Psst- Sorry for the slightly belated post this morning, two out of the three human members of our household have the flu. Boo!
For those asking where February Superlatives went, here they are! We were just in Hawaii the week they were “due” so they carried over to this week. And boy are we glad February is over. Well, not the part where we ended it basking oceanside in 80-degree weather, but the part where our heads were spinning from three weeks of secret book project-doing and photoshoot-ing. Yeah, we’re glad that’s behind us. But since we survived all that (and lived to tell the tale!) in addition to prepping for a presentation in Portland while keeping our kitchen reno going, we can’t help but do our regular look back at what these 29 jam-packed days held (in yearbook superlative style, of course). We even tossed in some never-before-seen stuff for kicks. Oh and you can check out all of our monthly superlatives dating back to January 2011 right here (where you can peruse a year’s worth of projects in just 12 posts).
Most Hooked Up: Clara, who earned a special spot to hang up her coat when Sherry repurposed an old brown rail hook and spray painted it white as part of her Dude Get On That Already challenge.
Brightest: These horse bookends, after they were given the yellow spray paint treatment as – you guessed it – another Dude, Get On That Already challenge.
Best Cover Up: The patch job we did on the holes in our ceiling (where our old fluorescent light fixtures once were). “Best” might be a bit strong, since our process kinda involved more than a few globs of spackle raining down on Sherry in the process (and yes, we caught it on video).
Best Cover Up (Runner Up): The cover I built to conceal our range hood. Man it’s funny to look back on this thing all raw and unpainted.
Best Supporting Role: The brackets that we chose to keep our open shelves from falling off of the wall. We know not everyone is on board with them (to bracket or not to bracket is a debate for the ages!), but we love ’em.
Most Open Minded: Us, once we finally got our open shelves hung up in the kitchen. It was pretty much love at first sight.
Most Improved: Our open shelves, once they actually got filled up with dishes, glasses, serving bowls and a decorative item here and there. Unloading the dishwasher was never so fast. The verdict so far on living with open shelves: we love ’em!
Biggest Quack: The wooden goose that we (finally) hung up next to our front door.
The Close Call Award: Re-installing the crown molding in our kitchen, during which we nearly ran out of the existing molding scraps (which would’ve meant redoing the entire room, not just the missing sections). Phew!
Biggest Splash: The new art we hung in our kitchen, featuring a very colorful swimmer (and some imaginary fish that both Clara and some of you guys can see).
Blingiest: The light fixture that we ORBed and hung above our kitchen sink, which had been sitting around the house for about eight months just waiting or the perfect home.
Blingiest (Runner Up): Our backsplash tile, after we used some elbow grease and haze remover to bring its sparkle back (see how hazy it is on the left and how shiny it is on the right?).
Freshest: These tulips that added a nice burst of it’s-almost-spring to our kitchen.
The “It’s About Darn Time” Award: Our dishwasher, for finally getting the upgrade from bisque to matching stainless steel.
Biggest Potty Mouth: Me, for blabbing on and on about replacing the wax ring under the toilet in our hall bathroom.
Biggest Smash: Poor ol’ Ramsy, our ceramic ram head that was our one major casualty of the book photoshoots. RIP little buddy.
Most Organized: Sherry. At least she’s feeling that way after falling in love with her new non-grocery-coupon sorting folder.
Least Organized: Our tool drawers, which are still a mess – but at least they’re housed in a cabinet again (rather than being splayed out on our daybed). All it took was cutting down the old wall oven cabinet from our kitchen and re-situating it in our sunroom.
Class Clown: Us? No, this should probably go to the performers of the Richmond Comedy Coalition who had us giggling during their Richmond Famous improv show where we “guest starred” back in January. Though maybe Sherry should get the prize for “Weirdest Underwear Story.”
Most Flattering: The people of Portland, for truly going out of their way to make us feel welcome and special in their city. We still can’t express how fun it was to meet a bunch of you and how flattered we are by the lengths some of you went to pop in for a visit while we were at the Portland Home & Garden Show. Best. Readers. Ever.
Biggest Beach Bum: Clara, who couldn’t seem to get enough of the ocean (which is her preferred term for the beach, by the way) on our first ever vacation from blogging in Hawaii.
Longest House Guests: The book photography crew who essentially house-crashed us for three weeks, but took such great photos for the book that all the chaos was completely and utterly worth it! Our house is still far from back to normal, but we’ll get there… someday. Maybe by the time our book is out in October…
What did you guys squeak out in the short month that is February? Was yours as jam packed as ever? Have you ever made a list of accomplishments to look back on? Feel free to use the comment section of this post to list what you’ve done (or just toss out a few highlights). It’s so nice to take a break from adding things to the to-do list for a second, just to look back and appreciate the things you’ve victoriously completed. We totally think it helps us keep up the ol’ momentum!
Oh no! Hope everyone feels better soon! Take care of each other!
Aw thanks Rebecca!
xo,
s
Hope they feel better! My husband just came down with the flu last night (after having a stomach bug last weekend, oh my!).
Ugh, we had the stomach bug (all three of us) around three weeks ago. Not fun! Hope your hubby feels better soon!
xo,
s
February was awesome for you guys! 2012 might be your year! I didn’t really get that much done in February, but here was my re-cap of the month: http://mailboxjourney.com/2012/03/01/last-month-on-mailbox-journey-7/
Can’t wait to see everything you guys have in store for March!
Love the recaps guys! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
February seemed to fly by this year! I was lucky enough to work on an ABC school themed birthday party for twin girls!
http://thisnestisbest.com/2012/02/26/abc-school-birthday-party/
Fun!
xo,
s
Aw, I hope the two of you that are sick feel better soon! The flu is no fun :(
Sorry to hear that y’all are sick, but better this week than last, eh?
Amen! I blame the plane. Clara and I are down in the dumps, but somehow John dodged it. Luckily, because he’s our nurse!
xo,
s
Oh no! The flu stinks!! At least you made it home from vacation before getting sick. Hope #3 can avoid it
You guys definitely had a head-spinning (but for good reasons) February! I hope the family feels better soon.
As far as “tracking” items, I love idonethis.com. They send a daily email and all you do is respond with what you accomplished for the day. I like to use it to track when I workout (because to me that is an accomplishment) but mainly to write down three things that day that I’m grateful/feel blessed because of.
As I see it, happy people aren’t grateful people, grateful people are happy people and studies have shown people who write down 3 things they are happy for daily are happier people in the long run (and the positivity lingers for a long time too after you stop – like 6 months I think). It’s so true. They also send you email reminders of what you did “a month ago”, etc. I love it!
I love that! I have kept a gratitude journal for around three years and I love writing down all the little (and big) things I’m thankful for! It definitely can turn even those bad days into days that you’re grateful for.
xo
s
You have had a ‘UGE month! Whew. At the beginning of February, we decided to start renovating our family room. We started with demolition.
And then, we have slowly been building it back up. The walls have been painted. New carpet. Moved vents. New window. And now we’re working on building built-ins out of Billy bookcases.
http://chrislovesjulia.blogspot.com/2012/03/built-in-billys-part-1.html
… We, like you, can’t wait to get our house back in order! Feel better!
Wahoo! You’ve been busy, girl!
xo,
s
I feel like I was completely useless in February. I was recovering from a back injury in January while still trying to prepare for a half-marathon. I guess that was my success for February – completed half marathon with no further injuries. woot woot!
Amazing!
xo,
s
Aren’t the beach and the ocean two different things? I always thought the beach was the sand and the ocean was the water — although, yes, people typically use the word “beach” when referring to the whole thing. Does Clara perhaps prefer the water to the sand?
Haha, it’s true! I think she just likes the word ocean because she has a sound machine that sounds like the ocean so for months we have said “hear the ocean?” when we turn it on and tuck her in. She definitely loves playing in the sand and the water, though. That girl can get messy! Haha.
xo,
s
It’s hard not to feel like a lazy bum after reading your list! But I guess we accomplished a lot this month, even if we didn’t do everything we planned. We added a paneled accent wall, learned how to install crown molding (and did so successfully!) and painted the ceiling of our nursery. Walls are still pending but hey, you can’t win ’em all right? :)
Amen, you can’t win ’em all! We thought we’d be done with our whole kitchen in late Jan. The joke’s on us. Haha.
xo,
s
What a crazy month for you guys! Hope your household gets to feeling better soon!
The book is out in October? What-WHAT? That’s awesome! I’m so excited! Hope the flu stricken get well soon.
So sorry to hear you guys are sick! Get well soon!
Thanks Ericka!
xo,
s
I’m always amazed at how much you guys are able to accomplish in a month, but even more so in a month where you were working around book shoots, stomach flus, a work trip and a vacation! Bravo — keep up the good work! Can’t wait to see all you’ll accomplish in March!
We bought a new dining table and wrapped up the first trimester of pregnancy #2. I was happy to see the month end as well :)
Congrats girl!
xo,
s
I actually got some decor-related projects done in February that I’d been meaning to do for months. I rehung some curtains and coat hooks using anchors (I can’t believe I’d never used them before! I’m a convert.), created some new art by stretching fabric over some square wood frames I assembled, put up a floating shelf, and finally hung my full length mirror (it had been sitting around for about 10 months, so it’s about dang time).
Thanks for blogging, your posts keep inspiring me to improve the look and comfort of my home and provide lots of ideas on how to do it cheaply, even if I do just have an apartment. So keep it up!
Aw thanks Mary, you’re sweet! Congrats on all that you got done!
xo,
s
Well, how much you all got done, my list pales in comparison, but we did paint the kitchen cabinets, replace the hardware, and turn 2 curtain panels into 4 and hang them in our living room. Considering that we have a 1 year old boy running around, I feel good about it. For March we are having new counter tops installed, a patio door installed, and laying laminate flooring! Can’t wait to see what you all ha in store for March!
Um, that’s huge! Painting cabinets is monumental! Congrats!
xo,
s
Hope you are all better nice and fast!! Not fun at all.
Take Care! Lots of snuggle time. :)
Hoping you all feel better soon! Let your bodies rest up – you had a incredible whirlwind of a month! Simply amazing what you completed in 29 days.
Hope the flu flees your home soon! That’s no fun…
Thanks for sharing a look back on your busy month! We didn’t have nearly the same level of excitement, but we did manage a few things:
Bought a new chair – http://dreamgreendiy.com/2012/02/24/my-brand-spankin-new-chair/
Got my abstract painting on – http://dreamgreendiy.com/2012/02/17/6475/
Recovered an old ottoman – http://dreamgreendiy.com/2012/02/10/mid-century-ottoman-redressing/
Here’s to feeling accomplished!!
Love the links!
xo,
s
In February I finally got my passport in the mail (it had been held up due to a marriage certificate SNAFU) and we finally plunked down a cringe-worthy amount of money to visit Europe this summer!
Wahooo! That’s so exciting!
xo,
s
Two out of three members of our household has the flu………..
What happened to Burger?
I always seem to get the flu bug after long plane trips. Rest, and feel better soon!
-Kathy
Haha, I should have specified that I meant human members. The guys in our house (John and Burger) are just fine.
xo,
s
Great recap! So sorry to hear that you guys are sick…at least it didn’t happen last week, right? Get well wishes headed your way!!!
Amen! We’re so grateful!
xo,
s
I wish I was as motivated as you guys are! Dang!
hope you feel better soon! ~B
Such a busy few months for you guys! Glad you got a good vacation in there :) The Clara pics were crazy cute.
At first I thought I had achieved jack squat other than love on my newborn girl, but then I looked back at my blog posts and realized we’ve actually gotten a few little things done! Thank goodness for blogging, right? I usually feel like we have a ton to do then I look back on this post where in the two hours it took to get my daughter to go to sleep, I actually got a few things done.
http://beehart.typepad.com/my-blog/2012/02/two-hours.html
Niiice! I remember how hard it was to get anything done with a newborn!
xo,
s
Hope you feel better soon!
We got some work done in our garden (weeding, mulching, getting ready for the new planting season) and put the finishing touches on our nursery, including scoring a super nice glider rocker for only $100 on Craigslist (regular price was around $350)! Now we are just waiting for baby to come…any day now!
So exciting!
xo,
s
Next year, think about getting flu shots for you and John. You can get one for Clara too but who wants to give their kids extra shots anyways? But the benefits to the parents having it are that they can minimize bringing home sickinesses. And if your child does catch the flu then you shouldn’t get it and then you can just focus on taking care of the little one. I know a lot of people are against flu shots but a lot of those reasons can now be argued against. Lol. Feel better! Also if you just started showing signs of the flu (within two days) you could benefit from a prescription called tamiflu. /endpharmacyknowledge. Enjoy your weekend.
In February, our new tile got laid (albeit not by us since it was an insurance replacement) and I took my comprehensive exams for my master’s degree and PASSED! By the end of fall I’ll be done and can FINALLY start doing home projects again! Feel better soon, ladies!
Wahooo! Congrats!
xo,
s
So sorry you guys are sick! I hope you feel better soon. By the way, the amount of things that you got done in February makes my head spin. AMAZING!
Aw thanks Whitney!
xo,
s
Karls legs are off! Did I miss that? Is that a permanent change or just something temporary going in durin the book chaos?
Oh Karl got completely taken apart just for book chaos (we couldn’t fit lots of shots without taking him apart to make room for things like a bed and a table in the corner of the living room). He’s now all assembled again. Whew.
xo,
s
Feel better Sherri and Clara! At least your illness didn’t strike in Hawaii! BTW, pics are gorgeous!
I hope you are able to catch your breath now! You folks are the most PRODUCTIVE I have ever seen! It is truly amazing to see what all you can accomplish in one month’s time!
You should be very proud of yourselves!! Hopefully life will settle down a little now that Feburary is over.
I finished mulching all of my gardens, hung a mirror from Ikea over the TV in the den, and made fabric wall hangings for the dining room from Crate & Barrel dish towels. They are way too nice for dish towels but they are perfect on the wall!
Aww, that stinks! I hope everyone is feeling better soon and #3 of 3 doesn’t end up getting it!
Jeez, until you put it into this context, you don’t realize how crazy busy you all were! (Okay, from a readers point of view!)
The tile turned out so great. Hope you all feel better quickly. =)
Kacie
http://www.acollectionofpassions.com/
Oh NO! Our baby just finished with the stomache flu. It was aweful and scary but you guys are so awesome. Not even the flu can stop you. Take good care.
Feel better soon! We’ve had a bunch of illness this winter, so I hope that everyone stays healthy from here on forward! And looks like your trip to Hawaii was just in time. It’s supposed to be pouring there for the next week or so!
I just caught up on all your posts for the last few days. What an amazing month! Your house looks great; you truly deserved a vacation! Loved the posts on Clara…she is so smart and adorable. Your post on YHL of Clara screaming at the fireball reminded me of my daughter’s first trip to Disneyland as a toddler. We took her on a scary ride, and after that she was scared of everything…especially the fireworks. My husband ended up taking her on the Merry-go-Round 11 times that day since that was the only ride she liked. We laugh about it now because she is all grown up and the daredevil of the family.
I’m sorry to hear that you and Clara have the flu….take care, keep hydrated, and get well soon!
October! Yeah for your upcoming publish date. I was really hoping for September. My Hubby has already been directed that your book is on my Birthday(September 25th) wish list. Guess it will just have to be a late present. Because I don’t think I could wait to get it as a Christmas present.
As for completed projects, nothing yet but I have a list rolling around in my head. Sweater pillows, re-covering the cat’s scratching post with sisal, help my father repair a chair that he got from his mother and an art project using either scrap wood or pallets. It is just hard to do larger projects when you live in an apartment. I think I’ll have to take over my parents basement, that’s where all the tools are anyway. :)
I’m so sorry to hear you guys have the flu. We have it too. ALL 4 OF US. I’m on day 4 of a fever. I hope you guys have a much weaker strain, and that John is spared.
What did I squeak out? A baby girl!! My first little baby was born on February 4! She loves her BumGenius 4.0 diapers- thanks for the tips on cloth diapering! :)
Wahoo! Congrats Christina!
xo,
s
Can’t say I have been as busy as you guys, but I did get around to tackling my kids’ clothes and toy collection. It was multiplying while we slept, I swear. Now I have a nicely organized toy closet to show for it!
Hooray for these little victories!
Hey,
Have been reading your blog for little over a month (live in New Zealand) and just love it! Have already adopted the dude get on that already challenge. Everytime I see something unfinished I hear that phrase in my head!! have just finished my coffee in bed (rare occurrence as we have a 2.5 year old) and am now inspired to go and finish the final coats on my spraypaint challenge!! p.s. Cripes sorry you have the flu :(
Wahoo! You go, girl!
xo,
s
i sure hope you guys feel better! i love the idea of looking back on each month’s accomplishments. i’m so big on to-do lists and looking forward, but what a wonderful idea to look back, making that important as well! i think this will be quite an encouragement to my husband and all his hard work around the house, too! hang in there!
I’ve been doing that for over a year now and it does work wonders. Last month I’ve switched to recording my accomplishments and blessings daily.
You guys are some pretty busy people! Holy smokes! Enjoyed the recap and love those yellow bookends. Hope you guys feel better :)
I spy… something from your book. :)
Did you guys cut into the wall above where the comfy chair usually sits and make a little shadowbox?
I noticed this in a previous post, too. I think it was in your post about the lighting over the peninsula.
Looks good!
That’s actually just a print that has hung in our kitchen for a while (it used to hang in our first house’s dining room). It’s a print of shelves with cute kitchen items on it, so I can see how it looks like a cutout in the wall though!
xo,
s
I LOVE that you too where your sunglasses inside in the “best cover up” pic. Now i can show my hubby i am not the only one..lol love it!