Murphy updates!

Wow how time is flying! It's been nearly 3 months since my last post right after we got Murphy and he has so perfectly become a part of our family! We were so excited to finally be able to bring him places with us after he got all his shots!! We really are those dog-parents who think our's is the cutest dog to ever grace the earth with his presence! He does everything with us and we are having so much fun with him! Here's a little recap of his first few months of life -

He comes with us to Home Depot...

He has hiking dates with his "Auntie Allie":

Playdates with his BFF Bear:

Played with lots of dogs at Baker Beach - where I officially developed my opinion that all dogs should be kept on leashes...

Got new snow shoes in preparation for our trip to Tahoe:

Played in the snow for the first time (and promptly removed his snow shoes):

Played with his Doodle-girlfriend Isla:

photo officially named "Two Dads and their Doodles"

Snuggled in bed for the first time:

Learned how to jump up on the couch when you leave the room - probably from his above mentioned gf Isla ;)

Started Puppy Training classes at Petco with who they call the town's "the dog whisperer!" This is him exhausted after his first class (after 2 classes he's learned come, sit, down, stand, stay, & leave it):

Getting neutered didn't slow him down one bit! Lots of dog owners describe their pups as sad or mopey afterwards, nope, Murphy was happy and hyper as ever from the second we picked him up!

Helping Dad out in the garage:

Helping Mom put together Ikea furniture... AKA trying to steal pieces:

He's an adorable, cuddly, hyper, ball of fluff! Some other favorite activities include following me around biting my pants (especially if they're tight or printed like leggings or pajama pants), trying to sneak up on the couch to snuggle, stealing socks, eating rocks and sticks outside, playing fetch, chew sticks, playing with his toys on the entryway rug, wrestling with dad, going for walks in the neighborhood, and playing with any dog he can chase (even ones that won't chase cuz they're old or scared like his "aunties"!!

We love you Murphy!!

Kitchen Facelift - Before & After

Earlier this month, our kitchen got a major facelift!! We found a perfect combination of contractor work and DIY work to bring it to a beautiful state at a cost we are so happy with.

First, we finally sucked it up and paid a contractor to come in and paint our cabinets white. They were previously a light stained oak.

Before cabinets & counters

After cabinets!

Also note, we got a new microwave and stove! The microwave is brand new, but the stove was Marc's parents old one that his dad refinished the top of so it looks brand spankin new!! We had a gas line run as well, and I love cooking on it much better than the electric one. Not to mention we finally have matching appliances!!!

One more thing to note is those hideous light pink/peach countertops. The prior owners were so proud of this kitchen and the woman had designed it all herself. Bless their hearts they loved it, but wow how ugly!!!!! We have been talking about new countertops for years now and just have been delaying eating the cost of granite (plus I don't love the look, I want soapstone! but of course Marc wants granite, so here we are with pink still). Then, Marc threw out the crazy idea and said - let's just paint them and see what happens! So on a Friday night Home Depot run, Marc convinced me to just try it, so $20 later we came home with a can of this Rust-Oleum Countertop Coating and selected the most neutral gray color from the color chart on top. We thought, hey if it looks terrible, we are only out $20 and we want to get new counters eventually, so whatever, let's just try it!!

 

1 coat and an hour later, this is what we had!! I was 100% shocked with how evenly this stuff went on with a perfect texture, how great it looks and how easy it was to apply!! We let it dry and did another coat the next day and here is the finished product!:

After countertop paint!!!

don't mind the blue tape :)

Our next step is to continue the tan paint from the living room on the side walls into the kitchen, and do a tile back splash instead of the red wall. We also have a small wooden island on wheels that I want to repaint black and stain the butcher block top a darker wood color. But hey, for 2 days and less than $2,000, this was a huge dramatic change I couldn't be happier with!!!

Has anyone else ever used this countertop paint?? I had never heard of anyone doing it and am so surprised because it was cheap, easy, and looks great!