A month! I can’t believe it. A little over a month ago, Phil and I were biting our nails wondering how we would manage a move from our third floor apartment across town to our new house. My being pregnant, and Phil’s ACL tear the night before… it just seemed impossible. Until dozens of friends showed up at our apartment, and suddenly everything was done! Just like that! We were overwhelmed with thankfulness.

Since the move, we’ve already embarked on a few unexpected projects. You know, the ones they tell you will jump up and surprise you as new home owners. For one- our house wasn’t insulated! In northeast Ohio, this is a big deal, and an even bigger gas bill. So we purchased 40 bags of celuose insulation and an industrial insulation blower. We drilled 4-inch holes into our exterior walls and spent a week bowling in the insulation. This made for a huge mess, lots of holes in our walls, and tarps over all of our unpacked boxes. So we spent a week at my parents’ house and delayed getting set up in our new house.

Fast forward a few weeks, and now all of the holes have been filled, and new paint is even on the walls (in a couple rooms- we’re taking our time in deciding paint colors). In combination with needing our entire sewage drain line cleared, we’ve spent our savings on fixing up some major problems, which means we won’t be buying anything pretty for the house for quite a while. I hate spending money that can’t be seen, don’t you? It just seems like the money disappeared. But! We are warm, and our toilets flush. These are important things.

Even though it’s frustrating waiting on things like curtains, wall paint, and organizational supplies, I think I’ll enjoy this time figuring out how our belongings fit into this new space. And since I love homemaking so much, it’s kind of nice that this process is being drawn out so much. Maybe in a couple of decades this place will be finished! (But come on, homeowners, we all know that won’t happen!)

Lately I’ve been desperately trying to avoid the Veruca Salt complex. You know, that pesky little attitude that makes you say, “I want wallpaper, daddy! I want it now, daddy!” First of all, my daddy heaves a mighty sigh when I even mention wallpaper. Our family has had quite the history of wallpaper removal. So, why would I want to bring that upon myself? (Look at the wallpaper below and you will find out why!) Ah yes. ‘Twould be so lovely. And why stop at the kitchen? Let’s paper the dining room too! And the living room!

Okay, I’ve got issues. And very little money to work them out with wallpaper purchases. Which might be for the better, eh? In any case, I’ve decided against wallpaper anywhere but the small wall space in our kitchen. Instead, we will do a nice warm grey in the living room and dining room, which is open to the kitchen.

And since we’re moving this weekend (ALREADY?!), I’ve been prepping our plans and gearing up to bark out orders gently ask favors of those who have kindly offered to help. So, I guess I will update again once we’ve moved a bunch of boxes and broken out the chain saws and crowbars. Yikes! I thought I said no renovations this time? Ah, I guess we all knew that wouldn’t be the last word.

We’ve been living amongst piles of cardboard boxes, opening our pantry time after time foolishly expecting new contents to appear, and occasionally screaming at saying hello to one pesky mouse that is worried we might be leaving him (or her?) soon. Or maybe he’s just enjoying the obstacle course that is our apartment, eh? In any case, all of these signs point towards a move in our near future- two weeks today, in fact! So why am I making drawings of our house instead of packing boxes? Well, because it’s just really loads more fun. Duh. And after making these last suppers in our closet-sized kitchen, I need to be reminded of the hope that a nice kitchen and dining room will soon be in our lives!

After making the down payment on the house, we’ll be working hard to build up a savings fund again. But I managed to finagle an inexpensive vintage dining room light from Germany, and talked my brother into giving me back the light from his bedroom (which I installed back when it was my bedroom). So, things are coming together! And my wallpaper fund is growing. And we haven’t even moved in yet.

Planning a home is one of the sweetest things in life, so I hope you will enjoy my sharing the journey along the way! (I’m crossing my fingers for a nursery project in the near future!)

Sources: The old bedroom light was purchased from eBay (search white globe ceiling light), the wallpaper is from here, and the vintage dining room light is from here.