Now that we’re famous, everyone’s like: “tell us more about your fascinating life and beautiful home!”… so here you go!

Q: It looks like you’re making a sudden come-back, tell us more!

A (Mary): Well, we were really getting famous back in 2013.  I mean, we had something like 7 comments (2 from our contractor, 2 from strangers, 3 from Andy) in 2 years!  Then we decided to have a baby (actually, we decided that well before 2013).  Did you know babies and toddlers are a lot of work?  Ours is named Nadine and she’s sort of demanding.  We had to choose between caring for her, doing projects, writing about projects, and sleeping… so the writing and sleeping stopped.  Actually, I had been thinking about posting to the blog again for a long time, but then I would realize I’d rather sleep.

A (Andy): Well, the Eichler Network got us motivitated to “rejuvenate” the  old blog.  We actually have done a few projects (renovate the hall bath, hallway, nursery, guest room, repair some more beams, build a deck, renovate the master bath…) but we’ve just been too lazy to update the blog.  Our daughter is not one for home improvements, she likes to help but we just don’t think she should be handling the nail gun quite yet.  We have to move in baby steps, you know, hammer and chop saw first, followed by the table saw and nail gun.  Our goal is to have a 4 year old that can repair radiant floor leaks.

Q: What’s it like to suddenly be famous?

A (Andy): It’s pretty amazing… The limousine to the studio, the constant oohhs and awwhs and people pushing each other just to get closer to the front door so they can get a glimpse of our famous house.  Sometimes I think I’m dreaming but, uh, oh wait, yeah, that was a dream. I will consider myself famous when I have someone taking out the trash on Thursday nights.

A (Mary): I’m much more visible in the public eye now (like at music in the park)- so I have to be more fashion-conscious.  To that end, I started wearing skinny jeans.  See, I’m really fashionable now!

(outfit: skinny jeans and shoes ordered online from Gap because we have a toddler and I can’t really go into a real store now, top from Costco because we have a toddler who tolerates Costco as long as she has enough samples to eat).

Q: All of your photos on the blog are so beautiful!  Tell us about the camera you use?

A (Mary): In 2011 we started using our state of the art point-and-shoot Canon digital camera.  Then we went to Oktoberfest in Germany and it got a little beer on it and it was never the same.  Fast forward, 4 years and it turns out our phones have surpassed the quality of our beer-soaked digital camera.  So, long story short, we use our iPhone6’s for most of the photos.  I know!  Amazing that you can get such beautiful quality photos from a phone!

Q: I know Andy’s “real” job is to be a computer guy (technically, a CIO), what about you, Mary?  Are you an interior designer? A writer?

A (Mary): I’m a data scientist.

Q: Wow, cool! Data science is so hot right now.  How do you find the time to do so much?

A (Mary):  Well, I don’t sleep much.  I also don’t relax much.  I should probably do more of both and less of everything else. I’m going to book a day trip to a spa in Sonoma right now.

A (Andy): Sleep is not all that much fun so we just sacrifice eating and sleeping to get projects done.

Q: Nadine, what do you think of the beautiful home that your parents are re-building for you?

A (Nadine): BID-E-OOOOS! (Videos… she wants to watch videos of herself on your iPhone).

Q: Nadine, where’s the moon?

A (Nadine): THERE!