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February 2016

Family

Spring Tease, Snowstorms & Staying In

After a string of freakishly warm late February days here in Michigan, I was seeing some signs of Spring and really looking forward to everything that comes with it.  Everything except Spring Forward which is in 2 WEEKS…didn’t we just fall back like 2 days ago?

DSC_0413Our bulbs were starting to grow out of the ground, this for sure means Spring is on the way!  But less than 24 hours after I saw this, we had a snowstorm show up uninvited, to drop 8+ inches on us.  So my view of green grass and spring flowers quickly turned into snow piles and salt.  Needless to say, I put my grumpy pants on to shovel snow.  I guess I can’t complain too much though, considering how mild this winter has been overall #thankselniño.

DSC_0306DSC_0333Despite the winter weather interruption, I’m still really looking forward to spring.  It’s my favorite season!  Not only is my birthday in Spring, but warmer weather also means outdoor projects, grilling, and beer.  Jeremy would grill every meal if he could, no matter the weather.  Proof: here is him “prepping” for a major snowstorm two winters ago.

1185701_10102072312935182_67429338_n (1)This week was really busy for the both of us, so Friday night we stayed in with PJ’s, a movie, and homemade pizza.  I am allergic to dairy, and my husband couldn’t give up cheese if his life depended on it, so we usually make two different pizzas.  This is my go to recipe for pizza dough, but I was feeling particularly lazy so I just picked up some premade dough from Whole Foods.

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My usual is pepperoni and mushrooms – this started when I was 5 and LOVED the Ninja Turtles.  My favorite, Donatello (don’t judge me) loved this combo in one episode, so so did I!  And it’s stuck with me into adulthood.  Jeremy tends to go a little more sophisticated with a Mellow Mushroom-inspired tomato/basil pizza.  Not surprising, considering he’s the foodie in this house.  He works for the ultimate foodie company in Ann Arbor, Zingerman’s so he’s ALWAYS bringing home something amazing.  If you appreciate REALLY good food, check it out! (He even has his own “Jeremy’s Favorite” page on the website, here!)

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I’m so glad we had this weekend to recharge.  March will be here in just a few days, and I can’t wait to decorate for St. Patrick’s Day!
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Home Improvement

New Dining Room Fixture – Allen + Roth Vallymede Multi-Light Pendant

We jumped head first into updating this old house as soon as we moved in – painting, taking down wallpaper, skim coating walls, electrical (not DIY because we value our lives), minor plumbing, you name it.  One of the things I’ve noticed that makes the biggest difference in an area is updating a light fixture.  New fixtures can be pretty expensive, so I usually find one I love and spend the next few months drooling over it while I save up.  Our most recent update was to the dining room.  Most of the lights in the house are your typical builder-grade lights:

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We call them boob lights because we’ll never grow up.

But we had a special treat in the dining room: a very old, wobbly, poorly painted white and gold ceiling fan.

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Yes, really.  Because who doesn’t love an eyesore that blows dusty air down on you while you’re eating?  We’ve lived in our house for just over two years now, and I’ve spent every.single.day. walking past this fan, growling at it.  BUT!  I’m really picky when it comes to light fixtures – especially for the price, it has to be something that I absolutely LOVE, so it takes me months to find the perfect thing.

Living in an old farmhouse, I wanted a light fixture that would reflect that style without being too “country”.  I’m in love with the Pottery Barn look; it is minimalist with a nice balance of modern and rustic.  My inspiration was this Mason jar fixture:

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I didn’t want this exact one because aside from the astronomical price tag, I wasn’t sure I wanted to fully commit to the whole mason jar look.  I was afraid it might be a little dated in a few years.  After LOTS of browsing online, scouring stores, and reading reviews, I finally found the one:

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It’s the Allen + Roth Vallymede Multi Pendant in Aged Bronze.  It has the same sort of look while also being a little modern, and oil-rubbed bronze looks great in older homes.  The instructions say that you can actually skip the clear glass shades that come with it and screw in your own actual mason jars if you prefer that look, but we stuck with the glass.  Plus, if you wait for a sale (we got 30% off at Lowes), it is a great price for a light fixture this large.

Once we bought it I pretty much cackled the entire way home, knowing that I was going to be able to smash with a hammer take down the ugly ceiling fan! [pro tip: turn off the power first.]

Let me warn you – if you are planning on hanging this beauty from a standard height ceiling, installation can be challenging and is definitely a two person job. It comes ready to hang from a very tall ceiling, so you have to get creative if you don’t plan on cutting and splicing wires.  We ended up using zip ties and our sweet Tetris skills to cram all of the wire in the canopy in a way that it could still be screwed to the ceiling without showing or putting pressure on itself.  Other than that, the rest of the installation was a breeze and took about an hour.

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Much better.  The fixture itself is pretty sleek and looks more modern, so I went with these thread filament style Edison bulbs to balance it out.  They’re so, so pretty.  Be sure if you decide to go this route that you put these on a dimmer switch.  8 of these bulbs on full power at the same time can be overwhelming.  Set on a lower power with the dimmer, not only can you see the thread filament detail, but it lends a warm glow to the room.  I love it.

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On to the next project!
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Family

Valentine’s Sleepover

Jeremy and I haven’t ever really celebrated Valentine’s day, except for maybe the year we started dating (which was roughly 150 years ago – or 12, whatever.).  So this year we decided to celebrate by having our niece and nephew for a sleepover!

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I love these little peaches.  To be honest, I’ve never been much of a “kid” person.  I was never one of those women who lost their mind over babies, or was super comfortable around small children.  I was always afraid I’d drop a baby if I held it, and just wasn’t super comfortable communicating with kids.  At least, until my nieces and nephews showed up.  They’re some of the smartest, funniest littles on the planet – and I just adore them.  We’re lucky enough to have two nieces and two nephews, but we only had these two this weekend.

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We kicked off Saturday with brunch in Ann Arbor, and a trip to the Hands On Museum.  I remember going there when I was little, so it was really fun to see how it’s changed over the years.  I definitely found myself wandering off like a kid a few times, totally distracted by the exhibits.  GUYS, this place is for adults, too!  So much fun 🙂

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We wrapped it up with gluten free mini pizzas for dinner & some Amelia Bedelia.  Perfect.

How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
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Uncategorized

Welcome to Smiedendipity!

When I was younger, I’d been lucky enough to live within pretty close distance of my closest friends and family.  Then life happened – I moved to Georgia after college for a few years, then Florida, then back to Michigan.  Shortly after I moved back to the mitten, I married my college sweetheart + gained a pretty sweet last name + gained his whole family as well.  So between the friends we’ve gathered across the country, and family who live all over, we have a lot of people we want to keep in touch with!  I’m hoping that this blog will serve as a way for us to share what we’re up to – house projects, creative projects, life news (ie. pictures of our cat, whatever).  Thanks for reading!

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