The big move:
April - We sold 3710 Ingleside Road that had been our home for the past 5 years in Shaker Heights and made the big move back to my hometown of Latrobe, PA. It was truly a bittersweet moment for me. From the moment I first moved to Cleveland, I'd been whining in Sam's ear to move back home. Nine and a half years later my wish finally came true and then I had a panic attack. What about my CLE friends? What about a new daycare for Charlotte? What if moving back home isn't all I imagined? Leaving the house that we brought Charlotte first home to as a tiny 6 lb. 6 oz. baby was harder than I thought and as we drove away on April 13, there were definitely some tears!
Goodbye Shaker, thanks for 5 awesome years!
Getting settled in to the new home took priority because I was hosting my sister's welcome reception for her bridal shower weekend in less than 2 months. Luckily the unpacking went quickly and with a house that was double the size of our last one, there was finally room for storage! Goodbye 1,300 square foot, hello 3,000! I've got lots of plans to repaint and do some minor remodeling in the house. Right now the big project we are about to undertake is the kitchen. I hated the kitchen from the moment we walked into the house, but everything else was such a fit and I knew we could make it our own.
The main issues with the kitchen are the following: corner sink, no island, horrible green paint, ugly dark gray countertops, boxy pantry that cuts off the feel of the entire room, breakfast bar that is way too high.
So the plan to remodel is to knock out the pantry and replace that with cabinets, countertops, and a mini fridge. This will help the space to feel more part of the actual kitchen. Right now it feels like two separate spaces - a small kitchen with a small eat-in area. Combining these two spaces will make it one big kitchen! We are also expanding the opening from the dining room to the kitchen, so that will make it feel even more spacious and open. Getting rid of the corner sink and peninsula will allow for a beautiful island. The color palette is white, gray with a hint of sparkle. I can't wait to see how it turns out!
Of course this means I am thinking it's time to upgrade our living room decor and furniture. The living room is a bit of an odd shape, it's long but not wide. The black marble surround on the fireplace is going - being replaced by our new white, gray and sparkly glass tile backsplash. The built in shades are nice, but the brown color is just throwing the entire space off. The entire foyer, living room, kitchen, first floor office and dining room needs to be painted too. Hmmm, this so-called short list is turning into a long one! We'll get there!
living room pre-reno
I've always wanted a sectional in my living room but I'm not sure with the odd shape I can make it happen. I've got my eye on two different ones, which one do you like better?
This first sectional is $2,500 from Value City and it's part of Joanna Gaines' new Magnolia line they are featuring. I love the color and lines of it.
The second sectional is $2,500-$2,900 from West Elm and it's a bit darker in color, but I really love the lived in look of it. This is a couch I won't freak out if I find Charlotte jumping all over it.
The kitchen reno is not on any firm timeline, so that is helping with the stress level. I do think it will be quite interesting to manage since Sam and I both work from home now, and we've got a new puppy, a soon-to-be 3 year old and a baby on the way! That's right, in case you hadn't heard, we are expecting baby #2!
Baby on Board: Baby M 2.0 is expected to arrive on or around Jan. 23. Charlotte keeps changing her mind if she wants a baby brother or sister! I told her that we really don't get to pick! Sam and I decided to again be surprised and not find out the sex. This means a new gender neutral nursery is in store!
Rosie Rue: we brought home a new puppy in May and it's been wonderful and crazy ever since that day! We love Rosie so much and she is a really good pup. Charlotte loves her puppy sister, and Rosie gives her about a million kisses a day. I am sure Rosie will love the new baby just as much!
OK, well it's time to go supervise Charlotte on her new bounce house. In the meantime, enjoy some photos from her 3 year old photo shoot!
