Saturday, August 25, 2012

Curb Appeal

by Erin

We've never much liked our house numbers.
Our old house numbers




They are kind of old-fashioned in a way I don't appreciate and if you can tell from the picture, they are held on by some rubber bungee cord things.  Super cool, eh?  Not so much.

Last year Max found some cool red house numbers while browsing through the Design Within Reach sale.  We both really liked them.  They were modern font.  They were red.  And for DWR standards they were affordable at $38.  Or so we thought.  As we sat excitedly by the computer ordering our new house numbers, we soon realized they were $38 per number!  Fat chance.

Later that month during a stroll through Home Depot we spotted some modern aluminum house numbers.  Ah ha!  Though they weren't red, I knew that could be easily fixed, and at $5 a number we were sold (I can't find a pic of them online, but I got them at Home Depot).  My Mom and Pops brought me some legally purchased apple red spray paint in Nebraska (spray paint is not sold in the city of Chicago) right before they came to town for the nuptial of Max and I, so now I had all I needed.

Last weekend I lightly sanded the numbers and put a couple of coats of that lovely apple red spray paint on them.  No, I did not take pictures.  Why would I have done that?

Max carefully measured, assembled, and put up the numbers while I carefully assisted by handing him numbers, masking tape, levels, and what not (mostly I just watched). The directions with the numbers were involved but straight-forward.  And here is the result...

New house numbers

Aren't they wonderful?  I can't stop going outside to look at them.  

 Although the little flag pole thing that held up our old numbers is sitting in our garage, we did put our old numbers to use.  We put them on the fence towards our alley.  Now friends and fam can find us via the alley.  Backdoor visitors are best, ya know.



Monday, August 20, 2012

Turning Two: A Puppy Party!

By: Laura

   In the past, when the month of August creeped up on me, I usually hated to see it.  With August comes the new school year, and though it's exciting to get back into the swing of things, the dog days of summer are just too good to give up.  August doesn't seem nearly as bad now, though, because of our sweet little lady, Ella Jane, who just happens to have a birthday in that very month.  Last weekend, we celebrated in style with a puppy party. No, there were no real puppies present (this mama isn't a dog lady), but there were plenty of other "types" of puppies around.  You'll see what I mean.  Check out the highlights of the day.  Ella is just the cutest!  (sorry, this is my daughter we're talking about here!)

The first puppy was the ever important birthday cake.  Isn't he cute?  Leslie and I (yes, Leslie came to NE  to help me get all the birthday projects done!) worked on this cake into the evening Friday.   I baked two nine by thirteen chocolate cakes and then cute pieces from a template (martha stewart) and then frosted it.  Whew!

I also made some cupcakes and sugar cookies in the shape of a dog bone a few days earlier, frosted them and froze them for the big day.  

Here is some of the doggy decor...the bowls I found in the dollar aisle at Target.  Perfect.  The coloring pages at the bottom of the picture were draw and printed by my friend Aileen (who also photographed the party!).  

This a poster I made using  a picture from one of Ella's favorite books called, A Kiss for You.  I just enlarged the picture and colored it.  That's my idea of drawing, since I can't.  

Puppies!

Presents!

Puppy balloons.  This was an easy decoration!  Simply buy brown balloons, draw the face with black marker and cut out ears to stick on.  (martha stewart)

Finally, it's the birthday girl, peeking through the window of her new kitchen from Mama and Daddy. 


Puppies have to eat and so did the kiddos.  Here is Ella with her best bud Hudson.  There are so darn cute!

Enjoying hot dogs and more at the party!

And now onto the gifts.  A new car from Grandmama.

Running to catch up with Hudson!

A new grocery cart from Grandma and Papa.


Our little sweetie!
A bike helmet for the adventurous two year old.

Near the end of the day, the birthday girl is too tired to feed herself, luckily Hudson was glad to lend a hand. 

A happy family!


It was such a fun day and I will always look forward to the 11th of August each year now that I have such a wonderful little girl to celebrate.  


Sunday, August 19, 2012

Newest addition to our household!

by Leslie

No, it's not what you're thinking.  Sorry.  I am, however, happy to announce our newest furniture addition, this lovely Baldwin piano--


I bought it from someone on Craigslist and amazingly enough, they delivered it for me for a small fee!  What luck!  I have been wanting a piano for some time, but you know, apartment living is not conducive to piano-owning.  Especially when you move every year like I seem to do.  



My grandma was kind enough to send a whole bunch of my music to me just in time for the piano's arrival.

Needless to say I am desperately out of practice.  So, might I suggest you stop by and play a duet with me?

I have the sheet music to "A Whole New World," if that sweetens the deal at all.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Delight in Dahlias

by Erin

I have planted quite a bit of new life in my backyard this summer, but there is one species that really stands out.  One that draws me to my yard every morning and every night.  One that has me catching a quick peek as I pass the window that looks out on to the back yard. 

Dahlias. 

Arabian Nights Dahlias
 These beauties have been blooming for me since the beginning of July, and here we are, a month later, and they are still full of blooms.  And with those new buds all over, they don't show any signs of stopping!  The deep red color of the Arabian Night variety is absolutely stunning. 

Pink and yellow dahlias
Here is another variety that I just love.  The morning sun was blazing when I took these so I'm not sure if you can see the yellow in these coral beauties.  The buds start out yellow and as they open the expose a beautiful coral and yellow flower.  Gorgeous. 

yellow dinner plate dahlia
The final variety that I have is the famed 'dinner plate' dahlia because (you guessed it!) they are as big as dinner plates.  Here's a far away view so you can see I'm not joshing you.


Isn't that fabulous? The dinner plate dahlia is a little slower to develop, and I can see why (hence, huge flower).  I've only had one flower at a time on it, but it currently has about 8 buds on it that seem fairly even in growth, so I can't wait to see how that turns out. 

In zone 5 (where I live) I've got to pull these bulbs out of the earth in the fall, which I didn't know if I would care to do, but after a month of constant beautiful blooms, with fairly minimal care (some water here and there) I know I made the right decision.  I will happily pull them up this fall so they are ready to bloom next summer. 

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Curb Appeal

by Erin

We've never much liked our house numbers.
Our old house numbers




They are kind of old-fashioned in a way I don't appreciate and if you can tell from the picture, they are held on by some rubber bungee cord things.  Super cool, eh?  Not so much.

Last year Max found some cool red house numbers while browsing through the Design Within Reach sale.  We both really liked them.  They were modern font.  They were red.  And for DWR standards they were affordable at $38.  Or so we thought.  As we sat excitedly by the computer ordering our new house numbers, we soon realized they were $38 per number!  Fat chance.

Later that month during a stroll through Home Depot we spotted some modern aluminum house numbers.  Ah ha!  Though they weren't red, I knew that could be easily fixed, and at $5 a number we were sold (I can't find a pic of them online, but I got them at Home Depot).  My Mom and Pops brought me some legally purchased apple red spray paint in Nebraska (spray paint is not sold in the city of Chicago) right before they came to town for the nuptial of Max and I, so now I had all I needed.

Last weekend I lightly sanded the numbers and put a couple of coats of that lovely apple red spray paint on them.  No, I did not take pictures.  Why would I have done that?

Max carefully measured, assembled, and put up the numbers while I carefully assisted by handing him numbers, masking tape, levels, and what not (mostly I just watched). The directions with the numbers were involved but straight-forward.  And here is the result...

New house numbers

Aren't they wonderful?  I can't stop going outside to look at them.  

 Although the little flag pole thing that held up our old numbers is sitting in our garage, we did put our old numbers to use.  We put them on the fence towards our alley.  Now friends and fam can find us via the alley.  Backdoor visitors are best, ya know.



Monday, August 20, 2012

Turning Two: A Puppy Party!

By: Laura

   In the past, when the month of August creeped up on me, I usually hated to see it.  With August comes the new school year, and though it's exciting to get back into the swing of things, the dog days of summer are just too good to give up.  August doesn't seem nearly as bad now, though, because of our sweet little lady, Ella Jane, who just happens to have a birthday in that very month.  Last weekend, we celebrated in style with a puppy party. No, there were no real puppies present (this mama isn't a dog lady), but there were plenty of other "types" of puppies around.  You'll see what I mean.  Check out the highlights of the day.  Ella is just the cutest!  (sorry, this is my daughter we're talking about here!)

The first puppy was the ever important birthday cake.  Isn't he cute?  Leslie and I (yes, Leslie came to NE  to help me get all the birthday projects done!) worked on this cake into the evening Friday.   I baked two nine by thirteen chocolate cakes and then cute pieces from a template (martha stewart) and then frosted it.  Whew!

I also made some cupcakes and sugar cookies in the shape of a dog bone a few days earlier, frosted them and froze them for the big day.  

Here is some of the doggy decor...the bowls I found in the dollar aisle at Target.  Perfect.  The coloring pages at the bottom of the picture were draw and printed by my friend Aileen (who also photographed the party!).  

This a poster I made using  a picture from one of Ella's favorite books called, A Kiss for You.  I just enlarged the picture and colored it.  That's my idea of drawing, since I can't.  

Puppies!

Presents!

Puppy balloons.  This was an easy decoration!  Simply buy brown balloons, draw the face with black marker and cut out ears to stick on.  (martha stewart)

Finally, it's the birthday girl, peeking through the window of her new kitchen from Mama and Daddy. 


Puppies have to eat and so did the kiddos.  Here is Ella with her best bud Hudson.  There are so darn cute!

Enjoying hot dogs and more at the party!

And now onto the gifts.  A new car from Grandmama.

Running to catch up with Hudson!

A new grocery cart from Grandma and Papa.


Our little sweetie!
A bike helmet for the adventurous two year old.

Near the end of the day, the birthday girl is too tired to feed herself, luckily Hudson was glad to lend a hand. 

A happy family!


It was such a fun day and I will always look forward to the 11th of August each year now that I have such a wonderful little girl to celebrate.  


Sunday, August 19, 2012

Newest addition to our household!

by Leslie

No, it's not what you're thinking.  Sorry.  I am, however, happy to announce our newest furniture addition, this lovely Baldwin piano--


I bought it from someone on Craigslist and amazingly enough, they delivered it for me for a small fee!  What luck!  I have been wanting a piano for some time, but you know, apartment living is not conducive to piano-owning.  Especially when you move every year like I seem to do.  



My grandma was kind enough to send a whole bunch of my music to me just in time for the piano's arrival.

Needless to say I am desperately out of practice.  So, might I suggest you stop by and play a duet with me?

I have the sheet music to "A Whole New World," if that sweetens the deal at all.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Delight in Dahlias

by Erin

I have planted quite a bit of new life in my backyard this summer, but there is one species that really stands out.  One that draws me to my yard every morning and every night.  One that has me catching a quick peek as I pass the window that looks out on to the back yard. 

Dahlias. 

Arabian Nights Dahlias
 These beauties have been blooming for me since the beginning of July, and here we are, a month later, and they are still full of blooms.  And with those new buds all over, they don't show any signs of stopping!  The deep red color of the Arabian Night variety is absolutely stunning. 

Pink and yellow dahlias
Here is another variety that I just love.  The morning sun was blazing when I took these so I'm not sure if you can see the yellow in these coral beauties.  The buds start out yellow and as they open the expose a beautiful coral and yellow flower.  Gorgeous. 

yellow dinner plate dahlia
The final variety that I have is the famed 'dinner plate' dahlia because (you guessed it!) they are as big as dinner plates.  Here's a far away view so you can see I'm not joshing you.


Isn't that fabulous? The dinner plate dahlia is a little slower to develop, and I can see why (hence, huge flower).  I've only had one flower at a time on it, but it currently has about 8 buds on it that seem fairly even in growth, so I can't wait to see how that turns out. 

In zone 5 (where I live) I've got to pull these bulbs out of the earth in the fall, which I didn't know if I would care to do, but after a month of constant beautiful blooms, with fairly minimal care (some water here and there) I know I made the right decision.  I will happily pull them up this fall so they are ready to bloom next summer.