Two big projects we're working on

At the moment, we've got two big projects that we've been working on for a while. The first, of course, is our addition to the family. Ariella is 22 weeks along, and looking more and more like an expectant mom each week.



Just before Christmas, we had our ultrasound and found out that we're having a girl! Here's a sneak peak...



The other project that's been in the works almost as long as the baby is our new kitchen.

We've been working with our contractor for several months, and have finalized our design, picked out our cabinets, and ordered the granite for our counter tops.

We chose a cherry wood with chesnut ebony glaze for our cabinets. When Andy's parents redecorated the kitchen in their Victorian in Putnam, they saved all the crystal knobs. Almost 20 years, later, we're going to use them in our Victorian.



Since we picked dark wood for the cabinets, we chose a light-colored granite for the counter tops.



If all goes well, our contractor will start ripping out the kitchen in the beginning of February. Our cabinets are supposed to arrive mid-February, which means the entire kitchen could be finished by early March.

Our First Christmas

We had a great First Christmas in our new house. Lindsay and Jenny came Christmas Eve. And Andy's family came down Christmas day. Just a couple photos of our Christmas decorations.



It seems like the Christmas gifts took over the area. Just wait for years to come!



We hung stockings for Andy and I. And also, for Lindsay and Jenny.

The Dining Room Saga

Well, let's say that the Dining Room has evolved over the past few months. We started with the "oh so familar" pink walls & pink carpet.



We, of course, wanted to remove ALL pink as soon as possible. So, we ripped up the carpet and primed the walls ASAP.


We decided to do a chair rail in the dining room and continue the tan color from the living room into the dinning room.



Out first color choice for the bottom.... A greenish blue color. We wanted a green and were trying to choose something that would work well with the blue in the living room.






The results? I liked the color, it looked nice standing in the living room towards the dining room. Andy thought that when you were in the room, it looked to teal.



So, we decided to live with it for awhile and see if it grew on us.



But Andy decided we needed to change it.



So, we declared a Do-Over!



The new color on the bottom? A deep deep blue color. We decided to go with an over saturated version of what we picked for the living room.



Inspired by the painters tape comercial where a very nice looking couple, who also looked remarkable neat after painting, had painted stripes on the walls. After seeing the comercial a thousand times, we decided to try it out on our room.



It probably took us more time to measure out and make sure our stripes would be evenly spaced and tape it all off than, it did to actually paint the stripes!



Also, in tying in the living room to the dining room, we decided to make the stripes the gold color we used on the beam and accents on the steps.





The first big reveal, if our stripes were going to be straight. I was really worried that the paint was going to sneak under the tape or when we pulled the tape off that it would take some of the paint with it. But fortantly, neither of those things happened!



We still need to hang the actual chair rail, and get some nice curtains. But it is getting there!





Our Finished room, as of now. Who know what we will decide to do next!

Guest Bedroom

It has been our goal for the last 2 weekends to paint the guest room. Let's just say we have gotten good at finding other things to do instead!



We are taped and ready to go. Barely motivated to paint primer, that almost looks the same as the pale blue walls.



The ever so exciting "Trading Spaces" moment! Brown that Andy says looks like Mister Softee Chocoate! Or I said, Teddy Bear Brown. But the can called is Woodacres.






Half way there. Keep going. Andy took a nap between coats! I would not of wanted to get up and paint more after napping, but Andy did.



The finished product.



We wanted the brown to go with the quilt that Andy's mom had made us when we were living in the Condo. I plan on painting my old dresser and side table a high gloss white to go with the room.

New Patio Set

So Saturday, we went to Home Depot to get more painting supplies. We wonder by the gardening section (we tend to wonder EVERY time we go to Home Depot or Lowes) We found a great Patio set for half off!



It's great, the chairs swivels and rocks, came with cushions and the table top has stone on top (VERY HEAVY).

4 trips later we were proud owners of a new patio set.
One to get the Honda,
One to bring home the extra large box that contained the chairs,
Another to get the top
And a final trip back after one of the chairs arms was broken.



Only to be followed by a good hour and a half putting the table together in the 90 degree humidity in the afternoon. Not to be missed...... A Mister Softee Ice Cream Cone. Although Andy did not give the guy his stamp of approval on the his twist method!

But it was all worth it, it is such a great set and we were lucky that they had a whole set left. Hopefully we will get to use it as the weather cools down.

My Garden Update.

Andy and I are pretty much eating tomatoes everyday!



One last picture of the green tomatoes. They have grown quite large.



The plants are literally out of control! You can't see the fence that Lindsay and I put up and the cherry tomato plant has grown through the fence and even has tomatoes on the other side!



My cherry tomatoes seem to be yellow ones. The first one I picked, I wasn't sure if they were ripe yet, but they are nice a juicy inside. I made yellow tomato sauce last night.



I had to transplant my herbs since the tomato plants took over. The herbs seem to have decided to stay. Welcom back, Parsley, Thyme, Mint & Chives! RIP to cilantro.



The same tomatoes, only red now!



My first crop of Tomatoes.

A Ground Hog Sighting!!!

So, it seems like our ground hog has gotten more and more brave as to exploring our yard. We caught him the other day wondering the backyard. But our picture taking might have scared him, we haven't seen him since.



This is him right by the patio!



And this is him poking his head out, after he ran back into his hole. He had the nerve to poke his head out and check out what I was doing!