Three Years of Adventure in Marriage

Today marks our third wedding anniversary. 

It made me think about something my Uncle Sal wrote on our wedding guest book photo matte- "You are embarking on a lifetime adventure."  I remember thinking when I read it that day "An adventure? I don't feel adventurous in this big poofy gown, hmmm?"

I guess I thought it was something interesting and totally different than what most of our guests wrote.  Maybe that is why I still remember it and think about it when I glance at it since it is hanging on our wall.  But I feel like now I understand it a little more...not entirely though of course (hey, I know we are only on anniversary #3)... and of course I looked up this definition...

Exciting, unusual, bold, risky, uncertain outcome... Well that all sounds kind of weird, scary and fantastic at the same time right?  Simply put, I feel that it is very true to what a marriage is.  It is an adventure filled with all sorts of ups and downs and I don't think any couple can predict the outcome of their journey together but, I certainly enjoy taking this journey with Mr. H&HH. 

As Alex and I celebrate the third year of our 'adventure' today,  I'm hoping it is more exciting, unusual, and bold but, not all that risky... LOL!  Thank you Uncle Sal for the wise words. 

Cheers!

Twenty-Eight

Do I look older to you?  Just asking because I am!

Today marks another birthday for me, thankfully an easier one than last year, LOL!  I decided to make another list on this birthday like I did on the last.  Again, not focused on to-do's, goals, or things that I want, this is a positive list!  Everyday in this life isn't perfect and I know I don't have everything figured out... but this is a list of the 28 things I am happy about and thankful for in my life as it is right now- on this birthday.

At Twenty-Eight Years Old...

1.  I know 28 isn't as scary as 27 was :) which made today easier.

2.  I joined a new team at work and the experience has been wonderful. I love all the new challenges and learning new things each day is very rewarding.

3.  Aside from being super handy, my hubby is also a model... no really!  Alex makes his modeling debut this summer in Civia's 2012 catalog.  He makes me want a new bike, LOL!

3.  Rocco and Sadie NO longer sleep in our bed!!!  That was a hard habit to break our pups of but so worth it!  Alex and I are sleeping much better and I don't have to worry about dog hair on our bed linens!

4. I no longer rely on Alex to hang a picture frame.  I do it on my own and I do it RIGHT with a tape measure and level instead of making lots of little holes in our walls... and crooked pictures.

5.  I am taking better care of my skin.  It's a bummer it took me so long to start but regardless I'm doing it!!!  Slather me with SPF and bring on the faux glow :)

6. I've seen the Taj Mahal, Effiel Tower, and Big Ben all in the past year.  Makes up for hardly travelling during the 27 other years of my life.

7.  For the first time since 3rd grade I have bangs.  I'm happy I tried something new and fun, but I'm pretty certain the no-bang look is better on me :)

8.  I am now a skilled Shih Tzu groomer!  After spending way too much money on Rocco's haircuts I decided to try it myself.  Sure, Rocco endured a lot of bad choppy haircuts while I was training but I've got the skills down now!  This is a DIY skill that is really paying off!

9.  A friend that I've spent dinners, birthdays, good days, and bad days with all came from carpooling :) oh and I can't forget dancing to 'Ray of Light' at Ikea, that was a highlight!

10.  My sister became a mom this year.  My little niece Brynnan reminds me that prayers are always answered, and miracles do happen.

11.  Related to #10, after almost two weeks at the hospital Brynnan can go home for the first time today!

12.  I am getting better at not being so hard on myself all the time.  I realize I am my worst critic after all.

13.  I have many inspiring and creative women in my life.

14.  My last birthday was the first of the five I've spent in Minnesota surrounded by friends I've made here.  I'll never forget how special that felt and I didn't miss home that day.

15.  I have kept a plant alive at our house for more than a year now.  This is amazing considering I usually kill everything.  Perhaps I can start a garden next spring?!?

16.  I sang bad American karaoke at a bar in Shanghai (yes this counts as an experience I am kind of proud of).

17.  A month from now I will be sitting on my favorite sandy beach along Lake Michigan.

18.  Even though I am not great at this, I am becoming a better listener.

19.  Just last week my nephew asked his mom for the first time, "Where's Auntie Carla?"  This confirms Henri thinks I am cool.  Getting him that ninja robe from Hong Kong might have helped :)

20.  I'm taking the time to tailor my clothes.  It's crazy, a good fit can make you like something even more than when you bought it!

21.  It's July and I have my Christmas decor scheme all planned out, ho, ho, ho!!!!

22. We have fantastic and fun neighbors!  I feel so thankful that there are great people right outside my door.  There are yearly parties we get to look forward to and who else can say they have neighbors that are generous (and nice) enough to share tickets to exciting events?!?

Alex and I got to attend the Brothers of the Sun concert (the first ever at Target Field) thanks to our neighbors.  It was so much fun!!!



23.  Our family member are in good health, which means I don't think about it a lot but I should be more thankful and never take it for granted.

24.  I got to catch up with an old childhood pal and meet her daughter during my last Michigan visit.  It was planned last minute and ended up being one of my favorite parts of the trip.

25. Although my husband turned one of our vehicles into something a superhero would drive, I've found it is quite amusing to drive it.  Halloween should be a hoot!

26. I got to go inside the mysterious house I have wanted to see ever since we moved into the neighborhood. And for those of you wondering about that story, fingers crossed there's much more to come than I had hoped for!

27. My husband supports every dream I have... no matter how crazy.  Alex has never told me "never".

28.  The possibilities for my future are endless.  Tomorrow, next month, next year, and the ten years after are whatever I dream them up to be.

***************

Here's to starting 28 from where I am right now!

Well Hello There!

I've missed you! 

Sorry it has been a while since I've checked-in here on the blog.  I think everyone knows how much I LOVE blogging but I had to try my best to let go over the weekend in order to enjoy every moment I could with my family and friends during my Michigan visit.  Sadly (and happily), I'm headed back to my home sweet home in Minneapolis today and with me I am taking a whole bunch of special memories :)

I think the highlight (and main visit purpose) was my sister's baby shower.  I loved celebrating her pregnancy and *showering* her with lots of love along with family & friends. 

PS- you betcha there's a DIY baby shower decoration post coming soon!

  I am also just soooooo thankful to have spent a few days with her during this special time in her life (living long distance is tough).  I even got to feel that baby girl kick! 

31 weeks pregnant.... Isn't she absolutely beautiful?!?

I've known my big sister my whole life and I've never seen her happier. It warms my heart just to see that cute baby bump on her belly :)  She is going to be an amazing mother!

I also spent some AWESOME auntie time with my nephew Henri- that's right AWESOME!  I think Henri might think I am cooler than Uncle Alex for a while, ha!  Amber (Alex's sister), Henri and I visited John Ball Zoo (I keep accidently typing "John Balls Zoo", LOL!).  It was crazy hot out but we had a blast!  We rode a camel and pet lots of critters like baby goats, sting rays & even a baby shark!

We also got to spend some time at Lake Michigan on the Grand Haven Beach.  Don't you love his signature smile?!?! 

 Henri made me an Auntie for the first time, he is almost 3 years old now.

Every time I get to see him I am amazed at how much he has grown!  This visit was soooo much fun, he is so chatty and just plain happy!  I can't wait to see him (and his parents of course) again.  Spending time with him made me all the more excited to be an Auntie again to my sister's baby girl!  Plus, a baby girl means pink frilly things, tutus, hair bows, and of course... high heels!!!!  HA!  Well, someday of course.

Goodbye for now Michigan. I will miss you and all the fun folks that call you home, but I will be back in two month to meet that baby!

Time to catch my flight and see what Mr. Hammers and High Heels has been up to while I've been gone! 

 Hmmm, what do you think he worked on?!?!

(Corny) Easter Family Photo Fun

Much like last year, our Easter wouldn't be complete without some fun "family" photos.

I know, it's corny but I just can't resist the opportunity to add something goofy to our photos.  A holiday theme is the perfect excuse!  That way when Alex asks...

"why do I have to wear this stupid      (fill in the blank- hat/ headband/ pair of glasses)     ?" 

I can then reply with an obvious response...

"Because it is      (fill in the blank with appropriate holiday)    , DUH!" 

Alex then usually replies with a "(heavy sigh)" but complies with my request, hehe!  He is a good sport... even though I totally know he is sporting a fake forced smile.

I got to have even more corny fun this Easter since my parents came to visit!!!  I think they even asked the same question above that Alex asked and I got to use my same response :)  Totally worked for them (and their pup Priscilla too)!

They look PUMPED for these photos, am I right?!?!



Aside from the goofy photos, we had a wonderful weekend and I loved having my parents here for a visit.   It isn't very often Alex and I get to play host & hostess for family, but each time we do I really enjoy it.  Feels so good to share our home, cook meals, and (in a small way) take care of people I love.  Makes me proud of the life we created here in Minnesota since leaving Michigan.

We hope everyone else had a wonderful Easter (complete with goofy photos) as well!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled program... aka home projects!

Head Over Heels Friday: India & China Trip Photo Wrap-Up

It's been a couple weeks since I returned from my India & China adventure, but I wanted to make sure I got to share the last of my photo favorites!  You can't visit the other side of the world and not share it, right?  So here's to a trip around the world that I was Head Over Heels for!

Now, I already blogged about most of my experiences in Delhi, India the last day I was there.  The main highlight was seeing the Taj Mahal...

Experience of a lifetime seeing that with my own eyes.  Not much can compare to it, except maybe when a waiter put an adult bib on me at a restaurant called Bukhara in Delhi...

I kid! I kid!  But it was pretty hilarious :) Love that the waiter smiled for the photo too.

When our visit to India was over, it was time to head to Hong Kong for the next leg of our work trip.  Once we got to the airport, we had a minor fiasco with India's airport security.  A guard wasn't allowing one of my co-workers into the entrance lobby of the airport without a printed ticket.  Isn't that what those kiosks are for once you get into the airport?!?  Completely nuts, and annoying but thankfully we all boarded our Kingfisher Air flight- complete with tacky in-flight bar... weird.

  Here's my first glimpse across Victoria Harbor.  Sadly it was really foggy, bummer.

 Later that evening we took the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbor to Hong Kong Island for dinner.  We went to Good Luck Thai Restaurant located in the fun little Lan Kwai Fong district.  The Pad Thai was amazing!!!

The next day we were able to do a little shopping in the local market.  I got lots of goodies for my family there!

 I noticed there were a lot of random street parades during the time we were there.  Not sure what each one was for?

 One last look at Hong Kong....

The next stop on our trip was to Shenzhen, China.  Thankfully it was only an hour car van ride from Hong Kong... and a 40 minute wait to get through customs with our trunk hanging open.

Now, before the trip a lot of people at work told me that Shenzhen isn't the most exciting or fun place to stay.  But I loved it!  Our hotel was probably the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in- complete with push-button drapes, bathtub with TV, infinity pool with skyline view, and the best assortment of cheeses for in-room dining...

Aside from just the hotel (Ritz Carlton Shenzhen), I loved the city, the warm weather, and the food! My favorite dinner of the whole trip was at a Schezwan restaurant near the fun Coco Park district (full of great bars and restaurants). I even ate an oyster for the first time!

The next stop on our trip was our last one- Shanghai!!!  I was very excited to visit Shanghai because I had the opportunity to travel there last year and I loved it!

Funny, the above photo was taken at the same restaurant that we ate at in 2011- New Heights.  This time we went there during the daytime, so I got a whole new perspective for the view.



The Bund was still dazzling!

While taking pictures we noticed something was being filmed on the next roof over...

I was able to get a fun video of the view and you can hear some of the music that was being filmed.

Later we got to go shopping in a fun little market area.  I don't know the name of it, but it was all narrow little streets that winded around all over like a maze.  It was crowded, but a cool experience.  I even saw a "DIY" sign!

During one of our work days (which means lots of ours spent riding around in vans) we stopped in Hongzhou for lunch.  The lake and gardens were beautiful!

On our last night in Shanghai....

...which also marked the end to our 17 day work trip, we did what any American should do in China- Karaoke! 

You don't have to worry that someone knows you :)

That's a wrap on my adventures in India & China! 

I have to also mention that I feel very lucky to have had the experience with these amazing folks from work (yes, all warm and fuzzy).

We made one heck of a team!  I just should have been wearing my signature heels in any photo with them.  My joke was always "hey, who brought the kid on the trip?" if I didn't have my extra added height, ha!

I bet you can see why it is this week's Head Over Heels post :)  Hope you enjoyed the photos and a few fun stories from my trip!  Now, onto a weekend full of projects!

Five Years Minnesotan, Three Years DIY'in

Alex and I are celebrating two different milestones today. The first milestone we recognizing feels kind of like a BIG one for us....

It has been five whole years since we packed up that 16 foot Penske truck and headed to Minneapolis to start our lives as "grown-ups".

2007: Alex giving me the thumbs up to hop on I-94 to continue our trek to Minnesota


Looking back now, I can't believe how much life has changed in those five years.

In 2007 I was 22 years old, geeked about accepting my first big job offer in the corporate world, moving to a bigger city with my hunky boyfriend, and of course making money for the first time (not counting minimum wage part time jobs in college).  Just like Mary Tyler Moore, I was headed to Minneapolis and I was going to make it after all!!!!

At the time it felt like moving to Minneapolis was a happy ending to the "life after college story" story.  But that was only the beginning of our story.

~Uh oh~
 Are you feeling what I am feeling?!? Cue Cher's "Turn Back Time" (minus her creepy leotard outfit)- I think it is time to stroll down memory lane....

***********************************************
With the help of a relocation team, Alex and I settled into our first apartment.  It was a little 1 bedroom/ studio apartment in downtown Minneapolis with a beautiful balcony view.  Yes, we survived our first year living together in a studio type apartment- crazy!  I don't have a ton of pictures of that apartment, these are the few that I have.  You can see in the bottom left photo that there isn't a wall separating the living room and bedroom.  So Alex and I didn't have much space to ourselves... goodbye SSB ("secret single behavior")!

Man, white and beige... everywhere!  Barf! Funny to see how our style has evolved.

Anyway, the next step we took together was getting our first puppy.  We found the cutest little Shih Tzu to take home and named him Rocco.  Ugh, miss that cute little puppy size!

When our one year lease was up at the apartment, we decided to move into a slightly larger place downtown that offered more space and privacy for Alex and I.  We fell in love with this ultra chic condo and settled into home #2.  Again, I don't have the best photos of the condo decorated (most are of us holding Rocco like a baby) but you can see our style was very clean and modern... lots of Ikea all over the place. 

A few months later, one of the most exciting events happened during a visit to Michigan.  In the same location of our first spoken "I love you" to each other, Alex asked me to marry him.

By now you know I said yes.

Once we returned to Minneapolis and started wedding planning, we both realized that our condo wasn't going to be ideal for much longer.  With the amount of stuff we were accumulating from/ for our wedding along with having to travel down 21 floors to take Rocco outside to pee made us realize it was time to get a house.

Which leads me to the other milestone we are celebrating today...

Three years ago on March 27th, we bought our first home and began moving in! 

The day wasn't totally perfect (which is reflected in one of my first ever blog posts), but from that day on our DIY-ing and home renovation adventures began!!!

Sometime between all the crazy going on at our house, we got married and began life together as husband and wife...

After I officially became Mrs. Zidarevich, we thought it was time to have a little one... errr... another little one, in the form of a puppy.  Rocco got his first sibling when we brought home our little German Shorthair Pointer named Sadie.

Over time, we continued to revamp our house, DIY style of course....

Which lead to creating this blog so we could share our stories...

Which then lead to some other cool opportunities related to our blog... like getting a room redo for a possible TV show from Layla and Kevin Palmer of The Lettered Cottage blog (huge fan!), filming a segment for a local documentary about our neighborhood, and getting connected with so many people in the blog world that love what I love!

Now, this post certainly doesn't cover everything from the last five years. Things like family visits, job promotions, trips, vacations, parties, etc., still happened and everday we are together brings new adventures along with ups and downs.  But, I think that is a fun ~small~ glimpse of our story in the past five years making Minnesota home.

So there you have it, five years in a FLASH!

 Are we "Minnesotan" now?  You sure betcha don't cha know!

The 6th Annual Pumpkin Carving Challenge! You Decide Who Takes The Title!

As the Halloween themed fun continues, it is once again time for the ultimate grudge match pinning husband against wife....

It's the Annual Pumpkin Carving Challenge!

"DING-DING"

Alex and I have carved Halloween pumpkins every year since we started dating, and to make it more interesting it became a competition.  Even though this is our 6th time doing it, our challenge made it's first appearance last year on the blog.  I had declared myself the winner last year by default (since I was writing the post).  This year, Alex and I thought it would be fun to let our Halloween spirited readers decide!

(We won't reveal who carved which one until the winning pumpkin is determined)

YOU BE THE JUDGE!

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!

Which carved pumpkin is giving the other a knock-out punch for design?

In this corner weighing in at.............."GALLOWS"!

In the opposite corner..... "CHOMPS"!

(We had to come up with names, Pumpkin A and B sounded so boring)

Will CHOMPS take the winning bite? Or will GALLOWS tighten the noose?
YOU DECIDE! 

Really, we want to hear it in our comments (even on our Facebook page too)!  The stakes are pretty high, with the loser having to plan and execute our next date night. Okay, that's not that high, but just so you know what we are wagering on the outcome :)

Hope you'll let us know what you think in the comments!  See you tomorrow for Head Over Heels Friday!

Sew Easy DIY Multi-Wear Snap Scarf

I have a super easy DIY project to share that any gal would LOVE!  This is a scarf made out of jersey knit fabric with metal snaps so you can wear it several different ways!  It is perfect for fall! 

You're intrigued right?!?!?

I stumbled upon this idea while looking for a birthday gift for my lovely sister-in-law Amber.  Amber is a self proclaimed 'Yoga Geek' that teaches at the Funky Buddha Yoga Hothouse in Grand Rapids, Michigan (she also blogs about yoga here!).  I was on Lululemon's website and found a Vinyasa Scarf.  It has since been removed from their website (must have been a HOT seller), but here is what it looked like...

  It is a jersey knit scarf with snap buttons along each end, I am not sure what makes it a 'Vinyasa Scarf' but that was it's name.  I thought Amber would love it and I could make one pretty easily (with my own twist on it of course)!  I also thought I'd even like to wear one just for everyday, super cute and I love accessories you can wear multiple ways!

So, let's get started on the tutorial!

You will need: Jersey knit fabric (mine was only $6.99 at JoAnne's), sewing machine, thread, scissors, pins, iron, hammer, measuring tape and 12 snap fasteners (with kit if you don't already have one).



Any jersey knit fabric should work just fine, you can 1.5 yards at JoAnne's Fabric for only $6.99, DEAL!  The piece of fabric I had measured 50"W X 54"L  and then folded in half (in what will be the finished size) to 25"W x 54"L.  With the wrong side out, sew along the length and one end of the width (shown in the white dashed line below).

Once you sew those 2 lines, flip it right side out. 

Then press the seams you just sewed so they are nice, neat, and flat.

Now, you are left with one end that has unfinished edges. (Make sure your other seams are now inside of the scarf).  On this end, you are going to press those unfinished edges in 0.5".

Here is a look at those edges now pressed and folded towards the inside of the scarf.

Once you pin those edges together, you are ready to sew them down into place.

Here is what that end of the scarf will look like.  It is the only part of the scarf where a stitch seam is visible.

 Now, we are done with all the sewing, yay! Time to add the snaps, here are the snap fasteners I picked up at JoAnne's.  They are the 16.875" size, and I had to get the kit since I didn't have that little hammer tool you need.

Measure where you want them placed depending on how many snaps you want.  I did 11 snaps along the side, so they were spaced about 2.375" apart. 

Then grab your fastener tool and hammer those snaps into place. Don't be shy!  Use some FORCE to hammer those babies in place so that they won't come loose when you are snapping/ un-snapping when you wear it.

It is a bit tedious, but super easy to do.  Here are our snaps on each end!

I ended up adding 2 more snaps placed mid way down the scarf (across from the middle (6th) snap) and almost a third of the way in on each end, which measured 17.0".  Here is a little diagram:

The Lululemon version didn't have these extra 2 snaps, it was my BRIGHT idea!  This allows for more ways to wear this scarf!

THAT'S IT! You are done, super easy right?!?! Now to the fun part, let's see how many ways you can wear it...

Here are my favorite ways to wear it!



I counted 11 different ways, but hey, there might be more? Okay, now I need to mail this to my sister-in-law (thanks for letting me show it off on the blog first!).

Happy (late) birthday Amber!  I hope you love this scarf and I hope it comes in handy for your yoga classes (and for super cute everyday wear)! 

Now, time to make another one for me!

I've linked this project up over at Centsational Girl's Fall Craft Party!!!  Stop by! 

 

A Bit of London, Split, and Paris in a Post!

I'm excited to share a little bit about our BIG Europe trip!  We took close to 1,000 pictures (it was draining unloading all of them off our camera!) so these are just a few of our favorites along with a bit about what we did in each city.

London, England

The first stop on our trip was London.  After our flight arrived we took the Heathrow Express train into London.  From there we took the Tube closer to our hotel, The Grange Rochester Hotel- and it was fabulous! After settling in we spent the rest of the day and day after exploring London and all the sites.  We just walked around and were able to see everything on our list.  My favorites were Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.  We ate fish and chips, bangers and mash, and took funny pictures with the straight faced guards, you know all the 'British' stuff I guess?

Early on the third day we hopped on an Easy Jet flight from London Gatwick Airport to Split, Croatia. 

Split, Croatia

As we got off the Easy Jet and onto the tarmac, we felt the hot, dry heat hit us, ahhhh Croatia!!!  We arranged to have a taxi pick us up from the airport since Split wasn't too far (and the exchange rate for US Dollar to Kuna is much better then the Euro or Pound).  Our hotel, called Diocletian's Rooms, was located in the center of Emperor Diocletian's Palace- aka Roman Ruins!  We had the room on the top floor with a balcony to overlook the ruins, it was breathtaking, I still couldn't believe I was staying in the middle of Roman Ruins (that top photo below is the view from our room)! 

Side Note: Alex's family is Croatian, and now that I am also a Zidarevich we thought it was appropriate to see Croatia on part of our trip (and their beaches along the Adriatic Sea are beautiful!).

We spent the mornings in Croatia exploring Diocletian's Palace along with the cathedral tower and crypt, the Riviera, the many shops and markets, and enjoying espresso overlooking the coastline. During the day we hit the beautiful (and many) beaches and swam in the Adriatic Sea...it felt like heaven! At night we enjoyed Croatia's most popular Pivo (beer) Karlovacko or their traditional Maraskino (sour cherry brandy) and went to a few amazing restaurants along the Riviera that offered delicious fresh seafood (those mussels pictured above are the best I have ever had!). Each night when we returned to our hotel room we were able to sit out on our balcony overlooking the Roman Ruins as live music played from the courtyard below. Again, heaven, I couldn't believe how at ease we both felt there. I was also surprised that most Croatians spoke English very well, so I didn't have to deal with language barriers or mean looks for not speaking Croatian.

When our time was up in Croatia, we were at the airport again. This time we were bound for Paris, France via another Easy Jet flight.  We were both a bit sad to leave Croatia but were anxious to finally see The City of Lights, Paris!

Paris, France

Oh, la, la!  We arrived early in the afternoon at the Charles De Gaulle airport and hopped on the Metro to get into Paris. After a bit of walking we got to our hotel, L'hotel de l'Academie, located in the St Germain neighborhood.  Then it was time to head out to see the sights!  I was pretty excited to see Paris since I studied French for four years and learned a lot about France, then never used any of it...until NOW!  It was amazing to see the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, Moulin Rouge, and of course L' Tour Eiffel! I was also glad I knew the basics of the language (not saying I speak fluent French), but it was nice to ask question and try ordering food in French.  It seemed like that was appreciated as opposed to just speaking English to locals, some would look annoyed :)

We found along the Pont des Arts Bridge that people would leave a 'Love Lock' on the bridge as a sign of eternal love.  Being saps for sentimental stuff, Alex and I left our mark and eternal Love Lock along the Seine River (pictured above).

I also have to say, the food in Paris was AMAZING!  I am a big fan of cheese, any kind of cheese, and Paris seemed to have cheese with everything! That sandwich above was covered and baked in goat cheese!  My other favorite was the traditional Croque Monsieur, so delicious! Alex and I enjoyed walking through cute little boulangeries, markets, and chocolate shops just to look at all the pretty food! We were able to pick up a baguette, cheese, fruit and wine to have a picnic out front of the Eiffel Tower as the sunset and the Tower light up (pictured above)- this was probably the most romantic moment of our trip, very surreal!  Then of course we trekked up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, because we both couldn't resist (that picture is also above).

Alex got a few very beautiful pictures of the Eiffel Tower that I can't wait to print and add into our home somewhere!

Leaving Paris far sooner than we wanted to we took the Eurostar train back to London to depart from Heathrow back home to good ol' Minneapolis, Minnesota!  It took about 18 hours total of travel that day, but we made it home, early even!  Felt so good to be back, then we slept for 12 hours :)

Phew, so that is the BIG trip in a little post!  If you are planning a Europe trip and have any questions let me know.  I know I found it to be daunting to plan and I learned a lot, but it was so worth the experience! 

Hope to see you tomorrow for Head Over Heels Friday!

Home, Sweet, Sweet Home! We're Back From Europe!

Hello blog friends, we are back!!!  Did you even know we were gone?!?!

We just got back from our European Adventure and boy it feels good to be home!  I tried to schedule some posts during the time we were gone, so hopefully you didn't have to miss us much :) and goodness knows I couldn't let the blog come to a halt for that long!

I am hoping to post a few updates this week on our home repairs (click here for the last roof update). We finally have a whole roof and new gutters!  The house looked fabulous when we got home!  I also want to post a little recap of our trip and how we planned it all DIY style. It went by so fast but I loved every second of it!  It was the perfect way to celebrate our second wedding anniversary.

I can't lie though, touring 3 cities in Europe was great but really exhausting.  We started out like this before heading to London....

And then ended up more like this after seeing Paris and Croatia...

Yep, that's me under there, things got less glamorous later in the trip, ha!

Anyway, I can't wait to get back to writing some posts and catching up on my favorite blogs!  We're trying to get back into the swing of things at home and at work (it's a rough transition)!  But I hope to have something ready in a couple days!

Hope you'll stop by then!

Two Years Ago Today...

We said, "I do"

I'm thankful to continue life's journey with my love and best friend by my side.
I still "do"!

Twenty-Seven

Today marks my 27th year living this crazy wonderful life!  Pop the confetti...Hammers and High Fives all around!!! 

okay moment of honesty...
I have to admit, last week a crazy feeling suddenly struck me: I am leaving the "mid-twenties" and moving on the slope to the BIG 3-0.  I am sure some of you out there are laughing at me, but really, 27 all of a sudden felt SCARY.  I guess I am just stuck on the fact that I still think and feel like I am 22 and can't possibly identify myself as a real grown up (which is what people always are at 30, right?).  Maybe that is how the rest of life goes...maybe you always feel like that same young twenty-something even though you are a responsible grown up with a house, job, spouse, family, dogs, cars, bills, etc? Guess I'll just have to keep living and learning to get this all figured out, I'll let you know that answer once I hit 40 :) 

Also, I started to realize that I have spent the majority of my 20's here in Minnesota.  I guess I sometimes feel sad knowing that this time in my life hasn't been spent with my family and friends back in Michigan.  But, who knows if we will move back there in the future anyway? 

Okay, well, now all the SCARY is out there!
Moving on...

On this 27th birthday, I was inspired by my friend Amy (who also felt scared of 27) to write a list.  Not a to-do list, or a list of goals, or things that I want- but a positive list instead!  I know everyday life isn't completely perfect and I don't have everything figured out... But this is a list of the 27 things that I am happy about and thankful for in my life as it is right now- on this birthday.

At Twenty-Seven Years Old...

1. I am finally starting to feel like I am no longer a ‘newby’ in my career.  After almost five years in my field within the corporate world, I am realizing that I do have a lot of knowledge and experience, it is a pretty cool feeling. But I am always learning something new- and I love that!

2. I am a homeowner (even though sometimes I wish I wasn’t- ha!)

3. I travelled to China earlier this year, Europe is next! Then who knows….?

At the New Heights Restaurant looking over the Bund in Shanghai, China



4. I've always wanted to travel the world, I now feel like I am actually doing it.

5. I can now kill bugs on my own without screaming or asking Alex for help! Awww yea, that is what living in an old house does for your ‘bug killin’ courage!

6. I am getting much better and braver at saying what I really think and not what people want to hear.

7.  I don't have to cook very often, because my husband LOVES to cook and he is good at it (talk about a bonus).

Alex showing off his master chef skills this past Thanksgiving

8. I feel lucky to have the job I have- I will always remember that it didn’t come easy.  I took a lot of chances, but I am glad I never gave up on what I wanted, stopped believing in myself, or settled for something that wasn't what I dreamed of doing. Not everyday is perfect but I still think what I do everyday is pretty darn cool. (I know my coworkers might tease me about this).

9. I love babies, but I am happy that I have none of my own at this point in my life. This also may be because of #4 and #8. (Sorry Mom and Dad, no grandkids planned from us anytime soon.)

10.  My husband still makes me laugh everyday, I love our odd sense of humor- we're both weird, nothing ever gets old.



A few of my favorite Alex moments... hmmm, I might have to explain some of these in detail later :)



11. My Home has experienced a weather disaster (the tornado), now that we’ve checked that off the life lessons list I hope to never go through it again.

12.  I turned 22 five years ago, I am shocked at how shockingly different life was then and now, but that means I did a heck of a lot in five years!

Left: Alex and I on my birthday in 2006- Young, single, wild, crazy college kids (do we look a little tipsy or what?!?); Right: Alex and I in 2011- Older (wiser), married, settled 'grown-ups'

13. I know how to tile and grout a floor, install wood flooring, tuck-point brick work, sand and refinish wood floors, install beadboard, fix a tripped GFCI outlet, install a sink and faucet, sand and refinish cabinetry, and all sorts of other house related crap-ola, take that Bob Villa! 

14. I have mastered the use of chopsticks… but if you ask anyone in China that I dined with, my table setting was the messiest.

15. I have amazing in-laws and a wonderful sister and brother in law (who also made me a new auntie), they feel like they have always been apart of my life. 

Me with my little nephew Henri playing in the snow during their last visit to Minnesota

16. I know how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet- boo ya Better Homes and Garden!

17. I have a blog to capture our home renovation and DIY adventures- it is a hobby I LOVE!  Being able to capture and write about these life experiences is amazing.

18. I have found great new friends through blogging that share the same interests and passions that I have. Hey, not everyone gets super excited about sifting through salvage junk- but I have found a group of gals that love it just like I do!

19. My hair is finally long again (thank goodness), the short hair was indeed a poor look on me.

Seriously, BARF!  What was I thinking with that 'do?  Even Rocco has a bad haircut in that photo, I must have been making him suffer since I was, ha!



20.   I finally feel like Alex and I have real friends here in Minnesota and people that we can depend on when we need.  Might make it all the more harder to move again if we ever do?

21. I have two dogs and I love them like crazy (even though they do drive me crazy most of the time).

22.  Even though I live 3 states away from my sister and have for almost five years now, we can still pick up the phone and talk for an hour about anything.

My sister Holly and I cracking up in the backseat during a car ride with our husbands (I think they were annoyed with our constant giggling!)

23. I carpool to work, a small step to save money and the environment :) Plus, my carpooler and I usually crack each other up during our commute, which makes it fun.

24. Even though I miss Michigan and my family like crazy, I am thankful that it is only a 2 hour flight or 9 hour drive to get back there if we need.  Spur of the moment is still a possibility!  

25. My friends and family are all starting their own families. Even though I know I am not ready for kids, I love playing with theirs and watching my friends become mothers. It is an amazing and beautiful thing!

A couple of the gals I grew up with, Abby (left) and Lisa (right)- Abby's little guy Austin is in the car seat, Lisa's daughter Rylee is chatting with him :)  Lisa was pregnant with her 2nd in this photo, a few weeks later she gave birth to her daughter Reese!



26. I have a great relationship with my parents and see them as friends, but I know whenever I need help or advice I can still come to them (even at 27).

27. I believe life keeps getting better and better, and I know great things still lie ahead for me in this life.

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So there you have it, life at 27 isn't sounding so scary now :)  You were right Amy, that exercise does make you feel better!

Here's to starting 27 from where I am right now.

Hello! Bonjour! Bok!

 I can't believe it, Alex and I will be going on a BIG vacation towards the end of this summer! 

Where will my high heels be headed to????

EUROPE

(subtle shrieking and squeals of delight)

Get ready for National Lampoon's Alex and Carla's European Vacation!

(if you have read our blog for a while you already know we love the Griswolds)

We will be heading to London, Paris, and Split!  Split is in Croatia in case you wondered about that one :)  Alex's family is Croatian so we thought it would be a great experience to soak up some of the Croatian culture (and their beautiful beaches along the Adriatic Sea).

I am soooo excited for this trip! It will be our first big trip out of the states together. Planning this trip was a bit tricky since we will be bouncing around to a few places.  Not gonna lie- it was a TON of work and a lot of research went in to this... I'm so glad we're finally done with that part!  Equally as tricky was lining up a house and dog sitter for Rocco and Sadie (not many people wanted to watch our crazy little kiddos). But thankfully we got that taken care of too.  Now our house and pups will be in good hands while we are on our trip!

Alex and I have been talking about this trip ever since we started dating, I am so happy that our dream is finally going to be real!  We are definitely due for a nice vacation after everything we have been through from the tornado damage and repairs.  We are still a while out from actually going on this trip, so I am still hopeful our house will be fixed before we go halfway around the world (ahem, insurance hurry the heck up).  I have to admit, I don't think I will be able to relax and enjoy myself if I am worried about that stupid tarp on our house.

I can't wait to start packing!!! Is it crazy to start packing for a trip that is a couple months away??? LOL!  

If you have traveled to London, Paris, or Split, we would love to hear your travel recommendations!  Of course we will be hitting all of the historic and tourist-y locations, but we'd love any tips you have or even restaurants we should hit!  Please, please, please comment away!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Hello and happy Fourth of July everybody!
I'm so excited for today!  We are headed to a Twins game and then we will be grilling, eating lots of food, having some drinks, and watching fireworks tonight! 

I will also be on fire extinguisher duty, somebody really likes fireworks (I won't say who exactly)...

This person especially likes the ones from Wisconsin, you know, the kind they don't sell here in Minnesota. He and his father are even now proud members of Phantom Fireworks. Hmmm...

I shouldn't say more. Let's just say we will be having our own fireworks show tonight as well.

Be happy, be safe (don't lose any fingers), and make memories today with family and friends!  Happy Fourth of July!

Lights, Camera, Docu-WHAT?!?! Our Small Part in the History of North Minneapolis

Tuesday evening was pretty exciting at our house!  Alex and I were honored to be filmed and interviewed for a small part in a local documentary about our neighborhood titled 'Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis'

We have our little house blog to thank for the opportunity to be apart of this project.  Turns out the editor and publisher of the North News forwarded our blog to Dan Bergin the Producer of the documentary (thanks Margo!).  Once Dan read a little about our love for the history of the neighborhood, the history of our house/ families that lived here, and how we chose our house, he thought we would be a nice addition to the documentary.  How cool is that!?!?

Here is a picture of Alex and I with Dan after our interview.

He sent us a brief description of the content for the documentary:

‘Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis’ reveals surprising stories of the North Side through the power of place.  From the historic Sumner Branch Library to one of the last remaining commercial buildings from old Plymouth Avenue to the Emanuel Cohen center-now Oak Park Center, Cornerstones will explore diverse history through North Side buildings, spaces, and sites.  The one hour documentary and accompanying web site will be a touchstone for common ground, education and understanding about the community that represents the city’s past and hopes for the future.     The project is a co-production of the University of Minnesota and Twin Cities Public Television.

If you look back at my post about the Northside's history, it details some of the story about the area.  There is a ton of history here and it sure has seen a lot of ups and downs.  I imagine it will make for an amazing story for the documentary and I can't wait to learn more about my surroundings!

It was pretty fun to see lighting set up in our house and mic packs attached to us as we walked around.  Yep, little things like that are exciting to me :)

I think we did our best to tell the story of the families that lived in our home (all the way back to 1924) and how we feel about our community.  We also touched a bit on all the work we have done to our home and how we strive to keep it's historic character and quality. 

Even though it was fun it was still a bit nerve wracking.  I hope we do our neighbor's proud (and don't sound like a couple dorks)! We look kind of dorky in that picture, haha!

  I have to say it makes me feel very proud that we are looked at as a small bit of history in our community.  When we started this little blog, it was just to show our room redo's, DIY projects, and my love for home decor (which I also have to thank our old house for- my passion for home design certainly increased after we moved here).  Who would have thought we would get a cool opportunity like this?

I will post an update when we get any news about it's premier date or when the website is up and running!

Anyone else out there have fun opportunities come their way because of your blog? Or, maybe you've learned more about the history of your home or neighborhood?  I'd love to hear other cool stories!

*** UPDATE ***

Here's the link to the Cornerstone's website
Sadly, we didn't make the final cut of the documentary, wa-wa.  But, we are included in the online extras!  Here's the link to our video, enjoy!
http://www.uroc.umn.edu/cornerstones/cornerstones_extras.html#top
(Alex is waaaaay better on camera than me!)

Happy Father's Day...

To my wonderful Dad.

 I hope you are proud of the woman your little 'Peanut' grew up to be.  I don't know where I would be without all of the years of 'dad' advice- I'm thankful you are always there for me when I need you.  Sometimes every little girl still needs her daddy. 

To my Stepdad John.

I'm so thankful you became part of my life and have always treated me like I was your own daughter. I can't even begin to describe how lucky I am to have a stepdad like you.  You also shaped a big part of my life and I always hope you are proud of me.  

To my Father-In-Law

Thank you for being an amazing father that helped shape Alex into the wonderful man that became my husband.  I know Alex gets a lot of his sense of humor from you, and I feel blessed that I get to spend my days laughing with him (and sometimes at him).  I also couldn't ask for a nicer father-in-law, so thankful for our growing relationship.

 To our three dads on Father's Day, we love you very much!

Lastly, Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!  It sure doesn't look like an easy job, especially for fathers with daughters to look after :)  I hope everyone is having a lovely Sunday with friends and family they love!

One Year of Hammers and High Heels! Plus A Preview of the Next Room Redo!

Today is our ‘Blog-a-versary’!   It has been officially 1 year since Hammers and High Heels was born. We're celebrating with a room redo preview!  Hammers and High Fives ya'll!!!

Truthfully, I had no idea what this blog would be, where it would go, who would read it (other than my sister), what I would write about, if I could keep up with it, or if I would even like doing it.   

Phew, that was a lot of worries!

Thankfully today, with 182 posts written, 246 followers, and 732 comments later, I feel that my blog journey has totally been worth all the work (and worries)! I know those numbers aren’t anything super spectacular, but to me those numbers mean someone is out there listening (reading) and cares about all the goofy ideas and adventures I share through this blog. It means the world to me, I truly love writing and blogging!

Sadie loves to join me when I blog too!

I took a look back at where we were a year ago when I started this blog…

Last May we had already been in the house just over a year.  We had redone the Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, and part of the Bathroom.  With the encouragement of a few coworkers I decided to start a blog to capture all the home renovation adventures.  I summed up those room redo's in 1 or 2 part short posts- nothing like the way we document things now.  I went back to read through those first few blog posts and had to cringe a little bit- they are pretty bad!  But I like that it sort of tracks they way H&HH has evolved to what it is today. 

Since then, we have brought you along on our adventure redoing our Backyard, Mini Bathroom, Bigger Bathroom, Dressing Room, Sunroom,  and the Guest Room (which included an awesome adventure with Layla and Kevin from the Lettered Cottage)!  We've even shared one of our favorite memories in our house (Our Home Alone staircase sledding adventure)!  Along the way I have also done 28 DIY Home Decor projects and 14 Home Holiday Decor projects- something I am really proud of considering I never did much of that until I started blogging. I also think this blog has helped to expand my creativity, I love the challenge that comes with the 'DIY spirit'.

Looking forward, we still have a lot to do on our house (wa-wa).  But that does mean we will have many adventures ahead to blog about!  As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, a present to you today for celebrating with us, we are giving you an early preview of our next room up to bat for a BIG redo.... Our Master Bedroom!!!!
Here is your first official 'Before' photo:

Yep, it is a big, boring, echo-y,empty, space that lacks any sort of style... I'm sort of embarrassed to show you where Alex and I have been sleeping for more than 2 years.  Essentially we focused on more of the common areas of our house so we wouldn't be embarrassed when company would come over.  Our room just took a backseat for a long time.  But finally, we have had enough of this STALE room!  There will be many more posts to come about this room, get excited!

**********

In closing for year 2 of blogging, I look forward to every post I get to write, every renovation adventure ahead, every DIY project that comes together, every comment that comes our way, and every follower that decides to join our adventure. I truly love what this little blog has turned into, it has brought a lot of fun and happiness into my life.  Thank you for sticking with us on this blog journey :)

Happy 1st Blog-a-versary Hammers and High Heels!

Happy Mother's Day Circa 1989!

I've been a very lucky lady to have so many great women to look up to in my life.  On Mother's Day, I of course always think about my mom and everything she did to make me who I am today (and I'd say she did a fantastic job!).  I also think about my Grandma Elaine a little still.  She left us about 10 years ago now, but she was a pretty fantastic woman and Grandma. 

I can't believe I found this picture, but I was really excited when I did!  It is from Mother's Day in 1989.  My mom is on the left, then my grandma, and my sister Holly on the right.  I was only 4 years old and I'm standing behind my Grandma in the picture. 

Fun fact, the house in this photo is the first home I ever lived in on Nelson Street in Grand Rapids, MI.  I assume my dad took this photo of all of us.

My Aunt gave me a few family pictures that originally belonged to my Grandma. On the back of the photo is my Grandma's handwriting.

I really wish I got to see our moms today.  It's the 5th Mother's Day we have been away living in MN, so it is always a little bit of a bummer to not be there.  But I know they both know how much we love them and miss them.

I'd also like to wish a Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there!  I have lots of friends that are pretty new moms, for a few of them it is their first Mother's Day!  I hope you are all having a wonderful day celebrating with family!

PS- my 'doggie' Mother's Day gift was being woken up at 6:30am by Rocco, thanks buddy!

****One more post will be up later today****

A Presentation with Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge: Creativity, Inspiration, and Great Ideas

Last Thursday I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a presentation with Grace Bonney, the creator and blogger behind Design*Sponge.  I’m guessing you have come across Design*Sponge before if you are into blogging, but just in case….

Design*Sponge features store and product reviews, city, product and gift guides, DIY projects, before and after furniture and home makeovers, home tours, recipes, and more!  Her site has been dubbed ‘Martha Stewart Living for the Millennials' and has 75,000 daily readers- that number boggles my mind! 

Grace Bonney via Design Sponge

I felt so lucky to spend an hour listening to her story and experience.  She began by stating that:

 -creativity is inspired by the presence and absence of great ideas

This was the basis for where her blog began back in 2004.  Based in Brooklyn, she saw so many creative ideas from local designers that was not being shared anywhere.  Many ideas were being born out of DIY projects and handmade crafts, not high priced design.  Baffled there was no media coverage of this, she decided to start Design*Sponge as an outlet for what she was seeing and loving.  With that, the blog community began sharing and growing.

Bonney covered more details on her life, the growth of her blog and how it has evolved over the past 7 years. But for this post, I wanted to focus on her advice to designers, bloggers, and other individuals in a creative field.  Bear in mind, this is recap of the notes I scribbled down as she presented (they may not be word for word quotes).

Prevent Creative Burnout: Stay Inspired

• Keep collaborating within your community to keep inspiration alive

• Take weekly inspiration trips outside of your own niche (she mentioned how she went to a salt store for inspiration, totally random place to look for inspiration, but she found it)

• Keep your eyes open outside of your laptop, inspiration is outside of the world wide web  

• Creative people need to be pushed in order to make good work, and they need to know what they consider is good work.

• Pay attention to those younger and newer to the creative field, they are less afraid of change and risk

•  Trying and failing more than trying and succeeding is okay, trust you will find the right fit. 

•   Know what motivates you (her example here was that she worked best with short lead times, when writing she liked seeing her blog posts up right away. Articles for magazines took months before she would see them published).

Overall, she is extremely passionate and fully invested in making sure the design and creative community keeps growing, sharing ideas, and being…well, CREATIVE!  She closed her presentation stating:

~All of us can be that presence or absence of creativity that inspires someone to do something great

I love it, I believe it. 

It is true in my day to day experiences at work, at home, in my community, and in the ‘blog world’.  I’m always inspired by what I see or what I don’t see- it all leads to an idea.

I hope *YOU* found inspiration today!

Happy Easter From My Little Easter Bunnies!

Happy Easter!

It is a holiday, so of course I couldn't resist dressing up my 'children' a little bit.  Here is my Rocco Bunny! He totally hates it, but at least he is a good sport. 



I can't say the same for my other child, Sadie does not coorperate in these situations.  This was the only picture I could get of her with her Easter headband.

I was determined to get a photo of the four of us today, not an easy task.  Here are just a few images from the 'Outtake' reel....

Chaos

Zoning out

 Headband malfuntions

In the end, this was the best we could do. 
We thought it was going to be perfect when they both held still, then Rocco just had to yawn- but at least he looks cute!

 Happy Easter from our (weird) little family to yours!