We’re getting video-happy around here again. It’s time for another house tour — it’s been about six months since the last one and plenty has changed. So here it is: ten minutes of John and me walking through the house while I chat and he films (John = steady hands, Sherry = the talker). We’re hardly high-tech, but we had fun making this. Come on in and walk around with us.
A few quick notes about the tour and what we noticed while watching the footage back:
- I listened several times to the audio trying to hear the celebrity resemblance people mention — Natalie Portman or Mila Kunis — but I still can’t pick it up.
- We used our new camera for this video, and we’ll share more about it soon. The camera is great, but we’re still learning to control the audio levels, so you’ll hear some variation in volume.
- John teased me for pretending not to know how our dog gets into a chair (around 0:33) with lines like “does he jump? does he fly?” It made me laugh out loud. Seriously though, Burger always seems to materialize in those chairs — I’ve never actually watched him climb in.
- Watching the house on video gives a fresh perspective. Small things stand out that I don’t always notice in person. For example, when looking from the office toward the dining room I realized the artwork should probably be raised about six inches above the buffet. That would keep it connected to what’s beneath without crowding the space.
- If my voice gets louder or softer at times, it’s because I was moving closer to or farther from the camera John was holding. I tried to stay close to him, but I tend to gesture a lot when I talk, which affects distance and volume.
- At 5:53 you can catch a glimpse of both of us in the mirror over the master sink nook — a little behind-the-scenes moment of our collaborative, dorky video-making process.
- Fun idea: make it a drinking game and take a sip every time I say “secret book projects.”
- Those brass doorknobs are driving me crazy. They feel like design kryptonite and are definitely on the to-do list for replacement.
- When I say at 9:13 that Clara’s room will always remain a nursery, I don’t mean she’ll sleep in a crib forever. What I mean is the smallest bedroom will remain set up for a baby if we have another child — Clara will move into the playroom, which will become her “big girl” room.
- And yes, the video’s ending was embarrassingly corny. I was recovering from a stomach bug and ended with a goofy line — classic awkward-me. Next time maybe I’ll stick to something simple like “Seacrest, out.”
- Also funny: I seem to get sick before each video tour. Maybe there’s something about deep-cleaning during recovery that prompts us to say, “The house looks good — time for a tour!”
If you want to compare this tour with the last one we shared six months ago, it’s interesting to see how much has changed — the previous video was shakier since I hadn’t recruited John’s steady-hands then. Videos capture progress in a way that still photos sometimes don’t. Do you ever film your home to track changes over time or document projects? Is your footage shaky and full of energetic hand gestures, too? Does your partner ever gently hold the camera while you chatter on? John definitely earns an award for putting up with my rambling — maybe I’ll craft one for him with my own hands. If you’re curious about what we still have left to tackle around the house, our somewhat updated to-do rundown has the latest list. Seacrest, out.
Psst — we’ve made several other house tour videos since moving in. Check the archives to see earlier tours, including outdoor walk-throughs from previous years. Viva la video camera!