A Tour of (most of) Our Place in Chicago

Our apartment in Chicago's South Loop was only the second place we looked at during our Thanksgiving weekend hunt. It had only been on the market for 11 days. It had every single need we had listed before we started looking and nearly every single want too.

When I walked down the hall and into the room pictured below, my jaw dropped.


For the past five months, all of which I have been promising to share these pictures, we've had the pleasure of calling this place home. Truthfully, it's been a dream.


We've cut our living space in half, we've said goodbye to the notion of any private space, and we've worked to make the space our own.

Moving into a one bedroom loft from a three bedroom house meant there was a lot of furniture to sell, donate or store. There was a good deal of purging that had to happen and there were moments of, "Where are we going to put everything?!?"


But we did it and I can say that we're stronger for it. Now the things we have are essential and used regularly. We made a decision while we were packing and I'm so glad we stuck to it. We decided we could either purge some of the "mementos" and things then or continue to carry them with us so that someone could purge them when we croak. (Sorry if that's morbid - but you know what they say, "You can't take it with you.")

Truthfully, it's been totally liberating.

We've also had to change the way we shop. Take for example something as simple as buying paper towels. Even that is a bit different now. We used to buy the value sized 10 roll pack. In our house there was room to store them. But not anymore. We buy MUCH smaller quantities of everything now. It's been a shopping habit that has had to change.

But it's all been worth it.

Clearly our boys (Vance the cat - above - and Spike the dog - below) feel right at home here too.



We're looking forward to finishing out our lease and if the stars align, maybe even signing another.



We love the place, appreciate our landlords, enjoy the neighborhood and feel right at home.

Believe me, I pinch myself everyday.

What's making you pinch yourself about your life right now?

Finishing Touches: Hanging the Perfect Picture Collage

We finally hung up the last of our pictures in the new place this weekend.

"But you moved in late January, Molly," you say.

To which I reply, "I know! Can you believe we got it all done so quickly?"

There's a picture tour to come. But first I thought I'd share the brilliant way we hung our hallway picture collage. I'm telling you, the process made it so simple and resulted in zero extra holes in the wall.

{Yes, I just called myself "brilliant." I'm feeling saucy, can you tell?}

Step 1: Lay Out Pictures

We used a roll of brown wrapping/packing paper that we already had to make the process extremely easy. This way we were able to switch the pictures around, put them closer together or further apart, basically move them until they were just perfect.
Step 2: Trace the Pictures
Step 3: Hang the Paper on the Wall
Step 4: Drive the Nails into the Wall
Step 5: Rip off the Paper


Step 6: Hang the Pictures


Step 7: Enjoy the Finished Product


Easy peasy. Minimal muss and absolutely NO fuss.
Have you tried the brown paper method to hang a picture collage?... or do you have another brilliant trick to try?

 

Pinch Me

It was only the second place we looked through last weekend. It had only been listed for 11 days when we walked through its front door.

But yesterday we signed a lease that made us Chicago residents.



{images: these are the shots posted on the MLS website that tempted us to walk through the place}

There are so many things we love about it, not the least of which is a {drum roll please...}spot in an ATTACHED  PARKING GARAGE that is included in the rent! I'm sure from the pictures it's obvious that it is a wee little condo (just about 950 square feet). But we're gladly giving up square footage for the following:

• A corner unit on the 7th floor with nobody above us and only one shared wall
• Views of Soldier Field (Go Bears!) and Lake Michigan from the living room
• Hardwood floors throughout
• A double vanity in the bathroom and a separate shower and tub (translation: when I don't use the tub I don't have to clean the tub)
• A garbage disposal (oh how I've missed having a garbage disposal) 
• A washer and dryer INSIDE our unit - not inside our building, inside our apartment. It's right there in a closet outside the bedroom.
• We're less than a mile from Mecca Trader Joe's.
• There's a sushi place at the end of the block.
• We're less than a block from a bus line and blocks from the train.
• It's on a quiet street and we've already made a "friend" in the building.
• Wait, did I mention there's an attached parking garage?

Now, I anticipate some growing pains as we transition into a much more "urban" lifestyle. But I'm certainly up for the challenge. And honestly, I'm just still kind of amazed that nearly every item on our wish list is included in this place. I mean really, does that even happen?

Any tips on how to comfortably transition into a place with half of the square footage you are accustomed to? 

A House A Home

About a month ago, I ran across an article on Apartment Therapy that caught my attention. I mean, I liked it so much I pinned it.  High praise, right?  The article was entitled 5 Completely Free Ways to Make your House a Home.  Since one of the items on my Ultimate To DO list is just that - Make Our House a Home - I found it pretty inspiring.

When I put that item on the list, it was my intention to decorate our house into a home. I intended to create a perfectly coiffed and fabulously photo worthy showcase and then cross that item off the list. For some reason, I equated a "Home" as something to be shown off or put on display. What I loved about the Apartment Therapy article is that it flipped my script. It changed my whole perspective and it helped to re-frame my list item. A home is a place that is lived in, that is loved, and that is used with joy. What I hope our home always is is a place where the hubby and I feel safe and comfortable and relaxed and ourselves.

The Apartment Therapy article suggested that there were five things, things that we are already doing, that create a home. So, hang on folks, I'm crossing another item off my Ultimate To DO list.

1. Spend Time in It:



One of my favorite places in the world is the couch in our living room. It's where we spend Sunday Mornings (to watch CBS Sunday Morning), it's where we've had some pretty monumental discussions about our past/present/future, it's where I come when I can't sleep so that I don't keep the hubby awake all night, it's where we eat dinner very often *gasp*, we laugh there, we've cried there, and it is where we spend a majority of the time that we spend in our house. The couch in our living room is where real life happens.

2. Use Your Space:



It's been in our kitchen that I've learned how to cook. (Well, as much as I've learned so far.) We've made Thanksgiving dinners in our kitchen, we've eaten surprise doughnuts with friends on early weekend mornings, we make dinner together here at night and coffee here in the morning and it seems to be where people first gather during parties. Our kitchen is far from state of the art. It's not full of top of the line gadgetry or marble counter tops. But, it is well loved and well used.

3. Speak Kindly:


For the first few years of our marriage there were times when our house was a bloody battle ground. Let's just say we didn't always communicate well. "Kind" might not have the adjective on the tip of either of our tongues to describe all of our conversations. But, with the help of some great counselors, a bit of practice, a whole lot of effort on our parts and unending grace from God we're learning to speak to one another kindly. Interestingly enough, a huge part of that is just listening more closely to what the other has to say. We sometimes even use those totally cliché and completely effective communication techniques - like speaker/listener - to help. Speaking kindly has undoubtedly made our home a more pleasant and all around safer place to be.

4. Music Matters:

{image}

About a year ago, the handsome hubby splurged on a Bose sound dock. At the time, I didn't really see the point since we never really played music around the house (maybe because we didn't have a way to do it - duh). But, what a difference it has made. There is no doubt that music makes such a difference and goes so far in creating atmosphere. Music makes cleaning the tub that much more tolerable. Music puts people at ease and sets a tone when entertaining. And music in the house gives me a chance to sing along somewhere other than the car! Plus, usually nobody is watching so I can bust a move if it's ever called for.

5. Entertain Without Worry:



For the past several months, I've had a pretty regular standing Wednesday afternoon engagement. Liz and Emery come over to hang out, chat, and Emery squeals and laughs at our crazy animals. These Wednesday afternoons have been amazingly good for my psyche, but they've also been good for the hostess inside me. Slowly but surely, I've relaxed. No longer do I feel like I need to have my house in tip top condition when they walk through the door. I don't feel like everything must look perfect for our time together to be worthwhile. If you could look closely at the above picture you would notice that my rug is not vacuumed. If the shot was wider you would see that there is junk all over the coffee table and the magazines are in total disarray. Truth be told, the counter tops in my kitchen were probably a mess too. These Wednesdays have reminded me that sometimes entertaining is more about the time spent with our guests than presenting a perfectly clean home for inspection.
Tell me, please, what are some ways you've made your place feel more like a "home"?

Happy Thoughts (16)

Hello, All.  Welcome to the final day (I'm pretty sure) of theme week here at A Foreign Land.  The power has been restored and I've spent the last 24+ hours being completely frivolous with my electricity usage.  Tomorrow I'll go back to reducing my carbon foot print.  Today I plan to enjoy the conveniences that I have been blessed with simply because I live in the time that I do.

So, without further ado, I bring you happy thoughts for this Friday.

Light Switches That Illuminate Rooms with One Simple Touch

Long, Hot Showers in my Own Bathroom

(no shower flip flops required)

Clean Clothes to Wear to Work

... just in the nick of time too!

Our Refrigerator

Freshly cleaned and on its way to being restocked

Fans to Help Me Sleep at Night

(the sound drowns out someone's snoring...)

As I drove to work today, I was listening to a national morning talk radio show (first mistake) that was discussing last week's storms in the Southeast.  Some dippy little chick One of the radio personalities said something that got me raging thinking.  She said something along the lines of, "I don't buy it when people say, 'they're just material possessions.' That's so not true.  When you lose everything you own it strikes at your dignity. All your stuff, that's your identity. That's who you are."  Yes, she really did say that, "Your stuff is your identity."  My jaw dropped.

Ummmm, listen up, Missy.  Let me just say that my stuff is NOT my identity.  Please hear me when I type.  I AM NOT THE SUM TOTAL OF THE STUFF I OWN.  My identity is not what is in my bank account.  It is not my house, my car or what hangs in my closet.  I am so thankful and happy and grateful and blessed and aware that my identity is first and foremost in Christ.  I am his and I am glad. I am a woman, a wife, a daughter, a friend. My identity is WHO I am not WHAT I have! (Does anyone else feel like saying, "duh!!"?)  Anyway that, for me, is the happiest thought of all.  

The Most Beautiful Thing I've Ever Seen

WE HAVE POWER AGAIN!

Happy Thoughts (7)

Putting the Fireplace to Good Use

{image}

SNOW on Christmas

The weather men are all promising!!!!  I'm hoping they're right.

Christmas Cookies

I can't take credit for this yummy plate full of cookies. I was lucky enough to attend a fantabulous cookie swap again this year.  Not only did I get to bring home dozens of yummy cookies, I got to spend a great evening with lots of wonderful women.  Girlfriends are such a blessing.

The view from our back porch

Even though I'd NEVER have picked Chattanooga as a place I'd like to live, sometimes it has its moments

Christmas is truly the celebration of the beginning of
God's "end game."

Merry Christmas!!!

Photo Challenge - Day 05

Day 05 - A Picture from Your Morning
We had the most relaxing end to our holiday weekend today.
My morning started on our front porch.
Gorgeous Weather. Leisurely Reading. Cup of Coffee.
Heaven.

Can't get enough of this photo challenge?  Well, lucky for you, there's tons more over at Village! Go by for a visit and tell Krystal, "Howdy!"  She's a lovely gal and would really appreciate your kind comments.

Photo Challenge - Day 03

Day 03 - A picture of your Street

How about that street sign? 

That eye sore is in front of my neighbor's house which means it also sits in front of our house. Translation: it welcomes me home every day.  I promise you, smiling at the video camera is not the first thing that comes to mind when I see it.  I can even tell you something to make the sign MORE unattractive.  A Children at Play sign was removed to put it up.  There are currently 11+ children living on our street in addition to a Girls, Inc.! So, I think maybe it wasn't the wisest choice.  Unfortunately, I wasn't consulted.

Thankfully, they also have that stunning crepe myrtle that I get to enjoy.  

Which kind of makes up for it. 

Just to clarify, the sign is front of this neighbor's house, not this neighbor's house.   

I'm loving participating in this photo challenge.  Have you visited Village yet to enjoy the other participants?  The more I see the other pictures the more impressed I am.  There are some incredibly talented artists taking part! Hurry, go see. 

Thankful Thursday/ Episode 50

A couple of weeks ago, the temperature started rising and so we cranked up the air conditioner for the first time this year. It churned for about 4 hours and we continued to sweat like pigs perspire and glisten. The handsome hubby noticed that after all that time the temperature had only dropped 2 degrees.

Wamp. Wamp.

Thankfully, we were expecting an HVAC guy to come out the next day for the seasonal check up. It was an appointment that my husband had probably made a week earlier.

Episode 50: “Today I am thankful for … PERFECT timing.”

The story gets better. We’ve been in our house for just over two years now. We knew when we moved in that the heating/ac unit had another three or so years in it before it had to be replaced. So, wisely, my husband continued to purchase the home warranty last year and then again a month ago when it came up for renewal. A. Month. Ago. It seemed like a bit of an expenditure considering we don’t know how long we’ll be in this house. But, the hubby is a REAL insurance guy. And now, I'm so glad he is!

When the HVAC guy came showed up he let us know the unit was leaking Freon all over the place and rather than refill it, he was suggesting we replace it. Replacing a unit he explained (this isn’t including labor) would cost $4000+ IF WE DIDN’T HAVE A HOME WARRANTY. Thankfully we do!

So, we called the warranty company and they informed us that they would have to order the unit and would let us know when it could be replaced. Now, I don’t know if you remember, but the last couple weeks (except for a day when we were in Tybee Island – sorry, Howell) the weather has been extremely mild. It’s just been yesterday and today that the temperature has started to creep up into the land of sticky and almost uncomfortable. AND GUESS WHAT? Our new unit came in YESTERDAY and was installed TODAY! Thankfully since our house holds on to cool temps beautifully it really wasn’t until just this afternoon that the thermostat read above 72ish.

As I write this the new unit is installed, cool air is blowing and our thermostat is right back in the comfortable zone!

Perfect timing.

So today, I'm thankful.

"I Wanted to Tell You Something..."

Just after school each day a pair of little boy eyes peek in our front door. The dog goes wacko with excitement because THE BOYS ARE HERE TO SAY HELLO!

After more than a year of living next door to a vacant house, new neighbors moved in about a month ago. They have 5 children. Three of those children (a set of 7 year old twin boys and their 5 year old brother) like to stop by and visit. Daily. What’s fun is that they like to share very important and hysterical tidbits about their lives.

Imagine opening the door to an adorable toothless midget who typically says something like, “I wanted to tell you something.” They always start with, “I wanted to tell you something…” and then follow up with a very entertaining “something.” Typically along the lines of:

“Next week is Dr. Seuss’s birthday and we’re going to have green eggs and ham for breakfast.”
“We don’t have school on Tuesday and we’re going to the Y to go swimming. Will you and Spike come with us?”
“The weather man said it is going to storm all weekend so Mom said MAYBE we can go some place fun if I start obeying her.”
“We got new shoes. Want to see them?”
“We had blueberry pancakes for lunch.”
“We were watching TV and Dad said, ‘It’s time for a nap or you need to go outside.’”

In the last few days they’ve also started bringing cards for me to open.  ...as if their visits weren't gift enough!  When I opened the blue card I asked if this was a picture of me and the hubby. “No," one of the twins replied with a sheepish grin.  "That’s you and me.”

What was the handsome hubby’s response to our sweet little neighbor's declaration of love artistic expression, you ask? “Looks like I need to keep my eye on that kid.”

Don’t worry, sweetie, you won’t have to look too far. They’re sure to be over sometime after 3.

This Somehow Turned into a Shameless Request for Gifts?!?!

You know about Apartment Therapy right?  I'm sure you do.  But just in case, let me be the first to point you over there.  It’s a fantastic blog (actually it’s a network of blogs) focused on home interiors – how to’s, inspiration, etc. The virtual house tours allow you to walk through someone else's space without tracking mud through their den and getting their dog all riled up. When I visit a home, I swoon over the owner's decor, steal a few ideas and delight in the fact that we are fortunate enough to have an adorable little "cottage" to dress up too.

Spend enough time taking house tours and you're bound to come across one of these puppies. These "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters have found prominent spots in several homes and have thoroughly captured my heart. Truth is, I am not above blatant theft when it comes to interior decorating (I have no skills, as I've mentioned before). The crisp design of the poster appeals to me but not as much as the message. Honestly, I could not read/remember/apply/embody it enough.

When I was hunting for the posters I discovered that they have an interesting history. Originally created during WWII by a British propaganda machine governmental agency, they were intended to be circulated if the Nazis succeeded in taking the UK. While the posters were never used for their intended purposes, the design was rediscovered and commercialized (according to Wikipedia) in 2000. This is how they've found themselves hanging on the walls of American hipsters and the trendy Apartment Therapy elite.

Well, sign me up. I’m all about being HIP. (Wait, does the fact that I admit that and do all I can to be hip make me the antithesis of hip?  Don't answer that.)

The good news is I found the posters! And let me tell you, this metallic silver one would be PUUURfect in our master bath. hint. hint. They can be purchased on Etsy and are very reasonably priced. Created by Victoria Smith, they come in a rainbow of colors and have I mentioned that I WANT ONE? Wait, I was talking about Victoria Smith. Sorry. Smith describes herself as "a San Francisco based blogger, photographer, graphic designer and bonafide flea market queen." Check out her Etsy shop here. She also has a print entitled “Please let me be the person my Dog thinks I am.” Cute, right?

AND while you’re at it, my birthday is coming up. Need some shopping ideas? Since you’re headed over to Etsy anyway, you should totally check out my wish list.

Not quite sure how this morphed into an “I’m going to ask for birthday presents” post. But, it has and I’m going with it. Apparently it’s more Self Indulgent than usual Saturday around A Foreign Land. Thanks for visiting!

9 Days Until Christmas...

You remember our seasonally appropriate nook, right? Well, it's all done up for Christmas!

Look how fantastic it looks.

Typically the handsome hubby and I have different taste in everything home decoration. Knowing this, I was armed for battle when I ventured to Lowe's to purchase the garland. Being that it's the Christmas season and all, I wanted to give him a say. So, I sent him a picture of both the Frazier Fir and the White Pine. When I asked which he preferred I was fully expecting him to choose the White Pine since I liked the Frazier Fir. But, I was WRONG. We. Both. Liked. The. Frazier. Fir. It was an actual Christmas miracle. We've notified the Vatican to begin the authentification process.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, the handmade stockings had to come down immediately after the photo session. With Vance the cat living in this house, they would create much too much of a temptation. But they look lovely in the picture, right?

Seasonally Appropriate Invasion

My mother in law is the undisputed queen of seasonally appropriate home decor. I'm not kidding you, she's got 4th of July decorations. She's got Spring/Easter decorations. She has different January trees that come out once Christmas is over. She's even got Arbor day decorations. (I don't really think she has Arbor day decorations, that was just added for effect.) Her place is a treat to visit because it's always changing and you never know what you may discover.

In her honor (and maybe to bring a little bit of her into our home), I've established a small seasonally appropriate niche of our own. Check it out.

Now, I wish I could take sole credit for this arrangement. But, of course I can't. I was fortunate enough to have my very favorite interior designer consult on the project (consult?!?! Umm, basically she redid what I had done only MUCH BETTER). Lisa is a natural with a fabulous eye, here's where I would link to her blog only sadly, she has abandoned it. (How was that helping of guilt, Lisa? Did you enjoy?)

If you're interested in seeing the seasonally appropriate niche morph into a Christmas treat and a Winter getaway and hopefully a cheerful Spring celebration, you'll have to get your butt to Tennessee. Then maybe you can meet Lisa, since you can no longer enjoy her once brilliant but now abandoned blog. (I threw that in just in case you were hungry for a second helping, Lisa. You're Welcome.)

Happy 4th of July from Highland Park

Last year at this time, we had been in our house for about a month. We were settling in, buying furniture, picking out paint colors and making ourselves at home. Our street was pretty quiet. Except for the occasional small get together across the street, there was hardly any drama or noise.

The house next door was still under construction, so there was a huge dumpster that sat on the street where the surveillance cameras now reside. We had a great friend in town to show him around Chattanooga during the holiday weekend and were relaxing in the living room for a few minutes between activities. Suddenly we noticed sirens and patrol lights coming from out front. We opened our door to this scene:

It appeared as though some fireworks went astray. At least that was our hypothesis, since we had heard bottle rocket pops pretty steadily all weekend. I guess the old rotted wood and debris that filled that dumpster created a target rich environment. It all must have happened pretty quickly because we weren't aware of the blaze until the firetruck had arrived and the team had everything under control. Once the firemen cleared out, the party continued well into the night. But the amateur fireworks display came to a pretty quick close.

I've always thought of the scene as a dramatic "welcome to the neighborhood" bonfire! The commotion was so uncharacteristic for our street. But, I think our cars will be parked behind the house this weekend just in case our neighbors are looking to make the blaze a holiday tradition.

Saturday Morning Adventure

I started Saturday morning by locking myself out of the house. With no shoes. In my pjs. With the dog.

I had some birthday cards to put in the mailbox, so I didn't think it was a big deal to run out "real quick" in my pjs. The dog is all about being on our front porch lately, so I let him out while I ran to the street and shut the door behind us. As I made my way to the mailbox I realized how it was awfully warm out for 8:30 AM. When I got back to the front door I was less then enthused when it didn't open. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

At the risk of painting too graphic a picture, in the summer I wear a tank top and shorts to bed - nothing else... So, I wasn't in the most appropriate attire to start walking around knocking on doors. And did I mention it was 8:30 in the morning? I felt like it wasn't neighborly to visit anyone that early on a Saturday morning. The sun was already beating down and the temperature was 80+ degrees and rising quickly. My lack of sunscreen meant that in a very short time I was going to start frying. Spike could tell we were in trouble and he began to lose it. He just stood on the porch cowering and shaking. Our dog is a real wuss. When I left him there briefly to see if the back door was open, he made his one contribution to our stressful situation. He took a crap in the middle of the welcome mat. Thanks, buddy.

By this point I was in full on panic mode. We have a few friends in the neighborhood but most of them are at the beach this week. I've mentioned our neighbor's fortress - impenetrable - and Brian was on his way to Denver, not that I could call him anyway, since my phone was inside behind the locked door. I felt completely isolated with no idea where to get help. PANIC. In a moment of idiocy I threw a rock at a back window hoping to break into the laundry room. When the rock literally bounced off the glass, I reached the end of my rope. I picked up the dog and reluctantly started off to knock on doors.

Thankfully, I didn't have to walk too far before I found a neighbor mowing his lawn. Bob is new to the 'hood. I hadn't met him yet. I'm sure he found it a bit bizarre to have a scantily clad, bare footed stranger carrying a Maltese walk up to him at 8:30 in the morning. He offered to take a look and see if he could get into the house any way. Let me interject a cultural observation here - Bob chose this moment to begin small talk about different houses for sale in the neighborhood and to discuss the list price of the empty house next to ours. Needless to say when I am sweating profusely, half naked in a panic and attempting to calm a spastic dog I'm not in the mood for small talk. However, this was just another example that below the Mason Dixon line it is ALWAYS time for small talk.

Anyway, Bob couldn't find a way in (good news for the security of our house! bad news for locked out residents!). I tried not to be insulted when he attempted to simply open the front door. Because really, as crazed as I looked at that point, it was probably feasible for him to think I was loony enough to have not tried opening the front door. I asked to use his cell phone to call the police. The 911 operator explained that the only option was to "forcibly break the door in" if a unit was dispatched. That option didn't sound ideal, but my brain just kept screaming "get inside however possible - the sun/heat is getting more intense."

It was at this point that our neighbor came outside to offer a pretty intelligent and very helpful suggestion from behind his bamboo fence. He thought I could either call a lock smith (honestly, why hadn't I thought of that??) or allow him to use his "lock picking kit" to open the front door. Seriously. He owns a lock picking kit - with every interaction these people scare me more and more. I asked him if he would try because it seemed like the quickest and most inexpensive option - though not necessarily the least creepy. He agreed and disappeared into his fortress. He reappeared several minutes later, but not before Bob tried the front door again. Bob realized that just the bottom lock was activated and that he too may have a tool that could help. So Bob ran off to get his own "lock picking kit". By the time our neighbor had unpacked his entire kit, Bob had returned with a credit card, popped open the door and went back to his lawn mowing. I've never been so happy to see our living room. Dodging round two of inappropriately timed small talk, this time with our neighbor (what is it down here???), I thanked him and quickly headed inside and out of the heat.

I was so relieved to be able to put my dog down that it didn't occur to me that my house had just been broken into VERY easily. As the air conditioning and comfort of my home returned me to my senses I realized how thankful I am for our deadbolt and the security system. Without them we'd be sitting ducks. First order of business this week, hide a key outside. Second order of business, try to block out the knowledge that our neighbors have an arsenal of tools and the know-how to open locked doors.

A Little Project to get Back in the Saddle

Home ownership has been a trip so far. We've been in our place for just over a year now, but I've yet to find my inner domestic goddess. Sure, I was hot and heavy for home decor mags when we first moved in. HGTV was the go-to channel and I could imagine all the amazing projects I would be tackling to make the house our home. Each room was an adventure and it seemed like the sky was the limit. But, it's crazy how every day busy-ness can put a damper on the dreamer inside. Reality set in, and my priorities temporarily shifted. For several months, it seemed like my enthusiasm for domesticity came to a screeching halt. When the whole home decor thing didn't come easily to me... I got a little frustrated.

Perhaps it's the warm weather or the spring showers - or maybe it's the constant parade of house guests - but suddenly I'm itching to get back into interior decorating mode. Sunday afternoon I finished a project that's been in the works for several months. And I couldn't be more happy with it. It all started with a piece of furniture that I was given forever ago when my college room mates got married. I've always loved it's storage capabilities and clean lines, but it needed an update.

After painting it with flat black paint, we put it into the dining room to store all 5 bajillion of my serving dishes and our ever increasing linen napkin collection.

The wall above remained bare waiting for JUST the right piece. Then it hit me. Months ago, I saw a wall decorated with a collage of empty picture frames in one of my many, many home deco mags (thank you, Christina). It was love at first sight ~ but I wasn't sure WHERE to install my own collage. Turns out, the barren dining room wall proved to be the perfect spot. My plan was to find a bunch of antique frames, paint them black and make my own kitschy collection. That seems easily executable, right? So why did it take me 6 months to finally finish?? Probably because I'm all about big ideas without a ton of follow through. (which is a whole other post for a whole other day.)



Not surprisingly, once I actually shopped for them, they were pretty easy to find and not overly expensive. I even had a few empty frames hanging out around the house that I incorporated. They weren't antique but I liked the more modern ones thrown in the mix too. Turns out when I got the frames on the wall, I fell in love with them au natural. So, I returned the black paint and left them as is. I'm pretty excited about how great the little project turned out. The collage proved to be a simple and inexpensive way to fill the giant space over my newly updated sideboard. Plus, we came in under budget, which makes my handsome husband smile!

And you want to see something crazy? I got on facebook yesterday, only to discover that my cousin in Florida hung an eerily similar arrangement in her entryway! Either great minds think alike or my seemingly creative idea is super unoriginal. Oh well, I still love how it looks and I'm hopeful that this little project will kick start my interest in home decorating! I doubt I'll ever be Donna Reed, but I'm feeling a bit more comfortable in the domestic role. Now, if I can just stop obsessively straightening them every time I walk through the dining room...

look! all the ugly grey paint is gone. our house is super cute on the
outside now too.

"Good fences.." And All That other Neighborly Stuff

Have I told you about our crazy neighbors? No, well let me fill you in.

Our first face to face encounter was a few months after we moved into our house. Neighbor lady (who originally bought our house in crack-den condition and sold it to jerkface who rehabbed it and sold it to us) came over to both greet us and convince us that we had bought in a great spot. Did I mention she's a real estate agent? I have a special distaste for real estate agents, and since I knew she fell into that category, poor neighbor lady had a strike against her before she opened her mouth. Anyway, she was in the process of gutting and redoing her house and wasn't living there yet. Back to the story, so one afternoon while checking on progress she came over to introduce herself and proceeded to point out all the houses which were full of people that we "just need to get rid of" to make the street perfect. It turned my stomach a bit when I realized that all but one of those people were black. Needless to say, my first impression was not so great.

I tried to remain hopeful as neighbor lady and her beau finished the work and moved into the house. I was excited because it all happened much more quickly than we anticipated. And truth be told, the less bark inducing hammering going on next door the better. But then they started work outside. Between the heavy handed landscaping out front and the array of fences that surround the compound, I can't say their house is pleasing to the eye. Seriously, there is not an inch of land left uncovered. It's like a nursery threw up in their front yard. It's filled with either shrubbery, trees, mulch or bizarre sculpture. And they have not one big ugly fence, but two. But, my mom reminded me, "Good fences make good neighbors." so, I tried to grin and bear it.

Apparently though they've drawn some attention since they've moved into the neighborhood. Their burglar alarm goes off pretty regularly. And it doesn't appear to be false alarms. I'm not quite sure if it started out as a personal vendetta or it's the house itself that is attracting the attention. But something is going on. Initially they didn't have any blinds or window coverings and their house is undoubtedly one of the largest on the street. Perhaps that is what is drawing crooks in like flies to honey? Or perhaps neighbor lady shared her hopes for the future of our street (you remember the racial purification?) with the wrong people... Whatever the reason, the attacks have become increasing more personal.

A few weeks ago, a pair of young men broke into their house and were caught by the police. Neighbor lady's beau testified against them in court and one ended up back in jail. A few weeks later the electric box was stolen from the side of their house in the middle of the night - I guess to cut the alarm. But somehow neighbor lady and her beau awoke during the robbery and noticed that the criminal had moved on to pouring oil all over their enormous, wooden, front porch. Seems the intention was to set it ablaze. (See what I mean? Not your average run of the mill burglar) I guess the arsonist was scared away initially, but waited a few minutes to return and try to finish the job. Upon his return, neighbor lady's beau got out his shot gun. He began firing "warning" shots into the night. I'm not quite sure what part of this story scares me the most.

1. We apparently now run the risk of getting hit by a stray bullet shot from a yuppie gun

2. We run the risk of being associated as friends of our neighbors and inviting this crap into our lives

Or

3. That I slept through the whole gun slinging incident.

The days to follow included armed guards patrolling their teeny tiny lot and the installation of a video monitoring system. In the end, 2 awful things came out of that situation for us as neighbors. First, I had to hear about the whole drama from neighbor lady. She screamed the story at the top of her lungs from her front porch - probably more for the benefit of the rest of the neighborhood than for me - and essentially kept me from getting to work on time. But that wasn't the bad part. The bad part was that she was in a mini robe and decided to bend over to pick something up during the discussion. I know it sounds like a cliché, but I’m telling the truth. It really happened. And let's just say I know neighbor lady way more intimately than I had ever hoped to. And the second awful outcome is that we now get to enjoy looking at that sign from our dining room window. It's just a few feet away and I guess it's the perfect incentive to get some curtains hung in there ASAP.

It's Official

As of yesterday, we are FINALLY homeowners. It only took 2 months, 5 contract addendums, 3 threats to walk away from the deal and a whole lot of patience to make it happen. I can honestly say it was a nightmare to negotiate this purchase, but we couldn't be happier with the outcome. The house is gorgeous and we are now making lists a mile long of things that we need to do in the next month before we move in.

Of course the closing day itself wouldn't have felt right if there hadn't been some drama. It was to be expected after all we've encountered in this process. My dad, who was also our loan officer, made the trip to Chattanooga late Tuesday night. We were scheduled to close at 1pm. Brian had to check in at work for a few hours, but my dad and I were enjoying a relaxing morning playing with the animals and hanging out. That is until 11:30 when my phone rang. Brian was calling to let me know that despite him taking the afternoon off, he was being called out on a trip. They had a departure time of 1:30! Fortunately, my pops and I were ready to roll when he called and we all hustled to the title company to get everything signed on the fly... So the hubby could fly.

It was my intention to take some goofy pictures of us signing the documents celebrating this whole nightmare coming to a close. But it turned out to be such a whirlwind, the hubby barely knew what he was signing before he left. There was hardly time for us to congratulate each other, much less have a photo opp. I was able to look over everything and sign a little slower... And thank goodness my dad was there so I didn't have to do it all-alone. The closing was pretty hectic and not anything like I expected it to look.

But, it's done. The locks have been changed, the utilities are in our name and we can start picking out paint colors! Let the home owning begin.