tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5872563624042068802024-03-12T20:16:33.613-04:00the nerdy nest...frugally feathering our home, one step at a timeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-28264815669878580682016-06-08T12:21:00.000-04:002016-06-08T12:21:33.717-04:00moderate or deluxe?Last time we talked about Disney, the Man and I had just decided that it was the perfect choice for our honeymoon.<br />
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Our next task aside from figuring out the when, and for how long, was the where. Where were we going to stay at Disney World?<br />
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We both have a tendency to really research everything to death, especially when we are excited about something. Through our research, we had already decided that we wanted to stay on site at a Disney resort. It made transportation easier, and matched with the "full immersion" goal of the honeymoon.<br />
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The next choice then was what level of resort. Disney World has three main levels of resorts:<br />
<ul>
<li>Value - most affordable and furthest from the parks</li>
<li>Moderate - mid-range and sprawling, closer to the parks than Value</li>
<li>Deluxe - high end, usually has three or more dining options on site, closest to parks with multiple modes of transportation</li>
</ul>
At first discussion, we were focused on a Moderate resort. We looked at the different options and thought that Coronado Springs would be our best bet. The Man liked the theming, I liked the Mexican food at the food court, and it seemed to be a good balance of Disney and not too many kids running around everywhere because it is one of the resorts that caters to business folks.<br />
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Granted, we maybe spent 10-15 minutes looking at the Disney World website to make this decision. We starting running some prices and comparing the different resorts. Doesn't this look pretty though?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBv2DnNR71URt6G6d8Lv0JPgfOx_mIBf2fV0QVL4NnBAHkyFpz9D9CH4WpMG8oaDuyGNP4mszIi7MP7t6UMjyPYkJ8A8i-6IY1c7Zy9q0NhpBtjnumCGXaJPGxTm2b_E-u0zgC78N57Ds/s1600/coronado+springs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBv2DnNR71URt6G6d8Lv0JPgfOx_mIBf2fV0QVL4NnBAHkyFpz9D9CH4WpMG8oaDuyGNP4mszIi7MP7t6UMjyPYkJ8A8i-6IY1c7Zy9q0NhpBtjnumCGXaJPGxTm2b_E-u0zgC78N57Ds/s640/coronado+springs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But we weren't 100% sold. So we clicked around some more.<br />
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(Confession time: The Man and I both like expensive things. It all started with a seven-dollar spatula and spiraled from there. Needless to say, luxury on our value budget is a constant test of restraint and mindfulness. With a dash of indulgence.. see below.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfb79xPjXQqoCaqBj4rliCheFMZ4Mfb0fsTo3YLvHkzN-rRdLnW0accW-BV-i3TrvLuF8ipZQBNbqfAQzEexJFBwonlakzNVsAXComcdeGTXDlGzc5_yAD8shbSFsyTzUA2KXYM7mEFWw/s1600/spatula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfb79xPjXQqoCaqBj4rliCheFMZ4Mfb0fsTo3YLvHkzN-rRdLnW0accW-BV-i3TrvLuF8ipZQBNbqfAQzEexJFBwonlakzNVsAXComcdeGTXDlGzc5_yAD8shbSFsyTzUA2KXYM7mEFWw/s200/spatula.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite spatula ever. Mine is red. I think I own 5 now?</td></tr>
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I ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the fancy photos of the Deluxe resorts... daydreaming about how amazing it would be to stay there one day. I loved the idea of something more than bus transportation.. travel by boat or monorail sounds so much more romantic. The themeing at each one (below is just a sample) is so immersive and they just looked so luxurious. I knew it was a "One Day" thing.. no need to worry about it for now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmjPxgZpbfFwppB5XHMmETpw0BOCrDMwOUO6gMvXHhFYG3HuyUoy7bYwufZDGwo-1AVbrEnIFqtOiaCvaZkCFRreN-z0wx-lBZvfUBfmgTDKZlqH13datVzGKlYdeEkFTOEXvU0Wblqk/s1600/deluxe+sample.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmjPxgZpbfFwppB5XHMmETpw0BOCrDMwOUO6gMvXHhFYG3HuyUoy7bYwufZDGwo-1AVbrEnIFqtOiaCvaZkCFRreN-z0wx-lBZvfUBfmgTDKZlqH13datVzGKlYdeEkFTOEXvU0Wblqk/s400/deluxe+sample.png" width="327" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Contemporary, The Boardwalk, and The Grand Floridian</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then the Man says:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"I mean it's our Honeymoon, we should go BIG right? How about the Polynesian?"</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpv-smb0GKFMygovSmNLo-_LsWhzuU_8rzr5ecTyPk-KpmDYuqhuudWSBdVgX2m6iHnDIsFh4yshyphenhyphen6P79S_H2GyrzZF-m6W0CsMzyYhSqUENa5fNSvIWimZzc3m4IEB7h2UkIlAhVlqcg/s1600/poly.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpv-smb0GKFMygovSmNLo-_LsWhzuU_8rzr5ecTyPk-KpmDYuqhuudWSBdVgX2m6iHnDIsFh4yshyphenhyphen6P79S_H2GyrzZF-m6W0CsMzyYhSqUENa5fNSvIWimZzc3m4IEB7h2UkIlAhVlqcg/s640/poly.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I mean, did you really expect me to resist?</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Magic of Disney + Hawaii themed resort = perfect honeymoon combo</span></div>
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We started researching room rates... and boy was there a difference between Deluxe and Moderates. At this point though, there was no turning back. Not for the Honeymoon trip, at least.</div>
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The rooms looked great, I loved the fact that we could use either bus, boat, or monorail to get around. Plus the idea of being across the lake from Cinderella's castle just made it that much more impressive.</div>
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We researched rates and perks a bit more, weighing the pros and cons, and decided to just dive in headfirst. </div>
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We booked the Polynesian CLUB LEVEL for our honeymoon.</div>
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I'll talk more about Club Level details in another post. For now, just know that it was worth every penny.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(and it cost lots and lots and lots of pennies.)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqY3VDcwGPslgF1wkc1B67JTG0x4LQB167E_LOhi0cxflfQ77Kb2cHiN1BGIxb40Z3XfUuueheVuhYmya312tkzhPOICMJ8KXV5fwyRKNgDU6_yPjik1873UL8SWl5cgsAq8QZ-dVIwg/s1600/IMG_20131007_090618226_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqY3VDcwGPslgF1wkc1B67JTG0x4LQB167E_LOhi0cxflfQ77Kb2cHiN1BGIxb40Z3XfUuueheVuhYmya312tkzhPOICMJ8KXV5fwyRKNgDU6_yPjik1873UL8SWl5cgsAq8QZ-dVIwg/s640/IMG_20131007_090618226_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back at our resort from the boat dock - Poly 2013</td></tr>
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We actually visited during a time of construction and right before some BIG changes hit the resort. I'm glad we went when we did because the very next year the lobby (which had been the same since the resort opened in the 1970's) went through a drastic transformation.</div>
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I didn't take many pictures on our honeymoon, I was more focused on being in the moment than behind the camera. I have learned though that pictures from Disney can bring back tons of memories and are completely worth taking. I treasure the few that I have. One of my favorites is of the Polynesian Lobby looking down from the 2nd level.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmvnLCLYr6bZhPsy32lSAADKzlcP56yOeRseT_RQNGp-vGCBkBc5RCgRGsjQkr2hQNDtqMU4ZEHTm_3ycUa8KEdS-xjCbn4lF8cHf9kK3yENh9ncCKQgzbfF8xP25-As6N7yFh1HdeRQ/s1600/IMG_20131011_082751487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmvnLCLYr6bZhPsy32lSAADKzlcP56yOeRseT_RQNGp-vGCBkBc5RCgRGsjQkr2hQNDtqMU4ZEHTm_3ycUa8KEdS-xjCbn4lF8cHf9kK3yENh9ncCKQgzbfF8xP25-As6N7yFh1HdeRQ/s640/IMG_20131011_082751487.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That water and garden feature filled the whole space with the sounds and smells of paradise. I hate that it's since been removed, but I'm so glad I have at least one picture from our trip.<br />
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I mentioned construction before.. well.. that led to a room upgrade for us. We were gifted a waterfront room on the ground level.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryaSQlYbG0DZUj7XlOhJ0fYpuTc2ZOBhNi5mGKFdQ4KW8aUGPHxSOBc7CdjzMEXhIYXHOYq5Z61rx_yiblQYE7ysoOgoQ13RuzfbktDhG53iseYuK2pX6srqM-glanrqCLMhJKgj7KLs/s1600/IMG_20131012_101507432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryaSQlYbG0DZUj7XlOhJ0fYpuTc2ZOBhNi5mGKFdQ4KW8aUGPHxSOBc7CdjzMEXhIYXHOYq5Z61rx_yiblQYE7ysoOgoQ13RuzfbktDhG53iseYuK2pX6srqM-glanrqCLMhJKgj7KLs/s400/IMG_20131012_101507432.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta love construction screens.. at least the palms are pretty!</td></tr>
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Being ground level meant we had a patio instead of a balcony. We only went out there once or twice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM20IJzb7nRTmQxKkQKxCuX0NhKjv36WWFF07lf5bRhg4LgIleatBgwgvFHqSQplkDWI3KgD47BmJz1c0k8Qz_AaB48QjmG3MuSv0NETW0n2PQ-i4c3W6i-WyVa2J_4JrWkj_AivYYMc8/s1600/IMG_20131012_101647283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM20IJzb7nRTmQxKkQKxCuX0NhKjv36WWFF07lf5bRhg4LgIleatBgwgvFHqSQplkDWI3KgD47BmJz1c0k8Qz_AaB48QjmG3MuSv0NETW0n2PQ-i4c3W6i-WyVa2J_4JrWkj_AivYYMc8/s640/IMG_20131012_101647283.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic from our patio</td></tr>
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But it had a pretty good view... I must confess.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NtKsShdHI7GS9ecKDwJVSdUvHdvdX4fDItlwrahf14c7t881jAagUt6_FldxPamyiRyvKK1csTl4a7yq2nSAZ1DqAnzf4q8dRb-LIJ0ebwJQX-0gET6u494qAcoMKyDi59Rv7WHdsHE/s1600/IMG_20131012_101848620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8NtKsShdHI7GS9ecKDwJVSdUvHdvdX4fDItlwrahf14c7t881jAagUt6_FldxPamyiRyvKK1csTl4a7yq2nSAZ1DqAnzf4q8dRb-LIJ0ebwJQX-0gET6u494qAcoMKyDi59Rv7WHdsHE/s640/IMG_20131012_101848620.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely Grand Floridian just across the lake. </td></tr>
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Even though in pictures it's hard to see, we actually could see the castle from our room if we looked really closely. I doubt it's visible in the pictures I have. Let's zoom in a bit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7S2moxwvGXEVv3gAN1dHczlqglYBxy2-GP2Yj9J89D5fmZCroGNsngWazq5cnqcFE63CH44GhyphenhyphenG_6sJh8PJBLRzBOz9F4P1jfqefr2c3n5MBSJ4wSFKDgfM0lhZZkqrVRwZFZNNbRi8w/s1600/castle+from+the+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7S2moxwvGXEVv3gAN1dHczlqglYBxy2-GP2Yj9J89D5fmZCroGNsngWazq5cnqcFE63CH44GhyphenhyphenG_6sJh8PJBLRzBOz9F4P1jfqefr2c3n5MBSJ4wSFKDgfM0lhZZkqrVRwZFZNNbRi8w/s640/castle+from+the+room.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The quality isn't great, but it's there!<br />
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I really enjoyed staying at the "Poly" and look forward to sharing more about our trip, including some surprises along the way.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-23384296128013585132016-05-24T22:08:00.000-04:002016-05-24T22:08:28.749-04:00disnerdom - how it all beganLong ago, I chose the title of nerdy nest for this blog because I felt my beau and I captured many different varieties of nerdom in our home.<br />
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Today, I confess our official disnerdom. My husband and I are huge Disney nerds. I would say we specifically fall into the category of Disney World nerds. We love most things Disney, but most specifically if it has to do with a trip to Disney World - we're in!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zJzObT4sUmE/VzNPXP1obDI/AAAAAAAAL78/r-E1slIXBikv2R9zGAik4xNhAzXImfIVgCKgB/s1600/Castle%2Bfrom%2BChef%2BMickey%2527s%2B2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zJzObT4sUmE/VzNPXP1obDI/AAAAAAAAL78/r-E1slIXBikv2R9zGAik4xNhAzXImfIVgCKgB/s320/Castle%2Bfrom%2BChef%2BMickey%2527s%2B2014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The castle on a cloudy day - our view from brunch at Chef Mickey's 2014</td></tr>
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Going back, it all started quite simply. We were trying to decide where we wanted to honeymoon. My first thought was a beach somewhere, as we both love the ocean. I could sun, nap, and sip on pina coladas happily all day. The Man however, craves a bit more action.<br />
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Not hiking, biking, swimming with sharks kind of action, mind you. But something a bit more exciting than days at the spa and basking in the sunlight. So we switched gears and I started thinking about possibly honeymooning in Washington DC. We're not overly patriotic, but we do appreciate history and love museums. It seemed like it could be a good option. A week to tackle the Smithsonian.. it could be done.<br />
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But it was missing a little <i>romance</i> to me. Granted, we'd been living together for quite a while at this point in our relationship so some of the newlywed syndrome and starry eyes were not as much of a factor. He still makes me giggle like a schoolgirl and get anime twinkly eyes to this day. We wanted some degree of romance for the honeymoon, and we kept throwing out ideas.<br />
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Let me be honest, so far this is sounding like there was a lot of debating and discussion and research on honeymoon options. That's not true. We maybe seriously talked about it for a good 30 minutes after dinner one night. We weighed some options and out of the blue, the Man said:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">"What about Disney World?"</span></b></div>
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It was all over then. <br />
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I had never been. I had always wanted to go, but never really thought about it or pushed for it. It was something that was on my radar, but not on my must-do list. Nothing much happened with the conversation that night, but by the next day - I was pumped.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dnm6PEHhN3k/VzNP7io7cHI/AAAAAAAAL8Q/LyZJ5G-VecsYQVfwoYWntLf_XlITJw9BACKgB/s1600/Honeymoon%2Bbuttons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dnm6PEHhN3k/VzNP7io7cHI/AAAAAAAAL8Q/LyZJ5G-VecsYQVfwoYWntLf_XlITJw9BACKgB/s320/Honeymoon%2Bbuttons.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My buttons for the Honeymoon - with a backdrop of our bedding.. can you guess where we stayed?</td></tr>
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I first remember googling "Disney Honeymoon" on a break at work and found two key websites that influenced me to bring it up again that night when he got home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ew_37t4bIxkmbfNSJUyQXGBLU1bzMsjiJmiw5-riAKBTkEs3djJO78Cjcr-G1Za_PH8Bhb2a69sMe_U0f8keYXXe1u_eC7EOOFlvVI4ajnHgXMEGLp7zm9WZEnXeflKiubotBeohGf8/s1600/honeymoon+registry.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ew_37t4bIxkmbfNSJUyQXGBLU1bzMsjiJmiw5-riAKBTkEs3djJO78Cjcr-G1Za_PH8Bhb2a69sMe_U0f8keYXXe1u_eC7EOOFlvVI4ajnHgXMEGLp7zm9WZEnXeflKiubotBeohGf8/s1600/honeymoon+registry.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://disney.honeymoonwishes.com/">The Disney Honeymoon Registry</a></div>
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<img alt="The DIS Disney Discussion Forums - DISboards.com" border="0" src="http://images.wdwinfo.com/logos/disboards.png" /></div>
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and <a href="http://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-weddings-and-honeymoons.55/">The Disboards Honeymoon page</a></div>
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I started to see the potential for magic then and there:<br />
<ul>
<li>Tons of fun things to do (rides, shows, places to explore)</li>
<li>World class customer service (I wanted to feel pampered on this trip)</li>
<li>Gorgeous resorts (see parenthesis above)</li>
<li>Unique and fine dining (food is always good!)</li>
<li>The Pixie Dust element (Talk about leaving the real world behind! Serious Disney magic at work on a honeymoon.)</li>
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<b>And that's where our nerdy Disney journey began...</b><br />
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Since it brings me so much joy to talk about our disnerdiness, I look forward to sharing many more posts about our Disney trips (yes, plural) and sharing some of the things we love most about being disnerds.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-17621736957981669112016-05-10T18:16:00.000-04:002016-05-10T18:16:01.547-04:00nostalgic nestersThe other night, the Man and I were trying to calm down for bed and accidentally took a few hours journey down memory lane. We ended up reflecting on all the crazy experiences we've had together as a couple and ultimately determined, shortly after realizing just how late it was on a work night, that we were banned from talking before bed, and that we loved the life we've built together.<br />
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This blog, as the Man reminds me frequently, is not just the story of our home, our construction journey, or my baking and crafty goodness. It's a place where, in bouts of creative moments and stolen minutes, I can tell the story of our life together. I am so lucky that he is so supportive, and frequently reminds me how much he enjoys looking back on my accounts of life here on the blog. Though I post on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/nerdynester/" target="_blank"> instagram </a>quite often, I'm much less likely to tell our stories there - other than the moments captured in a quick shot or two.</div>
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With that in mind, here we go on another kick to revive the nerdy nest. I'll try to write more frequently and share more, even the mundane, here. If for nothing else, than for the archives.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3Q3ORs35HPE7ufIZS1gaR7gZGkRxrMJX6_VpLL82LEcG9637J-g5PTrEYJgHJPzhbkW5ZGk4xrKY8BqicFwEzAxRs4efrThazhquqCPGKcJGYhQWytjmpVFe6aRKij4bTaiQOYKS9JI/s1600/inari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3Q3ORs35HPE7ufIZS1gaR7gZGkRxrMJX6_VpLL82LEcG9637J-g5PTrEYJgHJPzhbkW5ZGk4xrKY8BqicFwEzAxRs4efrThazhquqCPGKcJGYhQWytjmpVFe6aRKij4bTaiQOYKS9JI/s1600/inari.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's good to be back!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-40747903206305973312016-01-25T11:39:00.000-05:002016-01-27T07:35:09.324-05:00gratuitous kitten post..<div style="text-align: center;">
I take a lot of cat pictures. I can't help it. I'm just trying to keep the internet alive.</div>
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That's what runs the internet.. cat pictures.</div>
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I'm just doing my civic duty. Enjoy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZyGeTYb2ZJbbaGA2OnGeEqof0O_Nfbow29qgZyEqVvsJX6th2DgCFYLLzBSDEhiTIsxdDUttOEFOTRoqhsp5Wmt4ecJ9mQ846Jk8laI2qXXVetj7kVcx8XRNwjgFMn9lszihT4-rNJA/s1600/kitten+collage+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZyGeTYb2ZJbbaGA2OnGeEqof0O_Nfbow29qgZyEqVvsJX6th2DgCFYLLzBSDEhiTIsxdDUttOEFOTRoqhsp5Wmt4ecJ9mQ846Jk8laI2qXXVetj7kVcx8XRNwjgFMn9lszihT4-rNJA/s640/kitten+collage+1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuVxFZbdQxKcNeN9v_xxc_-3yoMqSi7LUlc8KbMsxCKPpdAOn4BVxDMmpC2zNhJ4qrLNMcQqz1NSbnPW5hb-e8wiNLqv-_fHJp6Xb_Ksto-ChQSFphU83QXo6ikfWd3P1zI13rKdQtF4/s1600/kitten+collage+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuVxFZbdQxKcNeN9v_xxc_-3yoMqSi7LUlc8KbMsxCKPpdAOn4BVxDMmpC2zNhJ4qrLNMcQqz1NSbnPW5hb-e8wiNLqv-_fHJp6Xb_Ksto-ChQSFphU83QXo6ikfWd3P1zI13rKdQtF4/s640/kitten+collage+2.png" width="479" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy9rgxYxM0WFFy-ILYCdYWms7HO8NHSOAr14Dc2Jluv-0f51uVPUqAS0VnOORpdmkt7bmf3ZQSUbIuhZW4vpTwi4QN_7RJRQWhIlbCHFbuncw-tOjpD1noZg4IBzqOPY0wW6pPRKvZEE/s1600/kitten+collage+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy9rgxYxM0WFFy-ILYCdYWms7HO8NHSOAr14Dc2Jluv-0f51uVPUqAS0VnOORpdmkt7bmf3ZQSUbIuhZW4vpTwi4QN_7RJRQWhIlbCHFbuncw-tOjpD1noZg4IBzqOPY0wW6pPRKvZEE/s640/kitten+collage+3.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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#kittencuddles</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-568328417563945732016-01-25T11:38:00.002-05:002016-01-25T11:38:30.036-05:00feeling festive.. part three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's Christmas Eve, and we've been up cooking since 7:30am ET. </div>
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And it's been raining all night.</div>
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And there's flooding.. and thunder.. and the weatherman is telling everyone to stay home.</div>
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So instead of feeding six over at my mom's house for Christmas Eve, our meal fed just the two of us..</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Evx6wkx969Nzx1yYT8pImlfGS0sSExQA4GnUiKSQg__UMW1rbUFH4au_AiCWm0Z37igR3YX0Wwoz6QSgTSEHnHTL0tzXp5RkhODMGd4AmCsLmj54TYi4SMHC__U_3XMIox4yI62-5pw/s1600/IMG_20151224_130028663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Evx6wkx969Nzx1yYT8pImlfGS0sSExQA4GnUiKSQg__UMW1rbUFH4au_AiCWm0Z37igR3YX0Wwoz6QSgTSEHnHTL0tzXp5RkhODMGd4AmCsLmj54TYi4SMHC__U_3XMIox4yI62-5pw/s640/IMG_20151224_130028663.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I insisted we sit at the table. Yay Christmas dishes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzN9iDrQxZE4I75Rmk4hcP8QvqKGzJKHleTnFkbLJH7F3EOOzPq0QiZy43efLjolj92wUBkS7kbhlmVv-k4MghjIF53tf7Sv08U5xfVTVMjusSwmxGC2QwfKMTCUkqyeDSEJelPygSDE/s1600/IMG_20151224_134254186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzN9iDrQxZE4I75Rmk4hcP8QvqKGzJKHleTnFkbLJH7F3EOOzPq0QiZy43efLjolj92wUBkS7kbhlmVv-k4MghjIF53tf7Sv08U5xfVTVMjusSwmxGC2QwfKMTCUkqyeDSEJelPygSDE/s400/IMG_20151224_134254186.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always save room for dessert!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_VmChYsVAO07lyDco5p3W2O_2_97r2KdcGmKi8y8fR6XpivMsLsiO4TH9OTbVit1f7-s-FrQVdNJAWKGW35Ppn4F5jWmXUTbl2-1ukOlQfRT9XWNOlgiwY5a2-UyTXA1Ot4eFjh3vfk/s1600/IMG_20151224_172533325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_VmChYsVAO07lyDco5p3W2O_2_97r2KdcGmKi8y8fR6XpivMsLsiO4TH9OTbVit1f7-s-FrQVdNJAWKGW35Ppn4F5jWmXUTbl2-1ukOlQfRT9XWNOlgiwY5a2-UyTXA1Ot4eFjh3vfk/s640/IMG_20151224_172533325.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And maybe have a coke or two on the back porch, while we watch our mini rapids flowing in the back yard, as it continues to rain. And rain. And rain!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuJAIk1pn494ocKxvbbvFNEi3-AOecAoMhlXNPTxT2WsiXiNKvxd3TLp74Ci1LxpJMAyEGum2LvmrZqoQ7oRVzxxxxc_6Au0xokBQl2-3bpMgof4Vyi4abKcKThvXdrT9rgxSW37UgfY/s1600/IMG_20151224_234107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuJAIk1pn494ocKxvbbvFNEi3-AOecAoMhlXNPTxT2WsiXiNKvxd3TLp74Ci1LxpJMAyEGum2LvmrZqoQ7oRVzxxxxc_6Au0xokBQl2-3bpMgof4Vyi4abKcKThvXdrT9rgxSW37UgfY/s400/IMG_20151224_234107.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As the night went on, we got a sweet gift from family and shared some leftovers with them. It's hard to see, but in the center of this picture is the Swarovski ornament they gave us to commemorate our new home and the year we got married (2013).</td></tr>
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The next day was Christmas! And it was time to head over to my in-laws for lunch and exchanging gifts. I wasn't in charge of much of the cooking this go round, so I just made a quick <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/16816/corn-dip/" target="_blank">corn dip</a> for us to munch on while lunch was being prepared and a sweet <a href="https://www.pamperedchef.com/recipe/Desserts/American/S%27more+Cake/675033" target="_blank">smore's cake</a> for dessert.</div>
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It's become a bit of a tradition with my sister and brother in-law to do interesting gifts. In my family when I was younger, my Dad would always do "prank" gifts - wrapping gifts in duct tape, adding a can of beans to the present, or random car parts. We even used to do scavenger hunts.</div>
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I've been nice to my in-laws so far.. maybe a few box within a box within a box, or a pinata with money inside, or a ball of crepe paper with money.. well, this year, my sister-in-law owned it..</div>
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-qnXIqNeOd0FPT1PbukXl7bkfNmouqR9ZIGkPCtpvmtwZysmLwwUxi2cZdF2_shmWZoxezx1e6u8dEEPltVWNCmbM9XdaHCc1I02ZjL41yuKHzU5BGiLJi6DFbbtMwB53_xfcwyz2Jo/s1600/IMG_20151225_145437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-qnXIqNeOd0FPT1PbukXl7bkfNmouqR9ZIGkPCtpvmtwZysmLwwUxi2cZdF2_shmWZoxezx1e6u8dEEPltVWNCmbM9XdaHCc1I02ZjL41yuKHzU5BGiLJi6DFbbtMwB53_xfcwyz2Jo/s320/IMG_20151225_145437.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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I present to you, twenty five individually wrapped dollar bills. I loved it! And the paper she used was so pretty!</div>
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After an afternoon of festivities, the Man and I packed up and headed home. It was nice to spend some time just the two of us. Overall, I would say it's been a pretty good start to celebrating the Holidays in our new home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTjhrrM32Q1t9TxxfxWToDAQRKmQEyqtXw3qsUCaNvqI3iiAtzxWCQep87EaJaWaFZeR_xFkNqfZ1PNme2U9yY-7GpGHqHZMqd5NCh0tJYbPvX6nClZqK2CSH29ZvPo7dOIUsrbvIf8A/s1600/IMG_20151225_181625993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTjhrrM32Q1t9TxxfxWToDAQRKmQEyqtXw3qsUCaNvqI3iiAtzxWCQep87EaJaWaFZeR_xFkNqfZ1PNme2U9yY-7GpGHqHZMqd5NCh0tJYbPvX6nClZqK2CSH29ZvPo7dOIUsrbvIf8A/s640/IMG_20151225_181625993.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Here's to many more years of Christmas Cheer!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-57693198399425888552016-01-15T16:12:00.001-05:002016-01-15T16:12:19.969-05:00feeling festive.. part2D2<div style="text-align: center;">
As any good nerd knows, the latest installment in the Star Wars septology(?) is finally in theaters. We made specific plans to see it on Wednesday, December 23rd, a date selected carefully in hopes to avoid the crowds of opening weekend and the inevitable spoilers that would start to emerge.</div>
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Before we made it to the theater for our late matinee (and stale nachos and overly buttered popcorn) I had some baking to do:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1GSppQPwwdKx_VKmJbTyOsB7RurfusJC-hyfSts1MGtNLBWSo41pdo5YTcJysSzCvzkwj3WIGjE8Jt74ZBPMtpDuyJM828oPxSiR-fE7uy5I90RrXvOYSHHOUYC5DvP8MPNDbYsW8i8/s1600/IMG_20151223_114159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1GSppQPwwdKx_VKmJbTyOsB7RurfusJC-hyfSts1MGtNLBWSo41pdo5YTcJysSzCvzkwj3WIGjE8Jt74ZBPMtpDuyJM828oPxSiR-fE7uy5I90RrXvOYSHHOUYC5DvP8MPNDbYsW8i8/s400/IMG_20151223_114159.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love my kitchen island. Chocolate dipped marshmallows, white trash, and popcorn crunch, and there's still room!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvW1uKIIj7SegAIlY-USgktK-S0kCocHh3DcXBe3lWEClDx5ir1L2QkHIZY2RScA2j0BlD43HNZiQw8o4SvdKaE2UfznR71ysWUqy5j8gO9N7KLXYSB8NWrlQ__x8G8GQpqnlPhtei5c/s1600/IMG_20151223_114116283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvW1uKIIj7SegAIlY-USgktK-S0kCocHh3DcXBe3lWEClDx5ir1L2QkHIZY2RScA2j0BlD43HNZiQw8o4SvdKaE2UfznR71ysWUqy5j8gO9N7KLXYSB8NWrlQ__x8G8GQpqnlPhtei5c/s400/IMG_20151223_114116283.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pamperedchef.com/popcorn-crunch-bark" target="_blank">Popcorn crunch</a> is a new favorite.. just take popcorn, pretzels, and vanilla almond bark - toss in some M&M's.. delicious!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezFdMMx9kCC9CCeZ8nAeMlp5X8KvfnKMtmHGnjB3nb6O3BvdsGH9ngvjx_-7Tq0O1TXCKRJP4_EWTAL-V_SEhh1JAkeeWmlVEkEwsWg5g7AHiKY0aY8_qbPsRGlaeVdmPNOSsmeAsXDM/s1600/IMG_20151223_135015052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezFdMMx9kCC9CCeZ8nAeMlp5X8KvfnKMtmHGnjB3nb6O3BvdsGH9ngvjx_-7Tq0O1TXCKRJP4_EWTAL-V_SEhh1JAkeeWmlVEkEwsWg5g7AHiKY0aY8_qbPsRGlaeVdmPNOSsmeAsXDM/s400/IMG_20151223_135015052.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything getting pretty-fied</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDw0ong3lzLvDBEYL3sgzBSxSHYh04Wu28mC_1YV_jJZbhPdhVYHFYldaJ2ijqGd2mhBR7Tb-64Nnma_givvAEKFHX2iyW9vVhLkBOfPB2hAM6DFaiMRdWWMvYfStndR2d6FzXhW11Z4/s1600/IMG_20151223_135030189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDw0ong3lzLvDBEYL3sgzBSxSHYh04Wu28mC_1YV_jJZbhPdhVYHFYldaJ2ijqGd2mhBR7Tb-64Nnma_givvAEKFHX2iyW9vVhLkBOfPB2hAM6DFaiMRdWWMvYfStndR2d6FzXhW11Z4/s400/IMG_20151223_135030189.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few chocolate dipped rice krispy treats, some pretzels, and lots of popcorn crunch!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEz2uDNxV5wLOZRCQWY3lrUokuhG7vlndnExv8hRuLjHL8Cz3vmjEzkK0GVopIKxvx_22cwzsjKGhciBX5guixDWLnabBbNp_DSISD8COgWy7-GYQvZdXd7LdgYwoI2KZUYJU8vB9U8E/s1600/IMG_20151223_135037074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEz2uDNxV5wLOZRCQWY3lrUokuhG7vlndnExv8hRuLjHL8Cz3vmjEzkK0GVopIKxvx_22cwzsjKGhciBX5guixDWLnabBbNp_DSISD8COgWy7-GYQvZdXd7LdgYwoI2KZUYJU8vB9U8E/s400/IMG_20151223_135037074.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We can't forget the fudge and divinity. I just adored those little polka-dot bags!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxMkG7Jbemjxe6DVdI_Ct1RBLH6DV_XJB9z5ayagLGzcyapC8_au5DDoV1dCTN5jzJSE3kGWj3zfMfOLiV-JfelsHwKo4DvIYkOqut1CQUz8P3QrE6uOGwx9CVu1847ScXtbmJ4_zmL0/s1600/IMG_20151223_135105534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxMkG7Jbemjxe6DVdI_Ct1RBLH6DV_XJB9z5ayagLGzcyapC8_au5DDoV1dCTN5jzJSE3kGWj3zfMfOLiV-JfelsHwKo4DvIYkOqut1CQUz8P3QrE6uOGwx9CVu1847ScXtbmJ4_zmL0/s640/IMG_20151223_135105534.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first attempt at using a chocolate mold for making cute pretzels. In my opinion, it was way too time consuming and messed up the chocolate/pretzel ratio. I'll stick to just dipping and sprinkles, thanks!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbBBDnR9QRR75u8HOrl5T5GPPmrCGldhyphenhyphenXa9Ug3P0l9y0Y8xoaxy8QHCgZPsb1-BoAGe4Jk-DMPbwm1mMLKYMWOLtkxoiXmuS9Z-uS79kUVsuMF2HnFXO1sn63S2Nn-Xy-KWPo_gwIh0/s1600/IMG_20151223_142219084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbBBDnR9QRR75u8HOrl5T5GPPmrCGldhyphenhyphenXa9Ug3P0l9y0Y8xoaxy8QHCgZPsb1-BoAGe4Jk-DMPbwm1mMLKYMWOLtkxoiXmuS9Z-uS79kUVsuMF2HnFXO1sn63S2Nn-Xy-KWPo_gwIh0/s400/IMG_20151223_142219084.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With our gifts all assembled, off <b>to the movies we went!</b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Ya'll... it was soo good! I was not a fan of the JarJar versions, but this one.. I can totally get behind.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'll hop on the bandwagon.. I'm a Star Wars nerd.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dskMrCy6wsnCbFHj_s-sGg_7UNowYopiiRoclaV30U69HarJqS3uWRncVx6DuVUV95io0LH4OsQvqpipwWM4UbsdW6rtRWpcTnLdLanUsq_d8Wv8N7XAiBcVGNzaq5hNbKGQrOV9REc/s1600/IMG_20151223_223045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dskMrCy6wsnCbFHj_s-sGg_7UNowYopiiRoclaV30U69HarJqS3uWRncVx6DuVUV95io0LH4OsQvqpipwWM4UbsdW6rtRWpcTnLdLanUsq_d8Wv8N7XAiBcVGNzaq5hNbKGQrOV9REc/s640/IMG_20151223_223045.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>bleep-bloop-beep-bip</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
or Merry Christmas from these nerdy nesters!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-9727874546551813662016-01-10T15:34:00.001-05:002016-01-10T15:34:26.951-05:00feeling festive...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">This Christmas was one for the books. We had multiple opportunities to celebrate with friends and family, plenty of sweets and treats, and generally just basked in the joy and love of our new home.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Before we get too deep in the red and green, we had to take care of some of the fall decor that was still lingering:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChx4CYaL6oOG6j7vRurFmTsFO8S5UTF1Mq765BTqJnwghd5Zcy3aJ_P6NhN0wzxU4ol9ceplJ57TPU6smpBukpshRMouc9G4S5Fj6vlgRc38vAnvsCXt5mf4APwptQflKTCkSR0gJJH0/s1600/IMG_20151205_144550103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChx4CYaL6oOG6j7vRurFmTsFO8S5UTF1Mq765BTqJnwghd5Zcy3aJ_P6NhN0wzxU4ol9ceplJ57TPU6smpBukpshRMouc9G4S5Fj6vlgRc38vAnvsCXt5mf4APwptQflKTCkSR0gJJH0/s400/IMG_20151205_144550103.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piled up and ready for transport to our makeshift shooting range..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jIra31uCub3mR4hsYGGNNDCgPqgoEAxZpUbcjqoe8uxtSvV3wudo7fh5TW97gyYu_Rkmf0C8wZg9sjXKY7JCb8zvYQREdWZzWYPupHFj0BpSBINWlG_8X5wweeTxgQFROSX2JEqZBlo/s1600/IMG_20151205_160653547_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jIra31uCub3mR4hsYGGNNDCgPqgoEAxZpUbcjqoe8uxtSvV3wudo7fh5TW97gyYu_Rkmf0C8wZg9sjXKY7JCb8zvYQREdWZzWYPupHFj0BpSBINWlG_8X5wweeTxgQFROSX2JEqZBlo/s400/IMG_20151205_160653547_HDR.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the damage from our target practice..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLR8UrcEBQO-09A4WIKa6k3Sxt9hFlm7Lmp8qOGaUkM-X7B6-bAfZNyd6N9R6fMkvWqkn4rEuvVBux6BOzHmmqBMzHcwoK2dYRfPADjR626QulFFjm6uLxH-Kua2XHQHfstubYZmEnz2o/s1600/IMG_20151205_160828530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLR8UrcEBQO-09A4WIKa6k3Sxt9hFlm7Lmp8qOGaUkM-X7B6-bAfZNyd6N9R6fMkvWqkn4rEuvVBux6BOzHmmqBMzHcwoK2dYRfPADjR626QulFFjm6uLxH-Kua2XHQHfstubYZmEnz2o/s400/IMG_20151205_160828530.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this is the Man's favorite part of decorating..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaBgthLwuQpKtUkb_QcR89Tgm7bys3UPZ17_E40ulT1yhPNH-UHAdysMSfQmF7OzbVSezL3d998jnbGfnCGsuqHsCgforkWI_NTAcgu6Lfby3frJCvi6RIluBoOD6PTiX2LP74yLaLqI/s1600/IMG_20151205_160552437_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaBgthLwuQpKtUkb_QcR89Tgm7bys3UPZ17_E40ulT1yhPNH-UHAdysMSfQmF7OzbVSezL3d998jnbGfnCGsuqHsCgforkWI_NTAcgu6Lfby3frJCvi6RIluBoOD6PTiX2LP74yLaLqI/s400/IMG_20151205_160552437_HDR.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UN-decorating!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Onto one of my favorite traditions, a sweet way to kick off the Christmas season.. the annual Cookie Walk!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsqcN-szR7XZAt16LleAbuz3LkDlIzSXdT2kD8w9DMJi49lUijKqKz9WW18HiL1gbu1HAyxTmxOPb1nDyO9CInlRjNaeQ2uYTNjly7SYZKL-n4NYnujALCgeH4plqPhmZSZ1ZLN-6_5U/s1600/IMG_20151205_094651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsqcN-szR7XZAt16LleAbuz3LkDlIzSXdT2kD8w9DMJi49lUijKqKz9WW18HiL1gbu1HAyxTmxOPb1nDyO9CInlRjNaeQ2uYTNjly7SYZKL-n4NYnujALCgeH4plqPhmZSZ1ZLN-6_5U/s320/IMG_20151205_094651.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a fundraiser for our local Habitat for Humanity, where local folks donate cookies, you take your pick and pay by the pound. It's usually the first Saturday in December, and for the past few years has been hosted at Grace United Church in Auburn. I think I've been going to it for at least 7 years now, possibly longer. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHXJqz7tUQfC4O-TgWWYayDFWwC8TF3TR93p5NXiQ9Di5yASpxd5bOvM3GPtGHr9spQLnRAQbPlcGgUk7kZUFqb0WCaqIsKwyXBwqgU4vBMMyRg5lFYau5dHimmXiEoLBpY49caESBeY/s1600/IMG_20151213_231122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHXJqz7tUQfC4O-TgWWYayDFWwC8TF3TR93p5NXiQ9Di5yASpxd5bOvM3GPtGHr9spQLnRAQbPlcGgUk7kZUFqb0WCaqIsKwyXBwqgU4vBMMyRg5lFYau5dHimmXiEoLBpY49caESBeY/s320/IMG_20151213_231122.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can always count on having one kitten or another to supervise me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-dmGcpGOcXusjhq_BYxwP2ucC3Eh_PeRZI8uODIl3Y4WbcFu0WOW4-jfz7STcGD0quMcoMjwMDTj_dWJ9-_m5dd3zDzvR0hQmONH6XABugnFVEFIVl-8Xdv2kMSAyg_8_W59rGqH4HU/s1600/IMG_20151213_150509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-dmGcpGOcXusjhq_BYxwP2ucC3Eh_PeRZI8uODIl3Y4WbcFu0WOW4-jfz7STcGD0quMcoMjwMDTj_dWJ9-_m5dd3zDzvR0hQmONH6XABugnFVEFIVl-8Xdv2kMSAyg_8_W59rGqH4HU/s400/IMG_20151213_150509.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This year I attempted making divinity for the first time. It wasn't the best (it was still a little sticky and dense) but I blame the weather instead of my lack of skills..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdX5tRLwAOdvQKOveM3FeQA2YTzDI8W4-BxZk3adF871E5baLbIG2OZYck6TLkrN5EodmnJ7quqq3tYIdxvszhNphd1H_O3CtNPZoyXJcn_zoiE_kZvDjVpalxAkpkFmPzxb1Rp2Yp-b4/s1600/IMG_20151215_074426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdX5tRLwAOdvQKOveM3FeQA2YTzDI8W4-BxZk3adF871E5baLbIG2OZYck6TLkrN5EodmnJ7quqq3tYIdxvszhNphd1H_O3CtNPZoyXJcn_zoiE_kZvDjVpalxAkpkFmPzxb1Rp2Yp-b4/s320/IMG_20151215_074426.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was later getting my Christmas cards out than normal. I plan to remedy that next year! But how could I not send some out with stamps like these? </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtqWjbm7EkAH-M206fZYy8L4QZhptAyPbh4rovm3eERuZfaQZ9JGwrxyfgoh5owP_wqN_wCMCKbyB4RxwYWg4tDWHXA65KdesjRdB3yVyPVjtol43Jv614D42yx48_q2nc8KKXRca5Hc/s1600/IMG_20151215_201208618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtqWjbm7EkAH-M206fZYy8L4QZhptAyPbh4rovm3eERuZfaQZ9JGwrxyfgoh5owP_wqN_wCMCKbyB4RxwYWg4tDWHXA65KdesjRdB3yVyPVjtol43Jv614D42yx48_q2nc8KKXRca5Hc/s400/IMG_20151215_201208618.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried getting Loki into the Christmas spirit with a sweater..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rirOIHYZ-923M6nnxgDW-o3t2_6vbEJb6Wo4mmiv-GD4lswg7bYqbSBuEIXitMyD856UXtAzmEuBoO3J_eSK2tMMWHDMIMryDn7cYRvgu21XiOuSMlj8jHb40EANoX4_aGquBQTzEPw/s1600/IMG_20151215_201248137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rirOIHYZ-923M6nnxgDW-o3t2_6vbEJb6Wo4mmiv-GD4lswg7bYqbSBuEIXitMyD856UXtAzmEuBoO3J_eSK2tMMWHDMIMryDn7cYRvgu21XiOuSMlj8jHb40EANoX4_aGquBQTzEPw/s400/IMG_20151215_201248137.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He wasn't feeling it. At. All.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
At this point, things kicked into high gear! It was the last weekend before Christmas and the Man was smoking Boston butts for my (finally returned) annual GNO/Ugly Chrimma Sweater Party:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIkgUKm5O35A5WdRIvi9GW2b9Qa-OdnIPl2YCQ2G_TrwOX_3OQkAraWz-ksHRKkzj-E1kZCI57NCbkqAnEP9arGmimQCny1CjA4_G7kCoP58aEx7n8Wpstkk1Bp9y52KcpPDJFIjYmzc/s1600/IMG_20151217_225700898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIkgUKm5O35A5WdRIvi9GW2b9Qa-OdnIPl2YCQ2G_TrwOX_3OQkAraWz-ksHRKkzj-E1kZCI57NCbkqAnEP9arGmimQCny1CjA4_G7kCoP58aEx7n8Wpstkk1Bp9y52KcpPDJFIjYmzc/s400/IMG_20151217_225700898.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mm.. meat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvbG2SsqdRIRcyxLlUA_49VUgFNhNjShHEUmmXIUzTMDFfaHt0s0jZlj0QlYW9GGj8WiEA6Jz9ymWs00ehNIROJ35HkvIEeN5m9aKKr2ZT8jvRWgLIHYA3mjoHqg6OBnKrAKQIgis-FQ/s1600/IMG_20151217_225008655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvbG2SsqdRIRcyxLlUA_49VUgFNhNjShHEUmmXIUzTMDFfaHt0s0jZlj0QlYW9GGj8WiEA6Jz9ymWs00ehNIROJ35HkvIEeN5m9aKKr2ZT8jvRWgLIHYA3mjoHqg6OBnKrAKQIgis-FQ/s400/IMG_20151217_225008655.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding in the injection.. it only took about 18 hours this time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZefxO4y8-239-t9ee0IsxRvjJFEO7sdYSjDf1RrXlZUlCrGnZV3u8JJQtQrhLffPm2JUbb_F3Bk3mvhtsmQOYi480aCgyb7ux8Yn3vdfeNH9zg9FzhppnXupvGhgHUTr4AE6CO_g46Aw/s1600/IMG_20151218_235837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZefxO4y8-239-t9ee0IsxRvjJFEO7sdYSjDf1RrXlZUlCrGnZV3u8JJQtQrhLffPm2JUbb_F3Bk3mvhtsmQOYi480aCgyb7ux8Yn3vdfeNH9zg9FzhppnXupvGhgHUTr4AE6CO_g46Aw/s640/IMG_20151218_235837.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I came home to a lovely surprise of some cheery flowers to brighten up a dreary winter day, and just in time to have a pretty decoration for the party!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsmUFU_Uz2fIhwAa09RLTuUwgwQylUpKLVfRnWIIYIZK4UoWhGmUA9a6F4zLcMPIXHZgIagirYqRcO7Swjujt5X_8RQYnUX7kehMawyHJHeDK5Seo8irnoRtPF-maugfirKACZQHLrC0/s1600/IMG_20151219_194455038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsmUFU_Uz2fIhwAa09RLTuUwgwQylUpKLVfRnWIIYIZK4UoWhGmUA9a6F4zLcMPIXHZgIagirYqRcO7Swjujt5X_8RQYnUX7kehMawyHJHeDK5Seo8irnoRtPF-maugfirKACZQHLrC0/s400/IMG_20151219_194455038.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We laughed, and ate, and talked, and laughed, and ate some more..</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiF31NRAn8QYRQjUD8mnsUI6cPaqiouNBZi6eZ01Xx2fuBt4BJKjln7r1cHt5v0OxsrWsTyRDRvbHHB5W2ytmibVHgJgQv83qKBjZ3FK_IxGOvMcXMaMDuKSpis1tDp9LI4NdX7T_vt4M/s1600/FB_IMG_1450629242307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiF31NRAn8QYRQjUD8mnsUI6cPaqiouNBZi6eZ01Xx2fuBt4BJKjln7r1cHt5v0OxsrWsTyRDRvbHHB5W2ytmibVHgJgQv83qKBjZ3FK_IxGOvMcXMaMDuKSpis1tDp9LI4NdX7T_vt4M/s400/FB_IMG_1450629242307.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing off our classy Christmas style!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpzLgK3BE7QfCe7AvdrzTezI9YnVrMiNZZVV82m289ld28hz68rLDhoZHZX1Udxnb3BRf7TIYluNORf79fHDOTCHrbpfD_iObaes2D2-gM0cWgFLIltoGB25V-C2iUryhFig9oHRbzNc/s1600/FB_IMG_1450629226364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpzLgK3BE7QfCe7AvdrzTezI9YnVrMiNZZVV82m289ld28hz68rLDhoZHZX1Udxnb3BRf7TIYluNORf79fHDOTCHrbpfD_iObaes2D2-gM0cWgFLIltoGB25V-C2iUryhFig9oHRbzNc/s640/FB_IMG_1450629226364.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And of course, Loki had to steal the spotlight. Thanks to my friend at <a href="http://www.birdsonawirephotography.com/" target="_blank">Birds on a Wire Photography</a> for the awesome kitten picture! She always makes my home, cooking, and kitties look so <b>fancy</b>!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
We always have so much fun, and I'm so glad to keep the tradition going! After the party died down, the Man and I tidied up the next day, and started counting down to Wednesday.. 12/23. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Why Wednesday?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(I'll give you a hint. We're big nerds.)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-2876424532572358502016-01-09T19:50:00.001-05:002016-01-09T19:50:16.442-05:00deck the halls.. in hyperdrive<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: center;">Sometimes, in my excitement.. I don't think things through.</span></div>
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For example, the time I decided to host a Holiday dinner for my team (18 people) the first Thursday in December.</div>
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<i>A week after Thanksgiving.</i></div>
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I was so excited about being able to cook dinner for my team that works so hard.. and to have the house all festive and Christmas-y. I didn't think about the fact that I had only left myself a weekend to get the whole house flipped from Fall to Festive.. and get all the dishes washed, cook a huge meal (again), and in the meantime host our first house guest, <b>AND</b> it's the Iron Bowl.</div>
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Yeahhhh... </div>
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Next time, I'll try to keep that in mind. Still - I think everyone had a lovely time, and it made me get the house decorated in <b>super speed..</b>which means more time to enjoy it. Right?</div>
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We actually rested and digested (and did some online shopping) on Black Friday. But bright and early Saturday morning.. it was <b>time to decorate!</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORhdqMiOuJgyEQClo3r23aiDtop5hfpCLlibaw-50ipLwLOiOJfy-NeBlOppYPhnYQXcpPHHOOkL445OH56irOkwOislExG5pchkgrEtuQTkR7VimfbQZGfAvMtkTK2GLES_arNNd8BA/s1600/IMG_20151128_084029693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORhdqMiOuJgyEQClo3r23aiDtop5hfpCLlibaw-50ipLwLOiOJfy-NeBlOppYPhnYQXcpPHHOOkL445OH56irOkwOislExG5pchkgrEtuQTkR7VimfbQZGfAvMtkTK2GLES_arNNd8BA/s640/IMG_20151128_084029693.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twas a month before Christmas and strewn all over the house..<br />
This was only three bins of decorations, and it covered the whole dining room table..</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiBUenrrSiEvTd6mu-6G5tMQS96RMpPUEnIYkfVu6n3FficXcaoI_AUreXroqUunqwL1cy8zvzVgbQNTLagDXoLR-8F_gFRr85rZyx6YBttyHTLfO1lG6ETQgI5wgzyTyeC-hdCDvN4o/s1600/IMG_20151128_190611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiBUenrrSiEvTd6mu-6G5tMQS96RMpPUEnIYkfVu6n3FficXcaoI_AUreXroqUunqwL1cy8zvzVgbQNTLagDXoLR-8F_gFRr85rZyx6YBttyHTLfO1lG6ETQgI5wgzyTyeC-hdCDvN4o/s640/IMG_20151128_190611.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It only took about 7 hours.. I had to find my groove.. but the first tree is finished!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSfS2B5fLQhZmWhlDyOJ2-jKJhz8jm47quTgPqApwhQOGJRaeenl7D9P5juBsUV99DkVUgORBRoRw7qUD9RHBMqpQqrWV6KQHoUnUR2KG9EWK3Js1OsSFTQLtVYe3spj8zHLqwngDWAc/s1600/IMG_20151128_190230486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSfS2B5fLQhZmWhlDyOJ2-jKJhz8jm47quTgPqApwhQOGJRaeenl7D9P5juBsUV99DkVUgORBRoRw7qUD9RHBMqpQqrWV6KQHoUnUR2KG9EWK3Js1OsSFTQLtVYe3spj8zHLqwngDWAc/s640/IMG_20151128_190230486.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a 7.5 foot tree, but for my short-self, a stepladder was still involved. We placed it in the foyer and I love that it's the first thing people see when they come into the house.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EjRRAnRONZzR9s4GYOq4yT05rfCtzKAsHXpc7y5nnnbZ8mYELIXLpqrUjOHh_PbaG6RyEBk6lHGsY7gKwl4CYmf13hFFrumxilivWAUZSJkzsekDE9dNlX-MA9C_-zFDoUx943S0nxk/s1600/IMG_20151128_190320868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EjRRAnRONZzR9s4GYOq4yT05rfCtzKAsHXpc7y5nnnbZ8mYELIXLpqrUjOHh_PbaG6RyEBk6lHGsY7gKwl4CYmf13hFFrumxilivWAUZSJkzsekDE9dNlX-MA9C_-zFDoUx943S0nxk/s640/IMG_20151128_190320868.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For our main tree, I kept it classic with our sentimental ornaments, and lots of red, green, silver, and gold. I just love how the lights glow and everything twinkles!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
The next day, Sunday, I tackled trees number two and three:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWWmAzhbEEX3qFUzrA6t-rBpCpAkipa2Op-Dsu9-l6XpHCj_GtqVJaS98ElpQqHmZqsqlT_cVrixkns0TKr2GcOvmqImpRZKwU96l5SRzICA3FYhhvFRH-SVFJiRT0UrXw0bq7zYSqDs/s1600/IMG_20151129_165946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWWmAzhbEEX3qFUzrA6t-rBpCpAkipa2Op-Dsu9-l6XpHCj_GtqVJaS98ElpQqHmZqsqlT_cVrixkns0TKr2GcOvmqImpRZKwU96l5SRzICA3FYhhvFRH-SVFJiRT0UrXw0bq7zYSqDs/s640/IMG_20151129_165946.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our second tree is in the bedroom, and I love all the sparkly ornaments. I used ornaments in blue, white, gold, silver, and clear.. with lots of glitter to catch the light.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cddsJDDgAfErnlTWVqjtVFAlIiOnD5d2d3IrbCchcS1f6vmBoH6HonS8tBz9tLHJblclrciV5VlbrAA_QCYjOOTsYWS6UNem-YTpJPw3TTE_rBDTf2U6rJwesk267eqAHgFFqlzYFlU/s1600/IMG_20151129_154232088_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cddsJDDgAfErnlTWVqjtVFAlIiOnD5d2d3IrbCchcS1f6vmBoH6HonS8tBz9tLHJblclrciV5VlbrAA_QCYjOOTsYWS6UNem-YTpJPw3TTE_rBDTf2U6rJwesk267eqAHgFFqlzYFlU/s400/IMG_20151129_154232088_HDR.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to get the lighting right, but a fuzzy sequined tree skirt and white velvet ribbon made it feel a little more glam. This is where our breakable ornaments go - since the kitties aren't allowed in this room.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1j4gNsvkfCXXvHKsIezqJnka5rBob2gkOuhPMuATeHAIeS5dh12ejqubl2mVaFDMfLM7gBnJxhaE6ACskzrV4MO4_qWNBOqCm3jVDe8aHQO0SzuLz9h_koPIhlK_TBCDeeidB5oBOPXQ/s1600/IMG_20151204_213507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1j4gNsvkfCXXvHKsIezqJnka5rBob2gkOuhPMuATeHAIeS5dh12ejqubl2mVaFDMfLM7gBnJxhaE6ACskzrV4MO4_qWNBOqCm3jVDe8aHQO0SzuLz9h_koPIhlK_TBCDeeidB5oBOPXQ/s640/IMG_20151204_213507.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one has some serious twinkle-power at night.. I couldn't resist and left it on a few nights when I went to bed. It's just so pretty!!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KVdT18BF364-X8OYtET8KUdP6FTcyCgoTJHYCVZz_PHkV1FhF0UfLBz60DZ3NGrgH3M4Bdy9BQ5-PeAhq2FR1xcZXOvJOiBC0QXmREpH_coJJ0IH9wmC1O4sEuLHeHVCVmPrb1s3_-w/s1600/IMG_20151204_213517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KVdT18BF364-X8OYtET8KUdP6FTcyCgoTJHYCVZz_PHkV1FhF0UfLBz60DZ3NGrgH3M4Bdy9BQ5-PeAhq2FR1xcZXOvJOiBC0QXmREpH_coJJ0IH9wmC1O4sEuLHeHVCVmPrb1s3_-w/s400/IMG_20151204_213517.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our favorite Mickey ornaments tucked in the branches..</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2QQDbnGWZgLjVULa6CNkqr7QehmFNV6nVZF5xl1arGeUULsMflvg108WCTBfdaZ7GWHBfIpYbxpQnSw3Oe29E-psMgr1a0NMsVh7oUuqo9H2jjQX0HZ6v15eGbr9ARjAmnk7l3oQHUM/s1600/IMG_20151204_213539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2QQDbnGWZgLjVULa6CNkqr7QehmFNV6nVZF5xl1arGeUULsMflvg108WCTBfdaZ7GWHBfIpYbxpQnSw3Oe29E-psMgr1a0NMsVh7oUuqo9H2jjQX0HZ6v15eGbr9ARjAmnk7l3oQHUM/s400/IMG_20151204_213539.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the center, a blown glass ornament we picked up from the Germany pavilion in Epcot on our last WDW trip.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
And our last tree, little number three in the kitchen:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYuEmAltxGERSRgKyJqcr_qEwQUERn7dpGxMcfXLn-PtTZejVATPVjiUK-Hf8uiVWY3fLWchxWv1CwSvIsJbabjEsgZpxqxiVrxlUG74dhbB5toSDJMRrgQxsehmhueAlg84Tr4p21hg/s1600/IMG_20151129_185502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYuEmAltxGERSRgKyJqcr_qEwQUERn7dpGxMcfXLn-PtTZejVATPVjiUK-Hf8uiVWY3fLWchxWv1CwSvIsJbabjEsgZpxqxiVrxlUG74dhbB5toSDJMRrgQxsehmhueAlg84Tr4p21hg/s640/IMG_20151129_185502.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This tree has all my Hallmark baking and cupcake ornaments that my MIL gets for me every year. It's just a small tabletop tree for now, but I've got my eyes on a bigger one for the future.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJtNU7bh3FI35hC13iZxxPGkFeN4UQL_r6au9EbbFYDLJEyjbE62ts24LfV_5SS1hPGlSSltzdsQKliT13Sm6OMt9sMurZJmfuT04bBfJTwbIHIojG3jWEhws1UrfQARmwalKnIa9kUs/s1600/IMG_20151206_151833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJtNU7bh3FI35hC13iZxxPGkFeN4UQL_r6au9EbbFYDLJEyjbE62ts24LfV_5SS1hPGlSSltzdsQKliT13Sm6OMt9sMurZJmfuT04bBfJTwbIHIojG3jWEhws1UrfQARmwalKnIa9kUs/s400/IMG_20151206_151833.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add one big red bow and some garland to the mailbox, and we were set!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
As for the team dinner, I think everyone enjoyed themselves.. I forgot to take pictures until after the fact, but this was the aftermath:</div>
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Lots of dishes, but worth every wash... and what a way to kick off the Christmas Season!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-8313880612681492352015-12-29T15:25:00.002-05:002016-01-01T10:39:50.046-05:00hosting our first thanksgiving<div style="text-align: center;">
The past two months have been a whirlwind. I've loved a lot of it... we've had some great times in the new house and really celebrated with friends and family. </div>
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This was our first year hosting Thanksgiving.. and boy was it a wild one. We had about 13 people over, and cooked enough for a small army. This was also my first time making a few dishes from scratch. Overall I would say it was a success! And I didn't burn anything!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7nXAr22BG5XVDn0-wtWXaY_MsWSFagZ_cwA1Ao_5olRVxlLsJIJjt1BHgxEETvJxw73t_ZyXRIuOJqe3JkLIDJtYlt7KV5CH_0CVqAJujuz9kYuSdVSCtzPpucvCstEGVJjIF3DjuSI/s1600/IMG_20151121_112101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7nXAr22BG5XVDn0-wtWXaY_MsWSFagZ_cwA1Ao_5olRVxlLsJIJjt1BHgxEETvJxw73t_ZyXRIuOJqe3JkLIDJtYlt7KV5CH_0CVqAJujuz9kYuSdVSCtzPpucvCstEGVJjIF3DjuSI/s320/IMG_20151121_112101.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started with fresh cranberry sauce the weekend before, 11/21/15</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnv2FMtU5l7WPuBGHTR_OqD0Ng0Bkt14WcwB9ANGwk21JfDxn_0bYgnM9eQrHmzn3_BWMjgI-_7dTafx4skQm5_h4BiydCXl1FHT13eo4jHtC8T0e8ye64ezo-qyL4rSC6IM9vZpoBP8/s1600/IMG_20151121_151111707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnv2FMtU5l7WPuBGHTR_OqD0Ng0Bkt14WcwB9ANGwk21JfDxn_0bYgnM9eQrHmzn3_BWMjgI-_7dTafx4skQm5_h4BiydCXl1FHT13eo4jHtC8T0e8ye64ezo-qyL4rSC6IM9vZpoBP8/s640/IMG_20151121_151111707.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knocked out two pecan pies that weekend as well...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOOfOXDANaKreZ-awU_TYe-LABcVMDYwMMRyWyExsM1n8E8W2Tfy50qe2QD_ZjW7glc46OcQmL2QOigN0OSazljW1ZCHB1ItkSfGBEmv4Wh_PDRlbxSOU_nX4bdC_fJ1KJUP3GYI5CIM/s1600/IMG_20151125_105839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOOfOXDANaKreZ-awU_TYe-LABcVMDYwMMRyWyExsM1n8E8W2Tfy50qe2QD_ZjW7glc46OcQmL2QOigN0OSazljW1ZCHB1ItkSfGBEmv4Wh_PDRlbxSOU_nX4bdC_fJ1KJUP3GYI5CIM/s320/IMG_20151125_105839.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then the Wednesday before, I started on my Oreo turkeys.. a little creepy at this point.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3falgciHv86yiNooZ6JjloDhmiuV01cqQatA-ub0dTMc9V4hOLRSUZuWnY87i0thcksPyeuTBiQQTdvuz2xLCcg4e0osD6umGvarGY2aLpsQ7Yy73zk0T7jj_kn1DgSjoc4hgwwUKgo/s1600/IMG_20151126_075111217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3falgciHv86yiNooZ6JjloDhmiuV01cqQatA-ub0dTMc9V4hOLRSUZuWnY87i0thcksPyeuTBiQQTdvuz2xLCcg4e0osD6umGvarGY2aLpsQ7Yy73zk0T7jj_kn1DgSjoc4hgwwUKgo/s640/IMG_20151126_075111217.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Man got the turkey ready for the smoker.. lots of butter, brine, and seasoning happening here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DrEIHL6oSYM3OWvZviux-rZpGnzg5fzzCVBW4dGb_3hB3XutuflG_gA8Aa4p-pbvFXOLna-qISD5rN2HqvszcX-fS9z5KEszH2IOHfYBEXif95PO5x0GDuqJYxdxG7fQ1ct0DYzP4HM/s1600/IMG_20151126_112001608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DrEIHL6oSYM3OWvZviux-rZpGnzg5fzzCVBW4dGb_3hB3XutuflG_gA8Aa4p-pbvFXOLna-qISD5rN2HqvszcX-fS9z5KEszH2IOHfYBEXif95PO5x0GDuqJYxdxG7fQ1ct0DYzP4HM/s640/IMG_20151126_112001608.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our oreo turkeys were a-dor-able! I loved my little flock. These were so easy to make and were a perfect break from all the cooking I had going on that required concentration.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXmBDyi6M5XYThHEbQGf9CR84ipWPwlVGyMlZziDVyg5T5gXETcyheIvCfLbRBqHADFaGBLOxzXeirLVtwcYqwohoKuIjBWwGG7GxLV3_uxDXVc6P7ial9drwofxiJHz15jvopJfSJHk/s1600/IMG_20151126_130157499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXmBDyi6M5XYThHEbQGf9CR84ipWPwlVGyMlZziDVyg5T5gXETcyheIvCfLbRBqHADFaGBLOxzXeirLVtwcYqwohoKuIjBWwGG7GxLV3_uxDXVc6P7ial9drwofxiJHz15jvopJfSJHk/s400/IMG_20151126_130157499.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like my first ever from scratch cheesecake! </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62Zo518C-SUJTrX14D4cj_erqi_nODtiMAdDZi9DuTQahK_i_ya8U8AbECOx6chv9leiAomzwLYgLVEJxFXeNffDR_IeltWTc38mwAZYTWDM7YqQjQESccgaV5lV9lUIf5fhO3se1pW0/s1600/IMG_20151126_134247181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62Zo518C-SUJTrX14D4cj_erqi_nODtiMAdDZi9DuTQahK_i_ya8U8AbECOx6chv9leiAomzwLYgLVEJxFXeNffDR_IeltWTc38mwAZYTWDM7YqQjQESccgaV5lV9lUIf5fhO3se1pW0/s640/IMG_20151126_134247181.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had the buffet setup and ready for everyone to dig in!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagwafFPIMdrz9VosLgaHzaWmaGLTGX1OKED94k0oExQ5DhOHlmBYZKi86NjYsAm1PlJ7JyojACKPlRucS-MDThcUVohM4cQK_o13j3Vd9apk6KwGOgB6BQNTAD_HwdJdai5ewwkVJne0/s1600/IMG_20151126_134301690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagwafFPIMdrz9VosLgaHzaWmaGLTGX1OKED94k0oExQ5DhOHlmBYZKi86NjYsAm1PlJ7JyojACKPlRucS-MDThcUVohM4cQK_o13j3Vd9apk6KwGOgB6BQNTAD_HwdJdai5ewwkVJne0/s640/IMG_20151126_134301690.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's just not a Southern Holiday table without deviled eggs and pear salad.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICvg_TRgpE3Ap56RW4ivRiIIgf4D_jgk4BMYr11FK0v5KYvEKuS2hnu1pXmJ_lGIrzKqaJugR4VqMSd3BIbT6b7v5F4gBvzWRKRrKUN1dEZ0sCVYAIC3bpCMOGiBXAj5kqkCZhVPovOY/s1600/IMG_20151126_134308546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICvg_TRgpE3Ap56RW4ivRiIIgf4D_jgk4BMYr11FK0v5KYvEKuS2hnu1pXmJ_lGIrzKqaJugR4VqMSd3BIbT6b7v5F4gBvzWRKRrKUN1dEZ0sCVYAIC3bpCMOGiBXAj5kqkCZhVPovOY/s640/IMG_20151126_134308546.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our menu included: two turkeys, fresh cranberry sauce, two styles of dressing (my MIL and my grandma's recipe), gravy, fresh creamed corn, green beans, two sweet potato souffles (one with pecans, one with marshmallows), rolls, a cheese ball, a multitude of desserts, watergate salad, and the previously pictured deviled eggs and pear salad.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ODBxhoGJGMhuXEqRsSySz9KcknPfOg4ehM9r4Kkcp8mBHJLYhVKSqWXBQ3lDj4sV0YlrFpbPMwb8shxxLrm2CIUOXpYbaqEk0h1EnsQKfaaGeDtfvxgvFmVmZqqXyUJsX1YsSbcFeRo/s1600/IMG_20151126_134316197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ODBxhoGJGMhuXEqRsSySz9KcknPfOg4ehM9r4Kkcp8mBHJLYhVKSqWXBQ3lDj4sV0YlrFpbPMwb8shxxLrm2CIUOXpYbaqEk0h1EnsQKfaaGeDtfvxgvFmVmZqqXyUJsX1YsSbcFeRo/s640/IMG_20151126_134316197.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had both smoked and fried turkey.. it was so good!<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZwh5uY1HBjThGreSvp0V1EtjXFF5t9zoBwDWaIXAzJPfuOgwwIWNzzREbKW3GTo07PoXwelMFXhsWQWlGvS_XDUsGsgaMczy5ukWpHKG_TqDNFkLQcNkk6SAJPs1nVJTEExZHJjxJmE/s1600/IMG_20151126_163455515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZwh5uY1HBjThGreSvp0V1EtjXFF5t9zoBwDWaIXAzJPfuOgwwIWNzzREbKW3GTo07PoXwelMFXhsWQWlGvS_XDUsGsgaMczy5ukWpHKG_TqDNFkLQcNkk6SAJPs1nVJTEExZHJjxJmE/s400/IMG_20151126_163455515.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few hours later, I finally had room for some cheesecake. I'm so glad it turned out as well as it did!<br /><br /></td></tr>
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We had bought a bean bag toss game on a whim when we moved into the new house, and though I don't have the photos to document it - it turned out to be a HIT! We set it up on the front lawn and there were some <b>serious</b> competitions going on. It worked out well since the day was sunny and warm (we are in the South) and I think it gave everyone a break from their food coma. </div>
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I hope everyone had a good time. It definitely made me feel like we've got a good chance at hosting again in the future. I mean, could you turn down this little cutie?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6H9JL_XoITa1l3CHys1dNC44oz2b9HEsevxUbjc1baHcrMK3NNP8Y70Lszxh099oW07n79yTMOlNDl-yBOM4E2ad1nNOmTMlJ3TzQm6sH2Lwe-YVH5CaCH4BL3MFMAvgeZZ5F2zMJho/s1600/IMG_20151126_165650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6H9JL_XoITa1l3CHys1dNC44oz2b9HEsevxUbjc1baHcrMK3NNP8Y70Lszxh099oW07n79yTMOlNDl-yBOM4E2ad1nNOmTMlJ3TzQm6sH2Lwe-YVH5CaCH4BL3MFMAvgeZZ5F2zMJho/s320/IMG_20151126_165650.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't think so!</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-52001642953524927792015-11-27T14:23:00.001-05:002015-11-27T14:23:13.295-05:00fall-ing more in love..<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We've been in our new home for a few months now, and I can say I'm seriously loving it! It seems like I blinked and fall has flown by. I thought I might need to do a quick recap of one of my favorite seasons before I start posting "first Christmas in the new house" pictures. We're currently prepping for our first time hosting the big family Thanksgiving. More on that to come, for now - here is how our September, October, and a dash of November have been around our new home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho55ZI-W3QiM_yu9EtCno4XD7qZXceuu06_CgJCYjB3PFq-j3LkpVUDz3lYBv0_Z2Rkrm4zGimjgXgr4Q7mVic_Bu5mMIDuDOPhURVbyff5NrrsNjMORmaXlxYugX3YjVI_27sQYvp4b8/s1600/IMG_20151003_124047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho55ZI-W3QiM_yu9EtCno4XD7qZXceuu06_CgJCYjB3PFq-j3LkpVUDz3lYBv0_Z2Rkrm4zGimjgXgr4Q7mVic_Bu5mMIDuDOPhURVbyff5NrrsNjMORmaXlxYugX3YjVI_27sQYvp4b8/s400/IMG_20151003_124047.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I went a little pumpkin crazy at the farmers market, and finally got the mum I'd been daydreaming about since I first saw them on display at Lowe's.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXZ6sKuX8_MGMWhyphenhyphenbAWSYy1yICE4skqWZXPH3fVALipvNBXGQ8qppTuwVk6tYra2UQeCtsgBxDyTQn1ZKR2AX6dzpfSceyP2wvjPd8EvpBeZ3aW1aufu1mpRIRu9YlNWPsZRx_CkAjDM/s1600/IMG_20151004_154302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXZ6sKuX8_MGMWhyphenhyphenbAWSYy1yICE4skqWZXPH3fVALipvNBXGQ8qppTuwVk6tYra2UQeCtsgBxDyTQn1ZKR2AX6dzpfSceyP2wvjPd8EvpBeZ3aW1aufu1mpRIRu9YlNWPsZRx_CkAjDM/s320/IMG_20151004_154302.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Since we don't have a fireplace in the new house, I've been displaying my "mantle wreaths" using a wreath holder set on my buffet by the door. </div>
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A little more fall decorations on the dining table. Thank goodness for non-breakables. Somehow the felt pumpkins end up all over the house, even though house rules state "No kitties on the table!"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEkQ6CFarx2j70feW0jgCNFtdnkKJcVwfER0ienpfNB1gxqKhTVmAL6GUTFth9-cOZLfodetpsOr2Hu45G8hMbkfQqsWt1MVwpt-7-6tiKw-_kUirg3BQaXPAXE9Go0bWfe2dmxgSSqc/s1600/IMG_20151009_180209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEkQ6CFarx2j70feW0jgCNFtdnkKJcVwfER0ienpfNB1gxqKhTVmAL6GUTFth9-cOZLfodetpsOr2Hu45G8hMbkfQqsWt1MVwpt-7-6tiKw-_kUirg3BQaXPAXE9Go0bWfe2dmxgSSqc/s320/IMG_20151009_180209.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I did a little baking for a dinner party or two. This is hummingbird cake, a bit of a <a href="http://www.southernliving.com/food/entertaining/hummingbird-cake" target="_blank">Southern</a> tradition.</div>
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I even pulled out my super tall cake cover for this one. It makes the bundt look so TINY!</div>
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We've kept the kitchen pretty busy, and Adam's learned his way around the smoker. I'm getting spoiled to him handling the protein preparation for our big gatherings.. it's working out well!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGBm5nHaHLbv0NWI-9EdN7qWDWpB4HOUwhH-2aCFuMjWvSWRX-0wYs9JDOT2RdcLKgA5h81mzTS43_YNnLFfKei1JFWuxSdh0a0TqxZA21RYbE5C0jFnbNEjUz2oYoX1QhWCkwNibGKU/s1600/IMG_20151010_142859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGBm5nHaHLbv0NWI-9EdN7qWDWpB4HOUwhH-2aCFuMjWvSWRX-0wYs9JDOT2RdcLKgA5h81mzTS43_YNnLFfKei1JFWuxSdh0a0TqxZA21RYbE5C0jFnbNEjUz2oYoX1QhWCkwNibGKU/s320/IMG_20151010_142859.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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We spent a day in the woods, carving pumpkins...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGoxqoglfJY10Xf3kN-5Wb8344OySLbc6_lqsX9H03kceGAUsQrECJSYrEjdxFm8qf72N5aaP-AZISkrlCYde2lELy37Mzn-cHcnbip1_LAYZT3ervtAxia1wDax4yXUN1XnoxAl7HTs/s1600/pumpkins.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGoxqoglfJY10Xf3kN-5Wb8344OySLbc6_lqsX9H03kceGAUsQrECJSYrEjdxFm8qf72N5aaP-AZISkrlCYde2lELy37Mzn-cHcnbip1_LAYZT3ervtAxia1wDax4yXUN1XnoxAl7HTs/s320/pumpkins.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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Adam really enjoyed this version of carving. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZzjutH1xFYPhlPfZ0g7FvadbQMSkcYz6bqKxSmzE72wLuQT9mURVJHvJtLexvAP53XSlZf8kGZMpmImNC3z2TDrjL33WU30cCVLGBxG7qQUi5JWUjYGIbWP4ksBpaPTBGKsKABDwjRQ/s1600/IMG_20151018_180318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZzjutH1xFYPhlPfZ0g7FvadbQMSkcYz6bqKxSmzE72wLuQT9mURVJHvJtLexvAP53XSlZf8kGZMpmImNC3z2TDrjL33WU30cCVLGBxG7qQUi5JWUjYGIbWP4ksBpaPTBGKsKABDwjRQ/s320/IMG_20151018_180318.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I finally got our bedroom unpacked, as well as most of the rooms put together.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtJpIxttpGzKAcXa79cquRX5FySR0x_x_jv7oJFD3Ezf48R5GCetR0QXFmQv3PCNSow5a29f-VKiZA16SDqH0aOCDitfn_1CKgWpRUxRD3KDrUhCiS5PaI8xQ7uDC1Ug7fxE-q0CU32w/s1600/IMG_20151018_125506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtJpIxttpGzKAcXa79cquRX5FySR0x_x_jv7oJFD3Ezf48R5GCetR0QXFmQv3PCNSow5a29f-VKiZA16SDqH0aOCDitfn_1CKgWpRUxRD3KDrUhCiS5PaI8xQ7uDC1Ug7fxE-q0CU32w/s320/IMG_20151018_125506.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The craft room is quick becoming a kitten favorite.. it gets amazing sunlight in the morning.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2XHEWbfxt3I5yEi3kTWMQSb4cqHXcmMII3n03uf-ULA4t6nnTyt6pFdtuzrFvvymENPntaxhSiPAj850SQB4qBNrCnLYsQftEjTR_IiEJIN3_zk3J3J4DF1KN1nrCLce6DrBrKoU_Jg/s1600/IMG_20151021_111036364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2XHEWbfxt3I5yEi3kTWMQSb4cqHXcmMII3n03uf-ULA4t6nnTyt6pFdtuzrFvvymENPntaxhSiPAj850SQB4qBNrCnLYsQftEjTR_IiEJIN3_zk3J3J4DF1KN1nrCLce6DrBrKoU_Jg/s320/IMG_20151021_111036364.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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But they still love my #workfromhome Wednesdays, because it means they can play in the office while I work. I love having their cat tower in my office - it means they spend more time in there on my work from home days.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMb_pu9Kri2nm95ojixXjM5SptvsyiLP8jZR24rK8SQZPNAZuX1v-ZuYe2Z52EFnyV4zj5wQV5I3ILXBGA42h_70rMXPCfuTU4dM1CMyxxR6BpFesf-F7hZK65sh05IfZwBQ6Ezo2JlrE/s1600/IMG_20151029_210053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMb_pu9Kri2nm95ojixXjM5SptvsyiLP8jZR24rK8SQZPNAZuX1v-ZuYe2Z52EFnyV4zj5wQV5I3ILXBGA42h_70rMXPCfuTU4dM1CMyxxR6BpFesf-F7hZK65sh05IfZwBQ6Ezo2JlrE/s320/IMG_20151029_210053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We had a few trick-or-treaters, but not nearly as many as at our last house. That's fine with us though.. more chocolate for the homeowners. </div>
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My pumpkin/mum obsession continued and I managed to capture this pretty butterfly/moth? one day while watering the plants.</div>
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We had an adventure one night when the power cut out. We were in the guest bedroom, discussing where the bed should go - when we heard a loud boom and the house went black. It was a Friday night and Adam had to work all weekend, so we thankfully had our phones in hand ready to tuck in for an early night. Our plans changed quickly. Other than our phones, there was no light in the house. Flashlights still had not been unpacked, and if they had been.. I'm not sure where the batteries would be. We ended up sitting on the back porch listening to the emergency vehicles through the trees. Someone had run off the road and hit a power pole behind the house. </div>
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Thankfully the next morning we had power, but not without this inventive solution from our local power company. (Can you see the power pole in pieces?)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86VsIocQ-BGXYG7hXOVucaxw3bZ7LjY4SJLs3OkE-BMnv0n9MK-ntDSfPK_eSUp_L6L6_DpYANmPGSL4RZIPEYa3kXnHXUCmGmPpiBTLxv7cIGMufGfDae0KIX9LygGX1GH0OBqB_Zfw/s1600/IMG_20151108_103107460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86VsIocQ-BGXYG7hXOVucaxw3bZ7LjY4SJLs3OkE-BMnv0n9MK-ntDSfPK_eSUp_L6L6_DpYANmPGSL4RZIPEYa3kXnHXUCmGmPpiBTLxv7cIGMufGfDae0KIX9LygGX1GH0OBqB_Zfw/s320/IMG_20151108_103107460.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We still had more unpacking to do.. with help from the kittens.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsepV53Eu8qqweW1IkFV0AsLnqwmiRbbgz6WL0cfrqKZBrgaNOcpIMYmmetXb7lvmZsGrcOJCgv9hyphenhyphenaxRh9DrtazTXG0_XFI5dQMX_J599CQ4eHvLgSJstt0z1fAq4Ypr0cxzihtkRug/s1600/IMG_20151115_152810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsepV53Eu8qqweW1IkFV0AsLnqwmiRbbgz6WL0cfrqKZBrgaNOcpIMYmmetXb7lvmZsGrcOJCgv9hyphenhyphenaxRh9DrtazTXG0_XFI5dQMX_J599CQ4eHvLgSJstt0z1fAq4Ypr0cxzihtkRug/s320/IMG_20151115_152810.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But thankfully, it's feeling more like home every day.</div>
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It was a journey, but I love coming home to our house. Sometimes I just walk around in awe of where we started. I'm glad I took pictures along the way. It's crazy to think that this time a year ago.. we hadn't even found this neighborhood. We were looking at house plans, but our home wasn't on the market. It all happened..</div>
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in less than one year.</div>
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Wow.</div>
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Here's to many more fun adventures!!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-4740903680461873472015-11-23T18:00:00.000-05:002015-11-26T07:53:08.246-05:00heart of the home..<div style="text-align: center;">
I knew from the very beginning of deciding to build that having a kitchen I loved was a driving force. I knew once we started seeing everything come together in our home, that the kitchen was becoming one of my favorite rooms. It's a space where we really worked to bring in our love of all things shiny and merge that with a level of comfort and function that any heart of the home deserves.</div>
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So please indulge me as I share the glamour shots of one of my favorite spaces in our home:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Hi3NTIcN0fuqHTG3bvvlb4gEywCSDOF4zAuH9YrR_ucCak6P8XpzT4l3SXxoOiGiUkFso3yyTrXp6OI9XP67K8CH_1PxJhEWO8pvYUPkuN10Iwd2uf9na_EI8IQc7wdBtjalSlOezVM/s1600/IMG_20150915_194416679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Hi3NTIcN0fuqHTG3bvvlb4gEywCSDOF4zAuH9YrR_ucCak6P8XpzT4l3SXxoOiGiUkFso3yyTrXp6OI9XP67K8CH_1PxJhEWO8pvYUPkuN10Iwd2uf9na_EI8IQc7wdBtjalSlOezVM/s640/IMG_20150915_194416679.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLK7T2cyaBPOz9lvUYtrWYFirazpPsK9FvDKMeo3OyObNHr3IFH1QWUNWHqGRsPIu7iCFixT93RCe7D7BB0SeCsUwYOkUBqh0SZ5cenhix5LjRJS8WL4oocfixVwqedLgIPviDicLoYuc/s1600/IMG_20150915_194648285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLK7T2cyaBPOz9lvUYtrWYFirazpPsK9FvDKMeo3OyObNHr3IFH1QWUNWHqGRsPIu7iCFixT93RCe7D7BB0SeCsUwYOkUBqh0SZ5cenhix5LjRJS8WL4oocfixVwqedLgIPviDicLoYuc/s640/IMG_20150915_194648285.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSv6igIDGqL9dr7REH78_dQ47QJTM6VpdLpkF3gT_dCP0QYcgHsxr8-vcoqpTLXpA1kmuG0Dv_mzDwByNHxtgrNOPsHX-b1Y3YodaXxVRn-qMaKeUS2HRm5GXz4V3CxIDT1UH76gNEvM/s1600/IMG_20150915_194633478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSv6igIDGqL9dr7REH78_dQ47QJTM6VpdLpkF3gT_dCP0QYcgHsxr8-vcoqpTLXpA1kmuG0Dv_mzDwByNHxtgrNOPsHX-b1Y3YodaXxVRn-qMaKeUS2HRm5GXz4V3CxIDT1UH76gNEvM/s640/IMG_20150915_194633478.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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At night, when we're settled in, the glow from the under cabinet lighting is perfection.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWStt-ZDGTeoyMCL5PNNS_dVmsXzsZeXzMr0mRxUkkSVHt0vTgg51UUhsJEKPVnjeeWiDwt13kpw-jI8dfiesjL2ywDkP3FUPsQLuFyEQWf_lBQkZIhLlbRm-XNhKR7R0sPgTYMTToe2E/s1600/IMG_20150915_194448059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWStt-ZDGTeoyMCL5PNNS_dVmsXzsZeXzMr0mRxUkkSVHt0vTgg51UUhsJEKPVnjeeWiDwt13kpw-jI8dfiesjL2ywDkP3FUPsQLuFyEQWf_lBQkZIhLlbRm-XNhKR7R0sPgTYMTToe2E/s640/IMG_20150915_194448059.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had to have a little Disney sprinkled in there somewhere.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXxMpXpT0-a5K_KTTxvOMHGq_v5Mk8D1vkFGpFdUC96jxsB75x05iayWlQkXbMdoFcCT7OScr9UmeNQ0KOIkO3xg3r6_KvQ91r7Lq9XOABf8BvQRXVSiFyarvXupuXnf0umOM5-_CdSM/s1600/IMG_20150915_194609073_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXxMpXpT0-a5K_KTTxvOMHGq_v5Mk8D1vkFGpFdUC96jxsB75x05iayWlQkXbMdoFcCT7OScr9UmeNQ0KOIkO3xg3r6_KvQ91r7Lq9XOABf8BvQRXVSiFyarvXupuXnf0umOM5-_CdSM/s640/IMG_20150915_194609073_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Curious about what's in our kitchen? I've included a source list below because I always like to know where people found things for their homes.</div>
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Appliances:</div>
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Cooktop - GE 36" Ceramic Electric with 5 burners</div>
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Hood - Zephyr 36" Savona in Stainless</div>
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Dishwasher - Bosch 800 Plus Series</div>
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Refrigerator - Samsung Counter-depth 4-door with Cool Select Plus</div>
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Ice Maker - Scotsman residential nugget ice machine SCN60</div>
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Ovens - KitchenAid double electric with convection on top</div>
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Other fun stuff:</div>
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Cutting board - Real Simple, Bed Bath & Beyond</div>
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Knife block - Kohl's (Black Friday last year!)</div>
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Crock - Bed, Bath, & Beyond</div>
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Utensils - Bed, Bath, & Beyond and Pampered Chef</div>
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Spoon Rest - Disney World!</div>
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Salt Pig - olive wood from Amazon (.com, not the river)</div>
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Salt and Pepper grinders - Target</div>
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Oil and Vinegar carafes - Target</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xHQSKn-5zBBXe0ebZJRXnMxPaUvU7GqyoTdD9OSS0zGMER2TUT3Jaa-kHaawU7-mkH0tSSQbEtscZojXpoW7uEJSs4sMwXUqv2Wy73ffeKfLTQQmdtHgNBXrY2lBv2KgGk7KJCiqewk/s1600/IMG_20150907_160615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xHQSKn-5zBBXe0ebZJRXnMxPaUvU7GqyoTdD9OSS0zGMER2TUT3Jaa-kHaawU7-mkH0tSSQbEtscZojXpoW7uEJSs4sMwXUqv2Wy73ffeKfLTQQmdtHgNBXrY2lBv2KgGk7KJCiqewk/s320/IMG_20150907_160615.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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So far, I'm loving the kitchen.. and just wish I had more free time to bake!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-65424280287943926492015-09-17T17:01:00.000-04:002015-09-19T19:50:09.125-04:00cardboard, packing tape, and caffeine...<div style="text-align: center;">
It's been quiet on the blog lately for one BIG reason...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnYBqt_2KhXc1BERJCJM5G9jgNexWhyrTcJetL1POSU-4RfhjRyeD5Ei4v0KowITINNs47k-bfsU6L_1TCPQCPiwwxO5QFPVPuNCwKjD0SJpsMapiC3E7IMDcRUgEZzaboEMqPcgdZyY/s1600/IMG_20150823_121554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnYBqt_2KhXc1BERJCJM5G9jgNexWhyrTcJetL1POSU-4RfhjRyeD5Ei4v0KowITINNs47k-bfsU6L_1TCPQCPiwwxO5QFPVPuNCwKjD0SJpsMapiC3E7IMDcRUgEZzaboEMqPcgdZyY/s320/IMG_20150823_121554.jpg" width="240"></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">We moved!</span></b></div>
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We closed on the house on Friday, August 28th... a mere <b>223 days from the day we started our build</b>.</div>
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I'm sure I'll eventually recap more in depth what the last few days of the process were like, but for now.. just know it was down to the wire.</div>
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As in, we were leaving Friday to meet with the lawyers at 11am.. and at 10:45am the flooring guys were ripping out our hardwoods in the kitchen. No lie. I walked by and saw subfloor. The floors had been scratched horribly during the install of our dishwasher and had to be replaced. Still, it was terrifying to see our beautiful floors (not to brag) being bashed with prybars and hammers as we were on our way to sign for the place.</div>
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I still cringe.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic76B8Rp1iFqAfNst2m7cHrs6eM6IY_AWmVXOyJGujI3wOYWn9kke2pKEPTCVOz1IOCZP0Oxwd5iMazuoCmvqbEGwq2hnYggQ7XIzG25crKpmduMzKpU14-IFYWzlxdilNwiA4KSgFoDk/s1600/IMG_20150902_103856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic76B8Rp1iFqAfNst2m7cHrs6eM6IY_AWmVXOyJGujI3wOYWn9kke2pKEPTCVOz1IOCZP0Oxwd5iMazuoCmvqbEGwq2hnYggQ7XIzG25crKpmduMzKpU14-IFYWzlxdilNwiA4KSgFoDk/s320/IMG_20150902_103856.jpg" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least the cats were chill about moving.. or at least, about the boxes.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IKDGgZHJLVZf6or9SsD_ICtraAoKcuSs7lfXMhkRn_hn1ENg3u3YCBtObsMHzJfBBAxN907vTaJ9Fuo-k90Jgy1kIe3THTSEpI4yzilKTDTOwVGRC8Nd_tt-PKfH4hivcNm-aIg2RJk/s1600/IMG_20150914_190802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IKDGgZHJLVZf6or9SsD_ICtraAoKcuSs7lfXMhkRn_hn1ENg3u3YCBtObsMHzJfBBAxN907vTaJ9Fuo-k90Jgy1kIe3THTSEpI4yzilKTDTOwVGRC8Nd_tt-PKfH4hivcNm-aIg2RJk/s320/IMG_20150914_190802.jpg" width="240"></a></div>
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Here's the breakdown of how the last few days of building went.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUkB2123Pn15mKIbjYLmHfwCiyTTBr02_-93PuBgCS062Owl9AEfhkVexpg1sk3u3E8eRw4kWUGooBph4XTozVcOP55yxUng2KeSfXisI3NvDgV83q-zakG95Ow5sVKBEto0nS-VAjMs/s1600/IMG_20150831_131346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUkB2123Pn15mKIbjYLmHfwCiyTTBr02_-93PuBgCS062Owl9AEfhkVexpg1sk3u3E8eRw4kWUGooBph4XTozVcOP55yxUng2KeSfXisI3NvDgV83q-zakG95Ow5sVKBEto0nS-VAjMs/s320/IMG_20150831_131346.jpg" width="240"></a><b>Monday, August 24th</b> - both our Realtor and banker were concerned we'd have to move closing. Alternate arrangements start being discussed, but our builder insists it will be done.<br>
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<b>Tuesday, August 25th </b>- I took off work in the morning for our appliances to be delivered. We love our appliance guy, but this had me a nervous WRECK! And understandbly so... since 3 hours after they were supposed to arrive - they still weren't there. The reason, our cooktop (that I so carefully chose) had been cracked during shipping and had been sitting in their warehouse for almost a month without being discovered as broken. Oh, and it's discontinued. And a special order.<br>
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In the meantime, they go on and deliver the rest of the appliances (after a stern conversation with me) and at the house we have insulation being blown in, gutters installed, painters working on touch ups, and flurry of other activity.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5zAg8tFvsjtBL0rIRYjryzZLLRqaSCFE6p2ec6sfYxf5lV3BLWe1TSfh70arKUZkMZGE1JltYkrwiQ_MS-44uociD8wJBdttFchhSZ2k_nxo_rkGr4nvNK4mgnZQgLNWpYP7wbJbhn4/s1600/IMG_20150907_124826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5zAg8tFvsjtBL0rIRYjryzZLLRqaSCFE6p2ec6sfYxf5lV3BLWe1TSfh70arKUZkMZGE1JltYkrwiQ_MS-44uociD8wJBdttFchhSZ2k_nxo_rkGr4nvNK4mgnZQgLNWpYP7wbJbhn4/s320/IMG_20150907_124826.jpg" width="240"></a><b>Wednesday, August 26th</b> - More concerned conversations about time lines, and we meet with the home inspector. No huge issues are found, but there are a few that need to be handled.<br>
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Emails are sent back and forth and we have to bring even more paperwork to the bank. They are serious about their paperwork!<br>
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<b>Thursday, August 27th</b> - We are a go for the punch list meeting and our builder has called in a 2nd project manager to help get us to closing. It's fairly quiet at the house, but we give a pretty comprehensive list and discuss keeping an amount from the upgrade payment until everything on the punch list is completed.<br>
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After the walk through, Adam and I utility-hopped all afternoon trying to get our water, power, and internet swapped over and setup. There were also quite a few "is this real" moments and "OMG I'm freaking out" moments.. and lots of caffeine. We've been burning the midnight oil between prepping for inspections (doing our own walk through's), packing, and spending time with family.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KQQyW36f2ucJWhXk7UZPOe0LfkRahyphenhypheni_eha1-ikY4fjtRs1bwVZCUV_sOoMAxMeVhJjxFLdzBfyDJu8DfbtWPGHyxn5hTAQ8vwiFhvMoxn2zF_NgeLoVRe9Q3r6DSEZjz5nX7-AH6y4/s1600/IMG_20150907_132444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KQQyW36f2ucJWhXk7UZPOe0LfkRahyphenhypheni_eha1-ikY4fjtRs1bwVZCUV_sOoMAxMeVhJjxFLdzBfyDJu8DfbtWPGHyxn5hTAQ8vwiFhvMoxn2zF_NgeLoVRe9Q3r6DSEZjz5nX7-AH6y4/s320/IMG_20150907_132444.jpg" width="240"></a><b>Friday, August 28th</b> - We met over at the house early to check on the progress of the punch list and things are hopping! Lots of workers there and things are looking much better than the day before. At this point, my focus went away from perfection and was moving towards the "this is home" end of the scale. Still, as I mentioned above, seeing floors ripped out right before signing was pretty scary.<br>
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We <b>closed</b> and spent the afternoon and evening packing, running errands, and all those other fun pre-moving things. <br>
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Saturday was a surprise day of family and visitors at the house. It was a loong day and I knew the weekend was going to be an exhausting one. <br>
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<b>We moved in on Monday, August 31st, and spent our first night in our home sweet home.</b></div>
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Moving was crazy, unpacking even crazier.. but we made it. Thank goodness for the kindness of our neighbors, the support of our family and friends, the willingness to pay movers to do the heavy lifting, and the wonder that is Krispy Kreme, Coca-Cola, and sweet tea. Without that... and the love and patience of my darling husband... I don't think we would have ever made it.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlkrlLKzt3alYjKUH1W3tmN4g-DYLB_hJwt5JkjvoCAMx9iqemk9WmYpzmnKLeE1jLswlWEhQiXZfAuE_dm3xbGgTGM6_9Q1nJPYUeJKl9Mgop55fbugP1vIFol3hXac4khKzDLx20mM/s1600/Home.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlkrlLKzt3alYjKUH1W3tmN4g-DYLB_hJwt5JkjvoCAMx9iqemk9WmYpzmnKLeE1jLswlWEhQiXZfAuE_dm3xbGgTGM6_9Q1nJPYUeJKl9Mgop55fbugP1vIFol3hXac4khKzDLx20mM/s640/Home.png" width="640"></a></div>
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But we did!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">We're moved in! - Day 226 of our build</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-83471416558534229052015-08-27T17:42:00.001-04:002015-08-27T17:42:56.718-04:00a big risk...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
One area to the house that we made the most changes to was the kitchen. We rearranged appliances, changed cabinet layouts, expanded the island, and decided to do something drastic with the backsplash.</div>
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Once appliances are installed, we will have a chimney style vent hood over the cooktop. With this in mind, we decided that the backsplash should run all the way along the wall and up to the ceiling.</div>
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I was terrified over this decision. The backsplash tile was the last tile we selected. I was torn between two and Adam was pushing for his favorite. Once again, I acquiesced and I am glad I did!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0-QtL1sHUYpHPpUltLNBNDPZtyqm2TCfJCorbrvenOip5WicBzNFYXz5WrABslSBX09dImDfQVOAjwTT6BnZByeu0cpTyRkgZjLVw728fAdOjFUUGxzpzZtPLALVb081KVNLySc4hWA/s1600/IMG_20150821_171506441_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0-QtL1sHUYpHPpUltLNBNDPZtyqm2TCfJCorbrvenOip5WicBzNFYXz5WrABslSBX09dImDfQVOAjwTT6BnZByeu0cpTyRkgZjLVw728fAdOjFUUGxzpzZtPLALVb081KVNLySc4hWA/s640/IMG_20150821_171506441_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our backsplash is installed and I love it!</div>
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This was one of those make or break installations... I would either love it or I would hate it and have ruined our whole kitchen.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHtCAr4RdFcfeLYCA1Dz8fMWFg7ukyhMY2rZGr5wQ75m3TXQDg3NAlTntsa8O-B2lJ6ZRwQLGr6cQTaZLjQ2ytK4Gq2e6X2rDU_Rl9zYJNT9TOp7uReBMPSqt8n4uOk0Hzh6Ieqt45m5A/s1600/IMG_20150821_171513084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHtCAr4RdFcfeLYCA1Dz8fMWFg7ukyhMY2rZGr5wQ75m3TXQDg3NAlTntsa8O-B2lJ6ZRwQLGr6cQTaZLjQ2ytK4Gq2e6X2rDU_Rl9zYJNT9TOp7uReBMPSqt8n4uOk0Hzh6Ieqt45m5A/s640/IMG_20150821_171513084.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Boom! Love IT!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgK1k_Iq16bjDddihA0Mg2aIxZJNwl_nBrA7Ir26YTICcx3GjdVUCZsKr4QHIxrlaYWVHLnITJFAS_f6FoQEEYTjY6TqOm6Odo0kE8enAx-CI23gKGVEdFGiepAfMrZGs_3mhXTebx_s/s1600/IMG_20150821_171521571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgK1k_Iq16bjDddihA0Mg2aIxZJNwl_nBrA7Ir26YTICcx3GjdVUCZsKr4QHIxrlaYWVHLnITJFAS_f6FoQEEYTjY6TqOm6Odo0kE8enAx-CI23gKGVEdFGiepAfMrZGs_3mhXTebx_s/s640/IMG_20150821_171521571.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The creamy marbling of the tile brings in grays, white, cream, and I think it adds texture without being too busy. I can't wait to see it grouted.</div>
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Also, Adam insisted on under cabinet lighting... another win. The ambiance of these lights are amazing when the rest of the space is darker, and I love how it shows off the tile.</div>
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And - isn't our kitchen faucet so leggy and pretty! It's like a curvy pin-up perched atop the island. </div>
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We're getting closer every day!!</div>
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Backsplash is installed and exclamation points ensue! - day 216 of our build</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-22914808400710692212015-08-26T12:56:00.004-04:002015-08-26T12:56:40.395-04:00front door debacle...Adam and I chose to make quite a few upgrades when it came to our front door. We added sidelights, a transom, and even carefully selected a specific paint color to help it stand out.<br />
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Clearly, we weren't careful enough.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGjZTn5EylJhDQPYEWPL2TZXSETRbMb57vt_U2AyEb4KeJkBNdyCgX0snGQOT6woEvyRBWqD-8mer6SJmEct2r6zxKOqzBXXZNVsp2xcHsbDsKd6WSg5zUFgWqpGiu6jE4QzEIVkPwgs/s1600/IMG_20150820_192136974_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGjZTn5EylJhDQPYEWPL2TZXSETRbMb57vt_U2AyEb4KeJkBNdyCgX0snGQOT6woEvyRBWqD-8mer6SJmEct2r6zxKOqzBXXZNVsp2xcHsbDsKd6WSg5zUFgWqpGiu6jE4QzEIVkPwgs/s640/IMG_20150820_192136974_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Meet our baby blue front door.</div>
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Our initial plan with the paint color was to go two shades lighter than the house. But remember, that was also back when we thought the house would read more dark gray than navy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxc1wq1url926TVCK-ZLwy_NuXV-p70JT7MmGkQpNpw9TWWUy65WNp1LyKyfMXmfy_IHNGp4_YAgK4aiBql-dOO2W2UZ8dsNm1f26nmZcL-xVyONSPPT88gjjqgrZOEMlcOFQi7qh3koA/s1600/IMG_20150820_192312983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxc1wq1url926TVCK-ZLwy_NuXV-p70JT7MmGkQpNpw9TWWUy65WNp1LyKyfMXmfy_IHNGp4_YAgK4aiBql-dOO2W2UZ8dsNm1f26nmZcL-xVyONSPPT88gjjqgrZOEMlcOFQi7qh3koA/s640/IMG_20150820_192312983.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It does help the door stand out.. but not exactly in the way we intended.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDXIhkbSsgqDFea1ZlshUx_F8TM3H0gugDUW07PH3rV9Gd9NEQAPLukpi8D5Df3WD0PA5qhRWqx1AQWGAjxdgXIx6AV4XEQ7OR5pYKsDo8P7J60fcjMb0PV_hFcQUBlkztYRY3WB4xLs/s1600/IMG_20150820_192118051_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDXIhkbSsgqDFea1ZlshUx_F8TM3H0gugDUW07PH3rV9Gd9NEQAPLukpi8D5Df3WD0PA5qhRWqx1AQWGAjxdgXIx6AV4XEQ7OR5pYKsDo8P7J60fcjMb0PV_hFcQUBlkztYRY3WB4xLs/s640/IMG_20150820_192118051_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thankfully the painter is going to revisit our choice. We decided to try a more gray tone, and see how it works out. Worst case scenario... we deal with it until I can find the perfect shade.</div>
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In the meantime, aren't our little shrubs out front just too cute!</div>
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Edit: After a 2nd coat of paint, things are looking much more gray and much less "little boy blue." We agreed to keep it for now and I'll share some updated pictures soon!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Painting the front door - day 216 of our build</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-52928634916416198892015-08-25T18:09:00.001-04:002015-08-25T18:09:07.854-04:00OMGranite!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It was late in the evening, on August 19th, Adam had to work and we were running behind on checking out the house. We were downstairs and slowly working our way back to the main floor when we heard someone shouting "Hello!"</div>
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I figured it was just one of the neighbors touring the house, or someone checking out the neighborhood, but when we reached the top of the stairs - we saw the granite delivery guy! He wanted to make sure he was at the right house, and he was!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDFHzMU1zOmGR-I8Ldk6kurYjfUhnmU5EOF6oJ_hLCh9gqI9r3Ui_LLzRtYA7aLmaGcbIX6k-nRs83ukYsnpXxCs3IpQRFr35lKSsIxtfbhEe19tgbiP9LLMFfgzkounrjOFFqCu79Ms/s1600/IMG_20150819_185209019_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDFHzMU1zOmGR-I8Ldk6kurYjfUhnmU5EOF6oJ_hLCh9gqI9r3Ui_LLzRtYA7aLmaGcbIX6k-nRs83ukYsnpXxCs3IpQRFr35lKSsIxtfbhEe19tgbiP9LLMFfgzkounrjOFFqCu79Ms/s640/IMG_20150819_185209019_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They had a truckload full! </div>
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I didn't take many glamour shots since we were kinda in their way, but when we came back by at about 10pm that night.. I saw this beauty.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFbfLXIEfSjv0enMmaEYLS9jqjp9N4ETmRs9jrK1NHwWnSuIL1XdfxanwqSmxRqf3JD6H60pxjZVesF7MJ-JmXpBaOHe5XCPZZkwL8swQx7HrQWRXsRqEwohHvNyzpjcoul-IQmAr0mY/s1600/IMG_20150819_223043841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFbfLXIEfSjv0enMmaEYLS9jqjp9N4ETmRs9jrK1NHwWnSuIL1XdfxanwqSmxRqf3JD6H60pxjZVesF7MJ-JmXpBaOHe5XCPZZkwL8swQx7HrQWRXsRqEwohHvNyzpjcoul-IQmAr0mY/s640/IMG_20150819_223043841.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This island will be the focus of our kitchen and I could not be happier with how it turned out. The granite color for the kitchen is Steel Gray (aka Gray Pearl) and we added a waterfall edge to the island only. The sink is an undermount black granite composite 60/40 sink. I am so excited as my big stew pot will finally fit in the sink now!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyi7_Ag5kkPojK4kKVdQ9dEZ-1RxgM1qtEQp_hQkzQiF88seWMHXxZZQXo-xSLuCqwI3NwsTe-8E2aWKQqkleo8tYNWdQP2_SM5WUbqmi-CyJXwO2p-wEjgltKS1qdhPDAcDm-BbW20Cs/s1600/IMG_20150821_171743270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyi7_Ag5kkPojK4kKVdQ9dEZ-1RxgM1qtEQp_hQkzQiF88seWMHXxZZQXo-xSLuCqwI3NwsTe-8E2aWKQqkleo8tYNWdQP2_SM5WUbqmi-CyJXwO2p-wEjgltKS1qdhPDAcDm-BbW20Cs/s640/IMG_20150821_171743270.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The granite in all the bathrooms is New Caldonia which has a nice blend of grays, white, cream, black, and browns. I really love how it looks with the oil-rubbed bronze on the faucet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkO_v4Rxq_4HZx7-cSWtm8dbL8aV9IkaMJI4v9XP4e61A1jNOyNAAy1ZMq8zztARHLM3Cjilq19EG1HkLt9gvA9asVFXzp_RQDsSuG_-ZO93eu-H32J9EK3NF5nEDfu6yOIoLyW6G0PHk/s1600/IMG_20150821_171638269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkO_v4Rxq_4HZx7-cSWtm8dbL8aV9IkaMJI4v9XP4e61A1jNOyNAAy1ZMq8zztARHLM3Cjilq19EG1HkLt9gvA9asVFXzp_RQDsSuG_-ZO93eu-H32J9EK3NF5nEDfu6yOIoLyW6G0PHk/s640/IMG_20150821_171638269.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The jack and jill bath a few days after installation when the mirrors were installed as well. I really like the back splash and how nice the granite looks with the paint colors. </div>
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I know it was a late night for the installers, but they made this nerdy nester's day!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Granite installation - day 214 of our build</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-25080481113230426832015-08-24T20:42:00.003-04:002015-08-24T20:42:43.410-04:00more than emotional baggage..I realized as we get closer to our move-in date (yes, it's really happening!) that I'm facing a wild ride of emotions over the next two weeks. Hopefully Adam is wearing his seat belt.<br />
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I have more than just emotional baggage going on.. I have emotional storage buildings. Plural.<br />
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For the first time in months, we'll be unpacking and unloading our lives from our four storage buildings that we've had over the last year. One building hasn't been touched since my Dad died last July. <br />
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That's the one I'm worried about... not just because of the scary stacking and wedging and balancing that's going on in there.. but because after Dad died, we had about a month to sort through, clear away, sell, and store 60+ years of his treasures. What I decided, at initial glance to keep, went in storage building number one. And that's where it's been.. for a year.<br />
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In the month (actually a little less than) that we had to move Dad's things from his rental property - it was very much a "survival mode" situation. It's surprising how many quick decisions have to be made, and how quickly the things in a person's life revert back to things.. and not belongings, or treasures, or stories.. but instead get sorted and shuffled, and packed away. All out of sheer urgency. We didn't have the luxury to reminisce, or remember the stories, or wonder at the marvels of engineering and utility he created. We just had to get it all out.<br />
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And now, as I prepare for the next few weeks... and moving into our dream home; I am also preparing to revisit all the things of Dad's we've packed away. It will take a long time to truly sort through everything but at least now, in our new home, we can give them a new life and not just have them hidden in the family wing of the local storage center. I can't wait to see his tool chests cleaned up in the garage, a treasured replica of a VW on the bookcase, and other reminders of the full life he lived mixed in with the new beginnings of our home.<br />
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So to my friends and family, please be prepared. If you encounter me during the next two weeks, I will most likely be a whirling dervish of lists, Type A freakouts over minute details, tears of joy and frustration and excitement, covered in a mix of drywall dust, grout sealer, packing tape, and Sharpie.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Losing my mind a little - day 219 of our build</span></b></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-9038407553029132332015-08-19T17:53:00.000-04:002015-08-19T17:53:48.605-04:00rock solid...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The next few weeks at the house should be busy ones. We're scheduled to close at the end of the month, but I'm not sure if that's going to happen yet or not. For now, we are seeing lots of progress and getting closer every day to the finish line.</div>
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On August 15th, they started working on the stone for the exterior.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CUDdGn9yAK1fvAXj78ZmfHYV7Od09_NdP6-w1focyYxsEQLThuUF6kEI3fDVf1Yrab1jv3zKvIHYkxD_pteSY08c_3ufjVoBZ-OPnRfm9dlFJQDLMGNM6Y1OfW_TgE9tdGlas10uijA/s1600/IMG_20150815_170601216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CUDdGn9yAK1fvAXj78ZmfHYV7Od09_NdP6-w1focyYxsEQLThuUF6kEI3fDVf1Yrab1jv3zKvIHYkxD_pteSY08c_3ufjVoBZ-OPnRfm9dlFJQDLMGNM6Y1OfW_TgE9tdGlas10uijA/s640/IMG_20150815_170601216.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our lawn was also graded to get ready for sod. I'm ready for more stone though!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVf1PDJYjPrzqfyDXU2unkIeptP3ChrsHt3wIyS4oXgDQeNvrCt61GUKCCrFUCX29BFPAGRAAqlUpmbsjPfQ8IhVLGEwOH-25AvKaJaOaS_X1sVgQ96LPQ5GG6pl4yDLOvpcqSujlWskE/s1600/IMG_20150817_182357684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVf1PDJYjPrzqfyDXU2unkIeptP3ChrsHt3wIyS4oXgDQeNvrCt61GUKCCrFUCX29BFPAGRAAqlUpmbsjPfQ8IhVLGEwOH-25AvKaJaOaS_X1sVgQ96LPQ5GG6pl4yDLOvpcqSujlWskE/s640/IMG_20150817_182357684.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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August 17th, right after a monsoon, I drove by the house and saw green!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBDuC40RFLfJBOfdWDFuRDI5hDxsnyxE_WFHrcjeJNCX3MDYppBB-a4_5PyuojerWRuzZk3GNV2OVdrmErFj-1DMYe7P320LDYkC9_2k-8ERZNWjNAIBWE5N76_as1BXwzxWE_WbInx4/s1600/IMG_20150817_182640703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBDuC40RFLfJBOfdWDFuRDI5hDxsnyxE_WFHrcjeJNCX3MDYppBB-a4_5PyuojerWRuzZk3GNV2OVdrmErFj-1DMYe7P320LDYkC9_2k-8ERZNWjNAIBWE5N76_as1BXwzxWE_WbInx4/s400/IMG_20150817_182640703.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Looking down from the back porch, almost like Christmas with the green sod and red clay peeking through.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21OJkqyzz6yjUQd8ZKnLaccxjIPqWjwtKqPWFfXyurDynI7REFL1qnZCMUC1K1Y0NcZ38IdDLUsZaZkk9aHSXSTLQEeATiZyKtAU1OjWX7ftOZExzddauH3ufD2pZJ19PPowAM5-WbcQ/s1600/IMG_20150817_182741973_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21OJkqyzz6yjUQd8ZKnLaccxjIPqWjwtKqPWFfXyurDynI7REFL1qnZCMUC1K1Y0NcZ38IdDLUsZaZkk9aHSXSTLQEeATiZyKtAU1OjWX7ftOZExzddauH3ufD2pZJ19PPowAM5-WbcQ/s640/IMG_20150817_182741973_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They also started the hardwood which I think looks just lovely with the cabinets and trim. I am a bit partial though.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBEvfKSe9HR9FXg9G4XLqvl24fO5Ip4pdgaaE3gPd-TEt47PnnR8uXe5lLgkaNQsdUqaK1a2eidkNXR3M3KLieU6MRpTHBX6Xvqax7Fomq-_ORAJb6lwihgnQqQOqojf6uQtZ6fMR0FQ/s1600/IMG_20150818_182813012_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBEvfKSe9HR9FXg9G4XLqvl24fO5Ip4pdgaaE3gPd-TEt47PnnR8uXe5lLgkaNQsdUqaK1a2eidkNXR3M3KLieU6MRpTHBX6Xvqax7Fomq-_ORAJb6lwihgnQqQOqojf6uQtZ6fMR0FQ/s640/IMG_20150818_182813012_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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By Tuesday, August 18th - the exterior stone was almost finished.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlA9sWFCK8lBPNgfBZdmRuFZKYZ_vMsrjI64s1pf0w081zLPi8htwr9UIKCt6ZBu5n7idw0WE82x3qFgLgfJmYv9pksCjTC2bPK7qPithpskeOnzqY8zljpixgnHKVbXX_wFT4bxexD0/s1600/IMG_20150818_182916603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlA9sWFCK8lBPNgfBZdmRuFZKYZ_vMsrjI64s1pf0w081zLPi8htwr9UIKCt6ZBu5n7idw0WE82x3qFgLgfJmYv9pksCjTC2bPK7qPithpskeOnzqY8zljpixgnHKVbXX_wFT4bxexD0/s640/IMG_20150818_182916603.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Still missing some stone around the door, steps, and column.. but I love the way it looks with the paint and trim colors. I am so thrilled it worked out and looks as good as it does! I was seriously nervous about how it was going to turn out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PHU15uuHlA2H261mN1caN3o9Bx1FF9aOXTRzm4vdeA7kMTFWE4b8vDiBEJNv1OyeSngOx1FzSx3gmi4Ttp_yjgGDreimz92vkfjHFB86164gV-A2hsTy9FwqN9_tHKHpobOC0NTIJ5Y/s1600/IMG_20150818_183111250_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PHU15uuHlA2H261mN1caN3o9Bx1FF9aOXTRzm4vdeA7kMTFWE4b8vDiBEJNv1OyeSngOx1FzSx3gmi4Ttp_yjgGDreimz92vkfjHFB86164gV-A2hsTy9FwqN9_tHKHpobOC0NTIJ5Y/s640/IMG_20150818_183111250_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sneaking inside, our hardwood floors are finished as well. We're still waiting on trim, carpet, and touch ups.. but the floors are almost complete!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardwood floors, sod, and stone - days 210 - 213 of our build</span></b></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-23003376024299826072015-08-12T16:31:00.000-04:002015-08-12T18:29:49.807-04:00our progress... 200 days in<div style="text-align: center;">
At the beginning of this process, I never would have thought I'd be writing a "200 days" progress post. I thought we'd be in the house by now, grilling and chilling on the back porch. </div>
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We're not quite there yet.. but we are getting closer. Hopefully by the 250 day mark, we'll be nice and settled into our new home. For now, I just look back at how far we've come and laugh at how impatient I am. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72dyU-y4NAbYwHT51Epf1PUNVrEJ1Pbph_C4Rfo17T6iQq8ccQR2dfmmWFQaG3cSBAPtwkttGmhlqzZBDggCguF15q9LD6XkngPgtW4H_SggUIe9RxHY3r0Qhptn1cnDbSjsL3YpAxMc/s1600/Lot+Progress+-+day+200.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72dyU-y4NAbYwHT51Epf1PUNVrEJ1Pbph_C4Rfo17T6iQq8ccQR2dfmmWFQaG3cSBAPtwkttGmhlqzZBDggCguF15q9LD6XkngPgtW4H_SggUIe9RxHY3r0Qhptn1cnDbSjsL3YpAxMc/s640/Lot+Progress+-+day+200.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's to an exciting next few weeks, and to our eventual Home Sweet Home!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-27713077330925529412015-08-11T17:22:00.001-04:002015-08-11T17:22:42.891-04:00lights, tiling... cabinets!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Technically, August kicked off the last month of our build. Needless to say, we are VERY excited to see how things progress over the next few weeks. We'll see if we can make it to closing on time and in once piece.</div>
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For now, it's August 5th, and the house was hopping with electricians and the tiling crew.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdw7hJkrgyKH1yhN_F-YkVkP85hDbx-lejiTmOdKwEh-c7yLNEsCD0WA68c_MJCRHMbm7zFRlqGeWieW1SrZlW62qmk4bnjfKUywp6Fvb55mdlr8jE8SveKzONbJDLYCpvQlxxmEnsvE/s1600/IMG_20150805_183141107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdw7hJkrgyKH1yhN_F-YkVkP85hDbx-lejiTmOdKwEh-c7yLNEsCD0WA68c_MJCRHMbm7zFRlqGeWieW1SrZlW62qmk4bnjfKUywp6Fvb55mdlr8jE8SveKzONbJDLYCpvQlxxmEnsvE/s640/IMG_20150805_183141107.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We didn't select anything too fancy in regards to lighting and went with the builders standard - which thankfully his wife chose, and she has pretty good taste. We can always swap out down the line if we find something we love. For now, it's pretty and lights up the space. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sM-KBDJCIP4efJhYCh2qnz3lcMqObm-dJTb8dxTztZK_Ts2_xOymM-snFlOYBvKf9XWbvOdQN_nBxkD2xgy5ntg49PnjZCTtT5NAnDh-ZMAgvfC6lLJLK2o6FlxlTJqLYFhdfETvTh0/s1600/IMG_20150805_182947316_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sM-KBDJCIP4efJhYCh2qnz3lcMqObm-dJTb8dxTztZK_Ts2_xOymM-snFlOYBvKf9XWbvOdQN_nBxkD2xgy5ntg49PnjZCTtT5NAnDh-ZMAgvfC6lLJLK2o6FlxlTJqLYFhdfETvTh0/s640/IMG_20150805_182947316_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We did add on a ceiling fan to both the back and front porches. I think it's a requirement for Alabama summers on the porch to have a little bit of a breeze going.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSxp263avRT_0Y6LA9KMaY6COQJf-NUvDn6mxPqJuyioCAGV0lXSy1T9E29IDBqaC_wn0wcQxWhEGuuKMUnPB-3avjWLkVAzLlOiflh13E0Ianeuln3IP57ibfAHS2bsWnKiqTwcvrhw/s1600/IMG_20150805_182618994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSxp263avRT_0Y6LA9KMaY6COQJf-NUvDn6mxPqJuyioCAGV0lXSy1T9E29IDBqaC_wn0wcQxWhEGuuKMUnPB-3avjWLkVAzLlOiflh13E0Ianeuln3IP57ibfAHS2bsWnKiqTwcvrhw/s640/IMG_20150805_182618994.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was torn on the tile in the laundry room. I originally wanted something "different" but decided it wasn't worth the extra cost for such a utilitarian space. I do love that I went with a different tile from the other tiled spaces and selected one with more variation in color to help cover potential messes in the future.</div>
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August 7th, a Friday, was an exciting day at the house. First of all, they <b>FINALLY </b>removed the warped piece of hardi-siding from the back porch.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHU480AdLl1B-lWTmXSpbFPYnekOm9Exc5b21bGcWqTzc-TXzzfibWpB8GyVqkz5na48_qsVNBsBd3ROJ9twsF-y5xMXeGXO1EV1uJ_1OPWUHGnN4O9wsJF7bcb6a5xKSA71WOiBIJBc/s1600/IMG_20150807_173536826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHU480AdLl1B-lWTmXSpbFPYnekOm9Exc5b21bGcWqTzc-TXzzfibWpB8GyVqkz5na48_qsVNBsBd3ROJ9twsF-y5xMXeGXO1EV1uJ_1OPWUHGnN4O9wsJF7bcb6a5xKSA71WOiBIJBc/s640/IMG_20150807_173536826.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Granted, they didn't get too far on the<b> replacement </b>of it. Note the removed board casually tossed on the porch floor.</div>
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But more importantly, that Friday, actually ahead of schedule... cabinets were delivered!!</div>
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I can finally start to visualize my kitchen!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCPNE7vYLsiGYD4xyZSDKdEDlZNBE2nCmDoDLrzXGxsOkdfkMQkOitYhPCHqggwInoFFishN1AxdicBkLC2EB4iOE7yi3a7ehyphenhyphenXCwJ44AZoksKt4dJf4cAlhEaaUJTwYP9iS_LdjlE0g/s1600/IMG_20150808_174200152_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCPNE7vYLsiGYD4xyZSDKdEDlZNBE2nCmDoDLrzXGxsOkdfkMQkOitYhPCHqggwInoFFishN1AxdicBkLC2EB4iOE7yi3a7ehyphenhyphenXCwJ44AZoksKt4dJf4cAlhEaaUJTwYP9iS_LdjlE0g/s640/IMG_20150808_174200152_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We're still waiting on under cabinet lighting, and I'm not sure what the crown molding will look like, or how they'll fix that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NhQV1Ry5ZB2fssDBpMDXVBBfxUJGisOZi49dNvWreGTzwx_6ipDUPE_6zHTzO_aTdXQsIqvHh8qEJzploDgM1mXdUCBzUAL3R_l4icoK2gd-3qePxAtbmAFrgTumCJ-utcAoJ7S5_RE/s1600/IMG_20150808_174242567_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NhQV1Ry5ZB2fssDBpMDXVBBfxUJGisOZi49dNvWreGTzwx_6ipDUPE_6zHTzO_aTdXQsIqvHh8qEJzploDgM1mXdUCBzUAL3R_l4icoK2gd-3qePxAtbmAFrgTumCJ-utcAoJ7S5_RE/s640/IMG_20150808_174242567_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But oh! Aren't they lovely!! It's hard to capture the richness of the stain, but I love the design. I cannot wait to see my island with the granite on top!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAufG0DEyYUmso4WmRpbef9RGP_KbY59aLhz8qbVPHZFkj_3oSbkz8D_LTahD4KRuqrWFxNpAmklfrtDGlFhSN9SAu7L6EP7Wt5zGbWuLbw54NOAjIKoufY5CZQsO4vmfQVVCT1pnEdU0/s1600/IMG_20150808_174354220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAufG0DEyYUmso4WmRpbef9RGP_KbY59aLhz8qbVPHZFkj_3oSbkz8D_LTahD4KRuqrWFxNpAmklfrtDGlFhSN9SAu7L6EP7Wt5zGbWuLbw54NOAjIKoufY5CZQsO4vmfQVVCT1pnEdU0/s640/IMG_20150808_174354220.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The kitchen was a definite splurge zone for me. We made a lot of changes to the plan and added in upgrades that I thought would make the space more functional and feel more luscious. Not that garbage cans are luscious.. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15jzu2wrY9VLAk-OyRP3Vxqlmt-iOyAVmMN1DHB1jje8dsBx7J8tGSbNa7N_JzBayqC_h8OwRRqofH-Y8pQvedOvI3asEHdQUNv5fzviY3hLCUE1RyI0NcPGD5eqQNrat_KFEoNgu3PQ/s1600/IMG_20150808_174418399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15jzu2wrY9VLAk-OyRP3Vxqlmt-iOyAVmMN1DHB1jje8dsBx7J8tGSbNa7N_JzBayqC_h8OwRRqofH-Y8pQvedOvI3asEHdQUNv5fzviY3hLCUE1RyI0NcPGD5eqQNrat_KFEoNgu3PQ/s640/IMG_20150808_174418399.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But extra deep drawers under the cooktop surely are! Love it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaa0VnqhFk0OkjnJVJrwkBKUMrjHRyaZE8P6rsvXJEHxpxPLUQ3qTdV70ZqXAWC8bsvFNkLt8F8LZh5RVuDu66bPSlm6nJrVhrAEq_2bVt9Hb38OPeunsgNjxkMEj-c6sABQRlP_UDiHQ/s1600/IMG_20150808_174145412_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaa0VnqhFk0OkjnJVJrwkBKUMrjHRyaZE8P6rsvXJEHxpxPLUQ3qTdV70ZqXAWC8bsvFNkLt8F8LZh5RVuDu66bPSlm6nJrVhrAEq_2bVt9Hb38OPeunsgNjxkMEj-c6sABQRlP_UDiHQ/s640/IMG_20150808_174145412_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cabinets were installed in the bathrooms as well. Here is our small bath off the entryway.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKgsvlSQfNdTq6LMw0a2KsO50FFRKFW6-qgrZmZ67cGeH5G_L5rqexUAMsdJSj9maKgdyjbDGKb4D1Tq6nxq1Aiuis53r8nD1PIhIZ_XABAFbAYJ4yxYKuKp_RAmUbwinWzqgJdBV9lw/s1600/IMG_20150808_174329132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKgsvlSQfNdTq6LMw0a2KsO50FFRKFW6-qgrZmZ67cGeH5G_L5rqexUAMsdJSj9maKgdyjbDGKb4D1Tq6nxq1Aiuis53r8nD1PIhIZ_XABAFbAYJ4yxYKuKp_RAmUbwinWzqgJdBV9lw/s640/IMG_20150808_174329132.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Jack and Jill bath by the guest room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipk39cOR4yI606nSXN0NFQ7qkgjq_AA_AIvCj3uFaDeMb5EEBXskAlSz5OprZuXbB0dIPVyV_mFlCWkl9QA6z40oVKLuCqQu6j5nlMSNBGJi3M_8_B7TgjzGjfknqqbc-LkpA8_ln91E4/s1600/IMG_20150808_174438649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipk39cOR4yI606nSXN0NFQ7qkgjq_AA_AIvCj3uFaDeMb5EEBXskAlSz5OprZuXbB0dIPVyV_mFlCWkl9QA6z40oVKLuCqQu6j5nlMSNBGJi3M_8_B7TgjzGjfknqqbc-LkpA8_ln91E4/s640/IMG_20150808_174438649.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Our laundry room.. just waiting on a washer and dryer.</div>
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As some parts of the house look almost complete... others are a complete disaster.</div>
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Our bedroom is currently home to the tiling crews wet saw, buckets, and general disorder.</div>
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Not quite the peaceful escape I imagined..</div>
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At least they thought ahead and brought their own A/C... we cracked up over their mini window unit. It helps out though! The past few weeks have been HOT!</div>
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It's great progress but we're still pretty far from move-in ready. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lights, tile, and cabinets - days 200-202 of our build</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-59753626166599835212015-08-05T19:58:00.001-04:002015-08-05T19:58:29.962-04:00making the cement connection...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
On Thursday, July 30th - our front yard was a disaster, but there was progress! They started framing for the driveway, walkway, and porch.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPd4dJZPyGbxDohIMWNSA6oAKpJU5cVhFrbntANL8qwcj4Gi64XtsvhM7qpC8OpRWdIGstaAbUTZ9G4eHl4l4dLw-zvphiHmRCJmr_JJ-jZ3Whb-4nK0Ar9yWKjmzXhQBBCmUZ3377_w/s1600/IMG_20150730_183039462_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPd4dJZPyGbxDohIMWNSA6oAKpJU5cVhFrbntANL8qwcj4Gi64XtsvhM7qpC8OpRWdIGstaAbUTZ9G4eHl4l4dLw-zvphiHmRCJmr_JJ-jZ3Whb-4nK0Ar9yWKjmzXhQBBCmUZ3377_w/s640/IMG_20150730_183039462_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It gets worse before it gets better. Mud, concrete bits, and gravel everywhere.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDljeC8Te5XLMPa4w7DjBBaxakBD-IWyGHYGEdP_9bh3-67DtM01PMYXHgiloS-AgrT9LUrRGWjtMI4h8anhhb54MsV2Eq0BD6eSpUELhaRh3UsiKsiA0K7XAJOnoXqH6oc7z2TImTFE/s1600/IMG_20150730_183004918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDljeC8Te5XLMPa4w7DjBBaxakBD-IWyGHYGEdP_9bh3-67DtM01PMYXHgiloS-AgrT9LUrRGWjtMI4h8anhhb54MsV2Eq0BD6eSpUELhaRh3UsiKsiA0K7XAJOnoXqH6oc7z2TImTFE/s640/IMG_20150730_183004918.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They have it all staked out and ready to pour.</div>
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On Friday, July 31st - we had concrete!</div>
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We have the cutest little spot for landscaping out front between our front porch and walkway.</div>
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As usual for August in Alabama, we had a late afternoon monsoon. Thankfully the concrete guys covered some areas of the drive and walk with plastic sheeting to prevent the rain runoff from ruining their hard work.</div>
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We also added a small concrete pad to the right of the house for the garbage can to live. I think we'll plan on planting some shrubs or building a screen to shield the can from the view from the street.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbO7_WcwXRZbz2FT173kN7HBReDveild_lMuZ_H_k_picnht11vmksPJa15KR0XUF5juWCSsYxrR-FhMx1s59Kzovhl-ECwqK4lse9jb368zSvCov0lexi5vp4b0J0B1JgvxEbDqjtC0/s1600/IMG_20150731_182737147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbO7_WcwXRZbz2FT173kN7HBReDveild_lMuZ_H_k_picnht11vmksPJa15KR0XUF5juWCSsYxrR-FhMx1s59Kzovhl-ECwqK4lse9jb368zSvCov0lexi5vp4b0J0B1JgvxEbDqjtC0/s640/IMG_20150731_182737147.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our sidewalk is no longer busted and our driveway looks so smooth. Soon we might not have to park on the street every time we visit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sX0_SXIWab79Me8ERdbJQ0WDFpUxlJ2h2UM1dsG9oty-3l1zp4_KqAQUIXxt4cXjTbgxyy6SsxNF-u68OU0DuaNNhM2KG64esJC3XVGTznsAUz1FXvacqQs84xp8_sNjV3P7el0fcrk/s1600/IMG_20150731_182802145_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sX0_SXIWab79Me8ERdbJQ0WDFpUxlJ2h2UM1dsG9oty-3l1zp4_KqAQUIXxt4cXjTbgxyy6SsxNF-u68OU0DuaNNhM2KG64esJC3XVGTznsAUz1FXvacqQs84xp8_sNjV3P7el0fcrk/s640/IMG_20150731_182802145_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We are so excited to have this completed! Now onto some additional grading, irrigation, landscaping, stone and some garage doors. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Prepping and pouring the driveway - days 195 and 196 of our build.</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-91037768741683894652015-08-04T22:01:00.001-04:002015-08-04T22:01:28.786-04:00a tale of two grays...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Over the course of the last week, the painters had been working at the house. We were anxiously awaiting when they would be packing up and moving on the next house on their list. Each step in the process recently has seemed to drag on, but our painters were working quickly even though it ended up taking all week for them to finish up.</div>
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Still, on Thursday July, 30th - we could tell they were packing up!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5siFcq1VWdeyzgWktawiBAolqokiAOYI-94lwUvhbkQV136GFH7KmCBg9dYtJGuqEVNyWYQGXGH8N27tSLgmt2UqSlE6copXCLIrpTESdUu2qMpmUFIZDb05CoAWXnRuYVVj9AC6m-c/s1600/IMG_20150730_183430423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5siFcq1VWdeyzgWktawiBAolqokiAOYI-94lwUvhbkQV136GFH7KmCBg9dYtJGuqEVNyWYQGXGH8N27tSLgmt2UqSlE6copXCLIrpTESdUu2qMpmUFIZDb05CoAWXnRuYVVj9AC6m-c/s640/IMG_20150730_183430423.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think they did a pretty good job. I just love our two shades of gray (Online and Software - perfect for the nerdiest of nests).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tlKlb9NKdwZDNbmZ8KiRBQZKnawfjx35DuNeVZfzG3Ddz3KLQDVDRfLS3XW21CVi8rpEmuUKFVZSsnh8gTGMgx2DJvA86F9uBqgkuRRw9IeLSWuk5U6YAjLTcf3h7XiKhPbkvTC6eF8/s1600/IMG_20150730_183540404_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tlKlb9NKdwZDNbmZ8KiRBQZKnawfjx35DuNeVZfzG3Ddz3KLQDVDRfLS3XW21CVi8rpEmuUKFVZSsnh8gTGMgx2DJvA86F9uBqgkuRRw9IeLSWuk5U6YAjLTcf3h7XiKhPbkvTC6eF8/s640/IMG_20150730_183540404_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The darkest of the two grays is the main color in the basement. I am still so enamored with our stairs and the baseboard detail.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nFCIXxpHENBG15966Si-IE2rOqHfeB3txEAyGCuSifcTYfa0HynRXmHYY0KhjGt4-qaMfNJrI2XTQFX32K5j7p2ZtveMTUl3QMfg22J4ksqr48qZ65n3CmEWHQ0YwZyrfm3WSRm4fGk/s1600/IMG_20150730_183521596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nFCIXxpHENBG15966Si-IE2rOqHfeB3txEAyGCuSifcTYfa0HynRXmHYY0KhjGt4-qaMfNJrI2XTQFX32K5j7p2ZtveMTUl3QMfg22J4ksqr48qZ65n3CmEWHQ0YwZyrfm3WSRm4fGk/s640/IMG_20150730_183521596.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The other half of the basement, not too dark with all the natural light coming in.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYixs5hczc6IJBrk08TpaZffeHjkLzuS_qw3pwXf0q57R9JZQr5wAvHQ_fk-OOc6Wl6x4ryqTWN2TzlSfndcDXmfxH7yC4KVUwR7hzqDruRizpS3tZpg0Vnmr6NeTw20DkC_qsIXghGQ8/s1600/IMG_20150730_183436630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYixs5hczc6IJBrk08TpaZffeHjkLzuS_qw3pwXf0q57R9JZQr5wAvHQ_fk-OOc6Wl6x4ryqTWN2TzlSfndcDXmfxH7yC4KVUwR7hzqDruRizpS3tZpg0Vnmr6NeTw20DkC_qsIXghGQ8/s640/IMG_20150730_183436630.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Looking from the living room into the kitchen - the lighter gray makes the space a little brighter and feel even more open.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrrNXBawOqI-1WPE_WhWKvK0DLjCci0o5rFe5Pdu91-oAwl-wIZx0bop4Cs2bivx71UVfby1PvY5JqebekXQw29X7bHNYdOBmv_CWtaG7nrSGiUIQRYbwWcqNIdoFn69wpEhLpvQFYY4/s1600/IMG_20150730_183358526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrrNXBawOqI-1WPE_WhWKvK0DLjCci0o5rFe5Pdu91-oAwl-wIZx0bop4Cs2bivx71UVfby1PvY5JqebekXQw29X7bHNYdOBmv_CWtaG7nrSGiUIQRYbwWcqNIdoFn69wpEhLpvQFYY4/s640/IMG_20150730_183358526.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our double doors into the master bathroom just seem to pop off the dark toned walls. I love how rich the oil-rubbed bronze hinges look against the sleek white trim paint and doors.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZh5IYnb_qUExb-jnb28L7-vfo67LZpQVSHSJJ2I-cA3uDgAb4O9aEarC08I9xLjRgNqqHjF3yP4-sJ3h_38pwLf6PkSyN5qcBLq6HT6TGw2McAOoPdP9N9aEy8W8dHNdlvSAboikSHY4/s1600/IMG_20150730_183352321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZh5IYnb_qUExb-jnb28L7-vfo67LZpQVSHSJJ2I-cA3uDgAb4O9aEarC08I9xLjRgNqqHjF3yP4-sJ3h_38pwLf6PkSyN5qcBLq6HT6TGw2McAOoPdP9N9aEy8W8dHNdlvSAboikSHY4/s640/IMG_20150730_183352321.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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More of the darker gray in the master bedroom with a bright white ceiling.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldPV5__JK65-_1KLOLPsmY_g4r6qbGRWQ0o_5rgM7mT0PqFRtiXfxB-SLS7yvgKqx0Ky9WSKMy7PcTo5qIeQphqgE4fQ3FtcvjFtiLauB2oWIsnhyphenhyphen4LO5QLsipd-MgGcytCBNqX5hDiY/s1600/IMG_20150730_183247326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldPV5__JK65-_1KLOLPsmY_g4r6qbGRWQ0o_5rgM7mT0PqFRtiXfxB-SLS7yvgKqx0Ky9WSKMy7PcTo5qIeQphqgE4fQ3FtcvjFtiLauB2oWIsnhyphenhyphen4LO5QLsipd-MgGcytCBNqX5hDiY/s640/IMG_20150730_183247326.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We did carry the darker gray into the dining room as well. I love how the darker tone highlights the tray ceiling. Although the color is fairly dark, I think the contrast of the light trim and ceiling and the natural light keeps things from getting too dreary.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8BjIRXQCyKwS43YpTM7WckSYFCYd-l9O_jNmgqxM8peGAJjjVOJtyRTxmnQohy1RmPjBmZXAu0DQ8i-CuyBAQnFvDbxsAjgVl808rQOYUQUFcrPzXgZ9GCg5tVW3ejw-UzPoFQ7RYPY/s1600/IMG_20150730_183229233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8BjIRXQCyKwS43YpTM7WckSYFCYd-l9O_jNmgqxM8peGAJjjVOJtyRTxmnQohy1RmPjBmZXAu0DQ8i-CuyBAQnFvDbxsAjgVl808rQOYUQUFcrPzXgZ9GCg5tVW3ejw-UzPoFQ7RYPY/s640/IMG_20150730_183229233.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A picture looking from the breakfast nook across the kitchen and into the dining room and entryway. I just love, love, love the way the judge's paneling turned out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-Z42WgMOpf06MoDL76uzFjxwCw_Trmlg2QznkhRsJ8miVrSn4BHduTvEtP5W8oGwZf3akOeLTcMQaeHiG4-0kJSiQRgewl7S-TPB1UGRo5nqIwAMcJxGnFyhK6IjIp0ABwKYSI0paqI/s1600/IMG_20150730_183139675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-Z42WgMOpf06MoDL76uzFjxwCw_Trmlg2QznkhRsJ8miVrSn4BHduTvEtP5W8oGwZf3akOeLTcMQaeHiG4-0kJSiQRgewl7S-TPB1UGRo5nqIwAMcJxGnFyhK6IjIp0ABwKYSI0paqI/s640/IMG_20150730_183139675.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One more picture of my soon-to-be kitchen island and the adjoining breakfast nook and living room.</div>
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Other than a few touch-ups, the interior paint is finished. With less than a month from our "scheduled" closing date - I hope they can pick up the pace!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Painting the interior - days 191 - 195 of our build.</span></b></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-81801946365721910452015-08-01T20:17:00.002-04:002015-08-01T20:17:53.617-04:00crash course (a little light reading for the weekend)<div style="text-align: center;">
If there is one thing Adam and I do well, it's research. We both tend to get a little obsessive when it comes to finding out as much as we can about the latest idea, purchase, or point of focus. </div>
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For example... if you follow me on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, you can probably guess what I'm obsessing over at any time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuhYo7BFLlFarbuLNENE5VLuII6hXAAHncKISaEWTaWROH7jBOBtLHFOQlXkrU0mEcLo6tOrPZXdnfMLcc995VBttioihW27gyTwjEvj1b21R0fZcbS6X34eUwhqNsJORvwjky3hO5SI/s1600/pinterest.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuhYo7BFLlFarbuLNENE5VLuII6hXAAHncKISaEWTaWROH7jBOBtLHFOQlXkrU0mEcLo6tOrPZXdnfMLcc995VBttioihW27gyTwjEvj1b21R0fZcbS6X34eUwhqNsJORvwjky3hO5SI/s640/pinterest.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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This week it's a combination of English Mastiff puppies, Disney, and home organization.. with a little landscaping thrown in.</div>
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When we decided to build (or more specifically, work with a home builder) I knew we'd be doing some serious research. I gravitate more towards blogs and online forums, whereas Adam is a big believer in Youtube. He also does quite a bit of searching online, and I still believe in the function of good old paper. </div>
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I thought it couldn't hurt to compile some of the most helpful resources we found to prepare us for our build and the process.</div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Choose a Realtor you trust. If you plan on buying or building, working with a Realtor is a key starting point. They can help you determine how to get the most bang for your buck and will be your advocate all through the process. I drive our Realtor crazy with emails and texts, but it's better to drive her crazy than directly bothering our builder. She makes sure every conversation is documented, and works with my serious Type A when it comes to our upgrade spreadsheet and regular questions about timeline and building process. And although we found our neighborhood without her, it was just because we were too impatient to give her a chance to help us shop. She did sell our house in 25 days though.. so yeah, <a href="http://opelikaauburnrealestate.com/about-ashley-smith-durham/" target="_blank">she's pretty awesome.</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Look at a LOT of houses. Take advantage of Christmas Home Tours, Realtor Open Houses, and really look at what's on the market. I used <a href="http://realtor.com/">Realtor.com</a>, <a href="http://www.trulia.com/" target="_blank">Trulia</a>, and <a href="http://www.zillow.com/" target="_blank">Zillow</a> pretty frequently. Realtor.com is my favorite because of their app. It was easy to see what houses were listing for when we were driving around in different neighborhoods. I also have an email setup with searches, where I am notified of new listings that fit my criteria. It made it easy to share pictures and listings with features we liked. Looking at houses also gave us an idea of what we could get for our money - which made it easier to spot an awesome deal.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijr1hhKDPL-lDcfMO1BB3iyna8EFG6SO3zYHLdp0ZkTrfngs73bFYdtnDp5rolg89SUpZV_R_y4-hu7ZNVUgLtA-pq9CjKHd1VVKkRCqr7QPy0scm8CpMqyHwTxHq3IlNYjVSmLRaYskY/s1600/realtor.com.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijr1hhKDPL-lDcfMO1BB3iyna8EFG6SO3zYHLdp0ZkTrfngs73bFYdtnDp5rolg89SUpZV_R_y4-hu7ZNVUgLtA-pq9CjKHd1VVKkRCqr7QPy0scm8CpMqyHwTxHq3IlNYjVSmLRaYskY/s320/realtor.com.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the launch screens for Realtor.com - the map feature is great if you're looking for a specific area.<br />
I still love browsing this site to see new listings and houses in the area, though now it's more for decorating ideas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Use resources available to the public - city records, county property tax assessments, etc. I'm a bit of a snoop and sleuth, so I actually figured out who built a few houses we liked by searching the property address in the city records - this pulled up zoning hearings, notes from code approvals, and different builders or developers over properties we liked. When looking at lots to build on, I relied heavily on county tax records to see the lay of the land, and what all surrounded different neighborhoods we were considering. If you're thinking about building in Alabama, specifically Lee County - check it out <a href="http://www.alabamagis.com/Lee/" target="_blank">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmlz-4S0-63qGDuVp2YN1asd_1Wq4D2jRrGVX2xVn49rNEaEDdU9Al73xe6Xd3YC5y1-h1WkKWoiTYeoC9Z5ea7LEXIkmFQItLpE2fOkeNO_TUxzUUBA824Wl9snYLhiLxIKV8DuORdk/s1600/GIS+Search.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmlz-4S0-63qGDuVp2YN1asd_1Wq4D2jRrGVX2xVn49rNEaEDdU9Al73xe6Xd3YC5y1-h1WkKWoiTYeoC9Z5ea7LEXIkmFQItLpE2fOkeNO_TUxzUUBA824Wl9snYLhiLxIKV8DuORdk/s400/GIS+Search.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Just a sample of a popular neighborhood in Auburn. You can see the lot layouts, sizes, where they border, and even find out more about potential neighbors (if you're that nosy.) You can simply search by street address and navigate the site from there.</span></td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
For planning the build, I found two books that were really helpful. Both can be pretty pricey if bought new, but I found them on Amazon in good used condition for less than $30 each.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOd5d-RN6I94TMOIUhzoInBMBELuwdfGzdTeNHKhEFUJy2AtNZJau7bpWFi10YxGW3Tn_Kob7rg9WlvQQN9KfEVzN1Dmee6Q5Btr7nO9HiwpH380VmI4o5t2EDavcrrqQRcr9z1BE8HRw/s1600/books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOd5d-RN6I94TMOIUhzoInBMBELuwdfGzdTeNHKhEFUJy2AtNZJau7bpWFi10YxGW3Tn_Kob7rg9WlvQQN9KfEVzN1Dmee6Q5Btr7nO9HiwpH380VmI4o5t2EDavcrrqQRcr9z1BE8HRw/s320/books.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-House-Do-Housework/dp/0937750336/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432230734&sr=1-1&keywords=make+your+house+do+the+housework" target="_blank">Make your house do the housework by Don Aslett</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Build-Right-What-Look-Your/dp/0965485609/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432230766&sr=1-1&keywords=build+it+right" target="_blank">Build it right by Myron Ferguson</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Both of these books had their weaknesses - some of it was just too technical for what we are doing (going through a builder) but I imagine they would be just right if you were your own builder/contractor. In the strengths though - both had some great ideas and really made me think about how we'd be LIVING in the house, and not just how pretty the big windows or fancy cabinets might be. We had already decided on our floor plan by the time I read these, but thankfully we had been looking for functional floor plans from the start. They were also good intros into common construction terminology, as well as what to expect from a build.</div>
</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>When we were planning our Disney Honeymoon, I found so much helpful information on the Disboards - a forum for other Disney-obsessed folks that would get super detailed. I lucked out and found a forum for Home builders, decorators, buyers, appliance reviewers - the gamut. It was formerly known as GardenWeb but recently merged with Houzz. I love the forums and follow a few topics daily. I haven't used much else on the site, as I don't find Houzz as intuitive as Pinterest or something similar. To find the forums, just click on the Advice link at the top of the page and choose Home Forums.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmjXErge8OLMhf8fe7G_V7458Vr_3dPtoBeJkZlW2TEPtKoIL0QFvK0Ql5YSeMkoJErUmXFPYUbGd9iME302_-Bs6CDs6BoT9BtucfC0aT3hLf7RH3Pd2TDhrX4Y3FrX4T5o40f4yCbY/s1600/houzz.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmjXErge8OLMhf8fe7G_V7458Vr_3dPtoBeJkZlW2TEPtKoIL0QFvK0Ql5YSeMkoJErUmXFPYUbGd9iME302_-Bs6CDs6BoT9BtucfC0aT3hLf7RH3Pd2TDhrX4Y3FrX4T5o40f4yCbY/s320/houzz.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Adam and I both wanted to learn more about the process of building a house.. what the order of the stages were, what to expect at each stage, and things to look out for. We watch a LOT of Youtube on the regular (from video games to science to puppy videos) and immediately went there looking for a good review of the building process. Enter <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhq5k7sEZc2IdhADYezjLVSDz7TRNaXLT" target="_blank">Roman Lewczuk</a>. He's a builder from the northeast and has a series of 58 videos covering the stages of a build. Be ready for a strong drum intro and a heavy dose of "Bro" if you decide to watch his videos. It's a little cheesy, but we've learned <b>a ton</b> and I always enjoy watching the videos of where we are in our build process, just to compare. </li>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/T3OPaqwj9jk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T3OPaqwj9jk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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I hope you find some of these helpful, or at least enjoy clicking around. It's been a good distraction for those days (or weeks for a while there) when there was no progress at the lot. </div>
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Things are moving along now though, and I'm ready to start daydreaming about decorating our new house and pulling all the finishes we've chosen together.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-7624715495938850092015-07-31T16:52:00.003-04:002015-07-31T16:52:48.459-04:00no more dumpster diving!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We took a little break from checking on the house. We were getting impatient and not much was happening.</div>
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When we returned to the lot on July 22nd, one big change had happened.</div>
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They moved our dumpster! For the first time in a few months, I can take a picture of the whole front of the house, without crazy maneuvering.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGL9GU5sEqeTS3dkhqN_8zUJbt5r8jRlb1Zy4O3i5EIZ-fr2Cx7vb7c22p2_TV95cdDcNWz600mTYkVL3kpUW5pYImoOMPi4CrryNFm3BRpZK6vDaG9fMYyu0jWWd2-s8BkZqszVNcwMQ/s1600/IMG_20150722_174803019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGL9GU5sEqeTS3dkhqN_8zUJbt5r8jRlb1Zy4O3i5EIZ-fr2Cx7vb7c22p2_TV95cdDcNWz600mTYkVL3kpUW5pYImoOMPi4CrryNFm3BRpZK6vDaG9fMYyu0jWWd2-s8BkZqszVNcwMQ/s640/IMG_20150722_174803019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Excited to see a porch, driveway, some stone, and a little landscaping eventually!</div>
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As we walked into the house, we noticed even more changes...</div>
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Our attic ladder and door was added..</div>
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And we had doors!</div>
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Trim was installed as well - casing around the dining room entry. Crown on the ceilings..</div>
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I just love crown molding.. and judge's paneling..</div>
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The whole week was all about the trim.. baseboards were added, along with the handrails on the stairs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR4iC734FcsQnwIhKm_FFwXqVl7Ygi5E7IXDy870gowK4hBSF213YSgsj9d8O50q0YoEoAqkvoSK3nkm7TaEpwRIScTKdHJg5DDyHGJuR0-CSF4lsKTkEDi6vt_4Ur4h5rPBK4fEOEAU/s1600/IMG_20150723_190903515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR4iC734FcsQnwIhKm_FFwXqVl7Ygi5E7IXDy870gowK4hBSF213YSgsj9d8O50q0YoEoAqkvoSK3nkm7TaEpwRIScTKdHJg5DDyHGJuR0-CSF4lsKTkEDi6vt_4Ur4h5rPBK4fEOEAU/s400/IMG_20150723_190903515.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The kitchen is just begging for some cabinets..</div>
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More judge's paneling for the dining room..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqukMIw_gcsrjkifypA-QRi7LgZWDX8DEUxwyXabnJpHyDxiegE70WLcXyKKKT2Bg7cRaOmkpO6HH3FJoACBBljL-sRifBGbyuuN2-9lszy-BONBYcHLaMn-aIcbKetuc-NijNC2avglM/s1600/IMG_20150724_163121427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqukMIw_gcsrjkifypA-QRi7LgZWDX8DEUxwyXabnJpHyDxiegE70WLcXyKKKT2Bg7cRaOmkpO6HH3FJoACBBljL-sRifBGbyuuN2-9lszy-BONBYcHLaMn-aIcbKetuc-NijNC2avglM/s640/IMG_20150724_163121427.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And I love the detail work on our column in the center!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWB52hnNJp2O_Xwes9qYtO3Sy-QjfByU0hyYm-yl3Y9ku8kXeADO5s3hbLu_6abqT8_1e5yj6guO8RbviRsoDONyZsuLWudp1KXnwTd45vbHMJu3BzysIW1CPfqXZTrottUs2fkZ948iY/s1600/IMG_20150724_163132304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWB52hnNJp2O_Xwes9qYtO3Sy-QjfByU0hyYm-yl3Y9ku8kXeADO5s3hbLu_6abqT8_1e5yj6guO8RbviRsoDONyZsuLWudp1KXnwTd45vbHMJu3BzysIW1CPfqXZTrottUs2fkZ948iY/s640/IMG_20150724_163132304.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That extra touch was a nice surprise.</div>
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The whole week was spent on trim though, and as of Friday, July 24th - it still wasn't finished being caulked or painted.</div>
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I'm not quite sure what to expect next, but I don't see us making everything come together in time. Maybe adding the finishing touches on a house works a lot faster than I'm expecting.</div>
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Either way.. to cure my impatience and to end on a positive note.. here is Loki in a bag.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDWdNLT3ubUCM_xrbbZhXqaFtZuvXfT5-yOdpWoNd1Awl5pb_d-cUkbX6mYww1A2jTO1KSoCGceFsb2T_pLEgS_HlE9W1XDPvgW9VwxQFw-l9WW0_JDm0k6-N3GrsINi6UiWMHeYGNUM/s1600/IMG_20150725_095534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDWdNLT3ubUCM_xrbbZhXqaFtZuvXfT5-yOdpWoNd1Awl5pb_d-cUkbX6mYww1A2jTO1KSoCGceFsb2T_pLEgS_HlE9W1XDPvgW9VwxQFw-l9WW0_JDm0k6-N3GrsINi6UiWMHeYGNUM/s320/IMG_20150725_095534.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dumpster removal, doors, and trim - days 186-188 of our build</span></b></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-66047767952054003962015-07-29T17:04:00.001-04:002015-07-29T17:04:21.371-04:00just a-door-able...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I was disappointed when I toured the house on July 17th, until I took a moment to look down. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowrBRHpSClKx3YApWCf4E6wQA3cx9NE84qQT3SjXBGlNmBR-fBd3en4u5Ph3SbbXDOfIGbx2VJN-RZ5HcflYvu7AER2IdIhKqrVW3xHRzVkWg-Szk4oYJaV9I6CoLpMYYzP43wZIHw3w/s1600/IMG_20150717_180801238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowrBRHpSClKx3YApWCf4E6wQA3cx9NE84qQT3SjXBGlNmBR-fBd3en4u5Ph3SbbXDOfIGbx2VJN-RZ5HcflYvu7AER2IdIhKqrVW3xHRzVkWg-Szk4oYJaV9I6CoLpMYYzP43wZIHw3w/s400/IMG_20150717_180801238.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Markings on the floors mean we're prepping for doors!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFaAYQ0xQXvJ-JqX13iLd8fUeTb0b5FlHGcvB03avk_CKJ09R9LhVo6hQNs0QHn8F7lfisvKVeOZ1Gv1sofi7KW-kT2sInNnuFYeGF-RhEeZYFh_R2tpvygGJQHf1ewIwj4TibaDRD4Q/s1600/IMG_20150717_180806540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFaAYQ0xQXvJ-JqX13iLd8fUeTb0b5FlHGcvB03avk_CKJ09R9LhVo6hQNs0QHn8F7lfisvKVeOZ1Gv1sofi7KW-kT2sInNnuFYeGF-RhEeZYFh_R2tpvygGJQHf1ewIwj4TibaDRD4Q/s400/IMG_20150717_180806540.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's hard to see through all the drywall dust, but the doors and their swing were marked through most of the house.</div>
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Three days later (yes.. this pace for progress is killing me. I have no idea how they plan to be finished by our tentative closing date.) we have doors delivered!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YzOJYn-Auzw2V6joGEM-aIJpe37O1qkh0F6xKtU4loTphuh6mjz3hKKR_SrMhle2Gxel42kvdVzYy8BL4AE_oMQwgh2QlDUffoK8d9i_IC9f7y1Rr1dLFAu7j5JhgGmQYBu5Y_VnYBs/s1600/IMG_20150720_181402819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YzOJYn-Auzw2V6joGEM-aIJpe37O1qkh0F6xKtU4loTphuh6mjz3hKKR_SrMhle2Gxel42kvdVzYy8BL4AE_oMQwgh2QlDUffoK8d9i_IC9f7y1Rr1dLFAu7j5JhgGmQYBu5Y_VnYBs/s640/IMG_20150720_181402819.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Massive double closet doors for our guest bedroom</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSanmrFIaKVSFdFOUygpSsSTT_H34Z-KK0bBjW7pKNqc3cX9XpScLh8DI4639xZi6K4UofWcEesPv0YUqulm44IcHlaFJJTKHzfCOQZT_c1htjgqDGjTGQt4S7ka-5t_sA2GmL41DwOts/s1600/IMG_20150720_181406304_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSanmrFIaKVSFdFOUygpSsSTT_H34Z-KK0bBjW7pKNqc3cX9XpScLh8DI4639xZi6K4UofWcEesPv0YUqulm44IcHlaFJJTKHzfCOQZT_c1htjgqDGjTGQt4S7ka-5t_sA2GmL41DwOts/s640/IMG_20150720_181406304_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And plenty of doors and trim just waiting to be installed.</div>
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Adam and I are growing increasingly antsy to move in, and time spent in our studio is feeling more and more cramped. Over the weekend (between door marking and delivery) the heat was just too much to take. Our little portable air conditioner in the studio could not keep up. It was too hot, we were fussy, and needed to get out of the house.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eQZimaAckWuVNCl7qQlZNiiLHoZTQNSc7sUYHbqiXBpBlpKzP_J6CFFG_O0zHAjilXF4PUEke3wN9EtW_KdxVULmOyEYYWamImdw2_Wrc4CuTlXhIrokqVkzwe6A8jt2t4eg9D85eNs/s1600/IMG_20150718_204837440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eQZimaAckWuVNCl7qQlZNiiLHoZTQNSc7sUYHbqiXBpBlpKzP_J6CFFG_O0zHAjilXF4PUEke3wN9EtW_KdxVULmOyEYYWamImdw2_Wrc4CuTlXhIrokqVkzwe6A8jt2t4eg9D85eNs/s640/IMG_20150718_204837440.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thankfully we aren't too far from a little waterfront dining...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4j8-9ITw2JtAufHXmKRfXuORhdGkC4X5oKEjwlpdAO9xfzrbkTzkmvmw2-NKB9LaIP3pKPeG4B-qkb078ld8Zqzh6VxRSu7WIOHz286GVbg1oAZ45cuBHX66PvXYs2ZFiEM-nmhWMf0/s1600/IMG_20150718_205215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4j8-9ITw2JtAufHXmKRfXuORhdGkC4X5oKEjwlpdAO9xfzrbkTzkmvmw2-NKB9LaIP3pKPeG4B-qkb078ld8Zqzh6VxRSu7WIOHz286GVbg1oAZ45cuBHX66PvXYs2ZFiEM-nmhWMf0/s640/IMG_20150718_205215.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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We drove up to Lake Martin to spend the evening and enjoyed the lake and sunset while waiting for our table to be ready.</div>
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I think it cured some of our anxiety and make a great little escape for the night.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Doors are delivered and things are moving slow - days 181 - 184 of our build</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587256362404206880.post-74728702515685537792015-07-22T20:43:00.001-04:002015-07-22T20:43:36.602-04:00a muddy dusty mess...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The past few days at the house can be summed up in a few words.</div>
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Mud.</div>
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Dust.</div>
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Drywall.</div>
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Let's tour, shall we?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlyslH3lQHKkEDsSwhoARBcYAPnsjk8rp0a-g9nsJ6HPEaEs_XVC0phRURS-moVcSBZ_UaVOXfhsjQCtDcOfbhR4j6OVG41A3m1x1OO20pQ653EymA6xgbaWa268Rbh3Kxx8sEW9AiSQ/s1600/IMG_20150713_183141894_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlyslH3lQHKkEDsSwhoARBcYAPnsjk8rp0a-g9nsJ6HPEaEs_XVC0phRURS-moVcSBZ_UaVOXfhsjQCtDcOfbhR4j6OVG41A3m1x1OO20pQ653EymA6xgbaWa268Rbh3Kxx8sEW9AiSQ/s640/IMG_20150713_183141894_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The basement is nice and mudded. We are so glad that we opened up the wall down there. It makes the space feel much more airy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hQ7gBMn9N3GZZeyGUHRYHOdm6oH5qQZooym8MJPtLr2yS5psNLQbZprWPPPXNE3Cqi2GK7o78aS1NPs3HRsmPaRI1al80mnvKN_InE_ZBMwGyuhJIbiGGDAsrwruPFvs7aGFPhZVa8s/s1600/IMG_20150713_183126708_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hQ7gBMn9N3GZZeyGUHRYHOdm6oH5qQZooym8MJPtLr2yS5psNLQbZprWPPPXNE3Cqi2GK7o78aS1NPs3HRsmPaRI1al80mnvKN_InE_ZBMwGyuhJIbiGGDAsrwruPFvs7aGFPhZVa8s/s640/IMG_20150713_183126708_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The game room with one of the best views of the house. Hello, trees!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76ZIB2yV7YXofvyZU5gj9FmD53uO_inXmanst0vDYeFyKQBt7Tqv3bncMgBiTh5v8B3H_9lLmIZHWu82kWgEPCsbGsh04tYXrh68y7soVsDWnPNDelOQI-9FXI93K3hjkivLwQsNvAn0/s1600/IMG_20150713_183121527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76ZIB2yV7YXofvyZU5gj9FmD53uO_inXmanst0vDYeFyKQBt7Tqv3bncMgBiTh5v8B3H_9lLmIZHWu82kWgEPCsbGsh04tYXrh68y7soVsDWnPNDelOQI-9FXI93K3hjkivLwQsNvAn0/s640/IMG_20150713_183121527.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We had a bit of a snafu earlier with the stairs, but now I love the way they turned out. I think it's a nice detail for the space.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjme3qM5nojEyyxGdPX48LkhDSZFir3u2ZiIUeaSB38k136PA4nXsSJ5lVOjsyXSvH3oO4Rx8drt1VwbLLPSme_pH_dQVkPxpi3rKd3DFuohQ3VAHZGyGkvgRaiLIpBExbqZK8geyJfQZs/s1600/IMG_20150713_183044045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjme3qM5nojEyyxGdPX48LkhDSZFir3u2ZiIUeaSB38k136PA4nXsSJ5lVOjsyXSvH3oO4Rx8drt1VwbLLPSme_pH_dQVkPxpi3rKd3DFuohQ3VAHZGyGkvgRaiLIpBExbqZK8geyJfQZs/s640/IMG_20150713_183044045.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now that this is walled in, it's kinda scary at night with no lights. Like the stairs of DOOM!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOWBM1ioX-Tv_xediaX6PRTZKQXcuGDFPNHQBQSl61eDwHwV7XZ40EKwqOzX74XDc86Rv1RTrwQQ-fPvBo5WNaED4XGrAckpyVMKYQfJv18yV-fxhGXM7zcBtv7Jpa0etcKhyphenhyphenF_Zznc0/s1600/IMG_20150713_182924361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOWBM1ioX-Tv_xediaX6PRTZKQXcuGDFPNHQBQSl61eDwHwV7XZ40EKwqOzX74XDc86Rv1RTrwQQ-fPvBo5WNaED4XGrAckpyVMKYQfJv18yV-fxhGXM7zcBtv7Jpa0etcKhyphenhyphenF_Zznc0/s640/IMG_20150713_182924361.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On July 13th, our master <b>still </b>didn't have all the drywall installed.</div>
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But at least the ceiling is pretty!</div>
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And here we see our current decor theme of buckets and scaffolding...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDlrWy26p597zsCH2tWhyPKCYE4-41ZLfS9xcEvR2JCpzgfPTAN6guyumEdO0DbTnIVrpTybz26OqyzpIdWiHdwWHe7yfrMxOg8OsNXYV0Rl0rvjOtNb_6vvUVIsqZaCCw4x4O9E1Uhg/s1600/IMG_20150713_182651490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDlrWy26p597zsCH2tWhyPKCYE4-41ZLfS9xcEvR2JCpzgfPTAN6guyumEdO0DbTnIVrpTybz26OqyzpIdWiHdwWHe7yfrMxOg8OsNXYV0Rl0rvjOtNb_6vvUVIsqZaCCw4x4O9E1Uhg/s640/IMG_20150713_182651490.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Looking from the dining room across to the living room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJggikPGWYjLEXGKaTmRabc66tTcMen_V7_IPfIUug99FjXW55bd22OV6AcLSrF6nBCLn2lzW8Q15MhL39xKWExzrKVMs3J9AZqWrlmGHLzE426n2R7ZCWbGFbk4EBB6h3UhNmxyYPq8/s1600/IMG_20150713_182631670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJggikPGWYjLEXGKaTmRabc66tTcMen_V7_IPfIUug99FjXW55bd22OV6AcLSrF6nBCLn2lzW8Q15MhL39xKWExzrKVMs3J9AZqWrlmGHLzE426n2R7ZCWbGFbk4EBB6h3UhNmxyYPq8/s640/IMG_20150713_182631670.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Mud, wires, plumbing, buckets, and scaffolding.. what else could a girl ask for?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJqXkJIn2SrgqjtJvx1kMhE1ixAz8WTcPD65GQvpAEJJ-nH8k8fSK7xcWFWY05vBOVSetn1vQ4-Cun8soTO7t8HTvZ1nCmdJ4VmevQwH2ARUzBqs8RTwyd1rvCTuWhnJrp2XRgHxYII0/s1600/IMG_20150713_182334169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJqXkJIn2SrgqjtJvx1kMhE1ixAz8WTcPD65GQvpAEJJ-nH8k8fSK7xcWFWY05vBOVSetn1vQ4-Cun8soTO7t8HTvZ1nCmdJ4VmevQwH2ARUzBqs8RTwyd1rvCTuWhnJrp2XRgHxYII0/s640/IMG_20150713_182334169.jpg" width="640" /></a>The garage, I think. They all start to look alike right now.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6PJhW05a7kwMlFHZhVAVAGyJeO60ls5t8cZOLvoL1qyBQ4jSUIyaczgjyfzhuOsSDSQRKXK2jUxKTnouONT_VXDbaGs_uFfKJzc9LQPd3NNL9Uo_g39Kds-cnhmK3Bloam-HVZqgH3k/s1600/IMG_20150715_201942988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6PJhW05a7kwMlFHZhVAVAGyJeO60ls5t8cZOLvoL1qyBQ4jSUIyaczgjyfzhuOsSDSQRKXK2jUxKTnouONT_VXDbaGs_uFfKJzc9LQPd3NNL9Uo_g39Kds-cnhmK3Bloam-HVZqgH3k/s640/IMG_20150715_201942988.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finally on July 15, we have drywall in the master. Not sure of the reason for the delay, but I'm glad it's done!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmqqeZ3d7Tus6DYJmqnXKE3TYkmHuKzpNYJhquXA8PTl5FIfFuD-GHFwImbnLqOjsywEA7g2OSS2VSNGeAVHetKlJZiJnfCs12SbFKogejJ24sXfsyTQrlk9w9R7ImQWLkYpGzdx8eIE/s1600/IMG_20150715_201929589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmqqeZ3d7Tus6DYJmqnXKE3TYkmHuKzpNYJhquXA8PTl5FIfFuD-GHFwImbnLqOjsywEA7g2OSS2VSNGeAVHetKlJZiJnfCs12SbFKogejJ24sXfsyTQrlk9w9R7ImQWLkYpGzdx8eIE/s640/IMG_20150715_201929589.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Look ma, no more visible insulation!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNo0WwkuGR1IZf-I1_OtBVaR5a5xuC7I3VroN83X6dmRLjWFOC3rdiBL95KFHFDYEaMBr587qcsLmRzdJDX3NEzX0mVnODg0nv1n_miZUMfmkaCk3Gyi_M0EZDPZaYzFoHtcQL3-n9nY/s1600/IMG_20150715_201924252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNo0WwkuGR1IZf-I1_OtBVaR5a5xuC7I3VroN83X6dmRLjWFOC3rdiBL95KFHFDYEaMBr587qcsLmRzdJDX3NEzX0mVnODg0nv1n_miZUMfmkaCk3Gyi_M0EZDPZaYzFoHtcQL3-n9nY/s640/IMG_20150715_201924252.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I look forward to many lazy mornings spent in here. And maybe without the dumpster in the yard...</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Drywall continues - days 177 - 179 of our build.</span></b></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02767380130968758966noreply@blogger.com0