tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1456360208982545112023-11-16T10:15:23.493-07:00True*LuTrue*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.comBlogger374125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-71862745168523390832015-08-22T15:31:00.000-06:002015-08-22T15:31:19.132-06:00Let's Begin--Boy's Shared Room<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0knz8fO9iXXNFHfnS2FQoO8PtH9E56vU6nLCV88R_BkxUdf7e773vBwUneiKwpX6LEsQbVuIJd0pOn7_czO7U5siBcimBDnI5UrUngXC-Ju9Q_McRJQ5nvPCy0dUERmME0dm1e5hmSZC5/s1600/Boys+Room+Ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0knz8fO9iXXNFHfnS2FQoO8PtH9E56vU6nLCV88R_BkxUdf7e773vBwUneiKwpX6LEsQbVuIJd0pOn7_czO7U5siBcimBDnI5UrUngXC-Ju9Q_McRJQ5nvPCy0dUERmME0dm1e5hmSZC5/s640/Boys+Room+Ideas.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20247977/" target="_blank">1</a>/2(UO Tapestry)/<a href="https://www.brightlablights.com/" target="_blank">3</a>/4(vintage plaid throws)/<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-tufted-Pulse-Blue-Wool-Rug-5-x-8/5800839/product.html" target="_blank">5</a>/<a href="http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Ink-Ivy-Rocket-Lounge-Chair/9966486/product.html?refccid=CEVSA72EJRU26TSCUJHSCGL25U&searchidx=128&option=15017282" target="_blank">6</a>/7(vintage dresser)/8(DIY constellation art)/9(vintage plant hanger)/<a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30046474/" target="_blank">10</a>/<a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40163882/" target="_blank">11</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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You know those beautiful end-of-summer days when you should be outside? Or those Saturdays when you have a lot of work you actually need to get done because the class you are teaching starts in 2 days? Or how about those days when your kids just play and don't fight and you're able to get a lot done, so really you should be productive? <br />
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Yeah, today could have been and should have been any of those listed days. But, guess what? I planned and then created a mood board for the boys' room instead! Go me. Yeah, I'm practically still in my pajamas and it's 3 PM. I guess I should feel guilty for wasting the day, and I'm sure tonight when I actually have to work I will be annoyed, but hey--I have been really itching to get the boys room all figured out and I had fun, so what the hell.<br />
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My goal is to get this together the month of September. Leland will turn 3 around then, and it seems like a perfect surprise to get him out of his crib and into a big boy bed. This room requires a bunch of big item purchases like a mattress and bunk bed and rug and arm chair, but hopefully the rest I can keep to a minimum. Some of the items I already actually have, so that should help. <br />
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Overall, I want this room to be practical and functional. I'd like it to be cute, but without the extra frills that can drive me crazy--throw pillows, I'm talking to you! OK, you're right. There actually might be one throw pillow thrown in the mix, but that is it!! ;)True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-53305672683734235902015-07-24T22:31:00.000-06:002015-07-24T22:31:41.263-06:00Camping North Fork 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's the deal. It's the 24th of July...2015. And Dave's fam is in town for the weekend, but while they're our watching some fireworks, I'm here with my sleeping babes updating this space from a trip a while ago. So much time has passed that I will just let the pictures do the talking. It was a simple little trip, but that's all it really takes.<br />
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<span id="goog_1897643849"></span><span id="goog_1897643850"></span><br />True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-70061009206085590672015-07-16T08:23:00.000-06:002015-07-16T08:23:16.243-06:00Summer Road TripI love watching these videos after I make them. And I love searching for just the right song. Anyway, we did mostly video on our little road trip up North. And I actually got it completed and uploaded this week! Go Me! <br />
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/133629725">McCall 2015</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user4196644">Lisa Forester</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-78537872384141461952015-06-15T21:01:00.001-06:002015-06-15T21:01:45.003-06:00Stix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Little Jude was able to get up a few times skiing this season. Although, in general, he's a little timid when it comes to things like going fast/jumping/heights he also has a carefree-let's-go-for-it vibe. So it's a good mix. This year was mostly with a harness on, but I'm thinking if we get him up a few more times next season, he'll be on his own. If you asked him, his favorite part about skiing would be "riding on the lifts." But, I also think one of his favorite parts is just hanging out with Gramps.True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-31793397407526679632015-06-06T18:58:00.004-06:002015-06-06T18:58:50.543-06:00IdahoCatching up on fun times isn't going to happen by itself...and to be honest, it might not happen at all. Eek! I don't know where life is taking me that I have no time to just glance through my pics, but when I do, ugh! That weighty feeling that I am messing up, not documenting the details, and uggggghhhh--the guilt. So, in the spirit of that *guilt* here are some pictures of our trip up to McCall, ID last summer for Dave's Fam Reunion (just the brothers and sisters, but when you have 9 siblings, you call it a Family Reunion).<br />
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Highlights include:<br />
-a 12 hr drive that should have been a 7 hr drive, because of the 2 lane road and an accident. This is where Jude and Leland decided to scream at the top of their lungs repeatedly just for fun.<br />
-A huge house where we all could hang.<br />
-Drinking wine out of the bottle in the huge master bedroom closet and watching Outlander with all the SIL...just so that the kids/husbands wouldn't find us and bug us. ;)<br />
-The clouds. It was unseasonably cold the weekend we went, but oh my goodness, such beautiful views and the clouds just stole my heart. <br />
-A $90 speeding ticket that wouldn't have happened had we not missed a turn, but hey we're rich. ;)<br />
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Anyway, nearly a year ago, the main thing that strikes me is just how blonde Leland's hair is. Goodness, he was such a baby! Here are the pics.<br />
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<br />True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-47021125037476081812015-05-22T15:32:00.000-06:002015-05-22T15:32:03.874-06:00An Heirloom<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bro and me. Circa 1981</td></tr>
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The older I get, the more sentimental I get. Or, I don't know if that really is the right word. I guess the older I get, the more I want the things around me to have meaning. My wedding ring is my great-great grandmother's ring, and I love looking at it, knowing the generations of hands it has been on and the years it has seen. My baby blanket, yellow with little bunnies, is old and ripped in one spot, but it's now Leland's favorite blanket. And each night as I tuck him into his little crib with it, I'm ever so softly reminded that time passes, and we all grow up. <br />
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That's where this chair comes in, an heirloom if you will. It was originally my uncle Mark's chair, whom I never had the chance to meet. He died in a hunting accident, before I was born, at the age of 21. So this chair, is one of the only things that he had bought and loved in his short adult life. And it was unique and cool, and my mom had it recovered in a muted rose velvet, to remind her of him and his love of flowers. It's been around all my life. For a while, it was in my grandparent's basement. I remember curling up into it, like a fox in its den. It was my favorite chair, simply because sitting in it when I was that little felt like a giant hug. And then for many years it was put in storage. Always with the idea that someday...<i>someday</i>...it would be recovered. My mom later pulled it out of storage, and there it sat in the corner of her room, covered with a big Moroccan scarf. I think the idea was if it were in plain sight, it would surely <i>someday</i> get recovered. <br />
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Meanwhile, there's little old me. Searching the Internets for a chair. Looking and dreaming about a big cozy chair for our front room. I was looking at new ones, and then after seeing the prices, I was looking at old ones. But, all the while, wanting a special and unique chair that I'd keep forever. And that's where my mom did what she so easily does: she stepped in, and offered to me what she so dearly loved. <br />
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The chair. <br />
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That was one year ago. Of course, I excitedly accepted the chair, but it sat in that corner of her bedroom for a little while longer. I had to think of what I'd recover it with. Having floral velvet for thirty years, and having it be so tragically tragic when at one time, it was totally "in" gave me reason to think. My top choice was leather. Like a cognac colored leather. But, the big chair required two hides, and that made it way out of budget ($$$$). Next, I thought about a deep navy velvet. I do love blues. But, grubby little hands had me feeling that it might always look dirty and need to be wiped down. In the end, I went with a charcoal tweed, with brown, blue, and green undertones. <br />
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With the fabric dilemma solved, now it was time to strip and re-stain the wood detail and legs. I started that in November, working on it when I had time, and finished in December. But, still the chair sat. The person who would be recovering it was a bit behind schedule. January, we dropped it off to be recovered, but I was warned: he is good, but he is old, and he is slow. So, I jokingly gave the deadline of my next birthday. I've learned to be reasonably patient with this type of stuff, so I just waited. <br />
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And guess what? My birthday is next week. Deadline met! The chair has all new springs, all new padding, and of course, all new fabric. Yet, still the small dents here and there in the wood detail that give a nod to it's age, and it's story.True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-9107030191218408912015-02-19T21:35:00.002-07:002015-02-19T21:35:10.724-07:00Footsteps up Millcreek<br />
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I found myself <i>suddenly</i> lucky enough to go to The Narrows backpacking with the family. And that was the main motivator to quickly get out of the house and up in the mountains. I mean, not like this one little hike was really going to get me in better shape, but it definitely did break in these ol' muscles of mine and sorta just help with the soreness that was to come.<br />
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One afternoon, my dad, the boys, Juno and me. We drove all the way up the winding road into the canyon, parked our car, then started to walk. Ten minutes into the hike, Jude was complaining that we had been hiking "all year" but then, when the trail actually started to climb, we couldn't keep up with him! So it goes hiking with kids, the pace can change quickly, moods will swing, but hey at least we are outside. Leland happily lounged off my back in the Ergo most of the time, while my dad and I soaked it in and chatted about this and that.<br />
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As I type this out now from my viewpoint in Feb. of 2015, I'm thinking what a gift it was that I chose to get out of the house, and not just do the daily tasks around the house that can really grind into my brain and ruin my mood (that never-ending to-do list!). Because I do remember debating whether just to do laundry and hang. <br />
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But, here I have a set of pictures and a golden memory of a simple afternoon, on a beautifully cloudy(ish) day in early July.<br />
<br />True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-88879140317382176972015-02-18T22:23:00.000-07:002015-02-18T23:13:01.961-07:00Jude's 4th BDAY partay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Due to one reason and another (ahem, kitchen floors), we celebrated his day on his actual day and kept it low key. Jude had swim lessons that night, so when he got back, we all surprised him with a Dusty airplane party in the backyard.<br />
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I had wondered if he would get the idea of a "surprise" party. And man, he totally did. The look on his face when we all said surprise, and his immediate embrace of Gigi and Cruz right after, was just so cool. And still, to this day (Hi, writing this 2015) that is what he remembers--the surprise! </div>
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Anyway, here are some pics from the night.<br />
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True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-20622457494360498412015-02-10T20:39:00.001-07:002015-03-07T21:05:22.345-07:00Leland: 2 years old<br />
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Writing this oh. so. late. It's now nearly <strike>Christmas </strike>Valentine's Day, and Leland has changed by leaps and bounds even in these short last <strike>three</strike> 5 months! So, I'll have to dig deep and document what I can. <br />
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Leland, on your 2nd birthday you woke up all smiles to balloons in the living room and streamers running down the kitchen. You caught on immediately that it was your special day. We made pancakes and opened presents just us 4. We got you a little garbage truck that you raced around the house on all fours, all. day. long. You wouldn't let Jude touch it, it was all yours and you knew it. When we'd ask you how old you were, you'd say, "I happy two. I happy two years owld." Later that night, we had the fam over for cake and ice cream, and when we sang to you, you were shy and proud all at once.<br />
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We went to St. George the day after, and so we all got to sleep in the same room. It was the sweetest thing to hear you singing Happy Birthday to yourself in the morning as you woke (everybody) up.<br />
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In just these last three months, I feel you have developed so much more. Right now as I type, you are playing in your crib, talking loud and then soft, putting yourself to sleep. The word I think describes you well right now is decisive and (deliberate too)...in a 2 year old way, of course. How do I explain your hand gestures you use when you talk? To tell me, "No Mom. The Ginch is scow-wey." Hands out, palms up. To tell me, "I want dat fuuts-nack!" Hand pointed, shaking it at the cupboard. You run around fast and determined. You stop fast and determined--feet spread, standing tall like Peter Pan.<br />
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You are also quite articulate. This perhaps isn't showing me in the best light, but tonight as we were getting ready for bed, you threw a book. You were just playing around, but we've been working on not throwing toys, and you knew it was naughty. I said, "NO! Time-out." and swiftly picked you up, but when I did, the toy I had in my hand also smacked you a little bit (Sorry, again). So you were mad and crying. And I said, "No, we do not throw books or toys. That is why you are in time-out." And you said, "I mad atchu, Mommy! You just hurt me." When I explained what happened, you sternly said, "You smacked me. You just hurt my ourm." And you threw Jude's covers over your head. <br />
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You are stubborn and wild. Dinner time is a test of wills, with both you and Jude basically running around and not sitting at the table. You simply tell us, "No. I not eating dinna." With a completely innocent smile, and yet, I know you know what you are doing. <br />
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Book time is similar--you'll come check in, but then you're off running around, jumping and spinning for most of the stories. <br />
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You are independent, but also so ready to be doing every little thing Jude does. When I ask Jude to find his preschool bag, there you also are, walking up to me with genuine concern in your eyes, "Mom, wuh-eh-wuh is my pee-skool bag? Oh, he-eh-wuh it is!" as you now happily put on a random backpack. <br />
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So much a little boy, and yet, just within the past weeks, you'll come crawling up to me, and say, "I baby, Mom." And we rock, and we walk around the house together. Yes, you are my baby. Even so, your 2T feety-jammies are stretched out tight. You've still got that baby skin, but losing that baby chub little by little. This is growing up. Each time I write a post like this, I seem to get such a heavy heart as I wrap it up. Because each time, it's saying good-bye to a phase of you that is so very magical and fun. Leland, so very lucky am I to be a witness to your life, your spunk. So much love for you bottled up in me, and I hope you always feel it. Here's to more magic to come. <br />
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Leland Stats:<br />
Height: 37 in (100%ile? Off the charts)<br />
Weight: 28 lb 10oz (55%ile)<br />
Weight:Length: (15%ile)<br />
BMI: 14.67<br />
Head Circumference: 19 in (40%ile)<br />
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<a href="http://www.truelu.com/2012/06/today-you-are-2.html" target="_blank">Jude @ 2 years</a>True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-65238411997237110702014-12-22T23:26:00.001-07:002014-12-22T23:26:14.099-07:00DON'T POSTPONE JOY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Working on catching up on posts from the last while, feeling like I need to type something current, just to type and because I want to. Not because I have to. Because I have to type out our summer, and our Idaho trip, and Leland's 2nd bday. And I want to--but right now, it's more like I have to...so...yeah...<br />
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It's Christmas time now, and feeling all the things I usually do this time of year. Excited, stressed, excited, ready for calm, ready to put away my credit card, and yet, strangely not ready to put away the tree. You know how it goes. I'm typing here on my bed, with Jude curled at my feet because he just got up to use the potty and doesn't want to go to sleep back in his bed. Leland is <i>still</i> bouncing away in his crib. And Dave is down in the dungeon working away. If you want our nightly routine, you got it--pretty much. I should be in bed, like asleep and in bed, and not in my jeans typing on my computer in bed, but I like it this way. Night time is my time, and there just ain't no quitting my owlish tendencies. <br />
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Hmm.<br />
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Thoughts bouncing around in my head, just what to write? But I guess I just wanna say just how really genuinely happy life is at this moment. Our house feels like a home, one that I can rest easy in most of the time without a running list of projects to do in my head. I'm happy to say that and mean it. It's funny, just how this home affects my mindset. I have this little magazine cut-out up on our board that my mom gave to me when Leland was just a week or two old and I was a hormonal mess...all I could think about was the overwhelming amount of things to do to the house and the underwhelming amount of resources we had to do it (time and money, folks). It's just this little orange square, with a white background, and black letters saying: <b><span style="font-size: x-small;">DON'T POSTPONE JOY.</span></b> Such a tiny little square, and to be honest, such a <i>duh!</i> statement, but also a real gift. I've liked the reminder, and truly needed the reminder so many days throughout these last 2 years. <br />
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Here's to a happy Christmas full of love and moments of true joy. True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-33401610394015816782014-10-31T21:49:00.000-06:002015-06-15T21:50:08.454-06:00Halloween Time 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This year, Jude had 2 different costumes. I, of course, got in the way and tried to sway him in his decision of what he wanted to be...because we already had a Hulk costume (OK, OK, we also already had a Batman costume, but it was 5 sizes too big and DARK as hell, and I got worried he'd get run over. Truth). Anyway, I convinced Jude to be Hulk, which he was for his preschool performance. But, then a few days after, he was talking to me in the car, and had some legitimate concerns about how Hulk always had "those angry eyebrows." Soooo, we had a last minute, day-off costume change using what we had around and a BRIGHT printed out Batman logo. Turned out pretty cute!<br />
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Leland wore the homemade Owl costume that is my very F-A-V-E, and just needed to get worn one last time. So damn cute. He was all bidness getting that candy, running/waddling to keep up with the big kids. He is one determined little child. True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-6534545248817054032014-07-14T22:25:00.001-06:002014-07-14T22:29:01.796-06:0010 Pics + 10 things: Goblin Valley<br />
I got behind again with the blogging. Clearly. But, our little weekender camp trip (over a
month ago) really was so great! And I have been dreaming and scheming of ways to get back out there again, but until then, this 2 day road trip reset my headspace and gave us some great memories. Here are 10 pics and 10<i>ish</i> things about about our trek to Goblin Valley!<br />
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This was our little camp, and although the campgrounds are quite nice (flush toilets, showers?!) when you drive up, everything is so, so desolate. I mean, not even any trees or shrubs to give privacy from one campsite to the next. And yet, our camp was surprisingly private. Those little cabana/shed things worked wonders. Our spot was so just right for us--Jude climbed and climbed up the mellow boulders, but Leland could not reach to get up there on his own and so he happily played in the sand. <br />
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2 favorite quotes from Jude: <br />
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"Mom/Dad, I'm going to go climb mountains."<br />
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And then, as we were leaving camp, quietly to himself staring out the window we heard him say, "Oh, how did they make this whole, big world?" Completely melted my mama heart.<br />
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Dave loves to snap pics of all the flowers and plants about when we hike. And I like that about him. <br />
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Leland was a pretty good little explorer--wandering about with us, but chill about being in the Ergo when we needed him to be. He pretty much never left my side the whole trip. I really love it so much that, for now, I'm his go-to girl. <br />
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We hiked for a few hours in the blazing sun, and then went for a little drive to let the kids (and me) snooze for a bit. We came back to a desert thunderstorm and a beautiful little rainbow above our heads. Dave convinced me to shower even though I was like, "umm, we're camping?" and the water that came out of the spicket was literally a trickle. It felt so good though walking back all fresh and clean. We made dinner, and read books to the kids in the tent, and then put them to bed--which was not easy, but after singing for like, 20 minutes, they were both out.<br />
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Perhaps my very favorite moment on this trip would have to have been climbing up the rocks right behind our camp, after the kiddos were asleep. Dave and I sat there, looking up at the stars, sipping on whiskey, talking softly into the wee hours of the night. One of those rare times we just got to sit and connect, without worry about being back for a babysitter, or checking our phones. It was magic. <br />
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The next day we packed up camp and walked up Little Wild Horse for a bit. We might have had to turn around right when the canyon became a slot canyon, but I'm proud of these dudes for being troopers most of the time, in 100+ degree heat. <br />
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And 1 more to grow on....<br />
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I have decided I'm going to keep track of the amount of times I end up packing the kids around like this!<br />
<br />True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-34489620582943260562014-07-06T22:21:00.000-06:002014-07-06T22:21:52.612-06:00A Tale of Travertine<br />
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Just when I vow to start blogging more, Summer blows in with all it's sunny deliciousness and I get kicked outta my house for 9 straight days. I blogged a little bit about our kitchen/entry floors <a href="http://www.truelu.com/2014/05/welkomen.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.truelu.com/2014/06/kitchen-update.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and then a little bit more <a href="http://www.truelu.com/2014/06/da-floors.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I don't know why, but I was lazily thinking putting in new floors wouldn't really disrupt our everyday routines...but, it totally did. What we thought would be a 4 day stint turned into 9 days + weekends. Our house was a wreck and some complications with leveling our subfloors really made it a dusty mess. With our appliances in the livingroom, our kitchen wasn't really functional, and I was caught completely unprepared. We ate out a lot. And I totally got so used to our fridge being in the livingroom that I instinctively went looking for some iced tea there one night while watching TV. <br />
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Well, our floors have been finished for about a week now. Our house has been deep cleaned for a little less than that. And I finally snapped a few pics of how things are looking real quick while the boys were out playing in the backyard! Let me just say...things are looking <b>surprisingly</b> <i>a lot</i> more modern, scalloped cabinets and all!<br />
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My flouescent cave of a kitchen is notoriously hard to photograph, but I'm really happy with how the floors turned out. Really, really happy. Our kitchen feels wider, brighter, and ummm, <i>much</i> cleaner. The travertine suits the space, and the natural stone really vibes with our old floors, which is really what I was hoping for! PLUS, cheers to being able to find food that gets dropped on the floor!! <br />
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Without going into too many of the gory details (umm, really not <i>that</i> gory) and for the sake of brevity, I'll just say we had a few hiccups involving communication + tile layout + level floors. And this combo set us back a few days, and quite a few $$$$ dollars. So! What we have learned (again) is that next time we will get multiple bids--no matter what (<i>sometimes lessons need to be learned a few times before they sink in, haha</i>). And we will think twice about using someone we know personally. Not that he didn't do a great job, because he did! But just that it makes things awkward when problems do arise. <br />
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Anyway, it's crazy how much calmer I feel waking up and walking into our
kitchen. In an odd way I can't describe, these new floors are great for
my soul. There is peace of mind knowing that one more project is done, yes, but also a breath of fresh air not having to stare at yellowed linoleum patterned floor under flourescent lights all the time. These floors really are lovely. <br />
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Up next for us, is adding the baseboards and transitions in (which Dave did most of Saturday) and then some paint touch-ups. Then after that, I'm gonna finally repaint our mermaid green bedroom. Other than that, I'm just gonna be really trying to soak up the sun and all this free family time Dave and I suddenly have!!<br />
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For fun, here are some before and afters from when we very first bought the house...disclaimer to my brother-in-law who did this pose in just about every before pic I have (he really is so funny)...and disclaimer to what I have going on in my livingroom. Progress is progress, right?<br />
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<br />True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-73792970546443569172014-06-09T13:30:00.000-06:002015-03-07T20:58:19.656-07:00Jude, Today you are Four<br />
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Jude,<br />
Today you are 4.<br />
Four <i>yearrrrrrrsssss </i>old. And you tell me things like, "Mom, humans and persons we call people. Except for little guys. Then we call them honeys or sweeties."<br />
You've made me realize I say honey a lot--when we play make-believe, and you are the mom or dad, I am always "Honey"<br />
Today you love to run nakey in circles 'round the house before bathtime. You always ask for "nakey time."<br />
Today you still do NOT like to get your eyes wet.<br />
Today you are a great listener and helper.<br />
You get dressed all by yourself--when you are in the mood. You love to race Leland and I into your jammies. <br />
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You like to read the numbers on the clock or on signs when we are out and about.<br />
Today you like to read Fireman Small, Llama Llama, Thomas, and any book about vehicles.<br />
You wake up in the morning and come to my side of the bed and say, "Mooooom, can you please wake up. I'm starving." Usually I can get you to go play for a bit. You'll wonder back into your room, and Dad and I love to listen to you play cars and trains. <br />
If you watch TV, you are in the zone. <br />
You've not napped for a while now.<br />
You'll play play dough for hours.<br />
You love to race around out back on your big wheel or "hot wheel" as you like to say.<br />
You are in full on potty joke mode.<br />
You are also a real negotiator. With everything.<br />
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Today, Lightning McQueen and Disney's Cars still rock your world.<br />
But you've started to really play Duplo Lego blocks.<br />
Today, you have 4-5 freckles across your nose. Goodness, how I love those freckles.<br />
Today your hair is blonde, and curly, and hey--you have great hair. <br />
You love to sneak into bed with us in the wee hours of the night. Dad usually complains a little bit, but in the end, we always let you stay. Our bed feels cozy, yet oh so small with all three of us piled in. I can't pretend to hate your fluffy blonde hair tickling my face when we share a pillow. I love it so.<br />
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Today you are 4! You are an inquisitive, happy-go-lucky, loving and lovable guy who is always ready for some more fun.<br />
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Jude, today and everyday, we couldn't love you more.<br />
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Jude Stats:</div>
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Height: 44.5 in (110 %ile? Off the charts)</div>
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Weight: 42 lbs 13 oz (90%ile)</div>
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BMI 15.2 (~35%ile)</div>
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True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-87748666691977421642014-06-06T14:45:00.000-06:002014-06-06T14:47:08.964-06:00Da Floors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Oh how to explain my many, many, many thoughts on these kitchen floors? Guess I'll just dive right in?<br />
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Here's what I like.<br />
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I really love when there is a cohesive look throughout the house. My dream would be to have our beautiful, old hardwoods running throughout our entire floor. I've really grown to love these hardwoods--I love the lighter-medium color and that each plank has so much variation. But here's the deal: these floors can not be sanded down and refinished again. Although they still look beautiful, there are on their last leg. There are cracks here and there in the joints. So it's not like we could put down hardwood in the kitchen/entry and then have it all refinished to flow together. Bummer.<br />
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That option is out.<br />
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Our other idea was to put in newer hardwoods, that maybe wouldn't be an exact match, but that would still flow and perhaps lay the opposite way so that they ran perpendicular to our other hardwoods. But, we worried that doing this would then make our old hardwoods <i>LOOK</i> like old hardwoods.<br />
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So, after nixing that idea, we moved on to tile.<br />
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Our kitchen and entry sit central in the house--with the living/dining off to one side and then the bedrooms off to the other side. I don't know why, but I would like the idea of tile better if our kitchen was off in a corner or something. BUT, it's not. And this isn't our dream kitchen, and we plan on redoing it in 5-10 years--and at that point, we'll have to address our hardwoods too. It just never ends, does it? <br />
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So, Tile it is. <br />
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I left work early the other day (but before I had to pick the boys up from daycare) and scoured the valley for tile samples. Trying to keep in mind that I wanted something to flow as best as possible with the hardwoods + be reasonably priced.<br />
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Which one is the winner?<br />
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In the end, we are going with the lighter travertine. I really do love it. The tone really goes well with the neighboring hardwoods. I love the natural variations, and how no two tiles will be the same. Of the ceramic and porcelain tiles none really stood up to the travertine. The tones were off, and honestly just looked fake.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMzPV0sLw-kOPvgkPanX31hfEzZ2EjwYm8NF2UBzeeLIZ1nkkSMtj1Jtz5upQXMEJspnPPbXcNi_kxH2XhaGPBf3wxfvffAzYZXS5MYJoL3Fg3D9ydZCFxmFZz6Y4BZhXPyFkZ9VPE2WJ/s1600/DSC_0333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMzPV0sLw-kOPvgkPanX31hfEzZ2EjwYm8NF2UBzeeLIZ1nkkSMtj1Jtz5upQXMEJspnPPbXcNi_kxH2XhaGPBf3wxfvffAzYZXS5MYJoL3Fg3D9ydZCFxmFZz6Y4BZhXPyFkZ9VPE2WJ/s1600/DSC_0333.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lighter travertine first 2 tiles on left</td></tr>
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But, I know, I know. Travertine is high maintenance. It cracks, and is pourous. No, I don't want to spend money and a year later regret my choice. Yet, I have hated these linoleum floors for so long that I really don't want to settle for something I don't love. So we're doing travertine and hoping for the best! <br />
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Of the samples I picked, most run around $3 sq/ft. But, I was at Home Depot today, and wouldn't you know it, they have a special right now for $1.66 sq/ft if you buy a whole pallet/crate/whatever. It's a little more square footage than we need, but even so, the total cost comes to a couple hundred less than the other travertine samples. Pretty stoked on that!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8Wyw8_AHBc7i1vXrNeA1mzN9LJ-k25s6J5Ljco92wc7hFaLOCY0wAEzG9sInpgQfuGcg-tTQEyE6vgsVU0NZuFXTRlVCJrVtnwAiji7a_T3EFoSttBWfkJl4WwUf8v-rwQyynp65Qku5/s1600/DSC_0324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8Wyw8_AHBc7i1vXrNeA1mzN9LJ-k25s6J5Ljco92wc7hFaLOCY0wAEzG9sInpgQfuGcg-tTQEyE6vgsVU0NZuFXTRlVCJrVtnwAiji7a_T3EFoSttBWfkJl4WwUf8v-rwQyynp65Qku5/s1600/DSC_0324.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Travertine is large tile bottom right</td></tr>
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We are having the tile installed by a contractor/handyman and we are scheduled to start Wednesday. EEK! He is a family friend, and it's awesome because A) my dad has agreed to help him and B) we completely trust him in our house while we are not there--so that means demo can begin while we are at work, and I can take the kids out to play the other days instead of just having to sequester them outside or something. THIS IS HUGE and well worth paying someone vs. DIYing it ourselves. <br />
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So, here we go! What are your thoughts? Have your heard nightmare stories about travertine? I sorta want to hear if you have, but then again, I sorta don't... ;)True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-30800878518700122162014-06-05T22:53:00.000-06:002014-06-05T23:51:19.225-06:00Goblin Valley<div style="text-align: center;">
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/97439784" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> </div>
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/97439784">Goblin Valley II</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4196644">Lisa Forester</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
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When I say I needed this trip, I really mean I NEEDED THIS TRIP. You
may know that this past winter was pretty hard on me. The scenario was
that Dave was gone all the time. We were like two ships passing in the
night, and then on the weekends, he would leave to study at the
library. I was working overtime to save up money for the kitchen
floors. Changes at work made things uber stressful. Basically, I was
overworked, tired, stressed, and just lonely too--of course, loving
being around my little guys, but needing that connection with
Dave--you know, adult, meaningful conversation anyone? Plus...it. was.
winter. This past winter, is the first time I can say I have really
recognized myself as being depressed. <br />
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So, with Dave's
graduation outta the way, and summer in the air, I was just itching and
ready for life to change--dramatically. And in some ways it has, for
sure, but of course, not as quickly as I would like. Chomping at the
bit, is what I am. Anyway, I had this deep longing to go down to the
desert and camp. I wanted to be with just my little family, secluded
and happy. But, ugh, I just kept thinking about all the work it would
take to get there, and then we'd only stay for one night. Could we
actually pull it all together and go? I really didn't think so. And
even though, when I thought about not going, I would really sad and
angry almost, I found 1,001 reasons not to go on this trip.<br />
<br />
That's
where Dave came in and saved the day. I don't know if he sensed how
much I needed to get the hell out of town, or what, but where usually he
is pretty <i>whatever</i> about things, in this he was like, "Let's go." "We're going." "We are doing this." And I am so grateful for it. <br />
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True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-13044626344382221602014-06-03T22:04:00.000-06:002014-06-03T22:07:31.893-06:00Kitchen Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, I wasn't really blogging much back when we updated our kitchen last summer, but I am now. Let me catch you all up to speed real quick:<br />
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When we bought the house, the kitchen looked like this:<br />
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Hello, brown & cream everything...Here's an analogy for you:</div>
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Then : cream & brown :: Now : white & grey</div>
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Seriously, someday, someone will walk though a kitchen and say, "yeck. why'd they use so much white and grey?" I like thinking about that stuff, because I really don't get how this could have ever been <i>in</i>.</div>
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Anyway.</div>
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I wanted to remodel it asap. You know how it is when you walk through a potential house..."Oh, we'll just change out this, and switch out that..." not realizing the full extent of what you're saying until you're in the thick of it. Yeah, after living through
remodeling 2 bathrooms, moving, and having a baby 10 days later PLUS learning our walls are all lath-and-plaster
and not sheet rock (<i>read: sooooo muchhh dusttt</i>), we decided we would get by
with some smaller tweaks until our hearts and pockets were ready for the
full deal. <br />
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So, this is not our forever kitchen, but
likely our 5-10 year kitchen. Five if you ask me. Ten if you ask Dave. And we did things with this time frame in
mind.<br />
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We painted the kitchen cabinets using Benjamin Moore's Advanced line
following in YHL's footsteps in <i>Cloud Cover</i> and <i>Galveston Gray</i>. <br />
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We chose arctic white solid surface counter tops (once again, thank you YHL), because they look modern, yet are pretty reasonably
priced.<br />
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We put in a simple, but NEW under mount sink, and NEW faucet.<br />
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We
added NEW hardware. A NEW dishwasher.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4irTJZSMZoNKSwxawLjV_XBUq6JPTwfkY2diruYpiLCN75riJ3gYGw4vDhsxGmjDcZ_4JXU5ClpJGoPM-AejMqqbK28XoETAE_pKiEZ1DScJ1EuNF7Rb-Mj5mAh-ToooCykttHYIMrK3/s1600/DSC_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4irTJZSMZoNKSwxawLjV_XBUq6JPTwfkY2diruYpiLCN75riJ3gYGw4vDhsxGmjDcZ_4JXU5ClpJGoPM-AejMqqbK28XoETAE_pKiEZ1DScJ1EuNF7Rb-Mj5mAh-ToooCykttHYIMrK3/s1600/DSC_0265.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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And a NEW microwave. One
of the cooler things we did was retrofit the cabinet above the stove to
make way for the new microwave. Doing this, there wasn't much space
left for an actual cabinet, so we turned it into a little wine rack. I
really love it, because it forces us to keep our house stocked. ;)<br />
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So
that is where we stand today. We'd still really like to switch out
those fluorescent lighting boxes for some canned lights (or skylights?$?$), and I'd like to
change up the other ceiling fixtures as well. Also on the list are
new stainless steel appliances--including adding a gas line for a gas
stove!<br />
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<i>But</i>, all these upgrades won't mean a thing until we do something about the floors! So, that's up next: those beautiful, cream and brown, geometric linoleum floors. Tentatively, flooring demo/install is set for next week...so yeah, I realllly need to pick something out, and pray that what I like is in stock. Full post on those coming soon!True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-89847025040927249222014-05-26T23:06:00.000-06:002014-05-26T23:21:01.843-06:00Fam Trip 2014The unusual really cool thing about my family in that even though my parents have been divorced since we were elementary aged kids, we have always done things together still as one big happy family. Christmases growing up were meshed, and birthdays seamless. And as a child, this was huge. Divorce is so difficult even in the best situations, but my parents ability to see the big picture saved us so much heartache and loneliness. Fast forward to 2014, and we are all in our 30s. Lives and families of our own, but still able to take time to all be together. We call each other the "Eskimo family" because Eskimos welcome new friends as family.<br />
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This year we rented a big condo and spent the long weekend in St. George. Mornings were spent out on the balcony, coffee in hand, watching the sun light the red rocks, while Chris or Scott strummed on the guitar. Days were spent at the pool, kids swimming, (some) adults lounging. We went for walks, and surrey rides. The kids bounced around on the bunk beds. We climbed on rocks and fished. Nights were spent grilling and dancing out under the stars. It was super heaven. And here is some proof. <br />
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True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-25848857388656207592014-05-20T22:00:00.001-06:002014-05-20T22:00:41.839-06:00Welkomen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I dunno why, but I like titling posts in other languages. This one I actually know--from my Dutch days, and it's in reference to my aforementioned <a href="http://www.truelu.com/2014/03/blank-slate_30.html" target="_blank">blank slate</a>. Two months later, I'm happy to report a finished product. <br />
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For this wall, I wanted someone standing on the porch to be drawn in past the entry way and on into our home. I like to think of it as our welcoming wall. And I do find it pretty welcoming. <br />
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Much like our gallery wall, it is mostly a bunch of family photos. Which I lurve. I've said it before, but it feels soooo damn good to get these things off of the screen, and onto something <i>real</i>. These photos give a visitor a glimpse into life at our home...that, and probably the kajillion cars, puzzle pieces, trains, sippy cups, and Tupperware lids lining the floor along the way. It gets messy here folks, real quick.<br />
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Some other things that made the cut this round: <br />
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A reminder to <i>live simply</i>--cardstock and a sharpie and I was done. <br />
A beautiful butterfly that my dad brought back from South America when I was little.<br />
A little painted pot for a fake succulent in real dirt. ;) <br />
My little hanging plant holder that took me two tries to get it right.<br />
And a giant canvas of me and my babe--It's grainy, and textural, and figured I'd love seeing this my whole life--Leland all small and perfectly melded into my arms--so I splurged. It's 24 x 36, and helps add much needed visual height to the room.<br />
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So, now that this is all up, and Dave is all done with school, I guess I have no more excuses. Let's get surrrrrrious about the elephant in the room. It's time to pick out some kitchen/entry flooring... <br />
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<br />True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-72194127513688942342014-05-12T22:39:00.000-06:002014-05-12T22:39:01.448-06:00Gradumecation<div style="text-align: center;">
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Here is how the story goes. When Dave and I were young(er) and first married, he worked as a car salesman, and I worked at my same damn lab job + was finishing up my Masters. This was in 2008. And it was a hard year for everyone, everywhere. Car sales were so so slow, and Dave was let go. At the time it was pretty stressful. I was anxious to get through with school, quit my damn lab job, and start a family. Yet, much to our dismay, things wouldn't work out that way. Dave would have to start from scratch. </div>
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When Jude was born, we thought Dave would be finished with school within two years, and I daydreamed of quitting my damn lab job and living the life at home. Bonbons and all. But, life has it's twists and turns and here it is now four years later. Dave has his degree. </div>
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That is the short of it. The really short of it. The long of it includes stress, deadlines, time-away, missed vacations, money, late-nights and early mornings--but also pride, knowledge, growth, and late night talks about the good things--classes, teachers, classmates. </div>
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Dave will grumble when he reads this, but did you know when I met him and said, "Hey, why not try school?" He said something like, "I can learn all I need to by myself. Why should I learn what someone else tells me to learn?" I sat there in his room in his sister's basement, dumbfounded. I mean, I'm such a schooler, that my jaw probably dropped--and I know my eyes rolled. School is just what you do, right? I thought, "<i>because, you'll meet that one professor who will change your life. you'll learn about that one thing, and it'll become your thing. you'll gain from it, you always will</i>." </div>
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I tell this story because in the end, I was right. Heh, heh, heh. </div>
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And although he might not notice it himself, I was there next to him, witnessing a change in him with each passing year. In the beginning, classes were begrudged. Tests were crammed, classes were missed. </div>
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All the while me thinking, "OK, this is not how I would do it." </div>
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And then, when he became more focused into his area of study, professors were cool, homework was mapped out, school was priority. He was fully engaged in all his classes, professors knew his name, he sat in the <i>front row</i>. </div>
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I lit up as we talked about school, and enviously thought, "OK, this is not how I would do it." <i> </i></div>
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<i>(Back row, quiet girl by heart). </i></div>
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But here is the true marvel. As the years went by, things got busy for us. We had a kid, then moved, then moved again. He found a job in his field, and started from the bottom up. He worked lonnnnng hours. We had another kid. He studied late into the wee hours of the night, and then was up in the wee hours of the morning quieting babies, feeding babies, getting the kids ready and then off to daycare for the day. He subcontracted and DIYed our first ever remodeling job at our new house. All that will make anyone's head spin, but this is the part I marvel about: he did it without complaining once. And he did it while effortlessly taking the time to be present for the kids, and for me. I'm telling you--it's this trait continually gets me everytime. <i>How</i> does he do it?</div>
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Four years later, Dave has his degree and is really in his element. So soon life could change. I mean, it could be that I could quit my damn lab job. Dave could get a different job. I could work part-time. Dave could work less hours. I could take yoga in the morning, and private tennis lessons in the afternoon. I could bake, and garden, and read, and shuttle the kids around, and all of the other things people dream about when they think of staying at home. ;) </div>
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Truth is, we've been at this school thing so long, I don't know what life will be like now that it is over. But, I guess it just feels so good to get to the end of a road, and see open sky. </div>
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**Cheers to you, Dave!** </div>
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**And Cheers to Us, too!** </div>
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<i>*Pics are from graduation weekend, in which I failed at pictures. If you came, thank you soooo much! Really means the world to us. </i>True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-86719017621317602142014-05-06T22:25:00.001-06:002014-05-06T22:25:32.075-06:00BloglovinI'm now on Bloglovin...<br />
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No idea how it really all works, but it told me to post this. And I do what it says. ;)<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3176559/?claim=zmh6qt6uysz">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a><br />
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Now I'm going to go explore around there. 'Night. True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-74385617947957335622014-05-05T22:44:00.000-06:002014-05-05T22:44:51.616-06:00Worth it: My Gallery Wall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One hundred percent glad I finally did this. Lots of baby pics, my little family, little bits of what our life is centered on in these years,<i> the baby years</i>. And one hundred percent nothing I'd rather look at. Staring at this wall is just better now. And, gosh, it would be fun to expand, here and there, to showcase different moments. But for now, I'm beaming.<br />
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The view from our cave of a galley kitchen</div>
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The view standing in our living room (and near our front door).</div>
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And Up Close & Personal</div>
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As my usual, I stayed up way too late putting the photos into the frames. Jude kept coming out--half asleep--just to stare. He thinks Dave's film pic is one of when "Dad is building me my trains??" Took me a minute to figure out he thinks the snapper (technical term??) looks like a railroad crossing. And Leland can't stop pointing out all the "ba-by!" pics. Dave came up from studying and gleamed at all the pictures as well. I even got a "Well done, Lis." So, ya know, feeling the love.<br />
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True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-24236496666103084122014-04-30T21:53:00.000-06:002014-04-30T22:21:39.040-06:00The chairs have it!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.truelu.com/2011/04/1200-staples-later.html" target="_blank">A few years ago,</a> I scored these super sweet chairs + one <a href="http://www.truelu.com/2011/05/helmet.html" target="_blank">pretty-alright-for-the-time-being table</a> from the classifieds for $125 total. Let it be said that these are my best thrifty purchase EVER, as I am a horrible thrifter/craigs-lister (I basically just buy it when I get there, even though I know it's a bad choice).<br />
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Soon after I bought them, I recovered them in some Ikea fabric that felt right at the time. Since we were renting, a bolder fabric choice seemed fun. <i>AND </i>Jude was still confined to eating in a high chair...big <i>AND</i> there, because I had no idea as a first time mom just how grubby little hands could be. Fast forward to the past year, and these chairs are pretty much smeared with dry yogurt/oatmeal/etc. most of the time. I could clean them up pretty well, but they'd only stay clean a short time. <br />
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After the first experience of recovering them, I was d-r-e-a-d-i-n-g the thought of a re-do. Yet, I s-e-r-i-o-u-s-l-y had to. See where this is going? Yep, we ended up recovering the chairs. This time around, I was a little smarter, and bought an electric stapler. So no carpal tunnel flare-ups. And I was a lot smarter because I basically had Dave do all the new stapling. While I undid all the old stapling.<br />
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We did these over the course of a couple of nights, and once while watching <u>A Few Good Men</u>. I think the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzTCY_CxuDU" target="_blank">90s dramatic piano theme</a> really was key... <i>Puh-lease click that link!</i><br />
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We chose a felted vinyl in a soft white color, and I'm super happy with
how they turned out. The vinyl feels soft to the touch, much like
leather (and not plastic-y like cheap vinyl) plus they wipe up clean in
no time flat. <br />
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What's surprising is just how much calmer the room feels now. Like, a true sigh of relief from the jumbled floral grey pattern that was before. And, I even like my random free rug better. So, in the end, it was totally worth it to just jump in, and git 'er done! Ya know? I don't know how many times I have to re-learn that lesson...<br />
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Anyway, can you guess what's up next? <i>Hint: What's grey and white all over? </i><br />
<br />True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-6770589357321476372014-04-24T23:37:00.003-06:002014-04-25T00:12:13.343-06:00Back Yard Beginnings<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxthyh6DfUiifCnS9nNpY71wSo8FkObkehEIyg1ZxmrhMWcdV_MeTyHqdxdPO-b7KM6Bz2eQiOOtWkAOEnXKq2AaEXEpOB3p2BDTS22mBBGLUBIVKjkFCRtvsGzGPDdaXqbcL0wJxXxu0a/s1600/pN08b31emO30XiunQ6wKQ9nb2fDWOM5O.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxthyh6DfUiifCnS9nNpY71wSo8FkObkehEIyg1ZxmrhMWcdV_MeTyHqdxdPO-b7KM6Bz2eQiOOtWkAOEnXKq2AaEXEpOB3p2BDTS22mBBGLUBIVKjkFCRtvsGzGPDdaXqbcL0wJxXxu0a/s1600/pN08b31emO30XiunQ6wKQ9nb2fDWOM5O.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.outerspacela.com/portfolio/Kentfield_Garden/" target="_blank">[Via]</a></td></tr>
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I know everyone actually sees more of my front yard, but these days, the yard prep is all about the backyard. Curb appeal is overrated? Haha, no, but I think for this year, if I can just get all our old over-grown old lady shrubs out, new sprinklers in, and a cozier patio space I will call it good.<br />
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Our backyard bugs me, but when people come over, they always comment on our "cool" backyard. I dunno. Although you can't tell in any of these pics, it does have a certain appeal when the string lights are on, but to be truly honest, it is way too much concrete for me. Looking for the positives though, the kids have a blast out there everyday on there big wheels and bikes, it is less mowing for now while our lives just seem so busy, and also, less area to worry about dog clean-up.<br />
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Yet, when I look from out my kitchen window, I see a lot of cold, pale concrete. And I'd really like to warm it up. Ultimately, I'd like to take OUT a bunch of the concrete and start fresh, but that is just too far out of the ballpark to contemplate (although, OK, I do think/dream about it)!<br />
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Here is what my backyard looks like currently. Believe it or not, we've actually come along way even from when we first moved in. We've taken out A LOT of old overgrown shrubs and holly. And last summer, I replanted the middle hexagon with perennials to add some pops of color.<br />
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Here is a huge dilemma for us/me: Those fence panels are asbestos. And try as I might, I just can't hang with them. I am a worrier through and through and I need them gone. That is the conclusion I've come to just today. For a while, I wanted to paint them--seemed the cheapest/easiest route & technically a good paint job would seal in the nasty stuff. But...prep work done properly says to scrub/clean/pressure wash before painting--and that can't be done with asbestos. And then, what if the paint flakes off? Then we have asbestos + paint chips + little kids. No.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I were to paint... [source unkown]</td></tr>
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OK, so this is plan B. The panels that back up to our neighbors, need privacy--so horizontal slats would be nice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggROMB3M2F8_s8Ldm7raxATanA_C9cWhehObIvfKdWgQ-HG-NAKJJcDUf79nVdhUntHbb9sE3XUkLBXEeprXsEXmPcXe0zQem_O8iKC4_VvONGqbJr-LkqXTuORsCu859Afrl3PJsq5FxD/s1600/19_x_38mm_cedar_battens_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggROMB3M2F8_s8Ldm7raxATanA_C9cWhehObIvfKdWgQ-HG-NAKJJcDUf79nVdhUntHbb9sE3XUkLBXEeprXsEXmPcXe0zQem_O8iKC4_VvONGqbJr-LkqXTuORsCu859Afrl3PJsq5FxD/s1600/19_x_38mm_cedar_battens_2.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.silvatimber.co.uk/fencing/slatted-screen-kits.html" target="_blank">Via</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdc0dbidYOEsQ6Nm57kNRA0_Osf6MTd8PBMeftCJz1JusHdKaCzgL2MoK1Cr7NzHzN9K_w_l8GBw5hC6y0EBi_3H-VEzQjp6Au8QIHbzlGeQ6edQcsEbwu1d-TfiZZWAHvrMdrE4c_jfb7/s1600/b51a3228c4426844c5a06a2c127ae2e2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdc0dbidYOEsQ6Nm57kNRA0_Osf6MTd8PBMeftCJz1JusHdKaCzgL2MoK1Cr7NzHzN9K_w_l8GBw5hC6y0EBi_3H-VEzQjp6Au8QIHbzlGeQ6edQcsEbwu1d-TfiZZWAHvrMdrE4c_jfb7/s1600/b51a3228c4426844c5a06a2c127ae2e2.jpg" height="539" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/beforeafter-fence-facelift-154176" target="_blank">Via</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfisFv5QW6SuVPUlLasRqHee5uSrWPI2ms9I_dxlFPaY_pUYMHx3OzTZyo5jibHKLF-DXF32WmZqJjAsxvQZQ_4WsfR6DOSc2dRB95JIXfR5xOPULgY_Ydl-KumYq49A8DIM3_l7eyQXb/s1600/finished-front-horizontal-slat-gate-at-the-cavender-house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfisFv5QW6SuVPUlLasRqHee5uSrWPI2ms9I_dxlFPaY_pUYMHx3OzTZyo5jibHKLF-DXF32WmZqJjAsxvQZQ_4WsfR6DOSc2dRB95JIXfR5xOPULgY_Ydl-KumYq49A8DIM3_l7eyQXb/s1600/finished-front-horizontal-slat-gate-at-the-cavender-house.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thecavenderdiary.com/tag/modern-horizontal-fence/" target="_blank">Via</a></td></tr>
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The other areas where the panels are actually just divide our yard from our yard, i.e., make it seem a lot smaller. So, for those panels, perhaps replace them with wire and grow vines? Or more horizontal slats, but thinner and see-through?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[Source Unknown]</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8IhQb30vWVe74GvFmlVjq4_H2eS44rSKUJy08sV5oLHw0gTDbnlDr7aucQnwmkyPk9nJ5r8BPHrwinTVljEV_ZT_XFTSg4bZhQb3z4W1K-3JWjwyuSKhscD2Irpb9QyNjsjNhetQ24_p/s1600/8c8887d6447fddfd5ad993ec25ce73ae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8IhQb30vWVe74GvFmlVjq4_H2eS44rSKUJy08sV5oLHw0gTDbnlDr7aucQnwmkyPk9nJ5r8BPHrwinTVljEV_ZT_XFTSg4bZhQb3z4W1K-3JWjwyuSKhscD2Irpb9QyNjsjNhetQ24_p/s1600/8c8887d6447fddfd5ad993ec25ce73ae.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/guysfencing/5537292855/" target="_blank">Via</a></td></tr>
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Either option is bound to open up the space. And taking out the cold grey panels will inevitably warm it up. Then I want to add a ton of greenery. Vines, grasses, ferns, sculpted trees, flowers, potted plants--you name it, I think I want it all! Tastefully added, of course!<br />
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For the kids, I dream of things like this:<br />
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Anyway, longest of long posts. Which fence idea do y'all like the best?<br />
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Stay tuned... True*Luhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09469380240953877717noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145636020898254511.post-76057302730540063372014-04-17T06:00:00.000-06:002014-04-17T06:00:09.492-06:00Gallery Wall In the Mix<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Emily-Henderson-+-Curbly_diningroom01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Emily-Henderson-+-Curbly_diningroom01.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/the-curbly-family-dining-room-makeover/" target="_blank">Via Emily Henderson</a></td></tr>
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Feel like I have lots of little decor projects in the mix right now, but none at the <i>complete</i> stage. So it goes. We have a graduation (HELL YES!) party planned for Dave coming up in the next couple of weeks, so feel like it's a great excuse to ready the house and make it look purdy, even though I know in reality no one's really gonna care. Right guys??<br />
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One of the things I've been working on is a gallery wall over the dining table. For the past almost 2 years it's just been another <a href="http://www.truelu.com/2014/03/blank-slate_30.html" target="_blank">blank slate</a>, but it's a wall I look at frequently since you see it from the kitchen and the livingroom. And for the past 2 years, I've known that I've wanted a bunch of family pics on this wall, but never pulled the trigger because well, even though I just bought Ikea frames, the prices add up + choosing the right pictures takes a boat load of time + I thought choosing the right frames was gonna be tricky + a billion other little things. But, I decided to just go with the wild hair I have right now. I was randomly at Ikea, and just started throwing frames in my cart. <br />
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First go 'round, I picked a mix of frames, but after consultation with the sis & my pinterest account, I went back to Ikea (dang it!), and traded them for all white. I'm just a sucker for how the white pops against our calm gray walls. Much like my inspiration image above.<br />
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Then, one night, after the kiddos were asleep, I put on some <u>30Rock</u>, grabbed my tape measure, and came up with a lay-out on my living room floor. I'm real technical. And I made this step 10,000 steps harder in my mind than it had to be. Loose-goosey is the way I like things, and I should just trust that. Anyway, I snapped a few pics of the layout, then Dave and I hung them up another night while referring to my phone pics. Easy enough, about a 30 minute project. <br />
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That was a few weeks ago, and that is where we are at to this night. But, I'm proud to say that all photos are picked out, and waiting in my cart at <a href="http://mpix.com/">mpix.com</a>. So I'm just waiting for a good coupon to pop up! Come on mpix, annnnny day now!<br />
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<i>*Guess what. Think I'm headed back to Ikea for a larger frame, bottom left. Yeah? To even it out. Damn. And damn again. </i><br />
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<i>**At Rachel's suggestion, I've been ordering my prints from mpix because the quality is soooo good compared to Costco or Walmart. Colors are rich and dynamic, and worth the extra money. </i><br />
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<br />Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13119990565897977213noreply@blogger.com1