Uncategorized Fresh Seasonal Produce is Waiting for You! Washington is home to so many fresh & delicious crops! Apples, cherries, & strawberries come to mind, but strolling through the local farmers’ market reminds me that there is such a variety to be had! Below is a flyer with the dates & addresses of the market nearest you. And remember, you can always find […]
Uncategorized The Many Virtures of Vinegar I love a natural cleaning solution. With allergies and sensitivities to chemicals so prevalent these days, it’s a relief when we can take a step back in time and find a safe and effective cleaning product. Enter Vinegar. Safe- Check! Effective- Check! Inexpensive- Double Check! Because I appreciate this humble liquid so much, I’ve included […]
Uncategorized Feeling Blue? How About Orange? One of the toughest pieces of designing a space is choosing the color palette. I know from experience that it is all to easy to paint yourself into a corner with color (and yes, pun intended!) That’s why I want to share some helpful info with you on how to go about this process. I […]
Uncategorized Summer’s Finally Coming! At Home in the Outdoors Posted in Living by Tara Sharp   More than 80 percent of Americans say they want an outdoor living space where they can relax and entertain. And it’s no wonder why. Outdoor spaces extend your livable space, add visual interest, and increase not only your quality of life, but also […]
Uncategorized Ideas for the Three-Day Weekend Ahead 10 Projects to Start at Home Over a Holiday Weekend Posted in Houzz.com and Living by Houzz.com Putting photos into albums, tidying your closet, making holiday gifts — a long holiday weekend can be the perfect time to tackle a project you’ve been wanting to get to but just haven’t had time for. Here are […]
Custom Home Project Cabinets, Cabinets Everywhere! Matt loves the look of a good cherry wood cabinet, and with this build he finally gets to live the dream. The fascinating thing about cherry is its propensity to darken in the sunlight. This means that the kitchen will continue to change, and the cabinets will grow even more beautiful with time. It's really […]
Custom Home Project The Fountain of Youth You've heard the saying "You're only as old as you feel"? Well I've seen it in action! Matt is making quick progress on the house now, thanks in part to the assistance of my dad. To George Cebert it's all too easy to forget he's 80, even when I'm shouting a reminder at him while […]
Custom Home Project The Pacific Northwest We all must learn to accept the things we cannot change. No more is this evident in building than when dealing with the weather in the Pacific Northwest. We can plan and prepare, but in the end, we are at the mercy of whatever conditions happen to be that day. Fortunately, it's nothing that a […]
Don't Miss Our Next Post
Subscribe Now
Custom Home Project Second Story I should start by saying that for my husband utilizing space well is a must in any home design, and this project is no exception! That's why we spent so much time drawing plans and blueprints which incorporate ample storage and an intuitive floorplan. Of course this is best illustrated by the master suite's walk-in […]
Custom Home Project Nothing to Something Have you ever seen a friend's or relative's child for the first time in years? Then you know how to prepare yourself for a huge change in a seemingly short period of time. Consequently, this was the case when our youngest nephew Beau who came to help us build. Similarly, the house has gone from […]
Custom Home Project Supporting Local Business Now we're on to framing. This is the exciting part, because we're going to start to see the house take shape. We chose Parr Lumber as our supplier. As local business owners ourselves, we appreciated that they are a Northwest family owned company that has been in business for over 80 years.   Finally, all the […]
Custom Home Project Guess Who’s Back… So, after seemingly countless steps leading up to this point, we finally installed the ground level concrete floor. Now we're getting somewhere! Of course this meant another appointment with the goliath concrete pumper. First, as you saw, we filled in around the forms with dirt. Then prepped the area with a layer of plastic sheeting. […]
Custom Home Project Hidden Labors Well, the foundation is OFFICIALLY DONE. I already had an appreciacion for the hard work it takes, but having a hands-on role in smoothing it gives me brand new perspective. Here it is in all it's glory: Oh, one thing I forgot to mention… once the foundation is laid it's back-filled. Which means when it's […]
Custom Home Project Filling and Smoothing Have you ever noticed that the longer you sit still, the harder it is to start moving again? The same principle applies to concrete. It has to be constantly moving, or it starts to harden. This meant we had to act fast. As soon as the concrete was poured into the foundation forms we needed […]
Custom Home Project Heavy Equipment So, this is a concrete pumper truck and it IS as big as it looks. In order to get it close enough to the foundation we had to have truckloads of gravel delivered and spread.   Since we rented it by the HOUR, we made sure to have everything prepped and ready- including extra hands- […]
Custom Home Project A Good Foundation You may think the first step to a well-built house is the same as the first step to a well-built relationship; laying a good foundation. Guess what? You're right! However, like any a good relationship, much preparation is involved before that foundation can be successfully laid.   Our first step was to strip and level […]
Custom Home Project A Massive Undertaking Hello All, As many of you know, Matt and I are taking on a huge project- building a new house/office/rental apartment right in our own (literal) backyard. It has been a goal of ours for a number of years, so it's somewhat relieving to see the house start to take on physical form. This will […]