tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61483140615890346982024-03-13T20:04:37.705-04:00life as a LoseyErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.comBlogger245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-23807315350603762992013-09-16T06:06:00.001-04:002013-09-16T06:06:52.521-04:00Lights, Camera, Work!We needed a working office. I was getting tired of having stacks of papers and books everywhere and spreading my materials in various rooms. Most nights I sit on the couch and read or do homework, but it's very distracting. We finally found a desk we love, which got our butt in gear to work on the office.<br />
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My husband is awesome. He can figure out how to do any project around the house which saves us so much money! Oh, and he enjoys doing it too, bonus!<br />
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The lighting situation in the office was horrible. There was this ugly ceiling fan/light combo with the dimmest light ever. You couldn't see what you were doing at all. Greg had already cut in to the ceiling when he had to repair the <a href="http://lifeasalosey.blogspot.com/2013/08/water-spots.html" target="_blank">leaky pipe</a>. We never patched it back up because the plan was to install recessed lighting.<br />
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Greg traced the diameter of the lights and placed them on the ceiling for an idea of where we wanted them. The plan was to install four lights, one in each corner. He then used a stud finder to adjust the lights accordingly and then remeasured to make sure everything was centered. The ceiling fan also got taken down at this point.<br />
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He cut four wholes in the ceiling, ran the wire and installed the lights. He installed a dimmer switch just in case they were too bright. Spoiler alert: they were too <i>dim</i>! The room needed more lights.<br />
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We decided to install two more lights in the center of the room right above the desk. We figured that would add another 100+ watts, and if needed, we could use a desk light too. It is now perfect, the lights reflect off the white desk and make it even brighter.<br />
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We snagged this huge <a href="http://www.ballarddesigns.com/tuscan-desk-return/13241" target="_blank">Tuscan Desk</a> from the Ballard Designs outlet for a steal! It is a partner's desk so if needed, we could have chairs on both sides. There is plenty of room to spread out books and such while doing school work. (Don't mind the pile of cords under the desk, we need a power strip and will rearrange)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The room in the evening, plenty of light with the new lights installed</td></tr>
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I want to accessorize the desk a bit, paint the chair white and get some new carpet. Love how the desk AND lights make such a big impact to the space.<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-69761830911287261722013-09-12T05:58:00.001-04:002013-09-12T05:58:31.933-04:00Too Busy To Blog?My new job is crazy-fun, in a hectic kind of way. I am so busy throughout the day I sometimes don't eat lunch until 2:00. The day goes by so fast, which isn't always a bad thing. I have been getting home later, not really a big deal, unless I hit a lot of traffic. Then I come home annoyed and needing some wine. This week I have been exhausted. I came home from work Tuesday (which was a super crazy day because the principal was out) and crashed on the couch for two hours. I probably could have slept until morning, but knew that wasn't a good idea.<br />
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Class started back up which takes up most of my 'free' time. I am trying to develop some kind of schedule for work, class, the gym and maybe even one night off. Just an FYI, blogging may be a little sporadic. I don't want to give it up because this is how family stays in the loop with our life and home improvement projects. But unfortunately, it's not a priority right now. I have taken on a lot by accepting this new job and look forward to the new adventures in my career.<br />
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Greg is currently in the middle of installing lights in our office. We finally bought a desk and want the room somewhat complete so I have a place to do both work and class work. Greg also needs a place to land after traveling for the day and then coming home and designing projects on his computer. This is the current state of the office:<br />
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There are still other things that need to be done in here (::cough, cough:: new carpet), but for now, we are on the right track.<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-40486944799849127132013-09-10T05:57:00.001-04:002013-09-10T05:57:54.686-04:00Laundry Gets EasierIs there such a thing as a perfect drying rack? The Ballard Designs Outlet store is dangerously close to us, only about 5 minutes away. Every Monday they advertise new specials, which means Greg and I try and swing by there to take a peek.<br />
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I have had my eye on these <a href="http://www.ballarddesigns.com/beadboard-drying-rack/240371" target="_blank">drying racks</a> for a few months, waiting for the right price and one that wasn't damaged. The Labor Day sales were just right, so a large white one came home with us.<br />
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I have always been one to hang dry shirts that shrink, jeans, work pants, skirts, etc. I had a collapsible drying rack that I would setup in the bedroom once a week, that was becoming a nuisance. I was constantly running up and down the stairs while doing laundry and it was getting old.<br />
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The drying rack didn't sit around for more than two days before Greg wanted to get it hung. We removed a shelf and some hooks that were hanging in the laundry room from the previous owners. We briefly planned out how we may want to re-do things in the future, so we wouldn't have to re-hang the drying rack. We also had to look at where the doors were, and the height to hang it, so it wouldn't be get in the way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After we removed the shelf.. the blank wall</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg making sure the hardware was level, then he had to find the studs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product</td></tr>
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I have used it twice to hang clothes and it is perfect! You only have to open half at a time and it holds so much. We have also used it to hang wet towels after coming in from the hot tub. I am spoiled by a handy hubby who makes my life doing laundry much easier!<br />
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Another Ballard Designs purchase to share soon-<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-73811498417635058482013-09-05T06:00:00.000-04:002013-09-05T06:00:19.167-04:00Labor Day Weekend RecapThis weekend was full of celebrations. The weekend started off with a job offer on Friday night. I had two interviews last week, and after a lot of thought, I accepted a job as the Assistant Principal of the building I have been working in the past two years. Looking forward to the new adventure and challenges along the way!<br />
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Saturday was spent at the Gentleman of the Road Stopover in Troy, OH -- with the main act being Mumford & Sons. The day was exhausting, but so worth it. The concert was amazing!<br />
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Sunday was spent catching up on sleep and running some errands. We vegged most of the day because my allergies have been a hot mess. We were happy we still had another whole day off together.<br />
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Monday-- my birthday! We went out to lunch, did some browsing for new hardwood floors in our house and relaxed until dinner. Greg made reservations at Ruth's Chris downtown Cincinnati to celebrate both my birthday and new career. The food was delicious and did not disappoint.<br />
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Class starts back up Saturday and my schedule will be a little more hectic. House updates soon!<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-87355190084002168532013-09-02T15:05:00.002-04:002013-09-02T15:05:44.095-04:00Day Off<div style="text-align: center;">
Spending this fabulous Labor Day with my two boys and celebrating my birthday. A lot to be thankful for, looking forward to what 27 has in store for me!</div>
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xo, Erin</div>
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<img alt="Happy Birthday @ Chris Dracup!!!!!!" height="640" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/a5/37/5b/a5375bbc14cbf95614cfdb97b6bb9580.jpg" width="427" /></div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-56343071179412433162013-08-28T06:13:00.000-04:002013-08-28T06:13:28.385-04:00Patio LightingThe previous owners left Christmas lights up around the patio. While they served a purpose of having light when we were in the hot tub, they were rather ugly (they run along the brick on the house).<br />
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We have been on the hunt for some string lights to be used along the pergola. In the beginning of the summer, we loved <a href="http://www.ballarddesigns.com/vintage-string-lights/lighting-outdoor-lighting/outdoor-string-lights/235838?defattrib=&defattribvalue=&listIndex=1" target="_blank">these lights</a> from Ballard Designs. Lucky for us, we waited it out until the end of the season. Two weekends ago, they had all their outdoor furniture and accessories an additional 50% off at the outlet by us. We snagged two strands for $35 a piece.</div>
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I looked on Pinterest for different ways people hung them, and we ultimately decided to make a zig-zag pattern. We started planning it out to see what would work best.</div>
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We picked up some screws with hooks on the end and drilled it into the pergola. </div>
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Greg didn't like the string lights having all the pressure from being pulled, so we picked up some wire and threaded that through. It was quite the process.. we already had the lights hanging, so we had to take all the light bulbs out, bring the cord in and start from scratch.</div>
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Here is how they look after. We re-hung them using the wire and pulling the string of lights along with it. We alternated every three beams on the pergola, which worked out pretty perfect. The lights bulbs we found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005MYUAAE/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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And at night. I love how it creates a room outside on our patio.</div>
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xo, Erin</div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-11271411322473405842013-08-21T06:18:00.000-04:002013-08-21T06:18:01.371-04:00Water SpotsA mysterious water mark appeared on the ceiling of our study over the summer. It was very small so we didn't think much of it. Greg assumed it was coming from the toilet in our master bathroom because it was a little wobbly. We bought a new wax ring and hoped this would fix it, but it didn't.<br />
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We started brainstorming what else it could be with our realtor and she mentioned something about a pipe... and it clicked. During the inspection, our inspector mentioned something about the copper pipes in our area 'pitting' and creating super tiny pin holes that slowly leak water. Greg had already replaced some of the copper pipes in the basement. That had to be it, or at least we hoped that was the root of the problem.<br />
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Greg measured off a section of the ceiling he was going to cut open to take a look.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the blurry picture. The good camera had a dead battery</td></tr>
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Sure enough, that was the problem. Next step was cutting a few more holes where the bends in the pipe were and getting that sucker out. I disappeared to run a few errands and came home to this: three holes in the ceiling, the old pipe out, and the new pipe cut and ready to be soldered.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The after-- I got to help with the blow torch</td></tr>
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The remaining problem? Drywall work to patch the ceiling. Oh boy!<br />
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xo, Erin</div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-91283958856479989502013-08-20T06:08:00.000-04:002013-08-20T06:08:16.697-04:00RamblingSorry I disappeared for awhile. I wanted to spend my last week of summer doing fun things with friends and spending time with Murph. We also had back to back visitors so we were busy entertaining. We took my brother in law and his girlfriend to the Cincinnati Zoo. This is one of the best zoos I have ever been to.. every animal is actually out in their exhibit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That bird on Greg's shoulder started biting his shirt and sunglasses seconds later</td></tr>
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My friend Kelly came to visit for a few days so we had lots of girl time shopping and chatting. I bought a new planner for work at Lilly Pulitzer and it is amazing! Not only is it cute, it is super functional.<br />
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The last day of nannying was spent going out to lunch and playing glow in the dark mini golf. The little girl was sick with strep the last day so unfortunately it wasn't all fun and games. She was very sad she couldn't join us.<br />
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Here's Murphy.. snuggling with me on my last day of sleeping in. I'm going to miss that. Last week I was headed out the door for work and forgot something upstairs. I quickly ran back upstairs and found Murphy already getting cozy in our bed. What a little stinker!</div>
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We are finally back into the grind doing things around the house. Once the cooler weather hits, we will be doing bigger projects. Until then, we need to patch the office ceiling (details tomorrow), transplant bushes and cut two trees down, begin to update the powder room, and finally get around to hanging things in our bedroom. Oh.. and hang lights on our patio. We snagged <a href="http://www.ballarddesigns.com/vintage-string-lights/outdoor-lighting/outdoor-string-lights/235838?defattrib=&defattribvalue=&listIndex=1" target="_blank">these</a> awesome string lights at the Ballard Designs Outlet for a steal and are excited about getting them up on the patio. </div>
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xo, Erin</div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-81925104711888905742013-08-05T18:10:00.000-04:002013-08-05T18:10:46.727-04:00Road Trip out EastSorry I have been M.I.A. We got back from our trip last week and have had non-stop company.. and I love it! I have another friend coming in town tonight for a couple days and I plan on enjoying my last week of summer to the fullest!<br />
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In the meantime, take a peek at some pictures from our road trip. We stopped in Baltimore, Atlantic City and other towns in New Jersey to visit family, with the real reason for our visit being my sister's bridal shower.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inner Harbor at night..</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">..and in the morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">playing around with the self-timer</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our view from our fabulous room at The Revel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ocean for miles, even on a cloudy day</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">walking the boardwalk</td></tr>
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-28228867909034833602013-07-22T06:56:00.001-04:002013-07-22T06:56:48.569-04:00Not Much Going OnSorry I disappeared last week.. there wasn't much to blog about. I was busy running here and there. Greg was out of town a few nights so I enjoyed some girl time. Shopping, a lunch date, pool time and some drinks with my friends made for a fun, relaxing week.<br />
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Over the weekend we did some odds and ends. We cleaned the house, cut the lawn, fertilized the lawn, figured out our irrigation system and did lots of laundry! Greg spent much of Saturday underneath the Jetta being a mechanic. He figured out the problem, but we couldn't get the part because everywhere was closed. I started packing for our trip out east and preparing some things for my sister's bridal shower.<br />
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I am going to disappear again this week, because we are taking a road trip to New Jersey. We are making a pit stop in Baltimore, then headed to Atlantic City for two days and spending the rest of the time with family. Looking forward to vacation and heading 'home'.<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-41364505552400923982013-07-12T07:01:00.000-04:002013-07-12T07:01:12.092-04:00Another One Down... painted room that is.<br />
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The walls in this room were in pretty bad shape. When they listed the house and had a painter come in, this was not a room they fixed. There was still sticky tack all over the walls and ceiling, nail holes everywhere, dirty foot marks from where bunk beds were and spots that needed sanding. I did most of the work in here by myself and am happy with the results. It now feels clean and simple. I went with Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, color matched to Behr paint. It just needs some blinds and curtains so guests can sleep and dress without neighbors seeing ;)<br />
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Here it was on moving day, the pictures make the room look much better than it was in person:<br />
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And now:<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-90059106702706534292013-07-11T08:13:00.001-04:002013-07-11T08:13:03.297-04:00Painting One, Furnishing AnotherLife lately has been somewhat calm. I have had time to do some projects and hang out with friends. It's a good balance for the summer... considering I only have about a month before I'm back to school! That happened fast!<br />
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I've been working upstairs on a guest room, and as you read this, I am painting the walls. We already had the furniture and bedding from our previous house. This means it didn't need much attention to be 'finished'. I painted the trim a crisp white, Greg patched the holes in the wall (it was previously a kid's room with nail holes everywhere from posters), walls and ceiling need some paint, and then just minor details. We will hang the curtains from the old house, add wall art above the bed, then consider it done. Not too shabby compared to some other rooms in the house that need EVERYTHING.<br />
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I also have had some free time to scour Pinterest and Craigslist.. both are good for clearing out my bank account. I scored an awesome Pottery Barn buffet last night for $100 to go in the dining room. I am looking forward to decorating it and adding my floating wine shelves above it. I just keep bouncing from room to room, slowly adding things one at a time.<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-33078940461728813012013-07-09T08:51:00.000-04:002013-07-09T08:51:00.416-04:00Peace Out BushesWe've been meaning to tackle our front landscaping. It's overwhelming. All this rain lately has been making it grow out of control. We never knew wishing for established landscaping would land us with this mess...<br />
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From a distance it may not look so bad. Looking at our house, you can barely even see the windows to the right of the front door. That's a problem.<br />
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Up close.. there were holly bushes growing out of control.<br />
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So the start of our holiday weekend, before the rain came, we dug in. And we couldn't stop...<br />
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We don't know what this bush is.. and it was getting out of control. It was covering half our stone and starting to take over the garage windows. We first tried trimming it up, but were unsuccessful.<br />
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We decided to try the good ole' Jeep trick to help us pull it out.<br />
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The bush didn't budge. So we got out the chainsaw and it disappeared real quick. A lot of the other bushes need a good haircut, but we are waiting for the fall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the bushes under the bottom windows? They were hiding/suffocating under the holly bushes</td></tr>
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Not bad for 2 hours of work. We treated ourselves to fro-yo afterwards, so it was worth it!<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-71941063991339156982013-07-05T08:42:00.002-04:002013-07-05T08:42:59.306-04:005!It doesn't feel like Friday today, but I'm happy about it. Our holiday weekend started Wednesday night and we have been going non-stop. Here is a peek into what happened over the last week:<br />
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1. We took a road trip to Michigan for a wedding</div>
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2. There was a photobooth at the wedding.. Greg and I couldn't stay out of there</div>
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3. I went to the Gap clearance store and scored some awesome deals, all for under $100</div>
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4. We ripped some bushes out of the front, now you can actually see our house (more details next week)</div>
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5. After doing a lot of yard work, we decided to treat ourselves to some fro-yo</div>
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<a href="http://www.thelaurenelizabeth.com/search/label/high%20five%20for%20friday"><img alt=" photo H54Fbutton-1_zpsa7aaa665.png" border="0" src="http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd361/lauren_FMGD/H54Fbutton-1_zpsa7aaa665.png" /></a></div>
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xo, Erin</div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-28332202626379695922013-07-04T10:35:00.000-04:002013-07-04T10:35:28.236-04:00Happy 4th!We started off the holiday weekend last night on a boat. Greg did some wakeboarding.. I did some drinking and marshmallow eating. Today's pool party plans may be cancelled due to all this rain we are getting! Grrrr. We won't let that ruin our day though. Maybe some shopping, painting and drinking later?<br />
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<b>Festive Marshmallows</b><br />
Chocolate chips<br />
Sprinkles<br />
Marshmallows<br />
Graham Crackers<br />
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1. Crush up a few graham crackers in a bag and mix in some sprinkles. Pour in a shallow bowl<br />
2. Melt the chocolate<br />
3. Dip marshmallows half way in the chocolate and coat with the graham cracker mix or just sprinkles<br />
4. Allow to harden, enjoy! (We liked them better cold because the chocolate was harder)<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-90175020913487985292013-07-02T06:57:00.001-04:002013-07-02T06:57:43.639-04:00Evolution Of Our Dining RoomI left you back in April with the painted walls in our <a href="http://lifeasalosey.blogspot.com/2013/04/blank-slate.html" target="_blank">dining room</a>. We have done some work since then, and for some reason, I forgot to share. I told you we have been <i>busy...</i><br />
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<i>Disclosure: this room is super hard to photograph, I was constantly competing with the windows</i><br />
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First thing was the ceiling. We have lots of gorgeous crown in the room and we didn't want it to all blend together. So we painted the lower tier of the ceiling a neutral tan.<br />
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Next up was the light. The previous owners didn't even leave an ugly chandelier.. it was a basic flush-mount light that looked lost in the room. We ordered <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/finley-white-rectangle-pendant-lamp/s322067" target="_blank">this</a> pendant light from Crate & Barrel despite the bad reviews. With the $99 price tag, we wanted to give it a shot. There are similar lights out there for $500 and up.<br />
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We opened up the box after we picked it up, and the first thing we saw was 'professional installation recommended'. Good thing Greg is a professional ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QDszuI9CWM4/UdIj2ufysLI/AAAAAAAAFlo/1_oBL1ht0AQ/s1600/IMGP2726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QDszuI9CWM4/UdIj2ufysLI/AAAAAAAAFlo/1_oBL1ht0AQ/s640/IMGP2726.JPG" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... and Murphy supervised</td></tr>
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1. We turned the power off and removed the old light fixture</div>
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2. We mounted the plate for the new light and made sure it was straight</div>
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3. We measured how low we wanted the light to hang, and pulled the cords accordingly</div>
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4. Greg attached the light to the ceiling</div>
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5. Then made sure it was level</div>
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This is a close up of what the reviews had warned about. The plate the light comes with is not large enough to cover the existing hole. We bought a piece of trim from Home Depot that we are going to paint white and surround the box with (kind of like mini crown). Hope to complete that project soon...</div>
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The final project we just finished a few days ago, was curtains. This definitely helped bring the room together and make it feel more complete. It adds an element of texture and coziness to the room. I bought <a href="http://www.target.com/p/threshold-jacquard-ikat-window-panel/-/A-14281679#prodSlot=medium_2_35&term=threshold+curtains" target="_blank">these</a> curtains from Target in the longer length. We have 9 foot ceilings so I hung the rods high and wide to add height and draw the eye up. They need to be steamed, but I love them.<br />
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Those are the dining room updates so far. Looking to add a wine buffet and wall art in the near future.<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-76523069435707119402013-06-28T07:11:00.002-04:002013-06-28T07:11:54.372-04:00High 5It's been awhile, but I'm back. Yes, this week has been busy, but good things still were happening.<br />
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1. Our bedroom is painted.. and I love it. Can't wait to paint more rooms over the next couple months</div>
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2. Pool days with the kids I nanny and friends. Working on my tan and enjoying time to relax.. although it has been pretty rainy most of this week</div>
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3. Murphy, enough said</div>
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4. Greg worked 10 hour shifts this week and I didn't get to see him much. The good news? He has today off :)</div>
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5. This should have really covered numbers 1-5, but grad school is over for the summer! All final projects have officially been submitted!</div>
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<a href="http://www.thelaurenelizabeth.com/search/label/high%20five%20for%20friday"><img alt=" photo H54Fbutton-1_zpsa7aaa665.png" border="0" src="http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd361/lauren_FMGD/H54Fbutton-1_zpsa7aaa665.png" /></a>
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We are headed to Michigan for a wedding this weekend. See you around next week-</div>
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xo, Erin</div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-79563563364817602162013-06-27T07:45:00.001-04:002013-06-27T07:45:47.275-04:00Busy, BusyAnother busy week is almost over. I babysat 4/5 days and did final projects for class in my free time at home. I have my last summer class this Saturday, then I'm done until September! After class Saturday, we have to drive up to Michigan for a wedding, then back here on Sunday.<br />
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So with a busy week and another weekend away... the bedroom walls remain empty. I can't wait to spend my free time organizing the house and doing projects. Things are still in piles everywhere upstairs from our move. I am looking forward to not thinking about class for a few months and just focusing on the house! And of course some fun with friends, the pool and shopping :)<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-77637496091364392862013-06-25T09:11:00.001-04:002013-06-25T09:11:04.177-04:00Palladian BlueWe had a successful weekend of painting! Saturday morning I painted the trim using Behr white in a satin finish. It was amazing to actually see the difference from the previously, dingy white trim. The tool you see in the picture was shoved under the trim so I didn't get any paint on the carpet. Painting all the baseboards, windows and door trim took less than two hours.<br />
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Sunday morning it was time to start taping in preparation to paint the walls. I am always the taper. Greg claims he's 'not good at it'. Also a good way of saying he doesn't want to do it. Once the room was taped, I used the paintbrush for the edges while Greg rolled. We went with Benjamin Moore's Palladian Blue, color matched to Behr. For the walls we went with a flat matte finish and love the results.<br />
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I swear by Frog Tape... it's the bomb. This time I decided to try the ScotchBlue Edge-Lock tape for trim. The blue tape went around the freshly painted baseboards and windows while I still used the Frog Tape on the ceiling.<br />
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Results? Super impressed! The blue tape peeled off like butter without a bump in the road. It was so smooth coming off the trim.. and just check out these crisp lines:<br />
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And now the room shots. Everything is still a blank slate with nothing hanging on the walls. I couldn't resist sharing the after. I love how the paint color compliments our furniture and makes the room feel so cozy and peaceful.<br />
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And check out our window treatments..<br />
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I have been looking EVERYWHERE for blackout curtains that fit with the color scheme and are my style. No luck. I buy a bunch, bring them home, only to discover they aren't really blackout. I want my room <i>dark</i> when I sleep! We don't want to hang any curtain rods until we know the length of the new curtains. So the doors are serving a good purpose in the meantime.<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-72538036186268525682013-06-21T07:10:00.001-04:002013-06-21T07:10:37.725-04:00Master Bedroom PlansOur master bedroom has started the remodel process. A new quilt I snagged at HomeGoods is the color inspiration for the room. We are painting this weekend and hopefully hanging some curtains and pictures as well!<br />
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This is still the mood board that I love and am taking details from:<br />
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I am doing a little less gray since our last bedroom had gray walls and I want to change it up. I plan on mixing silver and gold together to tie in both the tan and gray accents. Check back next week for the final product!</div>
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xo, Erin</div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-69499747983488160732013-06-18T17:16:00.000-04:002013-06-18T17:16:21.803-04:00Weekends AwayWhen we spend our weekends traveling, nothing gets done around the house. We got home late last night from Naperville. We were in town to see my friend Steph before she moved to Australia and for Father's Day.<br />
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Today was spent running errands, cleaning and grocery shopping.. things that normally get done on the weekend. Lately I feel like we are never home. It sucks. I just want to stay home, relax and not sit in the car for hours. Not worry about what the weather will be like or what I have to pack. Next weekend we have a wedding out of town, but besides that, I plan on staying put until the end of July. Maybe, just maybe, we will get some painting done.<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-43390865129305189182013-06-13T12:45:00.002-04:002013-06-13T12:45:50.374-04:00Painting in Our FutureWhoops! I have been a bad blogger. I seriously thought this summer was going to be relaxing and full of house projects, but unfortunately that hasn't happened yet. School work, nannying and traveling have consumed my life.<br />
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I promise I will be back with house projects sometime soon. Maybe next week? Lots of painting is in our future along with other small DIY projects and wood work along the way...<br />
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See what I mean by lots of painting? Now if I could only make some decisions...<br />
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xo, ErinErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-57229490802557423232013-06-07T06:57:00.000-04:002013-06-07T06:57:32.108-04:00Pictured Rocks { Continued }<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I told you this summer has been busy! I didn't have time to post yesterday because my parents stopped by overnight on their way to New Jersey. Back to the original plan of sharing more vacation pictures...<br />
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<b>More hiking and exploring:</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking along a shipwreck.. the water was only 40 degrees! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Sable Sand Dunes in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Au Sable Lighthouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg being 'creative' again</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hike back from the lighthouse.. there were a few more shipwrecks along the shore</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two things to note: (1) the wood Greg is carrying he broke off a shipwreck from 1904 (shhh don't tell anyone)<br />
(2) those layered rocks are what is underneath the sand along this shoreline.. so cool</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg found a secret cave</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't go in it..</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really cool colors on the rocks towards the bottom</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer to the sand dunes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another waterfall...</td></tr>
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<b>Mackinac Island:</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute little library</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wish it was warmer and sunny</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tandem we rented to bike 8 miles around the island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arch Rock from the road</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding to this rock cairn.. they were everywhere around the island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ferry we took over to the island, has a fun rooster tail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'Grand' Hotel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the fancy horse and buggy for the Grand Hotel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.. and the rest of the horse taxis for the island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main street with lots of cute shops and fudge!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Fort Mackinac.. headed to the Arch Rock</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So the island doesn't have vehicles and horses take you everywhere.. this road was stinky!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">some of the best fudge</td></tr>
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That pretty much sums up our trip. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for some adventure, views and not necessarily warm beach weather. We had a great time, but spent lots of time driving! On a side note: I didn't fall asleep in the car once. I think that is a record ;)</div>
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xo, Erin</div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-33860622662374029242013-06-05T07:54:00.001-04:002013-06-05T07:54:43.691-04:00Pictured RocksSummer has been a whirlwind so far! We got back on Sunday and I have not stopped moving since. I started watching the kiddos on Monday, had 5+ loads of laundry to do, grocery shopping, a house to clean, flowers to be watered and homework on top of that.<br />
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Hoping to get caught up on things this weekend. I have lots of summer projects to check off the list and rooms to paint! In the meantime, take a peek at some vacation photos. The weather was perfect-- we hiked, went off-roading, saw waterfalls, ate fudge, took some boat rides and relaxed. If you have never been to the U.P. in Michigan, I highly suggest going and checking out the Pictured Rocks. It was beautiful!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mackinac Bridge- the only way to get to the U.P. from Michigan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pit stop in the Whitefish Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum -- that is the actual bell that<br />
they recovered from the Edmund Fitzgerald</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg being 'creative' and trying to get a picture of the boat smashing into my head</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock searching, which I found out the last day I wasn't supposed to do.. whoops!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No one was on the roads in the U.P....</td></tr>
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<b>First day of exploring: lots of waterfalls and views</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caste Rock in the distance and Lake Superior</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle Rock up close</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This waterfall was huge.. we were getting misted</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a treacherous hike to this waterfall</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">..so we decided to picnic right in front of it</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">little Jeep in a big forest</td></tr>
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<b>Pictured Rocks Sunset Cruise:</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was 60 degrees out, Greg insisted on sitting on the top deck. It was FREEZING!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The overlook we were on earlier by Castle Rock</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caves of All Colors</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lover's Leap</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look closely at the pine tree on the top of the rock.. <br />
its roots bridge the gap and it gets its nutrients from the rock next to it. It was crazy!</td></tr>
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That was just our first two days. I took hundreds of pictures and will share more tomorrow!</div>
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xo, Erin</div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148314061589034698.post-16609374657442295182013-05-24T07:22:00.001-04:002013-05-24T07:22:33.963-04:00Summer (& Vacation) Begins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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That's right, today is my first day of summer and we leave tonight for vacation! I am very excited to spend time relaxing with Greg and exploring the U.P. I will be taking a blogging break during our travels over the next 9 days. See you in June!</div>
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<img src="http://www.michigannutphotography.com/img/s4/v64/p1080383678-3.jpg" /></div>
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xo, Erin<br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00671057499430991149noreply@blogger.com2