Young House Love

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February Superlatives

Psst- Sorry for the slightly belated post this morning, two out of the three human members of our household have the flu. Boo!

For those asking where February Superlatives went, here they are! We were just in Hawaii the week they were “due” so they carried over to this week. And boy are we glad February is over. Well, not the part where we ended it basking oceanside in 80-degree weather, but the part where our heads were spinning from three weeks of secret book project-doing and photoshoot-ing. Yeah, we’re glad that’s behind us. But since we survived all that (and lived to tell the tale!) in addition to prepping for a presentation in Portland while keeping our kitchen reno going, we can’t help but do our regular look back at what these 29 jam-packed days held (in yearbook superlative style, of course). We even tossed in some never-before-seen stuff for kicks. Oh and you can check out all of our monthly superlatives dating back to January 2011 right here (where you can peruse a year’s worth of projects in just 12 posts).

Most Hooked Up: Clara, who earned a special spot to hang up her coat when Sherry repurposed an old brown rail hook and spray painted it white as part of her Dude Get On That Already challenge.

Laundry Hooks Vert

Brightest: These horse bookends, after they were given the yellow spray paint treatment as – you guessed it – another Dude, Get On That Already challenge.

Horse Bookends Done2

Best Cover Up: The patch job we did on the holes in our ceiling (where our old fluorescent light fixtures once were). “Best” might be a bit strong, since our process kinda involved more than a few globs of spackle raining down on Sherry in the process (and yes, we caught it on video).

Hole 3

Best Cover Up (Runner Up): The cover I built to conceal our range hood. Man it’s funny to look back on this thing all raw and unpainted.

Cover 22 Trim Taped Up

Best Supporting Role: The brackets that we chose to keep our open shelves from falling off of the wall. We know not everyone is on board with them (to bracket or not to bracket is a debate for the ages!), but we love ’em.

Shelves 16 Test Hanging

Most Open Minded: Us, once we finally got our open shelves hung up in the kitchen. It was pretty much love at first sight.

Shelves 28 After From Offic

Most Improved: Our open shelves, once they actually got filled up with dishes, glasses, serving bowls and a decorative item here and there. Unloading the dishwasher was never so fast. The verdict so far on living with open shelves: we love ’em!

StyleShelves Deet Vertical

Biggest Quack: The wooden goose that we (finally) hung up next to our front door.

Duck After1

The Close Call Award: Re-installing the crown molding in our kitchen, during which we nearly ran out of the existing molding scraps (which would’ve meant redoing the entire room, not just the missing sections). Phew!

Crown 11 Marker Edge

Biggest Splash: The new art we hung in our kitchen, featuring a very colorful swimmer (and some imaginary fish that both Clara and some of you guys can see).

KitchArt Close Angle

Blingiest: The light fixture that we ORBed and hung above our kitchen sink, which had been sitting around the house for about eight months just waiting or the perfect home.

Light After Really Close

Blingiest (Runner Up): Our backsplash tile, after we used some elbow grease and haze remover to bring its sparkle back (see how hazy it is on the left and how shiny it is on the right?).

Buffing 1 Mid Buff

Freshest: These tulips that added a nice burst of it’s-almost-spring to our kitchen.

Tulips Whole Vase

The “It’s About Darn Time” Award: Our dishwasher, for finally getting the upgrade from bisque to matching stainless steel.

DW 12 New One Ready

Biggest Potty Mouth: Me, for blabbing on and on about replacing the wax ring under the toilet in our hall bathroom.

Toilet 10 Removing Bowl

Biggest Smash: Poor ol’ Ramsy, our ceramic ram head that was our one major casualty of the book photoshoots. RIP little buddy.

Broken Ram

Most Organized: Sherry. At least she’s feeling that way after falling in love with her new non-grocery-coupon sorting folder.

Coupons5

Least Organized: Our tool drawers, which are still a mess – but at least they’re housed in a cabinet again (rather than being splayed out on our daybed). All it took was cutting down the old wall oven cabinet from our kitchen and re-situating it in our sunroom.

Sunroom 4 Cutting

Class Clown: Us? No, this should probably go to the performers of the Richmond Comedy Coalition who had us giggling during their Richmond Famous improv show where we “guest starred” back in January. Though maybe Sherry should get the prize for “Weirdest Underwear Story.”

Famous On Stage Far

Most Flattering: The people of Portland, for truly going out of their way to make us feel welcome and special in their city. We still can’t express how fun it was to meet a bunch of you and how flattered we are by the lengths some of you went to pop in for a visit while we were at the Portland Home & Garden Show. Best. Readers. Ever.

HomeShow Portland Art

Biggest Beach Bum: Clara, who couldn’t seem to get enough of the ocean (which is her preferred term for the beach, by the way) on our first ever vacation from blogging in Hawaii.

This Monday Clara

Longest House Guests: The book photography crew who essentially house-crashed us for three weeks, but took such great photos for the book that all the chaos was completely and utterly worth it! Our house is still far from back to normal, but we’ll get there… someday. Maybe by the time our book is out in October…

Book Shoots1

Book Shoots2

What did you guys squeak out in the short month that is February? Was yours as jam packed as ever? Have you ever made a list of accomplishments to look back on? Feel free to use the comment section of this post to list what you’ve done (or just toss out a few highlights). It’s so nice to take a break from adding things to the to-do list for a second, just to look back and appreciate the things you’ve victoriously completed. We totally think it helps us keep up the ol’ momentum!

Comments

  7. heather says

    You guys definitely had a head-spinning (but for good reasons) February! I hope the family feels better soon.

    As far as “tracking” items, I love idonethis.com. They send a daily email and all you do is respond with what you accomplished for the day. I like to use it to track when I workout (because to me that is an accomplishment) but mainly to write down three things that day that I’m grateful/feel blessed because of.

    As I see it, happy people aren’t grateful people, grateful people are happy people and studies have shown people who write down 3 things they are happy for daily are happier people in the long run (and the positivity lingers for a long time too after you stop – like 6 months I think). It’s so true. They also send you email reminders of what you did “a month ago”, etc. I love it!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I love that! I have kept a gratitude journal for around three years and I love writing down all the little (and big) things I’m thankful for! It definitely can turn even those bad days into days that you’re grateful for.

      xo
      s

  8. Julia @ Chris loves Julia says

    You have had a ‘UGE month! Whew. At the beginning of February, we decided to start renovating our family room. We started with demolition.
    And then, we have slowly been building it back up. The walls have been painted. New carpet. Moved vents. New window. And now we’re working on building built-ins out of Billy bookcases.

    http://chrislovesjulia.blogspot.com/2012/03/built-in-billys-part-1.html

    … We, like you, can’t wait to get our house back in order! Feel better!

    Reply

  9. Kristen says

    I feel like I was completely useless in February. I was recovering from a back injury in January while still trying to prepare for a half-marathon. I guess that was my success for February – completed half marathon with no further injuries. woot woot!

    Reply

  10. r8chel says

    Aren’t the beach and the ocean two different things? I always thought the beach was the sand and the ocean was the water — although, yes, people typically use the word “beach” when referring to the whole thing. Does Clara perhaps prefer the water to the sand?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, it’s true! I think she just likes the word ocean because she has a sound machine that sounds like the ocean so for months we have said “hear the ocean?” when we turn it on and tuck her in. She definitely loves playing in the sand and the water, though. That girl can get messy! Haha.

      xo,
      s

  11. Rebecca @ the lil house that could says

    It’s hard not to feel like a lazy bum after reading your list! But I guess we accomplished a lot this month, even if we didn’t do everything we planned. We added a paneled accent wall, learned how to install crown molding (and did so successfully!) and painted the ceiling of our nursery. Walls are still pending but hey, you can’t win ’em all right? :)

    Reply

  13. Emma says

    The book is out in October? What-WHAT? That’s awesome! I’m so excited! Hope the flu stricken get well soon.

    Reply

  15. Katie says

    I’m always amazed at how much you guys are able to accomplish in a month, but even more so in a month where you were working around book shoots, stomach flus, a work trip and a vacation! Bravo — keep up the good work! Can’t wait to see all you’ll accomplish in March!

    Reply

  16. JennP says

    We bought a new dining table and wrapped up the first trimester of pregnancy #2. I was happy to see the month end as well :)

    Reply

  17. Mary says

    I actually got some decor-related projects done in February that I’d been meaning to do for months. I rehung some curtains and coat hooks using anchors (I can’t believe I’d never used them before! I’m a convert.), created some new art by stretching fabric over some square wood frames I assembled, put up a floating shelf, and finally hung my full length mirror (it had been sitting around for about 10 months, so it’s about dang time).

    Thanks for blogging, your posts keep inspiring me to improve the look and comfort of my home and provide lots of ideas on how to do it cheaply, even if I do just have an apartment. So keep it up!

    Reply

  18. Cathy says

    Well, how much you all got done, my list pales in comparison, but we did paint the kitchen cabinets, replace the hardware, and turn 2 curtain panels into 4 and hang them in our living room. Considering that we have a 1 year old boy running around, I feel good about it. For March we are having new counter tops installed, a patio door installed, and laying laminate flooring! Can’t wait to see what you all ha in store for March!

    Reply

  20. Linda says

    Hoping you all feel better soon! Let your bodies rest up – you had a incredible whirlwind of a month! Simply amazing what you completed in 29 days.

    Reply

  21. Carrie @DreamGreenDIY says

    Hope the flu flees your home soon! That’s no fun…

    Thanks for sharing a look back on your busy month! We didn’t have nearly the same level of excitement, but we did manage a few things:

    Bought a new chair – http://dreamgreendiy.com/2012/02/24/my-brand-spankin-new-chair/
    Got my abstract painting on – http://dreamgreendiy.com/2012/02/17/6475/
    Recovered an old ottoman – http://dreamgreendiy.com/2012/02/10/mid-century-ottoman-redressing/

    Here’s to feeling accomplished!!

    Reply

  23. Kathy says

    Two out of three members of our household has the flu………..
    What happened to Burger?

    I always seem to get the flu bug after long plane trips. Rest, and feel better soon!
    -Kathy

    Reply

  24. KC says

    Great recap! So sorry to hear that you guys are sick…at least it didn’t happen last week, right? Get well wishes headed your way!!!

    Reply

  28. Alisa says

    At first I thought I had achieved jack squat other than love on my newborn girl, but then I looked back at my blog posts and realized we’ve actually gotten a few little things done! Thank goodness for blogging, right? I usually feel like we have a ton to do then I look back on this post where in the two hours it took to get my daughter to go to sleep, I actually got a few things done.

    http://beehart.typepad.com/my-blog/2012/02/two-hours.html

    Reply

  29. Sarah H. says

    Hope you feel better soon!

    We got some work done in our garden (weeding, mulching, getting ready for the new planting season) and put the finishing touches on our nursery, including scoring a super nice glider rocker for only $100 on Craigslist (regular price was around $350)! Now we are just waiting for baby to come…any day now!

    Reply

  30. Patricia says

    Next year, think about getting flu shots for you and John. You can get one for Clara too but who wants to give their kids extra shots anyways? But the benefits to the parents having it are that they can minimize bringing home sickinesses. And if your child does catch the flu then you shouldn’t get it and then you can just focus on taking care of the little one. I know a lot of people are against flu shots but a lot of those reasons can now be argued against. Lol. Feel better! Also if you just started showing signs of the flu (within two days) you could benefit from a prescription called tamiflu. /endpharmacyknowledge. Enjoy your weekend.

    Reply

  31. KiTx says

    In February, our new tile got laid (albeit not by us since it was an insurance replacement) and I took my comprehensive exams for my master’s degree and PASSED! By the end of fall I’ll be done and can FINALLY start doing home projects again! Feel better soon, ladies!

    Reply

  33. Jessica says

    Karls legs are off! Did I miss that? Is that a permanent change or just something temporary going in durin the book chaos?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh Karl got completely taken apart just for book chaos (we couldn’t fit lots of shots without taking him apart to make room for things like a bed and a table in the corner of the living room). He’s now all assembled again. Whew.

      xo,
      s

  35. Sarah says

    I hope you are able to catch your breath now! You folks are the most PRODUCTIVE I have ever seen! It is truly amazing to see what all you can accomplish in one month’s time!
    You should be very proud of yourselves!! Hopefully life will settle down a little now that Feburary is over.

    Reply

  36. Jenny says

    I finished mulching all of my gardens, hung a mirror from Ikea over the TV in the den, and made fabric wall hangings for the dining room from Crate & Barrel dish towels. They are way too nice for dish towels but they are perfect on the wall!

    Reply

  39. mirka says

    Oh NO! Our baby just finished with the stomache flu. It was aweful and scary but you guys are so awesome. Not even the flu can stop you. Take good care.

    Reply

  40. Sheela says

    Feel better soon! We’ve had a bunch of illness this winter, so I hope that everyone stays healthy from here on forward! And looks like your trip to Hawaii was just in time. It’s supposed to be pouring there for the next week or so!

    Reply

  41. Diana says

    I just caught up on all your posts for the last few days. What an amazing month! Your house looks great; you truly deserved a vacation! Loved the posts on Clara…she is so smart and adorable. Your post on YHL of Clara screaming at the fireball reminded me of my daughter’s first trip to Disneyland as a toddler. We took her on a scary ride, and after that she was scared of everything…especially the fireworks. My husband ended up taking her on the Merry-go-Round 11 times that day since that was the only ride she liked. We laugh about it now because she is all grown up and the daredevil of the family.
    I’m sorry to hear that you and Clara have the flu….take care, keep hydrated, and get well soon!

    Reply

  42. Kala M. says

    October! Yeah for your upcoming publish date. I was really hoping for September. My Hubby has already been directed that your book is on my Birthday(September 25th) wish list. Guess it will just have to be a late present. Because I don’t think I could wait to get it as a Christmas present.

    As for completed projects, nothing yet but I have a list rolling around in my head. Sweater pillows, re-covering the cat’s scratching post with sisal, help my father repair a chair that he got from his mother and an art project using either scrap wood or pallets. It is just hard to do larger projects when you live in an apartment. I think I’ll have to take over my parents basement, that’s where all the tools are anyway. :)

    Reply

  43. Torrie says

    I’m so sorry to hear you guys have the flu. We have it too. ALL 4 OF US. I’m on day 4 of a fever. I hope you guys have a much weaker strain, and that John is spared.

    Reply

  44. Christina says

    What did I squeak out? A baby girl!! My first little baby was born on February 4! She loves her BumGenius 4.0 diapers- thanks for the tips on cloth diapering! :)

    Reply

  45. Katherine says

    Can’t say I have been as busy as you guys, but I did get around to tackling my kids’ clothes and toy collection. It was multiplying while we slept, I swear. Now I have a nicely organized toy closet to show for it!

    Hooray for these little victories!

    Reply

  46. Nicole says

    Hey,
    Have been reading your blog for little over a month (live in New Zealand) and just love it! Have already adopted the dude get on that already challenge. Everytime I see something unfinished I hear that phrase in my head!! have just finished my coffee in bed (rare occurrence as we have a 2.5 year old) and am now inspired to go and finish the final coats on my spraypaint challenge!! p.s. Cripes sorry you have the flu :(

    Reply

  47. jenn says

    i sure hope you guys feel better! i love the idea of looking back on each month’s accomplishments. i’m so big on to-do lists and looking forward, but what a wonderful idea to look back, making that important as well! i think this will be quite an encouragement to my husband and all his hard work around the house, too! hang in there!

    Reply

  49. Sunny says

    I spy… something from your book. :)
    Did you guys cut into the wall above where the comfy chair usually sits and make a little shadowbox?

    I noticed this in a previous post, too. I think it was in your post about the lighting over the peninsula.

    Looks good!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That’s actually just a print that has hung in our kitchen for a while (it used to hang in our first house’s dining room). It’s a print of shelves with cute kitchen items on it, so I can see how it looks like a cutout in the wall though!

      xo,
      s

  50. Meggan Colombo says

    I LOVE that you too where your sunglasses inside in the “best cover up” pic. Now i can show my hubby i am not the only one..lol love it!

    Reply

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