Apparently someone didn’t get the memo that she’s not supposed to use my pillow while I’m at work.
Or if she did, she ignored it completely. She’s lucky she’s cute!
Photo Shoot
November 11, 2012 by · 4 Comments
Mandi’s sister Joani kindly offered to take updated photos of us for the blog. I don’t think she was prepared for the amount of awkwardness that happens when you get me in front of a camera. Mandi managed to look natural and calm while photo after photo shows me in all my geekiness. I thought about putting together a photo montage but you’re just going to have to take my word for it.
However, I will leave you with this to prove my point:
Hometown Perch Photo Shoot from Stacie Marez on Vimeo.
Are you speechless? I thought so.
Financial Peace University Follow-Up
October 5, 2012 by · 3 Comments
A friend asked me the other day, “Are you still doing the FPU program?”. The answer is yes–it is our lifeline. After doing the program for nine months, I couldn’t imagine not. It wasn’t the first time I had been asked that so I thought I would follow-up to my original FPU post to share why we are still doing the program and the specific aspects that are the most important to us.
Dave Ramsey talks about how, when he was struggling, he would interview millionaires to learn their secrets. Now that he is a multi-millionaire, he interviews billionaires. He was talking with one billionaire and asked, “So what is the secret to your financial success?”. The billionaire’s response was simple, “The tortoise always wins the race. Every single time”. FPU is not a quick fix. It’s not a 90-day miracle money makeover. It’s a long-term action plan. It often feels like we are the tortoise. There are times our progress in the Seven Baby Steps to Financial Peace moves at a snail’s pace. But together, as a team (key word here), we work toward our end goal and make progress. [Read more...]
We Want to Hear from You!
September 26, 2012 by · 12 Comments
Happy Blogiversary to Hometown Perch!
We launched Hometown Perch one year ago and it has grown steadily. What started out as our personal project to celebrate all the good happening in the Yakima Valley has turned into connecting with so many like-minded people also working hard to explore. create. celebrate. the wonderful things about our hometown.
To celebrate even further and to kick-start year two of our journey, we thought we would thank you by hosting a contest. Here are the details–
What is the prize?
An assortment of some of our favorite local goodies.
How do I enter?
There are lots of ways to enter!
Comment on this post and you will be entered. You can also enter by following us in a new way (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, signing up for our email list and/or adding Hometown Perch to your reader). For each new way you enter, leave another comment so we know (the more ways you follow, the greater your chance of winning!). You can also recruit new readers and leave us a comment about who you recruited to our little neck of the woods. If your new recruit enters a comment, he or she is also entered.
We will use a random number generator to determine the winner. The contest is open to those in the continental US or Canada.
Here are the ways you can follow us–
Email Subscription
Simply enter your email address in the right hand column. You will receive blog posts in your inbox only when we post. We will never share or sell your email address. You will not receive spam from us and you can unsubscribe at any time. It’s that easy.
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest & RSS Feed
If you prefer to get information via Facebook or Twitter, just click the icons in the right hand column. Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter.
Google (or other) Reader
Reader is a good way to follow multiple blogs. To add a new blog to the list of blogs that you follow, copy the URL from the blog’s address bar, go to your reader account, click the orange “Subscribe” button, paste the URL in the box (as shown in this image) and click add. Hey, that’s our URL in there. 
Imagine that. When you want to catch up on the blogs that you follow, simply log into your Google.com/reader account and they are all there in one place. It makes it so easy!
Thank you to all of our loyal readers. Those who are new to Hometown Perch, welcome. We hope you feel at home and stay a while.
Your Hometown Girls,
Stacie & Mandi
Project Sneak Peek
July 6, 2012 by · 1 Comment
I’ve got a project in mind for the new place. I’m not going to give it away here. Who knows if it will even turn out like I see it in my mind. You know my project track record like this one of the past. But I’m determined this project will work out. And if it does, it’s going to be pretty cool.
The girls and I got busy this afternoon with some watercolors.
A New Toy
July 5, 2012 by · 2 Comments
Look who got a new toy–
You can call it a housewarming gift or an anniversary gift–we’ve been married 16 years tomorrow. As soon as we knew we were getting the house, we knew we needed a riding mower to go with it. [Read more...]
Have Raptors, Will Travel
April 6, 2012 by · 3 Comments
We’ve had a lot of interest since our post about our visit to Raptor House Rehabilitation Center in Selah. [Read more...]
My First Murder Mystery
February 29, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Dylan and I are going to our first murder mystery dinner–Anniversary to Die for.
Each year Zonta Club of Yakima Valley hosts a murder mystery dinner and silent auction fundraiser. This year’s event is especially exciting because Larry Cearlock–stepdad to one of my childhood best friends–wrote this year’s play. Larry has written some of the Zonta plays of the past. He took a break for a few years, but he’s back for their 25th anniversary event. [Read more...]
Add a Little Color to Your Life
February 4, 2012 by · 2 Comments
We have been renters since 2008. We hope to buy a home this fall. I can’t wait to dig in and do some home improvement projects on a place that needs a little updating. The girls and I look at bedroom designs, fabric patterns and paint colors all the time. Kendall has a great eye for color already!
The key to choosing colors for your home is to find a palette of colors that work together as your starting point. That can guide your fabric, furniture and accessories choices. You could also do it the other way. If you find fabric that you just love, you can create a palette from that. Either way it’s about making sure you are choosing complimentary colors, not random, unrelated colors because sometimes that just doesn’t work. [Read more...]
Balance
February 1, 2012 by · 8 Comments
image via thebestbrainpossible.com
On Monday I started a new job — a change that has caused some temporary ripple effects in my family–like who will get the kids off the bus after school and other details. As we find our new normal and look forward to the day that we will once again settle into a comfortable rhythm, I am reminded of the importance of all of the tools I have learned to ensure that we have balance. [Read more...]
