This fun Q&A will tell you how we met, what we’ve been doing since, and why we started this blog!
How did you meet?
A-We met in college, which in some ways feels like yesterday, but was actually 10+ years ago! Laura and I both ran track together and bonded over long runs and carbo loading. We became super close with two other girls on the team as well- so many fun college memories. Super thankful for such amazing college friends, like Laura, who has become a life-long friend!
L- We met on the track team at Grove City College. I was a freshman and Aubrey was a sophomore. We were both on the team to run long distance events and instantly made a connection with each other and two other girls on the team that became like family. The four of us still have a never ending text message thread, get together from time to time in person, and we’ve been in each other’s weddings! Fortunately, Aubrey and I both married guys from Ohio and live near each other.
How would you describe each other?
A- Laura is the definition of a bossbabe. Ever since I’ve known her, she has gone after what she wants with full force. She is also the type of person that you can always depend on to be in your corner– if you need help, need a sounding board, or just need someone to come and take charge, she’s your girl and she’ll make it look easy, while also looking really, really good 😉 So thankful for our friendship and that we can navigate the craziness of life and parenthood together!
L- Aubrey is one of those people that everyone wants to be friends with- she’s the nicest, sweetest person I know. Also one of the most stylish and would make even wearing a garbage bag look amazing. I feel like it’s rare to meet a friend like Aubrey in college and then end up living near each other, so I am incredibly grateful for that. Our first born sons are exactly one month apart and our second children are seven months apart, so it’s been wonderful to share in motherhood together too.
Describe your current house.
A-Our current house is a 1970’s red brick colonial. We loved our first home, but it was more of a 5-year plan house and we knew we needed more space and preferred a different school district. As a realtor, I was getting notifications first hand of all and any homes that were coming on the market, but it took us close to two whole years to actually find a house that we both LOVED. When people say a house just “feels” right and when “they know, they know”, it’s spot on. The living room with wood beams, the finished basement, the neighborhood with mature trees– it was exactly what we had been looking for. I can honestly say to this day, our house is one of our biggest blessings and I feel so thankful every time I pull into our driveway.
This isn’t to say it’s perfect. The kitchen is super dated, there is carpet in places where there shouldn’t be carpet, and so on. While it’s a very traditional center-hall style colonial, each room offers a ton of spaciousness and light. Everything felt a bit dingey when we moved in so we ended up painting almost every room. We replaced and updated flooring in a few rooms, light fixtures– you know, basic things that make a big difference and are good “placeholders” until we can pursue other updates in these spaces.
Like I mentioned before, the living room is probably my favorite room in the house– wood beams, built-in shelving and a ton of natural light give it such a warm feeling!
L- We live in an early 2000s brick colonial. We fell in love with the neighborhood when my in-laws moved into the allotment before we did (yes, we live in the same allotment, about a mile apart!). Our current house was on the market for a year before we bought it. I remember looking at the pictures on Zillow and I fell in love with it, but it was out of our price range. Several months later, we took a gamble and put our last house on the market on a whim. It sold within a couple of days and then Aubrey showed us all of the available houses in our current allotment. Nothing in my mind could compare to the house I already loved, especially after weI saw it in person, so we put in an offer and the sellers were motivated to sell by that time!
The best feature of our house is the floor plan. The kitchen area is huge and flows right into a large living room. Overall, it appears that previous owners did small updates to the house, but the kitchen paint color was yellow and the rest of the house was painted in gray color with very purple undertones. The light fixtures were the most dated feature of all, so we immediately replaced all of them and painted the house. Those two initial updates made a huge impact!
What is the biggest project you want to accomplish in your house?
A- I have two: our kitchen and the exterior. We are actually in the early stages of working with a contractor to begin our kitchen reno and to say I’m excited is quite the understatement, ha! Pretty pumped that the days of our brownish-red laminate counters are numbered! Our kitchen is closed off from the other rooms in our house and the layout is a bit limited, but I just envision bright bright BRIGHT. Lots of whites and natural wood, almost with an earthy or slightly coastal feel, and adding some black and maybe light brass hardware and fixtures. We’re most excited about tearing out the built-in desk area (why was this ever a thing!?) and creating a custom tiled wall and exposed shelving.
Secondly, inspired by @thefauxfarmhouse, I would absolutely LOVE to whitewash our red brick exterior and do all black trim, but I get that this is a huge undertaking. Laura has already given her blessing and volunteered to help, so I say this could very likely transpire in the next couple of years 😉
L- The kitchen! The scope of the renovation is ever-expanding in my mind, but I want to extend the island so we can have a large eating area at the island. In our house, the kitchen really is the heart of the home. We love to host gatherings at our house and everyone is always congregated in the kitchen! My vision is to blend bright white with lots of dark moody contrast and texture.
What do you love about the community in which you live?
A-We live in Jackson Township (Canton-Akron area) and have absolutely loved being a part of the community since we moved here. We have such great neighbors and really, the people as a whole surrounding us, truly take pride in where they live. We are close to a ton of beautiful parks and walking trails that we and the kids love taking advantage of! We definitely have the best of both worlds in that we are a quiet, suburban town but also have access to absolutely anything you’d want as far as shopping, eating, etc. within about 5-10 minutes. Except a Trader Joe’s. We definitely do not have a Trader Joe’s. So sad!
L- I grew up in a very small town in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania. We had to drive at least 30 minutes to get to the nearest movie theatre and shopping. It was a big deal when Wal-Mart came to town when I was in high school. My husband grew up in Jackson Township in Ohio where we live now, and I’m SO happy we moved there after college! I love the people in Ohio and the suburban area we live in gives us easy access to Cleveland and Columbus. We also live in close proximity to CAK and tons of entertainment and shopping. Commuting to Akron or Cleveland is simple compared to other areas.
How did you end up in your current day job?
A-I went to school for Communications and Business, thinking I may want to get into some kind of journalism or print media. Right out of college, I ended up taking a job that was geared more towards sales (surprise!) at a running gear company, an industry I loved. It was a great first job, traveled a lot, learned a ton about the industry, and I learned a ton about myself, but also knowing this wasn’t something I wanted to do forever. After getting married, a few jobs later and learning I was expecting our first baby, I decided to pursue something completely different. Real Estate was always something I had an interest in and I loved the idea of working directly with people, but also providing a tangible service. And come on, I get to research and show houses for a living? So fun. I got my license in 2016 with a local northeastern Ohio brokerage and it was a great decision. I am currently working part-time now and it allows me to stay home most days with my boys. I absolutely love helping others find a house that they can call home!
L- I majored in political science in college and quickly realized I needed to go to grad school to have the type of career I wanted. I went to a career night in college featuring the legal profession and heard a female alum talk about her career in law. I immediately knew that’s what I wanted to do. I also wanted a challenge, and law school certainly fit that bill. My husband and I moved to Ohio so I could attend the University of Akron School of Law. I did a dual degree program in three years and graduated with my JD and MBA. My second summer in law school, I was a summer associate at the firm I am currently with and accepted a job offer there going into my third year. After I took the bar exam, I started with the firm full time. I always thought that I would be a litigator because that’s what they teach in law school, but I was asked to join the healthcare practice group at my firm shortly after I started there. I was open and honest that I had no experience in the health law field and didn’t even really know what it all entailed. Fortunately, I took the plunge and absolutely love it. Some people think this means I do medical malpractice, but that’s a completely different area of law. My practice is dedicated to regulatory compliance and transactions in the healthcare industry. I love the people I work with and I’ve come to realize that who you work with is even more important than what you do! My firm is also very egalitarian-minded and nearly equal representation of men and women in leadership positions. That’s really important to me.
What are your top 3 favorite influencers?
A- OurFauxFarmhouse, AngelaRoseHome, and TheBloomingNest. I am so inspired by the vision and talent each one has in creating beautiful spaces. Pretty sure I’d want each one of them as a best friend, too! And I have to give a shout out to YoungHouseLove– one of the very first blogs I ever followed and still love/am inspired by to this day!
L- Can I say 4? 🙂 Definitely ChrisLovesJulia, AngelaRoseHome, CynthiaHarper, and PhiliporFlop. The common trait between all of them is that they are honest, open, and real about life. Also, @PhiliporFlop showed me that it’s possible to be an influencer and have a full time job!