three steps to creating a home bucket list

Source: deliciousdecors.com via Mallory on Pinterest

I've spent a lot of our time living in this house being tired. First, working full-time with an every-day-is-different, odd hours work schedule. Then I was pregnant with the same work schedule. Then there was a (sweet) newborn but the same work schedule. Then pregnancy, infant, work schedule. Then just pregnancy, infant, but discombobulated home schedule due to odd-hour renovations. Then newborn and toddler--the most awake I've felt since getting married! Then, first-trimester pregnancy, infant, toddler. Now, second trimester, infant, toddler, but the energy is coming back. Dang, do I appreciate the second trimester!

And knowing that this energy could be zapped any day, I am eager to get my house in order. How long have I been wanting to get this house in order?!. Better yet, how long have you been wanting your house more orderly? I'm desperate enough that I've tried a few projects alone and had to learn some hard lessons. But more on that epic fail tomorrow.

Today, I've got my home bucket list for y'all and three steps to establishing your own. This list is time-sensitive in that it isn't our grand bucket list, which would include the WFB Trifecta, as it is fondly called in our area: kitchen, master bedroom suite, and family room additions.

Why create a list? Not everyone is a list-maker (I adore lists like other people adore dessert). But for this event, we all need a list. We need visual order and tasks that can then be eliminated/accomplished.

Let's get list-making!

THREE STEPS TO CREATING 

A HOME BUCKET LIST :

time-sensitive version

1. Start with the areas that drive us nuts. I learned this from Project Organize Your Entire Life (30% read) that it is best, for me, to work on the places in my home that irritate me and paralyze me from doing good work elsewhere. These areas are not necessarily the most visible to others, but they limit my peace of mind and general efficiency, thereby making everything else more difficult. The biggest area for me is our basement. It keeps me from creating play spaces for our kids that max their creativity and interest, it keeps me from moving disorganization upstairs into rightful storage downstairs, and it just plain stresses me out every day I see it on my way to do laundry.

The Big Deal about this first step is that it is the de-cluttering step. Not a decorating, renovation step which comes later. Proper decorating and renovating can best happen when we see a clean slate before us. POYEL does a great job of explaining this in terms of storage purchases; you know you want more bins, totes, etc., but until you know what actually is left in the space, you won't be able to make the most prudent purchases. I fell for this. We have 18 clear plastic bins, which I know I want to continue using them, but I wouldn't say they've helped me organize too much just yet.

Also, I say start and not identify because I'm finding action words work the best. This first step trumps the following two, but it all works out because of that great word, START.

DO: Sit down and determine your top three "danger zones," those areas that drive you nuts and keep you from other good activity. Then, work your way through your home, room by room, and write down everything you want to accomplish. When you have your list, reorder it in terms of "danger zone" priority on a separate sheet, even separate items within the same space. Remember, you can have three areas listed in one space, followed by two in another, and then two more in the first space. Prioritize in order of your sanity, not in order of physical space.

Then, throw the first list away.

2. Note which actions require additional funds and manpower. For example, I really want our staircase and upstairs hallway done. Hawk encouraged me to get frames up along the stairs (even though 75% are empty), and I finished a chalkboard wall the kids are already glued to. The chalkpaint cost $9 at Home Depot so it didn't require much budget planning, but one of the other actions I want to complete in the space does, and I need a second set of hands. So the upper hallway is still near the top of my list but because it requires more preparation, it may get shuffled around a bit.

DO: Mark those actions which you already know will require more $$ and manpower, and possibly add a planning/budgeting/scheduling task to your list. For our hallway, I know who is willing to help but I need to work around his and his wife's work schedules. This has also allowed me to determine if I can purchase the ingredients this month or the next.

3. Consider what can be done during lag-times. This step helps to keep us from paralysis or inertia. I completed a small laundry decluttering quickly but haven't had the time to tackle the next area in the same way. I made a short list of things I could do quickly, or things that were somewhat standing in my way, so that I could remain active and keep my motivation and momentum.

So during the lag-time between basement decluttering areas, I managed to bring in our kitchen nook table, update our Home Binder, paint three areas with chalkpaint, and destroy the "epic fail" project you'll read about tomorrow. When my kids' naps finally returned to a brief overlap these past two days (thank you, Lord) I was able to start on the next basement area. Slowly but surely. 

DO: After creating your first list, either create a shorter, second list from the first or just star those items on the grand bucket that you can complete between bigger projects. These can be done when a smaller chunk of time arises and you want to get something accomplished; fillers between big actions.

Here is the beginning of my list, just to give you an idea:

MY TOP THREE: BASEMENT, MASTER BEDROOM, UPPER HALLWAY

• Create & install laundry risers by recycling old cabinets. (Need to purchase additional lumber.)
• Re-sort all kids and adult clothes in storage. 
• Build & install large shelving into laundry area.
• Create drying area in laundry area.
• Paint upper hallway ceiling with opera starbursts (will require $$ for stamp purchase and manpower).
• Assemble & install vintage map puzzle as hallway art.
• Organize laundry baskets for best use.
• Declutter shelving under the basement stairs.
• Build second large shelving area behind media wall.
• Build third square shelving area behind play cubbie.
• Paint opera starbursts in play cubbie.

LAG-TIME ITEMS

• Paint chalkboards in upper hallway, basement door, hanging board.
• Move low shelving unit into Blue Room.
• Research opera starburst stamp.
• Research fabric for MBR curtains (will require $$ to purchase).

What do you think? Feel like getting started? I can't recommend the following enough: Project Organize Your Entire Life for getting to a clean slate, and Home Comforts for making a house truly a home. If you catch either, do come back and let us know your experience!

So do tell: what is one of your "danger zones"?

icj,

~j

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making it home : nightly cleaning

I read something a few months ago that repeats in my mind daily: her house might be messy here and there, but it's always clean despite the presence of 4 children. Or something very close to that.

Each morning the best thing that can greet me, besides my family, is a clean house. When I walk downstairs and find a mess -- any mess -- I'm a bit more on edge. Can you relate?

Instead of starting with a clean slate and having only the day's matters to attend to, I'm playing catch-up from the day before. And I feel it immediately.

So it's important to me to straighten, wipe down, sweep, and leave the place in a pleasant state so that the next morning when I hit that prepared coffee maker, I'm a happy woman.

Though not anything remarkable, I'd like to share with you my nightly method for returning the house to its mostly-happy* state.

Source: wanelo.com via Erin on Pinterest

Here's what I do:

1. I give myself a time-sensitive incentive. I read recently that a task takes all the time it is given. So if I give myself an hour to clean the kitchen, it will take me an hour. If I give myself 10 minutes, it will take me 10 minutes. And the less time doesn't have to mean less quality.

So I either take out ice cream to thaw or a beer to warm (which is how good beer should be served, with the chill off and not genuine-draft-cold). I may toss it back in the freezer once before I'm ready, but it keeps me moving. 

2. I watch the clock, and I'm done at 9:00pm, with a 5-minute grace period. Ace's bedtime is 8:00pm, which means we're out of his room by 8:15pm. On a night like last night when Hawk was at the Brewer game (and dropped a ball off one of Braun's fouls -- DOH!) and I put both kids down myself, I was downstairs by 8:30. Everything below took 30 minutes.

But that 30 minutes was worth every second.

3. I have an order, and I keep to it. This is key: the kitchen comes first. Ms. Mendelson suggests leaving the kitchen until last, but I'm the sort who feels peace if the counter is cleared, the floor is wiped, and everything is put away in the kitchen. If there's food out, I'm annoyed. If there's a dish awry, I'm irritated. Plus, it's usually the area of the greatest mess, so when it's done I know my work gets easier from that point on.

To me the dining room is an extension of the kitchen; technically I start there. Here's the order:

• DINING ROOM: 
• Clear dishes, discard/store food, load washer
• Put away all food items from table like salt, olive oil, etc.
• Brush all crumbs onto the floor from table, chairs, and Ace's seat
• Wipe down table
• KITCHEN:
• Reserve/discard food from pots & pans in the kitchen
• Start dishwasher (unless I think there's room for breakfast's dishes)
• Hand-wash pots, pans, & plate chargers (we use for every meal)
• Spray and wipe down counters & stovetop
• DR/KIT:
• Sweep & discard crumbs
• Wash floors (really, this takes like 10 minutes max and is totally worth it)
• POWDER ROOM:
• Put away items like make-up, magazines, etc.
• Use a baby wipe to clean sink and toilet top
• Sweep up whatever might be on the floor
• LIVING ROOM:
• Put away toys
• Put away clothes and diaper materials (with kids, something is always out)
• Straighten furniture
• Clear off entryway bench & bench bins
• Straighten/store shoes 
• Crack open my Hopilicious

Do you think you might struggle with it? Try this: time yourself for each task. You'll likely find, as I did, that what I avoided for fear it would take up my whole night was actually done in a matter of minutes. I don't have a stopwatch, but I watch our kitchen clock. I find I'm generally done with everything in the dining room and kitchen within 20 minutes.

What do you think? Do you have a similar or totally different routine you'd recommend?

Remember to comment for this month's giveaway! 

icj,
~j


*Mostly-happy in that I am working to totally declutter every single room in our house before Christmas. My goal is to truly have a place for everything and everything in its place. I hate clutter. I hate mess. I hate things stuffed along a wall or kitchen counter. But right now we have a few things on the stairs and more things than places.

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take it from us : squeaky hardwood floors

We're starting a new series at thishawksnest. So new in fact that I don't even have a little button or banner for it yet. Here's the plan: we keep finding a number of projects we want to try out but we don't know if they're going to work. We figure let's document it and save others their time and moola. Since we aren't perked for anything on the blog and I don't anticipate that changing anytime soon, you can rest assured you'll get our honest opinion.

Raise a pint to our first challenge: Squeaky Wood Floors. With the exception of the bathrooms and kitchen, every room in our home boasts original hardwood floors. While we LOVE this and it was a must in our home-buying search, it makes for a rather difficult bedtime routine when everywhere you step a major CREEEAKKKK scars your baby's eardrums for life. 

As many of you know, Mom Hawk is working on our basement to make it kid-friendly. A month or so ago we asked the carpenter how he might go about repairing some of the creaks. He wasn't optimistic with the nail it down, sally method in such a style house where there isn't much padding and insulation between ceiling-floor space. I'd read before about shaking graphite powder between the boards as a lubricant. The carpenter hadn't heard of this solution, so I put it off for a while.

Today, I came across an article in Southern Living online magazine. 

Source: southernliving.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Since Ace and I are running a few errands today I figure it's now or never. So I'm going to pick up whichever is cheaper, talcom or graphite powder, and give it a whirl in some areas upstairs where Ace is least likely to lick the floor or practice his with-help walking skills.

I'll let you know how it goes after the job has been completed with an update to this post!

UPDATE:
During Ace's morning nap I tried the liquid graphite fix. We'd purchased a small 2 oz bottle from our Village Ace for $3.99, so I knew it couldn't be a total bust if it didn't work out.

I started by pouring the graphite according to the directions over a two-board squeak (about 6 inches square). I then tried to shovel it between the boards and into the nail hole where someone had previously attempted to silence the squeak. You can see (in my sub-par iphone-with-flash pics) that it smudges everywhere. 

As I shoveled I also pressed down on the wood, hoping to sprinkle it more deeply between the boards and even start the lubrication---much like how we do with WD-40 and hinges. After about 5 minutes of work, there wasn't a noticeable difference.

After smudging it, I tried to wipe away the residue, but I was left with some pretty clear dark smudges. Yikes!

I finally grabbed our scrubbing-the-floor old toothbrush from the bathroom, some Mrs. Meyer's floor scrub, and got to work. It dredged up some of the residue from between the cracks but otherwise cleaned up perfectly. 

I'm still hopeful that over the next day I'll notice a difference but thus far, nothing has improved.

Attempt: Liquid Graphite Fix for Squeaky Hardwood Floors
Conclusion: No noticeable improvement
Cost: $3.99 + tax
Overall Conclusion: Worth the attempt

Hope that helps you folks out! Thanks for following the trial:)

icj,
~j

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making it home series : is it for me?

a series about starting from scratch

Traditional. Great word when applied to holiday decorations, homecooked meals, and the act of passing on a particular tried-and-true technique to an interested apprentice. But traditional in reference to the home? Homemaking? Housekeeping?? Egads, get away thou vilest of words!

Source: re-nest.com via inge on Pinterest

If you've been following this series, you know I'm studying and practicing my way through Cheryl Mendelson's Home Comforts. She has done quite a bit to turn that lovely-though-avoided word into something precious, a call to arms, a convicting echo of what can be.

What a traditional woman did that made her home warm and alive was not dusting and laundry. Someone can be hired to do these things (to some extent anyway). Her real secret was that she identified herself with her home. She lived her life not only through her own body but through the house as an extension of her body; part of her relation to those she loved was embodied in the physical medium of the home she made (9-10).

But most men and many women do not want to identify themselves with homes they create through their housekeeping and through which they offer themselves to others (10). 

I agree. Most in my generation read the phrase "identify [him]herself with the home" and likely cringe with dismay. Surely, this is the thought of the 1950's enslaved and uneducated housewife. And that may certainly be true. But show me how Ms. Mendelson is incorrect? Do we not walk into another's home and judge it to some degree? Either by decoration, cleanliness and messiness, warmth, fragrance, and more? Perhaps we are generous critics, but instinctively we know that the home reveals much about a person's character.

My home used to reveal that I was too busy to take it seriously. I was rarely unclean or dirty, but I was almost always messy. The household which "neaten[s] mostly when the house is out of control"? Check. Dishwasher run when it is packed? Check. Garbages emptied when they are full and unsavory? Check.


And I never had peace. Never really felt rested. And looking back, I now see that we created an environment in which no one else could truly rest either. 


It spoke volumes about me whether anyone acknowledged it or not.

Source: thecobrasnake.com via Annabel on Pinterest

She identified herself with her home. I'm well educated (though I know, I'm not a great writer by any means). I come from one well-educated family and married into another. I have a masters and the bill to show for it. I've been employed as long as I've been legally permitted, until quite recently. And yet, a great expression of self and of love for others comes out in my home. Crazy, eh? Cray-zay.


In these first few steps toward making it home, I find deep satisfaction in moving about the house, cleaning, organizing, preparing, cooking, and more, thinking to myself, people know me by the house I keep. 


They know that I want them to be warm. They know that I want them to smell something lovely and delicious at 6:00pm. They know that I hope they feel festive by the manner with which I decorate. They know I want them to rest comfortably by the cleanliness of bed linens & towels, the sofa pillows that invite them to lean back. They know I care about their health by the smooth, freshly wiped kitchen counters & floors. Because part of my relation to those I love is embodied in the physical medium of the home I make.


If you are like Hawk & me me & Hawk and you have little real practice in making a home, this is a great place to start.


Q you:
What is the area you put off until you just can't take it anymore? Laundry? Dinner remnants? Bathrooms?



Happy Thursday!


icj,
~j

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making it home series : how to keep house part i

a series about starting from scratch

How was your weekend? Ours was unbelievable. Temps in the upper 70's, clear blue skies, yellow and red leaves falling, plenty of pleasant house and yard work, and a happy little baby who loves the outdoors. I could go on and on, but....

Let's talk housekeeping. Most people think of keeping house, and this sort of image comes to mind:

image found here

image found here

Or this:

found via pinterest from thedeathofcool.tumlbr

The world comes crashing down. Or housekeeping = starting from scratch, demolishing and rebuilding. But it doesn't have to be that way. I am one of the usual of my generation; we have little experience when it comes to keeping house. Society and those silly 6th grade home-ec classes did little to encourage me to want to keep house. 


So now that I have a family, a home, and I'm to give my full attention to it, I want the attention I spend there to be worthwhile. When I mention that I'm studying a book to learn how to keep house, I often receive a little tongue-in-cheek comment, an eye roll, or an eyebrow raises, you don't need to read a book, there are plenty of people you can learn from around you.


So what's the advantage of learning how to keep house through Cheryl Mendelson's Home Comforts? Tons. Tons and tons. and tons. The title should give you a big clue that this isn't your normal how-to-cut-corners-and-make-your-home-barely-be-what-you-really-want-it-to-be.

First, it is all about the mindset given to making a home. You may recall how Hawk asked me to develop a mindset about finances. I would run expenses by him, and he would respond with, i can't always tell you what to do. you have to have the right mindset. Ms. Mendelson offers the same to her audience: 

Shake not your head, this is true and essential. She writes, housekeeping creates cleanliness, order, regularity, beauty, the conditions for health and safety, and a good place to do and feel all the things you wish and need to do and feel in your house. Isn't that true? I believe she's entirely right. I am unable to feel rested in a disordered house. If the kitchen is sloppy, crumbs under my feet or dishes in the sink--I am slightly irritated in the morning. I hate when the garbage smells to the living room. And trust me, ask any of my friends from my pre-Hawk years, and they will tell you that my middle name is not Monica Geller.

photo found here

Early in our home-ownership, Hawk and I lamented the many times we were rushing to thoroughly clean the house--not just neaten it, but scrub the bathroom, sinks, floors, mirrors, etc.--the day before a dinner or party or guests were expected. And as we live in the sort of village where people routinely knock on your front door when they have a question, we couldn't always count on a warning.


Second, she understands the plethora of reasons women (and men) may both desire to make a home and feel unable to do so in a deeply satisfying way. So everything she offers can be adapted to one's lifestyle and event surprising events (like new babies or moves). I think this is primarily because to embrace what she offers is to transform your mindset (there it is again). Since it is a whole picture, big picture, whole house sort of thing, it becomes part of your lifestyle. 


A happy part.


I'm going to go more in depth in the coming weeks. This is just to wet our palette. 


Happy Monday!


icj,

~j

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home retreat

As part of my contract, I am given 5 retreat days per year. With a baby, it just isn't possible for me to get away for overnights anywhere, let alone 4 of them, before I lose them in July.

Thankfully, my boss is allowing an experiment. A home retreat. I have chosen a guide: Introduction to the Devout Life by Francis de Sales, and I should be able to skype with a spiritual direction at least once.

Here's the idea: when Ace is awake, I'm full-time mom. When Ace is asleep, I read and pray exclusively. I keep silence. Since Hawk comes home in the evening, it is difficult to keep silence (not talk to anyone or even pray aloud) with a husband in the house, so I get to be creative in the evenings and spend a little time with him.  I am staying away from iphone, blogs, email, and all things communicable as well as creative from the time Ace and I wake until he is asleep at bedtime. And when I finally do take up the computer once again, it will be only with a creative or mothering focus--no emails, shows, facebook checks, blog checks, etc.

Yikes.

I can't wait to tell you how it goes! I'll also be dedicating all my non-retreat time to Ace's schedule and sleep. And I have posts scheduled auto-style through the week, so you shouldn't be bored (are you ever? I should probably ask this once in a while).

Whoot.

icj,
~j

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a year now

This past August 28th, we celebrated a year as homeowners. In honor of this first anniversary, we've compiled lists of the most important things we now know that, without looking for, buying, and caring for a home, we would never have known. Today's list covers the search, the jump, and the first few things we learned about home care.

1. Never by the first house you like. This one was very difficult for us because we fell for a home we still refer to as the Riverview House. Great house, great yard, great price--but because it was in a river plain, we would have had a mandated $2-3k on flood insurance bill each year. That would add up pretty fast in a way we would never recoup. We have a few friends who did take the plunge without looking around and comparing their investment, and now they're stressed out with either payments or home repair or both. And some will admit that there were better homes for the same price point that they should have considered.
2. See every home within your price range even if it doesn't have the outside "look" you're going for. We thought we wanted a bungalow or cape cod. We though Mickelsons were boxy and boring. After talking with friends who owned them and looking through a number of them in our 8+ month search, we were sold on their efficiency, open floor plan, and quality of craftsmanship. We love our Mickey! 
3. Take someone who is more experienced in home ownership, not emotionally attached to physical spaces, and knows how to work on a house with his or her own hands. We cannot say enough about the positive influence Mom Hawk had in our home-buying. She's a jack-of-all-trades and knows the ins-and-outs of house structure the way Tim Allen never could. She would walk us through each house and point out problems we would have to care for immediately or with great expense over time. While we started out misty-eyed at all the things we could do in each house, she planted our feet on the ground without being judgmental or too persuasive.
4. Know what you won't settle for, what you must have. We're not talking jacuzzis here. We think home-buying needs to stay more practical (and you can always put a jacuzzi in if that's your thing). We wanted hard-wood floors, but we would settle for ripping up carpet if there were quality hardwood floors beneath and if the present condition did not warrant health concerns (think old carpet, cat allergies, smoking residue, etc.). We knew we needed 3 bedrooms or more if we could afford it. We started out thinking that 2 would be fine, but now we know we can fit 4 kids into this Mickey before things get so crazy we have to either expand or move on. (Our neighbor grew up with her 5 siblings in the 3 BR Mickey she now owns, and she said they are happy, content, & close because of it). We knew the house couldn't require any major repairs from us for 10 years. While that can't be guaranteed of course, symptoms of chimney decay, basement issues, old windows, etc. are big triggers that more moola would be shelled out pretty fast.
5. Get the home inspection. Worth. Every. Penny.
6. Paint the rooms. Just paint them. At first, we were only going to paint one room, but we saw pretty quickly that although the house was very well-cared for, it would never feel like ours without a face lift, and as we began the lift, we realized how important it is to bring the whole house together. And the cheapest, most effective way to give a whole face lift is to paint. Our total paint cost for the entire house came under $300, and that includes primer and the 3 coats of paint we put on everything. For those of you with us the whole journey, you know we painted every inch of ceiling, trim, doors, walls and cabinets. If it was metal or under our feet, we let it be. Not to mention that working on the house almost every day for the first 3 months and every weekend for the first 5 really gave us a sense of pride, attention, and care for our investment and home. Blood, sweat, and tears all go a long way in ensuring our future care.
7. Take a month to make any decisions that will cost money and/or require time to undo. We did this for our window treatments (10 windows with new wood blinds), kitchen hardware, dining room buffets (more on that coming soon), and paint colors.
8. Take care of the front lawn. Hawk mows regularly. We trim the bushes along the driveway and under the front windows. We haven't added anything new because we don't know what we want yet, but these little trimmings go a long way in conveying care for our home. On the downside, we've just got to tell you about our yard soon. Don't let us forget!
9. Do anything yourself that you can--with appropriate guidance. Whenever possible, we repaired or replaced or maintain things ourselves. Saves money, teaches us about home care, and reinforces pride in and accountability to our home and each other. Not to mention it helps us figure out just how quickly we resort to cussing when things go downhill. 

We could keep going, but we think these are the most important thus far. 

Tune in tomorrow for Etsy Friday! We'll be back with more lists next week.

icj,

~j & Hawk

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house perfect...possible?

What does this photo tell you about our weekend?

It tells you that we will be and have been painting, cleaning, possibly eating...no, definitely eating. And why?

First, we hosted a Sheepshead party last night. For those of you unfamiliar with the Midwest, Sheepshead (or Sheepheads if you're from MN) is a game similar to Juker in that it revolves around tricks and teams, but it's more like the Sopranos or Balderdash version of Juker. All manipulation, deceit, cunning, alliances, and strategy. And the house needs a little once-through.

Second, we're finally going to take pictures of the house! We've received a ton of hits on the "house tour" page only to leave you disappointed. My (jen) problem is that I want the house to be perfect. I want our art/photos/chalkboards on the walls, I want to paint our coffee table white, etc.


But we've just had too many requests for details of the house to put it off. And after all, who doesn't enjoy seeing a house in transition sometimes?


This week is a fun one for the 30 Challenge: 
we have two guest posts lined up, our first HouseNotMine session, and photos of the house in transition. Finally.


We're so grateful you join us each day. Let us know what you think of this week's posts!


icj,
~j & Hawk

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crack!

Cracks. 

Every house has them (or so we hear), and our Mikkie has more than a handful. Thankfully, none are "bad." Cracks in the ceiling and walls are typical of plastered homes, and most Mikkies are riddled with 5 times as many and as deep. Over the years, previous owners attempted to fill them in with paste, sand them down, and paint over them. The problem is that over time, it begins to just look like a bunch of hills on the ceiling...think St. Andrew's in Scotland. Not pretty. Not dangerous either, but not aesthetically appealing.

In walks our hero. We heard about him through a house-savvy friend who doesn't throw "get this guy" statements around too often, contacted him for an estimate, and set a Saturday appointment for the work. We expected the estimate to be anywhere from $600-1200, and therefore, we planned on waiting to get the work done. But we couldn't paint until the cracks were sealed, or we'd simply end up repainting later.

The estimate was good enough to begin the work, so Ron literally dug his knuckles into the house. 

We couldn't believe how fast, efficient, and strong he was. Here he is wetting the ceiling with water and then cutting into the plaster with a razor that would make any barber shrink away:

Like the purple? Remember this when you see the green in the yellow light...

This newly created crevice is almost an inch deep!

bathroom

Ron cut out a long strip 8 feet long and 1.5" deep:

blue room

green room

Here's another in the blue room, underneath a window:

The close-up shows how rockin' our predecessors were in their color choices. Isn't that salmon-pink just lovely?

After carving out pieces of our ceilings and walls, Ron then went around and filled in each crevice with some opaque smudge stuff. Within minutes it was smooth and dry to the touch.

After his work was completed and he showed me around, we gabbed it up for about an hour in the "master bathroom" (which is what we call our only bathroom). We think he's the neatest guy. Luckily, he let me snap this photo. You can see the dust all over his face, but even more, what a happy, joyful man he is!

Hawk is very good at identifying projects we should tackle earlier than later. He makes good decisions for the long run which at first I'm nervous about, but conclude the decision successful by the end!


AND, the total bill for 8 hours of professional repair: $350!!!!  How great is that?!

{devote} We've been reflecting on how pertinent this is to marriage. The cracks were not such that would break the foundation of the home or jeoperdize anyone's safety, but they revealed a "band-aid approach" to homecare, and thus became an eyesore and gave the impression that things were shaky. We've been very conscious lately about how the little things that we know are just surface issues in our marriage, if not respected and attended to, may give others the impression that we don't care about each other. And if we truly love each other, then it is disrespectful and dishonest to not make that clear. Rather than wait for them to become true breaches, we want to spend the first few years of marriage sealing them, securing them, and refining them... So we deep-patch our house, and we deep-patch our marriage.

Thank you so much for staying with us! Happy Wednesday (or a somber one, if you know what I mean...)

icj,

~j

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Fall, Farewell

photo by nocturna

Yikes! It's been a week since I last posted, and my google.analytics tells me that you're all still poppin' in to read the blog...and I've had little for you to find. 


Well, November is coming to a close. I have a few things on the horizon including a couple guest posts from my favorite bloggers, a snazzy little muffin recipe Hawk found and made for his coworkers' Thanksgiving smorgasboard party, the wedding shower favor Steph and I made Monday night, amongst others. 


And as I said, November is coming to a close. We're finally nearing winter(!), and I couldn't be more pleased. Hawk helped me pick out cozy boots that resemble the silly Ugg-fest my teenagers wear everywhere, but are thankfully more mature (trust me, I asked. Given that I look like a teenager, I need to encourage public opinion to the contrary). So now I can walk to work in style and comfort. And warmth. No more work trousers (yes, I said trousers) dragging on the sidewalk... {Aren't they adorable, Mama?}

Back to November coming to a close. Here are our final images of autumn. I sincerely wish autumn would take a little longer to expire...


We have a large back yard. A couple of weeks ago when the weather was surprisingly temperate, Hawk and I gave a weekend to fall cleaning. We raked,

I shot two last photos of the previously-considered-hideous bushes between our house and driveway, which during fall appear vibrant and beautiful,

especially this little fella:

Feeling so grateful I live in such a quaint, front-yard community,

Cleaning out all my old clothes,

While watching Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boreman traverse two hemispheres on motorbikes,

Wishing I could buy this instead of sort my clothing,

But we know that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so we later hit our first Marquette game with very good friends in particularly excellent seats

mourned yet another Aaron-Rodgers-and-the-defense-from-hell loss to the Vikings, where at least we got to eat great chili (Wendy's recipe!)

and laugh at the staredown between Buddy & Jack,

That last one is a keeper.  Thank you for not giving up on me despite my absence!

Next post: Muffins!

icj,

~j

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