Get In My Yard

Did I ever tell you the story about how we came to own The Lake House?

Long before it ever came on the market, I used to tell Andrew I wanted us to buy it.  As in, all the time, every other day, on and on and on.  It kind of inspired me.  We'd walk by it several times a week (at least), and each time I'd launch into a discourse about how the location was perfect but the exterior, while meticulously maintained, screamed of a home that needed personality.  And, miraculous coincidence, I thought I had some extra lying around.  It was fate, I told him.  This house needed me.  Don't fight the feeling.  And on and on and on.

This continued for about a year.

Well.  It turned out that there actually was a bit of serendipity involved.  One day, out of the blue, a sign popped up in the yard.  (For around a million bucks.)

And then... nothing.

At the time we were making offers on other properties.  We even went to paper with two.  But one way or another, everything eventually fell through.

Fast forward another nine months, about four hundred thousand dollars of price drops, two friendly accidental encounters with the owners, three offers, two counter offers, one heartfelt email, and one bun in the oven later, and BOOM.  This is what it looked like just before we went to contract on it.

All of that to say that this is where we're at today.

Same.

After all of my jabbering, we have yet to do anything remarkable to the front of this place.

Which, to be honest, hasn't really bothered me.  I'll admit we've had other priorities.  (And in my lame defense, I did manage this, this, this, and this.)

But with summer in full swing, and those obscenely ginormous and unstructured bougainvilleas staring me in the face every single time I pull into the drive, it's not really working for me anymore.  I'm thinking super tall palm trees and black and cream striped awnings and functional chunky wood shutters and pots of tiny white roses and a window box billowing with green.  Basically, all of this.  The main reason we haven't really touched the front, aside from obvious distractions (razzleberries anyone?), is because we'll be relocating all of that landscape on the right side forward six-ish feet and making a small patio adjacent from (what will be) the future dining room.  When we get to the dining room.  You know, dominoes, and all that.

So.

If I narrow down the thing that's most irking me, with everything in full bloom, it's easily those beastly purple bushes.  Out of control.  Messy looking.  And they block our views.

But look at this.  It's our neighbor's entrance, as nabbed from the MLS.  See the palms?

These are what I have in mind.  Three of them, exactly those sizes.

GET. IN. MY. YARD.

p.s.  After disappearing for a couple of weeks, we'd kind of suspected that maybe a boat full of crossbows had gotten the best of our Gary.  Nope.  

p.p.s.  He likes to play Kissyface lately.  Best thing that has happened in my life ever.

Life Moves Pretty Fast

Where do I begin?

I turned thirty four.  The boys gave me a silver locket from the 1930s which I adore.  I love them.



Aston turned one.  We flew up to Indiana for his big day and spent the weekend with Andrew's parents, grandmother, Aunt, sister, and brother-in-law.  I don't think Andrew's mother ever runs out of patience or energy with Aston.  Your heart gets all squishybishyooshygooshy watching them together.

And he loves his Uncle Danny and Aunt Rachel.



Unfortunately, while we were visiting he came down with a 102.9 degree fever, and we ended up in the Emergency Room at Kosair Children's Hospital.  It was scary, but it turns out high fevers are only remarkable if your child appears to be dead. (Seriously.)  Since he was swinging from the crib, running circles around the doctor, and hurling his shoes across the room, he didn't fit that criteria.  Apparently.

What else?

Bought new running sunglasses, because I left my Maui Jim's at the Marriott in Aruba.  Oakley Frogskins, one pair tortoise and one matte black.  We walked into an Oakley store at the mall (with Aston) and all the saleskid had to do was break off the arms of a pair and show how they could be reattached.  Bam.  Sold.



What else?



Aston and I are taking a swim class.  He went under water for the first time on Thursday.  That and the fact that he hasn't pooped in the pool yet basically means success, I think.

Oh, and there was another trip to the zoo.  This time there was no crying when the peacocks got too close.  Progress.

In house news, we scored one of these for the living room.  No words.  I love it.

Speaking of scores, I've been on the hunt for a J. Crew Mini Link Bracelet for a while now.  They're sold out ev.er.y.where.  Andrew had our jeweler make one from a vintage sterling (gold plated) necklace that came in, and it's so pretty.  Lame word, but really.  Pretty.

I wore it last weekend to the wedding of some good friends.  It was in Abaco and it was stunning.



I could have stayed there forever.

Except that Aston sliced his finger right before the ceremony and we ended up with a Freddy Krueger blood bath in our cottage.

Anyway.  More soon.




p.s. We've been forced to retire the GoPod.

Food + Other Stuff

Oh hey.  Hello.  How are you?

I have approximately an eighth of a second to write this while Aston chews Andy up and spits him down the stairs, so I'll try to make this quick.

Let's see?  What's new?

Andrew surprised me with this Banana Republic tote (in Cognac, no idea why that option isn't showing up anymore?), and I love it.  I don't do diaper bags, so this is perfect for our upcoming travel.  In a pinch it's large enough to drop over my head and pretend that I don't own the child who is trying to eat his own foot, the one who just threw his shoe at your head.

The one with good aim.

So, yeah, Aston is still a maniac.  Yesterday he figured out how to get through two (closed) pocket doors and one (closed) exterior door in less than thirty seconds.  I know this, because that's how long I had the microwave set for, and when I turned around from doing dishes to shut off the beeping, he was gone from my secure and completely childproof Attica.  I found him outside sitting on our back stoop next to one of the dogs clutching a sock monkey.  Totally true story.

Also?  His a girlfriend's middle name is Danger.  (I know.  I wish I'd thought of it first, too.)

Also?  I may or may not have dropped gum in his hair at the playground in front of a mothers group of no less than thirty women and had to have it cut out with a pocket knife.

Also?  He makes up for being a complete and total terrorist by charming the eyeballs right out of my head which is probably why I let him do pull ups on my ponytail and use my face as a personal climbing gym.  He is heaven that way.  Proof:

-He bites my butt (yes, you read right) while I'm doing pushups and runs away, and when I catch him he razzleberries my face.
-He high fives the dog and says "Doog God!  Doog God!"
-He has this little half smiley smirk thing he does that is just.

ir.
re.
sistible.

I blame his dad.

What else?  There is an alligator in our lake.  His name is Rupert.  Kidding.  Of course not.  His name is Gary.  Gary The Gator.  (I'm not the brains behind that originality.)  He's about five feet long, and so far he has not found his way into our yard.  I'll let you know if or when that changes.  We'll go with if.  Let's just call it an if.

Anyway, on the subject of seafood, I made this rice the other day.  It was delicious.




It's kind of a pain, but worth the effort.  Trust.


Spanish Rice With Seafood

1 lemon, halved
2 artichokes
1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 3 inch pieces
9 clams
9 mussels
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup short grain rice
1/2 cup long grain rice
1/2 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup chicken broth
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch thick strips

Squeeze juice from one lemon half into a bowl of cold water.  Cut off and discard stems from the artichokes and cut off the top inch and a half of leaves.  Bend back outer leaves until they snap off.  Keep discarding layers of leaves until they are pale green at the top and yellow at the base.  Trim dark green fibrous parts from base and sides, then quarter artichoke lengthwise.  Rub cut surfaces with other lemon half and drop artichokes into water.

Bring a large pot of salter water to a boil and simmer fresh artichokes for eleven minutes.  Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.  When cool enough to handle, scoop out choke with a spoon.

Cook beans in same pot of boiling salted water for four minutes.  Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold running water to stop cooking.  Pat dry.

Cook clams and mussels in wine in a large pot over medium high heat, covered, stirring occasionally, for about seven minutes, checking after four minutes and transferring to a bowl as they open.  Keep covered.  Discard any that haven't opened after eight minutes.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat three quarters a tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium high heat until hot.  Brown chicken well all over for fifteen minutes.  Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate.

Preheat oven to four hundred degrees.

Cook onion in three quarters a tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat, stirring, for six minutes.  Add garlic and paprika and cook two more minutes.  Add rice and cook, stirring, for one minute, then stir in tomatoes.

Add one cup of water, chicken broth, and chicken and bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil, gently stirring and rotating the pan for fifteen minutes, or until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.

Remove the pan from heat and tuck clams and mussels into the rice.  Transfer to a glass dish and put in the oven for ten minutes.

While it's baking heat a half a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute bell peppers for five minutes.  Add green beans and artichokes and saute until just heated through.  Season with salt and pepper.

Pull rice from the oven and tuck vegetables in.  Let stand about ten minutes before serving.


Well, I think that's it for now.  Working on some preliminary design for two of our bathrooms, but honestly I've been too overwhelmed to share.  (And omg The Kitchen.  Don't even.  Just do not.)  But our Guest Bedroom is nearly complete so check back for that Before + After sometime in the next week.  Or so.  Maybe typing it out will make me do it faster.

Okay.  Bye 'til then.

A Few Things I'm Eating Up At The Moment

Unexpected blue.  Contemplating.

Ride or die.

Aston's tootsies in these.

This underpaid assistant.

I'm recording this and this.

I'm reading this.

I just bought these wedges.

This big boy slide.  I can't get enough.

Plotting.  Weekend home on the beach.

This and this in my mouth.

Heading here.  Bringing this.  (And those boys.)

Just Your Everyday Superhero Running Around Without Pants On

Baby Days

Yes, I am still alive.  I know.  I'm surprised, too.  Aston turned eleven months old yesterday. 

It's flown.  It's cliche and annoying to say that.  And it's one hundred percent true.






He's a lunatic.  Scary bright and First Blood dangerous.  He rides the vacuum cleaner.  He pulls down my pants and then runs across the room.  He eats books.  He stuffs shredded wheat down his dipe.  He climbs dressers.  He climbs beds.  He climbs curtains.  He flushes toilets.  He throws shoes.  He has entire conversations in (what is obviously) Swahili. 

Oh, and yesterday he swallowed part of his carseat handle and I had to call poison control. 

Basically he's perfect.  Seriously.  Love him to bitsies. 



p.s.  Someone asked me what to buy for baby.  I'm not sure if any of you actually read these types of lists, but I figured whatthehey.  So here it is, copied from my email...

here's what i can highly recommend and what i couldn't have lived without:

-bumgenius snap adjustable diapers

-fisher price my little lamb cradle swing (visually atrocious, but the kid LOVES the thing)

-calm baby dvd

-graco snugride (another ugly, but it's safe, cheap, and fits into our stroller)

-bob ironman stroller with carseat adapter (important if you want to take them out when they're under six months)

-baby oil and vaseline (i use both on his tush after every number two and we have yet to get dipe rash)

-medela tender care lanolin (a MUST if you're breastfeeding... no brand substitute will do)

-breast pads

-lilypadz reusable shields

-gabrialla wraps (i could not have survived without these bindings)

-gopod

-boba carrier

-a decent video camera

-sophie the giraffe (andrew made fun of me for insisting, but it works!)

-outlet safety covers

-a photographer who covered the actual birth

-baby blankets (so many uses)

here's what everyone swore we would need that we didn't use:

-pacifiers and bottles

-wipe warmer

-mittens to prevent face scratching (we used socks)

-swaddle blankets

-plastic bathtub

-changing table

-high chair

here are a some other things we bought that we like a lot, but are nonessential:

-bloom coco baby bouncer

-raspberry teething pacifier

-instruments; rattles, pianos, xylophones, drums

-huge plastic balls

-puppets

-plum organic pouches

 

-4moms breeze playard

Before + After: The Lake House: Studio Slash Playroom

Oh look. Another yellow room. 






























I've been working on it.

It basically serves as a creative space for me and the kiddo.  Andrew found me this perfect dresser for Valentine's Day, and after hauling it up three flights of stairs I decided this room was finished enough to take some photos.

I'm still contemplating adding a climbing rope for Aston.  We'll see.