Lights, 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.

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!

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 leaky pipe. We never patched it back up because the plan was to install recessed lighting.

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.

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 dim! The room needed more lights.

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.

We snagged this huge Tuscan Desk 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)

The room in the evening, plenty of light with the new lights installed

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.

xo, Erin

Too 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.

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.

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:

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.

xo, Erin

Laundry Gets Easier

Is 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.

I have had my eye on these drying racks 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.

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.

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.

After we removed the shelf.. the blank wall

Greg making sure the hardware was level, then he had to find the studs

The finished product

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!

Another Ballard Designs purchase to share soon-

xo, Erin

Labor Day Weekend Recap

This 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!

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!

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.

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.

Class starts back up Saturday and my schedule will be a little more hectic. House updates soon!

xo, Erin

Day Off

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!

xo, Erin