First of all, thank you to everyone who has reached out to me about the fires. It means so much to have so many people thinking of me and my family. We are all safe and the situation has improved vastly. Tuesday morning I was walking Rex and I realized that I could smell air, not smoke, and I could see little faint patches of sky, and then Tuesday night it rained. Wednesday morning was beautiful and clear, and I was just so grateful.
It reminded me of when I injured my hip in 2019; after months of limping I swore I would never again take for granted the ability to move without pain, and I haven’t, and I feel like I will never take for granted the ability to step outside my house and take a deep, non-smoky breath. I am no stranger to smoky skies, but this was beyond anything I had experienced. When I washed my hair, the rinse water was a brownish tobacco colour, which was pretty gross. So I am ever grateful to all my friends, sending good thoughts my way and to the people in Kelowna.
Speaking of friends, one of my perennially favourite things is our blogging community. It’s such a supportive group of women who uplift other women, and on that note, Elisabeth (HI ELISABETH) had me guest post over on her blog. It was so fun answering all her questions, so please do go check it out.
And speaking of favourite things, it’s that time again! I thought it only appropriate to talk about our new house. You guys, it’s beautiful. It’s such a beautiful house. It was designed to our specifications; my husband worked really hard on all the details, and he got it all very right. I don’t think there is one thing that I would change, and there are so many things I love about it.
Nicole’s Favourite Things: The New House Edition
Welcome To My Kitchen
Were you ever – or maybe are you now – obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder? I sure was, and as an aside, for those of you who love podcasts, may I suggest Wilder? Hard core Laura enthusiasts who have read Prairie Fires and Pioneer Girl won’t find much new, exactly, but it is a fascinating look at the real life of Laura, and it my reassures me that I’m not alone in my longtime feelings about Pa and his apparent mental instability, constantly putting his family at risk, illegally squatting in land that did not belong to him, and making bad decision after bad decision. Anyway, if you were also a Little House fan – the books, not the TV show – you might remember when Laura got married, Almanzo built her a kitchen with lots of drawers and shelves, saying that a fellow is a fool if he can’t keep his wife happy with ample storage space. Old timey sexism aside, I can appreciate this thought and I had it many times during the house build. My kitchen is a dream with So Many Drawers. It was modelled after my mother’s kitchen, with a narrow drawer for spices, a drawer for cookie sheets, and a hidden garbage and recycle drawer. I love it so much.
In addition to this gorgeous kitchen, I have a pantry! I have a pantry!
Across from the pantry are even more built-in storage cupboards, which hold liquor, kitchen linens, cleaning supplies, brooms and mops, and our many, many shoes and boots.
I am 100% sure my husband never read These Happy Golden Years, but he really Almanzo-ed it up with the storage situation.
Let There Be Light
Every room in the house has enormous windows, and I love all the natural light. We have a gorgeous view of the city, lake, and mountains beyond, and each window feels like it showcases a work of art. I especially love my early morning yoga practice, being able to see the sky lighten as I move through my asana.
I Want To Dress You Up In My Love
There is even a window in our walk-in closet, and YES! I have a walk-in closet!
I also have MORE built-in shelves for my clothes; after twenty-three years of cramming all my clothes into half a closet and a dresser, I am really enjoying having so much room, especially since I found my non-mouse-eaten bag of favourite sweaters.
Hello Mudder
While we are on the topic of clothes and shoes, I also have a mudroom that more than one person can be in at a time! There is space for shoes and coats and accessories, and I am here for it.
There is also a cozy reading chair that I like to curl up in, looking out the big windows at the world going by, such as it is, or at least at our neighbour’s barn.
The Laundry Never Ends, So Let’s Make It Nice
My friend Janet (HI JANET) was touring our house and said “You know you’ve arrived when you have a whole room for the laundry.” WORD. I have arrived! I love my new laundry room so much, and there are more built-in cupboards for all the linens, extra blankets, towels, and so forth.
Let’s Kiss and Makeup
One of the most exciting things about this house is that we have three bathrooms, and one of them is an ensuite, which I have never had before. It’s gorgeous with a big shower and, again, lots of space and light.
Best of all, I have my very own MAKEUP TABLE!
So you can see why I am in love with this house! Storage! Bathrooms! A dream kitchen! Light! NO ONE’S SHOES JUMBLED UP IN PILES ON THE FLOOR IN THE ENTRY WAY!
Outfit of the Month
The majority of August has been very hot, which makes getting dressed a breeze. Mostly I’m a skort-and-tank top girl, but we’ve had a few occasions where I wanted to be dressier, like on our first dinner party. But barefoot dressy, if you know what I mean. This is another Old Navy dress that I bought in 2017, so I do not feel guilty for fast fashion because I’ve had it for six years, and I will probably keep it for at least that long, to my husband’s great dismay. He thinks I should update more frequently, but I do, which is why I needed all that storage space. It’s not a “one in, one out” situation in the Boyhouse, let me tell you. Anyway, I tend to prefer shorter dresses but I love the length for entertaining; I can bend over to grab things or sit with my feet tucked up without traumatizing my guests.
Lots of things to love this month, and of course, many more Favourite Things to come about my New Life! What did you love this August? Tell me everything. xo
Nicole: Those views! That storage! Your house is so beautiful! I’m so happy for you and also so glad that the dangers from the fires are abating.
I LOVE YOUR HOUSE! For some reason, the thing that blew me away the most was the window in your walk-in closet with the gorgeous view of mountains. And, of course all the amazing storage space. This is a dream house, for sure. I’m glad you’re so happy! And of course glad you’re safe and a little less smoky.
I’m glad the house is making you so happy. I’d love to have a pantry and a mudroom.
I keep clothes quite a long time. I have a short-sleeve button-down I have to get rid of because it ripped at the collar and I was sad about it and then I remembered I got it to nurse Noah, so it had a long run.
Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your new crib! And oooh BRB because I’m going to be looking into Wilder.
I have complicated feelings about the Little House books. On the one hand of course I love them, still own my childhood copies, and have reread them as an adult. Rose Wilder Lane is one of my favorite authors and I’m always fascinated by the question about how much involvement she had with her mother’s books. My two favs of RWL are the novels Diverging Roads and Let the Hurricane Roar, Roads is a semi-autobiographical novel about a small town girl who bootstraps her way up in the world from nothing as a telegraph operator, marries a no-goodnik who leaves her with nothing so she rebootstraps as a real estate agent, and then hops over to journalism as one does. It’s seriously fascinating. Hurricane came out the year before Little House and is about her grandparents (yep Charles and Caroline) and their first year of marriage.
The complicated part is that as a kid these books gave me a lot of guilt about how good I had it compared to the prairie days and some of the political stuff that RWL was endorsing but hey a good book is a good book. That’s the longest way ever to say “yay for drawers!” And also yay for the LBD and making fast fashion slow again.
Oh goodness those views are just stunning! Who needs artwork when you have views like that in every room!!
Also all that storage is a dream. I also have quite a lot of storage and cupboard space in my home and I truly believe you can never have too much of that!
You are living in a dream house!! Thank you for sharing your photos – I love every room! Now I can see why you love your divided kitchen sink – because it’s a BIG sink. I was thinking of those little stainless steel divided sinks that can barely hold a saucepan, which is what I used to have before getting my one big sink. I enjoy looking at pictures of houses, watching TV shows about houses, and touring people’s houses – so this was a fun post for me to read. And I’m so happy you got some rain, and the air is clear again.
Your new house is a dream! That storage!! I live in a 1930-built house with exactly ZERO closets and I have four small children. The idea of storage is practically orgasmic to me. 🤪 Did you raise your boys in a house with only one bathroom?? Because that is hero-level status.
First and foremost, I am relieved that the fire has calmed down. I felt awful for you and your family. The stress you had to feel. I understand the analogy you gave about appreciating it. There is a great Thich Nhat Hanh quote that says: “having a toothache helps us see that not having a toothache is a very pleasant feeling.” YES.
Second, your beautiful home! Nicole, I am SO happy for you. It’s truly beautiful. I love natural light, and you have SO MUCH of of it in this house! On top of that, the views are absolutely gorgeous!
I am just so happy for you. 😘❤️
The windows! The pantry! The mudroom with places to store more than three pairs of footwear! The big giant friendly dog! I’m seething with envy for your life over here, Nicole. (Maybe not over the fires, though. I’m glad you and your family was unscathed and hope your community can come together to help others who need it.)
Your new house is GORGEOUS! I love all the storage space! We do have ensuite bathroom but it was terribly designed – like the towel rack is across the room from the shower? It’s next to the soaker tub but I think a shower is probably the most highly used part of most bathrooms? We are NOT bath people so I would love to reno our bathroom some day and get rid of the soak tub and rearrange things but there are other higher priority things. So for now, I have to remember to grab my towel before showering and the bathtub collects dust. But an ensuite bathroom is a thing of beauty, especially for someone like me who might go to the bathroom TWICE during the night.
Well my favorite part of August was my trip to Canmore/Banff with my friend, followed by the pool party we attended last weekend that was kind of turned into a belated bday party for Phil aka Thill. Our friend is very musical so he got his accordian out, which he bought at a garage sale, and played HBD on it, making it an extra festive party!
Your house is such a dream, and I’m so happy for you all!
Most importantly, I’m glad the fire/smoke situation is improving. What a relief.
Your house is absolutely stunning. Everything about it is gorgeous. The laundry room, the pantry, the closet/cupboard space, oh my…
Two things pop out, so I thought I’d ask/mention. In open concept designs, I think (I could be so wrong here, so bear with me) that the dining area is usually closer to the kitchen, and the living area farther? I love how you flipped those — what was the thinking?
You’d have to know me really well to understand my next comment, but I’ll just throw it out there anyway. I love that you have a reading nook in your mudroom, next to the dog bowls. I adore that mix of cozy and super-practical.
I love looking at photos in people’s houses like this–and out, in your case, those windows, the light! I’m so happy for you that the house is so perfectly what you want. But I have a question: Do you … do you have another fridge, or maybe a freezer, IN the pantry? That’s what it looks like to me, and wow!
Your home is, in a word, stunning. Oh my goodness. I’m so happy for you. I laughed at Almonzo-ed up. Well done, husband. The views are spectacular and will never get old. How amazing to have all that storage. I’m right there with you on the not one-in and one-out situation. That dress is very cute and I wish Old Navy stocked it right now. I just know you are going to make such good use of that kitchen. Thanks for sharing the photos here.
I wonder if my house would EVER be in such meticulous order that I could share photos. Dare to dream.
Bottom cabinets in a kitchen should be outlawed – who wants to squeeze half their body in there to get something from the back? Drawers all the way!! Your views are amazing and it’s so cool how the windows frame them. A lot of thought was put into that house! I have never had a laundry “room”, or a bathroom that had BOTH a shower and bathtub, so those two things are my life goal. Congrats!
It’s all so beautiful and perfect for you – the house and that dress!
August has been wonderful – camping with our friends, Eve’s BFF coming back from Greece for a week so they could hang out for a week before they both left for school, slightly cooler weather.
I love everything about this post. I’m so glad your air is clear and your house is just stunning. The views. The STORAGE (you can imagine I LOVE storage). This is just such a delightful home that looks both functional and gorgeous. How wonderful to get things built to perfectly match your needs. And those views. I am a sucker for windows and natural light. It’s my favourite feature of our current home – it gets a lot of sunshine.
That dress looks amazing on you. Old Navy needs to get you modelling for their website. Such a classic dress and you look so content and beautiful wearing it.
I also love Rex’s cameo at the top of the stairs <3
So VERY glad to hear that the fire situation has improved! You have no idea.
Your house is AMAZING and it’s GORGEOUS and I’m so happy for you!!
The windows are so lovely – and to have windows that look out onto such beautiful views! We have large windows, but all we get to see are the neighbors :). The window in the dressing room is like a painting.
I love so many of the functional details too – the built in bench in the shower – we had a friend once who said that showers were not designed for women who have to shave their legs. And all the storage in the kitchen! And the double sink and room for the drying rack! I love beautiful, but I think I love functional even more
Your house is SO beautiful! Oh my goodness, the views – just spectacular. I’m so happy for you. We moved to the house we are in 20 years ago, when my husband & I got together. I had an 18 year old daughter and 3 boys 11, 12 & 13 — I still remember that the absolute best thing was the ensuite bathroom and not having to share with my sweet stinky messy boys. In fact they had their own bathroom which I rarely entered. Our kitchen was updated a few years back and I have cabinets for spice, oils, cookie sheets and also garbage & recycling. I still appreciate those little things every single day.
August has been amazing but seems to have flown by. I suppose that’s because it’s been filled with so many good things.
OMG, Nicole! Your house is lovely! The little window in your walk-in closet is probably my favorite, but really–so many lovely views and so much lovely light at every turn. Rex looks perfectly at home as do you! So, so happy for you!
GIRL! I am having major house envy (the good kind, and I think I am not the only one) and I am soooo happy for you. What a lovely home, esp. the kitchen! And then those big windows and the views. It’s beyond beautiful.
I love all the matching cabinets/shelves and again (just like with clothing) you and I have the same taste. I’d totally design a home like this (if I ever had the chance!). Well done, my friend.
That house is to die for!!! OMG, I can’t get over the views! Total vacation home to me! I’m all about the storage, too. You can never have enough. It is absolutely beautiful. Love the white and black, too.
We moved into our dream home in 2012, probably when I was about your age now. Everyone kept asking if we were downsizing because our youngest was going to be a senior in high school. Nope, we were doing the opposite! You get to be a certain age and you realize life is short and you deserve it! So, Enjoy!!!
I absolutely can’t get over the windows and the storage. 100 points for beautiful finishes also! I’m not jealous (I’m so happy for you!) but I am envious!
You’ve landed in a beautiful new spot. Your house is perfection, simple and functional and flatters Rex’s fur.
Your house looks lovely! All that storage! Your husband put Almanzo to shame!
Sorry about the fires and smoke. We had a horrible smoke issue a few years ago-we couldn’t even see the sun for days. I have asthma so it was pretty scary. I bought a small air purifier and we ended up huddles into one room that had clean air. I recommend having one hand because I don’t think climate change or fires are going to go away anytime soon.
Also a friend of mine, Susie Shubert, just wrote a book called Little House Life Hacks. Thought you might want to check it out!
Wahhhhhhhh I’m so jealous right now and I want your house!!!!!!!!! And the VIEWS!!! And the closet!! And the kitchen!! And the pantry, and the mudroom. And your dog. That is all. 😉 After I get my jealousy out the way, I am also SO HAPPY for you. Just amazing!!! 🙂
And I think I missed this along the way, but this is a new build right now? Or you built it before for your vacation home and are just moving to it permanently now? And your husband designed it? I know you’re on property near family- that much I caught. But I must have missed the details about how and when it was designed, etc.
Your house is beautiful!! I love the view and all the storage is ahmazing!
Amazing times 100!! Thank you for sharing with us your beautiful new home, many blessings!
Wow, this is truly a DREAM HOME. I am drooling over how much storage space you have and all of those large windows. Living in apartments, storage space is always at a minimum so I’ve gotten good about getting creative, but man, what I wouldn’t give for a whole drawer SOLELY FOR COOKIE SHEETS OMG.
Your views make me weak at the knees! Girl, you have arrived and you have earned it 100%! Your home is lovely and still very comfy/cozy.
I’m hopeful for many more ‘makeup, skincare’ posts with that sit-down vanity! Woot woot!
We are in the kitchen biz and we have 99% drawers and you are ON board. Your Almanzo came through and knows what he is doing. I love your kitchen, mudroom, pantry (extra fridge!!), laundry room are all so lovely.
Seeing Rex on the beautiful staircase was a sweet sight to see.
I’m so excited for this next chapter of your life. So happy the fires have subsided. XOXO
Nicole, your house truly reflects you, and I hope you and your family will have many, many happy years there. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely glimpse into your Life Right Now. You deserve every minute – no, every second – of happiness it brings you.
(But one thing… you don’t have a yoga room? Or do you just prefer to start the day with the glorious view from the LR/DR?)