School House Rehab
Trying to leave our little slice of America better than we found it!After Hemming & Hawing... It's Time For New Counters!
March 18, 2013
Finally! It’s time to pop on some new countertops up in here. We’ve lived with the yellow laminate with “specialty brown veining” for long enough. After an exhaustive few months weighing the pros/cons of granite vs. solid surface vs. laminate, we’ve decided to stick with laminate for a number of reasons. 1. We don’t want to over-upgrade. Not that we’re leaving anytime soon, but when we eventually move on to a larger house, we want to get everything back that we’ve put in.
Kicking Off a Pantry Upgrade
March 13, 2013
There are about six days and ten hours until Spring. I’m not counting or anything. Thanks to a lot of snow, rain, and cold of late, there are have been limited outdoor projects available. I’ve been searching for something to tackle in the house to keep me sane. So many of my upcoming projects require warmer weather and the lack of progress on that front is a bit disheartening. It feels like this house was quite unloved in January and February.
Spring Ahead
March 10, 2013
Like most other New Englanders I know, I’m sick of the snow. Yes, I want spring to come badly. No, I don’t like when the clocks “spring ahead.” At all. Losing an hour of sleep makes me want to do this… Alas, I guess you can’t have one without the other. Daylight savings coupled with a very late night partying with puppies* has me aching to lay on the couch watching Downton Abbey.
Greetings From Strong Island
March 3, 2013
Matt and I headed out to Long Island this weekend for an impromptu visit. We had the weekend open to do house things (sorry, house!) but chose to take a mini-trip instead. It had been quite some time since we were last on “The Island,” as many New Yorkers call it. (Source) We were happy for the chance to head out to the place that so many influential people have called home - Lindsay Lohan, the Gotti family, and Flavor Flav, to name a few.
Antique Flower Find
March 1, 2013
Oh, hey there, March. Where did you come from? February fleeeeeewwww by. We were partying too much, I suppose. We celebrated my Dad’s 60th (with an epic surprise party about which he had no idea!). We celebrated Matt’s 29th. We celebrated the engagement of my brother-in-law and soon-to-be sister-in-law. We celebrated life with a trip to Cape Cod to cap it all off. I want to share something I found while on the Cape because Lord knows that with all that partying, I have been doing nothing productive around the house.
New Uses For Old Things: Old Pepsi Crate
February 21, 2013
Remember when I fell in love with this old Pepsi crate from a local thrift shop? I still love it because it’s just so cool. It also happened to have my hometown (Fairfield, Conn.) printed on the side. Fate! Well, if you don’t remember it, you can read all about where and why I bought it here. I told you I’d fill you in on where I put it, so here we are.
10 Things I Love About...My House
February 13, 2013
I say my fair share of things that may allude to the fact that I want a different home… “In the dream house, I won’t have to do this anymore!” This, of course, could be any number of things… “I can’t wait to have laundry on the main floor in the next house!” You know, so I don’t have to do laundry in the dungeon that is the basement. “Someday, I can’t wait to have a big soaking bathtub!
Valentine's Day Craft Fail (Plus, a shot at redemption!)
February 12, 2013
Before we get to my hot mess of a Valentine’s Day craft idea, let me give you some background on my artistic history. My great-grandfather was an amazing, accomplished, painter. My nana swears I have some of his talent, but she’s my nana, so she’s supposed to say that. I mean really, doesn’t every grandmother believe their granddaughter is the next great thing? Speaking of my nana, she’s quite crafty. She’s an unbelievable quilter and knitter.
Nemo vs. Our School House
February 10, 2013
Before we get to my hot mess of a Valentine’s Day craft idea, let me give you some background on my artistic history. My great-grandfather was an amazing, accomplished, painter. My nana swears I have some of his talent, but she’s my nana, so she’s supposed to say that. I mean really, doesn’t every grandmother believe their granddaughter is the next great thing? Speaking of my nana, she’s quite crafty. She’s an unbelievable quilter and knitter.
Early Spring Shopping 2013: Home Edition
February 7, 2013
Is it spring yet?! No, Amanda, you’re supposed to get 2 feet of snow tonight. Oh, that’s riiiiight. Damn. Well, around the time when everyone grows weary of the current season, companies start filling our mailboxes with the impending season’s hottest “must haves.” Instead of folding over the pages of magazines signaling things I love, I’m going to throw ‘em on here. We can all drool together. Normally, CB2 is just eye candy, as most of it is too modern for my taste, but I found a couple of cool items in their most recent catalog.