My newest addiction

Christmas came early at my house. That's allowed to happen when it's a gift you give yourself.

Well...I can also thank a bonus from work and credit card reward points for this:

I have long wanted one and there seemed to be no better time.

Do I know how to use it? Uh, not really... yet.
Am I a good photographer worthy of an amazing camera? Nope, but I think I can learn to be decent.
Have I spent numerous hours during my week off trying to figure this thing out and taking pictures of anything and everything around my house? You bet.

"Wait...I thought you had a tree."

Recently I posted pictures of my (mostly) finished living room area. At that time I wasn't able to show the wall with the fireplace because it quite honestly was a total mess on that side of the room. Mostly because I had just brought up boxes of Christmas decorations from the basement.

This past weekend I was able to finish unpacking those boxes and added a few new things.


Most of the decorations are things I already had. A few were given to me by my mom. Though tempted every time I've been shopping these past few weeks, I've tried to avoid buying too much more for a few reasons: 1) I don't really need more; 2) I'm trying to better respect my own pocketbook these days; 3) I'm also trying to avoid the hyper-consumerism temptation in today's world and 4) by not buying more I can keep a few extra things out of the landfills.

This weekend I had second thoughts regarding my resolve to not buy more when I had a few friends over. We had pulled in chairs from the dining room for more seating, and after sitting for a few minutes one of my friends looked around and said, "Hey wait... I thought you said you had a tree."

Yes, this three-foot tree was hidden when someone sat in front of it.

Oh well. On any ordinary day you can see it all, and it's Christmas cozy to me.

25 years

We three have been friends that long.


I love these girls.

Tradition

For as long as I can remember my family has traveled for Thanksgiving every single year. In my early days it was to Tennessee at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Then when they moved to a much smaller house in South Carolina (at a time when our family was getting much bigger) we started going to random cities. For the first few it was Pittsburg, but then we ventured out. A lot of years it was keeping it fair to geographic distances, some years a city near someone in the family, and other years a truly random city that someone had suggested.

We've been to Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Knoxville, Detroit, New York City, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Indianapolis...just to name a few.

I've always had a hard time explaining this tradition. Whenever I tell someone who doesn't know me well of my Thanksgiving plans, they ask if I have family there. Nope! We all stay in a hotel, Grandpa takes us out for Thanksgiving dinner, no one does dishes, and no one has to have an over-crowded house. We also have two other traditions that are main-stays - bowling and Chinese food/pizza on Friday.



For the past few years, as the family has continued to grow, it has gotten harder for everyone to get there each year. And this year was one of the first that my immediate family decided to stay in Grand Rapids. But we had to keep the tradition alive! Friday brought us together for bowling and then pizza at my parents' house. Not the same as spending the holiday with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. But still a fun time.

Love these kiddos...

The Circle Tour

It recently came to my attention that I have shared no pictures of the inside of my house since floor refinishing and privacy blinds hanging.

I was going to wait until my living room was "done." But, let's get serious, that may never happen. I am way too indecisive, painfully slow thoughtful about what should go where and choosing things to hang on the walls. The clock in these pictures just went up today, after leaning against my fireplace for at least 2 weeks.

I actually chose my furniture surprisingly quickly, which was delivered over 3 months ago. It's very neutral -- which likely is why the decision was so quick.

Here's the circle tour around my living room...

There did not seem to be enough space to buy both a couch and a loveseat, so this comfy chair provides seating in addition to the couch. Those split doors lead to the front door.


This couch is amazing. Great for all things a couch should be great for: reading, napping, television watching, chatting with friends, drinking coffee, eating dinner, accidentally sleeping for the whole night.


And here's the third part of the room. Again is the chair with the clock above. And my TV. I had never in my life bought a new TV. I was still watching on this miniature 13 inch TV that I had in college. Every man who entered my house would make a comment about how teeny-tiny my TV was, so I bought a new one (well, and I wanted a new one). Figured it also was the only way I'd ever get anyone to come to my house to watch a football game. And honestly? Even though I'm not a big TV watcher... I must say, it's awesome.

Just to the right of this last picture is the opening into my dining room (table currently covered with mail and bills). And on the fourth wall of the living room (which is farther to the right) is my fireplace -- currently cluttered with all of the Christmas decorations I brought up from the basement today. Need to organize and buy more before I actually get excited about decorating for Christmas. Oh, and eat turkey tomorrow too -- no Christmas decorating until after Thanksgiving in this house.

birthdays + up north

Both of my parents celebrated big birthdays this year (Dad in September and Mom in November). And since my parents aren't really into big parties, my siblings and I decided to take everyone up to Traverse City for a fall weekend in October - smack dab in the middle of their respective big days. Rented a condo, visited wineries, watched college football, ate great meals, enjoyed one of our favorite parts of Michigan, played games, and just enjoyed good family time. Quality time is one of the best kinds of gifts, anyway.

The colors on Old Mission Peninsula were phenomenal (unable to be captured in a photo). The kiddos had so much fun running around and playing with each other.


Nothing says fall like a pumpkin patch...


...or playing in a vineyard!


Uncle Brian giving a wagon ride


That side of the table


This side of the table

Joe even loved his new hat!

...have I ever mentioned how much I love northern Michigan?!

Thanksgiving in a Bowl

Since I always am looking for new recipes, I look forward to each week when one of my dear childhood friends posts amazing soup recipes on her blog (thanks, Lindsay!). I love making soup on the weekends because it makes for quick and easy lunches during of the week. And it doesn't get much easier than this recipe that my sister made for me a couple weeks ago. She shared it with one of her best friend too, who said it tasted like "Thanksgiving in a Bowl."

This comes from none other than Rachael Ray (yum-o) and is only 5 ingredients (with salt, pepper, and olive oil being freebies) so I didn't even have to make a list for the grocery store.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 peeled, seeded and chopped butternut squash
1 peeled and quartered onion
1 peeled and quartered baking potato
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 to 1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 400. In 9x13 baking dish, toss butternut squash, onion and baking potato with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
Bake until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Transfer vegetables and any juices to large soup pot, add the broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Remove from heat and, using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Stir in the milk, according to desired thickness, and season with salt and pepper.



I enjoyed this with my favoite sourdough bread from a local bakery, which is also readily available at my local grocery stores.

After about 40 minutes in the oven, everything started to get very soft but I think I should have let it go longer because I discovered some less-than-tender pieces after I put it all in the soup pot. This could easily be made vegetarian with vegetable broth instead of chicken. Also, I do not have an immersion blender (what's an immersion blender, anyway?) so I just carefully blended it in very small batches in my regular blender which worked out well. I added the full amount of milk, but wish I would have started with less and kept it a little bit thicker.

Enjoy!

Now I can dance.

So now that I have my own spacious living room in my big old house, it leads me to one thought.... impromptu dance parties. Where no one will see me or care.


One problem:

This huge picture window in the front. Great window but I have watched many a-neighbor stare into my house with rotating head as they walk by. Sure, I'd be curious (nosy?) too, but that just doesn't work for me.

Dad helped me install some amazing privacy the other weekend.
So I lose the view, but these babies open from either the top or the bottom.

Annd, more importantly, now I can dance. Bring on the music. Or none -- I can just make up the songs.

Kris & Keith

So the real reason that brought us out to the Indy State Fair (besides the twinkies and the butter) was the Kris Allen/Keith Urban. Yes, former American Idol plus hot Aussie county star.

It was a hot sticky August night, but hands down the most fun concert I have ever been to.

Kris Allen... Mari and I accurately predicted his exact wardrobe.

A Pure Indiana sunset

Melissa: "This is how you get me to sing and dance without a drink!"

A little John Mellencamp duet

Fried butter?

I experienced my first ever state fair this weekend in none other than Indiana. All in all, it was a whole new experience. I learned about 4-H and FFA, saw the biggest boar in the world, and watched people eat everything fried (twinkies, butter, oreos, pepsi, macaroni and cheese).

What beatiful (and very hot!) day...


Gotta love that food on a stick.


Really??


Apparently, you can get anything you want fried.


Farm animals galore...


We did go for more than just fair food and people watching... there was also a concert later in the evening. More on that later.

Risen from the ashes

Aptly named, the small local company Phoenix Floor Finishing, did some real magic on my floors. The legend of the phoenix...the bird that rises from the ashes to live again. She does that.

She literally renewed my floors from worthless junk that you would want to cover with rugs (but even that wouldn't cover the horrible trim paint jobs along the entire perimeter of the floor) to something of beauty. These babies look brand new.

The pictures do not do justice; they look way better in person. But here are pictures from the same 3 places as previously posted.

Adios, scratches.


Really, there used to be water stains here.


No more worn wood by foot traffic.


A few weeks ago, while sitting on the floor of my parents' kitchen talking to my mom, I asked when/if I would be comfortable sitting on the floor of my house... something that I consider to be a true sign that it's yours and you trust it.

I will sit on these floors.

Sand and Refinish, please.

Not too long after I made my big decision to buy the house, I lay awake thinking about paint colors and furniture. This, obviously, was a good and productive use of my time. Then I suddenly came to deciding that I had to do something about the wood floors. They were basically trashed (which, of course, I overlooked in the purchase decision-making). And, while I could cover them up with some nice rugs, nice wood floors are just beautiful. And would probably add to the value of the house (maybe), and if I was going to do them ever I might as well do them now so I can enjoy them.

Some before pictures...
Note the giant scratch(es),


the water spots (which I naively assumed were dirt)


and the just worn-with-lots-of-foot-treads floors. With a horrible paint job on the trim.


So I found a company to finish them for me (clearly, this was too much of a DIY task), owned by a woman (which I love, of course), and hired her crew to do them. She did an amazing job -- pictures to follow. And didn't even blink an eye when she got my, "Oh no, Barb. I went over to sneak a peek at my floors and stepped on wet varnish and may have [knowing full well that I most definitely did] left a foot print," voicemail.

She took care of my (3 to 4) footprints.

paint

I have to be honest, until about 2 weeks ago I was a wall-painting-virgin. Growing up, when my parents would paint a room in the house I would "help" but was never really allowed to touch a brush or a roller. Either they knew better than to put paint in the hand of the clumsy adolescent that I was, or they were going with the "I'd rather do it myself so I know it gets done right/how I want it even if that means declining help" attitude (which I seem at times to have adopted as an adult). More likely a combination of the both. Either way, until earlier this month I had done little more than watch my parents paint. Maybe I refilled trays or hammered the lids back on but was never given any sort of responsibility that could cause potential damage or was really very useful.

When I was house hunting, my realtor (aka brother), always finding the possibilities and potential in a house would tell me not to get distracted by the paint on the walls (good or bad) because paint is such a simple thing to change. Not so much, brotha'. I hate painting. Er, I hate the process. Love the outcome. It is amazing how much of a transformation paint can bring to a home. It gives it life, personality, warmth. I think I can handle a few hours of tedious work if I remember how much I'll love the outcome. So far, the living/dining room area is done.

The before. Vast walls of whiteness.

The choices. Someone sure had my number when they decided to market these little paint samples. Indecisiveness rejoice.

Dad, Melissa, and I spent a long Monday night painting (thank you!). Clearly, I did some work and then got bossy pointing out the mistakes (my need for perfection obvsiously not in check at that moment)

The after. Just need to refinish those floors and pull up a couch!

Pure Michigan

I absolutely love Michigan in the summer. It almost makes it worth waiting the entire winter (although I'm sure I wouldn't enjoy/appreciate it nearly as much if not for winter). And it's not summer until you go north.... I sometimes think that those Pure Michigan radio and TV commercials were made specifically for me. I almost salivate when I hear them. How can you not?

A few of us headed north this past weekend for a girls weekend at Mackinac Island... and then I got to see some of my favorite cities on the way back south: Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, Traverse City. It made for a long drive home and a long weekend, but totally and completely worth it. We had so much fun and took tons and tons of picture... here are a few shots from our trip.