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Briarwood Then and Now

November 26 th

BriarwoodIt’s been a full year since Ben and I bought and moved into our first house. Closing escrow less than 10 days after our wedding made us wonder whether we moved too fast — you know, buyer’s remorse — but everything worked out just right, and this Thanksgiving one of the things we’re thankful for is the pretty roof over our heads.

To mark the first anniversary of our home purchase, we’re sharing before-and-after pictures. Check out our progress.

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Small luxury

November 22 nd

We tackled another home-improvement project yesterday, and this one took nearly seven hours to complete. But it’s done and, for Ben especially, it was well worth it.

A little back story: For about a year, we’ve had to deal with the hassle of having two cars yet only one garage-door remote. When we bought our house, the seller had only one, which confounded us. We thought that buying a second compatible remote would be easy, but later found out that the garage-door opener itself was ancient and obsolete.

Being the gentleman that he is, Ben told me to keep our only remote in my car, so I rarely faced the inconvenience he felt on most days.

That all changed last night. My husband turned into DIY Guy and installed a new garage-door opener — with two remotes! I helped a bit here and there, but I was proud of Ben for the time and effort he dedicated to successfully install a complicated and risky device.

Give the man a high-five next time you see him — he deserves it.

Leaves Be Gone

November 15 th

Though autumn has been eye candy for us, the responsibilities that the season brings upon homeowners isn’t too fun.

I’m talking about raking leaves.

The other weekend, I decided I couldn’t put off the task any longer, so out I went with a rake and tarp in tow. Ninety minutes later, Ben came out with a high-powered leaf blower.

“Figures,” I thought. “Men and their machines.”

We accomplished a lot, and even though I was proud of our newly neat yard, I think I’ll hire someone next year.

Blogs we follow

minalisms

Crap! 5 Mar 2010, 7:29 pm

I’ve been debating for days whether to write about this topic, so I’m just gonna be quick with it to make it as painless as possible. I am afraid about pooping during labor. This blog post reassur. […]

Source: minalisms minalisms | Minal

Craftynest

As a compulsive crafter and decorator on a budget, I launched Craftynest to share practical and pretty DIY ideas.

More paper lanterns with flowers 9 Feb 2010, 2:55 am

Hi everyone! Bet you thought I fell into a hole somewhere. Nah, just job hunting now that I’m done with school. Anyone want to hire me? :) Anyway, I attended the San Francisco International Gift Fai. […]

Source: Craftynest Craftynest | monica

Pham Fatale Recipe Feed

This is a feed of all the latest recipes on PhamFatale.com

Kali Dal (Indian Black Lentils) 10 Mar 2010, 5:13 pm

The flavor combination of kali dal ("black lentils" in Urdu) is simple: black lentils, ginger and a few chiles to enhance the flavors. In this case, simple is beautiful. The dal is finished with a hi. […]

Source: Pham Fatale Recipe Feed Pham Fatale Recipe Feed |

Windshield Rosary

Curious about God and People, Clumsy in the Kitchen

Note to Wednesday: 10 Mar 2010, 2:00 pm

Monday and Tuesday dragged their feet. Please pick up the pace. Thanks!

Source: Windshield Rosary Windshield Rosary | Christina