That Bathroom Floor, Though

As soon as Tyler returned home from his six months away, he quickly jumped into a few projects around the house. One such project, was the tiling of our bathroom floor.

You guys already know how we feel about many of the finishings in our home, which is somewhere along the lines of "what the hell were they thinking?"

The structure and build of the home itself is on-point. I love the layout, it has good bones, and the water and heating systems are top-notch. The carpet, floors, hardware, cabinets, showers, some light fixtures, and vanities however, can HIT THE ROAD.

Because we won't live here for more than a few more years, we have to choose our projects wisely, and plan to only tackle the issues that will (hopefully) give us the highest return. We've painted, replaced carpet, replaced hardware, and replaced light fixtures. Now I can add new bathroom floors to the list.

You guys, this cost us a whopping $300 (and that includes a new toilet).

 

Before:

During:

 



 

Mixing adhesive - with wine, obviously.

My dad even got in on the action (thanks, dad).

 



 

After:



Three-Oh

Tyler recently turned the big 3-0, which I think is kind of a big deal. For those of you who don't know, Tyler is the master of surprises. He loves, loves to surprise family members, and does it as often as he can.

For this particular birthday, I wanted to return the favor - in a big way. I decided that I would surprise him with a getaway to New York City (a city that neither of us had visited before). Then I thought, what would make an awesome trip to NYC even awesomer? If his friends showed up. Then I thought, what would make this the awesomest surprise ever? That's right. If his family made an appearance, too.

Incredibly, nearly everyone I invited was able to make the trip.

Everyone showed up over the course of Thursday night, surprising him at our hotel room, and in bars we were at. I think he nearly couldn't process what was happening. So many people who love him, all in one place.

The energy in NYC is contagious. The history, the size, the culture, the architecture - it's intoxicating. We went non-stop for three straight days, and collapsed into the train that would take us home at the end of our trip. We ate, toured, drank, and explored our way through Tyler's 30th birthday weekend.

A huge thank you to everyone who travelled to make this a reality - it wouldn't have been the same without each of you.

Here's a peek inside our adventure, via photo overload.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Fest

New York eats, breathes, and sleeps apples in the fall. Apple pies, apple fritters, apple sauce, apple butter, apple donuts, apple EVERYTHING.

So of course, there are apples fests. For your enjoyment, here are some snapshots of our recent visit to one.

All the Fall Things

Fall is my favorite. I mean, it's everyone's, right? Something about the crisp mornings, cool afternoons, dancing leaves, and the vibrant colors. That time of year when the boots make their way back to the mud room, jackets find their way to the coat hooks, and slippers find their spot under the night stand.

Here in New York, fall is something extra special. Apples fall like leaves from the trees in our yard, and the cider mill down the street is hard at work, producing some of the region's best cider, pies, and donuts - the same way they have since 1927. The streets meander through color-filled fields, past farms where cows graze road-side, and deer wander freely (apparently, right into the side of my car).