Our House (Is a Very, Very, Very Fine House)

Nonmatching, noisy old dishwasher

Stainless, quiet new dishwasher

Mr. DIY

When we bought the house, there was no refrigerator, washer, or dryer.  We did become the proud owners of a 20 year-old dishwasher and a stove that looks older than the house itself.  We immediately bought a new stainless steel refrigerator.  We were given a washer, and I've recalled the saga of our dryer here.  Three down, two to go.  

The thing is, the stove works fine, so besides aesthetic reasons, we really don't need a new one.  At first, the dishwasher was still somewhat acceptable, though we quickly got into the habit of pre-washing all our dishes in the sink before loading the dishwasher.  What a waste of water!

Bruce works for a company that sells warranties, so sensing that the dishwasher wasn't going to last forever, he purchased one.  Sure enough, in the last month, the soap starting caking up on the inside door and the dishes came out looking the same as when they went in.  That was the last straw, the day I had to hand wash a full dishwasher's worth of dishes.  We called the repairman, whose costs are covered by the warranty.  He literally took one look at it and deemed it irreparable.  The warranty stipulates that if your appliance is not worth fixing, they would reimburse for up to $400 towards a new one.  We went out and got a new one that same night, realizing that the 4th of July sales were prime time for shopping.

We rented a truck from the store to bring the dishwasher home.  Bruce decided to save the installation expense and do it himself.  I watched from the kitchen table as he took out the old dishwasher and patiently hooked up the new one.  This is the guy who just a few years back hated reading instructions and got totally grouchy trying to put together our new range grill on the eve of my 30th birthday.  Since becoming homeowners, he's changed our bathroom's shower head, put in our bedroom ceiling fan, attached a dryer, and now he's installed a dishwasher.  I don't want to reinforce gender stereotypes, but being handy is a very attractive trait in a husband!

Baby, You're a Firework

Last year, we discovered that one of the perks of owning this home is its fabulous fireworks-viewing location.  We wanted to have a 4th of July party this year, but because I'm working the retail job, I knew I wouldn't be able to get the holiday off.  I requested to work a day shift, and we settled for having a less formal party of close friends and family.  While I was at work, Bruce got the house ready.  His parents picked me up from work and took me home.

My brother and sister-in-law were already over, my bro cooking ribs on the grill out back.  Bruce prepared the brats and burgers while I made a watermelon and avocado salad I found online.  Bruce's mom made a fruit and marshmallow flag (Emmie ate practically the whole thing), and a friend brought a gluten-free fruit and brownie "pizza."  Yum.

My parents came over, too.  My parents and my in-laws haven't really socialized, except for during our wedding events, the baby shower, and Emmie's birthday parties, so I wondered how it would go over in the more intimate setting of a small get-together.  It was fine! Not too awkward at all.  The best part was Emmie getting to have both sets of grandparents in one place.  She was the center of attention.

After a couple hours of eating, listening to music outside, and playing bean bag toss, dusk set in and the fireworks began.  We were all very impressed with our little town's display.  Emmie appreciated them even more than last year, though she was easily distracted from the sky by her glow-in-the-dark bracelets.  Her grandpas alternated holding her, and we all enjoyed the show.

Viewing fireworks from the backyard (this pic doesn't do it justice)

Part of me couldn't help thinking that our house might not be the biggest, or newest, or in a posh neighborhood, but one day out of the year it's the best spot in town.

House Plans

My sister-in-law, always generous and thoughtful, got me gift cards for my birthday so I could continue refining my home improvement vision.  But what should I get?  Here's my latest wish list (see my Pinterest for details):

• Bamboo shades for the living room to replace faded hunter green roman shades
• White wood blinds for our bedroom and Emmie's, as miniblinds have been trashed by toddler/cat
• Light grey paint for two bathrooms (downstairs is currently forest green and our tiny master bath is a dark teal, which makes it feel cave-like)
• White floating shelves for master bath
• Welcome mat for front stoop
• New art or picture frames
• Backsplash tiles for kitchen
• Glass shelves for kitchen window above sink
• Lavender plants

Then there are the things we need that aren't very fun: fire extinguisher, new mailbox (the door rusted off the hinge on the old one), mulch, window well covers.  The list of projects goes on and on!  But I guess that's the beauty of being a homeowner.