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House photos!

30 April 2013

Just wanted to drop in and share some house photos -- most of the house is completely filled with boxes and random crap, but we are getting there one box at a time :)

P.S. please ignore the INSANELY messy kitchen. It's a work in progress!




















 
I will be back later with more detailed updates!

Welcome!

29 April 2013

If you're just checking my blog out for the first time from Kelly's Korner, I just want to say a big THANK YOU for stopping by!!

My husband Keith and I have been married for almost 8 months, and we just bought our first home and moved in this past weekend! Married life has been an amazing whirlwind that shows no of slowing down anytime soon :) We have the best pup in the world, a psychotic mini-dachsund who things he's a human.

I love to cook, drink wine, shop and organize things. Seriously, if I'm bored or stressed I can usually be found re-organizing some closet. Keith is obsessed with Boston sports teams, golf (watching and playing). He's your typical guys-guy. Gunner loves to lay in the sun, get neck rubs and chase his ball.

We're a fab team, the three of us :)







My posts are a little bit of everything, and just our day-to-day lives in general. Recipes, fashion, house stuff, family life, trips, ect. So again, thank you for coming by to visit! I look forward to getting to know you :)

Checking in from the other side....

...of homeowner-ship that is!! WHAT a crazy, long, exhausting weekend. But we are finally IN and absolutely loving it. It was a long road to get here, but everything was so worth it. We feel so very blessed to have this beautiful house -- and can't wait to turn it into a family home :)

I'm excited to share photos of our process as we go -- for the time being, the essential rooms are about 75% put together. Kitchen, bathrooms, living room, bedroom. There are still piles and piles of boxes - some full and some empty! - so we'll slowly be making our way through those over the next couple of weeks.

I think this weekend alone we made about 13 trips to Home Depot, Target, HomeGoods and the grocery store. This shit is expensive and adds up so fast!

We also had our first "reality check" of owning a home -- our oil tank was less than empty and filling that bad boy cost almost $800. I almost died. Thank goodness I was at Target buying cute decorative things when the oil man gave Keith the bill :)

Later tonight I will post some photos of our new place! Thanks for following us along on this journey :)

House Update

25 April 2013

Yesterday morning we closed on the condo. It was so bittersweet -- this was the first home we shared together. We got engaged here, got married here ...we've made so many amazing memories. We're really excited about the next chapter, moving into the new house, starting a family and making many new memories :)

That all being said, we are currently homeless and living out of our car and staying in a hotel. We were supposed to close on the new house today, but the sellers are dragging their feet in getting the work done.

They *should* be paving the driveway today, which is the last thing that they needed to complete.  Hopefully they get it done this morning, the appraiser signs off on the work this afternoon and we can close tomorrow. There is a light at the end of this ridiculously long tunnel.

Obviously we're frustrated with this process. I'm at my wits end with promises being made, and then broken again. I hate that my entire life is disrupted and we're at the mercy of these people, who seem to have zero sense of urgency.

But we'll get there. Slowly, painfully and now broke -- but we'll get there :) Please keep your fingers crossed for us!

To anyone going through this process, a word of advice: expect the unexpected. Don't say "oh sorry that happened to you, but it won't to me". Guess what ... it WILL. You will have your heart broken, you will cry, you will yell. People will tell you things you do not want to hear. Trust the process. It's the most infuriating, exhausting and exciting thing. And from what they tell me, it's all worth it in the end.

Boston, you're my home

16 April 2013

Yesterday was a day that forever changed my world. On April 15, Patriots Day here in MA, at the historic Boston Marathon -- there was a terrorist attack. Two bombs went off near the finish line, killing three people and injuring and maiming hundreds of others.

Our hearts are broken. Boston is my home, my city, my backyard. Having a senseless, cowardly tragedy like this happen on my doorstep, affected me in a way that I didn't know was possible.

The air is different. People are interacting differently. We are exchanging looks -- "how are you? are we ok?" kind of looks. This tragedy has pushed us to all dial back a little bit. Focus on our friends, our families and our community. Each other.

Something that touched me so much was seeing the outpouring of love and support from our community. An image that will stay with me forever -- seconds after the first explosion, people were running towards the explosion site. They were ripping down barricades, in order to get to the hurt and injured. People selflessly forgot about themselves and focused on helping those around them. It gives me goosebumps.

In the midst of this tragedy, there IS beauty. We will overcome this. We will recover. And we will be stronger than ever. Whoever did this, caused this hurt and pain -- they had no idea who they were messing with and I am confident that justice will be served.


 


I took both of these photos tonight while driving home through the city. 

Tonight, my heart is heavy. But I am proud to call this wonderful city home.

Pick a table, any table!

15 April 2013

I've mentioned before (I think....) about my obsession with dining room tables. It was one of the first things I wanted to purchase for the new house, because to me, a dining room table just means home.

A place to gather with friends and family, for holidays and dinner parties -- or just quiet dinners alone.

Here are a few of my favorites:



 

 

 




 

 

 

I have searched high and low for a rustic, farmhouse table. Just the table. I want to add fun upholstered chairs, amd those I can find anywhere -- but a table? Pottery Barn has one I love for $1799. Not only would my husband kill me, but even I think that is a ridiculous amount of money. I found a set from Jordan's for $749, that I almost settled for. The wood is a little too light for my tastes, and Keith doesn't really love the white legs. But it was a decent price, so we almost went for it.

But then .... a lightbulb went off. My father is a great woodworker, and loves spending his spare time building things. He actually built their dining room table, and my parents have had it for over 20 years. So I asked him if he would be willing to help us out and he said yes!! I sent him my inspiration photos and he's going to source some local wood for us and give us pricing.

I am so excited that we'll have a unique and very affordable table for our new dining room and can't wait to get started on this project! Now, I just have to pick out some chairs.....

Weekly Faves

13 April 2013

No matter how hectic and crazy my life is, it's always the little things that bring a smile to my face, and I'm happy to share a few of them with you!

Life is crazy busy -- work, house and everything seemed like it was falling apart. But then: you find a new nail polish color, have a couple great chats with some friends and discover a new coffee. All of a sudden, life is fabulous again <3




 Picking out paint colors for the new house!

My new drinking glass :)

 Essie "Turquoise & Caicos" -- perfect minty color for spring

 Have we talked about my obsession with anchors yet?? 

 Hi. My name is Gentel & I'm addicted to Perfectos Banana Nut coffee.

Mini ice cream sundae after lunch!


This weekend is my godson's birthday party, my husband's birthday party and a visit with my sisters. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! 

xoxo

Decorating Series: On track & On budget

11 April 2013


Being completely overwhelmed by the minute, insane details of buying a house has pushed me into decorating mode. It's the only thing keeping me sane while we power through these last couple of weeks.

People keep telling me that Rome wasn't built in a day, and I should have patience and not expect my new house to be completely finished right away. Now, do I look like I'm an unreasonable human being? Ya, didn't think so. I know that it will take us a very long time to get our house "done". So, when someone tells me this, I usually just smile and nod. And then continue on with my ideas. After all, I know what I'm getting myself into :)

Given that buying a house is in itself insanely expensive, we have made a list of things we need to purchase for our new home and prioritized each item with a budgeted amount. We are hoping this helps keep us on track and on budget, as I'm easily distracted by shiny, new things. sigh.

Here is the list as it stands today (even though we'll probably add a zillion more things that we haven't even thought of yet!)

Mailbox -- High
Bar stools -- High
Dining table -- Low
Kitchen trash can -- High
Paint for Living Room/Kitchen -- High
Paint for Dining Room -- Low
Bath accessories for 2nd bathroom -- High
Driveway lights -- High
Window dressings -- High
Coffee table -- High
Lamps -- Low
A/C units  -- Medium
Fridge -- High
Throw Rugs -- Medium
Fireplace mantle -- Low
Patio set -- High -- DONE*
Lawn mower - Medium
Outside trash can -- High
Closet system -- Medium/High

The above list is the necessities. Like a mailbox. Is it nuts that our house doesn't come with one? Or a trash barrel? The silly little things that eat up your budget and they aren't even fun things to buy! grrrr.

Whatever money is left over, we are going to tackle our main living space, the kitchen and living room. The space is really one big room, separated by an island.  In an effort to be reasonable, we're working with what we have. There's no NEED to buy a new couch when we have two different sets.  (Told you I was trying to be reasonable.)
This particular space is a little dark for my liking with dark cabinets, dark counters, wood floors and a brown couch. In my perfect world, these cabinets would be white. And one day (far, far in the future) they will be. But that's neither here nor there.
 

 Standing in the middle of this big space, looking right (above photo) is the kitchen and looking left (below photo) is the living room space. So that's what I'm working with.



To make the space feel bigger and lighter, we've decided on a tan/blue/coral color scheme.
 
 
We'll use a softer blue on all the walls, with the exception of one wall that I want to paint with blue and white stripes. This is the stairway wall and it will serve as our "entry" area. In the kitchen, we'll add a bright blue subway tile backsplash. Then from there, it's really just adding accent pieces: rug, throw pillows, vases and frames to add those pops of color. I'm even trying to convince Keith our bar stools should be painted bright blue!
 

I'm scouring Craigslist, Ikea, Homegoods, estate sales and antique stores for pieces that I can get a good deal on and refurbish. I love DIY projects and am looking forward to creating one-of-a-kind pieces for our home. I'm also loving Overstock and Amazon for smaller, decorative pieces as well as some of those pesky necessities.

Once we are FINALLY moved in, I'll be keeping you updated on our process, as we take our house from builder-boring to chic and fab!
 
*P.S. We'll talk about the patio set and outdoor space in an upcoming post :)

House Update

08 April 2013

It's been a little bit since I posted about our house situation, and truthfully the last two weeks were chaotic and stressful, and there were several moments when we almost walked away. In the end, we stuck it out, and things have finally fallen into place.

Week 1: We found out the septic system at the new house would most likely fail in the next 1-2 years. A septic of that size was roughly a $30,000 job, which to a new young couple hoping to start a family, is a very daunting number. Hell, it's a daunting number to pretty much anyone! After a week of back-and-forth, the sellers took money off the price of the house and we agreed to move forward.

Week 2: Then. The septic ACTUALLY failed inspection. What a nightmare. The sellers had no choice but to replace the system (to the tune of $35,000 because it was not done to code) before we could purchase the property. MA is very strict about this, and we were very fortunate it was caught before we closed. Then, we disagreed on the type of system, the placement, ect. It was ALOT of back-and-forth between us, our agents and the lawyers. The day before Easter we had everyone out to the house, the contractor, seller, agents and our engineer. We got everyone on the same page, shook hands on the deal and pushed forward.

Two days later we finally signed the Purchase and Sale, leaving us with just about two and a half weeks til closing.

Fastforward to two days ago, and we learn the installation of the new septic is five days behind schedule. Now we're forced to push out our closing date, and we're hoping to have a new one later today!

A backyard looking like this does NOT make me happy :(

Heading into Week 3: We still have an insane amount of things to do over the next couple weeks; packing, transferring utilities, setting up new services, hiring movers ... the list feels endless, but we're almost there! The light at the end of the tunnel is slowly getting closer:)

This post is obviously kind of boring without alot of photos, so here's a random family photo from last night:

Gunner thinks he's a human, and always sleeps on the pillows!


And one of Gunner enjoying the sunshine today:

Don't judge. He likes to lay in the dirt!
Enjoy your day! :)

PI: For the love of Brights

07 April 2013

Bright colors that is. Neon and brights are absolutely everywhere this spring! It's easy to be afraid of head-to-toe brights, and it doesn't always work for everyday life, so I'm excited to share with you this Pinterest Inspired look from Lauren. Taking an otherwise classic, neutral outfit and adding a bright color really ups the wow factor!

Link





The blazer is from Gap and the other pieces are all from Forever 21. Love these stores!! 

Here are a couple of other fun pieces I am dying to add to my wardrobe this spring:


Neon khakis Pink flats Green belt and Essie polishes, can be found here and here 

The khakis I would pair with a white tee and jean jacket; the flats with a cute black dress or jeans and a black sweater; the belt I would wear over a navy blue dress or with black work pants. Nail polish is my favorite accessory of all time, and I change my nails every 2-3 days. These are fun, bright colors without being too "in-your-face".

What's your thought on spring brights? Love it, scared of it or plain just don't like it?

31: A Celebration and A Chalkboard

06 April 2013

It's been a crazy couple of days, and I have several posts in the works, but I wanted to quickly pop in and share the details of Keith's birthday. I was epecially excited to play with my new chalkboard, so I raced home after work and got ready to go!

Step 1: Season your chalkboard!

 
Maybe step one should have been removing the price tag :)
As I explained in my last post, take a piece of white chalk and holding it sideways, rub it over the entire board, like in the photo above. Then take a damp paper towel and wipe it off. Now you're ready to begin!

Step 2: Sketch out your design.


You actually don't have to do this step, but I'm not very artistic by nature. So I needed to practice how I wanted the letters to look. I use Google for images of the cake and balloons. You could also use different fonts in Word to see how different fonts look, but I just winged it.

I don't have a picture of the next couple steps. Oops. Bear with me!

Step 3: I used a ruler and a level from Keith's tool kit and made three lines across the board where I wanted the words to go. This just ensured that I wrote a straight line and not a crooked one :)

Step 4: Add your words, lightly first and then go back over them when you are satisfied with how they look, and add any extra flourishes or swirls :)

Step 5: Add the embellishments, in my case, the cake and balloons.

Step 6: Take a photograph and put it on Instagram!

Follow me! @gentelly

I had no idea he even knew what Instagram was, nevermind had an account and was following me! Thankfully, he didn't see this until later that night :)

And for a closeup:



For my first attempt, I was pretty happy with how it came out! He was also impressed with my nifty sign :) The best part was that it only took me 15 minutes, so I could feasibly change this every couple of days if I wanted. I'll be leaving it up for a week, and since we are having a party for him next Saturday I'll be changing the sign for that.

He was pretty psyched about his gifts too -- new golf wedge, a dart board for his new "man-cave", a sweater from Banana Republic and new slippers. Yeah, he's kind of an old man :)

Gunner even got into the birthday spirit!



He is the strangest dog I've ever met. He LOVES presents and always has to help us open presents whenever he can. After, he uses the wrapping paper to "hide" his toy and rips it to shreds. It keeps him entertained for hours!



Selfie :) Ready for dinner!
We're excited for next weekend, I'm throwing him a Beer Tasting Birthday Bash which should be a lot of fun, especially since 50% of our house is in boxes :) The party was supposed to be a surprise, but I really suck at keeping secrets. Especially fun ones like this! Stay tuned!




Chalkboard Obsessions

03 April 2013

For probably the past year, I have been obsessed with chalkboards. I know you know what I'm talking about. Chalkboards are so IN right now ...from weddings and parties to home decor. Just search Pinterest (...told you I was obsessed with Pinterest....)

I jumped on the bandwagon before our wedding and had two chalkboard signs on display:




After the wedding, we had to throw the ceremony one away because the chalk would.not.come.off. I tried everything. I've since learned a tip to "season" your chalkboard so this doesn't happen anymore. You take a piece of chalk and rub it over the entire board, and then wipe it off. Live and learn, at least you won't make the same mistake I did :)

Anyway, for the past two months I have been obsessing over getting a new, permanent chalkboard for our house. I was determined to make one, since I thought that would be easiest. I searched high and low for the right frame but found nothing. I wanted something long, but not too wide and with a wood frame that I could paint or stain.

Then today. I decided to venture to the HomeGoods up the street from my office on my lunch break. I could spend every single lunch at this store, but I've been really good at staying away lately. I just can't resist buying something on each visit. Anyway, today I just had to get there. And I almost walked right into this:




I couldn't believe my eyes .... it was PERFECT! I love that it had its own stand, and a basket at the bottom to store things .... chalk maybe? No that's too obvious. I don't know. Maybe a nice potted plant? Anyway.

I stood there gawking at this gorgeous chalkboard easel and it's $79.99 price tag. Yes it was a splurge. But it was something I wanted oh so badly. So I texted my husband. Asked him if he would kill me if I brought this home. And he said no!! God, I love that man. So, I picked that thing up so fast and practically ran to the cashier, doing a little happy dance the whole way.

I have all sorts of ideas for where I'm going to put the chalkboard and what is going to go on it first -- I'll share a picture tomorrow, which also happens to be my husband's birthday, so guess what the chalkboard will get used for first? :)

Anyone else on the chalkboard-obsession-train?