into the tile option.<br />
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The upside of tile is that it can be really beautiful. So the appearance of the tile itself wasn't an issue. But that grout! So when I went to tile stores, I asked around: What products were there that could make tile more user friendly? Less rough? Less prone to staining? Easier to clean? I got several answers. The first was, make your tile joints a lot smaller. Back in the day, people used these giant 1/4" grout joints. But for almost all tile, you can get away with 1/8" or sometimes even 1/16". Done! Then, as for grout products, I was told: 1) Epoxy. This is a combination of grout and epoxy. It has a more smooth plastic feel. It doesn't stain at all so it stays looking nice and it's easy to clean. BUT it was a nightmare to work with, I was told. And at almost $200 a bucket, doing 5 bathrooms, a laundry room, and a mud room was out of the question. 2) Polyurethane grout. Same idea. Made of polymers mixed with grout. Smooth, stain free. But about half the price. Still, at $100 a bucket I was looking at a fortune just for grout. 3) Finally, on the advice of a very knowledgeable tile guy at my tile store, we found that mixing the sealant in WITH the grout, and some other special additive, made the grout really even in color without the usual staining caused by sealing it, and it responds way better to cleaning. I had my doubts. I still do. I still think I may end up tearing my hair out over this amount of tile I just put in. But he seemed pretty sure I'd like the result so....I went tile shopping.<br />
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For the master bathroom tile, Big Daddy and I chose a cream colored, shiny modern tile. 13x35, so pretty big slabs. It has a sort of bamboo-ish stripe pattern to it. I love it! It will go on the bottom half of the shower and the tub skirt.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgoOQgZuxb0XYWskt633yAk_Mj9fGh6xKlsH8PhQTccLNdY0rCI2EaQ-CxOfOZuXl-ILS1mKNGkaEosT4d0fmdFJZgX9EiQp-6-HAz4nLc6iwtSJUBiAr9ChRpO5lPEJc9qiFIDJ0HaY/s1600/IMG_1070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgoOQgZuxb0XYWskt633yAk_Mj9fGh6xKlsH8PhQTccLNdY0rCI2EaQ-CxOfOZuXl-ILS1mKNGkaEosT4d0fmdFJZgX9EiQp-6-HAz4nLc6iwtSJUBiAr9ChRpO5lPEJc9qiFIDJ0HaY/s1600/IMG_1070.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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We paired that with 3x6 sea glass subway tile for the top half of the shower, the tub backsplash and the vanity backsplash, 1x1" sea glass mosaic tile for the shower floor, and Big Daddy chose a dark brown slightly linen striped 12x24" for the floor. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLwvsiq9-Z9X2VdKAnTNOBN81Bd66_dJ8tHUVOdyuLgAVVTQcdltWhSWj5frZU6NY0JsL83iYO7S9ck2m474NLAKuBJnVRHmbDEWuLoz1KDypwQHJj_cRJBOzoBn6vGOBRtJnUXNu30s/s1600/IMG_1090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLwvsiq9-Z9X2VdKAnTNOBN81Bd66_dJ8tHUVOdyuLgAVVTQcdltWhSWj5frZU6NY0JsL83iYO7S9ck2m474NLAKuBJnVRHmbDEWuLoz1KDypwQHJj_cRJBOzoBn6vGOBRtJnUXNu30s/s1600/IMG_1090.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifC7DgNEl8V3kPRExrItlpnITPUvRSrWJXA7MxaUURwdwg4pqoedZ7hAPvgxzMWhYIrTlwt1vPX6i0Up8FMipsGWO1NGhebN9zG5wCXcz-chFPQV2LxulQiPPUpms1mCJePcpACD7J6Yo/s1600/IMG_1008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifC7DgNEl8V3kPRExrItlpnITPUvRSrWJXA7MxaUURwdwg4pqoedZ7hAPvgxzMWhYIrTlwt1vPX6i0Up8FMipsGWO1NGhebN9zG5wCXcz-chFPQV2LxulQiPPUpms1mCJePcpACD7J6Yo/s1600/IMG_1008.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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The tile in the master bath is all finished. Do you want a sneak peak?? (The walls are still not painted and the floor is dusty, so obviously it'll look better than this when it's all finished and clean.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_B3rQfDS6caB_0ZvS9oD_63JCtoHJXIF_ocVzsPU4Tw1jgFKTe5A2mijtpQtsCat-V8zTpr2lHK9QeX_JTZRgPPirNAkOTMWvuhqlZni5my9MPhRyn9__x3KmxpVjkftnANgVQAefmWA/s1600/IMG_1303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_B3rQfDS6caB_0ZvS9oD_63JCtoHJXIF_ocVzsPU4Tw1jgFKTe5A2mijtpQtsCat-V8zTpr2lHK9QeX_JTZRgPPirNAkOTMWvuhqlZni5my9MPhRyn9__x3KmxpVjkftnANgVQAefmWA/s1600/IMG_1303.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsox5zhVj48Zv68w-CrnyYdKKWRPWCMZH0kTqpyiN6LgmewC2GYKAdTQ6mSZpHbyqDsvAN0Qt0vkctLboqSM_u8JZYs-eyesW6BB_c7bgINLJU3gcDilFOkgm8f7cNGlObM2VffV6ptw/s1600/IMG_1304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsox5zhVj48Zv68w-CrnyYdKKWRPWCMZH0kTqpyiN6LgmewC2GYKAdTQ6mSZpHbyqDsvAN0Qt0vkctLboqSM_u8JZYs-eyesW6BB_c7bgINLJU3gcDilFOkgm8f7cNGlObM2VffV6ptw/s1600/IMG_1304.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Pippa's bathroom upstairs got a retro look with black and white hex tile. I need to pick out a fun, whimsical towel/shower curtain design that won't be too busy for this polka dot look. Any ideas?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHc3TZzMDNgI4qEJj9zM5TMCpL-cgqFIcSE3w0NF7yGEXJKSBLjjra1d3BkJVTcm88YrmnlvQg38BgUmYsZrJQfs7MDxfRY09QZjAbdbkRyOe-60MP-BZ7CTcL0lr592BtFm8JZn1pvQ/s1600/IMG_1073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHc3TZzMDNgI4qEJj9zM5TMCpL-cgqFIcSE3w0NF7yGEXJKSBLjjra1d3BkJVTcm88YrmnlvQg38BgUmYsZrJQfs7MDxfRY09QZjAbdbkRyOe-60MP-BZ7CTcL0lr592BtFm8JZn1pvQ/s1600/IMG_1073.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWx4HVEJ-QDwRZ2L_0k74C-zWcn8R6tHed7kXwE3xok0qEObx8SI4Z15hZUdnsmQBWqyhqzwa-rGoRJWcpHptkeldY4sK6_hPfR7dXPojnOmKbL_-9uRI8apUkZm2azkCopQoh_z32YQ/s1600/IMG_1249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWx4HVEJ-QDwRZ2L_0k74C-zWcn8R6tHed7kXwE3xok0qEObx8SI4Z15hZUdnsmQBWqyhqzwa-rGoRJWcpHptkeldY4sK6_hPfR7dXPojnOmKbL_-9uRI8apUkZm2azkCopQoh_z32YQ/s1600/IMG_1249.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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Daphne and Beck's bathroom got a very modern 24x24" beige linen tile. It was on sale for $2/square foot! And because it was such a deal, we splurged and bought this absolutely gorgeous aqua hex tile for the backsplash.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipc_-yuMnc8U2ZOzDitpRZ_4h6_qPPBfOqu7b-TRH_BOK-9FX09Mz81qsf8WPDdOTgW86Dch1g_wdQdc_3aKGE1H6z65xSfye0n6V-6LN2asq_Omz1dZ7JxiEpwmmKTcEEZb70nrQ1nY4/s1600/IMG_1317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipc_-yuMnc8U2ZOzDitpRZ_4h6_qPPBfOqu7b-TRH_BOK-9FX09Mz81qsf8WPDdOTgW86Dch1g_wdQdc_3aKGE1H6z65xSfye0n6V-6LN2asq_Omz1dZ7JxiEpwmmKTcEEZb70nrQ1nY4/s1600/IMG_1317.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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The upstairs laundry I chose black and white checkered 12x12" tile just like in my laundry currently. Only it turns out that the one I bought is SUPER smooth and shiny. I'm a little afraid of the cleaning prospects. Just see how dusty it is now! However, since no one else ever does laundry but me, once the construction is over and the floor is carpeted, it will probably stay a lot cleaner. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55Zeiw0gD18G53ddBSfEP6y32GO2nbEoZeIiIF7PNKFCTZvxoaLstfrkQ_aODSO_qzUvs1AXaWt77HVAfWqr37zMjCoTW1tSCApaL5nQD4Dn0YtGGejo11lFqMJ7XlVmy1kKs00K0X_M/s1600/IMG_1248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55Zeiw0gD18G53ddBSfEP6y32GO2nbEoZeIiIF7PNKFCTZvxoaLstfrkQ_aODSO_qzUvs1AXaWt77HVAfWqr37zMjCoTW1tSCApaL5nQD4Dn0YtGGejo11lFqMJ7XlVmy1kKs00K0X_M/s1600/IMG_1248.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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The main floor powder room and mud room both got a really cool grey 12x24 inch tile with a glossy stripe pattern in it. It has a little bit of brown tones in the stripes, which will go well with the brown hardwood floors just outside the mudroom and powder room.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJe6yWwVwd8ZZMebkvK5bjqyhbxZZdGFP1QYsUJFioebVNR-RjieV9RVbuIoKmEI0trALP6lu4sFn_Q5195cAxti8kjWlCj6M_CDeryBJATwYEr3AGcRtqsgLDKIl7p8ce1gMv0kwnfJo/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJe6yWwVwd8ZZMebkvK5bjqyhbxZZdGFP1QYsUJFioebVNR-RjieV9RVbuIoKmEI0trALP6lu4sFn_Q5195cAxti8kjWlCj6M_CDeryBJATwYEr3AGcRtqsgLDKIl7p8ce1gMv0kwnfJo/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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And then on a whim we decided to tile the entire back wall of the powder room with a gorgeous lantern patterned tile. It will be so amazing when the lights are in and the shiny red vanity is installed!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjL8Z5dkmAO_qJyD8lFkbqgKaD_4UfYdPZqyFoNBA1-_D3JRPNZzhT5gQWqVugLqJ4cSeN1m86vqF0lawHORZ3wOKXMkYStMdk_HvFnFgC08zBMmYCcImOXbuj5LlMfmvOom2pVQUVWTM/s1600/IMG_1128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjL8Z5dkmAO_qJyD8lFkbqgKaD_4UfYdPZqyFoNBA1-_D3JRPNZzhT5gQWqVugLqJ4cSeN1m86vqF0lawHORZ3wOKXMkYStMdk_HvFnFgC08zBMmYCcImOXbuj5LlMfmvOom2pVQUVWTM/s1600/IMG_1128.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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The only room remaining untouched is the basement bath. Big Daddy chose a wood-look tile called Eclipse Olive. It looks like this...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh45x8dXLNil2UuORc3AUcJ6n-qq7xZLbUV3DzntfvyJ0ltSyduo0IMglHji5ABQ234vs0z1Kstpt0amJssSkUPUspPlDDzNRaJ9DOAba9yHbSy4ot1Q25frM6NnDRgo6ILGcplGCjc0g/s1600/eclipse+olive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh45x8dXLNil2UuORc3AUcJ6n-qq7xZLbUV3DzntfvyJ0ltSyduo0IMglHji5ABQ234vs0z1Kstpt0amJssSkUPUspPlDDzNRaJ9DOAba9yHbSy4ot1Q25frM6NnDRgo6ILGcplGCjc0g/s1600/eclipse+olive.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
And the general look of the room we're trying to achieve is this. Very spa-like. (Only minus all the fancy shower heads and steam thingies. This is a GUEST bath not an actual spa! Sheesh.)<br />
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Unfortunately, we've fun out of money to finish this bathroom so it'll have to wait until some future date when money shows up again. Probably 2019. <br />
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The fireplaces, also, will have to wait. They had these horrible faux marble and faux granite surrounds, both mauve! So those got ripped out and will be replaced with a lovely herringbone pattern, maybe like this (but probably not limestone = EXPENSIVE!) Someday....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuo-FQMZ_vS7eXm317yW98eIjxXQR0VL_X-HLYQQtILbmZihyVLkfiv0opCKxPoql-gi-IesldnmbPAesQihQV11jtcw3PRXk_VUhX4ZCL__J_jyWvPtYhVVleEh97LcG8S_pMnCEDyfo/s1600/IMG_1067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuo-FQMZ_vS7eXm317yW98eIjxXQR0VL_X-HLYQQtILbmZihyVLkfiv0opCKxPoql-gi-IesldnmbPAesQihQV11jtcw3PRXk_VUhX4ZCL__J_jyWvPtYhVVleEh97LcG8S_pMnCEDyfo/s1600/IMG_1067.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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Of course, the kitchen backspash will be tile too. I'm pretty set on a penny tile or an oval penny tile. But since the kitchen doesn't exist yet (supposedly its going in on Thursday), I just haven't gotten my brain that far. I'll update on that later.<br />
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Anyway, that, my friends, is how tile came back into my life. I will report back later on whether the measures we took to make my life less plagued by grout were successful or not!<br />
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<br />Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-74980213732597450332014-03-04T23:34:00.001-07:002014-03-04T23:34:16.419-07:00Oscars 2014 Fashion Wrap Up!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You know what time of year it is, right? It's that time of year where I take a break from whatever other nonsense I'm usually blogging about for something TRULY important: The Academy Awards Gowns!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This year my overall comment from the Oscars was "Meh." Truly! With one exception, and I'm sure we all know who that is, there just wasn't much that stunned me, for good or for bad. But here are a few of the ones I picked out that warranted any comment at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">BEST:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1) As if it needed any explanation, the beautiful Nairobi blue Prada gown worn by Lupita Nyong'o was breathtaking. Just breathtaking. Elegant, soft, ethereal, perfect. And her darling headband and gold earrings were just the right touch of warmth. LOVED it. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bTTLozedwxMrQfu2j6sc1DrfzIy6CqMgoT-WosbdZ19jLOEVlnwJkwcwlEXkQa64IzZoV6umbRZGpny7qafeQhmZ622dqhmD7u3l9yOxzMhX2jxLfyJZNmT9CaVxbn_7ivSRrqtsK20/s1600/Lupita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bTTLozedwxMrQfu2j6sc1DrfzIy6CqMgoT-WosbdZ19jLOEVlnwJkwcwlEXkQa64IzZoV6umbRZGpny7qafeQhmZ622dqhmD7u3l9yOxzMhX2jxLfyJZNmT9CaVxbn_7ivSRrqtsK20/s1600/Lupita.jpg" height="400" width="295" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2) Cate Blanchette's dress truly enchanted me. The sparkley bits, the cut, the fit....I enjoyed every minute of it. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0MajcTgKRpo0KSih7qckgtpU0E0yvX8rxm0OkVfrBegvw3xAQNstDg56jnQqTkmmzOkba-A3bNrlI04Xcz97kaA6dN9UBgehq16nCdL3B22uLOYGQKrFt2wPOZmRXX2VNxYJV4t8dmA/s1600/Cate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0MajcTgKRpo0KSih7qckgtpU0E0yvX8rxm0OkVfrBegvw3xAQNstDg56jnQqTkmmzOkba-A3bNrlI04Xcz97kaA6dN9UBgehq16nCdL3B22uLOYGQKrFt2wPOZmRXX2VNxYJV4t8dmA/s1600/Cate.jpg" height="400" width="240" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3) My next favorite was on Portia Di Rossi. I just adored the interesting pattern and the unique neckline. She looked statuesque in it. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3cyoV9I4QPVDAlN6U8ngMOj212kcHhd0SELeDXKvSwhu1BpWEqAj8hv3I96VOouIuXDnE5RkA3aiiOLWaMi8lT4X_3Z5VBwHYDjEGYkB8RS9O-KmALokFy_0Gv1dtofwAFoMUCKPKwI/s1600/Portia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3cyoV9I4QPVDAlN6U8ngMOj212kcHhd0SELeDXKvSwhu1BpWEqAj8hv3I96VOouIuXDnE5RkA3aiiOLWaMi8lT4X_3Z5VBwHYDjEGYkB8RS9O-KmALokFy_0Gv1dtofwAFoMUCKPKwI/s1600/Portia.jpg" height="400" width="258" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4) LOVED Penelope Cruz's pink and black gown. I am pretty sure she's pregnant. And if so, she definitely wins for best maternity gown. And if not, WHOOPS! But still a totally gorgeous gown (FYI, it makes you look pregnant, Penny!)</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNKC7Hx67zHFPSauDPW87JT0674TQ0ShyphenhyphenELmws8jnhvdp9IHlOT14VSecfnyE8mLySuaw2_Wo3z5868cAFr9vcIa3BaXjh3xr2g8-jZDikcBlvAJOzH7KPqRA-_8G6LPQ1dGcdrzWJjY/s1600/Penelope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNKC7Hx67zHFPSauDPW87JT0674TQ0ShyphenhyphenELmws8jnhvdp9IHlOT14VSecfnyE8mLySuaw2_Wo3z5868cAFr9vcIa3BaXjh3xr2g8-jZDikcBlvAJOzH7KPqRA-_8G6LPQ1dGcdrzWJjY/s1600/Penelope.jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5) I really liked Amy Adams' navy blue gown with the little folds around the bodice and at the hip. The color was so sedate, though, that she could have used some dramatic jewelry. Not sure what those weird rust colored danglies she had on were!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3OUlSHoDRaKIWIENoe2N4DOgmOcBSFx4KCx6kHwSaa44B8Ab5Fsnmf9eRcpMQkHi4YGQ-Rp23oG-6nxdpqdmQxg3hRSCpqF3MnmergrUecc67AXyeebJvqpL2kd482IaegZWU80Zs0U/s1600/Amy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3OUlSHoDRaKIWIENoe2N4DOgmOcBSFx4KCx6kHwSaa44B8Ab5Fsnmf9eRcpMQkHi4YGQ-Rp23oG-6nxdpqdmQxg3hRSCpqF3MnmergrUecc67AXyeebJvqpL2kd482IaegZWU80Zs0U/s1600/Amy.jpg" height="400" width="287" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6) I don't know who Olga Kurylenko is, but wow! Her amazing dark pink satin gown with that amazing twist of fabric along the top was stunning! I can't believe she didn't get more press for that. Probably because no one else knows who she is either.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXFgaz54OdvB57_jfLr0uhQtKC2S_dvB0N5pi8YN57IR5ptrznV0RpWbObTu2b6wP5l2WY8kH8F-DCT5DCGwKYEMh3zX03W_u7rty4C1yFzEj6yjjNDOsxbeshnuFOQR3v9yb8TJVxak/s1600/Olga+Kurylenko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXFgaz54OdvB57_jfLr0uhQtKC2S_dvB0N5pi8YN57IR5ptrznV0RpWbObTu2b6wP5l2WY8kH8F-DCT5DCGwKYEMh3zX03W_u7rty4C1yFzEj6yjjNDOsxbeshnuFOQR3v9yb8TJVxak/s1600/Olga+Kurylenko.jpg" height="400" width="271" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7) I loved the intricacy of Kristen Chenoweth's gold gown. The color suited her so well and it was just so fun to look at.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">8) Along the same lines, the architecture of Lady Gaga's gown was so fascinating. But...what the heck was she doing at the Oscars??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">9) Kelly Osborne gets a serious honorable mention (or is that honourable?) because this is the most amazing and classic I've ever seen her look. Is this picture photoshopped? Because, Wowza!!!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcM9JIKrnIl-_LZAGEFbYsSzlfcThpdanjrZ2p2iYeHZMUN05zexarJgMwWA0jf1zu95nSnSLGOIsJPCaLazvsKvq5MI109h9I4ClliOVV-OhwoL9J7toRr_Syvv2vJlno5Dg7eymLSU/s1600/kelly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcM9JIKrnIl-_LZAGEFbYsSzlfcThpdanjrZ2p2iYeHZMUN05zexarJgMwWA0jf1zu95nSnSLGOIsJPCaLazvsKvq5MI109h9I4ClliOVV-OhwoL9J7toRr_Syvv2vJlno5Dg7eymLSU/s1600/kelly.jpg" height="400" width="286" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> 10) Emma Watson gets my final nod for this category. It didn't blow me away, but I really liked the unique cut and the black and silver together, and I thought she looked more grown up and sophisticated than she's ever looked before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The Middle</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Making up the largest group of dresses were a whole bunch of really unimpressive, blah, flesh-toned dresses: gold-ish, peach-ish, silver-ish, blush-ish, off-white-ish BORING. So many that they just did nothing for me and deserve no mention. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqacANI41ljdMMFpF4RYbgCGUTdGA-AXScati3Aa4HLuhk19PcI3g-dZgTk5gL0MMTcsWiuRaU4SZEQ3Yrldc3zTn35YQwMSq0GK8xQqQUiSJ7V_VNuAoUstk7PKzCgAjSYQmsXFqLQs/s1600/2014+blah+oscar+dresses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqacANI41ljdMMFpF4RYbgCGUTdGA-AXScati3Aa4HLuhk19PcI3g-dZgTk5gL0MMTcsWiuRaU4SZEQ3Yrldc3zTn35YQwMSq0GK8xQqQUiSJ7V_VNuAoUstk7PKzCgAjSYQmsXFqLQs/s1600/2014+blah+oscar+dresses.jpg" height="320" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Then there were a few others which were just OK. These include:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1) Gabourey Sidibe. I loved the color. I loved the fabric. But I thought the cut was a bit safe. I realize she's a big girl, but I feel like so often the bigger dresses get the same exact cut, year after year. I wish she would risk something more daring.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAI3tC7o5gZ4vG8WhV-WExE-A9lolDHgGZ6G46AYB8mXLhCLLhhCNZrtWhs4U8KKG31jfZMfywuWJY6X2TZ9JT0duQnJ7OnOwo5Ur2LXFZiX9VDjbQl-sXrQ82vs1iUVCrNQuiq95rN4/s1600/Gabourey+Sidibe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAI3tC7o5gZ4vG8WhV-WExE-A9lolDHgGZ6G46AYB8mXLhCLLhhCNZrtWhs4U8KKG31jfZMfywuWJY6X2TZ9JT0duQnJ7OnOwo5Ur2LXFZiX9VDjbQl-sXrQ82vs1iUVCrNQuiq95rN4/s1600/Gabourey+Sidibe.jpg" height="400" width="255" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2) Sandra Bullock. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. Interesting in the front. The dark color didn't do much for me. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUieimB0VUN5JKyT1uo1t9oecjGY-8VG4Sl-nXUuRA_0dioGH3V3h3-InrnvQCeggFBagjvhMTFfehCUZ7-7zbxO-RURkRM_TSn7W9Z7pxdcFiL5nRNVWRRQipyeO3bxco6h3hH08SPlo/s1600/Sandra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUieimB0VUN5JKyT1uo1t9oecjGY-8VG4Sl-nXUuRA_0dioGH3V3h3-InrnvQCeggFBagjvhMTFfehCUZ7-7zbxO-RURkRM_TSn7W9Z7pxdcFiL5nRNVWRRQipyeO3bxco6h3hH08SPlo/s1600/Sandra.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3) Charlize Theron. She's amazingly beautiful. But another stark, structured gown on the red </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">carpet? No big surprise. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-4zBINZd0udBmZN_l1lk4o3P7R1eicN_cdDb3bGQtlE5BWrPKN9UD_Vvo3jvQD8fCXHtdOMWhkBPZqlzaUhEU3XxOVRjKq2cWiuDyULFDzOdNee6kzMHOKym4cnFBtfdhDx74mnjZDo/s1600/Charlize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-4zBINZd0udBmZN_l1lk4o3P7R1eicN_cdDb3bGQtlE5BWrPKN9UD_Vvo3jvQD8fCXHtdOMWhkBPZqlzaUhEU3XxOVRjKq2cWiuDyULFDzOdNee6kzMHOKym4cnFBtfdhDx74mnjZDo/s1600/Charlize.jpg" height="400" width="306" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4) Jennifer Garner. I actually would have LOVED this dress in another color. I'm so glad she did something unique like fringe, and the cut was absolutely perfect on her. But once again, that same bland silvery flesh tone....it lost big points for me.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MrDgLKiZjX-rC6_R33gyCh82qqVi_H6NCtSAq-jJXp0ZnXMAnSNjIdCJMytSg1OG5EvH-SAhOEMWfJN1pXuHoEqdr7any9F3awjJY6NgmrRpXdFKLLTYil9m0MQuZ6zOifJrJaIZV2s/s1600/Jennifer+G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MrDgLKiZjX-rC6_R33gyCh82qqVi_H6NCtSAq-jJXp0ZnXMAnSNjIdCJMytSg1OG5EvH-SAhOEMWfJN1pXuHoEqdr7any9F3awjJY6NgmrRpXdFKLLTYil9m0MQuZ6zOifJrJaIZV2s/s1600/Jennifer+G.jpg" height="400" width="258" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5) Jennifer Lawrence. She is so incredibly beautiful! And she has such a lovely curvy body. This dress was just so underwhelming.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Zu-emQeXB717OAcZzlY81s8BB-i1tMO7rbJvHMC1m0Sb52P7tEMlIBgIvnIMxnIGGO_RLlud-WrjRzg5Yn2wZPpgKgbMt7pZ0pDww4Ht7_zOqDKNsdvC1XXjOQgflASd42bU92ukC8I/s1600/Jennifer+L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Zu-emQeXB717OAcZzlY81s8BB-i1tMO7rbJvHMC1m0Sb52P7tEMlIBgIvnIMxnIGGO_RLlud-WrjRzg5Yn2wZPpgKgbMt7pZ0pDww4Ht7_zOqDKNsdvC1XXjOQgflASd42bU92ukC8I/s1600/Jennifer+L.jpg" height="400" width="276" /></a><br />
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6) <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anne Hathaway. Ya, we've seen this dress before. You wore it last year, only it was pink. I'm not a fan of the big metal studs. The pink version was better. Time to pick a new shape, Girlfriend.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYp9ko6hezsFkcCD6WVQ2aO_PQcVzPm3z2cuUJ8V05wRl1N_IV2tsKP5_GKSDhyyQzUucgBEqqMuemb1DqK35hAGl-VUOF89U0DsCyjRCUT0X89T_qGXlAtl2o_Kpp9JbrudVcTY76-U/s1600/Anne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYp9ko6hezsFkcCD6WVQ2aO_PQcVzPm3z2cuUJ8V05wRl1N_IV2tsKP5_GKSDhyyQzUucgBEqqMuemb1DqK35hAGl-VUOF89U0DsCyjRCUT0X89T_qGXlAtl2o_Kpp9JbrudVcTY76-U/s1600/Anne.jpg" height="400" width="262" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Bad</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It seems like every year there are a few dresses that horrify me. This year I can only think of one that stands out as awful. But there were quite a few that I thought were just the wrong choice. And here they are. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1) Absolute WORST dressed was Liza Minelli. Seriously, Liza? You couldn't manage a skirt or dress.? OR BRA??? A lady of your considerable age and bosom needs a bra! I hate to get all Joan Rivers on you, but those things hang lower than a....(you fill in the blank.)</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYIObAFksXL1R1KZFPpGcYDbAqa_bDxQt3urnuYovzF8aEB9RMFQR6E7fv53mSIUrnhuG70kvJR1e2m-E9cvqKSSa4GBwv8tv47cG1ND0uybN3rQUY8EaeJTg2klO0P8-8ihxpHDZj6I/s1600/Liza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYIObAFksXL1R1KZFPpGcYDbAqa_bDxQt3urnuYovzF8aEB9RMFQR6E7fv53mSIUrnhuG70kvJR1e2m-E9cvqKSSa4GBwv8tv47cG1ND0uybN3rQUY8EaeJTg2klO0P8-8ihxpHDZj6I/s1600/Liza.jpg" height="400" width="185" /></a><br />
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2)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Angelina Jolie. What was she wearing?? Something she stole from the set of The Golden Girls?? It was just awful. AWFUL!!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSYn1dKjQu7PEuTJDVnvQUq5CtNsfKxlKBPZZMg-ouxyv4AmdYcKhW0Yn5QMvkzM51hCpISoIIsUGFA295ErWk4TZHc7lcJwxp181tUQInNi71MvR11o5rS-yvfvdyOq7z0gJPFI2Y4U/s1600/angie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSYn1dKjQu7PEuTJDVnvQUq5CtNsfKxlKBPZZMg-ouxyv4AmdYcKhW0Yn5QMvkzM51hCpISoIIsUGFA295ErWk4TZHc7lcJwxp181tUQInNi71MvR11o5rS-yvfvdyOq7z0gJPFI2Y4U/s1600/angie.jpg" height="400" width="268" /></a><br />
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3) <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The worst thing about Anna Kendrick's dress was that the back was really amazing. But the front...what was that weird red fabric in the middle? It look like her dress had torn in half and they grabbed a nearby curtain to sew the two pieces together. And that leg... AWKWARD. She obviously hadn't practiced how to do an Angelina-Jolie, so she kept moving that leg around, trying to find a good pose </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">in the high slit</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. She didn't. So unfortunate. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWo5Vtizh3TOA51TWJ7UXZZZ7mKR3I_Z1tyBw_m4t_PFtI_qiekgXq97-cy0N6ucxggrRuCSwixI2oRpSaCo3eympQvXULvJFXvfJJjlEpKnS0vERECVi_2AWQeRw_Dbaa50pdC-ulVc/s1600/Anna+Kendrick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWo5Vtizh3TOA51TWJ7UXZZZ7mKR3I_Z1tyBw_m4t_PFtI_qiekgXq97-cy0N6ucxggrRuCSwixI2oRpSaCo3eympQvXULvJFXvfJJjlEpKnS0vERECVi_2AWQeRw_Dbaa50pdC-ulVc/s1600/Anna+Kendrick.jpg" height="400" width="271" /></a><br />
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4) <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There's a great way to show off a baby bump. The Santa's Giant Beer Belly look is NOT it. Maternity FAIL. (LOVED the fabric and color, however.)</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpZZLaeuRvcggt4xNByklAiLIwpoDzVz4kSkzeYbe0XgVen9plIUjP_2RGLZQvyYSPRY6g4F7KPxVYo4S-9s7VJ7HWqV1zT8cVw8wVwCGlMXoyZkIXwTwwGHTRq6kWfGvEX3JMtVgYjs/s1600/elsa+pataky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpZZLaeuRvcggt4xNByklAiLIwpoDzVz4kSkzeYbe0XgVen9plIUjP_2RGLZQvyYSPRY6g4F7KPxVYo4S-9s7VJ7HWqV1zT8cVw8wVwCGlMXoyZkIXwTwwGHTRq6kWfGvEX3JMtVgYjs/s1600/elsa+pataky.jpg" height="320" width="233" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5) Julia, oh Julia. Why? This dress...can you say Barbara Bush? It's so matronly, and that weird lace peplum and bodice insert...it just looks cheap. The fit is off, the color is blah. I hate everything about this dress! And the hair....have you just given up?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6) Julie Delpy. Oh sweetheart. There is flattering, and there is not flattering. And this dress, in every single way is NOT flattering. I remember those hips. I have had those fatty hips, Honey. But you've got to learn to camouflage them! Yuck. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, that sums up my takes on the gowns of 2014. What are your thoughts?</span></div>
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-83288896756200725022014-03-04T00:13:00.000-07:002014-03-04T09:36:29.924-07:00Choosing Paint (AKA How a Decorator Saved My Sanity)<br />
It's done! ALL the paint colors are picked out! (Oh wait. I haven't figured out the master bath. But I'm leaning towards white. That room's got a lot going on in there already.) But anyway, I'm rejoicing because after months of stressing out to the point of hives over what colors to paint all the rooms in the house, it's finally all decided. I did end up having to hire a designer to figure it out. This was due to a little incident where, after weeks of planning colors for the basement to go with our milk chocolate brown sectional, making 3 trips to the paint store to get more samples and more paint rollers, painting 7 different swatches on several walls to observe the effects of light on each color, and eventually mixing 2 colors to get the exact perfect shade of pistachio green, Big Daddy came to look at the color I'd picked and announced that not only did he hate the pistachio green, he also hated that milk chocolate brown couch. <br />
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Commence tearing out of hair.<br />
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Followed by some heated discussions about color, furniture, who's watched more hours of HGTV, and whether the couch might seem a fun place to sleep for the next 2 months. But then we realized this might all be solved if a professional became involved.<br />
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Enter the decorator. She was referred to us by friends. I had seen her work, scouted her pinterest page, and felt fairly sure there was a chance she could find just the right colors to save our marriage. But still...picking paint colors is HARD. And it took a lot of faith to put these choices in her hands. But I think we have it done. The winners are:<br />
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Kitchen/mud room . A lovely shade of subtle blue-ish aqua - <span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-size: large;">Copen Blue</span> (Sherwin-Williams)<br />
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Pantry and Main Floor Mini-Laundry. A pale creamy yellow - <span style="color: #ffe599; font-size: large;">Open Window </span>(Kwal)<br />
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The rest of the main floor (living, dining, powder room, office, master, master closet). A warm beigy grey -<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: large;">Siberia. </span>(Kwal)<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: large;"> </span> (I know, "Siberia" just sounds warm and inviting, right?)<br />
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Then there's the basement. This is where my previous favorites "Refreshing Tea" (Behr) and "Soothing Lime" (Olympus?) got mixed to make the perfect pistachio. Which got nixed. So our designer came up with her own idea:<br />
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<span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">Willow Herb</span>. (Behr) It's hard to explain, but it's a sort of pale golden green. Very neutral, but fun.<br />
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Upstairs things get more colorful. Pippa's room will be pink. "<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Canuck</span>" to be exact. (Kwal) It's a soft ballet pink.<br />
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Daphne's room, which is getting a vinyl raindrop treatment of coral, grey, aqua, and turquoise will get white walls underneath. "<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">Mistaya</span>" is it's name. (Kwal)<br />
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Beck's room, which will be nautical themed, will get a pale grey-ish blue called "<span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-size: large;">Sea Fog</span>" (Kwal)<br />
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The hallways and laundry room will be "Siberia" grey. For now. I want to put an accent color in the reading nook and eventually some kind of fun wall treatment (maybe a stencil, or some stripes) in the laundry room. But that's enough for now. Six colors, plus white. Not too much, right??<br />
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The new/replacement baseboards, crown molding, and door frames are already going up and have received their first coat of paint in some of the rooms. We decided to replace the existing rosettes and plinths, which had a Victorian bullseye design, with perfectly plain ones to modernize the trim a little bit. I bet you don't know what a rosette or a plinth is. Well neither did I. But now I do so, here you go!<br />
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So those are the little changes in the house this week. And although they may seem small, once the paint starts going up, this house is going to begin a LOT different. I'm so excited!<br />
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Next stop....tile!<br />
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.Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-46938287507132211752014-02-23T09:01:00.000-07:002014-02-23T09:01:00.209-07:00Pattern Quiz!And while we're on the subject of patterns, I found this fun pattern quiz in HGTV Magazine's August issue.<br />
(Do you read HGTV Magazine?? I get the digital version for my iPad, and I luh-luh-love it! For anyone considering doing ANY design project, it is a must. It has great decor, color, DIY, and craft ideas. And they always tell you what paint color is used in their featured rooms in case you want to try it out. Two of the colors for my new house come from the HGTV Magazines!)<br />
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Ok, so here's the quiz. Look at each picture and see if you know what the pattern is called. If you're not sure, the descriptions below have some really good hints. <br />
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No cheating! The answers are below, but don't look until you've finished the quiz!<br />
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How did you score? I got 11/15. I was really glad to have read this because I always wondered what that fuzzy damask looking pattern was called. Now I know! Ikat! (Which I DESPISE, by the way.) And did you know that that Moroccan four leafed clover pattern had a name? Quatre-foil (literally "four leaves"). A little more history about it, it's actually a Christian symbol, a variation on the cross. How it got to be a Moroccan thing, I don't know. Maybe during the Crusades?? Anyway, I hope you learned something new today. And I hope next time you're shopping, you blow the people at Pier1 away when you ask if they have anything in a Ogee pattern. <br />
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<br />Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-9382552046097145732014-02-22T09:57:00.000-07:002014-03-04T09:36:55.052-07:00Perplexed By Pattern<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">IT'S STENCIL TIME!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wish I had a bunch of awesome updates to tell you about. But the remodel has stalled out over the last 3 weeks. No one seems to know why. It started with bad weather that prevented the crew from digging the footings for the family room expansion, and then turned into a 2 1/2 week long vacation to Bora Bora from all I can guess. At any rate, no one has worked for a while until yesterday when magically they all showed up again and started working!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the meantime, I've been doing some behind-the-scenes browsing and shopping. Although Big Daddy doesn't like to make any decisions he doesn't see as absolutely crucial until the exact moment they are needed, I prefer to actually plan ahead. I fancy that what color of bedding we choose for the new king sized bed might, say, impact the color of walls we pick. So I've been preemptively scouting out bedding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've also been considering wall stencils. We have a small laundry on the main floor and a pantry, both off the kitchen, that I thought I would do a wall stencil on. They'll both have a lot of wall space covered by food/shelving/washer & dryer, so I figured something kind of busy wouldn't be too overwhelming there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm in love with pattern right now, and it's taking every fiber of my self control not to want to put pattern EVERYWHERE. But I'm forcing myself to be limited to drapes, throw pillows, and these few wall stencils. So here are the ones I'm considering. The walls will be done in pale yellow with white stenciling, so nothing too overpowering...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Please, tell me what you think!!</span><br />
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-35662755524848368882014-01-31T17:11:00.001-07:002014-03-04T09:37:29.272-07:00Small Big Changes!So the house renovation continues. We're about 2 months into it now, and you can really see the house starting to come together. Almost all the drywall is now complete. Most of the structural changes we've made are done. The only BIG thing that yet remains is the expansion of the family room. Other than that, they're down to sanding the walls, getting bids to replace the trim work that got ruined during the demolition/reconstruction and getting ready to put that trim up.<br />
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So, here are the recent changes that are (though small) exciting to me:<br />
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1) Our master bedroom doorway. So to add to the ridiculous grandness of the 16' ceilings that are just SO not our style, the doorway was a double door. I think if I were living in the Sound Of Music mansion and I wanted to throw open double doors dramatically every time I entered, they might be nice. But in reality, I want my bedroom to be a peaceful, quiet retreat from the house. So one, very solid, very thick door was all I wanted. (Plus, making it smaller gave more room for the transition area between the upstairs stairs and the basement stairs, just outside our bedroom.) Voila...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FrmhCwXzWdJcpdiOqzX7xZWssUUa42dH-YwYjBLD0HIRvnmVDtF0HFjyXhLWX5YU-dinpbpTyT92dy82qYGFz95ioZf88mWtGq95duEW1er94OFd61x-atmJngD3rvjHb7F1xpgmdZU/s1600/master+door+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FrmhCwXzWdJcpdiOqzX7xZWssUUa42dH-YwYjBLD0HIRvnmVDtF0HFjyXhLWX5YU-dinpbpTyT92dy82qYGFz95ioZf88mWtGq95duEW1er94OFd61x-atmJngD3rvjHb7F1xpgmdZU/s1600/master+door+collage.jpg" height="220" width="520" /></a><br />
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2) The old shelves have been entirely removed from the once-pantry and the electricity and water hookups have been added to make it a small main-floor laundry. <br />
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3) The once minuscule laundry area has been moved, the walls patched up, and it is now ready to become our awesome mudroom. I think aside from the master closet, I'm more excited about this room than any other. None of my homes have had a mud room, and I am so thrilled of the prospect of having an organized place to keep all my kids' coats, hats, gloves, shoes, backpacks, lunchboxes, papers, and other miscellaneous buttloads of crap. <br />
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I know the picture on the right doesn't look like much. but picture 3 gorgeous white lockers and a wooden bench. It'll be stunning once they're in!<br />
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4) This strange curved basement wall, a remnant of the former Falcon Crest stairway, had to stay because it was load bearing. Well, now it's beautifully drywalled and sanded and is begging for some awesome wall treatment to make it a focal point in this otherwise long, rectangular basement.<br />
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5) The kid nook. They made this under-stair waste of space a spot I think my kids will love to nest in. Now I just need some genius ideas for what kind of mural to put in it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6Jmnz6nQ5wLIfkNB-OThS5GyT611SC4JLd1TmGLm8tf7TiVYmGUvlhPUlVu8qoy18kTYFWuYtaNA7SEgnfSkTlaEnUD9KNDhR94ujsssHOOD9CJUbuOjSEAfJU4Q86X0iNtIeLy0PHQ/s1600/IMG_0764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6Jmnz6nQ5wLIfkNB-OThS5GyT611SC4JLd1TmGLm8tf7TiVYmGUvlhPUlVu8qoy18kTYFWuYtaNA7SEgnfSkTlaEnUD9KNDhR94ujsssHOOD9CJUbuOjSEAfJU4Q86X0iNtIeLy0PHQ/s1600/IMG_0764.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
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6) The master shower is now 1 1/2 feet bigger and has a bench in it. You know, for shaving. Legs. (And I'm not talking about me!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwh2K4GQVkfu9HsU3P7unQWSUJcFIsJqnz1DsjjNBw21mZ7GrMacQ3OMZ2kTzr24MFvHZwbfmOQSUCBb9ZtrL4nNSVIQ0mAmYN0oYnH_RGX463dTYDNl6Yo8vEP52PWnSTHxQvzNAjPo/s1600/shower+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwh2K4GQVkfu9HsU3P7unQWSUJcFIsJqnz1DsjjNBw21mZ7GrMacQ3OMZ2kTzr24MFvHZwbfmOQSUCBb9ZtrL4nNSVIQ0mAmYN0oYnH_RGX463dTYDNl6Yo8vEP52PWnSTHxQvzNAjPo/s1600/shower+collage.jpg" height="240" width="520" /></a><br />
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7) The loft! It's finally there, lights installed, switches above and below put in, drywalled. I love it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPZfsAaNNXuNweP71O1ZlEPKCwsCVZAN-H0hT9BZ4wcXMcw8UzEl1gLM7DnRDjrVeopCT7WgBJymBtODNxUfrgBTsj7ZsnBmFnV4f87IueO3yiX3oiOCiPKp-M1hweH5lwi2jBDutPOQ/s1600/bedroom+loft+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPZfsAaNNXuNweP71O1ZlEPKCwsCVZAN-H0hT9BZ4wcXMcw8UzEl1gLM7DnRDjrVeopCT7WgBJymBtODNxUfrgBTsj7ZsnBmFnV4f87IueO3yiX3oiOCiPKp-M1hweH5lwi2jBDutPOQ/s1600/bedroom+loft+collage.jpg" height="240" width="520" /></a><br />
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8) The new family room is completely walled in, drywalled, and the old trim removed. You almost can't tell it used to be open to the living room.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-X1eIaTdK892aWTP0l2gtQzHiqQ2e0_FqWny-mHT2mshZKeUk8ASdYOCf67UbU-tQWJ8W57Vi8kOkLv2gCCyrB82g-RhJtogR9ziboF97xejVgKDdkrB8qnBQS49N4mQXTSUiduFQu8E/s1600/family+room+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-X1eIaTdK892aWTP0l2gtQzHiqQ2e0_FqWny-mHT2mshZKeUk8ASdYOCf67UbU-tQWJ8W57Vi8kOkLv2gCCyrB82g-RhJtogR9ziboF97xejVgKDdkrB8qnBQS49N4mQXTSUiduFQu8E/s1600/family+room+collage.jpg" height="240" width="520" /></a><br />
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9) We have a tub! There was a really nice (broken) jetted garden tub in the corner of the master bath. But in order to take the one-sink-in-the-closet and revert to a double vanity IN the master bath, we had to get rid of the corner tub. Instead we got an extra deep soaker tub. I'm a little worried about it being anti-climactic. No jets, nothing fancy. Might not even fit both of us in it at once. But the only way we would have been able to make that tub bigger was to rob space from the master closet. And Big Daddy and I both agreed we'd much rather have a bigger closet than a bigger bathroom. <br />
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10) And finally, the corners. "The corners?" you say, "What on earth do corners have to do with anything?" Well, as it turns out, they do a lot for the overall look of a house. And this house was a mish-mash of rounded and squared corners. When my drywaller called and asked me if he wanted me to put in rounded corners or squared corners, I said, "Just match it to whatever is there." 'You better come over here," he said. So I went over. And darned if every single room wasn't made up of both rounded and squared corners, with no rhyme or reason. I bet you've never even noticed the corners in your house. And neither had I. (When I went home, the house we're in now turned out to have neither! They were angled, like a square with the corner cut off. Faceted, like a diamond, or part of a stop sign. Go figure!) Anyway, we made the call to remove all the rounded, 1990's corners and replace them all with squared and put in all squared new ones to match. So now we have all matching corners, and much more modern too. Oh the little things you never even imagined you'd have to make decisions about!<br />
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Next up...busting out the wall to the family room and expanding it. Then....paint? Tile? Who knows?!<br />
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Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-60253284163258466182014-01-15T17:07:00.000-07:002014-03-04T09:37:56.936-07:00Getting To Know You, Part 5 - The Master BedroomThe Little Pink Houses III remodel is coming along nicely. There is a bit more framing and drywalling to do, but that phase is nearly complete. So I thought I'd take a moment and acquaint you with the master bedroom (master closet and bath to follow).<br />
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Of course one of the most important rooms in the house to the lady of the house is the master suite. If I'm honest, it pales in comparison to my interest in the kitchen remodel. But I am kind of excited about my closet. And now I have a reason to be kind of excited about the master bedroom itself -- Big Daddy has decided to give the go ahead on putting in a loft!<br />
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The master bedroom is a strange room in this house. It's two stories tall. It is the same height as the vaulted living room. WHY??? Who knows! Why anyone would need that much height in their bedroom is beyond me. And because it's not an overly large bedroom, the height makes it feel kind of like you'd be putting a bed in an elevator shaft. I think they thought it would be like (use a British accent for this), "Observe my elegant master bedroom which closely resembles the knave of a cathedral and gives the impression of the chambers of a grand Parisian palace." But instead, like I said, elevator shaft. <br />
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Fortunately, my creative and visionary husband noticed a gap between the lower and upper sets of windows in this tall room. And he suggested we put in a loft. Chop the room right in half between those windows and put in a 8' deep loft. We could put a love seat and our TV up there and have our own private lounge in the master bedroom. I thought it a brilliant plan, but, um, let's just say I also thought it was a pie-in-the-sky plan. Like, "Ya, right. That's never going to happen. With all the money we have to spend on the house who can justify putting in a loft???" Never say never. That pie-in-the-sky idea has turned into a loft-in-the-bedroom idea!<br />
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Behold....the loft!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsJ6awU_4dGlaRjNIDZx9tKEdkyGQHvv_otkUcrMbCVG07jqka6WkzyDJ3tEXDlnov6gYMAO47AxznGUi2OixdhgWToqBNGo24QVGr2l8ynBB45i3x_FUtnX4NxZruLGl7jD6dcGpqZ8/s1600/loft+framing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsJ6awU_4dGlaRjNIDZx9tKEdkyGQHvv_otkUcrMbCVG07jqka6WkzyDJ3tEXDlnov6gYMAO47AxznGUi2OixdhgWToqBNGo24QVGr2l8ynBB45i3x_FUtnX4NxZruLGl7jD6dcGpqZ8/s1600/loft+framing.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm fairly sure that this might end up being my favorite spot in the whole house. It will certainly be the biggest "wow" element of this house if it turns out anything like what we have envisioned. Our vision is somewhere around this (although not in the kitchen, obviously):<br />
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So, ya. That'll be sweet.<br />
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As for the rest of the room, it'll still have the height, which will keep it from feeling closed in. There are plenty of windows to keep it bright. It's got these 3 doors to the backyard at the other end of the room...<br />
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Someday we hope to put a hot tub back there. Our last house, Little Pink House II (the rental) had a hot tub off the master and we super dug it. We didn't think we would, but we ended up using it a lot. So with a secluded spot right off the bedroom, it's the perfect spot for our future Jacuzzi! But that's a pie-in-the-sky idea. (And by "pie-in-the-sky," what I really hope I mean is "hot-tub-in-my-backyard.") I think I better put Big Daddy in charge of more decisions!<br />
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As for colors, décor, and such....I have ZERO idea. We plan on converting from a queen bed back to a king (we downsized at Little Pink House I so we could both have bedside tables in that small room), and that means new bedding. And, really, bedding is the basis of all design decisions in a bedroom. And, of course, Big Daddy does NOT want to talk about bedding while there is a loft to frame and drywall, a kitchen to put in, a spiral stairway to design, possibly a family room to expand, and a thousand other "major" decisions. Let alone the fact that there are paint colors that need to be decided in the next two weeks, and flooring that needs to be chosen, and wood stain to be decided. Somehow bedding seems so unimportant and faraway. But, really, it's all tied together. The wall paint, the bedding, the loft design....so, I say let's go bedding shopping! Who's in??Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153439800823000090.post-91002806770027411242014-01-06T16:13:00.001-07:002014-03-04T09:38:24.666-07:00Getting To Know You Part 4 - UpstairsSince the house renovation is unlikely to look much different for the next two weeks (as the cabinets are still under construction and we have temporarily run out of money), I thought I'd take a minute to introduce you to the 2nd floor.<br />
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It was my wish when we built our dream house to have all 3 kids and us on the 2nd floor. My main reasoning for that is that in every house we've lived in, the master bedroom has been on the main and the kids have been on another floor (upstairs here and our 1st house, basement at our last house). That means I'm always trekking up or down stairs in the middle of the night when my kids are sick, scared, thirsty, or in need of a good spanking. Just kidding. But seriously, I've never liked not being near my kids. But worse, I've always HATED having my bedroom be in the middle of Grand Central Station. Kids running through it playing tag, the TV noise/kitchen noise/playing tag noise/beating each other noise always permeating the walls and taking over my room. And the kids' stuff always migrating to my bedroom. I just wanted a peaceful retreat, away from the hustle and bustle. <br />
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So when we found Little Pink House III, and the master was on the main with 4 bedrooms upstairs, and a big lofted space above the living room, I saw my chance: I wanted to cover over the lofted area to make a 5th bedroom, convert the largest bedroom into the master (with its huge bay windows looking out on the valley), turn the smallest bedroom on the other side of the Jack-and-Jill bathroom into our master closet, and then all of us would finally be upstairs!<br />
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But it was not to be. The cost of such a renovation was prohibitive considering everything else we had to do. Plus, what to do with the main floor master suite? What would we make that into?? And EVERYONE from our builder to our architect to my husband and most of my friends assured me that someday I REALLY will be glad to have my room far away from my kids' rooms. <br />
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Instead, we decided to take the smallest of the 4 upstairs bedrooms and convert it to an upstairs laundry...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80CaDnlcM4eZNsmM_dxi2Q9hHpFTZYJq09eiubJ8EENQs1AEsdHIG2Uagi2xQ2BLW6gwYPyXruWGWbUpXEuYIsjn1AYH-7pMt0TjuYihC8ieQI_D6Tx4iLTPaYyPdFBrnKSfP1_KsBkM/s1600/bedroom+3+laundry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80CaDnlcM4eZNsmM_dxi2Q9hHpFTZYJq09eiubJ8EENQs1AEsdHIG2Uagi2xQ2BLW6gwYPyXruWGWbUpXEuYIsjn1AYH-7pMt0TjuYihC8ieQI_D6Tx4iLTPaYyPdFBrnKSfP1_KsBkM/s640/bedroom+3+laundry.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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So this is the current plan. Beck and Daphne will get the two bedrooms on the south that have a Jack-and-Jill bathroom.<br />
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Beck's room...<br />
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Jack-and-Jill bath...<br />
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Daphne's room...<br />
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Pippa will get the huge bay window bedroom by virtue of the fact that it is the quietest room and she still naps...<br />
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Her Jack-and-Jill bath will become just a Jill bath, and the Jack half, which adjoins to the new laundry room, will be closed off with a big laundry sink. <br />
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Someday we may need to reconfigure. I'm sure at some point the two girls will probably want to be together. Or maybe Daphne will want a room off to herself. In which case we'll do a little switcheroo-ing. But for now, that's how the layout seems to work best.<br />
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Added to those rooms, there's also a little loft area at the top of the stairs. I think I'll make it a reading nook--two nice comfy arm chairs, a book case, a side table and lamp...I think it'll be a great place to read stories before bed. (As long as the kids don't decide to climb up the bookcase and swan dive off the balcony into the living room below. Oh the nightmares I have thinking about that!!!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidregWIlCB4i4-XNC6Bb3uUOiZzhqp4rWKLK8poeIBjRuuOHpS9KxVBvQb0jZttFSzdg5Srbd-rGbNRTBR0tQ6hjWZy0qN0iiq6QjvpyE-7IVyc5zqY4WXGF0iEq5h5o5ZhgEwCf5y6M/s1600/upstairs+landing+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidregWIlCB4i4-XNC6Bb3uUOiZzhqp4rWKLK8poeIBjRuuOHpS9KxVBvQb0jZttFSzdg5Srbd-rGbNRTBR0tQ6hjWZy0qN0iiq6QjvpyE-7IVyc5zqY4WXGF0iEq5h5o5ZhgEwCf5y6M/s640/upstairs+landing+3.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Well, that's the upstairs. It's the area of the house that's probably getting the least change. Mostly cosmetic, except for the change from 4th bedroom to laundry room. As soon as we have money, we can probably already start to re-carpet and paint it. We do want to renovate both upstairs bathrooms at some point as they are VERY 80's and the sinks/toilets/tubs are decrepit. But the vanities, sinks, and tubs at least are functional, so they'll probably be last on the list to be changed.</div>
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Here is the floor plan, both before and after the minor change to the laundry room (and with the new stairs skillfully added on with some mad Picassa skills by yours truly)...</div>
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Next time: The master suite</div>
Omgirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17193367587292656589noreply@blogger.com0