Let's Gab: September 2023

Modern kitchen with green accent wall, black cabinets, granite island, and four orange bar stools; pendant lights hang over the island.

Happy fall, friends! It’s been a minute since we last gabbed. How are you? How was your summer?

Here’s a quick summer rundown of all the things that have happened in the Live Eat Learn headquarters!

To start…the house renovation is FINISHED! We didn’t quite expect the renovation, which started in April, to go quite this long. And with the house only being about 800 square feet, that time felt like an eternity. My studio became our closet as they worked on building out a new closet / bathroom / laundry / mudroom. But it’s finally finished and I couldn’t be happier!

This odd back room became our new mudroom, with the trapdoor to the basement now being the floor to our closet.

A dog stands in a tiled room with a window and glass door; an open hatch reveals stairs leading to a lower level.

A bright mudroom with green and white walls, a bench with storage baskets, coat hooks, a tote bag, a potted plant, and a door leading outside.

A brown dog wearing a harness stands in a small room under renovation, with tools, construction materials, and protective coverings visible.

A laundry room with a stacked washer and dryer, a white bench with cubbies and baskets, coat hooks, overhead storage, and a door leading to another room with wood flooring.

And the old walk-in closet became our master bathroom!

A walk-in closet with clothes hanging on both sides, hats on hooks, bags on shelves, and boxes labeled Mr. Coffee on the carpeted floor.

Modern bathroom with wood vanity, white sink, wall-mounted mirror, toilet, walk-in shower with wood accent wall, and hexagonal floor tiles.

Working in an active construction zone was…a lot, and involved working in laundromats and on the porch to avoid the ever present ruckus happening in the house.

A laptop displaying a website is open on a counter in a laundromat with multiple front-loading washing machines in the background.

But I finally have my little studio back after it was effectively a dumping ground for all of our things these last 5 months. And I’ve been keeping it busy, aiming to get you 3 new recipe per week as we head into feasting season! (These caesar beans are one of my recent favs!)

A tabletop setup with bread, cheese, and kitchen items arranged for food photography, surrounded by camera equipment, lighting, and props near a window.

A small, colorful craft room with a daybed, wall art, organized shelves, a desk with craft supplies, and a small dog sitting on a pink chair.

Just as the interior project wrapped up, we broke ground on our garage, and are hoping to have it finished up before the first snowfall!

While I typically find myself on a flight at least once per month, I had a little 3 month stint there where I didn’t travel at all and it was…glorious.

But when we were invited out to New York City for a business trip, we couldn’t say no! I hadn’t been to the city in over a decade, and it didn’t disappoint.

We walked around Central Park and ate ample pizza and bagels.

We had cereal milk lattes and bagel bombs from Milk Bar.

And walked around China Town, ending up at a dim sum restaurant that left much to be desired (last time we eat somewhere without checking reviews 😅).

Back at home in Denver, I’ve joined my first ever Fantasy Football league, meaning I’m expected to watch football now. As someone who doesn’t quite understand what a “down” or “running back” even are, I mostly just come for the food.

And as with most Denver summers, we’ve been to more Red Rocks shows than we can count, gone on hikes with pups, had lake days with friends, and book club meetings in the park.