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Category Archives: Our First Home

Before & After: Guest Bathroom

2 / 2 / 182 / 2 / 18

It’s been a while since I’ve posted any house updates. So, I thought I’d share the results of our somewhat unexpected bath reno, which we did this past November.

I’ve posted a bit about our home, which we’ve now owned for almost two years, before, including the before and after photos of our master bedroom and bath reno, before and after photos of our living room/dining room reno, and photos of the move-in condition, along with our original reno plans.

I need to get around to posting a lot more home-related stuff, because I’m pretty behind. Let’s start with this most recent project.

This is our guest bathroom, which is downstairs and across from our third bedroom, today.

Sadly, I don’t have a ton of before photos, as it was clearly the least-photographed room in our house. I pulled this one from the original realtor’s listing:

As with all realtor’s photos, this picture really does this tiny little bathroom a little too much justice.

The shower, which I don’t have a photo of, was a bath/permanent glass shower door relic, almost exactly like Finn’s old bathroom (which we’ve also renovated), originally pictured here:

This was the view of the bathroom door upon move-in. You can see how the door inconveniently swung open into the bathroom and blocked the entrance to the shower. Basically, you couldn’t even use the bathroom without the door shut. It just didn’t make any sense. Adding a pocket door, which we’ve done to all bathrooms in the house, made a world of difference.

The third bathroom was, upon move-in, the least in need of immediate attention. And, since we’d already stretched our reno budget with the rest of the house, it ended up being the only room that went completely untouched, aside from a new coat of paint.

It was fine for a year, though I think we both had immediate regrets about not just finding a way to do it when everything else was renovated, as we knew that doing a one-off project would be a headache–and likely more expensive.

Then, around summer, we started noticing some issues with the tile in the shower. It was pulling away from the wall in many places, and eventually, there grew to be a 2-3” gap between the tile and the wall around where the small in-bath window seat was. At around that same time, my father came to visit, and he had a pretty terrible fall in the shower.

Since the 80’s-era plexiglass shower doors were permanent, and the bathroom is so small, it was really difficult to get in and out of the shower safely. You also really couldn’t turn the shower on without leaning dangerously over the edge of the tub.

With several upcoming guest visits planned, Sona and I decided that–rather than just spend a few hundred bucks to get a do a bandaid fix of the broken tiles (which were causing mold issues)–we should just bite the bullet and reno the bathroom. Since we were already buried under a pile of fertility bills, we knew we wanted to be as cost effective as possible.

So, we called our favorite contractor–the same one who did the rest of our house–and we asked when he could fit us into his schedule. That was on Sunday afternoon. Sunday evening, he called back and asked if he could start the next morning. “We could squeeze you in this week,” he said. “Otherwise, it’ll probably be a few months out.”

Last-minute renovation while we’re trying to get pregnant and have non-stop houseguests? Why not! We’re just crazy like that.

It took around two weeks to get the whole thing done, held up mostly by the fact that we ordered a bunch of fixtures that required a little bit of lead time in order to be delivered.

All said and done, the full project, including all supplies, labor, and the installation of a pocket door, set us back around $6,000, which I think is pretty dang good, if you ask me.

Here’s the finished product, which now matches the rest of the house and is a heck-of-a-lot more user-friendly:

We decided to stick with the greys and whites that we have throughout the whole house. Now, aside from our white bathroom, every wall in our house is some shade of grey (insert 50 Shades of Grey jokes, here). Overkill? Probably. But we like a lot of eclectic–and colorful–furnishings. So, the blank slate works as a good background for us.

We also did two styles of tile that we already have upstairs: hexagon and subway. When we were shopping for homes, one of the weirdest things was when a house had multiple finishes. Like, some houses would have one 50’s-style bathroom with black and white checked tile floors and then another bathroom that looked straight out of a Tuscan villa. So, we wanted some consistency.

We also completely ripped out the disgusting tub, opting for a walk-in shower instead. It feels 10x as large and, since Finn has a tub in his bathroom, we didn’t feel like we needed another downstairs.

This photo is from our trip to Italy. We have two photographs of this Italian street art in the bathroom, per Sona’s request. (More Italy photos available in my Etsy shop!)

Just like our other baths in the house, we went with gold fixtures. I know it’s trendy. I know it may not date well. But, in the end, we LOVE them, and they can be easily changed. Since all three of our bathrooms are on the smaller side, we felt like having really nice fixtures and lights was necessary to make them feel a bit luxe.

We went with the exact same Kohler pedestal sink that we have in Finn’s bathroom. It’s sleek and saves a TON of room when compared to the bulky vanities that we tore out.

We went back and forth about the floor in the bathroom. We have marble floors in the two upstair baths, but we didn’t want to have a high-maintenance stone in a guest bathroom, as we didn’t want to have to worry about it getting messed up. So, we chose a porcelain hex in a light, cool grey, which I actually really love. Originally, we were going to do this exact same tile on the shower floor, but we opted for the smaller white hex last minute.

We also had planned to do the threshold of the shower in subway tile, but the contractor urged us to choose something wider, ensuring that we didn’t have grout lines on the threshold, which would likely crack over time. We opted for just a teeeeeeeny bit of marble in the shower–on the threshold and in the window seat–and I really love the mix of finishes.

Eventually, we plan to add a really bold wallpaper on the top half, over the chair rail. For now, though, we’re pretty happy with how things turned out. The bathroom is a million times better than it was upon move-in and, although there’s still a lot of little stuff we want to do around the house, it’s nice to have all of the larger reno projects behind us!

 

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Summer Bucketlist–Update!

7 / 24 / 177 / 24 / 17

In early June, I posted our summer bucketlist, which catalogued the stuff we wanted to do this summer–both fun and the not-so-fun.

Now that our summer is just a month or so from ending, I thought I’d check in with some updates and see how the list is faring.

Let’s take stock of the summer of 2017, thus far, starting with the fun.

  • Spend several days at the beach

Oh, man. We’ve been pretty bad about beach days, thus far. Weekends are so jam-packed that, when we have a day together as a family, we often have too much on the agenda to visit the beach. Plus, it’s been a super rainy summer, and that’s drenched our plans a bit. (See what I did, there?)

  • Hit up a new Caribbean island

We leave for Grand Cayman on Sunday. So, stay tuned!

  • Have a no-cook charcuterie/tapas-style dinner on the porch at least once a week</li>

Check out this charcuterie. Ain’t she a beaut?! We’ve done some no-cook dinners, but more are on the agenda, for sure.

  • Have a swanky rooftop cocktail date downtown with my gal

Nope, not yet.

  • Visit a farmer’s market at least once a week

We’ve done the farmer’s market a lot, this summer. Sometimes, we’ve gone TWICE  a week!

  • Catch up on our vacation photo books (Alaska/Cannon Beach, Belize, San Juan/Nevis/Anguilla, Virgin Gorda, Italy)

I have a feel that this one isn’t going to happen. Winter project, maybe?

  • Take Finn to the Thomas the Train show

Done! Despite the long drive and a tot who woke up earlier than expected, meaning it was nearly nap time when we arrived, we had a really good morning at the Thomas the Train event, which took place at the Illinois Railway Museum. He did great, and he was SO excited by all of the trains.

He would not, however, tolerate facing AWAY from Thomas long enough for a photo. Can you see the “c’mon, can we just get this photo thing over with” look on both of their faces?

Kissing ALL the Thomases.

And we did the train ride, too! (Which, honestly, he was maybe a little too young to enjoy, but it was still worth it.)

  • Visit my hometown in Tennessee for the first time since Finn was born (and eat lots of Mexican food while there)

Check! We went to TN the week of July 4th, showing Finn our home states (Kentucky and Tennessee) for the first time. And there was LOTS of Mexican food had.

Finn LOVED being a country boy for a few days, and he especially loved riding the lawn mower (which he thinks is a tractor) with Pops!

We enjoyed spending time with our family, including Finn’s favorite cousin: Max!

We also celebrated Sona’s 36th bday while we were there!

And we spent  little time in the pool.

  • Go berry picking with Finn

The berry picking ship has sailed, no? Maybe we can pick peaches?

  • Binge watch OITNB

The first thing we checked off!

  • Get family photos taken

Scheduled for Friday!

  • Finally get back to blogging before/after photos of our house

I blogged the before/after photos of our master bedroom and bath. Didya see?

  • Finally get back to blogging regularly, in general

The jury is still out.

  • Celebrate Finn’s 2nd birthday with a casual beach party

Yet to come…

  • Plant an herb garden–and keep it alive

Yes! I have basil, mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and parsley. All are totally lush! But the dill? Not so much.

  • Finally visit one of the surrounding state fairs

Fingers crossed!

  • Eat watermelon, corn, peaches, and tomatoes until we explode

Ohmygosh, YAAAASSSSS! In fact, we are having corn and tomatoes for dinner again, tonight.

  • Get my hands on a pair of those freaking copper-colored Birkenstocks that I’ve been stalking since February (No, really, I know this one is stupid, but I have wide feet and it’s hard to find cute shoes, and I’ve literally checked for these EVERY SINGLE DAY for months)

I think I should just give up on this one. (Sob.)

The Not-So-Fun:

  • Finish Kellogg practicum project

50 pages? Sent!

  • Clean out Finn’s closet and list a ton of clothes in his Kidizen shop

I’ve listed–and sold–dozens of items, already! Not on Kidizen? Use my code–khc5i–for a $5 credit upon signing up!

  • Clean out my closet and do the same

Maybe this week?

  • Go through the house and clean up/touch up paint, which we’ve been meaning to do since we moved in

Nope.

  • Pack up some of Finn’s baby toys 🙁 and organize what is left

Yes! We’ve gone from a living room that was being overtaken by toys to just a couple of baskets. I also cleaned out his closet, allowing us to put all of his larger cars (he has like 15) on the floor of the closet, rather than the floor of our living room.

  • Have all of our windows professionally cleaned–they are GROSS

Done! And what a difference it makes!

  • Get back into a steady workout routine

I’ve been going to the gym 4 days a week for about a month, now. I’m going to have to find a new routine once school starts back, but I’m happy with my progress, for now.

  • Have a pretty standard out-patient surgery that I’ve been putting off because it means I won’t be able to pick Finn up for two weeks

Scheduled for early August.

  • Get started on the two book projects I’ve been delaying, which are due relatively soon

I’ve already had a couple of meetings with my co-author, and we’ve made some good progress!

  • Begin visiting possible preschools and (hopefully) get on a waitlist

I emailed a few. Does that count?

  • Sign-up for and start swim lessons with Finn

We have his 4th lesson tonight, actually! He goes to Goldfish Swim School every Tuesday night. After, we have a casual family dinner. It’s been a pretty fun new routine.

  • Potty-train  (KILL ME NOW)

Still in denial.

 

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Before & After: Master Bedroom & Bath

7 / 11 / 177 / 11 / 17

This month marks one year since the renovation was finished on our first home. It is hard to believe that we’ve already lived here for a full year–and that we’ve owned our own place for a bit longer than that!

The first year of home ownership is not without its trials. There have been quite a few times when Sona and I have looked at each other, asking “What did we get ourselves into?”

Still, I am totally smitten with our little Chicago duplex. And though it’s a work in progress, it has come a long way.

I started blogging about our first home last year. I posted photos of the house as it was the day we first saw it, complete with our reno plans. Then, I posted the before and after photos of our living room/dining room.

In honor of our home-iversary, I’m going to get back to the before and afters. Today, I’m sharing the changes we made to our master bedroom and bathroom.

So, let’s start with a reminder of what we saw the first time we every walked into the house:

The two upstairs bathrooms were the most dated part of the house. (The downstairs bathroom was much better, and it’s still the only room that remains untouched. Hopefully, we’ll get to that, soon.)

The master bath was small, and the functionality suffered. It also had an ancient whirlpool tub that was: 1. Gross. 2. Not working. 3. Not even a little cute.

We knew we wanted to gut the bathrooms. It was a condition of our buying the place.

Here are photos from the day we got the keys. As you can see, the bedroom was fine. Nothing special, nothing terrible.

The room is moderately sized, but there are three huge closets. That is great, as Sona and I have had to split our clothes between two rooms in the past. However, it also means that 75% of the wall space in the bedroom is occupied by closet doors, leaving little space for furniture.

These photos literally make me cringe, still.

When we had contractors come give bids, they all shook their head in confusion at the tub, which was beyond salvaging. (We got a small credit for it in closing costs.)

And now, here’s what the bathroom looks like today:

Can you get over the difference?! We completely gutted the room. At first, we’d planned to expand the footprint into one of the closets, but then decided against it when we realized how much it would cost. Sona and I are accustomed to sharing a small bathroom, and a large master bath was never on our home-buying wishlist. So, we decided to make the best of the small space, choosing more high-end finishes to make the little bathroom feel special.

These light fixtures were one of the first things we knew we had to have in the new place. And the vanity was one of the things we refused to compromise on. It was actually back-ordered and didn’t come until a month after everything was finished, but we just couldn’t find another that we loved as much. Our contractor, who we LOVE, just furrowed his eyebrows, wondering why we wouldn’t just “go pick another one.” But he also knew us well enough, by then, to know that we wouldn’t change our minds.

It originally had silver hardware, but I swapped it all out for gold. Of course.

I really debated going with the gold fixtures, which are a bit trendy, and I suspect they may be outdated when we sell. But I love them SO much, and Sona convinced me to do what makes ME happy–not what the market would like in seven years. So, we went with gold in both upstairs bathrooms and all lighting fixtures throughout the house. I think it’s just that little something unexpected that makes the bathrooms pop.

The bathroom is bright, but it is also can feel very cold. (I love cool tones. So, that doesn’t really bother me.) Still, I knew I wanted a vintage oil painting to warm it up a bit and to tone down some of the new-ness. We searched and searched for months before finding this guy on eBay for like $50–frame and all! I love him. I also need a couple of small plants to give some life to the space.

Early on, Sona and I fell in love with bathrooms done in carrara marble. We decided to use it for a walk-in shower, which replaced that horrendous tub. Then, we started hearing/reading about how much of a PIA marble can be in a bathroom. It’s a very temperamental stone, and it requires a good bit of TLC to keep it looking good. Even still, it is inevitable that the stone will stain, etch, and scratch over time. We had several conversations about whether or not to pull the marble plug, but we ultimately decided that we were willing to do the maintenance for a bathroom we love. We still don’t regret that decision, even though marble is a total pain in the butt and has caused me more stress than pretty much anything else in my life. (True story.) I’ve cried over this marble on more than one occasion, as ridiculous as that sounds. It’s my second child.

When we re-do the guest bathroom downstairs, we probably will use a more people-friendly and water-friendly tile, but I’m glad that we decided to go for it in our own bathroom.

We also did custom shower doors, which also makes a huge difference in the overall aesthetic. Using gold hardware, obvs.

All of our fixtures are from Kohler’s Purist line and are in the color “Vibrant Moderne Brushed Gold.” Again, they were pricey, but in such a small space, they make a huge impact. Also, we looked everywhere for less expensive alternatives, and nothing matched up.

The one architectural element that we did change in the bathroom–other than adding new baseboards–is that we had a pocket door installed. Talk about a little change making a HUGE impact! The previous door opened to the left, completely blocking the large window, which is the only source of natural light in the bathroom. Now, not only does the door not get in the way, but we also have a full-view of that glorious window.

Let’s move on to the bedroom…

We made a few changes in the bedroom: First, we painted the walls grey. (They were beige.) Then, we added new baseboards and casings around the doorways. Finally, we stained the floor. This room is actually the only one in the entire house (aside from the downstairs bath) that still has the same flooring as when we purchased the home. The rest of the top floor now has new hardwood, as the existing hardwood was from 1916! The bedroom flooring, however, had been replaced at some point. So, it was much newer, and it was considerably cheaper to sand and stain it, rather than replace it.

We also had sconces installed around the bed. They are from Schoolhouse Electric, where we got all of the lighting in the house.

For the past several years, in anticipation of moving, I fantasized about buying two things: a fiddle leaf fig (which I did–as you can see in the living room post) and vintage campaign nightstands. I lusted after these babies for YEARS, inspired by very similar ones that DIY Playbook (a GREAT Chicago design duo) posted. I stalked MegMade’s website. (They are a great vintage reno shop. We’ve purchased several pieces from them in the past.) As soon as two matching campaign nightstands became available, we snatched them up and had the refinished in white! They are two of my favorite pieces in our home.

The artwork over the nightstands leftover are vintage stamps from our wedding invitations, which I framed (Ralph Waldo Emerson for Sona and Emily Dickinson for me) and custom calligraphy prints with the lyrics from our first dance song (First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes).

We also have a huge print of this horse photo, which I took in North Carolina. It’s for sale in my Etsy shop.

I bought this bench on Wayfair for a steal, and I recovered it with this Dalmatian printed fabric, which I’m kind of obsessed with.

Sona isn’t as interested in home design as I am. She definitely likes for our home to look nice, but she doesn’t often come up with ideas on her own. However, she was adamant that we find something for her nightstand that represented who she is and what she loves. So, she was super excited to find this vintage brass microscope at a local flea market. It’s the one thing that SHE had to have!

Cat photo-bomb, here.

I also love the mixed prints in our bedroom. Of all the rooms in our home, this is the one that feels the most complete to me. It’s also the one where I think I really nailed my style. You know, it can be difficult to figure out exactly what your personal style is, and we’ve waffled a lot over the years, experimenting with shabby chic and beachy and uber modern. Ultimately, this room really captures us perfectly: colorful, whimsical, a little new, and a little old. It’s interesting and eccentric but clean and uncluttered.

But we do need a new duvet. Thanks for ruining everything, cats.

Kitty #2. I told him that, since he matches our bench, we can keep him. 😉

Eventually, we would like to take this wall of closets, open it up, and do custom built-ins with sliding frosted glass doors and a hidden spot for a TV. For now, I relish not having a TV in the bedroom. (Sona, not so much.)

Next up… our kitchen!

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Summer Bucket List

6 / 8 / 176 / 6 / 18

As an English professor at a local community college, I’m lucky enough to get a lot of time off. Even though I sometimes teach in this summer, I decided not to, this year. So, I’m off for nearly 3 months.

I know that having that much time off is a luxury that most would jump through hoops to take advantage of, and I am really happy to have a career that affords me so much flexibility and time away from work. However, when I do have an entire summer off, I sometimes go a little stir crazy. (Is the world’s smallest violin playing for me, yet?)

Often, by the end of the summer, I have reverted to my pretty pathetic 20-something habits: staying up until the wee hours of the morning, sleeping half the day, showering  irregularly, spending WAY too much time on the internet, watching trash TV. You get the idea.

Now that we have Finn, that’s a little more difficult. He requires that I remain at least minimally functional.  Plus, we want him to have a summer full of new things and adventures (big and small) and lots of time spent outdoors.

Also, now that we are homeowners, there is a never-ending list of little projects that need done–most of which have been neglected for the past year, as we try to stay afloat with two full-time jobs, a toddler, 2 rabbits, 2 cats, and countless other responsibilities.

So, in an effort to have both a memorable and a productive summer, I’ve made myself a summer bucket list, which will hopefully guide and motivate the next few months. Maybe putting this all out there will help keep me accountable for the not-so-fun stuff. MAYBE.

Either way, here it goes.

The Fun:

  • Spend several days at the beach
  • Hit up a new Caribbean island
  • Have a no-cook charcuterie/tapas-style dinner on the porch at least once a week
  • Have a swanky rooftop cocktail date downtown with my gal
  • Visit a farmer’s market at least once a week
  • Catch up on our vacation photo books (Alaska/Cannon Beach, Belize, San Juan/Nevis/Anguilla, Virgin Gorda, Italy)
  • Take Finn to the Thomas the Train show
  • Visit my hometown in Tennessee for the first time since Finn was born (and eat lots of Mexican food while there)
  • Go berry picking with Finn
  • Binge watch OITNB
  • Get family photos taken
  • Finally get back to blogging before/after photos of our house
  • Finally get back to blogging regularly, in general
  • Celebrate Finn’s 2nd birthday with a casual beach party
  • Plant an herb garden–and keep it alive
  • Finally visit one of the surrounding state fairs
  • Eat watermelon, corn, peaches, and tomatoes until we explode
  • Get my hands on a pair of those freaking copper-colored Birkenstocks that I’ve been stalking since February (No, really, I know this one is stupid, but I have wide feet and it’s hard to find cute shoes, and I’ve literally checked for these EVERY SINGLE DAY for months)

The Not-So-Fun:

  • Finish Kellogg practicum project
  • Clean out Finn’s closet and list a ton of clothes in his Kidizen shop
  • Clean out my closet and do the same
  • Go through the house and clean up/touch up paint, which we’ve been meaning to do since we moved in
  • Pack up some of Finn’s baby toys 🙁 and organize what is left
  • Have all of our windows professionally cleaned–they are GROSS
  • Get back into a steady workout routine
  • Have a pretty standard out-patient surgery that I’ve been putting off because it means I won’t be able to pick Finn up for two weeks
  • Get started on the two book projects I’ve been delaying, which are due relatively soon
  • Begin visiting possible preschools and (hopefully) get on a waitlist
  • Sign-up for and start swim lessons with Finn
  • Potty-train  (KILL ME NOW)

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Holiday Highlights: Part One

12 / 28 / 1612 / 28 / 16

Okay, “Holiday Highlights” sounds like a really bad hair special that some salon in my small TN hometown would offer, but let’s go with it.

The past few weeks have been a blur of tinsel and candy canes, but that’s what the holidays are usually like, I guess. It’s no secret that I really love this time of year, and having Finn makes it even more special, but if we’re being honest, it is also exhausting. As all yuppies say: I need a vacation from this vacation.

Still, there were some really good times had by all. And I have a ton of photos to share!

We kicked things off with a trip to see our favorite Santa. Remember how adorable and comfortable Finn was with Santa, last year?

Well, things were a little different, this year. We didn’t quite complete devolve into hysterics (even if I was secretly hoping we would–just for the photo), but we did have quite a bit of suspicious unease.

Which was tempered, a bit, by the fact that Santa knew “Patty Cake.”

But, ultimately, Finn just wasn’t loving it.

We did our annual Christmas card photo shoot, complete with our matching jammies!

And we got Finn’s bestie, Veen, in on the action.

The key to keep Finn still for a hot second: marshmallows!

Our first group of holiday visitors was Sona’s brother, Krishant, and his wife and son. Finn was SO happy to have Max, his cousin, around for a few days. We decorated holiday cookies, played in the snow, and went to the museum.

Of course, Finn ate more than he decorated. #likemotherlikeson

“Quick–let’s see if we can get him to hold still long enough for us to pretend we can actually take a family photo without him losing his shit!”

These two–so adorbs!

Part two–coming, tomorrow!

 

 

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Our Halls, Decked!

12 / 14 / 1612 / 14 / 16

All this talk of decorating, I figured I might as well show you the final product. What can I say? This little Jew sure loves her some Christmas.

Finn’s first Santa photo–le sigh.

 

Finn needs his own tree, of course.

 

I’m most excited to finally have a fireplace and mantle.

And ceilings that allow me to get a 9′ tree.

And while it’d be nice to have a totally cohesive, department store window tree, there are just too many ornaments that have sentimental value. So, we go for the collected–rather than the curated–look.

My father collected these Norman Rockwell ornaments for me as a little girl.

And we have an ornament from each of our travels together as a couple–or family.

And several to remind us of our critters–both here and gone.

Or just some to commemorate especially memorable Christmases. This year, it’ll be our first Christmas in our first home.

Of course, this time of year means a lot more than a pretty house, but having a home–one that is warm, and decked, and full of cheer–makes me feel very, very grateful.

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Decking Our New Halls

12 / 12 / 1612 / 12 / 16

I have three favorite days each year: the day we go apple picking, the day we get our Christmas tree, and Christmas Eve. Those are the things I most look forward to doing all year long. It has a lot to do with the fact that those days are completely devoted to family time, but it also has to do with tradition, as we do the exact same thing each year.

This year, though, our Christmas tree gathering turned into a weekend-long event, which I think we’ve decided will be our new tradition.

We always get our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. So, Friday morning, we kicked out our out-of-town family, allowing us to have a 3 full days to ourselves. That was smart decision #1.

Then, we went to get a tree before Finn’s nap that Friday. It is our first Christmas in our new home. So, naturally, we wanted to see just how big of a tree we could get. “That one?!” I’d say, pointing at a 20-footer. Trouble is, we’d planned to measure our new ceiling height but forgot. Oops.

Instead, we did the very scientific calculation of having a tall-ish tree lot guy raise his hands in the air, illustrating that the tree we wanted is likely somewhere around 9′. “Sure, that’ll work,” we said.

It almost didn’t. For all of the family-centered conviviality that weekend, our marriage almost didn’t survive the few minutes between when we realized that we’d have to carry a 9′ tree in ourselves and when the tree was finally, haphazardly, in the stand. Luckily, we decided to do that part of the job while Finn napped. Smart decision #2.

This also meant that, when he woke up, we got to surprise him with a “twee” that takes up roughly half of our upstairs living room. “Surprise, Finn! I hope you didn’t expect to move around a lot, this holiday season!”

Actually, it was a little cuter than that:

TREE VIDEO

We left the tree to fall out overnight on Friday. We’ve realized that our trees are, generally, much happier when they get a chance to acclimate before we string 1,000 lights on them.

Saturday, we did the stringing. And this is the part that I really, reallllllly love. Our tree-trimming tradition has three essential elements: the tree (of course), Home Alone, and delivery pizza–“My very own cheese pizza!”

We started in the afternoon, and we spent a couple of hours just doing the lights. There may have been some foul language used, as lights worked–and then didn’t–and then worked again. But we resolved to get the tree perfectly lit before the pizza arrived, and we did just that.

All the while, Finn did an excellent job entertaining himself and letting his mommies work. Mostly, he relocated all of his toys to a different part of the house, as I think he thought there was a distinct possibility that the tree would either eat–or at least overtake–his toy stash.

He also played at our feet, used wrapping paper tubes as swords in an imaginary battle, and helped–a little bit.

We stopped for pizza and Home Alone, which Finn seemed to really enjoy.  He does a mean Kevin-just-putting-on-his-dad’s-aftershave-scream.

 

Then, we started ornament-ing, only to realize that Finn was going to take off every single one that we put on. So, we paused the tree-trimming and got the little bugger to bed, allowing us to trim in peace. Smart decision #3.

Cause here’s the thing with toddlers: You want them to THINK they’ve been involved, but you don’t actually want them to be involved. This, we’re learning.

Still, our weekend-long decorating adventure was uber wonderful–probably the best family weekend we’ve had all year. And so, I don’t really mind drawing out the process, using our decking the halls as an excuse to stay inside all weekend–in our pjs, of course–and eat lots of pizza in the light of a tree.

Until that perfectly-lit tree blows a fuse–twice. But that’s another story.

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Slow Down Christmas–Let’s Talk Thanksgiving

12 / 5 / 1612 / 5 / 16

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Like most folks, we are waist-deep in Holiday-ness.  Thanksgiving kicked off a season of food and festivities and family and–even though we’re basking in the light of the Christmas tree, already–I want to share a bit about our turkey day.

It was our first Thanksgiving in our first home. So, that made it particularly special. It was also the first Thanksgiving at which Finn could chow down on a turkey leg. That was pretty cool, too.

My father always comes for Thanksgiving week. He’s what most people would call–how do I say this generously–an anti-social hermit hippie. Thanksgiving is the only holiday he even acknowledges, and it’s the only one we spend with him. But that also means that we generally cater to his wish to dine with only us. While there’s something nice about have a low-key dinner with Sona, my dad, and I all sitting around the table unshowered and in our PJs, there’s also something convivial about having a larger group, especially now that Finn is in the picture.

It’s important to me that Finn remember that holidays were full of loved ones. I grew up in a pretty insular family, and I don’t want Finn to remember small, tame holiday meals. I want him to remember large, raucous, sometimes maddening, but usually wonderful, holiday memories.

So, this year, we invited some of Sona’s family, too, and we were excited to host a small house full.

I got a fresh turkey from our favorite neighborhood deli.

The thermometer broke; the turkey was still one of the best, yet.

I made Sona iron napkins.

Finn slept through the first half of the meal, which is exactly what we’d planned, despite Pap’s protest. “Do you want his mothers to enjoy the meal they labored over for two days or not?”

When he did wake up, Finn ate Thanksgiving dinner like it was his job. And then he did again for two more days.

We had the kitchen cleaned in record time.

Also, GRAVY. I was thankful for a lot, this year, but maybe most thankful for the gravy.

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Before & After: Living/Dining Room

9 / 16 / 169 / 16 / 16

As I’ve mentioned before, we bought our first home, this summer. It’s  duplex in our dream neighborhood in Chicago, and we’re totally in love.

However, the place was a little dated, and it needed a bit of a facelift. I blogged about our reno plans after the purchase.

Even though we’ve been in our home for a few months, I haven’t had a chance to share much of the reno results. Today, I’m sharing my favorite space in the house: our “formal” living/dining room. It’s not really formal, actually, but it is intended as our adult-ish space.

When we were looking to buy, we really wanted to find a place that had two living spaces: a living/dining room that could be for the grown-ups and a comfy family room where Finn could run wild. So, when we saw this room in our current home, we both fell in love, and I immediately started a Pinterest board, dreaming up possibilities.

Here’s what we saw the day we first stepped foot into this place:

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And here’s what it looked like after we bought it:

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It wasn’t awful, but it definitely needed some TLC, including ripping out the original flooring, which dated back to 1916.

And here is what it looks like, today:

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The fireplace makeover wasn’t on our original to-do list; we’d expected this to be a project for a year or two later. However, our amazing contractor told us it’d be a lot cheaper to do it now, rather than having him come back for just one project. He also was confident he’d be able to fully realize our vision, which he TOTALLY did! It’s probably my favorite element of our whole reno.

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We wanted the room to be like us: light, feminine, whimsical, and eclectic. The green sofa came first. We had our hearts set on a totally impractical green velvet sofa, and everything else evolved around that.

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I’m not completely sold on the pillow situation. Truth be told, these blue ones are actually from our bedroom. The pillow line-up is still a work-in-progress.

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Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a sucker for a gallery wall. We have several in the new place, but this one is particularly fun.

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My great grandfather was a seltzer salesman. These vintage green seltzer bottles were his, and I begged my mom to let me have them.

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This table is a vintage piece that we bought–and had refinished–at MegMade, one of our favorite stores in Chicago. It was originally stained a mid-tone brown, but I really wanted a pop of yellow. On the way to the store, Sona asked, “What color yellow are you thinking?” I said, “like the color of marigolds.” Once we got to the store, the designer told us they only had one color yellow in stock. “It’s called marigold,” she said. We were sold!

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Truth be told, when we first bought this house, I really had one goal: to get a fiddle leaf fig!

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While it’s still coming along, I’m pretty proud of this space. It’s so bright and cheery, and it makes me smile each time I walk through it. Like us, it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

This is where we spend most of our time, eating, watching Finn play, lounging as a family. It’s a special space for us, and we use it more than I anticipated that we would.

Next week, I’m going to share our bathroom renos, which are probably the most dramatic before/afters in the whole house!

 

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Oh, Heeeeeey (A Very Long Update)

8 / 8 / 16

When my students read an essay draft to the class, I always warn them that they can’t offer any disclaimers. Don’t tell us that you wrote it at 2AM the night before. Don’t tell us that “it sucks.” Don’t tell us that your sister was annoying you and, therefore, you couldn’t focus. No excuses. Just read.

So, I’m not going to bother offering an elaborate string of excuses for my blog absence, lately. Like my students, I’ll just jump right in.

When I last wrote, I was about to leave for a 2-week professional development/graduate program in North Carolina, and I was bemoaning my pending departure, hypothesizing that I was surely going to fall to pieces with out my dear, sweet Finn.

Here’s what I probably shouldn’t say: I didn’t fall to pieces. In fact, I had a really, really good time. Doesn’t that make me a terrible mom? Maybe.

Leaving was tough, for sure. And it became clear, very early on, that FaceTime wasn’t going to be an option, as Finn got pretty frustrated with seeing me on the phone and not having me in person. It upset him a lot, and it just wasn’t worth it. The first couple of days away were hard, and I hit a few bouts of loneliness; seeing my sweet boy reach out for me–on the phone–and not being able to reciprocate was no fun. So, we kept our phone chats brief.

But then I settled in, met some people, got busy keeping busy, and compartmentalized. That is, even if I thought about Finn all of the time, I didn’t really give myself a chance to miss him. I was occupied from sun-up to sun-down, mostly with legitimate work–but also with a little bit of raucous debauchery.

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Sona said I was reliving my college years. I don’t think that’s a complete misrepresentation. Hey–I was living in a dorm, after all!

I won’t wax nostalgic about how, in having a baby, I’ve lost myself. Or how I’ve been utterly unrecognizable in this past year. Or how, since Finn, I’ve forgotten who I am and what I love. None of that is true. Finn isn’t a distraction; he is the embodiment of what I want out of life. If anything, having him has made me more laser-focused on what is important–and what isn’t.

Yet, what I have missed is the ability to selfishly and unabashedly indulge in me-ness. To focus, again, on doing the work that I love. To have meaningful conversations about that work. To play–to drive aimlessly, to behave irresponsibly, to be silly–without knowing that I need to relieve a babysitter or without watching the monitor, waiting for nap-time to end.

I got to do all of those things, and I left feeling recharged. But of course, all of that came at a cost: Sona had to work double-time. She had to be the single mom.

Even that, though, was much needed. It’s no secret that, for lots of reasons, I get more one-on-one time with Finn. The first week I was away, my parents were here to help (which we reallllllllly appreciated). The second week, though, Sona went at it, alone. It was a week we were all fretting over, but she totally rocked it–and without a single complaint. If you ask her, she’ll tell you it “wasn’t that bad,” and she feels a lot closer to Finn, now.

But I’m still pretty sure that I owe her a week of recklessness, soon.

Finn? He’s changing daily. I think that, with his first birthday on the horizon, we can say that we’ve officially entered toddler-dom. It’s a scary place, y’all, but it’s also a riot.

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Here’s what you need to know: He still only has two teeth. His first word was “kitty,” and he says “ey kitteh kitteh” whenever he sees Xander or Sweet Pea. (As I’m sure you can imagine, they’re THRILLED.) He’s also saying “dada,” which is like some sick joke for his lesbian mommies. He does this weird half crawl, half walk–walking must be just around the corner. He pulls himself up on everything. Opens everything. Reaches out and screams for everything.

His separation anxiety is a thing of the past (for now). He loves to play–loves to explore on his own. He managed to open a baby gate and was halfway up the stairs before we caught him. He’s still a champion sleeper, napping up to 3-hour stretches. He eats three meals a day, and he has dinner–at the table–with us each night. He loves music and dances the second he hears a tune. He seems particularly fond of classical and hip-hop; my kid isn’t going to be pigeon-holed.

He gives hugs, when he’s in the mood. He is affectionate with other kids to a fault. Like, “Stop groping that kid, Finn, he’s going to file a restraining order.” He’s super serious or super silly, which he gets from Sona. He’s also the most observant baby I’ve ever met. He loves cars and is obsessed with two luvies, which he double-fists at bedtime. He eats about a pound of fruit a day and can drink from a straw.

Also, he will be a ONE YEAR OLD in two days, which is just absurd.

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Last week was my re-entry. Luckily, Sona had the week off, and we did our first ever staycation. (Which, let’s be honest, isn’t even close to being as awesome as an actual vacation, but the house–and the reno–forced us to make some smarter decisions, this year.)

We had lots of much-needed family time, taking Finn to the zoo and to the beach and on other Chicago-based adventures. It was also good to be in our new place, as I’ve only really been here for half of the time that it has been ours. So, I’m still settling in.

It makes me sound crazy to say this, but I’m ready for work to start back, next week. I’m looking forward to getting back to our routine and having a schedule. It’ll be nice to come home, cook dinner, watch trashy TV, and then get up and do it all over again–all without having to talk with mortgage lenders or contractors or furniture companies who can’t make a delivery window to save their lives.

Part of that routine, hopefully, will be blogging, again. But, by now, I know better than to make any promises. 😉

 

 

 

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