Did anybody else have the best weekend ever? We didn’t have any big plans and we stayed pretty close to home, but it was so nice to soak up some quality time outside the guise of a holiday celebration. We have been so busy since our move and coupled with a thousand parties and obligations over the holidays, we haven’t had very much unscheduled time together. This weekend will go down as a perfect one.
We haven’t made any significant purchases for the house yet and we need a lot of furniture. My parents had wrought iron barstools in the kitchen (you can catch a glimpse in the background), but I knew I wanted something without a back, that would slide completely underneath the bar top. I ran into TJMaxx on Wednesday night to grab something completely unrelated and I saw these metal stacking stools. They aren’t quite copper, but not brown either and they match the oil rubbed bronze hardware (that we’re keeping) perfectly. I thought about them for a few days, but ran back to grab them on Friday afternoon. Everyone is a huge a fan. We’ll be raising the island height about three inches to accommodate the full height stool, but that will be cheaper than buying custom stools, so we’re going with it.
In case you’re curious:
- the log walls will be exposed as the backsplash between the counters and upper cabinets and painted a glossy white,
- the perimeter cabinets will also get a new coat of white paint,
- all appliances are being replaced with stainless steel and we’re getting an apron front sink,
- all floors and counters will be replaced with a dark grey concrete (hey hey hey, handy husband),
- and the island will be navy.
Over the holidays, a local park opened an outdoor ice skating rink and my kids have been dying to go. The weekend before Christmas we had too many parties, Christmas weekend was a no, the following weekend it rained for three solid days and last weekend we were completely iced it. We were beginning to think it wasn’t a great idea. After a lazy morning at home on Saturday, we donned our warmest duds (even though it was 78* outside) and headed to an indoor rink for a two hour open skate session. The girls had so much fun and we’ve never laughed so hard. In case you missed my Instagram Story, just know that Sophie strongly resembled a baby giraffe. That is all.
This girl, though, is the most athletic person I’ve ever met and she picked it up so quick. She spent the entire two hour session on the ice and was exhausted when they finally blew the whistle. We treated the girls to Chick-fil-A for dinner (thank goodness for a great GF menu) and a gallon of ice cream on the way home. I may or may not have been drooling (#whole30problems).
Sunday was gorgeous and after a FANTASTIC service at church (more on that tomorrow), we spent most of the day outside. We did grab some groceries and we visited my grandfather in a local rehab facility (he had knee replacement surgery a week ago), but for most of the day we sat in the shade of the barn while the kids played. There was a dead bird buried in a shoebox, lots of chalk paint, and a certain three year old who might have driven the golf cart into the woods. Eventually, Kamin and Hudson commandeered Sophie on the golf cart for a slumber party and Ella and I curled up on the couch to watch Alice Through the Looking Glass. It was great, if you need a recommendation.
Josh had to work on Monday, Ella had four hours of choreography in the middle of the day, and Sophie spent most of the afternoon sleeping off her slumber party before her first piano class of the new year. That left me with a ton of time on my hands, so I drank coffee, caught up on blog work, and finished this amazing book. I have already logged FIVE BOOKS this year and I can’t wait to share all of my January reads in a few weeks. I’m working hard to get an entire week of content on the blog for you while we’re in California — you won’t even know I’m gone!
Did I mention I captured this from my kitchen window? I’m pretty sure I’m going to love living here.
