Don't Blink

Um where did August go?   I feel like I blinked my eyes and there was September.  

The highlights:

Scott and Jenn came to visit. It was nice to see them and have them stay with us!

Jimmy Buffett concert with my sister.  A memorable time, as usual. 

Weddings and birthday parties. (missing some pics)

Father-in law turned 81

Mackel turned 80

Heidi turned 30

Uncle Bob came to visit. (not a single pic - we ate, we got pedicures, we gossiped!)

Perry's first football game of the season.

When did my kid grow up?!?!

Did some painting and redecorating in our master bathroom. Doing yellow decorations throughout. 

Clean eating challenge.  Keith thinks I am trying to make him a rabbit. 

Next up is my favorite time of the year....bring on the pumpkins, mums, cooler air and fall leaves!!!

Deck The Halls

We've been decorating!  It was delayed and it's nothing extravagant, but it's just right for us! 
 

I love Christmas....the twinkling lights, the scents, the traditions and the reason for the season, make me jolly. 
 

So here's a tour of our home. 

 

First stop:  My Mom's tree.   After she passed away, I inherited this beauty.  She's not pre-lit, the colors on the branches that guide setup are falling off, and she's massive, but she's mine.   Like my sister has said 20 times, "They just don't make trees like this anymore."   (Of course the pic doesn't do it justice).  I've always dreamed of having a real tree, but my aforementioned sister is allergic, so game over lol.

 

 

 

Next stop: The boys' tree (that I hijacked.) There's a battle in our house, colored lights vs white lights, and this year we compromised.  The boys put up a tree in the kitchen nook and I forced them to add ribbon.   Our family ornaments have migrated to this tree too.   I think our 2014 ornament turned out pretty cute!

 

 

 

 

Next up: The random touches throughout the house.  My musical tree that has been in my family forever and other randomness.   Of course the candles and Scentsy scents are all gingerbread, cookies, cinnamon, etc.

 

 

 

The latest addition: An answer to one of my greatest Christmas issues!  My sister found this lovely piece at TJMaxx and I LOVE it!   I love cards but never had the right place for them, until now. 

 

 

 

What's missing: Stockings and a nativity scene.  These are on my "buy during after Christmas sales."  We have mismatched stockings and no holders.  It's a mess.  And I'm still on the search for a perfect yet affordable nativity.

 

Last stop: Our front door decor and light up packages.   We can't have the neighbors thinking we're Scrooges! 

 

 

Merry Christmas from our house to yours! 

I've Got A Shovel and I (Barely) Know How To Use It

This past weekend,  we started a massive landscaping project.  I absolutely suck at remembering to do before and after photos,  but please know,  we made some definite improvements. 

Our side yard and front corner are dug out, mulched and filed with perennial plants. Our front stoop "prickly twigs" are gone and replaced by two new bushes (that were on clearance Woohooooo.) And all of my pots are full of annuals and I even went crazy and mixed colors this year. 

We learned some valuable lessons along the way:

1.  2 huge blankets don't stop mulch liquid from seeping through and making your car permanently stink.

2. 20 bags of mulch is a bit excessive.

3. Our contractors were clearly lazy and just buried leftover pipe,  drywall and ceiling tile.

4. Landscaping ruins your hands and reminds you how out of shape you are.

5.  Hiring landscapers for all future homes is not negotiable.  I can still enjoy the garden section and nursery to find pot fillers,  but that's where we draw the line lol

And now for some weekends pictures that I did remember to snap!!

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig

Well after my last “woe is me” post, I decided it was time for something a bit more upbeat.  Let’s talk about the new house!!

We officially got our keys on September 27^th.  I left work and headed to our final walk-through.  We found some outstanding issues, but overall, things had turned out well.  We headed downtown to grab some lunch and then went to our closing.  A few hand-cramps later and the signing was complete.  We had to drive to the builder’s office to get our keys and then we flew drove to the house and started prancing around the place like overgrown children. 



Please excuse how horrid I look...it had been a couple of rough days.



We quickly got to work.  Friday night we drove to storage and Dad, Lisa, Keith and I loaded up the moving truck.  It luckily fit in the driveway so it was able to be parked there overnight.  We worked on unpacking it Friday and Saturday.  Saturday, the help arrived.  Bethy and Heidi helped unpack the kitchen and other assorted boxes.  The furniture was delivered and the washer/dryer were delivered and installed.  My Dad called toward late evening and said he could do furniture so we were off to April’s house to load it all up (my sweet MOH stored it all for us in her garage to avoid us having to rent a 2nd unit...love her).  I think we died that night when we finally laid down.  Early Sunday morning, we were up and at it again.  Chris and Jenna came over to help carry in furniture and we continued working on the madness.  April and I ran 101 errands and got all of the things we were missing (stands, lights, etc.)

Monday, Lisa and Mackel came over to help and we got the living room put together.  Dad came by after work to install lights and ceiling fans.  After we had a few blinds and curtain rods hung, it started to feel like home.  Thursday night, Dad and Lisa came back and installed some more blinds and Keith finished the blinds up on Friday.  Saturday arrived and Beth, Julie and Phil came over to organize closets, install curtain rods, hang pictures, install lights and do 101 other things.  I know there was more madness (including it being our weekend with Perry) mixed in there….but the moral of the story is, it takes a village!!!

According to Perry, his room is AWESOME!

I’d say we’re 85% situated.  We need to hang more stuff on the walls, unpack some more, clean the basement, etc.  We’ve received some very thoughtful housewarming gifts along the way too which made this time even happier.  Thank you April, Emily and Alissa!!!

Sidenote: The cats have adjusted better than I expected.  They have both claimed their "spots" and are loving the windows and new furniture.  (Don't you know that it was all bought for them.)

This is the window over my soak tub.  Perfect for a cat.

Love the new bedset Mom...very cozy and warm.

My favorite parts:

1. THE KITCHEN – there is soooo much room in there.  We went from a galley kitchen to an open concept with an island.  Hello amazing!!!!
2. The master bath – Big soak tub and separate shower stall are pretty much the best thing ever.  We went from a 1.5 bath home to a 2.5 bath home….love it!
3. New appliances – They’re so quiet.  I can run the dishwasher, washer, dryer and garbage disposal and not alert the neighbors.
4. New bed – King sized beds are a gift from heaven. 
5. Everything else about it except for all the stairs lol =)

So in the end, the work and headaches of the whole process were well worth it.  I’ll post much better pics after we are truly settled.  Stay tuned =)

A sneak peek of part of the living room (Please ignore the Daddio as he installs lights)

All or Nothing

I’m an all or nothing kind of girl…black or white…..go big or go home.  I could continue with all of the clichés, but instead I’ll explain myself.  I can’t half do something….if I start a project, I finish a project or I completely scrap it and make it part of the weekly trash pile.

My husband likes to say that I have OCD….I like to think I am thorough and detail oriented.  Potato Potato….

Anyway, sometimes, this gift comes in handy.  I can spring clean a place in a matter of days, I can throw together a party in a few hours, I could produce a huge paper in college in no time.  Then there are times that it is a total curse….when buying a new house, it is a nightmare. 

I am in complete decorate and situate mode.  The minute that house is ours, I have furniture, appliances, light fixtures, curtain rods, blinds and décor ready to go.  Some might argue this isn’t a bad thing…..but when you have no where to store all of these items and can’t make solid decisions it becomes quite a mess. 

Let’s start with appliances: I went to Lowes to get a face plate and left with an order for a washer and dryer (at a great price – thanks to my cousin).  I got the energy efficient deluxe, non-front load style. 

Then that turned into light fixtures:  Spotted a sale on ceiling fans and before I knew it, the cart was full.

Then came furniture….we went to Star in Morgantown and the sleaze sales guy made me mad so we ventured to Fairmont.  Highly recommend those folks.  Anyway we now have a new bedroom set, a new couch, loveseat, accent chair, ottoman, mattress and box springs.  I was on a decisive roll….

That brought us to this past weekend – Labor Day Weekend. 

Big Lots was having a BOGO half price sale….curtains, art work, bedset for Perry, more curtains, throw pillows, storage units and some other odds and ends. 

Then…..I decided we needed a trip to Pittsburgh……that was where things got ugly lol

Home Goods = a decorative piece for the bathroom

Ikea = 2 rugs, 3 mirrors, hand towels, spatulas, 2 bath mats and some other randomness

Rug for living room

Rug for Master Bedroom

And then……heaven on earth…….my first experience at a Hobby Lobby……oh my!!

I could spend hours in there…..luckily they had shortened hours for the holiday so I got pulled out after 2 vases, a few signs/pictures, letters and coat rack for Perry’s wall, and all kinds of other “treasures.”  I am dying to go back.

Before I knew it…I was online shopping JcPenney sales and found blinds, curtain rods and more curtains.

Then at Bed Bath and Beyond buying more artwork and TJ Maxx for pillows.

Then Target for more curtains and stuff for Perry’s room.

So right now, I have a whole house decorated and then some…….I have 3 sets of curtains pending for the living room….can’t make a decision until the furniture arrives.  I know which ones I love, but I need to see how they look with the chair.  I am already returning a bunch of pillows that just aren’t meshing in my head.  I have moved stuff from room to room in my head a thousand times. 

Most people move in and buy a few new things….nope, not this crazy woman.  Thank God I have all of our wedding gifts in storage or I might have to get a second mortgage to finance this craziness!!!!  Not to mention that watching Property Brothers already has me ready to finish the basement in a million different ways. 

BRING ON THE HOUSE!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to the Jungle

The last month has been one of the craziest months of my life.  It takes a lot to earn that title after you’ve been alive for 380+ months!  I don’t even know where to start….just keep in mind that every second that was not filled with the madness detailed below was spent packing, cleaning, moving and stressing. 

August 2 – we officially signed the documents on our new townhouse.

August 3 – helped host a bridal shower for Whitney during the day and hosted Heidi’s bachelorette party that evening.

August 6 – celebrated Lisa’s birthday.

August 10 – loaded up 2 moving trucks full of stuff headed for storage and a (amazing) friend’s garage.

August 12 – 16: coworker took vacation so I was flying solo.

August 12 – got to visit with a good friend who was in from Virginia.

August 15 – bank appointment

August 16 – bought new appliances and lighting for the new house

August 17 – celebrated Collin’s birthday.

August 18 - celebrated Father in Law’s birthday.  Moved mattresses and box springs to storage and moved in with Keith’s sister, Brenda.

August 19 – walk through with builder at new place

August 20 – official loan application at bank.  Major drama with the inspection report on the house we were selling….full meltdown. 

Devil box!!!

August 21 – closed on old townhouse

August 22 – wedding prep

August 23 – wedding prep, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner

August 24 – MY BABY SISTER GOT MARRIED!

August 25 – visited with one of my favorite people in the world, Uncle Bob.

August 26 – Perry started 2^nd grade.

August 27 – ordered new bedroom and living room furniture.  (Please ignore the blurriness).

King Size Bed (Dresser and Nightstand Not Shown)

Couch, Loveseat and Ottoman (Accent chair orderd in a print!)

August 28 – celebrated Heidi’s birthday.  Mild drama with Dan Ryan over decks, almost became homeless again….

Now there are a million and one other fun things mixed in there, but those are the majors.  I realize this list is completely boring to read, but I’m thinking of it more as therapy….typing is cheaper than sitting on the couch!!  Plus along the way some amazing friends (and husband) cheered me up with flowers, edible arrangements, spa giftcards, etc. 

September isn’t going to be much calmer, I can feel it now, but hopefully by October, we should be settling in our new place.  Through it all, I’m thankful for the madness…..this jungle is my life and I wouldn’t trade it…..

Lost and Found

Well, we lost our original house.  Amidst all of the madness, we decided to get a break from the real world and not cancel our family vacation to Myrtle Beach.  So after my sister’s bridal shower on July 20^th, we hit the road.  (Bridal shower and beach posts to come...)

On our third day there, we got the call.  When the realtor asks if you want the good news or the bad news first, that day of vacation automatically takes a downwards spiral. 

The good news:  Our town house appraised for the asking price….Hallelujah!!  After our ridiculously low appraisal at our refinance months earlier, we thought we didn’t have a chance. 

The bad news:  The sellers had accepted another offer on the house we were buying.  So I cried in the middle of a beach parking lot, pouted in the sand and stressed.  Keith went to work searching for new houses.  I did the grown up thing and immediately decided for the next 5 days, I was going to completely ignore our problem.  Best idea I’ve had in a while.

So, when we got back to town we had an evening full of house shopping scheduled.  The day before this could take place, Keith got sick….like really sick.  So he stayed home while I went to look at houses.  The house we were convinced was “The One” was a huge dump.  Cracked kitchen cabinets, poor handyman work and general cheapness sent us running.  One of the two houses at Pinecrest held potential but I hated the location and the two houses at Four Seasons were immediately ruled out (hello vertical driveways).  So I left even more disgusted.

After a chat on Facebook and some other random searches, I was lead back to two things I had 100% written off when we started the buying process: Dan Ryan and a townhouse.  Mark convinced us to go look at one and they were amazing.  Big, affordable, good location and new…..we left with a whole new outlook.  As we were pulling back into work after a lunch viewing, we got the call to look at our last potential.  It was beautiful but more expensive, bad location/roads, and some majorly squeaky floors.  That was the point where we decided we were done.  We put in an offer on the new townhouse. 

As of Monday August 5, we are officially under contract to buy our new place.  As soon as my townhouse closes later this month we can move forward with the financing and should be in by mid to late September.

I’m still disappointed over losing the original place.  It had a yard and was stand alone and had potential to be a forever home.  It wasn’t in an ideal location, but it worked for us.  The new place is a stepping stone toward a stand alone home…I’m trusting this is a case where God knows more of what we need than we do. 

The Details:

-End Unit

-Grey Siding, Black Accents

-3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath

-Decent back and side yard

Floor 1: Walk into a hallway, big closet, 1 car garage access and straight ahead is an unfinished section with laundry hook-ups and rough bathroom plumbing.

Floor 2: Kitchen, breakfast nook and dining room with hardwood, wrap around deck, living room, half bath

Floor 3: Large master bed and bath (soak tub and shower stall), walk in closet, 2 other bedrooms, extra bathroom

Impulse Shopping

Written on 7/11/13

I like to shop.  I think Kohls might possibly be heaven sent.  I love to bargain shop.  There is some sort of satisfaction in finding a cheap shirt that fits well that I can get my money’s worth out of. 

I’ve always been an impulse buyer.  I see it, I like it, I can afford it, I buy it.  I don’t live outside of my budget, I don’t live off credit cards, I don’t hoard.  I just like to shop.

Then there are the big ticket items…cars for example.  I’d rather take a bullet in my left foot than buy/sell a car.  I hate the bartering, I hate the games.  I just wish Kohls sold cars (hello 30% off coupon).  Anyway, just simply stating there are exceptions to my shopping rule. 

And then comes house shopping.  I don’t find it nearly as miserable as car shopping, but I must say it is more stressful.  Most people don’t go with the impulse buying in this department, but apparently this girl does.

So my townhouse is under contract; inspector came yesterday and next week is the appraiser.  Nothing about these next few weeks is in my control.

Throw into that mix, the fact that we found a house last night that we want to buy.  That house and its ability to be ours, is completely reliant on what happens with aforementioned townhouse.  We put out an offer, wait to see if they are even willing to take one with contingencies and if they are, we live with the fear that someone can swoop in and take it from us at any time.   What kind of sick game is that?!?!  These people (i.e. realtors, banks, sellers, real estate board) are killing my ability to impulse buy.  They are making me wait it out and think about it and analyze it and stress about it.  Sheesh.

For now, I just remodel the place in my head and wait…..Halls don’t wait well.  It’s not a gift we were graced with. 

A Place to Call Home

Written in June 2013....

I bought my first house about 6 years ago….my landlord decided to sell the place I was living in and I decided it was time to jump into the real estate world.  When I first saw what was in my price range, I contemplated running the other direction, but my realtor finally took me to the place that I would learn to call home.  My 2 bedroom, 1.5 half bath townhouse was the perfect starter home for me and the cat. 

Over the last few years, neighbors have come and gone, but I’ve always consistently been surrounded by young people that are in similar places in life….we all work, some are in school, one family has a son, but overall, we just mesh well.  There are very few things that I don’t love about this place, but two huge ones are the parking/stair situation and the lack of storage!!!  When the Christmas tree box is right beside the shoe collection, it starts to get frustrating quickly. 

Somewhere along the way, I got a roommate.  She showed up one day and never left….and with her came her belongings (aka her hoard) and made space even more limited.  I love her and all, but my sister has a lot of stuff!!!!

And then there was an incident last Fall/Winter that resulted in me adopting another cat….it totally happened by accident, but let me just tell you….those sad eyes that Puss in Boots sports on Shrek, are alive and well in Ms Joey.  I just could not leave her in the cage….no matter how hard I tried.  With her came a second litter box and her assortment of mice; taking up even more space.

So, by the time I got married, there was no room, yet a big person and a part-time little person and their stuff needed to move in.  I kept telling myself we could make the miracle happen, but let’s be honest folks…..epic failure. 

This is where the biggest mistake happened…..Keith and I started browsing the real estate sites.  It was Russian roulette, but we continued to play the horrid game.  Then one morning over coffee and scones, it happened….we opened Homes and Land magazine, saw a house and went on a Sunday drive to see it.  We left the development that day, knowing we were going to live there (not in that house, but in the area.)

We stalked neighbors in the development to ask questions, looked at websites, called companies for initial meetings and before I knew it, we were listing the townhouse with my original realtor and meeting with banks.  In between there was massive cleaning, stocking a 10x20 storage unit, yard work and 101 other events that I have blocked out to preserve my sanity.  One day, we got a wild hair,as my grandfather called it, and reserved a plot…..we agreed it was where we both wanted to build and when Keith and I agree on something so easily, we have to snatch it up lol.

On the afternoon of Monday, June 24^th our townhouse went on the market.  On Tuesday, we were informed of emails showing interest, by Wednesday, we had an offer.   The offer is one we didn’t think twice about accepting….now we just need 101 things to fall into place perfectly….needless to say, I’m holding my breath, hoping and praying yet preparing myself for this to crumble.  (This realist lives by the line, Hope and Pray for the Best but Prepare for the Worst.)

So now we wait…we wait for our home to be sold so we can put money down on building a new home.  We worry about living in a shoe box trailer for 4-6+ months, we stress and worry some more.  And we dream about the new gorgeous home that we have picked out in a neighborhood that we really like.  We hope and chat about something we want so badly, but something that scares us at the same time. 

Hopefully this will be the home, where we raise Perry, where we decorate a nursery, where we spend some of the first years of our marriage together…..I refuse to let myself fall too far in love with the idea, but it’s hard.  It just feels right….and if it in the plans that God has for us, it will be our home.  If not, we will dust our disappointed selves off and move on….but it won’t be easy. 

So all this rambling basically comes down to this: The months ahead of us are going to be a bumpy ride.  We’re ready for the ride, as long as in the end, it takes us to our home, wherever that may be….