housing update

well, it turns out i don't have enough money for this house. i'm a little disappointed, but in the end i know it just wasn't the house God had in mind.

so i'm starting over again, searching the streets of my desired neighborhoods. some may call me crazy, but let me tell you something about pensacola. it goes a little something like this: nice neighborhood, ghetto, nice neighborhood, railroad tracks, ghetto, decent neighborhood, white trash, new construction new money mansions 30 minutes away from town. doesn't leave a whole lot for a single girl on a small salary.

but, this is an adventure for me. i'm probably going against a lot of sound advice by limiting myself to 2 neighborhoods. however, this is my one worldy passion. to me it's not just a place to live; it has to be a small challenge, a fun project, a piece of art, a piece of history, and most importantly a home. i'm not your average home-buyer. plus i'm not the most exciting person. i don't do risky things, i don't break laws, there's no way i'm jumping out of an airplane, i don't climb mountains, have any tattoos or a fast car. this is my adventure.

the phrase "more for your money" doesn't apply here. because i'm not looking for more space or more land or more kids on their bikes. i'm looking for this. i'll find a house and it will be everything i'd hoped it would be.

so put that in your pipe and smoke it.

brainstorming already

the bathroom.

here's what's already there:

white hexagon mosaic floor tile (keeper)

4x4 white ceramic tile, offset brick pattern (gone)

also: a very horrible maroonish color on the walls, a fiberglass tub/shower combo where someone thought it was a good idea to edge with 6x12 ceramic tile (yuck), and light blue ceiling (not sure how i feel about that yet)...all gone


here's what i'd like to put in there: old fashioned vanity with lots of storage, white marble top

beveled OR (see below) plain white subway tile, either to the chair rail or the 66" height with a ceramic trim piece topper




with a 3" ribbon accent of silver glass mini bricks about 12" from the top of the tile pattern


spring meadow green paint...may go a little greener on this. we'll see.

that's what i've got so far. am i obsessed? not really...although, once again, don't have the house YET. but i am praying! i have simply had a lot of time on my hands this morning, due to the pressure washer blocking the entrance to my front door, making it difficult to run a business. but time is not wasted!

getting closer!

i'll say it again: i only know what i like by knowing what i don't like. and when it comes to houses, there's a lot i don't like. for instance: the useless carrying-on of the "parlor" or "formal living room". please. i don't entertain thoughts of any real family that doesn't spend their time either 1: in the kitchen or 2: by the tv. reading, i suppose counts as the 3rd, for some, but this requires only turning the tv off, not an entirely separate room.

another one: people that install granite countertops and expect their house to be listed as "updated." come on people. first of all, granite is hardly updated anymore. and secondly, do you want to be the continuation of the next countertop material that will be seen in houses 20 years from now and instantly date it? much like plastic laminate (or "formica" as most call it) instantly dates a house from the 80s-90s construction era. not only do i not like granite all that much, but people cannot seem to come up with another creative alternative to countertops. there are other stones, acrylic, resin, quartz, sealed concrete, silestone, recycled compostite materials, and glass (should you have the money). pick one. be creative!

all that being said, i should have known that only the historic neighborhoods of pensacola would excite me. and so they have. all 3 houses i have liked are in pensacola's east hill. the more affordable sister of the prestigious north hill (on who's cusp i used to rent a flat and loved every minute of minus the energy bills and crazy landlord).

so far this guy is numero uno:

it does not look historic by any means from the outside. but the inside tells a different story. there are glass door knobs, wood floors, white hexagon tiles in the bathroom, and a working fireplace. other pluses: all the expensive upgrades i don't want to deal with (tankless water heater, new windows, backyard landscaping, sprinkler system) are already done. this is the house you take home to mom. there will, however, still be several projects:

1. there are 8x8 tack-on ceiling tiles everywhere. who thought this was a good idea? my guess is they were put up to prevent having to repair the plaster ceilings. those are eventually coming down.

2. bathroom remodel. floors stay. everything else goes (except maybe the toilet).

3. ripping out the granite countertops. if you're interested, they're giallo napoleon. if you want em, maybe i'll sell em. all this to go with new kitchen floors and backsplash (tile showroom designer discount please!)

4. ripping up the carpet in the bedrooms. there's wood underneath. the carpet has lived it's life.

5. there are also distant future plans to add on a small front porch.

all this being said, i do not own the house, nor have i even put in an offer. but a girl can dream can't she? wish me luck and i'll keep you updated.

let the search begin!

it all started with this house. sure it may look cute and innocent, but don't let it fool you. it lured me in with its 15 panel original wood door, 1930's basketweave tile kitchen, glass door knobs, and sun-room and took me on an emotional roller coaster.

this little 2 bedroom/ 1 bath (with bonus room) house in the historic neighborhood of pensacola is every history and design lover's first-time home dream. before i knew it, one click on a website led to loan pre-approvals, worked and re-worked budgets, what-if's, add-on plans, and i won't even go into the amount of tile configurations i planned out at work.

yesterday i saw the house, and i can proudly say i stuck to my guns and kept my feet on the firm ground (well on the off-grade wood floors). it may not be this house, but it has opened the door to a whole new world for me. new job, new attitude, and now it looks like i might be a new home owner in the near future. who knew? God is just that good.

wish me luck. and if any of you are home-owners, i appreciate any tips!

just a glimpse

i'm just now catching up to my new life. i realize i have fallen WAY behind on blogging. my apologies.

for now, here's a glimpse of my new work life. i love it love it LOVE IT :)

there's more to come. not sure when, but there is.

here we go

it's official. after 2 years of waiting i'm beginning a new chapter in my life. i am leaving interior design (although not the world of interior design) and moving on.

it's not a huge change, but afte 4 years of busting my tail in school, i never thought i'd not want to do what i SO wanted to do. live and learn, that's all i've got to say. your experiences exist to teach you what you want, and more importantly what you don't want.

i still love interior design, and i assure you one day i will have a great house to call my own. i still appreciate all the masters of the art. but this whole schpeel just ain't for me. maybe in another chapter of life, but for now i just do what the Lord calls me to do. no matter how hard i try to do things my way, He always wins :)

stay tuned to find out where i end up!

ps: if you're curious about this picture and another take on my situation, check out my other blog

this is a great moment for me

whenever i first started my job (i don't know how it happened, seriously--i don't even get chances like this 2 years later), i got the opportunity to design a floor graphic for a children's facility. it was my baby.

the installers did a FANTASTIC job. from what i hear, they had to deal with someone turning the a/c on and off for 5 days. in case you don't know, that can be tragic to an installation of natural materials because they shrink and swell with the temperature. whoever pulled it off is my hero.

here are some pictures from the install. for copyright reasons i can't give any more info other than it's linoleum, and its for kiddos. i am SO proud. (i even did the custom tackboards on the walls).

this shot is making it into product literature for forbo marmoleum. it will also have its very own month in their 2011 calendar.

there is something great about seeing the fruits of your labor come to life. up until this point, i haven't.

gulp

so i started a new blog.

it took a lot to muster up and start. its transparent and awkward and a side of me that most probably don't know. but i did it. straight into the deep end.

check it out.

www.lovewithoutreligion.blogspot.com

Power Tour 2010

this past saturday morning the feller and i (unbeknownst to me at about 45 minutes till departure) made our way to the mobile battleship park for the power tour 2010 awards. we made it there just as all the cars were pulling away. at first it was great because we just parked and watched them all drive by. but soon we started baking in the sun, and i couldn't get good camera angles, so we got out. of course this didn't help much because in addition to the 100 degree heat index, all the cars were running, so hot exhaust was mixing in with the heat. but we still had fun!

check out some of my favorites from the day. i am a big fan of old trucks and 67 camaros (well, 67-69, but 67's the most) so there are a lot of those in the mix. i'd like to have both one day.