Because stylish, this room is not. But it has so much potential! Which seems to be the theme of this house. I feel like hanging a sign on the front of the house that reads It Has So Much Potential, Please Don’t Judge It In It’s Current State. So far, we’ve done two things to personalize this space – we moved our washer and dryers into the room and I created a cat litter cave. This was actually a super easy project because it only involved removing four screws and popping off the cabinet door. In the past, I always hated having the litter box in plain sight and while our cat mainly does his business outside, we like to have litter box to give him options. And now that you know too much about Desi’s bathroom habits, I’m going to stop typing now.

So I am making the laundry room my first room makeover. I figure that a room of this size is the perfect confidence boosting project. And to up the ante, I am challenging myself to complete this task using only $75.00. Yes, $75.00.

As you can see, the floor is new tile and in great shape. It stays and saves us $$$! The cabinets however, are not so lucky. But a little paint and they will look clean and shiny instead of dirty and dull. New hardware will be a minimal expense and will help transform these almost 30 year old workhorses. Don’t worry cabinets, I will show you some respect and make you feel loved again.

I think it goes without saying that the wallpaper will be stripped and the wall painted. I have actually never removed wallpaper before so I’m sure I’m in for a treat. Any tricks of the trade will be much appreciated.

Now here is where things are going to get crazy – instead of replacing the countertop, I am going to attempt to paint it and reseal the beast. Because the countertop isn’t heavily used, it is a better candidate for refinishing compared to a kitchen or a bathroom countertop. Additionally, the countertop has no scratches. Not one. It is in great shape, just an ugly color. For this reason alone, I can’t stomach tearing it out and spending money on a new one. I’ve been researching the Internet and it seems like the consensus is fairly split on the idea of painting countertops. I figure it is worth a shot. Worst case scenario – we buy a new countertop down the road. And yes, outlet covers will be replaced as well.

So there you have it – my public declaration that I am going to attempt to pizazz our laundry room for a mere $75.00.  To give you an idea of what I am thinking, above is a collage of inspiration laundry rooms via Pinterest. Can I do it? Only time will tell if I am drinking crazy juice.

Today we’re going to take a look at the front exterior, entryway, and the great room (some of which you’ve already seen here). Over the next couple of posts, we will take a look at the rest of the house. So with that, let’s begin the tour. As a quick reminder – please keep all arms and legs inside the pretend vehicle at all times. Our homeowners insurance doesn’t cover blogging-related house injuries. Sorry.

Side note, the Oklahoma sky really is that blue. Here is the view of the house from the neighborhood street. The mature trees make me swoon. And I totally dig the half-circle driveway (garage and a driveway are along the other side of the street).

The front porch is bigger than any we’ve experience at our various homes as a married couple. I think a couple of rocking chairs are necessary. So is a lot of yard work. I think it is safe to say that the previous owners weren’t too big on home improvement and maintaining a yard (hello weeds!). I highly recommend townhouse or condo living for such people. Easy peasy. See the skylight on the roof?

It beams down to the entryway (hence the square cutout on the ceiling). I feel like Scotty. Upon entering the red door, we’re greeted with dark wood laminate floor. It runs throughout the kitchen, one hallway, and study, and is new. Therefore, we have no plans to change it right now. While some may turn up their nose to wood laminate, we turn up our nose to paying $5000 to replace a brand new functional floor. Silly us.

Straight back is the great room (family room?). The french doors lead out to the spectacular backyard. Through the opening on the right of the entryway leads to the kitchen. More on that later. We’re thinking of doing the entry way a bold color since there is a clear division between it and the great room and kitchen. If you can’t have a little fun with your entryway, what can you have fun with in life?

Ahhhh, the great room. The fireplace. the built-ins, the outlet in the middle of the  floor (love, love, love) – all great aspects of the room. The outdated hardware, almond (ummm…yuck!) outlet covers, and non-tv-friendly mantel? Things that will be addressed in the near future. Same with the lack of wall color. So not very Karen.

The area where Weston is squatting is where we currently have our dining room table and china cabinet. So I guess it is our dining room. Hi dining room!

To close, I thought I would share Billy the Bison. Yes that is his listed name and I am currently obsessing over him at Cardboard Safari. I am sure I will take the plunge eventually, but the $52 price tag is preventing me from having this lovely animal head in our home. However, I have a birthday coming up in March. So Mom and Dad? Hint.

2006

As is the case with the military, soon after homecoming we all went our separate ways. We would email, Facebook, and even talk on the phone. It wasn’t the same but that didn’t matter – we had gone through too much together to let a silly little thing like distance to weaken our bond.

2009

The five of us spent a weekend together back in March 2009 in Cincinnati, OH. I was 7 weeks pregnant at the time and extremely sick. But I didn’t care, I was just happy to be with the girls again. Since then, some of us would see each other from time to time (e.g. Clay and I visited Jackie up in Alaska this past summer) but the five of us didn’t have the opportunity to get together until this past weekend in Pittsburgh, PA.

2012

While I’m sure some of our family and friends were perplexed as to why we chose a northern city as our destination in the middle of January, I absolutely fell in love with Pittsburgh. It was the first I had spent any significant time in the city and I was blown away (although, maybe I’ve just been in Oklahoma too long…). We stayed downtown and took in as many sights as the weather would allow. Don’t worry – we also ate, drank, and shopped a lot too.

Disclaimer – I didn’t want to haul my camera around so all of these pictures of from my iPhone, hence the quality (or lack thereof). Here is the view of downtown Pittsburgh from Mt. Washington. We took the Monongahela Incline, the oldest and steepest incline in the United States, to the top and soaked in the lights.

The obligatory shot in front of Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We ate at the Primanti Bros. Restaurant in the Ship District.

We split a couple of sandwiches (they’re huge) and cheese fries. I opted for the steak and cheese and an Iron City beer. The consensus was that the sandwich was okay. I really liked the coleslaw but wasn’t a fan of fries in the sandwich and the steak and cheese itself didn’t hold a candle to a Philly cheesesteak. Nonetheless, we’re glad we stopped by a Pittsburgh legend.

Because I wasn’t 7 weeks pregnant this girls weekend, I enjoyed some drinks.

Don’t worry, I had beer too. Bottle and draft – I am an equal opportunity beer lover.

After a long day of shopping, some cheesecake hit the spot.

We’re like the Golden Girls.

I missed Clay and Weston a lot but I was so thankful for the opportunity to spend some time with the girls. We will have another reunion in a couple of years, and I know it will be just as sweet. After all,  we’re not just friends, we’re family.

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• We now have Internet at the house. Cue the bells. Cue the whistles. Cue the choir of angels singing Hallelujah.
• Our brother-in-law, Edward, arrived home last night from a deployment to Afghanistan. The smiles on their faces just radiate happiness, don’t you think?
• I am currently obsessed with the song Everything at Once by Lenka.
• Our washer and dryer have yet to make the move. I am afraid that my yoga pants could stand by themselves (eeeewwww). I must do laundry at our old rental house before Friday.
• Because I am flying to Pittsburgh for a reunion weekend with The Girls from our time at Ft. Drum.
• Oh.my.gosh. I am so excited.
• I know what many of you are thinking, “Pittsburgh in January?” To which I answer, “Yup.“
• I am not quite sure why this has turned into a bulleted list – just go with it.
• We’re starting to unpack the house, room by room. I am itching to begin painting but that will have to wait until next week.
• We’ve only been in the house for 5 days and already the white walls are beginning to drive me batty.
• I start my part-time instructor position in February. Yippee!
• The little guy and I might accompany Clay on a couple of TDYs in the near future and one of the possible locations involves lots and lots of sun. Sign me up!

Hmmmm…I am not quite sure how to end this post. Would you like to peek into our not too bad but still needs some work kitchen? Here it is the day we closed on the house – all I see is potential. Sweet, lovely, ooey gooey goodness potential.

I know you’re jealous of the track lighting. Whenever I see it, I feel like we should be wearing track suits and singing Midnight at the Oasis like Fred Willard and Catherine O’Hara from Waiting for Guffman. Speaking of our house, I am not quite sure how little or how much to blog about the new house and our DIY adventures. I suppose time will tell and I will just let the blog unfold organically. Speaking of organic, Portlandia is probably our new favorite  show and we can’t wait until our DirectTV is installed so we can watch IFC. Cacao.

We officially living in the new house. With no Internet (thanks goodness for
smart phones), no sense of organization, and a heaping dash of overwhelmingness (did I just make up that word?). But we are SO excited.

We closed on the house Friday afternoon and moved all of the main furniture over the weekend. Our nights are spent unpacking while watching a RedBox movie (so far we have viewed ‘Friends with Benefits’ and ‘Crazy Stupid Love’) and christening the wet bar. Good times.

I’ll be back when the Internet Gods bestow their presence among us between the hours of 1 and 5 on Wednesday afternoon. Now if you excuse me, I must return to organizing the master closets while managing a toddler.

But before we embark on the quick pictorial adventure, let me give you a bit of background information about the soon-to-be-ours casa. First of all – it is not a new house. This is new territory for us because the house we own in North Carolina was new construction when we bought it in 2008. But this house was custom built in 1983 and has a unique look. The neighborhood actually blends into a couple of other neighborhoods (i.e. tons of sidewalks, parks, a lake, neighborhood school, etc…) and there is not one house that is the same as another. A couple of weeks ago, I spilled the beans that we’ve been affectionally calling it The Red Door Lodge (see small picture on the left sidebar). I think every house needs a name…I mean, people name their cars, why not their houses, right?

But that is enough background chatter – let’s take a look at some of the boom-boom, boom-boom inducing elements of the house. Again, remember that we bought this house knowing that updates are necessary and we have no trouble seeing past the white walls and outdated fixtures. This house has potential, y’all. Okay, now we’re ready…

I literally gasped when I first saw the fireplace in the family room during our first viewing back in October. The imported stone is the same that is one the exterior and the unit has been converted into gas (easier to use and maintain). The built-ins are perfect but we’re going to need to make adjustments to the mantle for the TV to work. I’m a sucker for TVs above fireplaces so there aren’t multiple focal points competing with each other.

Just a normal set of doors in the family room, right?

Nope. It is a deliciously sweet 80s wet-bar that could easily be found on the set of Dallas. There is another one in the study but we will save that for another day. There are ducks involved so it merits it’s own post. Ducks, people. Ducks!

I was delighted (no, seriously!) to discover that the previous owners left the hanging porcelain cow in the kitchen. I have big plans for that cow.

The backyard is filled with shade-providing trees, has plenty of room to run, and a big patio on which to spend long summer nights. Everybody is invited over!

Looks like a nice enough shed, right?

It is actually half shed/half playhouse. The door to access the shed is on the other  side and Weston is showcasing how to enter his new playhouse mancave. Right now, the decor is a bit too girly so we have big plans for making it appropriate for a wild and crazy two-year-old boy. I am not going to lie, this is one of my most anticipated projects.

So there you have it – just an inkling of some of what we fell in love with at the house. I will share more as time goes on. Until then, keep calm and do it yourself. Hasta la vista, baby.

I’m nursing myself back to health with a bunch of homeopathic remedies and over-the-counter medication. Which is good, because today is a busy day – just the way I like it. I’m looking forward to not having as much downtime and dipping my hand in a few more pots. With everything starting to fall into place, 2012 is shaping up to be a touchstone year – one for the books, baby <— said in an old timey journalist voice with a Chicago accent (the voices in my head have very specific dialects, in case you were wondering).

We have our walk-through (thru?) on our house this afternoon. Hip hip hooray. I  am excited to share some of the changes that we have planned for our new (to us) house and we can’t wait to start smashing walls (figuratively and metaphorically…we’re fancy like that). If all goes according to plan, we will have keys in our hands shortly and we can then begin the moving process. For those keeping score, this will be our third time moving in under 12 months. I am tired just thinking about it. Ha. But what’s the point of living if you can’t approach life with flexibility and a sense of adventure? That being said, I hope to stay in this new house for a couple of years before moving on to (literally) greener pastures.

So have no fear my five readers – I will be back to blogging regularly shortly. I’ve missed writing over the past month and can’t wait to feverishly move my fingers across the keyboard again. Bonus points if you know who is pictured typing above.

Cough, cough, cough.

We arrived home late Saturday night, just in time to ring in the new year. 2012 promises to bring a new house, a new job in academia, a new venture, and new sense of appreciation. 2011 was a difficult year at times, filled with lessons that I wasn’t necessarily ready to learn. But I am so glad I did.

A friend from high school posted the following words on Facebook …”We cannot rely on a good life that is based on factors outside our control like the economy, the stock market, global labor dynamics and technological innovation. Yet we can rely on a good life that is based on what is largely within our control like our our well-being, our relationships, our beliefs, our sense of purpose and our contribution to society.” Bright Green Talent

Rather than list redundant resolutions, I thought I’d share my motto for 2012 - Be well. This encompasses all aspects of my life – strengthening my physical core, emotional self, professional being, and the impact I have on our world. My life is not perfect. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be spectacular. I have big plans. Just watch me.

Christmas morning came and went. Our family portrait attempt failed miserably but I didn’t let that keep me down. I had gifts to open and a mimosa in my hand – how could I be upset? As always, we were blessed to be surrounded by family and thoroughly enjoyed being with all of my siblings and their families/significant others. We always have a blast when we’re together and this Christmas was no different.

In fact, we even participated in the First Annual Garchow Family Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest. Back in November, we decided since we would all be under the same roof for Christmas we had to celebrate accordingly. So a contest was formed and each couple began to feverishly work on a delightfully tacky Christmas Sweater. As you can see, my family does not half-ass anything. That is why we’re awesome and are brilliantly fun to hang out with. On a side note – please ignore my husband’s goofy faces. He was really committed to the character he was playing…le sigh.

See, I wasn’t kidding. His sweater was actually made into cut-out half-tee. My sweater was bedazzled with lights, pom-poms, and pictures of Jack Wagner, Rick Springfield, Leif Garrett, David Hasselhoff, and Shaun Cassidy. I’m not going to lie – they were freakin’ awesome.

And Clay won! Here is my dad giving Clay the $20 prize. My parents and grandmother were the judges, along with a secret ballot vote among the participants. I love the face you’re giving here honey – very classy!

Yesterday, we hit the road to Fayetteville, NC to visit Clay’s sister, Martha, and her kids. Edward (our brother-in-law) is currently deployed so we missed seeing him but we had a nice time at their new house.

And finally, in the most exciting news of the Christmas season, Zach proposed to my sister Julie on Christmas Day (do you remember reading my prediction?). Yes, this means that there will be yet another wedding in our clan in the near future. We couldn’t be happier for them and can’t wait to make Zach an official member of our crazy family.

Now if you excuse me, I need to nurse a rum and coke and spend some time with Clay’s parents. A trip to the movie theater may be the cards for Clay and I tonight – any recommendations? I’m thinking Mission Impossible 4…

Clay is back in Georgia now. In fact, I drove through a tornado/super cell on the way to Chattanooga to pick up Clay from the airport on Thursday night. It was the most terrifying experience I’ve had driving. I still get a pit in my stomach thinking about it.

My sisters and our significant others went to 2 Dogs last night for a nice meal out sans children. If you’re ever in Gainesville, be sure to check out this restaurant. I had the Rosa, and it as everything I’d hoped it would be and more.

My brother and his wife (<— I get to type that now!) arrive this evening and the Christmas festivities will begin for the entire family. We’re all feverishly working on our sweaters for the first annual Ugly Christmas sweater contest, whipping up appetizers, and finishing up last minute shopping. I feel so blessed to be able to spend Christmas surrounded by family. There is nothing like waking up to a full house on Christmas morning and I am thankful that we made the effort to make it happen this year.

I’ll close with our 2011 Christmas Card. I believe that we are here on earth for something other than ourselves. Whatever you believe, I hope these next couple of days find you filled with peace and happiness. Merry Christmas!