Kitty Deschanel

The "finally" mentioned in the title is totally aimed at our construction crew...and at myself. These photos were taken more than a month ago. I may be slightly behind on my blogging. In my defense, photos of insulated walls and wiring are only so interesting. When can I decorate?! I requested to have my photo taken next to our new fireplace "in the exact same pose as our builder, minus the yellow hat". My memory of the pose was off, but the hat was spot on. Though he's a great builder, there's no denying his trademark yellow hat was a big part of our decision to go with him. Here is a guy who won't balk at our dream of bright yellow doors and shutters , we'd thought, so young and naive in our pre-construction days. No can lights in this room...well, except for this one random can light. But don't worry. The builder is going to take it down tomorrow...or at least before installing insulation...no, drywalling...umm, I mean after dr

Our house has been sitting for what seems like months (come to think of it, it may literally be months) while we wait for the weather to improve. The construction crew was unable to get the roof on before the first snowfall, so everything is a soggy mess. Outside, the mud is so thick and deep, construction equipment can't make it past the street. It's depressing. Our house is filled with water, but there's also some ice, so watch where you step! Is this a normal part of the building process? I have family members who work in the construction industry in Arizona. They said building in the winter isn't a big deal as long as you wrap the house, otherwise water soaks into the wood and it swells, causing major problems. Our builder isn't concerned (at least, he isn't letting on if he is), but I can't shake the feeling that everything is going to be a mildewy nightmare and that our house is ruined forever. Construction woes aren't the o

Remember the waterfall house we nearly bought? The one with the bat skeleton and huge hunk of mountainside in the living room? At around $270,000 in our dream neighborhood, I thought it was a great investment opportunity. Sexy Nerd, however, thought it was a money pit. Today, it is listed online for almost $600,000. I'm not a fan of the remodel.  This home is in one of the nicest neighborhoods in Albuquerque, nestled up against the mountains. It is a unique home in a neighborhood of unique, million dollar homes. The waterfall house has been flipped with cheap, cookie cutter finishes and a mishmash of tacky 90's style. It had so much potential. The infamous waterfall, now dewatered and stuffed with fake flowers. Meh. The sagging balcony/roof, which was the deal-breaker for us, is still as saggy as ever. All of this used to be open to the 1st floor, below. I understand the genius in closing it off from an investment standpoint, but it had looked sooo br

For fun ideas for your next trip, visit my post 6 Reasons to Love Washington DC . Sexy Nerd was in Washington DC for business last week and I jumped at the chance to join him, eager to escape the darn allergens  (my annual nemesis) at home. Unlike our last visit to DC , which was so brutally frigid I actually considered death-by-icicle rather than continuing to trudge along, the weather was sunny and perfect this time. On the day we flew home to Albuquerque, the daytime temperature plummeted down to the low 40s (30s with the wind chill - brrr!) so our timing couldn't have been better. We were supposedly too early in the year to catch the famous DC cherry blossoms in bloom, with the 2017 National Cherry Blossom Festival still several weeks away, but I can't help thinking this year's festivities may be mistimed. By the time visitors arrive to see the cherry blossoms, they're all going to be gone! You'd never know it from thi