Eliot

Pura Vida Pennsylvania!

Costa Rica has a saying, if someone asks how you are doing, and all is good with you, you answer "Pura Vida." Kind of a life is good, all's well, living the dream kind of answer.

I used to have the gypsy curse. I used to run around and want to be everywhere and want to live everywhere. Every place that I would visit or work in I would wonder why I didn't live there. That was an especially strong feeling when I lived in New York. I would wonder why I was putting up with this teeny, ugly apartment and the crowded subways! I would wonder why I chose the life I was living. I would think these people had it figured out, quiet town, beautiful things, quality of life.

Because I believe that we all have a choice of where we are and who we are with and what we want to do.

I don't wander anymore. I am happy now.

I was in the jungles of Costa Rica, in treehouses over waterfalls and rainforests and black sand beaches, and nothing made me want to live there more than where I am now. I was among all of this wild beauty and it just made me think how lucky I was to have my own beauty now.

To have my own forest, and my own little tiny waterfall in the backyard.

It made me happy with the space WE have chosen and the life WE have chosen, and most importantly it made me so happy with WHO I have chosen to be in this world with.

Pura Vida Pennsylvania!

Their Creek:

Our Creek:

(I know what you are thinking.  .  . even better than theirs! hehe)

HOLD ON!

Flowers and Progress

I was gone for almost two weeks to Nashville then straight to Costa Rica for work. I missed my husband and I missed our home so much. I was so excited to get home.

And this is what I came home to:

Flowers and Progress!

While I was gone Brad painted the final glossy paint on the wall in the kitchen, bought this INSANELY perfect island in some secret location somewhere, began the tiling for the backsplash, shined up the counters, and put up a hand rail on the steps! 

We have to finish the tile, putting black grout in it and and putting the trim tile on top, just a rounded edge, clean up the floor, finish the ceiling and trim. . .and im sure some other stuff but it is SO amazing!

The best homecoming gift is a beautiful home to come home TO!

HOME AGAIN.

Wood You Be Mine

Brad and I both own big SUVs. We have that in common. Another thing that we have in common is that we both own BROKEN SUVs. So here we are, off roading in the snow to pick up large pieces of wood.  IN. . .a honda. . . . .

 It doesn't quite fit. . ..

But with a littttle finagling. . .

It fit!

Chasing the Sunset

"Hi, we are calling about your barn wood? Yea.  . . .uh. . . .Yep. . .. ok. . .. yep.  . .ok. . . .thanks."

Brad hung up.

"SO???"

"We have to get there before sunset. You need to change your boots. Let's go." 

So there we were chasing the sunset trying to get to the lumber graveyard (which is my sweet little nickname for the place)

After a few small towns, a few wrong turns and a few big dogs we found it. And I mean we FOUND IT! This place was amazing. All the treasures hidden under all of that snow?! We walked around, picked our kitchen shelf off a pile on the ground and promised we would be back in the spring. With our trucks. And our dollar bills. 

We pretty much hit the gold mine. Or, my other sweet little nickname for it, the COLD mine. 

NOOOOOOO

This is a picture of our tool closet/ soon to be powder room on the first floor. Look closely. 

This is a picture of an entire gallon of spilled Behr Ultra White Hi Gloss paint. 

On so many levels . . . ouch. 

The Shaffer Speakeasy

Otherwise known as. . .our basement.

We inherited the bar, and the dart board. The candles and the rest we just happened to have hanging around. . .the basement.

It's all about lighting. . . .

Thoughts from the last day of the year

We have had, most likely to be, the most eventful year of our lives. We got engaged. I moved from Nashville to Pittsburgh. We got married. We moved in to a house. We bought a house. We moved into a DIFFERENT house. And we gutted and renovated an entire kitchen, changing the structure of our old house even. All while going full speed ahead in our careers. We have been back and forth to New York, to Nashville, to California, to some island off the coast of somewhere and back again . . .

PHEW. IT'S NO WONDER WE ARE EXHAUSTED. 

But what an amazing year it has been. We have been so overly blessed. 

This next year we have goals: Brad's is to finish the house. Mine is to write a one hit wonder. My goal coming true would make Brad's goal coming true a lot easier. But Brad's goal is SLIGHTLY and maybe just slightly a bit more attainable. 

But I am a reach for the stars kind of girl. And if this year is any indication of what can be done in 365 days, than we've got big things ahead. 

"I've got a feeling, this years for me and you. So happy Christmas. I love you baby. I can see a better time, where all our dreams come true." - The Pogues

A Self Portrait

A self portrait session:

This art piece entitled:

What'd YOU do today?

by Leanne Shaffer

other tentative titles:

"Should have sprung for the Shower Cap"

by Leanne Shaffer

and 

"I Wonder if they Make Turpentine Shampoo?"

by Leanne Shaffer

also

"Doc, my contacts WERE my protective eyewear."

by Leanne Shaffer

pretty good shape. . .

Last night we needed a break from the sawdust and the paint brushes. We decided to go out to a nice dinner with my brother and his girlfriend. That day Steve came over and we all worked on the kitchen all day. Again. He headed home and Brad and I went to get ready for our "date"

So after working all day, I took an extremely long shower and scrapped the paint out of my hair and got ready to go be normal for an evening.  I even painted my nails.  I was excited to go out and see what REAL people did when they weren't renovating their kitchen.

But then we realized, between the new cabinets, and the sink, and the all-clad, and the 2 by 6 wood we bought home depot out of, we had no right to go to a nice dinner at this moment. Mickey D's was about all we should be treating ourselves to. So we decided to be smart for a change and stay in. I called my brother and told him we just couldn't go out to a nice dinner TONIGHT. Soon, but not tonight. . .

He called me back a minute later and said he and his girlfriend had a nice bottle of wine and they would be over in twenty minutes.

As he opened the wine I said rather pathetically but mostly teasing, "Is this to drown our sorrows?"

Steve raised his glass, "If this is our sorrows, than we are in pretty good shape."

Be Our Guest

Our guest room is always open! Unless it's booked for the evening. . .

Call ahead for reservations. 

SUCCESS!

Our first dinner party!

Before
Obviously our kitchen isn't done, but it is coming along nicely!

Our new pot rack

Real dishes looks so good in a real sink!