Maybe Mark was a mason in his former life because he (and I!) LOOOOVE exposed brick. It’s was a main feature in our first home renovation. The small rowhouse we gutted and totally redid had fireplaces EVERYWHERE! Our second renovation will feature exposed brick but not as prominently, because we’re going for a different style with this house. As Mark exposes the brick, some of it is in decent shape and some of it is…

I am asking myself this question and answering it…we have been busy! Blogging has taken a back seat to REAL LIFE these last few months, but I have sooo many exciting things to share on the house front so let’s JUMP RIGHT IN. Mark has all the interior walls, doorways and closets built. Most of the ceilings are done as well including the HVAC systems and all the plumbing. YAY! The kitchen, and all the…

Oh, what a difference a year makes! Our sweet boy, Henry, just turned 2 and it was a SWEET birthday indeed. No longer are we the sleep-deprived parents who feel like a shell of their former selves. No longer am I a nursing Momma with a baby attached at the boob. No longer is Henry a 2-a-day napper, but just a good, solid napper from 1 to 3 pm. On his first birthday, I felt…

We love living in the city.  We love the noise and the traffic and the walkability of our cool little neighborhood. Henry is a total city kid…he runs up and down the sidewalks like he owns them, waves to all the bus drivers and loves the banana bread at our local coffee shop. Backyard space is hard to come by in Lawrenceville. At our #RealLifeReno, Mark really wanted to make our small yard a nature…

One of our favorite things about our #RealLifeReno is that we’re honoring the history of this grand old house! When we were looking to buy it, one of the first things we noticed was a beautiful curved wall right at the entrance of the house that leads into the first living room. That curve makes us think that this house was a funeral home or doctor’s office at one time. Perhaps the curved wall separated…

When we first started renovating homes, there was just one STUD in my life… Now, there are two STUDS…one is potty trained, one is not! 😉 During our first home renovation, I remember feeling SO EXCITED by stud walls. (I never thought I would type that sentence.) But stud walls mean the demolition is done and the house is starting to take shape. This pic is from our first reno…it shows the upstairs hallway with…

You know you’re turning into a crazy home renovation person when the most exciting day all week is INSPECTION DAY! Mark worked his butt off with our plumber and put in all the new pipes and water lines. After a quick test of the pipes, where you fill them with water and look for leaks, Mark had to make a few adjustments and then we were ready for the plumbing to get inspected. Mark and…

Not even 2 yet and Henry is ready to join a construction crew! Look at his concentration! Kids are smart and imitate everything you do which is why Henry is already pretty good at sweeping and shoveling and building. Mark put in the new window for our downstairs powder room at the house we’re renovating. There will be a full bath on the second and third floors and this half bath is on the first….

Henry might look like his Momma but he’s got Daddy’s builder DNA! These two amigos are in their element at our #RealLifeReno and I have pictures to prove it. Henry is always helping Daddy water the trees and plants in our backyard. Mark is also installing a new gate. We went with the black gate to match our windows and French doors. Mark dug the holes… A few hours later and…VIOLA! We’re getting close to…

Trying to be perfect is exhausting and, honestly, if you achieved perfection…you would be annoying and not someone I’d want to hang out with. HA! My current motto is “That’s GOOD ENOUGH!” What I mean by that is some days I’m feeling great. I’m well rested, Henry is a happy little peanut and I’m able to take him to the library, playground, water park and do the laundry with ease. But other days…and there are…