merry little [lounge] christmas

to all you wonderful people who still happen to visit this blog i hope you're having a great holiday season and i wish you all the best in the new year! 

the pains of being a [new dad]

the past two months have been an absolute whirlwind.  trying to figure out this new schedule, life and way of living all while keeping a new born feed and healthy and trying to function on nearly zero sleep is the hardest thing i've ever done.

that was until i had to witness my daughter get her two month old shots.

i know it's necessary and i know that she won't remember it, but there's this overwhelming feeling i have that i never want her to experience pain or hurt and watching her get shots tested that feeling.....

like most things in this life, i think she handled it better than i did.

[arch]inktober 2019 - week 4

 delicate

 proximity

 abstract

 infill

 mid-century

 wright

 stair

 museum

 roof garden

vacant

[arch]inktober 2019 - week 3

 balance

 your desk

 traditional

 grid

 local

 statue

skyline

[arch]inktober 2019 - week 2

 change order

 brutalist

 dream spot

 park

 relief

high rise

line weight

[arch]inktober 2019 - week 1

 pens

 scale figures

 micro

 square

 five

 public art

venustas

the birth of a [dad]

on september 30th at 5:52 pm 8lb. 6oz. lucie grace came into this world, melted my heart and turned me into a dad.

my grandfathers [watch]

when i was 16, my grandfather gave me a watch.




i had just gotten my drivers license and he ask if i wanted to take him for a drive in his el camino. we drove the back roads of western kansas, until we came upon the family land. we stopped the car on the side of the road.  while looking at the field and telling me about the harvest, he took the watch off his wrist and put it on mine.  one of my all time favorite memories of him.

just three and a half years later, when i was attending college,  he passed away.

his watch is my most cherished possession.

since then, i've worn the watch at all of my lifes milestones.  it was worn at events such as proms, graduations, family gatherings, when i got engaged and when i received my architecture license.  i'd wear it to remind myself of him and in a little way i eel like he was there with me.


it should be no surprise to know than when we headed to the hospital for the birth of my first child, i was sure to put it on.  here i an looking at the watch, waiting for the doctors to pull me into the operating room, just 22 minutes before i'd meet my daughter.


thanks for being there with me grandpa.

love you.

with a little help from [my parents]

living 1,700 miles away from where i grew up, i don't get to see my parents nearly as much as i would like.  thankfully, they recently came up to visit.

this visit found us keeping the tourist attractions to a minimum and instead activities were focused more on house projects.  not only did they help weed the yard and trim the hedges, we found the time to put together the crib.  this was actually my favorite project of the week.  i enjoy knowing that the crib my child will eventually sleep in was put together by my parents.

it was a quick trip and we didn't do anything too terribly exciting, but in a way, just having them around the house to help with small projects made me feel like they lived in the same town, instead of guests visiting.

i just wish they were here to help with all the other items i have to put together! 

eating good in the [new] neighborhood

it's amazing how a slight change in position can change your perspective.


buying a house just a few miles from the old apartment, i assumed my list of favorite restaurants would change or be updated.  i was wrong.  just a little ways aaway from the new house sits 158 pickett street cafe. a low key, super casual place with incredible food!

this is not a "foodie" blog, simply a reminder to everyone to change your position just a bit every once in a while. doing so, just might change your perspective. it also might allow you to stuff your face with the best home fries ever!

 

 

 

foggy, foggy [evening]

a foggy evening was a brief reminder that summer will soon be ending.

calm, cool and [painted]

with a little more experience and a lot more brushes, my wife and i started another painting project.

"this room will be WAY easier than the kitchen" i remember saying, "it's just a box!"

somehow i didn't factor in all the trim, the windows, the doors and the radiator cover, all of which were painted light yellow and all of which took more time than i had planned.  also kneeling down and painting base trim took more energy out of me than i thought.  one saving grace, being a tad wiser this go around we decided not to tape as much, as we felt more confident with our trim brushes.

although it took the better part of two weekends to finish up,  i was extremely happy with the way this project turned out.  unlike the kitchen, i felt the light grey we picked out was the perfect color.  the whole room has a calming vibe which is exactly what we were hoping for in a nursery.

hopefully the baby thinks so too!