The siding installation on our house is going to be quite a bit different than what most people in the area are used to doing. Because of that we have had a hard time getting anyone lined up to do it. I had several people come over to quote the job, and then never heard from them again. Luckily we were able to get Benchmark Renovation back over here as they have experience with a rainscreen siding installation. The siding was supposed to be here by now, but there were some problems with the shipment. Hopefully it will get here soon. More details coming soon.
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It’s been a while since I have put any updates about our house. For the most part, things have been moving pretty slow for the past month and a half. We did manage to bring in some extra top soil to level our back yard out. I was able to find a place locally that would deliver 12 yards of topsoil for $190. That is a great bargain. If you don’t know how much 12 yards is, look at the size of the dump truck bed compared to me. The whole thing was full of nice fresh dirt. At first I was worried I would have way to much dirt, but amazingly enough it took all 12 yards to level out our back yard the way we wanted it. Stay tuned for more news on the house, things are starting to move again!

Ever since I saw my first bento box, I was pretty much obsessed with them. I posted a while ago about a bento box I have, which I found out was not the most practical. The first time I went to reheat something in the microwave it left the lid permanently deformed and unusable. In my search for a replacement I came across the Zojirushi Mr Bento. It’s kind of like a super bento. It has four bowls that nest inside a stainless steel case to keep things warm/cold. Not only is it handsome, but it is also microwave safe. The price admittedly is not the cheapest, but it’s sure to last a lot longer than my other bento box.

Available from Amazon for $49.

It seems like wall graphics are all the craze these days, and while I think there are a lot of pretty good looking ones out there, I can’t help but think that they would just look tacky in my house. Beearo has a slightly different angle on the whole wall decal market. Instead of making them out of brightly colored vinyl and plastic, they use teak and walnut veneers instead. The result is something that is just as stimulating to the eye, but perhaps a little more grown up. Their kits include all the components you need to create your own wall art, but since there are lots of small pieces, the final design is up to you. Prices are more expensive than their synthetic little brothers, but if you are looking for something a bit more enduring it may be worth it for you. I would love to try these in our house.
Beearo Wall graaphics, prices starting at $25.

I have always loved urban outfitters for their well designed products and affordable prices. That is why I was excited to see these great stacking plates and bowls in the sale section of their website. They come in an array of muted pastel colors, (my wife says the colors remind her of a beach ball) my favorite of which is the white. The thing that really makes these dishes so great is the nice fat lip. Not only does it look great, but it makes stacking that much easier.

On sale at Urban Outfitters starting at $2.99 each

After some furious decision making we came up with a stucco color that we are very happy with. With a lot of help from Stephanie & Kenner we all decided that “Red Oxide” would be the color of choice. We had to deviate from the standard catalog colors and choose a color from regular paint chips. We are glad we didn’t settle for mediocrity on this one. The stucco catalogs seem to only have varying versions of beige. We also decided on a “fine” texture which was executed well in our opinion. We also have some more stair hardware installed and drywall is well underway. Also If anyone out there knows of any good kitchen and bath faucets please share.
-jacob

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We did not find out ahead of time the sex of our baby, but wanted to have the room mostly completed before the birth. We wanted a simple, modern baby room that complimented the rest of our home. The furniture is from www.milliondollarbaby.com and with the help of my aunt we designed the bedding and roman shade with fabric from www.tonicliving.com. Once our daughter arrived we added the chick pictures from www.avalisa.com and her name to accent the walls. The mod bear on the rocking chair is from www.pier1.com. The most time consuming item was the rocking chair. After reviewing many posts from this site and searching the web we ended up with an inexpensive one from www.overstock.com. We hope you love our unique room that only cost about $1200.00 – Yes modern can be affordable. And as you can see our daughter is already enjoying her reading corner!
- Eric, Darcy, & Gwenivere

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We are visiting family for the fourth of July, and I don’t have access to a computer (just an iPhone ). Normal posting will resume tomorrow. I hope everyone he a fun, and safe holiday.

A little while ago, I sold one of my favorite cars, a 2000 Golf TDI. Luckily I sold it to a good guy, Chris Oxford, who not only could appreciate the finer qualities of a modern diesel, but who also has a good eye for design. Chris flew down from Spokane to pick up the car, and while he was here he told me all about a concrete countertop business he was starting. I told him to keep in touch, and let me know how it went. A few weeks ago, I got an email from him with a link to his website. Turns out he does some really nice stuff.

So anyone needing a concrete countertop in the Spokane, make sure you check out Oxford Fabrication.

In this day and age, it seems like everyone is just out to make a buck. People design a product with the question in mind “What’s the most I can charge for this?” Thats why its refreshing to meet a group of people like the guys over at tenbills.com who are asking “What’s the least we can charge for a fresh looking original t-shirt?” The answer of course is $10! They were nice enough to send me a couple of shirts, and I have to say I am very impressed. The designs are great, and the shirts are a quality cotton/poly blend that fit just the way I like.

Check out all the other great shirts at tenbills.com all for just $10.