We Are Home Owners!

We are officially owners of a 1980's waterfront home......let the ripping out and DIY-ing begin.  Nothing like buying a home and then destroying parts of it in the same week.  :)

Seriously though, one of the reasons we love the house is because they have not done much to it since it was built.  Only 2 appliances updated but not recently, no landscaping, no boathouse or deck, no new nice flooring.  To me I see a clean slate to work with and I don't mind tearing out the old stuff to transform the house into our home.

For those of you who have asked where it is, the house is in Bayou Vista, TX.  Its off of I-45 South of Houston, before you cross the bridge to Galveston.

The neighborhood is small and quiet and I think it is exactly what we want.  Brian drives into Houston for work but it is about the same drive he was doing when we lived in New Orleans so he doesn't mind.

I will start posting before and after photos soon and posting about some specific DIY projects we have done as well as what products we have decided to use in our home.  I can't wait to get started!  Our first night in the house is tonight and my first new appliance gets delivered today!  I still can't believe all this has happened so fast and so smoothly.  We are extremely blessed and grateful.  Thank you to my parents for letting the dogs and me stay at your house the past 2 weeks while we were homeless and thank you to Brian's college friend for letting Brian stay at your house during the week.  Thanks to all the friends and family for the suggestions and advice.  A special thanks to our friend Jason for help making this happen.  And a BIG THANK YOU to Candy Baggett, our Realtor, for making me go look at this house after I took it off my list and for doing all the extras for us.  Buying a house from 6 hours away is not easy and having a great Realtor is the only reason the deal happened.  And lastly, thank you to my husband for buying me a house on the water and letting me put a new kitchen in it....best anniversary present to date.  BLittle, you have really set the bar high for yourself ;)

I'll be posting pictures in a few days so check back!

Our Last Day

Today is our last day in New Orleans.  I am in denial that the day is already here.  The past 2 weeks have been fast and furious and have flown by!  We have been to Texas and back twice in the past 3 weeks and we will be making the last trip over tomorrow.  We have filled an 8x8x16 POD plus an 8x12 U-Haul plus tomorrow we will be have 2 trucks with the beds full and each of us will be pulling a boat.  I am tired just thinking about that sentence...that's a lot of stuff.  You don't realize how much you have until you pack...YIKES.  Thank goodness I don't have hoarding tendencies!!!!

While packing, getting ready for the move, and finishing everything up with our jobs here,  we have also been in the process of purchasing a home.  I mentioned before we secretly went house shopping and luckily we really liked the second home we saw.  Crazy!  Then only after a few negotiations, an offer was accepted.  We went to see the house again last weekend during the inspection. Thankfully, we still liked the house and the inspection only turned up minor issues.  We are so blessed things are falling into place so quickly!  We are officially under contract and closing is set for the 24th.  I am very thankful I am self-employed so I can focus on what needs to be done and make the what feels like a gazillion calls a day to get things to happen.  If closing stays on schedule we will only be displaced for 2 weeks!  Again, so grateful!  We were thinking it would be a few months before finding a house and trying to find short term rentals is not easy.........especially when you live with these two.

Aren't they cute?! They are great dogs but I completely understand that people don't want two 80 pound, indoor labs in their rental.   My parents love their grand dogs so we have a place to stay for the next few weeks. :)

I have had several questions about the house and I have been keeping details to myself mostly because it is not a done deal and I am still in denial that it is happening.  Having said that, I have been pinning like crazy on my secret Pinterest board that is for our new house.  :)  The home was built in the 80's and still looks like it belongs in the 80's....EEK.  Luckily I can see past the time warp and new blue carpet that extends into the master bath (no, I am not kidding) and see the potential in the home.  I am so ready to get the keys so we can start making it ours and transforming it into a beauty.  Our first projects will be updating the kitchen, new floors, painting the walls & trim,  and building a fence.  If anybody wants to come to our painting and fence building party, I will feed you for your work :)  I will be posting updates, before & afters and probably a few DIY tutorials over the next few months.  Please pray that closing stays on schedule and the next few months aren't too stressful for us. 

And to close today's post,  I would like to thank all of my customers, clients, and supporters in the NOLA area.  I have been so blessed to find a job that I love and doesn't feel like work.  Even on hot summer days when I am working all day outside, covered in paint and sanding dust, and suffer from mild heat exhaustion....somehow it still doesn't feel like work.  I am a little scared about getting started in the Houston/Galveston area but I have faith that things will be successful there too.