Sharing pictures today...

Just a beginner

I started this blog 3 years ago and since then have posted only once. I didn't know much about blogging then, I still don't. I have never been one to keep a journal or pour out my feelings into anything that could potentially be used against me in the future. However my days of teenage angst and constant drama are long behind me and now I am finding there are many pros to daily writing.
My true reason for beginning this blogging adventure
is in hopes that it will be a tool that I can use, a kind of sounding board to bounce ideas off of and provide inspiration for me to continue to try and be a better person.
I am hoping to share my journey as a wife and mother in all its imperfect glory and maybe inspire others to stop trying to make life a perfect Pinterest page and enjoy the dirty house and laughter that follows.

This is my living room. It is a mess. It is cluttered with toys, and peppered with cheerios. Our furniture doesn't match and my coffee table is currently my son's sesame street activity center. The only decoration on the wall is a shelf holding video games out of the little ones reach, an old school ladder that I hang blankets on and a temperature gage with a picture of a bass on it. The hubby is asleep on the couch, you can see his foot sticking up in the picture. The dog has claimed the other couch.

This is Achilles, aka Chilli dog.

This is the start of focusing on a simple life. We will still make plans, we will have parties, house projects and days where all we do is clean. What I don't want to do is always be focusing on what's next, what else has to be done. I want my son to have endless memories of us together, doing things together and less time playing on his own because I'm busy. So, while he is napping I will write, when I have the chance to remind myself of how wonderful the simplest of things are, including lazy, messy Sundays.

We purchased our first home, now what?

My husband and I recently jumped into the real estate market with hopes of finding our dream home. Our dream home turned out to be a 1980 post and beam home that was in foreclosure. So here we are, young newlyweds, expecting our first child in April, becoming experts on DIY renovation. We certainly do not have a bunch of money to put into our home right away so we are taking on one project at a time and being patient. Thank goodness that Dave (my husband) is such a talented guy, he's been able to tackle most of the major work himself, with the help of lots of family and friends. I have to admit that I haven't been much help when it comes to the physical work. I am simply the one behind the curtain, directing and scouring thrift stores, craft fairs and the web to find the best deals on whatever it is that we need. Here are some of the before pictures. 

Gross, isn't it? All dark wood paneling, a huge divider separating the kitchen from the living/dining room. The cabinets were disgusting, covered in grease and other mysterious goo. The counter tops and back splash was all a bright orange Formica. Oh and the appliances were unusable, the fridge actually made me almost vomit when I opened it. Definitely our dream home, haha.

The living room. Purple carpet, interesting choice. Actually it wouldn't have been that bad if it wasn't for the pet stains. The brick wall is amazing, it is actually one of my favorite elements of the home, and something I don't have to change! The wood paneling, once again, must go. Although I find it beautiful, it is in pretty bad condition and it covers 98% of the walls in the home. The wood stove is wonderful, I used to have one in my childhood home and there is nothing like coming home to a fire after a long day. I also love the windows, they are in great condition and are fairly efficient when it comes to heat. There are also 3 large skylights directly above the windows. Now, here are some of the changes being made.

Sometimes it's better to start over.

New flooring

Some new cabinets and appliances.  I found the appliances on craigslist and got the fridge, stove and dishwasher for $250.00! Eventually we'll upgrade to stainless, but I think it will be sometime before I have my dream kitchen.

Things are starting to come together. We are now moved in, there is furniture crowding that floor and dishes piling up in the sink. The kitchen is now green instead of orange. I will upload more recent pictures soon.