It's been awhile since we've had a before and after project on here! This Monday morning seemed like the perfect time to share the most recent project we've finished....wallpaper removal!

I had never removed wallpaper before Andrew and I moved in to our home. Oh what an adventure I was in for! ;) 

Here's my disclaimer, I actually really really like wallpaper. I think it adds such a fun texture and color to a space. But the wallpaper in our home was just a bit much. Also, it was everywhere. The wild metallic pattern made the walls and foyer feel a little on the overwhelming side. Here's the best photo I have of the coverage of the wallpaper:

We decided to keep the wallpaper in the first floor guest bathroom--a remnant of sorts!--and we got to work stripping the rest of the wallpaper off the walls. Oh my goodness was it WORK. This wallpaper gave us a bear of a time. It would have been impossible to do without help! Our siblings (and my father-in-law!) were so kind to come over and offer a hand with the wallpaper removal. Honestly, if it weren't for them, I think we'd still be trying to peel wallpaper off the walls! Little by little, month by month, the walls started to lighten up. 

After a lengthy process of stripping wallpaper, steaming and scraping glue, and wiping down the walls...the wallpaper was history!

Andrew and my father-in-law started priming and painting...

...and we had a beautiful finished product!

Here's a look at the foyer wallpaper removal...same story! Lots of work. Lots of helping hands. 

And a beautiful finished product! Paint makes such a difference, doesn't it?

A couple weekends ago we worked on painting our ceilings. And now we're at the fun stage...adding art to the walls! :) Do you have a favorite art source? Or framing shops? I'd love to hear your input!

Currently

Currently watching...Nashville. My friend, Alex, introduced me to it with the warning that it was highly addictive and soap operaish. Yes...yes it is. It's my new guilty pleasure. ;) Between Friday Night Lights and Nashville I'm having a love affair with Connie Britton these days!

Currently reading...Sex and the iWorld: Rethinking Relationship beyond an Age of Individualism. The author, Dale Kuehne, spoke at our church last month. Andrew and I had prior commitments that weekend so we missed his whole seminar--and I am kicking myself that we did! A bunch of young adults at our church started reading his book together, and I'm racing through it to join the discussion!

Currently loving...Trader Joe's coffee creamer. Another guilty pleasure. Is there anything not to love about Trader Joe's?!

Currently laughing about...how big Admiral Byrd is getting. He's already 42 pounds! Tomorrow he'll be six months old. I know it sounds so cheesy to say, but I feel like we just picked him up last week! Here's a photo from the week we brought him home...compared with a photo taken a few days ago. He is the sweetest trouble-maker. We love him.

Currently looking forward to...a little staycation in Reston with Andrew this weekend! We're supposed to get rain all weekend here in D.C., and I think that's the perfect excuse to stay indoors and relax!

Happy weekending to you!

Spring!

Two years ago!
March 17, 2012
(We'd been dating for two and a half months!)

Hello!!! Happy first day of spring! Are you still reading? Is this thing on? Oh goodness gracious, I know I've been waaaaaay MIA around here. It's March now...and warm days are just around the corner! Thank goodness.

We've had a wonderful, action-packed winter. Our first married winter! I was telling a friend this morning that my winters used to be relatively quiet and relaxing and introspective. The stay-indoors-and-hibernate kind. Somehow this past winter ended up being anything but that! Hah! But, I'm grateful for the many activities we had going on...the trips to visit friends...the chance to host visiting friends...double dates with siblings...Super Bowl parties...basketball games...church activities...engagement parties...birthday brunches...weddings...and dog training! It's been a full winter. :)

We did manage to have a few of those hibernation days--mostly centered around the Olympics. Don't you love the winter Olympics? They've always been my favorite. A few weeks ago I introduced Andrew to Friday Night Lights...he is hooked! We're speeding our way through season two. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose!

We're painting a lot these days, too. We've got half a dozen home renovation projects we're working to finish...what a gift to be able to do that. It's hard work and messy, but I certainly don't take it for granted. It is a blessing to have the ability and resources to work on our home. I don't take my father-in-law for granted either! He's been incredibly generous to come over and help Andrew and I with our projects. Hopefully we'll have a before and after project on here soon!

Hope there's sunshine in your neck of the woods today! Andrew and I are soaking up the rays here in Virginia. Happy spring!

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

It's Andrew's birthday today! If there's one thing I could do in my sleep it's celebrate him! He is just the best of the best. I love him and respect him and appreciate him more each day. Marriage takes work, yes, but oh my goodness is it ever worth it. The last eight months have been some of the happiest months of my life. I just adore being married to Andrew!

photo from our wedding day!
june 1, 2013

I made a little video montage for Andrew's birthday...highlights from our last two years of dating, being engaged, getting hitched, honeymooning, and become Virginia homesteaders! :)

Another year of life is a thing to celebrate! Just like that husband of mine. We're heading out for steaks tonight with his family...bring on the festivities! :)

2 0 1 4

Happy new year! I'm alive! I hardly know where to begin with a recap...our holidays were action-packed! Andrew and I spent a few days away with my family after Christmas in Hot Springs, Virginia (we stayed at the original Virginia Homestead!), returned home on New Year's Day, did a quick turnaround and flew out of town the next morning with my in-laws to Orlando, Florida! We spent a week in the Sunshine State before returning to snowy Virginia. Every single one of us promptly got sick! Hah! 

We're still a little behind over here. We have Christmas decorations covering the living room floor (I keep meaning to box them up), and I'm embarrassed to admit our suitcases have been hanging out in our bedroom begging for someone to unpack them. Real life! 

I'm hoping to do a little photo montage soon of all these fun trips we took! Until then, here's one I swiped off the Disney PhotoPass site...

Our Christmas Card!

One of my favorite things about this time of year is sending and receiving Christmas cards. When my siblings and I were growing up we would scramble to look at Christmas cards arriving in the mail. My parents placed Christmas cards from friends and relatives in a basket in our kitchen. Whenever my siblings and I would return home from school we'd race to the basket for a glimpse at any new additions. I wish I could say I've outgrown that habit...but I still love receiving Christmas cards! These days I'm racing Andrew for the mail. ;)

I ordered our Christmas cards through Minted this year. I am happy as a clam with the way they turned out! And so impressed with Minted! They had the best customer service--I was easily able to approve a proof of our card, and the order arrived in record time. It's not a necessity but they had pretty darling packaging, too. I'm a sucker for that.

If you haven't ordered your Christmas cards yet take a look at Minted! They have an almost endless selection to choose from. You can order invitations, stationary, and custom art prints, too! 

Merry Minted Christmas! :)

{This post is not sponsored by Minted. I'm just a really big fan!}

Edinburgh & St. Andrews // Scotland

It's a Scotland kind of day here in Virginia. A little cloudy and cool (but not unbearably so). Andrew and I pulled out our rain jackets this morning, and I couldn't help thinking back to one of our honeymoon days.

We packed a full day of excursions into our last stop in the beautiful country of Scotland. In the morning we ventured to historic Edinburgh. Later that afternoon we took a bus through the countryside to arrive at St. Andrews by the sea! 

I was so excited to visit both of these places. My sister had traveled to Edinburgh and St. Andrews during a college spring break to visit several high school friends. Her photos and stories from the trip had me itching to visit, too! I thought of her every step down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. 

Andrew and I took a tour through Holyroodhouse Palace (the Queen's official residence when visiting Scotland) and geeked out on the audio portion. It was fascinating! We also walked by the church where Zara Phillips married Mike Tindall! I think my obsession with interest in the royal family has only grown since our trip!

The bus ride to St. Andrews that afternoon was a relaxing scenic drive through the Scottish countryside. Andrew and I kept looking at each other and saying, "We could live here!" Upon our arrival in St. Andrews we visited the historic cathedral (built in 1158!), and then made our way over to the famous golfing greens. Not far from the greens is the beach where the opening scene from Chariots of Fire was filmed!

Andrew and I walked up and down Main Street in St. Andrews, and happened upon a small cafe claiming to be a favorite locale of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! We stepped in to purchase a few scones and San Pells. The employees affirmed the truth of the claim...Kate and William really dated here! :) 

Andrew and I took our snack to go and walked down to the water's edge to eat. We had a view of the North Sea and a beautiful sunny day...that's what dreams are made of! Scottish dreams, at least. :)

Thanksgiving.

Happy December! I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful! I'm still recovering from the piles of turkey and pie and corn pudding we feasted on this past weekend. 

Andrew and I had such a special Thanksgiving together. We spent the majority of our Thanksgiving Day with Andrew's family (no complaints...I think I have some of the greatest in-laws!), and joined my family for our traditional Christmas tree hunt the day after.

There was food. Lots of food. And football. And even a hunting expedition! Andrew and my brother, Stephen, spent Saturday deer hunting in central Virginia. Stephen's girlfriend, Elinor, and I chose to stay indoors. We had to admit this whole hunting business is a little confusing for us...it must be a guy thing. :) I'll spare you the photo of both guys returning home after the hunt with not one but two bucks!

Here's a little photo dump from our holiday weekend...

Admiral Byrd!

Happy Monday! Andrew and I are sleep-deprived, bleary-eyed and over-joyed this morning! Last week we added the sweetest Labrador Retriever to our family...Admiral Byrd!

We had talked about pets long before we got married. In fact, I think I made sure to bring it up early in our dating relationship. :) I grew up with a Golden Retriever and a St. Bernard. I just adore dogs. And pups especially (who doesn't?!).  Andrew promised me we would get a dog one day...and we did! Admiral Byrd is my early Christmas gift. And I couldn't be more over the moon/melting/happy. He is the cat's meow. (So is that husband of mine.) 

We brought Admiral Byrd home to Virginia last Tuesday, and he's had no shortage of visitors since then. In fact, Sis and I even took him to a dog park last week! 

We are loving (almost) every minute with this bundle of energy. Here's a few snapshots of the Admiral at eight weeks old... 

About a boy (and a house).

Shortly after we'd settled into our home this summer my father-in-law joked with me that, "When you're a homeowner you don't need a hobby!" There's a lot of truth to that statement! Owning a home is a huge responsibility. And combining a newlywed life with home renovation projects has been quite the adventure. :)

Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful for our home. It is a gift to have our own place...to be able to paint and decorate it as we please. I am unspeakably thankful for it! But all the home ownership responsibilities can a bit, well, daunting some days. It's easy for me to feel overwhelmed by all the projects we want to finish.

I think that feeling might just be a case of my priorities getting a little out of whack. Does that ever happen to you?

Because when I stop and reflect on the many things I have to be thankful for, the greatest gift is not this house. It's not the finished painting projects. Or the empty boxes making their way to the door.

It's the man I get to do life with in this house! He is what I'm most thankful for in this season.

It's easy to fixate on what needs to be done. Especially in a living space (be it apartment, home, penthouse...whatever!). Sometimes I find that in fixating on what I need to do, I miss out on what's most important...like people! Like my husband.

In the spirit of thanksgiving, I've been asking Andrew the last few days what he's most thankful for. Do you know what his answer is every single time? "You, Emily." I keep telling him he can't give me that answer every day...but that's just his honest heart. 

I learn so much from that man. His forgiveness and grace and tenderness have simply filled my heart to overflowing in these last five months of marriage. I think he is remarkable. 

The paint projects will be finished one day. The unpacking will finally be done. And days and months will have gone by. I don't want to miss these present newlywed days because I'm so eager to have a home that's pulled together in the future.

I want to cultivate thankfulness now. And express it! Especially for that husband of mine. (I know I have a tendency to go on and on about him. I really think he is the creme de la creme.)

/////

“And how could we endure to live and let time pass if we were always crying for one day or one year to come back--if we did not know that every day in a life fills the whole life with expectation and memory and that these are that day?”

-C.S. Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet

Wedding florals

Andrew and I celebrate our five month anniversary today! I can hardly believe it's been that long...and yet not that long! Marriage is such a gift.

I'm reminiscing about our June wedding today and thinking of the many gorgeous blooms our florist, Jonalee Earles, pulled together. I just loved our wedding (I'm sure every bride feels that way!). But, the flowers! Oh, the flowers! Those might have been one of my favorite parts of the whole day. Our florist did such a wonderful job hand-crafting the bouquets and centerpieces to suit our style just perfectly.

It's a dreary day here in Virginia so I'm taking a look back at those lovely summer florals!

{photography by Katie Stoops}