Our Favorite Color!

Bedroom: Before





Bedroom: After - we used our favorite Blue Color. We have used this color in 3 different apartments.

Living Room

Living Room: Before - In pictures, this paint color doesn't look much different, but in person it looks a lot more fresh!

The paint color difference - more crisp & fresh

Living Room: After

All done - some of these walls are 15 feet tall and I had to rig up many different ways to paint the corners and the very top where the wall meets the ceiling

View of the living room from the kitchen area! I'm so glad that half of our place is brick - it looks nice and we don't have to paint!

Kitchen Redo

I've been meaning to post for the last couple of weeks, but I just haven't gotten around to it! So this week I'll try to do a few posts to update! Our new place is coming along and we are planning on moving at the end of next week! Here's a look at the kitchen so far:

Kitchen before:
There were no cabinet fronts on the top cabinets, so we thought we could just replace the fronts. Then we found out it was less expensive to get all new cabinets from IKEA and our project got a little bigger!

Top cabinets removed

Cabinets all down

Kitchen painted in "Shakespeare"

Some cabinets up and microwave in place!

All cabinets up - Brad did such a great job!

Cabinet fronts and handles all done

Handles removed and holes filled with wood filler

Bottom cabinet doors primed and ready for paint


Bottom cabinets painted with "Creek Bend" - Thanks Joe & Carolyn for letting us borrow your paint color!

Bar all painted and almost done - we're putting the hardware on this weekend and will eventually replace the refrigerator and stove in the next few years!

Welcome Winter!

We woke up today and checked the weather, -3 degrees (yikes) with the high at 1 degree!

Brad & I actually like cold weather, but this may be too much........

Where's India?

Hey, did you all know that Chicago winters are pretty cold?!? India spends much of her day curled up asleep - these are some of her top winter spots! One thing is for sure, she likes to be warm & cozy!

My favorite chair and India's favorite too! India has never liked this chair until this apartment - it is right next to the window, sunshine and heater!

This is hardly ever allowed, but I had to get one picture! She likes to get up there after I've taken the tea kettle off the burner, a little scary!

Sitting on the swim towels in the Linen closet. She often gets shut in here accidentally!

The DVD player is India's great love!

Closing!

We officially closed on our first home today!

The feeling of home ownership is both exciting and a little scary! This weekend we are going to paint and make an IKEA run for new kitchen cabinets! We are doing a few renovations and are waiting to move in until after the New Year.

I think this is the biggest birthday gift Brad has ever received!

Happy Birthday, Brad

Obama Rally

This post is pretty late in coming, but we wanted to share some pictures from the Obama Rally.

On Election Day, we were fortunate enough to get tickets for the Obama Rally at Grant Park. It was an amazing evening, in regards to the weather (perfect fall weather), the size of the crowd (over 250,000) and the history that was made.

Ever since we went to Chile, I've realized how lucky I am to be from the USA. I'm thankful for all the opportunities, freedom and blessings we have here, but, most of all, that we really do live in the melting pot of the world! I remember talking to so many people in Chile and one Argentinian border guard in particular, that kept saying the United States would never elect a black man to be president - they thought it was ridiculous. We kept saying to those people that the U.S. could have a black president. Looking around us on Election Day, I saw people of all different colors, backgrounds and ages and was so grateful!

I don't know how an Obama presidency will go, so many things are unpredictable, but Election night was probably one of the most memorable nights of my life (I know that sounds dramatic, sorry)!

The buildings around Chicago were all dressed up for the occasion!

The Main Stage at Grant Park!

The huge crowd with the skyline in the background

Kailey & Amy waving their flags, waiting for the Big News!

If you would like to see more pictures please visit our flickr account