Bottle opener install

The coolest thing I have installed in our house so far....why didn't I do this sooner?!

In today's edition of "The Adventures of Abby-Cat..."

Abby has destroyed her favorite toy, the Havoc Heli. This is why cats can't have nice things.

Life's little changes...

There have been a LOT of changes for Henry and I over the past year. We moved into our new house, finished fixing up and rented out our old one, took a cross-country road trip, went to Japan for the 3rd time, left our jobs, got new ones, got engaged, and then took off to Europe to get married. Whew! And those are just the major things. But anyways, things are finally settling down for us, and I look forward to having more time to update this blog. It's setting up to be an AMAZING year and I can't wait to share my adventures!

Screw the Super Bowl...Let's head to the beach!

So, its Super Bowl Sunday. And since neither Henry or I watch football, AND it was a nice dry day, we decided to head out to the beach! We chose one of our favorites, Roosevelt Beach. We "tailgated" with homemade sandwiches and a Thermos full of hot soup while playing Chuck-it with Buster (his favorite thing!) The pups had a blast running around (as always) and thankfully, now that we have our little truck, we don't need to worry about sandy paws in the Subaru anymore.

A day like this is a reminder of why we love living here...on a nice day, we can head to the coast on a whim, and its likely to be completely deserted. It's just our little family and endless miles of sand!

Budget Kitchen "Remodel"

We just completed a very simple remodel on the kitchen in our bungalow. Because money is tight for us right now, we decided to simply refresh the kitchen with new paint, knobs, sink, and appliances instead of making any big changes. Ultimately, I would like to live with the kitchen for a little while before making any big decisions such as adding more cabinetry or moving fixtures.

Here is what we did:

*Split one large window into two new ones, for more of a craftsman look. Added new moldings to blend with the old ones.

*Replaced an old gray dented up baseboard heater with a new white one.

*Replaced shiny brass cabinet handles with satin nickel knobs and pulls.

*Painted walls, trim, and cabinetry all the same color. This room is small and dark, so I was hoping this would make it seem bigger and brighter. Color is Pure White by Sherwin Williams.

*Replaced a shallow stainless steel sink and leaking faucet with a cast iron sink and new faucet. The sink, with faucet, was only $15 at the Olympia ReStore. Also fixed leaking plumbing lines under sink.

*Replaced fluorescent "shop-grade" ceiling light with brushed nickel fixture.

*Fridge is a Kenmore Pro model that was on clearance at Sears. We needed a counter-depth model, and this was the only one we were able to find that would work for us. We will have a pantry and chest freezer in the room right next to the kitchen, which also serves as our laundry room. This is kind of a weird arrangement, but the only option we could decide on that would run us less than $1000. (Why are counter depth units so darned expensive anyways, when they are technically smaller?!)

Anyways, it still needs more work, and yes I put a cover over that sink vent hole after the pictures were taken. But otherwise we will "make do" for now until we decide exactly how we want to tackle the rest of the renovations.

New Windows!

This weekend our friend, Nick, finished installing all but one of our brand new windows.

While I would have loved to keep the old wood windows, several of them had been replaced with plain picture windows and sourcing salvage windows to match the originals would be next to impossible. So, we went with new energy-efficient vinyl windows that LOOK like wood windows, thanks to grids installed on the inside and outside of the glass that replicate the look of true window muntins. The new windows help preserve the original look of the house, but won't need constant painting and maintenance. Plus, a nice little tax credit offered by Uncle Sam helped sweeten the deal.

One of the highlights of this project was converting the large picture window in the front of the house back to 3 seperate double hung windows. Nick did a wonderful job re-framing this particular set of windows, and after a coat of paint everything will look seamless.

Here are some photos of the new windows:

Sidelights in foyer:
New set of windows, replaced one large picture window:
The framing being built for the front window:
Dining room window, which is the same as the front window:

Bathroom inspiration, courtesy of Seabrook

The bathroom gut & remodel is currently under way. We decided on doing a traditional craftsman-inspired look that I am really excited about. We ordered a beautiful pedestal sink, a vintage-style latched medicine cabinet, and white porcelain "oct & dot" mosaic floor tile, which are all waiting to be installed. We also plan to add a heated flooring system under the tile & beadboard wainscoting on the walls, and install white subway tile in the bath.

The project is slowly coming along. After another demo day at the bungalow, this is what our bathroom currently looks like (YIKES!):
We recently toured a model home at Seabrook, and took a few photos of the bathrooms in the home to serve as inspiration. Isn't it amazing that these bathrooms are in NEW homes? They would look equally appropriate in a nearly 100-year-old bungalow.

Master bathroom with twin pedestal sinks & craftsman-style latched medicine cabinets:

Another view:
A half-bath in the same home, love the wainscoting:
Ceramic hex tile floors, for a vintage early-1900's touch:


Subway tile in the shower, and craftsman-style door casing:

Another bathroom in the same home:
And yet ANOTHER bathroom, this one is part of the carriage house/garage. Funny....we bought that EXACT same pedestal sink & medicine cabinet for our remodel...they must shop at Lowe's!