We finally have to tell you about the whirlwind trip we took this past weekend. In just over 48 hours we crossed four states, visited family at four different stops and even hit two Ikeas nearly 400 miles apart. It was nonstop—crazy, exhausting and a lot of fun—and it produced a handful of posts you’ll see as soon as we recover enough to write them. Below is a clear timeline of the who, where and what-were-we-thinking moments from the weekend.
Friday, August 7th:
- 6pm: We kicked things off by driving two hours north to spend the night with my parents in Northern Virginia.
- 8pm: We enjoyed a home-cooked meal and got to meet my cousins’ brand-new baby girl, which made for some very sweet family time.
Saturday, August 8th:
- 8am: We left Northern Virginia and headed toward New York City. We made a quick stop at Target to pick up a baby gift for our nephew John—we were meeting him that night for the first time.
- 9am–2pm: Traffic slowed us down across Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey, but miraculously we still arrived early for our destination in New Jersey: an annual family barbecue with Sherry’s relatives.
- 2pm: To kill time before the barbecue, we visited Ikea in Elizabeth, NJ. We spent an hour browsing new products, taking inspiration photos and collecting images for an upcoming post about what we’re currently loving at Ikea.
- 3pm: We headed to the family event where there was a lot of eating, chatting and playing bocce.
- 7pm: Another family dog arrived—Yoda—and he did not hit it off with our dog, Burger. Burger made some embarrassingly loud noises; we forgave him.
- 8:30pm: After goodbyes at the picnic, we drove toward Manhattan and gave our friends a ride. In the car we brainstormed ideas for an upcoming post where our friend Dan will share his take on science-meets-home-decor topics.
- 9:30pm: After a few unintended detours around New Jersey, we crossed the George Washington Bridge to drop the couple off near Columbia University, then continued on to Inwood where my sister, brother-in-law and nephew John were waiting.
- 10pm: Meeting baby John for the first time was a highlight—Sherry and I instantly fell in love. Our dog Burger and their cat Lulu, on the other hand, were far less impressed with each other.
Sunday, August 9th:
- 10am: Surprisingly, we slept through the night even though there was a newborn in the next room. Sherry was up early to photograph my sister’s kitchen remodel before breakfast—those pictures will be used in an upcoming post showing the before-and-after of a tiny NYC kitchen that nearly doubled in size. Don’t worry: it no longer looks gutted.
- 11am: Breakfast vanished quickly because it was delicious and because we wanted more time to admire the new baby. It was nearly a miracle that we didn’t try to smuggle him back to Virginia with us.
- Noon: We left Manhattan and, after a few more unexpected detours around New Jersey, finally got onto the NJ Turnpike and headed in the right direction.
- Noon–6pm: The drive gave us plenty of time to pore over the new Ikea catalog and to strategize decor plans with my sister Carrie, who is moving from Philadelphia to Northern Virginia for a new job.
- 6:30pm: We met Carrie and her roommates at Ikea in Woodbridge, VA to pick up items to refresh her new place—similar to the help we gave her in her previous apartment. This time we’re dealing with a sunroom being used as a bedroom, including sliding glass doors that made her sleeping area completely visible to the rest of the apartment, so privacy solutions were top priority.
- 8:30pm: Back at Carrie’s apartment in Arlington, we got some curious looks from the concierge while hauling boxes, tools and furniture past the front desk—plus a chihuahua hiding in a purse.
- 8:30pm–Midnight: We assembled Ikea furniture, hung curtains and did our best to transform one of our most challenging rooms yet. There were plenty of roadblocks and a long battle with exhaustion, but we kept going.
Monday, August 10th:
- 1am: Carrie’s room was finally finished and “after” photos were triumphantly taken for another upcoming post. Two tired travelers and a semi-hyper dog piled back into the car for the final leg of the weekend.
- 3am: We arrived home, checked the blog briefly, and collapsed into bed.
- 9:30am: We woke up and went back to work—just another day after an intense weekend.
So that’s the condensed version of our hectic weekend and a preview of the posts heading your way this week. It was busy, a little chaotic and exactly the kind of family-packed trip that makes for good stories and better photos. How about you—did you have an intense weekend? Any big plans coming up? We’d love to hear what you’ve been up to.