Our First Home

Well, eventually we found our first house. It was actually probably good that the first offer fell though, because this is a house we can see ourselves growing into.

Here are some photos from the listing (translation: that is not our stuff in the pictures):

The front yard had those trees that bloom in the spring and smell so nice. Early on when we were dating, my husband and I used to talk about how when we "grew up" (yikes) and got a house we wanted those trees in our yard...so it was almost fate. We had to buy it.
It also had a great backyard space that would be perfect for having people over...or drinking wine on the patio (it's amazing how much it helps to visualize yourself with a glass of wine when looking at houses...).
One of the things we loved about the house right away was how bright it was. There are tons of windows! We (I) also loved how there were windows right above the sink. (Not that I usually do the dishes, but when I imagine having to do the dishes...the window makes it better).
The husband loved how open it was...he seems to think we could host great football, hockey, or other sports parties. Especially with a t.v. over the fireplace.
It was also great that the paint colors were fairly neutral throughout the house...well, except in the master bedroom...in the master bedroom it was a little too green for my taste.
So, that became one of the first items on the "Things To Do To Make The House Feel More Like Home" list (which is different than the regular "To Do - Short Term" and "To Do - Future" lists that I made...oh, and then of course the "To Buy - Now" list, which included things like lawn mower and other fun necessities and the "To Buy - Future" list. I sure do love a good list (or several).

So there you have it. Our very own, first home. Searching for it was a roller coaster of emotions, but in the end, we found exactly what we were looking for.

We moved in the beginning of July, but didn't have internet for over a month (we pretty much just sat and stared at each other all day). Hopefully now there can be more frequent updates.

Follow the Yellowbrick Road

It was surprisingly hard to leave our last apartment (which was on Yellowbrick Road...cute at first until you try to order a pizza...). While I was so ready to leave in some ways, and very excited to be buying our own home...there is always something about leaving a place you called home. We got married while living in this apartment...had our gift opening downstairs...there were lots of memories. (Plus a lot of late nights when packing, moving, and cleaning had me feeling a little emotional).

The living room got a lot of great light, and looked out into a wooded area behind the apartment building. It felt very private, which is always nice! (Especially after having spent 2 years living in the hustle and bustle of Uptown...we actually heard nature here!)

We did have a rather small kitchen though...something I knew was going to be on our list of things we wanted in a new house.
I am super glad we won't be having to check out of an apartment anytime soon. That is quite the process...but it was scary to know we were actually buying something...and what a huge commitment that is. We haven't stayed in one place for more than two years in...almost 10 years (yikes I'm old). Knowing you have to stay in a house for at least 5 years seemed intimidating, but we knew it was the right step. Now we just needed to find the right house...

The First House

House hunting has been emotional, and overall less fun that I had anticipated. Turns out, like wedding planning, when you're playing with real money, it tends to be more stressful than just dreaming. Hopefully when we're all moved in to our new home, it will all have been worth it.

This won't be that home.

We put in our first offer on a home, and it was accepted...well, at least verbally. Before the seller had signed the papers though, another - better, offer came in, and we were out. The hardest part was that we had already started thinking of it as "our" house. I thought I would share the photos from the MLS listing, for those playing along at home.

The outside was still living in the 70s, but I could see the potential...
The backyard also had lots of potential, which I'm kind of learning is a code word for needs lots of work.
The garage was huge, which was more of a bonus than a prerequisite.
And there was a master bathroom. I can't tell you how badly I wanted a master bathroom (even a tiny one). We have one in our current apartment and I'm in LOVE with not sharing with guests.
The best part of the house however was the upstairs living area and kitchen...I loved the kitchen...
The other great thing about this house was that it had a lake view, which was something we didn't expect to find in our price range. So the location was fantastic!

At the end of the day, it wasn't meant to be...but sometimes I still think about the kitchen...

Apartment Number 2 - Party in Uptown

Our second apartment was in Uptown. We picked it for the location, and the architectural details.

(see the pretty arches? And the built ins peeking in from the side of the photo?)...(also, please excuse the mess, we were in the process of moving in...)
While we fell in love with the character, we missed some of the more practical elements. It was a small apartment. And not just a sort of small apartment...it was a VERY small apartment.

Here is a photo of the kitchen area. The tiniest little room, where the fridge couldn't open all the way, because it would hit the sink. You know, practical things like opening the fridge all the way ;)

Another funny thing about where we were at that point in our lives is we hadn't really started paying attention to decorating, or making our apartment feel homey. (Evidenced here by the fact that we had green, jersey sheets on our bed...green is not my favorite color).

Really in our first two apartments most of our purchases were based on cost. We needed sheets because we didn't have any, so we bought the least expensive. On certain things, like our mattress, we splurged, and went with quality, but on most of the more decor items, it was function and cost.

Now that we have the necessities we can focus more on decor...

First Apartment

The first apartment Brandon and I lived in together was while we were in college, and decor was nonexistent. I still think about it though, every once in a while. It is kind of crazy how far we have come...It was two levels - see there's a step down...so we counted that as the second level ;)
It was actually pretty large for a college apartment, and well maintained too.
AND it had a pool...which was super exciting when I moved in...and I used it once.
It was kind of a disaster most of the time, which I think most first apartments are...what is kind of sad is that we still have almost everything in that picture...except the t.v. We now have a MUCH larger t.v.

We quickly learned how much space we had really had when we moved closer to the city...

Glass Endeavors

I thought it was about time to post about the Glass Endeavors class I took back in September (especially now that I have a follower...HI CARLA!). When the class came up on Groupon, I thought it would be a fun thing to try, and the pendant would make a good Christmas present for my mom! (I'm all about mixing classes with presents...it helps me justify taking the class...and I feel like the present is more meaningful because I made it.)

Designing the pendant was super simple, and they had lots of colors to choose from. I kind of wish I would have used the opportunity to make several pendants so that I would have a few to choose from, but I think this one turned out well!

I am definitely thinking about going back for another class someday!

Happy Valentine's Day

Breakfast in bed for dinner...I have a GREAT husband!!