tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36427700807311810942024-03-14T00:04:58.518-07:00A Farewell to Can'tDIY * Lovely Things * Vintage * Writing * Life - Banishing Perfectionism and Giving it All a Try!Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-1670686119392974232013-01-28T15:33:00.000-08:002013-01-28T15:34:26.305-08:00Melanie's Reception, Weddings Through TimeI think I might start putting my personal blog updates here, because keeping up with three personal blogs is a bit much. Even *I* can't do THAT much navel gazing!<br />
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The next set of pictures I had planned to put on Hot Hot Heatons (my family blog) was from my darling cousin Melanie's wedding reception. Yes, from August. I am a little behind over there. I also happened to find some other family wedding photos while I was transferring photos to a hard drive last week. I love the ones from the 1950s the best!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJn8-P5NDj8/UQX-CkNe5vI/AAAAAAAABT0/VbNo4XtyFAI/s1600/MAY-JU~1s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJn8-P5NDj8/UQX-CkNe5vI/AAAAAAAABT0/VbNo4XtyFAI/s640/MAY-JU~1s.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband's paternal grandparents. I love Grandma's ladylike hat and tiny purse.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-Zt8D2XQiA/UQX-CazGCfI/AAAAAAAABTw/6ggJVU4HNOg/s1600/WEDDIN~1s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-Zt8D2XQiA/UQX-CazGCfI/AAAAAAAABTw/6ggJVU4HNOg/s640/WEDDIN~1s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband's maternal grandparents. Loooook at that gorgeous lace-overlaid wedding gown!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cpfPa5N3okU/UQX-Cmwc-4I/AAAAAAAABT4/3wl3DDh5gYU/s1600/JUNE2_~1s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cpfPa5N3okU/UQX-Cmwc-4I/AAAAAAAABT4/3wl3DDh5gYU/s640/JUNE2_~1s.jpg" width="526" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband's parents. So young and lovely!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UkD0ll2uD70/UQX2TxvNegI/AAAAAAAABR8/HOGsx44lWrY/s1600/1977_Wedding_BW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UkD0ll2uD70/UQX2TxvNegI/AAAAAAAABR8/HOGsx44lWrY/s640/1977_Wedding_BW.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents and my dad's parents. I like how they're all holding hands.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2jI8CykwezQ/UQcIdoJdxMI/AAAAAAAABU0/fIahDh_Qbeo/s1600/384049_10150488864717968_1299462499_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2jI8CykwezQ/UQcIdoJdxMI/AAAAAAAABU0/fIahDh_Qbeo/s640/384049_10150488864717968_1299462499_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband and me on our wedding day. We were married on the most gorgeous October day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sweet cousin and her new hubby. Gorgeous, happy couple! ( I took this from her Facebook.)</td></tr>
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The rest of the pics are from Melanie's park wedding reception. It was such a casual, happy, fun occasion! Her colors were yellow, turquoise, and gray, with a "birds" theme.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--kiIm14P1Wc/UQX2gGebV_I/AAAAAAAABSI/KOrMOVNVbfE/s1600/IMG_0567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--kiIm14P1Wc/UQX2gGebV_I/AAAAAAAABSI/KOrMOVNVbfE/s640/IMG_0567.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad and my baby girl</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TUC7VLMfL-Y/UQX2gHN82II/AAAAAAAABSM/slV3HxopXwo/s1600/IMG_0565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TUC7VLMfL-Y/UQX2gHN82II/AAAAAAAABSM/slV3HxopXwo/s640/IMG_0565.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My two sisters, and my cousin Andrea on the right (sister of the bride)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oSbH1e7QFCU/UQX2g22NpfI/AAAAAAAABSU/rmYSpNQU_QU/s1600/IMG_0575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oSbH1e7QFCU/UQX2g22NpfI/AAAAAAAABSU/rmYSpNQU_QU/s640/IMG_0575.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two little second-cousins, who are about three weeks apart in age.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ypjaUux22X4/UQX2guy5G1I/AAAAAAAABSY/IOGsKNxwzrA/s1600/IMG_0569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ypjaUux22X4/UQX2guy5G1I/AAAAAAAABSY/IOGsKNxwzrA/s640/IMG_0569.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No way this little man was going to smile for me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandmom and my baby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9183Jib2P8w/UQX2gsQa6zI/AAAAAAAABSg/mmth8Yf8k0w/s1600/IMG_0568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9183Jib2P8w/UQX2gsQa6zI/AAAAAAAABSg/mmth8Yf8k0w/s640/IMG_0568.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband and his younger sister. She borrowed my clothes, and they looked so much better on her!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iOjjQ9vX0ho/UQX2ht4PmrI/AAAAAAAABSk/S_G9Sxr6t6s/s1600/IMG_0581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iOjjQ9vX0ho/UQX2ht4PmrI/AAAAAAAABSk/S_G9Sxr6t6s/s640/IMG_0581.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love both these ladies!</td></tr>
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<br />Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-43335257371605205102013-01-24T14:42:00.001-08:002013-01-27T15:55:08.099-08:00Furniture With FacesHahahahaha, I said I was going to write every day again, but then I couldn't think of anything to write about. Anything interesting, that is. I mean, I organized my dresser drawers and purged a bunch of unused items. I paid my oldest child a coin for every time he ran up and down our stairs (he slept well last night). I made shrimp boil and and cocktail sauce, a recipe that might be worth sharing, but I didn't take any pictures. I think it might take me a while to remember how this blogging thing works.<br />
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I delved into my "Decor" files on my computer to see if I could spark an idea for a post. Before the advent of Pinterest (you can see my boards here: <a href="http://pinterest.com/venusv/">http://pinterest.com/venusv/</a>), I used to save web images to inspiration files on my computer. I still use it to save pics of second-hand items I am considering buying on <a href="http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=13">KSL.com Classifieds</a> (Utah's more-popular version of Craigslist). I have over 70 folders in this "Decor" file, some with sub-categories. Most of the folders are normal things like "Chairs", "Dining Room", and the like. Then you have a few oddball categories. "Houndstooth", for instance (I used to own a vintage houndstooth sofa that I quite regret selling). Or my favorite folder, "Furniture With Faces". There are only a few images in the file, but they are worth a gander. Do you see what I see?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EkeBLuy3VrI/UQGzXNIbvtI/AAAAAAAABQk/WqS1epduXB4/s1600/3m63oe3la5V05O35S2b4f32e858d0d5d81324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EkeBLuy3VrI/UQGzXNIbvtI/AAAAAAAABQk/WqS1epduXB4/s400/3m63oe3la5V05O35S2b4f32e858d0d5d81324.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The last thing I want is my dresser staring at me while I disrobe!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LApqIACTauw/UQGzXB4dfRI/AAAAAAAABQg/gKO-gCPpbGI/s1600/3n83me3l45Y55S05R3b4f15e14ef147c21c62.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LApqIACTauw/UQGzXB4dfRI/AAAAAAAABQg/gKO-gCPpbGI/s400/3n83me3l45Y55S05R3b4f15e14ef147c21c62.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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More staring! I'm seeing twins this time. Getting a Tweedledum and Tweedledee vibe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sQhF5EaCYk4/UQGzXixAXII/AAAAAAAABQw/CNsIIs7CXzc/s1600/IMG_9923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sQhF5EaCYk4/UQGzXixAXII/AAAAAAAABQw/CNsIIs7CXzc/s640/IMG_9923.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(image from <a href="http://6thstreetdesignschool.blogspot.com/2012/08/salt-lake-city-parade-of-homes-2012.html">6th Street Design School</a>)</td></tr>
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There are some quite-lovely things about this bathroom, which was in a Parade of Homes entrant in Salt Lake City this year...but, "Aaaaaaaaah, the mirror-eyed vanity is eating all our towels!!!"<br />
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Am I reaching here? At least I know I'm not the only one who sees faces in hardware. Check out <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/01/somebodys-watching-me/">this post on Young House Love</a> to see what they thought about their kitchen hardware. Ever see a face somewhere? Maybe in the texture of your childhood bedroom ceiling? Just me? Aw, I knew I was weird!<br />
<br />Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-70520808128572719222013-01-21T05:00:00.000-08:002013-01-21T14:35:16.461-08:00Keep Calm, It's Okay To Be Out Of Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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See that little blue sign in my old kitchen window? It's a "Keep Calm and Carry On" plaque. I bought it in 2010, three years after I first saw the poster, and two years after the image jumped the shark and was appearing on rugs and key chains. (Check the comments on <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/good-questions-291-59930">this Apartment Therapy thread about the poster</a> to get an idea of the vitriol this image inspires.)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vJzhwpySTE/UPy4FuPDLSI/AAAAAAAABOA/8kAxFVScp10/s1600/KCACOPoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vJzhwpySTE/UPy4FuPDLSI/AAAAAAAABOA/8kAxFVScp10/s640/KCACOPoster.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster, <a href="http://www.keepcalmhome.com/">Barter Books</a></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">You know what? I don't care. I have liked the image since the first time I saw it. It resonates with me. As an anxious person, I need the message. When I see my little plaque, I remind myself to just breathe. It also reminds me to stick with what I like, and not be influenced by what anyone else says is "in" or "out". Here's a graphic with some history of the poster, and some figures on exactly how (overly-)popular it's become:</span>
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<img alt="Keep Calm and Carry On" class="visually_embed_infographic" rel="http://thumbnails.visually.netdna-cdn.com/keep-calm-and-carry-on_50291775b7cba.png" src="http://thumbnails.visually.netdna-cdn.com/keep-calm-and-carry-on_50291775b7cba_w587.png" /></div>
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<span class="visually_embed_cycle"><a href="http://visual.ly/keep-calm-and-carry/?utm_source=visually_embed">Keep Calm and Carry On infographic</a> by <a href="http://www.fibers.com/?utm_source=visually_embed" target="_blank">forevermelody</a>. </span>
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I did think about scrawling on the back of the plaque my back-up plan for when "Keep Calm and Carry On" fails. That would be<b> "Freak Out and Call Your Mom!"</b> I wouldn't be the first to make a parody:</div>
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<img alt="The Evolution of the "Keep Calm and Carry On" Meme Tree (The One)" class="visually_embed_infographic" rel="http://thumbnails.visually.netdna-cdn.com/the-evolution-of-the-keep-calm-and-carry-on-meme-tree-the-one_5029143ae2823.jpg" src="http://thumbnails.visually.netdna-cdn.com/the-evolution-of-the-keep-calm-and-carry-on-meme-tree-the-one_5029143ae2823_w587.jpg" />
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<span class="visually_embed_cycle"><a href="http://visual.ly/evolution-keep-calm-and-carry-meme-tree-one/?utm_source=visually_embed">The Evolution of the "Keep Calm and Carry On" Meme Tree (The One) infographic</a> </span>
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I picked up my plaque for $5.99 at HomeGoods. It's not even a good reproduction. The typeface isn't right and the crown is different. Seriously! Stuff like that usually drives me crazy, but in this case the plaque is less a design statement and more a life affirmation.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keep Calm plaque in my current kitchen. Note the wrong crown and wrong typeface.</td></tr>
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Right now I have a big dilemma about what colors to paint the big, main room(s) of my house. I painted my last house gray, in mid-2011. No one around me had gray on their walls yet. I loved how it turned out, but then gray started to be EVERYWHERE! If I were still in that house, I probably wouldn't be considering repainting. Not for another three years. But in this new house, even though I still like gray, I'm not sure I can commit to it, because it seems like it's "over". Which is silly, because very few people here even have gray. What's the next neutral? Has Jenna Lyons repainted <a href="http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/2009/08/jenna-lyons-home-complete-view.html">her living room</a> yet? What color?</div>
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Besides the trend aspect, there are practical concerns with the gray. The living room is vaulted, and the windows face north and west, so it's not the warmest light. I'm afraid such a huge expanse of gray will be too cold. Also, it's the only painting project in the house we aren't going to tackle ourselves. We have decided to hire painters because of the 20 foot ceilings. We NEED to get the color right the first time, because we sure don't want to pay twice!<br />
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Here's the listing photo of the room, and loft, in question. These are the previous tenant's furnishings. I know, a lot of ooooooooaak! The paint is light tan, with a darker clay accent wall, and a rag-roll faux paint treatment of both colors on the balcony wall. It reads mauve-y pink in some light, which is blech! It all feels very fleshy to me. The entire upstairs hallway, including all doors and trim, are painted the dark clay color. It's very dark in that area, and I just don't understand why the trim is the same color. Standing in that hall feels like being trapped in a legume of some sort. That makes no sense. Neither does the paint.<br />
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Anyone have any great ideas? I know, I know...keep calm and carry on. :-)</div>
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Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-9055608404869517362013-01-18T21:52:00.002-08:002013-01-21T14:36:14.181-08:00Hello Again, HelloDid I mention I went to the Neil Diamond concert this summer? Those are some Neil Diamond lyrics up there in the title, in case you don't know. In case you're not into septuagenarian rock stars.<br />
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Anyway, I'm glad to be back! I was gone for a while because we moved, again...and again. Lucky numbers 13 and 14. My husband took a different job in a different city, so we sold our condo, moved into temporary housing while we house-hunted in a whole new area, and eventually bought a house. We moved in during Thanksgiving week. It was hard to give up on my little bloggy <a href="http://www.lisaloveslogan.com/">Lisa Loves Logan</a>, but I'm thinking of starting one up about my new area, Salt Lake City (and Davis Country suburbs).<br />
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I hoped to get going on A Farewell To Can't again at the start of the new year, but I'm a few weeks behind. I <i>have</i> been flossing, waking up bright and early to exercise (turns out the secret to <a href="http://www.afarewelltocant.com/2012/07/day-1-of-going-to-bedwaking-up-total.html">waking up early</a> is getting ready for bed at 9 p.m. and turning the lights out at 10 p.m. - which is haaaaaard to do!), and eating whole grains...so I'd say the new year is going pretty well. I'm excited to add daily writing back into my routine. I've missed it!<br />
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I haven't been up to much DIY yet in our new house, besides using my clothing steamer to remove a wallpaper border in the open loft area. I've painted a number of test swatches around the house. In other words, things are looking great!<br />
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The other day I was looking at pics of our old house and my five-year-old son said, "I miss that house. It was...well...pretty." He's pretty cute. I miss it too. I added all the before and afters from that house to the <a href="http://www.afarewelltocant.com/p/home-tour.html">Home Tour</a> link above. It's going to take a lot of work to get this new house where I want it. I think I'm up for the challenge!<br />
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Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-73788375534478780612012-07-26T06:00:00.000-07:002013-01-18T13:05:28.883-08:00Death and Destruction: First Time Home Buyers, Part 2<div style="text-align: left;">
We had a fun holiday up at the ranch (Tyson's family property - very remote area on the Utah-Idaho border). Tyson's dad owns an old farmhouse up there that Tyson renovated out of absolute decrepit deterioration three years ago. We got to show it off to my side of the family, and also had some fun riding four-wheelers. Now back to my FIRST house hunt...</div>
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If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know I can be extremely long-winded. It's endearing, right? Right!?! Well, imma try to wrap this up quick. When we left off, we had just made an offer on <a href="http://www.afarewelltocant.com/2012/07/lessons-learned-as-first-time-home.html">an '80s house</a> and then decided not to counter their counteroffer.<br />
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<b>We liked another house a lot, this one right in town. But the day we were going to make an offer on it, a canal that ran behind the property broke a short distance from the house. The ensuing flood and mudslide killed a couple of neighbors two houses down. We got scared off and moved on.</b><br />
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That's the short version, but here are a few details about the house.<br />
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It was a sort of strange 1960's house whose garage had been converted into living space (most of it a tiny, questionably-legal 1-bedroom apartment). We loved the yard the best, and liked the mid-century house, too. It had tons of light in the living room. Instead of a backyard (it was right up against an extremely steep hill, and that's where the canal was), it had a HUGE, private rock patio to one side (the main entry side) and a big lawn with fruit trees on the other side (the kitchen/laundry entry side). It had some very odd features, like a Mamie Eisenhower pink kitchen with handmade resin hardware. Each knob had something different encased in it. I totally expected to see fossilized mosquitos, but instead it was different varieties of dried legumes. Sooooooo glad I found a picture to represent. Just imagine vintage cabinets instead, and just a few specimens in each knob. Crazy. Crazy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="http://www.myfavoriteandmybest.com/mfamb-home/2012/6/27/new-house-tour-part-2-brought-to-you-by-black-eyed-peas-and.html">www.myfavoriteandmybest.com</a>, by Jenny. Fun blog, but cover your ears if you don't like "language" :)</td></tr>
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The canal break definitely put a damper on things, and seemed kind of "sign from God"-ish, so we moved on. Very sad situation for the family who lost loved ones. The canal has been closed since then, I believe, and is still being reinforced/re-routed. We also pass this house from time to time, and reminisce about how much we loved that yard, and how we could totally see ourselves having parties on that patio. Last time I drove past there was a Little Tikes playset in the grassy part of the yard. I hope the house is loved!</div>
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Very interesting garage situation, eh? The door you see entered the apartment. The door to the main house was up a set of stairs to the right.</div>
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In this aerial view you can see the grassy yard to the left of the house (fenced, with fruit trees). The amazing private patio was to the right of the house. You can also see part of the canal in the upper right.</div>
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I've marked the house with a red star. Now look down the street to the west and you see the mudslide area where the canal broke.</div>
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In the next installment we put in yet another offer. Will it be our final one? I'm sure you'll be waiting with bated breath!</div>
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Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-6758579524655086132012-07-24T09:17:00.000-07:002012-07-24T09:17:00.846-07:00A Holiday TodayIt's Pioneer Day here in Utah (our state holiday), so I'm taking the day off. See you soon!Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-81217869976185543862012-07-23T06:00:00.000-07:002012-07-23T06:00:04.162-07:00More House Hunting plus Something Of My Very Own (What This Blog Means To Me)My house is deliciously quiet right now.<br />
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The baby is sleeping. Poor baby, she has been sick this week.<br />
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The boys and their Daddy are on an errand to Grandpa's house. Poor boys, they have been sick too, and we had to miss church today because they are all contagious. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand,_foot_and_mouth_disease" target="_blank">Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease</a>, if you must know. It's been going around in the family and neighborhood this summer. It's not as horrifying as it sounds, but it's no fun either. Only the baby has the rash (the worst is on her feet, only a few spots on her perfect chubby feet), but they have all had fevers, etc.<br />
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I have a quiet house, and a house that smells good, thanks to my <a href="http://www.afarewelltocant.com/2012/06/one-good-way-tomake-your-home-smell.html" target="_blank">Natural Lemon-Vanilla-Thyme Air Freshener</a>. Side note: One important instruction I left out of that tutorial is to use a cheap old pan you got for $1 at the thrift store. You know, just in case you are the forgetful type who might accidentally let the water run dry and scorch the pan and leave the house smelling burnt and stinky instead of heavenly. Not that *I* would ever do that! <span style="font-size: xx-small;">[Did that last week.]</span><br />
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Quiet houses make me feel reflective, and I find myself thinking about this little old blog (and my <a href="http://www.lisaloveslogan.com/" target="_blank">other one</a>, too). I started these blogs as learning experiences, yes. But I also started them so I could have something of my own. My "bit of earth" so to speak. Something to tend and water and nurture that is just mine.<br />
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We have moved oh-so-many times since we got married. I think maybe thirteen times in not quite seven years? Always a new house that never seems moved into, organized, and decorated. Always starting over in a new church congregation, new neighborhood, new town, trying to make new friends. I have supported these moves, but they have all been for my husband's education or career. (To be fair, there was one time we stayed put because of my career.) Ever since I left my copywriting career when our first child was born almost five years ago, I have felt sort of like a balloon on a string - and the string is in my husband's hand.<br />
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I didn't identify the feeling that clearly at first, of course. I just felt uneasy, uprooted. I felt like I couldn't get a job or even a freelance career because I never knew when I would need to up and leave. (There were also, of course, child-related reasons for not restarting a career.) I thought about starting a blog for a long time, but I didn't do it because my husband didn't like the idea. Maybe I had given him the wrong idea, or only a vague idea, of what I meant to write about. Maybe he envisioned me laying bare all or most of our personal details like Dooce. In any case, I put it off.<br />
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Until I realized a blog was one thing I could truly take with me. I could keep at it wherever I went. My investment wouldn't be lost due to a change in location. Maybe I would make some friends who would never be *gone* because they were never *there* (physically). So I started.<br />
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So, this blog means a lot to me. It's my "thing" right now, and I'm glad I have it. Turns out we might be moving again soon. Tyson has had a job interview in Salt Lake City (about 80 miles from where we live now) that seems promising. He wasn't really looking, and is actually due to start a different job with his current company in a couple of weeks...but we shall see. I decided it shouldn't make me stop house hunting here, because I don't want to miss the right property if it ends up coming up and we do indeed stay here...<br />
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...So we looked at three new listings yesterday, all within a few blocks of each other, all close in size, all near the bottom of our targeted price range. If we purchase a home in this price range it will increase our monthly payment by somewhere from $35 to $100, depending on down payment, interest rate, and purchase price. That's a pretty small change in the monthly budget to gain 1000+ more square feet and a real yard. Of course, it also means a lot more work and maintenance, stuff that is currently included in our HOA.<br />
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There are things we give up to be in this price range, though. None of these houses had attached garages (two of them had detached one car garages that I would more refer to as "garages" - quotes meaning they don't really measure up to what a garage should be). None had central air conditioning. Only one had a master bathroom, and it just had a shower rather than the nice separate tub and shower we have right now. They all had large yards (just under a half acre). They all had five bedrooms. They each had their unique, fun little things.<br />
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The first house was a cute little Craftsman listed at $159,850. It had some nice built-ins and updates upsstairs, but other parts needed a lot of work and it definitely wasn't the house for us.<br />
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We moved on quickly from that one. The next was a raised rambler from 1981, listed at $164,000. It had a great backyard with a garden spot, raspberries, strawberries, fruit trees, a cute fire pit, and two sheds with electricity. The interior was nice and updated. It had some of the typical drawbacks of ramblers from this era: the front door that enters right into the living room, the small dining area, and the small master suite. But at least it HAD a master suite! It needed work on the roof, and it had the parking and A/C situations I already mentioned.<br />
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Nice little place, huh? I mean, it's no <a href="http://www.afarewelltocant.com/2012/06/vintage-1970s-dream-home-ive-fallen-in.html" target="_blank">1970s mansion dream home</a>, but it's a great place!</div>
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The third place was an updated farmhouse-ish house, with a big addition on it. That was fun for me because it kind of was the perfect mix: the character of the old (window casings, wood floors, wraparound porch) with the convenience of the new (open living space, large kitchen). This one had a great front porch, a big great room in the addition plus a formal living room and another small family room downstairs, a cute treehouse, and a big master bedroom with plenty of other bedrooms. Again, it had the downsides I already mentioned: the lack of garage, A/C, and master bath. And as cute as that split rail fence is, we would need to have a real fence. This was the biggest and most expensive of the houses we looked at, at 2868 sq. ft. and $179,900. Still way within our budget.</div>
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So, what do you think?</div>Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-14627366525953386152012-07-21T13:05:00.000-07:002012-07-21T13:05:39.748-07:00Seven Sneaky Ways To Get Kids To Eat Their FoodI hope I'm not the only one whose kids get picky or ornery about eating their food. To help with those mealtime battles I've developed seven sneaky strategies that help eating happen with less fuss. These methods are geared mostly towards toddlers and preschoolers, though some of them should also work with older children.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Sneaky Strategy #1: Divide & Conquer</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Though school lunch trays may have negative cafeteria associations for you, to young children they're just big, fun plates that keep all the foods from touching. These trays (or toddler-size divided plates) work well for typical meat-starch-fruit-vegetable dinners, but they work even better for deconstructed versions of all-in-one meals that kids often reject (soups, pastas with lots of ingredients mixed in, casseroles, etc.). Say you're having Hawaiian haystacks. Your kid may not want to eat a sloppy mix of rice, cream soup, chicken, pineapple, crispy chow mein noodles, and whatever else. (Who would!?) But divide all the components up among the sections of this tray, and suddenly they're eating it. Photo from <a href="http://www.hellotrade.com/cornet-crockery/5-section-plate.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Sneaky Strategy #2: Toddler Buffet in an Ice Cube Tray</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Wow, that rhymed. At first glance this strategy may look a lot like the one above, but look closer and you'll see that the idea here is to provide a full buffet of finger foods for toddlers, all served in an ice cube tray. A colorful array of easy-to-manage foods is irresistible to little kids. Shown here are shelled edamame, strawberries, cucumbers, pretzels, corn niblets, raspberries, goldfish crackers, animal crackers, raisins, cheese cubes, blueberries, peas, cheese puffs, and wheat bread. Small chunks of chicken or meatballs would also work well. </span><span style="background-color: white;">The fun part of this strategy is seeing which foods they go for first, and which ones they *still* leave in the tray. Photo from </span><a href="http://www.ontobaby.com/2011/11/matryoshka-doll-birthday-party/" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white;">.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Sneaky Strategy #3: Cute Enough to Eat</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Taking the time to make the food cute can get more of it eaten. There's no denying that it's more fun to bite the legs off a frog-shaped sandwich than it is to eat two bites of a regular sandwich. Sadistic? Maybe. Effective? Definitely! I chose this picture because it represents one of the easiest and most familiar "cute foods", Ants on a Log (celery with peanut butter and raisins), plus a sandwich cut-out that doesn't waste half the sandwich. This photo came from <a href="http://www.anotherlunch.com/2010/09/review-planetbox-for-waste-free-lunches.html" target="_blank">Another Lunch</a>, which has tons more bento box-style lunches full of cute food inspiration. Along the same lines, though more of an art book than a cookbook, is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Play-With-Your-Joost-Elffers/dp/1556706308" target="_blank">Play With Your Food</a> by Joost Ellfers. See if your library has it. My kids loved it!</span><br />
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<b>Sneaky Strategy #4: Sip from a Silly Straw</b><br />
Not a food strategy per se, unless your child is on a liquid diet, but silly straws certainly up the likelihood your kids will drink their milk or water. I've even seen it work at my mom's house with healthy, vegetable-filled GREEN smoothies. The silly straws pictured are from <a href="http://www.mypartyplanner.com/products/silly-straw.html#" target="_blank">here</a>, but I'd recommend checking your local party stores or Amazon for a great variety of shapes. From loops to eyeglasses to fish and butterflies, there's something out there your child will love. It's no trouble getting kids to drink juice, but silly straws can get kids drinking more healthy milk and water. I'll drink to that!<br />
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<b>Sneaky Strategy #5: Make Like the Sample Lady and "Pick" It Up</b><br />
One day I was making my way through Costco with my two-year-old, partaking of all the lovely samples offered to us on toothpicks and in little paper cups. Soon I noticed my little guy was eating all kinds of things he might usually reject at home. Ravioli. Meatballs. Chicken. Taquitos. He was moving way outside his usually realm of noodles and fruit. The next time he balked at eating the small pieces of chicken breast on his plate, I stuck a toothpick in each one and next thing I knew he had eaten them all. I have probably used this trick once a week since then -- on vegetables, meats, convenience foods, even pieces of grilled cheese sandwich. Of course, you'll need to keep an eye on your little ones when sharp sticks are involved, but you might be amazed at what they'll eat. Photo <a href="http://elmomonster.blogspot.com/2012/04/free-samples-at-costco-tustin.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white;">Sneaky Strategy #6: Tell a Truly Elaborate Story</b><br />
I can't take credit for this one. My sister-in-law and my babysitter had to show me the way. We've all tried the old "airplane" routine, right? "Here comes the airplane...here it comes...here it comes...open up the hangar!" In my life it's usually played out against a kid with a mouth clamped shut like a steel trap. Then at a family dinner I saw my sister-in-law convince my four-year-old to eat his food by telling him he was a huge space monster who needed to eat all the planets and slurp up all the moon lakes, etc., etc. He totally fell for it! And then I thought back and remembered my babysitter convincing my then-three-year-old that he was a mighty T-Rex who needed to take dinosaur bites of all his foods. I had played it out further by turning him into and herbivore and getting him to eat trees (broccoli) and tree-stars (leafy greens, a la <i>The Land Before Time</i>). Get creative and move out of the airplane rut! Photo <a href="http://www.bmoviegraveyard.com/reviews/I/ItTheTerrorFromBeyondSpace/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b>Sneaky Strategy #7: Dip It! Dip It Real Good!</b><br />
This is an old standby most parents have used, but it deserves a shout-out. Letting your kids dip their food in something can get a lot more of it down their gullets. The prime candidates are ketchup and ranch dressing. You might have to avert your eyes and hold your nose to keep from losing your lunch over some things your kids will dip in ketchup (pineapple? sandwiches? granola bars? -- yes, I've seen all that and more). This strategy can be especially effective when used in combination with the toothpicks in strategy #5. I know, I know...ketchup and ranch dressing are often processed and salty. I've found that plain Greek yogurt also does the trick. Photo <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/5355771797/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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There you have my Seven Sneaky Strategies for Getting Kids to Eat Their Food. Do you have any great methods of you own? I'm always looking for new ideas to add to my bag of tricks.</div>
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I also wanted to share this blog and Twitter I came across today. It's written from the perspective of a toddler, and it's hilarious and scarily accurate: <a href="http://honesttoddler.wordpress.com/">http://honesttoddler.wordpress.com/</a> and Twitter @HonestToddler. I highly recommend this post <a href="http://honesttoddler.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/newborn/">http://honesttoddler.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/newborn/</a> <span style="background-color: white;">and this one </span><a href="http://honesttoddler.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/the-woman/">http://honesttoddler.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/the-woman/</a>. Such good stuff!</div>Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-38547110878734312022012-07-18T06:00:00.000-07:002012-07-18T06:00:00.472-07:00Lessons Learned As A First-Time Home Buyer (My Experience)Since we're house-hunting right now (sort of), I find myself thinking back on our first homebuying experience and trying to decide what I've learned. I also want to post a few of the more in-depth DIY projects we did during our remodel here, so I thought it might be good to introduce how we ended up purchasing good old 1521. Here's what happened. I'm curious to know whether others' home buying processes were as drawn-out and circuitous, or whether that was just us.<br />
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<b>We Asked Ourselves, "Should We Buy?"</b><br />
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Back in the summer of 2009 we waffled and waffled about whether the time was right for us to purchase our first home. Tyson had his first "real" job, with a more decent salary than we had anticipated. The $8000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers had been created. We were expecting our second child and living in a two-bedroom basement apartment - another bedroom would be nice. Interest rates were low (well, they seemed low at the time...now they're loooooooooooowww!). Likewise, prices had fallen, putting more properties within our price range.<br />
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But still, we weren't sure buying was the right thing for us at the time. Though only a two-bedroom, our daylight basement apartment was almost 1500 square feet. It was in a house that was only about five years old, and it had a walkout entrance to a huge fenced backyard. We were renting from a friend, and our rent was low. So low, in fact, that the rent vs. buy calculators pretty much told us it was financial sixes between renting and buying. Because of that, it ended up being the $8000 tax credit that swayed us. We figured the $8000 would be our "profit" from the house, since we thought if we bought a house we would only stay in it for three years before selling. We knew it was likely that home prices would continue to drop in that time (and look, they did!). Besides the tax credit, the only real driving force behind deciding to buy a home was wanting three bedrooms -- hopefully a master bathroom, a garage, and some enclosed yard space (but those things were negotiable).<br />
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Looking back, I wish I hadn't let myself be so influenced by outside factors and incentives like the $8000 tax credit. For those of you who don't know the end of the story, I'll clue you in. We bought a home and took the credit, but we ended up moving out of the home after less than a year to take a promotion in another state. Because the credit required the home owners to occupy the home for the next three consecutive years, we had to pay back the entirety of the $8000 credit. Ironically, we moved back into the home 17 months later, so at the end of the three years we are here again, but that doesn't mean we get the money (or even half of it for spending half of three years here).<br />
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As I was thinking about this I realized that I am letting the current market conditions (low prices and low interest rates) heavily influence my decision to sell our home and buy another right now. The numbers make trading up attractive (mixed with the fact that we really are outgrowing our place), but I shouldn't let myself feel rushed because of those factors. In truth we could wait another year (or more), save up more money, and see where things shake out with our income and desire to stay in this area. If prices change, so be it. They won't change THAT dramatically. If interest rates go up, so be it. Our current loan is at 5%, which seemed really low at the time we got it. The same interest rate (if rates go up that much) wouldn't be the end of the world.<br />
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<b>We Took Time To Educate Ourselves About the Market and the Process</b><br />
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I attended a first-time home buyer workshop offered by our local college. That's where I first found our agent, who was also a member of our family (or had been). I spent hours on the MLS getting a feel for the market and figuring out what properties were a good value. I peppered my agent with questions.<br />
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<b>We Made a List of Must Haves and Would-Be-Nices.</b><br />
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As I mentioned, one of our only "must haves" was a third bedroom. Another was a good location. We also wanted something that would put is in a good equity position. Maybe a house with an unfinished basement we could complete ourselves to raise the property value? Maybe a fixer-upper? Maybe something with an accessory apartment we could rent out? Maybe something priced below market by a motivated seller?<br />
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On our list of "would-be-nices" were things like a master bathroom, covered parking/garage, air conditioning, and a fenced yard or patio.<br />
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<b>We Found Out What We Could Qualify For, Then We Set Our Budget Realistically Below That Amount.</b><br />
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With only a few "must haves" on our list, we found it very difficult to narrow down potential properties. The first step, which helped a lot, was to talk to a loan officer and find out how much loan we could qualify for. Then, knowing the bank will give you more than will really be financially comfortable to pay back monthly, we set our budget significantly under that amount. Now we knew we should look at properties up to $160,000. Perhaps slightly above that, in case we could put in a lower offer on a higher-listed property to bring it within our range.<br />
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<b>We Looked at Properties. LOTS of properties.</b><br />
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Because our list of must-haves was so small, and because it was our first time looking at properties with a view to buying, we started out looking at one or two each of various types of properties: a couple big old single-family fixers (needed way more work than we could handle/afford), a couple duplexes (the locations were bad), a few reasonably priced small older homes in the heart of town (some places were nice and a couple places were awful, but Tyson decided he didn't want the maintenance issues and headaches of an old house, plus, the locations weren't that great), a newer bank-owned property (it was trashed and it didn't seem like a very good deal for the work it needed), a brand new townhouse in the town where Tyson worked (we liked it a lot but worried that the announced amenities would never be built and that the developer would later lower the prices on the new units, leaving us upside-down {which ended up happening to the people who bought there - good call, us}), and a single-family home in that same town (on which we decided to make an offer, see next section).<br />
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<b>We Made Some Offers. We Made Some Mistakes.</b><br />
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At the time, Tyson was working in a town called Hyrum, a sleeply little rural community about ten miles outside of our main city of Logan. We thought living there would be nice because of the non-existent commute. We could also get more house for our money out there.<br />
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A four-lane highway connects Hyrum to Logan. We looked at a corner house that faced into a nice neighborhood but had a side facing the highway, right where the speed limit slows as the road comes into town. It was a three bedroom, two-bath rambler on a nice-sized .30 acre lot. Built in the late '80s, it had the same color of brick and siding as the house I grew up in. Maybe that seemed comforting to me? It was single-level and had been updated and well taken care of.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">A few of the upsides were the nice cul-de-sac neighborhood, the convenient location, the single-level living, the two-car garage, the large fenced yard with sliding doors from the master and dining rooms, and, most of all, the master suite. The master bedroom was very spacious and had a walk-in closet and a huge bathroom with a jetted tub and separate shower. I fell for the idea of that master bedroom.</span><br />
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You see, by that time in our marriage we had lived in five apartments and had never had the luxury of a big tub, let alone the luxury of a master bathroom. Heck, one of our apartments didn't even have a tub (just the tiniest shower ever), and our trailer had a tub that was only 10 inches deep!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A" marks the house. The busy highway is beyond the stop sign.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mAiu2PxEqZ8/UAXsV-q63SI/AAAAAAAAAs0/fPo_6hkk-0Q/s1600/IS137dv1e3h0dr7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mAiu2PxEqZ8/UAXsV-q63SI/AAAAAAAAAs0/fPo_6hkk-0Q/s640/IS137dv1e3h0dr7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-95xAcGsg_M0/UAXs1vZBwoI/AAAAAAAAAtM/3FZMNev5kWk/s1600/ISuyhxa9m6cr6r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-95xAcGsg_M0/UAXs1vZBwoI/AAAAAAAAAtM/3FZMNev5kWk/s640/ISuyhxa9m6cr6r.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--e1Wl5MaJqg/UAXsWMoyhII/AAAAAAAAAs8/Z62B6JQRQkA/s1600/IS137e1kqi6nzqb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="474" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--e1Wl5MaJqg/UAXsWMoyhII/AAAAAAAAAs8/Z62B6JQRQkA/s640/IS137e1kqi6nzqb.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">The downsides of the house were the price (at the top of our range), the location (side facing the busy highway), and the fact that it had no air conditioning (not even a swamp cooler). We decided to put in an offer anyway. We offered $4000 less than the asking price, which had already been reduced. We were met with a counter-offer. They countered with the same asking price. Deterred by their unwillingness to negotiate and the downsides of the house, we decided not to counter back. We moved on.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Someone else bought the home a couple months later. I've always wondered what the final selling price was. </span><span style="background-color: white;">We pass the house at least once a week, since it is on the way to my in-laws' house. I still kind of picture our life there. What it might have been. Would we still have decided to take the promotion and move to Pennsylvania? Would we be kicking ourselves for not having air conditioning? Would we have a swing set and a garden? Would we be thinking of adding on a family room? The new owners haven't taken very good care of the house. The fence is broken, the grass in overgrown, weeds are everywhere, and they often park a couple of motorcycles right on the front lawn. I feel sad for that little house, the first house I wanted enough to ask it to be mine.</span><br />
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To Be Continued...(In which a canal breaks above a home on the day we were going to put in an offer on it.)<br />
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I think that's probably enough words for one day. I'm curious, what year did you buy your first home? Did you offer on any homes besides the one you ended up in? Do you ever wonder what might have been?</div>Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-35458849500646096972012-07-16T20:33:00.004-07:002012-07-16T22:03:23.627-07:00Day 1 of Going To Bed/Waking Up: Total FailAfter I finished yesterday's post about alarm clock practice and going to bed on time, I knew I should turn off the computer and go to bed. But I also knew I should write a post for Lisa Loves Logan (about our local gallery walk), because I try to post every weekday there, too.<br />
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Writing a post always takes longer than I think it should/wish it would. It's the one reason I'm scared to ever return to a career as a writer, especially as a freelance writer -- I take so long to write things! I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment in this quote from writer Thomas Mann: "A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." Ironic and oh so true.<br />
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The post about the Gallery Walk sparked an idea for a future post, and I set off into the wild jungle of the interwebs to research it a little. I was literally researching "labyrinths" (one of the local churches here has one), and became figuratively lost in one. Next thing I knew I emerged five hours later having learned a whole lot about labyrinths, the Minotaur, the etymology of the term Jacko (as in Wacko), the Wars of the Roses, the houses of Lancaster, Plantagenet, and Tudor, and the grisly execution of Lady Margaret Pole. Somewhere in there I also made my mortgage payment and looked up some info on local Pioneer Day celebrations.<br />
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I finally settled into bed at 3am. Before getting in bed I set my phone alarm for 7:15am, double-checked that it had been set properly, and put the phone on my bathroom vanity rather than on my nightstand, to increase the likelihood that I would really wake up. Anyone else use "tricks" like that? Force oneself to get out of bed by placing the alarm clock across the room?<br />
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I was awakened at 5am by the cries of my two-year-old, who needed a diaper change. He wouldn't settle back into his own bed and asked to join me in mine. I was too exhausted to fight him, but he was not at all exhausted himself, and stayed up for at least another hour getting in and out of bed and bringing me toys. I finally prepared a cup of warm milk for him and we both drifted off to sleep again.<br />
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Then the baby woke up, but she took her binkie and went back to sleep. In the end I didn't wake up until 9am, but I did get in the shower and get dressed before facing the day. I did accomplish several errands today and a few loads of laundry, so the day wasn't a total loss productivity-wise. It is now 9:27pm and I intend to turn in early tonight.<br />
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In short, all those words were to say, today was an early-to-bed-early-to-rise FAIL, but I'll try again and report back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-veS9-lBtRhU/UATc7Gu4lrI/AAAAAAAAAsA/BCCl39EeLIg/s1600/Sleepy_Toddler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="474" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-veS9-lBtRhU/UATc7Gu4lrI/AAAAAAAAAsA/BCCl39EeLIg/s640/Sleepy_Toddler.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The toddler in question, albeit on another sleepy day.</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-55899653789429176492012-07-16T06:00:00.000-07:002012-07-16T06:00:06.438-07:00How To Stop Pushing SnoozeIt's 9:48pm as I'm writing this, and I'm on a deadline. I have twelve minutes. Twelve minutes until I must turn off this computer.<br />
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You see, there's one thing that's majorly, MAJORLY on my "Can't List". I can't wake up to my alarm in the morning. I fail in ever so many different ways. Sometimes I set the alarm wrong (like set it for p.m. instead of a.m. - for whatever reason, p.m. is the default on my phone and sometimes I mess up and don't switch it). Sometimes I really think I set it right, but it doesn't seem that it goes off. (Though it's probably more likely that it goes off and I turn it off without realizing I've done so.) Sometimes...well, the rest of the time...I hit snooze a number of times before getting up. Sometimes a GREAT number of times, going back to sleep for seven minutes each time for an hour or something. WHY?!?! That makes no sense! It's not quality sleep!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U0yNkp9uEkM/UAOSbrdpjJI/AAAAAAAAArM/t3aUPg8gwXI/s1600/fliqlo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U0yNkp9uEkM/UAOSbrdpjJI/AAAAAAAAArM/t3aUPg8gwXI/s640/fliqlo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://9031.com/goodies/#fliqlo" target="_blank">Fliqlo screensaver, downloadable here</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">So, for the most part, I don't set an alarm at all, and I just wake up when I wake up, or when my children wake me up. Regardless, it's usually about 8 o'clock, but sometimes as late as 9. This method sets a poor tone for my day. I don't get showered and dressed before I have to do all the tasks for the kids. Sometimes Tyson gets home from work (he works nights) and goes to bed in our room before I can get ready in there, or before I can even get in there and get my clothes and supplies to shower and get ready in the other bathroom. So there I wait, trapped in my house all day in my sweats, worried about disturbing his sleep, wishing I had gotten ready or at least put on a bra!!!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I read about a method for improving this alarm clock problem, and I'd like to try it sometime. It's from the blog of coach Steve Pavlina, and it involves practicing waking up to the alarm during your awake hours until the proper reaction is ingrained as a habit in your subconscious. Here's the method: <a href="http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/how-to-get-up-right-away-when-your-alarm-goes-off/" target="_blank">How to Get Up Right Away When Your Alarm Goes Off</a>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">In the meantime, I know that one of my main problems is that I stay up too late in the first place. I have always been a night owl, as any of my family or friends will attest. I enjoy and savor those quiet, dark hours when everyone else in my house is asleep (or at work). Or I love those noisy, boisterous hours when I'm out late at night having fun with friends. But I must admit I pay for it again and again when my days don't run as I'd like them to. I truly do enjoy those mornings when I'm up with the sun and I can put myself together and collect my thoughts and prepare to meet the rush of the day.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">So I'm setting a goal to turn the computer off by 10pm and to be asleep by 11. {Monthly Girls' Night In gabfests with my girlfriends of 20+ years are completely excepted!!!} I've already gone over time here by a few minutes, so I must end here.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">I'd sure appreciate any tips anyone can give about going to sleep on time and waking up on time! Share in the comments if you have any input. I'm on my way to a CAN'T to CAN here!</span><br />
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<br />Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-14157893137800607682012-07-13T06:00:00.000-07:002013-01-18T14:29:52.470-08:00Mmmmm...Elotes (Mexican corn on the cob) and Brazilian LimeadeI got to enjoy a couple of my favorite summer treats at our <a href="http://www.lisaloveslogan.com/2012/06/cache-valley-gardeners-market-ongoing.html">local farmers' market</a> last Saturday, elote (Mexican corn on the cob covered with cheese and yummy seasonings) and Brazilian limeade. I make these things here at my house from time to time, but it didn't hurt to have someone else do all the work for me! I thought I would share my recipes for these two delicious indulgences.<br />
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<i>Note: This is my most delicious and involved method of making corn on the cob. If you don't have the time, equipment, or good weather needed to grill the corn, just shuck it and microwave it or boil it on the stove, then proceed with the toppings. The same flavorings can be used on cooked canned, frozen or fresh corn kernels off the cob. I often sautee the corn in a hot pan with a little oil to char it slightly, then mix it in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. That version is called </i>esquites.</div>
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<b><i>ELOTES </i></b><b style="background-color: white;">(Mexican Corn on the Cob)</b></div>
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Serves 6</div>
Preparation time: 1 hour 10 minutes<br />
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6 cobs of corn, husks on</div>
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4 tbsp. butter</div>
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1/2 cup mayonnaise</div>
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1 lime, juiced</div>
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1/2 cup <i>cotija</i> or <i>queso fresco</i>, crumbled (may use grated parmesan)</div>
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chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper to taste, or Tajin Clasico Seasoning (*see note below)</div>
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<b>Grill method:</b> Pre-heat grill to medium-high. <span style="background-color: white;">Soak the cobs of corn, husks on, for 30 minutes.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> Grill cobs, husks on, for about 20 minutes, covered, turning halfway through. The husks will be charred. Remove cobs from grill and carefully shuck, using gloves, or set the corn aside until it is cool enough to shuck. Husks may be removed, or may remain to be used as a "handle". <b>Other cooking method:</b> If you don't have the time, equipment, or weather to grill, just shuck the corn and cook it corn in a pot of boiling water on the stove.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">While corn is cooking, mix the mayonnaise and the lime juice in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix the remaining seasonings (or leave unmixed and allow diners to season their own corn). Roll shucked corn cobs in butter, and return to grill. Cook until golden brown, turning frequently. Remove corn from grill and spread with mayonnaise mixture, then roll in cheese. Sprinkle with dry seasonings to taste.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xeewCKWOl5w/T_9bpAI_9cI/AAAAAAAAAqo/t10BhDxf3B0/s1600/Brazilian_Limeade_Recipe_afarewelltocant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="602" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xeewCKWOl5w/T_9bpAI_9cI/AAAAAAAAAqo/t10BhDxf3B0/s640/Brazilian_Limeade_Recipe_afarewelltocant.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">My brother-in-law spent two years in Brazil, and brought back this recipe for limeade. We often request it for family gatherings.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Brazilian Limeade</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Serves 8</span></div>
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Preparation time: 10 minutes</div>
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8 cups cold water</div>
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2 Tbsp. powdered milk</div>
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Juice of 6 to 8 limes</div>
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Sugar to taste (about 1 1/2 cups)</div>
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Mix powdered milk with water in large pitcher. Add lime juice and sugar to taste, stir well to combine. Chill and/or serve over ice.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ltiYVaWP2g/T_9du5dC7gI/AAAAAAAAAqw/hLfTrRoPFho/s1600/61VPMOIdmpL._AA1024_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ltiYVaWP2g/T_9du5dC7gI/AAAAAAAAAqw/hLfTrRoPFho/s640/61VPMOIdmpL._AA1024_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Have you tried this Mexican seasoning, called <a href="http://www.tajin.com/en-mx/clasico-polvo">Tajin</a>? It's a mix of salt, chilies, and dehydrated lime, and it's so good on any number of things, including elote. It's often used as a fruit seasoning on mangoes, pineapple, etc., adding a savory new dimension to sweet fruits. If you see Tajin in your store, grab a bottle and try it out! You can also get in from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tajin-Fruit-Snack-Seasoning-5-7/dp/B0000GL6RK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342135941&sr=8-1&keywords=tajin">Amazon here</a>.</div>
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I hope you enjoy these recipes. What tastes like summer to you?</div>
Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-57994047650361993032012-07-12T06:00:00.000-07:002012-07-12T06:00:00.534-07:00Colorful Kitchen Art (Plus How NOT To Style Shelves)We're really starting to get somewhere on our kitchen stuff. The open shelving is almost done (we're waiting for one final bracket to arrive from Home Depot), and soon it will be time to style things up. Not that they don't look great already. I walked in the door after being out with the kids last night to find the previously empty shelves filled like this:<br />
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It isn't like Tyson to put dishes on shelves - not in the context of housework and certainly not in the context of design - so I was confused. I wanted to thank him for putting things on the shelves...but it looked AWFUL! I said, "Oh, thanks for putting the dishes on there, but I might want to, um, move things around a little bit, okay?"</div>
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He said, "I just put the plates were I needed them to help weigh the shelves down so the glue can set."</div>
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Oh, okay. Good.</div>
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<b>An Unanticipated Blank Space</b><br />
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Tyson and I did have a difference of opinion about these shelves, which are to the left of the sink. I wanted three, and chose the placement of the shelves to accommodate three. He drilled the holes for the bottom two and then said he was done, and wouldn't do the top shelf. He only wants two (because he only wants to pay for and build and paint two? not because of looks, exactly?). Since he is the one putting in all the labor while I sit tippy-tapping away on my computer, I am acquiescing, and he will be doing things his way. I just hope I can make it look nice.<br />
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I will need to use some art for height and balance, so I've been looking around a little. I don't know if art is the best idea, though, because of the height, so I'm also considering just a decorative wall accent of some sort. Well Tyson, either way I'll be spending some money on the blank spot where I thought a shelf would go, but I guess it's a good thing that now I can spend it on something I can take with me when we move.<br />
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<b>Local Color</b><br />
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I'd love to add some local art to my home, so I've been keeping my eye out for art relating to the place where I live. These colorful prints are from a couple of local foodie places here in Logan, Utah. The rooster on the left is from Caffe Ibis, a maker and distributor of organic coffee (artist unknown, <a href="https://caffeibis.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&product_id=143&category_id=20&vmcchk=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=40" target="_blank">print available for purchase here</a>). The depiction of a bountiful basket of produce on the right was created by local artist Robert Bissland for the <a href="http://www.gardenersmarket.org/" target="_blank">Cache Valley Gardeners' Market</a>, and is available for purchase at the weekly market. The Garderners' Market print, particularly, fits in well with the other colors in the kitchen and adjoining rooms (yellow, turquoise, a bit of orange), while the rooster has some of the same colors but introduces some new ones. I only wish the border weren't brown.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FbP9woWkR9g/T_33dHhdnOI/AAAAAAAAApM/RSP6pMVJtUw/s1600/Kitchen_Illustration_Posters.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FbP9woWkR9g/T_33dHhdnOI/AAAAAAAAApM/RSP6pMVJtUw/s640/Kitchen_Illustration_Posters.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Kitchen Specific Prints</b></div>
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This next one has a color palette that would be great in my open kitchen/dining/living area. The quote, from Julia Child, pretty well describes my family's attitude on things :). This one is available at the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/blimpcat?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">Etsy shop of blimpcat</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KKt0Urumy5I/T_36L1e8AQI/AAAAAAAAApY/pljM-2fIMG4/s1600/il_570xN.229925752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KKt0Urumy5I/T_36L1e8AQI/AAAAAAAAApY/pljM-2fIMG4/s640/il_570xN.229925752.jpg" width="410" /></a></div>
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Just a few days ago I found these cute FREE kitchen-themed printables on Pinterest. You can download them here on <a href="http://www.overthebigmoon.com/fun-kitchen-printables/">overthebigmoon.com</a>, and can even adjust the colors!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzh_GGIyT_g/T_38C3NC4DI/AAAAAAAAApg/wlLQykVc0Hc/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzh_GGIyT_g/T_38C3NC4DI/AAAAAAAAApg/wlLQykVc0Hc/s640/Untitled-1.jpg" width="490" /></a></div>
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Which would you choose? If I know me, and if I know my current situation, I will go cheap and cheerful by having the printables printed at Sam's Club and popping them in simple white frames. But first I'll "shop" the rather extensive collection of art that's gathering dust in my garage and see if I can find anything there that works.<br />
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P.S.: You can check out my kitchen inspiration pics on Pinterest here: <a href="http://pinterest.com/venusv/kitchen/">http://pinterest.com/venusv/kitchen/</a><br />
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<br />Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-10467425941511384432012-07-11T06:00:00.000-07:002012-07-11T06:00:09.587-07:00A Year From Now...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hey people! I am taking a couple days off from lengthy posts so I can clean my house, parent my children, and put in some DIY time on numerous projects. I wanted to share with you the quote I mentioned in my <a href="http://www.afarewelltocant.com/2012/05/farewell-to-cant.html" target="_blank">welcome post</a>.</div>
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"A year from now you will wish you had started today." Now, I've searched and searched trying to figure out exactly who this Karen Lamb is, or where the quote originally came from, but I can't find it. I do think that it was the people from the <a href="http://www.makingthingshappen.com/" target="_blank">Making Things Happen</a> workshop that put the quote on the red background you see above, but I still don't know exactly where the quote originally came from.</div>
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But that's all beside the point. The point is, the quote stuck with me and I knew it was time to make some changes in my life. I wanted to write regularly again. I wanted to have something that was mine. I wanted to learn. I wanted to be my own person, not just an accessory to someone else's life (a position I had relegated myself to, mind you).</div>
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While searching around for the source of the above quote I came across a couple of blog posts that are worth reading. Wish I had written them myself, but these are the types of things I WON'T be writing for at least a couple days. I hope you enjoy!</div>
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<a href="http://laracasey.com/blog/2009/11/24/get-fired-up-how-to-make-things-happen-vol-i/" target="_blank">Get Fired Up: How to Make Things Happen, Vol. I</a> (from the blog of Lara Casey)<div>
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<a href="http://www.handsfreemama.com/2012/01/03/a-year-from-now/" target="_blank">A Year From Now</a> (Hands Free Mama)</div>
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So, I'm curious...what is the thing YOU are thinking about starting or doing? </div>Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-47250393466247439802012-07-10T02:01:00.000-07:002012-07-10T02:33:43.886-07:00Alt Summit Online Class Review - Growing Readership<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i6hbFFN5rUo/T_vu72dR06I/AAAAAAAAAoU/Nw24p5HbQjQ/s1600/altlogo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i6hbFFN5rUo/T_vu72dR06I/AAAAAAAAAoU/Nw24p5HbQjQ/s200/altlogo.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
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As I've said before, this blog is a lab and a learning experience for me. The topic of the blog also happens to be, pretty much, my learning experiences. Last night I got to learn, learn, learn during an online class on the <a href="http://worldfunction.com/channels/alt-summit/" target="_blank">Alt Channel from Alt Summit</a> - "Growing Readership", taught by <a href="http://makingitlovely.com/about/" target="_blank">Nicole Balch of Making It Lovely</a>. I wanted to do a little review and a shout-out to the other bloggers who took the class. I've listed their blog links below. (If any of you classmates want what I was able to copy from the chat transcript, get in touch with me by email, comment, or on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/LisaBakerHeaton" target="_blank">@lisabakerheaton</a> to let me know.) I'm sorry this might be bo-ring to those of you who aren't interested in blogging, but maybe you'll find a fun new blog to love!<br />
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<b>Background: Ctrl-Alt-AWESOME</b><br />
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First, a little background. <a href="http://www.altitudesummit.com/" target="_blank">Alt Summit</a>, or Altitude Design Summit, is a yearly blogging conference held right in my hometown of Salt Lake City, UT. I've been reading about it for a couple years on quite a few of the bigger, fancier design blogs. It's held at the Grand America, looks swanky, and costs a pretty penny - though everyone says it's totally worth it for the classes, panels, and networking/socializing.<br />
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Alt decided to bring some of their magic to the masses by offering hour-long online classes at a reasonable rate of $15 per class. Or better yet FREE, which was the cost of my class due to Alt's partnership with the search engine Bing this month. I tweeted once and Facebooked once about the classes and Bing in order to earn four free classes. Thanks, Alt and Bing! (By the way, is anyone using Bing's "social search"? I'm afraid to admit this, but I'm a little confused by how to use it, what it is, and what it does.)<br />
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<b>Signing In: Oopsy Daisy</b><br />
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A reminder email about the class arrived in my email inbox one hour before the appointed start time. However, since I was the only one on duty with the kids I didn't get to sign in on time. When I did get a chance to sign in I had to make several attempts. I don't know what was going on, but the system wouldn't accept my username and password. I was beginning to worry that I couldn't sign in after the start time, but then I got in. I'm going to chalk this up to user error. I only made it to the last half hour of the class! :(<br />
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<b>The Format: Raise Your Hand If You're Confused</b><br />
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The format of the class was actually great, but signing in late and having it be my first time, I was kind of thrown off because I didn't receive any instructions or have a chance to orient myself. Right when I got in the class Nicole was asking for a show of hands about something. I was confused but then saw a little person icon in the top bar and clicked it. I think I did it right?? It was neat to see the ways the class could be interactive even though it was a virtual classroom. The classroom screen consists of a premade presentation on the left (like a PowerPoint slideshow), the live instructor presenting in the top middle with a chat window for the class participants below that, and a list of participants and blogroll on the right.<br />
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<b>The Meat: Content is Queen</b><br />
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Again, I missed the first half of the class, but the presentation was provided in full as a PDF download, so I got to catch up on what I missed. I don't intend to give away much of the material from the class, but I will say Nicole knew what she was talking about and she gave good been-there-done-that advice about things like blog design and content development. She gave her opinion on a lot of traffic-growth strategies like giveaways, link parties, guest posting/contributing, seeking press mentions, etc. This is where the live chat was really neat, because a lot of participants chimed in with their experiences (for instance several said that the traffic they have gotten during giveaways doesn't stick around), and also shared resources like blog posts they had written about points that were being discussed, or recommendations for designers. I would say one of Nicole's main points was to focus heavily on creating fully original content - your own photos, your own ideas, your own projects.<br />
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The class finished with a quick Q & A session. One person asked how many pageviews is "good". Nicole said 10,000 a month is "good", and 100,000 is "there". By "there" I'm assuming she meant you could consider yourself a bigger, decent-sized blog at that point. For comparison, my <a href="http://www.lisaloveslogan.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Loves Logan</a> blog has had 1500 pageviews in the 3.5 weeks since I started it. Of course, it will never meet a benchmark of anywhere near 100,000 pageviews a month due to the smaller population of possible readers in the valley. But that's not really what I'm going for on that blog. This blog, A Farewell To Can't, has had 2500 pageviews in the 5.5 weeks since I started it. Thank you to any and all of you who are following along and reading!<br />
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<b>Bottom Line: Was It Worth It?</b><br />
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It's hard for a class not to be worth FREE. Yes, it was totally worth the price I paid. But was it worth the price I didn't pay? Was it worth $15? I think so. I'm excited to take the rest of my free classes, and I could see myself paying for another class or two down the line. It's not just the instruction from the teacher that makes it worthwhile. It's the opportunity to "meet" and network with many other bloggers at once, who are at various stages of blogging. For me, as a beginner, I'm not sure that's necessary, but for others who are further along I think it can be a really good thing to develop a tribe of sorts.<br />
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Speaking of tribes, here's the whole roster of bloggers who took the class with me. Check em out! I will be! It's a big list and may take me some time to get through. I'll report back if I find any new particular faves.<br />
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Erin: <a href="http://www.slipcoveryourlife.com/" target="_blank">http://www.slipcoveryourlife.com/</a><br />
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Rachael:<span style="background-color: white;"> <a href="http://madefromscratch.co.nz/" target="_blank">http://madefromscratch.co.nz/</a></span><br />
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Syrah | the Pièce de Résistance <a href="http://www.pdrsweets.com/" target="_blank">http://www.pdrsweets.com</a><br />
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Lia: <a href="http://www.modpiecesblog.ca/" target="_blank">http://www.modpiecesblog.ca/</a><br />
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kait: <a href="http://yuppielove.org/" target="_blank">http://yuppielove.org</a><br />
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amanda: <a href="http://www.awthelittlethings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://www.awthelittlethings.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Lorraine: <a href="http://www.shortcutstofabulous.com/" target="_blank">http://www.shortcutstofabulous.com</a><br />
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Rachell: <a href="http://www.onepartgypsyblog.com/" target="_blank">www.onepartgypsyblog.com</a><br />
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Mindy: <a href="http://www.mindygledhill.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://www.mindygledhill.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Jenny: <a href="http://www.housefullofpretty.com/" target="_blank">www.housefullofpretty.com</a><br />
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Liza: <a href="http://www.everyinbetween.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.everyinbetween.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Jessica: <a href="http://www.cityinajar.com/" target="_blank">http://www.cityinajar.com</a><br />
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Tiffany: <a href="http://www.tiffanyleighinteriordesign.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.tiffanyleighinteriordesign.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Carissa: <a href="http://thefabulousdesignfile.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">http://thefabulousdesignfile.blogspot.ca</a><br />
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Alexandra: <a href="http://themarchowl.com/" target="_blank">http://themarchowl.com</a><br />
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Aja, the gold hat: <a href="http://ajalake.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://ajalake.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Monica: <a href="http://smartcreativewomen.com/" target="_blank">http://smartcreativewomen.com/</a><br />
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Shoko: <a href="http://www.shoandtellblog.com/" target="_blank">http://www.shoandtellblog.com</a><br />
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Chelsea: <a href="http://www.lovelyindeed.com/" target="_blank">www.lovelyindeed.com</a><br />
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Kelsey: <a href="http://www.kelseynicoleblog.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kelseynicoleblog.com/</a><br />
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Jordan - Polkadot Prints: <a href="http://www.polkadotprints.com.au/" target="_blank">www.polkadotprints.com.au</a><br />
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Eva: <a href="http://buildhousehome.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">http://buildhousehome.blogspot.com.au/</a><br />
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Michelle: <a href="http://www.sowonderfulsomarvelous.com/" target="_blank">http://www.sowonderfulsomarvelous.com/</a><br />
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Meredith: <a href="http://www.biscuitsoftoday.com/" target="_blank">www.biscuitsoftoday.com</a><br />
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Lissa: <a href="http://afteradornment.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://afteradornment.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Nicole: <a href="http://probablypolkadots.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">probablypolkadots.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Lori: <a href="http://desertgirlsvintage.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">desertgirlsvintage.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Saudia: <a href="http://redvelvetandwhiskey.com/" target="_blank">http://redvelvetandwhiskey.com/</a><br />
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Merrily: <a href="http://amorologyweddings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://amorologyweddings.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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Jennifer: <a href="http://www.thewaymanfamilynest.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.thewaymanfamilynest.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Dominique: <a href="http://comfycozycouture.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://comfycozycouture.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Jackie: <a href="http://www.sweetiepiepumpkinnoodle.com/" target="_blank">http://www.sweetiepiepumpkinnoodle.com/</a><br />
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Amanda: <a href="http://blog.twentyonetwo.ca/" target="_blank">http://blog.twentyonetwo.ca/</a><br />
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LIndsay, Shrimp Salad Circus: <a href="http://shrimpsaladcircus.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://shrimpsaladcircus.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Erin: <a href="http://www.studio336.com/" target="_blank">http://www.studio336.com</a><br />
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laura: <a href="http://www.agirlwhomakes.com/" target="_blank">www.agirlwhomakes.com</a><br />
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Megan: <a href="http://www.crazybananas.com/" target="_blank">http://www.crazybananas.com</a><br />
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Elizabeth: <a href="http://www.weekitchen.com/" target="_blank">http://www.weekitchen.com</a><br />
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Sara: <a href="http://www.projectsoiree.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.projectsoiree.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Molly: <a href="http://www.aforeignland.org/" target="_blank">www.aforeignland.org</a><br />
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Charlotte: <a href="http://charlotteinmotion.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://charlotteinmotion.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Suzannah: <a href="http://www.adventuresindressmaking.com/" target="_blank">http://www.adventuresindressmaking.com</a><br />
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Uncle Beefy: <a href="http://thebedlamofbeefy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://thebedlamofbeefy.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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Jen: <a href="http://www.schemaholic.com/" target="_blank">http://www.schemaholic.com</a><br />
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April: <a href="http://www.aprilrosenthal.com/blog" target="_blank">http://www.aprilrosenthal.com/blog</a><br />
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Jessie: <a href="http://www.jessbopeep.com/" target="_blank">http://www.jessbopeep.com</a><br />
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Jeudi: soon to be launched Home And Yonder blog<br />
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Beth: <a href="http://www.designpostdaily.com/" target="_blank">http://www.designpostdaily.com</a><br />
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Anna: <a href="http://www.anewfoundtreasure.com/" target="_blank">http://www.anewfoundtreasure.com</a><br />
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Janssen: <a href="http://everydayreading.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://everydayreading.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Michelle: <a href="http://www.sweetsuite10.com/" target="_blank">www.sweetsuite10.com</a><br />
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Jessica: <a href="http://www.ginandjuiceboxes.com/" target="_blank">www.ginandjuiceboxes.com</a><br />
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Launi: <a href="http://www.graciousrain.com/" target="_blank">http://www.graciousrain.com</a><br />
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Rachel: <a href="http://www.notyourrunofthemill.com/" target="_blank">www.notyourrunofthemill.com</a><br />
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Amy: <a href="http://www.modeladesigns.com/" target="_blank">http://www.modeladesigns.com</a><br />
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Lisa: <a href="http://joycreationblog.com/" target="_blank">http://joycreationblog.com</a><br />
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Melissa: <a href="http://www.servingseconds.com/" target="_blank">http://www.servingseconds.com/</a><br />
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Alison: <a href="http://acrinteriors.com/" target="_blank">http://acrinteriors.com</a><br />
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ana: <a href="http://www.welovecitrus.com/" target="_blank">http://www.welovecitrus.com</a><br />
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Lianne: <a href="http://www.acontenthousewife.com/" target="_blank">http://www.acontenthousewife.com/</a><br />
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Lisa: <a href="http://www.afarewelltocant.com/" target="_blank">www.afarewelltocant.com</a> & <a href="http://www.lisaloveslogan.com/" target="_blank">www.lisaloveslogan.com</a><br />
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Tammy: <a href="http://bayparkdream.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://bayparkdream.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Stacie: <a href="http://www.starsforstreetlights.com/" target="_blank">www.starsforstreetlights.com</a><br />
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Lexy: <a href="http://www.theproperpinwheel.com/" target="_blank">www.theproperpinheel.com</a><br />
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Kari: <a href="http://www.thehandmadeevent.com/" target="_blank">www.thehandmadeevent.com</a><br />
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Meghan: <a href="http://megandcole.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">megandcole.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Whew, that's quite the list! Bloggers from the class, please leave a comment if you visited and fill me in on something (anything) from the first half hour of the class! :) Also, let me know your Twitter handle if you would like me to follow you.Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-37950908862930245902012-07-09T05:00:00.000-07:002012-07-09T09:08:56.082-07:00My Bathtub Is In My Bedroom. The Open Concept Master SuiteFor how much I made fun of the <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/vintage-1970s-dream-home-ive-fallen-in.html" target="_blank">heart-shaped bathtub in the bedroom of my 1977 dream home</a>, you might be surprised to learn that I *currently* have a bathtub in my bedroom. Known as an "open concept" or "resort style" master bathroom and bedroom suite, this is something you don't see very often outside of honeymoon hotels with jungle-themed rooms.<br />
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In the case of my bedroom, which is very small, I think the bathroom was kept open to the bedroom so a large jetted tub and separate shower could be included. While I appreciate having these amenities, it is kind of weird the way the tub juts out into the room. I really got a laugh when one of the carpet installers who came last fall walked into the room (which didn't have any flooring in it at the time) and said, "Wow! This is the biggest bathroom I've ever seen!" as he looked around confusedly. I didn't really have the heart or patience to explain that this was my bedroom AND my bathroom. This "before" photo from the listing when we bought the house shows the problem to its absolute worst advantage. The picture was taken at an odd angle and with a weird lens, because the space under the window is 9' wide, but in the photo it looks the same as the bathtub, which is less than 6' long. We have our queen bed under that window, with regular sized nightstands on either side, if that explains just how "off" this picture is. In reality the tub juts out about 18" into the space that "should" be the bedroom's.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I4VSNSeXsJg/T_Z7uGEk7bI/AAAAAAAAAhY/spfkiFUueT0/s1600/IMG_7143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="417" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I4VSNSeXsJg/T_Z7uGEk7bI/AAAAAAAAAhY/spfkiFUueT0/s640/IMG_7143.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a><br />
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See, this next photo was taken from the doorway and you can't even see the tub.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q8KqFxDCHmo/T_Z84r_dMFI/AAAAAAAAAhg/C_OrP603KX4/s1600/Master_Bedroom_From_Door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q8KqFxDCHmo/T_Z84r_dMFI/AAAAAAAAAhg/C_OrP603KX4/s640/Master_Bedroom_From_Door.jpg" width="474" /></a></div>
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But yes, the tub is back there, hanging out in the bedroom. Here's my floor plan again, to orient you.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WDA3ZYxFE2c/T_aGxXZMkhI/AAAAAAAAAiM/yj_OrVwh8UY/s1600/HeatonUpstairsFloorPlan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WDA3ZYxFE2c/T_aGxXZMkhI/AAAAAAAAAiM/yj_OrVwh8UY/s1600/HeatonUpstairsFloorPlan.jpg" /></a></div>
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Again with the making the tub look extra long. But at least you can see that the wall next to the vanity more than halfway on the bedroom side of the tub. (P.S., Stop being so jealous of those curtains.)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVTrvr7PzHM/T_Z-FMvG7zI/AAAAAAAAAhw/iimrpc5dImo/s1600/Master_Bedroom_To_Bathroom_Progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZVTrvr7PzHM/T_Z-FMvG7zI/AAAAAAAAAhw/iimrpc5dImo/s640/Master_Bedroom_To_Bathroom_Progress.jpg" width="474" /></a></div>
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All the upgrades you see above (wood floors, tile, painting), we did ourselves, cheapskate DIY style. We really deliberated about what to do with the flooring, because of the ambiguity of the line dividing the bedroom and the bathroom. It used to have carpet all the way through, as seen above. I wanted to do wood all the way through, but we were worried about water damage and we also couldn't get enough of our chosen wood. We decided to do wood and tile, and to keep the dividing line where it would have been if the tub weren't there. I devised a plan for dividing the two rooms, yet to be implemented.</div>
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In the meantime I looked for inspiration pics for open concept master suites. Was there a way to make this look luxurious and spa-like rather than tacky and tiny? In a word, NO. Not without a lot more space. One famous open plan master bathroom out there is that of Jenna Lyons of J. Crew.
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T2UJwNWRnVI/T_aGZK7PCXI/AAAAAAAAAh8/OQW76oApv9w/s1600/1-28-contrasts-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T2UJwNWRnVI/T_aGZK7PCXI/AAAAAAAAAh8/OQW76oApv9w/s640/1-28-contrasts-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xv1_Y6JMI8c/T_aGZudydYI/AAAAAAAAAiE/IbQ6llg9lqs/s1600/architect+bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xv1_Y6JMI8c/T_aGZudydYI/AAAAAAAAAiE/IbQ6llg9lqs/s640/architect+bathroom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Well, at least my toilet isn't visible from my bed, I'll give it that much.</div>
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So, tell me honestly...if you were looking at houses, how bad would this weird you out? I'll tell you that we thought it was weird at first, but we've been completely happy with it. Maybe part of that is just happiness at being able to have the luxuries of an oversize jetted tub and a stand-up shower at the low price point of our condo. What do you think...open concept master bathroom: luxurious or ludicrous?</div>
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<br />Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-89028145032533118902012-07-06T18:56:00.000-07:002012-07-06T18:56:54.511-07:00Yup, I "Designed" This Header in MS PaintYou know, it's really hard to be a copywriter with no graphic design skills. For years I have worked with designers. Some of them were even <i>talented</i> designers! I have developed a fairly decent eye for what looks good and what doesn't. And perhaps somewhat of a snootiness about things that aren't well-designed. That's why it hurts, HURTS, that I can't make things on my blog look the way I want them to because I lack the skills, knowledge, talent, and computer programs to design anything properly. Still, banishing perfectionism and giving things a try is what this blog is all about.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-przaLVqNTjw/T_eQ_PFM9_I/AAAAAAAAAnc/5iHo9GbAjhc/s1600/headertest2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-przaLVqNTjw/T_eQ_PFM9_I/AAAAAAAAAnc/5iHo9GbAjhc/s640/headertest2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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So it has come to this. I "designed" my new blog headers in MS Paint (the one "graphics", haha, program on my computer). I had other options. I could have paid someone to do a better job than I did. I also could have downloaded a cheap or free template from the web. The problem with option one is that I can't spend money on my lab projects right now, and I don't want to wait around with things looking as (bad as) they have been looking until I have the money. The problem with option two is that I want something to be "mine". So I'm left with that old graphic design triangle:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X11MKadgv8o/T_eP86OeACI/AAAAAAAAAm8/5hswX5szg9o/s1600/fast-good-cheap.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X11MKadgv8o/T_eP86OeACI/AAAAAAAAAm8/5hswX5szg9o/s320/fast-good-cheap.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pick Any Two</span><br />(and don't even get me started on free logo "contests")</div>
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I picked Fast and Cheap. But again, that triangle above looks like something I would make in Paint. (If I had a LOT more skills in Paint.) A designer might express it like this:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F1p73TQkD50/T_eQl0_6urI/AAAAAAAAAnE/PS3zxEPj1FE/s1600/359600_14989649_lz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F1p73TQkD50/T_eQl0_6urI/AAAAAAAAAnE/PS3zxEPj1FE/s640/359600_14989649_lz.jpg" width="474" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">by Colin Harman, available for purchase at <a href="http://www.colinharman.com/">www.colinharman.com</a></td></tr>
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Or like this:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZRkkfNaCtE/T_eQl-MCgRI/AAAAAAAAAnM/atxQmfJ_1BU/s1600/design_triangle_studio_mood_poster.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZRkkfNaCtE/T_eQl-MCgRI/AAAAAAAAAnM/atxQmfJ_1BU/s640/design_triangle_studio_mood_poster.gif" width="446" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">by Katrina Wolfe, found on her website <a href="http://studiomood.net/2011/10/25/good-cheap-fast/" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr>
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I'll likely try to redo the Lisa Loves Logan header as soon as I can take a better picture or figure out something different, but I expect you can count on the header on <i>this</i> blog to stay this way for a good long time. Because you know what? I kinda like how it turned out. I'm going to go ahead and consider this an official "CAN'T to CAN". I definitely still hope to take some graphic design classes and/or do some self-teaching someday to move my skills further into the CAN column, but for now I'm going to pat myself on the back and say thank you to trusty Ol' Paint.</div>
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P.S.: I freely welcome tips from any of you non-designers out there about how you do design-y stuff like this. Also, if any designers want to throw me a bone and put me in the "only if I like you" category shown in the poster immediately above, it wouldn't break my heart.</div>
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P.P.S.: Did you notice I have a real domain now? I'm moving up in the world! Just in case you want to let anyone know about my blog(s), or link to it anywhere, just remember you don't need the "blogspot" anymore.</div>
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<br /></div>Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-89011817420236340732012-07-06T05:00:00.000-07:002012-07-06T10:36:02.673-07:00Do The Wave (The Microwave)We've been living with a gaping hole where the microwave should be for almost nine months now. Since I'm the Queen of Cheapskates, I've kept my eye out from time to time on KSL Classifieds (our punched-up local version of Craigslist) for a decent over-the-range microwave at a decent price. I just don't want to spend more on the microwave alone than we've spent on the entire rest of the kitchen remodel, ya know? I had pretty much gotten used to this awesome look, though...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PY7YseNiCYY/T_ZeVL8tg8I/AAAAAAAAAg0/blBkZNik_OQ/s1600/Microwave_Before.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PY7YseNiCYY/T_ZeVL8tg8I/AAAAAAAAAg0/blBkZNik_OQ/s640/Microwave_Before.JPG" width="468" /></a></div>
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But I was looking for a change. You know, something new (used). Something other than a couple of holes in the wall. Something other than a microwave with a digital clock that runs fast. How does that even happen?!? I have no idea, but it does. That microwave sitting on the counter progressively gets more and more ahead of the correct time. I have to reset it constantly.</div>
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In the end, though, it was Tyson the KSL addict who found the microwave deal. Local, gently used, and fairly priced. We picked it up on Sunday night and he installed it Monday.</div>
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Ahhhh, much better. It's a nice GE Adora microwave, originally installed in 2010. The lady we bought it from had remodeled and gone with the same make and model in stainless steel. It's nice that it's a GE, because the rest of our appliances are, too, so it kind of goes along with them (other than being nicer and newer). To purchase this model and color at Home Depot right now would be $298. We bought the used one for $100.</div>
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The kitchen has been pretty torn up since Monday as we have been working on putting up the open shelves next to the sink and under the cabinets. They are currently awaiting further coats of paint before installation. Here's the before photo for the area left of the sink. Hang tight for an after. I know, I know...how could it be improved upon?<br />
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And just for good measure, here is the BEFORE before. We've come a long way, but there's still more to do!</div>
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I'm curious, are you "pro" or "con" open shelving? Do you have it in your house? Or would you? What about over-the-range microwaves? Some people *hate* them!</div>Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-63022336807633604432012-07-05T09:17:00.001-07:002012-07-05T09:32:31.797-07:00Another Beautiful 1970s Dream HomeIt seems I have a crush on homes from the decade of my birth. I know they're not everyone's cup of tea, and I hope that works in my favor in my house hunt. Maybe I'll be able to get a good deal because other people think these mid-century modern homes are "ugly".<br />
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The home I'm about to show you is ALSO unfortunately listed out of my price range, about the same amount as my <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/vintage-1970s-dream-home-ive-fallen-in.html" target="_blank">other 1970s dream home</a> I've rhapsodizing about all week on here. It has already had a significant price reduction, so I doubt I could get it for a price I could pay. It's fun to dream, though. I'll console myself because the yard is small and unfenced, with most of the lawn in the front yard of the property.<br />
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It's MLS #1086993, listed by <a href="http://www.northutahhomes.com/" target="_blank">Tony Kanski</a> of Cornerstone Real Estate Professionals, 435-760-3780. It is bigger than we need, at 4482 sq. ft., with five bedrooms and six bathrooms on a .28 acre lot. Isn't it lovely? Or maybe I just think that because they used all the same paint colors I just used in my remodel. It was built in 1972, and has had lots of updates. Several of the bedrooms and bathrooms aren't shown, though, so I'm not sure what state of remodel they are in. Maybe there's a surprise lurking in the basement here, too?<br />
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It's in a nice neighborhood near Lundstrom Park in east Logan. It looks so nice to move into something and worry only about decorating instead of remodeling. (Maybe a little remodeling if there are rooms that haven't been done yet.)<br />
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(Not sure why the toiled faces two huge windows)</div>
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So what do you think? Is this more your cup of tea? Do you think the outside is hideous? I promise next time I show you a house it will be one in my price range.</div>
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<br /></div>Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-29380563024216620432012-07-04T05:00:00.000-07:002012-07-05T08:02:05.766-07:00How To Update Builder Brass Light Fixtures On The CheapA couple weeks ago I took our master bathroom light fixtures from brassy to classy for mere pennies.<span style="background-color: white;"> If you've ever wondered how to update builder brass light fixtures to oil rubbed bronze or another finish without running out and buying new ones, keep reading. But first, witness pretty much the best "before" picture ever. I promise we don't live in a crack den, but yes, this is what our fixtures have looked like for the past several months:</span><br />
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<b>Brass PLUS Chrome!? Not In My Home!</b><br />
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Yes, we lived with bare bulbs in our combination brass/chrome master bathroom vanity light fixtures for the past six months while waiting for the weather here to get warm enough for spray painting. It was really even worse-looking than pictured; the fixture wasn't really attached to the wall. It was just dangling by its wiring (a big no-no, as I'm sure you realize). I didn't have a closeup before photo of the actual light, so I took one of the as-yet-unpainted light from our hall bath so you could see in detail how lovely the shiny chrome-brass combo really was.</div>
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<b>Brass vs. Brass</b></div>
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Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against brass. I have a sweet little collection of vintage miniature brass bells, for instance. I even considered brass hardware for my kitchen cabinets, and would have used it if I didn't think it would scare future buyers away. I bought a huge amount of ornate custom cast brass light switch plates and outlet covers at an estate sale - I'm hoarding them in my garage just waiting for the perfect place to use them. (Say, like,<a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/beloved-vintage-1970s-dream-home-part.html" target="_blank"> this li'l old house right here</a>?) But those items would all be nice, real, heavy brass with some age and patina. Not these GOLD brass fixtures that were so popular in days gone fairly recently by.</div>
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(Note: I'm pretty sure oil-rubbed bronze is going to face the same fate eventually - we'll all be on to the next thing and scorning ORB as sooooooo 2000s. So be it. For now, it is a pleasant update from shiny brass. I also considered re-doing these fixtures in straight black, but I decided I liked the subtle shimmer and metallic look of the ORB.)</div>
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There's a genuine before photo of what they looked like in place. This is our master bathroom as it looked when we moved back from Pennsylvania last September. We've since repainted the walls and trim and put in new flooring. And now the vanity lights. You'll notice the lights also used to have the glass shades pointing down like bells, and when we put the fixtures back up we switched their orientation so the glass shades now point up like goblets. That wasn't really on purpose, FYI, but I think I like the change.</div>
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<b>How To Update Brass Light Fixtures With Spray Paint: The Details</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">At first I wasn't sure how to spray paint my light fixrtures or if it would work, but then I remembered my sister had done it to hers years ago and that gave me the confidence to jump on in. With a little Googling I came up with some product recommendations and tutorials.</span><br />
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The standard recommendation was Rust-Oleum Universal Metallic spray paint in Oil Rubbed Bronze.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PrCXOcgiEDY/T_PJZbckboI/AAAAAAAAAc0/F3klFFRVxsg/s1600/RustOleum_Oil_Rubbed_Bronze.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PrCXOcgiEDY/T_PJZbckboI/AAAAAAAAAc0/F3klFFRVxsg/s640/RustOleum_Oil_Rubbed_Bronze.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the <a href="http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=181" target="_blank">Rust-Oleum website</a></td></tr>
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I simply took the fixture down, removed the bulbs, taped off any parts I didn't want painted, and followed the directions on the can. I put the fixtures down on pieces of cardboard and/or tarps, tucking the wires underneath so they wouldn't get sprayed. The screws I punched through pieces of cardboard (styrofoam also works if you have any on hand), so I could have all the necessary parts exposed at once for spraying. If you were spraying something that was going to be touched and used a lot, like doorknobs, you would also want to sand first and possibly do a clear coat after, but since these fixtures will never be touched I just went straight to the spray paint.<br />
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<b>Three Important Tips For Spray Painting</b><br />
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1- <b>Wear socks</b> or shoes that you don't mind getting overspray on.<br />
2- For the best finish (both in looks and durability) <b>do multiple thin, even coats</b> with dry time between coats as directed on the can. Your first coat will look pretty ratty. Avoid the urge to keep spraying for better coverage. Let it dry and then go again.<br />
3- Spray gently back and forth across your item at an even distance, keeping your hand moving. As Sherry from Young House Love once said, <b>"If you're a-sprayin', your arm better be a'swayin'"</b> Now try to ever, ever get that rhyme out of your head! Sorry, it's stuck there forever. But you should thank me, because it's good advice.<br />
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I'll add a bonus one: do multiple thin, even coats. Oh, did I already say that? Good. It's very, very important if you want your spray painted item to have a professional-looking finish.<br />
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My spray painting results may have been profesh, but my photography skills are not. Oh well, just keep swimming. I'm pretty pleased with the results, especially for the money ($5 bottle of spray paint that will still spray many more items). Speaking of many more items, the rest of the brass to be painted includes the vanity lights from the other two bathrooms, the hardware from the stair banister, the dining and living room light fixtures (if we decide not to buy new ones), and the door hardware throughout the house (if we decide we are that ambitious).<br />
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Next on the list, though, is installing the new microwave we just got for over the range, and finally installing the open shelving in our kitchen. I'll show you some of that later this week.<br />
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I'll also be back to show you the photos of another house I love. This one doesn't need any explanation and will all be in one post. Tyson doesn't really like to listen to my house-hunting talk, so I'll just blab to you all, okay?<br />
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So, I'm curious, what metal finishes do you have in your house, and how do you like them? Any mixed finishes within one room? Anyone else have a good spray-paint transformation story - light fixture or otherwise? Or perhaps a spray paint blooper? Do tell!Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-44457801481979928932012-07-03T03:07:00.000-07:002012-07-03T03:10:47.264-07:00Vintage 1970s Dream Home: The Grounds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>Note: This is Part Four of a series where I rhapsodize about a house I'm in love with that is too expensive for me, doesn't have enough bedrooms, and needs a complete remodel - or at least needs a certain heart-shaped bathroom removed from a red-shag-carpeted BEDROOM in the basement. Want to see it? Check out </i><a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/vintage-1970s-dream-home-ive-fallen-in.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Part One</a><i>, </i><a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/beloved-vintage-1970s-dream-home-part.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Part Two</a><i>, and </i><a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/beloved-vintage-1970s-dream-home-master.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Part Three</a><i>.</i></div>
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Last time we finished looking at the inside of this 1970s house. We drove through these gates when we got here.<br />
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And now it's time to turn around and drive back through them on our way out.</div>
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Looks super fun to shovel/plow in the winter, no? Or to drive on in general in the winter months. Let's not think about it. Quick, find something to distract us. Hey, there's that mysterious modern building in the upper right hand side of the picture. What could it be? Maybe a map will help us figure it out. I'll tell you one thing: once Tyson figured out what it was he was very enthusiastic about the house.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AC8HXkhoS4g/T_FHeOxw_JI/AAAAAAAAAbE/vffrTSPrpAQ/s1600/1970s_Dream_Home_PropertyMap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="402" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AC8HXkhoS4g/T_FHeOxw_JI/AAAAAAAAAbE/vffrTSPrpAQ/s640/1970s_Dream_Home_PropertyMap.png" width="640" /></a>
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I've used my awesome MS Paint skills here to outline the approximate shape of the lot, and also to note with a yellow star the location of that modern building. Yes, it's the clubhouse of the lovely Birch Creek Golf Course on the hill in Smithfield. I reminded Tyson that if we buy the house he won't actually have any money with which to go golfing, but he says he would just walk up the street and hit a bucket of balls every few days.</div>
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As you can see from the map, the lot is rather oddly shaped. Maybe a letter C or a rough, chunky drawing of E.T. holding up his finger? Can you see it? I can, so let's go with that. The head of E.T. is just naturalized landscaping that can be accessed from the road that runs alongside it, or from the finger area of E.T. It is separated by huge retaining walls from the grass parts of the lawn directly behind the house. The chunky finger of E.T. (far right area of the lot) I believe to be the garden area and the fruit trees. This is accessed from the east lawn. I didn't see it in person, though, so I'm not totally sure.<br />
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My mind goes wild with the possibilities here, but mainly along the lines of camp-outs in our own little woods (we loved having wooded property at our second house in Pennsylvania), tree houses, homemade applesauce, fresh corn on the cob, dance parties on the driveway, etc. Heck, why not even rock climbing holds on the retaining wall! (I just thought of that this very second...genius, right??!? Don't think about the hazards.) And there's really not that much grass to mow! (Also don't think about the snow-shoveling/plowing aspect.) I won't say much about the rest of the pictures. They just show the back and side lawn areas and the covered patio off the upstairs family room.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8oRwkkdiXBs/T_FHcipfF5I/AAAAAAAAAas/0LIGqTziB4o/s1600/1092769_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8oRwkkdiXBs/T_FHcipfF5I/AAAAAAAAAas/0LIGqTziB4o/s640/1092769_4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Oh, and the bars on all the windows. From left to right I think those windows are master closet, master bathroom, pink bedroom, hall bathroom, laundry room (behind the bushes)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-es9TSV0GPO8/T_FHdIoe7NI/AAAAAAAAAa0/uw-4uQNQ1s4/s1600/1092769_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-es9TSV0GPO8/T_FHdIoe7NI/AAAAAAAAAa0/uw-4uQNQ1s4/s640/1092769_5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's the covered patio off the family room/kitchen, looking south to the carport where that truck is parked. Come on over for a cook out! Don't worry, I won't lock you into my house behind all these iron bars!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yYnK_SzjFHw/T_FHftJsbdI/AAAAAAAAAbU/EyKjOMxzsuA/s1600/Retaining_Wall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yYnK_SzjFHw/T_FHftJsbdI/AAAAAAAAAbU/EyKjOMxzsuA/s640/Retaining_Wall.png" width="640" /></a>
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Big retaining/privacy wall across the back of the lawn area</div>
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An exterior tour isn't complete without admiring this view one more time.</div>
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Okay...time to say goodbye.</div>
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Well, that's it for the...longest...house...tour...ever. What do you think of the grounds? To those of you who are landholders, is this just too much work? Would you like to come over for a game of croquet on the east lawn? Would you like to come to a dinner dance on my driveway, and see the lights of the "city" by night? Would you like to go camping in my woods? Wow, I am really good at selling this place...to myself!</div>
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<br />Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-80010679064830375022012-06-30T19:22:00.001-07:002012-07-01T11:51:52.385-07:00Being Grateful For...DIRTY DISHES?!?! {{{In Honor Of Wendy Partridge, 1978-2012}}}What's your least-favorite household chore? You know, the one you dread the most and put off if you can?<br />
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For me it's the dishes. Not so much loading the dishwasher, but just the things that need to be hand washed in the sink. I don't know why I dislike it so much or why I procrastinate this chore. I don't mind doing a sink full of dishes at someone else's house, and at my house there usually aren't more than a few to do at a time, so it really doesn't take long. The warm water is even kind of relaxing. But still the <i>prospect </i>of doing the dishes gets me procrastinating every time, and I always say I can do those dirty dishes "later".<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wqKnhs0TAt8/T--KcYV2oSI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/8jp1ZqiRVMU/s1600/dirty_dishes_flickr_copyright_miss_pupik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="459" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wqKnhs0TAt8/T--KcYV2oSI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/8jp1ZqiRVMU/s640/dirty_dishes_flickr_copyright_miss_pupik.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Not my sink or dishes, photo copyright Miss Pupik, found on flickr <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/miss_pupik/2210457882/" target="_blank">here</a>)</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br />However, I've recently been enlightened to a new way to think about dirty dishes. I can be </span><i style="background-color: white;">thankful</i><span style="background-color: white;"> for them. I'll tell you more about this new viewpoint in a minute, but for now I want to leave those dirty dishes in the sink and talk about something more personal and sad that happened this past week.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Wendy Partridge<br />1978-2012</b></span></div>
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A childhood friend of mine, Wendy, passed away on Wednesday. Her death was due to <a href="http://www.cff.org/AboutCF/" target="_blank">cystic fibrosis (CF)</a>, an inherited chronic disease she lived with, fought against, and I suppose she would say <i>learned from</i> since birth.<br />
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Amazing. Miracle. Angel. Strong. Christ-like. Teacher. Hilarious. Example. Friend. Beautiful. These are the words people use to describe Wendy, and they're all true.<br />
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Wendy moved into my neighborhood during our late elementary school years. She was one year behind me in school, but we were just a month apart in age. We went to all our church classes together and often played in the neighborhood and sometimes at each other's houses. Wendy always had a cough and had a hard time breathing. CF primarily affects the lungs. Thick mucus forms in the lungs, causing extreme breathing difficulties. CF affects other organs as well. Over time the lungs and other organs lose their ability to function and the patient dies of the disease. It is a painful way to die. When we were kids that was one thing always in the back of my mind about Wendy: she was going to die. I was terrified about that.<br />
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You see, treatment and life expectancy for those with CF have improved greatly over the past 60 years. In the 1950s a baby born with CF would most likely only live a few years. When Wendy was born in 1978, the median survival age had improved, bur it still was under 18 years. Wendy and her family didn't know if she would grow to adulthood. If she would be able to serve a mission for our church, get a higher education, join the workforce, or have the opportunity to date and perhaps get married. <span style="background-color: white;">Another CF patient in my grade at school died while we were teenagers. Wendy's</span><span style="background-color: white;"> time was always borrowed. That she lived and worked until age 33 is quite a miracle. (</span><span style="background-color: white;">In case you're interested, the median survival age for CF patients born in 2009 is 38. So much improvement over the past 30 years!)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">During our childhood Wendy was often in the hospital. I remember several trips our church classes took to visit her there. We would have our lesson in her room. These were tender experiences for me. Wendy's nurses would perform a fairly violent percussive massage technique on her back to break up mucus in her lungs. It looked painful. She was brave. She always had a sunny disposition and a smile. I never heard her complain.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">After we graduated from high school Wendy and I worked together in church for a few years as co-teachers of three successive classes of energetic seven- and eight-year-old children. I'm sure Wendy surpassed me as a teacher in every way. She always had a strong testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and a natural and unselfconscious way of sharing that testimony with others. She shared her testimony out loud, and I was blessed to hear it often over the pulpit in our church services, but she also shared her testimony by her example.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Now, I don't want to make Wendy sound all pious and boring. She was funny! She had a sweet and quirky, somewhat sarcastic and self-deprecating sense of humor. We had some fun times co-hosting class parties at her house for our little students. (Class parties are a well-worn reverence reward for primary children.) After a few years as primary teachers together, we both moved on -- me to a church congregation specifically for young adults, and Wendy to a mission for our church. Yes, she was able to serve that mission she desired, and I can only imagine how many lives she changed.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Our paths crossed again after her mission for a while, but then I moved out of town and my parents did too, and we lost touch. The advent of Facebook put us back in touch with each other, and over the years I have enjoyed reading Wendy's funny status updates there.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">While I was living in Pennsylvania I learned her health was really beginning to fail. A few friends planned to visit her as a class reunion of sorts, but I couldn't attend due to distance. I don't know if they ended up going. Her health improved somewhat and she was able to continue working.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">A couple of weeks ago she posted saying that she had had to leave her job, and that she was receiving hospice care. The end was near. I wrote to her privately about coming to visit her if she was up for it, and started reaching out to other friends who might want to visit with me. At first Wendy sounded like she might not be well enough for visitors, but then on Monday this past week she wrote and asked me to set it up. I wrote back and asked if Thursday would work, but a day or two went by and I didn't hear back. I went to her sister's Facebook page, thinking I would check in to see how Wendy was doing. Instead I saw the first of many condolence messages that would soon be flooding in, "I'm sorry for your loss."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Wendy had died, and I was too late.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">In the weeks leading up to Wendy's death, her sister posted some links on Facebook about Wendy. One was a short video made about Wendy by a friend of hers, which I highly encourage you to watch, and the other was a link to a blog of Wendy's on a CF support website, where Wendy talks about the approaching end of her life. Here's a passage from that post. She posted under the name "stillkicking".</span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white;">"...</span><span style="background-color: white;">Well my friends, I don't know how much longer I shall be coherent enough to write my ramblings. Also I don't want to focus on the negative side of dying. It is a painful process. But I never walk alone. I thank the Lord that He is there helping me with each painful step. </span></i><br />
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<i>To close, with one last final sarcastic remark. I wrote my own obituary, but my family doesn't want to use it (shocker), so I'll post it here </i><br />
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<i>"Now we lay her down to rest, a load of mucus in her chest.</i><br />
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<i>Since she died before she woke, that's one less day she'll have to choke"</i><br />
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<i>Happy coughing everyone, and be sure to laugh a little, cry a little and just enjoy the journey God bless you all!"</i><br />
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How do you like that obituary? It's great! A taste of Wendy's humor.<br />
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I enjoyed that post a lot, so I clicked through a few of Wendy's other posts, and one really hit me.<br />
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<b>Okay, Back to That Sink Full of Dirty Dishes</b></div>
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One of her posts was about doing the dishes at her house, and a sprititual experience she had while doing them. Wendy says it best, so I will put her full post here. Please read it. I promise you will be touched and have your eyes opened to a new view on work, trials, and what you think you "can't" do. Understand that Wendy was living at home with her parents, so the sink full of dirty dishes she describes likely weren't just from her.</div>
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<i><b>The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Posted By: stillkicking @ 04/11/2012 03:26 PM</b></i></div>
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<i>So as things have been getting tougher lately, I'm pretty darn sure my days are numbered, and I don't think there's that many numbers in there Anyway, it's been particularly hard with the "air hunger" games I just can't get enough air, even on higher O2 flows. It's a horrible feeling. Plus all the other lovely CF things, exhaustion, coughing, constant aching, AKA crappy lungs. Last week was particularly difficult and it was all I could do to make it to and through work each day. I started wondering and praying to know if it was a battle I needed to continue to fight, or if I could quit.</i><br />
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<i>I work for a small business, so I only have a 6 month cobra extention. Medicaid qualifications in my state are particularly difficult, I would have to wipe out all my savings and retirement before I'd qualify. That idea doesn't thrill me, so I haven't wanted to go that route. Anyway, come Saturday, I was still having a great difficulty with the air hunger and feeling awful. There was so much to do and I didn't feel like doing anything. I was however, thanking the Lord for a weekend to rest.</i><br />
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<i>Well that evening there was a large pile of dishes that had been sitting out all day, I thought, I can't do much but I can at least, do these dishes. As I began I immediately got my answer from the Lord about my work situation. The Spirit whispered to me that work is a blessing to me not a curse. He knows it's difficult but it also helps a great deal in taking my mind off the suffocating feelings of this stage of the disease. I see how that is true, even while doing the dishes I immediately "felt" better, mentally wise. I was able to focus my mind on something besides breathing. Yes, there will be days where I have to rest, many of them, but inasmuch as I can work, it will be a blessing to me.</i><br />
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<i>By focusing on others and serving and contributing whatever I can, even though it may be a great deal less than I used to, is what feeds and drives the spirit inside us, and the spirit can then drive the body further than it otherwise would go. How grateful I am to a merciful God who pours out His blessings upon me and then opens my eyes that I may see them for what they are here and now.</i><br />
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<i>Now please realize I'm not suggesting or recommending anything for anyone else. This is my blog, and my experiences - you can go have your own But for me this has been a big help and I've seen more and more each day at work this week, how much of a blessing it is to me, even when it's difficult</i><br />
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<i>Happy Coughing everyone</i><br />
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I really can't add much to what Wendy said. All I know is, I will never look at my dirty dishes the same way again. I will always, always think of Wendy standing at the sink, gasping for air, washing those dishes and thanking the Lord that she could wash them. She is right. Work is blessing, trials are blessings, and WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!<br />
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<a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?pid=158268958" target="_blank">Wendy Partridge's Obituary and Funeral Information</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">One of my favorite articles: </span><a href="http://www.lds.org/ensign/2009/12/the-blessing-of-work?lang=eng" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">The Blessing of Work</a><span style="background-color: white;"> ("Work is not a matter of economic need alone; it is a spiritual necessity..." It includes direction on how to apply your interests and talents to your work and how to teach children the value of work.)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Video about Wendy, "The Joys of Adversity"</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Visit the website of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to </b></span><b>learn more about cystic fibrosis, get involved in increasing awareness and research, or make a donation</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="http://www.cff.org/">http://www.cff.org/</a>
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<span style="background-color: white;">----</span><br />
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Thank you for reading. I'm interested to know, what's one positive lesson you've learned from someone in your life who is now gone?Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-34107980528831843182012-06-29T12:30:00.001-07:002012-07-03T03:11:59.377-07:00Beloved Vintage 1970s Dream Home: The Master Suite, Living Room, and Basement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Part three of my beloved 1970s Dream Home (<a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/vintage-1970s-dream-home-ive-fallen-in.html" target="_blank">part one here</a>, <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/beloved-vintage-1970s-dream-home-part.html" target="_blank">part two here</a>, <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/07/vintage-1970s-dream-home-grounds.html" target="_blank">part four here</a>). Let's do this. We were last walking down the hall, and now we've passed the laundry, dining library, hall bath, girl bedroom, and also a linen closet that is not pictured. Next we arrive at the master suite. For the king and QUEEN of the castle.</div>
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I'm not sure how the colors read on your monitor. On mine they look silver and pink, but in reality the color scheme was more peach and blue. That blue tone-on-tone damask wallpaper? We're gonna see a lot of it. The master bath has a bathtub and separate shower, a vanity, and I'm assuming it also had a toilet but I don't see it in these pictures and I don't remember where it was.</div>
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Carpeted bathroom. Moving on to the master bedroom proper. First we come to the walk-in closet.</div>
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Like the dining library, this room is long and narrow. It is lined on both sides with closets. Just imagine a mirror image of this picture on the other side. Like the dining library, the walk-in closet has a huge chandelier. Okay, I think by the looks of it I'm going to stop calling it a walk-in closet and start calling it a dressing room. It doesn't have a door that closes it off from the rest of the room, though. So maybe dressing hall? If you were standing and taking the photo above, you would have your back to a bunch of floor-to-ceiling built-in cabinetry. Doors, drawers, etc. You can see a tiny portion of it in the next picture.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Xcpg03gGQ8/T-thkbWiTOI/AAAAAAAAATo/O1tDdjKvPJE/s1600/1092769_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Xcpg03gGQ8/T-thkbWiTOI/AAAAAAAAATo/O1tDdjKvPJE/s640/1092769_18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Let it be known that this carpet is MORE PURPLE in real life. And there's our first taste of the wood paneling that will now become ubiquitous throughout the rest of the house. Fireplace #2 makes an appearance.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-boDCnN7y5D0/T-thu-FJsqI/AAAAAAAAAWk/0fIUQ_ew05A/s1600/Master_purple_carpet_tufted_headboard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="472" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-boDCnN7y5D0/T-thu-FJsqI/AAAAAAAAAWk/0fIUQ_ew05A/s640/Master_purple_carpet_tufted_headboard.png" width="640" /></a>
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Another view of the bed, and a conveniently located avocado green telephone. Some of you may know that I am obsessed with tufted velvet headboards.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gpjrBwb8jh4/T-11RV0q4uI/AAAAAAAAAYs/70_74qoswIQ/s1600/master_built_ins.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gpjrBwb8jh4/T-11RV0q4uI/AAAAAAAAAYs/70_74qoswIQ/s640/master_built_ins.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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More built-ins in the master bedroom. More EVERYTHING. More wallpaper, more drapes, more purple carpet. MORE! <span style="background-color: white;">While I know books would look great in those glass-front cabinets, personally I'd fill them with rows and rows of gorgeous shoes.</span></div>
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Switching gears, let's pretend we're guests and enter through the front door. I said they had a surprise, right?</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-83C1VkoTFXA/T-119-OCFQI/AAAAAAAAAZE/3S70quIRlfg/s1600/stained_glass_entry_doors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-83C1VkoTFXA/T-119-OCFQI/AAAAAAAAAZE/3S70quIRlfg/s640/stained_glass_entry_doors.png" width="640" /></a>
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Stained glass! (Not two creepy eyes. though that's kinda what they look like in this picture.)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Az0k9rrOHJ0/T-thkj_AoVI/AAAAAAAAATw/esNh8sZEmM4/s1600/1092769_19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Az0k9rrOHJ0/T-thkj_AoVI/AAAAAAAAATw/esNh8sZEmM4/s640/1092769_19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5yTkIrn3Xw8/T-118rWiZEI/AAAAAAAAAY0/wWXjSUPJ64w/s1600/Entry_Hall_StainedGlass.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5yTkIrn3Xw8/T-118rWiZEI/AAAAAAAAAY0/wWXjSUPJ64w/s640/Entry_Hall_StainedGlass.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you come in the front door there is a coat closet to your left in a little entry area, a biiiiiiig coat closet in perpendicular to you in a hall that leads to the main hall of the home, and there is also the fancy staircase that leads downstairs. I wish I had rung that fancy doorbell. I love a good doorbell chime!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G7MOOnLcZIA/T-119ZAsI2I/AAAAAAAAAY8/k87rzGHJXow/s1600/entry_hall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G7MOOnLcZIA/T-119ZAsI2I/AAAAAAAAAY8/k87rzGHJXow/s640/entry_hall.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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One thing you can kind of see in this picture, and hopefully a little better in the next one, is the crown molding. It's a chunky, thick (maybe 7" tall by x 5" deep from the wall?) curved convex molding with an egg-and-dart detail. Kind of like <a href="http://crown-molding.com/mld560-8-moulding-fypon-egg-and-dart-5-1-4-x-9-3-4-x-8.aspx" target="_blank">this one</a>. It is lovely. It's used throughout the entry, living room, and master bedroom, though I don't think it's shown to best effect by the dark wood paneling that often abuts it, such as in our next stop, the living room, which is on your right as you come in through the front doors..</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-itXJjomOQOM/T-thluVPKtI/AAAAAAAAAUA/4eOlpkHf6XU/s1600/1092769_20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-itXJjomOQOM/T-thluVPKtI/AAAAAAAAAUA/4eOlpkHf6XU/s640/1092769_20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For having such lovely molding, it's a shame there are no baseboards! The carpet runs up the walls instead. Above you see fireplace #3, another grand chandelier, some heavy drapes, and blue wall-to-wall in the cavernous living room. The drapes shown above cover one set of the french doors onto the east covered patio.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l5oThUgoSJ0/T-thl-5SopI/AAAAAAAAAUI/7OvOhAUZ23o/s1600/1092769_21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l5oThUgoSJ0/T-thl-5SopI/AAAAAAAAAUI/7OvOhAUZ23o/s640/1092769_21.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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These drapes cover the huge south-facing bay window. There are sheer drapes against the glass, then the thicker drapes across the bump-out, so you could walk in and stand in a little room surrounded by curtains. My usual m.o. with curtains is to never have any because I can never decide/afford what I want. But after all, "Curtains!?! Who needs curtains!?!" That was for you, Alice and Emily :)</div>
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The staircase is quite wide and grand. Of course, it goes downstairs rather than up, so it's not really all that grand. At the bottom of the staircase is another odd feature. When you reach the bottom of the grand staircase, to your right is this:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mqsWxE2sqKo/T-thmZLGAJI/AAAAAAAAAUU/ygSuBTqwzX8/s1600/1092769_22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mqsWxE2sqKo/T-thmZLGAJI/AAAAAAAAAUU/ygSuBTqwzX8/s640/1092769_22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, for some reason I don't recall this being closed off by a door of its own, but it must have been, right? The realtor said the family referred to it as "the vault". It's a concrete room under the front porch and portico. Most people use this type of space as a cold storage room, but there's actually another cold storage room in the house that we'll see soon. This concrete room is a big old question mark. but I have plans. Oh yes, I have plans.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EzOJpnb8Yd8/T-thnUdTqzI/AAAAAAAAAUg/EOz4TM9xAP0/s1600/1092769_23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EzOJpnb8Yd8/T-thnUdTqzI/AAAAAAAAAUg/EOz4TM9xAP0/s640/1092769_23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On the other side of the staircase a short hall leads to this gigantic family room space. It's divided into two rooms by a huge walk-around double fireplace. This side of the room might be for lounging or movies.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8whAyEZRu5Q/T-thoOujuQI/AAAAAAAAAUo/nhlw4fag7rM/s1600/1092769_24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8whAyEZRu5Q/T-thoOujuQI/AAAAAAAAAUo/nhlw4fag7rM/s640/1092769_24.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This side for games? Again with the built-in storage. There is room in this side of the room for a pool table and a game table.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xguEzePezLE/T-31BtoktWI/AAAAAAAAAZY/bl1vf-mvUdg/s1600/family_room_double_fireplace.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xguEzePezLE/T-31BtoktWI/AAAAAAAAAZY/bl1vf-mvUdg/s640/family_room_double_fireplace.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The double fireplace as seen from the game room side. The back side of the fireplace also features a safe concealed in the brick. You know, where I can keep all my <i>valuables</i>.</div>
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Then we have a room you already got to see, but in case this sight wasn't seared into your brain, I'll refresh your memory.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AOMwcNOo9ik/T-311-eL0qI/AAAAAAAAAZg/07iEdafDOco/s1600/crazy_heart_tub_red_shag_zodiac_wallpaper.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AOMwcNOo9ik/T-311-eL0qI/AAAAAAAAAZg/07iEdafDOco/s1600/crazy_heart_tub_red_shag_zodiac_wallpaper.png" /></a></div>
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The "exercise room". I'll let you determine what kind of workouts we're talking about.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--VSxjmaMoWE/T-312kkK2HI/AAAAAAAAAZo/xx0jY01RdgA/s1600/crazy_heart_tub_red_shag_zodiac_wallpaper_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--VSxjmaMoWE/T-312kkK2HI/AAAAAAAAAZo/xx0jY01RdgA/s640/crazy_heart_tub_red_shag_zodiac_wallpaper_2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The bathtub. I didn't mention this before, but the faucet on this bathtub is identical to the one at my current kitchen sink, and the one in my parents' Centerville kitchen sink. ????!!!!???? Sort of like<a href="http://www.drillspot.com/products/273382/Moen_87130_Single_Kitch_Faucet_Spray" target="_blank"> this one</a>, but an older model. Again, my reaction can only be summed up with question marks. ????? Why a kitchen tap in a bathtub?</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pt7fdc2E3fE/T-thoZgnPeI/AAAAAAAAAUw/J2dWK7DMcZM/s1600/1092769_25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pt7fdc2E3fE/T-thoZgnPeI/AAAAAAAAAUw/J2dWK7DMcZM/s640/1092769_25.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">That's the 3/4 bath that adjoins the tub room. It can also be accessed from the hall. </span>It's hard to read the date on that calendar, but the last times April 1 was on a Monday were in 2002 and 1996. <i>Update:</i> On closer inspection I think it says 1991, which also had a Monday, April 1. I guess someone hasn't worked out for a while!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-leDLa-8H0dM/T-thogZQShI/AAAAAAAAAU4/Icr5nAKucGc/s1600/1092769_26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-leDLa-8H0dM/T-thogZQShI/AAAAAAAAAU4/Icr5nAKucGc/s640/1092769_26.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Attached to that bathroom is an imported Finnish sauna. For some reason I'm remembering it as having two rooms, but I don't know if I'm right on that.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6z1eKtyANk/T-thpC2aJ4I/AAAAAAAAAVI/Qx376Q-YJ4c/s1600/1092769_28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="479" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6z1eKtyANk/T-thpC2aJ4I/AAAAAAAAAVI/Qx376Q-YJ4c/s640/1092769_28.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hmmmm. This large bedroom contains a wood-burning stove. I think I'm beginning to get the idea about heating this huge house in the Cache Valley winters. I pretty much can't get on board with the idea of my boys sleeping in a remote bedroom next to a hot stove. I'll have to think on that.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3JflSZ65pUI/T-thpl3x8QI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/AgmGDz3caGM/s1600/1092769_29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3JflSZ65pUI/T-thpl3x8QI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/AgmGDz3caGM/s640/1092769_29.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Also downstairs is this gigantic storage room. But what I'm thinking is, this = theater room and the "vault" = storage room. Good idea?</div>
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That concludes the interior portion of the tour. You may be wondering, where are the rest of the bedrooms? But that's it. This 5000 sqft house has only three bedrooms. I mean, I guess someone could sleep in the dining library or the tub room, but as it stands there are really only three bedrooms. See why I said the house is wrong for us in size and function? Twice as big as we need, with half as many bedrooms. One of the whole reasons for moving is to gain another kid bedroom and hopefully a guest bedroom. This huge house has neither, without some creative rearranging or the addition of a second story (don't think I haven't thought about it!).</div>
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Okay, despite that leeetle drawback, there are still more things I've yet to show you that go in the plus column. Come back tomorrow for a walk around the grounds!</div>
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Let's be honest here. Some of you who have been yaysayers, what do you think now that you know the bedroom situation? Anything anyone liked particularly about today's set of pictures? I know the photo doesn't do it justice, but the master closet is quite amazing. Too bad I'd have to give the master bedroom up to one or two of my children so I could sleep in the room with the wood-burning stove. But hey, then I'd be that much closer to the heart-shaped bathtub!</div>Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-61861697985353583832012-06-28T05:30:00.000-07:002012-07-03T03:15:17.001-07:00Beloved Vintage 1970s Dream Home, Part Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Many thanks to my yaysayers <i>and</i> my naysayers who commented on my <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/vintage-1970s-dream-home-ive-fallen-in.html" target="_blank">post about my vintage 1970s dream home</a>. (Click that link to catch up on my ill-advised, unrequited crush on this house.) I'm back today with the more of the pictures and info. (See <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/vintage-1970s-dream-home-ive-fallen-in.html" target="_blank">Part One here</a>, <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/beloved-vintage-1970s-dream-home-master.html" target="_blank">Part Three here</a>, <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/07/vintage-1970s-dream-home-grounds.html" target="_blank">Part Four here</a>)</div>
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I should probably tell you that the MLS# of this home is 1092769 and it is listed by <a href="http://www.century21.com/real-estate-agent/profile/jacob-howell-10946617" target="_blank">Jacob Howell of Century 21 N&N Realtors</a>. But don't go running out and stealing it out from under me! Jacob told us the home was built in 1977 by a custom homebuilder for his wife. She designed the layout and gave mucho design input. Something tells me the "exercise room" (sauna, tub, etc.) may have been <i>his</i> domain.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVfXPZ81_00/T-thp_q-Y2I/AAAAAAAAAVY/Wf5pSGghugo/s1600/1092769_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVfXPZ81_00/T-thp_q-Y2I/AAAAAAAAAVY/Wf5pSGghugo/s640/1092769_3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Okay, you'll recall that when you approach the home you're greeted by this amazing automatic wrought iron gate that says, "You're not allowed to come in here and steal my furniture, but you wouldn't want to anyway, because I don't have any, because I spent all my money on this house."</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Before you enter the gate there is a large, level asphalt area with a basketball standard and parking for a few cars.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V0X8gPhxZWs/T-thk1f6NmI/AAAAAAAAAT4/U4-C58RJa0w/s1600/1092769_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V0X8gPhxZWs/T-thk1f6NmI/AAAAAAAAAT4/U4-C58RJa0w/s640/1092769_2.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Proceeding up the drive you first see the east side of the house, which has a covered patio reminiscent of the <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TZ4zYEBSw1I/Ru8Ah5MW1FI/AAAAAAAACTc/b3Ick2SIhxA/s1600-h/white_house.jpg" target="_blank">north facade of the White House</a>. Those french doors lead to the living room. More ironwork. Lots, lots more! And that's just the start of it.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jpnveYKlSds/T-thgCh3w_I/AAAAAAAAASY/CjO19Ls-yJY/s1600/1092769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jpnveYKlSds/T-thgCh3w_I/AAAAAAAAASY/CjO19Ls-yJY/s640/1092769.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Next you proceed past the south side of the house, which features a portico over the main entry. Waaaaaaaait a minute! Where have I </span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TZ4zYEBSw1I/Ru8AiZMW1GI/AAAAAAAACTk/h3M4foGZewY/s1600-h/white_house_2.jpg" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">seen this before</a><span style="text-align: left;">? Sensing a theme? The bay window on the right is in the living room, and the window on the left is in this room that I'm not sure whether it's a library or a formal dining room, or in my world...BOTH.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xd2m36yebUc/T-thgtdWrdI/AAAAAAAAASg/DGF7kRgB-9w/s1600/1092769_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xd2m36yebUc/T-thgtdWrdI/AAAAAAAAASg/DGF7kRgB-9w/s1600/1092769_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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"Why yes! I DO have a lion on my porch! How kind of you to notice! No, no, no, no, no...not at all ostentatious!" Incidentally, my current front door is of the exact same style as these front doors (though single, rather than double). Coincidence? Or <i>fate</i>??? I say exact, but I mean in shape and style. These doors hold a special surprise you'll see when we reach the entry hall.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ECOW_-loHOo/T-thr4tkqvI/AAAAAAAAAV8/xpPKwzwcbPA/s1600/1092769_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ECOW_-loHOo/T-thr4tkqvI/AAAAAAAAAV8/xpPKwzwcbPA/s640/1092769_6.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Arriving at the top of the driveway you can pull into the double garage, or just under the double (possibly triple?) carport. The door you see to the right enters into a small vestibule off the kitchen/family/informal dining area. There is also a large additional room behind the garage for wood storage and a workshop. Or for hoarding vintage furniture. Whatevs.<br />
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See that railing to the left? Go ahead and walk over there.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tTtYUdbQTYs/T-thtBdVsMI/AAAAAAAAAWU/2B9GpC52v58/s1600/1092769_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tTtYUdbQTYs/T-thtBdVsMI/AAAAAAAAAWU/2B9GpC52v58/s640/1092769_9.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Boom! Sorry it's blurry, but that's the western view from the property. Oh, the sunsets I could watch from here! Let's make a quarter turn and look southward.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3g1z8Wsw4k0/T-thsowrh-I/AAAAAAAAAWM/wsfcfGNVcXk/s1600/1092769_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3g1z8Wsw4k0/T-thsowrh-I/AAAAAAAAAWM/wsfcfGNVcXk/s640/1092769_8.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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BOOM! Hello, entire valley. Hello, mountains. This is also the view from the living room, formal dining/library, and semi-formal dining room windows. Yum.<br />
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Okay, for good measure let's make another quarter turn to take in the view east.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0_j8vZhk9M/T-thsKE6vvI/AAAAAAAAAWE/-Lvc118Dirc/s1600/1092769_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0_j8vZhk9M/T-thsKE6vvI/AAAAAAAAAWE/-Lvc118Dirc/s640/1092769_7.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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It's about a half-mile walk up into the mountains. And what's that building on the right? We'll cover that later.<br />
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Moving on, we'll head into the house. We're family, right, so we can enter through the kitchen door rather than through the fancy double front doors. Like I said before, we enter into a little vestibule with a coat closet and bench. A mini-mudroom, if you will. Not pictured.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hNMZX3z_AtU/T-uVnurQesI/AAAAAAAAAXU/_KsgkLpuLm8/s1600/familyroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hNMZX3z_AtU/T-uVnurQesI/AAAAAAAAAXU/_KsgkLpuLm8/s640/familyroom.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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To our left is this family room, with a fireplace and french doors (more ironwork) that lead to a covered patio in the backyard. I hope that tangled, corded phone is included. What a treasure. You'll also note our first of many sets of extravagant draperies. This is the casual part of the house, so these are <i>casual</i> draperies.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YmFypps-4Lg/T-thhcikc6I/AAAAAAAAASo/apkh6r2bEWc/s1600/1092769_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YmFypps-4Lg/T-thhcikc6I/AAAAAAAAASo/apkh6r2bEWc/s640/1092769_10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Closeup of the fireplace (one of six in the home). Sign me up for the hot pink cinder sweeper!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rfzdbOcB8tM/T-thhhXJlYI/AAAAAAAAASw/bYbHWi6B-RM/s1600/1092769_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rfzdbOcB8tM/T-thhhXJlYI/AAAAAAAAASw/bYbHWi6B-RM/s640/1092769_11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Okay, here we have the kitchen, which is on the right as you come in through the vestibule. You can see the coat closet door and the knob of the exterior door. The cut-out above the dishwasher looks into the family room. Is that a....microwave??!? Cutting edge circa 1977? And a very complicated-looking wall oven with lots of instructions? And a brown dishwasher? But wait, there's more.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hkkZp3nsALc/T-thiERyIQI/AAAAAAAAAS4/HRO7ps-Zo3k/s1600/1092769_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hkkZp3nsALc/T-thiERyIQI/AAAAAAAAAS4/HRO7ps-Zo3k/s640/1092769_12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Flat range with two burners that seem to be more popular than the others, brown trash compactor, and then there is, of course, the special cabinets and cabinet hardware. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-crjxO20Be4M/T-v3CxgQ18I/AAAAAAAAAXo/hLQ9m5WBHdI/s1600/kitchen_to_dining.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-crjxO20Be4M/T-v3CxgQ18I/AAAAAAAAAXo/hLQ9m5WBHdI/s640/kitchen_to_dining.png" width="640" /></a>
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Bar and semi-formal dining area as seen from the middle of the kitchen, Where is the fridge, you might be wondering?</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FbEhgKiDsPk/T-v3Cr6eVkI/AAAAAAAAAXg/a9APB8GNfwY/s1600/kitchen_double_vintage_brown_fridge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FbEhgKiDsPk/T-v3Cr6eVkI/AAAAAAAAAXg/a9APB8GNfwY/s640/kitchen_double_vintage_brown_fridge.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fridge-ezzzz, I think you mean! Two side-by-sides sit side by side on the wall opposite the sink. #AstronomicalRenovationApplianceBudget.</div>
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A door can close off this informal wing from the rest of the house. If we proceed through that door and into the hall, the first room on our right is the dining room-slash-library.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HT-RQrt1-C4/T-thiVSTvKI/AAAAAAAAATA/re6dPpSKNWg/s1600/1092769_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HT-RQrt1-C4/T-thiVSTvKI/AAAAAAAAATA/re6dPpSKNWg/s1600/1092769_13.jpg" /></a></div>
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I wish I had a better shot of this room. It's long and narrow and is lined on both long sides with identical banks of room-length, floor-to-ceiling built-in cabinets. SERIOUS amounts of cabinetry. Up there in the upper-right of the photo you can see a bit of the chandelier.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cVVJg-dJaGs/T-v5n3xp5dI/AAAAAAAAAX0/VlTJVEXa6GY/s1600/chandelier_vintage_crystal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cVVJg-dJaGs/T-v5n3xp5dI/AAAAAAAAAX0/VlTJVEXa6GY/s1600/chandelier_vintage_crystal.png" /></a></div>
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There are at least ten chandeliers in the upstairs of the home. Most of them are big like this one, with a few smaller ones thrown in for good measure. Oh yes, you can bet I'd find a way to work with them!</div>
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Across the hall from the dining room is one of my favorite rooms in the house.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L31xHv3Hbho/T-thuGHIfYI/AAAAAAAAAWc/GlsESkfBSX4/s1600/Laundry_Fab_Vintage_Orange_Pink_Floral_Wallpaper.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L31xHv3Hbho/T-thuGHIfYI/AAAAAAAAAWc/GlsESkfBSX4/s640/Laundry_Fab_Vintage_Orange_Pink_Floral_Wallpaper.png" width="640" /></a>
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The laundry room! I wish this photo were better, because it is more PINK in person. PINK. PIIIIIIIIINK! Wallpaper = Keep. It's a fairly spacious room with more cabinets, a counter, and a sink on another wall.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6gFN4EyTjm4/T-v8D0SSwzI/AAAAAAAAAX8/pM5e-M_e-wQ/s1600/girl_bedroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6gFN4EyTjm4/T-v8D0SSwzI/AAAAAAAAAX8/pM5e-M_e-wQ/s640/girl_bedroom.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next on that side of the hall is this pink room. Not the same kind of pink as the laundry room. In other words, not the good pink. Though it really wasn't as dusty pink as it looks in this picture. But yes, very pink. Carpet, wallpaper, drapes, chandelier. Could be kinda sweet, though.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1vrHX9bQMBo/T-thi-0gnyI/AAAAAAAAATI/LZZlmHtugZs/s1600/1092769_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1vrHX9bQMBo/T-thi-0gnyI/AAAAAAAAATI/LZZlmHtugZs/s640/1092769_14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hall bath with harvest gold sink, bathtub, and, yes, toilet. My world, my question: If I had a yellow toilet, how would I know when someone...was letting it mellow...so to speak!? Very concerning. I live with a bunch of boys, you know! The little ones try hard and usually remember to flush, but the big one...</div>
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Okay, this post is getting epically long already, and we still have so much more to see. So many more drapes. Sooooooooo many more. The royal purple carpet. The paneling. The paneling. The paneling. The other five fireplaces. The sauna. The lot. The orchard.</div>
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I think we better save some for tomorrow!</div>
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What's your favorite pic/part from today's post? I think my favorite was when it dawned on me that this house was trying to be the White House. But if I lived there, my favorite part would be the laundry room wallpaper. PINK!</div>
<br />Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3642770080731181094.post-26392892059597766052012-06-26T22:27:00.002-07:002012-06-27T22:41:31.352-07:00Worst School Picture Ever and Other New ContentMy next post will be the rest of the photos and information about the oh-so-amazing <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/2012/06/vintage-1970s-dream-home-ive-fallen-in.html" target="_blank">1970s Dream Home</a>. For now I wanted you to kow that I added some new content in the top tabs. Check out <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html" target="_blank">About Me</a> to find out the color of my favorite shoes, <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/p/home-tour.html" target="_blank">Home Tour</a> to access (so far) the floor plan drawings you already saw on a recent post, <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/p/projects.html" target="_blank">Projects</a> to see how much I <i>haven't</i> accomplished so far, <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/p/embarrassing-photos.html" target="_blank">Embarrassing Photos</a> to see the worst school picture ever, and <a href="http://afarewelltocant.blogspot.com/p/contacthire-me.html" target="_blank">Contact Me / Writer For Hire</a> to get in touch or ask me about writing with/for you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flattering, no?</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_669605460"></span><span id="goog_669605461"></span>Testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00847445179004483526noreply@blogger.com1