Everybody who reads the blog either conspired with each other OR the design without the awning is just butt ugly. No one liked the rendering above…all of you agreed that the “after” picture of rooftop deck WITH the awning at the Grand House is the way to go. Mark and I agree, but we do have one concern. Doesn’t it kinda look like a Pizza Hut? You can see it, right? The brick below, the…

You dedicated blog readers know that sometimes I can veer into “gushing” territory when I talk about my husband. I’m sure some of you hate it and roll your eyes…others might think it’s fake…but, I’m tellin’ ya right now, the gushing is LEGIT. For instance… Mark’s renderings for the new fixer upper, aka the Grand House, are spectacular! He’s able to not only build a 3-D model, but also add the special touches like the…

We needed a longer tape measure for our first project at the Grand House. The damn house is so grand, we can’t get all the outside measurements in one clean swoop! That’s why Mark and I are a team. He tells me what to do and I just listen and follow behind him…holding his notepad until he needs it. (Not sure if that’s the definition of teamwork or just a master/servant relationship!) We took several…

A sweet little nugget with the cutest face EVER tops my thankfulness meter this year. Punkinhead Lily makes my heart soar with joy every time I see her! If I don’t have a baby soon, I might try to convince Kelly to let her live with me. This Thanksgiving my heart is bursting with thankfulness and gratitude. My soul is happy because this man makes me laugh and loves me even in the early morning…

My husband’s career as a landscape architect and his ability see the beauty and possibility in something and then design it is INCREDIBLE! It really helps me because I’m one of those people who has a hard time visualizing the “after” look. Mark’s designs and 3-D models allow me to see his vision, understand it and work toward it. These are quick mock ups he did of the back bedroom we’re working on. We’ll do…

We’ve got about a month to take our back bedroom… And make it look like this… We just bought all the insulation that we’re going to put in the ceiling. I also called my other favorite Mark (Dr. Drywall Mark) and we’re going to have him hang the drywall in the bedroom and finish it. Based on our workload and timeframe, I need his help or I’m going to pull my hair out. And based…

When my in-laws called last Thursday and said they were going to come in for a quick visit, I said to Mark “OMG, what’s wrong?” Turns out nothing was wrong. 😉 Mark’s mom and dad had their original plans fall through and so they thought…”Let’s go see our son and make sure that Pittsburgh girl is being good to him!” All the Brennans came over for dessert Saturday night after a really good dinner at…

Don’t turn your nose up at me…you know you do it too!!! 🙂 Friday night cleaning party because my in-laws are coming in for a quick visit. We’re jazzed to show them the new house, and Mark’s mom always brings yummy Dutch goodies that I can’t pronounce but inhale anyway! We’ve got a few things in the works with our final renovations at The Rowhouse. I’ll post more this weekend…right now, we’re gonna sneak in…

I was voted “most athletic” in high school. I now teach spinning and go to all kinds of workout classes. I chase criminals and politicians in heels during my day job… You think I could manage to walk down the steps?! Apparently, that skill escapes me. This is the third time I’ve had my feet slip from under me while walking down the steps. This weekend, I slipped coming down our beautiful new staircase and…

Maybe more than a bit. I think this new house project has put that “overwhelmed” feeling into a category 5. Whenever I start feeling this way, it usually means it’s THAT time of the month. But I think this time around it might be something a little deeper than Mother Nature’s monthly blessing to women. 😉 Don’t know about you, but whenever I look too far ahead into the future I start to panic. I…