My sister...the homeowner

So Denise and Andrew bought a house (you can find more pictures here). It is probably the cutest house I have ever seen. The former owners were meticulous, organized, and had good taste to boot. Everything in the house has been restored to its original charm yet updated to bring in the latest in modern conveniences. Dishwasher anyone?

Either way, I'm proud of my sister. There's something about being an older sister that allows me to take an almost motherly sense of pride in my siblings when the accomplish something. Yesterday I just couldn't have been happier, or more proud. 3 cheers for the homeowners and this new season in their life. (Although, maybe I'm secretly praying that one day they might want to come back to their roots. But until that day, I'll enjoy the fact that I'm a mere 1.5 hours away from them, and have the option of using my very favorite mode of north-south valley transportation: amtrak).

Andrew & Denise

The happy couple...and their happy home

The mantle...all original. The sconces are on a dimmer switch. Isn't that lovely?!

New assembled IKEA poang chairs (a wise decorating choice, I think)

The way the house looked as Denise & I arrived. Andrew, Rod, and Carly had already started unloading...