house files

I knew it had been a while since I posted last.. but to my amazement, Blogger made me feel even more guilty when I returned this morning to find that they have a new look.  Who knows how long ago that change took place.. all I know is that I've been slacking and it seems like they wanted to rub it in a little!

Ok so here goes with my excuses.. I've been beyond swamped!  The last few months have been a mad-dash to get the house done- or done enough so we wouldn't be bringing a baby home to a construction zone.  I've been working like crazy, though not in an effort to tie up jobs- I have no plans to stop working when the little one arrives.  All while baby-prep has been weighing heavily on my mind, though none of it has really gotten done.  I'm not going to lie, I have mini-panic attacks every time I go on Facebook and see another pregnant friend's nursery totally completed by the 5th month.   But I keep telling myself I have plans- I know exactly what this baby's room is going to look like.. when it gets set up, though, that's anyone's guess.

But by Sunday, I started feeling really hopeful that the end was in sight.  Other than a few punch-list items, which is typical for a job of any size, we really are pretty much done with the work.  I got the baby's room painted, the carpet is in, the bathrooms are in working order (other than the showers- long story), and most importantly, Ben seems happy with everything.  I've learned over the years that he thinks most of my ideas are off-the-wall, difficult to achieve and he's definitely been known to question them or flat out disagree with them from time to time.  So while I always get final say (which makes me feel like he might trust my instincts, even if it's just a little), I know he's always a little worried with the outcome.  Luckily, it seems like I haven't made a misstep yet- even while operating with pregnancy-brain (it's definitely a real thing!).  So everyday Ben comes home and he says things like "that looks great" or "I like those colors," I definitely pat myself on the back.. he can be a tough crowd!

Anyway, we've been talking about our "favorite" rooms in the house and while the answers change daily, today these are mine.. Just remember, these are post-construction but pre-accessorizing, so there's no art, no rugs and everything is still a little bare-bones..

The downstairs hall..
It's amazing what dramatic paint and great lighting can do to a hallway.  It just proves, those little details make all the difference.

Perhaps you'd like to see a "before" picture- as in when we first bought the house..

And the upstairs bathroom..
This one was a surprise to me since we spent incredibly minimally and really tried to cut costs up there.  But either way, I just love how it turned out- it's dramatic and a little fun, something I think a third and extra bath should be!

Bad pictures, I know.
It's important to mention that Ben's favorite room is the office/family room- we haven't really figured out what to call it yet since it was built with the intention of being my office and has slowly turned into a room he'd like to claim as his own.  While it's definitely on the top of my list too, I refuse to post any pictures of it until we have the furniture/storage situation figured out.  Believe me, none of you need to see my shelter magazine collection in piles on the freshly carpeted floor.

Some small details that I thought I would share..
"Cubbies" Ben built in both bathrooms for storage- and in an effort to use every inch of space possible..

upstairs bath and master bath

Both are being used for towels at the moment, but eventually they'll have shelves and will be a lot more functional.

Also in the master bath.. we opted to do without a medicine cabinet, so we had the framer build a special nook that an Ikea bath cabinet (almost) fit perfectly in!

And below it, you'll notice another favorite detail of mine.. my nightlight!  There's a switch on my side of the bed that turns it off and on so when I get up in the middle of the night I won't wake my sleeping family.. this is where I wish I had a picture of Henry and his new sleeping position.. stretched out, head on the pillow, body covered in blankets, pushing Ben into the middle of the bed so he has enough room on his side.  We thought a king size bed would benefit us, but clearly Henry thought it was brought in especially for him.

The only other Ikea purchase was made for our master bedroom walk in.  I wanted the look of built-ins, but not the price, so Ben did a little customizing and now we have great storage and a very functional space..

Though closet organization is clearly not one of my skills.

Hopefully in the next few weeks (depending on when this baby shows up), I'll have a few more finished photos to share.  But at least you got a little taste of what we've been working on.. and why this blog has been suffering for so long!

On another note.. on top of renovations, work, babies and everything else going on in my life, I turned 30 on Monday.  I must admit, being 9 months pregnant definitely puts the big 3-0 on the back burner.  There were no major countdowns, no big plans and definitely no worries about never being able to go back.  

Over the years I've heard so many complain about getting older, but I have to say, my 20s were full of transitions- some I welcomed and some were really difficult.  Over the last decade, I experienced some really wonderful things, but some painful things as well.  There have been many great challenges, lots of excitement and some pride over what I have accomplished.  Overall, I feel incredibly lucky.  I'm happy about where my life has gone and where it has the potential to continue to go.  So, while I'm grateful for my 20s and all that they have taught me, I really am not too sad to see them go.  I'm sure over the years I'll look back at that decade in my life and reminisce a little, but I'm now looking forward to new challenges, a greater sense of self and a little more wisdom.  I really do believe it just gets better from here.