this just made my day

i've never been so excited about a soap dispenser.

($12.99 at target)

the best of mission

spring is here which means my interest has been anything outdoors.  my evening runs have been much more enjoyable now with the flowers blooming and the sun shining.  i have been inspired by several houses on my route so allow me to give you a little tour of the hood ...

this house has always spoken to me.  the landscaping is flawless, love that chimney dead center, and something about the rich plum shutter color just makes me happy. 

and this, my friends, is what you call lawn envy.  rob and i insist that (hands down) this is the best kept lawn in all of kansas city.  you cannot help but just stare and wonder, how do you do it?? 

this home is on a busier street like mine and i love the idea of the circle drive to allow for additional parking.  i think my favorite part is the entry and how the dormers give it such balance and presence. 

check out this private oasis in the city.  it is off the beaten path and a much larger piece of real estate than what you would typically see in my neck of the woods.  this house sits on top of a hill and i have a sneaking suspicion that their view of downtown is incredible. 

and here is my sad house that i am only sharing with you now so that you can be wow'd later when all my projects are complete.  (ha!)  for now, don't judge a book by it's cover ...

love at first light

several months ago i scored a parsons table and mirror from a craigs list ad and have been on the hunt for lamps ever since. i was browsing marshall's over lunch today and spotted these beauties ...

... and i made a run for the cash register. 

the entry still has a ways to go but i'm thrilled to finally have light!  the biggest battle has been finding a pair of lamps at the right scale and in a finish that complimented the mirror.

(psst, can't you picture an umbrella stand to the right of the table?)

diy: fixing a broken oven. (yep, that's right!)

i made a batch of cookies over the weekend and my heart sank when i discovered my (adorable, charming, vintage) thermador oven wouldn't preheat. 

it really is a charming little oven, yes?  i realize there is a very good chance that the oven is original to the house which would make it ... hmmm ... only 63 years old.  i was still hoping this wasn't thermador's final day on lamar avenue.  

after digging a little deeper i spotted the potential problem:  the heating element was broken.  i also discovered the heating element simply plugs into the bottom of my oven and can be easily pulled out (don't mind the dirty oven).

   

so off to my local appliance store i went, with my broken heating element and oven model number.  a replacement cost me a whopping $29.99 (and a week's wait).  fingers crossed it will last another 63 years ...