MY VERY FIRST BLOG POST!

A friend of mine, who happens to be an executive coach and all-around amazing person, recently doled out some very good advice (check out her fabulous podcast here) that “sometimes you just have to start.” Don’t wait for perfection, just start. Thank you, Sharon. I needed that…

So without further ado, here I am writing my first blog post. Ta-da! I am so happy that you’re with me for the ride. THANK YOU!

I thought that I would use this opportunity in my inaugural post to give you a couple of “before” photos to give you a taste of some of the projects I have going on around my house. Some of these before pics are not horrible – I realize that these are things that one can live with (just not me…for too long). Also in the context that this house was built in 1885, it makes me particularly sad that all of the details and charm have been stripped away over the years. So we’re trying to bring some personality and charm back and just make it feel more like us.

Here are my fireplace, master bath, and patio before:

Notice that the fireplace has a slab of green granite on top. What is with the granite obsession, people? Granite does not make it nice! In case you are wondering, that fireplace is an electric insert, which is admittedly functional, but it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing choice on the planet. And there must have been a sale on that beige tile because you can see that they also used it in the master bath, which is super tiny. And our patio is nice and private, but it’s also tiny and that fence looked terrible after one winter (also that is not my patio furniture).

Here’s a little sneak peek at our fireplace after:

Fireplace shmireplace…who is that cute baby photobombing my “after” shot?! Unlike that patio furniture, she is all mine, folks. I’ll post our full fireplace makeover VERY soon and I’ll also be posting the master bath and patio renovations soon so stay tuned…

So, here’s the other thing about most row homes – spacious they are not. I do love this house, but like most row houses, it’s narrow, old, and there is zero storage. Living in this house definitely requires thoughtful design choices and an intentional approach to living with less stuff. We are in a constant state of culling and trying to pawn our stuff off to other people. For most of us who have committed to staying in the city – yes, even with kids! – living in tight quarters and getting creative about the space you have is the reality.

My goal with this blog is to share what I have learned (and continue to learn) from our projects around the house, how we make our relatively small space work especially as our family has grown, and, most importantly, to share how much all of this stuff costs. So hopefully some of what I share on this blog can provide some inspiration, motivation, or at the very least least some helpful information.

Still with me, ladies (and Alberto)? Let’s see where this thing goes…xx

Family photo and “After” fireplace photo by the lovely and talented Meredith Hanafi.