An Overdue Post

I know, I know. I owe the world final pics of all the renovation projects that we've endured over the past few months. Life has become a LOT busier these days.I promise to get around to that soon, but it's worth announcing...

We are moving to Ethiopia on November 15th!

Exciting, huh? We were very excited to learn that Mark has been posted to Addis Ababa and feeling very grateful for all of the support we've received along the way. It hasn't been without a few hiccups, and I'm sure there are more to come, but I thought you might enjoy a list of the things that we didn't anticipate learning/experiencing as a result of this assignment:

1. Sure, Ethiopia is in Africa, but it's not hot. In fact, Addis rests about 8,300 feet above sea level and other than a short rainy season during the Summer the average high is around 73 and low around 50.  The weather doesn't change much throughout the year so it's kind of like moving to San Diego.
2. Ethiopians are incredibly nice and sincere in their willingness to help.  DC has a large Ethiopian community and we've really enjoyed talking with so many people about what to expect, what to pack, and how to behave while we're there.
3. Ethiopia is a hub for NGO's serving the horn of Africa since it's the only stable population and community.  Having Sudan and Somalia as your neighbors will make any country look good!
4. Despite the large ex-pat community in Addis, there isn't a single Western grocery store. That makes Addis a "consumables post" which means that we get extra weight allowance to ship things we plan to consume over the next two years.  Learning what two years worth of toothpaste, Pledge Multisurface (what? I'm addicted. Don't judge), cake mix, and salad dressing looks like is both expensive and mind boggling.  I do hope that this experience will break of us our American attachment to consumption.
5. Ethiopia is the cradle of humanity.  No. Really. Think Garden of Eden. It's where archeologists found Lucy's body. If people have been surviving and thriving there for millions of years, so can we. As a result, it has a rich and unique Christian history.  We're excited to see one of the few remaining countries where Christians and Muslims have lived together in peace for over a thousand years.
6. Addis is safe. In fact, there are fewer homicides in Addis each year than there are in DC. The most common crime is pick pocketing. 
7. Ethiopia is the easiest African country to adopt from. Doctor's have suggested for some time that having a biological child was not in our future - at least not without significant medical intervention.  After a lot of conversation and prayer, Mark and I both felt that growing our family was our own cross to bear and that we wouldn't challenge God's decision about a biological child. (Note: that's a personal decision and we certainly don't think it's for everyone. We would never judge anyone for their path to parenthood.) We were excited to adopt when the time was right. Learning how easy it is to adopt from Ethiopia opened up a floodgate of emotions and gratitude.  It was as if God selected Ethiopia as our new home so that we could begin our family. Then something amazing happened......a faint pink line appeared where the doctor's said it wouldn't. Only a few weeks after deciding to begin the adoption process in Ethiopia, we experienced a miracle and God is giving us a child. We are overwhelmed, excited, humbled and made speechless by the awesomeness of our God. He who gives and takes away has given plentifully and we are so blessed!
8. Packing just got harder. Packing for three (plus two cats!) is no easy task.  How do I know what my baby will want to eat when it's 1.5? Peas? Carrots? Pickles? Pasta salad? ...wait, those last two are mine. Strict weight shipments have lead us to be particular about what stays and what goes and a pending October 17th pack-out date has forced us to purchase a nursery much quicker than most expecting couples do. Moving to Africa presents a lot of challenges but also a lot of unique opportunities to try otherwise odd or annoying parenting styles by American standards.  For example, we'll be using cloth diapers. Bum Genius Elemental All-in-Ones to be exact. Ethiopia doesn't have a waste management system and we don't want our baby's dirty dipes to end up in another baby's drinking water. We'll also make all of our own food at home and try our hand at organic gardening. Ethiopia is known for food borne illness and we would hate to pass a tummy ache on to our little one.
9. Logistically it's not that easy to have a baby in Africa. I'll fly out with Mark in November only to return in February and wait-it-out in Georgia with my family. International flights are a no-no after 32 weeks. I'm due April 19th (Mark will fly back a week or two prior) and then after the baby is born we'll wait 6 weeks before receiving medical clearance and a passport for the little guy/gal to head back to Addis. Right now we're flying back-and-forth to Georgia for our OB appointments since I plan to deliver there. Buying two years worth of "stuff," preparing for a new baby, moving to Africa, and trying to spend as much time with family and friends prior to our departure keeps us both excited and exhausted (especially me - I would sleep for 24hrs a day right now if work would let me).
10. God's timing is frustratingly perfect. I'll be in Ethiopia for less than three months before returning home and I'll then spend two months without Mark during an undoubtedly exciting and difficult time. Three months isn't enough time to start a job and it's pretty difficult to get a job with a big 'ol stomach. I envisioned our time in Ethiopia as a unique opportunity to go into the lesser served communities and help. Now that's going to be tougher to accomplish than I originally anticipated. This all sounds pretty miserable (imagine me. not working. sitting at home in Ethiopia watching my stomach grow with nothing to do. it may be a nightmare to even know me.) until you look at it like this: we get to raise a child in Africa, I get to deliver at home with my family near instead of in DC, I don't have to go straight back to work after the baby is born, we can afford a child much easier in Africa than we can in DC, we get to try out all kinds of creative parenting techniques because of our unique situation, having a baby is an easy way to meet people and we're going to want new friends in Addis, domestic help is exceptionally affordable (and recommended - it helps the local economy) in Addis so we'll have a nanny, cook and cleaner to make taking care of the little one easier, and then there's the Ethiopian culture.  In Ethiopia people don't talk about their children as their own. They talk about children as if they are on lend from God. It is His child and you are chosen to raise it - in fact, in Ethiopia the community feels responsible for raising God's child together. I can't wait to meet and befriend the incredible women that will influence our little one. It's God's perfect timing and we are perfectly pleased.

Working with what you've got

It's my new motto.  Is my bathroom everything I ever wanted? Not really.  Is my bathroom better than it was just a few weeks ago? Absolutely.  I began the bathroom overhaul by removing the etched glass shower doors.  Here's a reminder of what it looked like:

Taking down the door was much easier than I anticipated.  I just unscrewed the caps, wiggled each piece loose, used a scraper blade to remove the silicone from the bath edge and filled the four drill holes with caulk.  Here is what I didn't anticipate: shower doors are grrrrose. My mom always commented on the inherent "dirtiness" of shower doors, but I never really knew what she was talking about until I took them down:

Underneath that silicone seal was an entire ecosystem of mold and mildew.  I can't believe I was showering next to that. Looking at the pictures still gives me the heeby-jeebies.  Anywho. A gallon of bleach later, and everything was as good as new.  The tub is cast iron and original to the home, which I adore. Next I hung a floor to ceiling shower curtain on a curved rod.  We were originally concerned that, given there is no light in the shower, a floor to ceiling shower curtain would make for a really dark showering experience.  To ease those fears I found a double rod so that the curtain can be moved back and you'll still have the plastic liner.  This ended up being an unnecessary concern - the shower is still quite bright, but having extra nice hardware (and the option) never hurts. I then went on to change out every piece of hardware in the bathroom.  Here's some before and after shots for you to get an idea of what I'm talking about:

No, that top drawer doesn't open...but doesn't it look great with a little jewelry? I picked these out from the Martha Stewart Collection at Home Depot - nothing fancy, just a simple $7 fix. While I was at the HD I also found a waterfall shower head with a vintage-inspired look. 

So much better! I then ordered very specific hooks online from Moen.  I wanted hooks that hinted at a vintage/nautical theme without being overt, looked similar to the hardware I already purchased for hand towels, door knobs, etc. and I wanted each hook to hold at least two towels.  Why two towels? Great question. When you're a newlywed people love to speculate about your unborn children.  I remember when my sister put up four hooks in her daughter's bathroom my immediate response was, "Whoa! You want four kids?!" ... but I need more than two towel hooks in the event a guest comes to visit (our shower rod is 9 feet in the air, so it's not like anyone can hang their towel over it). Basically, I didn't want to give people a reason to speculate and I definitely didn't want to count chickens so I went with this:

The two hooks are very substantial and look great on the walls.  I particularly enjoy that they allow me to avoid folding my towel after I get out of the shower:

In the process, I also changed out our shades for 2" faux wood blinds that are only $19 at Home Depot.  Sure, there were Levelor honeycomb shades up before...but just because it's a fancy brand, doesn't mean that it looks good and the yellow/cream shades (which almost immediately became stained with my makeup) had to go. 

After hanging up the inspirational pictures and changing out the light fixture above the sink, I have a practically new bathroom.  It's not the black-and-white paradise I dreamed of, but for a $230 investment I couldn't be happier.

Only three small projects remain for the bathroom:

1. Replace the faucet with the Belle Foret faucet I previously purchased.
2. Replace the toilet with our new eco-friendly guy.
3. Repair the quarter-round at the base of the vanity.  It's no longer securely nailed into the base and needs a fresh coat of paint. 

I'm not really sure when I'll get around to those projects, but they're definitely still on the list.  My parents are visiting the weekend of March 18th and I've placed replacing the faucet on the top 4 list of priorities. See?

Mom and Dad's Visit: Priorities

1. Replace hot water heater.
2. Add crown moulding to the kitchen.
3. Add external drain for the washer (it currently drains into a utility sink. ugh.) and switch out the old W/D with our new set.
4. Replace the faucet in the upstairs bathroom.
5. Build a wine rack insert for the new kitchen cabinets.

Most parents come into town hoping to relax a little and see the city.  Not mine. I don't even give them that option. It's all manual labor all the time. Fortunately, my parents wouldn't have it any other way and for that, I'm thankful.

Night owl

For those of you, who will remain nameless, that are incredibly committed to checking out my kitchen... I give you a few crummy nighttime shots of the in-progress space. First, you must appreciate the mess we made emptying out our cabinets into our dining room. Impressive, right? See that bag of chips in the left corner? We kept walking by the bag and, as a result, it took no less than 2 hours to gain back any of the calories we burned while working on the kitchen.

Drum roll... Keep in mind that we still need new window treatments, cabinet hardware, matching cabinets above the semi-island, a dining nook, a rug, and crown moulding.  These pics were also taken at night and don't accurately reflect the colors in the room, but at least you can get a good glimpse of what's going on:

We have since added the cabinet hardware, but you'll have to wait to check it out. Trust me, it looks great.We're making progress folks, we're making progress.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts and suggestions with us along the way! This kitchen wouldn't be unfolding so beautifully if it weren't for your help.

While the husband is away...this girl will play!

The first weekend Mark left I consoled myself the only way my mother taught me: I went shopping.  I went to two Homegoods, one TJ Maxx and one Marshalls and didn't find a single thing to buy.  You could have put a golden egg in front of me and I wouldn't have been amused. Fortunately, I survived a week and after Mark left on Sunday (he came in for a short 18hr trip) I went back to a Homegoods and had plenty of luck.  Probably too much luck, really. During my incredibly successful shopping trip I had a moment of deep self-reflection and came to realize that (1) despite my best efforts to hate the whole "stick on" furniture look, I really think it's adorable and (2) with Mark gone I'm at least five months away from starting my new bathroom project and I can't stand another week getting ready with key lime walls. These two profound discoveries lead to an even more profound checkout.  Just look at how cute this stick-on chandelier is next to my homemade chair!

My guest bedroom now looks more like a teenager's dream than a luxe guest suite, but the sticker is removable and won't damage the walls. For the moment, I'm totally smitten. Forgive my fashion faux pas, but it just had to be done and for only $9.99 I don't feel bad about the indulgence.

I then decided I was going to redo the upstairs bathroom on a shoe-string budget without Mark's assistance (i.e. give myself a bathroom that I can at least tolerate for the next five months). This gives me ample time to research every penny I'll be putting into my dream bathroom without dreading each moment in between.  At first five months didn't sound like a long time... then I survived a week. The key lime has gotta go. So here are the before shots (and yes, I've already put up some painters tape around the trim - I told you I was over it!):

As you can see, I've already tested a few colors on the wall.  It really only adds to the charm of the space. Right now, my plan is to remove the shower door and hang the curtain (already purchased), paint, replace the hardware and the faucet (with my Belle Foret faucet), put up new window treatments (bamboo shades?) and throw some artwork on the wall that ties the whole space together.  It's going to be hard to do without ditching the sink, toilet or tile floor, but I'm going to give it the old college try and see what comes. 

Worst case scenario: I do all of this, I still don't like it, I am out $150 for the joy of not looking at key lime green for five months while I patiently wait on the bathroom of my dreams feeling confident that it's exactly what I want.

Dream case scenario: I do all of this and I love it enough to (temporarily at least) give up my dream bathroom concept thereby saving us a few G's.  Sure, I'd have to sell that console sink on eBay, but I'd have no problem turning a profit on the purchase.

With any luck I'll fall somewhere in between the two aforementioned scenarios and it won't be a total waste. Mark doesn't know about any of this, but I figure if I approach it with the, "I did this to take the pressure off of you, honey" attitude it will go over quite smoothly (thanks for the advice, Meg!). Here's a sneak peek at what I'm looking at:

Oh, and I've already started. See that toilet paper holder? It's new. If you're looking for bathroom hardware, check out your local Homegoods.  I purchased a matching towel rod, hand towel ring and toilet paper holder from the Hotel Collection for $9 each. That's a steal.

For those of you annoyed about my lack of a kitchen update, just hold your horses.  There have been a few glitches.  First, I have to actually be home during the daylight in order to get a decent picture of that room. Considering it's February and my job is insane, this never happens. I know you're thinking, "but what about the weekends?" Contrary to popular opinion, I do have a social life and occasionally I take a break from photographing my cats to have a little fun. More importantly, two Saturdays ago (which was the first Saturday that our kitchen was in photograph-worthy shape) I was in Key West.  Last Saturday I was with Mark shopping for antiques on U Street.  Hopefully, you'll have better luck this weekend, but don't bet on it since Maureen is coming to visit.  Also, I've found that crown moulding isn't that easy. All is painted, but the crown moulding isn't up.  I can cut inside corners just fine (upside down and backwards. got it!) but outside corners confuse me and measuring a single piece of wood to be cut correctly on one side as an outside corner and another side an inside is some kind of geometry class I never took.  Mark and I stared at a compound miter saw for 3 hours and destroyed $30 worth of moulding before deciding that we should wait and let my dad do it teach us.  I'm also fabric shopping with my mom in two weekends for the window treatments and the dining nook, but those projects will come later. I promise, as soon as the pics are ready I'll have them up. Now on with the gratuitous Frank photos:

Totally unrelated: We lost power for about 36 hours during a recent snow storm.  It resulted in a nice evening next to the fireplace snuggled up with a bottle of Malbec and the cats.