Can you believe it’s been almost five months since I last shared a house tour? I decided to grab the Flip cam and walk through the house to show how each room looks on a typical day. This is an honest, no-staging look at everyday life here — I didn’t tidy a thing. You’ll even spot an embarrassing bra draped over a chair in our bedroom, so just pretend you didn’t see that. If you’re at work, feel free to watch muted; the visuals give you the gist of our average daily scene.
A few things to note about the video tour:
- I filmed this before I changed the hardware on the front door and sliding doors, which is why the metal looks bright and brassy in the footage.
- I’m not great at juggling a camera while talking and walking, so expect a bit of shaky, Blair Witch-style footage.
- Several readers said they hear celebrities in my voice, but despite replaying the clip, I couldn’t confirm any resemblance to Natalie Portman or Mila Kunis.
- I have a funny habit of pointing out odd, ordinary things — like a Ruby Tuesday’s coupon sitting on the desk — that seem noteworthy to me in the moment.
- I should have turned the ironing board upright during filming to win another round of Ironing Board Wars on camera. Missed opportunity.
- Burger, our nine-pound chihuahua, is adorable curled up under the covers. Life must be good when you’re that tiny and warm.
- I’m mostly inaudible during the second half of the video because Clara is asleep. When she naps I whisper and tiptoe around, even though we still manage noisy DIY work elsewhere in the house.
- The ribbon chandelier I removed from Clara’s closet to paint and stencil the space is still sitting in a pile in the playroom waiting to be rehung.
- The gentle rushing sound you hear in Clara’s room is her sound machine, which masks construction noise, barking, and other household sounds so she can sleep better.
- I actually forgot to film one room — the sunroom — and had to dash back through the house to capture it. Expect to see squished pillows and a blown-up whale pool float.
- The rocking chair in the sunroom is still a challenge; progress there has been slow since I first mentioned it months ago.
- My dramatic sign-off featuring Clara’s stuffed animal might seem odd. Yes, we named her Georgia because she’s from Georgia. I know, it’s a little strange, but we like it.
What about you? If someone filmed a shaky, unedited video of your home on an ordinary day, what would they find? Any amusing or embarrassing items hiding in plain sight — a neon night light in the bedroom or a long-forgotten poster tucked in a closet? When I first met John in 2004 he had a Britney Spears calendar. Not kidding. He rocked it with confidence, which I found strangely endearing.
While cleaning out old folders on my laptop, I came across a stack of amusing photos that fit the “any given day” theme. I used to work in advertising in New York and had the chance to meet celebrities from time to time; most were lovely, though I did encounter one person whose reputation for being difficult turned out to be true. Those days produced some unforgettable and slightly ridiculous moments.
I also found John’s old passport photo from when he was 16 next to one taken at 24. It’s funny how faces and style change in a few short years.
There’s even a photo of John as a life-sized doll from a 2005 office project at the agency where we worked. The project was ridiculous and the whole office loved it; it remains one of those inside jokes that makes us laugh now.
I also came across our engagement announcement photo from 2006 — taken moments after John proposed on top of a mountain. It’s one of those memories that still feels like the best day, or at least in the top five.
So that’s my Friday randomness: a messy house tour video, some forgotten decorations, and a few old photos that capture how life has shifted. How many of us would have guessed where we’d be five years ago? We certainly never expected to leave our New York careers, move away, and start this new chapter. Yet here we are — messy house, proud of the small ordinary moments, and happy with how things turned out.
Psst — check out our original messy house tour if you’re curious to compare how rooms have changed since April.