the mermaid house

Bella the Butterfly

2010-04-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Bella was a butterfly in the ballet The Twelve Dancing Princesses. She was a sweet little butterfly! We are so proud of our tiny dancer!

artwork to share

2010-04-12T10:12:00.001-07:00

The kids are always doing artwork and coloring in the booth area in our kitchen. Sometimes they work ferociously on their drawings. Once in a while a guest will unknowingly have his portrait made within seconds of entering our home.

My husband's college roommate Chris came over for dinner this winter. Bella and Abs presented our guest with this portrait:

Here is a real picture of him (taken 10 years ago):

The next drawing was completed by Bella. It was done after a visit to Jamestown. My favorite part of the drawing is the Indian!

shadow box christmas present

2009-12-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

I found an id baby bracelet that belonged to my father. I decided to make him a shadow box with it. So I gathered some things to put into it that had to do with my Grandma Gert. I scanned a note written by my grandmother and decoupaged it into the background of the shadow box.

Thanksgiving 2009 kitchen with new hardware!

2009-12-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

The toy story gang - Halloween

2009-12-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

Garlic chicken pizza (with figs & caramelized onion)

2009-04-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Garlic chicken pizza (with figs)

I just used the odds and ends in the fridge. I had some ready made pizza dough laying around, half of a nearly expired onion, garlic, a chicken breast left over, and some dried dates. Pizza it is!

Ingredients

ready made pizza dough from the fridge section of the grocery store
olive oil

1/2 sweet onion

2 cloves of garlic diced

1 cup of cooked chicken breast cubed

handful of dried dates

feta cheese

balsamic vinaigrette

herbs from my garden (I used flat leaf parsley, chives, and oregano)

Caramelized the onion (after finely slicing it with my mandolin), add some olive oil to a dutch oven (4 tablespoons) and cook over medium heat until the onion is nice and brown. Add two diced cloves of garlic to the caramelized onion for about a minute, and then move the onion garlic mixture into a bowl to cool. De glaze the dutch oven with some balsamic vinaigrette (1/4 cup) and throw cubed chicken breast into the vinegar mixture over medium heat (I added a little chicken stock for a little more moisture @ 4 tablespoons). Once the chicken absorbed all the yummy juices, throw in a handful of diced dried dates, put the lid on the dutch oven, and remove from heat.

Spread the pizza dough over a baking sheet greased with olive oil. Drizzle olive oil on dough and add caramelized onions and chicken mixture. Sprinkle with feta cheese to cover and add some diced fresh herbs. Cook 2 400 degrees Fahrenheit until pizza crust turns a golden brown.

Low Carb mojito with a Grand twist

2009-04-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

4 ounces Rum
2 ounces Grand Marnier

8 ounce lime juice
1/2 lime cut into 8 slices

4 teaspoon Splenda
6 sprigs Mint leaves (about 16 /18 leaves)

8 ounces Soda Water

Instructions

Juice the limes, place mint into pitcher, sprinkle in Splenda. Muddle the splenda, lime juice and mint. (I use the end of a wooden spoon) Muddle until leaves look a little crushed and you can smell the mint. Add some ice and give a little stir. Add rum, stir, add grand marnier. Top with soda water and throw in 8 lime slices. Drink and enjoy!! (add more rum to taste if not strong enough)

new playroom project

2009-04-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

This wall and threshold were left unfinished by our contractor, who we cut loose from the job early due to him going over budget and time. Chad took over and is getting closer and closer to completion.

Here is some hallway shelving that Chad put in a couple of summers ago. They reside outside the kitchen and are perfect for glassware!

Long time no blog!

2009-04-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a while. I have to say that the new baby has been a treat. Sleep has been a little spotty but not too bad. The frist biggest challenge is the laundry. I think I have developed a new system that has been a big help. The second biggest challenge is fitting in the grocery shopping in between naps, feedings, laundry, and school. Between winter break, spring break, and flu season it there have been siblings around and factoring into difficult grocery store runs. Have you ever gone shopping alone with 4 under 6, well I did yesterday. My goal was to race through the store as an ameba. Everyone was told to place one hand on the cart (the cart being the type with a market basket on top and bottem, a new thing in our narrow isled store). We wove in and out of cranky old people (mental note: stay away from grocery store on senior discount day) and called direct attention to ourselves when a stray child broke the vegetable scale with a resounding GONG! We were the recipients of the stink eye from all of the fellow shoppers, I felt my heart rate go up. I was able to fix the thing and move on!
Around the house my husband has started a new carpentry project in the playroom. We had an unfinished wall that his is transforming into bookcases. I will post some photos and share the progress. We also got an herb garden and some tomato plants going in our yard. I can't wait for the herbs to take off! I put in a mint patch exclusively for mojitos!
On the recipe front I have been totally inspired by a book that my father sent me. A food blogger (Molly) at orangette wrote a book called The Homemade Life, and I have been racing off to the store to purchase ingredients to cook up many of her different recipes. I have been newly inspired and give her all the credit. Many of her recipes have been fabulous for the dietary constraints in this household. My husband is diabetic and avoids sugar and carbs. My 4 year old daughter is allergic to dairy in all forms. It makes cooking and shopping a little tricky and I am always on the look out for recipes that please all!

A portrait of little Lily

2009-03-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter pulled a chair up to Lily's baby swing and began an impormptu sketch of her new sister. I have to share it! Isn't she lovely!!!

fleece baby sling

2009-02-03T06:18:00.001-08:00

I have never been a fan of baby slings. I think that they make the mom look like a frump. However, I decided to order one to protect baby Lily when I run in and out of the preschools. I read all kinds of reviews on line and decided to order the one on the picture from kangaroo korner. I picked out my size and fabric. There is no extra fabric and the baby loves it. I love that it keeps her warm as well.

Our Poster Children

2009-01-30T04:55:00.000-08:00

I discovered last night that Bella is on her school website, she is in the last photo on the slide show! St. Patrick's website is here. Also here is Lily's news segment on YouTube!

Lily

2009-01-18T08:15:00.001-08:00

Our baby was born on Monday, Jan. 12th! We're very lucky...she's healthy and happy! I haven't posted in a while as I have been preoccupied with the last weeks of pregnancy and the holidays!

An afternoon of skating in Norfolk!

2009-01-04T17:56:00.000-08:00

We got our annual outdoor skating in with our friends! I was on the bench with Brendan most of the time but it was fun to watch all of the children. Here are some highlights!

Waiting for skates:

Bella's nutcracker debut!

2008-12-24T06:57:00.000-08:00

The nutcracker is over (I'm relieved to say), Bella made an outstanding mouse! The ballet took over our household this December, lots of running around to practices and dress rehearsals. The rehearsals began in August. Five months of practice, and she is looking forward to participating again next year. . It was worth it in the end. We really enjoyed seeing her perform in the ballet. We are very proud of our little mouse! Here are a couple of pictures from her performance.

Bella is in the middle.

Bella is the mouse on the far right.

Bella is to the far right.

Thank you for a wonderful shower!

2008-12-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

My fabulous book group threw me a wonderful baby shower tonight. The hostess, my dear friend Megan, put lots of lovely pink touches all over her home. The food, company, decorations, gifts, and thoughts were so nice. Thanks you guys! I know how busy everyone is at this time of year and I really appreciate the love and attention our fourth baby received tonight!

I love etsy!

2008-12-14T14:18:00.000-08:00

I just received the prettiest oil cloth apron in the mail that I ordered from modern june on Etsy! It's for a girlfriend of mine and I wish I had ordered one for myself! I ordered a full length apron in red lace with polka dot pockets! Modern june can custom size your apron, I love that and I love that they aprons wipe clean!

We're decorated!

2008-12-14T13:54:00.001-08:00

Our Thanksgiving!

2008-12-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful day in our home! Here are some pics..

Thanksgiving prep

2008-11-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

Last year the magazine Cooks Illustrated tested different methods of cooking turkey. The best results were had after brining the turkey. I've decided to give the brining method a try this year and saw that Williams Sonoma sells a dry salt brine in a jar and a zip lock bag that can accommodate a turkey up to 26 pounds. I ran into Williams Sonoma to pick up the brine and the bag and came out with all of this:

The glass candle holders are now on sale and I thought they would add some fall colors to our table as I am planning on using a white table cloth and my blue and white herend china (the china's color scheme is not very thanksgivingish). I'm hoping to get the kids involved with a craft to decorate the table with as well!

Cranberry Date Squares

2008-11-17T04:40:00.000-08:00

Here is a recipe I made for my children's hospital fundraiser this weekend. I had these squares at a friend's bridal shower, made especially for the bride as they are her favorite. I and many of the the other guests left with the recipe that day! I thought it would be a fun dessert to make just before Thanksgiving because of the cranberries! Oh, and my 6 year old and 2 year old ate these up, so it appeals to the little ones too!

12 oz. pkg fresh cranberries

8 oz pkg. dates chopped & pitted

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 cups of flour

2 cups of quick oats

1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed

1/2 teaspoon backing soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup of butter softened

Orange Glaze Topping

2 cups powder sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 - 5 tablespoons of orange juice

In a medium saucepan combine cranberries & dates. Cook covered on low heat for 15 min. until cranberries start to pop and are soft. Stir frequently. Let cool and then add vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add softened butter, stir until well blended; mixture will have crumbly texture. Pat half of mixture on bottom of 13 x 9 x 2 pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 8 min. Let set for a few minutes to firm. Carefully spread cranberry & date filling over oat mixture. Sprinkle remaining mixture over filling. Bake 20 - 22 min. Cool and top with glaze.

A quick fix, these are so good and simple!

2008-11-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

Last night the girls and I wanted to bake a dessert, I had some pre-made peanut butter cookie dough in a tube in the fridge. We doctored them up because they really aren't that great baked up to the directions on the package, kind of bland and dry. Here's what to do, and let me warn you they are soooo good and addictive once you start eating them!

Preheat oven to 375

Grease cookie sheet (I used spray Crisco)

1/2 confectioners sugar

1/2 peanut butter

1 tube of ready made peanut butter cookie dough

1 cup of granulated sugar dumped in a bowl

Stir 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar with a 1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter. Roll the mixture up into balls the size of a small gumball. (we got around 20) Set aside.

Open tube of cookie dough and slice off a piece (you want to yield around 18). Pat the piece of dough out in your hands and add the ball of peanut butter/sugar. Wrap dough around the peanut butter/sugar tightly and roll into a ball. Roll ball in granulate sugar, place on greased cookie sheet and press down with bottom of a glass. Bake around 7 - 9 minutes.

Be careful not to over bake, bake just until golden.

the fundraiser centerpiece

2008-11-14T11:30:00.001-08:00

The Saint Patrick's Mermaid!

We turned in the fundraiser centerpiece and the girls are very very proud of it! The requirements were that it be a craft, one foot tall, the diameter of a cake plate, and a reflection of the school. My friends were brainstorming with me and came up with a mermaid idea (we live in the city of mermaids, Norfolk, VA). I drew her out and my husband cut her out of wood, we painted her fin to look like the plaid of the uniform and gave her red hair to match my girl's hair color. Part of her stand has the school emblem decoupaged on it. Here are some pictures of the process!

The proud delivery!

We ran out of coffee creamer

2008-11-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

So I need no more excuse to treat myself to a Dunkin Donuts coffee than not having the right ingredients at home to make a proper coffee. I ordered a delicious coconut coffee with cream and sugar and a coconut donut. I treated Brendan to a a donut of his choice, orange frosting with sprinkles!

We had hamburg soup last night. Two out of three kids loved it. I remember making this soup when I was first married and thinking that I had conquered a culinary feat! It takes about 10 minutes to throw together and is great on a cold day!

Hamburg Soup

1 pound crumbled turkey (brown and crumble in oil)

16 ounce can of tomato sauce

1 package of frozen mixed veges (16 ounce), I use the green bean, carrot, corn, and peas mix

2 16 ounce cans of stewed tomatoes

4 cups of chicken stock

1 package of onion soup mix

Optional:

1 can of mushrooms

1 can of corn

brown turkey meat, drain off fat, add all ingredients and simmer. This soup tastes better after the flavors have melded together so I make it in the morning to be served for dinner!

I hope I can hold out until Christmas

2008-11-08T05:57:00.000-08:00

because I want this, and this, and this. Can I make the mobile myself? I doubt it, I think that the mobile might be worth the $ just to have the metal parts done for me.

I found a baby announcement with an owl and I love it! I'm going to get my Christmas cards and birth announcement from the same place (tiny prints), I love her colors and designs. I've got to work on getting a picture of all three kids together, soon!

My husband and I are off to a play this afternoon Centennial Casting. I have never heard of it, but the write up looks good, it's supposed to have some humor so that will help the 2 hours pass quickly. (I hope) The less I check the time while I'm at the theater, the more I like the show!

I signed up to do a centerpiece for my daughter's school fundraiser. The catch is it can not be live flowers. It's supposed to be one foot tall and the size of a cake plate. It is also supposed to reflect the children that attend the school. The school's patron saint is St. Patrick so I am thinking of having my wonderful woodworker husband build a Celtic cross that I will decoupage with pictures of the Kindergarten class.. I have no other ideas!

Happy Saturday!

My organizational chaos continues

2008-11-07T13:10:00.001-08:00

I have been dragging boxes out of our attic, including 3 boxes full of my Madame Alexandra dolls. I grew up with these dolls displayed behind glass in a corner cabinet in my bedroom. I just decided to put these on some shelves in our playroom (which was the previous owners very retro, macho, dark wood paneled office, I Dream of Jeanie, with a wet bar office). The dolls have now found their new home in the wet bar, because after all, who needs a wet bar when they are 6, 4, and 2!

Before

After

I came across a bride and groom cake topper that I bought on eBay right before our wedding. They are made of chalk and at our reception they were the lucky residents of the gingerbread house made for the children's table!

One more thing...

2008-11-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

I can smell things from a mile away, I think it's more of a curse to have such a heightened sense of smell. People and restrooms can really turn my stomach. Anyway there has been a mystery pooh smell in my house, and with three kids, a dog, and a cat, it really could be anyone. For a day or two I thought we had a dead rodent under the floor boards, or some stinky underwear stuffed under a piece of furniture. However, I have discovered the answer to this mystery. SUNFLOWERS, in a vase, in our foyer. They are not even dead, they are just starting to turn and they smell like pure, undiluted sh*#. Mystery solved.

how much turkey should I order?

2008-11-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

Question: How Much Turkey Should I Buy?

Answer: The general rule of thumb is that you need to buy one pound of turkey for each average appetite adult. Once cooked and carved you are going to be presenting your guest with a little under 1/2 pound of turkey. This means a 20 pound turkey should feed twenty average adults.
You should adjust this size based on whether you want leftovers, how many children will be eating (plan on 1/2 pound for children) and whether or not you actually know any average adults. Remember that the larger the bird the longer the cooking time and more potential waste. You're best bet is to get close to the right size, but never under buy.

Thanksgiving and OCD

2008-11-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

I just ordered our turkey from a local farm here. I wonder if it will taste better? I assume it will be fresh and a bit better because it won't come frozen. We are having T-day on our own this year and this will be my second time cooking a whole turkey for thanksgiving dinner. I actually like all the side dishes better than the bird!

Here's my menu plan:

Turkey

roasted root veges (barefoot contessa style)

broccoli casserole (the cream of mushroom soup / sour cream / cheddar cheese recipe)

stuffing

mashed potatoes

olives

cranberry sauce

caramel rolls 2 ways, one with splenda light and the other with soy butter instead of cow's milk butter

walnut cream pie - this recipe I have to post, it's my favorite pie!

pumpkin pie

banana cream pie

vegan cupcakes for Abbey-girl

BTW is it normal at say 33 weeks to attack my home with the heaviest case of OCD? I've blown through the playroom like a tornado. The nasty utility room that never gets cleaned was attacked this morning. All of the closets upstairs are disassembled. I've started adding things to the children's baby books that never got finished. I have plans to get up in the attic and charge through the boxes. Is this nesting?

A blue nursery...what to do?

2008-11-03T04:40:00.000-08:00

We have a baby girl on the way and a blue room ready for her to share with her brother. I would like to transform the room into more neutral territory (without repainting). We have blue walls, a blue ceiling and a primary colored rug. The wall decor is lots of red white and blue. We don't have a bumper pad, but we have a red and white gingham crib skirt.

Here's what I have the bedding narrowed down to:

If I go with the blue and red I would do this bumper with our existing red gingham crib skirt, and the red gingham duvet on B's bed:

The other option is to keep it blue and white:

And on B's bed either this or a white quilt:

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T12:28:00.001-07:00

No Phish for Me

2008-10-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

I really really tried to get tickets to the March shows at Hampton Coliseum (just a few miles down the road) and was blocked out by Ticketmaster this morning. Both Chad and I tried to buy tickets from the Ticketmaster website but we were both blocked out by the server this morning at 10:00, by 10:04 the Ticketmaster site was trying to redirect us to a scalper site that they are affiliated with (ticketsnow) where the price had gone up from $45.50 to $360.00 for tickets. At the same time I was trying for tickets online I was calling multiple Ticketmaster phone numbers but alas they were all busy.
Phish did have a pre-sale lottery but we were not so lucky. I read around the web that the lottery system was able to award tickets to 6.9% of the people requesting tickets. Would multiple requests from us have helped our cause (I just made one request for 2 of the three nights, after all we have kids and one will be 2 months old)? I guess there is still a chance to get tickets if we are willing to part with almost $800.00 for one night of Phish bliss! EBay already has auctions going on selling the 3 night package for over $2,000.00. I guess that besides the lucky few who received tickets directly from Phish during the pre-order, the majority of the phans at Hampton this March will have parted with a ton of cash to be there!
Will a night that should have cost $100.00 plus babysitter and libations be as fun if it costs $1000.00? Hmmm...

The cutest thing!

2008-10-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

I am so tempted to purchase this handmade lolli-doll to put on Abigail's birthday cupcake. Isn't it the cutest thing? You can find it on a really cool website that debuts original arts and crafts.... http://www.craftsburykids.com/ . This little doll reminds me of the little people I played with as a kid and the It's A Small World ride. She's so adorable!

All I want for Christmas is....

2008-10-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

A hand stamped necklace with my children's names on it. I love the designs of http://www.hazelnut-cottage.com/ from the mommy jewelry to the ocean inspired charms! I just ordered the mother's necklace for a friend of mine and requested the babies birthstone (light amethyst) to be the egg! I would love to find a necklace form hazelnut cottage under the tree for me!

A fun and pretty gift!

2008-10-07T06:33:00.001-07:00

My cousin Keely bought me the best water pitcher ever! We've used it twice now at our dining room table (both times we've had company) and it has been a hit with the adults and the kids! I love the color and that it's nautical and the children (and adults) love the noise it makes when the water pours out....glug, glug, glug.... the company's website has a sound bite if you're curious!

http://www.gurglepot.com/

Eeyore don't ever do that to us again

2008-09-18T10:10:00.001-07:00

This is the poster Chad made to circulate around our neighborhood. We discovered that Eeyore was missing at bedtime last evening. He was last seen on our running stroller yesterday. We concluded Eeyore fell off the stroller yesterday afternoon. After much searching Chad gave up when it got dark out and headed back out combing the neighborhood first thing in the morning. Eeyore was discovered by our 2 year old, under his bed before lunch time today. Abigail (our 3 year old) has been reunited with the love of her life. Abbey has never slept without her lovey Eeyore (last night was her first night on her own). All that fuss for nothing! Eeyore was just one room away! Few...that was a close one.

Yeah for Fall!

2008-09-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited that fall is almost here. It's been so hot here in Norfolk we are looking forward to the change of season. To get ready for Halloween I just ordered two new pumpkins to personalize from Color Me Mine. I want to have a pumpkin representing each child! Last year I did a family pumpkin in lime green. This year I'll be adding Isabella and Abigail. There are a lot of samples at the pottery place to copy...I don't know what I'm going to do for the girls yet but I can't wait to have them on our stoop for Halloween!

Our new organizational center

2008-09-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

Thank you Chad! This bulletin board should help me stay organized! I will also have a huge expanse to hang the children's artwork (stainless steel appliances are not magnetic)! This is great because a year and a half after moving here I still haven't hung up my calendar... it's hung now and in a great place to reference when I'm making appointments. I'm so happy!

A wonderful day

2008-09-09T05:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all of the birthday greetings! I had a wonderful 35th birthday on Sunday! Chad and the kids went all out with many treats form me throughout the day! Chad (with a little help from the kids) made a bulletin (cork board) for my new kitchen, complete with trim to match our cabinets. We're going to hang it soon and I will be sure to post a picture!

I scream You scream

2008-09-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Bella and I dusted off the ice cream maker today and made some sugar free low-carb ice cream that we could share with her dad! We opted for the no cook version (most recipes call for eggs and need to be cooked on the stove then cooled). The recipe is for vanilla ice cream that we added 3/4 cup of dice strawberries to. Next time we'll soak them in some splenda-infested water and do a whole cup. The churning time was about a half hour, we added the strawberries 20 minutes into it!

Vanilla Ice Cream

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

3/4 cup splenda

2 tsp vanilla extract

*It should be mentioned that Bella found this ice cream to be "too creamy"! Is there such a thing? Chad and I noticed that it left a film in our mouths, just like I've noticed after eating homemade whipped cream... but who's complaining?

It's a

2008-09-02T10:12:00.001-07:00

HEALTHY girl! The due date from the ultrasound measurements is 1/13/2009!

The kitchen as of today!

2008-08-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of the kitchen progress. Chad (my husband) did a smashing job of installing the cabinets. We need a little paint, a back splash, a couple of light bulbs, and we'll be in business. On to the dining room and to making the rest of our home our own!

Summer is Over! School has begun!

2008-08-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

Bella's chapel day uniform

Abbey's Cubby

Bella's desk

The girls together on their first day of school

We had a wonderful time this summer in Cape Cod. Now we are back in Norfolk for the kick off of school. Bella started at a new school this year and Abigail has returned to her preschool. Chad worked very hard completing the cabinets (will post new photos tomorrow). Here are some of the girl's first day of school, and Bella's first chapel day in her dressy uniform!

the Popsicle hole!

2008-06-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Let me start by explaining to you that we have bought 2 sinks for our kitchen. They are exactly alike but sink order #1 was so delayed it just arrived only to be returned immediately. So this sink is waiting by our front door to go to the UPS store.

This morning Brendan (our two year old) begged for a Popsicle. We bought the kind that are in the tube, they are very long and don't have a stick. Brendan was working away at the thing and suddenly I noticed he didn't have it anymore. I asked him a few times where he had put it because it wasn't in our trash can. Eventually he indicated that he threw the half eaten pop into the sink box (there is a cut out on the side of it for easy carrying)! Brendan pointed at it and said "It in the Popsicle Hole". YUK!

I just cleaned the whole thing up and realize that there is no permanent damage... just a moments panic!!!

That was my morning, cleaning up sticky Popsicle gunk from the bottom side of a stainless sink!

Should these stay or should they go?

2008-06-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the cornices that were on all the windows in the formal rooms of this house when we moved in (dining and living rooms). I had the plantation shutters installed in most of the windows and I just can't decide about putting the cornices back up or not. I do like them. They are custom made of wood and painted black and gold (in the hitchcock chair color scheme). We have quite a bit of black painted furniture so they would fit in here. I like the windows with them and without!

Another option!

2008-06-24T06:02:00.000-07:00

Okay so after doing more stool research I came to the realization that I can buy 4 stools from pottery barn for the price of 1 stool from warren chair. Maybe someday I'll get the warren chair stools but for now I'm found something else that we can live with! We have a restaurant style highchair from PBK that has held up beautifully and the best thing about it is Brendan climbs it like a ladder and it never tips! Based on that experience I have high hopes for the bar stool! Do you think the caning will be an nightmare with kids? Will I be digging food out of the seats with a butter knife? Probably!

I love these stools!

2008-06-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

This particular stool is Walnut with Maple Spindles and Tiger Maple Stretchers (also available in Cherry). It's made by Warren Chair Works in RI. I love it! My dining room chairs are cherry Windsor chairs made by the same company. I love the idea of the stools having backs on them so the kids can lean back and be comfortable doing homework and eating. These backs are low profile and I love that about them too! I have yet to find another stool I like as much so this is probably the one! Our peninsula is counter height to I have to figure out how high I am going to have the stools made. I've got to look into what the standards are for counter height!

We bought a lemon.

2008-06-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

A $2799.00 piece of JUNK!

This is a picture of the GE profile refrigerator that we bought 13 months ago. It has been a rough 13 months. The freezer light has never worked, the freezer drawers broke the first time they were pulled out to fill. Now the right french door is broken (most likely due to one of my darling kids swinging on it). It just doesn't seem to be holding up to my family's wear and tear! We are one month out of warranty, I called about our most recent break down with this thing and got a rather unpleasant person on the phone who said that the only thing we can do is pay to have it fixed by one of their technicians. Let's see if they can make it right! I will be the bane of their existence until the do!!!!

We are intending to outfit the kitchen with the GE Cafe line (we'll see thought I might be back out there looking if GE doesn't fix the fridge):

Another Day and a Little More Progress!

2008-06-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

We have bead board trim on the peninsula now and some doors are up! Chad keeps plugging along! Just a little update on the progress.

The ballet recital!

2008-06-14T06:06:00.001-07:00

Bella is in the front row on the far right!

Chad's cabinet progress

2008-06-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

Chad has been working on the installation of these cabinets all week. They are really coming together. We have the counter tops being templated on Wednesday. A couple of things have gone wrong. Two of the recessed lights that the electricians put in the ceiling are set so close to the pantry cabinets that they will be covered up once the moldings are in. (those lights are going to be relocated) Chad worked around some cabinet issues (one came backwards) and has done a fabulous job! I will post more pictures as the cabinets are finished.

Bella's Ballet Recital

2008-06-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

We had a big weekend here in Norfolk. Bella participated in her first debut on stage! Here is the performance of Bella's dance class. She is in the first row on the right. Her group was the second youngest to perform. The ages were from 4 to the 18! It was fun, my favorite dance routines were the little ones.

Okay, unfortunately I have been trying to upload the video for a couple of days with no success. I'll have to get Chad to look at this and see if we can shrink the file down!

Our kitchen cabinets arrived on Friday evening, just in time for Chad and Matt Smith to work a full day and come home to unload a truck full of cabinets. Thanks for your help Matt! The temperature outside was in the 90's and has stayed that way since last week. IT IS SOOO HOT. Chad had taken the week off from work to install the cabinets. He has hit a couple of road blocks, but he is getting through it. I'll take picture and post his progress tonight!

The new addition

2008-06-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post some pictures of our new room addition. When we moved into this house last year this space was a screened in porch. The best thing it had going for it was a bead board ceiling, that we left intact (and added more on the walls). The ceiling fan is from restoration hardware.

We designed the new windows and doors and reused our outdoor hanging onion lantern from our last house (handmade on Cape Cod).

Above the bead board is a pale blue paint from SW called water squirt. The sconces are from pottery barn. I found the vintage map of Norfolk harbor on eBay!

The floors are bamboo and the door you see in the picture above is a closet I had put in to house my craft and sewing supplies. The closet is large enough to accomodate a desk and a bookcase (the bookcase is for our dvd and cd storage).

The floors are finished!

2008-05-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

The floors are complete! Now we just need to wait for the cabinets to be delivered. I think I can speak for us all... we are ready for the cabinets and the kitchen to be back. We are all tired of the grill. Believe it or not you get there. If I have to look at another hot dog... It's Chinese take out tonight! That I can get excited about. Last night we got pizza at a little place called Bella Pizza in Norfolk, they make regular pizza and soy pizza so there is something for Abigail (she has severe dairy allergies)... the pizza came to the table burned and the air conditioner in the restaurant was broken (it hit over 95 yesterday). Not the most pleasurable dining experience! So Chinese delivery it is! I will be posting pictures and projects that we have done in other rooms (the addition and hallway that Chad built out) soon!

The kitchen faucet

2008-05-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

The kitchen is being painted out today. My ceaserstone is in and I'm on my way to see the slab this afternoon, I'm looking forward to that because I ordered it from a 6 inch swatch. I'm also going to try to oder new cusions for the booth in sunbrella fabric for the durability. I just received the kitchen faucet that we ordered. I was so happy to find an old fashioned looking faucet with a pull down sprayer! Here is a picture of it!

Primer is on the kitchen walls!

2008-05-20T16:14:00.001-07:00

Well, the kitchen drywall is up and primed. Next on the list is the new hardwood floors. The crew was here today tearing up the first layer of sub floor so that the new hardwood and the existing hardwood will be even. I'm also going to call around to get prices on new upholstery for the booth. Here's what the kitchen looks like tonight!

Sea glass and Sea shells!

2008-05-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

When I filled out my daughter Bella's many kindergarten applications, under hobbies I wrote: beach comber / sea glass hunter. The tradition of looking for treasures on the beaches of Cape Cod has been passed on to a new generation! It's one of the things we love doing!

I designed this quote and transferred it to our powder room wall. I used the company say it simply. You can customise the color and text size. This quote is on the wall opposite the la mode so it gives one something to read when he or she is indisposed!

My husband took out a window in the very same bathroom and replaced it with a group of shelves. I have used the shelves to display rocks, shells, and sea glass that my children and I have found on Cape Cod.
Our most prized pieces have made it to our favorate lamp in the house! I found the lamp at lampsplus.

The lamp displays two seasons worth of sea glass! It's very beautful and rewarding for me and the kids!

Drywall is almost done!

2008-05-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

This is the decorative lighting I choose. The kitchen lighting is mostly going to consist of recessed lights with 2 school house fixtures from schoolhouse electric co. One is going over the booth and the other is going to be hung over the kitchen sink! I ordered them in a satin nickle finish (as well as the faucet). It looks like paint will be on the walls by next week!

The drywall is almost up and there is dust and footprints all over the house to prove it! I just tried to get up the white dust and paste off the floors with a good vacuuming and mopping. Here's a picture of the kitchen as of tonight (Rootbeer the wonder dog was giving it a good inspection).

Misty Carrera it is!

2008-05-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

So a final end to the counter top saga... the costa e. granite had an ugly blemish on the end of the slab and it couldn't be seamed to fit our new kitchen. In the end, I went with Misty Carrera by ceaserstone. It's kid friendly, more durable than marble, and hopefully has the "look"! Here is a picture off the ceaserstone website:

Kitchen Renovation Update: The plumbing and the electric are roughed in. The dry wall process began today and should be wrapped up by the end of the week. I'll post a picture tomorrow to show the progress!

Kitchen Decisions and Inspirations!

2008-05-11T16:11:00.001-07:00

So when you are getting ready to design a kitchen there are a few decisions that have to be made:
cabinetry
countertops
sink(s)
faucet(s)
sink accessories
lighting, more lighting
hardware
appliances
tile
that all encompassing "OTHER"

Let me start by saying that this time around I'm going for a Martha Stewart / Something's Gotta Give look (the movie staring Diane Keaton). Some kitchen designers call the look I"m going for a butler's pantry kitchen. It makes sense with this house. I think that finding a look from a movie or magazine is a great jumping off point, then make it your own element by element. Here are a few photos of kitchens (or pieces of them) that I love:

Something's Gotta Give Kitchen:

This kitchen is right out of the Home / Kitchen section of the Coastal Livings website. There is some really great stuff there.

You can see the commonalities in the kitchens (marble, soapstone)! But because of kids in this house some of the materials in these kitchens are impractical. I really wanted to go for marble but after living with a slab of it and seeing the 'patina' I know that it just won't suit us. It can stain and etch from citrus and I didn't want to live with that kind of pressure. I have read many blogs and articles about the European attitude towards marble. Across the water people appreciate the wear and tear that marble incurs over time, it is said that Americans want everything to look shiny and new. My husband is of the second opinion, so how could I get the marble in the kitchen?! One expert I spoke to said that they are selling much more soapstone and marble at the time, but they discourage young families from choosing those materials. I did however install marble in two of our bathrooms and I love it! We also brought a sample of soapstone home and running a glass across it can leave a mark, so we decided against soapstone too.

Here are two pictures of the granite I picked out, ignore the cabinetry (we are going much simpler). I'm 90% sure on this granite (I might take one more look at the ceaserstone products that are made to look like carrara marble).

I was inspired by my cousin..and thank you eBay!

2008-05-09T05:03:00.000-07:00

My cousin Bridget inspired me to start this blog, after starting one on her own. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading hers and loved her quest for childhood toys and Avon products on eBay (my favorite entries). My five year old is turning 6 in July and I was thinking about what to buy her. I was thinking about my favorite toys. I loved listening to records and doing fashion plates at her age. Fashion plates were so much fun! You can make a an outfit and put a woman together, then flip the plates over and choose a pattern. Well, I found an original set on eBay as well as the "More Fashion Plates" add on! I don't know who is going to have more fun playing with this toy!

SHH don't tell Bella...

Before pictures of our kitchen and the new kitchen design

2008-05-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

These are some before shots of the kitchen. The original kitchen was a small square. The kitchen has a built-in booth that we are going to keep. The new cabinets have shaker style doors.The wall in this photo was torn down today. We are adding back a peninsula.

The refrigerator is being relocated to another wall. The range is going to reside on this wall now. We are keeping the booth!

This wall is going to have the refrigerator on it: That box is an ironing board that folds down.

This is the view from the old dining room into the kitchen. The floor is going to come out next. We are replacing it with pre-finished white oak that will match the oak in the dining room. The two floors are going to be woven so that there is a clean transition. To have the two floor align we have to rip out the sub floors and build up from scratch.

Exterior before and after photos

2008-05-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

We have been in this house for about a year and we have made a few changes inside and out. Here are some before and after pictures taken of the exterior.
Before:

We painted the shutters and front door black, landscaped, and put up new house numbers.

After:
Landscaping in the backyard Before:
After:

Looking at the back right of the house Before:
After:
Looking at the back right of the house. In 2007 it was a screened in porch that we converted into a family room.

Before:Back left of house (the new family room) After:

Costa Esmeralda

2008-05-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

Bella and I picked out our counters! The kitchen is going to have off white shaker cabinets and Costa Esmeralda granite in a leather finish. The stone is sage green with ivory veining. The finish is leather and the stone has a flat finish. Our home was built in 1940. We are on our way to renovating the kitchen. 2 Days until demo. I have a makeshift kitchen going into the new dining room and the kid's playroom. We are going to use the grill and keep the food simple.