Sometimes a Pinterest Idea Actually Works!

Pinterest can be pretty hit or miss so I thought I would share something that actually worked!

I am successfully regrowing green onions.

And it was just as easy as it seems. Just put your root ends in a bit of water and they will grow back giving you a whole new bunch in a few weeks. I don't know how useful this is long term (I'll let you know if they keep it up) but it is pretty neat to see them getting bigger and bigger each day.

Ahh the power of nature. Anyone else have any Pinterest successes they want to share? The fails can be pretty hilarious but I like it even better when it actually works!

Cheers!

Blogging Station

Blogging tends to get difficult if your computer gets relocated. And then not plugged in...

Why yes, that is my dining room table in the living room.

 So many things are in half states around here that I haven't had much time to get anything written down or photographed (funny how that tends to take more time than some projects isn't it?) but I should have some progress for you on some front this week.

I did have a great weekend though! Young House Love was on the West Coast for their book signing so I went major stalker on them and went to both their Tacoma and Portland talks. Yes, I am that person. I also tore up the carpet in the guest bedroom. You'll get a reveal on that later but let's just say, it wasn't the best news ever. That's why we have Plan B right?

Cheers!

Preparing

It is starting to be a trend people. I don't know what it is, but there is just something about January that makes me want to tear something apart- house wise that is. We are finalizing plans and getting contractors lined up but one thing is ready-Me! 

This year we are focusing on getting the down stairs remodeled- including refinishing the hardwoods (hidden under some truly nasty carpeting) and gutting our second bath. 

Sorry future guests, this is the current state of our guest bedroom. 

Notice I haven't even begun to remove the carpet? That's because I had a few other projects I wanted to start and ugly carpet makes a great drop cloth (and sawing station). Hey, it's cold outside and I don't have a garage. 

Those beautiful doors are for a project upstairs so once they are done the real ripping begins. I've got fingers crossed the flooring is in good shape under there, otherwise it will have to be plan B. 

Who else gets the remodel itch during the winter? Maybe it is just being cooped up that makes me want to tear the walls down.

Cheers!

DIY House Numbers

I pinned this post about lettering wood months ago with no purpose in mind. So it sat there. Waiting for some inspiration. Then I got it! We need numbers on our front door! Ta-Da!

Before our recent tree removal finding the house was a bit of a pain. You could never really tell what the address was with all of the trees obscuring the view from the street. Now that it is open, I wanted to change that.

Jamie's tutorial was super easy to follow. Just print out what you want to letter and tape it to whatever you want.

I used Algerian font type at 400pts. The tracing was actually the hardest part. My door was not soft, nor smooth so my pencil skipped all over the place. Don't worry though, it is mostly a guide line of sorts. The whole project probably took me 2-3 hours and two coats of black paint.

Not the smoothest but I still like the over all look of the hand lettering.

Here's the door, unadorned.

And adorned.

The only downside? If I want to change the door color I'll have to repaint my numbers. Here's to hoping I don't get tired of my door any time soon.

Anyone else try there hand at hand lettering? Michelle over at Decor and the Dog made a super neat sign/ resolution reminder which I love!

Cheers!

Viva la Paris!

Daniel and I prefer trips to presents, so for this Christmas we took ourselves to Paris for New Years. As hinted, it was amazing! We took very few pictures and did very few touristy things but instead, opted to live our 11 days there as if we were at home. We rented the cutest apartment ever in the center of the city (vrbo.com rocks!)

It was a classic Parisian studio with 300 year old beams and a beautiful view.

Most days consisted of wandering the city and seeing the sights. Of course we did the usual. Notre Dame

Daniel was particularly enamored with the crypts and relics. 

Eww finger bones...

 The Louvre was fantastic

On our one sunny day

 Our one mission this trip was to find a particular picture in the Louvre that I saw while I was with my mother back in 2001. Mission accomplished.

Yes that is me looking slightly travel worn pointing to a Capybara. They are the ROUSes of the real world.

I always love the view from the tops of monuments.

The Eiffel Tower was impressive.

 But the best thing about our trip was the evenings. Every afternoon we wandered back towards home and stopped by "our street".

 Nothing particularly special about it from the outside, but as you wandered down it was full of anything and everything. Pastries, bread, wine, cheese.

How can you not want to just bite there little heads off?

It was just the perfect street. So that was our ritual. Sight-see and then pretend we lived there for the evening. So there it is, my perfect Parisian adventure.

My advice to you if you are planning a trip to Paris any time soon:

1. Rent an apartment. Vbro.com is great but there are a lot of options out there. It is wonderful to have a kitchen (and it keeps the cost down) and we made sure to have a washer and dryer which meant packing for 4 days instead of 11. 
2. Give yourself time. It would have been a lot less fun if we were trying to do this trip in a week or less. I figure 10 days is a minimum (but if you have less, it is still worth it!)
3. Buy a museum pass. This was such a life saver. You have access to basically all of the major museums and monuments for free. It costs a bit up front (around 100$ for a 6 day pass) but in most cases you get to jump the line which can save you hours of waiting around to see things. As long as you are up for at least one museum or monument a day it pays for itself.   
4. Fly non-stop. This was the best. Surprisingly it didn't cost any more (Delta flies direct from Seattle) and I would probably be willing to pay a bit more even if it did. You are just a happier person if you get even the opportunity to sleep. 

Anyone else have good travel tips? We are pretty good travelers but I still learn something new every trip.

Cheers!

Here We Go 2013!

What can I say? Between Blogger issues, holidays, and work I have fallen off the blogging bandwagon. I'm not ashamed. Life has been pretty great to me and this year is looking better than ever.

I thought it would be fun to take a quick look back at my resolutions from last year and see how I fared.

1. Be better with our budget. Not too shabby. We hit all of our savings goals as well as taking a few fun trips. I say it is working out just fine. 

2. Be a better house keeper. Eh. Not so much. Though with the addition of the iRobot Daniel got me for my birthday the house is getting vacuumed regularly. So I'll file this in the to work on list. 

3. See more of Seattle and greater WA. Total and utter fail. **sigh** But I do have plans to head on down to Portland at the end of the month for the Young House Love book signing so we are working on this one!

4. Exercise outside more.  I nailed this one. My half marathon behind me and a 4 day a week running schedule has left me happy and pleasantly fit. Go me!

5. Take it one thing at a time. I'm calling this one a draw. I do have a few unfinished projects around here but by and large I've done a decent job with follow through.

6. Quit stressing.  I'm totally calling a win on this one. I managed to get through Christmas with the in Laws without worrying about the half finished art or not even started bathroom remodel.  Here's to hoping I can keep it going through the new year. 

So what has everyone else been up to? I've been remiss in my blog reading as much as my writing. Though the last few weeks I think I had a pretty good excuse.

Cheers!