blog — all aflutter

Ok. So, to say that we bit off a bit more than we can chew might be valid. A remodel sounds fun, right? Pick some tile and cabinets, thumb through a few magazines, narrow down some paint colors and voila! You have a new house... right? No. Not right. I'm sure most of you will find it no surprise that that's not actually how this all works.

We've spent the days since we closed on the house in mid November trying to select the right contractor (please please please say that we did...) and furiously trying to meet every one of the 92 requirements on the checklist set forth by the City of Boulder to apply for a building permit. During the holidays. With my sister and nephew visiting from Australia for nearly a month. While keeping our marriage and sanity intact. Mind you, we knew we would need a permit, but had NO idea what was involved in actually obtaining one. And, we could've chosen a house that just needed a little love, but instead we chose one that needs the removal of an exterior wall in order to create a fantastic kitchen and the restructuring of the interior staircase to create a coat closet and proper entryway. I know the City's regulations are part of what makes this such a beautiful and desirable place to live, but OMG the things they make you document is mind-numbing. Seems like it would be much easier to invite the surveyor, contractor, engineer, architect (my mom, who's not actually an architect, but a creative and talented visionary) and city planning guy all over for coffee one morning and just walk through it. Maybe I'll leave a note in the City's suggestion box. I'm sure I'll hear back...

Of course, these aren't real problems. Not the kind that should keep you up at night or garner any pity, but it's a little stressful nonetheless. When I get overwhelmed I remember these 2 little words... WALK-IN PANTRY (or is that 3 words?) It will surely all be worth it in the end, but oh my... Right now 5 months sounds like a million years away, which is the best case scenario for getting the house move-in ready. We're looking at 6 weeks for word on the permit, which we are desperately trying to get in this week + 3 months for the remodel, assuming that mother nature (and our contractor!) cooperate so we can dig the foundation in the dead of winter. Keep your fingers crossed, would you? xo

When we bought our sweet house 6+ years ago, we weren't married. We had no dog. We had no kids. We confidently installed nearly white 100% wool carpet in the lower level because it was gorgeous (as carpet goes...), with total disregard for the maintenance. When we showed the house to our parents, they said "what if you have 2 children? Where will they sleep?" TWO children? While we were fully committed to one another and to the idea of starting a family together, it sounded like a lot of "what ifs" for the time being. I mean, we only intended to live in this little starter house for like 2 years, right? And we weren't even engaged. Ha!

We did get married. We adopted a dog (not in that order). We had two beautiful little boys. We learned why people with kids and dogs don't usually choose nearly white 100% wool carpet just because it's gorgeous. We are still in our "starter" house and it's starting to feel just a little tight. I'm tired of having boxes of oatmeal fall on my head every time I open the food cabinet because we have no pantry. As it turns out, if you have two kids in this house, they have to sleep in the basement, which is mostly fine except on those nights when they're sick or scared and you just wish you could feel them breathing. We can't entertain because there's nowhere for anyone to sit.

SO, we're moving. It's time. After nearly a year of looking, we finally bought a house on a lovely street just a stone's throw from the house where I grew up (a sweet coincidence). The house has a lot of potential but hasn't been touched since 1989. So, we're doing a complete renovation - bathrooms, floors, kitchen, fireplace - to create our [nearly] perfect home. Everyone I told said "take pictures, I live for that #$%&." I've been feeling ready for a new creative outlet and a dear friend suggested I start a blog to track the progress of the renovation. Genius! So here it is (thank you, dear 'liza!!) - a space to track the project's progress + maybe learn some yummy recipes and meet some super creative mamas. Maybe you'll feel inspired to start something new, too. Stay tuned - I might need you to weigh in on paint colors (+ keep me sane). xo