The Story Of Us

While we were getting the kitchen re done we thought we would give the living room a bit of a refresh as well. The first time we did our living room was a couple months after moving in over 8 years ago. I loved our original carpet and that gray couch was so very comfortable it was hard to say goodbye.. but we were ready for some new pieces. The new space We replaced the gas fireplace with led candles. While we loved the idea of the fireplace we never really used it, especially since our tv is right above it. We considered installing a mantel and keep the fireplace but because our fireplace is raised and M wanted a big tv the tv would have to touch the ceiling in order to fit a mantel.  The rug was a Home Goods find. We got the sectional from Wayfair and the curtains  from Amazon. We tried out a multitude of curtains before going with the dark blue ones.  We switched out dining table from a rectangle to a circle. You can see the old dining table here . We are a family 4 - 6 people dep

Things have been busy. For those of you who didn't see my Instagrams, last week we were in Paris! And now I am swamped with the kids extracurriculars and planning for a trip back to Pakistan, we haven't been back in six years, so lots of present shopping. I also owe you a living room update.. and it's so so hot. But until I get all that figured out.. my recent reads. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Synopsis - Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision.

1. What is your favorite color?  Red 2. What is your favorite toy/game?  Labyrinth board game 3. What is your favorite fruit? Green Apple 4. What is your favorite food? Burgers 5. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?  Cookie Dough 7. What is your favorite tv show?  Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix 8.Favorite Movie? Liar Liar 9. What is your favorite animal?  Gorilla  10. What is your favorite song?  Seven Years Old by Lukas Graham 11. What is your favorite book?  The Percy Jackson series, The Lost Hero series + Trials of Apollo series 12. What is your favorite city/country?  Grand Canary 13. What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Ninja Course 14. What do you want to be when you grow up?  Dentist 15. What is your favorite thing to do with mummy?  Read Harry Potter 16. What is your favorite thing to do with baba?  watching Rangers and Giants games 17. What is your favorite thing to do with Hasan?  playing basketball 18. What makes you feel sad?  mummy's lectures 19. Wh

Last week D turned 12!  We celebrated with some birthday waffles Then we went to our local book sale we picked up this huge pile for $9 Afterwards D got a free scoop of ice cream for his birthday from Baskin Robbins. He requested a restaurant that made chicken alfredo so we found an Italian restaurant.. we don't eat much Italian that's not pizza or homemade. And then birthday cake.  ps we are travelling :) follow me on instagram to find out where and what we are up to.                       Etsy             Instagram             Twitter             Bloglovin   

When we bought this house eight years ago we knew the kitchen had to go but there was so many other things around the house that needed fixing and it was all much easier than having to live without a kitchen. It wasn't hideous so we made the best of it. In 2013 we had a wall knocked down and opened up the floor plan, put in some new flooring and slapped on a fresh coat of paint. You can see more of our renovation posts here .  Now that most of the house had been fixed up we knew it was time to take a sledgehammer to that kitchen. And if that wasn't enough the dishwasher only washed sometimes and half the stove didn't heat up, after a leak our floors had started to bubble.. the kitchen was begging for a makeover. BEFORE While we were at it we thought some new living room furniture wouldn't hurt. Give the whole space a brand new feeling. But I'll post about that in another post. IN PROGRESS  We went to multiple kitchen design places months before any of this started.

Over Memorial Day weekend we went on a very short and quick little getaway to the Grand Canyon. M's parents are visiting. And while they come often, well because they come often and stay for extended periods we sort of forget to make a big deal out of it. So this time we thought to take them somewhere. We left Saturday early morning. Thanks to the time difference it was still morning when we landed in Phoenix and sweltering hot. We rented a car via Turo - its like an AirBnb for cars. Our initial 3.5 hour drive very quickly turned into an almost 5 hour drive to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Thankfully we were prepared with books, music and snacks and managed to check in around 3pm. We stayed at the Red Feather Lodge just outside the Grand Canyon in the Grand Canyon Village.  After getting a park pass we parked and boarded the Kaibab Rim (Orange) Route shuttle. I was impressed with how well organized the park was. I had researched all the trails to make sure they were fun enough