Wait, What!?

I always feel the need to explain myself when I post on the blog after SUCH A LONG TIME. This time, I feel like my excuse is pretty valid.

Since the last time I sat down for a little keyboard chat, our lives have been turned on their heads, and we now live in Kansas. Wait. WHAT!?

Yep, you heard me right. WE MOVED. Austin allergies had become so toxic to my physical well-being that, when Superhubs was approached by a recruiter for a job with a company he really admires, we decided to take the leap and are now living in a suburb of Kansas City. So far, I totally love it here. We live south of the city, in a really convenient location, in a neighborhood of delightful people with whom we've already bonded and feel at home. The kids love their neighborhood pals and their school and, I have to say, the transition has been far easier than I could have hoped for. *knocking on wood and all that stuff*  

Anyhoo, I finally feel like I have something to talk about again. I was feeling stale and uninspired by my last house. It was ok, and it served us well, but it was never a place I could fully embrace and it never was anything I wanted to invest a lot of money or time in. Add to that that I felt awful 10 months of the year, and the whole place started to feel like a ball-and-chain and not a place I was excited to work on. That sounds ungrateful of me, but it's true. I was really glad when, on day 12 of being on the market, we were under contract and had 30 days to bail. It is amazing how God lined it all up. We got here the week before Thanksgiving and it's been a whirlwind ever since!

So, now we are at square one with the new house, which is such a lovely place to be!  We saw this house on day two of house-hunting. Day one had been full of disappointments and left us drained and afraid we may have to rent. We pulled up to this house and loved the way the neighborhood felt, and appreciated that the house had some curb appeal and a side-entry garage. (Yeah, that and the screen porch were actually big selling points for us...) We stepped into the entryway, and instantly we all felt excited about the place. It was 10 am and the bright sunlight streaming in was amazing, and the spaces and layout felt right. It is needy in a live-able way, which is just what we need. I wanted something that is not so crusty and gross that we can't live in it, but that needs some love and updating. Ca-Ching! This house has it all...

Here are just a few LISTING PHOTOS for you to see... (I'm not claiming any responsibility for the decor in these pics!)

The entryway. Looking at this photo it is almost hard to believe we fell in love with the place! HA! We are on the hunt for new flooring, and my sweet Papa already came for a week to help me repaint the walls and ceilings in this space. It's amazing how much better it feels with just a few coats of fresh paint. As soon as I get just a few more things done, I'll do a before-and-after for this space. (I'm close. I have some railings and curtains to do and, of course, that flooring...)

 

My office. In a strange stroke of luck, this space ended up being painted in a color I would actually choose! Happily, it is also one of the only rooms that they seem to have paid a professional to paint. The other spaces (that I'll assume they DIY'd) are painted as though they gave a few gallons of paint to a couple of toddlers and let them have at it. Those spaces now require me to re-paint all of the trim and ceilings as well as the walls. Good times. Anyhoo, this space is going to get some glass doors with beveled panes, to be installed in similar manner to the pinterest picture below... (I've got some definite new house ideas...)  As it is now, my kids see me sitting in here and feel no obligation at all to leave me alone / let me think my thoughts. I'm hoping that having locking doors will get the point across. It's doubtful, but a girl can dream.

 

 

Bored yet? I have lots more rooms to share, but I feel this might be getting dreadfully boring... I'll just share them a few at a time so that you don't wake up with key-prints on your cheek and drool in the keyboard. I am actually pondering linking up and doing the One Room Challenge again, just to set myself a goal for getting at least one room finished, rather than dabbling in them all as I have been doing so far. The fun will start on April 5th, so follow along!!! My next blog posts will show that mess process, and my dining room and/or sunporch are in my sights. Eeeeee!

Well, it sure has been nice catching up with y'all. I'm not promising to be an awesome blogger from here on out, but I will say I hope to have more regular visits. Raising three kiddos and doing lots of projects, well, that's a job and a half. Blogging takes lots of time, but I sure do love it, so I hope you'll stay in touch. If you like little updates here and there, you can visit me on Instagram - it's kiind of like a little bloglet these days, minus the pesky words. Because, let's face it... We like pretty pictures. Words? Not as much. 

 

Comments

[Kristen Thurman]

I love this and your words, Steph!! ❤

[Lois Laurie]

So glad you're blogging again, you creative person, you! Looking forward to viewing your future projects.

[SShaw]

I was so excited to see this post pop up in my feed- glad to see you feeling inspired & back to blogging! So much potential and I know you're already doing amazing things with it.