Exterior Makeover - Painting

So Chris and I have been busy putting a bit of time (and money!) into making over the outside of our house. There are so many reveals to come, but here is a little sneak peak at what we have been up to...

First of all, we (finally!) had sod installed in our back yard.  We actually have a back yard now, as opposed to that dirt pit filled with weeds.  (Reveal coming soon, I promise!)

Then, we decided to paint our hideously red deck.  There may be more painting involved soon, as we don't know if it will match well with the color we chose to paint the house (husband is really excited about that possibility.)  .

And finally, we are having our house painted as we speak!  I don't have any sneak peak photos of the actual house painted, but here are the colors we chose.  

Here is a little sneak peak at what the house looked like before paint...

We chose this gray for the main part of the house.  We tested out a few grays that were darker than this, as we did want it to be quite dark, but they were surprisingly intense.  This was a great compromise; dark without being overwhelming.

 { online by sherwin williams. }

We chose tricorn black as the color for the doors.

 { tricorn black by sherwin williams. }

And we went with the straight-forward extra white for the trim.

 { extra white by sherwin williams. }

I hope to share the reveal photos by early next week once it is all finished.  It is surprisingly difficult to choose colors for the exterior of a house.  It is hard to imagine how it is all going to look when it is finished. We hope we like the end result... eek!

Also, stay tuned for the back yard and deck reveals coming soon after!

Playing with Littles

I recently got to spend some time with family, and was reminded of the wide-eyed wonder that "littles" bring to this great big world.  The endless questions, the tireless energy, and the sweet innocence are so fun for this auntie to experience, if only for a weekend.

And the most important question, how old does she need to be before she can start visiting auntie and "untle" in Colorado...?  Several more years?!  Oh, my bad...

I never got tired of hearing, "Come on, Auntie, come play with me!"

Me: (pointing to a hydrangea bush) "do you know what those are called?" Little: (looking at my strangely) "yeah, FLOWERS!"

"Let's run!"  Repeat.  Now I understand why kids sleep so well!

 

"There's spiderwebs on there."  So obviously we were cleaning them off. And maybe silently hoping there were no spiders lurking around...

"Can I take a picture with your camera, Auntie?"  Toddler's know what's important when taking photos.  Not so much the barbecue, as the bubbles...

"Get in, Auntie, I'm driving!"

Our pint-sized taxi driver.

Aaaaaaannnddd... she's out!

What fun it was playing with her and getting to see the world through her eyes for a weekend.  Along with the endless questions of "why?" :)

And the realization that I only took photos of little people reminds me to be more inclusive on my next visit! Though it will be a challenge since there will be a new "little" on the scene...

Happy Wednesday!  Here's to getting over the hump!

Country vs. City Living

Lately Chris and I have been talking a lot about our future, and more specifically where we want our future to be.  We often struggle with the thought of living away from family, but beyond that, we have began to wonder whether we are city people or country people.  Up until a year or so ago, I would have said Chris was a city boy. He loves the mountains and all the recreation they provide for us, but he has always needed to be at least near a city.  Lately, however, he has begun to crave more simplicity.  Less traffic, the peacefulness and tranquility of the country (and mountains!).  I am torn.  I have always felt like a fish out of water in cities, but I love the energy and social opportunities of living in or near to a big city.

If I am being honest, I would say I am more pulled to the country than the city, but with the potential for adding kids to the equation, I want them to have the opportunity to experience all that the city has to offer: culture, buzz, excitement, fun restaurants, museums, etc.  But I also love the idea of instilling the less-is-more philosophy in them.  So which one is right?

I guess one of them doesn't have to be wrong.  It's just a really tough decision to make.  I love the idea of having lots of space for kids (and myself!) to run and play - safely.  To live a childhood much like mine, where I could be out playing all day, only to come home as the sun was setting for dinner.  To have a big old rambling farmhouse with lots of kids running in and out all day.

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A big old farm table to enjoy meals around together - the more the merrier!

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A bright cheery, country kitchen overlooking a big back yard.

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Making jam in the kitchen with the windows open, country music playing on the radio.  (never mind that I don't even know how to make jam! yet!)

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Hanging clothes out to dry.

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But I also feel a pang of guilt at the thought of raising kids in a place where they don't get to experience the buzz and energy of a beautiful city.  To learn about and appreciate other cultures.  I think this is an invaluable lesson to learn.

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And to think that they won't know how to ride public transport.  For all its crammed glory, it is almost a right of passage to learn to navigate the world of public transportation.

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Sharing beautiful meals at this creatively lit downtown sidewalk cafe.

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Am I crazy?  Don't answer that.  I am aware that it is possible to have the best of both worlds by living near enough to the city that you make it back on occasion to experience the joys of overcrowding.  But I know all too often, those trips become few and far between, as you settle into your everyday life outside the city.  I also want to be far enough out that we get the proper country life, with a bit of space, not just in the 'burbs like we are now.  

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And then there is also the (most important) thought, which is commuting.  It can overwhelm a planner such as myself if I let it get carried away.  Luckily, we don't have plans to go anywhere just yet, as we are still very much enjoying our existing place.  

I wonder where we will end up one day - city or country...?

Which do you prefer?  What are the pros and cons of each?  A girl could use some perspective.

When I Get Bored: Part 1

I don't know about you, but I don't do so well with idle time.  I can only watch TV for so long before losing interest and brainstorming what fun creative project I can pour myself into.  

Well, last night I found myself extremely bored and with no other options appealing to me, I busted open our little stock of chalk paint and began my latest project.  Full before and after photos to come once I finish, but here's a little sneak peak of what I got up to last night... (apologies for the poor lighting.)  If you squint, it almost looks finished. :)

Ahhhh the joy of painting while listening to Chris YouTube videos of people playing the harmonica and the Native American flute. (Two things.  One, can YouTube be used as a verb? And two, I'm not kidding.  This painting was done to some seriously relaxing, meditation-worthy tunes.)

On a completely separate (and WAY in the future, if ever) note, I also found myself daydreaming about a major renovation with our kitchen/dining room area.  What do you think of my vision? (what?  I did warn you that I was bored out of my mind last night...)

It involves combining our kitchen and formal dining room, and moving the dining room to the front room (which is a totally awkward space that we never use).  I'm kind of in love with this space.  Not so much, however, with the price tag of such renovation.  But hey, a girl can dream.  Just look at that gorgeous island...

Happy Wednesday!

Veggie Life: Protein Pasta?

Okay, I feel like I have an obligation to share something with you, my three loyal readers. :)

As a vegetarian, I am often struggling with getting enough protein into each meal of my daily diet.  I really do try to incorporate it wherever I can, but am always eager to find new and healthy ways to do so.  Well, last year I found Ezekiel Bread, and it literally changed my life.  Not only does it taste great, but it is also a complete protein!  Meaning it provides all 9 of the essential amino acids your body needs to function properly!  Double win!  Yes, it still has carbs... let's not get ahead of ourselves here.  But our bodies need carbs of the healthy variety, people, so let's call a truce.  Chris and I enjoy this bread all the time.  And then, I found out that Food for Life do loads of other things as well: pasta (gasp!), tortillas, buns, cereal, english muffins (!), etc.

Pasta is not a common dish found in Chris and I's diet, but who doesn't love pasta?!  We usually opt for spaghetti squash instead, in an effort to fool ourselves into thinking we are eating the delicious comfort carbs we crave. But finding a way to add the real thing in such a healthy way is certainly a win for me.  And the best part is, that they have a few different types of pasta including, spaghetti, fettuccine, elbow, and penne. What more could you need?  Add a healthy (homemade?) sauce and some tasty grilled veggies and you are good to go!

A veggie blog that I love, is Naturally Ella, and she has some very tasty looking pasta recipes that I just might have to match up with our new pasta friend, Food for Life.  A few of my favorites from her site...?

Sweet Potato & Spinach Mac and Cheese

Spinach-Pesto with Roasted Red Peppers and Ricotta

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce

Chris and I are enjoying being in the kitchen together as of late, so I might have to suggest a date night in sometime this week to make one of these tasty recipes!

On a side note, if you are scouring your grocery store trying to find it... the bread is located in the frozen section, and should be stored in your fridge once you get home (unless you plan on saving it for a while, then it can go in your freezer).  The pasta is typically in the "health food" section of Safeway, etc. rather than on the regular pasta aisle.

Happy Sunday!

Mountain Fix # 3,976

I really should start keeping track of how many "fixes" we actually seek out in the mountains...

As I mentioned in my last post, Chris has had an insatiable appetite for the mountains lately.  And who am I to complain about exploring new hiking trails?!  So we set off towards one of our favorite mountain towns, Evergreen, in search of a new-to-us trail.  It was pretty roasting hot, and errands in the morning meant we didn't reach the trail head until almost 3 in the afternoon!  Not the best decision for a summer hike in Colorado, but we managed all the same.

Love finding random photos after hubs steals my phone on a fun adventure.

We couldn't come that close to Evergreen without spending some time in town, so we cleaned up and decided to enjoy dinner and live music in a super quirky and fun pub downtown.  The music was fantastic and we went home with full tummies and lots of energy from the lively pub atmosphere.

Sunday was much more low key, spent snoozing during power outages, daydreaming about decorating our laundry room (ha! how boring do I sound?!), and hanging with hubs before a sleepless night for the both of us.  Zzzzz......

I am gearing up for a busy week at work, followed by a weekend back in Washington celebrating a new babe and catching up with family.  Bring on the coffee!

How did you spend your weekend?