Moving

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Our Great Delight

What is Love?

I read this post a couple weeks ago and it brought tears to my eyes.  Love through the eyes of children is so different than how we see it.  It is simple and pure.  It isn't about flowers and chocolates and jewelry, even though these things are nice. 

Sidenote: Actually, I'll pass on the chocolates.  Can I tell you about Valentine's day 2003?  Chris was living in Canada.  I was in Lawrence.  And he sent me like 5 (yes five) pounds of chocolate for Valentine's day.  Did you know we got married in 2003?  That is what every bride-to-be needs...five pounds of chocolate.  Riiiiiight.

I hope we can all remember what love is all about today.  And every day.  Keep it simple.  Keep it pure. 

Child's Definition of Love

Happy Valentine's Day

Here and There

Here

There

I really don't want to be here any more.  We'll be there in SEVEN days. 

House Tour: Master Bathroom

This is the room that has seen the most transformation.  The original master bath was tiny (and so so gross), only had a shower stall and ONE SINK.  There was no way we were making it with only one sink. 

Next to the bathroom was the worlds smallest walk-in closet.  Our plan was to gut the entire bathroom and the closet, put in a double vanity with two sinks and then a separate toilet/bathtub room (with a door) and convert the walk-in closet to a reach-in. 

Once all the walls were down we determined it would not be possible to get the toilet and bathtub behind another wall/door within the bathroom.  We had already moved that far wall on the right as far as it would go (which even included altering the walls in the hallway). 

The construction was finally done in August, just in time for us to have house guests (seriously, who wants to share one bathroom between six adults and two kids?).  It took me another five months to finish painting the trim : ) 

The one thing I wish we would have done differently is having a separate switch put in for the ventilation fan light.  The fan noise drives me insane, but the extra light on that side of the bathroom is nice to have.  Good to know when we renovate James' bathroom. 

I'm always bookmarking new decor.  I'm contemplating changing the shower curtain to one of these:

West Elm

Overstock

I would also love to incorporate this print

Etsy

I don't know what it is about those flamingos, I just love them. 

We've still got a bit of work to complete the master suite.  All the doors need to be sanded and painted, it is just too darn cold right now to be in the garage to do that.  And we still need to install the closet systems (soon though!).  I was hoping to have the master completed by the end of February, but we'll see.  My mind is swirling with ideas and it may take me a little longer to get it completed (and save the money to do it)!

Sources:

Paint: BM Wythe Blue

Floor Tile: Carrara Hex

Wall Tile: Imperial Gloss Subway

Vanity Light: Robert Abbey Chase

Faucets: Grohe Arden

Shower Curtain: Amy Butler Bucharest

SNOWPOCOLYPSE! SNOWMAGEDDON!

The Great Blizzard of 2011 hit us hard overnight.  We estimate we got between 20 and 22 inches of snow, with drifts in places being 3-5 feet tall.  After two hours of snowblowing this morning we made our way out for a little snow fun (until it was time to go back inside for some hot chocolate and marshmallows). 

It all started last night when we noticed water dripping from the attic fan.

(that white stuff is snow)

Mr. Fix It got it all fixed up so we didn't have any more snow in the attic though. 

The view out the window this morning:

(shoveling a path for Sydney so she didn't get buried alive)

The snow was finally over, so it was time to plow (so thankful for the French's who left us their snow blower when they moved to Texas!):

And then it was time to play!

James may (or may not) have been yelling at me to help him up because he was stuck...and really cold.

Did I mention that we leave for Arizona two weeks from today?

The Funk

I've officially hit my winter funk.  Amazingly we have been spared the ridiculous amount of snow the east coast (and Kansas City) have gotten this year.  But I'm still in a funk.  It's cold, it's dark when I wake up, it's dark when I come home.  I'm dreaming of sun and warmth.

That is why in 22 days we'll be heading to the southwest for a long weekend (which just happens to be my birthday weekend)!  Top on my list of things to do is visit Taliesin West.  Chris and I will also be slipping away for the weekend...without James.

22 days can't pass quick enough.

Summer 2010 in South Haven, MI

House Tour: Kitchen

Here is the kitchen when we first saw it, complete with pickeled cabinets, bad tile job, no appliances (except for a microwave that didn't work) and terrible lighting (or none at all in the eating area).

We had to rip out the bottom cabinets to raise up the subfloor to be level with the hardwoods,

and while we were at it had all the cabinets sprayed (the same color as our trim).

Appliances arrived about a week after we moved in (due to a shipping issue), and we lived without a fully functioning kitchen for a few weeks after that due to a gas line that needed to be fixed, a water line to the fridge that busted when we tried to hook it up, and just normal other delays that seem to always happen during a full house remodel (as we've come to find out).  I think I'm still working off the fast food diet we lived on during this time! 

Eventually we got everything hooked up, and finally had the countertops replaced in December and the backsplash was completed this month.  I can't tell you how nice it is to have a fully functioning kitchen that you love walking into each day.  Of course, this doesn't mean I necessarily love cooking in it!

Sources:

Appliance - Whirlpool Gold

Cabinet Hardware: Home Depot (here, here)

Granite Countertops: Black Pearl

Backsplash: Imperial Bone Crazed Subway Tile

Wall Color: BM Grant Beige

Cabinet Color: BM White Dove

Faucet: Moen Boutique

Rug: Target

Eating Area Light: Shades of Light

Kitchen Light: Bellacor