Spice up your Spice Rack

Em and I have a friend named Taryn [name not changed to protect the innocent, because Taryn is wonderful]. A few years ago her husband hit the ripe old age of 30. Thirty is a significant birthday. It’s officially the age when you become an adult. I know, 21 is the official government recognized age of adulthood, but most folks in their 20’s are still in college, single, and blissfully unaware of coming responsibilities. But something happens at 30. I can’t really explain it. You feel like it is time to move into a new phase of your life. To shrug off the things of your youth and step into the life of adulthood.

From comic Poorly Drawn Lines

Taryn, being a wonderful wife, threw her husband a great 30^th birthday party. She rented out a cozy little place, secretly invited all of his friends, and whipped up the delicious food for the evening. It was a wonderful moment for him. Here he is, surrounded by close friends and family celebrating a significant day in his life.

What does this have to do with spice racks you ask?  Stick with me for a few more sentences and all will become clear.

Last year Emily turned 30. You'd hope that I would have followed in our friend's shoes and properly celebrate Em's day. But I didn't. I dropped the ball. I was the complete opposite of Taryn. I didn't do anything special. I didn't make a big deal of her big day. In fact, I don’t even think I gave her a gift until the day after her birthday. And that gift was something I spent 10 minutes on [a quick trip to World Market to pick out a necklace. It was a cool necklace…but still…] Emily was, how can I put this delicately, none-too-pleased. I mean I blew it. I totally muffed. I was a very bad husband.

Clearly this year I had some making up to do. SIGNIFICANT MAKING UP. It was the Mount Everest of making up.

Everest, smaller than the trouble I caused myself.

I couldn't erase the disappointment I caused last year. But I knew if I put some thought, heart, and soul into her birthday this year, I would be able to at least create a memory that will hopefully be longer lasting than the sad and disappointing memory I gave her for her 30^th birthday.

To make up for my sad showing I employed a three pronged strategy. Friends, Food, Function. Guys pay attention.

Welcome

Hi, and thanks for stopping by. We welcome you to our little blog. We hope it becomes a part of your weekly reading.

The Corner of Canal and Lafayette was founded on a snowy day in January 2013. After surviving the 2012 Mayan Apocalypse we thought…well what now…the obvious choice? Start a blog.

We can hear you asking, “So what’s up with the name? It’s kinda strange”. When we created this blog we wanted the name to have meaning to us. And what is more meaningful than the place you met the love of your life.

It was the spring of 2002. A Utah boy and a Utah girl were separately having grand adventures in the New York/ New England area. They did not know each other but fate was about to change that. The girl had moved to New York on a whim to be a nanny. The boy, feeling like it was time for a change, applied for jobs all up and down the east coast and landed a position at the University of Connecticut. 

One spring day the girl headed into New York City with three friends to enjoy a little shopping in the city. That same day the boy also headed into New York City to enjoy a little shopping…we kid. He went in with a buddy of his to check out the St Patrick’s Day parade and the big city girls. Little did they know this was the day the universe had conspired to have these two Utah natives randomly meet in New York City on the Corner of Canal & Lafayette. Fast forward three weeks. Boy and girl have hung out almost every day since meeting. They decide to go to dinner after work. On the way to dinner Boy and Girl get engaged. And have lived happily ever after.

Here we are, ten years on, back in Utah, after stints in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Portland Oregon. 

We compliment each other. Emily is more organized and focused while Kristian is more spontaneous and silly.

Over the past couple of years we have been bitten by the DIY bug. We love making things for our home. This blog is going to share some of the projects we take on. Along the way we will also be sharing other random happenings from our life - like trying to be good parents, budgeting, staying fit, eating right, and just plain having fun.  

So we welcome you. We hope you become a long time friend. 



Emily & Kristian

DIY Tufted Coffee Table

The first project of 2013 is complete! Already ahead of schedule - we want to do at least one a month. It will probably end up being more. We are just about done with our third this month - future blog posts coming. 

 It was fun, quick, and inexpensive.

Em and I love DIY projects. Why? Well, we always learn something new, we get the satisfaction that comes along with making something with our own hands, and it’s humbling. Ok maybe we don’t LOVE that last part.

Em and I are slowly, ever so slowly, creating a grown up living room [I almost wrote Adult Room, but that is a whole other room and this is a family blog]. Piece by piece we are either replacing the IKEA furniture or turning the IKEA furniture into something fabulous.

The first project of the year was updating our coffee table [which used to be our dining table, before we lopped its legs off] into something a little…well…prettier. And, I think we pulled it off. What do you think?

Here is how we did it in 10 steps...