honey do list

we have so much ahead of us. and we haven't even moved in yet!

paint colors!

- living/dining/hall, sticks & stones by sherwin williams

http://pinterest.com/patf/kitchens/

letschipit.com

   

- den,  iron mountain by benjamin moore

decorpad.com

newyorkspacemag.com

- fireplace, white
- hallway, ????????

the staging area

while the sellers are renting back, we're crashing with my amazingly generous mother-in-law. perhaps i should say long-suffering mother-in-law. not only does the boxer puppy run around her compound like a crazy beast - spilling water, peeing, jumping on furniture and skidding across hardwood floors - her basement has become my project staging area. (luckily, she loves crafts as much as i do!)

project #1: reupholstered ugly but comfy sofa with dropcloths from home depot

project #2: revived my grandparents' old basement cabinet and turned it into a pantry. I put a bird on it!

project #3: painted an antique iron baker's rack for guest room (my uncle is making new glass shelves!)

project #4: started on housewarming invitations - note decorative fence punch - thanks, martha stewart!

project #5: found a contractor to install this side door so we will be able to let dogs out directly into backyard

and also: made pillows, laundry sink skirt, painted a metal lantern from michael's, bought a fun pottery barn cubby for the entryway

fence + deck

the first thing we did after buying the house was contract someone to build a fence and deck for us. it will be fabulous to let the doggies run free while we unpack!

the deck is made of azek and should be easier than a stone patio if we expand the kitchen into the backyard.

looks kind of random just slapped down there with no plants around the edges or furniture on top. soon....soon!

introducing - chez dufresne

after 3 failed offers and 2 months of commited househunting with our beloved realtor nancy ( http://www.nancyheisel.com/) we accidentally stumbled upon the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood.

i say accidentally because we almost didn't go see it. it wasn't in falls church, where we were primarily focused, and it just happened to hit the listings while lauren was rushing out the door to go see another house.

but we did go. and it was love at first sight.

we were in a bidding war from day one, despite the fact that we put a full-price offer down a mere few hours after it came on the market! but it truly was meant to be. that evening, when we first saw the sellers' names, we discovered that they were good friends of the family. this coincidence sealed the deal. after closing in april, we started the rent-back period. given lauren's complete lack of patience in these matters, those weeks would be spent furiously prepping....