Our House: Before

Welcome to our home! We've done some work since we moved in, but this post will just show the before photos. Unfortunately they are terrible photos. Sorry. We were given an hour to move our stuff into the house a week before we closed, so taking pictures had to take a back seat to unloading all of our junk and some of these are what the house looked like when we saw it for the first time. Hopefully you can at least get a feel for the layout and then be pleasantly surprised with our sure to be FANTASTIC improvements!

Entryway: And so begins the previous homeowners' love affair with carpeting, wallpaper, and scalloped ceilings.

Living room: One of our favorite things about the house is this working fireplace, which we've been using almost every night now that it's getting colder. Also, it should be noted that this room has extra special texture: not only the ceiling, but also the back wall, are scalloped. Different shades of cream and different patterns of "scallop". A tribute to more psychedelic times in our nation's history.

Dining room: These were taken when we realized we didn't have any before pictures of the dining room and moved everything into the hallway and kitchen. Not quite sure why we thought that they were out of sight when we took this photo.

Kitchen: This is where the wallpaper action gets real and stripes are paired with a flowered border. This is also where danger gets real and curtains are hung directly above a stove. Don't worry. For safety and fashion purposes, the curtains were the first thing to go.

Den: Although it's hard to tell with the heavy drapes (and my lack of iPhoneography skills), this room gets great light. You can see the backyard through the windows.

Upstairs hallway: Self-explanatory.

Bedroom #1: You really need to see the bedrooms the way they looked when we toured the house in order to get the full experience. In each room, the wallpaper, valences, and quilts had the same pattern. I think we can all respect such bold dedication. Of course, not even total immersion in floral could distract from the true focal point of this room: that bright blue shag carpet. 

Bedroom #2: Behind those closet doors was a lovely surprise of another window.

Bedroom #3: This room actually had us reconsidering our plans for the whole place, because it so clearly wants to be a Bed & Breakfast. But the previous owners took the quilt and valences so that dream died real fast. 

Bathroom: So. Many. Peach. Tiles.

There you have it! Tons of potential projects. And that doesn't even include Aaron's favorite room (the basement) and my favorite room (the attic). We love our little house and have had lots of fun with it so far. More updates to come!

Introducing...

Things change fast in the Huberty household. And with the purchase of our first home and the addition of a family member, I figured it was time to return from my blogging hiatus. So I'm back on the bloggin' wagon. There are just too many potential before and after photos in this little house not to share them! 

Case in point: the exterior in desperate need of a paint job and the curious lack of shutters on the first floor windows.

This was actually not the first house that we tried to buy this summer. Back in June, we put a deposit on a two family home that was different from this house in pretty much every way. And when that fell through, we expected to continue renting for this school year while we looked for other options. Then in August, Aaron saw this house online and we loved it as soon as we walked inside. The price had been dropped by $70,000 in a few months' time, putting it in our price range. And while the timing wasn't ideal (we picked up our new international student, started work again, moved, and closed on the house all within a few days), we decided it was worth it. We loved the fireplace, the backyard, and the potential for so many remodeling projects. We loved the street, which is just a few blocks from where we lived before, and the area is so quiet and peaceful that you can hear crickets at night. Crickets, guys. No more sirens. No more motorcyclists who deviously plot to rev their engines right as you're about to drift to sleep. No more crazy guy who paces the street screaming obscenities. Ok so I kind of miss the crazy guy. But it's a little bit ridiculous how quiet it is here. Ridiculously awesome.

And speaking of ridiculously awesome, meet our new international student, Jiabei! 

Jiabei did not know what she was getting herself into when she signed on to live with this crazy host family. And while she will probably refuse to lift another box for the rest of her life, she's been such a huge help with moving and getting the house in "livable" shape. We wanted her room to be done as soon as possible so that she would have her own space in the midst of our chaos, and it's almost done! Jiabei chose the color, and let me tell you, the girl does not mess around with neutrals.

So that's life right now. Stay tuned for a photo tour of the house!

Kitchen: Before and After.

Here it is! Our tiny kitchen remodel. This was our first "real" home project and we love the result!

After

Before

The white cabinets, open shelving, and overall lack of a 70's feel have made our entire first floor seem larger and more cheerful. And it's certainly more fun to cook in, which is always a plus for someone as cooking-averse as I am!

One of the dangers of marrying a Wisconsin boy is that your likely to end up with animal heads hanging from your walls. This is the only one I've allowed. It's kind of cute, I guess, considering that it's not actually a dead carcass. Plus it doubles as a bottle opener and apron hanger. 

I'm definitely not a pro at styling shelves, so if you have suggestions, suggest away! Here are our price and project lists, in case you're thinking of tackling your own kitchen remodel:

Project List:
1. Remove cabinet doors; fill holes and sand.
2. Tear out old countertop.
3. Replace and hook up new dishwasher.
4. Add "crown moulding" (a board and two pieces of trim) to the top of cabinets.
5. Add new lower cabinet doors.
6. Prime and paint cabinets, walls, and ceiling.
7. Paint chalkboard backsplash.
8. Put in new butcher block counter and strip of moulding.
9. Stain and varnish counter top (we decided to do this after living with the unfinished butcher block for a while and finding it to be unsustainable due to how often we were having to oil it, as well as constantly worrying about spills).
10. Re-hang spice racks.
11. Hang pot holder.
12. Hang Christmas lights under cabinets.
13. Replace ceiling light.

Price List:
Paint & primer $100
Dishwasher $400
Ikea butcher block counter $170
Stain and varnish $30
"Crown moulding" $30
Ceiling light $30
Ikea pot hanger $15
Lower cabinet doors $150 (I highly recommend this online company if you're looking for custom cabinet doors that don't cost an arm and a leg.)
Total: $925

Not too shabby for a brand new kitchen that adds resale value. And if you're like us, maybe you have a super generous and financially forward-thinking uncle/landlord who will foot the bill if you're willing to put in some labor. Renting has its benefits :). 

Full house.

There have been a few additions to the Huberty household this past month. Namely, two kids and a dog. Go big or go home, right?

Before anyone gets too excited, I should specify that all three are loaners. Anne and Helen are our international students from Germany, and Chloe is my grandparents' Yorkie. Chloe is living with us for a month and the girls are here for six. All together they've bumped up the guy-girl ratio to an impressive 1:4, but Aaron is doing ok.

We've been having lots of fun, especially while we were snowed in by Nemo. The girls had never seen so much snow, and we had never seen so many Nicholas Sparks movies :). 

One of the benefits of having more people in the house is that I've lost some of my perfectionism regarding our home projects... which means before and after kitchen photos are coming up next!

Stay warm!

Resolutions for a new day.

I tend to get into a funk around New Years. While I love the idea of new beginnings, it's hard to get excited about that in January. I'm sure there's a logic behind the calendar (I have a faint memory of learning about it in Latin class), but whoever decided to start the year in the middle of winter didn't live in New England. It's a time to get excited about what's ahead, when what's ahead are several long, cold months that make me want to hibernate more than celebrate.

But it's more than anticipating the cold. It's anticipating failure. I don't make New Years resolutions anymore, because I never keep them. But I still look ahead at a year where there is so much I'd like to do differently, to be differently, and it feels so intimidating. The growth that I want to see in my life won't automatically happen because it's 2013. It will take time, and struggle, and prayer, and pain - just like it has every year before. I will let others down and let myself down, and no decision I make today will prevent that. And that's why today, the day of new starts, all I wanted to do was stay in bed. But something else came to mind this morning; a promise that pulled me out of my funk (and out of bed, thankfully):

Because of the Lord's great love 

we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself,

"The Lord is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him."

- Lamentations 3:22-24

 I don't have to "take on" this year until I mess up and have to wait for the next year so that I can start over again. Every day is new, and God is faithful every day. So instead of one new year, I have 365 new days ahead of me. And I can get excited about that.

Christmas time is here...

The Christmas season is by far my favorite time of year. And it's not because of the presents, the family, or even the celebration of Jesus' birth. I mean, I get presents on my birthday, I see my family at other times of the year, and I actually get more excited about Jesus' resurrection than his birthday. The reason I love Christmas so much is because it's so full of traditions. Every year at this time, we make the same food, watch the same movies, sing the same songs, and do the same things that we've done every year before. The consistency is not just comforting, it's grounding. I think there's something about traditions that define and connect families, giving stability in the midst of frequent change. Keeping traditions going also gives me so much joy in anticipating them all year long. So I wrote down some of our family's traditions... if you're looking to add something to your holiday celebration, I can vouch for these activities :).

Pre-Christmas: Play Christmas music (constantly). Watch Christmas movies. Wrap gifts. Follow an advent calendar. Decorate the tree and the house. Check the weather for white Christmas predictions.

Christmas Eve: Welcome out-of-town family. Play Mannheim Steamroller. Put the presents under the tree. Set the Christmas table and make the dinner (staples: New England clam chowder and ham). Thank God for the feast. Eat with family. Clean up dinner together. Set out Grandmum's Christmas cookies and eat as many of your favorites as you can before they're gone. Gather around the player piano and sing Christmas carols. Laugh/groan through the ones that are inexplicably high and contain at least 6 verses. If feeling energetic, parade through the house during one of the carols. Eat more cookies. Open Christmas pajamas. Take photo in said Christmas pajamas. Read Luke 2. Some years, attend a Christmas Eve church service. Set out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer (yes, still, even with no one in the house under age 16). Set out the stockings. Go to bed and try to sleep.

Christmas day: Wake up early and make a mad dash to the stockings. Take inventory. Bring stockings to parents' room for show and tell. Open "Santa gifts". Thank the elusive old guy. Wait for extended family to arrive. Eat brunch (staples: keish, bacon, cinnamon rolls, and "J" danishes). Don the Santa hat in order to pass out gifts. Open gifts one at a time. Hope for a "grand reveal" gift that was too big to be wrapped. Play with the new toys and gadgets. Drive to grandparents' house. Repeat gift scenario with additional family members. Eat dinner (staple: lasagna). Eat at the kids' table (still). Examine your "12 Days of Christmas" wine glass and try to trade with someone for a higher number. Sing a rousing rendition of the "12 Days of Christmas". Open stockings (round 2). Go around in a circle to tell stories involving the contents of the stockings. Eat Christmas log cake. Head home with full stomachs and hearts! :)

Do you have any fun Christmas traditions? Or are your holidays always changing? I'm always looking for more ideas... :)

Oh, and I just really wanted to include a picture of the gifts that Aaron and I are giving this year, because I tried so hard to make them pretty! Presentation went by the wayside during college and grad school, but this year I brought it back! :)

Newport, Rhode Island.

Thanksgiving always reminds me how thankful I am for my family. This year I was especially grateful for the Huberty side, who drove 30 hours straight from Wisconsin to spend a few days with us. My new sister-in-law had never been to the East Coast before, which necessitated a visit to Newport for some boulder-hopping, lobster-holding, and an introduction to the Atlantic.