Striving for Simplicity

Nursery Update part 2

2015-06-11T07:27:00.002-04:00

While the Nursery isn't totally complete, all the important stuff is in and ready to go :-)

Now we just need to hang some art, the mobile, curtains and put the stars on the ceiling.
I'll be sure to post again when everything is done - but since our little guy might arrive before then, I wanted to be sure the important stuff was ready to go! :-)

Basement Overflow.....

2015-05-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

So this is what we started with. A mess on a table ;-)

Some of it moved around the corner with the 4-drawer file cabinet.

Mostly art supplies.

My desk moved to the far wall and

I took over some of the bookshelves for storage.

Matt's desk is now on the opposite wall instead of behind the sofa.

He's still hard at work on Grad school - but he's just about halfway through!!

I'm now at 36 weeks and can't wait to meet our little guy!

Nursery Update

2015-05-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

Matt was able to take a week off in between grad school semesters which allowed us to finally get all the study furniture out (to the basement) and the nursery furniture put together! We are still working on getting everything set up but it's looking more and more like a nursery :-)

The Pack n Play will most likely end up elsewhere in the house,

but for now we are keeping all baby stuff in the nursery.

Windows will have new curtains - fabric has been found and curtains are in progress! The pile of laundry on the floor is your dose of reality (LOL) it will be washed soon and put away in the dresser.

Crib and 3-in-1 rocker!

The rocker will also probably end up elsewhere in the house...

Dresser! Changing table set-up on top :-)

We still need to spackle and touch up the walls where pictures were hung before and then put up some new artwork. Stars will go on the ceiling as well as the hot air balloon mobile over the crib :-)

The last piece of big furniture is being delivered next week and I'm so excited to get it into the room and put all the final pieces together.

32 days and counting down until our little man's arrival!

Surprise! Baby Shower :-)

2015-04-15T20:16:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday I was thrown an amazing baby shower!

It was a wonderful afternoon filled with great food,

friends - some of whom I hadn't seen in over a year! - and some crazy awesome gifts!

Even some work peeps were there! :-)

New friends and old friends alike :-)

I had so much fun and so thankful to have such wonderful friends in my life :-)

Miss Rosie with me (above) and Auntie Haley (below)

YAY!!! and thank you ladies, from the very bottom of my heart!

HUGE HUGS to each and every one of you :-)

Cleaning Out to make way for the Nursery

2015-04-08T07:13:00.004-04:00

While we are waiting for the snow to melt, I've begun working on cleaning out my study on the second floor. It will be the Nursery come June :-)

Once again, I forgot to take before pictures, but here are some from it's current state and also the basements current state since that is where my study will be - the second floor will keep the guest room in preparation for grandparents and visitors.

One of the bookcases will be staying but it's been cleaned out in prep for baby books, a few pictures and storage in the new white bins on th lower 3 shelves.

That empty corner once held a 4-drawer file cabinet that has been moved out. I have to say that was one of the bigger projects as I had no idea how much stuff/junk/files it was holding! The cabinet is now in the basement with only the relevant items kept.

The closet has been cleaned out and re-organized. The top shelf still holds some non-baby items but I'm trying to see if I can find a place for those too. The clothes in there are of all sizes and will most likely be gone through again to keep out only those that fit the little one when he arrives.... yes! we are having a boy! :-)

What happened to the second bookcase and all my books? Well, it moved to the guestroom behind the door! It was a perfect fit and thank goodness because I'm not sure where else it would have gone!

So this is the corner of the basement that is currently a holding area for my stuff until we get my study space set-up down there. Not all that pretty to look at, but I'm glad it's only 1 table and not 2 or 3!!

My current goal is to get everything moved to the correct floor (baby stuff to the Nursery, my study stuff to the basement) before I get too much bigger. Then items can move around to find their spots/homes from there.

What have you all been up to? :-)

To Do List 2015

2015-01-23T16:59:00.000-05:00

Let's begin with a summary of items that have rolled over from year to year. Some of these we have decided we are not going to do, but here's the full list:

outdoor patio around bottom of deck stairs (moves grill off deck) - no longer happening
walkway from driveway around the lilacs to outdoor patio - no longer happening
living hedge border along far-side of the yard and down the driveway - started but incomplete
flowering shrubs on the inside of yard edge - no longer happening
backup generator for whole house - still a possibility but we are leaning towards no
air exchange unit for the house
new bulkhead for the basement exterior stairs
backyard shed - no longer happening
figure out garage storage
re-paint guestroom
continue clearing edges of yard
1 or 2 bonfires to clean-up yard waste and deadwood

If we take the above list and remove the items that are no longer going to happen, we have:

living hedge border along far-side of the yard and down the driveway - started but incomplete
air exchange unit for the house
new bulkhead for the basement exterior stairs
figure out garage storage
re-paint study which is now the guestroom
continue clearing edges of yard
1 or 2 bonfires to clean-up yard waste and deadwood

Now let's add a new project to the mix.... a nursery :-)

Needless to say, the list needs a bit of re-arranging! I'll fill you in more as we figure things out, but a lot of my absence over the past few months has been due to the ill-named morning sickness. I'm getting better but some days it's all I can do to get up, go to work, come home and eat dinner, so please pardon the sporadic posts!

Holiday Decor Wrap-up

2015-01-14T22:26:00.001-05:00

Well this post is only a few weeks behind. sigh. I feel like 2015 is already getting away from me and it's not even two full weeks into the New Year! So, quick! before any more time flies by, here is a quick review of our holiday decorations this year :-)

Snowflake Tree - main colors where white and green this year

It was a lovely holiday season filled with family and friends and travel!

Holiday Decor Part 1

2014-12-12T13:45:00.000-05:00

I am not as far along as I would like to be with our holiday decorations this year, but I thought I'd share what I currently have up!

We had a lovely little snow fall last night - just enough to freshen-up the yard and trees!

Reese: Adoption Day Year 4

2014-12-05T16:24:00.000-05:00

So every year Mom does this picture thing of my past year. I told her this year I'm old enough to do it myself! I mean really, how hard can it be? She insisted on doing the photos herself though. I hope she doesn't embarrass me!

OK, so she started with our second Christmas in January with this picture. This is me at Dad's parents house on my all-time favorite blanket which I love so much that it only comes out on special occasions now. Not my fault it was old to begin with! All I do is pick it up to move it and there's another hole. sigh. Mom folds it up for me so it seems like there are no holes!

They are moving the snow around so I can walk on the cold ground instead of through the white stuff. Only it's taking forever so I sit and wait for them so then we can play.

Umm, They made the floor soft. and warm. The basement isn't so scary now.

And before they put stuff down there is was a great place for me to run around and play!

Yep. more white stuff.

OK. So I like running through the white stuff. It flys up and all over and Mom dug this nice hole so I can run in a big circle. It's kinda awesome.

OH man. Here we go with the sleeping photos. I have no clue why she keeps taking pictures of me sleeping. But that one is this place she goes all day. The rug smells funny and no one ever stays still. They are always moving around and it's hard to keep track of all of them. I sometimes give up and take a nap.

Sleeping at home with Mom on the couch with the soft blanket.

She was probably watching the glowing square.

Did they tell you they took my couch away?! I have no idea where this thing came from but it doesn't smell like my people and I don't like it. I'm kinda mad about it actually and won't go near it.

OK, ok. It's kind of ok. But not soft like the other one.

Hrumph.

What?! Yes, I like it better with a blanket on it to make it soft.

This is my favorite park. We go here and I get to run!

It always has good smells.

I was hungry. Mom wasn't up yet. I told her to get up and put food and more water in my bowls.

Not a flattering picture.

So this new couch thing? it has lower sides and I can see out the window into the yard without moving! It's cool. I can be comfy and watch my yard.

This is my buddy Jonas. His house has a new person in it. A veery small person. We hang out sometimes. He's pretty chill about all the noise with the new person.

I honestly don't think Mom will ever stop painting something! But I like the new soft floor so I'm hanging out keeping an eye on her.

No more white stuff!! LOVE that I have my yard back. New smells and old smells and green stuff to eat and chew on - YUM!

Mom brought home more green stuff. I'm not allowed near it.

But I did get a car ride!

Dad went away. I guarded Mom. I was always with her. I missed Dad but he came back!

OH! Mom was doing something weird with white sticky stuff inside the house. She wouldn't let me lick it.

When it's hot my friend 'Bird and her people come to visit. She's older than me and doesn't like to play, but we chase squirrels and deer together. We also nap together. She likes napping.

Yep. She's napping while I keep an eye on the yard.

Even when it's hot she likes to be outside in the sun. She says it's hot all the time where she lives.

I loaned her my Thunder Shirt when the fireworks and thunder storms came this summer. In return she let me nap on her new bed! She seems to like mine better anyway, but her's is so big and cozy!

'Bird and her people have left. I miss them.

Mom gave me this new crunchy food thing. It was fun to nosh between my teeth.

Oh! This is my buddy Jordan. He came and stayed with us without his people for a few days. We chase each other and play all the time!

This is me with Jonas. His yard has squirrels and chipmunks!

Oh, Moooommm!!! It's weird, but she really likes it when I don't move when I sit on the front sometimes. I don't know why she doesn't want me to play with her in the yard.

Mom took my picture to send to Rosie. I have never met her but I know I would love her. I see her pictures and hear her voice on Mom's phone sometimes.

This was one of the last awesome days we spent at Kingman Farm before it got cold.

I've found an even better position for watching the yard, the glowing box and Mom and Dad. PLUS! Mom has been putting down fuzzy blankets for me to lie on - MUCH better!

Ummmm. Not sure about this fire thing inside the house this year. Kinda freaks me out.

Mom thought this was funny for some reason - she woke me up with her shaking legs. Normally when she doesn't move it's a great napping spot.

Oh yeah! When I go to the city with Mom, we go on walks in the city that have so many smells! I try to sniff everything, but there's always too much to smell on our walk!

The start of the white stuff. Not enough for me to play in yet though.

Mom and Dad went away for a while. I stayed with Uncle Bruce and Aunt Jenny. They were very nice and put a soft cover on their sofa so I could sit with Uncle Bruce. I've been here before and each time it gets better!

This morning Mom gave me this new toy. It has squeakers that need to die. I'm working on that.

Thanks for reading this super long picture thing. I love living with Mom and Dad. They are my people and I always feel safe and loved. I've been here almost longer than I can remember and aside from the toe-nail trimming thing (does anyone really enjoy that?!) and the occasional blow dryer, life is good.

We love you Reese!!!

A Texas Thanksgiving!

2014-11-30T13:44:00.000-05:00

This year we headed down to Texas to see Oliver and Melissa for their week off at Thanksgiving!
(for those of you who follow me on Instagram, some of these pics may seem familiar!)

Dinner at this little local joint the night we arrived - SO good!!

Next morning we were up early to run the Brownsville Turkey Trot!

Or volunteer with their students!

This family owned and operated business is one of Oliver's students family.

The food was un-believably delicious and the coke had real sugar in it (it's from Mexico!)

A driving tour of the sand dunes - it was very windy that day so we decided not to walk.

They had bulldozers moving the sand off the road and back onto the dunes!

This road dead-ends at the beach!

We tried a new burger joint called BurgerFi - really tasty!!

So windy that the wind surfers were getting crazy amounts of air!

Almost like they were flying!

I'd be lying if I said we didn't miss Reese, but these 4 jokers kept us laughing most of the trip!

We experienced Black Friday shopping!

(Kel, I took this picture for you!)

Turkey dinner was hosted by Melissa's mom and twin sister Marie :-)

There were SO many options and everything was delicious!!

This is everyone with plate #1 :-D

FIVE kinds of pie!! I tasted them all and loved most!

I woke up one morning to find this happening on the sofa :-)

Tooo good not to snap a quick photo!

This was one of the last nights we were there. The weather was warmer and

the wind had died down enough to make a stroll on the beach lovely.

A true sand castle beginning to lose its' battle with the incoming tide

Matt with his feet in the ocean. He wanted to test the temperature!

Yes, we came home to snow and ice, but the trip was wonderful and seeing family was incredible :-)

I seriously wish Texas wasn't so far away!

Halloween @Work!

2014-10-31T11:14:00.001-04:00

Next up is out potluck lunch and awards in the following categories: Scariest, Funniest, Most Unique

Happy Birthday!

2014-10-13T11:01:00.000-04:00

Today is BB's Birthday and she celebrated with friends on her new adventure in the Dominican Republic!

So glad she's enjoying the warm weather and having fun!

House Hunting

2014-10-12T10:17:00.000-04:00

Not sure if I should really call this house hunting since we aren't technically looking very seriously.... We know we want to move within the next couple years and it took us 7 months to find our current place and we were looking at houses almost every weekend of that time. Now that we know the area, the schools, the roads, this house hunt is defined in a way the last one wasn't. Also, we've learned a few lessons with this house (some hard, some funny) and so we have a list of things our next house absolutely must have, and a list of what would be awesome. It's evolving over time, but to give you an idea here is what it currently looks like:

Must Have	Would Like to Have
4 bedrooms, 3 ½ bathrooms	5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 2 half baths
2 car garage	3 car garage
mudroom off garage entrance	back deck off back to yard
1st open floor plan: eat-in kitchen, breakfast area, large family room	butler’s pantry between kitchen and formal dining room
separate formal dining and office	formal dining, formal living and office
separate laundry room	1st floor laundry room
heating and cooling systems	Geo-thermal and solar
walk-out daylight basement w/high ceilings	finished basement
walk-up attic space	finished attic space
good sized yard - mostly level	private yard - ie end of a cul-de-sac or rd
room to expand - either within the house or add on if needed.	mature trees/ landscaping
wood burning fireplace(s)
hardwood first floor, tile in baths	heated tile in baths
double sink in master bath, sep shower/tub

Here are some pictures of houses we've looked at lately:

Which one do you like best?

Fall Walks with Reese

2014-10-10T10:10:00.000-04:00

Reese and I love to go exploring in the fall, the weather has cooled, less people and less bugs makes for more fun!

Can't wait to go back again (or maybe try another adventure elsewhere!)

Fall in the Yard

2014-10-07T15:00:00.000-04:00

I think being out in the yard in the fall is one of my all-time favorite things! The grass has slowed growing, most of the bugs are dead or dying, it's cooler so lugging around plants, dirt, mulch isn't as much work and the leaves are putting on a beautiful show! :-)

I came to the conclusion that the last 'lilac bush' wasn't really a bush at all this summer. It was a junk tree. I put off pulling it up thinking it would attract the japanese beetles that killed off my smallest dogwood tree this summer. I abhor those stupid things!

So I finally pulled it out and planted 2 containers of bulbs and 3 small bushes that were given to me as a few friends were cleaning out. Thus, the side garden against the garage went from looking like this:

to this:

The new bush in a mini rhododendron

and this is where the 4 buckets of bulbs went.

I might break down next spring a buy a more established lilac.

And the back raised garden bed - the last little one went from looking like this:

to this:

whew! what a difference a few months make!

I moved the 3rd NY Astor and planted another hydrangea.

It doesn't look so good right now, but there are green buds on it, so I'm going to give it some love, fertilizer and time and see if I can get it growing again :-)

Pictures I took this morning..... I love my backyard!

Mantle for Fall

2014-10-02T14:04:00.000-04:00

We've had The Great Pumpkin hanging over the mantle for most of September at Matt's request :-)

But over the last week or so, I pulled out some fall favorites and added a few new pieces this year to help round it out. I still need to add some taller pieces so it looks a bit more balanced...

The twigs and berries around the candles are new. I got them at JoAnn's for 50% off which made them fun and reasonably priced :-) I pick up new little pumpkins and gourds at the grocery store each year to add to my favorite glass blown pumpkin, twig pumpkin and this year the new bigger (carve-able) pumpkin also from JoAnn's. He's plain for now but I may do something fun with him later this month.

And THIS guy is my new find for Halloween that I love so much I can't figure out where to put him!

The goal this year with fall is to re-use, recycle and re-imagine the stuff we already have (it also helps that we aren't hosting any events at the house this year during the fall season) so I can spend a bit on Christmas this year and pick up a few new pieces!

Mini-Anni break on the Cape!

2014-09-30T14:14:00.004-04:00

After a slightly crazy day trying to get everything ready to go, dropping my car off in the shop and getting Mr Reesey-face where he was spending the weekend, we jumped in the car and headed south to the cape. On our way down we got some wonderfully exciting news!

My brother and his wife are expecting a girl!

Once we checked into our hotel, we drove (but could have walked) down the street a bit for some dinner. Bear in Boots was highly rated in the area and I thought it would be a fun place to try! We took a picture for my brother :-)

Saturday we spent the day roaming the town of Falmouth and found this yummy store! We picked up a few treats and everything we got was UN-believably DELISH! There are apparently a few of them around New England so I plan to find the others - LOL

Chocolate down the left, ice cream, gelato and candy down the right.

In our wanderings we also came across this car show on the lawn of the local library

I've never seen a door that slides inside the car instead of swinging open!

This one opened in many directions

This is what VOLVO used to look like!

And one of the coolest cars, a 1965 Honda convertible! It was awesome to see an older version Honda mixed in with the Ford's, Ferrari's, Chrysler's, and various muscle cars :-)

Sunday we visited with dear friends, Tim and Teri (and family that dropped by). Tim actually married us 5 yrs ago so it was a great way to spend our Sunday afternoon. We kayaked, grilled, and talked the night away! Before we knew it, the evening had passed and we scrambled to get home and crash before Monday morning came too soon!

Here's to another five years!

Anniversary

2014-09-26T15:00:00.000-04:00

We've been married 5 years. Which means we've known each other for a decade!! whew!
We are off for a mini-vacation over the weekend. I'll be back with pictures soon!

TRADITIONAL GIFT: Wood is the traditional gift for the 5th anniversary. Suggested gifts are a wooden clock, wooden music box, statue or something as simple as a wooden picture frame to display a special picture, possibly from your anniversary or wedding day.

MODERN GIFT: Silverware is the modern gift for the 5th anniversary. Some silverware ideas are a vase, silver flatware or a silver picture frame to display that special photo.

GEMSTONE: Sapphire is a very hard stone and its history dates back to biblical times. It is thought that the tablets containing the Ten Commandments were made from sapphire. It was also thought that the earth rested on a huge piece of sapphire which in turn reflected the sun and gave the sky its bluish color. Royalty has worn sapphire to symbolize wisdom, holiness, virtue and good fortune. Suggested sapphire gifts include rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets.

FLOWER: Daisies are the flowers associated with the 5th anniversary. The Daisy symbolizes love, purity, loyalty and innocence. Women appreciate flowers anytime, but giving daisies for the 5th anniversary shows her that you took the time to research the traditional flower gift.

Weekend Travels

2014-09-22T21:00:00.000-04:00

As Matt has been spending his weekends working on Grad school, I've been traveling! This past weekend it was to RI for the day. I brought Reesey-face with me and we had a great time toodling around with my parents. Brunch at the Modern Diner - which is awesome! - then running some errands for Halloween and fall decor. We also made a stop at DSW - always dangerous!

Mum found this red Sperry's in the clearance section!

SUPER cute with plaid down the sides :-)

I found a pair of Charcoal grey wool Sperry's which will be great as the weather turns cooler.

I took this picture in JoAnn's for Kel ;-)

And the reason for being at JoAnn's was a Halloween pattern (no dice)

and some leaf garland to update my fall grapevine wreath (success!)

I left the ribbon on from last year and just added 2 garlands of leaves and berries.

The leaves help the wreath show up against the black front door.

(My handsome Reese too!)

Next up: I've picked up a couple new things for Halloween/Fall for the inside of the house too! Right now they are all massed on the mantle, but I hope to have them organised soon to show you!

A Friendly Visit in Connecticut

2014-09-21T12:08:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I got visit a very dear friend of mine and her adorable 9 month old son :-)

Isn't he just the cutest?! His favorite pastime right now is doors. The bigger the better but he will settle for a cabinet or drawer if you make him. ;-)

August Thoughts....

2014-09-19T12:02:00.001-04:00

September is slipping away from me - the days drag on by the weeks keep flying by. I still can't figure out how that's possible! We are so jam-packed/scheduled! Pretty much through the end of the year at this point which is hard for me to believe but I think it's Matt's Grad school schedule that keeps us planning so far out.

In any case, my computer died (again) around the second week of August. It was frustrating at times for sure, but then because I had no laptop I could focus on other things, which was wonderful!

Here's a post I wrote just before the laptop broke:
The house is very quiet now. All house guests have departed. July was a wonderfully crazy-full-awesome month! I feel like I always have a do-to list before family shows up for a visit and this year was no different.

I finally finished planting the gardens I created last summer!

Once again, I switched study and guestroom so that

Oliver, Melissa and LadyBird had more space while they were here.

I managed to get some holes and dings patched before they arrived.

I was hoping to get them painted as well, but oh well!

Then, while they are here I focus all my time and energy on soaking up every moment and house stuff falls behind. I don't mind - family is way, WAY more important than laundry or hanging shelves in the basement, etc. Lucky for me, I have a handy brother who likes to help out while visiting:

This is his impression of ghost busters.... what he's really doing is applying a garlic spray to the yard. It's a natural bug/mosquito deterrent that works great and we love it! It's our third year using it.

He also hung Matt's shelves in the basement

AND applied the privacy sticky paper to the front door

We learned the hard way this summer that the garlic spray does wonders but it doesn't keep the horse flies away, so Oliver went online to find a solution. He copied one that we all thought was crazy - but you know what? it worked like a champ! He took to counting how many flies he caught each time and then would make us guess :-)

Also? He's also great with Reese who really REALLY hates his toe nails being clipped.

All in all, he's one of a kind and I'm so lucky he's my brother :-)

PS. His wife Melissa is also totally awesome ;-)

PPS. We are going to see them for Thanksgiving this year! I can't wait!

September

2014-09-09T08:44:00.002-04:00

I've been reading a lot lately. Some silly books, some more serious, some about interior design, some about families and some just because I wanted to. This summer has left me in a pensive mood and as we head into Fall, my favorite time of year, I find that I'm grateful. For family, friends, good books and new dreams.

I was reminded of this quote today, one I've always loved and thought I would share it with you.

"Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most."
~ Ramona Calvert, Hope Floats

Sending huge hugs & warm thoughts your way!

Summertime! and the Livin' is Easy.....

2014-07-22T12:11:00.002-04:00

For the past few years Oliver, Melissa and their dog LadyBird have come up from TX to spend a chunk of their summer with us - we LOVE having them!! Here are some pics of our adventures this past month:

Oliver with our new sprayer applying an all-natural bug deterrent made from garlic

Ghost Buster Style!

Matt and Melissa at Urban Raid in Boston

The runners! Matt and BB (Melissa and I were the cheering squad!)

watching for our peeps!

here they come!

there they go!

Urban Raid is a 5k obstacle course.

Up and Over!

The Champions!

After we met up with my parents and enjoyed lunch at the Famous Oyster House - YUM!

One rainy day I looked to my left (Reese)

center (Anne of Avonlea)

and my right (LadyBird)

Ashley had her baby girl! and we got to visit!

Mt Washington Adventure!

our Driver (Oliver) and Navigator (Melissa)

Matt and I got to ride in the back and enjoy the views!

we stopped every now and then to take pictures

(Matt)

the views were incredible!

out every window - no matter how small - was amazing!

nearing the top - the train is in the distance!

Oliver and I kept saying the no trees, rocks, crazy clouds all remind us of Northern Scotland

winds get so high, this building is chained down to the rock/mtn

observation tower

it cleared for a moment, but the clouds quickly came back

(Oliver and Matt)

I took some train photos for my Dad :-)

While it was chilly on the top, I enjoyed the cooler weather for a while!

One last look on the way down

It was a beautiful day and we had so much fun!

The dogs sunbathing after baths :-)

Oliver, Melissa and LadyBird are here for only a little bit longer - but we plan to squeeze as much fun into it as we can!

Happy 4th of July!

2014-07-04T21:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Independence Day! It's raining and cloudy today but this weekend should be beautiful so we will BBQ and set off our fireworks this weekend.
I hope you all have a safe and happy 4th with friends and family!

“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.”
― Erma Bombeck

2014 To-Do List Update

2014-06-29T16:02:00.000-04:00

We are halfway through 2014!! So just like in past years, I'm taking a moment to review our to-do list and see what we've accomplished vs what is left on the list!

~~whole house water filter - we have an artisan well and while we love it, we're starting to see some serious mineral build-up in sink faucets, shower heads and appliances.~~ (May)
new bulkhead - finishing the basement showed us how truly leaky and unsealed the current bulkhead is and since we've just finished the basement, we want to protect it!
fix the granite bar - it has been shifting down for the last few years and is no longer level. We had it looked at to make sure it won't fall off - that would be awful! - but it needs to be fixed.
~~furniture: new living room couch (current couch will be going into the basement) and ottoman, coffee table and media center (with new TV) for the basement.~~ (Feb/March)
yard: ~~fill in raised beds in back with big plants (hydrangeas or butterfly bushes), fill-in oak tree flower bed~~ and continue living hedge. (May/June)
~~go on vacation! - we've been very bad at this in recent years but 2013 summer with weekend adventures and camping showed us how much we love to travel and how much we NEED that downtime~~ (April)

All in all - NOT bad!! not bad at all :-D

And just in time for family to arrive for July 4th.... A new wooden flag for above the mantle :-) The stars hanging off the ends of the mantle is the red, white and blue table runner for the dining room table that I threw up there before I crashed on the sofa. Hey, at least it won't get dog hair on it up there!

The metal star painted with the flag is on the front door, but true to form, I don't have a picture for you. Maybe I'll grab one tonight and update the post :-)