Visitors

I mentioned in a couple of other posts that we've had visitors recently. Mostly of the fur-baby variety. Of course we had our two main fur-babies in tow:

Sully-man loves chewing on bones!

And the always adorable (and rarely snuggly) baby Monk.

Another shot of the always snuggly Sullivan. He doesn't want to get off the bed, even when I'm trying to make it so I just make it around him! Always sleepy!

Recently she's been laying in her kennel to get some nap time in. A rare, but adorable moment.

Onto the visitors- Snoopy checking things out while my mom is hard at work. My mom, Steve, Snoopy, and Fergie all came to "help" us with the tiling project. The only one who did any helping with tiles was my mom. Steve was on dog-wrangling duty.

Our neighbors think we're running a kennel around here! Check out those 5 food bowls. Fergie, Monkey, Sully, Snoopy, and Sammy. All -y/ie names!

Here's the whole pack in action. They're begging for treats, shocker huh?

Fergie and Snoopy sniffing around downstairs.

Mr. Samuel trying to catch some zzz's. Have you noticed Snoopy is in every picture? It's because he's the resident Sheriff. He's got to be in on all of the action and regulate behavior. If the others get too wild, he's quick to simmer them down haha.

The two fur-babies getting some time with Steve. Or really, Steve getting some time with his buddies.

Kitchen Phase 4

For Christmas this year, my mom gave me two incredible gifts: tiles for our kitchen backsplash and a coupon for her help installing them! We have been eyeing these glass mosaic tiles with stainless steel mixed in. It was the perfect complement for our stainless steel appliances and white cupboards. We decided to take advantage of the three day weekend to tackle this project.


Tim frequently referred to himself as sponge boy throughout the duration of this project. He was always sponging off the tiles for us.



My approach was definitely more is better. Half of the time, it was easier to use my hands to get the grout on the wall then scrape it with the trowel.

My mom hard at work cutting the mosaic tiles to fit! There's Snoopy (more on our visitors in a later post).

Here are a few up close shots of the tile. You can see that it has several shades of grey, white, and stainless steel. We replaced all of the outlets, switches, and covers in white to match our cabinets (formerly they were cream). We used a pre-mixed grout in sandstone. It's a nice tan color. Not too dark, not too light. It matches the reddish tan shades in our countertop.

Tim installed a nice piece of trim around the edges of the tile. It's crisp white, just like our cabinets.

Check out that kitchen! It looks brand new! A total transformation with new appliances, countertops, sink, cabinet paint, hardware, and tile backsplash.

Up next, Kitchen Phase 5: Wall Paint. Do you have any suggestions? We would love to hear it! We're still in the process of choosing a wall color.

Window Treatments

This is a small, but overdue post. Back in October we installed blinds in our living room downstairs. The windows put a glare on the tv if we posted it on the opposite wall. When we put the tv in its current location, you stare into a blaze of glory. It doesn't seem problematic during the dark winter days, but on a sunny fall evening, it's difficult.

It was pretty simple. We just screwed the brackets to the top piece of trim. Then, we shortened the extremely long blinds by removing slats from the bottom following the package instructions. It was certainly cheaper to buy off the shelf blinds and shorten them.

One of my favorite features of our house is the big front window. I love our quaint little neighborhood and the people that live in it. During the summer, we had a hard time regulating the temperature of the dining room. The sun just beats down on the front of the house and into the dining room. I love all of the bright sunlight, so I wanted to purchase sheer curtains. I like the way they block the view of our dining room if we need some coverage, but it also lets in so much light. The simple white is also a good choice because we knew we'd paint our cabinets in our kitchen white. We want the main floor (kitchen and dining room) to have a consistent look (although not identical). The pulls and rod are both black to match our dining table.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day. Not in the traditional sappy card and box of chocolates kind of way. Tim and I really enjoy dining out, but we rarely do on Valentine's Day because I hate crowds! I also don't care for chocolate, so this doesn't seem like my ideal holiday. There are a few things I like about it...



Of course I enjoy spending time with the people that I love, including Timothy (oh, and my baby Monk and old man Sully). I also love baking, although not as much as Monkey, Sullivan, or Tim enjoy the products. :) I can't wait to bake some Vday cupcakes! Mmm.



You may be sensing a pattern here. My approach to decorating for the holidays consists of a vinyl tablecloth, a related centerpiece (flowers for Vday, Santa Snacks plate and pine scented candle for Christmas, etc.), and a holiday themed dish towel. Also, the wreath on my front door changes seasonally. My coworkers recently asked me if I planned to decorate for St. Patrick's Day. The answer: OF COURSE! It's my favorite holiday. Stay tuned people, it's getting crazy in here.

Up next: The final kitchen reveal! Including paint!

Kitchen Phase 3

Welcome to Phase 3 of our Kitchen Makeover! This phase includes cabinet paint and hardware.


Priming by the oven- I always seem to be stuck here!


Oh you know, just a usual Saturday morning in the White House. Me painting in my pjs while Monkey noses around behind me.


We chose Behr Ultra Pure White for the paint. It's a true white without hints of other colors. Most whites have blue, pink, or tan hues, but the Ultra Pure White is well, pure. Tim chose the color because he wanted a white that would make the cabinets shine.

Here's Tim hard at work installing hardware!

Installing the final cabinet door. Poor Miss Monk won't be able to snoop around the cabinets anymore. :( (Look, there's Sam! More on our visitors in a future post)

Tim is celebrating as he enjoys the sweet taste of victory! Kitchen success.

Check out those amazing cabinets! It almost looks like a brand new kitchen! I'll post a nice before and after comparison when it's all said and done. Until then, stay tuned for Kitchen Phase 4: Tile Backsplash.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the White Family!


We took this photo before Sullivan joined our family. He'll be in our Christmas photo next year! We had many outtakes before we were able to successfully use the self timer, position ourselves, and get Monkey looking at the camera all at the same time. Here's some of our Christmas decor from this holiday season:

Mistletoe!

Our winter weath on our front door.

Our Christmas tree. I bought this tree last year on clearance from Wal Mart. It's a pre-lit tree. We added some red bulbs, ornaments that we've received as gifts, and hand painted ornaments that we usually make each year around Christmas. My mom made matching tree skirts for her and my grandma. When my grandma died, I got her tree skirt which rests beautifully under our tree. We can't have a real tree because Monkey will likely chew on stray branches as she often does with our trees and pine cones in the back yard.

The angel on top has a funny story. I went shopping with my mom last year to find a Christmas tree. I swore Tim said he wanted an angel for the top. I found this one at Hobby Lobby. I really liked it because it was red, classy, and ornate without being overdone. I took it home excitedly for him to see. He said, "Oh an angel. That's nice." That's nice? I found the perfect angel for the top of our tree, what do you mean that's nice? "Well, it's nice, but why did you buy an angel?" Because you said you wanted one. "Actually no... I wanted a star." Hahaha Now we enjoy the angel and laugh. It does look nice though!

Our table and pine scented candle. I love festive tablecloths! I could do without the candle, but Tim really likes it.

A stocking for Tim, Monkey, Sullivan, and me. These are ledge hangers on our window downstairs.

The White house lit up at night! We need to add something in the two bedroom windows upstairs. I received two wreaths this year as gifts (thanks Susie and Angie!) that I will put up there next year.