All posts by Sarah @ 702 Park Project

Honeywell vs. Nest

When we bought the house, we had a gas furnace in the basement that was coupled with a condensing unit to heat and cool the first floor.  Then we also had a heat pump to heat and cool the second floor. Here’s what that looked like:

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When we were basically forced to replace these units, we decided to go a more energy-efficient route.  This plan also gets the gas furnace out of the basement, which was somewhat of a fire hazard.  So now, we will have a gas pack to heat and cool the first floor, and another heat pump to heat and cool the second floor.  Both are Goodman, if you’re interested.  If you’d like to know more about how a gas pack works, click here.  For more on the heat pump, click here.

Here’s our dilemma: we know that we want a “smart” thermostat that we can set and operate from almost anywhere using our smart phones, and we’ve narrowed our choices down to two.  But now we’re having a hard time deciding between the Honeywell WiFi Smart Thermostat and the Nest Thermostat.   We’ve heard pros and cons about both, but none have made our decision any easier.

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Has anyone tried these?  Would you recommend one or the other?  Any new pros or cons you can offer?

The Sunday Currently, #9

The last couple of days have been jam packed!!  Friday night we went to Monster Bash, the local Young Professionals Group Halloween party.  It was in an old uninhabited fire station, which was super cool.  Yesterday started with the downtown chili cook-off, which was super yummy.  Then we sat on a neighbor’s porch and enjoyed some drinks and snacks during the jazz festival downtown.   After that, we headed out to “the farm” for an Oktoberfest party.  Bonfire, fall beer, smoked sausage, and no one else around for miles….yep, it was a good time! :)

Currently:

Reading– All the backlash from Martha’s blogger comments.  Even if what she said is somewhat true, she should remember who her audience is and who her empire is made up of!

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Writing– Nothing! I’m enjoying my relaxation time on the couch today!!

Listening– To some car show Charles is watching right now.

Thinking- About how excited I am for some of our favorite people!!  Congrats Janelle and David, and Colleen and Mark, on your engagement!! :)

Wishing– That NC State will get their act together and beat Carolina on Saturday!!  I hate those tarholes!

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Hoping– Work will start picking up on the house soon.  We’ve had an injured carpenter and a sick electrician, so progress has slowed down a good bit lately.  Time to get going!!!

Wearing– Sweats! It’s finally COLD!

Loving– My husband.  He was out of town when I got my cast off last week, so when he got home on Thursday, he washed and buffed my foot, which was super nasty and scaly! He’s a good man!

Wanting– To take piano lessons.  Now that we have a piano, I’d love to be able to play it!!

Feeling– exhausted from this weekend.  Friday night and yesterday were a lot of time on my feet, but we had so much fun!!

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ClickingThe 30 Life-Changing Things That Are Worth Every Penny.  I think a good mattress, a Dyson vacuum, and the Nest thermostat top my list.  Which do you think are totally worth the money?

Be sure to check out Lauren’s page to see what she and other bloggers are up to currently.  Have a super week!!

Quotable Friday

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Tonight we have Monster Bash, the annual Young Professionals Halloween party.  What am I dressing up as?  You’ll just have to wait and see!!  Tomorrow is Jazz on George, an annual jazz festival and chili cook-off.  [side note: Charles is judging. hint: he likes it spicy!]  Follow me on Instagram to see pictures of the weekend, including our Halloween costumes and some pretty awesome street fare.

Enjoy your weekend–do something fun!! :)

Painting for Guests

Remember when we picked out paint colors?  We liked most of them, but there were a few that just had to go!  We decided we loved the Fresh Cut in the guest room, but decided to skip it in the dining room.  The first guest room was painted last week, and I think it looks pretty darn good! (Keep in mind that the pictures don’t necessarily make it look exactly the same as in real life.)

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With the white trim and fireplace, the pale green really just pops! Here are a few rooms that are my inspiration for a serene, luxurious guest room:

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I’d love to do this chenille coverlet on a bed in there.  So simple, and easy to change out pillows with the seasons.  Plus, anything will go with ivory!  (I’ve already put it on my birthday/Christmas wish list!)

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The next guest room is a different story.  We tried out (what we thought was) a very pale coral color, but it ended up being way to salmon-y!  It was pretty, but it was a little much for a bedroom.  Plus Charles hated it! So this weekend, Charles primed a few spots in the room and painted over it with Del Mar Shores, which is a pale yellow.  Here’s a look!

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I’ve never been a big yellow fan, but this is a really pretty color.  It’s bright and cheery, and will look great with the green in the adjoining guest room (they share a pass-through closet).  Here are a few of my favorite ideas for this room:

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