Hopefully, I'll get my normal computer back fixed soon (using a loaner now), and I'll be able to post some more house pics. We haven't done much with the outside since the addition of the patio, but the Christmas lights in the yard were pretty, and the 8 inches of snow we got in December added to the charm.
I have planted a couple trees and reseeded (for the third time) the front yard. Hopefully, we'll finally find a landscaper who will actually come give us an estimate soon, and we'll be able to get some work in the back done as well. I'll also be planting a few more trees (at least!) this spring.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Patio
View of the patio....completed in May. I'm still working on the decor and getting the rest of my patio furniture here and in place. We also still have a lot of landscaping to do around the back side of the patio, so stay tuned for more pics.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Not Kidding about the Mud Yard...
Here's the view from the front porch taken during last week's snow day. This was taken around noon, so you can see the snow is already melting. We spent Sunday afternoon reseeding the grass and laying out some new straw, so hopefully soon I'll have some new and much greener photos to post.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
New TV
Oh, and as an update to the "Stuff" blog from a couple weeks ago...we got weak about the TV and bought a new one. Yes, I broke my own promise. Oh well. Of course, right after we did that, Philip's hours got slashed at work, so we're regretting it in a big way. But at least while he's not working he can be watching TV in hi-def, right?
Still Unfinished
Even though we've been living here for a couple months now, the list of problems or unfinished things just keeps growing longer daily. The other night, as I finally was able to get around to soaking in the jacuzzi tub, we found that the jets don't work. I still don't have the fireplace installed....it's been perpetually coming in any day since the week before Thanksgiving. The painting and sheetrock work was abyssmal, and my contractor keeps calling them to come fix the problems, which they are truly incapable of doing. And the list goes on and on. I've avoided calling and bugging the contractor between Christmas and New Year's, but I'm not going to be dealing with this on into the new year, so he's going to have to get on the ball and spend a few days finishing up. That is, if he wants the rest of his money.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Need for New "Stuff"
Isn't it funny how you get a bigger place to store all the stuff that had outgrown the old house, but then you find you need more stuff for the new house? I have seen people who buy or build new houses and then go into much more debt buying all new furniture and decor. My contractor even told us a story of how one couple stiffed him out of the last $17k they owed him cause they got the money and spent it on furniture and decorating instead of paying him. Well, now I finally understand the urge.
Not that we haven't paid off our contractor, because we have...or at least most of it till he finishes the rest of the punch list items. But there's nothing like a new house to show you just how old and ratty that sofa is...you know...the one that seems like you just bought it yesterday, but when you start counting you realize it's over 10 years old. Or what about the console TV that you bought second hand back in 1986 (yes '86!) that won't really work with the satellite you have now? Let's not even talk about the totally cool granite countertops with no barstools or the 2.5 acre yard with the continually breaking push mower! When the grass finally does grow, it's gonna get interesting!
Anyway, I do now totally understand the need/want/desires/whatever. I know when people come over I will be continually apologizing for my lack of new stuff, but with the economy the way it is, I'm a little nervous about the house payment itself, much less the idea of going into debt further for "stuff." Now that I've been living here a month, I have a long list of things we need to buy: a new TV and stand, a desk and office chair for me, a bed and new dresser for our room, barstools, clocks, other wall decor, the patio and basement pads, towel and toilet paper holders, lawn tractor, just to name a few. But I am very happy to be here and very happy to have come in pretty much on budget. The other stuff can wait if needed. In fact, to be honest, I've had no time for shopping and when I have had time, I've not found the things I wanted.
A friend at work told me last week that now that I have the house I can take the rest of my life to decorate it, and she's right. That is, providing it doesn't take the rest of my life to push mow the yard.
Not that we haven't paid off our contractor, because we have...or at least most of it till he finishes the rest of the punch list items. But there's nothing like a new house to show you just how old and ratty that sofa is...you know...the one that seems like you just bought it yesterday, but when you start counting you realize it's over 10 years old. Or what about the console TV that you bought second hand back in 1986 (yes '86!) that won't really work with the satellite you have now? Let's not even talk about the totally cool granite countertops with no barstools or the 2.5 acre yard with the continually breaking push mower! When the grass finally does grow, it's gonna get interesting!
Anyway, I do now totally understand the need/want/desires/whatever. I know when people come over I will be continually apologizing for my lack of new stuff, but with the economy the way it is, I'm a little nervous about the house payment itself, much less the idea of going into debt further for "stuff." Now that I've been living here a month, I have a long list of things we need to buy: a new TV and stand, a desk and office chair for me, a bed and new dresser for our room, barstools, clocks, other wall decor, the patio and basement pads, towel and toilet paper holders, lawn tractor, just to name a few. But I am very happy to be here and very happy to have come in pretty much on budget. The other stuff can wait if needed. In fact, to be honest, I've had no time for shopping and when I have had time, I've not found the things I wanted.
A friend at work told me last week that now that I have the house I can take the rest of my life to decorate it, and she's right. That is, providing it doesn't take the rest of my life to push mow the yard.
House Update
I know, I know...where are the pictures and the updates? We have been so incredibly busy that I really haven't had time. In fact, the only reason I'm posting now is because it's a way to procrastinate on that real work I need to be doing.
Anyway, we got moved in and mostly unpacked. We still have quite a few boxes in the garage and in the office, but there are some things we just can't unpack yet. The books can't be unpacked until I get the book case out of the storage unit. And the office didn't have a desk because our old one is just too big. So while we certainly have everything livable, we are still working on making things neat. (That would be the reason for the lack of pictures--not posting pics of my messy house! LOL!)
I also want to get a picture or two of the outside posted. I got a couple planters on the porch and a few Christmas lights in the yard. It's not my usual Christmas overload, but there are a few. In fact, I just found the rest of our decorations in the back of the storage unit, so we might work on the tree this weekend. I also bought wreaths for the house, but I can't find the wreath hangers. Oh well, I've got a few more weeks.
We do have an open-house sort of party scheduled for late December, between Christmas and New Year's. I figured that if I didn't have it sorted out by Christmas, it wasn't getting done, so I may as well go ahead.
As far as living here is concerned. It is very quiet. No one has bothered us at all. We don't have our fireplace installed yet, and I'm looking forward to that cause it's a little drafty in here. I think it's the combination of hardwoods, tile, and vaulted ceiling. But I'm looking forward to the fireplace.
We're also missing our back patio. We actually came in just under budget, but we knew all along that the driveway might be an issue. We went ahead and poured the driveway, which was much costlier than we originally anticipated (since we pushed the house back further from the road than we originally planned), so that didn't really leave patio money. I don't anticipate it being much overall, but I can't really use the back doors without the patio. With no grass, we would just step out into mud. But we will get that done by spring at the latest--definitely in time for pretty weather again.
But all the negatives out of the way, I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! So far, everything has a place. I have room for once for all my crap. We did Thanksgiving here, and the kitchen is wonderful to entertain in. The raised bar is great for homework, eating, appetizers, etc. And it's really roomy. I'm even learning to use the convection oven and used the warming drawer over the holiday--very cool!
Well, this post is getting too long as it is. I have more comments about how a new house means a need for new stuff that I'm apparently reluctant to buy, but that'll have to be in a later posting.
Anyway, we got moved in and mostly unpacked. We still have quite a few boxes in the garage and in the office, but there are some things we just can't unpack yet. The books can't be unpacked until I get the book case out of the storage unit. And the office didn't have a desk because our old one is just too big. So while we certainly have everything livable, we are still working on making things neat. (That would be the reason for the lack of pictures--not posting pics of my messy house! LOL!)
I also want to get a picture or two of the outside posted. I got a couple planters on the porch and a few Christmas lights in the yard. It's not my usual Christmas overload, but there are a few. In fact, I just found the rest of our decorations in the back of the storage unit, so we might work on the tree this weekend. I also bought wreaths for the house, but I can't find the wreath hangers. Oh well, I've got a few more weeks.
We do have an open-house sort of party scheduled for late December, between Christmas and New Year's. I figured that if I didn't have it sorted out by Christmas, it wasn't getting done, so I may as well go ahead.
As far as living here is concerned. It is very quiet. No one has bothered us at all. We don't have our fireplace installed yet, and I'm looking forward to that cause it's a little drafty in here. I think it's the combination of hardwoods, tile, and vaulted ceiling. But I'm looking forward to the fireplace.
We're also missing our back patio. We actually came in just under budget, but we knew all along that the driveway might be an issue. We went ahead and poured the driveway, which was much costlier than we originally anticipated (since we pushed the house back further from the road than we originally planned), so that didn't really leave patio money. I don't anticipate it being much overall, but I can't really use the back doors without the patio. With no grass, we would just step out into mud. But we will get that done by spring at the latest--definitely in time for pretty weather again.
But all the negatives out of the way, I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! So far, everything has a place. I have room for once for all my crap. We did Thanksgiving here, and the kitchen is wonderful to entertain in. The raised bar is great for homework, eating, appetizers, etc. And it's really roomy. I'm even learning to use the convection oven and used the warming drawer over the holiday--very cool!
Well, this post is getting too long as it is. I have more comments about how a new house means a need for new stuff that I'm apparently reluctant to buy, but that'll have to be in a later posting.
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