Summer Stir Fry

This stir fry via Pioneer Woman has become our go-to meal this summer.

The grape tomatoes and basil are from our garden, as well as some of the corn (the corn we planted only yielded two small ears before the critters got to it).

It's fresh, easy to make and (fairly) healthy. The sweet corn is really what makes it. Try it...you won't be disappointed.

Master Bathroom Redo

Considering I showed you our master bedroom redo back in March, it's high time I showed you the master bathroom, which was completed at the same time.

First, the befores. While our bathroom has great bones (I mean look at that shower), the decor basically consisted of builder beige paint, a grody bath mat from Lee's old apartment, and a hodgepodge of towels:

We stuck with the Silver Sage paint that we used in the bedroom, but instead of oil rubbed bronze and tan/beige accents, I wanted the bathroom to feel spa-like with brushed nickel, chrome (yes! the two can co-exist) and white.

Now for the afters:

Again, living in the space for a year and a half before decorating helped us know what we needed. First, we had NO useable towel bars. We had one towel bar over the tub, i.e. NOT convenient. We got into the habit of hanging one towel on the back of the closet door (so it never fully dried) and draping the other over the half wall. So the first thing we bought for the new bathroom was a nice chrome double towel bar.

We also needed a bath mat for the double vanity. One regular sized one wouldn't work, and neither would two squished together. This one was a splurge but it was worth every penny. I love it.

We changed out all of the builder-grade towel bars (hand towel bars, toilet paper holder) to match the double towel bar. We also replaced all of the outlet and light switch covers with sleek brushed nickel numbers. Those small (although not cheap) upgrades really make a big difference in the overall feel of the bathroom.

Finally, we added a clock, so I always know how late I am for work when I'm getting ready.

So now for the deets:

• Paint: Restoration Hardware Silver Sage
• Outlet & light switch covers: Lowe's
• Towel bars: Home Depot
• Bath mats: Restoration Hardware Reversible Bath Rugs in Silver Sage
• Towels: Fieldcrest by Target
• Clock: Gift
• Vanity Accessories: Bed, Bath & Beyond
• Soap & Lotion: Restoration Hardware
• Wire Tub Basket: Wal-Mart

Six months later we're still loving the upgrade, although I wish the bathroom was always as clean as it is in these pics. A girl can dream, right?

Smithereens

Sugar: 1

Extension Cord: 0

At least it wasn't plugged in at the time...

I'm Back!

If you've been wondering what I've been up to lately and why this blog has been so sorely neglected, let me introduce you to:

The Heavy Duty Internet from Qwest

This microsite has been my focus for the past three weeks, and after many long nights and weekend work, I'm super happy that it's live and things can get back to normal for a bit.

I took a few "behind-the-scenes" pics to document the process. Here's the teeny "war room" where we spent a majority of the project:

Comps of the site up on the wall by the studio:

My color coded To Do list for the team:

And at the end of the project, two of my coworkers from the print department made this awesome cake of the HD Internet logo. Too cool:

But never fear, now that things are somewhat back to a normal pace, I've got lots of posts in store for you this week. I've made some good progress on the office re-do this weekend and I can't wait to share it with you. It's good to be back!

Boom Boom Pow

I've never been able to take decent pictures of fireworks, so this weekend I wanted to flex my new camera's muscles. I took some time to research tips on shooting fireworks and was really happy with the results. These shots involve a tripod and some reallllly long shutter speeds.

4th of July Perfection

Great food. Family. Good conversation. And the weather COULD NOT have been better. Here's what we were up to:

I got THREE pictures of Seth smiling. That has to be some kind of record.

Chastin tubing:

Mama and baby porpoises:

Golf cart parade:

Best part about Jarvis Landing is riding bikes:

Sugar has learned how to climb the ladder up onto the pier. She doesn't know that she's a dog.

And to top it all off, the fireworks display was awesome. I'll be posting those pics tomorrow.

The only thing that could have made the weekend better was if it had lasted longer. Hope you had a happy 4th!

Lori & Reggie's Wedding

My aunt got married last weekend in Charlotte. It was a beautiful wedding and so great to have all of the family together for the weekend. Here are some of my favorite shots.

The four sisters:

These three little girls had a blast together:

Love this shot of the siblings after the wedding:

New family:

This little girl got all the attention:

Me and my suster:

The whole clan:

Sending off the couple:

And of course, it's not a Chadwick family function until someone breaks out in song:

Congrats Lori and Reggie!