By sheer coincidence, our actual blogiversary (which occurred last Friday) falls just days before what we lovingly call a “dogiversary” around these parts. Yep, Burger’s birthday was this week (yesterday actually) and this year he’s a whopping four years old. Happy Birthday Burgmeister!
Here’s the old man now in a tribute to his sister’s weekly photos:
We marked his special day as we usually do – a walk, some extra play time, and of course a special dessert from Three Dog Bakery. But this year Sherry and I also decided to break out the old home videos to take a look back at our little guy when he was truly a little guy (all 2 pounds of him). And lo and behold, the videos contained an interesting peek into our old decor (circa 2006 – before the blog even existed). So despite these being never-intended-for-public-consumption home videos, we decided they were too entertaining to hoard for ourselves. As long as you can forgive the shaky camera work, sweats as wardrobe, overuse of cutesy baby voices, and dog kisses on the mouth – yes, we’re “those” kind of people.
Oh, and might we suggest that you keep an eye out for these decorating gems in the background:
- Sherry’s original “office” that featured a desk skirted with a wrinkly old sheet
- A view of our old laundry area / entryway complete with bi-fold doors
- Our old floor plan. To give you a sense of flow, Burger even runs through the now closed-off doorway between the kitchen and our then-dining-room (now nursery) at one point.
- The yellow and ice blue color scheme in our den, complete with weird silver ornaments atop blue vases – and our fireplace screen painted white (before we repainted it back to black).
- Tons of old furniture, including our original den couch (both slipcovered and uncovered).
- A very bare looking living room before we figured out it would serve us better as a living and dining room.
This video is the perfect reminder that homes, and the way they’re decorated, evolves over time. Rooms don’t look picture perfect right away. In fact ours took four and a half years to get to where it is today- and we were definitely learning as we went (this video makes it pretty darn clear that we didn’t start out with a knack for the decorating thing at all). So fret not if your house is a work in progress – you’ll get there.
But enough explanation. Grab some popcorn and enjoy! View the video below, or click here to see it on YouTube
So what do you think? What was our most grievous decor offense? Was Burger not the cutest pup ever? Thoughts in general about how a house slowly evolves into a home? Let’s chat.
Psst: Although the footage is only 4 years old, it was shot on a ten year old mini-DV camera which is why this video is so grainy. Thank goodness for our new Flip Ultra HD (scored at Target for only $150 thanks to some sales!). For anyone out there looking for a video camera recommendation, that would be it!
Oh yeah, and don’t forget to check out our BabyCenter post of the week right here. This time we’re talking about how our house can look a bit like a daycare center one minute, and how we can stash all the baby gear for a lot less chaotic and crazy look the next minute.
Cait @ Hernando House says
Oh wow! Burger is adorable and those are some REALLY old photos of your house! It makes me feel a bit better about the 4th bedroom in our house that I haven’t even shown pitures of on the blog yet (it houses some dog kennels, an old desk, mini blinds and the router. Snazzy.)
Alexis @ Our Inspired Home says
Haha. The picture of Burger in the t-shirt is just too cute.
My thoughts on a constantly evolving home: We’ve been in our home for two years and it’s STILL a work in progress. For the first year we were saving for our wedding (we didn’t charge one dime for our big day), so we got off to a slow start. We get a lot of great ideas from your blog though. Thank you so much for all of your inspiration!
Caroline says
Aaaaaw! Burger was so sweet….hope he liked his doggy treats :)
Jessica @ How Sweet says
How adorable! I am dying for a little pup.
Misty says
He’s adorable!
Was that a “dog mat” for under dog bowls I saw on the floor?? lol, it cracked me up because it’s totally not YOUR style!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, that was actually a gift from someone who stopped by pretty often, so we worked it in for a while and then slowly phased it out. Haha.
xo,
s
Sophie says
SO ADORABLE!
I had to chuckle at this though… I was very confused for the first milliseconds that I saw it >.<
Katie says
Geez, it isn’t that bad. You had just moved into your house!
LOL, I wonder if you will look back at pictures of your house now in four years and say “WOW, what were we thinking?”
AnnabelVita says
Happy birthday burger from my rabbit Dot! You’d have so much fun chasing her around (not so sure she’d enjoy it though).
I love dogs, can’t wait to leave London so we can get one.
I really enjoyed seeing the old kitchen / dining room door – had never been able to visualise that one properly. You definitely made the right decision!
Kari says
“Grievous decor offense” is probably not what I would call your initial decorating attempts, your home still looked pretty good as a start. . . but I think your den’s transformation has been the biggest improvement. I love the warmer colors and the black accents, rather than the yellow and ice blue.
Inês says
Hi guys!
Burger is such a cutie!
Wish him a Happy birthday!
Kiss to all the family
Inês Amaro
p.s. and Congratulations on you YHL blog anniversary, you know I’m a fan and a friend ! :)
Mike @HA says
Happy B-day, B-Dog! Super cute. My old roommate got a puppy and he was so much fun, this makes me miss those times! And…. scene.
Gloria says
I watched these with my two year old in my lap and the whole time he was saying, “Good doggie!” Seriously – Burger was/is adorable. His cuteness even rivals that of our Pooh the poodle! What fun to get a glimpse into the beginning stages of the evolution of your home. Happy Birthday to Burger and Happy Bloggiversary to YHL!
Katie says
My chihuahua baby turns 4 today!
Annie says
This makes me feel so much better about our house that is still a work in progress. We have been in our house for 1.5 now, but moving in with a 6 month old makes every project take longer.
candace @ thecandace.com says
Oh what a total cutie! I love the freak out when Dad comes home!! So cute!!
Kelley says
Loved the video! Hope Burger had a great birthday. His birthday twin, Three, slept through most of hers. She was pooped (no pun) from her pre-birthday party on Sunday night. :)
Rachel @ The Avid Appetite says
Love that you celebrate Burger’s birthday! Adorable!
kelly says
He is so stinkin’ cute!!!! :)
Melinda says
Burger is adorable! I love that you’re the type of people who let dogs kiss them on the lips. Home videos are just so fun!
Jillian says
Aww! Burger was the cutest little guy! Seriously though, your house has come such a long way and it’s great to see it through all its stages of evolution. It definitely makes me feel better about my house’s adventures in decorating!
Amanda@The Hand Me Down House says
AWWW! LOVE your video of Burger! He’s too darn cute! :) Loved seeing how he’s grown!
Wendy @ A Southern Accent says
So adorable! I can’t believe how tiny he was! Did you ever think four years ago that you would both be self-employed by your blog? How extremely cool is that?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Wendy,
It’s true! A lot has happened since then and we’re so thankful for where we’ve ended up!
xo,
s
Christine says
This makes me feel SO MUCH BETTER – it’s hard to keep in mind that your home didn’t look the way it does now from the very first month! I did a TON to my house the very first weekend we were in, and a year later, I keep obsessing over the things I haven’t gotten around to yet (but have had planned all along) – but I need to remember that it can take years to get everything the way you want it, especially if you’re doing it all yourself.
This also reminds me that I keep intending to send you guys a “before/after” of my home, since I know you guys like seeing what other people have done – there are just a few more things I want to do before I send it! But I’m pretty proud. :)
Also, this makes my already existing desire for a puppy that much stronger. My husband wants to wait on the puppy until after we have a kid, but perhaps I’ll show him this video to nudge him in the right direction (since, after all, you get to control exactly when you get a puppy… so why wait?).
Elizabeth says
Haven’t watched the video yet…still too stunned by the picture of Sherry with her hair down! ;-)
And Burger is adorable…makes me miss the puppy phase…of course my puppy weighed nine pounds at eight weeks…and my neice dressed him in her Build-a-bear clothes!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b4db11b3127ccec8686d7bd11300000010O08AZN3DNo1bNAe3nwM/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/
Now he looks like this…lol…
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b5d629b3127ccecb8451c465b800000010O08AZN3DNo1bNAe3nwM/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/
and yes…he chewed on the chaise lounge arm.
Dana M. says
That’s so cool that you have all that footage from Burger as a baby. I wish we had done that with our dogs. Happy B-day Burger! :)
jessica says
thanks for the “sneak peek” into your 2006 life. Seeing burger as a puppy is SO CUTE! I especially love the carmex part! Isn’t it funny how all dogs have something that makes them crazy? Our dog has many things(he’s part Border Collie-we think) but my favorite is drum sticks. As in, the wooden things you hit drums with. He will literally jump straight up in the air for them. It’s hilarious! Thanks again Youngsterz! :D
Carole says
very cute, thanks for sharing! I should take more puppy video, we’ll miss watching our pup getting the zoomies (aka the bichon blitz) when he’s old and grey :)
Holly E says
Happy Birthday to Burger! The idea of an adopting a little brother or sister for my 3 y.o. chihuahua mix has been popping into my mind a lot lately. Burger’s baby pics may have pushed me over the edge :)
Lorrie says
Happy Birthday BURGER!!!
Doggie birthdays are a big deal at our house as well. Ryleigh our female Wheaton just turned 4 in February also!
She celebrated with her annual trip to Petsmart to pick out a toy and her apple-carrot-chicken cake topped with cottage cheese….YUM!
Ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
haha! so adorable. he was soooo tiny!
mp says
Young man, you’re looking outstanding! Your doppelganger, Bindarra, will be celebrating her 14th birthday tomorrow!
Alyssa says
Happy birthday Burger!
My favorite part- being so excited about his food that he falls off the bed. (It’s only funny because he was fine!)
Chelsea says
It’s amazing how far your home has come. Did you ever think you’d find your true calling in home design?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Chelsea,
We had no earthly idea! A lot can change in four years, huh? Crazy.
xo,
s
Ellen says
Oh my, the cutest puppy! He’s so bouncy and wiggly, love it!
Bethany says
I just watched the video of Burger with my 18 mo. old. My little boy loves Burger. He was cracking up so hard I should have recorded it just so you could see how much Burger makes him laugh. :)
City Chic - Jamie says
He’s totally adorable, I love how bouncy he is! I wish I would have recorded more of my furbabies time when they were little, they grow up way too fast!
Wiggs (The Beholder) says
This week was my baby’s birthday too! I baked him cupcakes from scratch – VERY easy. The recipe is here on my blahg: http://iamthebeholder.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/happy-birthday-my-little-gentleman/
katie says
HB Burger!!!!
Seriously thank you for the reminder about the evolution of a home. I always find myself looking at things in my house and wanting to change EVERYTHING. I get way over critical and overwhelmed and then just do nothing. So yes. Really. Thank you!
LauraC says
Love the video: you, Burger, and your house! You’ve grown into your suave, professional online selves so well, that it’s nice to see you just being regular like all the rest of us ;-) It’s good to look back (at ourselves) and see how things have changed over time. Thanks for sharing!
Jill says
This bright and colourful photo reminded me to ask you which camera you are using lately! thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jill,
We have a Nikon D3000. Love it!
xo,
s
Laura (Blogging Over Thyme) says
Hahaha! I love the photo of the Burger wearing the onesie. Too cute. I’m guessing it might have taken a few shots to get one so perfect! :)
Loved the video too. Thanks for sharing guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Laura,
Yeah, somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 shots or so. Haha.
xo,
s
JenWoodhouse.com says
Aw, we were JUST at Three Dog Bakery yesterday! Watson didn’t seem to care much for the carrot cake or pupcakes. lol.
I just posted a video of him playing in the fountain at Stony Point. Small world!
Happy Birthday Burgs!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man- we’re so sorry we missed you! We were there around 6ish. Glad Watson had fun in the fountain!
xo,
s
Cheryl says
Aww Burger! Our chiweenie(chihuahua/dachshund mix), Ty, just turned four too! He’s does the same jumpng and hopping when he gets excited. This makes me want to break out our old home videos of him.
I love that you shared your home evolution with us. It gives me hope that one day I can be as stylish as you two! Well. . . almost as stylish :)
Amber says
Happy Birthday to Burger!
Your house has come a long way!
Here’s an idea for Burger’s pumpkin this year if you don’t already have plans:
http://www.bhg.com/holidays/?sssdmh=dm17.470499&day=05&esrc=nw100d1_11_5&email=410987931
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, too funny!
xo,
s
Beth says
Happy Birthday Burger!! May all your puppy birthday wishes come true.
I watched the part where he falls off the bed at least a dozen times, too funny!!!
Just when I think I can’t love you two enough I see that you allow The Burgmeister to kiss you on the face, then I love you a little bit more.
Here’s to those of us who love home decor and stinky puppy kisses!!
Paige says
What an adorable puppy he was (and still is)!
It’s amazing the transformation your house has gone through! Our condo has gotten quite the facelift over the past several months, but I was starting to feel bummed that there’s still so much left to do. Well, no more! Thanks for reminding me that it just takes time.
Sarah says
Happy Birthday Burger!! What a cute little guy…I don’t think he will ever look like an old man!! Thanks for sharing :O)
April in CT says
Holy cuteness! My husband doesn’t read any blogs, but he knows of yours and Burgers and when I told him about the video he said “Wait, I gotta see that!!” LOL I tried to speak quietly so our dachshund Calvin wouldn’t hear me praising the Burg’s cuteness.
Thank you for the Flip info., I’ve been wanting to get something for our upcoming vacation (our first!). We have an old hi-8 that hasn’t seen the light of day in years and I’d really like to record more moments to look back on.
liz @ btb says
Hehehe I had to watch on YouTube since my phone doesn’t have a flash player (stupid blackberry!) and when I scrolled down through your list it went like this:
-Burger is over Halloween
-Burger & the mattress
-Building the crib
-Bon Qui Qui @ Burger King (Mad TV)
….An unexpected & funny surprise
YoungHouseLove says
That’s hysterical!
xo,
s
Kimberly Mogdan says
Z ME! OY! I would have such an easy time picking out $500 worth of fun free loooot!! I would buy new holiday decor to spice up our BLAH home :)!!!!!