This Old House - The Reveal

The Painters are done! Click here for The Before.

And now I proudly present...

The After:

And one moment of abject panic when I prayed that these guys were as good as their word:

And (thank you, God), they were.

Next on the agenda? Onward and upward. Apparently, we need a new roof...

This Old House

We moved into our house in September of 2002. I was seven months pregnant. Our house was what most first time home buyers search for and sometimes get, if they're lucky. A house with good bones in a great neighborhood. What we also got was a total of two feet of counter space, an original 1930s bathroom, old hardwood covered by meh carpeting, and wallpaper you'd have to see to believe.

Since that time, we've enlarged and redone the kitchen and bathroom, refinished all the hardwood, built out a playroom in the basement, replaced all the windows, and stripped, painted, and painted (and painted) walls, woodwork, and ceilings.

Oh, and we also found time to have two babies, change jobs, become a SAHM, and all the other things my addled brain can't recall just now.

I think I made this list mostly to remind myself how far we've come. And to justify the pictures I'm about to show you. We've been busy! But now that the inside is done-ish and because the prospect of rotting wood has made our next step far from just cosmetic, we're getting around to painting the outside of the house! Without further ado, I present...

THE BEFORE:

Our current color is dandruff white. We're going for a taupe with bright white trim, and black accents (doors, wrought iron railings, mailbox, etc.). Now all I have to do is settle on which taupe...
Suggestions anyone??

Apropos of Nothing

Daddy: Boys, do you want something to drink?

HRH: Orange juice, with ice, no water, no mix.

MM: HRH, you'll make yourself a fine Starbucks patron some day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the backseat:

Gremlin: This is why the Grinch stole Christmas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Andy: Are you planning on bringing your laptop to Disney?

MM: I was considering it. What do you think?

Andy: Well, you tend not to care about people when you're with the laptop.

MM: No, you've got it all wrong. I care about lots of people when I'm on the laptop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And with that, I bid you all a fond adieu until next week.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday - The Dirty Little Snowman Edition

He's been around ever since I can remember. He's survived a basement flood, broken hangers, poor packing, and years of loving abuse.

I kidnapped my dirty little snowman from my Mom's when I moved into my own place. He's the first ornament to adorn the tree each year. The boys know he's special and why.

He's part of my Christmas magic.

The Upside...

...Of Six Weeks of Rain