the price of happyness

Brothers don't shake hands...

2012-02-04T15:47:00.002-05:00

Brothers help build basements! After much toil and debate, we finally settled on a layout. Sometimes it takes awhile to finalize these decisions, but we have something we're happy with and the building is underway! Zach, my little brother, came over today to help Adam frame the bathroom (which is no easy task). See that nice support beam to the right...

For effect, we input the toilet in its proper place.

Note the read: Complete Basements. (And no, he did not pull a Jackass...those who have seen the first movie know what I'm talking about).

Under the stairs! Also tricky.

Love this vanity we found. Lowe's, on sale, nice and large for the space.

Kaye and I went tile shopping today, but those pics will come later when we get to that point.

No Stress

2012-01-21T13:54:00.003-05:00

"Fully 95 percent of your emotions, positive or negative, are determined by how you talk to yourself on a minute-to-minute basis. It is not what happens to you but the way that you interpret the things that are happening to you that determines how you feel." - from the book, Eat that Frog by Brian Tracy.

It seems like such a simple statement, but it is SO true. Could we be stressed to the max because we just ripped out our basement and we're less than 4 months away from the biggest life change ever? Yes. Could we complain that everything in our basement is currently taking space in the baby's room? Yes. Could I stress because I come home and see a huge hole in the ground? Absolutely.

However, this gets us nowhere. Instead, we're motivated to finish because when this little guy comes and turns our world upside down, we want to be ready to devote 100% to him :o)

Plumbing. Yipee!

My tub. White. American Standard (love the brand). Deep. Wonderful.

And the toilet. American Standard. Cadet. Space Saver. Elongated bowl (a must for the dudes).

Adam turned the bookshelf into a nice organization station for his plumbing needs.

Door becomes a work table. Notice Yuengling in the forefront of the picture.

He has no idea what is happening here. We are doing quite a job to his mad pooping space.*

Gravel from the hole.

Adam's dad let us borrow his big a$$ air compressor.

2x4's and 4x6's; a must for framing.

*Mad pooping space = when the dog gets mad at us (for leaving the house or some other unspeakable action), he poops in the basement.

weekend progress

2012-01-08T18:19:00.007-05:00

The demo is almost done...dude. Adam and my mother worked very hard to knock everything out and schlep it out of the house. Next step after some cleaning is finalizing the layout!

Basement Before

2012-01-07T15:37:00.012-05:00

Goo! The black hole known as the basement....

I'm going to get back on this horse...

2012-01-06T18:36:00.002-05:00

Because we have some exciting rides in 2012! Our first project that will be tackled this weekend is (finally) rehabilitating the basement. I love our house, but the basement is a large, black (and stinky) hole that we avoid like the plague. Jake enjoys it for his bathroom when he's mad at us for leaving the house. I begrudgingly do the laundry in the area, but hate every second (because it's a hole, not because it's laundry). Adam does his stinky...er, I mean, wonderful, beer brewing in the bathroom of the basement. And because that toilet is never used, it loves to provide a pungent, sewer smell that mixes nicely with Jake's business...you get the point. Operation Basement begins this weekend with demolition. Pictures to come.

You may ask why we are motivated to do the basement after 2 years of neglect...well, we need some additional space since the Partee family is expanding! We are expecting a little baby boy in the Spring (I'm destined to be surrounded by dudes) and we couldn't be more excited! I'm 5 and 1/2 months and outside of some all day nausea in the first trimester coupled with extreme tiredness, I feel pretty darn good. He's kicking around in my belly and it's such a surreal process. Thus, we're getting our act together to provide some play space for him (and Adam and Jake of course) and we need to have an alternative space for guests since the baby will take the guest room (now nursery).

All righty 2012, let's do this.

Ugh, sickness!

2011-02-17T19:24:00.001-05:00

So, my grand plan of training went down the drain last week when this nasty sinus infection crept up on me and lingered. Blah, it was bad. It didn't help that I had to work until 10pm Tuesday and then until midnight Wednesday. After a weekend of not moving a muscle and staying in bed (watching Sex and the City and Top Chef reruns), I finally started to get back on the road to recovery.

Tuesday I braved a 3 mile run at the gym (but had to stop after every mile to blow my nose).
Wednesday I was able to spin, but my heart rate was a little higher than it should be, yet still did another mile run.
Today I was able to do 3 miles again (on the treadmill, blah) and some strength.

The key has been rest though. My biggest problem is that I put sleep at the bottom of the priority list. Work, working out, having fun, saying "yes" to everything always takes precedence. I just need to realize I'm no spring chicken anymore and that rest must happen! This week I've been in bed by 8 or 8:30 each night; not always sleeping, but at least resting where I'm usually around 10:30 or 11 for bed time. If I'm going to be serious about this year, I must get my rest! Now, there will be lots of fun too, but I just need to make wise decisions.

6 miles Saturday! I've already talked Hartong into joining me and now I can't back out!

Half Marathon Training Starts Tomorrow!

2011-02-06T22:44:00.004-05:00

This past week I accomplished my goal of doing 5 for 7 - working out 5 of the 7 possible days...YAY. I did a mixture of running, spinning and strength and I'm feeling pretty good at this point.

Half marathon training begins tomorrow! I like to call the race the "halfie" and I really believe that if I keep up my commitment to training, I could possibly get a PR....it's early, I know, but I'm feeling pretty good. I downloaded a training plan online and the first week holds the following:

Monday - Strength and Strengthen - I'll probably do some warm up on the AMT and then full body circuits
Tuesday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 2 miles or cross train
Thursday - 3 miles + strength
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 5 miles
Sunday - Rest or cross train

I highly doubt that I will follow this to the letter; but as long as I make sure I get the long runs in, I think I should be a-okay.

4 for 7

2011-01-30T21:58:00.004-05:00

That's how many days I worked out last week if you start the week with Monday. Not too shabby, 4 mornings in a row, but by Friday, I was Pooped (with a capital P). I work out with my good friend Katie some mornings and we used to be competitive swimmers....we ask ourselves "how did we get up every morning at 5:15am and practice, go to school, then practice again?" Where did we get that energy? I guess we have silly things like responsibility (e.g. mortgage payments, dogs, husbands, etc.) that get in the way now, but still, it was an impressive feat. Perhaps we trained our bodies though? That's what I'll need to do if I really want to do this marathon.

The workout I'm loving right now is (and I can't believe I'm saying this)...on the treadmill. I used to avoid treadmills like the plague; the feeling of going nowhere fast and staring at the news or my own reflection in the window, blurg! However, Miss Hartong taught me this great way to have an awesome workout and avoid boredom. You start out at a jogging pace for 5 minutes (usually around a 5.6 or 5.8, depending on the feeling of the day), then for the next 5 minutes, you alternate between a sprint (7.6 for me) for a minute, then a jog (5.6) or walk (4.0) for a minute. The next 5 minutes, you sprint at 7.8 and for the last 5 minutes (if you only do 20 minutes), you sprint at 8.0. I know that many a good runner out there may laugh at these paces (since I see these chicks hammering out the 7.6 as their normal pace), but to the middle of the road runner (such as myself), I become SUPER sweaty and my heart rate gets up there. I worked my way up to a 30 minute version this week and I really believe interval training torches the cals and makes you a little faster for the long runs.

Tomorrow my game plan is to work off those weekend calories which consisted of pizza, beer, a Reuben (maybe some tots! woops) and a few rb&vs (red bull and vodkas). Not a healthy weekend whatsoever; but next week, we start again! (And the treadmill torch...which I just named this fun workout will be my cardio of choice tomorrow).

It's been a long winter...

2011-01-26T20:38:00.006-05:00

And it doesn't seem to be letting up in Columbus, Ohio these days! Ah well, life is good. Adam and I had a wonderful wedding (the perfect day) and had the best honeymoon in Costa Rica ever. We are truly fortunate and now we're settling into being an old married couple :o) A snippet of Costa Rica below...but more to come and hopefully wedding pics too!

As we near the end of January and as people are desperately holding onto their New Years Resolutions, I have still have hope for 2011. I don't really call it a "Resolution" per se, but rather, "this is the year of...(fill in the blank)." 2008 & 2009 was the Year(s) of the House. 2010 was the year of the Big Wedding. 2011 is going to be (drum role please) "the year of being FIT." Yes, it's time to conquer some of my biggest fitness goals I've had for myself since the days of super serious swimming.

What's on the docket? The big events are as follows:

May - Columbus 1/2 Marathon (which will be my 4th)

June - Warrior Dash (with the hubs...pure dirty obstacle course goodness)

July - Possibly my first triathlon - still TBD

August - Pelotonia - 102 mile bike race with raising $1800 for cancer research

October - Columbus Full Marathon

Whew...tall order here. I'm getting back into the blogging mode though to hopefully keep myself motivated and talk about the fun (or lack thereof) of my trainings for this year.

Oh, there is fun planned for this year as well though including: "the Partees in Disney"and tons of great weddings!

Engagement Pics - Lisa Kae Ruff is AMAZING

2010-09-18T12:50:00.011-04:00

the HiLo

2010-06-30T21:44:00.000-04:00

A few Saturdays ago, Adam and I embarked on a 42 mile bike ride to Mt. Vernon, Ohio. I didn't really know who would be there, but it was something that Evolved Energy Solutions (Adam's Company) was supporting, so I knew it'd be a bunch of "greenies" - my term for those who support the green movement.

There's Zack, Adam's business partner in the blue below (we left before the big crowd because I was afraid we'd be so slow!)

Let me tell you, it was a blasty! I had prepared to die during the 42 miles, but we had great weather and good company with some breaks, so those 4 and 1/2 hours flew by. Our destination was this awesome property with multiple restored buildings (e.g. farm house, barn, etc.). They had multiple kegs and hired people to roast a pig and bands! We camped, ate and listened to some good music.

The house that Doug built. The owner of the property restored this old log cabin. It was super cool.

Bacci ball anyone?

Adam snoozing.

Cool set up behind the house with a stage.

why I'm excited...

2010-06-15T18:15:00.000-04:00

Is because my photographer rocks. Lisa Kae Photography is the bomb. I love perusing her blog and I highly recommend. I cannot WAIT for our engagement photos and for the wedding photos. She's driving all of the way from MICHIGAN! But she's so worth it. She was the photographer for my dear friend Abby's wedding and just blew me away.

Check out her blog! Love. Love. Love.

Com Fest is upon us!

2010-06-14T22:29:00.004-04:00

Only two short weeks away and it's Com Fest! Short for Community Festival, this bash in Goodale Park sometimes gets a bad rap for the potential contact buzz and crowd it's started to attract; however, we tend to enjoy Com Fest and it's only a few blocks from our abode!

I give you my top 10 reasons I like Com Fest:

10. My dad (who loves any sort of concert outdoors) takes Friday off of work every single year and wears a straw hat with a Hawaiian shirt

9. When else can you buy giant beers and drink them in a park?

8. You'll see every walk of life there (and yes, painted boobies! Oh my...not mine, I promise)

7. It's a great excuse to have a party and last year it was our big house warming party (we kept saying, "we have to work and get the house done by Com Fest!")

6. Everyone has one Com Fest outfit that they only break out for such occasion; hippie skirts, tie dyed t-shirts and Birkenstocks, when else can you wear this stuff?

5. It supports the Community in which we live (and it's at the park where we'll be gettin' hitched in October!)

4. Fair food. Um, hello? Funnel cakes? Corn dogs? Fried snickers (and fried pretty much anything you can imagine)

3. It's three days long and all day long, you can't miss it!

2. My mom did her first keg stand ever a few years ago and held the house record...it was amazing, I hope she does it again this year (she will totally yell at me for posting this)

1. It's an excuse to get all of your friends and family together to feed them and serve beverages!

feed the birds

2010-06-12T11:04:00.001-04:00

One Saturday Adam woke up and wanted to go get bird feeders. Apparently he was feeling very charitable and birds were his mark. So we went on our bird feeder hunt, stopping at Wild Birds Unlimited (which is the expensive way to support bird lovers) and then Lowe's (which was clearly more economical).

These wiry deals don't hold the seed that well, p.s.

As you can see, the tool belt is needed for any major household work.

We strung them up high! and haven't refilled since.....

the blue willow

2010-06-10T22:05:00.001-04:00

If you ever happen to be in Social Circle, Georgia, you must stop at The Blue Willow. (Pronounced the blue "willah" if you're from South Georgia). It's everything you hoped it would be and more with regards to Southern Cooking. A few of my favorites include: fried green tomatoes, fried catfish, buttery pecan and cheese biscuits and pecan pie! Wedding, schmedding,I went to town.

Not only is the food heaven on a plate, but it's set in a historic house with rocking chairs on the front porch. Southern Belle in Training?

Oh if only I had good manners..... or a red hoop skirt.

how can you resist this face?

2010-06-08T20:36:00.000-04:00

Now stop pooping in the basement!

Back In the Habit

2010-06-02T18:18:00.003-04:00

I've got to! I am currently at this Conference and this great speaker this morning talked about social media and how it will only continue to grow and become ingrained in our lives! SO, I am recommitting myself to this blog (well, for now as I'm so fired up).

Wedding Updates and Debates!

My mother and I have been having "healthy discussions" or "heated debates" about certain traditions. For example, I don't want to throw a bouquet. I think it says "hey single gals, everyone stand there and be called out that you are in fact SINGLE." Boo, what a downer. Have you seen the Sex and the City where the bouquet smacks Miranda? That's how most of my friends will feel anywho. I say down with throwing the bouquet. Thoughts?

Also, another point of debate is eating. Has anyone been to a wedding where you eat immediately and not wait for the Bride and Groom? Our goal is to get to the party portion of the wedding as soon as possible, but I know some may feel uncomfortable if we're not there yet. What is proper? What will make people feel comfy, but still get to the party?

Lastly, favors. I know, it's a nice gesture. Honestly though, do people want to take home Hershey Kisses? Can't I just save that money we would have spent and donate it to a charity that needs it vs. people forgetting something on the table?

Oh, the debates. Advice is welcome!

Gym Pet Peeves

2010-05-04T19:10:00.005-04:00

Well, since the wedding is 5 months away, I really need to kick it in gear with the whole “looking good” thing. My excuse for eating was because I was in “training” for a half marathon. The race was completed Saturday (I was training, really!); so I’m out of excuses for eating poorly or having just one more beer. (Although, I actually got one of those things you get when you run… (a runners high I believe it’s called) on Saturday and I may be signing up for more pain). Isn’t it crazy that you pay $60+ dollars to run for 2 hours??? Not to mention all of the training hours. It’s so bizarre, yet, I get it.

Anywho, back to the gym again and trying to hit it hard. For those who know me, I’m a pretty friendly and outgoing gal. At the gym though, I do not want to talk to a soul. It’s my time and no one can take it from me. But unfortunately some people ruin it for me. Thus, I give you Abbe’s Top Five Gym Pet Peeves.

5. Stealing. (Not valuables in this case, but that sucks too), but when people steal your weights or whatever apparatus you’re using and they don’t ask. Clearly my bands, bosu ball, mat and free weights are strategically placed by my writing utensil and paper (yeah, I keep track) and within a 3 to 5 foot radius of me. I don’t mind if you use what I’m using, but to blatantly take my stuff is rude. Ask me, just ask!

4. Make up. Do you really need to put on make up? Aren’t you going to sweat it out eventually? Really?

3. Leaving your mark on the machines. The bottle of disinfectant is right there along with the paper towels (a little wasteful, but a worthy cause). Do you think I like getting on the elliptical when I can clearly see the sweat fest you just left me?

2. People who camp out. Maybe it’s just me, but I like to get in, sweat and then get the heck out. Who has two to three hours to spend at the gym? And you may be wondering, “how do you know that people are spending multiple hours in the gym?” I can just tell, they talk with the trainers and the other gym people; they talk to their friends and they all carry around gallons of water. I even saw someone (not a gym employee) eating…not just an energy bar, but like an entire packed lunch! You can't do that at home?

1. HAIR. I know, I am probably mean because I have blonde hair that seems to stay on my head when I’m getting ready in the morning, but you ladies with your dark hair and thinking that someone enjoys cleaning up the hair that you’ve strategically placed on the shower walls, I guarantee NO ONE likes that job. Wad it up and throw it out instead of making a mural on the wall. Gag.

I’m no saint and I’m sure people have pet peeves about me. I’m a sweaty, hot mess for sure, but in my defense, I do disinfect and try to have proper gym etiquette.

Till next time!

Flowers!

2010-03-13T21:18:00.006-05:00

Dress, check. Venues, check. Bridesmaids and dresses, check. Groomsmen, check. Color pallet, check. Flowers...almost there.

I'm so stoked to marry Adam and plan a party to celebrate. Flowers are cool, but going into the flower selection, I felt the same way as I was stepping into the Bridal Boutique for my dress. "Okay, this will be cool, but let's just find it and check it off the list." Leaving the store, I LOVED my dress and couldn't stop thinking about it and showing people.

This is kind of how the flowers are going....I was like "eh, okay, let's check it off the list." But I really enjoyed our first flower appointment today. Lots of people need flowers for this shin dig! I did do some research on theknot.com and found a few of these that I like....

I love the colors of this one, the fallish feel and how it's nice and compact, not too crazy. I've got some bling on my dress and don't want anything to take away from the blingage.

Since I don't have much going on in the color department with the bridesmaids dresses (they're wearing black) I really wanted some pops of color for the flowers. This one pops! (And it has tulips) which makes Adam very excited. In the Fall, right when it was about to freeze, Adam spent an entire evening planting tulips; there should be many (maybe 100?) that pop up in the Spring. He's so excited, I love it.

This one was labeled "modern" although I'm not sure why...it looks pretty frilly to me. I like the different colors though.

This one definitely screams FALL! Love the sunflowers. My dear friend Christy incorporated sunflowers in her bouquets and they were gorge!

One more flower appointment this week and the decision will be made! Super duper excited.

Tomato, Tux-ADO

2010-03-04T21:48:00.000-05:00

Franck Eggelhoffer: Uh-oh, I bring the wrong color thread. I assumed you'd be wearing a black "tuxado."

George: It is a black "tuxado."

Franck Eggelhoffer: I don't think so, babe. This tux is "nuffy" blue. No doubt about it.

George: What're you talking about? Armani doesn't make a blue tuxedo.

Franck Eggelhoffer: Armani don't also make "polyaster."

If you haven't seen this movie yet and your planning a wedding, you should. Heck, it's so good, you don't even have to be thinking of matrimony to love this movie.

Vhading Planning! (Read “Wedding Planning” in Franck voice)

2010-03-03T19:02:00.001-05:00

Well, I’ve never really considered myself a “girly girl.” I tried tap and jazz, even a hand at singing and acting back in the day, but then I found out A) I was tone deaf (scratch singing career…and without singing, might as well scratch acting) and B) I needed something to use up all of my hyper energy (various forms of dancing were not enough I guess). Thus, I became a jock. See ya later tball and any form of sport that required standing for periods of time and hello swimming, water polo and lacrosse. I needed something social and anti-ADD.

What does all of this have to do with wedding planning? I guess the Sporty Spiceness in me explains why I’ve never gotten too amped up about the Big Day? Falling in love, yes. Finding a bff (best friend forever) who loves me through thick and thin (and vice versa) and who makes me a better person, yes. Planning parties, yes, I LOVE parties. But getting super stressed out and worrying about providing people with a silly favor? No. Freaking out about shoes that my friends are wearing? Nope. Making sure that every person and family member in the world I know is happy for an 8 hour event? Geesh, really? Hence my approach to the wedding planning. I’m definitely trying to be laid back, but frankly, there are some things I don’t give a rats behind about…is that bad?

I plan on updating this thing with some plans and I am excited (of course) for this entire shebang, but I have to say, my mantra is “if at the end of the day, Adam and I are married, we’ve accomplished our goal” and the big bonus is that everyone had a great time. Oh, and that it was captured through glorious pictures…. Okay, maybe I’m not as laid back as I thought?

If you’re looking to get slightly offended, but have a good laugh, check out this hilarious blog - Brides Who Mean Business. You will definitely be offended or you will laugh your bum off. I did the latter.

All dogs go to....rehab?

2010-02-10T22:38:00.000-05:00

Our baby boy had surgery right before Christmas. We always knew something wasn't quite right with his left hip when we picked him up at the shelter, but we thought he'd grow out of it. Unfortunately he grew right into hip dysplasia! We had a tough decision to make, but knew we didn't want our poor Jake to be in pain any longer.

We took him to Dr. Weale who works with Dr. Taylor at Healthy Pets of Wedgewood. They chopped the ball off of his leg (the thing that fits in the socket) and bam, no more pain! Well...surgery pain. AND rehab pain. The Dr. and Vet Techs have been SOOOO good with Jake. Probably because he just takes it. He's just sooo laid back.

He's manly; he rocks the pink.

The rehab folks came up with all kinds of fun contraptions for him to wear to work those muscles! He never used his left leg muscle really, so it was badly atrophied.

I'm pretty sure this was his least favorite thing. Sometimes you just have to hop on the treadmill, let the water rise up and run.

Darn he's a good pup! Going on 6 weeks of rehab this week...hopefully we'll have our normal doggie back soon.

From one project to the other...

2010-02-06T20:50:00.009-05:00

Since the house is done-zo, we are on to more projects! The biggest one coming up is the BIG DAY. Some have said that this will be a stressful occasion...but honestly, I think renovating a house is a little scarier - more dollars, more unknowns, fewer experts in the market - when you wait until your late twenties, you've seen so many weddings and have so many connections that it becomes kind of (gulp and dare I say) easy.

What was super precious is that Adam knew exactly where he wanted us to tie the knot. Our beloved Goodale Park which is only a few blocks away is where we'll say the vows and then off to COSI, Columbus's science museum.

The gazebo where we'll stand.

COSI - the outside upper plaza.

A bird's eye view of COSI by the river.

We're excited :o)

Just expanded our happyness!

2010-01-17T22:28:00.005-05:00

Into Marriage! Yes, we are engaged and not under aged :o) In Aspen after Christmas, Adam proposed on the top of the mountain. Sandy Peak was the run and he completely surprised me. I thought we were going to take a picture with the breathtaking scenery. Instead, he pressed the record button on the camera, stumbled through the knee deep snow and then got down on his knee! I said yes of course and the best part is it's all captured on video. It was perfect. He could not have done it better or any other way. And the best part of it all is that I'll be spending the rest of my life with my best friend.

I've been SOOO bad!

2009-11-18T20:37:00.003-05:00

About blogging. Love it. Like to do it. Also like to make it interesting..... and really, just have been working up a storm, traveling like a crazy lady and when I'm home, I sit on my can with my dog and my bf and R-E-L-A-X.

One of these days, I'll have something interesting to write about... but until then, I'll be boring.

But this is not boring.....Our House Tour Crew.

Who is ready for HOLIDAYS?!

Goooo Jackets!

2009-10-19T13:22:00.001-04:00

So... the house is done. Well, done enough for now. Your house is really never done, but at least ours is livable and decorated.
I know this blog is devoted to our journey with the house, but now I guess I need to take it another direction with snippets of anything house related along the way.

One reason we purchased this crack house was because of location. Blum and I rented down the street for about 2.5 years and I heart the Short North/Victorian Village area. Everything is around us from excellent restaurants to entertainment. I think I'll share some of my fav places and things to do!

The Arena District is about a mile away from our place. It's Blue Jackets time again. I wouldn't say I'm a crazy fan, but I have to admit, they're getting pretty good and the games aren't just about drinking beer, but you actually want to watch the game. Fair weather fan, sure that can be me :o)

We went to the game Saturday and had a blast. The Nationwide Arena is known for having a great "game" atmosphere and they do lots 'o fun stuff to keep the fans energized. It also helps when we beat the other team 4-1 and see some fights.

Chas has great tickets and took me, Adam and Jace. It was a good time and great seats!

Outside of the fast action and double high fives, my favorite thing is the Burrito Parachutes. Chipotle drops parachutes out of the rafters and you can win a free burrito and a shirt. They play that song "you dropped a bomb on me... baby" and it's just pure fun! I'm such a nerd.

No seriousness here!

We had a blast! It's so fun to be able to actually do something outside of working on the house!

Finter.... or Wall.

2009-10-17T16:26:00.014-04:00

Finter is what is happening right now. It's SUPPOSED to be Fall, but it feels more like Winter... hence, Finter. Or Wall.

Perhaps because I just flew back from California and it was 90 degrees and sunny? Those warm budded Californians made me a wimpy Midwesterner!

I heart Fall. Buckeye Football. Perfect running weather. Changing leaves. Scarves. Boots. Warm Apple Cider. Bangs. Yes, bangs (b/c let's be honest, they get too greasy in the summer). The Doggy Park for Jake. And MUMS!

Jake loves him some doggy park! He tries to pull my arm off because he gets soooo excited to meet new friends and sniff new bums!

Wheeler is our park of choice. It's about a half mile away from our abode and it's ultimate fenced in fun.
Can't you see how happy he be? (I felt a little weird taking pics of other dogs... owners may think I'm a little cuckoo.)

I guess it will be true Finter when this stuff arrives.....

Roman Shades by Kaye

2009-10-05T10:44:00.002-04:00

I read my other friends' blogs and see how creative they are and how they have an inner seamstress (see Under A Green Roof)... well, I have no inkling of that type of talent. Thus, I turn to Kaye. She made ALL of our window fixtures.

Kaye found this fantastical website called Make Roman Shades.com. You can input your style and your dimensions and wabam! Instant pattern for your roman shades. Why did we pick roman shades you may ask?

Top Three Reasons (according to me)

1) They can let as much or as little light in as you want.

2) They can add to your decor - when down, they look like a fabric panel which gives your walls a little somethin' somethin'

3) If you do them yourselves, you save boo coo amounts of money.

Our main contributors to the house below. My mom and my bf.

Frosted Glass - New Ways to Use It!

2009-10-04T10:28:00.011-04:00

I know you're probably getting sick of Tour of Homes photos. But I neglected one other cool aspect of our house that may be a little.... different.
Remember the blue pillars by the staircase? Ugly. Didn't match up with the rest of the drywall. Shotty work. We put Adam's head through one of the pillars...

And ripped all the pillars down to some lovely two by fours.

Then painted some new and improved pillars... now insert frosted glass!

It gives the room an "open" feel and is safe for children or our inebriated friends.

Pretty cost effective and provides a great effect!

Mas Photos!

2009-09-25T12:18:00.011-04:00

Upstairs pics.... starting with the hallway with the lovely palm and mirror.

Guest bedroom/office. Those pics are real ones from Europe! And those shades are real ones from the Kaye.

Who wants to come stay?! You actually have a functional bed now.

The master! Duvet cover made by Kaye. The best sheets in the world are from Bed, Bath and Beyond - Pure Beech. Pure AMAZINGNESS.

And then the bath. We had "before" pics sitting out in frames so people could see the nastiness it once was.

I'm not completely done here.... more to come. Have a SUPER DUPER weekend. I will NOT be working on my house :o)

Success with the Tour!

2009-09-22T17:41:00.012-04:00

Ah.... we can breathe.

I've never planned a wedding before, but I imagine this could be potentially similar. A year and a half of your life. Working through financials, trying to find ways to be cost effective, but not skimp too much. All for 1 freaking day. Well, this was like a day and a few hours. So yeah. Similar to wadding.

We were #9 out of 11 on the tour.

Are you loving the spilling of the petunias? I didn't know what a petunia was this time last year.

It was a great experience. It wasn't weird for strangers to walk through the house and make comments. It was kind of nice (in a weird way). And we couldn't have done it without Klare, Tong and Zack on Friday as well my mom and dad, Auntie Janice, Cousin Cathy and Moira on Sunday. Also, of course, April and the kids! Thank you.

First floor picks first. Check out these flowers from The North Market Blooms. THEY were BEAUTIFUL. NMB did an amazing job!

You can also see the view of right when you walk into the house.

Glass tile back splash. We received some super nice comments about these. After agonizing over color, April came right over and said "why don't you just go with frosted glass." Genius.

Nick and Adam did the back splash on MONDAY last week.
I have to admit, a little iffy at first on the artwork below. But it grows on me. Don't you love the black buffet? I finally have a place to store all of the stuff that accumulates on the island. Also check out the CUSTOM roman shades. Kaye made them all.

View from the back door.

I'm just getting started. More pics to come this week! Thank you everyone!

Always time for a Buckeye Game

2009-09-17T12:02:00.004-04:00

Even though the outcome wasn't what we wanted, it was a beautiful day to tail gate!

We were #1 at one point.... ah well, anytime I hear people poo poo the Bucks or Mr. Tressel, I just think "these guys are freaking 19 years old with the pressure of the whole town. Geesh, give them a break."

You're still fabulous Jim T. and Company.

TWO DAYS UNTIL THE TOUR OF HOMES!!! Fun fact - this will be the last year it's called the Victorian Village Tour of Homes. We are now moving to Short North vernacular to encompass more hoods in the surrounding areas (e.g. Italian Village, etc.).

Get Yer Tickets!

2009-09-15T17:55:00.008-04:00

Only 15 bones until the DAY OF the Home Tour (after that it's $20 for Sunday's session, $100 for Saturday with a nice dinner in the hood)! Get your tickets at Spinelli's Deli (quite possibly the cutest and best tasting deli around). Spinelli's is just a hop, skip and a jump from our abode and honestly, one of our life savers during this house rehab. Adam and I spent many a morning getting breakfast bagels and Crimson Cup coffee (THE BEST).

LOVE me some Spinelli's. Locally owned and operated. My fav is a egg and cheese bagel with pepper jack cheese on an everything bagel. Yummo.

We're busy getting ready each day! I shouldn't even be blogging, I should be cleaning or doing some finishing touches! Sunday, my fabu family came to help us with some outside work. I don't know what I'd do without everyone who has helped us... thank you, thank you.

Oh. Wait, that's right.... I'd make a fool out of myself at Company outings, that's what I've been doing too.
Today we got asked to do a "gig" at a Company Sales Conference. WHAT? Did the HEAR us?

Potential Career Suicide?

2009-09-14T12:25:00.010-04:00

Last Friday... oh it could have been a train wreck. Thank goodness it wasn't. Our CEO decided that we needed to spice up our Company gatherings and came up with our Company's interpretation of American Idol. I'm not a huge Idol fan, but apparently I am a fan of getting in front of crowds and acting like an idiot.

Since Will, Michael and I have absolutely zero musical talent (I wasn't allowed in choir in the 2nd grade), we tried to win the judges over with our crazy performance talent.

Hence, "You Gotta Fight" (for your Right to Parrrrttaaaayyyyy). Beastie Boys. A classic.

Although Will was a little more obsessed with looking like Kanye West vs. a Beastie.

"You wake up late for work, man you don't wanna go! You ask your boss please but he still says NO!"

We altered the words to relate to work and came up with some crazy dance moves. IF you are curious, we're in the finals in DECEMBER. Woop woop. If I find it on YouTube I may or may not share.... your ears could possibly bleed.

Pictures are the Best.

2009-09-10T23:03:00.005-04:00

Ok. I lied. I can upload a picture. I was planning on a blog post that was house related... but while at my parents this evening, I came across this picture below. I just absolutely love this picture. It's my dad (far left), his younger brother Bruce and sister Linda. Doesn't Linda look so innocent? And doesn't it seem like Mark and Bruce are about to throw a bug down her shirt or commit some mischievous act??? They're so ornery looking and Auntie Linda is so serene.

I can't wait to fill our house with pictures of good times and fun moments. Heart it.

Technical Difficulties!

2009-09-10T22:48:00.003-04:00

I had every intention to blog and blog WELL this evening (yes, I've been slacking)... we've been up to a lot - Preparing for the Tour, Apsen, Preparing for Potential Humiliation at Company Events, Preparing for the Tour, Picture Printing, Traveling for Work, Boot Camping, Scrambling for the Tour, etc. I can't upload a single picture at the moment. Once our darn internet is working again.... I'll be bock (say it like the Governator).

Top Chef Is BACK!

2009-08-19T21:03:00.004-04:00

This is my all time favorite show! Holla if you hear me?! After we finish house things, I'm totally going to focus on my next hobby, watching Top Chef! Jk... well, not really. But I'm determined to learn my way around the kitchen.

Adam did say "now that you have all of these great appliances in the kitchen, will you use them?" YES. I. WILL. :) Do I know what ceviche means? No. Do I eat meat? Not really. Did I have to call my mom to ask how to boil eggs? You betcha. I can still learn how to cook, right?

Backyard...again

2009-08-14T18:03:00.004-04:00

I found this one a little too late.... but this is a good before shot from the patio/courtyard.... see last post. We had ladies happy hour last night outside on the newish patio. It was such a blast, we all brought a bottle of vino and an app and caught up on life. I think the highlight from a food perspective was Klare's basil parmesean dip with homemade pita chips and Abbey's granny sandwiches. (I'll get the recipes and post them!).

Mark your calendars! Victorian Village Tour of Homes - September 20th! I think it hit me this week when Adam brought home the Columbus Monthly and there we were, in print. AND then I was stopped in the bathroom at work by our VP of Communications who said she saw our bio in Columbus Monthly as well. AND then, I checked out the website.

It's right around the corner and we have some work to do! Kaye and I are headed to Ikea this weekend fo sho!

When I say summer, you say patio!

2009-08-09T15:30:00.016-04:00

Summer!

Patio!

Summer!

Patio!

What we've been looking forward to more than ever is having people over and utilizing our courtyard/patio area out back to entertain. When we bought the joint, it had a lovely paver patio (weeds included), a pond (or potential hot tub) and a beautiful flowering tree. Once again, inspired by Andy and April, we decided we should rip out the pavers (which were uneven anywho) and lay a nice smooth block of concrete. In the spirit of entertaining, the concrete would be easier to maintain and more level for furniture.

Here are some before pics.... isn't it kind of an "I Spy" type experience? I spy the boarded up window. I also spy the decrepit old AC unit (with a sweet new one installed).

We decided to save on some labor costs and pull up the pavers ourselves (thank you Nick and Abbey starting that party!). Little did we know that there were 2 patios underneath! Top Layer - Layer 1 - pavers. Layer 2 - more pavers. Layer 3 (we assume the original layer) - concrete slab & bricks. What a workout! And a pain.

After digging 14 inches down, we poured gravel. And by pouring, I mean Adam wheeled the gravel from the driveway into the back yard.

Then Adam built a wall with some of the existing stone to make sure we do include some greenery in the back.

Impressed with him yet? I am.

Then some concrete was poured.... and yes, it has a red tint. It may look different, strange, what have you... but we love it. I spy a wooden road runner (see YouTube post, it's an Earl Frederick original). I also spy a fire pit. Give a man some fire and his Friday night is complete. (Thank you Mark and Kaye).

Word to the wise - wait until the end of the season to buy patio furniture. Half off at Lowes!!!

Check the grill, it's beautiful and a wonderful house warming present from Debbie and Randy! With a grill set from Grandma and Grandpa. Thank you, thank you!

Adam, the lighting guru, also put lights into the ground. Who does that? It's pretty genius and looks sweet in the evening.

Old light fixture. It's not so bad... but it's kind of old and moldy.

Had to do something new!

Come party on our patio anytime! We're ready for ya!

Tour of Homes - Here we Come!

2009-07-18T13:26:00.009-04:00

Happy Weekend everyone! Many of you know and many do not know, but we have decided to sign up for the Victorian Village Tour of Homes with the stipulation that we can close off the basement. I have big dreams for the basement, but those big dreams require some fat cash and we are going to save a bit before we jump in head first.... again. We're slowly finishing up the little things to get ready for the tour, but also taking some time to relax!

Last evening was an evening we have been waiting for.... I met Tong at the best happy hour spot ever - Bodega and then leisurely strolled back home to find a cozy couch, a lazy dog and a fabu boyfriend, armed with popcorn, Skittles and recorded movies on the HD DVR!

Although I've blocked out most of the bad times we had with this house renovation, I did go through some "before" pictures and found these lovely pictures of the evening the ceiling came down.

Brother and boyfriend with crow bars in hand (which I just noticed they are dressed alike... apparently khaki and white is not only the cheesy family picture attire, but also acceptable demolition attire).

I came home from a business trip and found this awaiting me.... I was a little, um, distraught (hence arms crossed with scowl that you can't see so well).

But it was all worth it. Check it out now.... Beautiful white wood work (thank you Kaye). The mantel was custom built by Dan our Door man, the couch (see previous post), our diggity dawg and tiled fireplace (thank you Nick).
The hunt for a coffee table and chair to complete the living area is on!

Sweden is coming!

2009-07-13T21:48:00.007-04:00

Okay, not the entire Country.....

We're preparing for our favorite Swede to come back to the US and I started to search through some old pictures of when I was there 5 years ago. I can't help but laugh.... we were goofy gals.

I have no idea what we were doing here!

Dressed up in authentic Royal Swedish Gear. Do I see some magnum in there? Ferrari? La Tigre?

One of the highlights was playing water polo while I was there on Martina's team. Here we're in Hungary, preparing for our National Title game (which we won later on).

Invasion of the Swede starts in a week from tomorrow!

The Jakester

2009-07-12T14:32:00.013-04:00

Jake has been a fabulous addition to our lives. We've come to the conclusion that he's definitely Lab and Mastif because he follows us around wherever we go and he's completely laid back at the same time.
Jake likes to run and play with other dogs - especially Stitch, his best friend and favorite French Bulldog. Here they are frolicking through Aunt Abbey's back yard and stirring up mischief as they run into the field behind her house. When Jake is with Stitch, he likes to ignore his mama.

Doesn't it look like they're saying "c'mon, let's go into the field and run and run so no one can see us!" I think Stitch has a French accent as well and says things like "we we" when he means yes and "sacrebleu!" when he's been caught running too far into the field.

Jake's a good puppy though and knows when to say when. Daddy here trying to give him some of his "Daddy Pop" but Jake abstains because he knows he's not old enough yet.

Most of the time though, he likes to sit on his bed and play with his toys. He can look scary and menacing; but he's a complete softie - he'd rather lick you and nibble on your toes!
Don't my boys look B.A. here? We are very lucky to have such a great doggie!

Curtains! It's curtains for ya...

2009-07-08T21:27:00.012-04:00

Now... those that know me know that I don't have a domestic bone in my body. I couldn't sew a button to save my life. But thank goodness Kaye is Mrs. Domestic and has offered to make our window coverings! Not only will we get to pick our own fabric, but we will get to choose the exact style and size (and save a little moolah too). Who knew that I could get excited about fabric?

Here are some ideas for our bedrooms and main floor. We want to go with modern patterns, something not too flashy, but that brings a little somethin' somethin' to the room.

We also have to go with something that is neutral enough so when we decorate the rest of the room, there isn't too much going on.

I have found that I am drawn to Robert Allen at home fabrics. Bob and I met yesterday and I'm a huge fan. Even though I had to comb through millions of competitors, Bob kept coming out on top.

We are going with Flat Roman Shades for our window treatments. We want to make sure that we can let the light in whenever we want. I do like Hobbled Roman Shades.... but you've got to go super neutral since they're very layered (doesn't the word hobbled make you think of hobbits or at least make you giggle?)

Who's pumped about fabric?! The anti-domestic girl!

Where have we been?!

2009-07-07T21:49:00.005-04:00

One of the highlights was Virginia Beach! Yes, we dressed up. Yes we took some super cheesy everyone-dress-alike family glamour shots. Yes, Kaye was the mastermind behind it and we couldn't say no to Kaye.

We have been busy bees! Thus my blog neglect. I apologize, but promise to start it up again. We've been vacationing, hosting parties, welcoming babies and engagements and of course.... finishing more of the house!

This shot was not one of the glamour shots, but after the Pro left and after a few frosty bevies.

I promise to get better with updates!

First big swing of the season....

2009-05-12T22:01:00.006-04:00

After year of being hermits and slaves to our home, we treated ourselves. Spent the weekend in beautiful Callie celebrating Sara and Sean's special day and catching up with some of my favorite peeps! We were also able to get in some fantastic golf. (Haven't swung a club in over a year and it was the hardest course in CALIFORNIA).

It was hot.. like sweaty thigh hot, but tootally worth it! More to come from the trip after I steal some pics from the ladies!

decor 411

2009-04-30T22:11:00.009-04:00

My fabulous friend Jessica is a closet interior decorator. Yes, she's a lawyer, but she has this fantastic way of putting things together and making them vundebar!

Today, she dedicated her blog to our project and I was completely flattered! She has found this super cool site - Polyvore - where you can find items online and can pair them together virtually to see if it works. She put the items together below as ideas for our living room decor.

Abbe Living Room by jessicafaye on Polyvore.com

Pretty ah-maze-ing, isn't it?

What is also amazing is how images can make you think of certain things in life. As I was scanning through my pics, this image makes me think of today. Life is short, don't stress and appreciate good friends and family.

couch potato (no e)

2009-04-29T21:37:00.003-04:00

With our new found motivation for 'gittin' er done' we went couch shopping last night. Exciting, isn't?

We know we want leather, I've heard nothing but amazing things about how it wears. Yes, fabric couches are beautiful and you can find many unique types of fabric, but we envision many bums on the couch along with a doggie bum (we'll give in eventually, I know us). We also agreed that we'd like to purchase a sectional. Now, don't barf, but it's so we can both lay down and hold hands while vegetating. Did you? Maybe a little in your mouth?

I've also heard rumors that if you have dark furniture in a small space, that it makes the space smaller. We have small, downtown space, so we need to go light on the color.

Wah-lah! THE ONE. The couch that we're in love with (maybe not we, but me for sure).

What is fabu about this couch is 1) it's on SALE, 2) it's one of those where you can add and subtract sections, so if we want to add or subtract, it's possible, 3) it's contemporary and doesn't look like a big marshmallow and 4) it is on SALE! We may not go with the white (although I read from some other bloggers that white is the way to go if you are looking for contemporary. You can always spice it up with festive pillows and an area rug, right?). We may go beige-ish to be safe with Jake and his little brindle hairs, but isn't she a beaut?

Sectional. Leather. Light color (comes like 25 million colors). Will fit our space (hopefully... we need to measure). S.A.L.E.

Thoughts?

We're quite flattered

2009-04-28T23:03:00.005-04:00

Last night as I was cooking dinner in our newish abode, a gentleman yelled out through the window from his convertible. Strange you may say; yes, at first. Then I recognized him as a friendly Vic Village neighbor, John. Long ago (a year ago today) when we purchased our home, the house next door was on the market. (Why it didn't sell for awhile was beyond me.... well, perhaps it was the fact that the house next to it had no windows and had battering ram scars...it's possible). John and I shared a conversation as he was touring the home next door. He had toured our home prior to our purchase and recalls walking through with a flashlight since there was no working electricity. He had seen our house at it's ABSOLUTE worst. Nasty urine carpet, boarded up windows, no kitchen, just plain ugly and smelly. However, John happens to be on the Victorian Village Tour of Home and Gardens committee and asked us if we'd like to show our house!

This is the 35th anniversary of the Tour of Homes and they are looking for people who have renovated their homes in our fabulous area. We were quite flattered because they choose a select few each year to have folks buy tickets and walk through the houses with unique stories (which we definitely have).

Although quite flattered, we're in quite a conundrum. We'd love to showcase what we've been slaving over for a year but....we're not completely finished. I expect that the houses on display are decorated immaculately and well, let's be honest, we have a kitchen table, one chair, a borrowed love seat, a tv (sans cable, I miss BRAVO!) on a saw horse contraption and a doggie crate. Not exactly prime decor here. We'd have to giddy up and decorate, landscape and get the basement in decent order by September. All requiring time, moolah and help. Ah... we thought we'd coast, but yet again, we may be crazy.

We have some time to decide (thank goodness), but we'll keep you posted if we decide to embark on phase 2 of this house madness. Can our little town house cut it with these big beautiful Victorians? What do you think?

New addition!

2009-04-19T19:05:00.004-04:00

Everyone welcome Jake! He's our new addition. Sunday, we headed to the Humane Society to take a gander at the doggies. Adam was like a little kid hanging outside the bathroom as I was getting ready, hurrying me up to go look.

You can see how happy Adam is to have his new bff (well, I'm the #1 bff, but when I'm not around....).

We looked. We fell in love. We added a new family member to our new house. It was a thorough discussion - What do we do with our pristine new floors? What happens when he chews through the new furniture? Will he be house broken? What about when we leave town?

But all of those questions were answered as we deliberated over Jake. When we walked through, he stared up at us with that big tongue and we couldn't say no. He is a total laid back pup; yes, pup - all 55 lbs of him. Only 6 months old. He's going to be huge and yet, we're big fans. He's a chow/mastif mix with a little bit of lab with his webbed feet. There will be some training to be done (Adam's job), but he knows his name, he's great with the nieces and nephews and he hasn't chewed through the furniture (yet).

p.s. I tried to get a picture with out him being excited... but couldn't get one! More to come!

I'm not the only creative one

2009-03-27T18:29:00.002-04:00

It runs in the family. This is real... really. Let me know if you're in the market :o)

Uncle Earl and his Lawn Art

dining room table?

2009-03-18T22:22:00.007-04:00

After another successful trip to Ikea this weekend, Kaaaaaye and I found the potential table for our minuscule dining area. We need something narrow and I'm pretty much obsessed with chocolate colored woodwork.

It's a reasonably priced table with TWO leafs (leaves?). Perfect for 2, ready for 4 and can accommodate up to 8. Perfect for our space. It's definitely on the "potential buy" list.

I also found some stools for our island! The ultimate test was comfort and it was totes comfortable. It's too tall, but Adam can cut a few inches off the legs, right?

Ah... this is the fun stuff.

Everyone needs one.

2009-03-17T21:46:00.007-04:00

Water closet. Loo. Powder room. The crapper. It has multiple names, but when it comes down to it, you need these. We happened to build an extra one. When we bought the place, your options for utilizing this ever so necessary room was either upstairs (in our master bath) or downstairs (in the dungeon, okay, the basement, but it's still kinda a dungeon). The fact that there was no loo on the first floor was an issue because we plan on throwing many fabulous parties for friends and family and we'd hate to make people take stairs up or down. Thus, we have the "halfie." Our first floor half bathroom. Tiny, yet practical. And in the spirit of St. Patty's Day, I reveal our half GREEN bath.

We definitely visited other half baths to measure to see what we could get away with in terms of size.

I'd like to thank Lowe's for the toilet, vanity and faucet. Thank you Jesse for ripping out our initial half bath (it was too big) and plumbing in the new and improved version. Kudos to Kaye and Adam for framing the whole darn thing. And, once again, to demonstrate how handy Adam is, he installed both sink and crapper. No leaks once again.

**I also must add that it's truly a water closet (the Euro way to say it) in a sense because we also created a closet out of one of the walls.

Next on the list is finding a cool mirror and light fixture to bring the halfie to its full potential. Any idears? Send them my way!

Helpy Helpersons

2009-03-12T22:12:00.007-04:00

I. Love. My. Job. And since I love my job, I tend to spend lots o time at work, doing work, thinking about work, etc. Which leaves small amounts of time for doing things like shopping, cooking and oh, yeah, rehabbing a house. So, I must give props where props are due. First off, my mother, Kaye (pronounced Kaaaaaaaye... little inside joke between me and dad), deserves tons of accolades. I found the roots of my perfectionism. Kaye. She should start her own painting business, seriously, she does better than anyone you could hire. I also owe my optimism and enthusiasm to Kaye as she was our "eternal optimist" throughout this process. Many times I broke down, but Kaye would pump us up and get excited over things like basement windows and caulk. She even gets super stoked about the ability to fill up her mug with water from the fridge for her green tea addiction. Sigh. I wish I was domestic like her.

We've had quite a cast of players in this project as well and many who deserve shout outs:

Andy and April, the "Vic Village Professional Flippers"- thanks for giving us the courage to try something like this and for answering the phone and door when you knew we wanted to ask you a question

Jesse, the Foul Mouthed Plumber - we could not have plumbed without you, f-bombs and all

Dad, the supporter - I know it wasn't fun shoving insulation into the ceiling with a 2x4 contraption, but the sound barrier is amazing

Uncle Paul - for teaching Adam everything he needed to know in order to build, rip out and build again

Partee Fam - for reminding us that we need to cut loose every once and awhile

Vaughn, the Drywall Dude - you're coming back for another punchout, right?

Big Fat Buzz, the painter - I don't know how you worked so fast?!

Dan the Door Man - You're speedy too and I need to call you tomorrow :o)

Dennis the Menace - you're not a menace really, the tile does look beautiful

George the Electrician - thanks for following Adam's instructions to his specifications, we're the best lit house on the block

L.A. - our granite woman; thanks for the lack of b.s. and telling us like it is

Hector the Inspector - well, okay, his name is Tom. But thanks for passing us multiple times!

Tina and her crew of floor layers - we love our bowling alley in the first floor

Ahn, Ikea Kitchen Specialist - thanks for the free dessert! (She was super helpy during the busiest day ever and gave us free cake for being nice customers)

Smitty - for ripping out the crack floors and thanks in advance for our future landscaping project!

And of course, my wonderful, handy and super smart BF (or as LA would call you, SO (significant other)), Adam. You're crazy to think we could do this. Thanks Crazy, I love you.

goodness, gracious, GRANITE

2009-03-05T21:09:00.009-05:00

Granite day may have been one of my most favorite days of this entire project. Not only is granite cool and kinda quirky, but for us, it symbolized "the home stretch." Not that I didn't like Adam's visual effects of our cardboard granite, but to have the real deal live and in color in the house..... it provided a day of smiles.

Here we are with the kitchen granite - Cosmos Brown - accompanied by a stainless steel double bowl 16 gauge sink and a goose neck kohler faucet. Although this is granite's show, I must admit that the faucet is pretty flippin sweet too. It pulls out into a sprayer with different sprays! And we strategically placed the soap dispenser on the side where the non-dishwasher dishes will be washed. Call me naive, but hello, dish detergent! Genius.

I also love the bigger bowl and smaller bowl. I'm sure dirty dishes will pile up - I AM living with Adam here - but the right side can be for cleaning... look for vegetables from our garden on the right side someday!

View of the island granite (look, there's Tom our inspector in the background! His famous line is "now, I don't care watcha do..." usually followed by some sort of thing we have to do, e.g. keep it up to code, yada yada, blabbity boo.) I told Tom he'd have a cameo in the blog!

View of the island - check out the reflection of the light!
Picture of the kitchen with granite. Sorry it's so messy! We're still in a bit of a construction zone.

The bathroom! This granite is Giallo Ornamental. We had second thoughts when we visited the granite graveyard to approve our templates, but I. LOVE. IT. The pictures do not do it justice! I also like our one handled kohler forte faucet.

The double vanity! Our house was not made for one, but by golly, we created it. (Again, sorry for the mess! It won't look like this when you visit).

Thank you Lowe's and Marble & Graniteworks. Excellent installation and customer service.

Go Granite Go! It will be in the house for-ev-er.

The best tile EVER.

2009-03-02T19:14:00.005-05:00

When re-doing a bathroom, one must seriously consider what he/she wants to look at day in and day out while getting ready to take on the world. Like I have mentioned many times, you find one design and then you. can't. let. it. go. My relationship with the glorious color blox brand of floor tile began one evening in the Great Indoors. Friday evenings for us are usually spent at Lowe's, Home Depot or something of that genre. "Celery stalk" was the first obsession. However, when forced to go to the HP (Hamilton Parker), I found "satin sheets." The HP didn't really do it for me at first. And to be honest, I walked in and desperately wanted Andy and April's tile... imitation is the sincerest form of flattery (or something like that), but I knew that I could find a close runner up. Satin sheets soon became numero uno.

Yeah, it looks like white tile. And these pictures DO NOT do it justice. But it's truly amazing.

It has a white background; hence looking white. But when you get up close, you can see the fine pattern of grays, whites, off whites and silvery goodness. Yes, it's a floor tile. And yes we had to ask the tile place to create the bull nose that adorns the sides. But it is the one. Kasia, Arenda's Polish sister-in-law called it "European." SO COOL.

p.s. still obsessed with the built in shelves for shampoos, conditioners, body washes and everything a girl needs!

Next step for this puppy is shower doors! (But we'll deal with a shower curtain until we can find doors with brushed nickle).

Trim, trimney, trim trim, trim tra ree!

2009-02-17T21:11:00.013-05:00

(Hint: sing the subject line like that crazy chimney sweep guy from Mary Poppins.. one of the best movies EVER).

Anywho. Let's talk about trim. Trim comes in various forms/names/styles - casing, baseboard, shoe molding, crown molding, etc. - but really, trim should be called "the ultimate band aid." It covers up all of the unfinished drywall that covers your walls and it is amazing what it can do for a room.

See Exhibit A - master bedroom closet doors with no trim. Pretty blah, huh?

Then, you attach the ultimate band aid and wa-la! A nice, finished look to your room!

Trim can make the wall paint "pop" too! We went with a modern casing for around the windows and doors. The baseboard was simple and shoe molding will be a must down the road because our floors are the opposite of level.

I can't take any credit for this trimming madness. Adam was the master casing man. Mitering like a pro.

Then Kaye followed behind filling holes like it was nobody's business. Seriously. If Kaye wanted to start up her own gig, I would hire her as painter (aka miracle worker) until the cows came home. She is a pefectionista! And it's amazing. I clearly did not inherit a domestic bone in my body - Kaye has it all!

This is the view from the guest (green) room in through the bathroom to our master (blue) room. You can see the chocolate brown vanity in the bath. It's 100% Amish. Can I get a hollar for the Amish? They don't mess around when it comes to woodworking.

Walk around your place. I'm sure you've never noticed the trim before (I never knew it was there). Maybe give it a hug? It's doing more than you think!

Good news, trim = done. Now just waiting on the granite....

Is it Spring yet???

2009-02-14T09:00:00.007-05:00

Who's ready? I sure am! Between the snow, the rain and the high winds, I have just about had it with this crappy weather. Move away from Ohio you say... one day we may. But for now, we'll keep our families close and enjoy our labor of love.

During the carpet day and when it felt like the snow would never melt, we met some friends. These big fat arse robin's were chirping all day and it was glorious! Aren't these birds some sign of Spring?! How did they get so freaking fat you may ask? Who knows, but they sure brightened our day!

This guy, I'll name him Harold, was right outside our bedroom window. He looks coooollld.

This the view of the courtyard in the back from our window. Aidan likes to call it "the castle" with the wrought iron gate and brick wall. All of those black shapes are the big fat birds!

I love that you can see the ice on the trees.

Tis cold today still... but the snow has melted, wahoo! Enjoy your V-day everyone. Ours will be filled with finalizing our closet organizer and cleaning. We're almost there!

You may be from the 80s if...

2009-02-11T20:45:00.015-05:00

YOU HAVE A SLOTTED STAIRCASE! Yes, we have slotted stairs. While our place is smack dab in the historical and beautiful Victorian Village; our 1980s home some how weaseled it's way into the mix. At first, we were quite skeptical of these slotted stairs. Will the nieces and nephews fall through the stairs? Should we try to close them up?

We decided no. They have some character and couldn't be too dangerous, right? So far, no injuries.

They had some nasty carpet on them at first, we stripped the grossness and had bare hardwood steps for awhile. We contemplated hardwood flooring, but realized it would be very hard to do AND would be a little costly. Ta-da! We decided on carpet. Arctic Snow (a California Berber...thank you DA and TA for your inspiration). The one. And THANK GOODNESS for Adam's wrestling buddy Nick. He's amazing at his craft!

He had never wrapped stairs like ours before, but did a fantastic job! Not easy to do, probably wasn't easy in the 80s either.

We let the Arctic Snow in our master bedroom as well. Good padding is the secret to comfy on your toesies type carpet.

I always wondered how they took care of the seam in the room.... an iron! I mean, carpet does not come in big, cut to size pieces for your room.... maybe I thought that one day.

Check out this super sweet ladder that you can place on steps and not fall down! Carpet was a must for the basement stairs as well. One other fabulous thing about Arctic Snow is that it does not show dirt or footprints either. Don't worry, I'll vacuum!!!

Thank you Nick! He knocked this out in like a day total!

The One - maple select hardwood (the solid stuff)

2009-02-01T20:51:00.010-05:00

When searching for flooring, we knew that we wanted hardwood all throughout the first floor. It's gorgeous, it's sturdy and yes, it's pricey, but tooootally worth it. We have found throughout this process that when it comes down to making a large purchase, we seem to find ONE thing in the store that we like. One couch. One ceiling fan. One cabinet model. And yes, one hardwood floor. We chose maple (sturdier than oak, the second most sturdy of all) and we loved the natural maple. We spent many an hour in Lumber Liquidators (the best place to shop for hardwood), but feel that we made the right decision on THE ONE.

We also were suckers and laid the floor in the guest bedroom/office. "You can wheel your chair around" was Adam's argument. I gave in. Ain't it purdy?

We went with the solid natural maple select for multiple reasons 1) you can refinish the solid stuff - if and when (and I mean when) we get a dog, we'll most likely need to refinish from the scratches; 2) since we only have approximately 1400 sq feet in the entire place, the lighter wood opens up the room(s); 3) hardwood is "cleaner" in a sense, no nasty stuff seeping through the carpet needing a good vacuum; 4) the "select" indicates fewer imperfections and 5) it's freaking sweet.

If we would have tried to lay this ourselves, it may have taken a century...thank you Don, Tina and the flooring crew.

the one - the fan

2009-02-01T20:49:00.003-05:00

The one. Our modern, brushed nickle fan (all of our fixtures are brushed nickle). Adam and I searched for hours (okay, Adam searched longer) for the perfect fan. We wanted one that didn't hang down to low either because our tall friends would run into it!

Fans are fantastic for many reasons.
1) the are energy efficient... you can hold off on turning on the ac
2) Adam likes to sleep with a fan blowing in his face, it drys out my eyes (boo!), so this ceiling fan is a much better alternative!
3) they can be an accessory of sorts... now that I think of it, it's kind of a manly, fat fan... but still pretty cool
4) this fan has a remote!

Gosh I can't wait to use these freaking things (which means warm weather!)

El bathroomo, it's coming along!

2009-02-01T20:46:00.005-05:00

The master bathroom at one point in time only opened up into the smaller of the two bedrooms upstairs. We decided that we wanted the bigger room as our master bedroom - yet, no entrance into the bath. Hm. Dilemma. AND, are you supposed to have the master bedroom at the front of the house? Ours is at the back and overlooks the courtyard. If you know the answer to this one, let me know.

Back to the bath. We created an almost Jack and Jill style with doors into BOTH rooms. Guest and master, both have access to the bath. A one bowl sink turned into a double bowl vanity and we moved the tub and flipped it sideways. I'll post the before pics at some point.

We also created built in shelves into the shower! I am super excited to put all of my shampoos and good smelling things into these custom shelves! Good thing Adam is low maintenance and may only take up a half of a shelf. I LOVE the shelves.
You can also see our new FLOOR. Thank you Tile Shop for the floor tile. It's gray with hints of brown AND when you walk over the tile and catch it in a certain light - you can see SPARKLES! Wooooooo. I love the gray and the brown will be picked up by the vanity - dark chocolate. The Amish do good work when it comes to cabinets!

Adam decided to take a dip in the tub amidst the plastic protecting our tub. Lowe's tub. Adam/Uncle Paul/Jesse plumbing work - no leaks ma!

"When in doubt, rip it out!"

2009-02-01T19:46:00.014-05:00

When we began this little project and after our huge demolition day, we slowly began to realize that demo day was only the beginning of many additional demolition escapades. That first day, we ripped out everything we did not like (e.g. nasty black floor tile on the first floor) and hesitated with other things (e.g. the double ceiling on the first floor..yes, there was a flat ceiling with weird recessed rectangles and underneath, another ceiling! With a stipple pattern! Blech!). If we were going to do it all again, we would have ripped out everything out from the beginning. NOTE: drywall is cheaper a square foot when there's more of it.

By the stairs leading up the bedrooms, there were pillars with electrical boxes for sconces. Cool you may say. Wait, not cool. They were messing up our drywall. Poorly placed and poorly designed. When in doubt, rip it out!
When in doubt, put Adam's head through the drywall....believe me, we wanted to throw our heads through drywall many a time.

From this lovely picture, you can see a bare bones downstairs. Yes, Adam is standing on two ladders with a saw! Pretty impressive, isn't it?Also note the sub floor. Plywood peeps, that's what's under your carpet, tile or hardwood; it's very ugly and ours was unfortunately riddled with dog urine! When it doubt, rip that stuff out!

If you've never been to your local city dump, it's quite an experience. We went there many times. At one point, Adam and my mom were gambling on how much our bill would be based upon the weight of our trash. They were often very close!

Mom and I even went one Saturday morning on our way to Ikea. Real women go to the city dump. And then Tim Hortons for coffee and breakfast sandwiches.

Lesson folks - when in doubt, rip it out. You can always put something back in!

Ode to the Kitchen

2009-01-25T11:26:00.014-05:00

I think the kitchen is one of the most important spaces in the house. Think about entertaining and where the people flock... The food, the kitchen. Our kitchen (along with everything else related to this project) has been a labor of love. Lots o' labor. But now we have LOTS o' love. Below is a picture after the wiring and plumbing and insulation - right before drywall (oh, and there was plenty of labor before this pic). We had drywall up shortly thereafter and paint. Then cabinets! See that little faux door looking thing right behind Randy? That's for our fridge. Instead of buying a counter depth fridge (which has far less room and can run up to $1k or more than a regular one), we built a false wall for the fridge to sit back into - the fridge will appear to be counter depth, but will have plenty of room for party trays!

All of the cabinets needed assembly - but Ikea does have their stuff together - it took awhile, but all in all, we have some good cabinets. Thanks to Adam, my dad and mom for getting these suckers together.
Adam and Randy and my mom have worked hours to get to this point below. Hanging cabinets! What daunting task! Especially when your floors, walls and ceiling are NOT level. We had to make sure we had some cool lighting in and around the cabinets. The fridge fit into its cubby nicely....well, maybe we had to rip one side of the corner bead out to fit it in, but no one will see it!
Can you believe it's the same darn place??!! Check out the cabinets behind Adam's head - frosted glass with lights! Doesn't it make you happy? It makes us super happy.

I'm pretty much obsessed with our appliances too. GE french door, bottom freezer fridge (with a special space for a pizza box - Adam request). GE microwave and dual fuel range (gas on top, electric inside). Bosch dishwasher to top it off. I love the black dishwasher - mom has one and it doesn't show as many dirty fingerprints! We went with the stainless and black motif. I also want to point out the pendants! They look orange in the pictures, but they're actually red. They make me think of apples :o) The island is not fully operational, but it will be soon. Who is excited to come sit at our island, watch me cook and have a beverage??? I am excited for you to visit!

Can't wait to furnish!

2009-01-24T17:24:00.008-05:00

As we continue to get the house put together again, I finally feel like we can start thinking about furnishings! I've decided to wait it out in a sense (e.g. pay for drywall and tile first), live there for a bit and then get some inspiration for furniture, etc. In the meantime, it doesn't hurt to look!

It's very exciting to put together a house because your style starts to shine through and Adam and I have decided that we want clean, modern, but not cold. A few great places to look for such items include West Elm, CB2 and Ikea.

Storage is tight in our little Vic Village condo/house/townhouse, so we're always looking for wonderful pieces with room for stuff! I love this bench, not too "country" but could fit lots of warm blankies and such.

In our "dining" area - I put dining in quotation marks because the first floor is going to all run together - we have some great space for a buffet and what is better than a buffet fit for wine???

Any suggestions are welcomed!

If you've never been to Ikea, you should go...

2009-01-21T22:26:00.008-05:00

Ikea was once a name that I had heard occasionally when my Swedish sister was living with us while I was in high school....then I went to Sweden, it was everywhere. I thought, "hey, cool, Ikea is in every nook and cranny in every house here in the land o tall people" - but after coming back to the States, it had left my mind.

Then, kitchen cabinets became a topic of discussion during a Rehab's R Us meeting. "What shall we do that's cost effective?" Once again (thank you Bush family) Ikea came back into my life.

When you drive to Ikea, you'll see the sign from a mile away. The glorious gold and blue color sign will draw you in and say "please, buy a lot of things from me to furnish your house." You walk into to a warehouse type of store with kid friendly activities (yes there's a play room/kid center) and food....delicious, cheap, Swedish food. It's truly a maze, so you must allot at least 1 to 5 hours while visiting to get through the maze and you may feel too overwhelmed to purchase anything at first. I didn't purchase one item my first time.

But as we got further along in our project, I realized that I had to undertake the daunting task of designing a kitchen using the Ikea software. Then Adam (and his assistant Kaye or Randy, depends on the day) would have to take on the even more daunting task of laying out the electrical plan, the plumbing plan, the gas hook up and the assembling of every single cabinet.

We've made it through thus far....cabinets are almost in place with a few setbacks (hey, I'm not a professional kitchen designer, okay)...and we're moving along. Pictures are being held hostage right now by a digital camera and will arrive shortly!

You definitely need one of these things after you design your kitchen!

Behind the name

2009-01-19T22:32:00.008-05:00

My little baby brother said "I don't get it" when I showed him our cool blog with our cool new background (thank you Under a Green Roof). It has double meanings - 1) we have worked our tails off day in and day out on this place, thus it's our "price" (like, dolla dolla bills ya'll and tons of time spent) of happiness (sure, it's spelled wrong; think Will Smith movie)...but we're paying the price for what we want and 2) Price is our street name and soon it will be the Price or the Place of happiness when we we have fabulous gatherings and make many a memory. Check out the every day apparel at Price Ave.

The Story of the Beginning

2009-01-15T21:24:00.008-05:00

About a year ago Adam and I started talking about taking the "next step" and of course the next step (for us) was purchasing an abode. We starting thinking about where and from renting in Victorian Village (Vic Village as they call it) for 2 and 1/2 years, I had fallen in love with the fabulously fun artsy part of Columbus's downtown area. But what could we possibly afford in this market?

Thanks to our friends Andy and April, they let us know about this little gem that is 148 Price Avenue. We heard words like "bank owned" and "foreclosure" and thought yessssss, this could be a winner. Erin, our fearless realtor and high school swimming buddy from the days of yore, took us to the place and with her honest little self, warned us and said "this house will change your life." Why you may ask? Well, before we stepped foot inside, we had heard many stories about how this place became so cheap. Drug dealing, SWAT raids and unruly dogs were just some of the rumors - which proved to be true. The house had been vacant for almost an entire year and it looked liked someone wanted to flip it, but quit. Investors were drooling over this nicely priced place and said, no problem, it's an easy fix and sell. Realtors were popping up out of the woodwork. It all happened so fast....

We deliberated for a whole 24 hours after seeing the house; I had flown to Atlanta for work and from the Wyndam Hotel front desk, with shaking hands, I faxed in our offer. The next day we found out that someone else had bid on the house and we had the weekend (it was Friday at the time) to put in a blind bid. Yes, blind. We decided on something that just may work and Monday I received the best (and maybe also the worst) call - we had won.

We had two inspections of the house and nothing seemed too wrong. As Kaye said, "the bones are good." We thought, hey, no worries, some paint here, some drywall there, rip up the carpet, put down some new floor and wa-la! We would have our lovely Vic Village home.

Oh yeah...and we had to replace the roof - hence the blue tarp.

The windows were busted out during a SWAT raid. Replacing glass, no problem! Wait....you can't do that with Pella Windows - you have to order the entire freaking thing. For four months we worked in a boarded up house and tried to forget the other rumors that bums had taken refuge there the previous winter...

Our little saving grace - you have to admit, our little courtyard is pretty cool. We were fortunate enough to get the corner lot with the courtyard for privacy and a side yard for our future puppy. The mower is there for a purpose! Just ask the bum that Adam paid $5 to mow the side yard!

So within a week, we started on our journey that was our new house. We thought, 6 months tops, this baby is going to be great. 9 months later, we're not in yet.....but it's been quite a ride and one day we'll look back and laugh.

Demolition Day (Adam's B-day)

2009-01-15T21:10:00.013-05:00

Demolition day! We were fools to think that we'd only fill one dumpster one time. May 4, 2008, Demo Day and Adam's B-day....we had no freaking clue what we were getting into!

Thanks to Randy, my bro, my pops, my mom and Smitty, we were motivated and ready to take on this eye sore in the neighborhood.
Again.....silly, stupid and so naive! Ah, but it was fun and we felt accomplished.