Give Your Outdoor Lighting A Fresh Update

Last week, while Josh was hard at work on the mudroom/nook/kitchen reno (or munoki??) I took advantage of the sunny weather and crossed off a few projects from my outdoor to-do list.  I didn't manage to fully complete them all (the house is just partially painted) but I did update our front porch light.

The light was a dirty white sconce that had seen better days. It's (barely) visible here in this listing photo of our home.

A Little Pathway Cleanup

I think I've mentioned this a time or two, but I'm not much of a gardener.  Things tend to find their demise at my hand and I'm not really fond of weeding.  So, when our pathway started sprouting grass I let it go so long that in a few spots you couldn't tell there was a pathway there at all.  I finally got motivated one sunny day last week to clean up our pathway of all that baneful grass.

 It looks so much better than that overgrown eyesore we were rocking.

Beadboard // Board and Batten Bathroom Sneak Peek

This project has been a long time in the making - literally.  We bought all the materials about 6 months back, put up the beadboard and went into project hibernation mode.  We finally got it wrapped up but it's still a little while before I can show you the entire after.  You know me - I just can't keep a secret from you guys - so here's a little sneak peek of our beadboard/board and batten bathroom update and for a quick recap of the before check out my first bathroom update.

So what about you guys?  Completed any "quick" room updates or are you suffering from a little project hibernation, yourself?

My Summer Bucket List

Renovating our house has taken over our lives!!!  Don't get me wrong - I love all the projects and seeing the before and after transformations unfold but, the chaos....oh, the chaos.  It is just exhausting.  So with my time off from the office job, this summer I'm focusing more on living, relaxing and and less on working - too bad Josh can't say the same. I'm sure there will be a DIY project in there somewhere, but they better be few and far between...

{VIA}

* Read...lots!
* Log some good ol' beach time
* Create a guest room upstairs
* Host a backyard science camp
* Dinner with the neighbors
* Go swimming with Luke
* Paint the house
* Go camping
* Go hiking
* Turn off the tv & enjoy the weather
* Have a water balloon fight
* Go kayaking with Mom
* Go to a Mariners game with my boys
* Install a hammock
* Float the Klickitat
* Spend some time with the ladies
* Go to an outdoor concert
* Visit friends
* Tie dye tshirts
* Host backyard camping & movie night.....and that's just the beginning.

What are your plans for the summer? Need a few ideas?  Check out these fun summer activities or this ultimate summer bucket list.

Gifts For Dad Roundup

Father's Day is right around the corner - this Sunday, June 16th, to be exact. Whether the Dad in your life loves music, grilling or just a bold buffalo - this roundup of gifts is sure to show that special guy how much he means to you.

1) The Wifi Music kit from Legrand tops the roundup because each of the dads in my life (the hubs, the dad and the dad-in-law) would do a sweet fist pump-kick combo to open them up on Father's Day.  The Wifi Music kit seamlessly connects to a wireless network and can be controlled via a smart phone or tablet.  Plus, combined with the Adorne system, you can utilize multiple pairs of speakers (up to three pairs) throughout the home.  They even sound pretty rad to me...late Mother's Day gift?

2) Cape Buffalo Print from artist, Patrick Logue, is bold, beefy and would be a great addition to the man cave.

3) Reclaimed Wood Cutting Board from Etsy shop, triple7recycled, is gorgeous, practical and perfect for a socially conscious Dad or a guy who just likes to chop things.

4) Tomanohada Soap on a Rope from Thomas Sires  - this soap on a rope is a fresh twist on an old classic.  The traditional Japanese welcome soap brings good fortune and the Tai fish symbolizes prosperity and wealth - I don't know anyone who would be unhappy with that.

5) Hermetus Bottle Opener from Kaufman Mercantile is the beer lovers dream - well, a good beer lover's dream.  Yes, we're beer snobs - not so much snobs since we'll drink pretty much anything - we just prefer really good beer.  Why the Hermetus?  Well, I'll let their witty description win you over, like it did me.

The first sip of a freshly opened beer is the closest that anyone can get to understanding a brew master’s true intention. The fragrance of the hops, the tingle of the carbonation and the depth of the flavor consume your senses — it is almost as if the tipple is whispering brewery secrets into your taste buds. This fleeting moment is the wedding of wet to whistle and, for the true beer enthusiast; the honeymoon should last as long as possible.

If you’re sitting with a 12-ounce of Coors, you probably won’t need to pop open the top then close it back up before finishing. But the size of regular beer bottles are getting larger and craft beers, lambics and ciders are sometimes sized for more than one sitting. This bottle opener and resealer is a great pocket-sized gadget to have in order to make sure that not a drop of that dear brew goes to waste.

Once the resealer is slid into place, the seal is tight enough that none of the liquid will spill even if tipped completely upside down.

6) Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill is the perfect resource for that man behind the grill, with more than 125 recipes for mouth watering meat, poultry, and fish dishes, as well as soups and salads that can be prepared partially or completely on the grill.

Weekend Warrior: June 1 // Recap

Well, we didn't get as much done as we were hoping but we sure were busting our butts all weekend long (or Josh was, in any case.)  There's quite a few things that are half done and a couple that we just didn't get around to.

• Electrify the shed - 50% completed! The outlet and lighting boxes are mounted, we just need to dig the trench and run the wiring.
• Finish electrical in mudroom/nook - 100% Completed!  Our microwave is finally hooked up - No more 40 minute burritos!
• Finish installing the bathroom wall treatment - 80% Completed! Mostly done, just a small portion of the trim to finish up.
• Caulk and paint the bathroom wall treatment - 10% Completed - I started on the caulk but ran out so I'm hoping to finish tonight.
• Find/create lighting for mudroom/nook - 20% Completed - We have the two pendants, we just need to track down the glass shades and a track lighting option. 
• Build bench and bookcase in the nook - 0% Completed - Not even close...this shouldn't have even made last weekend's list.
• More yard work - Done although this is a job that never ends. - We picked up a new Ryobi trimmer/edger from Home Depot and Josh cleaned up the yard.
• Build raised garden bed - 0% Completed - Our poor veggies really need a home.

So, we didn't quite reach our full beast-mode expectations, but we did get quite a bit done.  We're hoping to get finish up everything else on the list early this week so we can schedule our electrical inspection on Thursday and move on to the fun stuff - installing drywall!