Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Mini Office / Mail Reception Area


In our 1920's house, storage is obviously a challenge. So we have learned to become creative and clutter free as possible. Incoming mail is always a challenge and I have been trying so many different options to minimize the clutter. I finally found a solution that works great. Here is the before picture of the mini office I had located in kitchen, obviously it doesn't look the greatest, but here it is:

And here is the after picture. I found this vertical handing folder from the container store, which i have hanging from a super magnet on the fridge. Of the categories for the file slots, I have: one for my husband, myself, bills to pay, a slot to hold envelopes and stamps, to review, and to file. Next to the vertical folder, I have a 2 containers (white) that hold post its, note cards, pens, scissors, stapler, and tape. And the best thing about the vertical folder, I can easily fold it up and take it with me to file things in my long term file system. This has worked wonderfully and 2 months out, still looks the same way! So the "system" is definitely an improvement.

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Sunday, October 17, 2010

First Ever Double Layer Cake

I decided to get a little creative with the cake department and attempt to make a double layer cake. The recipe was pretty simple, yellow cake with very yummy chocolate frosting. We were very happy with the chocolate frosting however the cake itself was a touch on the dry side....I guess that only means that more practice is in store for me in the baking department. Which I'm sure my husband would be happy to live with:)

To check out the recipe, visit Martha Stewart. If you decide bake this cake, please make sure to leave feedback for me! Enjoy!






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Jon's Fastest 1/2 Marathon

I am so proud of my husband Jon. He has been on his running kick for about 6 months, and with that, he has done 2 1/2 Marathons within 7 days. His first was the BAA Boston 1/2 Marathon, and the second was the Baystate 1/2 Marathon in Lowell, MA. The first 1/2 his time was approx 2:11, today's 1/2 a whopping 1:38:53. He did such a good job and it was so much fun watching him and cheering him on.



















Cheers to you Jon!
You did an amazing job, you are a great inspiration!
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Saturday, October 16, 2010

Guest Bedroom Updates

We finally removed all the wallpaper that existed in the house. Here are some pics of the guest bedroom before we purchased the house in 2005:



We refinished the original hardwood floors, removed the wallpaper and painted with a sunny yellow, updated with a ceiling fan, and added a touch of seacoast flare to the decor to pull it all together.





Small improvements, one step at a time! Here are the updates we have made in our 1930's Kitchen.

Here are pics of the Kitchen before we purchase in 2005:




And here are the current pics. Obviously with a total of 4 drawers and 4 cabinets we are tight on space for food and storage. With creative space planning, we utilized wall space to store pots and pans, and moved the fridge to add space for a small island. The island also added space for our essentials: Kitchen Aid mixer and coffee maker which couldn't fit under our current cabinets due to height restrictions.....All in all, a few updates with paint and creatively utilizing the space we have we definitely made our kitchen more efficient until we can really afford an upgrade:)