The Wandering House Hunters: "HOME" - Ann Arbor, MI. - May 2013

Okay, let's review where we've been

House #1: The "Petite White House"

PROS

Bottom of our price range

Pool and playground on site

Covered Parking

Management company handles ALL maintenance from appliances to light bulbs

CONS

Small

No inside play space

Very close to the mall, U of M Stadium, and basketball arena so traffic on game days and at Christmas time would be awful!

*

House #2: Great Location but No Covered Parking"

PROS

Bottom of our price range

Pool and playground on site

HOA handles all lawn care and snow removal

Indoor play space

Great location

CONS

No Covered Parking

No overhead lighting fixtures except bathrooms, kitchen, and dining room

*

House #3: "BIG yard, Beautiful Inside, and Long Commute"

PROS

Beautiful detached home inside and out

Great inside play space

Beautiful yard

Garage Parking

CONS

Top of our price range

We handle all lawn care and snow removal

Long commute to work, church, bible study, grocery store.

*

House #4: Everything but Green for a lot of $"GREEN"$ 

PROS

Great inside play space

Garage Parking

CONS

Top of our price range

No yard

Very close to the mall, U of M Stadium, and basketball arena so traffic on game days and at Christmas time would be awful!

*

After seeing all four properties we were definitely drawn more so to 2 of them and we very quickly were able to eliminate House #1: The "Petite White House" and House #4: Everything but Green for a lot of $"GREEN"$

This left us with House #2: Great Location but No Covered Parking" and House #3: "BIG yard, Beautiful Inside, and Long Commute", which aside from their location and parking were VERY similar houses.

People often say that when you find the place that is "HOME" you just get a "feeling". When we moved to both Memphis and Baltimore we got the "feeling", but with Ann Arbor I was worried that because we didn't have a lot of options we would feel like we were settling. After a long lunch and a good conversation, location, less up keep, and a great price tag prevailed. We chose...

***House #2!!!***

Despite, or maybe because of the colorful paint choices, both the Hub and I really felt at home when we walked in the door. The house really is perfect for our family where we are right now. The biggest compromise we made was parking. I am currently on the hunt for a product that covers the windshield that will prevent the need to scrape ice and snow. Suggestions? Any inventors out there?

Anyway, the dates have been chosen and the movers are booked and just 6 weeks from now we will call Ann Arbor, Michigan and House #2: Great Location but No Covered Parking" HOME!

Till next time,

Bon Voyage!

Resting and Nesting - Baltimore, MD - May 2010

So if you've never had the chance to partake in "bedrest" you should know that it's actually BED RESTING. It's been quite a challenge to learn to type while laying on the couch or bed on my left side but I'm doing it like a champ!

First things first: Baby Sticks Update

We had a growth scan on Thursday and are pleased to let everyone know that Baby Sticks has remained in the 9th percentile on the growth chart. Our doctors feel that this has a lot to do with the bedrest. Baby is weighing in at approx 3 and 1/2 lbs which is 2 - 3 lbs below "normal". Our weekly testing has yielded slightly elevated results, but weekly doctor appointments are extremely encouraging. They feel like all the steps we are taking are allowing the baby to grow as they had hoped he or she would, which should make it completely possible for me to carry to term (37 weeks) and beyond as long as the baby is thriving. Thank you for your prayers. They're working!

Nesting:
We've also been getting busy on finishing the baby's room. I'm still up in the air about the bed skirt, but thanks to my good friend Anita I've found a potential stand in for $16.99 at Baby Depot.

I'm not completely in love with it, but for now it will do and the price is right and who knows I may love it once it's on.

The process of converting the Hub's office to the baby's room has been a little bit more labor intensive than we initially thought. We have way more books than either of us realized. So, last weekend the Hub built book shelves from Ikea and arranged then rearranged furniture and although it's not quite done, we're so very close. Just a few more things left to buy and do. Here's a few new pictures of the room.

• The green afghan hanging in the crib was made by Jeremy's Aunt Polly Ann, LOVE IT!!!
• And don't you LOVE the glider rocker. I think I'm going to do a pillow for it. I'm not scared of making a pillow!

• We've still got to get a changing pad for the changing table and whatever fabric I do the pillow in I'm going to use for the drawer fronts so I'm on the hunt for something good!
• Ooooh and I almost forgot... We got a new fan with a light fixture. Let there be light! FANCY!!!

Till Next time,

Bon Voyage

Intimidated - Baltimore, MD - April 2010

There are two places that completely intimidate and or overwhelm me. One is the baby store as there is still so much left to buy. The other is the fabric store. Now I know that the worst is when those two places collide.

As our due date draws nearer I walked into the baby store to look at one, maybe two things. On this day in particular I was looking at a glider rocker and options for a baby bed skirt. First off there are 85 gliders!!! Some come with ottomans, some without; some recline and some don’t. There are about 30 choices for the stain you want and just as many choices for the color of fabric you’d like. After sitting in every one I decided on the one that’s on clearance. It just so happened that I like the wood and fabric color. Decision one down. Now on to the crib skirt… Wait, so did you know that they don’t sell crib skirts (also known as dust ruffles) by themselves. WHY???

This brings me to the fabric store…

Note to Reader: My friends Sarah and Robyn can confirm that the back story I’m about to tell you is completely true.

Last year I decided to make baby quilts for some of my prego friends. The three of us all had sewing projects so we all went out to the fabric store together. I had everything picked out; thread, batting, fabric, binding, etc. all in the cart and ready to check out. Then, as they were picking out there stuff I had some time to think about my projects, the actual process of making the quilts and completely psyched myself out. I then proceeded to put EVERYTHING back. A week later I drug the Hub back to the fabric store, which by the way is the last place on EARTH the Hub wanted to be. I gathered everything I’d had in my cart the week before and took it to the fabric cutting station. Come to find out almost everything I’d picked out was wrong. This very nice woman walked me through the store and traded out all the wrong things for the right ones.

So to bridge these two places that completely freak me out, after striking out at the baby store I thought to myself I could make a bed skirt. It’s only a few strait lines. So I went to the fabric store, which happens to be across the street from the baby store. Once inside I managed (after 30 min) to find a pattern. Oh and I must point out that it was ONLY $0.99.

This pattern…

I must also point out that I’ve NEVER sewed by a pattern. I was thinking I’d love to do the skirt in a white, with the bottom section in green. Then once we figure out if it’s a girl or boy put their first initial on it in green iron on letters, or maybe a monogram. I walked the store knowing deep down that I was searching for that same very nice woman to tell me exactly what to buy… No such luck!!! The more I walked the store, the worse my fear got so I bought the pattern, and brought it home to stare at. I’ve even pulled out the instructions to see if that would lessen my fear and discovered words like “basting” which I thought was something you only did to turkeys. I don’t know what kind of fabric to buy. I don’t know what kind of thread to buy. I know it’s a baby and they really aren’t going to care what their crib skirt looks like or better yet if there is even a crib skirt at all, but I’d really like to do this…

Till next time
Bon Voyage!

Getting to Work - Baltimore, MD - March 2010

So I came home from work last Sunday to find that the Hub had been a busy man. He did this...

I guess one of us had to get to work on the baby's room. Thank you for being AWESOME J-Rod!

Walls Painted (Check)
Baby Bed Put Together (Check)

Tomorrow we're both off and even though I'm not sure if we're more productive together, we sure do have more fun!

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Most girls Dream... - Baltimore, MD - November 2009

Most girls spend their whole lives dreaming of owning something beautiful and soft, in their choice of white or some version of cream, designed by the one and only Vera Wang.

Last weekend that became a reality for me. I now have my very own Vera Wang; beautiful, soft, and in a unique version of cream.

The close up...

A little bit wider...

Now the full length shot...

Okay, one more close up...

Isn't it GREAT!!!

It's the most wonderful bed I've ever slept on!!!

We're still undecided about new bedding, except for the fact that we need it, it needs to be softer than what we currently have, and machine washable would be a major plus! I'll keep you posted.

Oh and you can just see the temperary fix for window treatments that my friend Blair thinks are good enough to be perminent. Black out curtains from Bed Bath & Beyond. Thanks for the tips on the 20% off and the double curtain rods. More on that later.

Note To Reader: As a total side note, in my search for Vera Wang dress pictures I found this!!!

A Vera Wang Sequined Hem Dress from the Lavender Label. And even though this blog hardly has anything about fashion on it , as I do not consider myself particularly fashionable, I couldn't resist. When I saw it all I could think was... "Ooooooooooh PRETTY!!!"

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Naked Windows - Baltimore, MD - September2009

Note To Reader: I know… I know… To take an almost 2 week break from bloggingand for my first post back to be such a provocative title as this… Well I had to get your attention!!!

So to the point with me… I’m at a loss as to what to do for curtains for our bedroom. The Hub is demanding that something be done soon even if it is not a permanent fix as he is entering the most demanding of his rotations to date and will need to sleep when he is home… no matter the hour.

In fact his exact words were…

“T-Rod!!! We’ve gotta do something about curtains in this room! I can’t sleep in here! It’s like day time!”

So I am taking suggestions! There is a Jo-Ann’s a mile and a half from my house, but I continue to be uninspired!

I’ve taken pictures for those of you that need to visualize…

71” wide x 57“ Tall

and a smaller one on the adjacent wall that is 27” wide x 46” Tall.

PLEASE HELP!!!

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!