Five Faves

1

Good Customer Service! 

I have a degree in Fashion Merchandising. EVERY job I have ever had was a customer service job - deli/frozen yogurt restaurant, various retail stores, hostess at Rock Bottom, admin. assistant/visual manager for The Container Store and part-time manager for Pier 1. Why, you might ask, did I put a link to TCS and no other? Because TCS has, by far, THE BEST customer service available to common folk. (I know high end places treat their customers like royalty but who can afford those places?)

And since I was employed by a company that truly values their customers and know that it is possible to be attentive, kind, patient, expedient, and efficient, I often wonder WHY everyone else can't be what The Container Store is? I am not asking for much - be polite, be helpful (or find someone who can help), be efficient, be upfront and if necessary, be apologetic and make amends.

2

My Neighborhood 

Last summer some of the women in my neighborhood started a Bunco Night. All the ladies in the neighborhood get together once a month for game night w/food and beverages. And the men of the neighborhood have started playing poker together! It has been a fantastic way to get to know everyone! I love taking walks when everyone is out and playing with the kids or walking their dogs. People are friendly and stop for chats with us and the girls. I know most everyone by name and there are oddles of kid for all 3 girls to play with, now and in the future. It's close to shops, the highway, downtown and more importantly, the middle school and high school are less than a half mile walk. I seriously could see living in this neighborhood til the last one graduates high school!

3

My Kitchen

Memorial weekend 2 years ago we started a massive remodel of our kitchen. It was horrid. Functional, but very unpleasant to look at!

Really, when was plaid wallpaper "in"?

With a light switch cover to match!

Not awful, but not great!

Miss Juls modeling our vinyl floor...it showed ALL THE DIRT!

fake wood grain wainscoting! Again, ever "in"?

So that weekend, and for the next few weeks we tore the kitchen apart and slowing put it back together! Peeled wallpaper, pulled wainscoting, repaired walls, ripped up floors, took apart cabinets...primed walls, painted walls, cabinets and door hardware, laid new floors, replaces light switches, fixtures and this was the outcome

Love! Seriously, I love my kitchen now! Especially the floors!

painted white cabinets w/brushed nickle spray painted hardware

blurry but a close up! 

And since then I have added these super cute decals!

4
My laundry room/kids play room
Never build anything with cedar that your don't want animals to live in. Also, if you don't know how to build a porch correctly, don't! It's just a headache for the next owner. The sun porch was nothing but trouble since the day I moved to Pittsburgh. We talked and talked about remodeling it but knew that it was going to be quite an undertaking so we put it off...until I was 38 weeks pregnant! Left in the morning for a baby sprinkle thrown by dear friends and came home to a gutted, to the studs w/just windows hanging, sun porch! My husband has his own ways of nesting! :)

It took til New Years Day to get it usable and I have been rearranging and organizing while I can over the past few months, but I think I have it just how I want it! 

Inside the far left cabinet is a laundry shoot from the upstairs bathroom! My hubs in pretty awesome!

It is rarely this clean but it's the most beautiful room in the house! 

5

Nap time. 

Really, do I need to explain?

Happy 4 day week! Getting ready for a 50th Birthday Party for Mark's Uncle...might be MIA til next week! 

Thanks for hosting Hallie!