We've got red floors.

We unearthed the flooring hidden under the carpet yesterday and found nice hardwood floor. We don't know what type of wood it is, but it's really red!! It will probably have to be re-stained because it clashes pretty badly with our walls. However, we were amazed at what great condition it is in. It also makes our hallway room look humongous.

After we finish the other room, I think we'll have to take a break. Our bodies have been complaining about all the work lately!

OMG! What a difference!

Thank you brother Jordan, brother Tom and Benjamin!

Making a Headboard

So I am finally getting around to the headboard post! I've been wanting to make my own headboard forever, and I was surprised that it really was as easy to make as people say. The headboard frames the bed nicely and adds a little pizazz to the room. We're still working on a duvet, so it's just close-up pictures for now.

The fabric consists of pillow shams purchased from TJ Max. Then, my super-crafty friend, Tiff (purse and bag designer extraordinaire), helped me sew the fabric together. The material and batting were staple-gunned to a piece of plywood, George helped with the upholstering and hardware....and Voila!! Instant headboard.

Flowers in Bloom

Our garden has been full of surprises lately as we get to see our flowers bloom. (Geraniums, Snapdragons, Roses, Dancing Ladies and Hydrangea)

Design Schizophrenia!

So, I know I haven't posted in a long time, but I really want to!!! It's just that I have been so swamped lately. In fact, I am procrastinating right now. In 2 weeks I should be free again and can hopefully begin some of the many projects I've been sketching. I'll try to share these sketches if I ever get around to scanning them.

In my design classes, I am learning that all design should come from a concept first. Since I am design schizophrenic, this is a very difficult task for me. I seem to straddle both modern and rustic with a love for rustic, modern and industrial styles. Is that too eclectic? I am almost always drawn to simple design, especially when demonstrated in Japanese, Scandinavian and Santa Fe interiors. If I had to pick, my concept would probably be Wabi-Sabi (a term that refers to the beauty in imperfections) or Rustic meets Modern.

Well, I'll let these pictures speak about what my style is. As you can see, the first four images are modern while the last three are rustic. What am I to do? Let me know if you see an underlying theme?

Epoxy! It's a good thing.

Be careful what gunk you scoop out of your drain pipes.

It might be the only thing keeping them sealed.

Good thing I found this Mr. Sticky's waterproof epoxy!

The Kitchen Sink

Do you ever try to fix a problem and it ends up worse than before?
Now we know why people hire plumbers!
Maybe George should stick to electronics.

Dinner Guests

We had some VIP dinner guests this weekend.
Here they are dining on cheese and juice

Planting Fruit Trees

Planting our Cherry and Asian Pear Trees with Dad. Hopefully these trees will soften up our asphalt paradise. They'll also provide shade and will bear us delicious fruit....in three years though.

Exploring LG on Bike

Vasona Park in late November.

Master Bedroom Project

Master Bedroom before shot. My mother and
cousins lovingly ripped off the floral wallpaper trim.

Our After photo (I need to post a more updated shot). We love the new paint color. It's called Silver Fox and it's a greyish - beigish - silvery - purple under toned color. It changes with the sunlight and compliments our honey furniture and floors.

Happy Workers!

Moving Day and Phlegm

Moving Day was filled with joy, excitement and phlegm. Yeah, I said phlegm! During 2008, I only got sick twice. My first bout was a nasty flu in February and my second cold happened on moving day...and of course, George caught the same bug. Talk about timing!

Luckily we cleverly tricked our friends and family into helping us move by bribing them with chili and wine. They fell for it! Without them, we'd still be in boxes and lining shelves. A very special thanks to my sister-in-law Elizabeth, who scrubbed our bathroom from floor to ceiling. Thanks family and friends, if you're reading this!!!

There's a great picture of everyone that helped that day...but I need to get it from my mother-in-law.

Cottage George and Jen

Our house is a 2bed / 2bath 1940's yellow cottage with charm and huge lot. The house has been minimally updated since it was built. There is a never-ending list of things in need of repair, but this is overshadowed by our newfound privacy and freedom that comes with homeownership. We feel very blessed to be homeowners. This blog will hopefully archive our attempts and failures to replace, repair, paint and update our very first home. Enjoy!

We Bought a House!

After renting for the last decade, George and I bought our first house ever! We really did fall in love with the house upon first sight. Of course, we had to look past the wood paneling, bold paint colors and furnishings... all the better to scare off our competition! What we did see, however, were great bones, an open floor plan, huge backyard with a mature redwood tree, proximity to nature, a good neighborhood and lots of potential. It feels great to finally be able to plant our roots in a home and make it our own.