By The Numbers

Happy Blogiversary!

Posted at July 27, 2011 // Bloggity Blog, Blogiversary 2011, By The Numbers

Holy Bananas, we’ve been blogging for a whole year! Even holier bananas – some of you guys have been reading for a whole year! We apologize for all those minutes of your life that you’ll never get back but we hope you’ve found it all worth it. We’ve definitely found the writing to be worth it. We’ve got some fun plans for this week’s posts, all in celebration of our little blog’s birthday. In the meantime we’re really just using this whole Blogiversary business as an excuse to eat cookie cake. Okay, who ever really needs an excuse for the cookie cake?

Writing with warm frosting has never been my forte…

Rather than simply leave you knowing that we’re over here enjoying a cookie cake to selfishly celebrate the fact that we’ve been writing things on the internet for a year – and that one or two people are actually reading it – we thought we’d share a few numbers about our first year to help put things into perspective.

475 - The number of posts we’ve written since starting.

624 – The number of comments our wonderful readers have left for us. Seriously. We’re obsessed with every one you post, unless you’re selling us discount drugs or ways to make money at home. Then we can do without.

114 – The total number of pint glasses we’ve obtained from Tylers Pint Night. Is this a good thing?

102 – How many projects we’ve posted about on our D.I.Y. page. Don’t worry it’s getting a mini-makeover this week to make it a little more easy to find just what you need.

40 - The number of things we’ve painted since starting the bloggity blog. This includes four curtains, two lamps and even a Habitat for Humanity house. Not too shabby.

33 – The number of Durham Magazine blog posts we’ve authored since we started that little gig in December of last year. Check out the latest right here it involves burgers and beer (big surprise).

12 – The percentage of international readers we’ve picked up along the way. Bienvenidos!

1 – The number of New Kids on the Block videos that have appeared on Triangle Honeymoon. Scratch that, let’s go ahead and make it 2 for the win.

By The Numbers: Our Kitchen Updates

Posted at January 11, 2011 // By The Numbers, Kitchen Updates, La Casa

We’ve gotten lots of questions from readers about our new kitchen, especially since it’s debut on Apartment Therapy. One of the most common questions has been “how much did it all cost?” So grab your measuring tape and your calculators ’cause here we go.

Stainless Steel Refrigerator, Gas Range, Dishwasher and Microhood: $ 1,550 ($2,400 minus the $450 we recouped by selling our old appliances on Craigslist and $400 in Mail in Rebates)

Installation of Dishwasher and New Gas Line for Range: $ 400

Butcher Block Counters: $ 470 ($365 for 2 counters from IKEA, $30 for new corded drill, $45 drill bits, saw blade, caulk and sandpaper, $30 for Waterlox sealant and supplies)

Plumbing: $325 ($170 faucet, $130 sink, $25 for PVC pipe, plumbers putty and a new disposal ring)

Tile Backsplash: $ 50 ($35 subway tiles and $15 in supplies)

Crown Molding: $200 (including $30 nail gun rental)

Cabinet Hardware: $17

Paint and Supplies: $35

Light Fixtures: $120 ($35 for each pendant light and $25 for each track light)

Window Coverings: $142 (3 Bamboo Shades at $28 each and one for $58)

Desk Area: $85 ($48 desk, $7 mirror and $30 lamp)

Miscellaneous Décor: $75 (rug, photo frames, thrift store accents)

Grand Total: $ 3,469 (honestly, we’d round up to $3,500 just to account for that run to Lowes for an extra tube of caulk,etc.)

It took a little over four months to finish up all our projects. Spreading them all out over that time saved us a lot of money on labor, allowed us to shop around for great deals and to pay cash for everything – no plastic allowed. Plus, we’ve developed a good base of tools which cut down the extra expense for items like caulk guns, putty knives, saws, etc.

Sure there were things we could have done with more money like rip out the cabinets, knock down the wall to the dining room, reconfigure the whole kitchen to allow us to buy a bigger refrigerator and build an island, or bring in hardwood floors. Instead, we moved a lot of decorative items in from other areas of our home and worked within the existing flooring and cabinets – and saved big dollars in the end. Plus we love the result – staying true to the casa.

But enough about our cocina. What have you guys been up to? Any thrifty DIY-ers out there tackling the world one room at a time?

Photo: Sesame Street

By The Numbers: Christmas 2010

Posted at December 27, 2010 // Barton and Lucy, By The Numbers, Getting Away, Seasonal

Number of miles driven: 1072, roundtrip

Number of friends and family members to see: 28 (including Toby, the family cat)

Number of holes of golf played by Chad and Amy’s dad: 36

Number of Christmas movies watched: 2 (Scrooged and A Christmas Story)

Inches of snow that fell on Christmas morning: 4

Number of nieces and nephews we got to watch open gifts: 4

Number of pounds Amy gained from Dec. 23 – Dec. 26: 2.2 (hello cookies!)

Number of times we “Popped the Amy Pig”: 5

Number of gift cards used at Academy Sports on the trip home: 3

Number of hours spent in IKEA on the way home: 1 (maybe 1.5 if we’re being honest)

Number of ceramic rhinos now living at Casa de Whited: 1

We hope that you guys all had a fantastic holiday too full of friends, family, or whatever makes you truly happy – even if that includes ceramic rhinos.

Any great gifts worth mentioning? Maybe another white ceramic rhino out there? Anyone else take a long ride on the cookie train to the tune of 2.2 pounds? Make me feel better.

A Christmas Story Photo: TBS