Summer Days

It was a hectic summer - and my camera has been on perpetual back log but I did manage over the last few evening to process some photos of the girls from summer. Bean is getting harder and harder to wrestle down for pictures - she wants nothing to do with me and my camera anymore - I count myself lucky to have snagged the few that I did. Now if I can only get them together.... 

Love is a journey

Dear Eric,
Today is Valentine's Day - our fourth together. I know that for the most part, we don't elaborately celebrate this holiday, but this year I wanted to take a moment to let you know how much I love and appreciate you. There are not enough words for me to adequately express to you how happy I am to wake up to you and our little family everyday. Sure, some days are hectic, chaotic, exhausting and grumpy - but I wouldn't trade one moment of the craziest day for anything else in the world. There are moments, when we are all sitting together, that I just pause to give myself a reality check that this is all mine. I look at the life and family we have built together and smile at how lucky we are - how blessed we have been - even through the roughest of times.

I smile every time I think about the first moment I met you - or more correctly - the first time I saw you, since it would be a couple of months until we had an actual conversation. You were just a head popping over the shoulder of an old high school friend at a bar. I remember thinking to myself "Who is that really cute guy?". It took me a few weeks to slyly find out your name.

I will never forget our first real conversation. You nonchalantly came up to me a few months later and asked me how many commandments I had broken. It was one of the most original conversation starters I have ever heard. I don't believe most romances start off with the battle ground topic of religion and the Old Testament - but looking back, and I may not have known it then, but I fell a little bit in love you that night.

You brought me Milk Duds at a barbeque because you knew I adored them and then asked me out for dinner. I was incredibly nervous about our first date; I bought two new outfits and considered canceling about six times. I liked you, not only in a crush-kinda-way, but in a I-really-like-being-around-this- person-and-I-would-hate-a-failed-attempt-at-romance-to-ruin-that-way. I'm so happy I didn't.

Our first date was perfect. We just fell into comfortable conversation, as though we were two separated old souls that had finally found each other once again. After that first dinner, walking down the sidewalk, you put your arm around my shoulders as though I was already yours and you, mine. I love how nervous you were to kiss me goodnight. I love that goodnight kiss. I love that you called me the next day and most every day after that.

I love so many things about you. I love the way you make me laugh after I have had a rough day. I love that you encourage me to challenge myself and to take leaps. I love that you embrace the ridiculous and help find and create humor in our every day. I love that every night you have a "bedtime snack"of cookies or a whoopie pie, even while you claim to not have a sweet tooth. I love your sense of adventure in trying new things - whether they be new foods or a desire to explore new corners of our neighborhood, country or foreign land. I love your appreciation of art and music.

I love the way you are not afraid to be silly with Sophie and Violet - wearing pink feather boas and princess tiaras. I love watching you snuggle with Violet while reading her bedtime stories. I love the way you help Sophie with her homework or run outside with her in the cold to so she can watch a space station pass overhead. I love the way you love both our girls. I love the way you love me.

I was looking through our "old fashioned" photo album the other day. It is sadly (and ironically) lacking in actual photos, but I have saved little pieces of our collected history in the pockets. Old ticket stubs from movies, football games, concerts, Parisian business cards from cafés we ate at on our honeymoon... you know me, I hate clutter and holding on to things, but these "things" I could not bear to part with. There are too many now to fit in the pockets of that album - the glued seams have started to spilt. I will have to find a pretty little box to store them in. One day, I will find that box has become so full of memories, that we will need yet another box. I look forward to endless adventures with you - what ever they may be - and filling lots and lots of memory boxes with you. Some may be more exciting than others, but they will all be with you. I look forward to watching our children grow up and in turn, growing old with you. These thoughts are bliss.

There is an invisible thread that binds us together - not only our hearts, but our souls.

Happy Valentine's Day, my husband.

I love you.

~Amber


{Original artwork by Susannah Tucker}

the cobbler's kid and all that jazz

Growing up, if you looked around my house, you would have noticed quite a few junction boxes in the wall with a lonely cable wire moping around. Or wires poking out of the sheet rock near the ceiling where speakers should be. Yes. I grew up in the house of a master electrician - and as the saying "The cobbler's kids have no shoes" rang true in my parents house in terms of electrical work - it rings true in the Jodoin house in terms of family photos.

I have been über busy taking family photos this fall for all sorts of families – just not my own. Oh, I have plenty of photos of the Bean, of Violet, of Violet and the Bean, of Eric,Violet and the Bean etc etc... you get the point. While there are very few photos of me with anyone (that happens when one's face is glued to the backside of the camera), there are absolutely NONE of us as a family. How could this be?!!??!

Case in point
Last December, I receive a text from my friend Katie. She wrote "I find it ironic that one of the only non-photo Christmas cards I receive is from my photographer friend." I'm pretty sure the other non-photo holiday cards were from her dentist and auto insurance guy.

I wonder if I have kept it too late? I wonder if I can take a family photo of us... or will have to recruit a photographer friends to help???!?!?! I suppose the first thing to do – is a self attempt. This is where I am thankful for remote shutters. Stay tuned for the results. I'm sure they will be....errr... well... they will be something!

Reminders to self

I will never blame others for the place I am – or am not. The actions and choices of others, while they may effect my feelings, do not define me. It is my reactions and choices that steer my direction. Period.

I am not so small in this world that I have ever seen myself as the "victim" in my life. I am wise enough to be responsible for myself.

People will hurt my feelings. They will trample on my kindness and mistake it for weakness. These people are broken. I will try not be angry with them. This is difficult to do when one has been hurt, but rather, I will pity them because they have demons to conquer and do not know any other way to be. {This one is the hardest.}

I will always be kind. I know my actions - large or small - can effect others. I will never knowingly hurt anyone else for any reason. 

People come into your life, stay and grow with you. Cherish and appreciate them. They help shape the way you see yourself.

People come into your life and people fall out of your life. Some with dramatic exits and some with quiet endings. They are fleeting visitors who leave but always impart a lesson. They also help shape the way you see yourself and how you handle yourself in the future. I will learn from them - but let them go.

I will let go of anger. It is useless to hold onto it.

I will remain silly, thoughtful, slightly weird, sometimes serious and always wonder what I will be when I grow up because I am determined to always be growing.

I will love my children more with every passing moment and cherish the nose and hand prints on the window even though I just cleaned the darned window – because one day they will move away and I will have perfectly clean windows. 

It is easy to feel alone when I am scared - even when surrounded by the largest of crowds. I will feel blessed and thankful that I have found a strong hand to hold, that won't let go, won't give up and reminds me that not only I am supported but my dreams are supported as well.

I will never forget to say "I love you" and "Thank you" – but if I do please remember that I carry your heart with me always and you have mine - even when I'm cranky and overtired.

leggings, leggings... I NEED leggings!!!

Baby leggings that is. Fall is here (YAY!!!) and Baby Violet has been demanding some awesome leggings that will make other babies jealous. Okay. I want the baby leggings. Now that the Bean is 10 years old - I am no longer allowed to dress her. In truth, Bean has been thumbs downing some of my more girly fashion suggestions for the past few years now, so I am really excited to start dressing Violet.

Not that she hasn't been dressed these past four months... it's just newborns don't look all that cute in elaborately put together outfits. For the first 3 months of her life, she was pretty much in Carter's layette wear. I like to put my babies in super soft cotton clothing so they are as comfy as possible during those first few weeks of life. But now that she has reached the ripe old age of 5 months... that girl needs shoes, to say the very least.

Stripes. Polka dots. Solids. Problem is... I'm having a hard time locating ones that I actually like. Where do all these moms find such wonderful children's clothing? Or maybe what I should be asking is if all these wonderful outfits I see on kids splashed across the internet are within normal people price points.

I follow all sorts of people pinning away outfits and accessories for their little mini me's. The thing I find is that some of the things they pin are $275 dresses and $150 tunic tops... for babies! I love me some Barney's and Lord & Taylor, but realistically they are far above my shopping comfort level. Let's admit folks - these kids are going to spit up on them and out grow them faster than anyone can mail you a credit card statement. I just can't justify spending boat loads of money on kids clothing.

I've signed up for Zulily and Haute Look, but I'm just not on top of the daily deals. Don't get me wrong - they are FANTASTIC sites and you can get some really great deals but by the time I get a chance to look at the site - anything I like in Violet (or Sophie's size if I dare) is sold out. And as luck will have it - just like when I shop at a store like TJ Maxx - I ALWAYS find the stuff that is still expensive.  I know that tiny peasant dress is 70% off retail price, but it's still $45 and while Violet's regurgitated curdled milk will appreciate the bright and colorful organic cotton – I'm not sure the Mister will.

Looks like I will be learning how to sew baby leggings. Quick! To Pinterest!

My Two Tiny Loves

Last week, the weather was particularly perfect and I took advantage of this gorgeous late summer weather to take my two girls outside and do a mini session with them. My camera had been acting up again and I had to send it back to Canon to be re-repaired; it was a good opportunity to test the AF system as well.

Violet is now 5 months old and sitting up on her own (for shorts spurts). I have to say, Sophie is the best-est big sister ever! She is such a little mommy playing with her, feeding her... although she draws the line at dirty diapers of any kind. We didn't get changed, or do hair or anything fancy. I just love and adore these two girls!

 

i am a pixel pusher

It started almost 17 years ago with graphic design... and now my obsession has grown and I am recently (re)obsessed with pixels... more specifically the sharpness of pixels in my photos. It's never enough.

I am constantly striving to improve what I have previously done... always viewing my work with a critical eye and telling myself "Ok.. you did well, but you could do better, now get to it". I get nervous - even when shooting my own kids - about finding pretty light and that and exposure just right, creating a pleasing compositions in camera, angles, catch lights... Ahhhh! It is safe to say there is a lot whirling around in my brain when the camera is stuck to my face.

Fortunately, I have a tiny little model (who cannot runaway when she sees the camera like her big sister, Bean) with me when the light is just right. While I prefer to use only natural light, but I have been know to pop a flash or use my alien bees from to time to time. From her expression in these two photos, you can see she has already learned, at her young age, to be patient with Momma when she has her camera out.

Right now - other than pushing the sharpness of photos (it's not enough!! I want more!!! I want better!!!) - I am also experimenting with different angles to take photos of the baby. As much as I like props, I seem to lean (recently) in just taking photos of baby in her natural element - whether that be in a little sundress or just her diaper chilling out on a furry rug on the living room floor. The way I see it - this little image is more real and when she is grown and perhaps has babies of her own, this is what I will remember and will make me smile when I look back.

four months old!

Happy 4 months, Violet Catherine! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by! The photo is a little grainy - but it was dusk when I took the photo so I had to push the ISO... but she was giggling so hard I just couldn't miss this little moment!

Dear Baby Blog

I simply adore adore adore this blog – Dear Baby! There is little I don't find intriguing about her style, her photography, her stories of home, family, work and play. It never fails to either inspire me or make me smile... or both. I just thought I would share it with anyone who wanders over here.

Knitting Narwhales

Narwhales are, in a word, awesome. A whale with a horn!?! Hello! They're the unicorn of the ocean... and they are real!

I just had to share my most recent score. We are trying to decorate our home with orginal pieces of art and I found this print, by Sally Harness of Sadly Harmless, on Etsy while looking for artwork for Violet's room. When we were in the condo, I hadn't really thought about nursery decor since she was sharing Sophie's room. But I wanted somethng original and not "babyish". I'm not actually sure how I stumbled on it, I call it artsy fate. 

I actually toyed with hanging it elsewhere in the apartment, but I think Violet will dream happily with sea unicorns in her room. 

Remembering Paris... oh Yeah and our one year anniversary

It seems like just yesterday that Eric and I were strolling along the river Seine, hand in hand, admiring the beauty of Paris and stopping at sidewalks bistros for a glass of wine (mmmmm... Côtes du Rhône) and some delicious French nibbles. A whole year (and 10 days) has gone by since we tied the knot and headed to Paris {with a quick stop in Iceland... more on that later}. So much has happened in such a short time! 

On top of getting married and traveling to Europe, we took the Bean to New York City to visit a friend and have a family adventure and where we informed her, much to her delight, that she was going to be a big sister ("I've waited my whole life to be a big sister!!!"), welcomed little Violet to the world, turned our condo into a investment property and moved to a new place. 

To some it may seem like a lot and to others... not much at all. But whatever it is... big or small... it has been one of the best years of my life. I am so lucky to be able to share it with Eric who is my best friend, soul mate and a wonderful father to both our girls. Even though we celebrated our anniversary with a quiet dinner and enjoyed some much needed grown up time together, I just thought I would share a little post to once again (and a tiny bit belated) wish my husband a happy anniversary. Year one was spectacular – I expect nothing less from every year to come.

Pouf!

Pouf! Pouf pouf!! Besides being really fun to say - I am in 'adore' with poufs. What a great way to add stylish extra seating or a spot relax those tired toes while hunkering down for movie night with the hubby.

I love the way they can add a pop of color and and element of texture to a room without being overwhelming. My goal in decorating our new home is to make it well designed, yet inviting place where our family and friends can just sink in and be cozy, rather than feel as though there are 'No Touch' signs all over the place... plus, we have kids so 'elegance' has to also be durable.

I saw a home tour on Apartment Therapy not to long ago and started noticing them. It got me thinking about how I could utilize them in our new space. We have a side console table in the dining room that has lots of open airy space underneath. I like the idea that I could easily tuck these away under the table and still maintain a well designed look AND add that splash of color I mentioned. I tend to lean towards very clean lines when I am looking at furnishings. I need to remember to add some softer elements to keep from creating too many harsh edges. Not being the traditional cube ottoman (which is what we have now), these poufs create a more interesting white space.

The coral rope pouf above is from Target and is reasonably priced at just $56 smackers. Sure, they come in lots of shapes, fabrics – leather, cotton, velvet, patterned or plain – but something about this woven/knitted look just makes me smile. It just oozes a casual and comfortable lifestyle while still holding on to a bit of elegance.

Home sweet corrugated labyrinth

The wine was packed by the chimney with care...

The move is complete! Well... 98% complete. We still have some odds and ends laying around the condo that have yet to make it over, plus the cleaning and touch ups at the condo for our tenants in a few weeks. What baffles me is this: How did we accumulate SO MUCH STUFF?!?! I swear we must be the Tetris experts of closet filling! Not to mention... why when you move, you have a boat load of stuff you no longer want or need, but you go out an buy new stuff??!?

The kids are packed!

We made a couple trips over with boxes of breakables earlier last week before the big move day on Saturday. We still managed to fill up one box truck, one pickup truck, one SUV and two cars... PLUS another 2-3 trips with the car. I know dear, sweet Eric might blame my shoes - but I am pretty sure it wasn't just me (the man has quite a wardrobe these days himself). Who knew we could jam so many kitchen accoutrements and serving dishes into our tiny condo kitchen?!?! Books galore filled box after (heavy) box. Legos and barbies and board games...oh my!

While navigating our dining room was quite the challenge - finding simple necessities, like toilet paper, took on frantic search-and-rescue-like efforts (which were much appreciated by the Bean who then left us to enjoy a weekend at the beach in Maine).

There have been a few late nights unpacking and organizing - and one run to IKEA already to help with said organization. Five days later, it's starting to resemble a home rather than a jungle of boxes, newsprint and bubble wrap. We are still waiting for our internet services to be transferred over - something about a bad line or what not - but I say "Let the decorating and memory making begin!".

And lastly, a big... no a HUGE THANK YOU to herculean efforts family and friends who helped out in 90°+ heat... pizza and beer is surely not enough. You know who you are and we owe a move... please don't be like us and pick July.

The Hunt for Clean Laundry

(or how I found a washer & dryer)

For the last four years, I have shared a laundry facility with my 11 other neighbors. Located one floor down, I have lugged basket after hamper of soiled under and over things - paying through the nose for each precious wash and dry. True, it is more convenient than having to drive it to a laundromat, but it's just not the same as having my own washer and dryer. With this upcoming move, comes a brand spanking new laundry room right off the kitchen. I can not express how besides myself with glee I am. (This has also proven to be a good indicator of my age as I do not remember getting excited about laundry at any other point in my life.)

Step #1: Brand Spanking New Washers and Dryers
Like any excited wash woman, I started looking at washer and dryer sets at the usual locations – Sears, Best Buy, Lowes – and I was surprised to find how much prices had gone up since I had bought my last set a decade ago. A lower end set starts at about $800. Wow! It's so basic that, besides having only 3 wash cycles, I am pretty sure I have to generate my electricity. Plus, I don't want a cheap, low end set meaning anything of reasonable quality was going to cost upwards of a grand. If I'm going to spend that kind of money, then I might as well go with high end, pretty colored sets - but I'm just not ready to do that yet for various reasons.

If you can't afford it - don't buy it.
As I have mentioned, we are renting our new digs as we establish some rental history in the condo we own. It also buys us time to decide where we want to actually purchase a house. Seeing as I have owned and sold two houses and currently own a condo, I would like for the next purchase to be a little more final. Not knowing where we will be living – in say five years – the last thing I want to do is invest in any expensive appliances. And since we are not the kind of folks fooled into taking out 10 year auto loans on used vehicles or those no interest/no payments for 6 months deals, we started talking about alternative options.

Step #2: Craig's List
My friends, Nikki and John, find the most amazing things on Craig's List. Their home has character, charm and comfort – it's what I strive for in ours. I remembered they had found an amazing espresso machine on Craig's List for a fraction of the retail price. I thought this would be a good starting point to finding a used washer and dryer set at a bargain price.

JACKPOT! There were so many listings for seemingly fantastic sets in great working order. My enthusiasm knew no bounds. I emailed a few people who posted and waited for a response. And waited...... and waited....

Nothing. Did they not want to sell these sets? Had they all been scooped up?

I tried again. This time even contacting folks who couldn't bother to upload a photo. In these emails, I asked for a photo (some of the listings that *did* have photos showed sets that must have been 20+ years old - hello Lady Kenmores!). The one response back I did get back couldn't send photos. This didn't feel right. In this day and age of digital - everyone could take and send a quick pic! I started thinking to myself that perhaps this was a warning from the universe - a cosmic red flag, if you will. If I bought a set off of Craig's list and the set failed, there was not recourse for us. There's nothing more sad than an Amber standing in a pile of dirty laundry, holding a detergent bottle and peering into a broken washing machine. Well, ok... maybe there is, but you get my point. This brought me to step 3.

Step #3: Used Appliance Stores (aka My Foray into Rent-A-Center)
When I was living in Austin, I shared a laundry facility with the whole apartment complex. More than once, I found someone else's laundry in my dryer. People were to cheap to pay the .75¢ a dryer and would sneak it in – leaving my clothes damp. I found a rental place that would also offer used, refurbished sets that they would warranty for a fraction of new sets. So I thought to myself perhaps I could find a similar place here. Now Austin is a HUGE college town – so there are many options for rental and used appliances. Manchester... not so much.

I was headed to the liquor store at lunch the other day to pick up boxes when I noticed a Rent-A-Center. Remembering the small shop in Austin, I thought that maybe they might offer the same deals on used washers and dryer.

While they offer used sets for sale – they do not refurbish or service their machines and they do not offer warranties.

Well, that seems like an even WORSE idea then buying blindly fro Craig's List. Without servicing sets and no warranty... geez. Who knows what kind of abuse those machines have been through and how long they will last... or (THE HORROR) what's creeping around inside of them. **shiver**

Step #4: Back to Craig's List
Figuring that it was better to play the odds on a used set through Craig's List, I once again checked the listings. Low and behold what do I find?!?!?!?


"LIKE NEW WASHER /DRYER SETS
WHY BUY NEW WHEN I HAVE QUAILITY PREOWNED WASHER/DRYER SETS MANY MAKES AND MODELS SO DON'T BUY FROM SOMEONE THAT CAN'T GUARANTEE WHAT THERE SELLING ALL SETS HAVE A 90 DAY WARRANTY SETS START AT 325.00 TO 400.00 ALL SETS ARE PULLED APART CLEANED AND INSPECTED STACK UNITS FROM 450.00,TO 500.00.DELIVERY AVAILABLE"


THIS I what I was looking for! A (somewhat) local business (that's been around for 30 years) that offered used, but refurbished sets and had a warranty to back their work! PLUS, they deliver. We found a nice Whirlpool set for $400 that if we went to Sears and bought new would cost us well over that! At the level of washer/dryer we were looking at – a couple steps above basic – let's face it, those sets are like cars... they lose value the second you bring them home. Why pay full price? Why get spanked with interest?

People pay mad amounts of money and are willing to pauper themselves for such silly things. How many washers and dryers do you see at friends homes? Do you care what they are? So what if it's used – it's going to clean my clothes just fine and is still better than a laundromat. I can wait until I am in my "final house" before spending money a high end washer and dryer. To me, it just makes financial sense right now.

UPDATE #1:
The set arrived today and was installed and I am impressed. They look brand new and the washer even has a hand wash /delicates cycle. Woot woot!

Welcome Violet Catherine... and New Digs

Violet Catherine has finally arrived! Well, she arrived 11 weeks ago - but this mom has been super busy readjusting to life with a new baby and maintaining the schedule of a 9 1/2 year old!

Ya ya – there is a HUGE gap in this post and my last. One reason is, I was waiting for Violet's arrival before unveiling the name of my new blog as we were keeping her name hush hush. The other reason is, I had forgotten how much work newborns are and didn't get to do a fraction of the things I thought I was going to be able to get done.

In my pink hazy memory, I remember the Bean easing right into a sleep schedule and my easily cleaning the house and preparing meals. Either Mother Nature rose colored the bejeezus out of my memory or I had truly forgotten all the work involved in getting to that infant eutopia. Between feedings every two hours, endless diaper changes and a wee one that adored being held and vocally disapproved of being put into a bassinet for naps – my website did not get updated, my blog sat untouched, photography projects I had envisioned remain on the "creative shelf". Not to mention the fact that these little people need so much stuff!!!!

I knew we wouldn't last long term in our two bedroom condo, but I kept saying to myself "People in Manhattan do it all the time" and "Folks in Europe don't live in as much space as we do". Well, New Yorkers and Europeans are made of much sterner stuff than myself – or maybe they do it because they have no other choice. Maybe it is my post pregnancy/less sleep brain railing against clutter. I don't need a lot of space and I have no problem living modestly, but whatever it is, the small space/larger family dynamic is not working for us.

Ideally, a newborn and an almost ten year old could sleep in the same room. Violet is sleeping through the night – but she goes to bed so much earlier than Bean. That's a downer for Bean if she wants to play in her room or even just read in bed. Not to mention, Bean has school and needs her sleep, so putting her 11 week old sister in the room with her probably wouldn't be conducive to a good night's rest.

And then I started worrying (and my husband, Eric, will tell you worrying is my super power) about small toys. With the first one, it's easy to keep all tiny things that could cause choking out of reach of a curious baby. With the second, now there are tiny toys every where – even when you pick stuff up, Polly Pocket's shoe is lurking just under the sofa skirt and The Littlest Pet Shop babies are peeking out of a partially open closet.

Eric and I had done a lot of creative legwork in terms of using what space we did have wisely. It was about looking at an area and redefining what it's potential was. I admit that I took a lot of  inspiration from the folks over at Ikea and their amazing use of tiny spaces while still looking clean and well designed – and I think we did a mighty fine job of doing just that. We de-cluttered closets, added cabinets to walls, used baskets and bins to organize shelves... but at the end of the day, we were just feeling too cramped. Add to that the sleeping arrangements, it was time to move.

Dealing with a downward market
Condos have been hit hard and ours has not been spared from the drop in the housing market. The property, when we had it appraised, lost almost 50% of it value from when I had purchased it four years before. Yikes! We are not about to hand over cash just to take it off our hands and we refuse to short sale as a first option. After swallowing that bitter pill, we started looking at our condo as an investment property – because really you don't lose money unless you sell low – making our only real option to rent it out.

Next, we had to decide whether to buy a second home or rent a larger apartment. I spoke to our very helpful mortgage broker and found out that we qualified for a mortgage on a second home (yay!) but because we hadn't established a rental history it would be smaller than if it did (boo!). So, we could buy a second home, but it would be small and modest and possibly need some updating. We are all for fixing stuff and making it our own, but we would rather wait and have more options in terms of amenities and location. Plus, we aren't sure where we will be in a few years. Renting gives us time to decide where we want to buy – whether it's in this area or out of state. So, renting it is!

Finding our tiny piece of (rented) heaven
That decided, I haven't lived in  anything I haven't owned for well over 10 years and was shocked to see the limited choices of three bedroom apartments that are out there - avocado bathrooms and dingy carpeting galore! Since I have no desire to live in someone else's filth and I am quite particular about "the look", not to mention the area, of a place - the search took a little while before we found a place that fit all of our requirements - off street parking for two cars, a yard, a nice quiet, safe neighborhood, three bedrooms, updated kitchen and bath, laundry hook ups (more on that later) and hardwood floors (I DESPISE wall to wall carpeting... all the dirt and dust mites... blech!). And we found one! The fact that it has a refinished claw foot tub and beautiful fireplace is just bonus awesome-ness.

Laundry Hook-ups!!!!

This two-family home was just renovated and restored to it's hardwood and Victorian detailed glory! The area is lovely, quiet and ideal for what we were looking for. It's not a huge, over the top space, but perfectly sized for our little family to nest in – and we found fabulous tenants to rent our condo to boot! All the pieces are falling into line nicely (thank you good karma!) and I can't wait to move in and start decorating! I'm thinking it needs some POP of modern to accent it's turn of the century charm. Now to find a washer and dryer set...