by request (updates on the house)

we've been asked a few times about the kitchen floor update -- specifically "have you gotten rid of that gold linoleum from hell yet?" and the answer is YES!

view from dining room, through kitchen, and into mudroom/nook/laundry area. next to go -- the yellow backsplash. it will be replaced by brushed aluminum looking metal. unfortunately, the yellow countertops have to wait. but i'm envisioning a granite-look laminate similar to this.

here is a view from laundry area into the kitchen...and YES that IS a new range with a microwave above it! woot! (okay, you can't actually SEE the microwave, but it's there) it was a belated mother's day gift from alan after he pulled out the old range and realized just how greasy and disgusting it really was. yes, it was so bad that even a man was not about to install a brand new microwave above it! thanks, babe!

view from laundry area into "mom's nook" aka "the time-out zone". time out for misbehaving kiddos and for tired mommies to take a load off. i need to finish crocheting my retro-inspired pillow cover (visible in gold linoleum pic) and i want to make an amy butler gumdrop pillow to prop my tired feet on.

alan has also been really busy in the yard...mainly hacking down dead/diseased/overgrown/poison-ivy infested trees with his manly chainsaw Pepe. (yes, it has a name and it is also the BEST father's day gift EVER.) he also found time to install a tire swing for the kiddos. every yard needs one. next project may be a treehouse -- we have sooo many trees! some of these pics may be on alan's blog, so apologies to the avid double-blog reader.


alan and the kids looking sassy and coy.

had takes a solo swing -- i wanted to show our "petite woods" that is part of our backyard. so far, it's off limits to the kiddos, but alan has plans to clear out all low-growing branches and poison ivy so it will be a groovy place to explore sometime in the future. incidentally, it also houses TWO sheds. one is falling down and will be demolished and hauled off. one is salvageable now that alan has felled the tree that was half-dead and leaning on the roof. he also cleared a nice sunny patch for a garden near it. (someday) :)

both monkeys on the swing...you can just see the screened porch in the background.

and one more -- this time you can see the porch and a bit more of the house and backyard. someday we will post a pic of the front of the house! crazy that we haven't taken one...we have a lot of work to do on the outside of the house and yard. my dream is to have our house featured on the HGTV show Curb Appeal. that would be awesome!

finally, pics of the comp-u-babe-dio (that's computer room, baby's room, and painting studio all rolled into one). props to g'ma S for the idea -- we stole it from her comp-u-sew-dio (same thing but with sewing rather than a baby)

here's where the two parts of the room meet up.

daddy's corner.
ruby's corner.

that's all folks! keep scrolling for yet ANOTHER entry featuring more miss ruby...(and including the cutest photo yet)