Wedding Mania!!

I have come to the realization that I'm rubbish at blogging. That being said my sister Kate isn't here in Utah to see what I've been putting together for my wedding over the last month.

The Dress

I love it! I was the first one I picked out when I was looking online and after trying on a few handful of dresses there was no doubt that this dress was the one. It is made of shantung taffeta (not the shiny 80's watermark looking taffeta) with a sweetheart neck and pockets. I don't know why but I loved the fact it had pockets. I'm having a custom jacket made to go with it and it's a combo of the two pictures below. The neck line of the grey one and the sleeve of the red one.

The Cake

I'm so excited for the cake! Not only will it look amazing but after the taste testing a few weeks ago I'm even more excited. It is four tiers and the flavors for each tier are: Pear w. cream cheese filling, strawberry lemonade with a lemon custard filling, almond poppy seed with a raspberry filling and pear with a lemon custard filling. Granite Bakery is Salt Lake is amazing!

More to come soon!

Weekend with Haven J.

There have been so many things going on lately that this blog simply is not at the top of my list! I just started my thesis and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. A few months ago I purchased a house and it is coming along.

Now to the fun stuff, this last weekend when I when to California for my cousins wedding. We were in San Francisco’s China Town and I was trying to keep the group together. Grandpa and Rachel walking off in one direction while my parents were out and about shopping. I went to make sure I hadn’t lost Grandpa and this is what I found.

This is my Grandfather and my Aunt Rachel pan-handling on the street. The last people on the earth that need a public hand out and there they were just trying to make a buck! They made 75 cents and Grandpa was thinking about taking up this hobby more often!

OK Go - End Love - Official Video

ANDOLSEK RESIDENCE

For the last several years I've been working on a side project with a former co-worker, Robert Pinion, and I wanted to post some photos. When we started this project the homeowners had been living in a condo around the corner from their old home. The Roxbury home, seen below, had water and mold damage due to the extremely high water table in the area. The foundation itself was compromised and rather than moving they wanted to rebuild. As we started designing their new home they had several design criteria. The first was that the new home be accessible to anyone with disabilities and second was that the home be environmentally friendly and lastly that the tower remain. The tower was build around 1920 and was part of an entrance gate into St. Marys Catholic School. The neighborhood was later developed in the 1950's.

1957 Home

Second Floor looking down at the the gallery

The homeowners wanted to make sure that their home felt open. The Gallery is a two story space for the display of artwork and from the second floor you can see the front and back yards. The home is very modern with a neutral color palette...except for the few bold pops of color. Mary the home owner is one of the greatest women you will ever meet. Below is her "Crazy Arts Room", Mary is an artist even though she would reprimand me for saying so. She is so creative and loves to spend time working on her projects.

Hannah's room

Michael's Room

Each of the bedrooms is really a suite, they each have their own balcony and bathroom.

Second Floor landing looking down!

We had to reinforce the tower, but it remained. I love the way it sneaks into the interior and that it creates a strong contrast with the modern railing!

Living Room

Dinning Room

The home was featured in the 2009 Parade of Homes. At the last minute our art supplier backed out and we were in a jamb. I called my friends at Alpine Art and they provided us with art for the entire residence. One of the main artists featured was Jeff Pugh and I love his work. He is a local artist that exhibits in the local galleries. The art was the perfect addition to the home.

Master Bedroom

Kitchen & Breakfast Nook

Gallery

Foyer looking at stairs and elevator

Below are some of the things Andolseks did to receive LEED certification

Saved and reused:

• Stones from fireplace, exterior walls and stairs were used to repair existing tower and surrounding landscape.

• Concrete from driveway was saved and used to create pavers for patio and walkways, concrete not used was taken to a recycling center to be crushed for road base.

• Kitchen cabinets and countertops were saved and repainted and used in workroom for workroom beneath the single-car garage.

• Hardwood flooring was reused in first floor half bath and the remaining was taken to a shop that sells old flooring.

• Aluminum was taken off the previous house and recycled.

• Cedar-shingle roof was taken off and shredded to use as mulch in landscaping.

• Trees that were taken down were mulched, and either used in the landscaping or taken to the green recycling center at the city disposal.

• Stone tower built in the late 1800s was reincorporated into the home doors and wood cabinet draws were taken to a reuse retail store original bars powdered coated and placed in tower windows.

In the home:

• Some of the furniture has been in the family for years and reused.

• Pieces were reupholstered, repainted or left as is.

• No VOC paints

• Bamboo stairs, a highly-sustainable wood product

• Dual flush toilets

• Shower heads and bath sinks have ultra-low flow aerators to save water use.

• Minimal south facing windows to cut down on sun exposure that would heat up the home in the summer.

Kitchen:

• Recycling center in kitchen

• Highly water- and energy-efficient dishwasher

• Gas appliances

• Pull out drawers for easy access

• Pull out cabinet shelves for easy access

• Low formaldehyde use in making of all cabinets in pantry, kitchen and baths.

• Cooktop vent is vented out of the house at the roof to decrease environmental noise.

• Bathroom fans are also at the roof to minimize interior noise.

• Highest energy-star rated appliances used everywhere.

Flooring:

• All floors have radiant heating. Floors are concrete and recyclable.

• Floors partly covered with carpet squares that have recycled content, squares are dishwasher safe.

• Mildly-abrasive carpet at entryways used to decrease affects of allergies/cleaner environment.

Outside:

• Windows are rated energy efficient for area and are low-e, double paned.

• Fins on exterior are placed based on sun study designed for home to make the best use of light and not allowing too much heat in. (passive-solar use)

• Solar-thermal panels used to heat domestic water and to used to heat radiant flooring.

• Solar pholtaic panels used to help create electricity (approximately 30 percent of our use).

• Grid-tied, net-metering French drains around the basement and first floor to divert and collect and reuse underground water that damaged the previous home.

• Water rights purchased to use underground spring water to collect run-off water and use to irrigate xeriscaped landscape with native plants and less than 10 percent native grass.

• Collected water used to cool the liquid chiller to air condition the home. (running at 40 percent power usage as a comparable sized air chiller)

Lighting:

Cree LR6 LED lights used for all can lighting. Each light gives off a 65watt equivalent light but uses only 12 watts of electricity. Cool to the touch, so as not to generate heat and increase air conditioning costs. Average life expectancy is about 50,000 hours or 20 years normal use.

Insulation:

• Extremely tight envelope helps efficiently maintain desired temperatures and control allergens,

• Spray polyurethane (no formaldehyde) insulation on all walls and roof with Fiberglas batting or blown in on top of that. R54 on roof and R25 in walls.

• Hardie Board siding, fiber-concrete, rated 50 year paint on top of it--a sustainable product.

• Significant steel roofing and siding of garages, recyclable

Landscaping:

• Only 10 percent drought-tolerant sod used and majority of plants are drought tolerant

• Fruit tree and eatable plants used for helping in self-sufficiency.

• Hardscapes shaded to cut down on heating the environment.

• Minimal hardscapes to maximize water return to the aquifer instead of runoff to the storm sewer

Xeriscaping

Park strip was bricked with bricks from local building that was demolished.

Heating/Cooling Systems:

• Air exchanger on roof, precools or preheats incoming fresh air with cool or warm outgoing stale air.

• Underground water collection system also refills the water feature. The variable-speed pump for the feature can be adjusted to increase or decrease the flow to minimize energy usage.

• Wood framing is made from FSC wood.

• Concrete mix has high ash content.

• High-velocity air conditioning, minimizes duct work

• Fireplace has coaxial flue, bringing in fresh air and exhausting used gas, providing radiant heat but sealed, and therefore not losing heat from inside the house out the flue.

Mac Photo Booth

I went to St. George this weekend to spend time with Kate and the Kids. At one point I was trying to get homework done and miles wanted to play so after I was done I showed him this program on my computer and the entire family took their turn. Below are some of the family faves!

Jenn
Brock
Torie
Julie
Bon
Miles and Dad
Kate
Miles
Torie
Ava
Jenn
Kate
Jenn
Jenn & Miles
Jenn, Kate and Ava

Ava hated this game, she kept saying "I'm not pretty!"

All I have to say is we are one good looking family!

Jenn

It's been a while!

I never feel like anything in my life is really worth posting about, especially since the 3.25 people that read this blog are family and I see them on a regular basis! Bon mentioned to me today that it had been a while since my last post. So what are my updates...

{A} Grad School! I'm working on my masters from the Savannah College of Art and Design and lets just say it is a lot of work!

{B} I'm working for my family corporations, have I mentioned that we are all a little crazy! It has actually been surprisingly fun working for them! I get to plan our big ole' family reunion, why, because I'm on payroll! At least that's what grandpa says every time he wants me to do something for him!

{C} Bonnie and Brock (my sister and brother in-law) have purchased a home and I'm doing the construction management to fix it up. It was in beyond bad condition when we started and we have put a lot of work into it. When I saw we, I really mean our lovely friends Jose and Froylan. They have done an amazing job, I will post photos when it is done!

{D} White Elephant- I found this company this summer at the farmers market and fell in love! Here is a print I want to get...

You can access their blog and etsy site from {WeCollective}

{E} I'm dating someone...

{F} Mini travel season is upon me! I'm going to meet up with Kate and the kids this weekend. In two weeks I go to Denver and a few weeks later family reunion! I miss my old travel adventures!

I was driving downtown a few days ago and I realized that I really do miss it down there! It's been about 5 months since I left and not being down there on a daily basis is sad. That being said, new life is going really well and I'm happy!

I will try to update more regularly!

Jenn

One step at a time

There is something I love about an interesting staircase!