The Playhouse

We first began the playhouse as a Christmas gift for our kids...last year. It didn't take long for us to realize that this little house was just as much for us as it was for them. We figured if we only get to make one playhouse for our kids to grow up making memories in, we might as well make it a great one. So "yes" it took 8 months, "yes" it has AC & electricity, and "yes" it is COMPLETELY over the top. Here you go kids, it's all yours! Just try not to actually touch anything...

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The Doors

The playhouse doors are officially UP and are dreamy as ever. 

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Adam Way

It took us over a year to find our first home. We looked at over 200 homes and put offers on at least 7 or 8 properties. At that time the economy was in a deep recession and the real estate market consisted primarily of foreclosures and short sales. Because so many of the homes were foreclosures, a lot of the homes were trashed and had been stripped of their finishes. Some of the more memorable homes we saw included one that smelled strongly of urine, one that had all of the carpet padding removed, one that had all of the kitchen cabinets and light fixtures removed, and one that had messages written on the walls throughout the house. When we would finally find a house in good condition there would be multiple offers on the property and we would lose out. Needless to say, the home buying process was completely frustrating.

We fell in love with a great home in the Cooley Station North community and although it went under contract before we could place an offer, we decided that neighborhood was where we wanted to be. We began aggressively searching in Cooley Station viewing each property the day it came on the market. We randomly came across 842 S Adam Way on several occasions and liked it but weren't completely sold (Ryan was sold but I needed some convincing). We continued our search and eventually decided that 842 was where we needed to be. 

Looking back at the last four years, it's hard to say goodbye to a home that has brought so much good to our family. We still remember sitting in the living room talking about how great life would be when we got to spend our Sunday afternoons playing with our future kids. Years later that dream became a reality as we got to bring two of our kids home from the hospital to the house. 

Reflecting on the many late nights and weekends spent working on projects and the major milestones our kids reached in the home, it's easy for us to see why we've grown so attached to the home. The friends we've made and the experiences we've had over the last 4 years have played an important role in getting us to where we are today. We're sad to say goodbye but excited to start a new chapter in our lives. Take it easy Adam Way!

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Members Only

It's amazing what you can do with a small closet and a husband in construction. For members only!

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1st Project of 2010

At the beginning of the new year, Ryan and I committed to checking more home projects off our to-do list. One of our most recent projects has been to paint and finish up our loft. It took a while, but after a lot of hard work, we can officially check it off our list. One down, only a hundred more to go! ;-)

Before

After

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A Cheaper Alternative

Those who have been in our house know that one of my favorite stores is West Elm. Although I absolutely love everything in their store, I often have a hard time justifying the prices of their products. When looking through their catalog recently, I saw some wall art that I really liked. Being the cheap person that I am, I decided that I could easily replicate the pictures and make them them more to my liking. So a few days later, I came home with 3 large canvases to begin my latest project. After countless hours of painting, I have developed a newfound respect for artists. I think it's safe to say that I'll be putting away the paint brushes for a while.

West Elm's

Our Project

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Feeling "At Home"

Although it seems like we've been pretty bad at posting so far this year, the truth is that absolutely nothing post-worthy has happened lately. Our most exciting news is the arrival of our brand new camera. Finally we'll be able to post some "quality" pictures on our blog.

As promised before, here are the rest of the pictures from our recently completed painting project. After A TON of work, our apartment is officially complete! I'll be honest, I never thought we'd have to do this much work while renting. I guess it's just a small price to pay to feel "at home" in an apartment.

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