I cannot believe the fourth of July has already come and gone!  The expression "time flies" does not even begin to describe how quickly life propels us at a warped speed.  And we're having so much fun around here it's moving even faster!

We were finally given a reprieve from all of the rain and were able to spend the 4th of July at the pool.  It was super crowded which gave us an opportunity to meet more neighbors-  some of who live right on our street and bonus, are our age with no kids!  Hoping to get together with them again soon!  Afterwards we grilled out, let the animals enjoy the outdoors, and then headed downtown for the fireworks display.

I suppose the rain hasn't been all bad-  it has our new anniversary plants in full bloom, vibrantly decorating the front porch and back deck.

Our herbs aren't looking half bad either!

When the sun breaks through, the heat is sweltering ( I didn't think it got this hot up here in NORTH Carolina!).  Abbey finds relief after a rousing game of fetch by laying on the register in the dining room (wearing our curtains like a veil)...and Mickey under the shade of the loropetalum.

Lastly, this weekend we are hoping to get one of our first DIY projects in the new home underway.  You remember the insulator pendant light fixture I talked about here.  At last we discovered how to drill holes in the insulators without cracking and ruining them.  If only I'd been present to document the process while Dan and a coworker utilized heavy machinery on a slow day at the fab shop to drill three perfect holes...  I can, however, show you the after picture-

Oddly enough the existing light fixture in our kitchen is just what we need to make this project a reality:

So now it's simply a matter of removing the current globes and sockets, replacing them with the new ones, and voila!  I hope it's that simple anyway.

Oh!  The headboard is up-  master bedroom complete (except for the sanding and painting of the sewing table but that's another blog for another day)!

I made it through the first week job coaching my two interns at Whole Foods!  To say I was exhausted by the end of the week would be an understatement.  Working at a grocery store is no joke and I'm convinced that Whole Foods takes it to a whole new level.  I spend five hours a day on my feet not only helping the world's most finicky customers bag their groceries but also helping them locate items like dried seaweed and distinguishing between fifty different brands of gluten free chocolate chip cookies.  Not a job for the faint at heart.  To think a customer got irritated with me because Whole Foods no longer carries regular potato chips in the brand he wanted.  No, ruffled potato chips would not do, he NEEDED regular and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time (the potato chip aisle).  But the real job I am there to do, training my interns how to face products on the shelves, bag groceries, wipe tables, and corral carts and baskets is going quite well.  By the time the project ends in August I have no doubt they will be eligible for employment.

Life is good all around in Raleigh (with the exception of the rain that scarcely acquiesces) -  Can you believe we've been here a month already??  A typical night looks something like this...

But yesterday wasn't just another typical night.  It was our first anniversary!  We cooked a fabulous meal at home, eating off of our china and drinking out of our crystal for the first time.  But before we sat down to toast our first year, Dan took me plant shopping where I picked out a ton of green and budding additions for our backyard.  Cannot wait to share pictures when we get some blooms coming in!  In keeping with the tradition of the gift of paper for the first anniversary Dan also got us concert tickets to see O.A.R at the end of the month and I surprised him with a watercolor portrait of our precious Abbey girl painted by a local watercolor artist, Laura Azzi.  

We ended the night with one freezer burned bite each of a cupcake from the top of our "wedding cake."

Cheers to many, many more happy years!!

    

Things haven't slowed down since we started unpacking boxes last week.  Raleigh got hit with another huge storm last Thursday that brought 80 mph winds with it this time.  Within a matter of minutes the storm blew through our backyard taking a tree top with it.  A few drops of rain followed and then it was over, just as quickly as it had come.

We remain thankful that it only hit our shed and not our house (and that the animals were safe).  Our neighbor's kindness has also continued with allowing us to borrow an electric saw that helped Dan clear the backyard in under 30 minutes with a project that could have otherwise taken all day.  So with the exception of a hole in the roof and a missing front door to the shed, the backyard is now back to normal and our fingers are crossed this isn't foreshadowing of the weather to come once hurricane season is here.

On another note, I am excited to announce that I found a fantastic job opportunity for the summer!  I will be working for a non profit organization called The Arc.  The position title is Job Coach and it is a division of the Supported Employment Experience that they offer to high school students with special needs who require vocational support and training.  I met my two "interns" last night and look forward to starting work with them on Monday at the Whole Foods down the street.

The master bedroom painting project is now complete!  It only took two more trips to Home Depot to get enough paint to touch up the Marina Isle wall and cover the remaining dark brown walls in Havana Cream.  Once again, priming is to be taken seriously from here on out.  I'm digging the feel it gives the room, but ask me if I think it feels Bavarian and I'd have to candidly say not a chance.

With the pulley light up and in working order, we just need to get the headboard back on the wall to call it complete!

     

We are officially here!  Dan navigated the moving truck (and I, his truck) on Saturday to bring the rest of our "stuff" into its new home in Raleigh.

It took a few days but almost all of the boxes are unpacked and items are starting to belong to their respective spaces.  Admittedly, it still looks like a flea market in here though.  I've started coming to shop The Mantle for knickknacks and treasures now that we have rooms set up, waiting to be adorned.  And it hasn't taken us long to realize that we need to lay off the knickknack buying for a while-  I mean how many jugs and colored glass bottles does one household really need??

(That's not all of them by a longshot)

The backyard remains a favorite spot for our furry friends, both utilizing it the way they see fit... 

So having been here almost two weeks now, I will share with you what we have learned:

For good, upscale Mexican that's easy on the wallet go to Gonza's.

Chuck's is great for a gourmet burger and fries that come with their own menu of dipping sauces.  

After an extensive comparison, we recommend grocery shopping at Harris Teeter.

When tropical storms hit, bring your white water rafting gear- our backyard turns into Class 4 rapids.

You'll also need your mosquito repellent, it's a whole different ballgame up here.  

And be sure to know your favorite college basketball team (Duke, NC State, or UNC) as you will inevitably get asked upon meeting most anyone.

I've been trying not to use the word bored (which can prove difficult after a week in an empty house and a Tropical Storm in your midst).  I have a friend on Facebook who not only tells her kids that "bored" is a dirty word but also says that "to admit you're bored means that you are not smart enough to figure out what to do with your time."  Well, today I was so smart I decided I could do a last minute master bedroom paint job ALL BY MYSELF.  Originally we thought we would paint the bedroom in addition to the kitchen at the beginning of this transitional week, but I just couldn't figure out what color I wanted it to be.  I was having major painters-block when I stumbled upon some inspiration yesterday while killing time on the computer.  I found this color combo inspired by the Bavarian region in Germany (so says the website) and I thought it had such an interesting mix of colors, many that we will be bringing with us from existing throw pillows and accents that I immediately decided I wanted a "duck egg" accent wall and "earthy pink" on the other walls... 

Yellow ochre + soft browns + earthy pink + warm grey + duck egg + roof tile redWith Bavaria on the brain, I went to Home Depot and stewed in front of the paint samples for a while, deciding that I liked "Marina Isle" and "Havana Cream".

 

Back home and ready to get started I went to work on the Marina Isle accent wall.  It didn't take me too long, thanks to the brilliant invention of the edger and I thought I was on a roll.  That was until I moved over to try and cover the existing dark brown walls with my light Havana Cream.  This is why people prime.  Two coats it is!  So I made it a little less than half way around the room with two coats of dreamy Havana Cream swearing I will never paint another wall again without the help of a loving and devoted husband by my side.  There is a work in progress "before and after" to show you (the Marina Isle is photographing much bluer than it looks in real life).  

Here's to hoping I can finagle Dan into helping me finish this mess I've gotten myself into and that our bedroom is transformed into a Bavarian bungalow in no time!

My feelings have changed for the cute little bunnies bouncing around our yard- LOOK what they did to my lilies...

Next stop, Home Depot, to get these flower-eaters outta here!!

It hasn't taken Abbey long to form a routine here in Raleigh.  She remains obsessed with the backyard and has trained me to start playing fetch with her immediately after I pour my first cup of coffee.  So our morning looks something like this-

Fortunately, I've trained her to bring the ball back onto the deck so I can leisurely sit with my iPad and coffee while she does all the work.

The projects have slowed down a bit as we realize there is not much left to do but anticipate the reality of another move this weekend.  But I have been able to organize our catch-all closet in the hallway thanks to my sweet husband who appeased me and installed hooks and racks for all of our miscellaneous but necessary (of course!) items.  When else would I have time to neatly hang all of our aprons, sort our coolers, picnic blankets, and reusable bags, and mount our awkward cleaning equipment??

Other areas of the house, however, have not received such meticulous attention...

When I remarked to Dan last night that our fireplace looked like a flea market he responded with "One that we'd like to go to!"  Yes... I suppose he's right.  A humorous way to look at it when there's nothing we can do about it (yet).

Now I'm off to prune the rosebushes-  gotta stay busy somehow!