(Another) Backyard Transformation!

I promise that I will one day update with house pictures.  I get a lot of requests from all my 6 readers. We have a beautiful home that I am so proud of and appreciate of.  However, it's not "done" in terms of decorating.  And I have lofty goals to get that done soon.  :)

James is less concerned with the inside (I don't think he realizes we lack a coffee table in our living room!), but the outside space has been on his radar since before closing.  Just like our Atlanta bungalow (remember this massive reno!?), the backyard is Priority #1 for my husband.  And by "backyard" here I am talking 2 acres of land.  Not a weekend project!

The previous owners had sectioned off a part of the space for a true "yard", leaving the majority of the space with natural trees, brush, and weeds.  The birds and bunnies loved it.  Naturally I convinced myself it provided housing for lots of snakes as well.

James has found some very solid men to help him with this project, and it's not uncommon to see Mr. Willem and Mr. Ben out in our yard at any given time.  Or a huge piece of equipment (excavators, tractors, dump trucks).  JB thinks this project is THE BEST EVER!!

We just got everything cleared and WOW, it looks great.  We'll wait to seed until the Spring, and I am researching native plants that will draw lots of butterflies and birds.  Looking forward to making this our outdoor sanctuary!  

Home Is Where the Heart Is

But "home" is no longer our 1929 grey bungalow.

I do not think I have fully processed it yet, but we are no longer the owners of our sweet house.  Maybe because it was quite the roller coaster to get from listing to closing.  Our house was under contract 4 times (twice with the same buyers), we changed our move in date for the house we're renting several times, and lived through lots of ups and downs.  Throughout the process I kept reminding myself that God had a plan for everyone involved, and that our story was not the only one.   When it looked like things were falling apart for us, maybe it was falling together for the other family. Now it's amazing to see how it all worked out.  And it did all work out.  :)  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  Romans 8:28

The day before the move, JB and I played in the yard one last time.  (The same yard that James so carefully constructed. The same yard where we ran our little puppy, Enda, to try to wear her out. The same yard where we hosted our first event with our neighbors - who would become some of our great friends.  The same yard where JB had his first birthday party…)  

Last romp in the backyard.

The day before we left for the beach, we did one final walk through of the house. (The same house that we bought together - our first home.  The same house where we rocked on the front porch so many evenings, just talking and sharing. The same house where we brought home our first baby...)

Saying Goodbye to La Casa.  JB is saying "Rock On #53!"

Oh man, it's tough.  Tougher than I thought.  Mostly because I hate the thought of "never again" or anything "final".  But I have my memories.  And pictures.  And it's only 7 houses down the street so I can check on her any time I want. :) 

Our Home, in Pictures

Things seem to be progressing well with the sale of our home.  We are currently under contract with at least one back-off offer, and I hear that's the best place to be.  Inspection is done and appraisal is underway - so we're working through all the things that can go wrong and sink a sale (based on my limited real estate knowledge).   We'll sign a lease on a rental home up the street (fingers crossed, this week), so at least the transition will not be as big. We're not ready to give up our neighborhood and neighbors!!

The pictures for the listing came out beautifully, and I wanted to share them here.  Not only for our blog readers, but also for us.  I always regret that I don't take pictures of my past abodes, because I realize you quickly lose memory of just how things looked.  Not with this house - we have professional documentation!

(Note: this is not really how things look all the time. Definitely staged, and the rooms are missing the abundance of picture frames, clutter, and baby/dog items that are normally all around.  Also, some photos cut off a lot of the other furniture or other wall space, so it's not nearly as bare as it looks! )

Front Porch

Front Yard (it's fake - highly recommend turf, if you hate lawn care like me)

Main Level

Front Entry and Informal TV Room

Formal Living Room

Formal Living Room - looks so good with a Christmas tree!

Dining Room

Kitchen

Kitchen (gonna miss that stove! And built in wine fridge!)

JB's Room

JB's Bathroom/Hall Bathroom

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

My attic office

Downstairs / Terrace Level

Downstairs playroom (JB's toys are stacked against the unphotographed wall)

Laundry Room - makes you actually enjoy the chore

Guest Room

Workout Room (the TV and my Jane Fonda videos on opposite wall)

Screened Porch

The BACKYARD

Patio

Such a beautiful home, filled with so many beautiful memories for our family.  I am sure going to miss her, but grateful that we got to spend 4 out of her 86 years within her grey walls.  (And I hope that the next family keeps her intact. If I see bull dozers over here after closing, I will come barricade myself to the white front pergola!!)  

Friday Fives - Home Edition

It's Friday, yea!!  And a pretty one at that.  Forecast calls for lots of sun all weekend, so bring it May!

Guess what we'll be doing?  Home improvements and cleaning and organization (and staging - more on that in a minute).  Hopefully we'll get everything done on the massive to-do list by Sunday.  Work has been going on for a couple of weeks now, and I want to share FIVE nice improvements we've made so far:

1. Laundry Room Countertop.  We made some small upgrades to our laundry room upon moving in (which, I haven't shown before/after shots, have I?  Next week…)  In an attempt to upgrade the countertop, we painted it.  Disaster.  Then we left it for 4 years.  This week, I found a company to resurface and refinish.  SO GLAD I DID.  A lot cheaper than a new countertop, and looks nice and neutral.

Before...

After!

2. Planting some Color.  James was smart when he redid our yard and mostly planted perennials.  A few strategic pops of color with some annuals each year, and our yard is complete!  Last Sunday we went to Home Depot no less than 4 times, and our yard looks fantastic.  

COLOR

3. The Front Door.  I have wanted to change the front door for a while, but it just never seemed priority.  Last night, it went from red to robin's egg blue - and I LOVE IT!

4. Stained Seat Wall and Pergola.  Our major add to the backyard this winter was a seat wall and pergola over the grill.  The structure was great, but the treated wood wasn't so lovely. This week it was stained to match the pavers, and looks great! 

5. Touch Ups, Touch Ups, Touch Ups.  Bless his heart, our handyman, Tirso, has spent every day at our house with a paint brush.  When he wasn't doing the big projects (see above), he was touching up the white trim, the white fence, the brick, the indoor trim, the doors, the kitchen cabinets, etc.  

detail, detail, detail

So why all these improvements?  Well, with mixed emotions (and I mean MIXED, I am either excited or in tears, depending on the day, and James is in permanent mourning) - we are putting our house on the market next week.  It's a beautiful home with the best backyard in area, but we're now looking for a different layout and space for our growing family.  There are lots of good reasons to move forward with these plans, but it still doesn't make it an easy decision when the home has such a special place in our hearts.   And now it looks so damn good!  I mean, I want to stay for the blue door alone!

More to come on our plans and our move.  Which we'll be attempting during the busiest May ever.  Like I said, bring it May!  We're ready for you!

Our Snowmaggedon Pictures

Here in Atlanta, as everyone is probably aware, we experienced what is being called "Snowmaggedon" or "Snowpocalypse" or "a big 'ole fat winter mess".  Thank goodness, I can report that our family was spared many of the horrible stories that we saw on the news.  James was in DC and I work from home, so neither of us were on the road.  JB's Gia was a lifesaver and came to stay with us, which meant the Nanny got home safely while I still had help during the day.

The news shows the terrible traffic pictures, so let me show you some of my lovely neighborhood pictures.  Yes, snow is a major pain in the A here in Atlanta, but it sure does make for a beautiful setting once you get home and are stuck in the house.  

 

Actually, take that back, there was one person impacted in our family:  Enda.  She's suffering from major cabin fever.  While it was actually snowing, she was a little hesitant as to what it was and if she was okay with it.

By the evening, she had decided it was FUN and YUMMY.

The next day, she couldn't get enough of it.  She didn't understand why her parents weren't outside with her every minute of the day to play in this white stuff. She had a blast.

I let little James Benjamin enjoy about 10 seconds of the snow.  Since we tend to receive dumps of snow/ice/mass chaos about every 3 years, little toddler JB should have a blast the next storm that comes around.

Please stay warm and safe out there!  Since Sunday is Groundhog Day, let's all collectively hope that the little booger sees his shadow. Or do we want him to not see his shadow?  Whatever outcome results in an early Spring - that's the one we want!!!