guest bedroom, open for visitors
Thursday, August 14, 2008Labels: home owning
One of the first things Josh and I decided when we moved into our house was to not make our extra bedroom storage but an actual usable room. Eventually that room would be for a child so we decided it would be a guest room now. Once Sondra and I picked a weekend for her visit, I knew I had a good deadline for redecorating the room. If I waited too much longer I wouldn't have finished it!
We got my old twin bed from my parents, repainted one of our old kitchen chairs and a side table of my mom's. I ordered a huge print of the lilac picture I love and framed that. I really wanted a desk in the room so we bought a simple shelf and Josh hung that. The night before Sondra was set to arrive Josh was installing the new ceiling fan. The curtains that I finally decided on arrived just a few days before! Although we rushed around we got it pretty much done. The decorations are a little sparse but that will slowly be remedied. I'm sure by the time Sondra comes for another visit, the room will be a little less empty.
Once we were all finished Josh and I both agreed that the room was very cozy and relaxing, exactly as a guest bedroom should be.
productive weekend
Monday, July 14, 2008Besides three Senior sessions, a little shopping and dinner with my husband, church, a nap, some reading, movie watching...I also crammed in some time to work on the house. Labels: home owning
My house came with really nice efficient windows that also happen to be the weirdest sizes you have ever seen. I could not find curtains for the kitchen that were the right length. This weekend I found a nice tan set that were 54 inches long. Longer than I needed but long enough that they'd work! On Saturday I hemmed the pair for by the kitchen sink and we got them hung. I bought a matching set for the other window. And voila, finally..curtains in my kitchen after almost three months!
The kitchen windows were mostly normal, especially compared to our bedroom windows. The bedroom windows are set pretty high. One is 67.75" by 27" and the other is 50.75" by 27". I mean, really...what is that about? I decided to use the curtains from our apartment bedroom and repurpose them. So I cut off the tabs, turned them the opposite direction and sewed a hole for the curtain rods. It somehow worked out really well. I can also now say that our bedroom is done!
I'm really making progress on my To Do list for the house. I'm down to finishing up the crafty area but it was totally useable this weekend. I also have the guest room to finish which will be done by August. The baby's room is also coming along and I even got the blinds ordered for it yesterday. (That room also has a weird size window so I ordered custom mini blinds.) It is such a relief to be getting things accomplished.
flea market finds
Wednesday, July 09, 2008Labels: home owning
Josh and I added two more cameras to our growing collection. These two were in really good shape so we snatched them up. And the fan I couldn't resist the color of the base! We got it home and couldn't believe it worked. 
I really love having a house to furnish!
decorating the guest bedroom
Tuesday, June 10, 2008Labels: home owning
Whenever I am thinking about how to decorate a room, I usually need an inspiration piece. For our bedroom, I decorated around a duvet cover we loved. The main bathroom was planned around the shower curtain.
I have been mulling over the guest bedroom since we moved in. (Josh decided we should call it the guest bedroom and not a spare room so we can't just store junk in it. Good call.) I just wasn't sure what to do with it. Luckily Sondra has planned a road trip to Illinois in August which gives me a perfect deadline for decorating the room. I finally settled on a soft gray for the wall color and soon after found the above picture from some random site. I'm so excited to work on the room! I have inspiration! Now I just have to find the time...
stimulus check = spent
Wednesday, June 04, 2008Labels: home owning
Over the weekend Josh and I took a trip to Ikea to get the loveseat and storage unit for our front room. It's been driving me crazy to still have two boxes sitting up there by the computer. Knight Light needed something to store some of its stuff.
I still have a bit of organizing to do and papers to go through from the desk. But I'm so happy with how it looks. Josh says I'll never leave this area. It is definitely my favorite part of the house. (Which is funny because when we first looked at it I wasn't sure what I'd do with it.)
Josh painted our door (that goes into the garage) with chalkboard paint. It's so much fun! I know I say it all the time but I love having my own house. Living in the apartment for so long has really made me appreciate all of this even more!
house lovin'
Wednesday, May 21, 2008Labels: home owning
- I really love cooking in my kitchen. Having more than two feet of counter space is incredible!
- Peony buds...soon to be peonies!!
- Looking out my front window
- My dishwasher
- Thinking about how to decorate the guest bedroom
I think I say it a few times a week to Josh, "I love our house!".
the baby birds
Thursday, May 08, 2008Labels: home owning
A week ago Josh happened to spot a bird's nest in our little evergreen tree out front. I couldn't believe our luck that there were four robin's eggs in it. When I went out to check on them on Tuesday there were only two eggs because two had hatched! They were curled up together but when I made a little noise they popped their heads up looking for food. It was truly amazing. By yesterday morning another had hatched and by supper time, all were born. I have never been that close to a bird's nest or baby birds before in my life. I easily could have touched them! There's something about seeing new life that just really got me.
Someone was telling me about when they were looking for a new house. They had looked at dozens of houses but finally were looking at one they thought they might like. This lady happened to look out the window when checking out a bedroom and there was a robin's nest with eggs. She felt like it was a sign to buy the house.
Maybe these little guys are my sign that we bought the right house (not that I'm doubting) and that everything is going to be okay.
front yard planting done
Wednesday, May 07, 2008Labels: home owning
I got all of my impatiens planted last night. It took F-O-R-E-V-E-R. Josh raked the mulch for me while I tried out our riding mower. (I have never once mowed, push or otherwise. I'm sure I was quite a sight.) I finished the long straight rows just when Josh finished the mulch. Since I was having trouble maneuvering the mower around things I figured I would just start planting.
I think it was just under 130 plants. I should have counted to make for sure. I finished up just as the sun was completely set. I watered them, sprayed off the bricks and called it good. Although it was surprisingly hard work, it was worth it because my front yard doesn't look like this anymore!
ugly bushes = gone
Friday, May 02, 2008Labels: home owning
Sometimes I forget how determined my husband is. When he got off work yesterday (after working 11 hours), I mentioned how we can use a Menard's gift card we got to buy flowers and edging for the front of the house. I said, "Now all we have to do is get those bushes pulled up". So of course that meant Josh had to do it right then.
All of the bushes now are pulled up and in a huge ugly pile. The logs are stacked together with them. Although we're not really sure what to do with all of that, we're happy that's done! I just feel bad that Josh did it all in one evening after working so hard during the day. He's just like that!
Having a new house has done wonders for my photo opportunities. So many new things to take pictures of! Josh found this robin's nest in our tiny evergreen tree out front. I don't know that I've ever been able to get so close to one.
I'm also taking more pictures of my lilacs and my one lone daffodil. I can't wait to get flowers planted out front!
satisfaction
Thursday, May 01, 2008Last night I worked at cutting away old plants and weeds that were surrounding my precious peonies. Although I'm a little daunted by all of the weeds in my yard that need to be pulled, I really am excited to get to it. I have great plans for my yard and I can't wait to see them out. I do think first on the list is pulling out the front bushes and planting some flowers. I need a flower that is low to the ground, will spread out and likes shade. (They have to be low so they don't cover our downstairs windows.) Suggestions? Labels: home owning
Josh and I also spent a lot of time trying to get the garage organized. It was a big relief to get so much done in there. Now it's back to the house where we have pictures to hang and storage to buy. Whew, so much to do!
plants in the yard
Wednesday, April 30, 2008When we first closed on the house last Monday, I had no idea what any of the plants in our yard were. All I knew is that someday I would have a lilac bush, some peonies, a flowering tree and flowers for the front. Through the course of last week, the plants started to grow a bit more and even bloom. Turns out I already have pretty much everything I wanted! Labels: home owning
Lilacs
Peonies
Flowering Tree
I was so excited I could hardly stand it!! I can't believe I got so lucky. All that's left is to pull out some bushes in the front so I can plant some flowers. Hopefully I have a green thumb!
things i'm not missing about the apartment
Tuesday, April 29, 2008- The smoke filled hallways Labels: apartment living, home owning
- Potholes in our driveway
- Alarm clocks going off for hours on end
- Bebo barking at doors being slammed
- Trucks with loud music pulling in at 1:30am
- Gross, nasty carpeting
- Not being able to keep anything dusted
- Having to use the spare room as storage
- Taking Bebo down a flight of stairs every time he has to go out
- Being concerned about having our TV/music up too loud
- Having to jiggle the handle when we flush the toilet
Last night was the first time I made Josh and I supper in the new house. I can't explain how amazing it was to have so much room and counter space. And don't even get me started on the dishwasher...I do believe that deserves a post of its very own.
We are feeling so lucky right now to have been able to get this house. I kind of feel like I'm living in a dream...one of those really good ones you don't want to wake up from.
update on moving
Saturday, April 26, 2008Labels: home owning
It's thanks to my mom that the kitchen looks like this. I alternated wandering around aimlessly, using my new washer and dryer (well, new to me), sitting down from exhaustion, eating... My mom was a hard little worker and did SO much organizing in the kitchen. Maybe it's the hormones but looking at my "put away" kitchen makes me want to cry. Thanks Mom for all your help so far and all the help to come.
The move was done before Saturday like I had thought. Josh and my dad have basically moved us themselves. I'm pretty sure we'd be sitting in the middle of a chaotic apartment right now if it wasn't for my parents. My dad has been working just as hard as my mom. Fixing, drilling, checking, carrying, putting together... He's quite the guy to have around.
Unpacking is actually going pretty well. We are tackling it little by little. Surprisingly the problem has been figuring out storage which is funny coming from a little apartment to a big house. Josh and I just realized our closet definitely needs some shelves added. We'll work it all out.
Josh said it best this morning. He said that it since the house was so nice (especially compared to what we were living in), it kind of felt like we were on vacation. I keep thinking I need to go home. In the words of Ty Pennington on Extreme Home Makeover, "Welcome home, Knight family. Welcome home".
million
Thursday, April 24, 2008Labels: home owning
I've got a million things running through my mind so I'm trying to write everything down. Josh and I are both off tomorrow so we're hoping to get a lot done on the house. I probably won't post again for a few days but check Flickr. I might upload more pictures!
in someone else's house
Wednesday, April 23, 2008Last night my mom and I worked on putting my new kitchen together. Scoping out the cabinets, deciding where the silverware should go, the coffee mugs... As I worked at putting some of our things away I couldn't help but feel like I was putting them away in someone else's kitchen. I'm not sure when this is going to sink in that we finally have our own house. After the years of waiting it now just feels surreal. Labels: home owning
After my parents went home Josh and I walked around the house looking at the new paint job. We headed into the baby's room and we laid in the middle of the room. We laid there both mentally shaking our heads that we were moving into this place and that it was ours. We talked about where the crib will go and what it will be like to have a baby here. We discussed when we're moving what furniture this week and how we'll be mostly all moved by Saturday. We eventually got quiet and just laid staring up at the ceiling fan for a few minutes. Finally Josh quietly said what I had been thinking, "Man, this ceiling fan is really ugly".
I think we'll make this OUR place in no time.
things that are making me happy today
Tuesday, April 22, 2008Labels: home owning
It's the little things but gosh darn it, if they don't make me giggle with happiness.
1. I have a porch. I HAVE MY VERY OWN PORCH! Sorry I felt like that deserved to be repeating...loudly.
2. I have an awesome window for my Christmas tree. Is it wrong that I already have my outdoor Christmas decorations planned? I can't help it because I now have a porch!
3. There is a ceiling fan in almost every room of my house.
4. My car gets to be parked in a garage. I bought that car brand new (they even pulled it off the showroom floor for me). It has never been parked in a garage. I also keep thinking about how amazing it will be to get groceries and not have to carry the bags up a flight of stairs.
5. The natural light in the house is about a hundred times better than my little dungeon of an apartment. The random pictures I take are going to be so much easier.
6. I can plant flowers, plants, trees...whatever I want. I really want a blooming tree, a lilac bush, a peony bush, flowers for the front. I did find out that we will have our own grapes!
We spent a lot of time at the house last night getting stuff cleaned out (although everything is remarkably clean). My dad moved an outlet for us (thanks again dad). My mom scrubbed a few doors and baseboards (something I probably never would have done). I'm thinking that the move on Saturday isn't going to be too bad at all because we'll probably have so much moved this week!
Edited - I uploaded a bunch of pictures to flickr and tried to make notes and descriptions.
officially ours
Monday, April 21, 2008We have the keys! The house is officially ours!! Labels: home owning
more packing
Friday, April 18, 2008I spent yesterday afternoon in my kitchen. Not making cupcakes...but packing! I've been putting off the kitchen because it's hard to know what you will need. Finally I just decided to go for it. Plus it's been driving me crazy. The kitchen is now probably 75% packed! That also means no more cooking or baking until we move. Uh, yeah...I'm okay with that. I've always hated that kitchen. Labels: home owning
We have our final walk through tomorrow morning. Then 9am Monday morning Josh and I will officially be home owners!
house buying to do list
Wednesday, April 16, 20081. Finish packing. Labels: home owning
2. Contact utility companies to transfer service.
3. Get phone and cable switched over.
4. Make sure bank has proof of insurance.
5. Find out how much money needed at closing.
6. Pay termite inspection bill.
7. PACK!
Five more days until closing!
dude, we are so buying a house
Tuesday, April 15, 2008Just got the papers from the second radon test and the house passed! The seller had done some sealing and aired the place out. It helped a lot and the numbers were all significantly lower. Labels: home owning
We close on the house next Monday at 9:00am. I can't even believe they're going to be handing over the keys to our house!
oh wait, I have to pack?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008Labels: home owning
In my excitement about moving in eighteen days, I forgot the part about PACKING in eighteen days. I packed up our books last night. Looks like we're going to have about 10 boxes of books, plus one enormous one of philosophy books. I don't think that's too bad. Josh and I just have a lot of books. I think though that we don't buy as many as we'd like because we knew we'd be moving. Uh oh...now that we'll be in a house that could mean freedom to buy more. We'll just never be able to move again.
update
Tuesday, April 08, 2008Radon... Labels: home owning
The seller decided to do some sealing over the weekend and aired out the house for a couple days. (It has been closed up for a year.) He is retesting this week and we should know tomorrow if that helped. I have a good feeling about it!
Appraisal...
Sounds like the house is going to be appraised either today or tomorrow. We should have a report within a week.
Closing...
Tentative close date is April 21st. If we can get our painter in that week, we're hoping to move the weekend of the 25th. I had scheduled engagement pictures for that Saturday which hopefully I'll be able to reschedule. We also have a wedding reception to go to on Saturday afternoon but that shouldn't be a problem. We can work around that.
That means...
Approximately EIGHTEEN more days in the apartment!! Keep your fingers crossed!
progress
Thursday, April 03, 2008Josh and I met with our bank guy yesterday. We now officially have a home loan...and a pretty good one at that. Relief!! Labels: home owning
Home Buying Checklist
1. Make offer and get offer accepted. CHECK
2. Get contract signed. CHECK
3. Have home tested for radon. CHECK
4. Have home inspected. CHECK (Passed with flying colors!)
5. Get house checked for termites. CHECK
6. Request seller mitigate radon and have him agree to do it.
7. Meet with loan officer and get loan. CHECK
8. Have house appraised.
9. Set closing date.
10. Sign papers at closing and pay a bunch of money.
11. Jump up and down and celebrate all while receiving key to brand new house.
12. Move in!!
Looks like we're about halfway to moving in!
paint swatches
Wednesday, April 02, 2008Labels: home owning, moolah
Buying a house is probably the most stressful thing I have ever experienced. Although it's a "buyer's market" right now, the financing part is getting much worse. It's harder to get good loans no matter how good your credit score is. You also need a lot of cash on hand to pay for all of the fees, inspections, attorneys... Speaking of inspections, our house failed the radon testing. We're waiting to hear back from the seller that it will be fixed. Needless to say, I've been a little stressed. (It doesn't help that my hormones/emotions are all out of whack.)
One of the simple joys that has made me really happy is picking out paint colors. We're going to be getting two of the three bedrooms painted, all three bathrooms, and one of the walls in the family room done. When I'm feeling really stressed, I can just pull out the paint swatches and look at all the pretty colors. I think I've gone over them a hundred times even though I keep picking out the same colors.
I'm sure once we get things squared away with the loan stuff and the inspections, I will have a lot more fun things to think about. For now, I should probably just carry my paint swatches with me.
plant a tree
Tuesday, March 25, 2008Labels: all you need is love, home owning
One of the things I want to do to OUR house is plant some more trees. It's in a new section of town and doesn't have any mature trees around it. I told Josh that I will take good care of my one little tree in front for now. And then I repeated so sadly, "My one little tree...".
Josh said, "Look at it this way, Kimberly. That little tree will grow with our family".
house hunters - the conclusion
Monday, March 24, 2008We both really liked House #1. It had that old house charm. Unfortunately it just wasn't big enough and with water in the basement, probably not the best thing. House #2 was our top pick. Pretty much a blank canvas that was move-in ready... Labels: home owning
So Thursday night we went back to House #2 (the newish house just out of our price range). We decided that we'd make a low offer and see what happened. Friday morning our Realtor made our offer to the seller. I was so surprised when the seller came back with a quite low counter-offer. Two more calls and the house was ours.
We hadn't planned on everything happening so quickly but sometimes things just line up. I still can't believe the house is ours and that we'll be moving in in about a month. We've driven past probably a dozen times over the weekend.
I've been sketching the floor plan and trying to figure out what additional furniture we need. We also already have a "dream project list". It's just amazing to think that we will be able to do the things we want to it because it's ours!
I'm mostly in shock that we bought a house on Friday. I'm also feeling a little overwhelmed with the thought of a mortgage, packing and keeping up with Knight Light! April should be an interesting month.
buying a house
Friday, March 21, 2008Buying a house scares the crap out of me. As much as we're ready and want to, the thought of spending that much money (that we don't actually have)... Well, it is so scary! I'm worry that my budgeting is wrong and we can't afford as much as we say we can. I worry about the future and being able to pay the mortgage. I let it snowball and just worry about the stupidest things. Then the rational part of me shakes the worrier. How many millions of people are home owners? Yeah, they manage. We are smart people that are good with money. We'll be okay. Labels: home owning
I also think about the silly things that we will need when we buy a house:
1. a better vacuum cleaner (we have just a little one that gets by)
2. something to scrub the floors (we now have carpet through all of the rooms)
3. a lawn mower
4. more window coverings
So much to think about... I know all will work out.
house hunters - knight edition
Thursday, March 20, 2008Follow along as a young couple expecting their first child searches for their first home... Labels: home owning
House #1 had a TON of character. An older home with hardwood floors, awesome built-ins and great light. It also had a tiny kitchen with even less counter space than we already have (didn't know that was possible).
House #2 is relatively new house with three bedrooms and not one, not two but THREE bathrooms. Just crazy! The kitchen has recently been redone. Although it's not what I would do, it still is very nice and I can definitely imagine baking in there. This house also has a screened-in building in the back that has electricity running to it. Summer party at that Knight's! Ha!
House #3's selling point was a "unique bar in the basement". Hmm...uh, yeah. Lots of updating needed at this house but a plus would be all the space in the basement. It's located on a very quiet dead end street as well.
House #4 is another house that would need some updating. (Again with the shell sink!) This house had this awesome sunroom with amazing light. The house is located in a very quiet neighborhood and even has a corn field behind the backyard.
So which house will this couple chose? House #1 the older home with lots of character but not enough space, House #2 the new house at the top of their price range, House #3 the outdated house that comes with ample room, or House #4 the priced to sell house that needs work but has unique features like the sunroom...
Stay tuned as the couple make their decision!
