Hello!
I have been MIA for an entire month. Not that you probably noticed. But my future self will when I read these posts back one day when it's printed in a book on my coffee table!
Life took on a whole new level of busy since coming back from our little California trip. So busy we didn't have time to dress up for Halloween or do a single fall activity. Part of me was sad, but I knew we were doing more important things. Instead my days and nights have been filled with 2 jobs, getting a logo designed, getting insurance for the Pilates studio, figuring out a liability form, printing business cards and other materials for the studio, and now working on a whole new website and ad for Draper Magazine (shout out to my graphic designer and good friend Haley for seeing my vision and then making it even better-- I would be in the fetal position without her). We spent every night for 2 weeks before the studio opened working on the chalkboard wall. Brennan gets all the credit for that one. While he would draw away I would write up my Pilates lessons. I have put 110% into this business and have never been happier.
On top of all the busyness of the studio (which will get it's own post the second I find some time to write about it), I've been at the house everyday twice a day making sure things go as planned. Because of the weather things have slowed down a tad which is hard for me because I am DYING to quit my other job and solely focus on Pilates, and I can't do that until we close on the house. They say it will be done by Christmas, which probably really means Valentine's Day hahaha.
After my classes on Friday morning I ran over to the house and noticed 2 guys there starting to put the stone on. HAPPY DAY!!! When you go there so often and not much has changed you get overly excited when something new is happening. I have never loved baseboards or stucco or stone more ...BUT they were putting the stone on with grout in between instead of stacked like I requested at the design center. The guys were so so nice and said they would do it however I wanted, and re-did the stone stacked. A few Little Caesar pizzas and some Cokes go a long way my friends. It is starting to look more like a real house and it is thrilling! Just missing some shake single on the hip roof and a little paint on the front door.
Our nights and weekends are mainly spent at RC Willey, Target, West Elm, Ikea, Costco, Best Buy, Down East -- you name it. We're trying to decide between 1080 and 4K, 65 and 75 inch, curved or flat-- new TV talk I didn't know about until a few weeks ago. We've had to decide between front and top loader washing machines, and let me tell you everybody has a different opinion. We've also been looking for the perfect couches which don't seem to exist when your husband only cares about comfort and I only care about looks.
We've also spent lots of nights and Saturday mornings at the house measuring for things, and last Saturday it was to decide on the size of the TV for the basement. Brennan is beyond excited for his big TV so he can have his friends over to watch sports. Whatever makes him happy I fully support. He is just about the cutest kid on the planet.
We snuck into the house one night and sanded down a small wall for a chalkboard wall in our house. Do you think the painters will notice hahaha? These days they do a light texture on the walls, because it's less labor, but it's funny because 15 years ago when my parents built their house it was an upgrade to have textured walls...oh how things change. Anyways, we were COVERED head to toe in dust but we sure made that wall smooth. When you live with an artist, you just have to have a chalkboard wall in your house you know?
We are so blessed to be having such an exciting time in our lives. Both of us are now doing what we love and soon we will be living in a place we love. We have a whole lot to be thankful for, especially this time of year.
xoxo
Ash
