We're going to call this the before and after even though the real after will be when Claire has her furniture and her things in her room. Our shipment is supposed to arrive right at the beginning of September. I know once our things are delivered things all over the house will be chaos for…

We went for a little walk on Saturday morning. I wanted to explore a park and an old school in Winnetka. The school is called the Crow Island School and it's just few minutes drive from our house. It was opened in 1940/41 and it's significant because it grew out of a new progressive style…

Woo – I have been working hard on Claire's bedroom renovation. This old house is not easy. The walls require so many steps to get them smooth and ready to paint. This morning I've been sanding doors and window frames and I'm a dusty mess. But I don't want to complain too much because I…

I've been busy around the house this week. Thanks to jetlag I've been getting up early to hack away at our overgrown yard. So many tall weeds choking out the perennials! And today I got my little garden plot under control and planted carrots, beets, basil and radishes. We also have a mysterious puddle in…

Ding… ding…. ding Jump off the couch and get dressed. The knife man is here!!! It's very old-school, our knife sharpening man. He roams the streets and his cart dings along with his slow gate. He charges two bucks for a big kitchen knife. He's a little gruff.  The strangest thing about all of this…

It’s hard to be happy about coming to the US right now. Our flight was uneventful but it felt pretty bleak getting off the plane. Well to be honest even in ordinary times the impression you get when you arrive in Chicago is not good. To say the least. Anyway, we’re starting to get settled…

Well it’s happening. We’re on the move. Our home is filled with boxes and tape and paper… and men.  I feel pretty expert at moving at this point but goodness it sure is a pain in the butt! It’s physically and mentally exhausting. I worked right up until the packing guys came this morning and…

One year ago Jennifer and Jenna were hosting us on their boat in Tawas Bay. It was completely relaxing and so much fun. My favorite memory is all the giggling while we were swimming. The girls were squirting each other with the pool noodles. I can’t even remember why is was so funny but I…