Can you believe it’s been nearly five months since we last shared a house tour? I grabbed the Flip cam and wandered through the house to show how each room looks on an average day — no tidying beforehand, just everyday life (we did a similar “no-cleaning” tour back in April). This is the real deal: I didn’t pick up a thing, which is why you’ll see random clutter (including an embarrassing bra on the bedroom chair — please pretend you didn’t notice). If you’re at work, you can watch on mute and still get the idea of our daily routine.
Quick notes about the video:
- I filmed this before I refinished the hardware on the front and sliding doors, so the brass finishes are still bright. It always takes me a few days to remember to upload videos.
- I’m not great at holding a camera while talking and walking, so forgive the Blair Witch-style shakiness.
- Some readers mentioned hearing Natalie Portman or Mila Kunis in my voice; I listened multiple times and couldn’t hear it, but I tried.
- I don’t know why I pointed out a Ruby Tuesday’s coupon on the desk — odd things seem noteworthy in the moment.
- I should have rotated the ironing board so it pointed up and reclaimed my Ironing Board Wars victory on camera (more on that in a previous post).
- Burger, our nine-pound chihuahua, looks ridiculously content tucked under the covers. Life is good when you’re a tiny dog.
- After Clara fell asleep, I whispered through the second half of the video to avoid waking her. We actually make lots of noise with DIY projects while she naps — just not right outside her door.
- I still haven’t rehung the ribbon chandelier from Clara’s closet after painting and stenciling it; it’s currently in a pile in the playroom.
- The “waterfall” noise in Clara’s room is her sound machine, which helps cover household noises like barking and drilling.
- I forgot to film the sunroom at first, then darted back through the house to capture squished pillows and an inflatable whale pool.
- The sunroom rocker is still a menace — not much progress since I first mentioned it months ago.
- My overly dramatic ending with Clara’s stuffed animal was a little strange. Yes, we named her Georgia because she’s from Georgia. Don’t ask.
What would people see if you made a similarly shaky, unedited video of your own house? Any embarrassing items hiding in plain sight — a Care Bear night light in the bedroom or an old pop-star poster in the closet? John actually had a Britney Spears calendar when I first met him in 2004. Not kidding. She wore red leather and braided pigtails — apparently, John has always had distinctive taste.
I was digging through old folders on my laptop and found some funny photos to share in the spirit of “any given day.” Back in 2005, when I worked in advertising in NYC, I met a handful of celebrities. Most were lovely; one lived up to the mean-star rumor and wasn’t pleasant at all.
Here’s John’s passport photo from age 16 next to the one taken at 24. Look at him grow up — Johnny all grown up.
This is John as a life-sized doll in 2005, from a project we worked on together at the ad agency Lowe. I was a copywriter and John was on accounts. The office loved this stunt — it was created for a deodorant client — and I much preferred John as a doll to the smarmy Ken doll I had as a kid.
Here’s our engagement announcement photo from 2006, snapped moments after John proposed at the top of a mountain. It was one of the best days of our lives — definitely top five.
That’s my Friday randomness: a messy house tour and a handful of nostalgic photos. What odd pictures are hiding on your hard drive? Could you have guessed five years ago where you’d be today? We certainly didn’t expect to leave advertising after loving it for so long, nor did I expect to move away from NYC after six years. Life takes unexpected turns, and it’s funny to look back.
Psst — you can watch our first messy house tour for more “any given day” glimpses to see how rooms have changed since April.