Brad’s brother, Dave, has been staying with us for just over a month. He’s a student of architecture (finished his undergrad this past summer and will be starting his Masters in September 2010) and it’s been so much fun to dream with him about our home! Read the rest of this entry »
What with the 15% tax credit by the government this year, the coming birth of our second child, and a vastly useless kitchen, we’ve decided to go ahead and renovate this fall.
Our current dining room will become the kitchen, our current kitchen will become the dining room. The current wall between the two will be mostly torn down, allowing for a beautiful flooding of light from a massive south-facing window into the new kitchen space. Then, we will be tearing out a portion of wall between our living room and the soon-to-be dining room - a portion that, if looked at in the right light, you can tell was drywalled in and used to be a double door opening.
I’m so darn excited!
We have chosen oak inset face frame, raised panel cabinets like those below (with concealed hinges) in a stain that is a similar shade to our beautiful hardwood floors.
We aren’t yet sure what we’re doing for our countertop and/or backsplash, as we would like to go with either a natural stone or solid surface - neither of which we can really afford right now. We were thinking of using Paperstone, but the colours are just too dark for our small space and dark cabinetry. We may just put down plywood for a year or two. Either way, we’ll likely stick with a neutral light colour similar to our flooring. My favourite colour of Corian solid surface countertop is Granola (pictured left) … I think you all know why! We may, though, go with a more solid colour so as not to take away from the effect of the wood and to bring the room in (as per Brad’s brother Dave’s advice).
For our flooring, we’re likely going with Torly’s Cork Flooring, likely in the colour Burl Sand Stone (pictured right), which in the Torly’s catalog looks fantastic next to white trim.
So that’s my current update! We’re not yet sure exactly what things are going to happen when, but we’re in the process of thinking about it!
I feel like I’ve totally dropped off the blog world. I realize that it’s not technically true, but it has been a while since I’ve crafted a somewhat thought-provoking post. I figured I’d give everyone an update on what’s going on Chez Schellingerhoudts that has made my blogging a bit slow!
I think that about sums up the last week or two. It’s been busy. Good, but busy. I promise I’ll write a decent post soon 
**Warning: This post is awfully photo-heavy!**
So our painter sent me her before/after shots today, so I thought I’d post them here. Our. House. Looks. Great! Read the rest of this entry »
We’ve been entertaining the notion of painting lately. It’s getting nice out - nice enough to leave the windows and doors open for the day to air out a room and let paint dry. It’s high time, people - my house is beautiful and old but bears the scars of decorators who had … ugly interesting tastes. Here’s what we’re planning!
My marshmallow baby is currently wearing: a onesie, a pair of socks, a sleeper, and a matching sweatsuit.
Marshmallow Baby
Why?
Because it’s 14 degrees celcius (that’s 57 fahrenheit) in my house right now.
People, it’s really, really cold.
Thankfully, we can go over to the other side of the house (yay, community!), but we’re not so excited about the possibility of needing a new boiler. Our current one is literally as old as the hills and is asbestos-covered, so the asbestos removal would be around $5000, and a new boiler would be the same. So, if it’s the boiler, we’re looking at about $10 000.
As I was reading through my Google Reader today (I have 42 blogs on my reader! 42! Wait … isn’t that the answer to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?) I came across an entry from one of my favourite bloggers, Julie-Anne. This stuck out at me:
But, there is a process a woman goes through in postpartum which can fall into the second camp. This camp believes that postpartum blues can be a part of the normal adjustment to life with a new baby and the process of grief as the family dynamics change. A postpartum mom is also not immune to outside stressors. These can affect your journey as well. (Please check out the post - titled The Postpartum Rainbow - to read the rest of it!)
I needed to hear these words! Sometimes I truly believe I am suffering from postpartum depression. Most of the time, though, I believe I’m making a transition into becoming a mom; a transition that is difficult for all, but which has been made all the more difficult by my early postpartum days (Gwen’s weight loss and supplementing regime and my thrombophlebitis), our ongoing breastfeeding struggles (oversupply, a very forceful letdown, and a lot of leaking … although I think these things are finally starting to even out!), a colicky baby, significant extended family crises, as well as the fact that we are still not completely moved in and set up … 6 months after moving!
Posts like Julie-Anne’s make me feel like I’m not alone. That I’m normal for feeling disillusioned. Oh how I needed to hear those words!
… from my sister Jenny’s blog. Wuhoo for stolen blog fodder!
I can’t get to sleep without:
Brushing my teeth!! But seriously, at this stage in my life (with a 3-month-old and all), I can fall asleep every night just fine, thank you!
If I were a doll, the accessories packaged with me would be:
Gwen, ring sling (or babywearing accessory of some sort), laptop
I have an irrational fear of:
Being attacked by a man while I’m walking somewhere (maybe that’s not irrational?)
At my grandparents house I usually eat:
Ummm … I remember once eating really nasty soup, does that count?
When I was born I weighed:
7 lbs something (Jenny, you were in the 7’s, too!)
I am most opposed to:
Commercialism, war, abortion, the “cry-it-out” method
On myspace I like to stalk:
Me no have no myspace. On Facebook, I often stalk my sisters =)
I am too old to be:
In grade school - or even high school, for that matter!
I find the thought of childbirth:
Exciting and empowering!
Next door to my house is:
Railroad tracks. Like RIGHT next door.
My feet are:
Flat. I need orthopedic shoes =(
My preferred style of jeans are:
Blue ones that have a bit of flare
I know how to cook:
Quite a bit of stuff!! That doesn’t mean I’ve been doing it lately, though …
I am annoyed at:
The fact that I can’t get anything done during the day anymore. I’ve realized I’m a ‘doing’ person and that not be able to ‘do’ drives me bonkers! I’m also annoyed that our house isn’t completely unpacked/set-up, even after being here for months and months …
Men should always:
Hold the door for women =)
Women should never:
Talk about others behind their backs (please remind me of this)
The scariest sea creature is:
Sharks
The world is over populated with:
Cell phones
I recently broke:
Hmm … I can’t remember!
I last cried because:
A girl I love very much is in a very difficult situation
My favorite shoes are:
My birkenstocks (that’s right. I wear birkenstocks)
As a parent my greatest fear is:
Being too selfish and my kids knowing it
When I think of Full House:
I think of the time I tried to start a club like the one in the book Phone Call from a Flamingo - did you even know there was a Full House Stephanie book series??
I just wrote a huge blog post. And hit ‘publish’. And lost it. Woe is me. Read the rest of this entry »
Alright, this is a long, detailed version of my birth story. If you have a problem with blood or bodily functions, or body parts, you might not want to read this! Read the rest of this entry »
