Where the Heart Is

With less than a month before the move, here is a little bit of the journey we have been through this last year.
 Our home in the spring of 2011

    Here it is a year ago on the day I signed the papers. We have thus far graded the yard, removed dying trees, majorly trimmed back the bushes,power washed, painted the door, shutters, trim, and porch, replaced the mailbox, and repaired leaks.

The crazy bushes that greeted us in 2009 on our first walk through with the realtor.

So much of this house was completely neglected.

Here was our newly seeded lawn in the fall of 2010. It has since suffered due to fungus, weeds, and the summer heat. In a few more months let's hope it gets back to its green glory!

On our first walk through in 2009

We removed the tree (because it was too close to the house), power-washed, sanded, and stained the deck, took off the gate that was at the bottom of the stairs, and replaced the light fixture. 

I feel so blessed to have this kitchen! 

I saw the diamond in the rough :) Here is the first time we saw it almost exactly two years ago. Ewww. Yet among the vines and grime, I saw white cabinets, lots of counterspace, many outlets, and a sink that faced the living room. 

We are replacing the lanoleom next week with porcelain tile!One day I would love to add some color with new counters.  White counters make zero sense and add zero beauty. 
Now

Two years ago (baby M was in that carseat :) The door that is open is our mud room and the other is to our garage.We changed out that light fixture too.

Before paint and wallplates. This shows the flow of the house. I love how the kitchen is open to my living room.

The doorway leads to the dining room. We replaced the switchplates, light fixtures, knobs, and faucet to a satin nickel finish and painted it a softer tan to please the renters.

Here is our breakfast nook with a sample of the new tile :) To the left is our deck door and living room and to the right is the powder room, garage and mud room.

Our master bathroom in 2009

Two years later :)

Before ~ Why do builders mix and match fixture colors?

After ~We took down the wallpaper, painted it a soft tan, and changed out the knobs, faucets, and lights. Water closets are one of the best inventions ever!

One of my favorite places on earth ~ While we are away, I'll be thinking of ways to decorate this spot.

After a year of living here, we are now finishing up our painting projects. Just when I feel I have a clean and crisp backdrop to decorate, we are on the move :)  Bye bye sweet home! We will miss you while on our West Coast adventure.