this weekend!

For the labor day holiday and unofficial last weekend of summer I am heading to Sacramento to meet up with my first spouse and best friend of 13 years: 

We been through a lot together me and the ole roomie. She's aged way better than I have.

We're going to her family's cabin to eat smores, play monopoly, and drink wine. Just me and her.

summer checklist: update

Here's what I've done and here's what's left:

Hmm I think I can check off the golfing and the picnic in the park with friends (Back to the Future screening at Hollywood Forever Cemetery with boxed wine and picnic counts right). And we probably walked to at least three movies so I think I can check that off too. I made smoothies but not "lots". Judges?

the truths about home ownership

I think we've all been living a lie. A lie in which we actually thought that once I bought a house within months it would become this whole new place with before and after makeovers to blow away and inspire.

Well... not so much. 

Basically we're moved in and settled. There's no moving boxes impeding our path but we haven't done much to the place besides hanging up some curtains and painting two rooms and a closet. When people come over they think the place looks great and we look settled and it's all true. What you don't know is that I'm not planning on changing anything for awhile. Maybe for another year. Maybe even two.

It isn't like when you rent an apartment this whole home ownership thing. There's way more freedom now but there's also a lot more paralyzing decision making because of that freedom. I mean we are limit less in terms of things we can do to the place which means that every decision becomes that much more crucial. It's not as if things can't be changed if you don't like them once you're done but you gotta have a plan and that means you have to sit and think and design and ain't nobody got time foh dat right now. In the grand scheme of things, what's the rush? Sometimes, it's okay for things to just be okay. 

I think that's the big part of home ownership I didn't realize I would be saying to myself so much. It's okay. Just deal with things being okay for now. It doesn't have to be perfect.

And guess what, it doesn't have to be now. I have: like a lot of time. There's no rush. If we were in a situation where we were living on milk crate coffee tables and bean bag chairs there would be more of a rush to make this house a home but we've been living in a larger more furnished house and everything that came over are things we love and things that are working in this house. So there's no rush. None at all.

And that's the truth. We're not in a hurry over here. We're taking everything very easy.

the fredrich family farm: paint color plan & current layout

Here's the current paint color plan for the house. Only two rooms have been painted the color they're supposed to be. Painting rooms, sheesh what work. I really want to do the laundry room next.

 And here's the current layout of where things are furniture wise and where we want things to be.

I know this house hasn't gotten the lovin' it deserves but guess what? I don't feel bad about it. It's liveable and cute enough for people who come visit to say, "aww it's so cute."

Also: WE OWN A HOUSE! I'm still pumped about that.

two pretty living rooms

Mostly just the color combos are fun.

gray and pink workout slash a running app review

I take my color matching to unhealthy levels. I didn't really mean to start doing it with my workout gear but I guess I just gravitate to certain color combos and somehow I ended up with this:

I was trying to keep it simple but as time passes things had to get added to the "gear" for practicality:
1) The armband. I don't have pockets and I don't want to run holding a phone so armband it is. I've always had armbands for runs and this is the THIRD ONE thanks to Apple continually changing their products. What am I gonna do? NOT buy the latest iPhone? Yeah right.
2) Wristband. Sweat in your eye is annoying and I can't keep wiping my face in my shirt so a wristband is really helpful actually.
3) A digital watch. I have to keep an eye on the time in the mornings because I have to go back home at certain times to make it to work on time and I couldn't keep looking at my arm and phone so I got a cheap watch from Target. I know it like times my runs and laps and shtuff but I don't need that, I just want it to tell me if I have to head back home now.
4) The Nike+ Running App. If you run with an iPhone, this thing is amazing. People bragging about their workouts or runs are the very definition of #humblebrag and I didn't want to start facebook status messaging "going on a run!" It's bad enough I instagram a few running related things this summer (I mean, they were in the context of #evysummer13 but I still feel weird about it). Anyway, I didn't think I wanted an App to track what I did since I have my office calendar with my little stars in it, isn't that enough? Well actually... if you want to see where you've been and where you're going, tracking the runs is actually a lot of fun and the App has a built in GPS and it sees how fast you're going and has this cool little map that shows how fast you went in certain areas, green was when you were going faster, yellow, slower, red, paused. Obviously it also keeps track of how far you went and when you hit a mile a girl voice comes on and gives you a recap "1 mile completed, average pace blah blah". Her voice becomes the best voice in the world. At the end of the run you can mark how you felt, little notes, and what shoes you ran with and it will tell you how many miles total you've done in those shoes. It also lets you know when you've broken a record like "fastest mile yet" or "longest run" etc. I think we all need some encouragement and it's actually kept me motivated when I'm tired I wanna stop but I think no, maybe I can set a new speed on this mile. I'm only up to 2.5 miles but I hope to be at 3 soon. I am a child of technology so it makes sense that I would embrace this system doesn't it?

And if you feel like getting braggy, you can totally share the run. I don't share because I'm better than most people but I am sharing now as a public service announcement. It's actually a lot of fun I swear.

It's a mixed weekend. On Saturday I'm going golfing in the morning and then seeing Back to the Future at Hollywood Forever cemetery and Sunday we have a tech scout for our shoot next week. 

Hit that pavement sports fans. See you on Monday.

pretty ikea things

The new Ikea catalog came in the mail. In lazy attempts at trying to remember things I've gone ahead and snapped some photos of items that I deem worthy of purchase by yourself or someone you love. First of all a green velvety couch.

Secondly, this here cart.

Equally wild about this here wall shelf.

This very versatile cabinet that could fit in many places in your home.

It's also available in the most beautiful green color.

Cute little dollhouse furniture for your nieces.

This whole thing makes me drool for the shed. Clear plastic bins gaaahhhh.

Ikea has their own version of the Container Store's closet system and it is way cheaper than the Container Store so I'm currently debating using it for the eventual closet remodel.

It's called the Algot system.

The table and those yellow glass cabinets. HURT ME!

I was just really into this kitchen. Especially the small but efficient island.

God I love me some carts. This one is industrial and amazin'.

This one ain't bad either sports fans. It could come in really handy in my eventual remodeled closet.

This wall cabinet could have so many uses. Maybe in the laundry room or the guest bath?

This is a classic but in a lovely blue.

If anything ever happens to my current pink couch, I will absolutely buy this pink couch, which is also a sofa bed. I can see myself propped up on that chaise part watching Breaking Bad big time.

I'm wild about this little chair. It's so clean.

This TV unit is all kinds of perfect. If I don't find something legitimately vintage I might just go for this in our living room. It also comes in white. 

Stockholm also has an amazing buffet that comes in white that I think might be terrific behind the sofa. It would add some much needed storage in the living room if we replaced the current big tv stand with the Stockholm TV unit that has less storage. 

That gray striped duvet cover has my name written allllllll over it.

And this yellow rug. I think it would find a home in our home if something awful befell our beautiful rug. Or if I decided to move that rug into the guest room. OR. I could use this rug in the guest room.

So there you go. A very helpful guide to things to check out at Ikea. OR: things you can buy EvY if you were ever near an Ikea but probably won't 'cause there's no way you live closer to an an Ikea than she does. 

back to school in pink and blue (with target)

August 18, 2000 was the day I moved into Biola which was 13 years ago. It was in my calendar, circled, I couldn't wait to move out of my mom's house. Shopping for the dorm supplies was the most exciting time of my life perhaps. I can't believe my life used to involve sharing a shower with a bunch of other girls and taking my bath products to the bathroom in a little blue plastic basket and having to walk down a hall in a towel. Those were the days!

Target has single handedly got to have America's college kids taken care of and walking around the aisles fills me with such happy memories. Except that these are the kind of things I would have wanted to have available 13 years ago and they didn't exist! Lucky modern kids...

If I had my way I would have so much of my house in hot pink. Or at least the guest bathroom in dark grey and pink.

That boy I live with is lucky I curb my pink things to my office. Things could get a little nuts if I didn't.

I can't believe I have lived with a boy for almost 6 years and have remained cootie free.

matt's decorating ideas or: when husbands say good things

"I think I've mentioned this before but I think we should have some of those lightbulbs (points to cool bulbs at Hook Burger) in the house somewhere"

"You know what we should have in the house? A painting of a sailing ship in the ocean."

These are the things that remind me why I married him.

clicked and bought

Well after much debating I went ahead and bought it. The Lemonshine Ombre Console is going to be headed to Burbank to live in my office.

The plan is laid out here. It would replace the standing TV cabinet and all of its contents would go inside of the new console, three floating shelves would go above it on the wall (they're already in the closet, just waiting, biding their time). Plus, I want all of the contents of the glass-front bookcase to fit inside that console as well and then get rid of the bookcase which while it pains me greatly to lose it since it's so nice and helpful, there would be no point in having it since the DVDs and books would go on those floating shelves above the cabinet. I want so badly to find another place in the house for it but guess what, my house is too dang small and we are maxed out on furniture in every room.

Maybe I can give it to Ben to hold. He has an empty house with nothing in it that he can hold onto until I can reclaim it for the next house.

I can't wait for this thing to arrive so I can spend some time playing with the new arrangement.

the first attempt at the ledge-ing

See isn't this fun? Rotation of pictures and such and such.

I was concerned the white ledges and the black frames would look odd together but nope, works well.

Eventual paint color for the kitchen? Hard to say with walls coming down and such. Tricky indeed.

ten more

The scale gave in and told me what I wanted to hear. Minus 5. Which means 10 more to go to be at the weight I was when I donated blood in college and was underweight and passed out.

Also, the peach tree is turning red! Maybe they will be edible!


I'm not saying I want to be underweight but it would be nice to say I am the weight I was 13 years ago.

THIRTEEN YEARS since I was a college freshman. What?!

- mobile blog post. spelling irrelevant.

the ultimate backyard goal

There's been a lot of ideas about the backyard of our house but my absolutely favorite idea for the backyard is the idea that it would become a place for outdoor movie watching as best exemplified by this incredible home featured in Sunset Magazine. 

Now while this beautiful space is in the front/side yard of their house, ours obviously would be for the back of the house. I'm particularly inspired by this fencing because it's ultra modern and recently I've decided to just go balls out modern with this little house of ours because there's no history to preserve and I think a modern looking house might make it more appealing for young buyers in the future. When discussing the back brick fence into the alley my father in-law and I thought that a good way to hide it would be just building a fence in front of it and this is just the ticket. 

It also features a huge sectional and a fire pit that has been on the major wish list for the backyard since always. I had been assuming the fire pit would be wood but my boss Robert who is a mighty landscaper and home remodeler in his own right said that a gas powered fireplace is so much cleaner and easier to care for than having to deal with the smoke and smell of wood. I love how this fire place is made of concrete and that it has a large outer rim to set food and drinks on. At this angle it is exactly how I want it set up in the backyard with the fence in the background and everything.

On top of the fire feature, the house also had a water feature that I want very badly. Maybe not exactly this one but having the sound of running water is very important to me for lounging.

They have a permanent ramp for the projector and plants behind it that hide it well too.

And when you see it full of happy people and popcorn and food you can easily picture your parties becoming very popular with friends and family. I can't imagine us throwing parties more suited to our personalities than just having people come to our house to watch a movie together.

We are movie people after all.

Sigh... someday.