A Little House Tour!

We have been in our house over two months. Two months, and it is most definitely feeling like home. I am sure it is in large part due to the fact that the place we lived for the past year was not truly our home, but it feels like we settled into this space so quickly and effortlessly. Well okay, not exactly effortlessly. But it seriously took a matter of days and it just felt like ours. Our home. Finally.

We were given the greenlight to move in on Friday, August 12th. One of the hardest things I found with building is that when you actually get to move is a bit of a moving target. We had a general idea, but really anytime from the end of July to the end of August was fair game. I cannot put into words how amazing it felt to finally be given an official date. We were so excited we really didn't know what to do with ourselves. Every day leading up to that Friday felt like the longest day ever. So often I said that I just didn't think we would EVER get to move. Eleven months is a long time to not have your own place, people ;-) But what do you know, the time did eventually pass, and we were both thrilled to take a day off of work and get things done!

My in-laws actually live just a few miles away, so in lieu of hiring movers, my husband and brother-in-law were up bright and early and moved all of our furniture over. All of our bedrooms were set up first thing, which was the most important thing! Literally all other furniture in the house was brand new and being delivered, which made things much easier on us. Except for our kitchen table getting delayed (and not arriving until we had been moved in for over a month!) We also had no need to unpack kitchen and household supplies while living with Mike's parents, so I was so VERY happy that I did not have to repack and unpack all of those items. I may have done a happy dance and been on the verge of shedding a tear or two when I unpackaged my beloved plates and coffee mugs after not seeing them for an entire year!

While things are unpacked, the house is pretty bare right now. As I have mentioned, our old house was built up with essentially all hand me down items, make-shift décor, and not much else. So this new space was ground zero. We decided we did not want to bring anything in that we didn't intend on keeping long term. So, slowly but surely we have added new pieces like nightstands, end tables, and wall décor. I am thinking I will show a home tour in a few months, and of course I cannot CANNOT go without showing off some seasonal décor for fall and CHRISTMAS. You guys, do not even ask me to try and explain my feelings about the Christmas tree we plan on buying. I wish I could put it up TODAY.

In the meantime, I decided to share some photos of the house in all of its empty glory. It is amazing how different it looks and feels now that we have filled it up with our belongings, but I am so glad I have these photos to remember the building process, and the finished product when everything was perfect and brand new. Enjoy this little sneak peak!

The kitchen. Truly one of my favorite spots in the house. I love this space so much.

The laundry room. This is actually off of the coat room in our back entryway. It is a small space, but is nicely tucked away and easy to get to!

The living room. This is the space Mike dreamed about watching his Sunday football in for so long. It is still surreal to think that we are here, and yet it already feels so normal! Also, is it weird that the room feels BIGGER with furniture in it?

The office. This room was immediately deemed the playroom. I am so thankful for this space, because it keeps the clutter out of sight and out of mind. Of course, most days I avoid looking in here because it is definitely NOT clean and tidy like it is in the photo above!

Our master suite. The rest of the house is trimmed in dark oak, but we went with white in our master. I love it so much, our room feels like a little retreat from the rest of the house!

A view over the living room from the staircase. I am so obsessed with having two story ceilings. Any guesses where we are putting the Christmas tree?? :-)

At the top of the staircase is this loft area. This is currently Mike's 'man cave'. I imagine down the line this will be where the boys play when they have friends over. It really is a fun little space with character.

The upstairs bathroom. We still don't have a shower curtain! We stumbled across some wall art in Hobby Lobby last week and that actually was what helped us decide on a color scheme for this space, so hopefully we will finally get this space pulled together soon.

Bathroom selfies ;-) I wanted to capture the awesome closet! There is so much space, even though it is in the bathroom, I am thinking it might be a good storage space for other random items for the loft down the road.

The view out of one of the upstairs bedrooms. Already looking SO different with the changing leaves!

And finally, the front entryway (you can see little touchup spots that were still on the wall). I have big plans for a console table and huge mirror, but all in due time :-)

A lot of days I forget what a long road it was to get here, but it feels so right to be exactly where we are, and sometimes it seems like we have been here forever. I am so excited to build memories and traditions in this place. It feels so good to be home.

Linking up with Home of Malones today!

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A Final House Update [Linkup]

Hello ladies, and happy Tuesday! My blog game has really been slacking lately, but trust me when I say that I have never had more going on in my life. We just don't slow down over here, and I will definitely be sharing what has been going on lately soon! In the meantime, it is Talk About It Tuesday, and I hope you do join in!

We are due to close on our house in 2-3 weeks, and it feels surreal. Sometimes, the end date feels so far away, but other times I realize it is so dang close I can't believe it! Since my last update, lots of progress has definitely been made!

Jackson is a fan of the house; he loves to drive his trucks in the dirt piles, and he also loves to climb the stairs inside. The stair climbing is not a favorite thing for the rest of us, that child has no fear!

Here is an in progress photo of the paint. It is all finished now, and I love the colors. We did a really neutral and warm beige throughout all of the house, and the master bedroom and bathroom are a very light gray. Eventually, we will paint the boys rooms and bathrooms and spice things up a bit, but to start neutral works just fine! 

Here is a shot into the upstairs bathroom right after the tile was put in. We were SO excited to see real floors!

All the heart eyes over our master bathroom tile. I debated at one point scrapping the custom master suite and just going with the style of the rest of the house, but I am so glad we stuck with our plan. It feels like our own special space, and trendy and unique compared to the rest of the house, which is more traditional.

You guys, OUR CABINETS. I can't even describe how it felt walking in and seeing our kitchen decked out with cabinets and countertops. On a fun note, our countertops are actually laminate; I am blown away by how far laminates have come, my sister had to be told they weren't granite because at a glance that is what you would assume. I love how it turned out!

The only painted cabinets of the house are in our master bath, and I can't get enough of the 'greige' color we picked. 

I cannot wait to finally get my tub in there! See that cable jack on the wall? I envision lots of soaks in the tub with a glass of wine watching my favorite shows!

Here are the closet doors in one of the upstairs bedrooms. 

My fireplace mantle! I am already dreaming up all of the things I will be able to put on my big fat mantle. Garland, a Christmas village? I am so excited to use this space!

And last but not least, at this very moment the siding on our house is being done! The garage and half of the back is done right now, it is so fun to drive by and see so much exterior change from the beginning to the end of the day!

What's left? Concrete on our porch/driveway, finishing the exterior stone and fireplace stone, tiling the shower and bathtub, and carpet! Oh, and putting in our pretty kitchen appliances :-) Like I said, it feels so far, yet so close! By the time I am due for another update, we will be living in our new house! Someone pinch me!

As always, grab the button below and link up today to see what's up with everyone!

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House Updates [Linkup]

Well, we are officially getting down to the wire on our construction process, so today seemed like a great time for a house update (for the last update, look here) We still have a solid month or so before the big move (I honestly can't even wrap my head around how close we actually are!) but I know that the month will go incredibly fast. I have about 5 weeks of maternity leave left, so basically as I am gearing up to go back to work, we are also gearing up to finally be in our own place again. It is kind of bittersweet, because the last thing I want to do is wish away my maternity leave. But, it sure does make returning to work easier when I know I will have a new house to come home to after those long days back!

 

The most up to date view of our house!

In the past few weeks, a lot has been done! Three or so weeks ago, it was pretty rough around here. Mike and his dad did the majority of the heating and plumbing on the house, which resulted in them working basically the entire day Saturday and Sunday, as well as pretty much every night until bedtime all week after work. Lincoln also really had a rough couple of weeks, and while I wouldn't say he is a colicky baby, I would say he was definitely having his moments. Basically, if he wasn't being held/bounced/fed/etc., he was screaming. Of course, he went through this phase during the week where Mike was essentially gone all of the time. So, it was rough on everyone. Fortunately, the little guy seems to have really turned a corner, and while he still gets fussy, it is much less and he is becoming more content (all the hallelujah/hand raise emojis here!)

 

Seeing the frame take shape

 

We have a roof!

 

Backyard view

 

The first time I was able to take in the view from upstairs

The boys rooms upstairs

 

During daddy's long work weekend, we had to swing by with pizza for the troops.

Checking out the backyard view with uncle Jeff

 Anyway, back to the house! Heating and plumbing are mostly done. We have the shower/tub installed in the upstairs bathroom, and the framework for the shower and tub are in our master suite. The fireplace is installed, too. After some debate, we did decide to go all out on the fireplace, so ours has the ability to look like the embers are lit even when we don't actually have the fireplace turned on. I wasn't so sure at first, but I am pretty excited that even on hot summer nights, we can turn this on and get that warm 'glow' without putting heat out into the room!

 

Where our tub will be. Definitely need some curtains on that window!

 

And our shower. So ridiculously excited about our bathroom.

 

The hubs assessing the new digs. Making sure everything is perfect.

 

The garage, which is essentially finished!

In terms of structural progress, we are still waiting on the siding. I cannot wait to share what it looks like once it goes on, and really I just can't wait to see it for myself! About a week ago, all of the insulation went in, followed by the sheet rock, and everything is now taped, read to have texture put on. In fact, the walls will start to be painted in the next week! And, we have garage doors! I am definitely liking the fact that the house feels a bit more secure now, especially as the 'things' like appliances and custom cabinets will start being put in soon.

 

The kitchen pantry (and all the heart eyes)

 

The living room. OBSESSED and so thrilled we have two story ceilings 

 

The loft upstairs

Still left to be done is all of the trimwork, and installation of the cabinets, flooring, and utilities like our shower/tub, toilets, sinks, and light fixtures. I can't believe that the work that is done from here on out is what will really start to make our house look like an actual HOUSE inside. Feel me when I say that, after sharing a house with others since last September, to be one month away from this house that I swore would never come to be just feels surreal. We constantly daydream about watching Sunday football in our amazing new living room, and this one is mostly just me, but I can't wait to have the privacy to have a bathroom in my bedroom and the ability to not constantly have to be fully clothed? TMI? Sorry, but you don't realize how much you appreciate being able to air dry after a shower until you no longer can. Haha, it really is those little things that make you feel the most at home!

Don't forget to link up with Jenn and I today for Talk About It Tuesday!

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What's Hap-pinning: House Status

Today I am linking up with Jenn, Jessi, and Holly to share what is going on with us lately. Of course, most posts tend to revolve around my son, my pregnancy, or our moving process.

Well... we are officially under construction! It was the longest time coming EVER (at least in my mind), but it is finally getting going and I couldn't be more excited! We closed on our loan about two weeks ago, and the next day the brush was trimmed and the space was being cleared. The following Monday, I drove by to see this most beautiful of sights:

 

Big old machinery on our lot! They were hauling dirt and moving things around and digging that hole I have been dreaming about for the past month! By the end of Tuesday, we had a driveway (and a port-a-potty!)

 

I don't have a great picture, and with this rainy and wet week we are having walking the land just isn't high on my list of things I want to do, but in less than a week we have all of our block in, insulation being placed, and as of last night we were informed the plan is to be pouring concrete next week!

 

I am so excited about the progress. I have been told it goes really fast in the beginning, and once they start working on the inside you obviously see less 'visible' process, but after waiting for SO long, seeing changes every single day right now is so much fun! My husband and father in law will actually be doing some of the plumbing and in floor heating this weekend/early next week, which seems crazy to me. After months of waiting, to all of the sudden be doing the things we discussed is both stressful and a 'pinch me' moment, all at once! 

In other house news, last week, we met up with our construction project manager, and we picked out our siding, trim, railings, door handles, roof shingles, and a list of other little things for around the house. It was crazy to knock so many things off of the list in one appointment! Our manager actually commented that we were making things too easy! Aside from going back and forth on the house exterior and colors, we really did agree on pretty much everything. Discussing beforehand and agreeing on the general style we liked (clean, straight lines for us; nothing with too much rounded edges or woodwork!) made it really easy to narrow down choices and go with the logical best options to keep our interior clean and consistent throughout. 

Next on the list will be picking out the stone for our exterior, meeting with the designer for our cabinets, and then little things like the garage door, getting our final few appliances, and whatever else pops up. Oh, and light fixtures, which I have my fingers crossed will be an easy and joint decision between myself and my husband ;-)

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