EvY at HomE

We have been at it at the farm. Every other day it seems has been another clean up/organization/update. Spring cleaning amplified.  We’re not totally done, waiting for a few shipments to arrive and some pros to come in to do some installs but what we’ve done so far and what is still to come: 1. Installed a new light fixture over the dining room!! Bye bye ugly nickel thing. We have not settled on the right Edison style bulb yet. We are not into the warm light that those style bulbs (pictured are fluorescents that are only temporary) are emitting but we still want a that style of bulb so the hunt continues. 2. We removed the legs on the living room tv unit and mounted the tv on the wall . We wanted to eliminate the amount of things that kept rolling under the tv and this is a temporary solution before we replace the whole thing. Since I wanted the setup to be devoid of visible wires we had to run them through the walls and the cords were not long enough so we’re waiti...

At a certain point you stop counting the months and count the years. When I get asked her age I say 1 1/2 so this is what she's like at this charming age where she's a real for reals toddler.  She wakes up around 8:30 and still naps once a day for 1.5-2 hours and that's very much needed for all involved. I hope she naps for a good year more at least but feels so far away and that she'll stop any day. She refused one once this week and we both got a little worried but kept trying to keep her on schedule and she went back to normal. When we're out and about the girl needs it and will fall asleep if given the opportunity like a stroller or car seat. She's gotten a lot more curious and willing to try new things than before and is way more interactive with both adults and kids. She is prone to stick to the things she knows but curiosity is getting the better of her and warms up to people she knows a lot faster and it's so nice seeing her play with my dad ...

I can't tell you how long I've been staring at this kitchen. Other than the lighting fixtures, it's pretty on the money with everything I'd like in a kitchen. Farmhouse sink, chrome faucet, glass front cabinets, white subway tile with light grout, stainless appliances, dark grey bottoms, white uppers, gold hardware (mmm we'll see), and marble countertops. It's got a sort of timeless style that decades could pass by and you wouldn't get sick of it. You could just update the accessories or wall art and stay current which is the proof of a solid kitchen foundation.

Our tiny kitchen will be a great thing to update once that happens and the most important thing I'd love to change for it is the layout of it which presents a challenge. As a refresher, here's what it looks like. This is the L shape with the stove and sink. And here's the opposite side with the fridge and large cabinetry wall that hold a LOT of serve ware and the fridge and very narrow pantry. One of the things I told Matt right away was that while we wait for a remodel, I need more workable surface in the kitchen and though he resisted me on it, we bought a mini  island in the meantime and I was right too 'cause I use it all the time and it's three years in and still no remodel. But it did tell me that when it comes to a future layout of our kitchen a sizeable island is a must have.  Much like the rest of America, we want to eventually create an "open concept" living area with the kitchen/living/dining all in one big space. In other words th...

Well it's tax refund time and thanks to the responsible human being that I married, we'll be doing lots of fun things with that money like... putting it into a retirement account. Woo. But we will be allocating some funds to do a few upgrades at the farm that are over are heads. As in lighting. As in that nickle monstrosity in the dining room is just so not our style.  When we added the ceiling lights to the living room and office I said that I wanted a pretty light fixture in the office and declined the fan idea but after yet another hot summer I have realized the error of my ways and now I'm considering a ceiling light/fan combo for the office and I am a fan of the ceiling medallion + fan combo.  I also really want to paint or wallpaper the ceiling in that office and add crown molding, wouldn't that look pretty? Maybe detract from the ceiling fan. Matt and I have recently become addicted to Fixer*Upper thanks to oh, all of my family so there's a chanc...

Sometimes a changing season comes and impacts you in a way so deep you can't quite grasp it. Let me tell you about the past week.  I mentioned that somehow the idea got in my head to go to Mexicali. It was like Inception. Like the idea was whispered in my ear and I couldn't ignore it. So we went. Matt, Alice, and me. It was the first time we've gone just us without the "adults" like my mother or father and so we were left to our own schedule and devices. We stayed where we wanted and went where we wanted. We were free.  I've mentioned before the relationship with my mother is bad at best and so I went to Mexicali without really talking to her about it and she only knew I was going because I asked for my aunt's phone number and she kinda pieced it together from what others told her from my facebook account. Because we were free to come and go as we pleased and not bound by my mother's antsy-ness we spent a great deal of time with an aunt and fe...