I love my dog.

Why write a post to my dog? Because sometimes when I'm driving and he looks at me in the rearview mirror, I am overcome with love. Because his audible yawns in the morning provide the most gentle alarm clock a girl could have. Because he gets 'helicopter' tail when he's at his happiest. Because he is a rumpled mess of fur and dreadlocks, but he thinks he looks great. Because he hates the rain and stepping in puddles, but LOVES to get toweled off. Because he is lying on the floor next to me even though we have multiple rooms where he could be. Because he gets so excited when my husband comes home that he wags his tail uncontrollably knocking things off every surface. Because he loves me so much that I find my discarded socks, bras, t-shirts and pajamas in his bed. Because he still has the capacity to surprise me, even though he is so predictable. Because he gives kisses on command. Because he sits at the vet office and doesn't freak out when an errant bulldog tries to bite him. Because his paws smell like popcorn. Because he thinks squeaking toys are the most amazing thing a person could give him. Because he somehow knows to be gentle with babies and old people. Because he loves my dad and my brother, even though men make him a little nervous. Because his bark is big enough, his stature imposing enough to be our alarm system/theft prevention device. Because he tries to sit on my lap, even though he is 103 pounds. Because he never allows me to feel lonely.

Porter has been the single best addition to our lives since our wedding on 10/14/06. Even on a day like today (rain on top of snow forming slushy puddles the size of swimming pools) he makes me get outside to walk and breathe fresh air. His uncompromising desire to smell every little rock makes me pause to observe the world around me. Despite the plethora of furballs, the chewed shoes from puppyhood, the responsibility of owning him, I am so grateful for his life, his quirks, his funny personality.

Porter, we love you so much. I just wanted to let you know. I hope we tell you enough.

The day we adopted our little "Bumpers"

I spent every morning of his first 4 weeks at our house holding a bully stick for him to chew.

His first bed.

Snuggles with Mom.

Porter helps Jon with tile removal during our first home renovation.

17 weeks old.

Fall in the Pioneer Valley, our new home.

Porter loves the snow.

Our 2010 Christmas Photo

Showing off his Capt'n Hook whiskers. Porter love to snuggle. And so does Jon.

Looking rather regal with the Holyoke Range behind him.

See...there's this thing I haven't mentioned.

So back, oh, one month and three days ago Jon and I put an offer down on a house. For normal people, putting an offer down on a house is something they discuss and share widely...asking for advice, approval, whatever. Jon and I were convinced that we would jinx the process if we started talking about it, so we kept it to ourselves and our families.

The past weeks have been chaotic, fun, exciting, busy, and intense. And the whole process will culminate, hopefully, on March 1st with a successful closing! Yah...normal people don't really go from not looking for a house to buy and then buying one within 1.5 months. We, if you haven't already figured out, are not normal. The opportunity was just too good. The house was just too dreamy. This house will be our 5th residence and 3rd owned home in just 4.5 years of marriage!

The house is so completely different from our past homes: It's new...as in, brand new, never been lived in. It's a GREEN house...as in, efficient, geothermal heating/cooling system, super insulated, thoughtfully situated on the land to maximize natural sunlight, and built of as many sustainable and reclaimed materials as possible. And it's out in the country (more like mountains), as in, rural.

I think it's as close to a perfect blend of Jon's taste and my taste as a house could get. It's a new, eco-friendly house with character and good architectural details. My dream is to throw some photovoltaic panels on the south facing roof and get off the grid. Here's a sampling of the new abode. More photos once it is legally and officially ours:

Here's the front of the house. Love that porch and the awesome stonework stairs! I'm thinking of painting the doors red.

Best room in the house. The south facing sunroom w/ double sided fireplace.

The sunroom is on the other side of the fireplace. This "great room" is open to the kitchen and will be an open dining area and living area.

And here's the icing on the cake: the view from the back of the house. Rural, yet only 6 miles to Jon's job and 15 to mine.

Baby Shower!

This post is incredibly overdue, but better late than never - eh? At least it will be finished before my friend's baby arrives!

For Ruth's baby shower, my friend Beth and I got to work on some cute theme-focused favors for the guests to take home. Everyone loves a party when they receive gifts too! You'll remember that we had a "sweet pea" theme for the invites...so what better than a little homemade sweet pea to take home?

I found this adorable blog post with plans for DIY felt sweet pea ornaments. Due to lack of time, the realization that the only felt balls I could find were in Australia, and a few other factors...my friend Beth and I had to make a few changes to the design. I think ours came out pretty cute anyway! Instead of felt balls, we used wooden beads.

The shower was so fun...and I believe it achieved its purpose: our dear friend Ruth was showered with love and support. We are so fortunate to be surrounded with a sisterhood of such strong and wise women. We are also lucky to have our friend Cathy's "barn"...which has become the go-to party space!

A few more details for your viewing pleasure:

Our friend Beth brought line and clothes pins to hang up some of the gifts. Easy and quick decoration!

Kate brought these amazing deserts.

Adorable...and all gone by the end of the party!

Instead of silly games, we asked that every guest write a favorite piece of advice for the new mom on a card. We put the advice cards in a basket...and as Ruth picked out the advice cards...she would read the advice out loud for everyone to hear before opening that guest's gift. It made the gift opening really interactive...and we all learned a lot!

Some of the food and drink that we made for the party. My contribution: non alcoholic punch and alcoholic white sangria (thanks Martha Stewart!).

DIY Baby Shower Invitations

Paper turns me on. I think it all started when I was about 10 years old and my parents sent my brother and me to Colonial Camp at the Peter Wentz Farmstead. The farmstead was built and established in the mid- to late- eighteenth century outside of Philadelphia. It served as headquarters to George Washington in the fall of 1777 and now the site (farmstead and 90 surrounding acres) has been restored and furnished to reflect its appearance at the time of the Revolutionary War. Every summer they have a camp where campers learn trades and activities of the Colonial Period. During camp my brother and I made 3 legged milking stools, dipped candle sticks, pressed flowers, weaved ticking tape, painted theorems (that are now framed and hanging in my kitchen!) AND made paper from cotton pulp among other activities.

In my childhood diary I still have pieces of the paper that I made at camp. It's highly texturized and blended with lavender from the Peter Wentz kitchen garden. I'm pretty sure I was hooked right away.

I spend stupid amounts of money on paper, unique letterpress cards (especially anything from Saturn Press in Swan's Island, Maine), and nice pens. My own stationary is navy blue with a white monogram and the envelopes are lined in kelly green. It makes me happy to think of people receiving my thank you notes...navy blue envelopes must be eye catching amongst the bills and catalogs, right?

So when it came time to create baby shower invitations for my dear friend Ruth...I couldn't just go out and buy pre-made or printable invitations. Here's the catch...I'm temporarily unemployed...and not exactly flush with cash at the moment. So, I needed a DIY invitation on the cheap.

First, the theme: We don't know if Ruth is having a boy or a girl so I needed a color/theme that was gender neutral. Ruth's favorite color is green and before she was even pregnant, had a fascination with peapods. Perfect...that was easy!

Second, card stock: I went down to my favorite store in Northampton, essentials, and found bundles of 4" x 6" white card stock. The paper is texturized, which makes it feel more expensive than it was. I got 4 bundles of 10 cards for $12.00, because I needed to make 36 invitations. I figured I would need at least one test invitation and a few mess-ups in my printer.

Third, design: Recently, I watched "The September Issue," in which Vogue-chief Anna Wintour says, "Less is more." I agree! I wanted a simple, straight-forward design that wasn't too cutesy. Ruth has fabulous taste...and doesn't buy into consumerism one bit, so I figured she would appreciate a simple design as well. Here's what I came up with (personal info has been deleted/altered). All 36 invitations were printed on my cheapo HP printer that came free with my MacBook 4 years ago:

Fourth, envelopes: I like to make my own envelopes. I figure it's eco-friendly and unique. Several years ago Santa brought me these awesome envelope templates from Paper Source and ever since I've been making envelopes out of old maps, old Patagonia catalogs, used wrapping paper, old New Yorkers, and anything else flat that I can find. I wanted an envelope that would grab attention, reflect Ruth's eco-friendly interests, and be beautiful. I stopped in at an art supply store and found some gorgeous paper (you'll notice it from my header) that matched the green I used on her invitations. I also used the same peapod design for my address labels. Here's the end result (with personal info altered):

And that, my friends, is one of the ways I have kept busy during funemployment. I love projects.

Find: Anthology Magazine

I'm a fairly faithful reader of Anh Minh's blog and just yesterday, when I decided to dive back into this blogging life, I found her new project: Anthology Magazine. The tag is "Living with substance and style." Now why didn't I think of that? I clicked through the preview and fell in love. For possibly the first time in my life, I am ahead of the curve (or at least I think I am). This magazine is brand new and if you order soon, you'll get the first issue (Fall 2010). For just $38, you'll receive 4 issues per year and from the looks of their preview...it will be $38 well spent.

I used to say that I had one foot in a hiking boot and the other in a stiletto. These days (could it have been 2 years in Maine?) I appear to be drifting away from the stilettos, but I still crave style and art in my every day life. Mostly, I want to live with purpose and yet be effortlessly surrounded by beautiful things. It seems Anthology Magazine is bridging the gap. The idea of a quarterly magazine is also enticing - with the New Yorker, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, Lonny, House Beautiful, and a plethora of short stories and novels...I don't think I can fit another monthly magazine into my reading life. I just ordered my subscription and I'm eager for Fall 2010 to arrive in our mailbox...I expect great things!

Blood, Sweat and Tears

This is long overdue. After living in our house for 1 year and 2 months and putting countless hours of work (and dollars) into the big, lovely Greek Revival, we decided to move. My husband received a job offer, nearly out of the blue, that we couldn't refuse. We both loved our home, our town, and the state of Maine, but I'm of the opinion that one must go where the opportunity presents itself (especially when young). We've been married for 4 years and have lived in 4 different houses, two of which we've owned. That's some math.

In a strange stroke of premonition, I actually folded up and saved all of our moving boxes and packing materials in our attic. So back in July and August, Jon and I set to the task of finishing our major renovation projects, packing most of our belongings, finding a new place to live in the Amherst area, and putting our house on the market.

The months of July and August were stressful and challenging, but September and October have been close to perfection. Our house is still on the market...so look for future posts of updates on the windows and finished front hall. Between moving, finishing projects, and finishing my job at Colby...I had zero time or energy to post anything.

Through the blood, sweat and tears of renovating and then quickly leaving our beautiful home, we've learned some valuable lessons. I want to record these lessons...in case I need reminders in the future:

1. In a home purchase, buy what you need now (or maybe what you need now with logical space for an addition if necessary). Don't over-obsess about planning for the future. Case in point: two people who each work 60+ hours/week do not need a 4 bedroom home. This was all part of planning for our sometime-in-the-future children, but we decided to move before we even thought about having children!

2. Small is better. So, I learned an expensive lesson by buying a big house. I learned that I like small cozy houses (with plenty of storage space for hiding the mess)...plus...my furnishing budget is on a smaller scale.

3. For us, a twenty minute commute is max. A long commute on the way to work is okay, but at the end of a long day...I JUST WANT TO GET HOME.

There may be other lessons that I've learned, but those are the most glaring at the moment. And perhaps you're wondering what I'm going to do with this little, unread blog? Well...I've thought a lot about just giving it up, but I think I'll keep it going for a little while. I like that I can look back on our little crazy life and feel grateful for how far we've come. And as soon as our big, lovely Greek Revival sells...I'm sure we'll be anxious to buy another home that needs a little reviving. But in the meantime, I'll focus on fun projects and fun escapes. No promises for any regularity...but I'll do my best. Thanks for reading. Oh...and if you have a friend who wants to buy a beautiful house in Gardiner, Maine that has been loved and loved and loved, here's our listing.

Good riddance blue floral.

The most efficient man in the world has managed to eliminate every square inch of wallpaper in our house in less than a year. Our one year anniversary of owning our home is on June 24th and yes...we have successfully achieved our goal of stripping all the wallpaper. The front hall was the most daunting of all the rooms: 2 floors of dark greenish-blue floral wallpaper in very hard-to-reach places. Good riddance!

 The first strip is gone. 

Yuck.

And of course, the paper was doing a great job of hiding the cracking, crumbling, disintegrating plaster walls. Rule #1 of renovating an old house: One project always leads to at least 5 new projects.

Looks better already.

First round of wall repair. Can't wait to scrub those stairs.