About Us


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Genevieve McKeiver Photography
Thanks for checking out Hammers and High Heels!  Here is a little bit about us...

I'm Carla and the handsome young-sir I blog with is Alex. We met in 2005, started dating in 2006, and became husband and wife in August of 2009.

You might be wondering what happened between those years...
We moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota from Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2007 for work. We spent our first two years in Minneapolis living downtown in a tiny box of a condo that had all the modern bells and whistles.  It was great being close to everything downtown and even walking to work, but with our desires and dreams outgrowing our small condo, we realized we needed more space.

We had talked about buying our first home a few times, and we always knew we wanted to own a historic home with character.  We ended up finding a charming little Dutch Colonial home that seemed to speak to our hearts (even through the peach paint that covered every wall).

Hammers and High Heels is our blog documenting our adventures turning a 1924 Dutch Colonial with a lot of potential into the home of our dreams. 

We...
Renovate, decorate, and design on a budget. 
Are true believers in DIY projects and learning as we go.  
Get inspiration from fellow DIY bloggers, stylish Pinners, and so many great family or friends. 
Have a soft spot in our hearts for old homes and neighborhoods in need of some TLC.
Know that not everyday in renovation land is fun, but a good sense of humor is the key to staying sane.
(hope you liked that last one, so true!) 

Please stop by (or become a follower!) to see our progress as we have discovered that turning our dream home into a reality requires a lot of work, inspiration, and trips to Home Depot.

Along for the ride are our 'kids' Sadie and Rocco. Rocco was our first pup, he is a Shih Tzu- the white fluffy little guy on the top left. Sadie is our second pup, she is a German Shorthair Pointer- the bigger pup on the right.
 What are we up to when we aren't working on our house? 
Trust me, we aren't always working on the house.  Alex and I both work full time (which fills up most of our time).  Alex is building brand love in the cycling industry with a fantastic local bike/ parts distributor and I am working in home decor product design for a well known retailer.   After leaving family/friends in Michigan, we both are very, very thankful to have careers in a field we are passionate about- personally + professionally, it's a blessing!  

Aside from the house-y & career stuff, our next passion is travel!  When we started Hammers and High Heels, we weren't experienced globe trotters at all but we made it a goal and have captured most of our adventures along the way- click the links for our 2011 Europe trip, India/China 2012, 2013 Europe trip, How to pack a carry-on for two weeks in EuropeEurope travel planning tips, and Pure Michigan trips- and yes, Pure Michigan's beaches, vineyards, sand dunes, breweries, etc. are worth a summer visit for sure!