This Old House

It's official. We have been in our house for a year. Being homeowners is more of a journey than anything else that it could be. We started looking a year and a half ago starting with very low priced town homes. Let me tell you, I'm not sure I will ever be going after a short sale again. After waiting and waiting and waiting on the town home we were interested in, we decided to move on before the tax credit expired. One night over coffee at Uncommon Grounds in Uptown, we found our home online. We drove past it that night and thought, no no no, this neighborhood is not right for us. We still decided to go look at it. It was a humble little home with lots of potential. A Little 1,100 sq ft home built in 1900. I got one look at the backyard and I was hooked.

 It's a funny skinny thing. Lots of character. Perfect first home. 

It was move-in ready with a few cosmetic fixes needed- and then some. Most rooms were just paint, but the kitchen and bathroom were another story. 

I am very proud of our work on our kitchen. We went from

This

 

To this. Don't look too closely to the unfinished details!

There is an unending list of "to-do" in this house. However, it becomes a sad day when time escapes, and funds are low. Right now we are in the middle of a project that has been delayed- our bathroom. My husband was fixing a leak that extended from our bathtub into our kitchen. Good news? He fixed it. Bad news? It looks like this:

 

Notice: outdated faucet, large hole, wave-like imprint on window blocks, and classy plastic. 

Now I have the pleasure of showering surrounded by plastic. Funny thing is, I don't mind, for now. This fall, we will take down that monster of bathroom or should I say, closet that includes toilet, bathtub, and sink. We just need to put in the vanity we bought LAST SUMMER, some tile, and key lime sorbet paint. This is my taste for now, I can almost guarantee that will change by fall. 

It is always fun to see progress, but difficult to be at a stand still. At least I can always dream. I love decorating, but sometimes feel overwhelmed by it. If only there were more money, if I had more resources, if I had time...

Since its warming up outside, and who would want to be stuck indoors on a nice day, we have been making progress on our backyard. The most recent project? A pond. Unfortunately its a lot more difficult than I originally intended. I have the type of personality that has big hopes, and if my work doesn't meet my expectations, I take it down, start again, then get bored and stop. I am trying so hard to take this pond one day at a time. But I just can't seem to get each rock in the right place...

Well it's a work in progress. At least she likes it, that's all the counts, right? 

I'm proud of my house. I pay for it. I work on it. I clean it. Its my life with my husband. Its a beautiful thing, this old house.


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