New House Rants and Raves

I feel like I've been so out of touch lately and I thought it would be fun to recap what I'm loving about the new house and what I could rant about all day long. Maybe that will clear up what I've been up to and where I've been hiding! 

Rave: Bigger, Traditional Floorplan

Maybe my favorite aspect of the house is that it is very wide and spread out. Stephen can be in the kitchen making coffee in the morning and I won't hear a peep. The way the house is laid out, we tend to use every room, every day. Compared to our last house we would walk in our garage door and be directly dumped into the kitchen and living room. We rarely used our front office and dining room. It made the house seem a lot smaller than it actually was. Now, we walk into the mud room, through the kitchen, and either into the dining room or den to get to the bedroom area of the house. Love it!

Rant: So Busy I've Forgotten My Appearance

I mean it is really sad sometimes when Stephen gets home from work and I still have not showered and I'm in painting clothes. I know, it's really bad. It's happened only a few times but still. I am a very clean person and I cannot stand to not take a shower in the morning. It wakes me up and I just feel better. It's important and somehow I've learned to let that slide. I'm hoping the dirty work/painting will all be done soon and those occasions will not be occurring anymore :)

Rave: Walking Friendly Neighborhood

I'm a little further away from our gym now but I've been trading in gym time for walking/jogging with Weeks. The neighborhood is just gorgeous to look at and there are sidewalks on some of the busier streets. Yes, I use a sidewalk when I can! We also can walk right out our front door, across the street and walk out on the dock and the dogs can play in the sound. It's perfect.

Rant: The In Between Stage

While we still have plenty, plenty to do as far as renovating, the major things I like to call "Phase 1" are coming to a close. Right now the four big things are 1) Finishing up the kitchen cabinet job 2) Refinishing the laundry room walls from former wallpaper 3) Refinishing the den walls from former wallpaper 4) Finish painting paneling in den and stairs. After we finish these things I would like to take a break and enjoy summer time! After that it's on to the fun stuff.

Rave: Cozy Formal Living Room

And I use formal lightly. It's just a way of differentiating it from the den. But I love, love our big fireplace and the natural light in this room. The sunken floor also gives it a classy feel. I keep toying with how I will decorate this room and I'm so excited. We have been using it a lot since the den isn't in any shape for sitting much less walking through. 

Rant: Smaller Countertop Space in the Kitchen

I cannot wait for Stephen to finish our island so we have more workspace in the kitchen. Our last kitchen had more but then we seemed to do a good job of cluttering it as well. So maybe less is more!

Rave: New Flowers and Plants

One of the best parts about moving into an established home is having a mature yard that someone has already put their touch on. Granted, we pulled plenty of things out that we didn't like, but at the same time we got lucky with some old timey plants and trees that I have been loving for arrangements.

Thats all for now y'all...I'm hoping there will be lots more raves as we make some progress around here!